EP0470551B1 - Adjustment-device for the printing wheels of a franking-machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to franking machines with a print head detachably mounted on a base, and the print head of which is with a print drum carrying printing rollers. It relates more particularly in such machines, to the device for adjusting the print wheels.

These printing wheels are, in known manner, rotatably mounted on the drum to allow them to be adjusted in position, in the absence of a franking operation. They are also slightly protruding on the periphery of the drum and rotatable with it, for printing fixed and variable postage information at each rotation of the drum. The dials are used to print variable value and postage date information. The printing drum therefore carries two sets of wheels for this variable information, which protrude from the drum through suitable openings in a plate engraved with postal stickers. This engraved plate follows the periphery of the drum and carries the fixed postage information, in the form of imprints of the postage sticker and of the home office sticker, or another defined form. This same drum generally carries, in addition, another engraved plate called advertising similar to the first but often retractable mounted, which is assigned to the printing of fixed advertising information. In some machines, other printing means such as one or more retractable pads are associated with the drum.

Document FR-A 2 335 002 describes a franking machine of the aforementioned type with a device for adjusting the value wheels, with manual control for each wheel. This device comprises, identically between each wheel and its control, suitable transmission means, which are with driven pinions coupled with each other and with manual control, with one or more driven pinions coupled with each other and with wheel concerned, and with two racks coupled to each other and to one of the pinions leading and led.

Other franking machines are no longer with manual control for adjusting the position of each dial but with automatic control. This automatic control is carried out from the keyboard of the machine and through logic control circuits connected to a drive motor of one of the driving pinions as mentioned above.

In franking machines with removable head, the device for controlling the position of the different knurls is mounted, with the motors assigned to this function, in the print head. It makes the print head relatively large and heavy, which makes it more difficult to transport. In addition, the removable print head is an access security module prohibited for the user or any other person not authorized by the Postal Administration. It therefore requires the intervention of the authorized person for any maintenance problem essentially concerning this adjustment device for the knobs, with a large and complex number of parts.

• un ensemble moteur, à au moins un moteur de commande et au moins un pignon menant, couplé à ladite carte de commande et monté dans la base,
• une pluralité de pignons menés, chacun couplé à l'une des différentes molettes d'impression, avec laquelle il est monté dans la tête,
• une pluralité de tiges coulissantes, à crémaillères dites avant et arrière, montées dans ladite tête avec la crémaillère avant de chacune d'elles en prise sur l'un des pignons menés et lui transmettant une commande reçue de l'ensemble moteur.

From US-A-4603627, there is known a device for adjusting the printing wheels of a franking machine head, in which the head is removable on a base and comprises a printing drum fitted with said wheels and carried on a so-called front end of a sheath having its other so-called rear end projecting from the rear of the head, and the base has a front location for the head and includes a drive mechanism, control circuits known as a control card coupled to the drive mechanism, and a rotary spindle coupled to the drive mechanism and partially projecting in the location for the head, for receiving said sheath on it and driving said drum, the device comprising:

• a motor assembly, with at least one control motor and at least one driving pinion, coupled to said control card and mounted in the base,
• a plurality of driven pinions, each coupled to one of different print wheels, with which it is mounted in the head,
• a plurality of sliding rods, with said front and rear racks, mounted in said head with the front rack of each of them engaged on one of the driven pinions and transmitting to it a command received from the motor assembly.

• ledit ensemble moteur est monté dans ladite base, dans un logement d'interface juste à l'arrière de l'emplacement avant pour la tête et à la périphérie de la broche et du fourreau engagé sur ladite broche,
• et les crémaillères arrière des tiges coulissantes sont au moins partiellement saillantes, sur l'arrière de la tête et engagées avec l'extrémité arrière du fourreau dans la base, ledit ensemble moteur étant ainsi susceptible de venir en prise avec les crémaillères arrière desdites tiges et constituant dans ladite base un interface de commande de réglage desdites molettes de ladite tête.

