Screen printing machine with oval rail for indexing pallets

Claim 2

A screen printing machine comprising: a supporting frame means, an oval shaped rail mounted on said frame, a plurality of pallet means disposed in a common plane circumferentially spaced about said oval rail, drive means operatively interconnecting said pallet for indexing said pallets about said oval rail in said common plane, and a printing head means mounted on said frame means for movement between an operative printing position and an inoperative nonprinting position, indexing means connected to said drive means for indexing said pallets about said oval rail, said indexing means including a ram stop means, a ram stop cam follower operatively associated with said drive means, and an activating means for moving said ram stop means into and out of operative position relative to said cam follower to effect the indexing of said pallets about said oval rail.

Claim 3

The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said printing head means includes: a head frame pivotally mounted to said supporting frame means, a carriage movably mounted on said head frame, a squeegee means mounted on said carriage, a screen holder disposed below said carriage and squeegee means mounted thereon, said screen holder having one end pivotally mounted to said support frame means, and a connecting link supporting the other end of said screen holder from said head frame, and means on said link connected end for effecting a predetermined amount of lost motion between said head frame and carriage mounted thereon, and said screen holder as said printing head is pivoted between an operative printing position to an inoperative non-printing position.

Claim 4

The invention as defined in claim 2 and including: a flood bar mounted on said carriage, means for normally biasing said flood bar toward operative flooding position in the non-printing position of said head means, and means for overcoming said bias on said flood bar in the printing position of said head.

Claim 5

The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said interconnecting drive means including: an endless flexible member, said pallets being connected to saiid endless flexible member at spaced intervals therealong, and a means for effecting the drive of said endless flexible member.

Claim 6

The invention as defined in claim 4 wherein said drive means comprises: a drive shaft having a driving sprocket connected thereto, said flexible member being threaded about said driving sprocket, a motor means operatively connected to said drive shaft to effect the drive thereof.

Claim 7

A screen printing machine comprising: a supporting frame means, an oval shaped rail mounted on said frame, a plurality of pallet means disposed in a common plane circumferentially spaced about said oval rail, means operatively interconnecting said pallet means for indexing said pallet means about said oval rail in said common plane, a printing head means mounted on said frame means for movement between an operative printing position and an inoperative non-printing position, said interconnecting means including an endless flexible member, said pallet means being connected to said endless flexible memBer at spaced intervals therealong, a drive means for effecting the drive of said endless flexible member, and indexing means operatively connected to said drive means for indexing said pallet means from station to station about said oval rail, said indexing means including: a ram stop means, a ram stop cam follower operatively associated with said drive shaft to rotate therewith, and an activating means for moving said ram means stop into and out of operative position relative to said cam follower to effect the indexing of said pallet means about said oval rail.

Claim 8

A screen printing machine comprising: a supporting frame means, an oval shaped rail mounted on said frame, a plurality of pallet means disposed in a common plane circumferentially spaced about said oval rail, means operatively interconnecting said pallet means for indexing said pallet means about said oval rail in said common plane, a printing head means mounted on said frame means for movement between an operative printing position and an inoperative non-printing position, said interconnecting means including an endless flexible member, said pallet means being connected to said endless flexible memBer at spaced intervals therealong, a drive means for effecting the drive of said endless flexible member, and indexing means operatively connected to said drive means for indexing said pallet means from station to station about said oval rail, said indexing means including: a ram stop means, a ram stop cam follower operatively associated with said drive shaft to rotate therewith, and an activating means for moving said ram means stop into and out of operative position relative to said cam follower to effect the indexing of said pallet means about said oval rail.

Claim 9

The invention as defined in claim 4 and including registration means operative to register said pallet in the printing position.

Claim 10

The invention as defined in claim 7 wherein said registration means are operatively associated with said printing head so that said registration means are rendered operative when said head is disposed in printing position.

Claim 11

A screen printing machine comprising: a supporting frame, an oval shaped rail mounted on said supporting frame whereby the plane of said oval rail is substantially horizontally disposed, a sprocket rotatably journalled adjacent each end of said oval shaped rail, an endless flexible driving chain threaded about said sprocket, a plurality of pallets connected to said chain at spaced intervals therealong, guide rollers connected to each of said pallets, said guide means being disposed in rolling engagement with said oval rail, a drive means operatively connected to one of said sprockets to effect the drive thereof, whereby said pallets are moved in a common plane about said oval rail, indexing means operatively associated with said drive means for indexing said pallets about said oval track, said indexing means including a ram stop means, a ram stop cam follower operatively associated with said drive means, and an activating means for moving said ram stop means into and out of operative position relative to said cam follower to effect the indexing of said pallets about said oval rail, a printing head assembly mounted on said supporting frame for moving between an operative printing position and an inoperative non-printing position, and a registration means operatively associated with said printing head means, said registration means operating on said pallets to effect accurate registration of said pallets with said printing head assembly in the operative printing position thereof.

