Inventors:
D. Michael Litscher - Shawnee KS, US
Ross Clayton Litscher - Brooklyn NY, US
International Classification:
B41F017/30
B41F017/34
US Classification:
101 35, 101DIG 40, 101 381, 347 2
Abstract:
A printing system, method, and apparatus apply indicia to a textured nonplanar object surface, such as a golf balls, baseballs, tennis ball, other types of sports balls, and other spherical, semi-spherical, cylindrical or other objects having textured, irregular curved, non-planar, or non-linear surfaces using fast drying permanent ink, ink jet printing technology through the use of an indicia-generating unit at a single station. The object is mounted on an elevatable turntable and positioned within a gimbal assembly. The object is clamped in the gimbal assembly that rotates and pivots the object as the image is transferred to the object. The system may be used to print indicia, on-demand, on individual objects or on a plurality of objects, and can be connected to a PC, and/or as part of a vending machine that accepts cash and/or credit cards, and the like.