ROTARY SCREEN PRINTER
Improvements in a rotary screen printer that operates with a stepper motor for indexing the screen printer. The stepper motor provides a positive rotation and locating of the printing arms. The stepper motor can also have a controlled acceleration and deceleration speed while it indexes. The stepper motor further drives a spur gear to improve the drive ratio from the stepper motor to the indexing arms. The rotary screen printer uses pneumatic cylinders to operate the screening arms. Pneumatic cylinders are controllable for the downward force by adjusting pressure regulator(s) and the stroke by adjusting either limit switches or mechanical stops. Each station is interchangeable to accommodate the printing requirements of each job. Each station can be operated as a screen printing station, a drying station, a pad printer, and the number of stations can be changed by reprogramming the number of steps between each station stop.
1 . A rotary screen printer comprising:
a multi-station rotary printer;
said rotary printer indexes a carrousel with a stepper motor drive through a plurality of stations;
said multi-station rotary printer further includes a plurality of support arms that extend from a central hub, and
said multi-station rotary printer further includes at least one pneumatic station for the application of ink or dye.
2 . The rotary screen printer according to claim 1 wherein said stepper motor drive connects through a spur gear to said carrousel.
3 . The rotary screen printer according to claim 2 wherein said spur gear is connected to a driven gear.
4 . The rotary screen printer according to claim 3 wherein driven gear is connected to said carrousel.
5 . The rotary screen printer according to claim 1 wherein that further includes changeable stations that can perform different or the same operation.
6 . The rotary screen printer according to claim 1 wherein said stations include at least one printing station.
7 . The rotary screen printer according to claim 1 wherein said stations include at least one drying station.
8 . The rotary screen printer according to claim 7 wherein said at least one drying station is with UV light.
9 . The rotary screen printer according to claim 1 wherein said stations include at least one texturing station.
10 . The rotary screen printer according to claim 1 wherein the rotation between each station is changeable by programming or reprogramming said rotary screen printer.
11 . The rotary screen printer according to claim 1 that further includes at least one linear actuator to pneumatic that applies liquid dye or ink through a screen.
12 . The rotary screen printer according to claim 11 wherein said linear actuator is a pneumatic linear actuator.
13 . The rotary screen printer according to claim 12 wherein a downward force of a squeegee connected to said linear actuator is adjustable by adjusting a pressure regulated to said linear actuator.
14 . The rotary screen printer according to claim 13 wherein a stroke of said linear actuator is adjustable with limit switches.
15 . The rotary screen printer according to claim 14 wherein said limit switch(s) is selected from a group consisting of an optical, mechanical and inductive sensor.
16 . The rotary screen printer according to claim 13 wherein a stroke of said linear actuator is adjustable with mechanical stops.
17 . The rotary screen printer according to claim 1 wherein acceleration deceleration of said stepper motor is controllable.
18 . The rotary screen printer according to claim 1 wherein the number of stations is changeable with software programming.
19 . The rotary screen printer according to claim 1 wherein said multi-station rotary printer further includes dryers supported on arm(s) that are directly or indirectly secured to said central hub.
20 . The rotary screen printer according to claim 1 includes at least four arms or platens.