CA2131500A1 - Method and apparatus for engraving a mark on plane of curved surfaces - Google Patents
Method and apparatus for engraving a mark on plane of curved surfacesInfo
- Publication number
- CA2131500A1 CA2131500A1 CA 2131500 CA2131500A CA2131500A1 CA 2131500 A1 CA2131500 A1 CA 2131500A1 CA 2131500 CA2131500 CA 2131500 CA 2131500 A CA2131500 A CA 2131500A CA 2131500 A1 CA2131500 A1 CA 2131500A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- stencil
- stylus
- engraving
- engraved
- indicia
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B44—DECORATIVE ARTS
- B44C—PRODUCING DECORATIVE EFFECTS; MOSAICS; TARSIA WORK; PAPERHANGING
- B44C1/00—Processes, not specifically provided for elsewhere, for producing decorative surface effects
- B44C1/22—Removing surface-material, e.g. by engraving, by etching
- B44C1/225—Removing surface-material, e.g. by engraving, by etching by engraving
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B44—DECORATIVE ARTS
- B44B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR TOOLS FOR ARTISTIC WORK, e.g. FOR SCULPTURING, GUILLOCHING, CARVING, BRANDING, INLAYING
- B44B11/00—Artists' hand tools for sculpturing, kneading, carving, engraving, guilloching or embossing; Accessories therefor
- B44B11/02—Artists' hand tools for sculpturing, kneading, carving, engraving, guilloching or embossing; Accessories therefor for substantially two-dimensional carving, engraving or guilloching
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B44—DECORATIVE ARTS
- B44B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR TOOLS FOR ARTISTIC WORK, e.g. FOR SCULPTURING, GUILLOCHING, CARVING, BRANDING, INLAYING
- B44B3/00—Artist's machines or apparatus equipped with tools or work holders moving or able to be controlled substantially two- dimensionally for carving, engraving, or guilloching shallow ornamenting or markings
- B44B3/001—Artist's machines or apparatus equipped with tools or work holders moving or able to be controlled substantially two- dimensionally for carving, engraving, or guilloching shallow ornamenting or markings by copying
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B44—DECORATIVE ARTS
- B44B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR TOOLS FOR ARTISTIC WORK, e.g. FOR SCULPTURING, GUILLOCHING, CARVING, BRANDING, INLAYING
- B44B3/00—Artist's machines or apparatus equipped with tools or work holders moving or able to be controlled substantially two- dimensionally for carving, engraving, or guilloching shallow ornamenting or markings
- B44B3/06—Accessories, e.g. tool or work holders
- B44B3/061—Tool heads
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B44—DECORATIVE ARTS
- B44C—PRODUCING DECORATIVE EFFECTS; MOSAICS; TARSIA WORK; PAPERHANGING
- B44C1/00—Processes, not specifically provided for elsewhere, for producing decorative surface effects
- B44C1/22—Removing surface-material, e.g. by engraving, by etching
- B44C1/222—Removing surface-material, e.g. by engraving, by etching using machine-driven mechanical means
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60R13/00—Elements for body-finishing, identifying, or decorating; Arrangements or adaptations for advertising purposes
- B60R13/10—Registration, licensing, or like devices
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Manufacture Or Reproduction Of Printing Formes (AREA)
- Polishing Bodies And Polishing Tools (AREA)
Abstract
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENGRAVING A MARK ON PLANE OR CURVED
SURFACES
Abstract: An engraving apparatus for engraving selected indicia into surfaces of structures for identification purposes comprising an engraving stylus (18) operationally linked to a drive motor (223 so that engraving stylus rotates in only one direction on its longitudinal axis, and a stencil (9) consisting of a stencil body (10) having pressure sensitive adhesive backing for the purpose of securing the stencil to the surface to be marked (24), indicia apertures (12) and a tab (11) for removing stencil from the surface to be engraved. A method of engraving comprising affixing stencil (9) to a surface to be engraved and inserting the point of engraving stylus (18), while rotating at high speed into indicia apertures (12) of stencil (9) and engraving the surface to be engraved (24) with the identification indicia corresponding to the indicia apertures of the stencil.
SURFACES
Abstract: An engraving apparatus for engraving selected indicia into surfaces of structures for identification purposes comprising an engraving stylus (18) operationally linked to a drive motor (223 so that engraving stylus rotates in only one direction on its longitudinal axis, and a stencil (9) consisting of a stencil body (10) having pressure sensitive adhesive backing for the purpose of securing the stencil to the surface to be marked (24), indicia apertures (12) and a tab (11) for removing stencil from the surface to be engraved. A method of engraving comprising affixing stencil (9) to a surface to be engraved and inserting the point of engraving stylus (18), while rotating at high speed into indicia apertures (12) of stencil (9) and engraving the surface to be engraved (24) with the identification indicia corresponding to the indicia apertures of the stencil.
Description
Patent Application of Hans Wyssen for METHOD AND APPARAI~S FOR ENGRAVING A MARK ON PLANE OR
CURVED SURFACES
Back~round-Field of Invention:
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for engra~ing in an indelible way a mark formed of numbers and/or letters and/or symbols on a plane or curved surface in order to mark personal belongings such as motor vehicles, computers, cameras, antiques, art works and other personal belongings for anti/theft or identification purposes.
