Screen printing squeegee apparatus

In a squeegee apparatus for use with a perforate printing screen, said squeegee apparatus including a reservoir for receiving printing fluid and mounted in fixed spaced apart relation to a surface of the printing screen, a squeegee head assembly supported by the surface of the printing screen, means flexibly connecting squeegee head assembly to ride on said screen surface relative to said fixed reservoir, means defining a fluid flow path from said reservoir to said squeegee head assembly, and a seal assembly mounted on said squeegee head assembly in position to contact said printing screen surface to define a fluid receiving area thereon, the improvement in said seal assembly comprising:

• at least one elongate flexible resilient strip having a first area defined by an elongate extremity and by a bend line on said strip parallel to said elongate extremity;
• a plurality of openings in said strip, said openings being disposed in a row extending parallel to and positioned adjacent to said elongate extremity;
• said openings receiving fastening members to secure said strip to said squeegee head assembly adjacent said printing screen surface and being elongated in a direction substantially perpendicular to the elongate extent of said strip, to allow said strip to be selectably positioned relative to said squeegee head assembly;
• said strip having a second area contiguous to said first area, said second area defined by said bend line and by a second elongate extremity of said strip parallel to said first elongate extremity;
• and
• a seal member secured to said strip along and in surrounding relation with said second elongate extremity, said seal member contacting the printing screen surface.

Squeegee apparatus for use with a printing screen, comprising:

• reservoir means for receiving a pressurized flow of liquid and mounted in fixed spaced apart relation to a surface of a printing screen;
• and
• squeegee means supported by the surface of the printing screen and operative to apply liquid to a closed area of such printing screen;
• said squeegee means including seal means which sealingly contacts such screen surface and defines the closed area of the screen surface;
• means connecting said squeegee means to said reservoir means to allow said squeegee means to freely float on said screen surface, relative to the fixed location of said reservoir means, in response to movement of said screen surface as said squeegee means rides therealong;
• stop means connected to said reservoir means and said squeegee means and operative to define a predetermined range of said floating squeegee means movement, relative to said reservoir means, so that said squeegee means can float on said screen surface to remain in said sealing contact with the screen surface notwithstanding variations in the spacing between the screen surface and the reservoir means within said predetermined range;
• flow means defining a liquid flow path from said reservoir means to said squeegee means for application on said closed area defined on the screen surface;
• bearing means mounted on said squeegee means to contact the screen surface and substantially support said squeegee means on the surface of the screen as said squeegee means moves within said predetermined range of movement;
• and
• said bearing means being disposed to contact the screen surface in spaced apart relation to said seal means.

Squeegee apparatus for use with a printing screen comprising:

• reservoir means for receiving a pressurized flow of liquid and mounted in fixed spaced apart relation to a surface of printing screen;
• and
• squeegee means supported by the surface of the printing screen and operative to apply liquid to a closed area of such printing screen;
• said squeegee means including seal means which sealingly contacts such screen surface and defines the closed area of the screen surface;
• said seal means comprising a pair of elongate sealing members each of which is cantilever supported from said squeegee means and both of which have screen engaging seal portions disposed in mutually parallel spaced apart relation to define said closed area;
• means connecting said squeegee means to said reservoir means to allow said squeegee means to freely float on said screen surface, relative to the fixed location of said reservoir means, in response to movement of said screen surface as said squeegee means rides therealong;
• stop means connected to said reservoir means and said squeegee means and operative to define a predetermined range of said floating squeegee means movement, relative to said reservoir means, so that said squeegee means can float on said screen surface to remain in said sealing contact with the screen surface notwithstanding variations in the spacing between the screen surface and the reservoir means within said predetermined range;
• flow means defining a liquid flow path from said reservoir means to said squeegee means for application on said closed area defined on the screen surface;
• bearing means mounted on said squeegee means in substantially parallel relation with said sealing members and operative to support at least a substantial portion of the weight of said squeegee means on the screen surface as said squeegee means moves within said predetermined range of movement;
• and
• said sealing members being resiliently biassed by said cantilever support to extend a distance beyond said bearing means to be resiliently displaced by contact of said screen engaging portions with the screen surface.

Squeegee apparatus for use with a printing screen, comprising:

• reservoir means for receiving a pressurized flow of liquid and mounted in fixed spaced apart relation to a surface of a printing screen;
• and
• squeegee means supported by the surface of the printing screen and operative to apply liquid to a closed area of such printing screen;
• means interconnecting said squeegee means to said reservoir means for a limited range of movement relative to said reservoir means, so that the squeegee means can freely move along said path throughout said range of movement to remain in contact with the screen surface notwithstanding variations in spacing between the screen surface and said reservoir means within said range of movement;
• said reservoir means and said squeegee means each having an elongated extent;
• said squeegee means including seal means which sealingly contacts such screen surface and defines the closed area of the screen surface;
• flow means defining a liquid flow path from said reservoir means to said squeegee means for application on said closed area defined on the screen surface;
• flexible liquid impervious means externally surrounding the connection between said squeegee means and said reservoir means and extending in liquid sealing relation between said reservoir means and said squeegee means so as to partially define said liquid flow path from said reservoir means to said squeegee means;
• said flexible liquid impervious means partially defining a chamber which is in communication with said liquid flow path and which receives said pressurized liquid;
• and
• said squeegee means having a pressure receiving surface which is exposed to said pressurized liquid within said chamber and which has an effective area aligned to urge said squeegee means away from said reservoir means and toward the printing screen in response to the force exerted on said area by said pressurized liquid within said chamber.