U.S. patent number 3,595,164 [Application Number 04/814,648] was granted by the patent office on 1971-07-27 for egg carton printer.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Wood Industries, Inc.. Invention is credited to John C. Hovekamp.
United States Patent |
3,595,164 |
Hovekamp |
July 27, 1971 |
EGG CARTON PRINTER
Abstract
The printing device for multicolor decorating the top of egg
cartons or the like articles has a central blanket cylinder with
four plate cylinders contacting it for transferring an inked image
thereto, each one of the plate cylinders having its own inking
device. An impression cylinder is arranged which has a saddle on a
part of its circumference for supporting the cavernous top of the
egg carton and pressing the top surface of it against the blanket
cylinder for having the image which has been inked on the blanket
cylinder, printed on it. Power-operated linkage mechanism for
separating the plate cylinders from the blanket cylinder and for
throwing off simultaneously the inking rollers of the inking
devices is arranged.
Inventors: |
Hovekamp; John C. (Elyria,
OH) |
Assignee: |
Wood Industries, Inc.
(Plainfield, NJ)
|
Family
ID: |
25215631 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/814,648 |
Filed: |
April 9, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
101/37; 101/177;
101/185; 101/209; 101/218; 101/247; 101/351.4 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B41F
17/26 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B41F
17/26 (20060101); B41F 17/00 (20060101); B41f
017/16 (); B41f 013/24 () |
Field of
Search: |
;101/185,184,182,247,140,139,192,209,143--145,218,351,352,357,358,284,285,137 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
416,289 |
|
Jul 1925 |
|
DT |
|
475,147 |
|
Nov 1937 |
|
GB |
|
Primary Examiner: Pulfrey; Robert E.
Assistant Examiner: Crowder; Clifford D.
Claims
What I claim is:
1. A printing device for applying decorative indicia to the tops of
egg cartons or like hollow articles in a plurality of colors, said
device having a plurality of printing plate carrying cylinders, a
corresponding plurality of ink motions each having a form roller
for applying ink to a plate cylinder, a central transfer cylinder
adapted to contact said plate cylinder, said transfer cylinder
having at least one printing blanket fastened thereon for receiving
said indicia from said plurality of plate cylinders, and a
rotatable impression cylinder cooperating with said transfer
cylinder; said impression cylinder comprising at least one
circumferentially extending impression saddle having a front
circumferential edge and a rear circumferential edge, said saddle
adapted to support and engage the inside of said hollow articles to
move said articles past said transfer cylinder as said impression
cylinder is rotated, and an intermittently moving article carrying
conveyor for intermittently forwarding said articles to said
impression cylinder for engagement by said impression saddle.
2. A printing device for applying decorative indicia to the tops of
egg cartons according to claim 1, said printing plate carrying
cylinders having in addition flexible printing plate supports
interchangeably fastened thereon and spring-loaded means for
mounting said flexible printing plates thereon.
3. A printing device for applying decorative indicia to the tops of
egg cartons according to claim 2 having in addition power-operated
throwoff means for separating simultaneously all said printing
plate cylinders from said transfer cylinder and all said form
rollers from said printing plate cylinders.
4. A printing device for applying decorative indicia to the tops of
egg cartons according to claim 3, said throwoff means comprising
linkage bars connecting the throwoff means of each of said printing
plate cylinders with the corresponding throwoff means of said form
roller for separating said plate cylinders from their corresponding
form rollers in such manner that the original adjustment setting of
said form rollers relative to their corresponding printing plate
cylinders is maintained.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to multicolor printing devices and more
specifically to printing devices for special purposes such as
decorating the top of cavernous packaging boxes, for example of egg
cartons.
Printing devices exist for printing indicia on objects which are
not flat as a sheet of paper, cardboard or metal, and particularly
on the outside of three-dimensional, hollow objects such as
cardboard boxes or the like objects which have not sufficient
resistance against crushing. Other "marking" devices are known for
stamping or printing of indicia on box shaped packaging containers,
on cylindrical parts such as bottles, cans, tubes and on similar
articles of the packaging industry. The majority of these devices
is manually operated and therefore not well suited for a
large-scale mass production, particularly in view of the
requirement for multicolor decorating of the outside of the
packages. This is the problem involved in printing attractive and
distinctive indicia on the lids of egg cartons which are not very
strong and crushproof. The present invention of a new printing
machine of this kind is directed to solving these problems.
