Patent ID: 7111915

Claim:
A printing apparatus for printing indicia on a plurality of three-dimensional articles each having a first end, a second end, a longitudinal axis and a curved surface upon which the indicia is to be imprinted, the apparatus comprising: (a) a supporting frame; (b) printing means connected to said supporting frame for printing indicia on the three-dimensional articles, said printing means including a carriage carried by and movable longitudinally of said supporting frame, carriage moving means for moving said carriage longitudinally of said supporting frame and at least one print-head connected to said carriage; and (c) positioning means connected to said supporting frame for positioning a selected one of the plurality of three-dimensional articles relative to said printing means in a manner such that the longitudinal axis of the selected one of the plurality of three-dimensional articles is maintained within a plane that is substantially parallel to and spaced-apart from said carriage of said printing means, said positioning means comprising computer means operably associated with said printing means for providing printing instructions thereto and an article-holding assembly, including a holding fixture carried by said supporting frame, said holding fixture comprising: (i) first and second spaced-apart gripping means for gripping the selected one of the plurality of three-dimensional articles; and (ii) article-rotating means operably associated with said second gripping means for controllably rotating said second gripping means.