Method and apparatus for spin printing indicia on pellet shaped articles

A spin printing apparatus, comprising:

• a conveyor including at least one pocket for receiving a pellet shaped article;
• a printing roller adjacent the conveyor, the printing roller providing a predetermined amount of indicia to the pellet shaped article under a selected contact force;
• and
• a device that adjusts, during operation of the spin printing apparatus, the selected contact force to change a length of a band of the predetermined amount of indicia.

A spin printing apparatus, comprising:

• a conveyor including at least one pocket for receiving at least one of a caplet and a capsule having a circumference;
• a printing roller frictionally engaging the caplet or capsule a predetermined amount to selectively print an amount of indicia along an entire circumference of the caplet or capsule;
• and
• a device that adjusts, during operation of the spin printing apparatus, the predetermined amount the printing roller frictionally engages the caplet or capsule to selectively print a band of indicia along the entire circumference of the caplet or capsule.

A spin printing apparatus, comprising:

• a conveyor including at least one pocket for receiving at least one pellet shaped article;
• a printing roller proximate the conveyor, the printing roller having a predetermined rate of rotation to selectively spin print indicia along a circumference of the pellet shaped article;
• and
• a variable speed controller that adjusts the predetermined rate of rotation of the printing roller with respect to the conveyor to change a length of a band of indicia spin printed on the pellet shaped articles.

A method for spin printing pellet shaped articles, comprising:

• distributing the pellet shaped articles on a moving conveyor;
• transporting the pellet shaped articles to a printing roller positioned a predetermined distance from the conveyor;
• and
• adjusting the predetermined distance of the printing roller to the conveyor during at least one of (a) the distributing the pellet shaped articles, (b) the transporting the pellet shaped articles, and (c) printing on the pellet shaped articles using the printing roller, thereby changing a length of a band of indicia printed onto the pellet shaped articles.

A method for spin printing indicia onto pellet shaped articles, comprising:

• transporting the pellet shaped articles on a conveyor;
• transferring indicia from a printing roller onto a circumference of the pellet shaped articles;
• and
• adjusting a speed of the printing roller with respect to the conveyor to change a length of a band of indicia transferred to the pellet shaped articles.

A spin printing apparatus, comprising:

• a conveyor including at least one pocket that receives at least one pellet shaped article;
• a printing roller spaced from the conveyor at a predetermined distance and frictionally engaging the at least one pellet shaped article a predetermined amount, the printing roller having a predetermined rate of rotation and contact-printing indicia onto the at least one pellet shaped article under a selected contact force;
• and
• a device that changes a length of a band of the indicia printed on the at least one pellet shaped article by adjusting at least one of the (a) predetermined distance, (b) the selected contact force, (c) the predetermined amount the printing roller frictionally engages the at least one pellet shaped article, and (d) the predetermined rate of rotation.

A method for spin printing pellet shaped articles, comprising:

• distributing the pellet shaped articles on a moving conveyor;
• transporting the pellet shaped articles to a printing roller positioned a predetermined distance from the conveyor that frictionally engages the pellet shaped articles and transfers an amount of indicia to the pellet shaped articles under a contact force;
• and
• changing a length of a band of the indicia printed on the pellet shaped articles by adjusting at least one (a) of the predetermined distance, (b) the contact force, (c) an amount the printing roller frictionally engages the pellet shaped articles, and (d) a speed of the printing roller with respect to the conveyor.