EP0121640B1 - Method and device for marking and identifying objects - Google Patents

Abstract

1. Method for marking a indentifying objects, in which an object is indelibly marked by stamping it with a mark or personal inscription by means of a style engraved with said mark and in which this mark is identified, characterized in that a card reproducing the mark of the style in enlarged scale is realized in that the objects are stamped and in that the identification of said objects is made later by comparison of the stamped mark on these objects with the enlarged reproduction of the mark on the card

Description

The present invention relates to a method and a device for marking and identifying objects of the genze defined respectively in the preamble of claims 1 and 2.

Numerous thefts of objects of certain intrinsic personal value are committed every day. These when found, can generally not be punished for lack of evidence, except when the thief is caught in the act. When objects are relatively widespread, such as watches, cameras, certain jewelry or other useful or decorative goods, even evidence of flagrante delicto is difficult to exploit if the thief recuses himself by claiming that the object belongs to him.

The present invention proposes to solve this problem by developing a simple method for personalizing any common object that an individual may have in his possession.

For this purpose, the method and the device according to 1 invention respectively comprise the characteristics defined in the characterizing part of claims 1 and 2.

The punch represents a personal graphic to the user of the aforementioned device, which can therefore mark the objects he holds and of which he fears loss or theft. The brand makes it possible to personalize objects as anonymous as mass-market watches, banknotes, lighters or any other commodity. The presence of this mark on an object allows not only to identify it, but also to confuse a possible thief who will not be able to present an enlarged reproduction of the mark stamped on the object, it being understood that the punch is of very small dimension and preferably affixed in a relatively hidden place.

The present invention will be better understood with reference to the description of exemplary embodiments and the attached drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 schematically represents a first embodiment of the device according to the invention,

FIG. 2 represents an improved variant of the device according to the invention.

FIG. 3 represents a sectional view of another embodiment of the device of the invention,

FIG. 4 represents a plan view of this device, and

Figure 5 is a sectional view of a variant of this device.

With reference to fig. 1, the device shown has an elongated shape and resembles, at least approximately, a ballpoint pen. This device essentially comprises a support body 10 of hollow cylindrical shape, containing a marking device 11 and a spring member 12 capable of actuating, the marking device 11. The marking device 11 essentially consists of a cylindrical rod 13, at the anterior end of which is fixed the punch 14 made of a particularly hard meta, and the anterior end of which is engraved so as to reproduce a mark or an own acronym; 1 user. The upper end of 1, rod 13 carries a hammer 16, the role of which will be defined below. A spring 17, pressing against the underside of the hammer 16 and cont, e the edges of a shoulder 18 formed inside the support body 10, tends to bring the punch 14 to; the interior of its housing formed at the anterior end of the support body 10. The spring member 12 essentially consists of a cocking spring 19 wound around a tabular piece 20 and a rod 21 arranged to be able slide inside the tubular part 20, these two elements being mounted respectively inside two telescopic sockets 22 and 23, which define the chamber of the arming spring 19. Two locking pawls 24 and 25, pivotable around respective axes 24 'and 25' and biased towards a position represented by the figure by two leaf springs 24 "and 25", hold in position the lower bush 22 when the device is armed, that is to say when the user has pushed the upper sleeve 23 in the direction of the arrow A, inside the sleeve 22. Two pawls 26 and 27, respectively articulated on two pivots 26 and 27 and urged by leaf springs 26 "and 27", have respectively a notch 28 and 29 which cooperate respectively with the protrusions 30 and 31, to ensure the locking in position of the upper sleeve 23 when the device is armed.

To use the aforementioned device, it is first necessary to arm it, that is to say to compress the spring 19 by pushing the sleeve 23 inside the sleeve 22. The lower sleeve is retained in position by the pawls 24 and 25, and the upper sleeve 23 is retained in position by the pawls 26 and 27. When the tip of the device is applied against the object to be marked, the user can push on the pawls 24 and 25 to rotate them , which releases the lower sleeve which strikes the hammer 16 by applying the punch 15 against the object. A pin 32, integral with the lower sleeve 22, passes through the support body 10, slides in a suitable groove (not shown) and makes it possible to return the sleeve 22 to its initial position. The upper bush 23 is released when the user presses on the anterior ends of the pawls 26 and 27. Radial fins 33 and 32, integral with the bush 23, slide in grooves 35 and 36 formed along the inner wall of the front socket 22.

Of course, the device with a double sliding bush could be simplified and replaced by a single bush, namely the front bush 22, the spring 19 bearing against a surface. fixed end secured to the rear end of the support body 10. Such a device would however have a lower stroke of the cocking spring 19 and would only allow the development of forces lower than those obtained by the mechanism of FIG. 1.