Background-Description of Prior Art:
Marking systems which engrave identification indicia into vehicle windows are coming into widespread use. Code systems are utilized with central registries so that if an owner of a marked car needs to be identified, such as when a stolen vehicle is recovered, one can check the code engraved in the windows with such a central register to locate the owner of that vehicle. This coding system can also be used for marking other belongings such as computers, cameras, 2 1 3 ~
antiques etc. in order to create a positive link between the owner and his property.
The advantage of engraving personal belongings with identification indicia is that it takes a large expenditure of time, effort and money to obliterate or remove such indicia. For example when all the vehicle windows are engraved car thieves usually do not wish to go through such expense and effort of replacing all the windows.
Furthermore other parts like the motor, transmission, alternator etc. can also be engraved as a further theft deterrent.
The engraving apparatuses described in US. patents 3,624,966 to Palmer (1971), 4,048,918 to Peck (1977) and 4,164,183 to Peck (1979~ describe sand blasting type marking apparatuses wherein a strong jet of a mixture of compressed air and abrasive granules is directed through stencils against the surface to be marked such as the vehicle's windows thereby permanently marking the glass.
These apparatuses suffer from the following disadvantages:
(a) Require long and laborious operations for preparing and assembling the stencils. -~
(b) Pollute the environment of operation with abrasive dust unavoidably escaping from the apparatus and to dirty surrounding parts, things or persons presenting a health risk.
(c) Escaping abrasive granules often fall inside the window ~ ;
well of the vehicle and result in the glass being scratched when the window is opened and closed.
~s: ...... . ..... . .. .. .
(d) These apparatuses are expensive requiring a large air compressor and special respiratory and eye protection for the user.
(e) Can only be operated by specially trained personal.
(f) Can only mark curved surfaces with very slight curvatures due to rigid stencil construction.
Another type of engraving apparatus is described in US.
patents 4,089,262 to Sopora (1978) and 4,834,595 to Cacciotti (1989). These apparatuses use computer controlled engraving heads to engrave identification indicia onto vehicle surfaces. Disadvantages of these apparatuses are:
(a) The high cost of the special computer and control equipment.
(b) They can only be operated by specially trained personnel.
(c) Can only mark surfaces with only a very slight curvature due to rigid construction.
Another type of marking apparatus uses chemical etching to accomplish the marking of glass surfaces. Among companies that sell such kits is the ~.C. Whitney & Company, P.O. Box 8410, Chicago, IL 60680. These kits are comprised of a stenril and etching cream usually containing hydrofluoric acid. This type of marking apparatus suffers from the following disadvantages:
(a) Involves the use of a highly toxic etching cream containing hydrofluoric acid which can cause extensive burns if skin contact occurs.
(b) The etching process releases harmful fluorine and hydrogen fluoride gases.
(c) The resulting marks are often unclear or not well defined since the acid tends to leach under the stencil.
(d) The resulting engraving marks are often not very deep in the glass and therefore easier to obliterate or remove.
(e) Only glass surfaces can be marked and not surfaces made of other materials such as metal or plastic.
Objects and Advantages ' ~
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the present invention are:
(a) to provide an apparatus for engraving identification which is quite simple in construction and use, efficient, ~;
time-saving, accurate and generally inexpensive to manufacture and use.
(b) to provide an engraving apparatus which requires no special training to operate. ~-(c) to provide an engraving apparatus which includes a premade stencil, therefore not requiring long and laborious ~-operations for preparing and assembling individual stencil segments.
.
(d) to provide an engraving apparatus which does not pollute the surroundings with granular abrasive dust presenting a health risk.
--- 2 1 ~
s (e) to provide an engraving apparatus where there is no danger of abrasive granules falling inside the window well and resulting in the glass being scratched when the vehicle window is opened and closed.
(f) to provide an engraving device which allows the engraving of substantially curved surfaces and surfaces made of not only glass but also metal, plastic and other materials.
(g) to provide an engraving apparatus which is readily portable.
(h) to provide an engraving apparatus which does not require the use of toxic chemicals such as hydrofluoric acid.
(i) to provide an engraving apparatus that produces a well defined mark with sufficient depth so as to be very difficult to obliterate or remove.
Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.
Drawin~ Figures Figure 1 illustrates a perspective schematic view of the stencil and hand held rotary tool incorporating the rotating engraving stylus being used to engrave a surface.
Figure 2 Illustrates a perspective schematic view of the back of the stencil.
Figure 3 illustrates an exploded view of the stencil.
G 2 ~ 31 ~
Figure 4 illustrates a perspective schematic view of the stylus Figure 5 illustrates a side view of the end of the engraving stylus showing the solitary diamond.
Figures 6-8 show alternate embodiments of the presen~
invention.
Figure 6 is a perspective schematic view of a lopsided stylus being used with a hand held rotary machine to engrave a surface through a stencil.
Figure 7 shows an exploded view of the lopsided stylus assembly.
Figure 8 shows a plan view of the eccentric weight.
