Patent ID: 6543346
Filing Date: 2003-04-08
Classification: B41F,B41P

Abstract:
Apparatus for printing on dimensionally stable individual articles, includinga conveyor arrangement having a plurality of receiving means for respective articles for transportation of the articles along a first conveyor path, at least one entry station, disposed along said first conveyor path, for entry of the articles to be printed upon onto said first conveyor path, at least one printing station, and a removal station for removal of the printed articles from said first conveyor path, a separating station into which articles to be printed upon are transported in a magazine as a stack comprising a plurality of articles and are individually separated therein to be each fitted in the entry station into a receiving means of the conveyor arrangement, a collecting station in which printed articles removed in the removal station from the respective receiving means of the conveyor arrangement are collected and assembled in a magazine in the collecting station to form a stack comprising a plurality of articles, a conveyor means operable to convey the magazines containing the articles to be printed upon towards the entry station and to convey empty magazines thereafter towards the removal station, including a conveyor belt for conveying the magazines both through the separating station and also through the collecting station and operable to convey the empty magazines out of the separating station into the collecting station, at least one transfer arrangement operable for individually removing the articles to be printed upon from the respective magazine and for moving them towards the respective receiving means of the conveyor arrangement and for feeding the articles removed from the respective receiving means of the conveyor arrangement to a magazine, including at least one transfer means operable to move with a stepwise motion for the individual articles and providing a second conveyor path along which a magazine disposed in the separating station, the receiving means respectively disposed in the entry station for the article to be printed upon, the respective receiving means disposed in the removal station for the printed article, and a magazine disposed in the collecting station are disposed.