US3538845A - Apparatus for printing circular base containers - Google Patents
Apparatus for printing circular base containers Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US3538845A US3538845A US683548A US3538845DA US3538845A US 3538845 A US3538845 A US 3538845A US 683548 A US683548 A US 683548A US 3538845D A US3538845D A US 3538845DA US 3538845 A US3538845 A US 3538845A
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- bottle
- printing
- article
- indexing
- pawl
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
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Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41F—PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES
- B41F15/00—Screen printers
- B41F15/08—Machines
- B41F15/0872—Machines for printing on articles having essentially cylindrical surfaces
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41F—PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES
- B41F15/00—Screen printers
- B41F15/14—Details
- B41F15/16—Printing tables
- B41F15/18—Supports for workpieces
- B41F15/30—Supports for workpieces for articles with curved surfaces
Definitions
- the apparatus includes a rotatable housing for turning the article until a pawl within the housing engages a notch in the base of the article to orient the article with respect to the printing apparatus.
- the indexed article is then raised into printing position whereupon it is positively driven by means of a central shaft connected to the coacting pawl rotating in the opposite direction from the indexing movement.
- This invention relates to methods and apparatus for handling, indexing and forming indicia on articles.
- it relates to a screen-type printing apparatus and its mode of operation, which apparatus is employed toprint predeter- 'mined surface areas only of such articles.
- the bottle may be orientated in regard to a silk screen printing unit so as to avoid printing over the bottle seam is by placing such bottle in a predetermined position by hand in relationship to the printing unit. This is obviously tedious, and occasionally inaccurate due to human error and a generally undesirable procedure, especially when considering ,the high degree of automation available in other phases of the printing and production facilities. This is especially true during long runs of printing the same indicia on the bottles wherein printing setup time and adjustments are of minor significance.
- a further instance where it is highly desirable to be able to automatically and faithfully position or orientate a bottle in a predetermined position in relationship to the printing device is when the bottle indicia is applied in two or more colors.
- the second color is in perfect register in regard to the first color indicia thereon.
- FIG. II is a partial, sectional view showing the indexing means of the present invention and the drive means associated therewith.
- FIG. III is a partial, sectional view with portions broken away for clarity showing the base of a bottle having an indexing notch located therein illustrating the orientation thereof in respect to the forward end of the hub of the indexing device and the pawl centrally located therein.
- FIG. IV is a partial, perspective view similar to FIG. I" of the drawings wherein the base of the bottle has been positively engaged by the indexing pawl and rotated in an arc representative of that rotation taking place during the printing cycle.
- FIG. I there is shown therein a bottle 10 having a generally circular base portion 12 and an open dispensing nozzle portion 14.
- the bottle is shown in nonprintable relationship with the silk screen printing unit 13 (shown pictorially) by a general supportmechanism I6, a transportation and secondary supporting mechanism 18 and the indexing means 20.
- the base of the bottle is further provided with an indexing notch 11 as best shown in FIGS. Ill and IV.
- the support mechanism 16 comprises support arms 22 upon which the bottle 10 is initially supported and roughly positioned in regard to the transportation and secondary support mechanism 18 and the index means 20.
- the supporting arms 22 are mounted for both axial and arcuate adjustment by means of adjustment arms 24 and 26 which are in turn connected to a horizontal bar 28 by means of adjusting devices 30, such as setscrews. In this manner, then, various size and shape bottles may be supported and roughly positioned by the arms 22.
- the horizontal bars are in turn connected to stationary columns 32 which are in turn fixedly connected to a sup porting base (notshown) of the overall device.
- the transportation and secondary support mechanism 18 includes a headed member 34 adapted for receipt by the open nozzle I4 of the. bottle 10.
- the headed member 34 is in turn supportedby a turret 36 through an intermediate connection means 38.
- Turret 36 is normally provided with more than one headed member 34 and is adapted for rotational indexing movement. so as to enable a bottle to be alternately received from a supply source, moved into the position as shown in FIG. I andthereupon, after receipt of printing thereon, be moved to a storage or secondary printing station.
