Patent GB-477422-A (GB)
Title: Improved apparatus for printing container closures
IPC: B41F17/16
Filed: 1936-07-09
Abstract: 477,422. Printing - machines. CROWN CORK & SEAL CO., Inc. July 9, 1936, No. 19090. Convention date, Aug. 28, 1935. [Class 100 (ii)] Printing on closure discs ; rotary machines ; tripping-arrangements.-Apparatus for printing on closure discs of the type having high and low portions comprises a flat bed for supporting the discs, and a rotary member carrying a pair of printing-members one of which has a more elevated path with respect to the bed than that of the other, the former printing on the high parts and the latter on the low parts. The machine shown is adapted to print on closure discs having raised centres. Each of a series of magazines 51, Fig. 1, arranged above a horizontal table 28 contains a stack of discs resting on fingers 58, Fig. 5, adapted to oscillate about vertical pins 57 and provided with points 59, 60. The fingers are oscillated by means of a ring 56, all the rings being oscillated simultaneously by a reciprocating bar to which are fixed blocks 74 engaging slides 72 through springs 75. Normally, the stack rests on the points 59. When the fingers are turned, the points 59 move from under the stack to release the lowermost disc, and the points 60 move inwardly to support the remainder of the stack. To accelerate the movement of the disc, suction is applied to the underside thereof through ducts which open into a manifold connected to a suction pipe through a valve which closes just before the feed-fingers 37 (see below) engage the discs. The discs drop on to rails and are fed through the machine by fingers 37, Fig. 1, on an endless chain 36 passing over sprockets 31, 34. The discs are printed by means of rollers 118, 119 fixed on shafts 130, 131 each supported at one end only, the roller 118 printing on the raised central portions of the discs and the roller 119 on the annular margins. In each printing position, the discs are supported on a bar 111, Fig. 12, adjustable to vary the printing pressure by means of eccentrics on shafts 160, a pair of shafts for raising each bar being operated by self-locking worm gearing. Specification 410,185 is referred to. Printing-surfaces ; inking-apparatus.-Each printing-roller comprises a ring 174, Fig. 12, angularly-adjustable with respect to its shaft and a sleeve 175 clamped against a shoulder on the ring. Rubber printing-pads are secured on the sleeve 175 by clamping-bars 198, 199 having lower projections engaging circumferential grooves in the ends of the sleeve and upper projections engaging bevelled edges on the pads. The pads may be on a band 205, Fig. 15, having at each end a wedge 207, 208, the wedges being clamped in a dove-tailed slot by means of a V-shaped block 211. The pads may be on a single roller, a plane inking- roller being used for the annular printing- pads and one with raised parts for the others. Also, one printing-pad may be arranged within the other and brought to the same level for inking, the inner pad being on the endof a plunger movable outwardly against the action of a spring ; a pin fixed to each plunger bears against a cam-ring adapted to protrude the inner pad for inking. In a modification of this form, the inner pads are normally at the same level as the outer pads and are pushed inwardly at the moment of printing by the raised parts of the discs. Drying-apparatus.-The printed discs fall between fingers on a chain 143, Fig. 1, conveying them to a drying-oven 145. The chain is driven through a clutch whereby the drive can be disconnected and the chain driven by a separate power unit.