Automated printing machine and process
OwnerRalph J. Billinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automated printing machine has a plurality of printing pallets having elevated printing surfaces connected to an endless chain drive by an elongated bodies. The printing machine includes a positive indexing system for smoothly indexing items to be printed while supported on the elevated printing surfaces, first through a printing station having at least one printing head movable in a plurality of directions, and then to an integrated dryer station, after the printing station, having at least one pivotable dryer therein for selectively drying the printed items held on the elevated printing surfaces, as they pass through the drying station.
Claims20
An automated printing machine, having an endless belt drive carrying workpieces through a printing station and a drying station, comprising, in combination:
- said endless belt drive being a chain drive means having a plurality of interlocking plates thereon;
- a plurality of pallets comprising an elevated printing surface secured to said chain drive means by an elongated body, each of the elongated bodies having first and second ends, with the first end secured to said chain drive means and the second end secured to said elevated printing surface, spaced from said chain drive means;
- and
- a drive means, connected to a drive wheel sprocket for intermittently driving said chain drive means;
- said drive means including drive control means for positively indexing said drive control sprocket to accomplish the intermittent driving of said chain drive means without causing any hard stops.
An automated printing machine having an endless belt drive intermittently driving a plurality of pallets through a printing station and then through a drying station, comprising, in combination:
- said endless belt drive including a chain drive means;
- each of said plurality of pallets having an elevated printing surface and an elongated body, secured to said chain drive means;
- at least one movable print head mounted in said printing station;
- a drive means, including a drive control means, connected to a drive wheel sprocket for intermittently driving said chain drive means;
- at least one pivotable dryer mounted in said drying station;
- and
- indexing means connected to said drive control means, for intermittently actuating said drive control sprocket in a smooth controlled manner to thereby intermittently drive each of said elevated printing surfaces, first into said printing station, and then into said drying station, without causing any hard stops.
An automated printing machine having an endless chain drive means carrying and supporting a plurality of pallets through a printing station, comprising, in combination:
- each of said plurality of pallets including a printing surface attached to an elongated body secured to said chain drive means so as to elevate said printing surfaces a predetermined distance from a top surface of said chain drive means to which said elongated body is secured;
- drive means connected to a drive sprocket wheel about which said chain drive means is entrained;
- a plurality of movable print heads mounted in said printing station;
- at least one pivotable dryer mounted in said drying station;
- and
- drive control means including indexing means, for intermittently operating said drive means so as to smoothly control intermittent turning of said drive sprocket wheel, and thereby smoothly controlling the intermittent movement of said chain drive means and said plurality of elevated printing surfaces through said printing station, without causing any hard stops, and so as to accurately align said elevated printing surfaces with said plurality of movable print heads mounted in said printing station.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.