Patent ID: 6164200
Filing Date: 2000-12-26
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
An apparatus for imprinting an unmarked endless foil with images which are to be arranged within sections of the foil of a predetermined length L, comprising: a printing device arranged at the beginning of the path of said endless foil through said apparatus through which said endless foil moves continuously and in which an image is imprinted centered onto each section of said endless foil, a device for cutting said endless foil into sections of said predetermined length L arranged at the end of said path of said endless foil through said apparatus for cutting said foil at a section limit, a transport device receiving said endless foil from said printing device, a foil section sensor associated with said transport device for sensing movement of said foil through said transport device and providing a signal each time a section length L of said foil has passed through said transport device, a buffer arrangement disposed in the path of said endless foil between said printing device and said transport device and including a first foil movement sensor at the entrance to said buffer arrangement and a second foil movement sensor at the exit of said buffer arrangement, a control device receiving the signal from said foil section sensor and generating a printing signal which is supplied to said printing device to initiate printing of said image onto the foil section in said printing device, said control device also receiving the signals generated by said first and second foil movement sensors and comparing the two signals to determine therefrom any difference in the movement of said endless foil leaving the printing device and the movement of said endless foil through said transport device for a correction of the printing signal supplied to said printing device, said printing signal being supplied to said printing device when the length of the endless foil between said section limit and said printing device is a predetermined multiple of said section length L.