Platen for use in printing on a flexible garment

Abstract

A garment printing machine is provided with a transportable platen that can be utilized to significantly decrease the delay in printing expended in loading and unloading a garment for printing in either a digitized garment printing machine or a screen garment printing machine. The platen is provided with structure that holds a print receiving area of a garment firmly in position atop a print panel support plate that forms a part of the platen. Furthermore, the invention includes a platen support structure that cooperates with the conventional couplings on existing conventional garment printing machines. A plurality of transportable platens constructed according to the invention are utilized interchangeably so that while one garment loaded on one of the platens is being printed upon in the printing machine, the prior garment just printed upon is unloaded and the next garment to be printed is loaded onto another identical platen. This totally avoids any delay in printing due to loading and unloading of garments on the platens.

Claims

1. A platen for use on a garment printing machine for printing on a garment having a print receiving portion and a capturable portion comprised of a horizontally extending garment mount including: a rigid base plate having an undersurface, an upper surface, a forward end and an opposing rear end, a spacer secured atop said rigid base plate, a print panel support plate having a bottom surface and a top, flat upwardly facing surface for supporting at least said print receiving portion of said garment, and said print panel support plate is secured at said bottom surface thereof atop said spacer so as to create at least a first gap between said bottom surface of said print panel support plate and said upper surface of said base plate, whereby said at least a first gap is adapted to receive a part of said garment therewithin so that said print receiving portion of said garment resides atop said upwardly facing surface of said print panel support plate, and a stretching apparatus at least part of which is located above said garment mount and is advanceable downwardly toward said garment mount to stretch said print receiving portion of said garment in at least a fore and aft direction while holding said capturable portion of said garment between said rigid base plate and said print panel support plate and pressing said print receiving portion of said garment against said upwardly facing surface of said print panel support plate while immobilizing said print receiving portion of said garment relative to said garment mount.

2. A platen according to claim 1 wherein said garment has a forward portion and a rearward portion, and said capturable portion of said garment is located between said forward portion and said print receiving portion of said garment, and said spacer is a pedestal secured atop said rigid base plate between said forward and rearward ends of said base plate, so as to create both said first gap and a second gap between said bottom surface of said print panel support plate and said upper surface of said base plate, and said pedestal holds said print panel support plate immovable and parallel to said rigid base plate, whereby said first gap is adapted to receive said capturable portion of said garment therewithin, and said stretching apparatus is comprised of first and second independently movable elements for immobilizing at least said print receiving portion of said garment, and said stretching apparatus is comprised of a garment depressing mechanism including said first independently movable horizontal element that extends laterally and is movable to a garment depressing position above said rigid base plate and is secured to said garment mount to extend across the entire width of said base plate in spaced vertical separation from said upper surface thereof, and said first independently movable element has opposing end extremities, and is engageable with said forward portion of said garment when said capturable portion of said garment is received in said first gap so that said first independently movable element urges said forward portion of said garment into contact with said flat upper surface of said base plate, and holds said captuable portion of said garment within said first gap, and said second independently movable element of said stretching apparatus is secured to said garment mount and has a transverse fabric engaging member extending across said upper surface of said base plate, and stretching arms having proximal ends and distal ends and said stretching arms are located on opposite sides of said garment mount and said distal ends of said stretching arms are connected to said end extremities of said transverse fabric engaging member and said proximal ends of said stretching arms are located below said top upwardly facing surface of said base plate, and said stretching arms are secured to said garment mount on opposite sides thereof at hinge connections located on a first common, transverse axis of rotation beneath said upper surface of said base plate to carry said transverse fabric engaging member in rotational movement relative to said base plate so that said transverse fabric engaging member is movable in rotation to a position at said second gap behind said pedestal to force a part of said rearward portion of said garment into said second gap, thereby stretching said print receiving portion of said garment in a fore and aft direction and urging it into contact with said flat upwardly facing surface of said print panel support plate.

3. A platen according to claim 2 wherein each of said stretching arms is extendable from a retracted position to an extended position, whereby said distal ends thereof are forced further from said proximal ends thereof when said stretching arms are in said extended position then when said stretching arms are in said retracted position, and said stretching arms are biased toward said retracted position.

4. A platen according to claim 3 wherein each of said stretching arms is comprised of a piston, a cylinder, and a spring, and said spring biases said piston and said cylinder toward each other, thereby biasing each of said spring arms toward said retracted position.

5. A platen according to claim 2 wherein said garment depressing mechanism is further comprised of mounting arms located on opposite sides of said rigid baseplate, and said mounting arms each have a distal end connected to said opposing and extremities of said first independently movable element and proximal ends secured to said garment mount on opposite sides of said rigid base plate.

6. A platen according to claim 5 further comprising hinge connections joining said proximal ends of said mounting arms to said garment mount so that said mounting arms are rotatable about a second common transverse axis of rotation beneath said upper surface of said baseplate to carry said first independently movable element in rotation about said second common axis of rotation to said garment depressing position.

7. A platen according to claim 2 wherein said garment mount is further comprised of a pair of mutually parallel guide strips depending from said undersurface of said rigid baseplate between said forward and rearward ends thereof, whereby said guide strips act to guide said garment mount laterally into position atop both a platen support on said garment printing machine when said guide mount is placed thereon and a master garment loading and unloading station when said guide mount is placed thereon.

8. A platen according to claim 7 further comprising a plurality of reciprocally movable locking pins located on and secured to each of said guide strips and said locking pins are reciprocally movable relative to and in spaced separation from said undersurface of said baseplate in a direction parallel to said common axes of rotation.

9. A platen according to claim 1 wherein said print panel support plate has a peripheral margin vertically recessed below said top, upwardly facing surface of said print panel support plate and said stretching apparatus is comprised of a frame having a window opening defined therein and a peripheral rim that resides above said peripheral margin so that when said frame is lowered onto said print panel support plate while said print receiving portion of said garment is positioned atop said top, upwardly facing surface of said print panel support plate, said capturable portion of said garment surrounds said print receiving portion thereof and said rim presses said capturable portion of said garment into said recessed, peripheral margin of said print panel support plate, thereby stretching said print receiving portion in fore and aft and lateral directions and pressing said print receiving portion of said garment against said top, upwardly facing surface of said print panel support plate while immobilizing said print receiving portion of said garment relative to said print panel support plate, and said frame extends vertically no higher than said top, upwardly facing surface of said print panel support plate.

10. A platen according to claim 9 wherein said spacer is a laterally extending spacing strip located at said rear end of said rigid base plate so as to form said at least a first gap between said rigid base plate and said print panel support plate forwardly of said spacing strip.

11. A platen according to claim 10 wherein a laterally elongated window is defined in said baseplate proximate said forward end thereof and remote from said spacing strip.

12. A platen according to claim 9 further comprising a pair of mutually parallel, longitudinally extending guide strips secured to said undersurface of said baseplate.

13. A platen according to claim 1 wherein said garment also has a forward portion and a rearward portion and said capturable portion of said garment is located between said the forward portion and said print receiving portion of said garment, and wherein said spacer is a pedestal secured atop said rigid baseplate between said forward and rearward end of said baseplate, so as to create both said first gap and a second gap between said bottom surface of said print panel support plate and said upper surface of said baseplate, and said pedestal holds said print panel support plate immovable and parallel to said rigid baseplate, whereby said first gap is adapted to receive said capturable portion of said garment therewithin, and said stretching apparatus is comprised of first and second movable elements for immobilizing at least said print receiving portion of said garment, and said stretching apparatus is further comprised of a garment depressing mechanism including said first movable element that extends horizontally and laterally above said rigid baseplate and is secured to said garment mount to extend across the entire width of said baseplate in spaced vertical separation from said upper surface thereof, and said first movable element is a laterally extending member that has opposing end extremities and is engageable with said forward portion of said garment when said capturable portion of said garment is received in said first gap so that said first movable element urges said forward portion of said garment into contact with said top, flat upwardly facing surface of said print panel support plate, and said second, movable element of said stretching apparatus is secured to said garment mount and has a transverse member extending across said upper surface of said baseplate, and stretching arms having proximal ends and distal ends on opposite side of said garment mount, and said distal ends of said stretching arms are connected to said end extremities of said transverse member and said proximal ends of said stretching arms are located below said top upwardly facing surface of said baseplate, and said stretching arms are secured to said garment mount on opposite sides thereof at hinge connections located on a common, transverse axis of rotation beneath said upper surface of said baseplate and forwardly of said spacer to carry said transverse member in rotational movement relative to said baseplate, so that said transverse member is movable in rotation to a position at said second gap behind said pedestal to force a part of said rearward portion of said garment into said second gap, thereby stretching said print receiving portion of said garment in a fore and aft direction and urging it into contact with said flat upwardly facing surface of said print panel support plate.