SUMMARY
The invention consists of such novel features, construction
arrangements, combination of parts and improvements as may be shown
and described in connection with the apparatus herein disclosed by
way of example only and as illustrative of a preferred embodiment.
The general idea of the invention is to present a new structure and
combination of structural elements by which multicolor decorations
are applied to the outside surface of boxlike tops of egg cartons
by rotary printing.
Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part
hereafter and in part will be obvious herefrom or may be learned by
practicing the invention, the same being realized and attained by
means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the
appended claims.
It is an object of the invention to provide a rotary printing
device for printing indicia in colors in a continuous operation on
the outside surface of the tops of egg cartons.
A further object of the invention is to provide rotatable support
means for the egg cartons tops while the insignia are printed
thereon.
Another object of the invention is to provide an intermittently
operating conveyor system for feeding the egg cartons to the
printing device where the carton is taken by the support means by
which it it forwarded through the printing procedure during the
dwell period of the conveyor.
Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide a
mechanism for throwing off simultaneously all plate cylinders from
the transfer cylinder and all ink motion form rollers from the
plate cylinders without changing the relative setting of the form
rollers with respect to the plate cylinder.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a novel
multicolor printing machine in a continuously operating production
line for producing colorful decorations on the outside surface of
the the top of egg cartons, which is relatively uncomplicated, easy
to operate and to maintain.
Various further and more specific purposes, features and advantages
will clearly appear from the detailed description given below taken
in connection with the accompanying drawing which forms part of the
specification and illustrates merely by way of example one
embodiment of the device of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
In the following description and in the claims, parts will be
identified by specific names for convenience, but such names are
intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as
the art will permit. Like reference characters denote like parts in
the several figures of the drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 shown diagrammatically the general arrangement of the
printing device;
FIG. 2 shows the plate cylinder and form roller throwoff mechanism
in the "on" position;
FIG. 3 shows the plate cylinder and form roller mechanism in the
"off" position;
FIG. 4 is an axial section of the plate cylinder and of one
pertaining form roller;
FIG. 5 is a radial section of the plate cylinder shown in FIG. 4,
taken along the line 5-5;
FIG. 6 is a radial section of the plate cylinder shown in FIG. 4,
taken along the line 6-6;
FIG. 7 is an axial section of the gear side part of the transfer
cylinder; partly broken away;
FIG. 8 is a radial section of the transfer cylinder shown in FIG.
7, taken along the line 8-8;
FIG. 9 is an axial section of the impression cylinder;
FIG. 10 is a radial section of the impression cylinder shown in
FIG. 9, taken along the line 10-10.
FIG. 11 is an axial section of the operating side of the transfer
cylinder, partly broken away.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED
EMBODIMENT
Referring now in more detail to the drawing illustrating a
preferred embodiment by which the invention may be realized, there
is a front frame 11 and a rear frame 12 which support rotatably the
various cylinders and ink motions of the printing machine.
Referring to FIG. 1 there is a centrally located transfer cylinder
20, four printing plate cylinders 30, 31, 32, 33 arranged around it
in contact relationship with transfer cylinder 20 and an impression
cylinder 40 located below transfer cylinder 20. Conventional ink
motions 50, 51, 52, 53 each having two form rollers 54, 55, for
inking the printing plates of plate cylinders 30, 31, 32, 33, are
arranged for supplying the ink to the form rollers. Conveyor chains
60 carrying lugs 61 at regular intervals are arranged for
transporting the egg cartons 62 to the printing machine and away
from the same after the printing had been completed. Egg cartons 62
are sliding over a support table 63. Leaf springs 64 are arranged
above the path of egg cartons 62 for holding the same down while
they are printed.
