Apparatus for printing articles from heat transfer paper

摘要

An apparatus for continuous heat transfer of ink images onto the outer surfaces of continuously moving articles, for example, generally cylindrical articles, from a length of continuously moving heat transfer sheet material having thereon a series of uniformly spaced heat transferable ink images. In the case of cylindrical articles, an elongated wrapping and heating tube is used for continuously wrapping a portion of the sheet material into intimate contact with the outer surface of each cylindrical article as the sheet material and the cylindrical members move through the tube and for heating the wrapped portion of the sheet material and the cylindrical articles during movement through the tube to cause transfer of the ink image to the articles within the tube. The sheet material is thereafter unwrapped and disassociated from the decorated cylindrical members after passing through the tube during continuous movement of the sheet material and the printed cylindrical members.