EP0090706B1 - Automatic stamping machine and stamping unit for such a machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an automated composting machine allowing the printing of an identification code on any medium, and in particular on mechanical parts or electric cables.

We know that modern methods of management, manufacturing, assembly, mounting, maintenance, etc. make it essential to identify the parts or elements manufactured to differentiate them from each other. Such a marking operation, which tends to be generalized, forms an important work station, for example in aeronautics where the electrical cables often constitute large masses of conductors of small diameter.

Many machines are known for making such identification marking.

First, there are manual wheel machines. For example, patent US Pat. No. 3,572,239 describes a composting machine provided with a printing head comprising a plurality of coaxial rotary rollers, arranged side by side and provided with printing characters, and a control wheel. said knurls having its axis parallel to that of the latter and being able, on the one hand, to move parallel to the axis of said knurls to come into contact or engagement with any one of said knurls chosen from among the others and, on the other hand, rotate around its axis in order to be able to drive said selected wheel in rotation and bring the desired character of the latter to the printing position. In this known machine, the translational movement and the rotational movement of the control wheel are controlled by means of knurled buttons actuated manually, so that the adjustment of the set of rollers and the locking of these in the- chosen positions is long and tedious. This is all the more so since, in this type of machine, it is often necessary to move the print head, in order to access the adjustment mechanism of the rollers, each time that it is desired to modify the composting code. . These drawbacks are accompanied by a high risk of errors when the change of composting becomes frequent, because it is tiring for the eyes of operators. In addition, such a machine is not compatible with a computerized system, as generally required by current manufacturing, which greatly penalizes production.

Composting machines are also known which allow automated composting.

For example, US Pat. No. 3,868,638 describes a machine, managed by a computer and comprising, on the one hand, a rotary printing drum carrying a plurality of characters arranged according to the generatrices and the parallels of said drum and, on the other hand, a plurality of juxtaposed printing hammers defining a printing line. Such a machine has the disadvantage of being mechanically complicated and heavy. In addition, it requires the use of comparators to determine the characters to be printed.

In the automated composting machine described in document GB-A-2,018,684, each wheel is associated with a stepping motor in order to drive it to the desired printing position.

• - la remise à zéro du composteur, obtenue en remontant les crémaillères à leur point le plus haut ;
• - le réglage qui s'effectue pendant la descente des crémaillères. A chaque molette d'impression correspond une desdites crémaillères commandée par un moteur au moyen d'une bielle qui communique à l'ensemble des crémaillères un mouvement montant et descendant. Un encodeur disposé sur l'axe de la bielle de commande indique au calculateur la position des caractères au fur et à mesure du mouvement. Dès que la position d'une molette correspond au caractère demandé pour celle-ci, la crémaillère associée peut être bloquée mécaniquement dans sa course descendante par un cliquet mû par un solénoïde. Les molettes sont ainsi successivement positionnées pour former le code à marquer.

Another known automated composting machine allows the removal of the plurality of printing hammers from the machine of US-A-3,868,638 by using a plurality of rollers in place of the printing drum. However, this other known machine must also be equipped with position encoders or comparators, coupled with the computer. These comparators inform the control system of the position occupied by the print wheels and act on them by means of racks. The composting adjustment operation is divided into two phases:

• - resetting of the composter, obtained by raising the racks to their highest point;
• - the adjustment which takes place during the descent of the racks. Each printing wheel corresponds to one of said racks controlled by a motor by means of a connecting rod which communicates to all the racks an up and down movement. An encoder placed on the axis of the control rod indicates to the computer the position of the characters as the movement progresses. As soon as the position of a wheel corresponds to the character requested for it, the associated rack can be mechanically locked in its downward travel by a pawl driven by a solenoid. The knobs are thus successively positioned to form the code to be marked.

Another document FR-A-2 355 659 describes an automated composting machine comprising printing rows which can be adjusted in different positions by means of a set of gears comprising a number of laterally spaced pinions, independently mounted at rotation and driven by two stepper motors.

