Patent GB-627874-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to the application of transfers to glass-, ceramic- and other ware
IPC: B44C1/16
Filed: 1946-11-27
Abstract: 627,874. Transferring designs. CANNING TOWN GLASS WORKS, Ltd., FARROW, P., and HONEY, F. H. Nov. 27, 1946, No. 35187. [Class 100 (ii)] [Also in Group XXX] A method of applying transfers to glassware ceramic ware and other ware, comprises successively conveying the transfers to a backing - removing station where the backings are automatically stripped off, the transfers being wetted during their travel to the removing - station, and then conveying the stripped transfers to a ware - supporting station, where they are applied to the ware. Transfers are placed, backing uppermost, manually or mechanically, through a positioning frame 49, Figs. 1 and 2, on to an intermittently-moving conveyer belt 2, Figs. 1, 2 and 4, at each pause in its movement. The belt is mounted on pulleys on a frame comprising a water trough 1 and is supported by a platform 7 and rollers 9 and is driven by a fluid-pressure piston and cylinder 11, 10, rack 12, and pinion-and-ratchet drive on the shaft 4 of one of the pulleys 3. The transfers are damped by absorbent pads 14 carried on holders 15 and oscillated by a rock-shaft 17 operated by a piston 19, a similar pad 14a wetting the belt. Water from the trough is circulated by a pump 20, through a thermostatic electric heater 21 and pipe 22 back to the trough, and is supplied by drip feeds to the pads 14, 14a. Alternatively the water could be supplied to the pads by flexible tubes, and the pads kept at a uniform temperature by the circulating water passing through jackets round the holders 15. The backings are stripped off by a wiper pad 23 which may have a vacuum sucker at its tip and which is moved downwards by a piston 25 and transversely by a piston 29, the cylinder 26 of the piston 25 sliding on transverse rods 28, the removed backing being thrown off the pad by a rotary brush 32. The stripping mechanism is adjustable longitudinally by sliding the supporting columns 31 along the trough 1. At the ware-supporting station an article such as a bottle is manually or mechanically placed between chucks 34, 35, the chuck 34 being driven by gearing and the idler chuck 35 being moved transversely by a piston in a cylinder 39 to grip the bottle. The chucks are adjustable transversely on brackets 42, 43 and vertically on rods according to the size of the bottle, which is held between forks 44 before being gripped by the chucks. The bottle is rotated with a surface speed slightly greater than the speed of the belt. Alternatively, the bottle may be rotated by friction with the belt. A roller 45, carried by a pivoted arm 46 actuated by a piston 47, is moved upwards during the movement of the belt to raise the belt and apply a transfer to the bottle. A foot-pedal 50 operates by means of a control valve all the fluid-pressure cylinder mechanisms in timed relationship, an arrangement of cushion valves ensuring that the motion of the piston 47 lags behind that of the piston in the cylinder 39 so that the bottles are firmly held before the transfer is applied. An upper wetted retaining belt may be used instead of the pads 14, 14a. The bottles may be lowered on to the belt to apply the transfers. Electric motors and cams may be used instead of fluid-pressure means. According to the Provisional Specification the upper retaining belt may be of cellular construction, and the stripping means comprises a short endless conveyer carrying projecting wiper arms carrying squeegee blades.