Reference Numerals in Drawings 9 stencil 10 stencil body .
11 Lift off tab 12 indicia apertures 14 adhesive tape with adhesive coating on both sides 15 adhesive tape with adhesive coating on both sides with one end extending beyond the stencil body 7 2 ~
16 adhesive tape with adhesive coating on one side for folding over the extending portion of tape 15 thereby forming lift off tab 11 ' 18 diamond tipped engraving stylus 20 solitary Diamond 22 hand held rotary engraving tool.
24 surface to be engraved 30 eccentric weight 31 lopsided stylus assembly 32 affixing screw 34 bore for stylus 36 bore with internal threads for affixing screw Description Figures 1 to 8 It has been found that when a pointed stylus is rotated at high speed along its longitudinal axis, surfaces that make contact with its point are engraved or incised, even though the stylus does not have cutting teeth or the form of a typical milling bit. Furthermore it has been found that a rotating pointed stylus works well with a stencil since it does not damage the stencil. A standard engraving bit with cutting teeth not only cuts the surface to be engraved but also the stencil thereby damaging the stencil. `~
- 2 1~
A typical embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Figures 1 - 5 In the preferred embodiment a stencil 9 (Fig 1) is comprised of a stencil body 10 made of one piece of flexible, durable material such as polyester. Stencil body 10 can also consist of any material that can be repeatedly bent without fracturing and be able to withstand the mechanical friction of a rotating engraving stylus 18.
These materials can include for example: polyethylene, polypropylene, vinyl, nylon, various impregnated or laminated fibrous materials, various plasticized materials, etc. Stencil body 10 may also consist of metal sheeting made o , for example, brass, aluminum or other metals. Stencil body 10 must be flexible so that curved surfaces such as curved window surfaces on vehicles may also be engraved and is typically .2 to 4 mm in thickness. When only flat surfaces are to be engraved Stencil body 10 can be thicker and non flexible.
The indicia apertures 12 correspond to the numbers and/or letters and/or symbols that make up the identification code for the vehicle or personal property.
Two pieces of self adhesive tape 14 and 15 (Figs 2-3) where both sides are coated with an adhesive mixture are affixed to the back of stencil body 10 above and below indicia apertures 12. Adhesive tape 14 is the same length as stencil body 10 and adhesive tape 15 is longer so that one end extends beyond stencil body 10. Adhesive tape 16 is coated with adhesive on only one side and is affixed to both sides of the extending portion of adhesive tape 15 thereby forming a tab 11 which is useful in positioning stencil 9 as well as removing it from a surface to be engraved 24. The adhesive mixture on adhesive tapes 14 and 15 is of a pressure sensitive type and the stencil can be mounted and removed repeatedly such as when engraving numerous parts of the 2. 1 ~ ri vehicle such as all the glass panes and perhaps other parts such as the tire rims, motor etc. Although in 1he preferred embodiment stencil 9 has an adhesive backing, this is not always necessary. One may manually hold stencil 9 against surface to be engraved 24 during the engraving operation.
Fig 4 shows a perspective schematic view of engraving stylus 18.
Fig 5 is a side view of the tip of engraving stylus 18 which is of such a construction that it fits through indicia apertures 12 and makes physical contact with surface to be engraved 24. The point 20 of stylus 18 consists of a solitary diamond which does not have a cutting form or cutting teeth as in the case of a typical milling head.
Point 20 can also be made of other hard materials such as tungsten carbide or korum. Stylus 18 is attached to a hand held rotary tool 22 with a conventional chuck so that it rotates on the same axis as the axle of rotary tool 22 and on its longitudinal axis. Rotary hand tools are sold by, for example Dremel Inc. in Racine, Wisconsin, U.S.A. Operating speeds for rotating stylus 18 have been found to be between 10 000 and 45 000 R.P.M., however lower or higher speeds may be desirable depending on the type of material being engraved. If a fine engraving line is desirable the point of the stylus must be sharp. A stylus with a blunt tip produces a wider engraving line. `~
When stylus 18 rotates at speed in most rotary tools the tip of the stylus vibrates or oscillates slightly because the chuck of the rotary tool or the stylus is not perfectly true or aligned. It has been found that this light vibration is advantageous for the engraving process even when the point of stylus 18 oscillates 0,1 mm. or less. This slight vibration is especially advantageous when engraving hard and 2 ~ i 9 ~
]o brittle materials such as glass and porcelain. The chuck of rotary tool 22 can also be drilled slightly eccentrically so that the vibration of stylus 18 is intensified. The point of stylus 18 can also be ground so that it is slightly eccentric.
Although in the preferred embodiment a balanced rotating stylus is used it has been found that in some applications it is advantageous to mount an eccentric weight onto the stylus. This causes the stylus to become unbalanced and to vibrate when rotated resulting in a deeper engraving. Fig 6 shows a weight 30 which is affixed eccentrically to a stylus 18 with a screw 32. Weight 30 can be machined from any durable material such as for example steel or brass. Stylus 18 is attached to hand held rotary machine 22 with a conventional chuck so that it rotates on the same axis as the axle of rotary machine 22 and on its longitudinal axis.