Thus, these known automated composting machines are heavy and bulky. Their mechanics are complex and difficult to develop. In addition, the delicacy of their adjustment does not allow them to be manipulated in space to use them in a configuration or position other than that of focusing, which greatly limits their use.

The present invention relates to a very simplified mechanically automated composting machine which can be used in any desired working position, for example door-to-door false at the end of a support arm, and controlled very simply, while having a very fast and optimized adjustment.

To this end, according to the invention, the composting machine provided with a printing head comprising a plurality of coaxial rotary rollers, arranged side by side and provided with printing characters, and a control wheel of said rollers having its axis parallel to that of the latter and able, on the one hand, to move parallel to the axis of said knobs to come into contact or engagement with any one of said knobs chosen from among the others and, on the other hand, to rotate around its axis in order to be able to drive said selected wheel in rotation and bring a desired character of the latter in the printing position, is remarkable in that said control wheel is integral in translation with a movable slide parallel to the axis of said wheels and carrying two stepping motors, the first of which allows the sliding of said slide and the second drives said control wheel in rotation and in what is provided a device for controlling said motes step by step urs comprising memory means storing for each wheel the number of steps of the second motor, measured with respect to an origin of rotation of the wheel, corresponding to the character of the wheel currently in the printing position, means display of data making it possible to indicate, for each wheel, the number of steps of the second motor, measured by. with respect to said origin, corresponding to a character of the wheel which it is desired to bring now to the printing position, calculation means making it possible to make for each wheel the difference between the number of steps stored and the number of steps displayed, supply means controlled from the first motor to successively bring the control wheel opposite each wheel and supply means controlled from the second motor to rotate each wheel by a number of steps equal to the corresponding difference, when the drive wheel is located next to this wheel.

It can thus be seen that the mechanical part of the machine according to the invention is particularly simple, since it requires neither comparators nor position encoders. It can form a compact assembly in which the rollers and the slide, provided with the two stepping motors and the control wheel, are mounted on a common chassis. In this mechanical assembly, the sliding movement of the slide can take place regardless of the position of the chassis, so that said assembly can occupy any suitable working position.

In an advantageous embodiment, said memory means, said data input or display means, and said calculation means are grouped in a computer, or form a peripheral device of such a computer, while the means controlled supply of the two stepping motors are associated with an interface device and are mounted therewith, integral with said mechanical assembly, a cable connection, for example of the type with serial transmission, being provided between said computer and said interface device. Thus, the mechanical assembly and the interface device form a light and space-saving composting unit which can be placed in any desired and appropriate location of a complex manufacturing machine, since the serial link makes it possible to physically separate (but not electrically) said unit of the computer. With regard to this, such a composting unit behaves like a simple peripheral (or terminal) device.

Note also that, when changing the setting of the knobs, thanks to the structure provided by the invention, it is not necessary to systematically return the knobs to their origin since the change in setting takes place by difference. Changing the composting code is therefore particularly quick.

To further increase the speed of a code change, it is further provided, on the one hand that said second motor is of the type that can rotate in both directions of rotation, and, on the other hand, that said means of calculation are associated with means for comparing the difference in the number of steps delivered by said calculation means to the number of motor steps corresponding to a 180 ° rotation of the wheels, the result of said comparison being used to bring the printing position the character now desired by the smallest angular amplitude rotation.

Preferably, the supply means controlled by the stepping motors are part of two asynchronous current loops, one of said loops relating to the operating modes of the machine and the other the control of the various actuators of said machine. .

• La figure 1 montre l'unité de compostage de la machine de compostage selon l'invention.
• La figure 2 est une vue schématique d'ensemble de la machine de compostage selon l'invention.
• Les figures 3 et 4 illustrent le processus de réglage des molettes.
• La figure 5 donne le schéma synoptique du dispositif d'interface.

The figures of the appended drawing will make it clear how the invention can be implemented.