14. A platen for use on a garment printing machine for printing on a garment having a print receiving portion, and a capturable portion comprised of: a horizontally extending garment mount including: a rigid base plate having an undersurface, an upper surface, a forward end and an opposing rear end, a spacer secured atop said rigid base plate, a print panel support plate having a bottom surface and a top, flat upwardly facing surface for supporting at least said print receiving portion of said garment, and said print panel support plate is secured at said bottom surface thereof atop said spacer so as to create at least a first gap between said bottom surface of said print panel support plate and said upper surface of said baseplate, whereby said first gap is adapted to receive at least a part of said garment therewithin, so that, so that said print receiving portion of said garment resides atop said upwardly facing surface of said print panel support plate, and a stretching apparatus above said garment mount that is movable toward said garment mount to stretch said print receiving portion of said garment while immobilizing said capturable portion of said garment and pressing said print receiving portion of said garment against said top, upwardly facing surface of said print panel support plate to immobilize said print receiving portion of said garment relative to said print panel support plate.

15. A platen for use on a garment printing machine for printing on a garment having a print receiving portion and a capturable portion comprised of: a horizontally extending garment mount including: a rigid base plate having an undersurface, an upper surface, a forward end and an opposing rear end, a spacer secured a top said rigid base plate, a print panel support plate having a bottom surface and a top, flat upwardly facing surface for supporting at least said print receiving portion of said garment, and said print panel support plate has a peripheral margin vertically recessed below said top, upwardly facing surface of said print panel support plate, a stretching apparatus comprised of a frame having a window opening defined thereon and a peripheral rim that resides above said peripheral margin of said print panel support plate so that when said frame is lowered onto said print panel support plate while said print receiving portion of said garment is positioned atop said top, upwardly facing surface of said print panel support plate, said capturable portion of said garment surrounds said print receiving portion of said garment and said rim presses said capturable portion of said garment into said recessed, peripheral margin of said print panel support plate, thereby stretching said print receiving portion in all lateral directions and pressing said print receiving portion of said garment against said upwardly facing surface of said print panel support plate while immobilizing said print receiving portion of said garment relative to said print panel support plate.

16. A platen according to claim 15 wherein said spacer is a laterally extending spacing strip located at said rear end of said rigid base plate so as to form a gap between said rigid base plate and said print panel support plate forwardly of said spacing strip.

17. A platen according to claim 16 wherein a laterally elongated window is defined in said baseplate proximate said forward end thereof and remote from said spacing strip.

18. A platen according to claim 16 further comprising a pair of mutually parallel, longitudinally extending guide strips secured to said undersurface of said baseplate between said forward and rearward ends thereof.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an otherwise conventional digitized garment printing machine having one horizontally extending garment receiving arm and a platen support according to the invention mounted on the garment receiving arm.

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the digitized garment printing machine of FIG. 1 upon which a transportable platen constructed according to the present invention and having a hat mounted for printing thereon is positioned atop the platen support.

(3) FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a portion of the transportable platen shown in FIG. 2 but without the hat mounted thereon.

(4) FIG. 4 is a side elevational view taken along the lines 4-4 in FIG. 3.

(5) FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the transportable platen taken along the lines 5-5 of FIG. 3 shown with the stretching arms in their extended position.

(6) FIG. 6 is a sectional elevational view of the transportable platen of FIG. 3 taken along the lines 6-6 of FIG. 3 with a master garment unloading and loading station with which it is utilized located therebeneath.

(7) FIG. 6A is a top plan view of the assembly platform of the master garment unloading and loading station taken along the lines 6A-6A in FIG. 6.

(8) FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the platen shown in FIG. 4 with a hat mounted for printing thereon prior to engagement of the garment depressing mechanism.

(9) FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the platen and hat shown in FIG. 7 and with the garment depressing mechanism engaged to urge the forward portion of the hat into contact with the flat upper surface of the platen baseplate and the stretching mechanism engaged.

(10) FIG. 9 is an elevational view with the hat shown in section taken along the lines 9-9 of FIG. 8 with the platen located atop the master garment unloading and loading station shown in FIG. 6.

(11) FIG. 10 is an elevational view with the hat shown in section taken along the lines 9-9 of FIG. 8 with the platen located atop the platen support shown in FIG. 1.

(12) FIG. 11 is a top plan view of the platen support visible in FIG. 1, shown in isolation.

(13) FIG. 12 is a bottom plan view of the platen support shown in FIG. 11.

(14) FIG. 13 is a side elevational view of the platen support shown in FIG. 11.

(15) FIG. 14 is a side elevational view of the platen with the hat loaded thereon lifted above the platen support illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 10.

(16) FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the garment receiving arm shown in FIG. 1 and illustrated with the platen support removed therefrom.

(17) FIG. 16 is a top plan view of the garment receiving arm illustrated in FIG. 15.

(18) FIG. 17 is a top plan view of the transportable platen shown in FIG. 8 and with the hat mounted thereon following impregnation of a design on the hat by the garment printing machine illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

(19) FIG. 18 is a bottom plan view of a shirt platen constructed according to the invention suitable for use with the digitized garment printing machine of FIGS. 1 and 2.

(20) FIG. 19 is a top plan view of a platen support suitable for mounting on a garment receiving arm of a manual or automated screen printing machine.

(21) FIG. 20 is a bottom plan view of the platen support illustrated in FIG. 19.

(22) FIG. 21 is an end elevational view of the platen support illustrated in FIG. 19

(23) FIG. 22 is a top plan view of the platen illustrated in FIG. 3 mounted upon the platen support illustrated in FIG. 19.

(24) FIG. 23 is a sectional elevational view of the platen shown in FIG. 14 with a hat loaded thereon positioned atop the platen support illustrated in FIGS. 19-21.

(25) FIG. 24 is a perspective view of a conventional manual screen printing machine shown with the platen and platen support illustrated in FIG. 22 mounted on the screen printing machine garment receiving arm.

(26) FIG. 25 is an exploded perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a transportable platen constructed according to the invention.

(27) FIG. 26 is a bottom plan view of the transportable platen illustrated in FIG. 25

(28) FIG. 27 is a top plan view of a transportable platen illustrated in FIG. 25

(29) FIG. 28 is an exploded side elevational view showing the transportable platen of FIG. 25 located above a different embodiment of a master garment unloading and loading station constructed according to the invention.

(30) FIG. 29 is an exploded sectional elevational view of the platen and master garment unloading and loading station illustrated in FIG. 28

(31) FIG. 30 is a top plan view taken along the lines 30-30 in FIG. 28.

(32) FIG. 31 is a top plan view taken along the lines 31-31 in FIG. 28

(33) FIG. 32 is a side sectional view showing the platen with a shirt loaded thereon and engaged atop the master unloading and loading station of FIG. 28.

(34) FIGS. 33A and 33B show enlarged detailed portions of the platen loaded with a shirt where indicated at 33A and 33B in FIG. 32.

(35) FIG. 34 is a top plan view of the platen illustrated in FIG. 25 before mounting of the garment depressing frame thereon.

(36) FIG. 35 is a sectional elevational view of the platen shown in FIG. 25 with a shirt loaded thereon positioned above but disengaged from an alternative embodiment of a platen support configured to receive the platen of FIG. 25 and which is adapted for use with the digital printing machine illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

(37) FIG. 36 is a sectional elevational view of the loaded platen of FIG. 35 dropped onto and engaged with the platen support shown in FIG. 35 with the garment receiving arm of the digital printing machine of FIGS. 1 and 2 shown in phantom.

(38) FIG. 37 is a top plan view of the platen support taken along the lines 37-37 in FIG. 35.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

(39) FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional digitized printing machine 10 having a horizontally extending garment receiving arm 12. A platen support 14 constructed according to the invention is mounted on the projecting end of the horizontally extending garment receiving arm 12. The garment receiving arm 12 extends outwardly away from the console of 11 of the garment printing machine 10 and resides above a work platform 13. The digitized printing machine 10 may, for example, be a Brothers GT3 81 machine, although the invention may be utilized with most commercially available digitized garment printing machines.

