| 摘要 |
<p>A high speed machine for imprinting code indicia consecutively upon individual articles moving in a line along the upper reach of a conveyor to an imprinting zone arranged along the conveyor path. The imprinting is performed by plural printing heads carried by an imprinting wheel. The speed of rotation of the imprinting wheel being correlated with the speed of the conveyor and the number of printing heads carried by the imprinting wheel. The articles are spaced uniformly one from the other a predetermined distance with their lateral movement being restricted during passage of the articles through the imprinting zone, a positive force being directed downward upon the top of each article at least at the time the imprint is applied thereto. The inking is effected by way of a train of rotary wheel members, each of which has a different circumferential speed so as incrementally to change the point of contact of adjacent rotary members uniformly to apply and spread the ink about the circumference of the respective wheels during transfer. A free end of a driven applicator arm is passed through an ink bath and engages one of the wheel members once per revolution. The speed of application of the ink by the arm to one of said wheels is controlled independently of the speed control for the conveyor and the printing wheel. A control also is provided for monitoring the gaps between articles so as to assure operation of the machine upon a continuous stream of articles and to stop the operation of the conveyor when articles are absent.</p> |