Such a device has the drawback of being bulky and the object of the invention is to propose a device for adjusting knobs more compact than that known from document US-A-4603627. To this end, the device according to the invention is characterized in that:

• said motor assembly is mounted in said base, in an interface housing just behind the front location for the head and at the periphery of the spindle and of the sleeve engaged on said spindle,
• and the rear racks of the sliding rods are at least partially protruding, on the rear of the head and engaged with the rear end of the sheath in the base, said motor assembly thus being capable of coming into engagement with the rear racks of said rods and constituting in said base an interface for controlling the adjustment of said knobs of said head.

In a particular embodiment, said control interface is carried by a rotary hub in the interface housing, around the sleeve on the spindle, and driven by a motor for angular orientation of said interface, mounted in the base and coupled to said order card.

In a particular embodiment, said hub has a vertical toothed crown, parallel to the front and rear walls of said base, the teeth of which are engaged with a pinion driven by the angular orientation motor.

In a particular embodiment, said control interface comprises as many individual motors as there are printing wheels assigned to the same function in the head and said franking wheels for some and date wheels for others, with a cascade of three driving gears associated with each individual motor.

In a particular embodiment, six individual motors, for six postage or date wheels, and their six cascades leading gears are carried by six fan-shaped support parts having a plane of symmetry between them.

In a particular embodiment, said device further comprises so-called additional knurls, carried by said printing drum and assigned to the automatic control of additional printing equipment carried or associated with the drum, to which additional driven pinions correspond. these additional knobs and identical additional sliding rods and next to the sliding rods for the postage and date knobs, for the adjustment of said additional knobs from said interface circuit and the adjustment resulting from additional printing equipment.

• la figure 1 est une vue schématique en perspective du type de machine à affranchir à tête amovible, concerné par le dispositif selon la présente invention qui l'équipe,
• la figure 2 est une vue schématique en coupe partielle de la machine selon la figure 1, qui illustre la machine équipée du dispositif de réglage de ses molettes conforme à la présente invention,
• la figure 3 est une vue schématique à échelle agrandie de la partie de commande du dispositif selon l'invention, dite interface de commande de réglage de la machine à affranchir,
• la figure 4 est une vue schématique de cet interface de commande,
• la figure 5 est une vue projetée de cet interface sur un plan de symétrie qu'il présente, qui est donnée en regard de la figure 4,
• la figure 6 est une vue schématique illustrant le fonctionnement de cet interface.

The characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the description given below of a preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In these drawings:

• FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the type of franking machine with removable head, concerned with the device according to the present invention which equips it,
• FIG. 2 is a schematic view in partial section of the machine according to FIG. 1, which illustrates the machine equipped with the device for adjusting its knurls according to the present invention,
• FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view on an enlarged scale of the control part of the device according to the invention, called the control interface for adjusting the franking machine,
• FIG. 4 is a schematic view of this control interface,
• FIG. 5 is a projected view of this interface on a plane of symmetry which it presents, which is given opposite FIG. 4,
• Figure 6 is a schematic view illustrating the operation of this interface.

The franking machine is that which is the subject of French patent application No. 90 08 752 filed on July 10, 1990 in the name of the applicant. A description of this machine is included in the present application, with reference to FIG. 1 and / or to FIG. 2, with regard to the mounting of the head on the base.

This machine has a removable print head 1 on a base 2.

In FIG. 1, the dotted lines 1 A illustrate the head in place on the front of the base, or its location on the base arrow 1 B its positioning and arrow 3 A illustrates the advance of an article 3 under head in place.

The head 1 forms a security module, the different parts of which are mounted in a quasi-closed box 10, of access not authorized for the user. It essentially comprises a printing drum 11, a sheath 12, and a card 13 of the accounting circuits known as the accounting card of the machine.