- the headed member 34 through the intermediate connecting means 38 is normally pressure whereby the vacuum may be actuated at a pickup or supply station so as to temporarily fix the bottle to the headed member 34 thereof, when such is being transported from the pickup or supply station to the position shown in FIG. I.
- the headed member is generally also mounted for axial reciprocation from an initial position proximate to the indexing turret 36 during the initial pickup and transportation cycle and thereafter to a second position distal from the indexing turret 36 during the holding, positioning and printing cycles. Positive pressure may also be supplied during the printing cycle so as to expand the outside surfaces of the bottle which are to receive the printing indicia in those cases wherein the bottle is of flexible sidewall construction.
- the indexing turret 36 is further connected by appropriate means to a vertically movable plate 40 or its equivalent and is thereby movable from initial nonprinting position upwardly into printing engagement position with the screen printing means.
- the indexing means is in part mounted upon a shaft 44 which is journaled at one point thereof for rotational movement.
- the journal support 45 is in turn by means of support structure 48 connected to the plate 40 as is the drive means 46 for the indexing means 20.
- the opposite end of the shaft 44 distal to its connection with the indexing means 20 is supported by a pillar 50 which is further mounted for vertical reciprocation.
- a pulley 52 is further attached to the end of the shaft 44, which pulley by means not shown translates the horizontal reciprocating motion of the screen printing unit 13 into rotary motion so as to rotate the shaft 44 as will hereinafter be explained with synchronized movement with the reciprocation of the screen printing unit.
- the rotational movement of the bottle caused by the rotation of the shaft 44 during the printing cycle is coordinated with the horizontal or lateral movement of the screen printing unit so that the bottle may arcuately rotate at the same speed as the horizontal movement of the screen printing unit.
- the indexing means 20 includes an article holding means or housing 54 including a cup shaped bottle holder element 56 which is open at that end proximate to the positioned bottle base which in turn further includes a peripheral shoulder 58 which is contoured for receipt of the bottle base 12.
- the bottle holder 56 is in turn connected to a housing shell 60 by means of a fastening device such as the setscrews 61 illustrated.
- the housing shell 60 is further provided with a roller clutch 62 positioned thereagainst by means of a washer 64 and a thrust bearing 66.
- the entire article holding means 54 is in turn mounted upon a spindle 68 which is in turn attached to shaft 44.
- the article holding means 54 by means of the roller clutch 62 is capable of freely rotating about the spindle 68 in one direction only, say counterclockwise for clarity of illustration, and designed to rotate only as a part of the spindle 68 and shaft 44 in the opposite direction e.g. clockwise direction.
- roller clutch 62 includes elements 70 of generally tear-shaped configuration which are positioned within the raceway formed by the housing 71 of the roller clutch and the outside surface of the spindle in such a manner that they do not obstruct counter clockwise rotation of the roller clutch housing in relation to the spindle but will reposition themselves to create a wedging action therebetween upon initiation of movement in the opposite clockwise direction so as to force both the housing and the spindle to rotate as a unit in the clockwise direction.
- An article or bottle indexing means 72 is in turn positioned at the forward end of the article holding means 54.
- the indexing means 72 is further comprised of a hub '74 which is mounted on the forward end of the spindle axially within the cup shaped bottle holder 56.
- the hub 74 is in turn provided with an axial bore 76 therethrough in which a spring 78 is mounted for constantly urging a pawl 80 outwardly from the confines of the bottle holder 56.
- the pawl 80 is further pivotably connected to the hub 74 by means of a pawl arm 82.
- the force of the spring 78 is such that pawl 80 may be easily inwardly seated within a hub seat 79 by the pressure of the bottle base 12 when such is engaged with the peripheral shoulder 58 of the cup shaped bottle holder 56, e.g. by the forward reciprocating motion of the headed member 34 above discussed. In this manner'then the pawl will initially be normally in its seated position while in contact with the base of the bottle until the notch 11 is aligned therewith, at which time, the pawl is forwardly urged into the notch by the spring 78 so as to form a positive connection between the article indexing means 72 and the bottle.
