EP0091579A2 - Embossing machine for character dies - Google Patents

Abstract

1. An embossing machine for stamping characters into components, with an embossing head having a motor-driven and rotationally adjustable type wheel (54) with types (86) and at least one blank (L) carried by spring arms (84) arranged around its circumference, and with a ram (88) acting on the back of the types in conjunction with a motor drive (106) containing a cam (100), the rotational adjustment of the type wheel (54) being synchronised with the ram action, characterised in that the drive motor (106) associated with the ram (88) drives the cam (100) with a continuous rotary motion, the cam (100) acting on the ram (88) to determine the embossing cycle, and in that the type wheel (54) is driven independently of the drive motor (106) by a motor (78), its rotational adjustment being controlled by the cycle of the cam movement.

Description

The invention relates to a machine for embossing type identifications on workpieces, and in particular type plates, according to the preamble of claim 1.

In such machines, individual type plates to be embossed are taken from a magazine and clamped on a table. This table is then moved using a mechanical mask so that the various areas of the type plate to be embossed are moved one after the other under an embossing head. This embossing head has a plurality of disk-shaped embossing wheels, which are successively provided on their circumferential surface with the various characters of a full character set (numbers and letters). By setting the coaxially arranged embossing wheels, the information to be embossed can be specified, and by moving the embossing head downwards against the type plate, the embossing field on the type plate that is just opposite is then embossed.

Such embossing machines have proven themselves in practice, in particular for embossing type plates in large series. For embossing type plates in small series, the mask must be replaced when changing from one type plate to another, and the embossing head must also be reset. Various mechanical adjustment work must therefore be carried out on the machine.

The present invention is intended to further develop a machine in accordance with the preamble of claim 1 in such a way that type identifications of different sizes and with different arrangement of the embossing fields can be processed in succession without mechanical setup work.

This object is achieved according to the invention by a machine according to claim 1.

In the machine according to the invention, two completely independent drives are provided in two mutually perpendicular coordinate directions for the relative movement between the embossing head and the workpiece to be embossed. These drives are controlled by a computer which has been supplied with information regarding the size and arrangement of the type fields. This information can e.g. can be stored on a data medium such as a floppy disk or a magnetic tape for a large number of different type designations at low cost, and the corresponding data can be quickly loaded into the computer in a known manner. In the machine according to the invention, the embossing head is not a counter or the like, but rather a type wheel, on which the character to be embossed next can be set quickly and completely independently of the last embossed character.

Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in subordinate claims.

With the development of the invention according to claim 2, a slide construction is specified which, in a particularly uncomplicated manner, has small workpieces to be embossed under one which is immobile in the support plane Embossing head moves. Such an arrangement, in which the embossing head is stationary and the workpiece to be embossed can be displaced in a controlled manner, realizes the degrees of freedom according to the invention in the simplest and cheapest form for small parts.

With the development of the invention according to claim 3, a precise and quick delivery of the finished embossed workpieces is guaranteed, even if a workpiece is relatively short.

The development of the invention according to claim 4 is advantageous with regard to a secure support of the workpiece at the embossing point. The arrangement of the support bar instead of a roller also enables a particularly simple manufacture of the slide, since the support bar can simply be inserted into one of the equidistantly arranged shaft receptacles. The development of the invention according to claim 5 is advantageous in terms of detecting a workpiece at as many closely adjacent locations as possible. On the one hand, this enables the processing of small, and on the other hand, the processing of relatively thin type plates.

With the development of the invention according to claim 6, elastic detection of a workpiece in the roller nips between the two roller sets is easily obtained.

The development of the invention according to claim 7 is advantageous with regard to a high embossing force. With the arrangement according to claims 8 and 9, a high embossing speed is achieved with exact positioning of the characters.

In a machine according to claim 1o you always have one exact information about the actual position of the type wheel. The drive according to claim 11 is particularly advantageous with regard to digital information processing in a computer.

With the design of a type wheel according to claim 12, an extremely space-saving design of the machine is made possible.

