Abstract: A gravure plate assembly having an elastomer pad sandwiched between a more rigid base plate and a less rigid metal top plate bearing an engraving surface.

Abstract: A printing apparatus employs a rotatable cam having an enclosed cam slot for controlling the rocking motion of an inking roll without the need for a cam follower spring. The apparatus also includes an articulated printing member support assembly which executes a complex curvilinear movement under the control of a fixed cam slot without the use of linear bearings. Complementary cam profiles are used on both cam surfaces in order to maintain tangency between the inking roll and printing element during inking. A yieldable connecting link is used to prevent excessive printing pressures from being applied, and a movable filler plate closes off a slot in a front cover of the printing apparatus through which a portion of the movable printing member protrudes.

Abstract: A hot melt jet ink composition comprising a glycerol ester of a hydrogenated rosin and microcrystalline wax exhibits good adhesion and resistance to offset at low temperatures.

Abstract: A printing apparatus employs a rotatable cam having an enclosed cam slot for controlling the rocking motion of an inking roll without the need for a cam follower spring. The apparatus also includes an articulated printing member support assembly which executes a complex curvilinear movement under the control of a fixed cam slot without the use of linear bearings. Complementary cam profiles are used on both cam surfaces in order to maintain tangency between the inking roll and printing element during inking. A yieldable connecting link is used to prevent excessive printing pressures from being applied, and a movable filler plate closes off a slot in a front cover of the printing apparatus through which a portion of the movable printing member protrudes.

Abstract: In the ink jet printing system described in the specification, a hot melt ink jet printhead having two ink reservoirs is coupled through an ink supply line to a remote hot melt ink supply and a temperature controller is arranged to control the temperatures of the ink in the remote ink supply, the supply line, the ink reservoirs in the printhead and passages leading from the reservoirs to the ink jet orifices at selected temperature levels to inhibit high-temperature degradation of the ink while permitting the ink to be jetted at the desired jetting temperature. In addition, a pressure control system controls the pressure of the ink in the printhead at one or more selected levels to permit the printhead to be used at different orientations and to permit purging of air bubbles and contaminants from the orifice passageways and to supply a relatively high vacuum to a deaerator in the printhead to extract dissolved air from the ink.

Abstract: A printing or marking apparatus comprises a movable marking member having at least one marking device thereon, and a stationary heating structure having at least one heating element for maintaining the marking device at an elevated temperature. At least a portion of the stationary heating structure can be exchanged, removed or modified in order to vary the amount of heat applied to the marking device. In a preferred embodiment, the removable portion comprises a tubular heat pipe which extends into a hollow marking roll, and the heat pipe may be provided in different sizes or in segments which can be added or removed as desired. The disclosed apparatus is of particular utility in connection with ink compositions of the type which are solid at normal room temperatures, and which are rendered liquid or flowable at elevated temperatures.

Abstract: A printing pressure adjustment system and a method for adjusting the pressure applied by a print head against a backup member are disclosed. The adjustment system includes an elongated member that is slidably displaceable with respect to an outer surface of the print head. The elongated member has an inclined bearing surface on which a biasing member is positioned in order to apply a force to the elongated member. The elongated member includes a load transfer surface for transferring the biasing force to the print head.

Abstract: A method for carrying out pad transfer printing is disclosed in which process parameters for a desired print cycle are input to a controller. The method includes the steps of independently driving a gravure printing plate between an inking position and an ink transfer position, and independently driving an ink transfer pad between an ink receiving position and an ink transfer position, both in accordance with the input process parameters. The process parameters may include the velocities or lengths of movement of the gravure printing plate and ink transfer pad, and the dwell periods between movements of these components. The process parameters may be adjusted automatically in accordance with differences between the estimated and actual times required to move the printing plate and transfer pad along their paths of movement.

Abstract: A printing system and a method for multi-color printing is provided whereby print registration errors may be minimized. The printing system includes a series of print stations and a label web drive system for advancing a label web through each of the print stations. Each of the print stations includes a print head having a printing surface for printing images and a platen against which the printing surface is applied during printing. The print stations are arranged in a generally arcuate arrangement whereby the web follows a substantially straight path between printing surfaces of adjacent print stations. Also provided is a print adjustment system and a method for adjusting the level of pressure of a print head against a backup member. The adjustment system includes an elongated member that is slidably displaceable with respect to an outer surface of the print head. The elongated member has an inclined bearing surface on which a biasing member is positioned in order to apply a force to the elongated member.

Abstract: A hot melt jet ink composition comprising a tall oil resin having a high acid number exhibits improved adhesion when printed onto substrates.

