Tracer type stripe printing system

Claim 2

Apparatus for printing stripes on relatively flat work pieces comprising a sheet moving device, a printing station intermediate the ends of said device, means for stopping said device as each work piece thereon arrives at said printing station, at least one stripe printing mechanism mounted on a track above said printing station to traverse back and forth across each work piece at rest at said printing station, said printing mechanism including a pigment applying head at least vertically movable with respect to said track and said work pieces, template means guiding said pigment applying head as said printing mechanism traverses the printing station, the template means guiding said head vertically including means for supporting said printing head in raised position out of contact with said work piece in one direction of said traverse and means for Lowering said printing head into contact with the work pieces in the opposite direction of said traverse, means for detecting and signalling the arrival of a blank work piece at said printing station, said signalling automatically stopping said sheet moving device, means controlling the traverse of the printing mechanism across said work blank interlocked with said signalling means to permit said traverse only when the blank is at the printing station and the device is at rest, means for detecting and signalling the completion of traverse of said printing mechanism, and second mentioned means for signalling interlocked with the controls for said device to permit said device to operate only when said printing mechanism is at rest.

Claim 3

Apparatus for printing stripes on relatively flat work pieces comprising a sheet moving device, a printing station intermediate the ends of said device, means for stopping said device as each work piece thereon arrives at said printing station, a pair of stripe printing mechanisms mounted on tracks above said printing station to traverse back and forth across each work piece at rest at said printing station, one printing mechanism of said pair being mounted on a track parallel to said sheet moving device and the other of said pair being mounted on a track transverse to said device, said printing mechanisms including pigment applying heads vertically and horizontally movable with respect to said track and said work pieces, template means guiding said pigment applying heads of each printing mechanism of said pair vertically and horizontally as said printing mechanisms traverse the printing station, the template means guiding said head vertically including means for supporting said printing heads in raised position out of contact with said work piece in one direction of said transverse and means for lowering said printing heads into contact with the work pieces in the opposite direction of said traverse, and means coordinating the traverses of both printing heads of said pair across the work blank at the printing station without collision.

Claim 4

Apparatus for printing stripes on relatively flat work pieces comprising a sheet moving device, a printing station intermediate the ends of said device, means for stopping said device as each work piece thereon arrives at said printing station, a pair of stripe printing mechanisms mounted on tracks above said printing station to traverse back and forth across each work piece at rest at said printing station, one printing mechanism of said pair being mounted on a track parallel to said sheet moving device and the other of said pair being mounted on a track transverse to said device, said printing mechanisms including pigment applying heads vertically and horizontally movable with respect to said track and said work pieces, template means guiding said pigment applying heads of each printing mechanism of said pair vertically and horizontally as said printing mechanisms traverse the printing station, the template means guiding said head vertically including means for supporting said printing heads in raised position out of contact with said work piece in one direction of said transverse and means for lowering said printing heads into contact with the work pieces in the opposite direction of said traverse, and means coordinating the traverses of both printing heads of said pair across the work blank at the printing station without collision.

Claim 5

Apparatus for printing stripe patterns on relatively flat work pieces comprising: a sheet supporting said moving device, a printing station intermediate the ends of said device, means for stopping said device as each work piece supported thereon arrives at said printing station, a track above said printing station, at least one stripe printing mechanism mounted on said track to traverse back and forth across each work piece at rest at said printing station, said printing mechanism including a carriage component and a pigment applying head component at least vertically movable with respect to said carriage component into and out of printing contact with said work piece at rest at said printing station, means for reciprocating said carriage along said track from, and back to, a rest position beyond said printing station to cause said printing head to traverse back and forth above said work piece, template means guiding said pigment applying head vertically and horizontally as said printing head traverses said work piece, said template means guiding said head vertically including means for supporting said printing head component in raised position out of contact with said work piece in one direction of traverse, and means for lowering said printing head component into printing contact with said work piece in the opposite direction of said traverse.

Claim 6

Apparatus for printing stripe patterns on relatively flat work pieces comprising: a sheet supporting said moving device, a printing station intermediate the ends of said device, means for stopping said device as each work piece supported thereon arrives at said printing station, a track above said printing station, at least one stripe printing mechanism mounted on said track to traverse back and forth across each work piece at rest at said printing station, said printing mechanism including a carriage component and a pigment applying head component at least vertically movable with respect to said carriage component into and out of printing contact with said work piece at rest at said printing station, means for reciprocating said carriage along said track from, and back to, a rest position beyond said printing station to cause said printing head to traverse back and forth above said work piece, template means guiding said pigment applying head vertically and horizontally as said printing head traverses said work piece, said template means guiding said head vertically including means for supporting said printing head component in raised position out of contact with said work piece in one direction of traverse, and means for lowering said printing head component into printing contact with said work piece in the opposite direction of said traverse.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 3 further characterized by means for indexing each work piece arriving at said work station in predetermined position with respect to said template means.