With the development of the invention according to claim 13 it is achieved that a nameplate can be embossed in the immediate vicinity of its edge and at the same time is guided on the carriage with its long side. In this way, the risk of tilting in the carriage is eliminated.

The arrangement according to claims 14 to 17 makes it possible to move the embossing head over the workpiece, with a vertical degree of freedom for adaptation to different thicknesses of workpieces. This gives the machine a high degree of flexibility. Furthermore, the embossing head can also be adjustable parallel to the support plane of the workpiece, which enables a movement over a stationary workpiece. This arrangement enables even very large workpieces to be embossed. Claims 18 and 19 characterize structurally particularly robust and inexpensive forms of the holder for the embossing head.

The development of the invention according to claim 2o is advantageous in terms of a particularly simple control of the relative position between embossing head and workpiece by means of a digital computer.

In a machine according to claim 21, the actual position of an incoming workpiece is automatically increased summarizes and used as a reference point for the movement in the corresponding coordinate direction. This means that you are independent of any irregularities in the function of the movement mechanism.

The development of the invention according to claims 22 and 23 provides a magazine for non-embossed workpieces, which can accommodate type plates to be embossed in particular. The design of such a magazine as an exchangeable magazine is advantageous with regard to a particularly rapid transition from the stamping of one type plate type to the stamping of another type plate type. According to claim 23 it is further achieved that the type plates are delivered with the alignment between the roller sets with an alignment that exactly matches the running direction of the roller sets.

• Fig. 1 eine Aufsicht auf eine Maschine zum automatischen Prägen von Typenschildern gemäß einer ersten Ausführungsform der Erfindung:
• Fig. 2 einen vertikalen Schnitt durch die Maschine nach Fig. 1 längs der dortigen Schnittlinie II-II;
• Fig. 3 eine Aufsicht auf die Unterseite eines in der Maschine nach den Fig. 1 und 2 verwendeten Typenrades;
• Fig. 4 ein schematisches Blockschaltbild eines die Prägemaschine nach den Fig. 1 und 2 steuernden Rechners zusammen mit seinen peripheren Einheiten:
• Fig. 5 ein Typenrad der Maschine in einer abgewandelten Gestaltung;
• Fig. 6 eine perspektivische Ansicht einer Maschine zum automatischen Prägen von Typenkennzeichnungen gemäß einer zweiten Ausführungsform der Erfindung.

The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. In these show:

• 1 is a plan view of a machine for the automatic embossing of type plates according to a first embodiment of the invention:
• FIG. 2 shows a vertical section through the machine according to FIG. 1 along the section line II-II there;
• 3 shows a plan view of the underside of a type wheel used in the machine according to FIGS. 1 and 2;
• 4 shows a schematic block diagram of a computer controlling the embossing machine according to FIGS. 1 and 2 together with its peripheral units:
• 5 shows a type wheel of the machine in a modified design;
• 6 is a perspective view of a machine for automatically embossing type designations according to a second embodiment of the invention.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the embossing machine shown in the drawing has a base plate 10 which has pairs of stands 12, 14 pointing vertically upward. An axis 16 is held in the stands 12, while the stands 14 support a threaded spindle 18.

On the axis 16 and the threaded spindle 18, a slide 20 runs over bearing eyes 22 and 24, which are formed on the side rails 26 of the slide 20. Trusses 28, 3 ₀ , 32 connect the longitudinal spars 26 to one another.

To adjust the slide 20 in the longitudinal direction of the axis 16 or the threaded spindle 18, a gear 34 is arranged on the latter, which meshes with the drive output pinion 36 of a positioning device / 38, which is fastened on the base plate 10.

