Method and apparatus for making printed elastic bands

Apparatus for manufacturing printed elastic bands comprising collapsing means for collapsing an elastic tubing, flattening means for maintaining the tubing flattened throughout the apparatus, cleaning means for cleaning an upper surface of the tubing for removing ink-adhesion inhibitors, aligning means for aligning the tubing for properly centered printing, positioning means for positioning the tubing for receiving printed images, printing means for printing images on the tubing, devolatilizing and curing means for devolatilizing and curing ink images printed on the tubing, high speed cutting means for cutting ends of the tubing between printed images and discharging means for discharging the finished product, wherein the collapsing means comprises a roller studded with needle spikes which pierce the bottom of the tubing and a pair of rollers above and below the tubing following the studded roller for constricting the tubing to collapsed form by forcing internal fluid from the tubing through the pierced wall of the tubing.

Apparatus for manufacturing printed elastic bands comprising collapsing means for collapsing an elastic tubing, flattening means for maintaining the tubing flattened throughout the apparatus, cleaning means for cleaning an upper surface of the tubing for removing ink-adhesion inhibitors, aligning means for aligning the tubing for properly centered printing, positioning means for positioning the tubing for receiving printed images, printing means for printing images on the tubing, devolatilizing and curing means for devolatilizing and curing ink images printed on the tubing, high speed cutting means for cutting ends of the tubing between printed images and discharging means for discharging the finished product, further comprising first open mesh conveyor means positioned beneath the lower surface of the tubing and extending from a proximal position near the collapsing means and cleaning means to a distal position removed from the cleaning means, and first evacuating means positioned beneath the open mesh conveyor for holding the tubing down on the open mesh conveyor and for drawing fluids around the tubing, and wherein the means for keeping the tubing collapsed further comprises blower means mounted above the tubing for blowing fluid downward on an upper surface of the tubing adjacent the first open mesh conveyor.

Apparatus for manufacturing printed elastic bands comprising an open mesh first conveyor collapsing means for collapsing an elastic tubing, flattening means for maintaining the tubing flattened throughout the apparatus, cleaning means for cleaning an upper surface of the tubing for removing ink-adhesion inhibitors, aligning means for aligning the tubing for properly centered printing, positioning means for positioning the tubing for receiving printed images, printing means for printing images on the tubing, devolatilizing and curing means for devolatilizing and curing ink images printed on the tubing, high speed cutting means for cutting ends of the tubing between printed images and discharging means for discharging the finished product, wherein the cleaning means comprises a first cleaning jet extending across an upper surface of the tubing for delivering cleaning fluid under pressure to an upper surface of the tubing, scrubbing means above the upper surface of the tubing for contacting the upper surface of the tubing and scrubbing the upper surface of the tubing following the spraying of cleaning fluid on the tubing and a rinsing jet extending across the tubing after the scrubbing means for rinsing fluid from the tubing and through the open mesh first conveyor.

Apparatus for manufacturing printed elastic bands comprising collapsing means for collapsing an elastic tubing, flattening means for maintaining the tubing flattened throughout the apparatus, cleaning means for cleaning an upper surface of the tubing for removing ink-adhesion inhibitors, aligning means for aligning the tubing for properly centered printing, positioning means for positioning the tubing for receiving printed images, printing means for printing images on the tubing, devolatilizing and curing means for devolatilizing and curing ink images printed on the tubing, high speed cutting means for cutting ends of the tubing between printed images and discharging means for discharging the finished product, wherein the positioning means comprises a triangularly shaped open mesh conveyor positioned adjacent the aligning means for receiving the tubing from the aligning means and for lifting the tubing into contact with the printing means and for turning the tubing downward and moving the tubing quickly away from the printing means, the triangular conveyor having an evacuation chamber beneath the conveyor for drawing fluid through the conveyor and further comprising blower means positioned above the conveyor for forcing fluid downward on the tubing for holding the tubing flat on the triangular conveyor.

Apparatus for manufacturing printed elastic bands comprising collapsing means for collapsing an elastic tubing, flattening means for maintaining the tubing flattened throughout the apparatus, cleaning means for cleaning an upper surface of the tubing for removing ink-adhesion inhibitors, aligning means for aligning the tubing for properly centered printing, positioning means for positioning the tubing for receiving printed images, printing means for printing images on the tubing, devolatilizing and curing means for devolatilizing and curing ink images printed on the tubing, high speed cutting means for cutting ends of the tubing between printed images and discharging means for discharging the finished product, wherein the devolatilizing and curing means comprises a final open mesh conveyor, a final evacuating chamber beneath the final open mesh conveyor and means above the final conveyor for directing a fluid current downward on the conveyor to flatten the tubing on the conveyor and to devolatilize and cure the ink.

Apparatus for cutting off printed elastic bands from a printed elastic tubing comprising nip rollers engaging upper and lower surfaces of the printed tubing, synchronous drive means connected to the nip rollers for driving the nip rollers, a platen positioned beneath a distal end of the tubing and a large roller having knives oriented transversely to the tubing for moving the knives near a distal edge of the platen and cutting off elastic bands, a final roller positioned above the platen near the distal end and drive means connected to the final roller and to the nip rollers for driving a surface of the final roller faster than a surface of the nip rollers for ensuring flatness of the tubing at the cutting, printing sensing means positioned above the tubing between the nip rollers and the final roller for sensing printing on the tubing and blade sensing means positioned adjacent the blades for sensing position of the blades and coordinating means connected to the printing sensing means and to the blade sensing means and to the drive for accelerating and decelerating the tubing according to the sensings.

Tubing collapsing apparatus comprising a roller studded with needle spikes which pierce the bottom of the tubing and a pair of rollers above and below the tubing following the studded roller for constricting the tubing to collapsed form by forcing internal fluid from the tubing through the pierced wall of the tubing wherein the collapsing apparatus further comprises sensing means for sensing proximity of an upper wall of the tubing to the sensing means and descending roller means positioned above the tubing and means for descending the roller means on the tubing when the proximity sensor senses proximity of the upper surface of the tubing for driving the upper surface of the tubing downward on the needle spikes on the studded roller to pierce the upper surface of the tubing as well as the lower surface of the tubing.