EP0512224B1 - Hand stamp with self-inking unit - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a hand stamp apparatus with on supporting elements, e.g. Print wheels arranged printing marks, which are wettable by a self-inking element with printing ink, in particular during their upward movement following their depression, at least one rest position of the printing characters, in which the self-inking element is held at a distance from them, on the stamp housing by means of a cooperation with a recess in an actuating rod adjustable lock can be fixed and at least one side of the printing characters or printing wheels on the stamp housing are protected by a cover.

Such a hand stamp apparatus is known for example from DE-GM 84 23 286. The actuating rod used to depress the printed characters has recesses into which the lock can be inserted approximately at right angles to the orientation of the actuating rod. It is a slide that is approximately horizontally displaceable in the position of use, which is mounted in the stamp housing of the hand stamp apparatus, which is usually made of injection-molded metal or plastic, and can engage in the inserted position in the recess at its height on the actuating rod. So that's another Movement of the actuating rod is blocked relative to the stamp housing and thus also the rest position is determined. The recess has on its top an oblique transition surface to its original circumference, so that to release the lock, a further downward pushing of the actuating rod is sufficient to forcibly move the locking slide back into the release position, which had previously been simply pushed into the locking position by hand.

This user-friendly possibility of fixing a rest position causes, above all, a high production outlay for the stamp housing in the area of the lock and also an assembly effort, since the lock is a flat slide which has a bore which is closed on all sides and through which the actuating rod extends. In addition, the corresponding guides and bearings for the slide must be provided on the stamp housing. The production of the horizontal guide slot in the injection molded part of the metal or plastic housing means a difficult production, especially of the corresponding tool.

Furthermore, it is unfavorable in this known hand stamp apparatus that the bearing axis, about which the self-inking element, preferably a self-inking pad, is pivoted out of its rest position into the working position and back again, must be fastened in perforations in the stamp housing. Another separate assembly part is the cover, which covers that side of the hand stamp apparatus which is opposite a switching rocker and its actuating bracket in its up position.

The invention has for its object to provide a hand stamp apparatus of the type mentioned, in which the simplicity of operation of the lock for the rest position is retained, but the manufacture and assembly of the lock in particular are simplified.

The solution to this problem is that the cover from its normal position is mounted transversely to its extent, at least in regions, in the direction of the interior of the stamp housing and carries on its movable part or region a projection directed into the housing interior and against the locking recess as a lock. The projection provided on the cover thus replaces the previous locking slide and it is sufficient to move the cover into the interior of the housing in order to move the projection into its locking position, since the dimension of the movability of the cover corresponds to the path that the lock from the open position in needs their closed position. The cover thus advantageously has an additional function, since it carries and guides the lock, so that a special guide recess for the locking slide is no longer required. The storage of the movable cover ensures that the locking projection performs a defined adjustment movement during the movement of the cover and thus also reaches the locking recess of the actuating rod or another part belonging to the stamp mechanism.

It is particularly expedient if the cover can be pivoted about a lower region of its holder in the position of use and the locking projection is arranged in its upper region, in particular at the upper edge of the cover. As a result, the locking projection is above the area that the printing wheels or other parts belonging to the printing mechanism occupy in their starting position and can also be arranged at a point at which, in the case of conventional generic stamps, the locking slide is mounted in a complicated recess in the housing, so that the Locking projection on recesses in the actuating rod or punch mechanism can attack that already exist. In other words, the counter recess for the lock need not be changed in any way compared to the previous construction.

To simplify production, it is advantageous if the locking projection, which is in particular a strip or plate, is attached in one piece to the cover. By producing the cover, the locking projection is then already present and by mounting the cover in its correct place, advantageously eliminating the need for a special sliding bearing for the lock on the housing, thus also avoiding the expense of having the lock in such a special one To accommodate leadership.

The cover can be mounted on a pivot axis or can be deflected relative to the housing and connected to it with holding legs with elastic deformation. Thus, the cover can be pivoted in order to bring its locking projection into the locking position, which allows a particularly simple storage, which at the same time brings about the required guidance of the adjustment movement.