• Figure 1 shows the composting unit of the composting machine according to the invention.
• Figure 2 is a schematic overview of the composting machine according to the invention.
• Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the dial adjustment process.
• Figure 5 gives the block diagram of the interface device.

In these figures, identical references designate similar elements.

The composting unit 1 of the composting machine according to the invention comprises a chassis composed of a base plate 2 on which three flanges 3, 4 and 5 are fixed, mutually parallel and orthogonal to the base plate 2.

Between the flanges 3 and 4 is mounted a plurality of knobs 6 provided with characters 6a at their periphery and which can rotate independently. ment of each other around a common axis 7, bearing at its ends on said flanges 3 and 4. Next to the knobs 6 is provided a printing anvil 8 supported by jacks 9, allowing it to come into contact with said wheels and move away from them. The jacks 9 are controlled for a solenoid valve 10 and are supported by the base plate 2. On the anvil 8 rests a printing support 11, which runs continuously. In FIG. 1, it has been assumed that the printing medium 11 was seen in cross section and that it was running orthogonally to the plane of the drawing. Of course, this printing medium 11, which is not necessarily a band but may be a cable, wire, etc. could just as easily be in the plane of the figure and scroll on the anvil of printing 8 from left to right or from right to left, possibly providing adequate passages in the flanges 3, 4 and 5. A solenoid 12, integral with the chassis 2, 3, 4, 5, is likely to actuate a blocking bar 13, to immobilize the rollers 6 during the printing operations.

Between the flanges 4 and 5 are provided guide rails 14 on which a carriage 15 can slide in both directions. The rails 14 are parallel to each other and to the axis 7 of the knurls 6. The carriage 15 carries two motors step by step 16 and 17 mounted in line, parallel to the rails 14 and to the axis 7. The axis 18 of the motor 16 is extended by a threaded part 19 engaged in the corresponding threading of a threaded hole 20 in the flange 5, which thus forms a nut. The axis 21 of the motor 17 freely crosses the flange 4 and is provided at its free end with a control wheel 22 which is integral in rotation. The plane of the control wheel 22 is parallel to those of the wheels 6 and said control wheel 22 can be brought into contact with each of said wheels.

The solenoid valve 10 for controlling the cylinders 9, the solenoid 12 for controlling the locking bar 13 and the motors 16 and 17 are supplied by a device 23, which forms an interface for a computer 24 (see also FIG. 2 in which the 'compacting unit 1 is shown in the form of a box through which the support 11) to which it is connected by a link 25. The device 23 may have other links 26 for the input and output of different information.

• - désactivation (ou activation) du solénoïde 12 par le dispositif 23, de façon que la barre de blocage 13 libère les molettes 6 et que celles-ci puissent être tournées ;
• - activation du moteur pas-à-pas 16 par le dispositif 23 pour qu'il fasse tourner son axe 18 et qu'en conséquence de la liaison filetée 19-20, l'ensemble du chariot 15 puisse coulisser le long des rails 14, de sorte que la roue de commande 22 puisse être amenée successivement au contact de chacune des molettes 6, par exemple en commençant par l'une des molettes d'extrémité. L'activation du moteur pas-à-pas est discontinue, n'intervenant que lors du passage de la roue de commande 22 d'une molette 6 à la suivante, de façon que ladite roue de commande 22 reste en contact avec chacune desdites molettes 6 pendant un temps d'arrêt suffisant pour amener le caractère 6a désiré de celle-ci en position d'impression, c'est-à-dire en regard de l'enclume d'impression 8 ;
• - activation du moteur pas-à-pas 17 par le dispositif 23 pendant lesdits temps d'arrêt du moteur 16, pour que, par suite de la liaison (friction, engrènement) entre la roue de commande 22 et la molette 6 correspondante le caractère 6a désiré soit amené en position d'impression ;
• - activation (ou désactivation) du solénoïde 12 par le dispositif 23 pour, après réglage de toutes les molettes 6, bloquer celles-ci en position en vue de l'impression ;
• - éventuellement, activation du moteur pas-à-pas 16 par le dispositif 23 pour ramener le chariot 15 à sa position initiale.

