Abstract: A direct printing method and apparatus includes one or a plurality of machines for printing indicia in single or multiple colors on a substrate, such as a cap or a T-shirt. The method involves forcing ink in the form of a viscous composition under pressure through a pattern in a screen in contact with the substrate. The apparatus includes means for holding the substrate, means for providing the contact between the screen and the substrate, and means for supplying air to the ink for a time and at a pressure appropriate to force the ink through the screen pattern to form a non-distorted detailed design on the substrate.

Abstract: In printing with flexographic plates it is essential that each plate be accurately positioned on the plate cylinders. The mounting apparatus and method of this invention provide a register cylinder on which the flexographic plate is positioned by registration pins. The plate cylinder on which the flexographic plate is to be mounted is positioned in a predetermined rotational position on a mounting so that it can be moved towards and away from the register cylinder. The register cylinder is then rotated to a predetermined position and the plate cylinder brought into abutment with the flexographic plate and register cylinder. The registration pins are then retracted and both cylinders rotated to transfer the flexographic plate to the outer surface of the plate cylinder in registration. The plate adheres to the cylinder surface either by an adhesive substance, such as double sided tape, or magnetically.

Abstract: A plate holding roller particularly for flexographic printing, wherein the roller is formed with a groove provided with a securing means extending over one half the roller length, the remaining roller half has a circular cross-section longitudinal pocket therein, said pocket receives a supporting body pivotally therein which is also formed with a longitudinal groove having a means of securing the plate ends, and said supporting body can be released from and locked into its relative position to the plate holding roller.

Abstract: The invention is designed to provide controlled cyclic traction to a person who is seated on a chair next to a vertical member such a door or wall. In use, the machine is mounted in a vertical position and the person being treated sits in a chair with his head near the machine. The machine consists of an electronically controlled motor drive housing which is mounted above two precision rails, on which a moving carriage contains the combination of a pivotally mounted chin band and a contoured neck rest, which, by their configuration, can grip the persons head firmly, while not requiring any straps or fasteners which can not be quickly disconnected. The carriage has a dial adjustment for setting the maximum pressure or traction that may be exerted on the patient; and this pressure limit is not affected by any change of position by the patient.

Abstract: A therapeutic bed useful in the home and institutions for the application of traction to a patient having a stationary frame and a moveable frame. Traction is applied by supporting the patient either at a point below the chin or at the feet and tilting the moveable frame so that the weight of the patient produces the traction.

Abstract: A screen printing device including a work table having a printing position with a holder to retain a substrate in the printing position, a holder for a screen provided with a mask, the mask having referenced portions, a microscope, an adjuster for positioning the table, screen holder and microscope, and further includes a template with reference portions corresponding to the reference portions of the mask, the work table having at least one hole with associated illumination means to simultaneously illuminate the corresponding reference portions of the mask and of the template held in the printing position by the holder in order to be able to adjust, with the help of the adjuster, the relative position of the reference portions of the template and the reference portions of the mask when viewed through the microscope.

Abstract: A multi-strike (typewriter) ribbon comprising a web of synthetic resinous material having top and bottom surfaces with an ink coating on the top surface of the web and a back layer on the bottom surface of the web, the back layer providing a clean, frictional surface which provides good contact with the drive apparatus which drives the printing ribbon as it performs a printing function.

Abstract: A device for shifting a compensator roller in a printing press, comprising an actuator assembly which may be controlled for either high speed or low speed movement of the compensator roller.

Abstract: A long wearing printing press ink metering roller which comprises an engraved base roller, a layer of hardened electroless nickel on the outer surface of the base roller and a final layer of copper covering the layer of electroless nickel.

Abstract: A hot ink imprinter and method wherein a print head carrying marking type face is swingingly supported by a rocker arm for cyclical swinging, in one phase of which type face carried by the head effects imprinting of a workpiece, and in a second phase of which the type face is caused in the swinging of the head to roll in ink pickup relation on a rotary applicator inking roll. A pulley and timing belt arrangement may be provided for controlling swinging of the print head during rocking of the rocker arm. Another arrangement for controlling the print head swinging comprises a telescopic link mechanism.

Abstract: An improved percussor assembly comprises a rigid body member having gas inlet and gas outlet means, the latter including a restricted passageway and an enlarged passageway, and a vent passageway communicating with the enlarged portion adjacent the junction of the restricted passageway whereby atmospheric air is entrained into the enlarged passageway as gas flows therein from the restricted passageway thereby increasing the volume of gas supplied to a remote applicator while economizing on the amount of pressurized gas required to operate the percussor. The vent passageway also relieves gas pressure from a remote pneumatic applicator between successive bursts of gas from the percussor assembly. An improved remote applicator having means for selecting the force of the percussive bursts is also provided.