The drum 11 is flat 11A, which is flush through a window 10A from the bottom of the housing, for the rest position of the drum. It carries on its periphery an engraved plate 14 for printing postal stamps and two sets of printing wheels for the postage amount and the date, such as the wheel 15. The drum also carries means for advertising printing, not illustrated, similar to plate 14 but retractable.

The printing rollers 15 protrude slightly through the plate 14, on the periphery of the drum and are rotatable with it. These print wheels 15 are also adjustable to the desired values of amount and date by the device according to the present invention.

The sheath 12 carries the drum on its inner front end portion with a head. On the other hand, it has its protruding rear end portion on the back of the head for access to its bore. It is used for mounting and holding the head on the base and ensures the rotation of the drum from the base. It is rotatably mounted in the head between two rolling bearings 16 and 17, on the internal face of the front wall and on the crossing of the rear wall.

The accounting card 13 is fixed to one of the side walls or the upper wall of the head. It is connected to a connector 18 mounted in the rear wall of the head for its connection to the base.

A non-smooth extra thickness 19 on the outside of the housing facilitates the gripping of the head, with one hand, for mounting on the base or disassembly.

Base 2 forms another separate set, which is authorized access. For the user in front of the base, it has its truncated right front corner, which defines the location 1A of the head. Of course, this base can belong to or be coupled to a mail processing installation.

The base has an insertion slot 20 for articles under the head. It comprises a printing counter roller 21, a spindle 22, a spindle and counter-roller drive mechanism, not shown, and at least one card 24 of the control circuits of the base and of the head, called order card.

The insertion slot is horizontal and open at location 1A of the head on the base. Its lower side forms a continuous platform 25 on which the articles advance in the base and under the head in place.

Pin 22 is horizontal. It is rotatably mounted in the base. It is carried by the rear wall not shown and an intermediate spacer 26 and guided in rolling bearings such as the bearing 27 on the spacer 26. It has its front end part accessible on the front of the base and preferably projecting in the location 1A of the head on the base, through a wide opening 29 of a front wall 2A. She receives the scabbard over her; when the head is in place, the rear part of the sheath is inserted into the base through the opening 29.

When the head is in place, means 22A and / or 22B on the spindle 22 and complementary means 12A and / or 12B on the sheath 12 ensure the locking in rotation of the sheath on the spindle. A connector 28 on the base and the connector 18 of the head also then ensure the connection of the head and the base. A mechanism illustrated in 30, with complementary means on the base and on the head, ensures the blocking of the head in place on the base.

The printing counter roller is mounted, at the end of a non-visible shaft, under location 1A of the head. It protrudes on the platform 25, through a window 25A, facing the printing drum 11 with the head in place. The counter-roller shaft is parallel to the spindle, it is horizontal and rotatably mounted in rolling bearings in the base.

The drive mechanism of the printing counter roller 21 and the printing drum 11 is fully mounted in the base. It is coupled to the counter-roller shaft and to the spindle 22 for their suitable drive, according to the arrow 32 for the spindle and in the opposite direction for the counter-roller, from signals from the control card 24.

The base 2 also carries a data entry and display assembly 35 for the operator, such as a keyboard and an associated display screen. This assembly is mounted on the upper face of the base. It is coupled to the control card 24.

The wheel adjustment device according to the present invention is generally described with reference to FIG. 2.

It comprises on the one hand a control assembly 40 and on the other hand, for the various knobs, sliding rods 41, of the rack type, and driven pinions 42.

The control assembly 40 is mounted in the base 2, while the sliding rods 41 and the driven pinions 42 belong to the head. This control assembly is in an annular housing 43 defined around the sheath on the spindle, between the spacer 26 of the base and the front wall 2A having the access of the sheath 12 in the base. It constitutes in the base 2 an interface for controlling the adjustment of the knobs of the head 1 and is thus called hereinafter. In the base, it receives its adjustment control signals from the control card 24, by a connection card 34. This connection card 34 is mounted on one of the walls delimiting the housing 43 of the control interface, it is connected by connections, with slack, to the interface 40. It also connects the control card 24 to the aforementioned connector 28.

