US1721922A - Box-printing machine - Google Patents

Description

July 23, "1929.

A. E ROE BOX PRINTING MACHINE s Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 2. 1928 INVENTOR. @422 6. &

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Patented July 23, 1929.

' 1 UITED srAres ALPHEUS E. ROE, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO JOHN A. MCN'EAR, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

BOX-PRINTING ivrncnmn.

Application filed May 2,

My invention relates to apparatus, for printing legends, designs and the like, on boxes or other objects of similar nature. a

It is customary in packing goods for shipment in wooden boxes, to print the desired designs and legends upon the box shooks before being assembled into boxes. This practise frequently results in economic waste, since the printing must be done before the goods are packed, and if an order be counterman'ded, or even in some cases if the destination of the ordered shipment be changed, it is necessary either to scrap the printed shooks or to plane off and reprint them. If the boxes have already been made up and packed, still greater loss results.

The principal object of my present invention is to provide an apparatus for printing boxes after they are assembled and packed. By the use of my apparatus, the printing becomes the last process before shipment, so that any changes that may be necessary in the printing or labeling can be made without loss almost up to the time of shipment.

A second object of my invention is to pro vi'de a machine, automatic in its operation, which can be inserted in any ordinary con- -veyer line running from the packing and nailing machine to the warehouse or shipping platform, so that the boxes may be printed without additional handling. This arrangement is also more economical than the individual printing of the several shooks, because it eliminates considerable handling.

Another object is to provide a machine capable of printing several sides of each box, thus. consolidating several operations. In the particular embodiment of the invention shown and described herein, means are provided for printing the top and both ends of the box, but itwill be apparent that, by the mere multiplication of parts, all exposed surfaces may be printed. It is to be understood, also, that other changes in form, construction and arrangement may be made, within the scope of the claims hereto a pended, without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in said claims.

My invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a typical embodiment thereof, and in which I Fig. 1 is a partly diagrammatic side elevation of my machine, some parts being 1928. Serial No. 274,479. a

brokenaway and'others omitted for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 2 is a plan view.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken mainly on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. a

Fig. 4: is a plan view, enlarged,of one of the prlnting rolls with its associated mounting and inking mechanism.

Fig- 5 isa side elevation of the same. -Referring more particularly to the draw? ings, the reference numeral 1 designates a frame. Mounted thereon, at the left hand end as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, is a track 2 of any suitable form, herein shown as comprisan example of means to provide such adju'stment I have shown said guides as supported from the uprights of the frame by two-piece adjustable brackets/7. The track rails 2 are similarly mounted for lateral adjustment, as will be described later. I I

While traveling along the track 2, the boxes pass beneath a suitable printing roll 8, which prints their tops. This roll, whose mounting and'associated mechanism will be described later, is driven by gearing 9, vertical shafts 10, and gearingll, from a horizontal shaft-12 which alsocarries the driving sprockets 13 Y for the conveyer chains 4. v

After passing the printing roll 8 the box as shown at B in Fig. 1, runs off the end of the track 2,. and is tilted downwardly upon its end upon a lower track 1 1, .showni in Figs. 1

1, 2 and 3 as comprising spaced angleirons similar to the track 2. The guide rails 6 continue through the machine at a lower level, as shown. The adjust-able brackets 7, for supporting the rails1l, are shown in Fig. 3.

Similar brackets, which do not appear, support the track rails 2. f

A second conveyer, preferably comprising chains 15 and transverse pusher bars 16, moves the boxes along said lower track 14.

These second conveyer chains run upon sprockets 17 and 18 mounted respectively upon shafts 19 and 20. The shaft 19 is connected with the shaft 12 by chains 21, Fig. 1, so that both conveyers are driven in unison.

While traveling on end along the track 14, the boxes pass between one or more pairs of printing rolls which print their ends. I have shown two pairs of such rolls, adapted for printing the box ends in two colors. Rolls 22 and 23 lie beneath the track, and print the lower ends of the boxes, and rolls 24 and 25 lie above and print the upper ends. Fig. 1 shows the relative positions of said rolls.

The upper rolls 24 and 25 are driven by spur gears 26 and bevel gears 27, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, from vertical shafts 28, which in turn are driven by bevel gears 29 fromtransverse shafts 30 and 31. These latter are inter-connected by chains 32, and the shaft 31 is connected with the shaft 20 by spurgears 33, Figs. 1 and '2. The lower rolls 22 and 23 are driven by spur gears from the shafts 30 and 31, one pair only of said gears being shown, in Figs. 3 and 4, at 34. Thus all moving parts of the machine are inter-connected for movement in timely relation. Power for driving the whole machine may be applied at any point by suitable mechanism not shown.

After the box passes the last pair of print- I ing rolls 23 and 25, its-upper forward corner is engaged by a stationary guide or bafile 35, Fig.1, which causes it to tilt back upon its bottom, as indicated at B, so that it comes out of the machine right side up, and may be removed from the end of the track 14 by any suitable means, not shown.

