EP0009739A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
A machine for applying indicia to articles
Assignee: Meyercord Co
•
Filing: 1979-09-24
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 1999-09-24
Abstract
Abstract This disclosure deals with a machine for transferring indicia (such as decalcomanias) from an elongated web or carrier strip to tapered articles, such as tumblers, at a high rate of speed. The articles are moved along a transport path and means are provided to turn the articles as the articles are moved through an indicia transferring portion of the path. The web and the articles are moved in the same direction and in a generally straight line, and the articles are rolled across the web and the indicium, thereby peeling the indicium from the web. Means are provided to tilt the axes of the tapered tumblers relative to the plane of the web in order to place the side of the tumbler, which engages the web, parallel to the web. Hold-down means is provided to force the tumblers to move in a straight line while rolling. Decals formed with an initial compensating distortion are used in the machine, to compensate for the distortion of the decals that occurs as the decals are transferred to the tumblers. Means is provided to control the registration of the decals and the tumblers, and means is provided to reduce the tendency of the web to have a different speed that the drive.
Inventors
- 👤 Daniel Kerwin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 05:37
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65C; B65C9/00; B65C9/40; B65C3/00; B65C3/06; B65C3/08; B65C3/14; B65C3/16; B65C9/06; B65C9/08; B65C9/18; B65C9/1865; B65C9/1869; B65C9/1873; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T156/00; Y10T156/17; Y10T156/1702; Y10T156/1705; Y10T156/1707; Y10T156/171
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
240 words
A machine for applying indicia (18) to a succession of tapered articles (17) while the articles are in movement, the indicia being removably attached to an elongated web (15) and being spaced on said web, said machine comprising an indicia transfer section (13), web transport means (14) for moving the web through said section and the portion of the web in the section moving in a generally linear direction, article means (11) for moving a series of spaced apart articles through said section and closely adjacent said portion of the web, characterized in that said articles are tapered, means (78,86) for pressing each of said articles (17) against said portion of the web (15) and rolling the article along the web and over an indicium (18) as the article moves through the transfer section (13), means (93,94) for tipping said articles as they move through said section to place the side of each tapered article which is adjacent the web (15) in a plane which is parallel to the plane of said portion of the web, whereby the web (15) and the articles (17) are moved in parallel linear paths while the articles (17) are held in the tipped position as they roll over the indicia (18), said indicia comprising decals (18) having an initial compensating distortion, and said movement in parallel linear paths producing a distortion which is counter to said initial distortion and results in true undistorted decals.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
240 words
A machine for applying indicia (18) to a succession of tapered articles (17) while the articles are in movement, the indicia being removably attached to an elongated web (15) and being spaced on said web, said machine comprising an indicia transfer section (13), web transport means (14) for moving the web through said section and the portion of the web in the section moving in a generally linear direction, article means (11) for moving a series of spaced apart articles through said section and closely adjacent said portion of the web, characterized in that said articles are tapered, means (78,86) for pressing each of said articles (17) against said portion of the web (15) and rolling the article along the web and over an indicium (18) as the article moves through the transfer section (13), means (93,94) for tipping said articles as they move through said section to place the side of each tapered article which is adjacent the web (15) in a plane which is parallel to the plane of said portion of the web, whereby the web (15) and the articles (17) are moved in parallel linear paths while the articles (17) are held in the tipped position as they roll over the indicia (18), said indicia comprising decals (18) having an initial compensating distortion, and said movement in parallel linear paths producing a distortion which is counter to said initial distortion and results in true undistorted decals.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
61 words
A machine as in Claim 1, said means for pressing and rolling the articles comprising a moving belt (88) which moves at a speed which is different from the speed of said portion of the web (15)and thereby causes the articles to roll along the web, characterized in that said tipping means comprises spacers (93,94) fastened to said belt (88). r
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
A machine as in Claim 1, characterized in that the plane of said portion of the web (15) is substantially vertical, and the smaller diameter end of each article (17) is at the bottom.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
A machine as in Claim 3, and further characterized by hold-down means (101) engaging the uppermost end of each of the articles in said section.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
103 words
The method of applying indicia to a series of articles, the indicia comprising a series of spaced decals on an elongated web comprising the steps of moving the indicia in spaced apart relation along a generally linear path, moving the articles in a linear path parallel to the path of the indicia, characterized by forming the decals with an initial compensating distortion, tipping the articles to place a side of each article in a plane parallel to the indicia and rolling the articles over the indicia during said movements and while said articles are tipped to produce a counter distortion of the indicia.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