Fig. 2 shows a variant in which the device is in the form of a pistol and partially uses the mechanism of a gas pistol known per se. The body of the device has a tubular longitudinal part 40, inside which a rod 41 can slide, the front end of which carries the punch 42. The rear end of the rod 41 carries a hammer 43, which constitutes a piston housed in an expansion chamber 44 and biased by a spring 45 pressing against a shoulder 46, which defines the front end surface of the expansion chamber 44. A gas tank, in particular carbon dioxide under pressure, communicates with a metering chamber 48 via a conduit 49 and a valve 50. The metering chamber 48 communicates with the expansion chamber 44 via a conduit 51 and a valve 52. A trigger 53 with two positions ensures the successive opening of the valves 50 and 52.

To mark an object using the gun described, the user applies the anterior end of the barrel against the object to be marked and presses the trigger. The action on trigger 53 takes place in two phases. During the first phase, the valve 50 is opened, which makes it possible to release a predetermined quantity of gas under pressure and to store it in the metering chamber 48. During the second phase, the valve 50 closes and the valve 52 opens, which allows the pressurized gas to be released from the metering chamber 48, which suddenly enters the expansion chamber 44 by violently pushing the piston 43 in the direction of arrow B, which makes it possible to strike the punch against the object to be marked. The return spring 45 ensures the return of the piston 43 to its initial position. A return spring (not shown) makes it possible to return the trigger 53 to its initial position, which ensures the closure of the valve 52. The mechanism for opening and closing the valves 50 and 52 and for metering a predetermined quantity gas in the metering chamber 48, is known per se and used in gas guns, in particular commercially available guns equipped with conventional cartridges of liquefied carbon dioxide.

This variant eliminates the arming mechanism necessary for the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 and allows a relatively large number of markings for a single gas cartridge.

The punch shown enlarged in the drawing has very small dimensions, so that the logo engraved on its surface cannot be identified with the naked eye. It can be engraved by all the appropriate methods making it possible to obtain a clear and precise engraving of the graphics imagined by the owner of the device described. This device can also advantageously be equipped with a magnifying glass or a magnifying system allowing, if necessary, the owner of an object to prove that this object bears a mark identical to that of its punch. This magnifying glass can be incorporated into the device, in particular mounted on a frame articulated to the body of this device or housed in an appropriate recess, formed for example in the butt of the gun.

Figure 3 illustrates another embodiment of the device described above. It comprises an elongated tubular envelope 60 containing a substantially cylindrical hollow body 61. Inside this body 61 are housed the active members, that is to say the arming and triggering mechanism of the marker device. These members essentially comprise a mass 62 capable of sliding axially inside the hollow body 61, a cocking spring 63, one end of which bears on a shoulder 64 and is wound around a cylindrical extension 65 of the mass 62 and the other end of which rests on a stopper 66. During the operation of the device, this stopper has a fixed position relative to the body 61, but this position can be modified to define the pressure of the arming spring 63 To this end, the stopper 66 is threaded along its peripheral surface 67 which is engaged with a thread 68 of the body 61. In addition, the stopper 66 is engaged on a hexagonal extension 69 of a mandrel. cylindrical 70 rotating inside a sleeve 71 mounted at the end of the body 61. The control of the axial displacement of the stop 66 is effected by means of a cap 72 mounted at the upper end of the body 61 and of the envelope 60, which is made integral with the cylindrical mandrel 70 by a ball 73 and by a retaining ring 74.

At the upper end of the marking device, the cap 72 has a cavity 75 which contains a spirit level 70 of conventional construction known per se.

At its lower end, the device has a point obtained by a substantially conical narrowing of the envelope 60. The body 61 is extended by a piece 77 housed in this narrowing and which serves to guide a punch 78 whose end 79 carries a inscription which one wishes to engrave in an object. This inscription can advantageously be composed of a grid containing an acronym, numbers or a combination of numbers and a personalized acronym, etc. The punch 78 carries a stop ring 80 and a spring 81 which rests on a shoulder 82 of the part 77 and tends to push the punch towards the inside of the body 61 of the marking device.

At its free end, the punch 78 is surrounded by a sleeve 83 made of a material having a high coefficient of adhesion which allows the device to adopt a stable position during its use and ensures precise marking of objects. This sleeve is constantly pushed towards the end 79 of the punch 78 by a spring 84 and therefore also provides protection of this end against fouling and / or wear.

To arm and trigger the device, the latter comprises a latch 85 housed in a cavity in the mass 62 and extended by a trigger button 86. A spring 87 tends to push the latch 85 in abutment against the internal wall of the body 61. In the position shown in Figure 3, the arming spring 63 is relaxed. A shoulder 88 of the punch 78 is in abutment against a complementary shoulder 89 formed along the central bore 90 of the mass 62. To arm the device, the punch 78 is pushed up (to the right in FIG. 3 ) against the force exerted by the spring 81. Thanks to the complementary shoulders 88 and 89, the mass 02 is also pushed back in this same direction against the force exerted by the arming spring 63. The lock is driven by the mass 63 and the trigger button slides in an axial groove 91 formed in the body 61 and the envelope 60. During this movement, the latch 85 bears against the interior wall of the body 61. When the latch 85 exceeds a peripheral shoulder 92 formed in the body 01, the spring 87 which applies the lock 85 against the wall of the body, places this lock in the locking position. The mass 62 is locked in position, subject to the thrust of the highly compressed arming spring 63. The punch, biased by the spring 81, returns to its initial position, as does the sleeve 83 biased by the spring 84.