Claim 8

Apparatus for printing stripe patterns on relatively flat work pieces comprising: a roller conveyor for supporting and moving said work pieces, a printing station intermediate the ends of said conveyor, means for stopping said conveyor as each work piece supported thereon arrives at said prinTing station, a track above said printing station, at least one stripe printing mechanism mounted on said track to traverse back and forth across each work piece at rest at said printing station; said printing mechanism including a carriage component and a pigment applying head component at least vertically movable with respect to said carriage component into and out of printing contact with said work piece at rest at said printing station; means for reciprocating said carriage along said track from, and back to, a rest position beyond said printing station to cause said printing head to traverse back and forth above said work piece; template means guiding said pigment applying head vertically and horizontally as said printing head traverses said work piece, said template means guiding said head vertically including means for lowering said printing head component into printing contact with said work piece in the opposite direction of said traverse; means for indexing each work piece arriving at said printing station in predetermined position with respect to said template means comprising a guide rail on one side of said conveyor; a work indexing pusher on the opposite side of said conveyor at said work station, and means actuating said pusher to bear against a side of a work piece and shift is laterally until the opposite side bears against said guide rail, the rollers at said work station being slideably mounted for lateral resilient movement towards said guide rail while supporting the work piece as it is shifted by said pusher.

Claim 9

Apparatus for printing stripe patterns on relatively flat work pieces comprising: a roller conveyor for supporting and moving said work pieces, a printing station intermediate the ends of said conveyor, means for stopping said conveyor as each work piece supported thereon arrives at said prinTing station, a track above said printing station, at least one stripe printing mechanism mounted on said track to traverse back and forth across each work piece at rest at said printing station; said printing mechanism including a carriage component and a pigment applying head component at least vertically movable with respect to said carriage component into and out of printing contact with said work piece at rest at said printing station; means for reciprocating said carriage along said track from, and back to, a rest position beyond said printing station to cause said printing head to traverse back and forth above said work piece; template means guiding said pigment applying head vertically and horizontally as said printing head traverses said work piece, said template means guiding said head vertically including means for lowering said printing head component into printing contact with said work piece in the opposite direction of said traverse; means for indexing each work piece arriving at said printing station in predetermined position with respect to said template means comprising a guide rail on one side of said conveyor; a work indexing pusher on the opposite side of said conveyor at said work station, and means actuating said pusher to bear against a side of a work piece and shift is laterally until the opposite side bears against said guide rail, the rollers at said work station being slideably mounted for lateral resilient movement towards said guide rail while supporting the work piece as it is shifted by said pusher.

Claim 10

Apparatus for printing stripes on the surface of relatively flat work pieces comprising a generally horizontal work support; at least one stripe printing mechanism movably mounted above said work support and being bodily mounted rectilinearly back and forth traversing said work support, said mechanism including a printing head and a universal pivotal connection of said head in said mechanism providing vertical and horizontal pivotal deflection of said printing head with respect to said mechanism; template means guiding the vertical pivotal deflection of said head as said mechanism moves to lower and raise said head into and from printing contact with work pieces on said support, and template means guiding the horizontal pivotal deflection of said head to print predetermined stripe patterns when said head has been lowered by the first mentioned template means; means to start said stripe printing mechanism moving in one direction, means to reverse the motion of said mechanism, and means to stop said mechanism on its return to initial position.

Claim 11

Apparatus for printing stripes on the surface of relatively flat work pieces comprising a generally horizontal work support; at least one stripe printing mechanism movably mounted above said work support and being bodily mounted rectilinearly back and forth traversing said work support, said mechanism including a printing head and a universal pivotal connection of said head in said mechanism providing vertical and horizontal pivotal deflection of said printing head with respect to said mechanism; template means guiding the vertical pivotal deflection of said head as said mechanism moves to lower and raise said head into and from printing contact with work pieces on said support, and template means guiding the horizontal pivotal deflection of said head to print predetermined stripe patterns when said head has been lowered by the first mentioned template means; means to start said stripe printing mechanism moving in one direction, means to reverse the motion of said mechanism, and means to stop said mechanism on its return to initial position.

Claim 12

In apparatus as set forth in claim 6, template bypass means raising said printing head and rendering said template guiding the vertical pivotal deflection inoperative during one direction of travel of said mechanism.