It is advantageous to affix weight 30 close to the tip of stylus 18 so that the centrifugal forces act with greater intensity on the tip of stylus 18. Figure 7 shows an exploded view of the lopsided stylus assembly 31 and figure 8 is a plan view of weight 30 showing a bore with internal threads 36 for screw 32 and a bore 34 for the stylus. The dimensions of weight 30 will vary on a number of factors such as, for example, the R.P.M. of rotary engraving tool 22, the dimensions of stylus 18, and the type of material to be engraved. While a weight can be affixed eccentrically directly to the stylus as in the preferred embodiment it will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that other embodiments can be used to accomplish the objects of the invention. For example a weight could be placed eccentrically directly on the axle of the rotary tool or a chuck could be made lopsided. Furthermore a weight could be welded to a stylus in such a way as to make it lopsided, or the stylus and eccentric weight can be made out of one piece 2 1 ~
l l of material. Also lopsided stylus assembly 31 can be positioned slightly eccentrically so that its point oscillates or vibrates more intensely.
From the description above a number of advantages of my engraving apparatus become apparent:
(a) The apparatus is quite simple in construction and use, efficient, timesaving, accurate and generally inexpensive to manufacture and use.
(b) The engraving apparatus requires no special training to operate.
(c) The engraving apparatus includes a premade, one piece stencil, therefore not requiring long and laborious operations for preparing and assembling individual stencil segments.
(d) The engraving apparatus does not pollute the surroundings with granular abrasive dust presenting a health risk.
' . .
(e) There is no risk of abrasive granules falling inside the window well of the automobile resulting in the glass being scratched when the vehicle window is opened and closed. ~-(f) The engraving device can be used to engrave substantially curved surfaces and surfaces made of not only glass but also metal, plastic and other materials.
(g) The engraving apparatus is readily portable. ~ ;
~' 'J
(h) The engraving apparatus does not require the use of toxic etching chemicals such as hydrofluoric acid.
(i) The engraving apparatus produces a well defined mark with sufficient depth so as to be very difficult to obliterate or remove.
Operation Figure_l The manner of using this engraving apparatus is to first of all affix stencil 9 (Fig 1) to surface to be engraved 24 and then insert the tip of engraving stylus 18 into indicia apertures 12 while it is rotating at speed and makes physical contact with surface to be engraved. Manually moving engraving stylus 18 along the contours of indicia apertures 12 results in the incising or engraving of the surface to be engraved. As a result surface to be engraved 24 will be engraved with the characters, numbers or symbols that correspond to indicia apertures 12. The engraving stylus should be held at an angle substantially perpendicular to the surface to be engraved. However at times depending on the material being engraved better results can be achieved by holding engraving stylus at an angle; for example 45 degrees.
Upon finishing the engraving operation, the stencil can be pulled off using tab 11 and reused to engrave numerous parts of the vehicle. It is envisioned that this apparatus can mark the same identification indicia upon each pane of glass of a vehicle in an unobtrusive spot. For example, on a four- -door sedan there could be six identification marks, one being on the windshield, another on the rear window, and one on each of the panes of glass of the four doors. This identification code is typically filed along with information about the owner, such as his name, address and 2 ~
other pertinent information in a central registry so that if necessary the owner of that vehicle can be located such as when a stolen vehicle is recovered. Similarly my engraving apparatus can also be used to mark other belongings such as cameras, computers and the like in order to establish a positive link between the owner and the item. A stencil can either be included in the kit with a random code or made to specifications supplied by purchaser of the kit. F`or example the code can consist of the vehicle chassis number.
Summeryc Ramification, and Scope Accordingly, the reader will see that the method of use of the apparatus of this invention can be of great value in identifying motor vehicles and personal belonging as well as for discouraging theft. The advantages of the present invention is that valuable, high quality, identification engraving can be offered to the consumer at substantially reduced cost since:
- the kit is inexpensive to produce and does not require expensive equipment such an air compressor or computer to function;
- requires no special training to use; and - can be sold as a Do-it-Yourself kit or applied by garage personnel. With other items such as antiques, porcelain etc. the engraving can be done by store personnel.
Further the present invention:
- produces a well defined engraving mark with sufficient depth so as to make it very difficult to remove or obliterate;
2 1 3 l ~
,~
- does not require the long and laborious operation of preparing and assembling individual stencil segments since the stencil is premade.
- can be used to mark not only glass but also metal, plastic and other surfaces.
- is portable;
- is non polluting;
- does not require the use of dangerous etching chemicals such as hydrofluoric acid; and Although the description above contains many specificity's, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. --~
Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the -~
appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.
. , . ~ .
CURVED SURFACES
Back~round-Field of Invention:
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for engra~ing in an indelible way a mark formed of numbers and/or letters and/or symbols on a plane or curved surface in order to mark personal belongings such as motor vehicles, computers, cameras, antiques, art works and other personal belongings for anti/theft or identification purposes.
Background-Description of Prior Art:
Marking systems which engrave identification indicia into vehicle windows are coming into widespread use. Code systems are utilized with central registries so that if an owner of a marked car needs to be identified, such as when a stolen vehicle is recovered, one can check the code engraved in the windows with such a central register to locate the owner of that vehicle. This coding system can also be used for marking other belongings such as computers, cameras, 2 1 3 ~
antiques etc. in order to create a positive link between the owner and his property.
