Patent GB-1146932-A (GB)
Title: Machine for printing cylindrical containers
IPC: B41F17/22
Filed: 1966-09-06
Abstract: 1,146,932. Printing curved surfaces. MIEHLE-GOSS-DEXTER Inc. 6 Sept., 1966 [13 Sept., 1965], No. 39668/66. Heading B6C. In a rotary offset machine for printing on the curved surfaces of cylindrical containers the containers are carried in a path around the blanket cylinder to receive an impression prior to passing to a varnishing apparatus. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 containers 10 are fed to the machine on an endless chain 11 having laterally projecting container supporting pins 12. As the chain 11 passes about a sprocket 13 the containers are engaged by infeed mechanism 14 which removes successive containers from the pins 12 subsequently transferring them to a series of mandrels. The infeed mechanism consists of a series of gripper carriages 15 secured between spaced endless chains 16 which convey the carriages in an endless curvilinear path about sprockets 17, 18, 19. As the carriages move about the sprockets 18 the gripper fingers 21, 22 of the respective carriages are arranged to be closed by means of a cam 23 and caused to grip the succeeding containers. After the fingers have closed on the container and while the carriages are still moving about the sprockets 18 the respective carriages are successively shifted laterally by means of a cam 24 to thereby remove the containers from the pins 12. The carriages remain in this laterally shifted position as they travel about the sprockets 19 and until they begin to travel in the rectilinear portion of their path toward the sprockets 17. During their travel through the rectilinear portion of their continuous path the respective gripper carriages move into juxtaposition with and travel at the same linear speed as a series of container receiving mandrels 26 supported on endless chains 27. The cam 24 causes the gripper carriages to be shifted laterally back to their original position such movement causing each container to be inserted on to a mandrel which is aligned therewith. Thereupon the grippers 21 and 22 of the gripper carriage are opened by the cam 23 to release the container and they remain open as the carriage travels about the sprockets 17 and until they are in position to close on another container. The mandrels carrying the containers travel with the endless chains 27 in a path about sprocket pairs 28 and 29 and during the passage around the latter travel over the impression surface 32 of a blanket cylinder 33. The cylinder 33, which receives images from plate cyliders 34 to 37, is driven at a faster speed than the sprockets 29 and therefore as the mandrels 26 move with the containers 10 in contact with the impression surface, the difference in speed between the blanket cylinder and the chains 27 will cause the mandrels to be rotated anticlockwise about their own axes whereby each container will be printed. Upon leaving the printing zone the mandrels travel about sprockets 42 and 43 varnishing being applied by a cylinder 44. The mandrels then travel about sprockets 46 and thence sprockets 47 to begin another cycle of operation. Located adjacent the mandrel conveyer is a delivery mechanism 14 which may be substantially identical to the infeed mechanism 14. The printed and varnished containers are therefore transferred to pins 61 on a chain 62. Should no container be fed to the mandrels from the infeed mechanism 14 or should a container be only partially pushed on to a mandrel a photo-cell detector 336 operates to ensure that the defective mandrel is not pressed against the blanket cylinder 33 by the cam arrangement 146 which operates on all properly loaded mandrels.