Abstract:
An improved method of supporting a portion of an inker apparatus is provided. More specifically, a system for interfacing with cam followers that are interconnected to a carriage bed of the inker apparatus is contemplated wherein wear to the cam follower is eliminated by providing a surface for engagement to a replaceable slide bearing. By employing this combination, down time, spoilage and costs are reduced.

Description:
[0001]    This application is related to pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/331,941, filed Jan. 13, 2006, U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2007/0169647, entitled “Servomechanical Inker for a Container Decorator”, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to an inking apparatus for applying indicia to a container. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention include a carriage plate that supports a portion of the inking apparatus wherein the carriage plate is supported by a plurality of cam followers that are integrated to sliding blocks. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Automated container decorating apparatus are employed to apply indicia, such as artwork, designs, trademarks, etc. onto a container, such as a metallic beverage can. An apparatus indicative of the state of the art is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,651,552 to Didonato (“Didonato”), which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. Didonato includes an infeed that directs containers onto a spindle disc that includes a plurality of mandrels extending therefrom that receive the containers and allows them to rotate relative to the spindle disc. A print section, defined by a bull gear and a blanket cylinder, rotates on an axis substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the spindle disc. The bull gear and the blanket cylinder are situated along the same rotational axis but are spaced a predetermined distance from each other. As the bull gear rotates, a plurality of pinion gears engaged therewith are rotated that each rotate a shaft. The shafts interconnected to the pinion gears are also interconnected to inker station gears that mechanically communicate with an inker station. The terminal end of the shaft is interconnected to a cylinder that includes a plate positioned therearound. 
         [0004]    As the bull gear rotates, the individual pinion gears rotate their individual shafts, thereby rotating the inker station gears and the plate cylinders. The rotating inker station gears rotate additional gears positioned in the inker station that are interconnected to a plurality of rollers that facilitate the transfer of ink from a reservoir of the inker station onto the plate that is situated on the cylinder. As the cylinder rotates, it contacts a blanket that is positioned around the blanket cylinder, thereby depositing ink in a predetermined pattern thereon. Inker apparatus generally include a plurality of inker stations that each place a separate, colored pattern onto a portion of the blanket. As the blanket cylinder rotates, the individual inked portions of the blanket engage the containers positioned on the mandrels to deposit a multi-colored design on each container. After the individual containers have been inked, they are directed to a varnisher, oven, etc. and expelled from the apparatus to be directed to another location in the facility. 
         [0005]    Currently, a portion of the inker apparatus is supported by a carriage plate. The carriage plate is adjustable with respect to the adjacent print station of the inker apparatus. During production, the elevation of the carriage plate is often altered whereby the indicia imparted on the containers is less than ideal. More specifically, an elevation change is caused as the carriage plate settles, which increases the pressure applied by the inking blanket of the print station onto the containers. The increased pressure thus influences the quality of the indicia being applied. 
         [0006]    Often, the carriage plate is supported by a plurality of cam followers, i.e. shafts, that provide load points that engage a base that is shared with the print station. A wear plate is also included that is located between the cam followers and the base. As used herein, a “cam follower” is defined as a rolling element needle bearing with an integral stud for mounting. Motion related to the internal workings of the inker apparatus causes the cam followers to move laterally with respect to the stationary wear plate wherein movements of less than about 0.20 inches are common. The heavy load of the inker apparatus is, thus, concentrated on a small area which causes the wear plate to thin. As a result, the container feed portion of the inker apparatus settles with respect to the stationary print station, thereby affecting the print quality. In order to correct these anomalies, the inker assembly must be shut down and taken off line for about 4 to 5 hours wherein the wear plate, and often the cam followers, must be replaced. Thereafter, the entire inker apparatus must be recalibrated. This process delays production, which wastes time and money. In addition, during the recalibration phase, a plurality of containers must be fed through the inker apparatus to ensure that the desired indicia is correctly placed on the container at a desired quality, thus creating further waste. 
