Apparatus for marking cylindrical articles

Claim 1

AN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING IMPRESSIONS OF A LIQUID SUBSTANCE TO SUCCESSIVE CYLINDRICAL ARTICLES ROLLING ALONG A STRAIGHT PATH, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A BODY CARRYING A DIE ELEMENT HAVING A PLANAR OPERATIVE SURFACE WITH A CONFIGURATION CONFORMING TO THAT OF THE IMPRESSIONS TO BE APPLIED, MEANS SUPPORTING SAID BODY ADJACENT SAID STRAIGHT PATH WITH SAID OPERATIVE SURFACE OF THE DIE ELEMENT BEING DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY CO-PLANAR WITH SAID STRAIGHT PATH SO THAT, AS EACH ARTICLE ROLLS PAST SAID BODY, THE ARTICLE EFFECTS ROLLING CONTACT WITH SAID OPERATIVE SURFACE, A STAR WHEEL MEMBER ROTATABLE ABOUT AN AXIS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BODY AND HAVING RADIAL ARMS DIMENSIONED TO PROJECT INTO SAID STRAIGHT PATH, THEREBY TO BE DRIVEN BY THE SUCESSIVE ARTICLES ROLLING ALONG THE LATTER, A PLURALITY OF TRANSFER ROLLERS EACH ROTATABLY CARRIED BY AN ARM OF SAID STAR WHEEL MEMBER TO MOVE WITH THE LATTER ALONG A CLOSED PATH EXTENDING AROUND SAID BODY AND HAVING A PORTION AT WHICH ROLLERS OF THE PLURALITY OF TRANSFER ROLLERS SUCCESSIVELY EFFECT ROLLING CONTACT WITH SAID OPERATIVE SURFACE OF THE DIE ELEMENT, AND A LIQUID SUPPLYING MEMBER EXTENDING ALONG ANOTHER PORTION OF SAID CLOSED PATH REMOTE FROM THE FIRST MENTIONED PORTION AND AT WHICH THE ROLLERS SUCCESSIVELY EFFECT ROLLING CONTACT WITH, AND RECEIVE LIQUID FROM SAID LIQUID SUPPLYING MEMBER, WHEREBY EACH TRANSFER ROLLER SEQUENTIALLY RECEIVES LIQUID FROM SAID SUPPLYING MEMBER AND TRANSFERS THE LIQUID TO SAID OPERATIVE SURFACE FOR APPLICATION BY THE LATTER TO AN ARTICLE PASSING SAID BODY AND DRIVING THE STAR WHEEL MEMBER.

Claim 2

AN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING IMPRESSIONS OF A LIQUID SUBSTANCE TO SUCCESSIVE CYLINDRICAL ARTICLES ROLLING ALONG A STRAIGHT PATH, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A BODY CARRYING A DIE ELEMENT HAVING A PLANAR OPERATIVE SURFACE WITH A CONFIGURATION CONFORMING TO THAT OF THE IMPRESSIONS TO BE APPLIED, MEANS SUPPORTING SAID BODY ADJACENT SAID STRAIGHT PATH WITH SAID OPERATIVE SURFACE OF THE DIE ELEMENT BEING DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY CO-PLANAR WITH SAID STRAIGHT PATH SO THAT, AS EACH ARTICLE ROLLS PAST SAID BODY, THE ARTICLE EFFECTS ROLLING CONTACT WITH SAID OPERATIVE SURFACE, A STAR WHEEL MEMBER ROTATABLE ABOUT AN AXIS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BODY AND HAVING RADIAL ARMS DIMENSIONED TO PROJECT INTO SAID STRAIGHT PATH, THEREBY TO BE DRIVEN BY THE SUCESSIVE ARTICLES ROLLING ALONG THE LATTER, A PLURALITY OF TRANSFER ROLLERS EACH ROTATABLY CARRIED BY AN ARM OF SAID STAR WHEEL MEMBER TO MOVE WITH THE LATTER ALONG A CLOSED PATH EXTENDING AROUND SAID BODY AND HAVING A PORTION AT WHICH ROLLERS OF THE PLURALITY OF TRANSFER ROLLERS SUCCESSIVELY EFFECT ROLLING CONTACT WITH SAID OPERATIVE SURFACE OF THE DIE ELEMENT, AND A LIQUID SUPPLYING MEMBER EXTENDING ALONG ANOTHER PORTION OF SAID CLOSED PATH REMOTE FROM THE FIRST MENTIONED PORTION AND AT WHICH THE ROLLERS SUCCESSIVELY EFFECT ROLLING CONTACT WITH, AND RECEIVE LIQUID FROM SAID LIQUID SUPPLYING MEMBER, WHEREBY EACH TRANSFER ROLLER SEQUENTIALLY RECEIVES LIQUID FROM SAID SUPPLYING MEMBER AND TRANSFERS THE LIQUID TO SAID OPERATIVE SURFACE FOR APPLICATION BY THE LATTER TO AN ARTICLE PASSING SAID BODY AND DRIVING THE STAR WHEEL MEMBER.