Method and apparatus for printing indicia on products

Claim 2

A branding machine for successively reproducing indicia on a mass of products of similar shape and/or size, which comprises in combination: a support structure; at least one rotary drum rotatably carried by said support structure and having the peripheral surface formed with a plurality of radially inwardly recessed receptacles, some of which successively receive therein a corresponding number of the products during each rotation of said rotary drum for transference of said products from a take-in position to a take-out position, said receptacles being arranged in at least one circumferentially extending row in equally spaced relation with respect to each other; means operatively coupled for continuously driving said rotary drum in one direction; means disposed adjacent said rotary drum at said take-in position for accommodating therein the mass of said products charged thereinto; a source of compressed air; a vacuum source; first means for permitting a first group of said some of said receptacles to be communicated with said vacuum source for sucking therein a corresponding number of said products; second means for permitting a second group of said some of said receptacles to be communicated with said compressed air source for effecting a posture correction of each of a corresponding number of said products by floating said product in air within the associated receptacle; third means for permitting a third group of said some of said receptacles to be communicated with said vacuum source for enabling a corresponding number of said products to be printed with said indicia thereon; fourth means for permitting the rest of said some of said receptacles to be communicated with said compressed air source for successively ejecting a corresponding number of said products onto a subsequent processing station, said first to fourth means being operatively coupled and operated simultaneously during each rotation of said rotary drum; means disposed adjacent said rotary drum and substantially opposed to said accommodating means for printing the indicia on one surface of each of said products, which is exposed outside the associated receptacle, during transference thereof past said third means; and means operatively coupled for Driving said printing means in a direction counter to the direction of rotation of said rotary drum and in the same peripheral velocity as that of said rotary drum.

Claim 3

A branding machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said accommodating means is positioned at the take-in position which precedes the intersecting point between the level of the peripheral surface of said rotary drum and a vertical line upwardly passing through the axis of rotation of said rotary drum and on the trailing side with respect to the direction of rotation of said rotary drum and wherein said posture correction is effected when the associated receptacles communicated with the compressed air through said second means arrive successively at the top position immediately above the axis of rotation of said rotary drum which is located on both sides of a vertical line upwardly passing through said axis of rotation of said rotary drum.

Claim 4

A branding machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said two drive means comprise an electrically operated motor which is coupled with said rotary drum and said printing means through a train of gears.

Claim 5

A branding machine for successively reproducing indicia on a mass of products of similar shape and/or size, which comprises in combination: a support structure; at least one rotary drum rotatably carried by said support structure and having the peripheral surface formed with a plurality of radially inwardly recessed receptacles, said receptacles being arranged in at least one circumferentially extending row in equally spaced relation with respect to each other; passages formed in said rotary drum and corresponding in number to said receptacles, each of said passages having one end open towards the associated receptacle and the other end open at one end face of said rotary drum, said other ends of said passages being arranged in a circular configuration equidistantly spaced from the axis of rotation of said rotary drum; means operatively coupled for continuously driving said rotary drum in one direction; means disposed adjacent said rotary drum and at a delivery position for accommodating therein the mass of said products charged thereinto; a source of compressed air; a vacuum source; a back-up plate supported by said support structure and elastically urged to permit one surface thereof to relatively slidably contact said one end face of said rotary drum, said back-up plate being formed on said one surface thereof with a first groove communicating with said vacuum source, a second groove communicating with said compressed air source, a third groove communicating with said vacuum source and a fourth groove communicating with said compressed air source, said first to fourth grooves being arranged in the order given above in the direction of rotation of said rotary drum and in a circular configuration in alignment with the path of travel of said other open end of each of said passages; means disposed adjacent said rotary drum and substantially opposed to said accommodating means for printing the indicia on one surface of each of said products, which is exposed outside the associated receptacle; and means operatively coupled for driving said printing means in a direction counter to the direction of rotation of said rotary drum and at the same peripheral velocity as that of said rotary drum, said receptacles in said rotary drum operating in sequence during each rotation of said rotary drum in such a way that, when said receptacles are successively brought to the delivery position, said receptacles are communicated with the vacuum source through said frist groove to receive said products each in one receptacle from the accommodating means and hold them in an arbitrary posture within the associated receptacles under suction, said receptacles with said products therein being subsequently communicated with the compressed air source through said second groove for successively effecting a posture correction by floating the product in air within the associated receptacle to enable said product to assume a predetermined posture within the associated receptacle, each of the products in the associated receptacles in the predetermined posture being then printed on one surface thereof with the indicia by said printing means when said products are transferred past said printing means while received in said associated receptacles then communicated with the vacuum source through said third groove, and, when said receptacles with the printed products therein are successively communicated with the compressed air source through said fourth groove, said printed products are ejected onto a subsequent processing station.