         [0007]    Thus there is a long felt need in the field of container production to provide an inking apparatus that reduces waste, equipment downtime and associated maintenance. The following disclosure describes an improved inking apparatus that employs a plurality of wear blocks that are interconnected to the cam followers to reduce wear, thereby increasing the life of the cam followers and operational efficiency. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    It is one aspect of the present invention to provide an inker apparatus that replaces the current configuration of employing a cam follower that engages the wear plate with a cam follower that is engaged within a carriage slide that interacts with an easily replaceable slide bearing. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention employ a decorator carriage slide that is a precision fit onto the cam follower, thus protecting the cam follower from wear. The decorator carriage slide has a substantially planar and polished bottom surface that engages a slide bearing that is interconnected to the base of the inker assembly. During normal operations, the carriage, as described above, moves laterally, thereby taking along with it the cam follower and the decorator carriage slide. The decorator carriage slide spreads the load onto the slide bearing. After the slide bearing is worn away a predetermined amount, the inker apparatus is taken off line and the carriage assembly is moved upwardly. Bolts and a retainer plate that hold the slide bearing are then removed and the slide bearing is replaced. The carriage is then lowered into its operating position wherein the bottom portion of the decorator carriage slide engages with the slide bearing. This position is the ideal position for printing and as such no further calibration is needed. Thus embodiments of the present invention eliminate wear on the cam follower and wear plate of a container inker apparatus. 
         [0009]    The Summary of the Invention is neither intended nor should it be construed as being representative of the full extent and scope of the present invention. The present invention is set forth in various levels of detail in the Summary of the Invention as well as in the attached drawings and the Detailed Description of the Invention and no limitation as to the scope of the present invention is intended by either the inclusion or non-inclusion of elements, components, etc. in this Summary of the Invention. Additional aspects of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the Detail Description, particularly when taken together with the drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the general description of the invention given above and the detailed description of the drawings given below, serve to explain the principles of these inventions. 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of a container inker assembly; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a detailed view of  FIG. 1  showing a cam follower and wear plate combination of the prior art; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a detailed view of  FIG. 1  showing a cam follower and slider of one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a slider assembly of one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the slider assembly; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a front elevation view of a decorator carriage slide of one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a right elevation view of the decorator carriage slide shown in  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a top plan view of a slide bearing of one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  is a front elevation view of the slide bearing shown in  FIG. 8 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 10  is a top plan view of a retainer plate of one embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 11  is a front elevation view of the retainer plate shown in  FIG. 10 . 
       
    
    
       [0022]    To assist in the understanding of the present invention the following list of components and associated numbering found in the drawings is provided herein: 
         [0023]    # Component 
         [0024]      2  Container inker apparatus 
         [0025]      6  Container feed portion 
         [0026]      10  Print station 
         [0027]      14  Container 
         [0028]      18  Base 
         [0029]      22  Carriage plate 
         [0030]      26  Cam follower 
         [0031]      30  Wear plate 
         [0032]      34  Blanket 
         [0033]      38  Decorator carriage slide 
         [0034]      42  Slide bearing 
         [0035]      46  Bore hole 
         [0036]      50  Retainer plate 
         [0037]      54  Bolt 
         [0038]      58  Washer 
         [0039]      62  Tapped hole 
         [0040]      66  Plug 
         [0041]      70  Hole 
         [0042]    It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale. In certain instances, details that are not necessary for an understanding of the invention or that render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted. It should be understood, of course, that the invention is not necessarily limited to the particular embodiments illustrated herein. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0043]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an inker apparatus  2  of one embodiment of an inking apparatus  2  commonly used in the art along with the prior art method of supporting a container feed portion  6  is shown. In operation, the inker apparatus  2  includes a container feed portion  6  that feeds containers  14  adjacent to a plurality of print stations  10  wherein indicia is applied by an inked blanket. Thereafter, the feed portion  6  retrieves the inked containers  14  and transfers them to a conveyor belt for drying. The feed portion  6  of the inker apparatus  2  is interconnected to a base  18  that is interconnected to a carriage plate  22  that includes a plurality of cam followers  26 . The cam followers  26  of one embodiment are generally comprised of a shaft that rests on a wear plate  30  that is interconnected to the base  18  of the inker apparatus  2 . The bulk of the container feed portion  6  rests on the movable carriage plate  22  such that minute adjustments may be made to alter the spacial relationship between the container feed portion  6  and the print station  10  of the inker apparatus  2 , which dictate the amount of ink applied to a container. In operation, the carriage plate  22  will move relative to the print station, often about 0.2 inches left to right. Thus the cam follower  26  transfers a great amount of weight onto a small area of the wear plate  30 , thereby reducing the height of the wear plate  30  by wearing both the cam follower  26  and the wear plate  30 . As wearing continues, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the container feed portion  6  of the inker apparatus will move downwardly, i.e. settle, which increases the pressure applied by a blanket  34  that has been applied with a plurality of inks onto the containers  14 , thereby blurring the applied image. When this situation occurs, operators shut down the inker apparatus  2  and to replace the wear plate  30  and the cam follower  26 . 
