Intermittent motion imprinter apparatus for packaging machines

Claim 1

AN IMPRINTER APPARATUS FOR USE ON A PACKAGING MACHINE OF THE TYPE ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A WEB OF PACKAGING FILM AND ENCLOSE PRODUCT THEREWITH TO FORM INDIVIDUAL PACKAGES, WHICH PACKAGING MACHINE INCLUDES MEANS FOR DRAWING THE WEB OF PACKAGING FILM INTO THE MACHINE, SAID IMPRINTER COMPRISING: (1) A FRAME ADAPTED FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE PACKAGING MACHINE, A SHAFT MOUNTED IN THE FRAME FOR CARRYING A SUPPLY ROLL OF THE WEB OF PACKAGING FILM, AND A PLURALITY OF ROLLER MEANS ATTACHED TO THE FRAME AND AROUND WHICH THE WEB OF PACKAGING FILM TRAVELS ON ITS WAY TO THE AFORESAID MEANS FOR DRAWING IT INTO THE PACKAGING MACHINE, SAID ROLLER MEANS ESTABLISHING A PATH OF TRAVEL OF PREDETERMINED LENGTH OF THE WEB OF PACKAGING FILM THROUGH THE IMPRINTER BETWEEN THE FIRST AND LAST OF SAID ROLLER MEANS; (2) A PRINTING STATION COMPRISING A STATIONARY BACK-UP MEMBER AND A RECIPROCABLE PRINTING PLATE ASSEMBLY SPACED FROM EACH OTHER, THE AFORESAID ROLLER MEANS INCLUDING ROLLERS ARRANGED TO GUIDE THE WEB OF PACKAGING FILM THROUGH THE SPACE BETWEEN THE BACK-UP MEMBER AND RECIPROCABLE PRINTING PLATE ASSEMBLY, AND THE PRINTING PLATE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE HEATED PRINTING PLATE ELEMENT; (3) MEANS FOR SUPPLYING AT LEAST ONE WEB OF ROLL LEAF INTO THE SPACE BETWEEN THE BACK-UP MEMBER AND RECIPROCABLE PRINTING PLATE ASSEMBLY, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A SUPPLY SHAFT FOR HOLDING A SUPPLY OF ROLL LEAF ON ONE SIDE OF THE PRINTING STATION AND A REWIND SHAFT FOR RECEIVING USED ROLL LEAF ON AN OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE PRINTING STATION, SAID ROLL LEAF INCLUDING A COATING AND A CARRIER FILM WHEREIN THE COATING IS SEPARABLE FROM THE CARRIER FILM UPON THE APPLICATION OF HEAT AND PRESSURE; (4) MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING THE PRINTING PLATE ASSEMBLY BETWEEN (A) A FIRST PORTION IN WHICH THE WEB OF PACKAGING FILM AND A WEB OF ROLL LEAF IS GRIPPED BETWEEN PRINTING PLATE ELEMENTS OF SAID ASSEMBLY AND THE BACK-UP MEMBER TO TRANSFER COATING FROM THE ROLL LEAF TO THE PACKAGING FILM UPON THE APPLICATION OF HEAT AND PRESSURE AND THEREBY IMPRINT THE PACKAGING FILM WITH A SELECTED LEGEND; AND (B) A SECOND POSITION IN WHICH THE PRINTING PLATE ASSEMBLY IS SPACED FROM THE BACK-UP MEMBER; (5) MEANS FOR INTERMITTENTLY ADVANCING THE WEB OF ROLL LEAF AFTER A LEGEND HAS BEEN IMPRINTED TO SUPPLY FRESH ROLL LEAF COATING FOR IMPRINTING A NEXT LEGEND, SAID MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO ADVANCE THE ROLL LEAF A DISTANCE EQUAL TO AT LEAST THE LENGTH OF ROLL LEAF REQUIRED FOR EACH LEGEND AND THEN HALT SUCH ADVANCEMENT UNTIL A NEXT LEGEND IS IMPRINTED, AND SAID MEANS COMPRISING (A) A DOUBLE-ACTING AIR CYLINDER CONNECTABLE TO A SOURCE OF AIR UNDER PRESSURE AND HAVING A RECIPROCABLE SHAFT, (B) A DRAW ROLLER OVER WHICH THE ROLL LEAF PASSES, (C) A SECOND ROLLER URGED AGAINST THE DRAW ROLLER TO HOLD ROLL LEAF THEREON, AND (D) MEANS DRIVING THE DRAW ROLLER FROM THE RECIPROCABLE SHAFT OF THE AIR CYLINDER UPON MOVEMENT OF SAID SHAFT IN ONE DIRECTION; AND (6) AT LEAST ONE OF THE AFORESAID ROLLER MEANS OVER WHICH THE WEB OF MATERIAL TRAVELS THROUGH THE IMPRINTER BEING POSITIONED SUBSEQUENT TO THE PRINTING STATION AND BEING ADJUSTABLE TO ALTER THE LENGTH OF THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE WEB AFTER IT HAS BEEN IMPRINTED.