EP0298248B1 - Franking machine for labels - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to machines for franking labels and, in particular, machines fed by a continuous ribbon, which ensure, as and when requested, the removal of one or more labels called short or long on the ribbon and their printing.

For such machines, the so-called short labels are those intended to receive postage information accompanied by the date of postage; the so-called long labels are those intended to receive in addition one or more additional information called advertising flame below.

A printing drum ensures printing of short or long labels. It is equipped with a printing head for the postage stamp with the date and a retractable head, or retractable plate, for printing the advertising flame, to allow selective printing of the stamp and the date, with or without advertising flame.

An articulated control lever, at the end of the drum, allows the operator to put this retractable advertising flame printing head in the retracted or not position on the periphery of the drum, for the non impression of advertising flame or on the contrary its printing . The labels received by the drum, which are to be printed, must in correspondence be imperatively short, when the advertising flame printing head is in the retracted position, and long otherwise.

A distributor of short or long labels taken from a continuous ribbon ensures the supply of labels, at the appropriate length, to the printing drum.

According to patent application EP-A-0202486 filed in the name of the plaintiff, the distributor ensuring the selective picking of short or long labels includes intermittent tape drive means and a knife actuated during the stopping of the means of 'training. Two detection cells are mounted downstream of the knife, on the tape guide path to ensure selection of a short or long label sample. The one of these two cells, which is closest to the knife or upstream cell, defines the initial position of the end of the ribbon in the dispenser, before any cutting of the ribbon. Its position relative to the knife preferably corresponds to the length of a short label. The other cell or downstream cell defines the position of the end of the ribbon which in relation to the knife gives the length of a long label.

In operation, when a short label is desired, the ribbon in the initial position is cut, then the label and the ribbon are driven until the ribbon returns to its initial position. When a long label is desired, the ribbon is driven from its initial position to the downstream cell, is then cut and then is driven again with the label removed; the ribbon is thus returned to the initial position.

This short or long label dispenser is coupled to the franking machine to deliver the labels under the printing drum of the machine. It is advantageously controlled by a signal for detecting the angular position of the lever for placing the advertising flame print head in the retracted or non-retracted position, for the selection of samples from the short or long label tape. .

In addition, a removed label extractor mounted downstream of the aforementioned cells transfers each label and ensures its advance under the drum for printing.

The advance of the label under the drum must be synchronized with the linear speed of the drum. To this end, the extractor comprises a motor roller coupled to the counter-roller, also a motor, associated with the drum, this motor counter-roller being driven to have the same linear speed as that of the drum, when the latter is itself driven.

Each time a label is printed, the drum is driven on a lathe to print the label taken between it and its counter-roller and deliver it, then stops in a rest position, awaiting printing of a new one. label. A third cell, ensuring detection of the arrival near the drum of the label taken to be printed, triggers the drive on one revolution of the drum. In its rest position, a flat on the drum, or a clearance between the drum and its counter-roller means that this drum is without contact with its counter-roller which remains permanently driven.

This drive command for the drum, the motor counter-roller of which is coupled to the label extractor to be printed, makes it difficult to obtain an almost perfect synchronism between the speed of advance of the label and that of the drum. , to have a completely satisfactory impression.

The object of the present invention is, in particular, to avoid this drawback of synchronization.

• ― un tambour d'impression et un contre-rouleau associé,
• ― une goulotte définissant un chemin de guidage de ruban et/ou étiquette jusqu'au tambour,
• ― des moyens d'entraînement intermittent du ruban et un couteau de prélèvement d'étiquettes, interposés sur le chemin de guidage,
• ― des premiers moyens et des seconds moyens affectés au positionnement du ruban pour le prélèvement d'une étiquette courte et d'une étiquette longue, respectivement, montés en aval du couteau, chacun à une distance sensiblement égale à la longueur d'étiquette correspondante,
• ― un circuit de commande desdits moyens d'entraînement, couplé aux premiers et seconds moyens, pour l'entraînement du ruban selon la longueur d'étiquette souhaitée,
• ― et un détecteur de longueur d'étiquette souhaitée couplé audit circuit de commande pour la sélection desdits premiers moyens ou desdits second moyens et la commande des moyens d'entraînement à partir des premiers ou seconds moyens sélectionnés, la machine selon la présente invention est caractérisée en ce que lesdits seconds moyens affectés au positionnement du ruban pour le prélèvement d'étiquette longue comportent un levier pivotant monté sur le tambour et équipé au droit du tambour d'un palpeur actionné en effacement par l'extrémité du ruban et/ou d'étiquette courte arrivant sous le tambour, un couple de cellules de détection monté décalé du tambour d'impression et de la goulotte et couplé audit circuit de commande, et une patte d'obturation solidaire dudit levier et associée audit couple de cellules relativement auquel elle est intercalée entre les cellules lorsque ledit palpeur est effacé et reste extérieure dans le cas contraire.