Abstract: A label applicator and method for applying labels to an article is provided that changes the orientation of a label from a horizontal to a vertical orientation before the label is applied to the article, so that the label is not applied to the article in the same, or parallel, plane that the label is presented to the applicator. The label applicator includes a housing formed from a first faceplate and a second faceplate, each having a plurality of holes passing therethrough which define an interior chamber adapted to be connected to a source of reduced pressure. The second faceplate extends in a plane that, in the preferred embodiment, is substantially perpendicular to the plane of the first faceplate. A plurality of conveyor belts carried by the housing carry the labels from the first faceplate to the second faceplate. A corner assembly having openings that are larger than the holes of the faceplates interconnects the first and second faceplates.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for the accumulation, cutting, and stacking of continuously moving web material such as fabric tape that is to be printed and cut by appropriate processing apparatus into a plurality of discrete labels The method and apparatus provide for the accumulation of the continuously-supplied web between a base and an overlying resilient spring member while other processing steps such as web cutting are being performed on the web. The spring member engages the tape to temporarily suspend its forward advancement while allowing the tape to accumulate between the spring member and the base. The cut labels are stacked in a bottom-fed stacking assembly having a stacker chute that is angled both rearwardly with respect to the machine front and backwardly in the direction of label advancement to permit the removal of previously processed labels during operation of the processing apparatus.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for the accumulation, cutting, and stacking of continuously moving web material such as fabric tape that is to be printed and cut by appropriate processing apparatus into a plurality of discrete labels. The method and apparatus provide for the accumulation of the continuously-supplied web between a base and an overlying resilient spring member while other processing steps such as web cutting are being performed on the web. The spring member engages the tape to temporarily suspend its forward advancement while allowing the tape to accumulate between the spring member and the base. The cut labels are stacked in a bottom-fed stacking assembly having a stacker chute that is angled both rearwardly with respect to the machine front and backwardly in the direction of label advancement to permit the removal of previously processed labels during operation of the processing apparatus.

Abstract: An ink jet printing apparatus comprises a print head, a reservoir, and a rigid articulated support assembly connecting the print head to the reservoir. The support assembly affords two degrees of rotational freedom for allowing adjustment of the print head relative to the reservoir, so that printing can be carried out on surfaces lying in various planes or moving in various directions without tilting the reservoir. The support assembly has an internal channel for conducting ink from the reservoir to the print head, and may be made of a thermally conductive material in order to maintain hot melt inks at the proper operating temperature using heat generated by heating elements in the reservoir and print head.

Abstract: An offset electrostatic imaging process is disclosed which comprises the steps of (a) forming a latent electrostatic image on a dielectric imaging member, said dielectric imaging member being prepared by coating an electrically conductive substrate with a porous layer of a non-photoconductive metal oxide using a deposition process; (b) developing the latent electrostatic image with a developer material which comprises a silicone polymer and from about 0.

Abstract: An electrostatic print head system is disclosed which comprises an ion modulated electrostatic print head, means for supplying a flow of heated air having a temperature in the range of from about 120.degree. F. (49.degree. C.) to about 200.degree. F. (93.degree. C.), and means for directing the heated air at, near or through the print head to reduce chemical deposit accumulation at the print head. The print head may comprise a modulated aperture board having a plurality of selectively controlled apertures therein and an ion generator for providing ions for electrostatic projection through the apertures. The electrostatic print head system may be used for forming latent electrostatic images and employed in an electrostatic printer which further comprises a means for developing the latent electrostatic images.

Abstract: An offset electrostatic printer is disclosed which comprises (a) an ion modulated electrostatic print head for forming latent electrostatic images, (b) a dielectric imaging member comprising a layer of dielectric material, (c) means for developing a latent electrostatic image on the dielectric imaging member, (d) means for transferring a developed electrostatic image from the dielectric imaging member to an image receiving surface, (e) means for supplying a flow of heated air having a temperature in the range of from about 120.degree. F. (49.degree. C.) to about 200.degree. F. (93.degree. C.), and (f) means for directing the flow of heated air at, near or through the print head and at or near the dielectric imaging member. The flow of heated air reduces the accumulation of chemical deposits in the print head.

Abstract: An offset electrostatic printer is disclosed which comprises (a) an ion modulated electrostatic print head for forming latent electrostatic images, (b) a dielectric imaging member comprising a layer of dielectric material, (c) means for developing a latent electrostatic image on the dielectric imaging member, (d) means for transferring a developed electrostatic image from the dielectic imaging member to an image receiving surface, (e) means for supplying unheated dehumidified air having a relative humidity of less than about 20 percent at or near ambient temperature, and (f) means for directing the dehumidified air at, near or through the print head and at or near the dielectric imaging member.

Abstract: A programmable printing system for product marking applications is described in which a printing member is carried by an articulated mechanical arm, such as a robot arm. Due to the enhanced maneuverability and reach of the articulated arm, printing can be carried out on surfaces which would not be accessible to conventional types of conveyor-mounted product marking devices. The articulated arm is controlled by a programmable control means which can be reprogrammed as needed in order to print on objects having different sizes, shapes and orientations, or to print at more than one location on the same object. The apparatus finds particular utility in connection with pad transfer printing, including multicolor pad transfer printing, but is also applicable to other printing methods.

Abstract: An electrostatic print head system is disclosed which comprises an ion modulated electrostatic print head, a means for supplying unheated dehumidified air having a relative humidity of less than about 20 percent at or near ambient temperature, and a means for directing the dehumidified air at, near or through the print head. The print head may comprise a modulated aperture board having a plurality of selectively controlled apertures therein and an ion generator for providing ions for electrostatic projection through the apertures. The electrostatic print head system may be used for forming latent electrostatic images and employed in an electrostatic printer which further comprises a means for developing the latent electrostatic images.