Patent ID: 6178886
Filing Date: 2001-01-30
Classification: B41F,Y10S

Abstract:
An inking apparatus for a can decorator, whereinthe can decorator includes a can handling apparatus for presenting cans to be decorated by the inking apparatus;the inking apparatus comprising:a first and a second inking arrangement and a presenting apparatus for presenting one of the first and second inking arrangements at a time to the can handling apparatus;each of the inking arrangements comprising:a frame;a blanket cylinder supported for rotation on the frame and including blankets thereon for applying respective color decorations to the cans on the can handling apparatus passing by the blanket cylinder;a respective set of inkers, each inker being positioned and adapted to hold and dispense a respective ink supply with a selected pattern to a respective one of the blankets on the blanket cylinder;the presenting apparatus comprising a support on which each of the first and second inking arrangements is supported at spaced apart locations on the plate;a drive for moving the support for selectively moving one of the first and second inking arrangements to a position at the can handling apparatus;a respective inking arrangement shifting device connected between each inking arrangement and the support for shifting the inking arrangement toward or away from the can handling apparatus when the inking arrangement has been moved by the support to the position at the can handling apparatus, the inking arrangement being shiftable on the support away from the can handling apparatus far enough to permit the support to move the inking arrangement which is then at the can handling apparatus away from the can handling apparatus without such movement being inhibited by the can handling apparatus and far enough to permit the support to move the other inking arrangement to the can handling apparatus, and each of the inking arrangements being shiftable by the respective inking arrangement shifting device to be moved toward the can handling apparatus where the inking arrangement may be operated to decorate the cans on the can handling apparatus.