The advantage of engraving personal belongings with identification indicia is that it takes a large expenditure of time, effort and money to obliterate or remove such indicia. For example when all the vehicle windows are engraved car thieves usually do not wish to go through such expense and effort of replacing all the windows.
Furthermore other parts like the motor, transmission, alternator etc. can also be engraved as a further theft deterrent.
The engraving apparatuses described in US. patents 3,624,966 to Palmer (1971), 4,048,918 to Peck (1977) and 4,164,183 to Peck (1979~ describe sand blasting type marking apparatuses wherein a strong jet of a mixture of compressed air and abrasive granules is directed through stencils against the surface to be marked such as the vehicle's windows thereby permanently marking the glass.
These apparatuses suffer from the following disadvantages:
(a) Require long and laborious operations for preparing and assembling the stencils. -~
(b) Pollute the environment of operation with abrasive dust unavoidably escaping from the apparatus and to dirty surrounding parts, things or persons presenting a health risk.
(c) Escaping abrasive granules often fall inside the window ~ ;
well of the vehicle and result in the glass being scratched when the window is opened and closed.
~s: ...... . ..... . .. .. .
(d) These apparatuses are expensive requiring a large air compressor and special respiratory and eye protection for the user.
(e) Can only be operated by specially trained personal.
(f) Can only mark curved surfaces with very slight curvatures due to rigid stencil construction.
Another type of engraving apparatus is described in US.
patents 4,089,262 to Sopora (1978) and 4,834,595 to Cacciotti (1989). These apparatuses use computer controlled engraving heads to engrave identification indicia onto vehicle surfaces. Disadvantages of these apparatuses are:
(a) The high cost of the special computer and control equipment.
(b) They can only be operated by specially trained personnel.
(c) Can only mark surfaces with only a very slight curvature due to rigid construction.
Another type of marking apparatus uses chemical etching to accomplish the marking of glass surfaces. Among companies that sell such kits is the ~.C. Whitney & Company, P.O. Box 8410, Chicago, IL 60680. These kits are comprised of a stenril and etching cream usually containing hydrofluoric acid. This type of marking apparatus suffers from the following disadvantages:
(a) Involves the use of a highly toxic etching cream containing hydrofluoric acid which can cause extensive burns if skin contact occurs.
(b) The etching process releases harmful fluorine and hydrogen fluoride gases.
(c) The resulting marks are often unclear or not well defined since the acid tends to leach under the stencil.
(d) The resulting engraving marks are often not very deep in the glass and therefore easier to obliterate or remove.
(e) Only glass surfaces can be marked and not surfaces made of other materials such as metal or plastic.
Objects and Advantages ' ~
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the present invention are:
(a) to provide an apparatus for engraving identification which is quite simple in construction and use, efficient, ~;
time-saving, accurate and generally inexpensive to manufacture and use.
(b) to provide an engraving apparatus which requires no special training to operate. ~-(c) to provide an engraving apparatus which includes a premade stencil, therefore not requiring long and laborious ~-operations for preparing and assembling individual stencil segments.
.
(d) to provide an engraving apparatus which does not pollute the surroundings with granular abrasive dust presenting a health risk.
--- 2 1 ~
s (e) to provide an engraving apparatus where there is no danger of abrasive granules falling inside the window well and resulting in the glass being scratched when the vehicle window is opened and closed.
(f) to provide an engraving device which allows the engraving of substantially curved surfaces and surfaces made of not only glass but also metal, plastic and other materials.
(g) to provide an engraving apparatus which is readily portable.
(h) to provide an engraving apparatus which does not require the use of toxic chemicals such as hydrofluoric acid.
(i) to provide an engraving apparatus that produces a well defined mark with sufficient depth so as to be very difficult to obliterate or remove.
Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.
Drawin~ Figures Figure 1 illustrates a perspective schematic view of the stencil and hand held rotary tool incorporating the rotating engraving stylus being used to engrave a surface.
Figure 2 Illustrates a perspective schematic view of the back of the stencil.
Figure 3 illustrates an exploded view of the stencil.
G 2 ~ 31 ~
Figure 4 illustrates a perspective schematic view of the stylus Figure 5 illustrates a side view of the end of the engraving stylus showing the solitary diamond.
Figures 6-8 show alternate embodiments of the presen~
invention.
Figure 6 is a perspective schematic view of a lopsided stylus being used with a hand held rotary machine to engrave a surface through a stencil.
Figure 7 shows an exploded view of the lopsided stylus assembly.
Figure 8 shows a plan view of the eccentric weight.
Reference Numerals in Drawings 9 stencil 10 stencil body .
11 Lift off tab 12 indicia apertures 14 adhesive tape with adhesive coating on both sides 15 adhesive tape with adhesive coating on both sides with one end extending beyond the stencil body 7 2 ~
16 adhesive tape with adhesive coating on one side for folding over the extending portion of tape 15 thereby forming lift off tab 11 ' 18 diamond tipped engraving stylus 20 solitary Diamond 22 hand held rotary engraving tool.
