EP0082693A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Printing apparatus
Assignee: Corning Glass Works
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Filing: 1982-12-17
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2002-12-17
Abstract
Abstract A printing apparatus is disclosed which includes a rotatably driven turret (60) carrying one or more collectors (C) at selected radial and angular positions, and transfer means (75) synchronously driven with the turret (60) for depositing on each of the collectors (C) a design configuration. The turret (60) and each of the transfer means (75) share a common point of rotation along respective central axes thereof.
Inventors
- 👤 Edwin Eugene Clark
- 👤 William Edward Lock
- 👤 Paul Eugene Paiement
- 👤 Donald C. Peters
- 👤 Lawrence Sebastian Rajnik
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 07:59
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41F; B41F31/00; B41F31/02; B41F31/04; B41F17/00; B41F17/006; B41F17/28; B41F9/00; B41F9/06; B41F9/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 54
Claim 1
Independent Claim
170 words
A printing apparatus comprising first means for establishing at least one portion of a design and second means for picking up the design portion by intimate contact therewith, said first means comprising a first conical surface having a first central cone axis and a cone apex lying on said axis, said first conical surface being mounted for rotation about said central cone axis with said apex fixed in space, said second means comprising a pickup surface radially located relative to a centre of rotation and a central axis passing therethrough, said second means being mounted for rotation about said central axis with its centre of rotation and the cone apex being coincident and located with respect to the first conical surface for contacting rolling engagement therewith, and said first central cone axis of said first conical surface orientated such that intimate contact between the first conical surface and said pickup surface occurs along a line of contact having a locus of points common to each surface in a nonslip relationship.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
170 words
A printing apparatus comprising first means for establishing at least one portion of a design and second means for picking up the design portion by intimate contact therewith, said first means comprising a first conical surface having a first central cone axis and a cone apex lying on said axis, said first conical surface being mounted for rotation about said central cone axis with said apex fixed in space, said second means comprising a pickup surface radially located relative to a centre of rotation and a central axis passing therethrough, said second means being mounted for rotation about said central axis with its centre of rotation and the cone apex being coincident and located with respect to the first conical surface for contacting rolling engagement therewith, and said first central cone axis of said first conical surface orientated such that intimate contact between the first conical surface and said pickup surface occurs along a line of contact having a locus of points common to each surface in a nonslip relationship.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
116 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, whrein said first means further includes a second conical surface for intimately contacting said first conical surface having a respective second central cone axis and a cone apex lying thereon and being mounted for rotation along its respective central cone axis with its cone apex coincident with the cone apex of said first conical surface and the centre of rotation of said pickup surface, the second central cone axis of said second conical surface being orientated such that said second conical surface shares a line of contact with said first conical surface and has a locus of points common to each one for intimate contact in a nonslip relationship.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first and second conical surfaces and the pickup surface each share geometrical dimensions and ratios which are integers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
57 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or 3, further including doctoring means mounted for engagement with the second conical surface having at least two working surfaces each having an interface in close contact with the second conical surface, each interface lying along a locus of points upon the second conical surface and being apex coincident therewith.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
59 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, further including means for depositing an inking fluid at an inboard end of the doctoring means, and means for collecting over flow from an outboard end thereof, the doctoring means and second conical surface being orientated for allowing gravity flow of the inking fluid from the inboard to the outboard ends thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 or 5, further including resilient driving means engaging the doctoring means of urging it on a seating relation with the second conical surface.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
44 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the resilient driving means includes a ball bearing means and a piston driving the same against the doctoring means, said ball bearing means permitting circumferential gimballing of the doctoring means relative to the second conical surface.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the resilient driving bearing includes means for maintaining the ball bearing means, the piston and doctoring means in fixed ray relation.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
65 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of the first and second means are spaced at selected radial and circumferential locations about the apparatus and further including at least one transfer station spaced adjacent to one of the first means including support means for securing an article to be printed for engagement with the second means along a line of contact therebetween.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the support means includes means for selectively, indexing the support means and article into and out of contact with said second means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
47 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said transfer station is movable mounted and includes means operably coupled thereto for movable driving the transfer station such that it supports the article for radial and circumferential correspondence with the second means along the line of contact therebetween.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