         [0044]    Referring now to  FIGS. 3-11 , one embodiment of the present invention is shown that includes a decorator carriage slide  38  that interconnects to the cam follower  26  and which selectively engages a slide bearing  42 . More specifically, embodiments of the present invention provide a decorator carriage slide  38  that includes a bore hole  46  that receives the cylindrical cam follower  26 . The decorator carriage slide  38  engages a slide bearing  42 , preferably, with a film therebetween. The slide bearing  42  is held in place by a retainer plate  50  that utilizes a plurality of bolts  54  and washers  58  to secure the slide bearing  42  onto the base of the inker apparatus. 
         [0045]    Referring now specifically to  FIGS. 3-5 , one embodiment of the present invention is shown wherein the decorator carriage slide  38  includes a substantially circular bore hole  46  through a front face thereof that receives the cam follower. The decorator carriage slide  38  also includes a plurality of tapped holes  62 , preferably integrated onto the left and right sides of the decorator carriage slide  38  that receive plugs  66 . In operation, after the cam followers  26  are inserted into the bore hole  46 , the plugs  66  are engaged into the tapped holes  62  of the decorator carriage slide  38  to substantially prevent rotation of the decorator carriage slide  30 . The cam follower rests on a slide bearing that includes a plurality of through holes  70 . The retainer plate  50  also includes a plurality of holes  70 , is placed atop the slide bearing  42  and the plurality of bolts  54  and washers  58  are used to interconnect the assembly to the base of the inker apparatus. Thus when the cam follower  26  transitions laterally it is not worn. Alternatively, the decorator carriage slide  38  and/or the slide bearing  42  is worn. Preferably, the slide bearing  42  is the only component that wears as a result of the friction created between the decorator carriage slide  38  and the slide bearing  42  since it is designed to be softer than the decorator carriage slide  38 . 
         [0046]    To replace the slide bearing  42 , the container feed portion of the inker is lifted, and the bolts  54  and washers  58  are removed to allow removal of the slide bearing  42 . Once the slide bearing  42  is replaced and the bolts  54 , washers  58  and retaining plate  50  are replaced, the container feed portion of the inker assembly is lowered such that the decorator carriage slide  38  contacts the slide bearing  42 . Since the slide bearing  42  is of a predetermined height, adjustments after replacement of the slide bearing  42  are minimized. 
         [0047]    Referring now to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , a decorator carriage slide  38  of one embodiment of the present invention is shown. Preferably, the decorator carriage slide  38  is made of a hard and durable material, preferably 4140 steel. One skilled in the art, however, will appreciate that other materials may be used, such as aluminum. Embodiments of the present invention employ a generally rectangular decorator carriage slide  38  having a width of about 6 inches, a height of about 4 inches and a thickness of about 2 inches. The bore hole  46  employed has a diameter of about 3 inches and is located equidistant from the left and right sides of the decorator carriage slide  38  and about 1.803 inches from the base of the decorator carriage slide  38 . The decorator carriage slide  38  may include rounded corners with a ⅛ inch radius and its bottom surface may include a polished surface to Ra-8 micro inches (10-6 inches). The tapped holes  62  are also positioned about 1.803 inches from the base of the decorator carriage slide  38  and have a diameter of about ½ inch diameter with a number 13 thread. The tapped holes  42  receive, preferably, brass plugs with dimensions of ½ inch diameter by number  13  thread by ½ long. Set screws (not shown) are adapted to then be placed with the tapped hole  62  wherein tightening of the set screws move the plugs  66  into the bore hole  46  for engagement with the cam follower  26 . 
