Patent ID: 7428869

Claim:
A method of forming an inked image on a golf ball comprising the steps of: providing at least one golf ball; transferring the golf ball to a print station comprising a sealed cup assembly comprising: a container comprising ink; an impeller able of rotating the ink; a motor connected to the impeller; a means to monitor the current or amperage of the motor; a solenoid valve operatively connected to the sealed cup assembly capable of supplying the sealed cup assembly with a viscosity-adjusting agent when the current or amperage of the motor does not meet a predetermined set point; orienting the golf ball to receive one or more indicia, logo or production print, and placing at least one ink layer on at least a portion of a curved surface of the golf ball, wherein the step of orienting comprises rotating the golf ball about more than one axis to one or more desired orientations to receive one or more indicia, logo, or production print without substantially moving the center of the golf ball, wherein the step of placing at least one ink layer comprises dispersing the ink from the sealed cup assembly; applying the ink to a pad to provide an inked pad; contacting the curved surface with the inked pad comprising the indicia, logo, or production print; transferring the golf ball having at least one ink layer of indicia, logo or production print to a vision inspection system; obtaining an image of the at least one ink layer and analyzing the image to determine whether it is within predetermined acceptable parameters; transferring the golf ball to an ink removal or recycling station after the analyzed image is determined to be in nonconformance with the predetermined acceptable parameters and removing the at least one ink layer of the nonconforming image or transferring the golf ball to a radiation curing station after the analyzed image is determined to be within the predetermined acceptable parameters followed by curing the at least one ink layer by exposing the golf ball to radiation.