156 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the article to be printed has a surface portion having a central axis of rotation and article apex therealong, the second means has a radius of curvature and corresponding centre thereof adapted to follow a path concentrically about the central axis of rotation of said second means, the line of contact between the article and the second means being a line shared between the article and second means, said line being colinear with a radius of curvature of the second means and a surface ray lying along the surface of the article which ray intersects the article apex, and the means for driving the transfer station includes a camming means for driving the transfer station and article such that the article.apex is coincident with the centre of the second means and the radius of curvature of the second means is colinear with the surface ray of the article.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the article to be printed has a conical surface and the article surface line is a ray passing through the cone apex.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
59 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 or 13, wherein the article to be printed comprises a web of material and means including unwind and rewind rolls mounted in the transfer station to secure the web therebetween, and a backup roll secured to the transfer station therebetween urges the web into engagement with the collector in nonslip relation therebetween.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
65 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the article includes a surface-for engagement with the second means and said second means includes a deformable elastic surface, the transfer station includes a means of securing the article in a position to forcefully engage a portion of said article with the second means and thereby deform the elastic surface of the collector in a nonslip relationship.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
18 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the means of securing the article includes a vacuum chuck.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
25 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pickup surface includes a flexible membrane for intimately contacting the first means in the nonslip relationship.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
39 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including means for securing thereon articles to be printed, said articles being coated, such that a portion thereof includes the pickup surface for intimately contacting the first means in the nonslip relationship.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
40 words
An apparatus, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pickup surface is pivotally mounted with said second means and engages the first means in a radially inboard position and engages an article to be printed in a radially outboard position.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
110 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further including transfer means for engaging the pickup surface including a third conical surface having a cone axis and cone apex lying thereon and said conical surface being mounted for rotation about its cone axis and orientated such that its cone apex is coincident with the apex of the first conical surface and the centre of rotation of said pickup surface, said third conical surface sequentially engaging each of the second means for receiving a design portion thereon by intimate contact with said second means along a line of contact including a locus of prints common to each surface in a nonslip relationship.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
56 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising third means including a cylinderical back up roll for engagement with the second means, and a web in the form of a flexible printing surface supported by said backup roll against the pickup surface for receiving thereon the design portion by intimate contact with said pickup surface.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
73 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further including a conical cleaning surface having a central cleaning surface axis and cone apex therealong said cleaning surface being mounted for rotation about the central cleaning surface axis and having its cone apex in correspondence with that of the centre of rotation of the second means and orientated to intimately contact said second means along a locus of points common thereto in a nonslip relationship.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
100 words
A printing apparatus including means for applying ink to an ink carrying roll, and a self aligning roll and doctor assembly comprising: a tapered conical roll mounted for rotation about a longitudinal axis having an apex therealong, a doctoring means including a pair of fixed blade members, said doctoring means being resiliently mounted for engagement with the conical surface, each of said blade members having a working surface in close contact with said conical surface and lying along a line of contact having a locus of points common to the surface of the conical roll and intersecting the apex thereof.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
100 words
A printing apparatus including means for applying ink to an ink carrying roll, and a self aligning roll and doctor assembly comprising: a tapered conical roll mounted for rotation about a longitudinal axis having an apex therealong, a doctoring means including a pair of fixed blade members, said doctoring means being resiliently mounted for engagement with the conical surface, each of said blade members having a working surface in close contact with said conical surface and lying along a line of contact having a locus of points common to the surface of the conical roll and intersecting the apex thereof.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
102 words
A printing apparatus including means for transferring a design to a receiving surface of an article by intimate contact of the design thereagainst comprising: a transferring surface for carrying the design; respective means for carrying the transferring surface and the receiving surface of the article into engagement with each other; and means for orientated the receiving surface relative to the design into intimate nonslip rolling contact along a line of contact shared between the surfaces to affect the transfer of the design, such that a respective centre of the transferring surface and an apex of the receiving surface instantaneously coincide during engagement.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
102 words
A printing apparatus including means for transferring a design to a receiving surface of an article by intimate contact of the design thereagainst comprising: a transferring surface for carrying the design; respective means for carrying the transferring surface and the receiving surface of the article into engagement with each other; and means for orientated the receiving surface relative to the design into intimate nonslip rolling contact along a line of contact shared between the surfaces to affect the transfer of the design, such that a respective centre of the transferring surface and an apex of the receiving surface instantaneously coincide during engagement.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
