Roller pad printer and method for printing
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorsTracy E. Kucaba, Kevin B. Sharp
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A roller pad printer for printing on an associated object includes a frame, a flat cliché operably mounted to the frame for receiving and a resilient roller pad operably mount to the frame for rolling contact, at a first location and in a first direction along the cliché, to receive ink transferred from the cliché. The roller pad is adapted for rolling contact with the object, at a second location and in a second direction, to transfer the ink from the roller pad to the object.
Claims16
A roller pad printer for printing on an associated object, comprising:
- a frame;
- a flat cliché operably mounted to the frame, the cliché adapted to receive ink thereon;
- a resilient roller pad operably mounted to the frame for rolling contact, at a first location and in a first direction along the cliché, to receive ink transferred from the cliché, the roller pad adapted for rolling contact with the object, at a second location and in a second direction to transfer the ink from the roller pad to the object,
- wherein the first and second directions are parallel to one another, and wherein the first and second locations are different and spaced apart from one another in a third direction that is different than the first and second directions.
A device for transferring print onto an associated object, comprising:
- a frame;
- an arm operably mounted to the frame;
- a flat cliché operably mounted to the frame, the cliché adapted to receive ink thereon;
- a resilient roller pad operably mounted to the arm and movable relative to the cliché for rolling contact, at a first location and in a first direction along the cliché, to receive ink transferred from the cliché, the roller pad adapted for rolling contact with the object, at a second location and in a second direction to transfer the ink from the roller pad to the object,
- wherein the first and second directions are parallel to one another, and wherein the first and second locations are different and spaced apart from one another in a third direction that is different than the first and second directions.
A method for printing an area on an object, the method comprising the steps of:
- inking a flat cliché;
- engaging a roller pad and the flat cliché against one another;
- moving linearly in an inking direction, at a first location, at least one of the roller pad and the cliché relative to the other such that at least a portion of the ink is transferred from the cliché to the roller pad;
- moving the roller pad transversely to the inking direction to a second location for engaging the object at the area to be printed;
- moving linearly, in a printing direction, at least one of the roller pad and the object relative to the other, the printing direction being parallel to the inking direction;
- and
- transferring at least a portion of the ink from the roller pad onto the object to be printed to print the area,
- wherein the first and second locations are spaced apart from one another in a third direction that is different than the first and second directions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.