Compared to the state of the art which describes a machine for franking labels taken, as and when requested and at a desired short or long label length, on a continuous ribbon, comprising:

• - a printing drum and an associated counter-roller,
• - a chute defining a ribbon and / or label guide path to the drum,
• Intermittent tape drive means and a label picking knife, interposed on the guide path,
• First means and second means assigned to positioning the ribbon for picking up a short label and a long label, respectively, mounted downstream of the knife, each at a distance substantially equal to the corresponding label length,
• A control circuit of said drive means, coupled to the first and second means, for driving the ribbon according to the desired label length,
• - And a desired label length detector coupled to said control circuit for the selection of said first means or said second means and the control of the drive means from the first or second selected means, the machine according to the present invention is characterized in that said second means assigned to positioning the ribbon for label removal long comprise a pivoting lever mounted on the drum and fitted to the right of the drum with a feeler actuated in erasure by the end of the ribbon and / or short label arriving under the drum, a pair of detection cells mounted offset from the drum printing and the chute and coupled to said control circuit, and a closure tab integral with said lever and associated with said pair of cells relative to which it is interposed between the cells when said probe is erased and remains outside otherwise.

In said machine according to the invention, said pair of cells and said pivoting lever, with said erasable feeler and said closure tab, therefore allow the positioning of the ribbon for the removal of a long label but also the presentation of the label short or long taken just under the drum which independently of this presentation will ensure its advance when printed.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become clear during the description given below with reference to the attached drawing. In this drawing, the single figure given is a schematic overview of the label franking machine according to the present invention.

In the label franking machine, illustrated with diagrammatic material in the figure, short or long labels are taken on demand from a continuous ribbon 1, mounted on a roll 2, and printed progressively by a printing drum 3. A chute 5 guides the ribbon coming from the roll and the label taken, by their edges, to the printing drum 3 and a pressure counter-roller 4 associated with the drum, then slightly downstream of these last.

A knife 6 is interposed on the guide path of the ribbon on the chute 5. It has a fixed blade 7 and a rotary blade 8 defining on the fixed blade a cutting line 9 of the ribbon during its rotation drive. This rotary blade 8 is coupled as shown diagrammatically by a dashed line connection 10 to a motor 11 for actuating the knife. In the rest position of the rotary blade, the knife allows the free passage of the tape between its blades.

Two pairs of rollers 12-13 and 14-15, interposed on the ribbon guide path in the chute 5 and mounted on either side of the knife 6, ensure the drive in the ribbon and label chute which is levied there. Each of these two pairs of rollers has a driving roller 12 or 14 partially engaged in the guide path of the ribbon and an associated pressing roller 13 or 15. The two driving rollers 12 and 14 are coupled to each other and to the same drive motor 16 of the ribbon and of the label taken to be printed as shown diagrammatically by illustrated links.

Sensibly at the entrance to the chute, a pair of photodetection cells 18, 19 detects the presence of tape at its level. It makes it possible to ensure, during the initial manual insertion of the ribbon in the chute, the starting of the motor 16 and the driving of the pairs of rollers 12, 13 and 14, 15, for the driving of the ribbon, it is presented in front of the first pair of rollers 12, 13, this until it is properly positioned in the chute. This same pair of cells 18, 19 can also act as an inhibition circuit in the franking machine, for blocking the machine when there is no ribbon at its level, in particular when the ribbon roll is empty.

