Maryland Cup Corporation

Universal Machine Co., Inc.

Thomas E Marion

An improved flexographic type printing unit is provided in which only an ink transfer cylinder, plate cylinder and impression cylinder are needed with the transfer cylinder immersed in an ink fountain and cooperating with an adjustable doctor blade. Bearing traction roll drives and spacing means are utilized and the impression and transfer cylinders are mounted on swinging arms positioned by hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders to obviate the need for machined slides and surfaces and multiple adjustments at opposite ends of these cylinders. An eccentric structure in a freewheeling impression cylinder provides an accurate web thickness adjustment for the unit. A second embodiment of the flexographic printing unit includes a planetary gear drive for changing the registration of the print-to-blank or print-to-print of the plate cylinder as it engages a web.

Flexographic printing unit

An improved apparatus is provided for forming the bead or fill line or groove in paper cups or containers by axially compressing an annulus of a resilient material thereby causing a controlled deformation of the material outwardly about its periphery. This outward deformation occurs internally of a cup pot or die which includes an internal bead, fill line or groove defining cavity into which a portion of a sidewall of a paper cup or container confined within the die will be forced by the said deformation to form the bead, fill line or groove.

Cup bead or fill line former

A container is provided with a bottom curl configuration defining a secondary chamber and cooperating with a snap-in disc to hold a prize or premium between the disc and the bottom web of the container. The bottom curl is die-formed to include flattened areas or facets which act as detents to the disc but which, aesthetically, are substantially non-apparent.

Container having premium-containing-and-dispensing bottom structure and

Means are provided for accurate incremental feeding of web material from a supply to a work station by a combination of intermittent drive means for advancing the web and electrically controlled magnetic brake means for clamping and stopping the web after a desired increment thereof has been fed from the supply to the work station. In one embodiment the intermittent drive means comprises a second magnetic brake means reciprocated through advance and retraction strokes of predetermined length which is actuated and deactuated in phase opposition with the first brake means to effect the incremental advance of the web. In another the embodiment intermittent drive means is comprised of sequential feed rolls which nip the web material over a predetermined circumferential extent of the rolls to effect a given incremental advance. If the web carries registration marks defining the exact increment of advance desired then a photodetector is used to trigger one or both brake means when the proper increment of advance has been achieved. In this event the intermittent drive means is set to advance the web in slightly larger increments than those desired and the photodetector thus controls the final incremental length of the web presented to the work station. Both of these embodiments are adapted to heavier materials or those requiring greater gripping force by dual magnets having opposed core and coil assemblies of opposite polarities.

Growing community of inventors

Baltimore, MD, United States of America

Thomas E Marion