The control interface 40 is described with reference to FIG. 2 and / or of FIG. 3. It comprises a set 45 of motors M and a same set 46 of driving pinions in cascade, with a cascade of driving pinions per motor. Each cascade is formed here of three driving pinions, in engagement between them and driven by their individual motor, one 46A motor, and another 46B intermediate and the third 46C of attack for one of the sliding rods.

The number of individual motors and cascades of driving pinions 46 is advantageously less than that of the rollers, or driven sprockets or sliding rods of the head 1. It is preferably chosen equal to the number of franking rollers or date rollers, or six for either of the two groups of knobs assigned to these two functions. The six motors and the six gable cascades then simultaneously control the wheels of the same function.

In figure 3, where the six individual motors and the cascade of driving pinions are all visible, the motors are designated by M1 to M6, their driving pinions by 46A1 to 46A6, the intermediate pinions by 46B1 to 46B6 and the drive pinions by 46C1 to 46C6.

In a variant not illustrated, the control interface can be a single motor with its cascade of driving pinions associated, for the control one by one of the different knobs. In another variant not illustrated, the control interface can be three motors with the three cascades of driving pinions associated with it, for the two-stage control of the six postage or date wheels.

The control interface 40 is mounted oscillating in its housing 43 around the sleeve on the spindle. It is controlled in angular position around the sleeve then kept at rest, from orientation control signals from the control card 24. A semi-annular groove 44 on the rear part of the sleeve provides clearance for the driving pinions 46C when ordering. The profile of this groove corresponds to three pinion teeth driving 46C.

The control interface is mounted on a hub 50 centered on the scabbard on the spit. The hub is carried by the spacer 26 and guided in rotation by a plain bearing 51. Six support pieces 52P1 to P6 or support sheets, fixed to this hub, carry the six motors M and the six cascades of pinions 46. They are further fixed opposite the hub 50 on a flange 53 forming a widely projecting appendage on a centering ring 54.

The vertical shoulder of the hub 50, parallel to the front and rear walls of the base and substantially against the spacer 26, forms a toothed ring 55, with teeth 55A. This semi-peripheral toothing does not allow complete rotation of the motors and cascaded pinions. A pinion 56 is engaged on the teeth 55A. It is mounted on the shaft of a motor 57, called the angular position control motor, connected to the control card 24 and mounted behind the spacer 26.

The driven pinions 42 are directly mounted on the axis of the different knurls to which they are individually assigned.

The sliding rack rods are identical to each other. They are described with reference to Figures 2 and 3.

They each have a rear rack 60 and a front rack 62, at their end portions. They extend side by side along generatrices of the sheath, substantially from the front end part of the sheath in the head to its projecting rear part but not entirely terminal. These rods are embedded in longitudinal grooves 63 of the sleeve, leaving access to the racks for the drive pinions and the driven pinions, these driven pinions being directly and all engaged with the front rack 62 of the different sliding rods. The method of holding with sliding the sliding rods in the grooves is as such known and is therefore neither shown nor described.

The sliding rods 41 defining between them groups corresponding to the groups of rollers. These rods or their racks are designated in FIG. 3 by the letter A, D or S accompanying their numerical reference according to whether they relate to the postage or date wheels or the wheels. additional details set out below.

In one group or the other, the sliding rods are between them at the same pitch p, on the other hand two consecutive rods belonging to two different groups are preferably separated by a distance d greater than the pitch p.

Advantageously, three additional pairs, defined by three additional driven pinions, identical to the other pinions, and their three additional sliding rods, also identical to the other sliding rods, are provided in the adjustment device, for the execution of additional specific functions from of the same control interface 40.

They are assigned to the placing in the printing position or in the retracted position of an engraved advertising flame plate carried by the printing drum, for the first of these pairs, and of two specific buffers associated with the printing drum in certain existing franking machines, for the other two of these couples. For these three additional torques, the three additional knobs are mounted on the printing drum, where they each play the role of an automatic actuating member of the corresponding element to retract or put in its printing position or the 'one of its different possible printing positions.

