US 4,671,093 A · Transfer assembly for tube printing apparatus

Abstract

A tube transfer assembly for a tube printer includes a rotatable mandrel wheel which successively moves the tubes to be printed to different stations of the tube printer; a plurality of mandrels mounted along the circumferential periphery of the mandrel wheel for holding the tubes thereon; a rotatable star wheel assembly including a plurality of pockets for successively supplying the tubes to a position at the free end of the mandrel at the 11:00 position of the mandrel wheel; a guide disc rotatable with the star wheel and having a plurality of circular apertures positioned about the periphery thereof in alignment with the pockets; a first pusher rod which successively pushes one end of each tube within one of the apertures at a first rotatable position of the star wheel to correctly configure such end of the tube in a circular configuration; a second pusher rod simultaneously moveable with the first pusher rod which successively pushes each tube onto the mandrel at the subsequent 11:00 position of the mandrel wheel; a plurality of sleeves slidably mounted on the mandrels; a backstop normally engaged with the sleeves at all but the 3:00 position of the mandrel wheel to prevent sliding movement of the sleeves on the respective mandrels and disengaged from the sleeve then positioned at the 3:00 position on the mandrel to permit sliding movement thereof; and a tube discharge assembly including a pusher take-off engaged with the sleeve at the 3:00 position of the mandrel wheel to slidably move the sleeve on the respective mandrel thereat so as to remove the tube on the mandrel.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A tube transfer assembly for a tube printer, comprising:

rotatable mandrel wheel means for successively moving tubes to be printed to different stations of said tube printer;
a plurality of mandrel means for holding said tubes on said mandrel wheel means, each said mandrel means having a free end;
rotatable star wheel means including a plurality of pockets for successively supplying said tubes to a position at the free end of a respective mandrel means when the latter is moved to a predetermined position by said mandrel wheel means;
rotatable guide disc means having a plurality of circular apertures positioned about the periphery thereof;
first pusher rod means for successively pushing one end of each tube within one of said apertures at a first rotatable position of said star wheel means, to correctly configure said one end of each tube;
and
second pusher rod means for successively pushing each tube onto a respective mandrel means at a successive position of said star wheel means corresponding to said predetermined position of the respective mandrel means.

4 more elements

A tube transfer assembly for a tube printer, comprising:

rotatable mandrel wheel means for successively moving tubes to be printed to different stations of said tube printer;
a plurality of mandrel means for holding said tubes on said mandrel wheel means, each said mandrel means having a free end;
rotatable star wheel means including a plurality of pockets for successively supplying said tubes to a position at the free end of a respective mandrel means when the latter is moved to a predetermined position of said mandrel wheel means;
rotatable guide disc means having a plurality of circular apertures positioned about the periphery thereof;
first pusher rod means for successively pushing one end of each tube within one of said apertures at a first rotatable position of said star wheel means, to correctly configure said one end of each tube;
second pusher rod means for successively pushing each tube onto a respective mandrel means at a successive rotatable position of said star wheel means corresponding to said predetermined position of the respective mandrel means;
a plurality of sleeves slidably mounted on said plurality of mandrel means
backstop means engaged with said sleeves at a plurality of rotatable positions of said mandrel wheel means for preventing sliding movement of said sleeves on the respective mandrel means thereat and disengaged from said sleeves at one other rotatable position of said mandrel wheel means for permitting sliding movement of said sleeves on the respective mandrel means thereat;
and
tube discharge means for slidably moving the sleeve on the respective mandrel means at said one other rotatable position of said mandrel wheel means to remove the tube on said respective mandrel means thereat.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Transfer assembly for tube printing apparatus

Life of this patent

Transfer assembly for tube printing apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18