A thermal transfer printing machine with stationary support elements for supporting an article and a thermal transfer assembly vertically movable above the support elements, between a raised rest position and a lowered working position is disclosed. The machine has a surface heated transfer pad, supply and guide devices, a flexible printing ribbon which carries thermally transferable ink images, a position sensor providing electrical signals indicative of the vertical position of the transfer pad and a control unit with a learning phase, said control unit causes a descent run of the thermal transfer assembly, until the transfer pad engages with an article of a predetermined type. The position sensor detects and stores reference data characterizing descent run and the control unit initiates a subsequent descent run towards an article of the same type, comparing the reference data to the current descent run data, and stopping printing when an anomaly is discovered.

A thermal transfer printing machine with stationary support elements for supporting an article and a thermal transfer assembly vertically movable above the support elements, between a raised rest position and a lowered working position is disclosed. The machine has a surface heated transfer pad, supply and guide devices, a flexible printing ribbon which carries thermally transferable ink images, a position sensor providing electrical signals indicative of the vertical position of the transfer pad and a control unit with a learning phase, said control unit causes a descent run of the thermal transfer assembly, until the transfer pad engages with an article of a predetermined type. The position sensor detects and stores reference data characterizing descent run and the control unit initiates a subsequent descent run towards an article of the same type, comparing the reference data to the current descent run data, and stopping printing when an anomaly is discovered.

A tax stamping machine includes an input system that transfers incoming cartons of cigarettes into a conveyor. The input station positions the upper surfaces of the cartons at a predefined height, and the conveyor retains the cartons at the predefined height as the cartons pass through the stamp applicating device. The stamp applicating device includes an opening station, a stamping station, and a closing station. The conveyor includes resilient pulleys that hold the cartons at a predefined height as the cartons move through the opening station, the stamping station, and the closing station such that the upper surfaces of the individual packs of cigarettes are always at the same predefined height regardless of the size of the cartons entering the machine.

A tax stamping machine includes an input system that transfers incoming cartons of cigarettes into a conveyor. The input station positions the upper surfaces of the cartons at a predefined height, and the conveyor retains the cartons at the predefined height as the cartons pass through the stamp applicating device. The stamp applicating device includes an opening station, a stamping station, and a closing station. The conveyor includes resilient pulleys that hold the cartons at a predefined height as the cartons move through the opening station, the stamping station, and the closing station such that the upper surfaces of the individual packs of cigarettes are always at the same predefined height regardless of the size of the cartons entering the machine.

A marking machine for marking an article and a method of operating the same. The marking machine has a marking head including a support and at least one punch. The marking machine also includes a positioning system configured to position the article with respect to the punch. The punch has rotational mobility about an axis of rotation that is fixed with respect to the support.

A marking machine for marking an article and a method of operating the same. The marking machine has a marking head including a support and at least one punch. The marking machine also includes a positioning system configured to position the article with respect to the punch. The punch has rotational mobility about an axis of rotation that is fixed with respect to the support.

A system for transferring graphical representations on an object by sublimation is provided. The system has a first loading device configured to load on a work plane, a support having a graphical representation to be transferred, a second loading device configured to load, the object over the support on the work plane. The system further includes a sublimation apparatus having a catenary, and a plurality of pendulum components hooked to the catenary, each component having ends and jaws configured to cooperate with the work plane so that, by suction, said support wraps the object, is made to adhere to the object and is moved together with the object by way of the catenary in an oven arranged for transferring the support graphical representation from the support to the object. The invention relates also to a method for transferring graphical representations on an object by sublimation.

A method of manufacturing a floor board comprises the steps of supplying a panel, printing a curable substance or surface removing substance onto the panel in a predefined pattern for creating an elevation on the panel at the pattern or removing a portion of the surface of the panel at the pattern, respectively, and curing the curable substance or removing any reaction products of the surface removing substance and the panel.

A method of manufacturing a floor board comprises the steps of supplying a panel, printing a curable substance or surface removing substance onto the panel in a predefined pattern for creating an elevation on the panel at the pattern or removing a portion of the surface of the panel at the pattern, respectively, and curing the curable substance or removing any reaction products of the surface removing substance and the panel.

A method of manufacturing a floor board comprises the steps of supplying a panel, printing a curable substance or surface removing substance onto the panel in a predefined pattern for creating an elevation on the panel at the pattern or removing a portion of the surface of the panel at the pattern, respectively, and curing the curable substance or removing any reaction products of the surface removing substance and the panel.