When it is desired to dial a marking code using the knobs 6, the computer 24 addresses, by the link 26, the following orders to unit 1:

• - deactivation (or activation) of the solenoid 12 by the device 23, so that the locking bar 13 releases the knobs 6 and that these can be rotated;
• - activation of the stepping motor 16 by the device 23 so that it rotates its axis 18 and that, as a consequence of the threaded connection 19-20, the whole of the carriage 15 can slide along the rails 14, so that the control wheel 22 can be brought successively into contact with each of the knobs 6, for example starting with one of the end knobs. The activation of the stepping motor is discontinuous, occurring only during the passage of the control wheel 22 from one wheel 6 to the next, so that said control wheel 22 remains in contact with each of said wheels 6 during a sufficient stop time to bring the desired character 6a thereof into the printing position, that is to say facing the printing anvil 8;
• - activation of the stepping motor 17 by the device 23 during said stopping times of the motor 16, so that, as a result of the connection (friction, meshing) between the control wheel 22 and the corresponding wheel 6 the character 6a desired is brought to the printing position;
• - Activation (or deactivation) of the solenoid 12 by the device 23 for, after adjusting all the knobs 6, lock them in position for printing;
• - Optionally, activation of the stepping motor 16 by the device 23 to return the carriage 15 to its initial position.

The marking code being thus composed and the printing medium 11 scrolling on the printing anvil 8, at each instant when it is desired to mark the support 11, it suffices to send an order to the device 23, either directly by the connections 26, either via the computer 24 and the connection 25, so that the said device 23 actuates the jacks 9 through the solenoid valve 10 so that the printing anvil 8 presses the support 11 against the characters 6a of the dials 6 in the printing position.

For example, the computer 24 receives from a tachometer generator 27 information on the running speed of the printing medium 11 and deduces therefrom time intervals for controlling the solenoid valve 10, suitable for obtaining on the medium 11 remote code markings of any desired length. It will also be noted that between successive prints or markings on the print medium 11, the composting unit 1 may possibly totally or partially modify the printed code.

Preferably, so that the passage from one code to another is as short as possible, the computer 24 is programmed so that the adjustment of each dial 6 by the stepping motor 17 and the control wheel 22 s 'performs as illustrated schematically in Figures 3 and 4. It is assumed that the characters 6a grow, from an origin O, in the direction F of clockwise rotation and that the number of steps of the motor 17 to rotate a dial 6 by half a turn is equal to N. We have represented in A the character 6a in the printing position that we want to change and in B1, B2, B3 and B4 the characters 6a that one wishes to bring to the printing position (that is to say in place of the character (A).

• - si le nouveau caractère B1 à amener en position d'impression est plus grand que le caractère A actuellement en position d'impression et si la différence C1 = B1 - A, qui est positive, est inférieure ou égale à N, le moteur 17 est actionné dans le sens inverse des aiguilles d'une montre (sens inverse à F) d'un nombre de pas correspondant à C1.
• - si le nouveau caractère B2 à amener en position d'impression est plus grand que le caractère A et si la différence positive C2 = B2 - A est supérieure à N, le moteur 17 est actionné dans le sens des aiguilles d'une montre (sens F) d'un nombre de pas correspondant à 2N-C2 ;
• - si le nouveau caractère B3 à amener en position d'impression est plus petit que le caractère A et si la différence D1 = A - B3 est inférieure à N, le moteur 17 est actionné dans le sens des aiguilles d'une montre (sens F) d'un nombre de pas correspondant à D1 ;
• - si le nouveau caractère B4 à amener en position d'impression est plus petit que le caractère A et si la différence D2 = A - B4 est supérieure à N, le moteur 17 est actionné dans le sens inverse des aiguilles d'une montre (sens inverse de F) d'un nombre de pas correspondant à 2N-D2.

