Apparatus for imprinting objects such as bottles and the like

Claim 2

Apparatus for printing round articles such as bottles and the like each having a central axis and printing registration index means on its round surface, comprising: a main conveyor including a drive shaft, a series of article carriers connected to the conveyor for advancement thereby along a path toward a printing station; article supporting means on the carriers for holding the articles in positions of their axes parallel to one another as the articles are advanced; means for rotating said article supporting means to rotate each article on its axis at a comparatively low speed of rotation as the article is being advanced; means on each article carrier engageable with and then releasable from said index means on each article to arrest rotation of the article at a registry position thereof while proceeding toward the printing station; means for accelerating each article from its arrested position to a comparatively higher speed of rotation before the printing station is reached; means at the printing station for printing on the articles as they are conveyed by the conveyor through the printing station; each article supporting means including a clutch having an input member and an output member to which an article supporting and rotating base chuck is connected; a change-speed drive extending from the drive shaft of the main conveyor; branch drives extending from the change-speed drive to said clutch input members respectively for effecting said acceleration and comparatively high-speed rotation of the articles when the respective clutches are closed; means for holding each clutch open during the comparatively lowspeed rotation of the articles; and means for successively closing the clutches thereafter.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said slow-speed rotating means is independent of said change-speed and branch drives for rotating the clutch output members when the respective clutches are open.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 2 including finish chucks and spring-actuated forcing means for pressing the finish chucks toward the tops of the articles; and means operative at a loading station preparatory to the start of said comparatively low-speed article rotation first to partially drop the finish chucks and lift said base chucks toward the partially dropped finish chucks to clamp the articles axially under spring force, then to lower both chucks to lower the articles while clamped.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 3 including cam means operative during said acceleration for increasing the clamping force exerted by said spring means without substantially changing the vertical positions of the articles.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said spring-actuated forcing means comprises a first spring of comparatively low spring rate which is compressed during said article lifting and lowering operations, and a second spring of comparatively high spring rate which is compressed by said cam means to increase force on the finish chuck in the lowered positions of the articles.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 3 including means at an unloading station located beyond the printing station for raising the base and finish chucks together and then raising the finish chuck while lowering the base chuck.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 6 including rotatable first and second spools at said loading and unloading stations respectively, each spool having an upper flange and a lower flange, notches in the upper flanges for the reception and hanging of articles by their upper finish ends in elevated positions, notches in the lower flanges to hold the articles vertical; and means for driving said spools from the drive shaft of said conveyor in directions to feed hung articles to the conveyor by the first spool and to receive articles from the conveyor for hanging by the second spool.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 7 including an article conveyor for inserting articles into the notches of the first spool for hanging, and an article conveyor for taking hung articles from the notches of the second spool.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said change-speed drive comprises a train of changeable gears between said conveyor drive shaft and a countershaft carrying a sprocket meshed with a chain; and wherein said branch drives each comprise a sprocket on an article carrier and a gear set driven therefrom and connected with an input of a clutch on the respective article carrier, each of the last-named sprockets meshing with said chain.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said printing means comprises a carriage adjacent said main conveyor; a squeegee conveyor having a support on the carriage for moving squeegees, a stencil screen attached to the squeegee conveyor, means for driving the squeegee conveyor to effect substantially constant squeegee speed along the screen, said support including means for adjusting the position of the squeegee conveyor to and from the main conveyor and vertically relatively thereto; whereby changes in the change-speed drive, with appropriate adjustments in said support, can be made to obtain substantially constant rolling contact speed on one side of the screen of articles of different lengths, diameters and shapes, with said rolling contact speed being equal to the constant speed of the squeegees along the other side of the screen.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 10 including a drive disk connected to each rotatable article supporting means; and track means affixed to the carriage for rolling engagement therewith by said disk in any adjusted position of the carriage along the main conveyor.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 10 including as part of each article supporting means a base chuck rotatable thereby, means for initially applying sufficient chucking force through each article to its base when in the chuck to cause the chuck to rotate the article but to allow slip at the chuck and the base of the article only when the article is arrested; and means for thereafter applying greater chucking force on each article during acceleration to effect rapid attainment of said comparatively high speed rotation without slip during acceleration.