(40) For purposes of reference throughout this specification, the directions fore and aft and longitudinal should be considered as parallel to the alignment of the garment receiving arm 12 on the printing machine 10, with forward referring to the direction toward the console of 11 and aft referring to the direction away from the console 11. Foreword also refers to the location closest to the console 11 of the digitized printing machine 10, while rearward and aft respectively refer to the direction and location most distant from the console 11 of the digitized printing machine 10. Lateral refers to the direction or alignment perpendicular to the alignment of the garment receiving arm 12.

(41) The garment receiving arm 12 may be considered to extend in a rearword or aft direction relative to the garment printing machine console 11. The mechanism of the invention is also comprised of a transportable platen 16 that is freely removable from the platen support 14, but is also engageable therewith as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 10.

(42) As illustrated in FIGS. 4-7 the transportable platen 16 is comprised of a horizontally extending garment mount 18 that includes a flat, rigid baseplate 20 shaped generally in the form of an irregular hexagon and having an undersurface 24, an upper surface 22, and a pair of narrow, mutually parallel guide strips 26. The baseplate 20 is about 6½ inches in length and about 7¼ inches in width. The guide strips 26 depend from the undersurface 24 at the lateral extremities thereof and extend in a fore and aft direction. The longitudinally extending guide strips 26 have a rectangular cross-sectional and are spaced apart a distance to just accommodate the width of the platen support 14. The guide strips 26 depend from the undersurface 24 of the rigid baseplate 20 between the foreword and rearward ends thereof. The purpose of the guide strips 26 is to ensure that the baseplate 20 is laterally centered atop the platen support 14, which is secured to the rear end of the garment receiving arm 12.

(43) The guide mount 18 further includes an apparatus for immobilizing at least a print receiving portion 30 of a garment, which may be a hat 32 as illustrated. In FIGS. 2-14. The immobilizing apparatus also urges the print receiving portion 30 of the hat 32 into contact with the upwardly facing support surface 42 of the transportable platen 16.

(44) The hat 32 has a forward portion 34, which is a bill or visor of the hat 32, a print receiving portion 30, a rear portion 36, best shown in FIG. 14, and a capturable portion 38, which in the hat platen 16 of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1-14, is located between the print receiving portion 30 and the forward bill portion 34 of the hat 32. The print receiving portion 30 may include the frontal forehead area of the crown of the hat 32, the rearward portion of the hat bill 34, or both, as best illustrated in FIG. 17.

(45) The horizontally extending garment mount 18 of the platen 16 includes a spacer in the form of a pedestal 40 that is secured atop the upper surface 22 of the rigid baseplate 20 and a flat rigid print panel support plate 42. The spacer pedestal 40 holds the print panel support plate 42 immovable and parallel to the rigid baseplate 20. The print panel support plate 42 has a bottom surface 44 and a flat top print receiving support surface 46. The print panel support plate 42 is secured at its bottom surface 44 atop the pedestal 40 and overhangs the pedestal 40 so as to create opposing first and second gaps 48 and 50, respectively. The gaps 48 and 50 are located between the bottom surface 44 of the print panel support plate 42 and the upper surface 22 of the baseplate 20.

(46) The platen 16 also includes a stretching apparatus comprised of a fabric depressing mechanism 52 and a fabric pulling mechanism 53. These are comprised of first and second independently movable elements, a hold down bar 64 and a fabric engaging rod 54. At least a part of the fabric pulling mechanism 53, specifically the transversely extending fabric engaging rod 54, extends across the entire width of the base plate 20 in vertical separation from the upper surface 22 thereof. The fabric engaging rod 54 is located above the garment mount 18 and is advanceable downwardly toward the garment mount 18, from the position shown in FIG. 7 to the position shown in FIG. 8. The hold down bar 64 extends horizontally and laterally in a transverse direction and is movable to a garment depressing position above the rigid base plate 20. The hold down bar 64 is secured to the garment mount 18 and is movable to extend across the entire width of the base plate 20 in spaced vertical separation from the upper surface 22 thereof, as illustrated in FIG. 4.

(47) The independently movable elements 64 and 54 of the garment depressing mechanism 52 and the fabric pulling mechanism 53 together stretch the print receiving portion 30 of the hat 32 in at least a fore and aft direction relative to the forward portion 34 and the rearward portion 36 of the garment 32 while holding the capturable portion 38 of the garment 32 between the rigid base plate 20 and the print panel support plate 42. The stretching apparatus presses the print receiving portion 30 of the garment 32 against the upwardly facing surface 46 of the print panel support plate 42 while immobilizing the print receiving portion 30 of the garment 32 relative to the print panel support plate 42 and the garment mount 18.

(48) The first independently movable element of the garment depressing mechanism 52, the hold down bar 64 has opposing end extremities 66 and 68. The hold down bar 64 is carried by a pair of mounting arms 78 and 79 that are located on opposite sides of the rigid base plate 20. The mounting arms 78 and 79 each have a proximal end 82 and a distal end 84. The distal ends 84 are connected to the opposing end extremities 66 and 68 of the first independently movable element, the hold down bar 64. The proximal ends 82 of the mounting arms 78 and 79 are secured to the garment mount 18 on opposite sides of the rigid base plate 20 by hinged connections 104 on the guide strips 26.

(49) The second independently movable element 54 of the fabric pulling mechanism 53 is a fabric engaging rod 54. The fabric engaging rod 54 is carried by a pair of stretching arms 88 and 90 each having a proximal end 83 and a distal end 85. The stretching arms 88 and 90 are located on opposite sides of the garment mount 18. The distal ends 85 of the stretching arms 88 and 90 are connected to the end extremities 55 and 57 of the transverse independently movable member, the fabric engaging rod 54.

(50) The proximal ends 83 of the stretching arms 88 and 90 are located below the top upwardly facing service 22 of the base plate 20. The proximal ends 83 of the stretching arms 88 and 90 are secured to the garment mount 18 on opposite sides thereof at hinged connections 80. The hinged connections 80 are located on a first, common transverse axis of rotation 87 beneath the upper surface 22 of the base plate 20 and forwardly from the spacer pedestal 40. The stretching arms 88 and 90 carry the transverse fabric engaging rod member 54 in rotational movement relative to the base plate 20 so that the transverse fabric engaging rod member 54 is movable in rotation to a position at the second gap 50, horizontally aligned with the second gap 50 behind the spacer pedestal 42.

(51) Each of the stretching arms 88 and 90 is comprised of a piston rod 95, a piston 94, a cylinder 96 and a spring 98, visible in the sectioned portion of drawing FIG. 5. The piston rods 95 extend distally from the proximal ends 83 that are secured to each of the guide strips 26 by the hinged connections 80. The piston rod 95 is smaller in diameter than the piston 94 located at the distal end and attached to each piston rod 95. The barrel of each cylinder 96 is hollow and forms a cylindrical cavity 99 that has a diameter just large enough to allow the piston 94 to move in smooth, sliding engagement therewith. The cylinder 96 has a neck 97 of a diameter reduced from that of the cylindrical cavity 99 in barrel of the cylinder 96 so as to just allow smooth, reciprocal movement of the piston rod 95 relative to the cylinder 96. The spring 98 spirally encircles the piston rod 95 within the barrel of the cylinder 96 and is compressed between the neck 97 of the cylinder 96 and the annular surface of the piston 94 surrounding the piston rod 95 facing the neck 97 so that the spring 98 exerts a force in a distal direction against the piston 94.

(52) This force directed outwardly from the hinged connections 80 tends to push the pistons 94 distally outwardly within the cylinders 96. The spring 98 in each stretching arm 88 and 90 thereby biases the piston 94 toward the distal end of each cylinder 96 to urge the stretching arms 88 and 90 toward a retracted position illustrated in FIG. 4. In this retracted position the piston rod 95 extends far into the cylinder 96 so that the distance between the fabric engaging rod 54 and the hinged connections 80 is minimized, as illustrated in FIG. 4. However, it is possible for a user to overcome this spring bias by pulling the fabric engaging rod 54 away from the hinged connections 80, thereby drawing the piston rod 95 partially out of the cylinder 96 and increasing the distance between the fabric engaging rod 54 and the hinged connections 80, whereupon each of the spring arms 88 and 90 is in an extended position, illustrated in FIG. 5.