24 surface to be engraved 30 eccentric weight 31 lopsided stylus assembly 32 affixing screw 34 bore for stylus 36 bore with internal threads for affixing screw Description Figures 1 to 8 It has been found that when a pointed stylus is rotated at high speed along its longitudinal axis, surfaces that make contact with its point are engraved or incised, even though the stylus does not have cutting teeth or the form of a typical milling bit. Furthermore it has been found that a rotating pointed stylus works well with a stencil since it does not damage the stencil. A standard engraving bit with cutting teeth not only cuts the surface to be engraved but also the stencil thereby damaging the stencil. `~
- 2 1~
A typical embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Figures 1 - 5 In the preferred embodiment a stencil 9 (Fig 1) is comprised of a stencil body 10 made of one piece of flexible, durable material such as polyester. Stencil body 10 can also consist of any material that can be repeatedly bent without fracturing and be able to withstand the mechanical friction of a rotating engraving stylus 18.
These materials can include for example: polyethylene, polypropylene, vinyl, nylon, various impregnated or laminated fibrous materials, various plasticized materials, etc. Stencil body 10 may also consist of metal sheeting made o , for example, brass, aluminum or other metals. Stencil body 10 must be flexible so that curved surfaces such as curved window surfaces on vehicles may also be engraved and is typically .2 to 4 mm in thickness. When only flat surfaces are to be engraved Stencil body 10 can be thicker and non flexible.
The indicia apertures 12 correspond to the numbers and/or letters and/or symbols that make up the identification code for the vehicle or personal property.
Two pieces of self adhesive tape 14 and 15 (Figs 2-3) where both sides are coated with an adhesive mixture are affixed to the back of stencil body 10 above and below indicia apertures 12. Adhesive tape 14 is the same length as stencil body 10 and adhesive tape 15 is longer so that one end extends beyond stencil body 10. Adhesive tape 16 is coated with adhesive on only one side and is affixed to both sides of the extending portion of adhesive tape 15 thereby forming a tab 11 which is useful in positioning stencil 9 as well as removing it from a surface to be engraved 24. The adhesive mixture on adhesive tapes 14 and 15 is of a pressure sensitive type and the stencil can be mounted and removed repeatedly such as when engraving numerous parts of the 2. 1 ~ ri vehicle such as all the glass panes and perhaps other parts such as the tire rims, motor etc. Although in 1he preferred embodiment stencil 9 has an adhesive backing, this is not always necessary. One may manually hold stencil 9 against surface to be engraved 24 during the engraving operation.
Fig 4 shows a perspective schematic view of engraving stylus 18.
Fig 5 is a side view of the tip of engraving stylus 18 which is of such a construction that it fits through indicia apertures 12 and makes physical contact with surface to be engraved 24. The point 20 of stylus 18 consists of a solitary diamond which does not have a cutting form or cutting teeth as in the case of a typical milling head.
Point 20 can also be made of other hard materials such as tungsten carbide or korum. Stylus 18 is attached to a hand held rotary tool 22 with a conventional chuck so that it rotates on the same axis as the axle of rotary tool 22 and on its longitudinal axis. Rotary hand tools are sold by, for example Dremel Inc. in Racine, Wisconsin, U.S.A. Operating speeds for rotating stylus 18 have been found to be between 10 000 and 45 000 R.P.M., however lower or higher speeds may be desirable depending on the type of material being engraved. If a fine engraving line is desirable the point of the stylus must be sharp. A stylus with a blunt tip produces a wider engraving line. `~
When stylus 18 rotates at speed in most rotary tools the tip of the stylus vibrates or oscillates slightly because the chuck of the rotary tool or the stylus is not perfectly true or aligned. It has been found that this light vibration is advantageous for the engraving process even when the point of stylus 18 oscillates 0,1 mm. or less. This slight vibration is especially advantageous when engraving hard and 2 ~ i 9 ~
]o brittle materials such as glass and porcelain. The chuck of rotary tool 22 can also be drilled slightly eccentrically so that the vibration of stylus 18 is intensified. The point of stylus 18 can also be ground so that it is slightly eccentric.
Although in the preferred embodiment a balanced rotating stylus is used it has been found that in some applications it is advantageous to mount an eccentric weight onto the stylus. This causes the stylus to become unbalanced and to vibrate when rotated resulting in a deeper engraving. Fig 6 shows a weight 30 which is affixed eccentrically to a stylus 18 with a screw 32. Weight 30 can be machined from any durable material such as for example steel or brass. Stylus 18 is attached to hand held rotary machine 22 with a conventional chuck so that it rotates on the same axis as the axle of rotary machine 22 and on its longitudinal axis.