39 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein the means for orientated the receiving surface relative to the design includes means for effecting at least one translational and rotational motion of the receiving surface relative to the transferring surface.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
68 words
A apparatus as claimed in claim 25, wherein the means for effecting translational and rotational motion includes respective camming means responsive to the instantaneous position of the transferring surface, having at least one profile related to circumferectial and axial geometry of the receiving surface, the camming means being operatively coupled to the receiving surface for translating and rotating same in accordance with the position of the transferring surface,
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
30 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein the means of orientating the receiving surface relative to the design includes means for forcing the receiving surface against the transferring surface.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
70 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 27, wherein the transferring surface comprises an elastomeric block including a working surface for carrying the design in an initial relaxed surface configuration and the receiving surface includes a portion of a relatively nondeformable article for engaging with said working surface in a nonslip relation and deforming same along a line of contact offset from the initial relaxed surface configuration of said transferring surface.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
55 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 27, wherein the design carried by the transferring surface is graphically distorted by an amount relatively equivalent to the offset provided by the deformity occasioned by engagement of the transferring surface and the receiving surface such that the design transferred thereby becomes graphically corrected relative to the receiving surface.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
33 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein the means for orientated the article includes a vacuum chuck adapted to engage a portion of the article for securing it in the indexing means.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
131 words
A printing apparatus including means for printing an article with a separate design portion from a flexible design carrying working surface comprising: a frame having an aperture therein and an elastic membrane carried thereby, the flexible working surface formed of a portion of said membrane and disposed over said aperture, flexible actuator means adapted to engage the membrane opposite the design carrying working surface thereof causing deformation of the membrane into conformance with said actuator means, means for securing the article into opposition with the deformed membrane, and means for diving the actuator means and membrane into engagement with the article in a nonslip simulated rolling contact from a centre area thereof to an outer peripheral edge for separating the design portion from the membrane, and transferring same to the article.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
131 words
A printing apparatus including means for printing an article with a separate design portion from a flexible design carrying working surface comprising: a frame having an aperture therein and an elastic membrane carried thereby, the flexible working surface formed of a portion of said membrane and disposed over said aperture, flexible actuator means adapted to engage the membrane opposite the design carrying working surface thereof causing deformation of the membrane into conformance with said actuator means, means for securing the article into opposition with the deformed membrane, and means for diving the actuator means and membrane into engagement with the article in a nonslip simulated rolling contact from a centre area thereof to an outer peripheral edge for separating the design portion from the membrane, and transferring same to the article.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
15 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 31, wherein the working surface comprises an RTV silastic.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
54 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 32, wherein the actuator means comprises an elastomeric body having a shaped face for engaging the membrane, the membrane deformed thereby having a shape adapted to engage the article first from the centre to an outer peripheral edge thereof at a selected contact angle as said contact progresses.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
16 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 33, wherein the contact angle is from 5° to 50°.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
35 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 31, wherein the actuator means includes means for supplying reduced air pressure to a portion of the actuator engaging the membrane for assuring close contact of the latter thereagainst.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
109 words
A printing apparatus including means for supporting a forward facing portion of a flexible working surface during application of a separable design thereon including a housing, a porous plate having a free face for engaging an opposed rearward facing portion of said flexible working surface being mounted within said housing, and a source of reduced air pressure coupled to said housing for establishing at the free face of said porous plate a reduced air pressure, said " rearward facing portion of the flexible working surface being adapted to be located against said free face of the porous plate and drawn thereagainst to secure said membrane in close contact therewith.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
109 words
A printing apparatus including means for supporting a forward facing portion of a flexible working surface during application of a separable design thereon including a housing, a porous plate having a free face for engaging an opposed rearward facing portion of said flexible working surface being mounted within said housing, and a source of reduced air pressure coupled to said housing for establishing at the free face of said porous plate a reduced air pressure, said " rearward facing portion of the flexible working surface being adapted to be located against said free face of the porous plate and drawn thereagainst to secure said membrane in close contact therewith.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
25 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 36, wherein said porous plate is selected from a porous material having a pore size of about 50 microns.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
23 words
An apparatus as claimed in claim 36, further comprising a compressible resilient skin located intermediate the porus plate and the flexible working surface.
