Patent ID: 6945171

Claim:
A method of printing information on each article of a set of articles arranged in generally parallel lanes, at a printing station, the method comprising: providing the printing station including a gantry, a carriage mounted to the gantry, and a printing apparatus having a housing mounted on the carriage, and a print head, the printing apparatus being movable transversely across the lanes; continuously moving the printing apparatus transversely across the lanes to bring the printing apparatus into registry with each article of the set in turn; at each registry position, whilst continuing to move the printing apparatus, moving the print head of the apparatus relative to the housing and relative to the respective article to a printing position in which the print head is capable of printing information on the article; continuing to move the printing apparatus transversely relative to the article whilst effecting printing with the print head; and when the information is printed, whilst continuing to move the printing apparatus transversely, moving the print head relative to the housing out of the printing position.