It is advantageous to affix weight 30 close to the tip of stylus 18 so that the centrifugal forces act with greater intensity on the tip of stylus 18. Figure 7 shows an exploded view of the lopsided stylus assembly 31 and figure 8 is a plan view of weight 30 showing a bore with internal threads 36 for screw 32 and a bore 34 for the stylus. The dimensions of weight 30 will vary on a number of factors such as, for example, the R.P.M. of rotary engraving tool 22, the dimensions of stylus 18, and the type of material to be engraved. While a weight can be affixed eccentrically directly to the stylus as in the preferred embodiment it will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that other embodiments can be used to accomplish the objects of the invention. For example a weight could be placed eccentrically directly on the axle of the rotary tool or a chuck could be made lopsided. Furthermore a weight could be welded to a stylus in such a way as to make it lopsided, or the stylus and eccentric weight can be made out of one piece 2 1 ~
l l of material. Also lopsided stylus assembly 31 can be positioned slightly eccentrically so that its point oscillates or vibrates more intensely.
From the description above a number of advantages of my engraving apparatus become apparent:
(a) The apparatus is quite simple in construction and use, efficient, timesaving, accurate and generally inexpensive to manufacture and use.
(b) The engraving apparatus requires no special training to operate.
(c) The engraving apparatus includes a premade, one piece stencil, therefore not requiring long and laborious operations for preparing and assembling individual stencil segments.
(d) The engraving apparatus does not pollute the surroundings with granular abrasive dust presenting a health risk.
' . .
(e) There is no risk of abrasive granules falling inside the window well of the automobile resulting in the glass being scratched when the vehicle window is opened and closed. ~-(f) The engraving device can be used to engrave substantially curved surfaces and surfaces made of not only glass but also metal, plastic and other materials.
(g) The engraving apparatus is readily portable. ~ ;
~' 'J
(h) The engraving apparatus does not require the use of toxic etching chemicals such as hydrofluoric acid.
(i) The engraving apparatus produces a well defined mark with sufficient depth so as to be very difficult to obliterate or remove.
Operation Figure_l The manner of using this engraving apparatus is to first of all affix stencil 9 (Fig 1) to surface to be engraved 24 and then insert the tip of engraving stylus 18 into indicia apertures 12 while it is rotating at speed and makes physical contact with surface to be engraved. Manually moving engraving stylus 18 along the contours of indicia apertures 12 results in the incising or engraving of the surface to be engraved. As a result surface to be engraved 24 will be engraved with the characters, numbers or symbols that correspond to indicia apertures 12. The engraving stylus should be held at an angle substantially perpendicular to the surface to be engraved. However at times depending on the material being engraved better results can be achieved by holding engraving stylus at an angle; for example 45 degrees.
Upon finishing the engraving operation, the stencil can be pulled off using tab 11 and reused to engrave numerous parts of the vehicle. It is envisioned that this apparatus can mark the same identification indicia upon each pane of glass of a vehicle in an unobtrusive spot. For example, on a four- -door sedan there could be six identification marks, one being on the windshield, another on the rear window, and one on each of the panes of glass of the four doors. This identification code is typically filed along with information about the owner, such as his name, address and 2 ~
other pertinent information in a central registry so that if necessary the owner of that vehicle can be located such as when a stolen vehicle is recovered. Similarly my engraving apparatus can also be used to mark other belongings such as cameras, computers and the like in order to establish a positive link between the owner and the item. A stencil can either be included in the kit with a random code or made to specifications supplied by purchaser of the kit. F`or example the code can consist of the vehicle chassis number.
Summeryc Ramification, and Scope Accordingly, the reader will see that the method of use of the apparatus of this invention can be of great value in identifying motor vehicles and personal belonging as well as for discouraging theft. The advantages of the present invention is that valuable, high quality, identification engraving can be offered to the consumer at substantially reduced cost since:
- the kit is inexpensive to produce and does not require expensive equipment such an air compressor or computer to function;
- requires no special training to use; and - can be sold as a Do-it-Yourself kit or applied by garage personnel. With other items such as antiques, porcelain etc. the engraving can be done by store personnel.
Further the present invention:
- produces a well defined engraving mark with sufficient depth so as to make it very difficult to remove or obliterate;
2 1 3 l ~
,~
- does not require the long and laborious operation of preparing and assembling individual stencil segments since the stencil is premade.
- can be used to mark not only glass but also metal, plastic and other surfaces.
- is portable;
- is non polluting;
- does not require the use of dangerous etching chemicals such as hydrofluoric acid; and Although the description above contains many specificity's, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. --~
Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the -~
appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.
. , . ~ .
Claims (11)
1. An apparatus for engraving a mark formed of letters, numbers or symbols on a plane or curved surface comprising:
(a) a stencil with indicia apertures there-through, forming in sequential order letters, symbols or numbers to be engraved, and (b) a stylus operationally linked to a drive motor so that said stylus is rotated in only one direction on its longitudinal axis and whose tip fits in said indicia apertures and makes physical contact with a surface to be engraved.
(a) a stencil with indicia apertures there-through, forming in sequential order letters, symbols or numbers to be engraved, and (b) a stylus operationally linked to a drive motor so that said stylus is rotated in only one direction on its longitudinal axis and whose tip fits in said indicia apertures and makes physical contact with a surface to be engraved.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 including a means for affixing said stencil to said surface to be engraved.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said means for affixing is an adhesive with sufficient strength to support and hold said stencil securely to said surface to be engraved during the engraving operation.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said means of affixing said stencil to said surface to be engraved is comprised of one or more plastic foils having adhesive on both sides with one side affixed to said stencil.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein at least one adhesive coated foil extends beyond said stencil body thereby forming a tab that can be used to manually remove said stencil from said surface to be engraved.