Abstract: A stencil is provided with a slot straddled by a pair of tracks which accommodate a plurality of alphabetic/numeric plates having openings formed as characters. A mask is also insertable into the tracks to hold the plates in position and to conceal the abutting edges of the plates. The stencil is of a bendible material susceptible of being conformed to curves so that the stencil may be used in applications such as marking automobile parts with identification numbers.

Abstract: A screen printing apparatus utilizes a number of screen printing heads disposed along a transport path for the fabric; each of the heads moves upwardly on a respective carrier so as to be tiltable by a pneumatic cylinder with respect to the carrier which is vertically displaceable in common with the other carriers by the displacement of a common element connecting wedges together. The carriers each have extensions provided with rollers which ride upon ramp surfaces of the respective wedges. The vertical displacement compensates for changes in diameter of the screen printing patterns and for changes in thicknesses of the webs processed.

Abstract: A thermal ink transfer printing system comprising an ink material selected from the group consisting of thermal meltable inks and thermal sublimatable inks, a container for such ink material, at least a part of one wall of the container being a filter material, a heater for heating the ink adjacent the filter in the selected pattern to be printed and activating the ink in the selective pattern to pass through the filter holes in the pattern and print such pattern on a paper adjacent the filter.

Abstract: This device provides a printer wherein a narrow strip of sheet paper is passed between a platen roller and a print head, characterized in that one end of each of the platen roller and print head are supported in a cantilevered manner and owing to this arrangement, the gap between the printing roller and print head is open at the other end to enable the insertion of sheet paper into the gap from that end.

Abstract: The nadir of a cylindrical printing screen rotatable about a horizontal axis is pressed against an underlying substrate, moving over a flat support, by a wiper in the form of a roller or a blade which is attracted by a bank of electromagnets having pole faces flush with the upper surface of the support. The line of contact between the screen and the substrate, determined by the location of the wiper inside the screen, is offset in the direction of substrate motion from a common midplane of the underlying pole faces; the extent of this offset, designed to stabilize the position of the wiper, is adjustable to accommodate substrates of different thicknesses.

Abstract: The present specification discloses an apparatus for washing a rubber blanket cylinder of a printing machine. The apparatus comprises a cleaning cloth which extends between a supply roll and a take-up roll, with control and drive means adapted to rotate the take-up roll in a step-wise manner to thus take up uniform lengths of cleaning cloth. A rotatable guide roller is arranged to press the cleaning cloth between said rolls, against the rubber blanket cylinder, the rotatatable guide roller having a resiliently deformable outer surface across which the cleaning cloth is guided. A reversible brush roller is located upstream of the rotatable guide roller in the direction of rotation of the rubber blanket cylinder, and is in contact with said cylinder, and a cleaning agent supply and a water supply are arranged to feed said brush roller.

Abstract: An improved paper support bar for use in a chain driven printing press having a bar (11) that may be permanently attached to the drive chains (17) of a printing press and a plurality of paper supporting fingers (13) snugly disposed thereon for supporting paper (32). Each finger (13) has a hole (27) disposed therethrough that conforms in configuration to the cross section of the bar (11). Each finger (13) also has a plurality of ridges (28) formed thereon to contact the bar (11) and further aid in snugly holding the finger (13) on the bar (11). Each finger (13) also includes an inclined edge (29) formed thereon to present only a very narrow edge (31) to the paper (32) as a support surface.

Abstract: An improved screen printing apparatus for printing conductive, resistive and insulative films to the surfaces of ceramic or glass substrates. The screen printing apparatus is characterized by a carriage having a substrate to be printed resting thereon and a frame member extending about the periphery of the carriage. A mesh screen having an emulsion layer is affixed to the screen and suspended over the substrate. The improvement comprising a pair of force absorbing members attached to the carriage in a space relationship to and on opposite sides of the substrate. A pair of rolling means are attached to opposite sides of a squeegee holder with each rolling means in registration with a respective force absorbing surface. A squeegee extends from a bottom surface of the squeegee holder intermediate the rolling means. As the squeegee holder is drawn across the screen each rolling means travels along a respective force absorbing member.

Abstract: In the case of a device for holding offset or other plates on the plate cylinder of a printing press with two clamping members on the two sides of a well running in the axial direction of the cylinder and each having a gripping part of clamping the hooked ends of the plate and at least one of the members may be rocked about an axis parallel to the axis of turning of the cylinder, the necessary width of the well may be greatly decreased in the clamped condition of the system of one of the clamping members, that is able to be rocked, takes the form of a segment bar having a cross-section that is generally three-sided and segment-like. This bar may be placed next to an outer face of the cylinder body and has an outer face lined up with and continuing the outer face of the cylinder body.