On the guide path of the ribbon in the chute 5, the knife 6 has been positioned so that the cutting line 9 defined between its blades is at a distance from the printing drum 3 and its counter roller 4 substantially equal to the length long labels.

Two pairs of cells 20-21 and 22-23 are assigned to selection between long or short labels desired to be printed by the drum as and when the sample is taken.

The first of these pairs of cells assigned to the selection of short labels is the pair of cells 20-21 mounted downstream of the knife, on either side of the guide path in the chute. It is at a distance from the cutting line 9 between the blades of the knife substantially at the length of the labels short, while being slightly downstream of the second pair of drive rollers 14-15. The chute 5 is interrupted at the level of this first pair of cells, its downstream part is independent of its upstream part.

The second pair of cells 22-23, assigned to the selection of long labels is offset from its normal position, which would be on the guide path of the downstream part of the chute, at the level of the drum 3 and its counter roller. The second pair of cells 22-23 is disposed laterally with respect to the counter-roller 4, being below the downstream part of the chute and also practically below the counter-roller 4. A lever 25 is associated with it to the detection it must provide.

Below the printing drum 3, the counter-roller 4, the lever 25 and the second pair of cells 22-23 associated, and the downstream part of the chute which ensures the presentation of the labels to the printing drum, form a assembly associated with the printing drum and designated by the global reference 30.

This assembly 30 is pivotally mounted on an axis 31 carrying the inlet end of the downstream part of the chute; the other end of this downstream part of the chute ensures the proper presentation of the labels under the printing drum and advantageously forms an output guide for printed labels downstream from the printing drum. In this assembly, the counter-roller 4 is mounted to rotate freely about its axis 34, it is urged under pressure against the printing drum 3; the lever 25 is pivotally mounted around an axis 35 located slightly above the axis 34, with a slight lateral offset.

The lever 25 is in the form of a yoke. It has two flanges such as the only one visible. These two flanges have only a few differences between them which will be specified, they extend on one side and the other of the counter-roller and are carried by the axis 35. These flanges slightly protrude over the periphery of the counter roller, substantially opposite to the downstream part of the chute, where they have a circular arc profile and are connected by their connecting piece simply sketched in dotted but not referenced.

Each of the flanges, such as 36, has on its edge a shoulder to the right of the printing drum, which forms a tooth and defines a feeler 39 which is retractable by the end of the ribbon and / or of the label arriving at its level, between the printing drum 3 and the counter-roller 4. The teeth or feeler 39 allow the detection of the arrival of the end of the ribbon or label under the drum 3. In the absence of ribbon, each tooth is interposed as an obstacle in the guide path, these teeth being substantially in the extension of the guide chute of the ribbon and / or label by their edge. These teeth are erased under the action of the end of the ribbon or label, by pivoting the lever 25 about its axis 35, as illustrated by the arrow 40.

A return spring 41 urges the lever 25 for setting the teeth or feeler 39 in the obstacle position, in the absence of tape or label.

The lever 25 has, moreover, but on only one of its flanges, the flange 36, a tab 42 projecting around its contour, called the shutter tab with which the pair of cells 22-23 is associated. This tab, pivoting with the lever to which it belongs, extends relative to the two cells 22-23 to interpose between them by sealing the detector cell when the teeth or probe 39 are erased, and being external and without effect on the cells when the teeth or feeler are in obstacle not cleared. The pair of cells 22-23 with the tab 42 thus ensure remote detection, in particular, of the correct positioning of the ribbon for the removal of a long label.

The two pairs of cells 20-21 and 22-23 are used in particular for selectively controlling the stopping of the ribbon drive motor, for positioning the end of the ribbon before actuating the knife, according to the length of the desired label, which is detected.

