A printer includes a spindle that rotates a fibrous object opposite a plurality of printheads while a forced air heater directs heated air toward the surface of the fibrous object. The plurality of printheads eject drops of solid ink onto the surface of the fibrous object to form a solid ink image on the fibrous object and the heated air affixes the solid ink image to the surface of the fibrous object without requiring pressure to affix the solid ink image to the fibrous object.

The present invention relates to a method for decorating a drinking or eating vessel, the method comprising: a. providing: i. a drinking or eating vessel, wherein the vessel comprises an inner surface that defines a volume for receiving a liquid or a solid food and an outer surface comprising a polymeric coating; and ii. a transfer sheet, wherein the transfer sheet comprises a printed decoration; and iii. a supporting means comprising a recess for receiving the vessel; and b. arranging the vessel within the recess of the supporting means thereby defining a lower portion of the outer surface of the vessel occluded from contact with the transfer sheet and an upper portion of the outer surface of the vessel for contacting the transfer sheet; and contacting the upper portion of the outer surface of the vessel and the supporting means with the transfer sheet under at least a partial vacuum, wherein the printed decoration is transferred from the transfer sheet to the upper portion of the outer surface of the vessel, and wherein the supporting means reduces stretching of the transfer sheet from the upper portion of the outer surface of the vessel to the lower portion of the outer surface of the vessel. Also described are associated uses, an apparatus, and drinking or eating vessels obtainable by the methods of the invention.

A device for printing on hollow articles comprises a segmented wheel and an apparatus for sequentially supplying the hollow articles to the periphery of the segmented wheel. The apparatus comprises at least a conveyor wheel and a mandrel wheel, arranged in the transport direction of the hollow articles, with first the conveyor wheel, then the mandrel wheel and thereafter the segmented wheel being arranged. A plurality of driver elements are on the periphery of the conveyor wheel, and a plurality of retaining apparatuses are arranged on the periphery of the mandrel wheel. Each retaining apparatus is provided for receiving a hollow article, which is to be printed on in cooperation with the segmented wheel. The conveyor wheel has a suction apparatus for suctioning each hollow article to be supplied to the segmented wheel. The suction apparatus has a suction pump which is switched on or off in dependence on an angular position of the conveyor wheel. When the suction pump is switched on, it produces a negative pressure. A hollow article, which is to be conveyed to the mandrel wheel by the conveyor wheel and which is arranged on one of the driver elements of the conveyor wheel, is retained on the particular driver element of the conveyor wheel by the negative pressure, in an angular range of the rotating conveyor wheel.

An apparatus and methods of decorating a metallic container are provided. More specifically, the present invention relates to apparatus and methods used to provide a decoration on a predetermined portion of a metallic container body. The decorator includes a sensor that senses decorations on metallic containers. A control system receives information related to the sensed decorations from the sensor and then determines if the decorations at least meet predetermined color, density, thickness, orientation, and consistency targets. The control system can automatically adjust elements of the decorator to correct a deficient decoration. In one embodiment, the control system can automatically adjust ink blades associated with a plurality of inking assemblies of the decorator to adjust the color, density, orientation, positioning, and consistency of decorations transferred to the metallic containers. In another embodiment, the control system can adjust a position of an inking assembly, an ink roller, a plate cylinder, a printing plate, a blanket cylinder, and a transfer blanket of the decorator.

Disclosed is a printing apparatus carriage for a container having a circular cross section. The present invention is directed to perform stable transport and mass printing therethrough without using a groove formed on a middle part of the container when the container is transported.

A pretreatment assembly includes a product support assembly and a pretreatment device. The product support assembly includes a primary support assembly, a primary drive assembly, a number of secondary support assemblies, and a secondary drive assembly. The primary drive assembly is operatively coupled to the primary support assembly. The primary drive assembly imparts a generally constant motion to the primary support assembly. Each secondary support assembly is structured to support a number of work pieces. Each secondary support assembly is movably coupled to the primary support assembly. The secondary drive assembly is operatively coupled to each secondary support assembly. The secondary drive assembly selectively imparts a motion to each secondary support assembly. The pretreatment device is disposed adjacent the product support assembly.

The invention is a method of using a turret styled decorator machine to decorate container media. The machine utilized has a rotatable turret and a number of circumferentially spaced container holding assemblies for holding a variety of pieces of media, such as a drink container, the exterior surface of which is to have ink applied to form an image. A plurality of workstations are positioned around the perimeter of the turret through which each media holder passes as the turret rotates. Due to the unique configuration of the decorating machine, each piece of media, once loaded, spins at a rate different from any other piece of media so that the entire decorating process is speed optimized for each print job. Further, container media may spin continuously during the decorating process so that the turret never needs to pause for media to stop rotating or to begin rotating.

A turret styled container decorator machine is disclosed having a rotatable turret and a number of circumferentially spaced container holding assemblies for holding a variety of pieces of media, such as a drink container, the surface of which is to be printed upon with an image. A plurality of workstations are positioned around the perimeter of the turret through which each media holder passes as the turret rotates. Each workstation includes an ink printing assembly and a curing assembly so that ink may be applied and cured as each piece of media is indexed into each workstation location. Each printing workstation may be removed and replaced with a different arrangement or configuration of ink heads to suit different types of media sizes and shapes, and the turret holds a plurality of media holding means assigned to a pie-shaped section of the turret adjustable to accommodate various types of media geometries.

The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for cold-stamping onto a three-dimensional object. In a first step, an adhesive is applied to the object at a first workstation. In a second step, a transfer film is pressed onto the object by a pressing device at a second workstation. At the same time, the adhesive is cured at the second workstation. As a result, the decorative material of the transfer film adheres to the object at the positions on the object which are provided with adhesive. If, following this, the transfer film is removed from the three-dimensional object after being pressed on, the decorative material remains on the object at the desired positions. At the positions at which in the first step no adhesive has been applied to the object, the decorative material does not adhere to the object but rather remains on the carrier film of the transfer film.

Automated inspection technology is integrated with a cylindrical container print decorator machine to optimize the decoration process by making critical process and machine information properly and immediately available for corrective adjustments to the process. With this information, a high speed decoration machine operator will be made directly aware of the portions or subsystems of the decorator machine not functioning properly. The information directly facilitates, and can even recommend, corrective adjustments that are necessary to the decorator to better optimize printing functions. It is possible to use this information to optimize the operation of the decorator. It is possible to use this information by way of a properly configured control system, after specific augmentation capabilities are added to the decorator machine, to automatically close the loops with specific decorator printing machine parts or subsystems to dramatically improve the decorating process even while the machine is printing.