Claim 14

Apparatus for printing round articles such as bottles and the like each having a central axis, comprising: a main conveyor having a drive shaft, a series of article carriers connected to the conveyor for advancement thereby along a path from an article loading hanger at a loading station, through a printing station and to an article unloading hanger at an unloading station; rotatable base and finish chucks each vertically movable toward and away from each other on the carriers for axially engaging the articles in hanging positions in the article loading hanger as the articles are advanced, upper cam control means for operating engagement with the finish chucks and lower cam control means for operating engagement with the base chucks at the loading hanger located at the loading station; spring means in said carriers biasing the finish chucks against their cam control means and toward the finish ends of the articles; said upper cam control means being operative at the loading station to lower the finish chucks under spring action and said lower cam control means adapted simultaneously to lift said base chucks to clamp the articles axially under spring force, both of said cam control means adapted then to lower both chucks simultaneously to lower the article under spring force, said upper and lower cam control means being engaged with the finish and base chucks at the loading station to first lower the finish chucks and raise the base chucks into clamping engagement with the articles with the force of said spring means biasing the finish chucks toward the articles and base chucks and then lowering both chucks simultaneously with the articles therebetween under the force of said spring means; drive means For rotating the chucks and their clamped articles in their lowered positions until the hanger at the unloading station is reached; and means at the printing station for printing on the articles as they are conveyed by the conveyor through the printing station.

Claim 15

Apparatus for printing round articles such as bottles and the like each having a central axis, comprising: a main conveyor having a drive shaft, a series of article carriers connected to the conveyor for advancement thereby along a path from an article loading hanger at a loading station, through a printing station and to an article unloading hanger at an unloading station; rotatable base and finish chucks each vertically movable toward and away from each other on the carriers for axially engaging the articles in hanging positions in the article loading hanger as the articles are advanced, upper cam control means for operating engagement with the finish chucks and lower cam control means for operating engagement with the base chucks at the loading hanger located at the loading station; spring means in said carriers biasing the finish chucks against their cam control means and toward the finish ends of the articles; said upper cam control means being operative at the loading station to lower the finish chucks under spring action and said lower cam control means adapted simultaneously to lift said base chucks to clamp the articles axially under spring force, both of said cam control means adapted then to lower both chucks simultaneously to lower the article under spring force, said upper and lower cam control means being engaged with the finish and base chucks at the loading station to first lower the finish chucks and raise the base chucks into clamping engagement with the articles with the force of said spring means biasing the finish chucks toward the articles and base chucks and then lowering both chucks simultaneously with the articles therebetween under the force of said spring means; drive means For rotating the chucks and their clamped articles in their lowered positions until the hanger at the unloading station is reached; and means at the printing station for printing on the articles as they are conveyed by the conveyor through the printing station.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 13 including upper and lower cam control means at the article unloading hanger located at the unloading station for first raising both the base and finish chucks to a level to be received by said article hanger at the unloading station and then raising the finish chuck while lowering the base chuck to hang the articles in the article unloading hanger.

Claim 17

Apparatus according to claim 14 wherein each hanger is in the form of a spool, each spool having an upper flange and a lower flange, notches in the upper flanges for the reception and hanging of articles by their upper finish ends, and notches in the lower flanges to hold the articles vertically.

Claim 18

Apparatus according to claim 15 wherein each lower flange includes means for varying the sizes of its notches to accommodate articles of various body diameters in held vertical positions.

Claim 19

Apparatus according to claim 16 wherein each said lower flange comprises two relatively rotatable plates, each plate having V-shaped registrable and partially registrable marginal notches therein, and means for locking the plates in any one of various partially registered and registered positions in relation to one another.

Claim 20

Apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said drive means for rotating the chucks in their clamped conditions comprises sprockets on the respective carriers connected through gears with the base chucks; a drive chain meshed with all the sprockets; and a change-speed gear train between said drive shaft and said chain.