To this end, the detection of the desired label length is preferably carried out in a manner comparable to the arrangement described in the applicant's already cited patent application. The printing drum 3 has therefore been shown equipped with a head 54 for printing the stamp and the date, fixed on the periphery of the drum, which is for example constituted by a block of individually adjustable wheels, and a plate 55 for printing an advertising flame, retractable on the periphery of the drum. A set of rods symbolized by a link 56 couples the printing image 55 of an advertising flame to an articulated lever 57 for controlling the positioning of this image in the non-retracted position of printing given in solid lines and in the retracted position given in dotted lines. A lever position detector 59, advantageously forming a photo-optical transmitter-receiver head, is mounted at a distance from this articulated lever 59, while this lever is fitted with a mirror 58 coupling the transmitter and detector parts of the detector 59 for one only the two possible positions of the joystick. Depending on the position of the advertising flame printing plate, the detector delivers the desired short or long label selection signal.

The printing drum has two peripheral grooves not shown in the figure, in which the teeth or probe 39 which engage are not retracted in the absence of a label under the drum. These tooth accommodation grooves are formed in the end parts of the drum, on one side and the other of the head 54 and of the printing plate 55.

A logic control circuit 60 is coupled to the output of the detector 59.

It is also coupled to the outputs of the two detector cells 21 and 23 of the two pairs of cells 20-21 and 22-23; it consequently controls the stopping of the ribbon drive motor 16, according to the length of label to be taken given by the detector 59. This same logic circuit 60 also controls the taking of a label, the advance of a short label taken up to the drum by the motor 16, the rotation over one revolution of the drum for the printing of a short or long label and the extraction of the label taken. This extraction is ensured by a label ejection roller 63, mounted downstream of the drum, which is coupled to an ejection motor 64 and with which the pressure counter-rollers such as 65 are associated, coming into pressure against the roller 63 to eject the label taken between them, by its lateral edges substantially. For these commands, the logic circuit 60 is coupled to the motors 16, 11 and 64 as well as to the drum drive motor, not shown. It also receives the output signal from the detector cell 19 of the pair of cells 18-19 for positioning the ribbon at initial loading and for blocking the machine in the absence of ribbon. These different commands appear in the operation of the machine, which is explained below.

When the ribbon is loaded into the machine, the end of the ribbon is inserted and pushed manually into the chute 5. Passing in front of the pair of input cells 18-19, the control logic circuit 60 starts the motor 16, to drive the ribbon, as soon as its end reaches the level of the first pair of rollers 12-13 and until its end reaches the pair of cells 20-21. At this time, depending on the position of the articulated lever 57 detected by the optical head 59, if this lever is in the short label position, the pair of cells 20-21 triggers the stopping of the motor 16, if on the other hand the lever is in the long label position, it inhibits the pair of cells 20-21 and the ribbon continues to advance by the action of the pairs of rollers 12-13 and 14-15, until its end stops on the teeth or feeler 39 of the pivoting lever 25. At this moment, the ribbon pivots the lever by erasing the teeth or feeler 39 and the tab 42 is simultaneously inserted between the cells of the torque 22-23 which triggers the stopping of the motor 16.

After proper positioning of the end of the ribbon, depending on the position of the handle 57, the knife actuation motor 11 is controlled by the torque detecting cell 20-21 or 22-23 which has controlled the stopping of the motor 16 .

If a short label is removed, the motor 16 is controlled again, for driving the ribbon and the short label to the teeth or feeler 39 of the lever 25 whose tab 42 is inserted between the cells of the pair of cells 22-23 which then triggers the engine 16 to stop.

The short or long label has, at this time, its end which is just engaged under the printing drum 3 against the non-motorized counter-roller 4. The logic circuit 60 then triggers the drum drive mechanism for the rotation of the drum on one revolution. During this rotation, the label is printed and advances towards the ejection roller 63. A timer triggered from the drive of the drum 3 allows the logic circuit to start the motor 64 coupled to the ejection roller 63, to deliver the printed label, and the ribbon drive motor 16 for positioning its end according to the desired position given by the detected position of the handle.

The motor 16 is advantageously a reversible motor.

Thus with regard to the operation given above, if the handle 57 is in the long label position, for which the end of the ribbon has been positioned up to the probe, and the operator comes to put the handle in the position of short label then desired, the logic circuit receives the transition on the signal from the detector 59, which corresponds to this modification of length of the desired label. In this case, the logic circuit 60 triggers the motor 16 to move the end of the ribbon back to the pair of cells 20-21, while there is absorption of the corresponding length of ribbon on the roller 2 mounted in tensioner of tape, to correctly position the end of the tape, before removing the short label.