(53) The extension of the stretching arms 88 and 90 to the extended position of FIG. 5 allows the fabric engaging rod 54 to move in counterclockwise rotation about the hinged connections 80, to clear the rear end 103 of the print panel support plate 42 and also the fabric of the rearward portion 36 of the hat 32, as illustrated in FIG. 9, until the fabric engaging rod 54 is horizontally aligned with the rear gap 50 created between the rigid base plate 20 and the print panel support plate 42 by the spacer pedestal 40. When the fabric engaging rod 54 is released while in alignment with the gap 50, it engages and presses forwardly on part of the rearward portion 36 of the hat 32, thereby forcing that part of the rearward portion 36 into the gap 50, as illustrated in FIG. 10. Since the forward portion 34 of the hat 32 is depressed against the upper surface 22 of the rigid base plate 20, and the capturable portion 36 is thereby held in the gap 48, release of the fabric engaging rod 54 against the fabric of the hat 32 forces that part of the rearward portion 36 into the gap 50. This force by the fabric engaging rod 54 thereby stretches the print receiving portion 30 in a fore and aft direction and relative to the forward portion 34 of the hat 32. This action urges the print receiving portion 30 of the garment 32 into contact with the flat upwardly facing surface 46 of the print panel support plate 42.

(54) Together the stretching apparatus 53 and the depressing apparatus 52 immobilize the print receiving portion 30 of the hat 32 by pulling the print receiving portion 30 downwardly onto and tightly against the top, flat upwardly facing surface 46 of the print panel support plate 42 as illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 10. As illustrated in FIG. 5. The proximal and distal ends 83 and 85 of the stretching arms 88 and 90 are drawn toward each other by the expansion of the compressed springs 98 to force a part of the rearward portion 38 of the garment into the second gap 50. This action thereby stretches the print receiving portion 30 of the garment 32 in a fore and aft direction and urges it into intimate contact with the flat upwardly facing surface 46 of the print panel support plate 42.

(55) The proximal ends 82 of the mounting arms 78 and 79 are mounted to the guide strips 26 of the garment mount 18 by the hinged connections 104, shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, so that the mounting arms 89 and 91 are rotatable about a second common transverse axis of rotation 105 beneath the upper surface 22 of the base plate 20. As illustrated in FIG. 3 the second axis of rotation 105 is parallel to the first axis of rotation 87. Both axes 87 and 105 extend in a transverse horizontal direction. The mounting arms 78 and 79 are rotatable to carry the first independently movable element, namely the hold down bar 64 from the disengaged position shown in FIG. 7 to the garment depressing position shown in FIGS. 8 and 14. In the garment depressing position the laterally extending hold down bar 64 urges the forward portion 34 of the garment 32 into contact with the flat upper surface 22 of the base plate 20, and holds the capturable portion 38 of the garment 32 within the first gap 48. A low, transverse rib 107 extends across the upper surface 22 of the base plate 20. The transverse rib 107 both aids in keeping the capturable portion 38 of the hat 32 in the first gap 48 and also minimizes any resilient vertical movement of the bill 34 of the hat 32 during the printing process.

(56) The hat platen 16 is also provided with a plurality of reciprocally movable, cylindrical locking pins 109, visible in FIGS. 3, 5 and 6. The locking pins 109 are mounted on and are secured to the spacer strips 26 and are horizontally aligned with each other in a transverse direction, as illustrated in FIGS. 3-6. The locking pins 109 are manipulated by means of knobs 111 that are attached to their outboard extremities. The locking pins 109 are reciprocally movable relative to each other and are located in spaced separation from the under surface 24 of the base plate 20. The locking pins 109 may be pulled by the knobs 111 outwardly, transversely apart, with respect to each other in a direction parallel to the axes of rotation 87 and 105 so that the locking pins 109 do not protrude inwardly through the spacer strips 26 when the platen 16 is being loaded onto either the platen support 14 or the master garment loading and unloading station 114.

(57) Once the platen 16 is lowered onto the master loading and unloading station 114, the knobs 111 may be pushed toward each other, thereby pushing the locking pins 109 into their locking positions residing in contact with the lower edge 122 of the peripheral skirt of the platform 118 of the master loading and unloading station 114. The purpose of the locking pins 109 is to hold the platen 16 in position on the master loading and unloading station 114 during removal of a printed hat 32 and loading of the next hat 32 to be printed onto the platen 16. The locking pins 109 prevent the hat platen 16 from being pulled up from the platform 118 when the stretching arms 78 and 79 are pulled to their extended position and rotated clockwise as viewed in FIG. 9. Once the knobs 111 are pulled apart and the locking pins 109 are withdrawn, the platen 16 is again freely movable in a vertical direction relative to the platform 118.

(58) In the embodiment of the transportable hat platen 16 illustrated in FIGS. 2-14 the print panel support plate 42 has an oblong shape when viewed from above, as shown in FIG. 3, and is about 4 inches in length in a fore and aft direction. It has a width no greater than about 7.5 inches at its greatest lateral dimension. The baseplate 20 is formed with a pair of laterally separated first and second side edges 60 and 62, respectively, illustrated in FIG. 3. The side edges 60 and 62 extend in a fore and aft direction. The first and second gaps 48 and 50 preferably have a vertical width no greater than about 3/16 of an inch. These dimensions are suitable to accommodate the most popular size hats upon which words, logos and other images are printed.

(59) The platen 16 and the platen support 14 are provided with at least one registration set of at least one mating, vertically extending projection and at least one vertically extending recess. Preferably, a plurality of identical, interchangeable, transportable platens 16 are employed in the mechanism of the invention and a plurality of sets of mating projections and recesses are provided for each platen and the platen support. Preferably also, the projections are formed as a plurality of positioning pins 108 depending from the lower surface 24 of the baseplate 20 of each platen 16. The recesses are preferably formed as a corresponding plurality of positioning apertures 110 defined through the structure of the platen support 14, as illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12. The positioning pins 108 and the positioning apertures 110 are preferably all of uniform circular cross-section.

(60) The invention preferably employs a master unloading and loading station 114 illustrated in FIGS. 6, 9 and 10. The master unloading and loading station 114 is designed to be supported upon an upwardly facing, stationary working surface 116, as illustrated in FIG. 6. The master unloading and loading station 114 has a generally T-shaped configuration and includes an assembly platform 118 supported by a vertical, ribbed, central support stand 124 extending beneath the platform 118 in a fore and aft direction. The assembly platform 118 has a flat upper surface 120 and a peripheral skirt with a lower edge 122. The central support stand 124 is secured to the bottom of the assembly platform 118 to hold it at a spaced elevation above the working surface 116. The master central support stand 124 is formed of strong, rigid, ribbed plastic and has a horizontal base 128. The assembly platform 118 is secured to the central support stand 124 by means of screws 132 extending through the assembly platform 118 and into the vertical portion of the central support stand 124. The base 128 of the support stand 124 is secured to the working surface by bolts indicated at 119.

(61) The assembly platform 118 is equipped with positioning apertures 134, illustrated in FIG. 6A, to receive the positioning pins 108 of the platen 16. The positioning apertures 134 are spaced apart the same distance as the positioning pins 108 and are of a diameter defined to slidingly receive the positioning pins 108 therein. The positioning apertures 134 in the loading platform 118 are of the same diameter and relative spacing as the positioning apertures 110 in the platen support 14, illustrated in FIG. 11.

(62) In the garment loading and unloading position in which the platen 116 rests atop the assembly platform 118 of the master unloading and loading station 114, illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, the positioning pins 108 of the platen 16 project through the positioning apertures 134 in the assembly platform 118. The platen 16 is thereby immobilized from horizontal movement relative to the master support 114 by the engagement of the positioning pins 108 in the positioning apertures 134. However, when lifted vertically upwardly from the master unloading and loading station 114, as shown in FIG. 6, the platen 16 is otherwise freely and independently movable relative to the master unloading and loading station 114 since the positioning pins 108 and positioning apertures 134 are then disengaged from each other. With the embodiment of the hat platen 16 illustrated, the locking pins 109 may be pushed inwardly to entrap the assembly platform 118 of the master support 114 to totally immobilize the hat platen 16 relative to the master unloading and loading station 114, if desired, so as to provide greater stability to the hat platen 16 while unloading a printed hat 32 from the hat platen 16. Once the next hat 32 to be printed has been loaded onto the hat platen 16, as illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 10, the knobs 111 are pulled outwardly thereby withdrawing the locking pins 109 so that the hat platen 16 is again freely vertically movable and may be carried to and lowered onto the platen support 14, as illustrated in FIG. 14.

