US3682296A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for printing container sidewalls
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1970-03-04
•
Granted: 1972-08-08
•
Expires: 1990-03-04
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for printing indicia in a continuous operation on the side walls of containers such as cups having a generally circular cross-section and a cylindrical or frusto-conical shape, including a turret assembly for supporting the containers. The turret assembly consists of container-supporting mandrels mounted on a frame which rotates the mandrels through an orbital path having an object pickup section, an object rotate section, an object treatment section and an object removal section. The turret assembly further includes object rotate means to apply a rotational moment to the mandrells as they pass through the object rotate section.
Inventors
- 👤 Eric S Buhayar
- 👤 James E Hazard
- 👤 John J Jaagus
- 👤 Fred W Werner
- 👤 Robert W Wheeler
- 👤 Robert C Crowe
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 22:40
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41F; B41F17/00; B41F17/28
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
162 words
A turret assembly for supporting hollow cylindrical objects for treatment of the outside surface thereof by a continuous object treatment process, comprising: a frame mounted for rotation in a plane about a rotational axis, a plurality of object support mandrels carried by said frame through an orbital path, said mandrels having an outside surface configuration conforming substantially to the inside surface configuration of said objects, said orbital path having an object pickup section, an object rotate section, an object treatment section and an object removal section, driving means for rotating said frame, said drive means including a power source and transmission means connecting said power source to said frame, and object rotate means adapted to apply a rotational moment to mandrels carried through the object rotate section of said orbital path to cause the outside surface of the objects carried thereon to attain a predetermined rotational speed prior to movement through said object treatment section, said rotation continuing through said treatment section.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
162 words
A turret assembly for supporting hollow cylindrical objects for treatment of the outside surface thereof by a continuous object treatment process, comprising: a frame mounted for rotation in a plane about a rotational axis, a plurality of object support mandrels carried by said frame through an orbital path, said mandrels having an outside surface configuration conforming substantially to the inside surface configuration of said objects, said orbital path having an object pickup section, an object rotate section, an object treatment section and an object removal section, driving means for rotating said frame, said drive means including a power source and transmission means connecting said power source to said frame, and object rotate means adapted to apply a rotational moment to mandrels carried through the object rotate section of said orbital path to cause the outside surface of the objects carried thereon to attain a predetermined rotational speed prior to movement through said object treatment section, said rotation continuing through said treatment section.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
A turret assembly according to claim 1, wherein said orbital path is substantially circular.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
98 words
A turret assembly according to claim 1, wherein said objects are frusto-conical, said object support mandrels are mounted for rotation about axes disposed at a slight angle of inclination to the rotational axis of said frame in a direction generally radially outward from the rotational axis of said frame, and including mandrel axis control means adapted to alter the direction of inclination of the rotational axes of said mandrels with respect to a given radial extending from the rotational axis of said frame as the mandrels are successively carried through the object treatment section of said orbital path.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
125 words
A turret assembly according to claim 3, including pivot shafts rotatably carried by said frame, said shafts being mounted for rotation through at least a portion of one revolution, each of said mandrels being carried upon an end of one of said pivot shafts and mounted for independent rotation about an axis inclined to the axis of said pIvot shaft, cam followers operably connected to said pivot shafts and adapted to rotate said pivot shafts in alternate directions about their axes, and stationary cam means adapted to guide said cam followers through a predetermined path at least when said mandrels are carried through the object treatment section of said orbital path, whereby the direction of inclination of the rotational axis of each mandrel is controlled.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
A turret assembly according to claim 1, wherein said object rotate means include a rotatably driven friction wheel mounted for frictional engagement with successive mandrels as they are carried by said frame through the object rotate section of said orbital path.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
52 words
A turret assembly according to claim 1, including vacuum means adapted to create a vacuum between at least portions of the surface of each of said mandrels and objects carried thereon whereby said objects are frictionally gripped by said mandrels prior to movement through the object treatment section of said orbital path.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
52 words
A turret assembly according to claim 1, including pneumatic pressure means acting at the surface of each of said mandrels for applying pressure to the interior walls and interior ends of said supported hollow objects for releasing objects carried thereon prior to movement through the object removal section of said orbital path.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
104 words
A turret assembly according to claim 1, wherein said mandrels are mounted for radial movement relative to the rotational axis of said frame, and including mandrel actuation means adapted to change the distance between said mandrels and the rotational axis of said frame during rotation of said frame, and a pneumatic system for detecting the presence and absence of an object on successive mandrels, said pneumatic system being operably connected to said mandrel actuation means, whereby the distance between successive mandrels and the rotational axis of said frame is controlled in response to the presence or absence of an object upon said respective mandrels.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
92 words
A turret assembly according to claim 1, including mandrel tilt angle control means adapted to alter the angle of inclination of the rotational axes of said mandrels relative to the rotational axis of said frame, and a pneumatic system for detecting the presence and absence of an object on successive mandrels, said pneumatic system being operably connected to said mandrel tilt angle control means, whereby the angle of inclination of the rotational axis of successive mandrels is controlled in response to the presence or absence of an object on respective successive mandrels.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
52 words
A turret assembly according to claim 1, including guide means to move successive mandrels through a modified orbital path as they are carried past the object treatment section of said orbital path while maintaining a constant angular relationship between the rotational axis of said mandrels and the rotational axis of said frame.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
78 words
A turret assembly according to claim 10, including shafts upon which said object support mandrels are rotatably carried, said shafts being rotatably mounted upon said frame, in a manner permitting radial movement thereof relative to the rotational axis of said frame, and wherein said guide means include cam followers operably connected to said shafts, and stationary cam means adapted to guide said cam followers to controllably alter the orbital path of said mandrels upon rotation of said frame.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2709856A
Cited
US3496863A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-08-08 | 1976-02-07 | 1976-08-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-08-08 | 1980-02-07 | 1980-08-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-08-08 | 1984-02-07 | 1984-08-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |