Automatic cup printing machine

Claim 1

Automatic cup printing machine for printing round and conically shaped cups and having a base with motive power and a cup feeding device, a transfer device for moving cups through the printing machine, a printing apparatus, and a take-off device for removing cups from the transfer device after the completion of the printing operation, wherein the improvement comprises that said transfer device comprises a rotatable turntable, a plurality of angularly spaced spindles attached to and extending outwardly from said turntable, cup holders attached to the outer ends of said spindles for receiving cups to be printed and as said turntable rotates said cup holders locate the cups in a number of angularly spaced stations, said printing apparatus comprising an upwardly extending printing cylinder adjustably positionable relative to said cup holders, an over-varnishing apparatus located adjacent said cup holders at a position spaced angularly from said printing cylinder relative to said turntable, said over-varnishing apparatus comprising a plurality of rollers arranged for applying varnish on the cups and including a squeezing roller and a ductor roller and said rollers adjustably positonable between a horizontal plane and a plane extending upwardly at an angle from the location of the application of the varnish from said rollers to a cup held by one of said cup holders, said ductor roller and squeezing roller arranged to form a varnish passage with an overflow therebetween, said take-off device angularly spaced from said over-varnishing apparatus relative to said turntable for removing cups from said cup holders after the completion of the painting and over-varnishing of the cups, said take-off device comprising a rotatable take-off holder, means for movably positioning said take-off holder for removing printed and varnished cups from said cup holders on said turntable and for releasing the removed cups from said take-off holder at a position spaced from the position at which the cups are removed from said transfer device, a plurality of angularly spaced grip members extending radially outwardly from said takeoff holder, said means for movably positioning said take-off holder comprising a spline shaft and a guide shaft disposed in spaced relationship to one another and each located laterally of and extending outwardly away from the position of said holder for the removal of a cup by said take-off device, a carriage slidably mounted on said spline shaft and guide shaft for movement thereon toward and away from said cup holders on said transfer device, said rotatable take-off holder is mounted on said carriage for movement therewith, a chain drive device, a rod connected at one end to said chain drive device and at its other end to said carriage for positioning said carriage and take-off holder along said shafts, double gear means associated with said spline shaft and in operative engagement with said holder on said carriage for rotating said take-off holder so that said grip members on said take-off holder can be rotated from the position at which cups are removed from said cup holders to a position for releasing the cups from said take-off device.