The mass 62 is released when the user presses the trigger button 86. 11 releases the latch 85 from the shoulder 92 so that the mass 62 is brutally pushed back by the spring 63. This mass then strikes with force end of the punch, the shock occurring at the shoulders 88 and 89.

To mark an object, the user arms the device then precisely positions this device by pressing the anti-slip sleeve 83 on this object, preferably placed horizontally and checking the verticality of the device by means of the spirit level 76. It is of course, the device can also be used in a position other than the vertical position.

FIG. 4 represents a plan view of the device of FIG. 3. A flexible clip 100 is fixed on the envelope 60. This clip is substantially similar to the attachments of stylographs but has the particularity of carrying an elongated magnifying glass 101 and being mounted on a base 102 pivoting about an axis 103 secured to the casing of the device. In this way, the user has a permanent magnifying glass enabling the marked area to be enlarged, for verification after the marking phase or for detection on a stolen object.

The device, and in particular the ornamental mechanism, is preferably made of metal. However, certain parts such as the envelope, the spirit level and the non-slip sleeve can be made of synthetic material.

FIG. 5 illustrates a variant of the device in FIG. 3. For reasons of clarity, the identical parts in the two figures bear the same reference number. For the same reasons, only the rear part which actually presents modifications compared to the previous embodiment has been shown. For this device, the triggering takes place at the rear whereas in the device of FIG. 3, the triggering takes place by means of the side button 86. The device comprises as before a body 61 housed in a tubular envelope 00. The cylindrical extension 65 of the mass 62 has a central bore 100 allowing the passage of a needle 101. This needle can slide in a central cylindrical bore formed through the mandrel 70. The rear end of the needle 101 carries a release button 102 housed inside a bore 108 formed in the cap 72. This trigger button 102 contains the bubble level 76. So that the button 102 is constantly pushed back to its position illustrated in the figure, the needle 101 is surrounded a compression spring 104 which bears on the one hand on the cylindrical extension 65 of the mass 62 and on the other hand on a washer 105 integral with the needle 101.

When the device is armed, the lock 85 blocks the mass 62 in position as before thanks to the spring 87 and the shoulder 92 of the body 61. When the operator presses the trigger button 102, he pushes the needle 101 whose tip 106 penetrates inside a central bore 107 of the lock 85. The needle has the effect of pushing the lock against the pressure of the spring 87, as did the trigger button 80 of the device of FIG. 3. The function of the cap 72 as regulator of the pressure of the arming spring 03 remains identical in both cases.

The marking devices described above with reference to Figures 1 to 5 can be of considerable interest in the fight against theft and concealment of stolen objects, provided however that the mark affixed on the object it identifies is recorded in a way that makes it possible to find and identify the owner of this object. For this purpose, it is proposed to list all the hallmarks and, consequently, all the marks corresponding to these hallmarks in a central file whose access would be reserved for the sole owner of the object and, possibly, the police, on said owner's agreement. In this way, if a stolen object is found with the thief or any other concealer, its identification mark allows, even if the object is of the ordinary type, existing in hundreds or even thousands of copies, to locate the owner of the object and, therefore, the return of this object to its rightful owner. A fortiori, the organized theft of unique objects, such as for example art objects, which is often practiced on an international scale, could be strongly curbed and the activities of specialized bands greatly reduced because objects, including the high market value that they generally reappear sooner or later in second-hand dealers or antique dealers, could be identified and returned to their rightful owners. From the objects, the police could probably, in many cases, go up the lines and identify the perpetrators.

A computer file would be particularly suitable for managing the volume of information corresponding to all of the punches and their owners. A subscription system would ensure that holders of hallmarks receive a notice informing them that one of their hallmarks has been found.

It is understood that other management methods could be envisaged. However, a central file-based organization seems to be the most efficient.

Claims (5)

1. Method for marking and indentifying objects, in which an object is indelibly marked by stamping it with a mark or personal inscription by means of a style engraved with said mark and in which this mark is identified, characterized in that a card reproducing the mark of the style in enlarged scale is realized in that the objects are stamped and in that the identification of said objects is made later by comparison of the stamped mark on these objects with the enlarged reproduction of the mark on the card.

2. Apparatus for using the method according to claim 1 comprising a personal marking instrument equipped with a style (14, 42, 78), the end of which being engraved with a personal mark, characterized in that it also comprises an identification card on which said mark is reproduced in enlarged scale.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises a compressed gas mechanism to project the style (42) against the object to be marked, this mechanism comprising a reservoir of compressed gas (47), an inlet chamber (48) and an expansion chamber within which a piston (43) integral with a stem (41) is provided for sliding by move, the anterior end of said stem bearing the style.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the instrument for marking has the shape of a gun.

5. Apparatus according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the instrument for marking comprises a magnifying glass (101) used to compare the stamped mark on an object with the enlarged reproduction of the mark on the identification card.

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