Referring to FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, there is shown as a typical example
one of the plate cylinders 30, 31, 32, 33 and one of the two form
rollers 54, 55. The body of the plate cylinder is a hollow sleeve
34 which is freely rotatable held on ball bearings 35 supported by
a shaft 36. The ends 37, 37' of shaft 36 are eccentric with respect
to bearings 35, and they are rotatably supported by bushings 38,
38' which are located in frames 11, 12. Printing plate supports 39,
39' are fitted on sleeve 34 and are secured thereon by the screws
131. On each side of supports 39, 39' blocks 132, 132' are fastened
on sleeve 34 for rotatably supporting the mounting rods 133, 133'
for the flexible printing plates 134. A row of pins 135 is arranged
on each one of mounting rods 133, 133' for holding plates 134 which
have correspondingly arranged holes. Near the end of each one of
rods 133, 133' is a plug 136 inserted therein which extends
radially thereof. A spring 137 abuts against plug 136 on one side
and an adjustment screw 138 abuts against the other side of plug
136, for register setting and for tightening of printing plates 134
on plate supports 39, 39'. Rods 133, 133' are axially moveable
against spring 139 by setscrews 231 for lateral register setting of
printing plates 134. A gear 232 is fixed on the drive side of the
machine at the end of sleeve 34, which is part of the driving
mechanisms of the machine and which engages the corresponding gears
of the other cylinders. Form rollers 54, 55 are supported by the
bars 233, 234, which are swingably mounted on shaft 36. Bars 233,
234, support shaft ends 235' in which shaft ends 235 are located. A
central shaft 236 extends between shaft ends 235 which have bores
in which the ends of shaft 236 are located. Since shaft ends 235
are eccentric with respect to central shaft 236 and to bearings
238, it is possible to adjust the position of the form roller to
the printing plate on the corresponding plate cylinder. Form
rollers 54, 55, consist of tubes 237 which are freely rotatable
mounted by ball bearings 238 on shaft 236. A conventional roller
covering 239 consisting of a resilient synthetic rubber is arranged
on tubes 237 extending over the area of printing plates 134.
Transfer cylinder 20 is shown in more detail in FIGS. 7 and 8. The
cylinder body consists of a tubular member 21 into which the shaft
ends 22, 22' are pressed. Roller bearings 23, 23' into which shaft
ends 22, 22' are pressed are supported by frames 11, 12. A gear 24
is attached to tubular member 21 on the side of frame 12, meshing
with gears 232 of printing plate cylinders 30, 31, 32, and 33.
Transfer blanket bodies 25, 25' are mounted on tubular member 21,
which receive the inked images from the printing plates 134. Each
one of bodies 25, 25' consists of two disc-shaped sidewall plates
26, 26' which are firmly attached to tubular member 21. Mantle
plates 27, 27' are welded on sidewall plates 26, 26'. Two blanket
shafts 28, 28' are rotatably located diametrically opposed to one
another in bearing plates 29, 29', which are attached to sidewall
plates 26, 26'. Each one of blanket shafts 28, 28' has a plurality
of blanket holding pins 121, and another plurality of stationary
pins 122 is arranged in mantle plates 27, 27', for fastening the
transfer blankets 123. Each one of blanket shafts 28, 28', has also
a ratchet wheel 124 attached thereto which is engaged by a spring
loaded releasable pawl 125. The other end of the blanket shaft
opposite to ratchet wheel 124 is shaped as a square end 126 so that
transfer blankets 123 may be firmly tightened on bodies 25, 25' by
using a wrench and may be secured in the tightened condition by
ratchet 124 and pawl 125.
Impression cylinder 40 which is located below blanket transfer
cylinder 20, is shown in detail in FIGS. 9 and 10. The cylinder
consists of a body 41 which is composed of several hollow tube
parts, welded together, and of a solid stationary shaft 42. Body 41
is arranged to rotate freely on ball bearings 43, 43', which are
located on shaft 42. A gear 44 is attached to body 41, meshing with
the corresponding gear 24 on transfer cylinder tubular member 21.
