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.
Claims44
Apparatus for directly printing a layer of radiation curable material onto articles having a cylindrical surface, said apparatus comprising a printing assembly operative for directly printing a layer of said radiation curable material onto the cylindrical surface of said articles, said printing assembly comprising a belt in the shape of a loop having a planar portion for contact with said cylindrical surface of said articles for directly printing said layer of said radiation curable material thereon during rotation of said belt, a radiation emitting device operative for at least partially curing said layer of radiation curable material applied to said articles, at least one squeegee rotatably arranged for applying said radiation curable material through said belt onto the surface of said articles, said belt rotatable in the opposite direction of rotation of said at least one squeegee during said printing, and a turntable for transporting said articles about a path into operative relationship with said planar portion of said belt.
A method for applying a layer of radiation curable material onto articles having a cylindrical surface, said process comprising providing a printing screen in the shape of a continuous loop having a planar portion for contact with the cylindrical surface of said articles, transporting said articles about a path having a circular portion having a tangent parallel to said planar portion of said printing screen, applying a layer of radiation curable material onto the cylindrical surface of said articles when in contact with said planar portion of said printing screen while said printing screen is being rotated, said applying a layer of radiation curable material comprising forcing said radiation curable material through said screen using a squeegee, wherein said squeegee is moved in the opposite direction of rotation of said printing screen, rotating said articles simultaneously with the rotation of said printing screen while applying said layer of radiation curable material, and at least partially curing said layer of radiation curable material by exposure to a radiation source.
Apparatus for directly printing a layer of radiation curable material onto articles having a cylindrical surface, said apparatus comprising a continuous printing belt having a planar portion for directly printing a layer of said radiation curable material onto the cylindrical surface of said articles from said belt when in contact with said articles during the rotation of said belt, a squeegee rotatably arranged for applying said radiation curable from said belt onto the surface of said articles, said squeegee rotatable in the opposite direction as the direction of rotation of said belt during said printing, a radiation emitting device operative for at least partially curing said layer of radiation curable material applied to said articles, a plurality of fixtures for releasably securing said articles thereto, said fixtures operative for rotating said articles when in operative association with said planar portion of said belt, and a turntable for transporting said articles in a vertical orientation about a circular path into operative relationship with said planar portion of said belt, said path having a tangent parallel to said planar portion of said belt.
A method for applying a layer of radiation curable material onto articles having a cylindrical surface, said method comprising providing a belt in the shape of a loop having a planar portion for contact with the cylindrical surface of said articles, transporting said articles about a path having a non-linear portion having a tangent parallel to said planar portion of said belt, and applying while rotating said belt a layer of radiation curable material onto the cylindrical surface of said articles when in contact with said planar portion of said belt, said applying a layer of radiation curable material rising forcing said radiation curable material through said belt using a squeegee, wherein said squeegee is moved in the opposite direction of rotation of said belt.
Apparatus for direct rotary printing a layer of material onto individual articles having a cylindrical surface, said apparatus comprising a rotary printing assembly operative for directly printing a layer of 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 material thereon, transporting means for transporting said articles into operative relationship with said rotary printing assembly, 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, wherein said rotary screen printing assembly includes at least one squeegee rotatable during the rotation of said belt for printing said layer of material onto the cylindrical surface of said articles, said squeegee rotated in the opposite direction as the direction of rotation of said belt.
A process for directly applying a layer of material onto individual articles having a cylindrical surface, said process comprising conveying said articles into operative association with a 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 material thereon, rotating said articles when in operative contact with said planar portion of said belt, and directly printing a layer of 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, said printing comprising forcing said material through said belt using a squeegee rotated in the opposite direction of said belt.
Apparatus for directly printing articles having a cylindrical surface, said apparatus comprising a printing assembly including a belt in the shape of a loop having a planar portion for printing a material on said articles upon contact with a cylindrical surface of said articles during rotation of said belt, at least one squeegee rotatably arranged for applying said material through said belt onto the surface of said articles, said belt rotatable in the opposite direction of rotation of said at least one squeegee during said printing, and a turntable for transporting said articles about a path into operative relationship with said planar portion of said belt.
A process for printing articles having a cylindrical surface, said process comprising providing a belt in the shape of a loop having a planar portion for printing said articles upon contact with the cylindrical surface of said articles, transporting said articles about a path having a non-linear portion having a tangent parallel to said planar portion of said belt, and printing during rotation of said belt a material on the cylindrical surface of said articles when in contact with said planar portion of said belt, said printing comprising forcing said material through said belt using a squeegee moved in the opposite direction of rotation of said belt.
A process for directly applying a layer of material onto articles having a cylindrical surface, said process comprising conveying said articles into operative association with a rotary printing assembly having at least one squeegee, rotating said articles when in operative association with said printing assembly, directly printing a layer of material onto the cylindrical surface of said articles while said articles are being rotated using said rotary printing assembly, and rotating said at least one squeegee in the opposite direction as rotation of said printing assembly during said printing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.