(63) The apertures 110 in the platen support 14 are the same diameter and are spaced the same distance apart as the apertures 134 in the assembly platform 118. The platen support 14 is illustrated in detail in FIGS. 11-14. The platen support 14 is completely detachable from the garment receiving arm 12 of the garment printing machine 10. The platen support 14 is formed of a flat, generally rectangular plexiglass slab 140 having a width equal to the width of the undersurface 24 of the baseplate 20 of the platen 16. The platen support 14 has a center post 142 of generally cylindrical configuration, but with a vertically oriented flat area 144 adapted to receive a set screw 146.

(64) The set screw 146 is part of the coupling mechanism 148, illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 16, which forms a conventional part of the digital printing machine 10. The platen support 14 also has an alignment flange 147 depending from the underside of the slab 140 and secured thereto by bolts 149. The alignment flange 147 is laterally centered at the underside of the slab 140 and projects forwardly therefrom a distance of about 5/16 of an inch. The alignment flange 147 is configured to fit into a notch 150 defined in a bracket 152 located on the garment receiving arm 12. The bracket 152 forms a part of the digitized printing machine coupling 148.

(65) A typical conventional coupling mechanism 148 is depicted in detail in FIGS. 15 and 16. The coupling mechanism 148 is located at the rearwardly extending end of the garment receiving arm 12. The coupling mechanism 148 includes an elevation adjusting mechanism 160 designed to adjust the height of the conventional platen support which is replaced by the platen support 14 of the present invention. The platen support 14 of the present invention also interacts and cooperates with the elevation adjustment mechanism 160 to allow the platen 16 to be moved closer to or further from the print jets in the digitized printing machine 10.

(66) More specifically, the conventional elevation adjustment mechanism 160 includes a cup 162 with a central, axial, vertical, cylindrical socket 172 formed therewithin The cup 162 is rotatable relative to the garment receiving arm 12 by means of a lever 164. Defined within the cup 162 are three spiral flights of steps having landings 166 located at ascending elevations within the cup 162. The platen support 14 of the present invention includes three corresponding generally cylindrical pegs 168 depending from the underside of the slab 140. The pegs 168 are located at a radial distance from the center post 142 equal to the radial distance of the spiral step landings 166 in the cup 162. The diameter of the center post 142 fits snugly into the central socket 172 of the elevation adjustment mechanism 160.

(67) The lower extremities of the pegs 168 all rest at landings 166 that are of the same height in each of the three spiral flights of steps. The specific landings 166 upon which the pegs 168 rest is determined by rotation of the cup 162 by means of the handle 164. The platen support 14 may be elevated and lowered by rotation of the cup 162, but is prevented from any horizontal shifting or rotational movement by the constraint provided by the center post 142 in the socket 172 and the engagement of the flange 147 in the notch 150.

(68) The positioning pegs 168 that depend from the underside of the slab 140 of the platen support 14 fit into the corresponding positioning receptacles, namely the landings 166 in the cup 162 on the garment receiving arm 12 of the garment printing machine 10. The interaction between the positioning pegs 168 and the landings 160, together with the positioning restraint provided by the projection of the flange 147 into the notch 150 in the bracket 152 on the garment receiving arm 12 prevents horizontal movement of the platen support 14, and consequently the platen 16 and as well, when the platen support 14 rests atop the garment receiving arm 12. However, when the set screw 146 is released by counterclockwise rotation of the handle 174, the garment support 14 is free to move vertically relative to the garment receiving arm 12 and its elevation may be adjusted relative thereto.

(69) When the hat platen 16 is seated atop the garment support 14 as illustrated in FIG. 2, it is immobilized from all but vertical movement relative thereto. The platen 16 cannot shift in a fore and aft direction nor laterally. It also cannot rotate about a vertical axis relative to the platen support 14. Consequently, the hat 32 is likewise immobilized from all movement, except vertical movement, and therefore can be precisely positioned beneath the inkjets at the printing station of the digitized printing machine 10.

(70) However, the platen 16 is freely movable in a vertical direction. Consequently, once the hat 32 has been imprinted, as illustrated in FIG. 17, the platen 16 carrying it can be lifted freely vertically and removed from the platen support 14. A different, identical platen 16, preloaded with the next hat 32 to be printed as illustrated in FIG. 8, is then dropped onto the platen support 14, as illustrated in FIG. 14. It can be precisely positioned by centering the guide strips 26 along the opposing longitudinal sides of the slab 140 and moving the platen 16 forwardly or rearwardly until the registration projection pins 108 are brought into vertical alignment with the registration apertures 110 in the slab 140 of the platen support 14. Thereupon the platen 16 readily drops into position with the hat 32 precisely located for imprintation upon the print receiving portion 30 thereof.

(71) The chronological sequence of utilization of the transportable platens 16 of the invention may be described in the following manner. At the start of operations, the platen support 14 is first positioned for a production run relative to the garment receiving arm 12 of the digitized printing machine 10 by adjusting the elevation adjusting mechanism 160, and by locking the set screw 146 against the flat 144 of the central post 142 of the platen support 14.

(72) Once the handle 164 has been rotated to raise or lower the pegs 168 to the desired elevation, the set screw 146 is locked by clockwise rotation of the set screw handle 174. Once the handle 174 has locked the set screw 146 against the flat 144 of the center post 142, the platen support 14 is totally immobilized relative to the coupling mechanism 148 which is secured to the longitudinally projecting end of the garment receiving arm 12 of the digitized printing machine 10, as illustrated in FIG. 14. The platen support 14 is thereby immobilized from movement relative to the garment supporting arm 12 in all directions other than vertical.

(73) The platens 16 of the present invention, however, are transportable and may be quickly and easily removed from the platen support 14 when the garment receiving arm 12 is extended as shown in FIG. 14.

(74) To commence a printing run an unloaded platen 16 is first mounted onto the master garment transfer unloading and loading station 114 by simply positioning the platen 16 above the master garment transfer unloading and loading station 114, as illustrated in FIG. 6, and lowering it on to the master garment transfer unloading and loading station 114. As the transportable platen 16 is lowered onto the master garment transfer unloading and loading station 114, guide strips 26 slide down along the side edges of the loading platform 118 to laterally center the transportable platen 16 relative to the loading platform 118. The registration projection pins 108 then slide smoothly into the positioning apertures 134 in the loading platform 118 so that the transportable platen 16 is immobilized from horizontal movement relative to the master transfer unloading and loading station 114, as shown in FIG. 9.

(75) For the first hat 32 to be printed, the transportable platen 16 is initially empty, as illustrated in FIG. 6. However, for all subsequent hats the transportable platen 16 will bear a printed hat 32, as illustrated in FIG. 10. The hat on the transportable platen 16 that has just been removed from the platen support 14 will bear and imprintation, such as that illustrated at 177 in FIG. 17, for example.

(76) The hat 32 illustrated in FIG. 8 has been loaded onto the platen 16 and is ready for imprintation of ink onto the print receiving area 30. The platen 16 is removed from the master unloading and loading station 114 and placed onto the platen support 14. Following imprintation on a hat 32, illustrated in FIG. 17, the platen 16 is removed from the platen support 14 and returned to the master unloading and loading station 114.

(77) Once the transportable platen 16 is seated atop the master transfer unloading and loading station 114, as illustrated in FIG. 10, the fabric engaging rod 54 is pulled rearwardly and in a radial direction away from the hinge connections 80 to pull the stretching arms 88 and 90 to their extended position. The fabric engaging rod 54 and the stretching arms 88 and 90 are then rotated clockwise, as viewed in FIGS. 9 and 10 from the position indicated FIG. 10 to the position indicated in FIG. 7. The mount arms 78 and 79 are then rotated in a clockwise direction from the position shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 8 to the position shown in FIG. 7. The hold down bar 64 is thereby drawn out of contact with the forward portion 34 of the hat 32, thereby releasing the hat 32 as illustrated in FIG. 7.

(78) The printed hat 32 can then easily be pulled free from the hat platen 16 from the position shown in FIG. 7 by manually pulling the hat portions 30 and 36 forwardly from beneath the raised fabric engaging rod 54 The printed hat 32 is then pulled free from the print panel support plate 42 and the baseplate 20. The printed hat 32 is then unloaded by removing it entirely from the transportable platen 16 that is located atop the master unloading and loading station 114. The hat 32 with the imprintation 117 thereon is then replaced with the next hat 32 to be printed.