Printing saddles 45, 45' are attached to body 41 on locating studs
46, 46', by pins 47, 47'. Studs 46, 46' are secured on body 41 by
setscrews 48, 48'. The shaft ends 49, 49' of shaft 42 are eccentric
with respect to ball bearings 43, 43' and are rotatably located by
needle bearings 141, 141', in frames 11 and 12 respectively. A
lever 142 is keyed on shaft end 49, on which a screw block 143 is
pivotally mounted. A rod 144 having one threaded end 145 is
rotatably held in a bracket 146 which is attached to frame 11.
Threaded end 145 is screwed into block 143, and a compression
spring 147 is arranged on rod 144, which abuts against bracket 146
with one end and against the turnbuckle 148 with the other end,
urging lever 142 in a counterclockwise direction of rotation as
seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. By adjusting rod 144 by threading end 145 in
or out of block 143, eccentric ends 49, 49' are rotated and the
position of body 41 and printing saddles 45, 45' are adjusted away
or against, respectively, transfer cylinder 20 for setting the
necessary printing pressure according to the thickness of the
carton to be printed.
A throwoff device for plate cylinders 30, 31, 32, 33 and for their
corresponding form rollers 54, 55, respectively, is shown on FIGS.
2 in the "on" position and in FIG. 3 in the "OFF" position. The
throwoff device serves the purpose of separating simultaneously the
printing surfaces of plate cylinders 30, 31, 32, 33, from the
corresponding surfaces of transfer cylinder 20 and of moving form
rollers 54, 55 away from printing plates 134 on plate cylinders 30,
31, 32, 33. A lever 13 is rotatably located on a bracket 14 which
is attached to the outside of frame 11 in such a manner that the
center of rotation of lever 13 coincides with the center of
transfer cylinder 20. (FIG. 11). However, lever 13 has no
connection with shaft end 22' of transfer cylinder 20. Lever 13 has
a circular center plate 15 on which four bars 16 are articulated.
Each one of bars 16 is linked on a lever 17 which is clamped on
eccentric end 37 of shaft 36. A lever 56 is clamped on each of the
eccentric ends 235 of central shafts 236 of form rollers 237.
Levers 56 are linked in pairs by connecting bars 19 to levers 17 in
such manner that the levers 56 of the two form roller shafts 235
are linked to the lever 17 of the shaft 36 of the plate cylinder
30, 31, 32, 33, respectively, to which the corresponding form
rollers belong. (See FIGS. 2 and 3)
Since form roller shafts 236 are thus linked with bracket 17 of the
plate cylinders, the throwoff mechanism will always return them to
the originally set position on the printing plate after they had
been thrown off for operational reasons such as changing of plates,
changing of ink of the like work. The piston rod 18 of fluid power
cylinder 57 is articulated at the end of lever 13. Power cylinder
57 is swingingly foot-mounted on a bracket 58 which is fixed on
frame 11. A bracket 59 is attached to frame 11 in such a position
that a setscrew 68 of this bracket can be set in the path of lever
13 for limiting the stroke thereof.
THE OPERATION OF THE PRINTING
machine
With the plate cylinders and the form rollers in the "OFF"
position, flexible printing plates 134 are clamped on the plate
cylinders and, if necessary, printing blankets 123 are changed or
renewed, whatever the case may be. After the various colors have
been set in proper register, conveyor chains 60 are set in such
manner that the egg cartons are pushed forward by lugs 61 to the
point where the front edge of printing saddles 45 engages precisely
the inner front corner of the egg carton cover. At this point the
conveyor chains stop and printing saddles 45, 45' carry the egg
cartons forward through the printing operation period. The dwell
period of the conveyor movement is timed in such manner that the
conveyors start again when the rear end of saddles 45, 45' have
approached the inner rear corner of the egg carton cover, so that
they can continue forwarding the printed cartons to the next
following operation, for example to a stacket delivery.
While the invention has been described and illustrated with respect
to a certain preferred example which gives satisfactory results, it
will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding
the principle of the invention, that various other changes and
modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention.
* * * * *