Patent GB-274948-A (GB)
Title: Improved method of and means for printing upon cylindrical cans, bottles, containers, or the like
IPC: B41F17/22
Filed: 1926-04-26
Abstract: 274,948. Hart, W. C. April 26, 1926. Printing on cans, bottles, and the like.- Designs, symbols, &c. to serve as labels are printed upon cylindrical cans, bottles, containers, &c. in a rotary offset machine after the application of a ground coating of lacquer or colour, the printing - cylinder being provided with recesses of the shape of the design &c. containing pads to which ink or dye is supplied. In an automatic construction, Figs. 5 and 6, the containers run down an incline 77 on to curved receiving arms 69, 70, whereupon their ends are engaged by flanged discs 29, 30 mounted upon shafts 18, 19 which are pressed axially towards one another by helical springs, the shafts being mounted within slidable bearing blocks which are simultaneously moved longitudinally by spring pressure to bring the can into contact with a transfer roller 17. The roller 17 rotates in contact with a gelatine-covered roller 16 which is in contact with the printing-roller 15a, the three rollers and the shafts 18, 19 being provided with intermeshing gears driven from a pulley on the shaft 15 of the roller 15a. Brackets 63, 64 on the machine frame support shafts 62 provided at one end with bevels 61 engaging bevels 60 on the shaft 15, the other ends of the shafts 62 being provided with cams 67 which are adapted to bear upon the inner faces .of cam plates 68 on the shafts 18, 19. The brackets 64 also support pivoted rollers 66 mounted adjacent to the edges of the cam plates. The printing is completed in one revolution of the rollers, after which the edges of the cams 68 abut against the rollers 66, causing the shafts 18, 19 to move laterally to carry the can away from the transfer roller, whereupon the can is released by an axial movement of the shafts 18, 19 produced by the cams 67 bearing upon the faces of the cam plates 68. The released can rests upon the supporting arms 69, 70 which are pivoted upon a bar 71 and are adanted to swing downwardly to allow the can to drop upon an incline for delivery, retaining-bars 78 being provided to support the arms 69, 70 to prevent them from dropping a can on its entry into the machine. The retaining-bars 78 are actuated automatically to release the arms 69, 70 by fingers 79 on the shafts 18, 19. To ensure that only one can shall enter the printing position at a time. the arms 69, 70 are provided with rear extensions 72, 73 terminating in members 76<a> which project upwardly through apertures in the feed plate 77 when the arms 69. 70 support a can or are lowered to drop it, thereby retarding the oncoming cans. In a manually operated construction Fig. 7, separate handles 25, 43. 52 are provided for rotating the printing &c. rollers and for actuating the can grippers and moving them longitudinally of the machine to receive and release a, can. The datum position of the handle 25 controlling the printing is indicated by a spring-pressed hall mounted on it to engage within a recess on the frame. Printing-surfaces; inking-apparatus.-The designs, symbols, &c. to be printed upon the cans are embodied upon the roller 15a, Fig. 4, by wells or recesses 15<c> shaped to the design &c. and containing absorbent pads 16<a> to which colour is fed by flexible pipes 16<b> leading from supply tanks 16<c>. The colour wells may be of metal and may be zoned, in order to impart multicolour or shaded effects. Materials for printing upon, preparatory treatment of; coating-machines.-The ground coating is applied by rolling the cans &c. T, Fig. 7, along a travelling endless belt R disposed above and in contact with a roller 0 to which liquid is supplied by a roller H rotating in a tank I. Flexible guides V provided with adjustable mounting bolts V<1> bear upon the containers to hold them in contact with the surface of the belt, and adjustable jockey pulleys R<1>, R<2> take up any slackness in the belt. The roller O, and a wiping-roller J bearing upon the roller H, are driven by a sprocket chain M from the driving-pulley P of the belt R, the roller H being driven by a belt N from the roller J. The cans are fed down an incline U to the belt R and, after receiving the body coating, are delivered down an incline 9 to the printing-apparatus.