(79) The next hat 32 to be printed is then loaded onto the transportable platen 16 while the platen 16 remains seated atop the garment transfer unloading and loading station 114. The next hat 32 to be printed is placed atop the hat platen 16 by manually placing the print receiving portion 30 on the top upwardly facing surface 46 of the print panel support plate 42. The front portion 34, the bill of the next hat 32 to be printed, is manually pressed downwardly against the upper surface 22 of the baseplate 20. Once the hat bill 34 is atop the front portion of the baseplate 20 the capturable portion 38 of the hat 32, which is the extreme forward portion of the crown of the hat and the front portion of the hat band, is manually pushed into the first forwardly opening gap 48 between the baseplate 20 and the print panel support plate 42. The capturable portion 38 is manually forced into the first gap 48 by placing the forward portion 34, the bill of the hat 32, atop the upper surface 22 of the rigid base plate 20 and manually sliding it rearwardly toward the gap 48, thereby forcing the capturable portion 38 of the hat 32 into the gap 48.

(80) The mount arms 78 and 79 are then rotated rearwardly in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 9, about the horizontal axis of rotation 87 from the position shown in FIG. 7 to the position shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, thereby swinging the hold down bar 64 into the engaged position illustrated in FIG. 9. This rotation brings the hold down bar 64 upwardly over the front edge of the rigid base plate 20 and the forward tip of the bill 34 of the hat 32 so that the hold down bar 64 exerts a downward force upon the forward bill portion 34 of the hat 32 to tightly clamp it against the upper surface 22 of the base plate 20. The clearance between the upper surface 22 of the base plate 20 and the hold down bar 64 when the mount arms 78 and 79 are in their upright positions shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 is just sufficient to allow the forward portion 34 of the hat 32 to be entrapped and squeezed between the hold down bar 64 and the upper surface 22 of the base plate 20.

(81) The print receiving area 30 of the hat 32 is then pulled rearwardly and downwardly atop the print panel support plate 42. The rear portion 36 of the hat 32 is then manually pulled rearwardly beneath the fabric engaging rod 54 and a part of the rear portion 36 of the hat 32 closest to the print receiving portion 30 is manually pushed into the second, rear gap 50, as shown in FIG. 9. The stretching arms 88 and 90 are then pulled rearwardly, and radially away from the hinge connections 80 and the axis of rotation 87 to the extended position and rotated counterclockwise downwardly as viewed in FIG. 9. The fabric engaging rod 54 is then pulled over the fabric of the rear portion 36 of the hat 32 and the rear edge 103 of the flat upwardly facing surface 46 of the print panel support plate 42. The fabric of the rear portion 36 of the hat 32 is pulled as firmly as possible rearwardly and downwardly so that the print receiving portion 30 becomes taut and resides in contact with the upwardly facing surface 46 of the print panel support plate 42.

(82) The fabric engaging rod 54 is then released so that the springs 98 within the stretching arms 88 and 90 pull the cylinder 96 forwardly toward the hinge connections 80 and axis of rotation 87, thereby pushing the pistons 94 further toward the distal ends 85 of the stretching arms 88 and 90 and shortening the overall length of the stretching arms 88 and 90. This action causes they fabric engaging rod 54 to lurch forward into the gap 50 stretching the fabric and pulling the print receiving portion 30 of the hat 32 tightly into intimate contact with the upwardly spacing surface 46 of the print panel support plate 42.

(83) Once the next hat 32 to be printed is loaded onto the transportable platen 16, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the transportable platen 16 is removed from the master unloading and loading station 114 by lifting it clear from the master unloading and loading station 114. The hat platen 16, with the next hat 32 to be imprinted mounted thereon, is moved back to the position located directly above the platen support 14, as illustrated in FIG. 14. The transportable platen 16, loaded with the hat 32 to be printed, is then lowered onto the platen support 14 from the position shown in FIG. 14 to the position shown in FIG. 2. As the platen 16 is lowered onto the platen support 14, the guide strips 26 slide down alongside the lateral sides of the platen support 14 and the registration projection pins 108 slide vertically into the registration apertures 110 in the slab 140, as illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12. Once the transportable platen 16 has been positioned atop the platen support 14, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The hat 32 is then ready to receive imprintation. The operator of the digitized printing machine 10 merely presses the conventional arm retraction button on the console 11 so that the garment receiving arm 12 retracts and is drawn forwardly into the printing position beneath the inkjets of the garment printing machine 10.

(84) The entire process of withdrawing the transportable platen 16 with the printed hat 32 thereon from the platen support 14, placing it next to the master garment transfer unloading and loading station 114, lifting a second platen 16 with the next hat 32 preloaded thereon from the master garment transfer unloading and loading station 114 and moving it on to the platen support 14, takes only about four seconds. That is, it takes only about four seconds from the time the garment receiving arm 12 moves rearwardly to bring the printed hat 32 into the position illustrated in FIG. 2 to the time a second duplicate transportable platen 16 with the next hat 32 to be printed thereon is in position as illustrated in FIG. 2.

(85) It takes about 16 seconds to place the platen with the printed hat 32 on it onto the master unloading and reloading station 114, remove the printed hat 32 from that transportable platen 16, and load the next hat 32 to be printed thereon. However, unlike prior garment printing systems, the printing machine 10 is not idle during this time. To the contrary, while the operator is exchanging the printed hat for the next hat to be printed on one transportable platen 16 at the garment transfer unloading and loading station 114, the printing machine 10 is engaged in the process of printing an image on the hat 32 located atop an identical platen 16 within the printing machine 10. The printing process itself takes approximately 30 seconds. Consequently, the next hat 32 to be imprinted is positioned on one of the interchangeable platens 16 and that loaded transportable platen 16 is ready for placement on the platen support 14 well before the printing machine 10 extends the printing arm 12 for removal of the transportable platen 16 with the printed hat 32 thereon.

(86) The time-saving achieved is approximately 12 seconds per hat 32. For a printing run of 1000 hats, therefore, the time-saving is about 200 minutes, well over three hours. Therefore, the present invention provides a very considerable savings in efficiency of printing garments.

(87) A transportable garment printing platen in accordance with the invention may be utilized to print garments other than hats. FIG. 18 illustrates the underside of a platen 216 suitable for mounting a shirt to be loaded thereon and imprinted using the digitized garment printing machine 10. Like the platen 16, the platen 216 includes a pair of registration pins 208 that fit into the corresponding registration apertures 110 in the platen support 14. A platen 216 may be loaded with the next shirt to be printed while an identical platen 216, previously loaded with a shirt to be printed, is already seated on the platen support 14 in the manner previously described.

(88) The transportable platen 16 of the invention may also be utilized with garment screen printing machines as well as garment digitized printing machines. FIGS. 19-23 illustrates a platen support 214 adapted to receive and seat the transportable platen 16 previously described. The platen support 214 illustrated in FIG. 19 has a platen support slab 240 having an outer perimeter identical to that of the platen support slab 140 illustrated in FIG. 11. Registration apertures 210 in the platen support slab 214 shown in FIG. 19 are likewise spaced apart the same distance and in the same corresponding locations as the platen registration pin apertures 110 in the platen support slab 140 illustrated in FIG. 11.

(89) The attachment mechanism for securing the platen support 214 is somewhat different, however, due to the difference in design of garment receiving arms on a screen printing machine from those on a digitized garment printing machine 10. FIG. 24 illustrates a typical, screen printing machine 310 that has a garment receiving arm 312 upon which the transportable platen 16 may be mounted. The manual garment printing machine 310 may, for example, be a Workhorse Odyssey 0-4100B or a M & R Sidewinder manual rotary screen printing machine. However, the apparatus and method of the invention may be utilized with virtually all conventional, commercially available, manual screen printing machines.

(90) The screen printing machine 310 has different screens, three of which are illustrated at 314, 316 and 318 each mounted on a screen carrying arm 320. The arms 320 are mounted upon a hub or turntable 321 and may be independently rotated downwardly toward the platen 16 from the positions illustrated in FIG. 24. Each of the screens 314, 316 and 318 is sequentially brought into alignment with the platen 214, and is rotated downwardly into contact with a garment (omitted in FIG. 24) mounted on the platen 16 to imprint that garment with a particular color once the turntable 321 advances it into alignment with the garment receiving arm 312. The operation of the screen printing machine 310 is conventional and need not be described in detail.

