Automatic decorating apparatus for open-ended articles

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR STENCILLING A CURVED SURFACE OF EACH OF A SUCCESSION OF SIMILAR OPEN-ENDED ARTICLES, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: STENCILLING MEANS INCLUDING A SQUEEGEE, AND A MOVABLE FRAME ADAPTED TO SUPPORT A STENCILLING SCREEN FOR COOPERATION WITH SAID SQUEEGEE, SAID SQUEEGEE BEING MOVABLE TO AND FROM A POSITION ENGAGING SAID SCREEN, AND MOTIVE MEANS FOR POSITIONING SAID SQUEEGEE; AN ARTICLE CONVEYOR FOR ADVANCING SUCCESSIVE ARTICLES IN COMMONLY-ALIGNED RELATION TO A PICK-UP STATION; A MANDREL CONFORMING TO AN INTERIOR SURFACE PORTION OF EACH ARTICLE UNDERLYING THE SURFACE TO BE STENCILLED, AND RECEIVABLE THROUGH THE OPEN END OF EACH ARTICLE; MEANS SUPPORTING SAID MANDREL ROTATABLY AND RECIPROCABLY ALONG AN AXIS FOR INJECTION THROUGH AN OPEN END OF AN ARTICLE AT SAID PICK-UP STATION AND INTO SNUG ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INTERIOR SURFACE THEREOF, FOR SUPPORTING THE INJECTED ARTICLE IN ROTATIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SCREEN, AND FOR WITHDRAWAL ALONG SAID AXIS FROM THE PATH OF SUCCESSIVE ARTICLES ENTERING AND LEAVING SAID PICK-UP STATION ON SAID CONVEYOR; STOP MEANS POSITIONED AT SAID PICK-UP STATION IN OPPOSED RELATION TO SAID MANDREL FOR ENGAGING AND RESTRAINING AN ARTICLE DURING ITS INJECTION AGAINST DISPLACEMENT FROM SAID PICK-UP STATION; CONTROL MEANS OPERABLE BY SAID STOP MEANS AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED WITH SAID MOTIVE MEANS FOR ENGAGING SAID SQUEEGEE WITH SAID SCREEN ONLY WHEN AN ARTICLE IS ENGAGED WITH SAID STOP MEANS; AND ACTUATING MEANS CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED FOR SUCCESSIVELY ACTUATING SAID CONVEYOR TO ADVANCE AN ARTICLE TO SAID PICK-UP STATION, INJECTING SAID MANDREL INTO THE ARTICLE, DRIVING SAID FRAME TO PASS THE SCREEN OVER THE ARTICLE SURFACE FOR STENCILLING, AND WITHDRAWING SAID MANDREL FROM THE STENCILLED ARTICLE FOR DELIVERY BY SAID CONVEYOR.