Apparatus for decorating articles using suction conveyor

Apparatus for decorating an article, comprising

• means providing a transport path for the article to move therealong,
• at least one article carrier for carrying the article, movable along the transport path,
• a reception station at which the article is received by the article carrier,
• a discharge station at which the decorated article is removed from the article carrier,
• a treatment station disposed along the transport path between the reception and discharge stations and operable to apply decoration to the article,
• a vacuum source, and
• means connecting the article carrier to the vacuum source at least over a portion of the transport path,
• said connecting means including
• a stationary vacuum duct along said portion of the transport path, the vacuum duct having a channel extending along its longitudinal extent and having a first side at which it is open, and at least one wall portion of elastically deformable material extending in the longitudinal direction of the vacuum duct and adapted to close said channel at said first side thereof,
• at least one vacuum conduit in the article carrier,
• a connecting conduit connected to the vacuum conduit in the article carrier and connected to the stationary vacuum duct movably along the transport path, the vacuum duct being provided with an aperture for the vacuum to pass therethrough to said connecting conduit, wherein the aperture is movable along the vacuum duct.