In a comparable manner if the lever 57 is actuated from its position of short label to that of long label, the reverse transition on the signal from the detector 59 causes the logic circuit 60 to start the motor 16 for advancing the ribbon up to touch probe before removing the desired long label.

As a variant of this operation, with a motor 16 ensuring only the advance of the ribbon, the ribbon can be brought into the initial position given by the only pair of cells 20-21 whatever the label length given by the position the joystick. In in this case, for each desired label, the label is removed if it is short, then advances the label and the ribbon until the label erases the teeth or feeler of lever 25, printing and advancing the label and ejecting the printed label at the same time advancing the ribbon to the initial position. If the desired label is long, on the other hand, there is advance of the ribbon from its initial position to the feeler of lever 25, removal of the label, printing and advancement of the label and ejection of the long label printed with at the same time advancing the ribbon to its initial position.

The present invention has the advantage of avoiding any problem of synchronism of arrival of the label under the printing drum, by positioning the short or long label so that it is just engaged between the printing drum. printing and its crazy counter-roller and stop it thus positioned, then ensuring the advance of the label, with its printing, directly by the drum.

Claims (7)

1. A franking machine for labels which are taken away as and when required from a continuous tape (1) in the form of long labels or short labels, as desired, the machine comprising:

― a print drum (3) and an associated backing roll (4);

― a chute (5) defining a guide path for the tape and/or the label up to the drum;

― intermittent drive means (12-13, 14-15) for driving the tape and a cutter (6) for cutting off labels, said cutter being interposed on the guide path;

― first means (20, 21) and second means (22, 23) for positioning the tape respectively for taking away a short label and for taking away a long label, said means being mounted downstream from the cutter, each at a distance therefrom which is substantially equal to the corresponding label length;

― a control circuit (60) for controlling said drive means, coupled to said first means and said second means for the tape according to the length of the desired label; and

― a desired label length detector (59) coupled to said control circuit for selecting said first means or said second means and for controlling the drive means from the selected first or second means; said the machine being characterized in that said second means (30) associated with positioning the tape for taking away a long label comprise a pivoting lever (25) mounted beneath the drum (3) and fitted opposite the drum with a feeler (39) which is actuated by being retracted by the end of the tape and/or a short label arriving beneath the drum, a pair of detection cells (22-23) mounted offset from the print drum (3) and the chute (5) and coupled to said control circuit (60), and a shutter tab (42) fixed to said lever (25) associated with said pair of cells (22-23) so as to be interposed between the cells when said feeler (39) is retracted, and otherwise to be outside said cells.

2. A label franking machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said backing roll (4) associated with the print drum is a pressure backing roll mounted free to rotate about its axis of rotation (34).

3. A label franking machine according to claim 2, characterized in that said lever (25) constitutes a plate (36) disposed laterally beneath at least one of the ends of the backing roll (4) and has a tooth (39) projecting from the periphery of said backing roll opposite the drum and constituting said feeler, said lever being resiliently urged (41) to ensure that said feeler is not retracted in the absence of contact between said feeler and the tape or the label.

4. A label franking machine according to claim 3, characterized in that said backing roll (4), said lever (25), said pair of cells (22-23) and the end portion of the chute (5) downstream from said first means (20, 21) for determining the position of the tape when taking away short labels are all mounted in an assembly (30) beneath said print drum (3).

5. A label franking machine according to claim 4, characterized in that said assembly (30) is pivotally mounted about an axis (31) substantially at the end of the downstream portion of said chute opposite to said drum.

6. A label franking machine according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said detector of the desired length of label is constituted by a photoelectric head (53) whose emitting portion and receiving portion are coupled by a mirror (58) carried by a lever (57) for actuating a retractable slogan printing plate (55) carried by the drum, for one of the positions of said handle.

7. A label franking machine according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said drive means (12-13, 14-15, 16) include a reversible motor (16) controlled by said control circuit (60) in one direction or the other whenever the desired length of label is changed, depending on whether the change is from a short label to a long label or from a long label to a short label.

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