(91) FIG. 24 illustrates the transportable platen 16 removably positioned upon the platen support 214. As previously noted, the platen support 214 has the same seating arrangement for receiving the transportable platen 16 as the platen support 14. However, the connection of the platen support 214 to the garment receiving arm 312 is adapted to the connection arrangement for a typical screen printing machine 310.

(92) More specifically, as illustrated in FIGS. 21 and 23, a section of a U-shaped channel 220 having outwardly turned side flanges 222 is secured to the underside of the platen support slab 240. Attachment of the flanges 222 to the underside of the slab 240 is by means of bolts or screws 224. The channel 220 thereby defines an open space between its central portion and the underside of the slab 240 that allows the platen support 214 to be mounted upon the garment receiving arm 312. A setscrew 226 is threadably engaged in a threaded aperture in the channel 220 to allow the setscrew 226 to be advanced or withdrawn by rotation of a tightening knob 228. As illustrated in FIG. 23 the platen support 214 is clamped at the appropriate position along the length of the garment receiving arm 312 by tightening the clamping screw 226 using the tightening knob 228. This places the platen support 214 at the correct position to receive an imprint of ink through the screens 314, 316 and 318 at the unmasked locations thereon. The transportable platens 16 are unloaded and loaded at the garment unloading and loading station 114 and lifted from and replaced onto the platen support 214 in the same manner as described with respect to the platen 16 and platen support 14.

(93) It should be noted that when the platen 16 is utilized with the screen printing machine 310 illustrated in FIG. 24, the hold down bar 64 is not engaged in the manner illustrated in FIG. 8, but to the contrary is moved to its disengaged position illustrated in FIGS. 7 and. 24. The reason for not deploying of the hold down rod 64 is so that it does not project above the top surface 22 of the baseplate 20. Unlike use of inkjets with a digitized printing machine 10, the screens 314, 316 and 318 are lowered into direct contact with the print receiving surface of a garment. As a consequence, no portion of the structure of the transportable platen 16, other than the print panel support plate 42, should project above the upper surface 22 of the baseplate 20. Such an upward projection could prevent the print screen from making full contact with the print receiving surface 30.

(94) Platens suitable for use in printing on shirts, operating on the same principles, but with a somewhat different construction are also within the scope of the present invention. For example, FIGS. 25-31 illustrate a platen 416 constructed according to the invention, but suitable for holding a shirt, rather than a hat, for printing. The garment mount 418 is comprised of a flat, generally rectangular plexiglass baseplate 420 measuring about 16 inches in length and 14 inches in width. The baseplate 420 has a flat upper surface 422 and a lower surface 424. The garment mount 418 also includes a print panel support plate 442 having a flat upper surface 446 forming the upwardly facing garment support surface. The garment mount 418 is further comprised of a spacing mechanism in the form of a laterally extending spacing strip 440 that is interposed between the baseplate 420 and the print panel support plate 442 at the rearward ends thereof. The spacing strip 440 creates a gap 450 between the print panel support 442 and the upper surface 422 of the baseplate 420. The garment mount 418 is further comprised of a pair of mutually parallel, longitudinally extending guide strips 426 that are secured to the lower surface 424 of the baseplate 420.

(95) A platen support 414 is illustrated in FIGS. 35-37. The platen support 414 has a top plate or slab 418 of a generally rectangular shape that is approximately 12 inches in length and 10 inches in width The top plate 418 of the platen support 414 has mutually parallel side edges 415 so that the platen support 414 has a uniform width along its length. Therefore, when the platen 416 is lowered onto the platen support 414 the guide strips 426 reside alongside the side edges 415 of the top plate 418 of the platen support 414. This prevents relative movement in a lateral direction between the platen 416 and the platen support 414. As with the platen 16, a pair of registration positioning pins 408 project from the underside of the platen support baseplate 420. These positioning pins 408 fit snugly into at least two of the positioning apertures 410 defined in the platen top mounting plate or slab 418 of the platen support 414.

(96) As with the transportable platen 16, there is a master garment loading and unloading station 514 for the platen 416, illustrated in FIGS. 28, 29 and 32. The master garment loading and unloading station 514 includes an assembly platform 518 having at least one, and in the embodiment shown, a pair of vertically extending recesses which are apertures 510 defined therein. The apertures 510 are configured to receive the vertically extending projection pins 408 that depend from the undersurface of the platen baseplate 420 in mating engagement therewith.

(97) The assembly platform 518 has side edges spaced apart a uniform distance equal to the width of the top plate or slab 418 of the platen support 414 so as to prevent lateral movement of the baseplate 420 of the platen 416 relative to the assembly platform 518. Lateral movement is prevented since the guide strips 426 depending from the underside of the baseplate 420 reside snugly against the outer side edges 515 of the assembly platform 518 so as to slidingly embrace the side edges 515 of the assembly platform 518 between them and laterally center the platen 416 relative to the assembly platform 518. The platen 416 is moved forwardly or rearwardly, if necessary, until the vertically extending projection pins 408 drop into the corresponding apertures 510 in the assembly platform 518 so that the platen 416 is seated upon the master garment loading and unloading station 514.

(98) The master loading and unloading station 514 has a generally rectangular, laterally elongated window 521 defined through the assembly platform 518. A cylindrical roller 523 is mounted in the master loading and unloading station 514 for rotation about a horizontal, laterally extending axis of rotation 525. A portion of the roller 523 protrudes upwardly through the laterally extending window 521 and is freely rotatable relative to the master loading and unloading station 514.

(99) The transportable platen 416 has a another feature that is not in the transportable platen 16. The platen baseplate 420 also has a generally rectangular, laterally elongated window 421 defined therethrough proximate the forward end of the platen baseplate 420 and remote from the spacing strip 440. The window 421 resides in vertical registration and congruent alignment with the window 521 in the assembly platform 518 when the platen 416 is seated atop the master loading and unloading station 514. The roller 523 also protrudes through the window 421 of the baseplate 420 as well as the window 521 of the assembly platform 518 when the platen 416 is positioned atop the assembly platform 518 and the vertically extending projections 408 protruding from the underside of the platen baseplate 420 reside in mating engagement with the vertically extending apertures 510 in the assembly platform 518.

(100) The laterally extending spacing strip 440 is located at the rear end of the platen 416 and is thereby remote from the window 421 in the baseplate 420. As shown in FIGS. 28 and 29, the print panel support 442 is held above the platen baseplate 420 in cantilevered fashion on top of the spacing strip 440. As a consequence, gravity causes the forward end of the print panel support 442 to sag downwardly into contact with the upper surface 422 of the baseplate 420 when the transportable platen 416 is removed from the master loading and unloading station 514, as illustrated in FIG. 29.

(101) Once a garment, such as a shirt 432, is mounted on the platen 416, the force of gravity causing the print panel support 442 to sag downwardly will tend to immobilize the shirt 432 relative to the platen 416. However, when the platen 416 is positioned atop the master loading and unloading station 514, the roller 523, while protruding through the window 421 defined through the baseplate 420, will press upwardly against the undersurface of the print panel support 442, thereby lifting the forward end of the print panel support 442 slightly up and out of contact with the baseplate 420. This facilitates the loading of a shirt 432 on to the platen 416.

(102) More specifically, if an image is to be printed on the chest portion 431 of the shirt 432, the opposing back portion 433 of the shirt is inserted in between the baseplate 420 and the print panel support 442 at the forward end of the platen 416 remote from the spacing strip 440, as shown in FIG. 32. The chest portion 431 of the shirt resides atop the print panel support 442 and the back portion 433 of the shirt 432 is located between the print panel support 442 and the baseplate 420 while the platen 416 is seated atop the master garment loading and unloading station 514. The tail area of back portion 433 of the shirt 432 is pulled rearwardly in between the print panel support 442 and the baseplate 420 while the chest portion 431 of the shirt 432 resides atop the print panel support 442.

(103) This action of pulling the shirt 432 from right to left, as viewed in FIG. 32 causes the roller 523 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIGS. 29 and 32 as the shirt 432 is pulled rearwardly toward the spacing strip 440. When the platen 416 is lifted up from the loading and unloading station 514, the upward force of the roller 523 on the underside of the print panel support 442 is removed, whereupon the forward end of the print panel support 442 drops downwardly, thereby exerting pressure on the back portion 433 of the shirt fabric. This pressure tends to prevent shifting of the shirt 432 on the platen 416.