The process imposed by the computer 24 is as follows:

• - if the new character B1 to be brought into the printing position is larger than the character A currently in the printing position and if the difference C1 = B1 - A, which is positive, is less than or equal to N, the motor 17 is actuated anticlockwise (opposite direction to F) by a number of steps corresponding to C1.
• - if the new character B2 to be brought to the printing position is larger than the character A and if the positive difference C2 = B2 - A is greater than N, the motor 17 is actuated clockwise ( direction F) of a number of steps corresponding to 2N-C2;
• - if the new character B3 to be brought to the printing position is smaller than the character A and if the difference D1 = A - B3 is less than N, the motor 17 is actuated clockwise (direction F) by a number of steps corresponding to D1;
• - if the new character B4 to be brought to the printing position is smaller than the character A and if the difference D2 = A - B4 is greater than N, the motor 17 is actuated anticlockwise ( opposite direction of F) by a number of steps corresponding to 2N-D2.

FIG. 2 shows the composting unit 1 carried at the end of an elongated support arm 28, which can be very long, the connection 25 to the computer 24 can also be very long. Also, the link 25 is preferably of the type with series transmission of the logic levels 0 and 1, so that provision is made for parallel-series and series-parallel transformation devices in the device 23 and the computer 24.

As shown in Figure 5, the device 23 comprises, in addition to interface 29 itself comprising the devices corresponding parallel-serial conversion and parallel-serial two loop control current asyn- ^- chrons 30 and 31, each of the serial type, arranged in parallel with each other.

The loop 30, which corresponds to the operating modes of the entire composting machine, works only on reception and is associated with a decoder 32 to decode the information received by the links 26 to external information generators and by the link 25 to the computer 24. The functions of the loop 30 can be, among other things, the validation of the parameters of the composting machine such as support fault 11, end of cycle etc ... validation of the length of the support 11 to be printed, the validation of the number of supports 11 to be printed, the validation of the commands of the motors 16 and 17, the validation of the initialization and of the movements to the right or to the left of the motors 16 and 17, the validation of the starting and stopping the composting machine, etc ... Thus, the loop 30 plays the role of the control device for the control device 23.

The loop 31 operates in transmission and reception and makes it possible to transmit to the computer 24 all the parameters relating to the composting machine, previously addressed by the loop 30 (generation of the functions) or to receive from the computer 24 the various data necessary for operation. of the composting machine (length and number of the support (s) 11 to be printed, etc.) and the control of the two stepper motors 16 and 17.

The information received by the loop 31 is routed, for example in the device 33, by the functions generated by the loop 30. They become, depending on their destination, a length of print medium 11, a number of medium 11, numbers of steps for motors 16 and 17, initialization signals from said motors, machine starts or stops, etc. The information sent by loop 31 relates for example to the end of a printing cycle, the lack of support , etc ...

Claims (10)

1. Printing machine provided with a printing head (1) comprising a plurality of coaxial rotating printing wheels (6), disposed side by side and provided with printing characters (6a), and a wheel (22) for controlling said printing wheels (6a) having its axis (21) parallel to that (7) of said printing wheels and adapted, on the one hand, to move parallel to the axis (7) of said printing wheels (6) to come into contact or into engagement with any one of said printing wheels (6) chosen from the others and, on the other hand, to rotate about its axis (21) to be able to rotate said chosen printing wheel (6) and bring into printing position a desired character (6a) thereon, characterized in that said control wheel (22) is fast in translation with a carriage (15) mobile parallel to the axis (7) of said printing wheels (6) and bearing two stepper motors (16, 17), of which the first (16) allows said carriage (15) to slide and the second (17) drives said control wheel (22) in rotation and in that a device (23, 24) for controlling said stepper motors is provided, comprising memory means (24) storing for each printing wheel (6) the number of steps of the second motor (17), measured with respect to an origin, corresponding to the character (6a), of the printing wheel at the time in position of print, data display means (24) indicating, for each printing wheel, the number of steps of the second motor (17), measured with respect to said origin, corresponding to a character of the printing wheel which it is now desired to bring into position of print, calculating means (24) for making, for each printing wheel, the difference between the number of steps stored and the number of steps displayed, controlled supply means (23) for the first motor (16) to bring the control wheel (22) successively opposite each printing wheel and controlled supply means (23) for the second motor (17) to rotate each printing wheel (6) by a number of steps equal to the corresponding difference, when the drive wheel (22) is located opposite this printing wheel.

