Curing section for continuous motion decorator
AssigneeSun Chemical Corporation
InventorsStanley Silverman, John Broeils
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus for decorating cylindrical containers is provided with a compact-curing section mounted directly thereto. The curing section includes a subassembly pivotally mounted for movement between an operating and a servicing position. The subassembly includes a liquid-cooled main reflector, an arcuate array of elongated ultra-violet lamps, and air-cooled chambers wherein the lamp terminals are disposed. A liquid-cooled shutter is provided to shield those containers stopped in the curing section.
Claims8
Apparatus for decorating and curing generally cylindrical articles including continuously moving conveyor means having an input which receives undecorated articles and an output from which decorated articles are discharged, decorator means for applying decorations to undecorated articles on said conveyor means, and curing means for curing decorations applied to articles by said decorator means;
- said conveyor means including a plurality of rotatably mounted mandrels which carry articles while said decorator means applies decorations thereto;
- said conveyor means also including a transfer assembly including a plurality of heads which receive decorated articles directly from said mandrels and hold these articles while decorations thereon are being cured by said curing means;
- said transfer assembly being mounted for continuous rotation about a main axis;
- each of said heads holding a cylindrical article with its cylindrical axis extending generally parallel to said main axis;
- said curing means disposed adjacent a peripheral portion of said transfer assembly and outboard of articles held by said heads;
- said curing means including a plurality of sources emitting radiation for rapidly curing decorations, said plurality of sources being in an arcuate array and said peripheral portion of said transfer assembly extending upstream from said output of said conveyor means;
- each of said sources including an elongated lamp having it longitudinal axis positioned generally parallel to said main axis;
- said arcuate array being part of a subassembly that is mounted for movement between an operating position adjacent to said spindles and a service position remote from said spindles and wherein said lamps are accessible for removal and replacement;
- a pivot means at the downstream end of said subassembly about which the latter is moved between its said operating and said service positions;
- said downstream end being below the upstream end of said subassembly in the vicinity of the output of said conveyor means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.