Abstract: A screen printing apparatus having a screen support carriage and squeegee support mechanism which are both mounted for separate lateral back and forth movement on horizontal support bars which are in turn mounted for vertical movement. The vertical movement of the support bars and the lateral movement of either the squeegee support mechanism or the carriage support mechanism is produced by penumatic cylinders which are sequentially operated through a pneumatic control system.

Abstract: A screen drive assembly is described for use with screen printing presses for facilitating the printing of elongated articles. In the printing press of the subject invention, the screen is driven towards and away from the press over the article to be printed by a unique drive which converts the reciprocal motion of the drive carriage between the end supports to a reciprocal motion in a perpendicular direction. The article is mounted for printing with an axis of rotation parallel to the primary support shafts, and may be substantially freely rotated, in response to the passage of the screen over the article during the printing cycle.

Abstract: In a screen printing press having a squeegee and flood bar mounted on a movable support carriage, a movable actuator means is provided by the present invention which includes a pivotal lever having a brake pad on its upper end to firmly engage an upper braking surface at the point of transition from the flood mode to the print mode and vice versa in response to change in direction of movement of the carriage, for securing the carriage in a fixed position while the squeegee and flood bars shift position in preparation for the print or flood stroke.

Abstract: A screen printing press is provided having essentially three distinct power trains for accomplishing the infeed, printing and removal of stock from the printing bed, which power trains are completely mechanical in operation and are interconnected to operate in a timed relation with one another.

Abstract: A holder accessory is described for use with screen printing presses for adapting the screen printing on three-dimensional objects of revolution of different sizes, all at high speeds. The holder accessory is capable of being loaded manually or automatically and comprises a nesting assembly which is rocked to present the peripheral surface of the object to be printed to the screen at precisely the same linear speed as the screen. A drive tee mounted on the drive carriage captivates an extension of an upper end of a drive slide, thereby oscillating the drive slide by its reciprocatory motion. The drive slide is vertically adjustably mounted to the nesting assembly so that its oscillation may be conveyed to the nesting assembly for duplication of the precise linear speed desired on the surface of the object to be printed.

Abstract: A flood bar actuator for initiating the flood cycle in a universal screen printing machine is described. The squeegee assembly is mounted for vertical movement relative to the screen. The flood bar assembly is mounted adjacent the squeegee assembly, with an inner end fixedly mounted to an accessory support, and an outer end pivotally attached to the inner end. A peg extending from the squeegee assembly forces the flood bar up in the print cycle and allows the flood bar to drop onto the screen during the flood cycle. The height of the flood bar is adjustable through the rotation of the screw seated in an opening formed by a split support block forming the opening. A first half of the split support block is pivotally attached to the inner flood bar support as described, while the flood bar is supported from the second movable half. This second movable half has a threaded channel formed in its walls while the first channel has smooth walls.

Abstract: A cantilevered takeoff apparatus is provided by the present invention which is particularly adapted to automatically remove printed stock from the bed of a screen printing press and transfer the stock to a wicket dryer, having a plurality of rows of wickets movable along the upper and lower surfaces of the dryer frame, where the stock is released face up on a row of wickets for drying. The cantilevered takeoff apparatus herein enables the wicket dryer to be positioned directly beneath the printed work to receive the work as it is transferred thereto, without obstructing the path of the rows of wickets during operation.

Abstract: A screen printing machine is described which multiplies the normal carriage stroke of a printing machine to allow printing on the surfaces of large objects of revolution. The drive means comprises a sprocket-chain assembly with a chain connected to the carriage drive for following its lateral reciprocal movement. The sprocket is fixedly mounted in axial alignment with a pinion gear for rotation about that axis. The pinion gear in turn is engaged with a rack gear mounted on the screen. As the sprocket rotates, the pinion gear drives the rack and screen in lateral motion. The ratio of pinion gear diameter size to sprocket diameter size governs the stroke length of the screen. With a large (2 to 1 or 3 to 1) ratio the screen stroke or lateral movement of the screen may be doubled or tripled in length.

Abstract: A feed and takeoff assembly particularly adapted for use in connection with a printing press to automatically transfer generally flat stock from a first position to a print position and to a delivery position, having a frame, a transfer carriage mounted for movement along the frame, a single elongated feed gripper mounted near one end of the transfer carriage and disposed transversely to the path of travel of the carriage along the frame, and a low profile delivery gripper mounted near the opposite end of the transfer carriage for movement therewith along the frame. The single elongated feed gripper is capable of repeated precisely registered movement along the frame through a spring-biased cam-operated guide means. The delivery gripper acts to remove an entire sheet of printed stock at a desired time by a cam-operated opening and closing of pivotally mounted upper and lower jaws.

Abstract: A feed and takeoff assembly particularly adapted for use in connection with a printing press to automatically transfer generally flat stock from a first position to a print position and to a delivery position, having a frame, a transfer carriage mounted for movement along the frame, a single elongated feed gripper mounted near one end of the transfer carriage and disposed transversely to the path of travel of the carriage along the frame, and a delivery gripper mounted near the opposite end of the transfer carriage for movement therewith along the frame. The single elongated feed gripper is maintained in constant registered position during movement along the frame by a spring-biased cam-operated guide means. The delivery gripper acts to remove an entire sheet of printed stock at a desired time by a cam-operated opening and closing of upper and lower jaws mounted on a common pivot print.

Abstract: A screen printing press having a support frame, a printing frame pivotally mounted on the support frame and angularly movable relative thereto, a carriage assembly mounted on a pair of spaced support arms mounted on the printing frame, a single drive arm pivotally mounted on the support frame and connected by a drive rod to the carriage assembly to move the carriage assembly relative to a printing screen during a printing cycle, and a carriage assembly actuating means having an actuator channel mounted on spaced parallel legs for movement toward and away from a support arm in generally parallel relationship thereto, an actuating lever mounted for movement along said actuator channel having one end attached to a parallelogram mounting bracket on the carriage assembly on which a squeegee and flood bar are mounted so that upon movement of the actuator channel, the positions of the squeegee and flood bar are reversed, and a control lever pivotally and slidably mounted on the support frame and operatively connecte