Abstract: A registration/adapter apparatus for aligning a priming screen with an image platform. A screen tensioning and printing frame has four tensioning rollers coupled together by comer members. The comer members support the rollers for rotation about their longitudinal axis. Each roller has a channel for retaining an edge of a screen fabric. A means of locking each roller in a predetermined rotative position to hold the screen fabric at the desired tension is associated with each corner member. One of the rollers and its associated corner members has a pair of alignment means. The alignment means have a hole associated with one corner member and a slot associated with the other corner member. A registration member associated with the image platform has a pair of pins for aligning and being received by the hole and slot in the alignment means associated with the screen tensioning and printing frame.

Abstract: A curved item printing apparatus has a screen tensioning and printing frame. The frame has a plurality of tensioning devices coupled together by corner members which support the tensioning devices for rotation about their longitudinal axis. Each tensioning device has a screen retainer for retaining an edge portion of a screen fabric. At least one of the tensioning means is a thin edge retainer having a screen engagement edge, a screen engaging surface for directing the screen and a thin edge surface. The screen engaging surface and the thin edge surface converge at the screen engaging end. The perpendicular distance between the longitudinal axis of the thin edge retainer and the thin edge surface is less than the distance between the longitudinal axis and the screen engaging edge.

Abstract: A registration/adapter apparatus aligning a printing screen with an image platform. A screen tensioning and printing frame has four tensioning rollers coupled together by corner members. The corner members support the rollers for rotation about their longitudinal axis. Each roller has a channel for retaining an edge of a screen fabric. A bolt associated with each corner member locks each roller in a predetermined rotative position to hold the screen fabric at the desired tension. One of the rollers has a pair of associated adapters interposed between the head of the bolt and the associated corner member. The adapter has a hole on one surface and a slot on the opposite surface. A registration member associated with the image platform has a pair of pins for aligning and being received by the hole and slot in the adapter associated with the screen tensioning and printing frame. The pins received by the hole and slot ensure alignment of the screen tensioning printing frame with the image platform.

Abstract: The present invention relates to screen printing operation, and particularly a screen printing operation at a relatively high tension. The nominal thread diameter of the screen material as woven is contemplated to be essentially increased over that generally found in the prior art while substantially maintaining the standard mesh count arrangements as woven. The combination of high tension and increased thread diameter while maintaining the thread count results in a substantial improvement to the printed product and printing operation.