- Rotation of the article holding means 54 relative to the article indexing means 72 is accomplished by means of a rotatable belt 84 which runs in a trackway 86 formed between the washer 64 and the rear shoulder 88 of the housing shell 60.
- This trackway is further provided with spaced grooves and the belt with projecting tracks for positive engagement therewith and in this way provide positive rotation of the article holding means 54.
- the positioning of the bottle holder 56 upon the housing 60 may be varied by the incorporation of one or more spacers 90.
- the drive means 92 for the belt and consequently the article holding means 54 is also best shown in H6. ll of the drawings.
- rotational movement is provided to the belt by means of a hub 94 which is in turn connected to a coupling shaft 96 which is held therein by means of key 98.
- the coupling shaft 96 is in turn connected to a flexible shaft 100 by means of the setscrew 102, which flexible shaft is in turn connected to a source of rotational power supply e.g. a motor (not shown).
- the hub 94 is further provided with a needle bearing assembly 104 mounted thereon upon which in turn belt 84 is free to rotate.
- Rotational force is in turn transmitted to the belt 84 by means of spaced fiber washers 106 which are positioned in place by means of a spacer 108 and a pressure plate 110.
- a spring 112 the tension of which is maintained by means of a jam nut 114, regulates the driving force which is transmitted to the belt 84 by means of the fiber washers 106.
- the jam nut is in turn held in place by a setscrew 116. ln this manner then, driving force transmitted to the belt may be regulated to a predetermined level wherein resistance imparted thereto by the article holding means 54 Le. the trackway thereof, above such predetermined level will cause the belt to freely slip in the driving means trackway formed by the fiber washers 106 and the needle bearing 104.
- the driving means through the belt will no longer impart rotational move ment to the article holding means 54 but will rather slip within the trackway of the drive means.
- bottle 10 having an indexing notch 11 in the base 12 thereof is initially positioned into contact with the peripheral shoulder 58 of the bottle holder 56.
- the article holding means 54 and accordingly the bottle holder 56 is rotating quickly in a counterclockwise direction by virtue of the continuous operation of the driving means 92.
- Bottle holder 56 thereupon imparts counterclockwise rotational movement to the bottle itself and spins the bottle around until the pawl 80 is positively engaged in the notch 11. Generally this takes place within a portion of a single bottle turn although upon occasion the pawl may not engage in a notch on a first pass due to a possible incomplete receipt of the bottle base 12 within the bottle holder 56.
- the bottle is prevented from further counterclockwise rotation and accordingly the friction imparted to shoulder 58 of holder 56 by the bottle at the peripheral portions thereof increases and thus reaches and exceeds the set limit of rotational resistance of the article holding means 54 so as to enable the belt 84 to freely slip upon its driving means 92 and thus temporarily preventing further rotation of the bottle holder 56.
- the plate 40 is moved vertically upward to a point at which the surface of the bottle to be printed is in printable contact with the screen printing unit; thereupon the screen printing unit initiates lateral movement which in turn through e.g.
- the pulley means 52 initiates clockwise rotational movement of the shaft 44 which in turn causes rotation of the hub 74 and consequently of the pawl 80.
- This rotation causes the bottle to rotate sequentially with the lateral movement of the screen printing unit.
- This movement as previously pointed out is regulated within limits so as to bring about an equal or closely approximately equal speeds at the surface of the rotating bottle and the printing screen laterally moving there across.
- the screen printer temporarily halts as does the rotational movement of the bottle caused thereby.
- the printed bottle may be withdrawn from the article holder 56 and indexed by means of the turret 36 to a storage or further printing station. Thereafter a second bottle is received, positioned etc. and the cycle is repeated.