The upper printing rolls 8, 24, and 25are adjustable vertically to accommodate boxes of different height. For this. purpose they are mounted upon brackets 36, two of which are'shown in Fig. 3 in connection with the roll 25. These brackets are slid-able upon the vertical shafts .28, and are provided with threadedextensions through which pass vertical screw shafts 37. Thus by rotating said screw shafts, the brackets 36 and the printing mechanism carried thereby are raised or lowered to the proper position. 4 Any suitable means may be employed for turning the screw shafts 37, as for example a crank 38 and bevel gears 39, and a chain 40 inter-connecting the two screw shafts at the top of the frame. It is necessary, of course, that the vertical shafts 28 be splined as shown at 28 in Fig. 4 to enable the bevel gears 27 to slide thereupon and I be driven thereby.

In addition to the vertical adjustment of the upper printing rolls, as described above, all the rolls are adapted for limited vertical 7 movement to enable them to follow inequalities 1n the box surfaces upon which they opvices. This mechanism has been omitted from Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings to prevent confusion, but is shown in detail in Figs, 4 and 5 in connection with the roll 23, with the understanding that similar mechanism is associated with each of the other rolls. 7

The journal boxes 41 of the shaft 31 are provided with inverted V-shaped bearings 42, Fig. 5, upon which rest rocker arms 43. These arms carry the shaft 44 of the roll 23 at one end, and slidable counter-weights 45 at the other (Figs. 4 and 5). In the case of the lower rolls 22 and 23', said weights are so proportioned and position as to over-balance the weight of the rolls, and force them upwardly against the lower surfaces of theboxes, and in the case of the upper rolls 8, 24, and 25, the weights are proportioned and positioned to permit said rolls to bear down upon the upper surfaces of the boxes with the necessary pres sure. In the case of the upper rolls 8, 24, and 25, the rocker arms 43 are mounted upon the vertically movable brackets 36, and for the lower rolls 22 and 23 the rocker arms are mounted upon the fixed journal brackets 41. The action of said rocker arms is thesame in all cases.

Any suitable inking mechanism may be employed. Such devices are well known, and need not be described in detail herein. I have indicated, however, an inking device having a plurality of rolls 46, 4 and 5, mounted in a frame 47, which may be mount ed in any suitable manner, as by being journaled upon the shaft 31, as indicated at 48 in Fig. 5. A chain is indicated at 49 for driving the inking rolls from the shaft 44. "It is understood, of course,'that each printing roll will be provided with a similar inking device.

Each printing roll is also understood to be equipped with the necessary type or plates for printing the desired impressions, but as the construction and mounting of the same form no part of my invention, they have been omitted from the'drawings- I have shown the lower rolls, however, as indicated at 23 inFigs. 3 and 4, as provided with a raised or enlarged central portion 50 to fit between the track rails 14. This is to be un derstood as merely one example of suitable means for enabling said lower rolls to print the lower surfaces of the boxes without interference from said rails. v

' It will be seen from the foregoing that the machine is entirelyv automatic in its operation. The initial track '2 may receive the boxes from any suitable conveyer, not shown, and the end of the track-14 may deliver them to another conveyer, so that they advance continuously'in'an orderly procession. As

they enter the machine, their tops are printed by the roll 8; then they are tilted on end, and both ends are printed by the rolls 22, 23, 24, and 25; and finally they are tilted back onto their bot-toms before being discharged. The

printing rolls and conveyer chains are driven in the pro-per timed relation, of course, so that each box surface receives the desired printing.

I claim 1. A box printing machine comprising a conveyer adapted to advance a box in a horizontal plane; a device for printing the upper surface of said box; a second horizontal conveyer positioned at a lower level than the first conveyer and adapted toreceive the box by tilting therefrom to position another surface uppermost; and a second device for printing said other surface.

2. A box printing machine comprising means for advancing a box; an impression roller adapted to print an exposed surface of said box; a rocking frame in which said roller is mounted for yieldable contact with the box surface; a support upon which said rocking frame rests and by which it is carried and means for moving said support toward and away from the box.

3. A box printing machine comprising a plurality of printing devices; means for receiving and advancing a box in position to present an exposed surface to one of said printing devices; means for tilting the box between said printing devices to present an other surface to a second of said printing devices; and means for tilting the box back to its original position and discharging it from said advancing means.

4. A box printing machine comprising a horizontal track; a second horizontal track positioned below the first track; means for V advancing a box, resting upon its bottom,

slidably mounted upon said shafts and guided thereby; an impression roller carried by said brackets and adapted to print the upper surface of the box; a connection between said rotating shaft and the roller for rotating the latter; andmeans for raising and lowering said brackets upon said shafts.

6. A box printing machine comprising means for advancing a box horizontally; a

pair of vertically disposed shafts, one pos-itioned on each side of said advancing means; one of said shafts being rotated; brackets slidably mounted upon said shafts and guided thereby; an impression roller carried by said brackets and adapted to print the upper surface of the box; a connection between said rotating shaft and the roller for rotating the latter ;'a screw parallel and adjacent to each shaft, said screws having threaded connection with said brackets; and means for rotating said screws to raise and lower said brackets upon said shafts.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ALPHEUS E; ROE.

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