Shafts 40 for lower transport rollers 42 and shafts 44 for upper transport rollers 46 are mounted in the longitudinal spars 26. As can best be seen from FIG. 1, the transport rollers 42 and 46, which are made of elastically resilient rubber material, are each arranged at a distance on a shaft, and the transport rollers belonging to adjacent shafts are each offset by half a pitch. In a middle region of the carriage 2 _0, by school _- are tern 5 _0, 52 of the longitudinal bars 26 is limited no Upper transport rollers 46 and no associated shafts 44 are provided, so that a type wheel 54 can move in the direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the slide over the lower transport rollers 42 there. The missing roller sets are replaced in the area of the type wheel 54 by elastic hold-down devices. The type wheel 54 is mounted on a shaft 56 which runs in bearings 58, 60. The bearing 58 is carried by an embossing head plate 62 which runs on guide rods 64 and threaded spindles 66 or other drive elements. The latter in turn are carried by the base plate 10. The bearing 60 is seated in an end section of a bearing bracket 68 which runs parallel to and at a distance from the embossing head plate 62 and which is screwed onto the embossing head plate 62. On the top of the bracket 68, an angle encoder 70 is also attached, which cooperates with the type wheel shaft 56.

A pulley 72 sits on the type wheel shaft 56, over which a toothed belt 74 runs. This is driven via a second pulley 76 by an electric motor 78 which is arranged on the embossing head plate 62.

As can be seen in particular from FIG. 3, the type wheel 54 has a hub part 80 and a central wheel section 82, on which a plurality of spring arms 84 extending in the radial direction are formed. The latter each carry a rectangular stamping plate 86 made of hard metal at the free end, which is each provided with an stamping contour assigned to a character. As can be seen from FIG. 3, the major axes of the embossing plates 86 are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the associated spring arm 84.

When the type wheel 54 is installed, the types or embossing plates 86 face the transport rollers 42 and can thus be pressed by a plunger 88 acting on one or both sides against a type plate 90 which is gripped between the transport rollers 42 and 46.

In this embossing process, the nameplate 90 is supported by a support bar 92, which lies below the path through which the plunger 88 passes when the slide 20 is moved. The support bar 92 replaces a corresponding one of the transport rollers 42 and is fastened in the receiving openings of the longitudinal bars 26 assigned to it.

As shown in FIG. 2, the plunger 88 is guided in a bushing 94 fastened on the embossing head plate 62 and has a head section 96, on which a helical spring 98 supported on the upper side of the bushing 94 engages.

The top of the head section 96 works together with an eccentric cam 100, which sits on a shaft 102, which is connected to the shaft of a continuously rotating electric motor 106, which belongs to the controllable drive. The arrangement in which the eccentric cam 100 and thus the plunger 88 is driven continuously was chosen because the desired high switching speed is not achieved with clutch clutches. In order to achieve a trouble-free and exact setting of the type wheel while the plunger 88 is running, a signal fork is provided on the corresponding positioning device, which carries out the positioning of the type wheel according to the position of the plunger. If there is no embossing, the type wheel is in the empty position (L). If, on the other hand, you want to emboss, the position of the embossing eccentric is queried via an encoder or an initiator: if the Pusher has gone up, positioning is done, and if it goes down, positioning is complete.

On the top of the embossing head plate 62 there is also the transmitter 108 of a light barrier, which cooperates with an aligned receiver 110 which is carried by the crossmember 30.

A spigot 112 is hooked into the crossmember 28, which is formed on a horizontal dispensing lip 114 of a magazine 116, which can hold a supply 118 of unprinted type plates. The dispensing lip 114 is flush with the bottom wall 120 of the actual magnetic space, through which dispensing rollers 122 made of elastically flexible material extend slightly into the interior of the magazine. The delivery rollers 122 are driven synchronously by a toothed belt 124 from a pulley 126. The latter sits on the shaft of a positioning drive 128, which is excited when a nameplate is to be released from the magazine 116. The magazine 116 has an upwardly directed guide lip 130 at the end of its dispensing lip 114 which is at the bottom in FIG.

1 also shows a positioning drive 132, by means of which the transport rollers 42 and 46 can be driven synchronously in both directions in order to move the type plate 90 located under the type wheel 54 to the left or right in FIG. 1. In normal operation (longitudinal extension of a nameplate parallel to the longitudinal direction of the slide), this direction of movement corresponds to the line direction of the nameplate; the line feed, on the other hand, is provided by the positioning drive 38. When the nameplate 90 is completely embossed, the positioning drive 132 is continuously in the direction 1 to the right, so that the finished type plate is placed on a slide 134 and from there into a receiving magazine (not shown).

