Richard C Gall

US Patent:

40784835, Mar 14, 1978

Filed:

Apr 15, 1976

Appl. No.:

5/677370

Inventors:

Richard C. Gall - Milwaukee WI

Assignee:

Jos. Schlitz Brewing Company - Milwaukee WI

International Classification:

B41F 1716

US Classification:

101 44

Abstract:

A pivotally mounted starwheel is selectively positioned to sequentially engage a series of containers such as beer cans freely mounted on a moving conveyor bed. The starwheel rotates in response to a predetermined number of containers operatively applying pressure thereto and rotates an inter-connected supporting wheel providing a series of radially and circumferentially spaced printing units which sequentially engage an inking wheel and the containers for applying a mark thereto. The inking wheel is coupled through a transmission and drive wheel to the supporting wheel and rotates in synchronism with the starwheel. The ink source includes plural ink retainers inter-connected by a gravity feed and cooperates with a pair of ink transfer wheels. Each of the printing units is cam operated and includes a pair of oppositely biased pistons which compensate for variances in container height.