Apparatus and method for providing registered printing on separate continuous webs of paperboard material for forming into multiple box blanks

• US 20050085362A1
• Filed: 04/30/2004
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Compak Companies LLC
• Original Assignee: The Compak Companies LLC
• Inventors: Hutchinson, Arthur C., Blackburn, Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,114,444 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 493/11
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/00 Making rigid or semi-rigid containers, e.g. boxes or cartons
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/006 Controlling; Regulating; Measuring; Improving safety
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/88 Printing; Embossing
• CPC Class Codes: B41P 2213/90 Register control

Abstract

An apparatus and method for forming continuous webs of paperboard material into multiple box blanks having dual-faced printing. The apparatus comprises a printer for repetitively applying indicia to a first continuous web of paperboard material at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal axis thereof as the first continuous web moves through the printer, the printer including a motor-driven printing cylinder having a circumferential printing surface, and an impression cylinder having a rotational speed determined by the rate of travel of the first continuous web through the printer; at least one sensor operative to detect reference marks pre-printed on the second web at intervals along the longitudinal axis thereof; at least one encoder operative to generate signals corresponding to the rotational speed of the impression cylinder; and a computer controller: (a) operatively connected to the at least one sensor to receive information corresponding to the position of the reference marks pre-printed on the second web; (b) operatively connected to the at least one encoder to receive signals corresponding to the rotational speed of the impression cylinder; and (c) operatively connected to the printing cylinder motor and operative to match the rotational speed of the printing cylinder to the rotational speed of the impression cylinder as established by the at least one encoder, and further operative to selectively adjust the rotational speed of the printing cylinder in order to bring the printing applied by each revolution of the printing cylinder into the area defined between adjacent reference marks on the second continuous web as detected by the at least one sensor.

Claims

1. In an in-line apparatus for creating paperboard carton blanks from a unitary paperboard web formed from at least first and second continuous webs of paperboard material moving at approximately the same rate of travel through the apparatus, wherein the second web is pre-printed, an apparatus for printing the first web of paperboard material before the first and second webs are joined to define the unitary paperboard web, such that the printing on the first web is controllably registered to the printing on the second web, the apparatus comprising:

A printer for repetitively applying indicia to the first continuous web of paperboard material at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal axis thereof as the first continuous web moves through the printer, the printer including a motor-driven printing cylinder having a circumferential printing surface, and an impression cylinder having a rotational speed determined by the rate of travel of the first continuous web through the printer;

At least one sensor operative to detect reference marks pre-printed on the second web at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal axis thereof;

At least one encoder operative to generate signals corresponding to the rotational speed of the impression cylinder; and

A computer controller;

(a) connected to the at least one sensor to receive information corresponding to the position of the reference marks pre-printed on the second web;

(b) connected to the at least one encoder to receive signals corresponding to the rotational speed of the impression cylinder; and

(c) connected to the printing cylinder motor and operative to match the rotational speed of the printing cylinder to the rotational speed of the impression cylinder as established by the at least one encoder, and further operative to selectively adjust the rotational speed of the printing cylinder in order to bring the printing applied by each revolution of the printing cylinder into the area defined between adjacent reference marks on the second continuous web as detected by the at least one sensor.

2. A method for applying printing to first and second webs of paperboard material before the first and second webs are joined to define a unitary paperboard web, such that the printing on the first web is controllably registered to the printing on the second web, the method comprising:

Providing a printer including a motor-driven printing cylinder having a circumferential printing surface, and an impression cylinder having a rotational speed determined by the rate of travel of the first continuous web through the printer;

Providing at least one sensor operative to detect reference marks pre-printed on the second web at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal axis thereof;

Providing at least one encoder operative to generate signals corresponding to the rotational speed of the impression cylinder,

Repetitively applying indicia to the first continuous web of paperboard material at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal axis thereof as the first continuous web moves through the printer;

Matching the rotational speed of the printing cylinder to the rotational speed of the impression cylinder as established by the at least one encoder; and

Selectively adjusting the rotational speed of the printing cylinder in order to bring the printing applied by each revolution of the printing cylinder into the area defined between adjacent reference marks on the second continuous web as detected by the at least one sensor.