FIG. 4 shows a computer 136 which serves to control the embossing machines described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 and which cooperates with a disk memory 138 which contains the format information and embossing field information for the various types of nameplate to be processed.

On the input side, the angle transmitter 70, the light barrier receiver 110 and a keypad 140 are connected to the computer 136, on which the type plate type to be processed can be specified.

On the output side, the computer 136 controls the clutch 104, the column stepper motor 132 and the line feed stepper motor 38 and the electric motor 128 of the magazine 116 via power stages (not shown in more detail). A screen 142 is used for outputting and requesting data.

• Am Tastenfeld 140 wird die Art der zu prägenden Typenschilder eingegeben. Der Rechner 136 lädt nun vom Plattenspeicher 138 die Angaben über die Größe des Typenschildes und die Lage der Prägefelder. Nach Einhängen des Magazines 116 kann nun der Rechner 136 den Elektromotor 128 zum Abgeben eines ersten Typenschildes erregen. Zugleich wird der Schrittmotor 132 ständig in Richtung eines Förderns in Fig. 1 von links nach rechts erregt. Sobald die in Fig. 1 rechts gelegene, vordere Kante des Typenschildes 90 die Lichtschranke 108, 110 unterbricht, werden die nachfolgenden Steuerimpulse für den Schrittmotor 132 zugleich zur Lageerfassung des Typenschildes verwendet, wobei der Versetzung der Lichtschranke 108, 110 vom Rand des Typenrades 54 durch Subtraktion einer entsprechenden festen Anzahl von Impulsen Rechnung getragen wird. Der Rechner 136 gibt nun an die Schrittmotoren 38 und 132 so viele Impulse ab, bis die erste Prägestelle des ersten Prägefeldes unter dem Stössel 88 liegt. Über den Geber oder Initiator erfolgt dann die Steuerung der Stössel- und Exzenterbewegungen in der oben bereits beschriebenen und beanspruchten Weise.

The embossing machine described above works as follows:

• The type of the type plates to be embossed is entered on the keypad 140. The computer 136 now loads the information about the size of the nameplate and the position of the embossing fields from the disk memory 138. After the magazine 116 has been hung in, the computer 136 can now excite the electric motor 128 to deliver a first nameplate. At the same time, the stepper motor 132 is continuously excited in the direction of conveying in FIG. 1 from left to right. As soon as the front edge of the rating plate 90 on the right in FIG. 1 underneath the light barrier 108, 110 breaks, the subsequent control pulses for the stepper motor 132 are simultaneously used to detect the position of the type plate, the displacement of the light barrier 108, 110 from the edge of the type wheel 54 being taken into account by subtracting a corresponding fixed number of pulses. The computer 136 now outputs as many pulses to the stepper motors 38 and 132 until the first embossing point of the first embossing field lies under the plunger 88. The tappet and eccentric movements are then controlled via the transmitter or initiator in the manner already described and claimed above.

• Wenn der Initiator 70 ein Ausgangssignal abgibt, das dem zu prägenden Zeichen auf dem Typenrad 54 zugeordnet ist, so erregt der Rechner 136 die Schaltkupplung 1₀4, und durch die Nocke 100 wird der Stössel 88 nach unten bewegt und schlägt das entsprechende Prägeplättchen 86 gegen das Typenschild 9₀. Nach erfolgtem Prägevorgang wird die Schaltkupplung lo4 wieder ausgerückt und die nächste Prägestelle des ersten Prägefeldes wird unter Steuerung durch den Rechner 136 unter den Stössel 88 gefahren, worauf das zweite Zeichen in der oben beschriebenen Weise geprägt wird. Nach Prägen des ersten Prägefeldes werden dann die Schrittmotoren 38 und 132 vom Rechner 136 so angesteuert, daß die erste Stelle des zweiten Prägefeldes unter den Stössel 88 gefahren wird. Auf diese Weise werden die Prägefelder nacheinander geprägt. Nach Bearbeitung des letzten Prägefeldes wird der Schrittmotor 132 wieder permanent im Sinne eines Förderns in Fig. 1 nach rechts erregt, bis das fertige Typenschild 9o auf die Rutsche 134 und von dort ins Auffangmagazin gelangt. Nun läuft der oben beschriebene Vorgang für ein neues Typenschild analog ab.