Claim 21

Apparatus for printing on articles such as bottles or the like having round surfaces and central axes comprising: a horizontal endless multiple-chain conveyor; a series of article carriers attached to the chains and spaced at intervals thereon; each article carrier including a means to hold an article in a generally vertical position with the article rotatable on its axis; means for continuously driving the conveyor to carry the articles with their axes moving in vertical planes past several printing stations; printing means at each printing station, each printing means being movable in parallel with one of said planes and comprising a stencil screen having a striking area, and squeegee driving means for moving squeegee strikers into moving engagement along the screen; means for continuously rotating each article on its axis for substantial rolling contact on one side of each screen at the velocity of a squeegee on the other side of the respective screen as the articles travel through each printing station; means for synchronizing the continuous rotational velocity of the article and the velocity of the squeegees of the several printing stations; and means for adjusting each squeegee driving means including its screen both vertically and perpendicularly with respect to one of said planes.

Claim 22

Apparatus for printing on articles such as bottles or the like having round surfaces and central axes comprising: a horizontal endless multiple-chain conveyor; a series of article carriers attached to the chains and spaced at intervals thereon; each article carrier including a means to hold an article in a generally vertical position with the article rotatable on its axis; means for continuously driving the conveyor to carry the articles with their axes moving in vertical planes past several printing stations; printing means at each printing station, each printing means being movable in parallel with one of said planes and comprising a stencil screen having a striking area, and squeegee driving means for moving squeegee strikers into moving engagement along the screen; means for continuously rotating each article on its axis for substantial rolling contact on one side of each screen at the velocity of a squeegee on the other side of the respective screen as the articles travel through each printing station; means for synchronizing the continuous rotational velocity of the article and the velocity of the squeegees of the several printing stations; and means for adjusting each squeegee driving means including its screen both vertically and perpendicularly with respect to one of said planes.

Claim 23

Apparatus according to claim 19 including means for tilting each screen on an axis passing through its striking area, said strikers having interchangeable mountings for proper screen engagements at various screen tilts.

Claim 24

Apparatus for imprinting round articles of various diameters comprising: a stencil screen which is both vertically and horizontally adjustable; an article conveyor including a drive shaft and a number of carriers, a rotatable support on each carrier for at least one of said articles, first conveyor chain means driven at a certain velocity from said drive shaft and supporting a series of said carriers for movement in a first direction adjacent one side of the screen, a sprocket and gear means driven thereby on each carrier for rotating the supported article in substantial rolling engagement with one side of The screen; a timing chain driven from said drive shaft and continuously meshing with all of the sprockets thereby to effect said rotation of articles at substantially constant speeds of rolling engagements with said screen; and change-speed means removably interposed between the drive shaft and said timing chain for altering the speed of the timing chain thereby to provide rotation of articles of various diameters at substantially constant speeds in rolling engagement with said screen.

Claim 25

Apparatus for imprinting round articles of various diameters comprising: a stencil screen which is both vertically and horizontally adjustable; an article conveyor including a drive shaft and a number of carriers, a rotatable support on each carrier for at least one of said articles, first conveyor chain means driven at a certain velocity from said drive shaft and supporting a series of said carriers for movement in a first direction adjacent one side of the screen, a sprocket and gear means driven thereby on each carrier for rotating the supported article in substantial rolling engagement with one side of The screen; a timing chain driven from said drive shaft and continuously meshing with all of the sprockets thereby to effect said rotation of articles at substantially constant speeds of rolling engagements with said screen; and change-speed means removably interposed between the drive shaft and said timing chain for altering the speed of the timing chain thereby to provide rotation of articles of various diameters at substantially constant speeds in rolling engagement with said screen.

Claim 26

Apparatus for printing on round articles such as bottles or the like having central axes comprising: article carriers having rotatable supporting chucks thereon for rotatably holding articles; a vertical conveyor having a chain drive to which the carriers are attached for moving the carriers with the axes of the articles in substantially vertical positions, said conveyor including an input drive shaft; at least one carriage movable to various positions alongside the chains; a squeegee conveyor supported by the carriage, a stencil screen on the squeegee conveyor, drive means on the squeegee conveyor for moving squeegees along the screen; said carriage supporting an input drive sprocket, means on the carriage for adjusting the position of its supported squeegee conveyor and screen vertically relative to the axes of the article and to and from their paths, said carriage also including a flexible drive connecting said input drive sprocket with the drive means of the squeegee conveyor in any adjusted position of the latter relative to the supporting carriage; a drive disk on each chuck having rolling engagement with a friction strip supported on the carriage to rotate each article into a registry position at a comparatively low angular velocity; releasable lock-up means on the article carriers for stopping article rotation in registry positions of each; an endless first chain driven by said drive shaft and extending along said vertical conveyor, said first chain being meshed with said drive sprocket to drive it in any location of the carriage; an endless second chain driven by a change-speed drive from said drive shaft; and a sprocket which is gear-connected to each chuck and meshed with said second chain for rotation of chucks and articles at comparatively high angular speeds adapted by changes in said change-speed drive for substantially constant speeds of rolling contact of articles of various sizes with the screen after said lock-up means is released.