It can be expedient if the locking projection or an additional holding projection can be locked in the locking position of the locking projection with a counterpart on the stamp housing. As a result, the blocking position can be fixed, which is particularly advantageous if the pivoting movement of the cover is caused by an elastic deformation, that is to say — even if only slight — causes restoring forces. Since the locking position can be forcibly released again due to the special shape of the locking recess, such locking of the locking position can also be easily reversed again.

It is expedient if latching balls, latching hooks or latching openings which can be deflected transversely to the blocking movement are provided on both sides of the locking projection and interact with counter-recesses, counter-hooks or counter-latches on the stamp housing.

In order to facilitate the operation of the locking projection, a pushbutton protruding from the cover and preferably from the stamp housing can be arranged or formed on the outside of the cover, in particular at the height of the locking projection. In this way, even if the cover is pressed relatively far into the interior of the stamp housing, the user's finger can remain largely outside the housing.

A very particularly advantageous and expedient embodiment of the invention, which has its own importance worthy of protection, may consist in the cover and / or its holding legs having bearing openings for journals of the self-inking element or cushion or its holder. This gives the cover an additional function and makes perforations in the stamp housing for a corresponding bearing axis superfluous. This simplifies the manufacture of the stamp housing and also improves its appearance.

It is expedient if the bearing opening for bearing pins arranged on the holder of the self-coloring element are recesses open on one side and closed in the assembly position by a rib or groove wall on the inside of the stamp housing. The open-sided cutouts on one side advantageously allow the cover with its legs to be pushed from the side simultaneously onto the two axially projecting trunnions transversely to their orientation and then the entire unit from below, i.e. from the stamp surface, to be pushed into the housing. The stamp housing can thus be smooth and unperforated in the area of the pivot bearing of the self-inking element or self-inking cushion.

In this case, on the inside of the housing, protruding projections, which in the use position run from top to bottom, limit a holding groove into which the holding legs of the cover can be inserted during assembly, the groove width corresponding approximately to the width of the legs and thus the legs being held in a form-fitting manner are, and in the use position underside groove ends, through which the unit could be inserted beforehand, can be locked by a detachable base plate on which the legs are supported with their end faces in the use position. As a result, the holding legs are fixed practically on all sides, because three sides are surrounded by the groove, the front side is supported by the base plate and a deformation of the two legs towards the inside of the housing and towards each other is caused by the storage of the self-inking unit and its axis, above all then prevented if the bearing openings which are open on the edge are not continuous to the outer sides. In addition, the actual pressure unit is located in the space between the legs mounted in the corresponding housing walls, so that after attaching the base plate, all parts are fixed against one another without the side walls of the stamp housing requiring perforations for bearing axles.

Especially when combining one or more of the features and measures described above, a hand stamp apparatus results, the frame or housing of which can be produced from die-casting, the casting tools being considerably simplified. By eliminating the guide opening for the lock and by eliminating the cross holes for The axis of rotation for the dye pad support not only simplifies the shapes, but also the material flow during the casting process, because turbulence during the material flow is reduced or avoided. At the same time, the number of components is reduced while maintaining the previous stamp functions.

Fig. 1

einen vertikalen Querschnitt durch ein erfindungsgemäßes Handstempelgerät in durch die Sperre fixierter Ruhestellung,

Fig. 2

in vergrößertem Maßstab einen Ausschnitt aus Fig.1 mit der Lage der Sperre in Sperrstellung bei ihrem Eingriff in die Sperr- Aussparung der vertikalen Betätigungsstange des Handstempelapparates,

Fig. 3

eine der Fig. 1 entsprechende Darstellung, bei welcher sich das Stempelgerät in der Einfärbestellung, also in der Bereitschaftsstellung für einen Stempelvorgang befindet und die Sperre für die Ruhestellung gelöst ist,

Fig. 4

eine Teilansicht des Gerätes von seiner Rückseite, teilweise geschnitten, wobei die Schnittlinie durch die Lagerung des Selbstfärbeelementes verläuft,

Fig. 5

einen Querschnitt der Abdeckung mit einstückig an ihr angebrachter Sperre und Halteschenkeln, die randseitig offene Ausnehmungen zur Lagerung der schwenkbaren Selbstfärbe-Vorrichtung haben,