6. The apparatus of claim 4 where said adhesive is a pressure sensitive type that enables the affixing and removal of said stencil numerous times.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the tip of said scribe is a solitary diamond which is ground to a point with no cutting form as in the case of a typical milling bit.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said drive motor is hand held with no external supporting devices.
9. An apparatus for engraving marks on surfaces comprising:
(a) a stylus operationally linked to a hand held drive motor so that said stylus is rotated in only one direction on its longitudinal axis (b) means for causing lopsidedness so that when said stylus is rotated in only one direction on its longitudinal axis by a means for rotation, said stylus vibrates or oscillates with sufficient intensity so that when the tip of said stylus comes into physical contact with a surface to be marked said surface to be marked is engraved or incised.
(a) a stylus operationally linked to a hand held drive motor so that said stylus is rotated in only one direction on its longitudinal axis (b) means for causing lopsidedness so that when said stylus is rotated in only one direction on its longitudinal axis by a means for rotation, said stylus vibrates or oscillates with sufficient intensity so that when the tip of said stylus comes into physical contact with a surface to be marked said surface to be marked is engraved or incised.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said means for causing lopsidedness is comprised of a weight which is eccentrically affixed to said stylus.
11. A method for engraving a mark formed of letters, numbers or symbols on a plane or curved surface comprising the steps of.
(a) positioning a stencil with indicia apertures there-through on a surface to be engraved, and (b) inserting the tip of a stylus into said indicia apertures while said stylus is rotated in one direction on its longitudinal axis by rotating means, making physical contact with said surface to be engraved, and (c) removing material from said surface to be engraved, thereby engraving said surface to be engraved with the numbers, characters or symbols corresponding to said indicia apertures.
(a) positioning a stencil with indicia apertures there-through on a surface to be engraved, and (b) inserting the tip of a stylus into said indicia apertures while said stylus is rotated in one direction on its longitudinal axis by rotating means, making physical contact with said surface to be engraved, and (c) removing material from said surface to be engraved, thereby engraving said surface to be engraved with the numbers, characters or symbols corresponding to said indicia apertures.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CH264993 | 1993-09-07 | ||
| CH02649/93-4 | 1993-09-07 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2131500A1 true CA2131500A1 (en) | 1995-03-08 |
Family
ID=4238499
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2131500 Abandoned CA2131500A1 (en) | 1993-09-07 | 1994-09-06 | Method and apparatus for engraving a mark on plane of curved surfaces |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2131500A1 (en) |
| DE (1) | DE4429751A1 (en) |
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN104540686A (en) * | 2012-09-25 | 2015-04-22 | 雷诺股份公司 | Engine marking with anti-corrosion protection |
| CN111085782A (en) * | 2019-12-03 | 2020-05-01 | 大族激光科技产业集团股份有限公司 | Processing method of polycarbonate plastic |
| CN112497978A (en) * | 2020-11-30 | 2021-03-16 | 重庆工商大学 | Device for engraving texture on surface of handicraft blank |
Families Citing this family (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR2771981A1 (en) * | 1997-12-10 | 1999-06-11 | Eric Luiggi | Owner identity plate for motor vehicle |
| FR2839468B1 (en) * | 2002-05-07 | 2004-07-30 | Multirex | ENGRAVING PEN |
| FR2871402B1 (en) * | 2004-06-14 | 2006-09-08 | Marcel Therond | PORTABLE MANUAL TOOL FOR MARKING THE SURFACE OF AN OBJECT AND METHOD OF MARKING |
| FR2974758B1 (en) * | 2011-05-04 | 2014-05-02 | Commissariat Energie Atomique | DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ENGRAVING A PATTERN |
| IT202000000802A1 (en) * | 2020-01-17 | 2021-07-17 | Novello S R L | PROCESSING METHOD OF A SURFACE OF A METAL SHEET BY USING A STRIPED WHEEL AND GLASSES WHICH PROVIDE AT LEAST ONE SURFACE PROCESSED BY THIS METHOD |
-
1994
- 1994-08-22 DE DE19944429751 patent/DE4429751A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1994-09-06 CA CA 2131500 patent/CA2131500A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN104540686A (en) * | 2012-09-25 | 2015-04-22 | 雷诺股份公司 | Engine marking with anti-corrosion protection |
| CN110077157A (en) * | 2012-09-25 | 2019-08-02 | 雷诺股份公司 | Engine mark with anti-corrosion protection |
| CN111085782A (en) * | 2019-12-03 | 2020-05-01 | 大族激光科技产业集团股份有限公司 | Processing method of polycarbonate plastic |
| CN112497978A (en) * | 2020-11-30 | 2021-03-16 | 重庆工商大学 | Device for engraving texture on surface of handicraft blank |
| CN112497978B (en) * | 2020-11-30 | 2022-09-09 | 重庆工商大学 | Device for engraving texture on surface of handicraft blank |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| DE4429751A1 (en) | 1995-03-09 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Dead |