Claim 27

Apparatus for printing on round articles such as bottles or the like having central axes comprising: article carriers having rotatable supporting chucks thereon for rotatably holding articles; a vertical conveyor having a chain drive to which the carriers are attached for moving the carriers with the axes of the articles in substantially vertical positions, said conveyor including an input drive shaft; at least one carriage movable to various positions alongside the chains; a squeegee conveyor supported by the carriage, a stencil screen on the squeegee conveyor, drive means on the squeegee conveyor for moving squeegees along the screen; said carriage supporting an input drive sprocket, means on the carriage for adjusting the position of its supported squeegee conveyor and screen vertically relative to the axes of the article and to and from their paths, said carriage also including a flexible drive connecting said input drive sprocket with the drive means of the squeegee conveyor in any adjusted position of the latter relative to the supporting carriage; a drive disk on each chuck having rolling engagement with a friction strip supported on the carriage to rotate each article into a registry position at a comparatively low angular velocity; releasable lock-up means on the article carriers for stopping article rotation in registry positions of each; an endless first chain driven by said drive shaft and extending along said vertical conveyor, said first chain being meshed with said drive sprocket to drive it in any location of the carriage; an endless second chain driven by a change-speed drive from said drive shaft; and a sprocket which is gear-connected to each chuck and meshed with said second chain for rotation of chucks and articles at comparatively high angular speeds adapted by changes in said change-speed drive for substantially constant speeds of rolling contact of articles of various sizes with the screen after said lock-up means is released.

Claim 28

Apparatus according to claim 22 wherein there are several like carriages and supported squeegee conveyors located to be passed in sequence by the article carriers, only the first of which carriages supports the friction strip.

Claim 29

Apparatus according to claim 23 including means for closing said chucks lightly while the disks of the chucks roll on said friction strip so as to permit slippage of the articles in the chucks when the articles are locked up against rotation.

Claim 30

Apparatus according to claim 24 including a drive clutch for each chuck and means to hold the drive clutch open during article registration but to close it thereafter to accelerate the articles to said comparatively high angular speed.

Claim 31

Apparatus according to claim 25 including means for strongly chucking the articles during said acceleration.

Claim 32

Apparatus according to claim 26 including a removable color container carried by each squeegee conveyor, a color elevating roller in each container for lifting color for tangent engagement by striking elements of the squeegees as these elements move toward the screen.

Claim 33

Stenciling apparatus comprising: a squeegee conveyor having a rigid framework; guide grooves and rotatable drive and idler shafts in said framework, sprockets on said shafts; and endless conveyor chain means driven by said drive shaft; carriers connected to said chain means for circulation of the carriers in closed paths, each carrier including theReon followers in said guide grooves, an air cylinder, a piston rod in each cylinder which has outer and inner ends extending from the respective cylinder, each rod carrying a double-acting piston in its cylinder, each outer rod end supporting a squeegee assembly; a fixed cam supported by said framework and engageable by said followers, said cam having endwise drop and lift portions with open space therebetween thereby to limit outward movements of the followers and their connected piston rods throughout first parts of the paths of the latter and intermittently to free them as the carriers move along second parts of their paths, a stencil screen adjacent the open space; means for intermittently distributing air under elevated pressure to the insides of the pistons to drive the squeegees out and the followers against the cam to limit outward squeegee-assembly movement until said open space is traversed by the followers in the second parts of their paths during which the squeegee assemblies are driven out toward the screen, said distributor thereafter disconnecting the air supply and releasing air pressure from the insides of the pistons; and means for inwardly returning the pistons before the second parts of said paths are reached.