Claim 44
Independent Claim
150 words
A method of printing comprising the steps of radially locating axes of rotation of a plurality of printing means about a central axis each axis . of rotation including a printing means apex therealong, producing a plurality of transferrable design portions at each of said printing means, locating a collector for engagement with each of the printing means concentrically about a centre of rotation corresponding to said central axis, and orientating the printing means axes and collector axes of rotation for engagement along a line of contact, such that centres of rotation of the collector means are coincident with the apex of each of said printing means, transferring the design portion from the printing means to the collector by intimate contact of one with the other along the common line of contact therebetween which line includes the apex of each printing means of the centre of rotation of the collector.
Claim 45
Independent Claim
150 words
A method of printing comprising the steps of radially locating axes of rotation of a plurality of printing means about a central axis each axis . of rotation including a printing means apex therealong, producing a plurality of transferrable design portions at each of said printing means, locating a collector for engagement with each of the printing means concentrically about a centre of rotation corresponding to said central axis, and orientating the printing means axes and collector axes of rotation for engagement along a line of contact, such that centres of rotation of the collector means are coincident with the apex of each of said printing means, transferring the design portion from the printing means to the collector by intimate contact of one with the other along the common line of contact therebetween which line includes the apex of each printing means of the centre of rotation of the collector.
Claim 46
Independent Claim
92 words
A method of printing wherein an inking fluid is applied to an ink carrying surface comprising the steps of: mounting the surface for rotation about a central axis establishing an apex for said surface along said axis, resiliently mounting at least one pair of doctoring surfaces for engagement in close contact with the surface, each doctoring surface lying along a respective line of contact having a locus of points common with the surface and intersecting the apex of the same; rotating the surface while at the same time applying inking fluid thereon.
Claim 47
Independent Claim
92 words
A method of printing wherein an inking fluid is applied to an ink carrying surface comprising the steps of: mounting the surface for rotation about a central axis establishing an apex for said surface along said axis, resiliently mounting at least one pair of doctoring surfaces for engagement in close contact with the surface, each doctoring surface lying along a respective line of contact having a locus of points common with the surface and intersecting the apex of the same; rotating the surface while at the same time applying inking fluid thereon.
Claim 48
Independent Claim
78 words
A method of printing wherein a design is transferred from one surface to another by intimate contact of said surfaces along portions thereof comprising the steps of: carrying each of said surfaces about a respective centre of rotation and orientating one surface relative to the other so that a line of contact occurs therebetween for transferring the design from one to the other which line of contact instantaneously includes each respective centre of the rotation of the surfaces.
Claim 49
Independent Claim
78 words
A method of printing wherein a design is transferred from one surface to another by intimate contact of said surfaces along portions thereof comprising the steps of: carrying each of said surfaces about a respective centre of rotation and orientating one surface relative to the other so that a line of contact occurs therebetween for transferring the design from one to the other which line of contact instantaneously includes each respective centre of the rotation of the surfaces.
Claim 50
Independent Claim
87 words
A method of printing from-a flexible working surface having a separable design carried on one surface thereof comprising: deforming a portion of said working surface in opposition to the design carrying side thereof into conformance with a selected profile and driving the working surface into engagement with a design receiving surface of an article to be printed in a nonslip rdlling-like contact from a centre area thereof to an outer peripheral edge thereby to separate the design from the working surface and transfer it to the article.
Claim 51
Independent Claim
87 words
A method of printing from-a flexible working surface having a separable design carried on one surface thereof comprising: deforming a portion of said working surface in opposition to the design carrying side thereof into conformance with a selected profile and driving the working surface into engagement with a design receiving surface of an article to be printed in a nonslip rdlling-like contact from a centre area thereof to an outer peripheral edge thereby to separate the design from the working surface and transfer it to the article.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
62 words
A method as claimed in claim 42, further comprising the step of selecting a profile for conformance of the working surface as a function of the design receiving surface to the deformed membrane to thereby have a shape adapted to engage the article first from the centre to an outer peripheral edge thereof at a selected contact angle as said contact progresses.
Claim 53
Independent Claim
45 words
A method of printing a flexible working surface which is supported during application of a separable design thereon including the steps of supporting the flexible surface against a rigid plate of selected relatively small porosity, and pneumatically drawing the flexible working thereagainst without distortion thereof.
Claim 54
Independent Claim
45 words
A method of printing a flexible working surface which is supported during application of a separable design thereon including the steps of supporting the flexible surface against a rigid plate of selected relatively small porosity, and pneumatically drawing the flexible working thereagainst without distortion thereof.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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