Apparatus for screen printing bottles

Claim 1

An in-line automatic and continuous container printer adapted to be positioned colinearly with and intermediate container production and container filling lines, said printer comprising: a. a loading station including a first plurality of roller means, first endless belt means trained about said first roller means and first means for driving one of said first roller means for receiving and transporting a plurality of successive containers; b. a printing station including a second plurality of roller means, a second pair of laterally spaced apart endless belt means trained thereabout and means for driving at least one of said second roller means for receiving successive containers from said loading station, said printing station further including stationary, arcuate screen means having an outer surface past which the containers are transported in tangential contact, a plurality of squeegees normally in tangential contact with the inner surface of said screen means for driving such squeegees over the inner surface of said screen means whereby a supply of ink passes through said screen means, said second roller means being positioned such that said second belt means are moved along a generally rectangular path, one of the longer legs of said rectangular path including an arcuate path portion, there being further included a shaft and additional roller means mounted on said shaft for maintaining the shape of said arcuate path portion, said arcuate screen means being coaxial with said arcuate path portion of said second belt means, there being still further included a plurality of arms extending radially from said shaft, one of said squeegees being mounted on the radially outer end of each said arm, said second means for receiving the successive containers comprising a plurality of pairs of nose cone assemblies and cup-shaped base member assemblies, each said nose cone assembly in said pair being coupled to one of said second belt means in said printing station, each said base assembly in said pair being secured to another one of said second belt means in said printing station and means for urging said nose cone assemblies toward said base member assemblies and into the open end of the containers; c. means for rotating the containers about their own longitudinal axes during transport thereof past said screen means, said means for rotating the containers comprising a gear coaxial and integral with each said base member assembly and a cooperating, generally oblong rack that is at least partially congruent and coaxial with said second belt means in said printing station; d. means for detecting the absence of a container in said printing station, said detecting means being positioned adjacent said screen means for preventing contact between selected ones of said squeegees and said screen means; and e. a drying station for receiving the containers after the printing thereof.