Screen printing machine

A screen printing machine comprising:

• a frame;
• a printing platen connected with said frame and adapted to receive thereon an article to be printed;
• a printing head, including hinged clamps detachably connecting said printing head with at least two printing screens having different, mating designs therein arranged to print a bifurcated pattern on said article;
• said hinged clamps permitting said printing screens to be pivoted through a substantially vertical plane between a printing position wherein said screens are sequentially aligned with said printing platen and abuttingly overlie the article thereon, and a storage position wherein said printing screens are spaced apart from said printing platen;
• a registry stop connected with said frame and having first and second portions between which said clamps are received and retained in said printing position for positively positioning said screens in a predetermined angular relationship with said printing platen;
• means slideably connecting said printing head with said frame for varying the distance between said printing head and said printing platen and selectively locating the position of said pattern on said article without disturbing the registry between the designs in said printing screens;
• means detachably connecting said printing head with said frame, whereby said printing head can be bodily removed from said frame and replaced with an alternate printing head without disturbing the registry between the designs in said printing screens;
• a thrust bearing rotatably connecting said printing head with said frame, whereby rotation of said printing head sequentially positions said screens over said printing platen;
• said bearing including:
• first and second circular plates disposed in a coaxial relationship overlying each other, and having antifriction bearing means therebetween to facilitate angular displacement betweeen said plates;
• and
• at least three stops connected with one of said printing head and said frame, and being disposed adjacent to the peripheral edge of one of said plates at opposite sides thereof;
• said stops each including a portion thereof disposed concentric with the axis of rotation of said printing head, and adapted for abutment with said one peripheral plate edge to insure concentric alignment of said plates.

A screen printing machine comprising:

• a frame;
• a printing platen connected with said frame and adapted to receive thereon an article to be printed;
• a printing head including first means for connecting therewith at least two printing screens having different, mating designs therein arranged to print a bifurcated pattern on said article;
• said first connecting means having means for translating each of said printing screens between a printing position wherein said screens are sequentially aligned with said printing platen and abuttingly overlie the article thereon, and a storage position wherein said printing screens are spaced apart from said printing platen;
• second means rotatably connecting said printing head with said frame, whereby rotation of said printing head sequentially positions said screens over said platen;
• a registry stop having one portion thereof connected with one of said frame and said printing head, and a second, mating portion thereof connected with the other of same frame and said printing head, and being shifted between locked and unlocked positions by translation of either of said frames between said printing and storage positions respectively;
• said second stop portion being received in a captured by said first stop portion in the printing position for positively positioning said screens in a predetermined angular relationship with said printing platen and providing registry between the designs in said printing screen;
• said screen connecting means comprising hinged clamps having a C-shaped jaw between which said screens are detachably retained;
• and
• said registry stop first portion comprising a pair of blocks spaced apart on said frame a distance substantially commensurate with the width of a lower portion of each of said hinged clamps;
• said hinged clamp lower portion comprising said registry stop second portion, and being disposed above said blocks in the storage position to permit free rotation of said printing head, and disposed between said blocks in the printing position.

In a screen printing machine including a frame, a printing platen connected with said frame and adapted to receive thereon an article to be printed, and a printing head adapted for mounting a printing screen therein, the improvement comprising:

• a thrust bearing rotatably connecting said printing head with said frame, whereby rotation of said printing head positions said printing screen over said printing platen;
• said bearing including:
• first and second circular plates disposed in a coaxial relationship overlying each other, and including antifriction bearing means therebetween to facilitate angular displacement of said plates;
• and
• at least three stops connected with one of said printing head and said frame and being disposed adjacent to the peripheral edge of one of said plates at opposite sides thereof;
• said stops each including a portion thereof disposed concentric with the axis of rotation of said printing head and being adapted for abutment with said one peripheral plate edge so as to insure concentric alignment of said plates.