Apparatus and method for direct rotary screen printing radiation curable compositions onto cylindrical articles
AssigneeDeco Patents, Inc.
InventorsMelvin E. Kamen, Marvin Wells
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for decorating cylindrical articles using direct rotary screen printing of a UV radiation curable composition in various predetermined patterns and registrations. A rotary screen printing assembly is arranged in either a horizontal or vertical orientation to achieve production rates of about at least 250 articles per minute, and up to 1000 articles per minute. The UV radiation curable compositions are at least partially cured between a plurality of screen printing workstations using a UV radiation source.
Claims55
Apparatus for direct rotary printing a layer of radiation curable material onto individual articles having a cylindrical surface, said apparatus comprising a supply of radiation curable material, a stationary rotary printing assembly operative for directly printing a layer of said radiation curable material onto the cylindrical surface of said individual articles, said rotary printing assembly comprising a rotationally supported belt having a planar portion for contact with said cylindrical surface of said articles for directly printing said layer of said radiation curable material thereon, a radiation emitting device adjacent said rotary printing assembly operative for at least partially curing said layer of radiation curable material applied to said articles, means for transporting said articles into operative relationship with said rotary printing assembly and said radiation emitting device, and a plurality of fixtures for releasably securing said articles to said transporting means, said fixtures operative for rotating said articles when at least in operative association with said planar portion of said rotary printing assembly.
Apparatus for direct rotary screen printing a patterned layer of UV radiation curable material onto glass bottles having a cylindrical surface and a longitudinal axis, said apparatus comprising a rotary screen printing assembly having an interior portion at least partially defined by a printing screen, said rotary screen printing assembly operative for direct screen printing said patterned layer of UV radiation curable material onto the cylindrical surface of said glass bottles, a supply of UV radiation curable material provided within said interior portion of said rotary screen printing assembly, a rotatable squeegee within said interior portion of said rotary screen printing assembly for dispersing said UV radiation curable material over at least a portion of said printing screen for screen printing said patterned layer, a UV radiation emitting device adjacent said rotary screen printing assembly operative for at least partially curing said patterned layer of UV radiation curable material applied to said bottles, and a conveyor extending through said apparatus for transporting said bottles into operative relationship within said rotary screen printing assembly and said UV radiation emitting device, said conveyor including a plurality of fixtures for releasably securing said bottles thereto and for rotating said bottles about said axis when in operative association with said rotary screen printing assembly, said squeegee rotatable in the same direction as the direction of rotation of said bottles during the direct screen printing of said patterned layer.
A process for directly applying a layer of radiation curable material onto articles having a cylindrical surface, said process comprising conveying said articles into operative association with a rotary screen printing assembly having at least one squeegee, rotating said articles when in operative association with said screen printing assembly, directly screen printing a layer of radiation curable material onto the cylindrical surface of said articles while said articles are being rotated using said rotary screen printing assembly, rotating said at least one squeegee in the same direction as rotation of said articles during said screen printing, and exposing the screen printed layer on said articles to radiation sufficient to at least partially cure the screen printed layer.
A process for directly applying a patterned layer of UV radiation curable material onto glass bottles having a cylindrical surface, said process comprising screen printing said patterned layer of UV radiation curable material directly onto the cylindrical surface of said bottles using a rotary screen printing assembly, said rotary screen printing assembly having an interior portion at least partially defined by a printing screen and at least one squeegee rotatably arranged within said interior portion, rotating said bottles in operative association with said rotary screen printing assembly, supplying UV radiation curable material into the interior portion of said rotary screen printing assembly, dispensing said UV radiation curable material over at least a portion of said printing screen for screen printing said patterned layer of UV radiation curable material by rotating said at least one squeegee in the same direction as the direction of rotation of said bottles, exposing the screen printed layer on said bottles to radiation sufficient to at least partially cure the screen printed layer, and conveying said bottles into operative association with said rotary screen printing assembly and said radiation.
A process for directly applying a patterned layer of UV radiation curable material onto glass bottles having a cylindrical surface, said process comprising screen printing said patterned layer of UV radiation curable material directly onto the cylindrical surface of said bottles using a rotary screen printing assembly, said rotary screen printing assembly having an interior portion at least partially defined by a printing screen and at least one squeegee rotatably arranged within said interior portion, rotating said bottles when in operative association with said rotary screen printing assembly, supplying UV radiation curable material into the interior portion of said rotary screen printing assembly, dispensing said UV radiation curable material over at least a portion of said printing screen for screen printing said patterned layer of UV radiation curable material by rotating said at least one squeegee in the same direction as the direction of rotation of said bottles and in the opposite direction of rotation of said rotary screen printing assembly, exposing the screen printed layer on said bottles to radiation sufficient to at least partially cure the screen printed layer, and conveying said bottles into operative association with said rotary screen printing assembly and said radiation.
Apparatus for direct rotary screen printing a patterned layer of UV radiation curable material onto glass bottles having a cylindrical surface, said apparatus comprising a rotary screen printing assembly having an interior portion at least partially defined by a printing screen, said rotary screen printing assembly operative for direct screen printing said patterned layer of UV radiation curable material onto the cylindrical surface of said glass bottles, a supply of UV radiation curable material provided within said interior portion of said rotary screen printing assembly, a squeegee within said interior portion for dispersing said UV radiation curable material over at least a portion of said printing screen for screen printing said patterned layer, said squeegee rotatable in the same direction as the direction of rotation of said bottles and in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation of said screen printing assembly during said direct screen printing of said patterned layer, a UV radiation emitting device fixedly mounted adjacent said rotary screen printing assembly operative for at least partially curing said patterned layer of UV radiation curable material applied to said bottles, a conveyor extending through said apparatus for transporting said bottles into operative relationship within said rotary screen printing assembly and said UV radiation emitting device, wherein said conveyor includes a plurality of fixtures for releasably securing said bottles thereto, said fixtures operative for rotating said bottles when in operative association with said rotary screen printing assembly.
A process for directly applying a layer of radiation curable material onto individual articles having a cylindrical surface, said process comprising conveying said articles into operative association with a stationary rotary printing assembly including a rotationally supported belt having a planar portion for contact with said cylindrical surface of said articles for directly printing said layer of radiation curable material thereon, rotating said articles when in operative contact with said planar portion of said belt, directly printing a layer of radiation curable material from said planar portion of said belt onto the cylindrical surface of said articles using said rotary printing assembly while said articles are being rotated, and exposing the printed layer on said articles to radiation sufficient to at least partially cure the printed layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.