(104) Even greater immobilization of the shirt 432 is provided by using an open frame 425, forming a part of the platen 416. The frame 425 may be lowered into position onto the print panel support 442. The frame 425 is illustrated in FIGS. 25, 29, 32, 35 and 36. The frame 425 has a large, central window opening 427 defined therein and a peripheral rim 429 having an L-shaped cross section, that resides above only the peripheral margin 430 of the print panel support 442. The peripheral margin 430 of the print support panel 442 is vertically recessed from the greater central area of the print panel support 442, as illustrated in FIGS. 25, 28 and 29. As a consequence, the rim 429 of the frame 425 bears down upon the periphery of the fabric of both the chest portion 431 and the garment back 433 and against only the peripheral margin 430 of the print panel support 442. This downward force about the periphery of the print receiving portion 431 presses the print receiving portion 431 of the garment 432 against the upwardly facing surface 446 of the print panel support plate 422 while immobilizing the print receiving portion 431 of the garment 432 relative to the garment mount 418.

(105) The structure of the frame 425 therefore extends vertically no higher than the central region of the print support panel 442. Consequently, the frame 425 exerts an immobilizing force on the upwardly facing surface of the garment 432, but does not project above the print receiving surface 431 of the garment 432 located within the window 427 of the frame 425. The frame 425 therefore does not project above the top surface of the print panel support 442 and therefore does not interfere with contact of the print screens 314, 316 and 318 against the print receiving chest portion 431 of the shirt 432 when the transportable platen 416 is used in the screen printing machine illustrated in FIG. 24.

(106) The frame 425 likewise does not interfere with any vertical adjustment of spacing between the print receiving surface portion 431 of the garment 432 and the inkjets at the printing station when the platen 416 is used with the digitized printing machine 10. Moreover, when the frame 425 is lowered onto the print panel support plate 442 while the print receiving portion 431 of said garment 432 is positioned atop the top, upwardly facing surface 446 of the print panel support plate 442, the capturable portion 427 of the garment 432 surrounds the print receiving portion 431 of the garment 432. The rim 429 presses the capturable portion 427 of the garment 432 into the recessed, peripheral margin 430 of the print panel support plate 442, thereby stretching the print receiving portion 431 in fore and aft and all lateral directions and pressing the print receiving portion 431 of the garment 432 against the upwardly facing surface 446 of the print panel support plate 442. The frame 425 thereby immobilizes the print receiving portion 431 of the garment 432 relative to the print panel support plate 442.

(107) The transportable platen 416 is utilized with a platen support 414, illustrated in FIGS. 33-37. The platen support 414 has pin receiving recesses in the form of apertures 410. Like the platen support 14, the platen support 414 has registration pegs 168 depending from its underside. The pegs 168 cooperate with the elevation of adjusting mechanism 160 illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 16 in the manner previously described with reference to the platen support 14. The platen support 414 likewise has a central post 142 and a flange 147 that also cooperate with the coupling mechanism 148 illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 16.

(108) The steps in loading and unloading shirts 432 using the platen 416 and the platen support 414 are quite similar to the steps employed in loading and unloading hats 32 using the platen 16. Specifically, one platen 414 is first positioned atop the garment mounting station 514. A portion 433 of a shirt 432 is pulled in between the platen baseplate 420 and the print panel support plate 442 while the portion 431 of the shirt to receive the imprint is pulled on top of the print panel support plate 442. Loading of the shirt 432 is from right to left, as viewed in FIG. 32.

(109) At the start of operations, the platen support 414 is first positioned for a production run relative to the garment receiving arm 12 of the digitized printing machine 10 by adjusting the elevation adjusting mechanism 160, and by locking the set screw 146 against the flat 144 of the central post 142 of the platen support 414.

(110) Once the handle 164 has been rotated to raise or lower the pegs 168 to the desired elevation, the set screw 146 is locked by clockwise rotation of the set screw handle 174. Once the handle 174 has locked the set screw 146 against the flat 144 of the center post 142, the platen support 414 is totally immobilized relative to the coupling mechanism 148 which is secured to the longitudinally projecting rear end of the garment receiving arm 12 of the digitized printing machine 10, as in a manner similar to that illustrated in FIG. 14. The platen support 414 is thereby immobilized from movement relative to the garment supporting arm 12 in all directions other than vertical.

(111) The platen 416 of the present invention, however, is transportable and may be quickly and easily removed from the platen support 414 when the garment receiving arm 12 is extended as shown in FIGS. 2, 15 and 16.

(112) To commence a printing run an unloaded platen 416 is first positioned onto the master garment transfer unloading and loading station 514 by simply positioning the platen 416 above the master garment transfer unloading and loading station 514, as illustrated in FIGS. 28 and 29, and lowering it on to the master garment transfer unloading and loading station 414. As the transportable platen 416 is lowered onto the master garment transfer unloading and loading station 514, guide strips 426 slide down along the side edges of the loading platform 518 to laterally center the transportable platen 416 relative to the loading platform 518. The registration projection pins 508 then slide smoothly into the positioning apertures 510 in the loading platform 518 so that the transportable platen 416 is immobilized from horizontal movement relative to the master transfer unloading and loading station 514, as shown in FIG. 32.

(113) For the first shirt 432 to be printed, the transportable platen 416 is initially empty. However, for all subsequent shirts the transportable platen 416 will bear a printed shirt 432. The shirt 432 on the transportable platen 16 that has just been removed from the platen support 414 will bear an imprintation.

(114) Once the transportable platen 416 is seated atop the master transfer unloading and loading station 514, the frame 425 is lifted upwardly, free from the printed shirt 432 and also the print panel support plate 442. The printed shirt 432 is then pulled free from the print panel support plate 442 and the baseplate 420 by pulling it off the platen 416 from left to right, as viewed in FIG. 32. The roller 425 rotates clockwise as viewed in FIG. 32 and facilitates withdrawal of the printed shirt 432. The printed shirt 432 is then unloaded by removing it entirely from the transportable platen 416 and transferring it to a conveyor that carries it through a dryer.

(115) The next shirt 432 to be printed is then loaded onto the transportable platen 416 while it remains seated atop the garment transfer unloading and loading station 514. The shirt is pulled onto the print panel support plate 442 from right to left, as viewed in FIG. 32. The shirt portion 431 to be printed resides atop the print panel support plate 442, while the opposite portion 433 of the shirt 432 is sandwiched in between the print panel support plate 442 and the baseplate 420. The roller 425 rotates in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 32, and facilitates loading of the shirt 432. Once the shirt 432 has been loaded the immobilizing frame 425 is then lowered into position atop periphery of the print receiving portion of the chest area 431. The rim 429 of the frame 425 bears downwardly against the shirt fabric and against the peripheral margin 430 of the print panel support plate 442.

(116) Once the next shirt 432 to be printed is loaded onto the transportable platen 416, as illustrated in FIG. 32, the transportable platen 416 is lifted clear from the unloading and loading station 514 and moved back to the position located directly above the platen support 414, as illustrated in FIG. 35. The transportable platen 416, loaded with the shirt 432 to be printed, is then lowered onto the platen support 414 from the position shown in FIG. 35 to the position shown in FIG. 36. As the platen 416 is lowered onto the platen support 414, the guide strips 426 slide down alongside the lateral side edges 415 of the platen support 414 and the registration projection pins 408 slide vertically into the registration apertures 410 in the top slab 418, as illustrated in FIG. 36. Once the transportable platen 416 has been positioned atop the platen support 414, as illustrated in FIG. 36. The shirt 432 is then ready to receive imprintation. The operator of the digitized printing machine 10 merely presses the conventional arm retraction button on the console 11 so that the garment receiving arm 12 is drawn forwardly into the printing position beneath the inkjets in the console of 11 of the garment printing machine 10.

(117) The entire process of withdrawing the transportable platen 416 with the printed shirt 432 loaded thereon from the platen support 414, placing it on the garment transfer unloading and loading station 514, unloading and removing the printed shirt 432, reloading the transportable platen 416 with the next shirt 432 to be printed, lifting the platen 416 from the garment transfer unloading and loading station 514 and returning it to the platen support 414, takes only about four seconds.

(118) Undoubtedly, numerous variations and modifications of the invention will become readily apparent to those familiar with garment printing. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should not be construed as limited to the specific embodiments depicted and the method of implementation described, but rather is defined in the claims appended hereto.