Patent ID: 6289802
Filing Date: 2001-09-18
Classification: B41F

Abstract:
A screen printing machine, comprising:a plurality of vacuum tables for supporting articles to be printed;a displacement mechanism for displacing said vacuum tables in succession around an endless path of travel;said endless path of travel including a pair of parallel elongate path sections;a plurality of printing stations distributed along said elongate path sections and each having a printing head;said vacuum tables each having a top support surface, a plurality of perforations in said top support surface, a hollow interior space and a vacuum port communicating through said hollow interior space with said perforations;said displacement mechanism comprising tracks extending along said elongate path sections, elongate reciprocatable carriages mounted on said tracks for longitudinal movement along said track, a drive operable to reciprocate said carriages to and fro along said tracks and drive members provided on said carriages and engageable with said vacuum tables for moving said vacuum tables, in accordance with the reciprocation of said carriages, in succession to said printing stations;a vacuum duct system comprising vacuum connectors and an endless duct having a first and second flexible members which provide a means for connecting said endless duct to said vacuum ports of said vacuum tables; anda vacuum pump connected to said vacuum system.