Abstract: A printing machine including a plate adapted to rotate about its axis and carrying at its periphery a plurality of object supports having a top face which receives an object to be printed and workstations distributed circumferentially around the plate in line with the trajectory of the object supports, some of which are printing stations and others of which are treatment stations. At least one of the object supports includes a lifting system which raises the object relative to the top face of the object support. The lifting system is connected to a suction head which preserves the projecting position of the object corresponding to that it initially occupied on the object support. The lifting system preferably includes at least two tubes which slide through holes through the object support and the plate.

Abstract: A printing machine includes an endless conveyor carrying a plurality of spaced object supports, at least one screenprinting station vertically aligned with the path of movement of the object supports and at least one digital inkjet printing station adapted to operate on demand. Applications include printing compact discs.

Abstract: An ultraviolet radiation drying oven includes a lamp with a localized opening for radiation to pass through and, associated with the opening, a mask mounted to move between a closed position and an open position, the mask being divided into two shutters and being coaxial with another mask also divided into two shutters.

Abstract: A feeder system for feeding objects to object-carriers of a machine for processing the objects, in particular a printing machine, said system including a reciprocating finger (11) for pushing each object (10) directly towards an object-carrier to place the object (10) on said object-carrier: said finger (11) is carried by a reciprocating carriage (12) slidably mounted on a chassis (13) and is rotatably mounted on said carriage (12) so that it can occupy at least an operational position in which it can push an object (10) when it is moved and a retracted position in which it can avoid an object (10) when it is moved.

Abstract: Apparatus for distributing objects to be longitudinally oriented one particular way round includes a selective turning device upstream of a take-off conveyor. A retractable selection conveyor is placed between the selective turning device and the take-off conveyor. Applications include oriented distribution of containers which have a neck.

Abstract: In a loading and/or offloading device, a transfer member includes two jaws, one of which is fixed and the other of which is mobile, for picking up an object. The mobile jaw is mounted to be mobile under the control of an actuator including a compensator spring arrangement, the tension in which is variable. The transfer member is carried by a carriage and is slaved to a tilting system operated mechanically by the carriage. Applications include printing machines.

Abstract: A printing machine includes a printing table for printing groups of objects presented in an entry support and an exit support, a transfer system disposed between the printing table and a loading system, on the one hand, and an offloading system, on the other hand. The transfer system transfers the objects one by one. The loading and offloading systems include holding arrangements which take up simultaneously and move a group of objects between the entry support or the exit support and the intermediate supports. The intermediate supports support the group of objects disposed with a predetermined spacing. Spacing modification arrangements modify the spacing of the group of objects from an entry spacing to the predetermined spacing or from the predetermined spacing to an exit spacing. The transfer system transfers the objects between the printing table and the intermediate supports.

Abstract: In a printing machine with object-carrier supports mounted to rotate, rotation drive units are used at printing stations and at processing stations to drive rotation of the object-carrier supports. The drive systems of the rotation drive units corresponding to the printing stations are separate from the drive systems of the rotation drive units corresponding to the processing stations. Applications include multicolor printing of flexible tubes.

Abstract: A printing machine including a turntable causes object supports to pass at least one printing station. According to the invention, a guard is mounted mobile with respect to the printing station, and under the control of a control device driven by a control unit accessible to the operator, can move from a retracted position, in which it leaves the turntable readily accessible, to an extended position, in which it overlaps the turntable. Application, in particular, to printing machines with screen print heads.

Abstract: A printing machine includes, like a gold blocking press, a printing plate mobile relative to an object support to apply to an object to be printed a foil appropriate to the required printing. The printing plate is curved when in contact with a support block mounted so that it can rock on an applicator head mobile transversely to the object support. Applications of the printing machine include printing on flat objects.

Abstract: A printing machine comprises a frame, a turntable or other object circulating device on the frame for carrying an object support to a print head. The object support includes a plate with a plurality of suction ports opening onto a receiving surface of the plate. A suction source is connected to the suction ports by a conduit. Elastically deformable bellows is connected to the pipe. The bellows has a closed free end. A displacement detector is responsive to the position of the free end of the bellows for detecting the presence of an object on the plate.