103 words
The method of applying indicia to a series of articles, the indicia comprising a series of spaced decals on an elongated web comprising the steps of moving the indicia in spaced apart relation along a generally linear path, moving the articles in a linear path parallel to the path of the indicia, characterized by forming the decals with an initial compensating distortion, tipping the articles to place a side of each article in a plane parallel to the indicia and rolling the articles over the indicia during said movements and while said articles are tipped to produce a counter distortion of the indicia.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
188 words
A machine for transferring indicia from an elongated web to a succession of articles while the articles are in movement, the web having a series'of regularly spaced marks along the length thereof, said machine comprising an indicia transfer section, web drive means for moving the web through said section, article transport means for moving a series of articles through said section and closely adjacent said portion of the web, said transfer section including means for transferring the indicia to the articles, spacing means for spacing the articles on said transport means at the entrance to said transfer section, characterized by control means for regulating the relative speeds of the web (15) and the article spacing means (12), said control means comprising means (114) sensing said marks (110) on the web (15) and providing a web speed signal, means (139) for sensing the speed of said spacing means and providing an article spacing signal, means (142) for comparing said web speed signal and said article spacing signal and providing an earror signal, and means (143,137) responsive to said error signal for regulating the relative web speed and article spacing.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
188 words
A machine for transferring indicia from an elongated web to a succession of articles while the articles are in movement, the web having a series'of regularly spaced marks along the length thereof, said machine comprising an indicia transfer section, web drive means for moving the web through said section, article transport means for moving a series of articles through said section and closely adjacent said portion of the web, said transfer section including means for transferring the indicia to the articles, spacing means for spacing the articles on said transport means at the entrance to said transfer section, characterized by control means for regulating the relative speeds of the web (15) and the article spacing means (12), said control means comprising means (114) sensing said marks (110) on the web (15) and providing a web speed signal, means (139) for sensing the speed of said spacing means and providing an article spacing signal, means (142) for comparing said web speed signal and said article spacing signal and providing an earror signal, and means (143,137) responsive to said error signal for regulating the relative web speed and article spacing.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
A machine as in Claim 6, characterized in that said spacing means comprising a rotatable timing screw (12), and said control means adjusts the rate of rotation of said screw.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
80 words
A machine as in Claim 6, characterized in that said marks sensing means is positioned adjacent the path of travel of said web and said web speed signal comprises a first plurality of pulses related in number to the number of marks passing said sensing means, said article spacing means providing a second plurality of pulses related in number to the rate of operation of said spacing means, and said comparing means compares said first and second pluralities of pulses.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
137 words
A machine for applying indicia to a succession of articles while the articles are in movement, the indicia being removably attached to an elongated web and being spaced on said web, said machine comprising an indicia transfer section, web transport means for moving the web through said section, article transport means for moving a series of articles through said section and closely adjacent the portion of the web which is in said transfer section, said indicia transfer section including a belt and means for supporting and moving said belt, said belt being moved around a corner at the entrance to said transfer section, characterized in that said web transport means includes means (116,117) for holding said web (15) against said belt (71) in said transfer section but holding the web spaced from said belt adjacent said corner.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
137 words
A machine for applying indicia to a succession of articles while the articles are in movement, the indicia being removably attached to an elongated web and being spaced on said web, said machine comprising an indicia transfer section, web transport means for moving the web through said section, article transport means for moving a series of articles through said section and closely adjacent the portion of the web which is in said transfer section, said indicia transfer section including a belt and means for supporting and moving said belt, said belt being moved around a corner at the entrance to said transfer section, characterized in that said web transport means includes means (116,117) for holding said web (15) against said belt (71) in said transfer section but holding the web spaced from said belt adjacent said corner.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
A machine as in Claim 9, characterized in that said means (116,117) includes a roller adjacent to but spaced from said corner for spacing the web from the corner.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.