Process and apparatus for printing on articles
AssigneeWerner Kammann Maschinenfabrik GmbH
InventorRalf Helling
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a process and apparatus for printing on articles which are at least in part of non-round cross-sectional shape, by means of screen printing, the article is received by a holding arrangement for supporting it during the printing operation, when the holding arrangement is in an intermediate position between first and second limit positions defining a range of pivotal movement of the holding arrangement, during which the printing is applied to the article. The movements of the article during the printing operation are for the purposes of that operation and not for transportation purposes, the article being transported by at least one transportation arrangement provided specifically therefor.
Claims20
A screen printing process for printing on at least one portion of an article, which portion has a non-circular cross-section such that said portion has two mutually-perpendicular cross-sectional axes, one being longer than the other, said axes intersecting at a center point of said portion, comprising the steps of
- (a) mounting said article at a printing station in printing relationship with screen printing means such that said article is rotatable about a rotational axis perpendicular to said cross-sectional axes and displaced from said center point of said portion,
- (b) placing said article into a first position in space at the printing station in which the longer cross-sectional axis of said portion is substantially horizontal,
- (c) rotating said article at the printing station in a first angular direction from said first position to a second position,
- (d) rotating said article at the printing station in a second angular direction opposite to said first angular direction from said second position past said first position to a third position while simultaneously printing on said article during at least a portion of rotation of said article from said second position to said third position, and
- (e) rotating said article at the printing station in said first angular direction from said third position back to said first position in space.
A screen printing apparatus for printing on at least one portion of an article, which portion has a curved non-circular cross-section such that said portions has two mutually-perpendicular cross-sectional axes, one being longer than the other, said axes intersecting at a center point of said portion, comprising
- (a) a screen printing stencil,
- (b) a squeegee displaceable with respect to said screen printing stencil,
- (c) mounting means for mounting said article at a printing station in printing relationship with said screen printing stencil, said mounting means and said article being rotatable at the printing station about a substantially horizontal rotational axis perpendicular to said cross-sectional axes and displaced from said center point of said portion, said mounting means having a first position in space in which said article is in a first position in space in which the longer cross-sectional axis of said portion is substantially horizontal,
- (d) drive means engaging said mounting means for sequentially rotating said mounting means and said article at the printing station in a first angular direction from said first position to a second position in a second angular direction opposite to said first angular direction from said second position past said first position to a third position, and in said first angular direction from said third position back to said first position in space, and
- (e) means for engaging said printing stencil with said portion for printing thereon during at least a portion of rotation of said mounting means and said article from said second position to said third position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.