Apparatus for decorating stiff objects

1. Apparatus for decorating stiff objects comprising

an arcuate conveyor path,

holders for carrying respective objects and movable along the conveyor path for displacing the objects therealong,

means for conveying the holders along the conveyor path,

a plurality of treatment stations for treating said objects disposed along the conveyor path, said treatment stations including at least one printing station for decorating the objects and at least one drying station arranged downstream of the printing station in the direction of conveying movement of the objects for drying printing ink applied to the objects,

wherein the at least one drying station is at a level at a spacing below the level at which the at least one printing station is disposed, and

motion means for moving the holders downwardly and upwardly between a treatment procedure in a printing station and a treatment procedure in the respectively following drying station and between a treatment procedure in a drying station and a treatment procedure in the respectively following printing station,

wherein the objects are printed upon from above and dried from below.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including

control means for controlling said motion means to produce the upward and downward movement of the holders at least in part during a conveying stepping movement between two treatment procedures.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including

actuating means for producing movement of the holders upwardly and downwardly at least in the at least one printing station in dependence on the cross-sectional shape of an object to be printed during the printing operation.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1

wherein at least one printing station is in the form of a screen printing station.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1

wherein at least one drying station includes an UV radiating device.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5

wherein the UV radiating device is below the position assumed by an object in the respective drying station.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1

wherein a drying station is arranged downstream of each printing station in the direction of conveying movement of the objects.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 and further including

means for driving the holders in rotation, whereby an object held by a respective holder is rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the object.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 8 and including

a common rotary drive means for a plurality of said holders.

10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 9

wherein the rotary drive for each respective holder includes a drive train incorporating a controllable clutch for selectively connecting the holder to and disconnecting it from the common rotary drive.

11. Apparatus as set forth in claim 9

wherein the rotary drive for each holder includes a drive train incorporating a compensating coupling for compensating the differing heightwise positions of the holder portions carrying each respective object.

12. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1

wherein the holders are subdivided into first and second groups such that successive holders in the direction of conveying movement belong alternately to respective ones of the first and second groups

and including means for joint vertical reciprocating movement of the holders of each of the first and second groups.

13. Apparatus as set forth in claim 12 including

first and second guide cam means extending along the conveyor path, and

means for producing vertical reciprocating movement of the first and second guide cams,

the arrangement being such that the holders of one of said first and second groups are operatively related to the one guide cam and the holders of the respective other group are operatively related to the other guide cam.

14. Apparatus as set forth in claim 12 including

means for alternately moving the first and second groups of holders upwardly and downwardly,

wherein at least some of the holders of the first group are disposed in a respective printing station when at least some of the holders of the other group are disposed in a respective drying station.

15. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including

means for screening at least the at least one printing station from view in relation to the at least one drying station.

16. Apparatus as set forth in claim 15

wherein the conveyor path at least in the region thereof which comprises the at least one drying station is delimited at top and bottom by a respective flat screening means and the at least one printing station on the one hand and the at least one drying station on the other hand are respectively arranged above and below the screening means, and said screening means are at least respectively provided in the region of a printing station and a drying station respectively with an opening and objects are respectively accessible from above in the printing stations and from below in the drying station through said openings and said openings in the printing station on the one hand and in the drying station on the other hand are displaced relative to each other in the direction of conveying movement of the objects.

17. Apparatus as set forth in claim 16 including

a screening member between first and second adjacent holders, and

means for moving the screening member stepwise along the conveyor path with the holders,

wherein the height of the screening member at least approximately corresponds to the vertical spacing of the two screening means.

18. Apparatus as set forth in claim 17

wherein the screening member is in the form of a shaped portion having a web portion extending substantially vertically and approximately radially with respect to the center point of the conveyor path and at least one flange bearing against one of the stationary screening means.