Fig. 6

eine Ansicht der Abdeckung mit ihren Halteschenkeln und dem Sperrvorsprung,

Fig. 7

eine Ansicht der Unterseite des Handstempelgerätes, wobei der besseren Übersicht wegen die Druckräder und ihr Räderkasten sowie die Selbstfärbeeinheit demontiert beziehungsweise weggelassen sind, so daß die Halterung der Halteschenkel der Abdeckung in seitlichen Gehäusenuten und die Ausbildung des Sperrvorsprunges sowie mit diesem zusammenwirkende Rasten erkennbar sind,

Fig. 8

einen Teilquerschnitt gem. der Linie VIII-VIII in Fig. 7 mit Blick auf eine die Sperrstellung fixierende Raste, in dieser Darstellung jedoch in ausgerasteter Position, sowie

Fig. 9

eine Gesamtansicht der die Abdeckung aufweisenden Rückseite des Handstempelgerätes in der der Fig.3 entsprechenden Bereitschaftsstellung.

An embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the drawing. It shows in a partially schematic representation:

Fig. 1

a vertical cross section through a hand stamp device according to the invention in the rest position fixed by the lock,

Fig. 2

on an enlarged scale a section of Figure 1 with the position of the lock in the locking position when it engages in the locking recess of the vertical actuating rod of the hand stamp apparatus,

Fig. 3

1 shows a representation corresponding to FIG. 1, in which the stamping device is in the inking order, that is to say in the ready position for a stamping operation and the lock for the rest position is released,

Fig. 4

a partial view of the device from its rear, partially cut, the cut line running through the storage of the self-coloring element,

Fig. 5

3 shows a cross section of the cover with a lock and holding legs attached to it in one piece, which have open-sided recesses for mounting the pivotable self-coloring device,

Fig. 6

a view of the cover with its holding legs and the locking projection,

Fig. 7

a view of the underside of the hand stamp device, the pressure wheels and their wheel housing and the self-inking unit being dismantled or omitted for the sake of a better overview, so that the holding of the holding limbs of the cover in lateral housing grooves and the formation of the locking projection and detents interacting therewith can be seen,

Fig. 8

a partial cross section acc. the line VIII-VIII in Fig. 7 with a view of a locking position locking, but in this illustration in the disengaged position, and

Fig. 9

an overall view of the cover having the back of the hand stamp device in the standby position corresponding to FIG. 3.

A hand stamp apparatus, designated as a whole with 1, has 2 different printing characters 3 on pressure wheels which are adjustable relative to one another. These printing characters 3 are in accordance with their upward movement following their depression. 3 can be wetted with printing ink by a self-coloring element 4 which can be pivoted against the printing wheels 2 from the position shown in FIG. 1. The self-inking element 4 has a felt, foam or a self-inking pad 5, which is held by a pad holder 6, which in turn can be pivoted with the help of a bearing pin 7 in a manner to be described with reference to FIG. 4.

The rest position of the hand stamp apparatus shown in FIG. 1 1, in which the self-inking element 4 is held at a distance from the printing wheels 2, can be fixed in the manner shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 by a lock 11, which cooperates with a recess 8 on an actuating rod 9 to be pressed down and is adjustable on the stamp housing 10 . The back of the printing wheels 2 or the part of the stamp housing 10 containing them is protected by a cover 12.

The cover 12 is at least partially movable against or into the interior of the stamp housing 10 from its normal position shown in FIG. 3 transversely to its extent, so that it assumes the position shown in FIG. 1 after such a movement. On its movable part or area, it carries a projection, which is directed into the interior of the housing and against the locking recess 8, as a locking device 11, which is also referred to below as the “locking projection 11”.

From the comparison of Figures 1 and 3 it is clear that the cover 12 in the embodiment is pivotable about a lower region 13 in the use position about an approximately horizontal imaginary axis, whereby the in its upper region and gem. Fig. 5 u. 6 can be moved approximately horizontally back and forth at its upper edge even with respect to this locking projection 11 arranged above. A pivoting of the cover 12 into the interior of the housing thus leads to the locking projection 11 reaching the locking recess 8 inside the housing, because the pivoting path of the cover 12 in the region of its upper edge carrying the locking projection 11 corresponds approximately to the depth of the recess 8, possibly plus a game. The two different positions of the locking projection 11 can be seen primarily on the one hand in FIGS. 1 and 2 and on the other hand in FIG. 3.