If one wanted to use a clutch instead of the control arrangement described above for certain reasons, the mode of operation would be as follows:

• When the initiator 70 emits an output signal which is assigned to the character to be embossed on the type wheel 54, the computer 136 excites the clutch 1 ₀ 4, and the cam 100 moves the plunger 88 downwards and strikes the corresponding embossing plate 86 the nameplate 9 ₀ . After the stamping process has taken place, the clutch lo4 is disengaged again and the next stamping point of the first stamping field is moved under the plunger 88 under the control of the computer 136, whereupon the second character is stamped in the manner described above. After the first stamping field has been stamped, the stepper motors 38 and 132 are then controlled by the computer 136 such that the first position of the second stamping field is moved under the plunger 88. In this way, the embossing fields are minted one after the other. After the last embossing field has been processed, the stepping motor 132 is again continuously excited in the sense of conveying in FIG. 1 to the right until the finished type plate 9o is on the slide 134 and from there reached the catchment magazine. The procedure described above now works analogously for a new type plate.

It can be seen when looking at FIG. 2 that due to the arrangement of the individual embossing plates 86 on the type wheel 54 shown in FIG. 2 rear longitudinal spar 26 of the carriage 2o is guided.

It can also be seen that the embossing machine can be changed over by simply changing the magazine 116 and entering a new type plate on the keypad 14o. Mechanical adjustment work is not necessary for this. The threaded spindles 66 only have to be adjusted accordingly when converting to type plates with widely differing thicknesses. However, if such thickness differences occur frequently in practice, one can also assign a servo motor to the threaded spindles 66 and also take care of the adjustment in this third coordinate direction by the computer 136.

In practice, embossing frequencies of the order of 10 characters per second can be achieved with an embossing machine as described above, which represents a considerable advance over the previous embossing machines with embossing wheels.

Referring now to FIG. 5, an alternative arrangement of a type wheel 54 of the invention is shown. GelcheTmeile are with like reference numerals ver _- see. The type wheel 54 is mounted on a shaft 56 which is rotatably mounted in a support profile 200.

The type wheel 54 is in turn rotated via a belt drive, an electric motor 78 serving as the drive unit. The electric motor 78 is fastened to the support profile 200 via an angle 202, so that its axis of rotation comes to lie parallel with the shaft of the type wheel 54. A first pulley 72 can be seen, which is on the shaft 56 of the type wheel. is mounted, a second pulley 76 assigned to the electric motor 78 and a toothed belt 74 stretched in between. The embossing pressure is exerted on the type wheel 54 by means of a plunger 88. This is acted upon by an eccentric shaft (not shown), the stroke of which is adjustable and which runs continuously. The continuously running eccentric shaft specifies the stamping cycle and thus the stamping speed. As in the exemplary embodiment discussed above, the type wheel 54 is a flat fan wheel which is equipped with embossing plates 86 on the circumference; the latter are stamped into the material by the eccentric shaft. The type wheel 54 is angled; it is not a flat, but a pot-shaped shape. The edge 204 of the type wheel 54 is correspondingly conically bent, so that it includes an obtuse angle α with a flat mounting section 206 of the type wheel 54. The area near the edge of the edge 204 / is covered with the embossing plates 86, which in the embossing position come to lie parallel to the support plane of the workpiece and are acted upon by the ram 88 on their rear side. For this purpose, the shaft 56 of the type wheel 54 is inclined by an angle (1800 -α) with respect to the direction of movement of the plunger 88. It can be seen that an extremely space-saving arrangement of the type wheel 54 is achieved in this way, which enables the type type identification to be embossed in very inaccessible places. An application example is the stamping of the chassis number of automobiles between the door sill and the passenger seat on the floor panel. There is only an approximately 10 cm wide space available, which could not be achieved with known embossing arrangements. 5 that the plunger 88 does not act directly on the embossing platelets 86 but via an interposed stamp 208. The stamp 208 is positively guided in the support profile 200; it ensures an exact alignment of the actuating force acting on the die plates 86. Instead of a belt drive for the type wheel 54, a direct drive can also be used, in which the type wheel 54 sits directly on the shaft of a positioning drive (not shown) which brings the fan wheel into the correct embossing position. Same, alternating or stepper motors are used as positioning drives.