Claim 34

Stenciling apparatus comprising: a squeegee conveyor having a rigid framework; guide grooves and rotatable drive and idler shafts in said framework, sprockets on said shafts; and endless conveyor chain means driven by said drive shaft; carriers connected to said chain means for circulation of the carriers in closed paths, each carrier including theReon followers in said guide grooves, an air cylinder, a piston rod in each cylinder which has outer and inner ends extending from the respective cylinder, each rod carrying a double-acting piston in its cylinder, each outer rod end supporting a squeegee assembly; a fixed cam supported by said framework and engageable by said followers, said cam having endwise drop and lift portions with open space therebetween thereby to limit outward movements of the followers and their connected piston rods throughout first parts of the paths of the latter and intermittently to free them as the carriers move along second parts of their paths, a stencil screen adjacent the open space; means for intermittently distributing air under elevated pressure to the insides of the pistons to drive the squeegees out and the followers against the cam to limit outward squeegee-assembly movement until said open space is traversed by the followers in the second parts of their paths during which the squeegee assemblies are driven out toward the screen, said distributor thereafter disconnecting the air supply and releasing air pressure from the insides of the pistons; and means for inwardly returning the pistons before the second parts of said paths are reached.

Claim 35

Apparatus according to claim 28 wherein said means for inwardly returning the pistons comprises means for constantly maintaining air under lower pressure on the outsides of the pistons whereby upon said release of said elevated pressure the lower-pressured air returns the pistons with their connected rods, squeegee assemblies and followers to positions of the latter for re-engagement with the cam when the distributor re-establishes said one air pressure inside of the pistons, whereby the outer positions of the squeegee assemblies while traversing the second parts of their paths are predetermined by engagement of their followers with the cam.

Claim 36

Apparatus according to claim 29 wherein: said stencil screen is tiltable and carried by said rigid framework, said squeegee assemblies including quick-detachable means for attaching variably angled striker blades for engagement with the tiltable screen according to its tilt; a container supported by said carrier for carrying a pool of color; and means connected with the container for adjustably supporting and rotating drums of various cylindrical and conical shapes to dip into the color pool and lift color for engagement by striker blades at various angles of attachment thereof.

Claim 37

Apparatus according to claim 30 including: an article conveyor for moving articles along a vertical plane, and means for supporting the squeegee conveyor for two right-angled adjustments parallel to said plane and one adjustment perpendicular thereto.

Claim 38

Apparatus according to claim 31 wherein said means for supporting the squeegee conveyor comprises a carriage movable on guide rails adjacent the article conveyor in a direction parallel to said plane, a first support member on the carriage and adjustable perpendicularly with respect to said plane, and a second support for the squeegee conveyor, said second support being mounted on the first support and adjustable perpendicularly to the direction of carriage movement and parallel to said plane.

Claim 39

Apparatus according to claim 32 including: a first drive member on said carriage; a second drive member connected to the drive shaft of the squeegee conveyor and supported upon its said rigid framework; and a flexible drive connection between said drive members.

Claim 40

Apparatus made according to claim 33 wherein said flexible drive connection comprises a set of gears driven by a sprocket on the carriage, a set of gears connected with said squeegee conveyor drive shaft, a universal joint connected with each set of gears, and a telescoping drive-shaft connection between said universal joints.

Claim 41

Apparatus made according to claim 34 including a chain driven from the article conveyor and moving in a straight line adjacent to and parallel to the direction of movement, said sprocket meshing with said chain.

