Printing – Special article machines
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-01
2001-03-27
Hilten, John S. (Department: 2854)
Printing
Special article machines
C101S329000, C101S375000, C101SDIG029, C101S483000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06205917
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a tube printer for printing information on the inside of a tube and a method of using the tube printer. More particularly, the present invention relates to a tube printer for printing information such as the date of manufacture and the product size on the inside of a tube, such as a cardboard tube containing an article for the purpose of quality control and/or identification and a method of using the tube printer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There are a wide variety of packaging systems and methods for the immobilization, packaging and transporting of articles. The various methods include, but are not limited to, the employment of corrugated boxes, plastic film laminates, polyurethane foam that is foamed in place around an article, loose fill foam poured over an article protected in an outer container, bubble wraps and the like. The type of packaging system utilized often depends upon the shape of the article to be immobilized, packaged and transported. For example, tubular articles may be transported in a cardboard tube. As a convenience to the recipient and to the shipper, packaging systems for transporting tubular articles in a tube typically may contain information printed on the inside of the tube. Printing information on the inside of the tube allows the shipper and recipient to select similar articles for their needs. It will be appreciated that information that is usually printed on the outside of the tube is covered by the product, thus making it impossible to select similar articles prior to use.
Heretofore, the information was printed on the inside of the tube on flat stock material and then the tube was formed from the stock material. It will be appreciated that a difficulty in manufacturing and identifying the tubes in this manner is that is that it is virtually impossible for the shipper of the tube to inventory the correct number of tubes needed for a particular article on a particular date. Consequently, on some days there may be a surplus or a shortage of tubes with the correct information for a particular article.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for printing information on the interior wall of a tube container after the tube container is manufactured. It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for printing information on the interior wall of a tube container that is simple to manufacture and economical to operate. It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus capable of interchangeably printing information on the interior wall of a tube container. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus that allows the operator to change information to be printed and the print color.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly, there is provided a tube printer for printing information on an interior surface of a tube and a method operating the tube printer. The tube printer includes a housing, an ink wheel assembly and a print wheel. The housing has at least two side members interconnected by a top plate extending there between. The housing also includes spring biased guide wheels that cooperatively center the housing within the tube and an operating handle operatively attached to an end of the housing to provide a means to push and pull the tube printer within the tube. The ink wheel assembly and the print wheel are operatively positioned between the side members of the housing and adjacent one another. The ink wheel includes a raised surface containing the information to be printed on the interior surface of the tube.
The tube printer is operated by inserting the tube printer within an open end of the tube whereby the spring biased guide wheels force the print wheel onto an interior surface of the tube and then moving the tube printer over the interior surface of the tube to print information on the interior surface of the tube.
REFERENCES:
patent: 330804 (1885-11-01), Rodwell
patent: 518118 (1894-04-01), Rose
patent: 772352 (1904-10-01), Haller
patent: 2326954 (1943-08-01), MacAnlis
patent: 2548580 (1951-04-01), Bick
patent: 2778305 (1957-01-01), Gottscho et al.
patent: 3037235 (1962-06-01), Goggans
patent: 3905295 (1975-09-01), Bielesch et al.
patent: 4667594 (1987-05-01), Eddy
Kokal Robert Alan
Palmer Donald Thomas
Swartz James Michael
Eckert Inger H.
Grohusky Leslie J.
Hilten John S.
Owens Corning Fiberglas Technology Inc.
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