US 7,114,444 B2 · Apparatus and method for providing registered printing on separate continuous webs of paperboard material for forming into multiple box blanks

Abstract

An apparatus and method for forming continuous webs of paperboard material into multiple box blanks having dual-faced printing. The apparatus comprises a printer for repetitively applying indicia to a first continuous web of paperboard material at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal axis thereof as the first continuous web moves through the printer, the printer including a motor-driven printing cylinder having a circumferential printing surface, and an impression cylinder; at least a first sensor operative to detect reference marks pre-printed on a second continuous web of paperboard material at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal axis thereof; at least one encoder operative to generate signals corresponding to the rotational speed of the impression cylinder; and a computer controller: (1) connected to the at least first sensor to receive information corresponding to the position of the reference marks pre-printed on the second web; (2) connected to the at least one encoder to receive signals corresponding to the rotational speed of the impression cylinder; and (3) connected to the printing cylinder motor and operative to match the rotational speed of the printing cylinder to the rotational speed of the impression cylinder as established by the at least one encoder, and further operative to selectively adjust the rotational speed of the printing cylinder in order to bring the printing applied by each revolution of the printing cylinder into the area defined between adjacent reference marks on the second continuous web as detected by the at least first sensor.

Claims17

Dependent claims

In an in-line apparatus for creating paperboard carton blanks from a unitary paperboard web formed from at least first and second continuous webs of paperboard material moving at approximately the same rate of travel through the apparatus, wherein the second web is pre-printed, an apparatus for printing the first web of paperboard material before the first and second webs are joined to define the unitary paperboard web, such that the printing on the first web is controllably registered to the printing on the second web, the apparatus comprising:

A printer for repetitively applying indicia to the first continuous web of paperboard material at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal axis thereof as the first continuous web moves through the printer, the printer including a motor-driven printing cylinder having a circumferential printing surface, and an impression cylinder;
At least a first sensor operative to detect reference marks pre-printed on the second web at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal axis thereof;
At least one encoder operative to generate signals corresponding to the rotational speed of the impression cylinder;
and
A computer controller:
1) connected to the at least first sensor to receive information corresponding to the position of the reference marks pre-printed on the second web;
2) connected to the at least one encoder to receive signals corresponding to the rotational speed of the impression cylinder;
and
3) connected to the printing cylinder motor and operative to match the rotational speed of the printing cylinder to the rotational speed of the impression cylinder as established by the at least one encoder, and further operative to selectively adjust the rotational speed of the printing cylinder in order to bring the printing applied by each revolution of the printing cylinder into the area defined between adjacent reference marks on the second continuous web as detected by the at least first sensor.

6 more elements

A method, employed in an in-line apparatus for creating paperboard carton blanks from an unitary paperboard web formed from at least first and second continuous webs of paperboard material moving at approximately the same rate of travel through the apparatus, for applying printing to the first web of paperboard material before the first web is joined to the second, pre-printed web of paperboard material to define the unitary paperboard web, such that the printing applied to the first web is controllably registered to the printing on the second web, the method comprising the following steps:

Providing a printer including a motor-driven printing cylinder having a circumferential printing surface, and an impression cylinder;
Providing at least a first sensor operative to detect reference marks pre-printed on the second web at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal axis thereof
Providing at least one encoder operative to generate signals corresponding to the rotational speed of the impression cylinder;
Initially applying indicia to the first continuous web of paperboard material at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal axis thereof as the first continuous web moves through the printer, and aligning such indicia in the area defined between adjacent reference marks on the second continuous web through selective adjustments in the rotational speed of the printing cylinder;
Subsequently matching the rotational speed of the printing cylinder to the rotational speed of the impression cylinder as established by the at least one encoder so as to successively apply indicia to the first continuous web between adjacent reference marks on the second continuous web;
and
Responding to variations in the frequency of detection of reference marks by the at least first sensor by selectively adjusting the rotational speed of the printing cylinder to bring the indicia applied by each revolution of the printing cylinder back into the area defined between adjacent reference marks on the second continuous web.

4 more elements

Providing a printer including a motor-driven printing cylinder having a circumferential printing surface, and an impression cylinder;
Providing at least a first sensor operative to detect reference marks pre-printed on the second web at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal axis thereof;
Providing a second sensor operative to detect reference marks printed on said first web at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal axis thereof;
Providing at least one encoder operative to generate signals corresponding to the rotational speed of the impression cylinder;
Initially applying indicia to the first continuous web of paperboard material at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal axis thereof as the first continuous web moves through the printer, and aligning such indicia in the area defined between adjacent reference marks on the second continuous web;
Subsequently matching the rotational speed of the printing cylinder to the rotational speed of the impression cylinder as established by the at least one encoder so as to successively apply indicia to the first continuous web between adjacent reference marks on the second continuous web;
and
Responding to temporal discrepancies between the sensing of each reference mark on said second web by said first sensor and the sensing of each reference mark on said first web by said second sensor by selectively adjusting the rotational speed of the printing cylinder to bring the indicia applied by each revolution of the printing cylinder back into the area defined between adjacent reference marks on the second continuous web.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus and method for providing registered printing on separate continuous webs of paperboard material for forming into multiple box blanks

Life of this patent

Apparatus and method for providing registered printing on separate continuous webs of paperboard material for forming into multiple box blanks

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17