Automatic stencilling machine with smear preventing means

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY DECORATING A SERIES OF OPEN-ENDED ARTICLES, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION; SELECTIVELY-OPERABLE MEANS FOR DECORATING AN ARTICLE IN A DECORATING STATION BY APPLYING DISCRETE QUANTITIES OF MARKING FLUID THERETO IN A PREDETERMINED PATTERN, SUCH THAT OPERATION OF SAID DECORATING MEANS IN THE ABSENCE OF AN ARTICLE AT SAID DECORATING STATION, WOULD SMEAR SAID DECORATING MEANS WITH THE MARKING FLUID; CONVEYOR MEANS FOR BEARING SUCCESSIVE ARTICLES TO A PICK-UP STATION; A RETRACTABLE CHUCK; MEANS FOR INJECTING SAID CHUCK INTO THE OPEN END OF AN ARTICLE IN SAID PICK-UP STATION; PRESSURE FLUID-SUPPLY CONDUIT MEANS; SAID CHUCK BEING FORMED TO SEAL IN THE OPEN END OF AN ARTICLE AND HAVING A PRESSURE-RELEASE ORIFICE CONNECTED FOR ADMITTING FLUID PRESSURE FROM SAID CONDUIT MEANS INTO SAID ARTICLE, WHEREBY RELEASE OF THE PRESSURE IS PREVENTED ONLY BE SEALING OF SAID CHUCK IN AN ARTICLE; ACTUATING MEANS FOR EFFECTING OPERATION OF SAID DECORATING MEANS; AND CONTROL MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY ENERGIZING SAID ACTUATING MEANS, INCLUDING PRESSURE OPERATED MEANS NORMALLY INTERRUTPING ENERGIZATION OF SAID ACTUATING MEANS BY SAID CONTOL MENS AND OPERABLE BY FLUID PRESSURE TO EFFECT SUCH ENERGIZATION; SAID CONDUIT-FORMING MEANS CONNECTING SAID PRESSURE-OPERATED MEANS WITH SAID PRESSURE-RELEASE ORIFICE; SUCH THAT SAID PRESSURE-OPERATED MEANS ARE OPERATED TO EFFECT OPEATION OF SAID DECORATING MEANS ONLY WHEN SAID CHUCK IS SEALED IN AN ARTICLE PRESENT IN SAID CHUCK, THEREBY PREVENTING SMEARING OF SAID DECORATING MEANS AND OF SUBSEQUENTLY-DECORATED ARTICLES WITH MARKING FLUID.