In the embodiment described above, the embossing unit with the type wheel 54 is arranged in a stationary manner. The workpieces, especially small parts and type plates, are positioned under the embossing point in two mutually perpendicular axial directions. Two axis directions are required for the letter feed within a line and the line feed. The roller transport described is used in particular for flat type plates, to which the exchangeable magazine, which is also explained in greater detail, is assigned for the automatic insertion of the type plates. In this application, the embossing eccentric is also installed in a stationary position, and the embossing force is transferred directly to the embossing plates. Passing through and positioning larger '_' workpieces to be stamped under a stationary stamping unit would involve a certain amount of effort. According to a further embodiment of the invention, it is therefore proposed to equip the embossing unit with two further, mutually perpendicular axes of movement. These two axes of movement are driven by identical, alternating or stepper motors and move the embossing unit with the respective letter or line spacing over the part to be embossed. The embossing eccentric can be driven along. However, in order to keep the mass of the parts to be moved at high speed low, an arrangement with a stationary ver is used permanent embossing eccentric preferred. In this case, the embossing force is transferred indirectly to the embossing plate via an intermediate plate.

Workpieces, the size of which lies outside the range of movement of such an embossing unit with two movement axes, can be embossed according to the invention in an embossing machine according to FIG. 6. In this, a further relative movement between the embossing head including the embossing eccentric and the workpiece to be embossed is realized by a platform which carries the embossing head 210 with the type wheel 54, the plunger 88 and the associated motor elements. The platform has the shape of a portal 212, which can be moved over a workpiece 214. The portal 212 has in particular two base blocks 216 which are held on guide rods 218 and are moved by pulling spindles 220; a drive for the tension spindles 220 is shown at 222. The base blocks perform a spindle-driven movement in the support plane of the workpiece 214, the direction of movement being designated by x. Carriers 224 stand on the base blocks 216 and carry a frame 226 spanning the workpiece 214. The frame 226 has a rectangular shape and is assembled from U-profiles and flat parts. It serves as a holder for further guide rods 228 and a spindle 230, on which a holding block 232 is suspended in an adjustable manner. The holding block 232 is moved parallel to the support plane of the workpiece 214 and transversely to the direction of travel of the basic blocks 216; the corresponding direction is designated y in the figure. The holding block 232 carries the embossing head 210, which is held on the holding block 232 in the vertical direction z perpendicular to the degrees of freedom x and y. By adjusting the direction z, the position of the embossing head 210 can be adapted to different workpiece thicknesses. Furthermore, a degree of freedom of rotation of the embossing head 210 about the z-axis is provided in the exemplary embodiment shown, as indicated by arrow 234. By rotating the embossing head 210, it is possible to change the orientation of the ge embossed letters on workpiece 214 to vary. Texts embossed with different orientations are indicated at 236.

To create them, the entire embossing head is first moved into a corresponding labeling position. During this positioning process carried out by the portal, the entire embossing head is lifted in front of the workpiece and only lowered towards the workpiece for embossing itself. The embossing feed in the row and column direction during the embossing takes place via the two translational degrees of freedom of the embossing head, without a portal movement taking place. Because of the small mass to be moved, quick stamping is possible; Movements of the entire portal, on the other hand, are only required for moving to the labeling positions.