Claim 12

A screen printing machine comprising: a supporting frame, an oval shaped rail mounted on said supporting frame whereby the plane of said oval rail is substantially horizontally disposed, a sprocket rotatably journalled adjacent each end of said oval shaped rail, an endless flexible driving chain threaded about said sprocket, a plurality of pallets connected to said chain at spaced intervals therealong, guide rollers connected to each of said pallets, said guide means being disposed in rolling engagement with said oval rail, a drive means operatively connected to one of said sprockets to effect the drive thereof, whereby said pallets are moved in a common plane about said oval rail, indexing means operatively associated with said drive means for indexing said pallets about said oval track, said indexing means including a ram stop means, a ram stop cam follower operatively associated with said drive means, and an activating means for moving said ram stop means into and out of operative position relative to said cam follower to effect the indexing of said pallets about said oval rail, a printing head assembly mounted on said supporting frame for moving between an operative printing position and an inoperative non-printing position, and a registration means operatively associated with said printing head means, said registration means operating on said pallets to effect accurate registration of said pallets with said printing head assembly in the operative printing position thereof.

Claim 13

A screen printing machine comprising: a supporting frame means, an oval rail mounted on said frame means whereby the plane of said oval rail is substantially horizontally disposed, a sprocket rotatably journalled on said supporting frame adjacent each end of said oval rail, an endless flexible driving chain threaded about said sprocket, a plurality of pallets connected to said chain at spaced intervals thereabout, said pallet having a locating means on one end thereof, guide rollers connected to each of said pallets, said guide rollers being disposed in rolling engagement with said rail, a drive means including: a drive shaft connected to one of said sprockets, a motor means having an output shaft, a second sprocket mounted on said drive shaft, a flexible driving member coupling said motor shaft to said second sprocket to effect the drive of said drive shaft when said motor means is activated, an indexing means including: a ram stop cam follower connected to said second sprocket, a ram stop pivotally mounted on said frame for movement into and out of engagement relative to said cam follower, a ram stop activating means operatively connected to said ram stop to effect actuation of said ram stop, means responsive to the actuation of said ram stop for effecting the actuation of said motor means, a printing head assembly mounted on said frame for movement between a printing and non-prinTing position, said printing head assembly including a head frame pivotally mounted on said support frame means, said head frame including opposed side rails, a carriage mounted on said side rails, a carriage drive means for traversing said carriage along said side rails, a squeegee means supported on said carriage, a screen holder adapted to support a printing screen disposed below said squeegee, said screen holder being pivotally mounted to said supporting frame means adjacent one end thereof, an interconnecting link supporting the other end of said screen holder to said head frame, said interconnecting link including means for effecting a predetermined amount of lost motion between said head frame and said screen holder as said printing head assembly moves between a printing and non-printing position, and a registration means for accurately positioning said pallet in the printing position, said registration means including a locating bar pivotally mounted on said supporting frame, and a linkage means interconnecting said locating bar to said head frame whereby said locating bar is moved into registration with the locating means of said pallet in the printing position of said head assembly and out of registration with the locating means of said pallet in the non-printing position of said head assembly.

Claim 14

A screen printing machine comprising: a supporting frame means, an oval rail mounted on said frame means whereby the plane of said oval rail is substantially horizontally disposed, a sprocket rotatably journalled on said supporting frame adjacent each end of said oval rail, an endless flexible driving chain threaded about said sprocket, a plurality of pallets connected to said chain at spaced intervals thereabout, said pallet having a locating means on one end thereof, guide rollers connected to each of said pallets, said guide rollers being disposed in rolling engagement with said rail, a drive means including: a drive shaft connected to one of said sprockets, a motor means having an output shaft, a second sprocket mounted on said drive shaft, a flexible driving member coupling said motor shaft to said second sprocket to effect the drive of said drive shaft when said motor means is activated, an indexing means including: a ram stop cam follower connected to said second sprocket, a ram stop pivotally mounted on said frame for movement into and out of engagement relative to said cam follower, a ram stop activating means operatively connected to said ram stop to effect actuation of said ram stop, means responsive to the actuation of said ram stop for effecting the actuation of said motor means, a printing head assembly mounted on said frame for movement between a printing and non-prinTing position, said printing head assembly including a head frame pivotally mounted on said support frame means, said head frame including opposed side rails, a carriage mounted on said side rails, a carriage drive means for traversing said carriage along said side rails, a squeegee means supported on said carriage, a screen holder adapted to support a printing screen disposed below said squeegee, said screen holder being pivotally mounted to said supporting frame means adjacent one end thereof, an interconnecting link supporting the other end of said screen holder to said head frame, said interconnecting link including means for effecting a predetermined amount of lost motion between said head frame and said screen holder as said printing head assembly moves between a printing and non-printing position, and a registration means for accurately positioning said pallet in the printing position, said registration means including a locating bar pivotally mounted on said supporting frame, and a linkage means interconnecting said locating bar to said head frame whereby said locating bar is moved into registration with the locating means of said pallet in the printing position of said head assembly and out of registration with the locating means of said pallet in the non-printing position of said head assembly.

Claim 15

The invention as defined in claim 10 and including a flood movably mounted on said carriage, a spring means for normally biasing said flood bar toward a printing screen, and means operatively connected to said flood bar for overcoming the bias of said spring in the printing position of said head assembly.

Claim 16

The invention as defined in claim 11 wherein said latter means includes a flood roller connected to said flood bar, a flood bar bridge supported below said head side rails, said flood roller being disposed in rolling engagement with said bridge in the printing position of said head assembly for maintaining the associated flood bar off the printing screen in the printing position.