System and method for aligning an inker of a decorator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018024076-A1
Application number	US-201715654255-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 19, 2017
Priority date	Jul 20, 2016
Publication date	Jan 25, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus and methods of decorating a metallic container are provided. More specifically, the present invention relates to apparatus and methods used to provide a decoration on a predetermined portion of a metallic container body. The decorator includes a sensor that senses decorations on metallic containers. A control system receives information related to the sensed decorations from the sensor and then determines if the decorations at least meet predetermined color, density, thickness, orientation, and consistency targets. The control system can automatically adjust elements of the decorator to correct a deficient decoration. In one embodiment, the control system can automatically adjust ink blades associated with a plurality of inking assemblies of the decorator to adjust the color, density, orientation, positioning, and consistency of decorations transferred to the metallic containers. In another embodiment, the control system can adjust a position of an inking assembly, an ink roller, a plate cylinder, a printing plate, a blanket cylinder, and a transfer blanket of the decorator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for selectively controlling an amount of ink applied by a decorator used to decorate a metallic container, comprising:
an inking assembly including an ink roller with a plurality of axial portions, an ink reservoir, and actuators associated with each of the axial portions, each actuator operable to adjust an amount of ink transferred from the ink reservoir to an associated axial portion of the ink roller; a plate cylinder including printing plates in a predetermined alignment with respect to the ink roller such that the printing plates receive at least some ink from the ink roller; a blanket cylinder including transfer blankets in a predetermined alignment with respect to the plate cylinder such that a transfer blanket receives at least some ink from one of the printing plates; a support element with a plurality of stations to receive metallic containers, the support element operable to receive the metallic container from a conveyor and move the metallic container into contact with the transfer blanket to transfer at least some ink from the transfer blanket to the metallic container to form a decoration on an exterior surface of the metallic container; at least one sensor to obtain data about the decoration on the exterior surface of the metallic container; and a control system that receives the data from the at least one sensor and determines if the decoration includes a deficiency, wherein if the decoration includes a deficiency the control system is operable to send a signal to an actuator to alter the amount of ink transferred to an associated axial portion of the ink roller.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises from three to five sensors positioned to sense predetermined locations of the exterior surface of the metallic container.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the deficiency is associated with at least one of a color of the decoration, a density of the decoration, a depth of the decoration, an alignment of the decoration, a consistency of the decoration, and a position of the decoration.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a camera assembly which images the decoration on the exterior surface of the metallic container.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor obtains data of one or more of a color of the decoration, a density of the decoration, a depth or thickness of the decoration, an alignment of the decoration, a consistency of the decoration, and a position of the decoration.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is operable to alter an amount of ink transferred to the associated axial portion of the ink roller while the apparatus is in operation decorating the metallic containers.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the actuator is operable to move at least a portion of an ink key radially with respect to the ink roller.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the inking assembly further includes a plurality of ink blades, each of the ink blades associated with one of the plurality of axial portions and one of the actuators.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein each of the actuators includes a shaft interconnected to one of the ink blades, wherein rotating the shaft in a first direction moves the ink blade closer to the ink roller thereby decreasing the amount of ink transferred to the associated axial portion of the ink roller.

10 . A method of sensing and correcting an abnormality in a decoration applied to an exterior surface of a container, comprising:
providing a container; decorating the container with a decorator that includes:
an inking assembly including an ink roller having a plurality of axial portions, an ink reservoir, and an actuator associated with each of the axial portions, each actuator operable to adjust an amount of ink transferred from the ink reservoir to an associated axial portion of the ink roller;
a plate cylinder including printing plates in a predetermined alignment with respect to the ink roller such that the printing plates receive at least some ink from the ink roller;
a blanket cylinder including transfer blankets in a predetermined alignment with respect to the plate cylinder such that each of the transfer blankets receives at least some ink from a printing plate; and
a support element to receive the container from a conveyor and move the container into contact with a transfer blanket of the blanket cylinder to transfer at least some ink from the transfer blanket to the container to form the decoration on an exterior surface of the container;
obtaining data about the decoration on the exterior surface of the container by at least one sensor; determining, by a control system, if the decoration includes an abnormality; and sending, by the control system, a signal to the decorator to alter at least one of a color, a density, a thickness, an alignment, and a consistency of subsequent decorations.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the signal causes at least one of the inking assembly, the ink roller, the plate cylinder, and the blanket cylinder to move in a specific direction.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the inking assembly, the ink roller, the plate cylinder, and the blanket cylinder can move, in response to a signal from the control system, in at least one of:
an axial direction; a lateral direction; and a vertical direction.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the control system determines the abnormality is associated with an improper amount of ink transferred to the container.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein after sending the signal to the decorator, the control system waits a predetermine period of time for the at least one sensor to obtain data about a second decoration on an exterior surface of a second container decorated by the decorator.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the signal causes an actuator to rotate in a first predetermined direction to move an ink blade of the inking assembly to a position which either increases or decreases the amount of ink transferred to an axial portion of the ink roller.

16 . A non-transitory computer readable medium provided on a storage medium and having instructions that when executed by a processor of a control system cause the processor to perform a method of sensing and correcting an abnormality in a decoration formed on a cylindrical surface of a container by a decorator, comprising:
instructions to receive data from a sensor related to the decoration formed on the cylindrical surface of the container; instructions to determine if the decoration includes an abnormality related to at least one of a color, a density, a thickness, an alignment, and a consistency of the decoration; and instructions to send a signal to the decorator to alter at least one of a color, a density, a thickness, an alignment, and a consistency of subsequent decorations formed by the decorator.

17 . The computer readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising instructions to compare the data received from the sensor to data of an acceptable decoration.

18 . The computer readable medium of claim 16 , further comprising instructions to determine if the abnormal decoration is related to one or more of an improper amount of ink, a defective ink, a defective printing plate or transfer blanket of the decorator, and an improper alignment of a component of the decorator.

19 . The computer readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the si

Assignees

• Ball Corp

Inventors

• Efner John
• Hedberg Kellie

Classifications

• B41F33/16

  Programming systems for automatic control of sequence of operations · CPC title

• B41F33/12

  for starting or stopping the machine as a whole · CPC title

• B41F17/22

  by rolling contact · CPC title

• B41F31/05

  Positioning devices therefor · CPC title

• B41F33/0081

  Devices for scanning register marks · CPC title