2. Printing machine of Claim 1, characterized in that the printing wheels (6) and the carriage (15) provided with its two stepper motors (16, 17) of the control wheel (22) are mounted on a common chassis (2, 3, 4, 5) to form a mechanical assembly (1).

3. Printing machine of Claim 1, characterized in that the memory means, the data display means and the calculating means are grouped together in a computer (24) or form a peripheral unit of such a computer, in that the controlled supply means of the two stepper motors (16, 17) are associated with an interface device (23) and are mounted, with the latter, fast with said mechanical assembly (1), and in that a cable link (25) is provided between said computer (24) and the interface device (23).

4. Printing machine of Claim 3, characterized in that said cable link (25) is of the type with transmission of information in series.

5. Printing machine of one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said second stepper motor (17) may rotate in both directions of rotation and in that said calculating means (24) are associated with comparison means for comparing the difference in the numbers of steps delivered by said calculating means (24) with the number of steps of motor (17) corresponding to a rotation of 180° of the printing wheels (6), the result of said comparison being used for bringing into print position the character now desired by the rotation of smallest angular amplitude.

6. Printing machine of one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the controlled supply means (23) of the stepper motors form part of two asynchronous current loops, one of said loops (30) concerning the operational modes of the machine, whilst the other (31) concerns the control of the different actuators of said machine.

7. Printing unit provided with a printing head (1) comprising a plurality of coaxial rotating printing wheels (6), disposed side by side and provided with printing characters (6a) and a wheel (22) for controlling said printing wheels (6) having its axis (21) parallel to that (7) of said printing wheels and adapted on the one hand to move parallel to the axis (7) of said printing wheels (6) to come into contact or into mesh with any one of said printing wheels (6) chosen from the others and, on the other hand, to rotate about its axis (21) to drive said chosen printing wheel (6) in rotation and bring into print position a desired character (6a) thereon, characterized in that said control wheel (22) is fast in translation with a carriage (15) mobile parallel to the axis (7) of said printing wheels (6) and bearing two stepper motors (16, 17) of which the first (16) allows said carriage (15) to slide and the second (17) drives said control wheel (22) in rotation.

8. Printing unit of Claim 7, intended to constitute a peripheral unit for a computer, characterized in that said printing head and said carriage are borne by common chassis (2, 3, 4, 5) in that a control device (23) is borne by said chassis (2, 3, 4, 5) for controlling said motors (16, 17) and in that the control device (23) comprises an interface device (29) for receiving and transmitting data.

9. Printing unit of Claim 8, characterized in that said control device (23) and said computer form, in association, memory means (24) storing for each printing wheel (6) the number of steps of the , second motor (17), measured with respect to an origin, corresponding to the character (60) of the printing wheel at that time in print position, data display means (24) indicating for each printing wheel the number of steps of the second motor (17), measured with respect to said origin, corresponding to a character of the printing wheel with it is desired to bring into print position, calculating means (24) making, for each printing wheel, the difference between the number of steps stored and the number of steps displayed, controlled supply means (23) for the first motor (16) for successively bringing the control wheel (22) opposite each printing wheel and controlled supply means (23) for the second motor (17) to rotate each printing wheel (6) by a number of steps equal to the corresponding difference, when the control wheel (22) is located opposite this printing wheel.

10. Printing unit of one of Claims 8 or 9, characterized in that the control device (23) is designed to receive and emit data in series.

Images