Claim 42

Apparatus for imprinting round articles such as bottles or the like comprising: an article conveyor for moving articles along a path, rotatable supports on the article conveyor for the articles; a carriage, a stencil sheet on the carriage disposed to be engaged by the sides of said articles as they move along said path; squeegee assemblies having color striking blades respectively; a tilted squeegee conveyor on the carriage, said carriage being movable relatively to the article conveyor, means in said tilted squeegee conveyor for circulating the color striking blades in an endless path such that said blades move in one angular aspect over a first horizontal part of the path adjacent the stencil sheet to engage it and horizontally over a second part of the path in a different angular aspect; means for applying color to the squeegee striking portions as they move horizontally along said second part of the path; synchronizing means connected between the conveyors for driving the squeegee conveyor comprising a sprocket on the carriage, a drive connection from said sprocket to the squeegee conveyor and a first chain which is driven by the article conveyor, said chain meshing with said sprocket in any position that the carriage may assume to drive the squeegee conveyor to move said blades along a first side of said stencil sheet; means including a group of sprockets for driving the rotatable article supports to rotate in a common direction for substantial rolling contacts of articles along the second side of said stencil sheet; and a second chain driven by the article conveyor and continuously meshed with said group of sprockets to rotate them at a speed for substantial rolling contact on said second side of the stencil sheet equal to the speeds of said blades along the first side of the sheet.

Claim 43

Apparatus for imprinting round articles such as bottles or the like comprising: an article conveyor for moving articles along a path, rotatable supports on the article conveyor for the articles; a carriage, a stencil sheet on the carriage disposed to be engaged by the sides of said articles as they move along said path; squeegee assemblies having color striking blades respectively; a tilted squeegee conveyor on the carriage, said carriage being movable relatively to the article conveyor, means in said tilted squeegee conveyor for circulating the color striking blades in an endless path such that said blades move in one angular aspect over a first horizontal part of the path adjacent the stencil sheet to engage it and horizontally over a second part of the path in a different angular aspect; means for applying color to the squeegee striking portions as they move horizontally along said second part of the path; synchronizing means connected between the conveyors for driving the squeegee conveyor comprising a sprocket on the carriage, a drive connection from said sprocket to the squeegee conveyor and a first chain which is driven by the article conveyor, said chain meshing with said sprocket in any position that the carriage may assume to drive the squeegee conveyor to move said blades along a first side of said stencil sheet; means including a group of sprockets for driving the rotatable article supports to rotate in a common direction for substantial rolling contacts of articles along the second side of said stencil sheet; and a second chain driven by the article conveyor and continuously meshed with said group of sprockets to rotate them at a speed for substantial rolling contact on said second side of the stencil sheet equal to the speeds of said blades along the first side of the sheet.

Claim 44

Apparatus according to claim 36 wherein said stencil sheet is tiltable and each striking blade has a quick-detachable connection into the assembly of which it forms a part, whereby blades having various angles of attachment may be employed in accordance with the tilt of the stencil sheet.

Claim 45

In bottle printing apparatus, an assembly for supporting a circulating squeegee conveyor next to a bottle conveyor comprising: rails adjacent to the bottle conveyors, a carriage guided by and movable along said rails; transverse guide means on said carriage, a first movable support adjustable in said transverse guide means; vertical guide means on the first support, a second support for the squeegee conveyor and adjustable in said vertical guide means; first drive means on the carriage, second drive means on the squeegee conveyor; and a flexible driving connection between said first and second drive means.

Claim 46

In bottle printing apparatus, an assembly for supporting a circulating squeegee conveyor next to a bottle conveyor comprising: rails adjacent to the bottle conveyors, a carriage guided by and movable along said rails; transverse guide means on said carriage, a first movable support adjustable in said transverse guide means; vertical guide means on the first support, a second support for the squeegee conveyor and adjustable in said vertical guide means; first drive means on the carriage, second drive means on the squeegee conveyor; and a flexible driving connection between said first and second drive means.

Claim 47

Apparatus for printing round articles such as bottles and the like having central axes, comprising: an endless article conveyor movable in a generally horizontal endless path; a series of article carriers carried by the article conveyor spaced at intervals along it; rotatable chucking means on each article carrier for axially clamping articles as they are carried; means for continuously driving the conveyor to move the articles successively past first and second printing stations, each station including a stencil screen; means for lightly chucking the article, means for rotating the lightly chucked articles at a certain angular velocity, locking them in registered positions, and then releasing them in said registered positions before the first printing station is reached; means for strongly chucking the articles after they have reached registered positions; and means for then accelerating them to a higher angular velocity for rolling on the screen at the first station and continuing said rotation at said higher angular velocity under said strong chuckinG for rolling on the screen at said second printing station.