         [0048]    Referring now to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the slide bearing  42  of one embodiment of the present invention is shown that is about three inches deep ¼ inch thick and about 6 inches wide. The holes  70  provided by the slide bearing  42  of embodiments of the present invention are about 7/32 inch diameter and are located 1.125 inches from the left and right edges and about 0.540 inches from the front surface of the slide bearing  42 . Preferably, the slide bearing is manufactured of an extruded or compression molded thermoplastic, such as TORLON®, poly-amide. Embodiments of the present invention employ TORLON® 5030 manufactured by Drake Plastics, Cypress, Tex. 
         [0049]    Referring now to  FIGS. 10 and 11 , the retainer plate  50  employed by embodiments of the present invention is shown. Preferably, the retainer plate  50  is about 0.875 inches deep, about 6 inches wide and about ¼ inch thick. The holes  70  of the retainer plate  50  are about 7/32 inches in diameter and are located about 0.437 inches from the front face of the retainer plate  50  and 1.125 inches from the left and right surfaces of the retainer plate  50 . Preferably, the retainer plate  50  is constructed of a stiff material such as cold rolled steel. One skilled in the art will appreciate that any stiff material may be used. In addition, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the retainer plate  50  may be omitted wherein the slide bearing  42  is interconnected directly to the base of the inker apparatus. 
         [0050]    Referring now to  FIGS. 3-11 , embodiments of the present invention, as described above, are constructed of common materials. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the materials listed herein should not limit this disclosure. The shape of the decorator carriage slide  38  may also be altered to receive a square shaft instead of a generally circular shaft as well. 
         [0051]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1-11 , one method of installing a decorator carriage slide  38  is provided herein. This method of replacing a decorator carriage slide  38  should be viewed with respect to the inker assembly manufactured by Stolle Machinery Company, LLC, Centennial, Colo. Initially, the inker apparatus  2  is taken off line wherein the print station  10  is locked out. Then, a triangular cam follower rotation lock is removed. The carriage bed is raised to allow about one inch clearance between the cam follower  26  and the wear plate  30 . Next, the wear plate  30  is removed. The outside surface and the surface beneath the wear plate  30  are then cleaned and the decorator carriage slide  38  is positioned onto the cam follower  26 . Preferably a material, such as loctite  242  is applied to each of the set screws and the plugs  66  are inserted into the tapped holes  62  followed by the set screws (not shown). The set screws are screwed into the decorator carriage slide  38  which causes the plugs  66  to tighten against the cam follower  26 . Next, a thin coat of CMD extreme pressure lube no. 3 is applied to the upper surface of the slide bearing  42  where the decorator carriage slide  38  will contact the slide bearing  42 . Loctite  242  is then applied to the bolts  54  that interconnect the retaining plate  50  to the slide bearing  42  to the base  18 . The bolts  54  are then tightened. The carriage  22  is then lowered such that the decorator carriage slide  38  engages with the slide bearing  42 . 
         [0052]    After installation, the carriage  22  is tripped in and out about 6-8 times. Thereafter, a grease fitting is removed from the cam follower eccentric lock bolt head and the eccentric lock bolt nut is loosened. These steps are taken to adjust the carriage  22  to the correct height. After the carriage  22  has achieved its correct height, a locking bolt and a locking nut are tightened and a grease fitting is installed into the head of the bolt. Finally, the triangular cam follower rotational lock is installed. One skilled in the art will appreciate that theses steps are presented for example purposes only. Other methods may be used to replace the normal cam follower/wear plate combination with the embodiments of the present invention contemplated herein. 
         [0053]    While various embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it is apparent that modifications and alterations of those embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be expressly understood that such modifications and alterations are within the scope and spirit of the present invention, as set forth in the following claims.