US 5,865,114 AGranted

System for the printing of small flat objects using direct rotary printing apparatus

AssigneeAutoroll Machine Corporation

InventorsMichael J. Averill, William M. Karlyn

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Abstract

A system for the flexographic printing of compact discs is provided in which the transport member for the compact discs travels in an oval-shaped path. The transport member is made up of individual segments connected together so that each end can be pivoted on a vertical axis. These individual segments are provided with top and bottom rollers that are engaged by a sprocket drive. A support member for a compact disc tooling fixture is attached to each of the individual segments. The flexographic print heads are caused to move at the same rate as the transport member for the compact discs by rack segments that are provided on each of the individual segments of the transport member and which mesh with a toothed gear on the print heads. The flexographic print heads can be moved laterally and radially to provide registration of the decoration to be printed on the compact disc supported by a particular tooling fixture for the compact disc. A vacuum manifold is provided that is mounted to, and moves with, the transport member that supplies vacuum to each of the compact disc tooling fixtures.

Claims23

Dependent claims

Apparatus for printing each of a plurality of compact discs one-at-a-time, each said compact disc being defined by a top planar surface and a bottom planar surface, said plurality of compact discs being transported from a loading point to an off-loading point comprising:

(a) transport apparatus for transporting said plurality of compact discs from a loading point to an off-loading point in a predetermined oval-shaped continuous path of travel, said transport apparatus comprising means for continuously driving said transport apparatus in said oval-shaped path of travel comprising a plurality of vertically disposed individual segments, each defined by a front end and a back end, the back end of each of said plurality of vertically disposed individual segments being pivotally connected to the front end of another of said plurality of vertically disposed individual segments, a plurality of support means of a like number as said plurality of vertically disposed individual segments, each of said plurality of support means comprising a horizontally disposed portion and a vertically disposed bracket member, each of said vertically disposed bracket members of said plurality of support means being connected to one of said plurality of vertically disposed individual segments, a top planar surface being provided on each horizontally disposed portion of said plurality of support means, and a compact disc fixture being provided on each top planar surface;
(b) means being provided in operative association with said transport apparatus for printing a decoration on each of said plurality of compact discs;
and
(c) means for providing vacuum to each of said plurality of compact disc fixtures comprising a stationary source of vacuum and a vacuum manifold, and means for operatively connecting said stationary vacuum source and said vacuum manifold together, said vacuum manifold being mounted to said transport apparatus so as to move in conjunction with the transport apparatus and in the same oval-shaped continuous path of travel;
and
(d) means connecting each of said plurality of compact disc fixtures to said vacuum manifold for supplying vacuum independently to each of said plurality of compact disc fixtures each for holding one of said plurality of compact discs while traveling from a loading point to an off-loading point.

3 more elements

(a) transport apparatus for transporting said plurality of compact discs from said loading point to said off-loading point in a predetermined continuous path of travel, said transport apparatus comprising each denoted by reference numeral 277 (FIG. 7) and a plurality of compact disc fixtures each for supporting a compact disc, and a plurality of means each for supporting one of said plurality of compact disc fixtures;
(b) means for providing vacuum to each of said plurality of compact disc fixtures comprising a stationary source of vacuum and a moving vacuum manifold, and means for operatively connecting said stationary vacuum source and said moving vacuum manifold together, said moving vacuum manifold being mounted to said transport apparatus so as to move in conjunction with the transport apparatus and in the same predetermined continuous path of travel;
(c) means connecting each of said plurality of compact disc fixtures to said moving vacuum manifold for supplying vacuum independently to each of said plurality of compact disc fixtures each for holding one of said plurality of compact discs from the elbow shaped connector 177.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.