These automatic actuating members replace purely and simply the manual actuating members provided on certain franking machines for these additional printing means. The principle of coupling of each actuator to the actuated element, using articulated linkages and levers, being as such already known, it is therefore neither illustrated nor described.

The layout of the motors M and of their pinion cascades of this rotary control interface 50 is detailed by referring to FIGS. 3 to 5.

This layout is defined with regard to the fan arrangement of the sliding rods 41 or of their racks 62, in order to obtain a minimum bulk and a modularity of the control interface 40. It is described by considering the drive pinions 46C of the six cascades engaged on the six racks 62 of the same group.

The six support pieces 52P1 to P6 are planar and arranged in a fan shape, presenting between them a plane of symmetry P. Each of them is parallel to one of the racks 62. Each defines the bearing plane of the corresponding motor M and the fixing plane of the axes of the cascade of driving pinions 46A to C for this motor M, the cascade of driving pinions being in turn brought back into the plane of the rack concerned.

The cascades 46 of leading gables are thus themselves distributed over fan-shaped planes, with constant pitch between them. They are two by two symmetrical with respect to the plane P.

The arrangement of the driving pinions in their plane and of the cascades from one plane to another is carried out in order to obtain a coupling chain between each motor M and the rack concerned 62, as short as possible with a smaller footprint.

With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 more particularly, it can be seen that the symmetrical motors M1 and M3 and the symmetrical motors M4 and M6 are arranged in the same plane transverse to their individual support planes, and the motors M2 and M5 in a another plane transverse to their support plates. The driving pinions 46C1 to C6 of the cascades are relatively small and identical, they are one after the other in the step of the racks and come into engagement with the respective racks 62 of the same function for their control. The driving pinions 46A1 to A6 are also identical to each other. The intermediate pinions 46B1 to B6 are two by two identical, they have diameters suitable for the coupling of each motor pinion to their corresponding drive pinion.

The motors M1 to M6 are stepper motors, with a motor pitch which is a sub-multiple of the pitch of the racks, or DC motors.

The operation of the adjustment device is illustrated in FIG. 6. There are designated by PA, PD and PS the three positions of the plane of symmetry of the control interface, for the three orientations of adjustment of the postage dials, of adjustment of the date dials and of adjustment of the dials additional, obtained by driving the toothed ring 55 of the hub 50 around the sleeve 12. There is also shown by PI the so-called orientation of insertion of the head on the base, for which the control interface is in look at the barrel sector without racks. The insertion of the head on the base, for the PI position, the postage value, date and additional means settings, for the PA, PD and PS positions, are carried out with the sheath 12 held in the rest position . This rest position is translated by the position of the flat portion 11A of the drum, illustrated in thick broken lines.

The present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment illustrated. It is obvious that modifications of detail can be made without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined by the following claims. In particular, the choice of six individual motors in the control interface circuit cannot constitute a limitation of the invention.

Claims (13)

1. Device for adjusting print wheels of a franking machine print head where the print head (1) is removable from a base unit (2) and comprises a print drum (11) incorporating said print wheels (15) and carried at a forward end of a sleeve (12) having its rear end projecting from the rear of the print head, the base unit having a location at the front for the print head and comprising a drive mechanism, control circuits referred to hereinafter as the control circuit board (24) connected to the drive mechanism and a rotating shaft (22) coupled to the drive mechanism and partially projecting into the location for the print head to receive said sleeve on it and to drive said print drum, the device comprising:

   - a drive system (40) comprising at least one drive motor and at least one driving gear coupled to said control circuit board and mounted in the base unit,

   - a plurality of driven gears (42) each coupled to a different print wheel with which it is mounted in the print head,

