Screen printing lint removing apparatus and method

• US 3,877,371 A
• Filed: 09/28/1972
• Issued: 04/15/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Precision Acquisition, Inc.
• Original Assignee: David Jaffa
• Inventors: Jaffa, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Coughenour, Clyde J.
• Application Number:
  US05/292,859
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 101/417,425 156/344,584,389 15/3,4,100,97R,221,256.51,102,14A 118/72
• US Class Current: 101/425
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 15/0836 by means of cylindrical screens or screens in the form of endless belts
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 15/12 with auxiliary equipment, e.g. for drying printed articles
• CPC Class Codes: D06G 1/00 Beating, brushing, or otherwise mechanically cleaning or pressure cleaning carpets, rugs, sacks, hides, or other skin or textile articles or fabrics

Abstract

This disclosure is directed to a method and apparatus for assuring the removal of lint from a piece of material prior to effecting the screen printing of the material. This is attained by moving an endless surface over the material to be printed in advance of printing which has been treated or coated with a substance to which lint is attracted and thereafter cleaning or washing the endless surface to remove the lint and/or any residual coating substance. In operation the endless surface may be moved continuously with the surface being alternately coated and washed to provide for continuous rapid and automatic lint removal which is rendered readily compatible to the operating printing speeds of an associated screen printing operation.

Claims

1. In combination, a screen printing maching having a printing screen and a lint removing system for said screen printing machine, said system including an endless means disposed in rolling engagement with a material to be printed on a screen printing machine in advance of a printing screen, said endless means including spaced apart end rollers disposed adjacent the material inlet end of a screen printing machine, and an endless belt threaded over said end rollers, said endless belt having an intermediate portion disposed in engagement with the material to be printed, an adhesive coating means for applying a continuous coating of adhesive to the surface of said enless belt said coating means including a trough for containing a suppy of adhesive, an adhesive applicating roller rotatably journalled in said trough and adapted to be at least partially submerged in the adhesive when said trough contains a supply of adhesive, said adhesive application roller being disposed in rolling engagement with the surface of said belt, said endless belt engaging the material for effecting the removal of any lint thereon after engagement with said adhesive applicating roller, means for continuously removing the adhesive and lint adhered thereto from said belt, said latter means including a trough disposed downstream wise of said coating means adapted to contain a washing liquid, and a washing roller rotatably journalled in said downstream trough for engaging the surface of said belt to effectively contInuously clean said surface.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said belt means has a width at least substantially equal to the width of the material being printed.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said endless belt is helically wound about said rollers.

4. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said transverse roller is formed with a helical groove for accommodating the endless belt helically wound thereabout.

5. A lint removal system for use in a screen printing machine comprising:

a roller rotatably journalled adjacent the feed end of a screen printing machine, said roller extending transversely of the feed end, a guide roller spaced from said transverse roller, an endless belt having a width substantially less than the width of said transverse roller, said endless belt being looped over said guide roller and transverse roller whereby said belt is helically wound about said transverse roller, said helically wound portion of said belt being disposed in rolling engagement with the material to be printed, means for applying a coating material to said belt capable of attracting thereto any lint on the material disposed in contact therewith, and means for effecting the removal of any lint attracted thereto.

6. A method of removing lint from a sheet of material to be screen printed comprising the steps of:

disposing an endless member in engagement with the surface of a sheet of material to be printed, coating the surface of the endless member with a layer of material capable of attracting lint thereto, moving the coated surface of the endless member relative to the material to be printed and in contact therewith so that any lint attracted thereto is removed from said material, and effecting the removal of the lint and coating from said endless member as said endless member is moving relative to said material after contact with said material.

7. The invention as defined in claim 6 wherein the removal of the lint is effected by scraping the lint surface of said endless member as it moves relative to said material.

8. The invention as defined in claim 7 and including the step of applying a solvent to the surface of said endless member to enhance the scraping of the lint therefrom.

9. The invention as defined in claim 6 wherein the lint is removed by washing the lint and coating from the surface of said endless member.