Abstract: A printing machine comprises a printing station at which two shells are adapted to enclose the object to be printed, the shells being subject to a drive mechanism which acts directly on one of them, whereas it acts on the other through the intermediary of at least two movement reverser columns. The machine further comprises a conveyor equipped with at least one object-carrier support and which is mobile in order to move the support between the shells of the printing station. The conveyor is a turntable rotating about one of the movement reverser columns. Applications include the printing of synthetic material bottles.

Abstract: An installation for inspecting compact discs includes a transfer turntable rotatable stepwise about an axis and mobile along that axis on each step with a plurality of transfer units carried by the transfer turntable which alternately pick up and put down a compact disc to be inspected. A plurality of action stations at the periphery of the transfer turntable include a loading station, at least two inspection stations, at least one reject station and an offloading station.

Abstract: An offset printing head includes, mounted to rotate parallel to each other and spaced from each other on a common carriage that is itself mounted to be mobile in translation on a frame, an inking roller and a blanket cylinder. As it moves to and fro, the carriage sweeps across a plate support which receives a plate and an object support which receives an object to be printed. The inking roller and/or the blanket cylinder are each driven by an individual drive system specific to it and independent of the movement of the carriage. Applications include printing machines combining an offset printing head with a silkscreen printing head.

Abstract: A printing machine includes a rectilinear print line along which an object station adapted to receive an object to be printed moves under the control of a numerical controller. A print head overlies the print line at one printing station at least. Two conjointly mobile object stations are staggered along the print line. The numerical controller delivers stopping instructions corresponding to distances from which the distance between the object stations is deducted in alternate operating cycles.

Abstract: A loader for a machine for printing objects presented in a stack includes a lifting device which lifts a stack of objects to be printed stepwise as objects are taken from the stack and a reciprocating transfer device having at least one take-up unit taking an object from the stack on each cycle to convey it to the printing machine. The loader has a retaining clamp with two branches moveable between an away position and a close position in which they can hold a specific number of objects. Level compensating arrangements operate between the retaining clamp and the associated take-up unit. The printing machine can be a machine for printing compact discs, for example.

Abstract: A printing machine for printing objects liable to be stacked includes a circular printing table having a plurality of object stations regularly distributed at its perimeter each adapted to receive an object to be printed. By stepwise rotation about an axis, it moves the object stations successively to a loading station, to a plurality of workstations each including a printing system, and to an offloading station. A loading system at the loading station includes a presentation device which moves at least one stack of objects to the loading station and a transfer device operative between the presentation device and the printing table and equipped with at least one pick-up unit adapted to pick up an object from the stack on the presentation device and then to put this object down on one of the object stations of the printing table.

Abstract: A printing machine comprises a turntable carrying a plurality of object supports in a circular arrangement, at least one of which object supports is adjustable in position on said turntable perpendicularly thereto. The printing machine may be a silkscreen printing machine, for example.

Abstract: A squeegee head includes a squeegee carried by a squeegee-holder carried by a support and whose inclination on the support is adjustable by rotation about a pivot axis parallel to the lengthwise direction of the squeegee. The squeegee-holder pivot axis is substantially coplanar with the free edge of the squeegee. The squeegee heads finds a specific application in silkscreen printing machines.

Abstract: A printing assembly for a printing machine comprises a drum mounted for rotary movement about an axis and supporting a plurality of object holders parallel to the drum axis and uniformly circumferentially spaced around the axis. A drum drive imparts continuous rotary movement. A printing station at the periphery of drum for printing successive objects in the course of displacement by the printing station. The printing station is carried by a beam and includes a screen and squeegee. A beam drive is synchronized with the drum drive and imparts arcuate reciprocating movement to the beam about the axis such that the printing station tracks movement of an object at the printing station. The screen is disposed substantially parallel to the axis and mounted for tangential movement to the drum and the object at the printing station. A screen drive imparts rectilinear reciprocating movement to the screen relative to the beam in synchronism with beam movement.