Printing – Intaglio – Processes
Reexamination Certificate
2002-11-06
2004-04-06
Hirshfeld, Andrew H. (Department: 2854)
Printing
Intaglio
Processes
C101S041000, C101S163000, C101S485000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06715416
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to transfer pad printing systems and, in particular, to a method and apparatus for loading sealed paint pods
32
or pods on such systems.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, a transfer pad printing system
10
provides a cliché
12
having a flat and polished upper surface
14
. Shallow paint channels
16
cut or etched into the upper surface of the cliché
12
define a pattern to be printed. The cliché
12
is ferromagnetic, meaning that it is attracted to magnets but not necessarily magnetic, and may be a stainless steel plate or similar material.
During printing, the shallow paint channels
16
are filled with paint. Any extra paint on the upper surface
14
of the cliché
12
is then scraped off or “doctored”. A transfer pad
20
composed of an elastomer such as silicone rubber is then positioned over the paint channels
16
as indicated by arrow
22
and pressed downward against the paint channels
16
where it deforms and accepts paint from the paint channels
16
.
The transfer pad
20
is then lifted away from the cliché
12
, as indicated by arrow
24
, and moved to another station (not shown), where it may be pressed against a registered part to be printed (not shown), transferring to that part, the image defined by the paint channels
16
.
Transfer pad printing can be extremely precise but normally requires that the cliché
12
and part be precisely registered with respect to movement of the transfer pad
20
. In this regard, the cliché
12
is tightly clamped by clamping structure
28
which provide vernier adjustments
30
allowing for precise registration of the cliché
12
with the remote part and transfer pad
20
.
Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, filling the paint channels
16
in the cliché
12
may be done with a sealed paint cup or “paint pod”
32
. The paint pod
32
provides a cylindrical cup having a doctoring edge
34
surrounding an opening
36
of the cup. The doctoring edge is sharpened to terminate precisely at a plane. Centered within the paint pod
32
and attached thereto is a magnet
38
having one pole face offset slightly below the doctoring edge
34
.
In use, the paint pod
32
is filled with paint
40
then attached to the cliché
12
. For this purpose, the cliché
12
is inverted so that upper surface
14
of the cliché
12
faces downward to cover the opening
36
of the paint pod
32
. The magnet
38
pulls the upper surface
14
of the cliché
12
against the doctoring edge
34
of the paint pod
32
which together form a seal preventing leakage of the paint
40
. The connected paint pod
32
and cliché
12
are then inverted putting the upper surface
14
on the upper side.
The cliché
12
is then placed within the clamping structure
28
and registered with the rest of the transfer pad printing system
10
.
A pivot arm
42
is then attached to base
44
of the paint pod
32
. During operation of the transfer pad printing system
10
, the pivot arm
42
slides the paint pod
32
across the cliché
12
as indicated by arrow
46
in between pressings of the pad
20
against the paint channels
16
. When the paint pod
32
is over the paint channels
16
, it fills the paint channels
16
with paint
40
. As the paint pod
32
is withdrawn, the doctoring edge
34
removes the paint from the remainder of the upper surface
14
.
The sealing of the paint pod
32
against the upper surface
14
of the cliché
12
prevents evaporation of the solvent of the paint
40
during long press runs. For such long press runs, however, the amount of paint held within the paint pod
32
may be insufficient and it may be necessary to refill the paint pod
32
a number of times. This refilling process can be quite costly in terms of lost production. A particular problem is the removal of the cliché
12
and registering it again when the cliché
12
is replaced within the clamping structure
28
. Precise registration is time consuming and may require test impressions to assure that the registration is correct.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for refilling paint pods without disturbing the cliché. By preserving the registration of the cliché, time-consuming re-registration of the cliché is eliminated.
The invention provides a loader plate that covers the pod during transfer operations. The surface of the loader plate is precisely ground and the loader plate is fitted with alignment arms so that it may attached to the cliché and the paint pod may be slid between the two without leakage of paint. Extra loader plates and paint pods allow the paint pods to be preloaded, eliminating refill time as well.
More specifically, the present invention provides a loading platform for paint pods comprising a loader plate having an upper surface sized to receive and cover a dispensing opening in the paint pod. Alignment arms attached to the loader plate engage a cliché and align a transfer edge of the loader plate into gapless abutment with an edge of the cliché so that the upper surface of the loader plate is substantially coplanar with an upper surface of the cliché. The arms flank a transfer region along the transfer edge of the loader plate sufficient in width to allow continuous sliding passage of the paint pod along the upper surface of the loader plate across the transfer region to the upper surface of the cliché.
It is thus one object of the invention to provide a simplified means of loading paint pods without removal of the cliché.
The alignment arms may extend in cantilevered fashion over the transfer edge from the upper surface of the loader plate.
It is an object of the invention to provide an alignment system that is easily viewed by the operator and that works with a wide variety of clichés, all of which can be certain to have an upper planar surface.
The cantilevered portion of the transfer arms may have a lower planar surface coplanar with the upper surface of the loader plate, and the upper surface of the cliché when engaged with the cliché.
It is thus another object of the invention to provide a simple mechanism for ensuring alignment of the upper surface of the cliché and loader plates.
The transfer arms may have embedded magnets on their cantilevered portions at the lower planar surface so that the magnets attract the cliché when the alignment arms are engaged with the cliché.
It is another object of the invention to simplify the loading process by assisting the operator in holding the loader plate against the cliché. The cantilevered arms convert out of plane tipping of the loader plate into vertical disengagement of the magnets, a mode in which they have great strength.
The alignment arms may be non-ferromagnetic.
It is thus another object of the invention to eliminate distortions in the magnet fields such as may reduce their attractive power.
The loader plate may be ferromagnetic.
Another object of the invention is to provide a loader plate that attracts the magnet of the paint pod preventing slippage or premature release of paint.
The plate may include an upwardly extending fence structure preventing continuous sliding passage of the paint pod along the upper surface of the loader plate, off the loader plate, except across the transfer region.
Thus, it is another object of the invention to eliminate possible paint leakage caused by sliding of the paint pod in directions other than onto the cliché.
The transfer edge of the loader plate may further include magnets providing in-plane attraction of the loader plate to the cliché.
Thus, it is another object of the invention to provide a force holding the cliché and loader plate together that supplements the magnets in the attachment arms, which provide lesser sliding resistance.
The loader plate upper surface provides a surface finish and flatness so that the paint pod, when loaded with paint, may be slid along the upper surface without substantial loss of paint.
Thus, it is another object of the invention to ge
Hinze Leo T.
Hirshfeld Andrew H.
MGS Mfg. Group Inc.
Quarles & Brady LLP
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