Patent ID: 6918641

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) a modified microprocessor-based printer assembly connected to said supporting frame for printing indicia based on printing instructions received from a microprocessor, said printer assembly including a carriage which carries at least one ink jet cartridge for movement with said supporting frame and means for controlling firing of the nozzle of the ink jet cartridge; 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 assembly 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 assembly, said positioning means comprising an article positioning assembly comprising: (i) first and second spaced apart supporting wheels rotatably carried by said support frame; (ii) wheel rotation means for controllably rotating said first and second spaced apart supporting wheels; (iii) a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart first gripping means connected to said first supporting wheel for gripping the first end of a selected one of the plurality of three-dimensional articles, each of said plurality of spaced apart first gripping means comprising a first, generally cup shaped member that is movable from a first position spaced apart from said first supporting wheel to a second position proximate said first supporting wheel; (iv) a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart second gripping means for gripping the second end of a selected one of the plurality of the three-dimensional articles; and (v) article rotating means connected to said supporting frame for controllably rotating a selected one of said plurality of second gripping means.