Product collator imbricator and printer
OwnerJohn A. Longinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An in-line array of product dispensers overlie a conveyor belt. An ink jet printer overlies the conveyor belt downstream of the product dispensers. Information identifying the product dispensers which hold the desired products for a particular set and the desired number of sets of that type are entered to a controller operatively associated with the product dispensers and the printer. The controller times the dispensing of products from the selected product dispensers so as to form imbricated sets of products on the conveyor belt. As the products in the imbricated set pass under the printer, the controller activates it to print desired information on the exposed portion of each product.
Claims8
A method for high throughput printing of sets of products comprising the steps of:
- (a) dispensing desired sets of products so that each set forms an imbricated array wherein each product of the set, except the last product dispensed in the set, is partially overlapped by the next adjacent product so that each product has an exposed portion;
- (b) conveying said desired imbricated sets of products to a printing station;
- (c) printing on the exposed portion of at least some of the products in the desired imbricated sets of products.
Apparatus for high throughput printing of products comprising:
- (a) conveyor means for conveying products in a forward feed direction;
- (b) at least one product dispenser for dispensing products to said conveyor means;
- (c) control means operatively connected to said at least one product dispenser for timing the dispensing of products so as to form an imbricated array of products on said conveyor means;
- (d) printer means associated with said conveyor means downstream of said at least one product dispenser for printing on the exposed portion of products in said imbricated array to form an imbricated array downstream of said printer means having products printed by said printer means.
Apparatus for assembling and high throughput printing of sets of products comprising:
- (a) conveyor means for conveying products in a forward feed direction;
- (b) a plurality of product dispensers for dispensing products to said conveyor means;
- (c) control means operatively connected to said plurality of product dispensers for selectively activating ones of said plurality of product dispensers and for timing the dispensing of products so as to form imbricated sets of products on said conveyor means whereby each product in a set of products, except the last product dispensed in the set, is partially overlapped by an adjacent product so that each product has an exposed portion which is not overlapped by an adjacent product;
- (c) printer means associated with said conveyor means downstream of said plurality of product dispensers for printing on the exposed portion of products in said sets of imbricated products in order to form sets of imbricated products downstream of said printer means having products printed on by said printer means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.