US 5,607,243 A · Rear section located and stabilized pallet support plate and method for accurate positioning of said plate

Abstract

A rear section pallet support plate locator and stabilizer is described for use in a screen printing machine. In place of traditional front plate locators or dual front and rear plate locators, a unique two tiered construction of the support plate provides for both front to back and side to side precise positioning and stabilizing of the entire support plate. A locator roller contacts a "V" shaped notch in a stepped lower rear section of the support plate, biasing stabilizer bars on the rear edge of the rear section against pre-positioned cam followers. Precisely positioning and stabilizing the rear section also positions and stabilizes the entire pallet support plate. The front section of the pallet support plate is now completely free of obstruction, permitting processing of closed end bags, long garments, and other objects that could not be processed with screen printing machines having front locator devices.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A pallet support plate assembly for use in a multicolor screen printing machine, a pallet support plate of said assembly being moved into and out of registry with a print head of said printing machine in a timed sequence, said pallet support plate assembly comprising:

(a) said pallet support plate;
(b) means for coupling and decoupling a pallet to said pallet support plate, said pallet having means for securing an object to be screen printed by said print head during said print cycle;
(c) said pallet support plate having a rear section and a front section, said rear section having a rear edge;
(d) locating means for locating and engaging directly upon said rear section prior to said print cycle;
(e) said rear section of said pallet support plate having means for accepting said means for locating and engaging said rear section;
and
(f) means for stabilizing said rear section of said pallet support plate including said locating means biasing said pallet support plate in a direction towards said rear edge of said rear section so that said rear edge of said rear section makes contact with a further portion of said stabilizing means, said locating means cooperating with said stabilizing means so that said pallet support plate is accurately positioned in a pre-determined spacial relationship to said print head prior to said print cycle, said locating means having means for disengaging said rear section after said print cycle so that said pallet support plate can be moved to a second print head, and so on in said timed sequence.

4 more elements

A method for locating and stabilizing a pallet support plate and its associated pallet and object to be printed upon in a screen printing machine so that different color impressions can be made on said object in a pre-determined registry while at the same time maintaining the normal loading and unloading end of the pallet support plate completely accessible for connecting closed end objects such as bags, said pallet support plate having a rear section and a front section, said rear section having a rear edge comprising the steps of:

(a) loading said front section of said pallet support plate with an object to be printed upon;
(b) indexing said pallet support plate into registry with a print head;
(c) locating said rear section of said pallet support plate by engaging directly upon said rear section of said pallet support plate;
(d) stabilizing said pallet support plate by biasing said rear section, when locating and engaging said rear section into coacting relationship at said rear edge of said rear section with means for stabilizing said pallet support plate;
(e) printing a color on said object to be printed upon;
(f) disengaging said rear section of said pallet support plate;
and
(g) continuing said indexing of said pallet support plate until a pre-determined number of correctly registered color impressions have been screen printed on said object.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Rear section located and stabilized pallet support plate and method for accurate positioning of said plate

Life of this patent

Rear section located and stabilized pallet support plate and method for accurate positioning of said plate

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13