Printing – Stenciling – Stencil and work support
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-05
2003-06-03
Echols, P. W. (Department: 3726)
Printing
Stenciling
Stencil and work support
C101S035000, C198S468200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06571697
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to improvements in screen printing machines and in particular to a device for loading garments onto pallets in automated screen printing machines.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
Screen printed garments are usually printed on rotary or oval multi print head machines in which the garments mounted on pallets are moved about the periphery of the machine where there are a series of print heads, curing stations and a load and an unload station. Patents relating to these machines include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,407,195, 4,934,263, 5,154,119. Machines vary in size up to 20 stations which means there are up to 18 printing or curing heads plus the load and unload station. The operator sets up each print station with the appropriate screen, color and print settings before the garments are loaded. Usually the garments are printed in all the colors required and cured in one revolution of the machine. The garments are manually loaded at a fixed load station. The operator must lift the garment and place it onto the pallet surface ensuring that the garment is correctly oriented for the design to be printed correctly. The surface of the pallet is usually treated to be tacky so that the garment is adhered to the pallet and won't move during printing. In order to correctly position the garment the operator must bend and stretch across the pallet. The speed of the machine in printing a garment is the time that the operator has to load a garment because after printing is complete the machine indexes and rotates so that all pallets move to the subsequent print head and a new pallet arrives at the load station. Consequently the operator has to bend stretch and attach the garment to the pallet repetitively with little time to rest. This places strain on the operators back, lower back and shoulders.
A means for removing printed garments from pallets has previously been proposed in which a pair of grippers grasped the garment while it was on the pallet and pulled it off the pallet surface. The pallet was notched to accommodate the movement of the grippers in grasping the garment.
Garment handling devices are known from the garment manufacturing industry. U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,275 discloses apparatus for picking up and placing sleeves as part of a garment assembly operation. The apparatus includes a means for sensing the edge of a sleeve stack, gripping means comprising two aligned pickup fingers for grasping a sleeve and means to align the sleeve for sewing U.S. Pat. No. 4,727,979 discloses a hanger for use with a garment conveyor in a garment making plant. The grippers hold the garment vertically.
It is an object of this invention to provide means which can place a garment on the pallet of a screen printing machine.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
To this end the present invention provides a method of loading a garment onto a screen printing pallet which includes the steps of
a) gripping a leading edge of the garment
b) pulling the garment over said pallet and
c) releasing the garment.
This method has the advantage of eliminating the need for the operator to bend and stretch to reach the far edge of the pallet. Preferably the operator takes the leading edge of the garment surface to be printed and feeds this leading edge into a set of grippers. The grippers hold the leading edge at one or more positions preferably at two positions adjacent each longitudinal edge of the pallet. The grippers are mounted on a reciprocating carriage adapted to move from a forward edge of the pallet adjacent the operator to the opposite end of the pallet. The carriage is mounted above the load station and the reciprocation can be performed by any suitable rectilinear actuator that moves the grippers from one end of the pallet to the other and back again.
In another aspect this invention provides a method of loading a garment onto a screen printing pallet which includes the steps of
a) gripping a leading edge of the garment
b) lifting the edge above said pallet so that the garment optionally encloses one end of said pallet
c) pulling the garment over said pallet
d) lowering the leading edge so that the garment has a surface supported by said pallet and
e) releasing the garment.
The carriage preferably includes means to raise and lower the grippers. The grippers are initially open and may be closed when a sensor senses that the garment edge is able to be grasped by the grippers or by actuation of a switch by the operator. Once the grippers are closed on the garment, the loading operation commences. The grippers are raised above the plane of the pallet and the carriage then moves to be adjacent the other end of the pallet where the grippers are lowered and released. The reason for raising the garment above the pallet is to ensure that the rest of the garment lies below the pallet and that the surface of the garment is clear of the pallet surface until it is placed in contact with it. The garment needs to be smoothly laid on the pallet to aid printing. Usually the pallet surface is tacky to hold the garment securely during printing. After releasing the garment the grippers are then raised and the carriage returns to the front of the pallet and lowers the open grippers in readiness for the next garment.
In another aspect of this invention there is provided a garment loader adapted to be mounted over the pallet at a load station of a rotary screen printing machine said loader including
a) a frame adapted for location adjacent to the loading station of the screen printing machine
b) a carriage mounted on said frame
c) said carriage adapted for reciprocal movement between a position adjacent the forward edge of the pallet to a position on the opposite side of said pallet
d) at least one gripper mounted on said carriage for grasping an edge of a garment to be loaded on said pallet.
Preferably the frame is mounted on the screen printing machine but may be provided as a free standing frame which can be moved into position adjacent the loading station. A track or rail is preferably provided on said frame to extend above the pallet parallel to the axis of the pallet support arm. The carriage reciprocates on the rail from the radially outer edge of the pallet toward the radially inner edge of the pallet.
Preferably said carriage also includes means for moving said gripper vertically toward and away from the plane of the pallet.
The means for actuating the carriage and the vertical movement of the grippers may be electric motors using a timing belt or hydraulic or pneumatic actuators. An advantage of the present invention is that the pallet needs no modification when the pallet loader is fitted.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4875268 (1989-10-01), Szarka
patent: 5937749 (1999-08-01), Ford
patent: 0 109 598 (1984-05-01), None
Connolly Bove & Lodge & Hutz LLP
Echols P. W.
Reefdale Proprietary Ltd.
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