# US 10,500,838 B2 · Decorator drive and printing plate cylinder automation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,500,838 B2 - Document ID: US10500838B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/645,347 - Filed: 2017-07-10 - Published: 2018-01-11 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-11 - Assignees: Crown Packaging Technology, Inc. - Applicants: CROWN Packaging Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Daniel Egerton; Ian Wilkinson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10500838B2 ## CPC - B41F 17/08: for printing on filamentary or elongated articles, or on articles with cylindrical surfaces - B41F 13/0045: {Electric driving devices} - B41F 17/22: by rolling contact - B41F 33/0036: {Devices for scanning or checking the printed matter for quality control} - B41F 33/0081: {Devices for scanning register marks} - B41F 33/02: Arrangements of indicating devices, e.g. counters - B41N 10/02: Blanket structure - B41F: PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES (manifolding devices or office printing machines B41L) - B41N: PRINTING PLATES OR FOILS (photosensitive material G03); MATERIALS FOR SURFACES USED IN PRINTING MACHINES FOR PRINTING, INKING, DAMPING, OR THE LIKE; PREPARING SUCH SURFACES FOR USE AND CONSERVING THEM ## Abstract A can decorator comprising a spindle disc, a blanket drum, a transfer wheel, a pin chain drive, and a controller. The spindle disc is adapted for (i) receiving beverage cans from an infeed and (ii) carrying and rotating each can body on a corresponding spindle. The blanket drum is adapted for (i) applying ink to printing cylinders and (ii) rotating the print cylinders in registration with beverage cans on the spindle disc to decorate the cans. The transfer wheel is adapted for receiving beverage cans from the spindle disc after decoration by the blanket drum. The pin chain drive is adapted for receiving cans from the transfer wheel and transporting the cans on a chain through an oven. The controller adapted for receiving encoder information and matching or adjusting speeds of a spindle disc motor, a blanket drum motor, a transfer wheel motor, and a pin chain drive motor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A can decorator comprising: a spindle disc adapted for (i) receiving beverage cans from an infeed and (ii) carrying and rotating each can body on a corresponding spindle; the spindle disc being driven by a spindle disc motor having an encoder; a blanket drum that includes a plurality of printing blankets, the blanket drum adapted for (i) receiving ink on the plurality of printing blankets from printing cylinders and (ii) rotating the plurality of printing blankets in registration with beverage cans on the spindle disc to decorate the cans, wherein each of the plurality of printing blankets corresponds to one of the corresponding spindles of the spindle disc; the blanket drum being driven by a blanket drum motor having an encoder; a transfer wheel adapted for receiving beverage cans from the spindle disc after decoration by the blanket drum; the transfer wheel being driven by a transfer wheel motor having an encoder; a pin chain drive adapted for receiving cans from the transfer wheel and transporting the cans on a chain through an oven; the pin chain drive being driven by a pin chain drive motor having an encoder; and a controller adapted for receiving encoder information and matching or adjusting speeds of the spindle disc motor, the blanket drum motor, the transfer wheel motor, and the pin chain drive motor, individually, to improve print quality of the decoration applied by each of the plurality of printing blankets onto each can body positioned on the corresponding spindle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The can decorator of claim 1 wherein the encoder on at least one of the motors is an absolute encoder. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The can decorator of claim 1 wherein the encoder on each one of the motors is an absolute encoder. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The can decorator of claim 1 wherein the motors are servo motors. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The can decorator of claim 1 further comprising an over-varnish disc adapted for applying a varnish to the cans while on the spindle disc. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The can decorator of claim 1 wherein each one of the motors is capable of being operated while the other motors are off, whereby the operating motor is operable for maintenance tasks. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A method of operating the can decorator of claim 1, comprising the step of adjusting a speed of one of the spindle disc motor, the blanket drum motor, transfer wheel motor, and pin chain drive motor in response to can image information to enhance a can image. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A method of changing a pin chain in the can decorator of claim 1, comprising the step of rotating the pin chain drive by engaging the pin chain drive motor without rotating the spindle disc, blanket drum, and transfer wheel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A method of a servicing or maintaining a blanket drum in the can decorator of claim 1, comprising the step of rotating the blanket drum by engaging the blanket drum motor without rotating the spindle disc, transfer wheel, and pin chain drive. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The can decorator of claim 1 wherein the spindle disc is positioned relative to the transfer wheel such that an adjustment of speed of the spindle disc relative to a speed of the transfer wheel adjusts a change-over point between the spindle disc and the transfer wheel. ### Claim 11 A can decorator comprising: a blanket drum assembly comprising: printing cylinders; inkers for providing ink to the printing cylinders; a plurality of blankets for receiving ink from the printing cylinders; a blanket drum motor for rotating the blankets into contact with the printing cylinders; axial actuators adapted for axially positioning the printing cylinders; and radial actuators adapted for radially positioning the printing cylinders; whereby the axial actuators and the radial actuators adjust the positioning of the printing cylinders to register an image relative to beverage cans based on at least one input into a control system; and a spindle disc adapted for carrying each of the beverage cans on a corresponding spindle and placing each of the beverage cans into contact with a respective one of the plurality of blankets to decorate the beverage cans, the spindle disc being driven by a spindle disc motor, wherein a speed of the spindle disc motor and a speed of the blanket drum motor are individually adjustable by the control system to improve print quality of the decoration applied by each of the plurality of printing blankets onto each beverage can positioned on the corresponding spindle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The can decorator of claim 11 wherein the axial actuators and the radial actuators are servo motors. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The can decorator of claim 11 wherein the at least one input for controlling the actuators is entered in a human-machine interface based on human observations. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The can decorator of claim 11 wherein the at least one input for controlling the actuators is entered in a human-machine interface based on measurements of can images from a microscope. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The can decorator of claim 11 wherein the at least one input for controlling the actuators is from cameras that image the can after printing. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The can decorator of claim 15 wherein the at least one input from the imaging is automatically fed to the actuators, with or without human operator action. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) A method of adjusting a position of the printing cylinders in the can decorator of claim 11, comprising the steps of: determining target adjustments to the axial and/or radial position of at least one of the printing cylinders; sending a signal to the axial actuator and/or radial actuator associated with the at least one printing cylinder; and adjusting the axial and/or radial position by movement of the axial actuator and/or radial actuator in response to the signal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17 wherein the determining step includes human action of ascertaining image registration and entering adjustment data into an interface of a control system that generates the signal and performs the sending step. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17 wherein the determining step includes human action of ascertaining image registration through a microscope and entering adjustment data into an interface of a control system that generates the signal and performs the sending step. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17 wherein the determining step includes a camera ascertaining image registration information, determining adjustment data based on image registration information, and creating the signal based on the image registration information. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17 wherein each axial actuator is a servo motor and each radial actuator is a servo motor, and wherein the servo motors operate to perform the adjusting step. ### Claim 22 (depends on 11) The can decorator of claim 11 wherein each one of the printing cylinders has an axial actuator and a radial actuator. ### Claim 23 (depends on 11) The can decorator of claim 11 further comprising a transfer wheel adapted for receiving beverage cans from the spindle disc after decoration by the blanket drum, the transfer wheel being driven by a transfer wheel motor having an encoder, and wherein the spindle disc is positioned relative to the transfer wheel such that an adjustment of speed of the spindle disc relative to a speed of the transfer wheel adjusts a change-over point between the spindle disc and the transfer wheel.