Patent GB-923454-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to decorating synthetic plastic containers
Inventor: COOKSON HAROLD
IPC: B41F17/18
Filed: 1960-05-05
Abstract: 923,454. Printing processes. METAL BOX CO. Ltd. April 20, 1961 [May 5, 1960], No. 15949/60. Class 100 (2). A method of decorating an exterior side of a synthetic plastic container comprises the steps of holding the container at the opposite ends thereof, moving it on an endless conveyer to successive positions of which the exterior side portion to be decorated is respectively subjected to a flame treatment, is brushed to remove dust particles therefrom and has decoration printed thereon. An apparatus for carrying out this method (Fig. 1) comprises a magazine M from which the containers to be decorated are released one at a time by a transporter device TD engaging a gate on the magazine and the device is movable in one direction by an endless conveyer, which consists of two chains 8 and 9 (Fig. 5) passing round sprocket-wheels 10 and 11 (Figs. 4, 5) mounted on shafts 13 and 12, respectively, the chains carrying container holding devices consisting of a bottom-locating member 23 and a neck-engaging member 33, and which grip the container supported on bottle-receiving elements 39, 40 operated in timed relationship by a cam follower 41 engaging a stationary cam 42. The container, which is now held in the holding device, is advanced on the intermittently-moving conveyer to a treating position TP (Fig. 1) at which the exterior of the container is flame-treated by a gas burner 50 pivotally mounted on a shaft 51 and the container is rotated by a rotating wheel 25 on the holding device engaging a rubber driving-wheel 46 (Fig. 8). On leaving the treating position the container is conveyed to a registering position RP (Fig. 13) at which the container is aligned with respect to a pair of notches 66 formed in the periphery of an indexing wheel 24, the registering being assisted by a pair of brake elements 68, 69. The container is subsequently moved to a brushing position BP, where a brush 80 (Fig. 11) removes any dust; which is sucked away by a vacuum tube 81 connected to a suction fan 82. After brushing the container before being passed on to the printing position PP is orientated to ensure that the desired portion is presented for initial engagement by the printing roller PR, the orientation being effected by the rotating wheel 25 engaging a stationary leather-lined member 83 (Figs. 1 and 13) which causes one of the notches 66 to register with a stop 84, whereupon the container is inflated by compressed air from a mechanism (Fig. 14, not shown) and is then engaged by the printing roller PR, which rotates the container clockwise so that the notch 66 is disengaged from the stop 84. Following printing the compressed air is exhausted from the container, which is conveyed to a curing or stoving position SP at which a gas flame burner (not shown) dries the decoration and the container is then advanced through a cooling chamber CP at the end of which it is delivered on to a delivery conveyer DC, the holding device releasing the container on engagement with a stationary cam 45 (Fig. 5). In another embodiment (not shown) for decorating containers having two opposite flat sides, decoration of the two sides is effected during two movements of a container past the printing position PP. The transporter device differs from that described above in that the rotating wheel 25 is replaced by a sprocket wheel meshing with a chain passing round drive sprockets mounted on the shafts 12, 13, the linear speed of the chain being different from that of chains 8 and 9 so that the holding devices are rotated by the sprocket wheels and the drive of the shafts 12 and 13 is continuous as distinct from the intermittent one in the first embodiment described above.