- An apparatus for printing a blow molded article having a dispensing opening, a sidewall and a generally circular base configuration having an indexing notch formed therein which gradually tapers inwardly toward the interior of the article comprising:
- A. first article rotation means including:
- a transportation and secondary support mechanism adapted to reciprocate in a substantially horizontal direction against a portion of said article defining said dispensing opening to force said article base against said base receiving means, said transportation and secondary support mechanism being located prior to reciprocation at a distance from said base receiving means greater than the length of said article;
- D. second article rotation means having an indexing means including: a 1. a pawl adapted to positively engage said indexing notch;
- a one way clutch to permit the article base receiving means to rotate in said first direction and to positively couple the article base receiving means with the indexing means after indexing the article to permit the article base receiving means and the indexing means to be simultaneously rotated in said opposite direction by the means for rotating the pawl during printing of the art:
Description
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US68354867A | 1967-11-16 | 1967-11-16 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US3538845A true US3538845A (en) | 1970-11-10 |
Family
ID=24744499
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US683548A Expired - Lifetime US3538845A (en) | 1967-11-16 | 1967-11-16 | Apparatus for printing circular base containers |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US3538845A (en) |
Cited By (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3874289A (en) * | 1971-12-10 | 1975-04-01 | Produ Ag | Screen printing press |
US3897725A (en) * | 1974-02-25 | 1975-08-05 | American Screen Printing | Apparatus for registering objects of revolution for printing |
US4304180A (en) * | 1979-09-12 | 1981-12-08 | American Screen Printing Equipment Company | Bottle printer |
US4505198A (en) * | 1981-02-02 | 1985-03-19 | Dee Richard D | Apparatus and method for applying printed material to a cylindrical object |
US4669376A (en) * | 1985-10-29 | 1987-06-02 | Van Dem Machine Corporation | Tube aligning assembly for tube printer |
US4889050A (en) * | 1988-09-29 | 1989-12-26 | Permanent Label Corporation | Apparatus and method for decorating tubular containers and like items |
US5711217A (en) * | 1995-09-18 | 1998-01-27 | Ser-Tek Systems, Inc. | Vector screen printing method and apparatus |
CN109572168A (en) * | 2019-01-16 | 2019-04-05 | 夏领兵 | A kind of plain net curved surface screen printing machine |
-
1967
- 1967-11-16 US US683548A patent/US3538845A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Cited By (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3874289A (en) * | 1971-12-10 | 1975-04-01 | Produ Ag | Screen printing press |
US3897725A (en) * | 1974-02-25 | 1975-08-05 | American Screen Printing | Apparatus for registering objects of revolution for printing |
US4304180A (en) * | 1979-09-12 | 1981-12-08 | American Screen Printing Equipment Company | Bottle printer |
US4505198A (en) * | 1981-02-02 | 1985-03-19 | Dee Richard D | Apparatus and method for applying printed material to a cylindrical object |
US4669376A (en) * | 1985-10-29 | 1987-06-02 | Van Dem Machine Corporation | Tube aligning assembly for tube printer |
US4889050A (en) * | 1988-09-29 | 1989-12-26 | Permanent Label Corporation | Apparatus and method for decorating tubular containers and like items |
US5711217A (en) * | 1995-09-18 | 1998-01-27 | Ser-Tek Systems, Inc. | Vector screen printing method and apparatus |
CN109572168A (en) * | 2019-01-16 | 2019-04-05 | 夏领兵 | A kind of plain net curved surface screen printing machine |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: BANKERS TRUST COMPANY, AS AGENT Free format text: SECURITY INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:INNOPAK CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:004762/0020 Effective date: 19870831 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: INNOPAK CORPORATION, A CORP. OF DE,MISSOURI Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:MONSANTO COMPANY, A CORP. OF DE;REEL/FRAME:004840/0304 Effective date: 19870831 Owner name: INNOPAK CORPORATION, 10000 OLD OLIVE STREET ROAD, Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:MONSANTO COMPANY, A CORP. OF DE;REEL/FRAME:004840/0304 Effective date: 19870831 |