The arrangement according to the invention according to FIG. 6 is used for large workpieces, in which a controlled movement of the entire embossing head 210 is more practical than a slide guide for small workpieces. One application is in the aircraft industry, where each part must be given an embossed label before it can be machined on metal-cutting machines. Further applications also lie in the steel industry, in tube production or the like. The use of a type wheel 54 according to the invention has the advantage that the embossing process takes place character by character and therefore much less embossing forces have to be exerted than when several are embossed at the same time Character. The portal 212, which must support the entire embossing forces, can therefore be built relatively lightly and in a material-saving manner. Due to the lower embossing forces that occur, the workpiece 214 is also deformed less, which has very great advantages in terms of application technology. With the type wheel 54 according to the invention, unprecedented embossing speeds are still achieved. Last but not least, the arrangement is according to The invention is also so interesting because it can be operated fully computer-controlled and is therefore suitable for a high degree of automation.

In summary, the invention consists in the use of a type wheel for embossing workpieces. The types of the type wheel are pressed individually onto the surface to be embossed, which is usually made of metal, an embossing eccentric preferably providing the pressing force. For certain applications, however, the embossing eccentric can also be replaced by a hydraulic or pneumatic piston-cylinder device. For the embossing of type plates, which are examples of smaller workpieces, they are moved in a type plate machine relative to an embossing head containing the type wheel, which remains in one and the same place when embossing successive characters. The type plate or the like is used for the line and column feed during embossing. smaller piece of value moved. In the case of larger parts to be stamped, on the other hand, an arrangement is preferred in which the stamping head moves back and forth over the workpiece as part of the required line and column feed. The workpiece to be embossed remains stationary during the embossing, and the embossing head can be quickly advanced over the surface of the marking to be embossed.

For. large parts to be embossed, finally, according to the invention, a further movement mechanism is used, in particular in the form of a portal, which displaces the entire embossing head by distances which can considerably exceed the extent of the area captured during embossing. This movement mechanism is out of operation for the duration of the actual embossing in rows and columns, the latter being carried out as previously indicated by the embossing head which can be moved for embossing successive characters. In all of the applications mentioned, a cranked type wheel can finally be used if the workpiece geometry requires it.

Claims (31)