Since the recess has an approximately horizontal shoulder on its underside, when the locking projection 11 engages in it, the actuating rod 9 cannot be moved further upward from its position shown in FIG. 1, which is carried out by a return spring 14. Thus, the spring 14 remains under tension. If the actuating rod 9 is pushed slightly downwards, the upwardly sloping limitation of the recess 8 can automatically push the correspondingly sloping locking projection 11 out of the recess 8, after which the spring 14 releases the actuating rod 9, which is now released, and the pressure gear train attached to it into that in FIG. 3 illustrated starting position for another stamping operation.

2, 5 and 6, the locking projection 11 is a rib stiffened plate which is integrally attached to the cover 12.

To carry out the locking movement with the aid of the cover 12, this could be mounted on a pivot axis in the area 13. In the exemplary embodiment, however, it can be elastically deformed and deflected in an advantageous manner and in order to save such a special pivot axis in relation to holding legs 15 that can be fixed in the housing 10 and in turn integrally connected to it. Thus, according to Fig. 5 is a cover 12 with multiple functions, which consists of a single piece and thus significantly facilitates assembly.

So that the elastic reaction forces of the cover 12 in the locked position cannot lead to an unwanted release movement, according to the exemplary embodiment. 7 and 8, two additional holding projections 16 are provided on the cover 12, which in the locked position of the locking projection 11 with counterparts 17 located on the housing 10 can be locked. 7 on both sides of the locking projection 11, locking hooks which can be deflected transversely to the locking movement as additional holding projections 16 which cooperate with counter hooks as counterparts 17 on the stamp housing 10. The position shown with strong lines is the open position, while the latched position is indicated by dash-dotted lines in FIGS. 7 and 8. The latching forces are strong enough to counteract the elastic deformation of the cover 12, but so small that the downward movement of the actuating rod 9 when the locking projection 11 is pushed back also releases this latching problem.

On the outside of the cover 12, almost at the level of the locking projection 11, a pushbutton 18 projecting from the cover 12 and from the housing 10 is arranged and formed, which facilitates operation. This push button 18 jumps so far that it still protrudes beyond the housing 10 even in the locked position.

To avoid a bearing axis, which would have to penetrate the side walls 10a of the stamp housing 10, the cover 12 has on its holding legs 15 the bearing openings 19 shown in FIGS. that these bearing openings 19 are recesses which are open on one side and which are also closed towards the outside, that is to say are blind holes in the axial direction. Thus, the journals 7 of the self-coloring element 4 can be inserted into the bearing openings 19 transversely to their axial extent.

7 illustrates in particular that the holding limbs 15 in the installed position of ribs or groove walls on the inside of the stamp housing 10 and the stamp wall 10a are enclosed, so that the edge-open bearing opening 19 is thereby closed. The stamp housing 10 and its walls 10a can thus be smooth and unperforated in the area of the pivot bearing 7 of the self-inking pad 4 and 5.

As mentioned, on the inside of the housing 10 inwardly protruding projections 21 and 22 which run from top to bottom in the use position limit the holding groove into which the holding limbs 15 of the cover 12 can be inserted during assembly from the underside of the stamping device, the Groove width acc. Fig. 7 corresponds approximately to the width of the legs 15 and thus the legs 15 are positively held on both sides. In the position of use, the groove ends on the underside can be closed by a releasable base plate 23, on which base plate 23 the legs 15 are then supported with their end faces.

Thus, the cover 12 also helps to store important parts of the hand stamp apparatus and to fix it on the stem housing 10 without this having to have disruptive openings. Fig. 4 illustrates the storage of the self-coloring element 4 in a leg 15, wherein a rocker 24 can be seen, which converts the downward movement of the actuating rod 9 in a known manner into the pivoting movement of the self-coloring element 4.

It is expedient if the one-piece cover part recognizable in FIG. 5, with its parts contributing to storage and locking, is made of plastic, which favors the one-piece production of this part.