Claim 48

Apparatus for printing round articles such as bottles and the like having central axes, comprising: an endless article conveyor movable in a generally horizontal endless path; a series of article carriers carried by the article conveyor spaced at intervals along it; rotatable chucking means on each article carrier for axially clamping articles as they are carried; means for continuously driving the conveyor to move the articles successively past first and second printing stations, each station including a stencil screen; means for lightly chucking the article, means for rotating the lightly chucked articles at a certain angular velocity, locking them in registered positions, and then releasing them in said registered positions before the first printing station is reached; means for strongly chucking the articles after they have reached registered positions; and means for then accelerating them to a higher angular velocity for rolling on the screen at the first station and continuing said rotation at said higher angular velocity under said strong chuckinG for rolling on the screen at said second printing station.

Claim 49

Apparatus as set forth in claim 39 including a clutch having input means and output means for said article acceleration and rotation, and means for interconnecting the input and output means, a sprocket forming turning input means for each chuck input means; an endless drive chain in constant mesh with each sprocket; said output means including a disk; and a fixed track upon which the disk rolls for rotating the clutch output and the interconnecting means when the clutch is open.

Claim 50

Apparatus for printing on bottles having a printing registration index comprising: an endless conveyor movable in a generally horizontal endless path; a series of bottle carriers carried by the conveyor spaced at intervals along the conveyor; each bottle carrier being adapted to hold a bottle in generally vertical position with the bottle rotatable on its vertical axis; means for continuously driving the conveyor to carry the bottles through a printing station; means on each carrier cooperable with the registration index of a bottle carried by each carrier to arrest rotation of said bottle in a registered position; first means for rotating each bottle on its vertical axis at a relatively low speed for registration before it travels through the printing station; and second means for rotating each bottle at a relatively high speed for printing as it travels through the printing station, said second means being driven in timed relation to the conveyor so that, for any given size of bottle, there is a fixed relation between the linear speed of the conveyor and the speed of rotation of a bottle, said second means also being adapted for change to vary said relation for printing on bottles of different sizes.

Claim 51

Apparatus for printing on bottles having a printing registration index comprising: an endless conveyor movable in a generally horizontal endless path; a series of bottle carriers carried by the conveyor spaced at intervals along the conveyor; each bottle carrier being adapted to hold a bottle in generally vertical position with the bottle rotatable on its vertical axis; means for continuously driving the conveyor to carry the bottles through a printing station; means on each carrier cooperable with the registration index of a bottle carried by each carrier to arrest rotation of said bottle in a registered position; first means for rotating each bottle on its vertical axis at a relatively low speed for registration before it travels through the printing station; and second means for rotating each bottle at a relatively high speed for printing as it travels through the printing station, said second means being driven in timed relation to the conveyor so that, for any given size of bottle, there is a fixed relation between the linear speed of the conveyor and the speed of rotation of a bottle, said second means also being adapted for change to vary said relation for printing on bottles of different sizes.

Claim 52

Apparatus for printing on bottles or the like comprising: an endless conveyor movable in a generally horizontal endless path; a series of bottle carriers carried by the conveyor spaced at intervals along the conveyor; each bottle carrier being adapted to hold a bottle in generally vertical position with the bottle rotatable on its vertical axis; means for continuously driving the conveyor to carry chucked bottles through a printing station; means for rotating each bottle at printing speed as it travels through the printing station, said bottle rotating means being driven by said conveyor drive means so that, for a given size of bottle, there is a fixed relation between the linear speed of the conveyor and the speed of rotation of a bottle, said means being adapted for change to vary said relation for printing on bottles of different sizes; and means driven by said conveyor drive means for driving said rotating means thereby to fix the relation between the linear speed of the conveyor and the rotational printing speed of the bottle, said driven means being changeable to adjust the fixed relation for different sized bottles.