Claim 6

A branding machine for successively reproducing indicia on a mass of products of similar shape and/or size, which comprises in combination: a support structure; at least one rotary drum rotatably carried by said support structure and having the peripheral surface formed with a plurality of radially inwardly recessed receptacles, said receptacles being arranged in at least one circumferentially extending row in equally spaced relation with respect to each other; passages formed in said rotary drum and corresponding in number to said receptacles, each of said passages having one end open towards the associated receptacle and the other end open at one end face of said rotary drum, said other ends of said passages being arranged in a circular configuration equidistantly spaced from the axis of rotation of said rotary drum; means operatively coupled for continuously driving said rotary drum in one direction; means disposed adjacent said rotary drum and at a delivery position for accommodating therein the mass of said products charged thereinto; a source of compressed air; a vacuum source; a back-up plate supported by said support structure and elastically urged to permit one surface thereof to relatively slidably contact said one end face of said rotary drum, said back-up plate being formed on said one surface thereof with a first groove communicating with said vacuum source, a second groove communicating with said compressed air source, a third groove communicating with said vacuum source and a fourth groove communicating with said compressed air source, said first to fourth grooves being arranged in the order given above in the direction of rotation of said rotary drum and in a circular configuration in alignment with the path of travel of said other open end of each of said passages; means disposed adjacent said rotary drum and substantially opposed to said accommodating means for printing the indicia on one surface of each of said products, which is exposed outside the associated receptacle; and means operatively coupled for driving said printing means in a direction counter to the direction of rotation of said rotary drum and at the same peripheral velocity as that of said rotary drum, said receptacles in said rotary drum operating in sequence during each rotation of said rotary drum in such a way that, when said receptacles are successively brought to the delivery position, said receptacles are communicated with the vacuum source through said frist groove to receive said products each in one receptacle from the accommodating means and hold them in an arbitrary posture within the associated receptacles under suction, said receptacles with said products therein being subsequently communicated with the compressed air source through said second groove for successively effecting a posture correction by floating the product in air within the associated receptacle to enable said product to assume a predetermined posture within the associated receptacle, each of the products in the associated receptacles in the predetermined posture being then printed on one surface thereof with the indicia by said printing means when said products are transferred past said printing means while received in said associated receptacles then communicated with the vacuum source through said third groove, and, when said receptacles with the printed products therein are successively communicated with the compressed air source through said fourth groove, said printed products are ejected onto a subsequent processing station.

Claim 7

A branding machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein said accommodating means comprises a hopper having a downwardly extending guide and a chamber interposed between the lowermost opening of said guide and a portion of the peripheral surface of said rotary drum, said chamber being provided with at least one air opening communicated with a source of compressed air for fluidizing a mass of the products within said chamber for avoiding a possible blockage.

Claim 8

A branding machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein said two driving means comprise a common electrically operated motor coupled with said rotary drum and said printing means through a train of gears.

Claim 9

A branding machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein said delivery position is at a position preceding the intersecting point between the level of the peripheral surface of said rotary drum and a vertical line upwardly passing through the axis of rotation of said rotary drum and on the trailing side with respect to the direction of rotation of said rotary drum and wherein said posture correction is effected when the associated receptacles communicated with the compressed air source through said second groove arrive successively at the top position immediately above the axis of rotation of said rotary drum, said second groove substantially extending on both sides of said vertical line.

Claim 10

A branding machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of said receptacles has a substantially epitrochoidally opening and wherein said one open end of the associated passage which is open at the bottom of said receptacle is enlarged towards the receptacle.

Claim 11

A branding machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of said receptacles has a substantially ovalshaped opening and wherein said one open end of the associated passage is branched to open at two positions on the bottom of said receptacle.