Screen printer with screen infeed means

Claim 2

Stencil screen printing apparatus including at least one printing station comprising: a stencil frame including a stencil screen mounted therein, a stencil frame carriage movable through printing and return strokes, stock support surface means at said station, printing squeegee support means at said station; a squeegee mounted to said squeegee support means; shifting means for shifting said squeegee support means toward said stock support surface during printing strokes and away from said stock support surface during return strokes; a flow coater and flow coater support means for supporting said flow coater spaced above said stencil screen during the print stroke, means for moving one of said flow coater support means or said stencil frame carriage during each return stroke of said carriage to engage said flow coater with said stencil screen, and means for moving said flow coater along said screen relative to and toward said squeegee during the return stroke to position ink immediately adjacent said squeegee.

Claim 3

Stencil screen printing apparatus for generally continuous web stock, including at least one print station comprising: web advancing means for intermittently advancing web stock to and through said print station, stencil frame means for supporting a stencil screen, a screen frame carriage reciprocally mounted at said print station for motion through print and return strokes and including stencil frame retention and registry means for releasably retaining said stencil frame and for registering said stencil frame means on said carriage, squeegee means positioned to operably engage said stencil screen during said print stroke, said print station further including stencil frame infeed means for feeding said stencil frame means to said carriage until said stencil frame means is retained in registration therewith by said stencil frame retaining and registry means.

Claim 4

Stencil screen printing apparatus for generally continuous web stock, including at least one print station comprising: web advancing means for intermittently advancing web stock to and through said print station, stencil frame means for supporting a stencil screen, a screen frame carriage reciprocally mounted at said print station for motion through print and return strokes and including stencil frame retention and registry means for releasably retaining said stencil frame and for registering said stencil frame means on said carriage, squeegee means positioned to operably engage said stencil screen during said print stroke, said print station further including stencil frame infeed means for feeding said stencil frame means to said carriage until said stencil frame means is retained in registration therewith by said stencil frame retaining and registry means.

Claim 5

The apparatus in claim 2 wherein said stencil frame infeed means infeeds said stencil frame means transversely to the direction of travel of said web stock.

Claim 6

The apparatus in claim 2 wherein said infeed means includes means for maintaining said stencil frame in alignment with said stencil frame retention means when inserting said stencil frame onto said carriage, and including frame drive means for moving said stencil frame toward said frame retention means.

Claim 7

The apparatus in claim 4 wherein said frame drive means includes rotating wheels for infeeding said stencil frame means at least partly onto said carriage and positive pusher means for engaging and pushing said stencil frame means into the registered position on said carriage.

Claim 8

The apparatus in claim 4 wherein said stencil frame means includes means for supporting a squeegee and flow coater to enable said squeeGee and said flow coater to be infed therewith.

Claim 9

Stencil screen printing apparatus including at least one printing station comprising: a stock support surface and a stencil frame carriage including releasable stencil screen frame retaining means; a stencil screen frame releasably engaged in said screen frame carriage by said frame retaining means, said frame including shiftable squeegee support means and shiftable flow coater support means; a squeegee adapted to be positioned on and supported by said squeegee support means; a flow coater adapted to be positioned on and supported by said flow coater support means; releasable squeegee clamp means and releasable flow coater clamp means positioned at said printing station spaced from said frame support means, each of said clamp means shiftable between clamping and releasing positions to allow said stencil screen frame supporting said squeegee and said flow coater thereon to be loaded into and unloaded from said stencil frame carriage as a unit when said clamp means are in a releasing position, means for actuating said shiftable squeegee support and flow coater support means between a supporting position when loading or unloading said frame into the printing station and a non-supporting position during printing.

Claim 10

Stencil screen printing apparatus including at least one printing station comprising: a stock support surface and a stencil frame carriage including releasable stencil screen frame retaining means; a stencil screen frame releasably engaged in said screen frame carriage by said frame retaining means, said frame including shiftable squeegee support means and shiftable flow coater support means; a squeegee adapted to be positioned on and supported by said squeegee support means; a flow coater adapted to be positioned on and supported by said flow coater support means; releasable squeegee clamp means and releasable flow coater clamp means positioned at said printing station spaced from said frame support means, each of said clamp means shiftable between clamping and releasing positions to allow said stencil screen frame supporting said squeegee and said flow coater thereon to be loaded into and unloaded from said stencil frame carriage as a unit when said clamp means are in a releasing position, means for actuating said shiftable squeegee support and flow coater support means between a supporting position when loading or unloading said frame into the printing station and a non-supporting position during printing.

Claim 11

The apparatus in claim 7 wherein said squeegee clamp means includes elevating means to lower a clamped squeegee into operative relation with said stencil screen frame and to raise a clamped squeegee out of operative relation with said stencil screen frame.

Claim 12

The apparatus in claim 7 wherein said stencil screen frame support means has a carriage reciprocable in one direction over said stock support surface for a print stroke, and in the opposite direction for a return stroke, and elevating means for said stencil screen frame support means to elevate said stencil screen frame out of operative relation with said stock support surface on said return stroke.

Claim 13

The apparatus in claim 7 wherein said stencil screen frame includes means for shifting said squeegee holder means and flow coater holder means between an elevated support position and a lowered non-supporting position.

Claim 14

The apparatus in claim 10 including cam means for elevating and lowering said squeegee and flow coater holder means.

Claim 15

The apparatus in claim 11 including means for actuating said cam mechanism to elevate and lower said squeegee and flow coater holder means.