Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Peter P Dell'Aquila

Christopher J Sobaszek

Marc C Piscitello

Graham P Vlcek

Sean M O'Neil

Gregory B Olejniczak

Steve Waszkowiak

Samuel Peterson

A printing system includes carriage assemblies, a preparation station, a printing station, and a selection station. The carriage assemblies receive flexible bodies and are coupled to a conveyance assembly that moves the carriage assemblies along a direction of travel. The preparation station receives the flexible bodies from the loading station and manipulates the flexible bodies to at least partially flatten printing surfaces of the flexible bodies. The printing station prints images on the flexible bodies. The selection station examines the images on the flexible bodies and selects one or more of the flexible bodies based on the images. The selection station also individually grips and removes selected flexible bodies from the carriage assemblies and conveys the selected flexible bodies to a first collection location while the other flexible bodies remain on the carriage assemblies and are conveyed to a different, second collection location.

System and method for printing on a flexible body

Growing community of inventors

Carol Stream, IL, United States of America

Peter P Dell'Aquila