An apparatus to mark a surface of an object includes a conveyor assembly having spaced apart conveyor belts with a conveyor opening therebetween. The conveyor assembly has an entry side and an exit side that supports the object. A marking assembly moves between a retracted position away from the conveyor belts, which allows movement of the object from the entry side to the exit side, and an operate position proximal the surface to be marked. At least one marker is carried by the marking assembly which marks a surface of the object when the marking assembly is in the operate position.

A pad printing device for printing a window of a display device includes a pad to transfer ink to the window. The pad includes a printing portion to transfer the ink to the window by being pressed against the window and a body portion disposed on the printing portion and to apply a pressure to the printing portion. A hardness of the printing portion is less than a hardness of the body portion, and a sidewall of a portion of the pad where the printing portion contacts the body portion is substantially perpendicular to the window.

A stamp suitable for use in a micro-transfer printing process. The stamp comprises: a carrier layer; a plurality of stamp base sections, wherein: each stamp base section is attached on a first surface to the carrier layer, and separated from each adjacent stamp base section by a gap; and each stamp base section includes one or more stamping posts, for adhering to a source coupon, each stamping post extending from a second surface of its respective stamp base section.

A method for manufacturing a printing blanket including an elastic body that can be repeatedly used by removing a sheet is provided. According to the above of the present invention, the printing blanket includes an elastic body and a sheet bonded to the elastic body and performs printing by pressing the sheet against a printing object surface. The method includes a sheet fixing step of fixing the sheet at a periphery of a region in which the sheet is to be bonded to the elastic body; an elastic body placing step of placing the elastic body so that a bonding surface of the elastic body faces a bonding surface of the sheet that is fixed; a wax applying step of forming a wax layer on a surface of the elastic body; an adhesive applying step of applying an adhesive to at least one of the sheet and the elastic body that is provided with the wax layer on the surface thereof; and a pressing step of pressing the sheet and the elastic body against each other and bringing the sheet into close contact with the elastic body provided with the wax layer such that the adhesive is interposed therebetween while stretching the sheet along the surface.

The present invention relates to architected stamps having beneficial printing properties. In particular, negative Poisson ratio structures and/or porous reservoirs can be employed to control fluid dynamics and to provide metered ink transfer.

A method for printing a marking on a golf ball includes arranging ink in an etching pattern on a printing plate, matching a reference position on the plate to a reference position on the golf ball, transferring the ink from the printing plate to a pad, and transferring the ink from the pad to the golf ball such that the golf ball includes the marking. The pattern includes an etch corresponding to the marking, wherein the etch differs from the marking in a manner dependent on the position of the marking on the golf ball. The marking that results on the golf ball is a linear marking, and a centerline of the linear marking lies entirely within a marking plane that is not a centerline plane of the golf ball, and wherein the edges of the marking are parallel with the marking plane.

A printing pad machine that can print a 360 degree image on a cylindrical object. That objective is achieved by modifying a conventional printing pad machine. The modifications include using a single angled print pad having a contact wall having a first height, a lower wall having a second height that is less than the first height, an angled surface interconnecting the contact wall's distal end and the lower wall's distal end, and a base wall interconnecting the contact wall's proximal end and the lower wall's proximal end and connectable to a base. Another modification includes a flexion-extension hinge positioned between the support member and the base or the support member and the overhead gantry and controlled by the adjustable and moveable actuator system and power source. That objective can be accomplished with the conventional printing pad machine using the single angled print pad.

A printing pad machine that can print a 360 degree image on a cylindrical object. That objective is achieved by modifying a conventional printing pad machine having a support member—interconnected to an overhead gantry—and an adjustable and moveable actuator system and power source. The modifications include using a single angled print pad having a contact wall having a first height, a lower wall having a second height that is less than the first height, an angled surface interconnecting the contact wall's distal end and the lower wall's distal end, and a base wall (a) interconnecting the contact wall's proximal end and the lower wall's proximal end and (b) connectable to a base. Another modification includes a flexion-extension hinge positioned between (a) the support member and the base or (b) the support member and the overhead gantry and controlled by the adjustable and moveable actuator system and power source. That objective can be accomplished with the conventional printing pad machine using the single angled print pad. Both objectives can also be accomplished by adding ridges to the single angled print pad.

A method for printing a marking on a golf ball includes arranging ink in an etching pattern on a printing plate, matching a reference position on the plate to a reference position on the golf ball, transferring the ink from the printing plate to a pad, and transferring the ink from the pad to the golf ball such that the golf ball includes the marking. The pattern includes an etch corresponding to the marking, wherein the etch differs from the marking in a manner dependent on the position of the marking on the golf ball. The marking that results on the golf ball is a linear marking, and a centerline of the linear marking lies entirely within a marking plane that is not a centerline plane of the golf ball, and wherein the edges of the marking are parallel with the marking plane.

A printing pad machine that can print a 360 degree image on a cylindrical object. That objective is achieved by modifying a conventional printing pad machine having a support member—interconnected to an overhead gantry—and an adjustable and moveable actuator system and power source.