Claim 53

Apparatus for printing on bottles or the like comprising: an endless conveyor movable in a generally horizontal endless path; a series of bottle carriers carried by the conveyor spaced at intervals along the conveyor; each bottle carrier being adapted to hold a bottle in generally vertical position with the bottle rotatable on its vertical axis; means for continuously driving the conveyor to carry chucked bottles through a printing station; means for rotating each bottle at printing speed as it travels through the printing station, said bottle rotating means being driven by said conveyor drive means so that, for a given size of bottle, there is a fixed relation between the linear speed of the conveyor and the speed of rotation of a bottle, said means being adapted for change to vary said relation for printing on bottles of different sizes; and means driven by said conveyor drive means for driving said rotating means thereby to fix the relation between the linear speed of the conveyor and the rotational printing speed of the bottle, said driven means being changeable to adjust the fixed relation for different sized bottles.

Claim 54

Apparatus as set forth in claim 42 for printing on bottles having a printing registration index, further comprising means on each carrier cooperable with the registration index of a bottle chucked in the chucks on the carrier to arrest rotation of said bottle in a registered position, and means for rotating the chucked bottles at a relatively low speed for registration before they travel through the printing station.

Claim 55

Apparatus for printing on bottles or the like comprising: an endless conveyor movable in a generally horizontal endless path; a series of bottle carriers carried by the conveyor spaced at intervals along the conveyor; each bottle carrier carrying at least one set of chucks substantially in vertical alignment with each other and each being movable toward and away from the other respectively between closed and open positions for chucking a bottle in generally vertical position; means for continuously driving the conveyor to move the carriers successively through a loading Station, a printing station and an unloading station, said chucks being adapted to be opened for entry of a bottle therebetween and closed to grip the bottle; means at the loading station for entering a bottle vertically between each set of opened chucks and, with the bottle traveling at substantially the same speed as the conveyor, closing the chucks to grip the bottle; means at the printing station for printing on the bottles as they are conveyed by the conveyor through the printing station; and means at the unloading station for holding a bottle, opening the chucks, and moving the bottle away from the conveyor.

Claim 56

Apparatus for printing on bottles or the like comprising: an endless conveyor movable in a generally horizontal endless path; a series of bottle carriers carried by the conveyor spaced at intervals along the conveyor; each bottle carrier carrying at least one set of chucks substantially in vertical alignment with each other and each being movable toward and away from the other respectively between closed and open positions for chucking a bottle in generally vertical position; means for continuously driving the conveyor to move the carriers successively through a loading Station, a printing station and an unloading station, said chucks being adapted to be opened for entry of a bottle therebetween and closed to grip the bottle; means at the loading station for entering a bottle vertically between each set of opened chucks and, with the bottle traveling at substantially the same speed as the conveyor, closing the chucks to grip the bottle; means at the printing station for printing on the bottles as they are conveyed by the conveyor through the printing station; and means at the unloading station for holding a bottle, opening the chucks, and moving the bottle away from the conveyor.

Claim 57

Apparatus for printing on bottles or the like comprising: an endless conveyor movable in a generally horizontal endless path; a series of bottle carriers carried by the conveyor spaced at intervals along the conveyor; each bottle carrier being adapted to hold a bottle generally vertical position with the bottle rotatable on its vertical axis; means for continuously driving the conveyor to carry the bottles through at least two printing stations; means for rotating each bottle on its vertical axis for printing as it travels through each printing station; printing means at each printing station comprising a screen and squeegee means movable along the screen; means for synchronizing the rotational velocity of the bottles and the velocity of the squeegee means movement along the screens of the several printing stations; and means mounting at least one of said printing means for adjustment longitudinally with respect to the path of the conveyor.

Claim 58

Apparatus for printing on bottles or the like comprising: an endless conveyor movable in a generally horizontal endless path; a series of bottle carriers carried by the conveyor spaced at intervals along the conveyor; each bottle carrier being adapted to hold a bottle generally vertical position with the bottle rotatable on its vertical axis; means for continuously driving the conveyor to carry the bottles through at least two printing stations; means for rotating each bottle on its vertical axis for printing as it travels through each printing station; printing means at each printing station comprising a screen and squeegee means movable along the screen; means for synchronizing the rotational velocity of the bottles and the velocity of the squeegee means movement along the screens of the several printing stations; and means mounting at least one of said printing means for adjustment longitudinally with respect to the path of the conveyor.

Claim 59

Apparatus as set forth in claim 45 having means mounting each printing means for vertical adjustment and for lateral adjustment with respect to the path of the conveyor.