Apparatus for printing on flat individual articles

Apparatus for printing on individual articles which each have an at least substantially flat surface to be printed upon and whose extent perpendicularly to said substantially flat surface is generally relatively small, comprising:

• a printing cylinder;
• an impression cylinder having at least one longitudinal portion with at least one substantially radial support portion which projects beyond the peripheral surface of the impression cylinder and which when printing on articles provided with at least one cavity with the side having the cavity towards the impression cylinder in an operative position engages into the cavity of the respective article passing the impression cylinder and supports its region defining the cavity;
• a drive means driving the impression cylinder and the printing cylinder;
• a disengageable coupling means rotatably connecting the impression cylinder to the drive means and having at least first and second coupling portions whereby when the coupling means is disengaged the impression cylinder is adjustable in respect of its rotary angular position relative to the rotary angular position of the printing cylinder;
• connecting means for the coupling portions of the coupling means operable in such a way that the coupling portions can be non-rotatably connected together in at least first and second predetermined basic angular positions corresponding to an operative and an inoperative angular position of the at least one support portion, the diameter of the impression cylinder being such that provided in the at least one longitudinal portion of the impression cylinder which is provided with the at least one support portion is a peripheral surface region which in the peripheral direction is of such a dimension that an article can pass the impression cylinder on that region of the peripheral surface without in that case coming into interfering contact with the at least one support portion.