1. Machine for embossing type designations on workpieces, and in particular of type plates, with a holding device for the workpiece, with a controllable embossing head and with a controllable drive device for generating predetermined relative movements between the holding device and embossing head, characterized in that the embossing head (21o) Type wheel (54), which is adjustable by means of a positioning device and carries types or embossing plates (86) on spring elements (84, 2o4), and has a controllable (loo - 106) plunger (88) working on the rear side of the plate, and the drive device allows a relative movement between the holding device and the embossing head (21o) at least in two mutually perpendicular directions. 2. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the holding device has a in a first coordinate direction by a controllable first drive (38) movable carriage (20) and roller sets carried by this (42,46), with the top or bottom of a workpiece to be embossed, whose axes of rotation run parallel to the first coordinate direction and which can be set in rotation synchronously by a second drive (132). 3. Machine according to claim 2, characterized in that one (46) of the two roller sets (44, 46) is arranged on both sides of the track of the type wheel (54) and is replaced in the area of the type wheel (54) by hold-down, while the other (42) of the roller sets (42, 46) over the entire length of the carriage (2o). 4. Machine according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the plunger (88) acts on one or both sides and with the web of a single-acting plunger (88) aligned with the back of the nameplate (90) cooperating rollers (42) through a support bar (92) are replaced. 5. Machine according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the rollers (42,46) are arranged in groups on spaced shafts (40,44), the rollers of adjacent shafts being offset by half a pitch and reach between each other. 6. Machine according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that at least the rollers (42,46) of a set are made of resilient material. 7. Machine according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the plunger (88) is driven by a controllable embossing drive (1 ₀ 4.1 ₀ 6) via an eccentrically arranged cam (loo). 8. Machine according to claim 7, characterized in that the cam (loo) is driven continuously rotating by a motor, and a signal is given to the positioning device which carries out the positioning of the type wheel (54) of the position of the plunger (88) accordingly. 9. Machine according to claim 8, characterized in that the position of the cam (loo) is queried via a transmitter or initiator, and the type wheel (54), if not embossed, is in an empty position, from which a positioning in the printing position then and only when the plunger (88) is at a distance from the type wheel (54). 10. Machine according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the type wheel (54) via a belt drive (72 - 76) is rotated by a drive motor (78) and the shaft (56) carrying the type wheel (54) an angle encoder (7o) is assigned. 11. Machine according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized by a direct drive of the type wheel (54) with a positioning drive, with the shaft of which the type wheel (54) is connected. 12. Machine according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the edge (2 ₀ 4) of the type wheel (54) by an angle α conically bent and the shaft (56) of the type wheel (54) with respect to the direction of movement of the plunger ( 88) is inclined by (180 ° -α). 13. Machine according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the rectangular embossing plates (86) are attached to spring arms (84) and are aligned with their longitudinal axis perpendicular to the axis of the associated spring arm (84). 14. Machine according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the embossing head (21o) is equipped with two mutually perpendicular axes of movement, by means of which it can be moved over the workpiece to be embossed. 15. Machine according to claim 14, characterized in that the embossing eccentric is arranged stationary and the embossing force is transmitted to the embossing plate via an intermediate plate which moves with the embossing head. 16. Machine according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the embossing head (21o) with the type wheel (54), the plunger (88) and associated motor elements are mounted on an adjustable platform. 17. Machine according to claim 16, characterized in that the platform is adjustable perpendicular to the support plane of the workpiece (214). 18. Machine according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that the platform is adjustable in two mutually perpendicular directions parallel to the support plane of the workpiece (214). 19. Machine according to one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that the embossing head (21o) is rotatably supported on the platform in preselectable angular positions. 20. Machine according to one of claims 16 to 19, characterized in that the platform has the shape of a flat embossing head plate (62) which runs on guide rods (64) and threaded spindles (66). 21. Machine according to one of claims 16 to 19, characterized in that the platform has the shape of a portal (212) that two on guide rods (218) and movable by traction screws (22o) parallel to the support plane of the workpiece (214) Has base blocks (216) on which supports (224) are supported, which hold a frame (226) spanning the support plane, and on the frame (226) on guide rods (228) a holding block (232) in parallel by a spindle (23o) to the support plane of the workpiece and transversely to the running direction of the base blocks (216) on which the embossing head (21o) is rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the support plane of the workpiece (214). 22. Machine according to one of claims 1 to 21, characterized in that the translational and rotary movements executing drive motors (38, 78, 132, 222) are positioning drives. 23. Machine according to one of claims 1 to 22, characterized by a light barrier (108, 110) arranged in the path of the workpieces (90, 214) in front of the edge of the type wheel (54). 24. Machine according to one of claims 1 to 23, which is provided with a magazine for unembossed workpieces and with a device for dispensing individual workpieces from the magazine, characterized in that the magazine (116) releasably with the participation of positioning means (114) on Carriage (20) is attached so that one end of the discharge opening is aligned with a lateral longitudinal bar (26) of the carriage (2 ₀ ). 25. Machine according to claim 24, characterized in that one of the second end of the discharge opening associated guide lip (13o) of the magazine extends to the first rollers of the carriage (20). 26. Use of a type wheel for embossing workpieces. the types being pressed individually onto the preferably metallic surface to be embossed. 27. Use according to claim 26, characterized in that the embossing force is applied by an embossing eccentric or a hydraulic or pneumatic piston-cylinder device. 28. Use of a type wheel according to claim 26 or 27, for type plate machines, wherein the type plate to be embossed is passed through the machine relative to the type wheel. 29. Use of a type wheel according to claim 26 or 27, for embossing larger workpieces, wherein an embossing head containing the type wheel is moved relative to the workpiece for embossing successive characters. 30. Use of a type wheel according to one of claims 26, 27 or 29, for embossing very large workpieces, wherein an embossing head which can be moved for the embossing of successive characters is in turn arranged displaceably on a portal over longer distances. 31. Use of a cranked type wheel according to one of claims 26 to 30 when the workpiece geometry requires it.

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