   - a plurality of sliding rods (44) with front and rear racks (62, 60) thereon mounted in said print head with the front rack of each rod meshing with one of the driven gears to impart thereto movement from the drive system,
   said device being characterised in that:

   - said drive system (40) is mounted in said base unit (2) in an interface housing (43) just behind the front housing (1A) for the print head (1) and at the periphery of the shaft (22) and the sleeve (12) fitted over said shaft, and

   - the rear racks (60) of the sliding rods (41) project at least partly from the rear of the print head and are inserted with the rear end of the sleeve into the base unit (2),

   - said drive system (40) being thereby adapted to be engaged with the rear racks of said sliding rods and constituting in said base unit (2) a control interface for adjusting said print wheels of said print head (1).
2. Device according to claim 1 characterised in that said control interface is carried by a hub (50) adapted to rotate in the interface housing (43) about the sleeve (12) on the shaft (22) and to be driven by an angular orientation motor (57) of said interface mounted in the base unit and coupled to said control circuit board (24).
3. Device according to claim 2 characterised in that said hub (50) incorporates a vertical toothed ring (55) parallel to the front and rear walls of said base unit the teeth of which mesh with a gear (56) driven by the angular orientation motor (57).
4. Device according to claim 3 characterised in that said toothed ring (55) has teeth (55A) over part of its periphery to allow oscillation of said control interface facing the front racks and its placing in an idle position (PI) for mounting the print head onto the base unit externally of the rear racks (60) which occupy only part of the periphery of the sleeve.
5. Device according to claim 4 characterised in that said control interface (40) comprises a single control motor (M) for adjusting the various print wheels one after the other.
6. Device according to claim 4 characterised in that said control interface (40) comprises a plurality of individual motors the number of which is equal to a submultiple of the number of print wheels assigned to a same function, respectively franking wheels and date wheels.
7. Device according to claim 4 characterised in that said control interface (40) comprises the same number of individual motors (M1-M6) as print wheels assigned to a same function, respectively franking wheels and date wheels.
8. Device according to claim 7 characterised in that said control interface (40) comprises a respective cascade of driving gears (46A, 46B, 46C) coupling each individual motor to the rear rack of the respective sliding rod.
9. Device according to claim 8 characterised in that said individual motors (M1-M6) and the respective cascades (46) of driving gears are disposed in a fan arrangement on the periphery of the sleeve on the shaft and carried by six support members (52P1-P6) fixed to said hub (50) for six same function (franking or date) print wheels, the six support members being parallel to the six sliding rods for the same function print wheels coupled to said interface and each defining a respective support plane for the individual motor (M) and the respective fixing plane for the cascade of driving gears (46A, 46B, 46C) associated with said motor which is coplanar with the respective rear rack (60).
10. Device according to claim 9 characterised in that the six support plates (52P1-P6) with the respective individual motors and the respective cascades (46) of driving gears are identical in pairs and disposed to either side of a plane of symmetry (P).
11. Device according to claim 10 characterised in that the cascades (46) of driving gears each comprise three gears, a motor gear (46A), an intermediate gear (46B) and a drive gear (46C) for driving the rear rack of the respective sliding rod, the drive gears (46C₁-C₆) being identical from one cascade to another and having the same pitch as the rear racks of the sliding rods for the same function print wheels, the motor gears (46A₁-A₆) being identical to each other and the intermediate gears (46B₁-B₆) coupling the motor gears to the drive gears.
12. Device according to any one of claims 2 to 11 characterised in that it further comprises supplementary print wheels carried by said print drum (11) and assigned to the automatic control of supplementary printing devices carried by or associated with the drum, for which there are supplementary driven gears (42S) and supplementary sliding rods (41S) identical to and alongside the sliding rods for the franking and date print wheels for adjusting said supplementary print wheels from said interface circuit (40).
13. Device according to claim 12 characterised in that said angular orientation motor (57) defines various possible orientation positions (PA, PD, PS, PI) of said interface for adjusting the various print wheels and for mounting or demounting the removable print head.

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