In the exemplary embodiment, the cover 12 is therefore a one-piece multifunctional part made of preferably partially elastic plastic, as a result of which the manual actuation of the latching projection 11 on the one hand and the storage of the stamp pad carrier 6 on the other hand are made possible and the housing 10 for covering the printing wheels 2 is also closed.

The hand stamp apparatus 1, for example with printing marks 3 arranged on printing wheels 2, which can be switched in different ways, in particular also when they are pressed onto the surface to be stamped, has a self-inking element 4 with inking pad 5 in order to automatically wet the printing characters 3 with printing ink, especially in the upward movement that follows after stamping. So that this self-inking element 4 does not remain in an unwanted contact position, which is achieved above all in the top position of the printing wheels 2, there is a rest position of the printing characters 3 in a position slightly lower than their top position, but above the surface to be stamped. In this position, the self-inking element 4 is arranged at a distance from the printing characters 2 of the printing wheels 3, and this rest position can be determined by a lock 11 which can be adjusted on the stamp housing 10 and which cooperates with a recess 8 on the actuating rod 9 of the hand stamp apparatus 1. This lock 11 is arranged as a locking projection on a cover 12 for the stamp housing 10 and this cover 12 can be moved or pivoted together with this locking projection 11 into the interior of the stamp housing 10, so that the locking projection 11 gets into the locking recess 8. A separate locking slide with corresponding guides on the stamp housing 10 can be avoided in this way.

Claims (12)

1. A hand stamp (1) having print characters (3) that are arranged on carrying elements, e.g. printing wheels (2), and are inkable by a self-inking element (4) particularly during their upward movement following their depression, wherein at least one rest position of the print characters, in which the self-inking element (4) is held in spaced relationship to them, is fixable by means of a lock (11) that is relocatable at the stamp housing (10) and co-operates with a recess (8) of an actuating rod (9), and at least one side of the print characters or printing wheels are protected at the stamp housing (10) by a cover (12), characterized in that the cover (12) is mounted so as to be movable transversely of its expanse to depart from its normal position and move at least in part towards the interior of the stamp housing (10), said cover carrying on the movable part or zone thereof a projection in the form of a lock directed into the interior of the housing and towards the recess (8).
2. A hand stamp as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the cover (12) is adapted to swivel about a lower zone (13) in the position of use and the locking projection (11) is arranged in the upper zone, particularly at the upper edge of the cover (12).
3. A hand stamp as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the locking projection (11), particularly a strip or plate, is integrally attached to the cover (12).
4. A hand stamp as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the cover (12) is mounted on a swivel pin or is deflectable under elastic deformation relative to holding arms (15) fixed in the housing (10) and connected to said cover.
5. A hand stamp as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that in the locking position of the locking projection (11), the locking projection or an additional retaining projection (16) is interlockable with a companion part (17).
6. A hand stamp as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that arresting balls, arresting hooks or the like deflectable transversely of the locking movement are provided on either side of the locking projection (11) and co-operate with mating recesses, mating hooks or the like on the stamp housing (10).
7. A hand stamp as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a push-button (8) projecting relative to the cover (12) and preferably relative to the stamp housing (10) is arranged on or integral with the outside of the cover (12), particularly at the level of the locking projection (11).
8. A hand stamp particularly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cover (12) and/or holding arms (15) thereof have bearing openings (19) for journals (7) of the self-inking element/pad or holder of the self-inking element/pad.
9. A hand stamp as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the bearing openings (19) for journals arranged on the holder of the self-inking element (4) are recesses open at one end that are closed in the assembled position by a rib (22) or a slot wall at the inside of the stamp housing.
10. A hand stamp as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the stamp housing is smooth and unperforated in the area of the swivel bearing of the self-inking pad.
11. A hand stamp as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, at the inside of the housing, inward projections running from top to bottom in the position of use define a keeper slot into which, during assembly, the holding arms (15) of the cover (12) are insertable, the width of the slot approximating the width of the arms (15) and therefore holding the arms (15) with a positive fit, and that the ends of the slot that are situated at the bottom in the position of use are closable by a detachable base plate supporting the end faces of the arms.
12. A hand stamp as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the cover consists of plastic.

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