Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B44—DECORATIVE ARTS
  • B44B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR TOOLS FOR ARTISTIC WORK, e.g. FOR SCULPTURING, GUILLOCHING, CARVING, BRANDING, INLAYING
  • B44B5/00—Machines or apparatus for embossing decorations or marks, e.g. embossing coins
  • B44B5/0076—Machines or apparatus for embossing decorations or marks, e.g. embossing coins having a series of embossing tools each of which can be brought into working position

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the technical sector of automatic numbering devices by printing in or on a part, generally metallic, of a numbering code or the like without removing material.
• the invention solves this problem by a mechanical device whose design and movement of the parts are original, and give access in a technically simple, therefore inexpensive, way to a complete programming either step-by-step or any, with more a possibility of displaying the printed number for operator control.
• number is meant here any type of marking, either numbering or alphanumeric or other marking, various symbols, etc.
• Known devices generally include knurls arranged side by side and coaxial.
• the characters to be printed are projecting around the perimeter.
• a so-called “ratchet” wheel is positioned between each wheel. and is attached to and integral in rotation with said wheel.
• This ratchet wheel has notches or similar gripping elements which are activated by cooperation with push type systems. By activating the push-button, the wheel and therefore the dial are rotated to the selected character. The same is done for each wheel so as to dial the entire "number" to be marked.
• Patent DE 31 22 392 describes a device which does not include a ratchet wheel.
• a jack rotates the part 15 while a pusher 20 operates the part 18 in the geared position or not.
• a pivoting device 21 constitutes an original search system but also a blocking system.
• the dial 10 can only rotate in one direction. Thus, any search for a new number is necessarily long.
• Fig. 1 shows a system from the previous year with a ratchet wheel intended to be rotated by a push system or the like.
• Fig. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of the invention.
• Fig. 3 represents a perspective view (not to scale) of the embodiment according to FIG. 2.
• Fig. 4 shows an optical system used to identify the positioning of the rollers in conjunction with an algorithm.
• Fig. 5 shows a preferred embodiment of the invention.
• each wheel 1 carries on its periphery 2 not only the characters 3 to be printed, but also notches 4 or any other element of grip or mechanical drive.
• knobs are coaxial around the axis 5 which must naturally be able to withstand the pressure exerted for example by the press.
• each wheel is framed by an element comprising a pendulum arm 6 of which two lateral arms 7 and 8 in the form of a "fork" are integral, each branch of which in the form of "U", 9 and 10, terminated by a means 11, 12 of engagement, capable of mechanically cooperating with the notches 4 to drive the wheel 1 in rotation when the means 11 or 12 moves vertically in one direction or the other.
• the meshing means 1 1, 12 cooperating mechanically with the notches 4 can be manipulated by means different from the pendulum arm described above, and for example each by a separate mechanical means, the condition being that the double pendulum movement " 1 "and vertical” v "described below is possible, and also, quite preferably, that one of the two means 1 1 or 12 is always meshed, in order to avoid the drive of the wheel whose position has just been fixed by the wheel whose position is then fixed, cf. below, in particular by friction.
• Any means capable of rotating each wheel, step by step, and reversibly, that is to say clockwise or counterclockwise for each wheel, independently of the other wheels, fulfills the requirements of the invention, which therefore covers all of these means.
• the arm is fixed around an axis 13 parallel to the axis of the wheels.
• This axis 13 is capable of being moved vertically in both directions, according to a fixed amplitude v
• the pendulum arm is capable of pivoting towards the outside or inside of the wheel, hence its name of "pendulum", with a fixed amplitude 1
• the amplitude 1 and the geometry of the assembly are calculated so that at least one of the means 11 or 12 is always engaged in a notch 4.
• amplitude v and the geometry of the assembly, and in particular the radius of the knobs, etc. are calculated so that each movement of the arm of amplitude v makes the knurl rotate by half a step, that is to say an angular arc equal to half of that which would be necessary to pass from an initial character to the next or to the previous one.
• a movement 1 in one direction, then v, then 1 in the other direction can create by obvious analogy a backward movement of a character towards the character immediately preceding it.
• a “wheel” also extends to the ratchet wheels, which can be manipulated by the means of the invention operating the double movement described.
• the assembly can be easily controlled by a digital system while remaining at a remarkably low manufacturing cost.
• the device according to the invention can be arranged in any general orientation, for example in an inclined or other arrangement, so as in particular to be integrated into specific machines.
• Each wheel has means for locating its position relative to at least one of the characters.
• the term “locating means” means any means capable of making it possible to locate the position of the wheel in question relative to a mark which will preferably be one of the characters.
• the initial positioning mode can be described as follows.
• each wheel will be pierced with an orifice, for example in the vicinity of its periphery (orifice 14).
• An optical tracking system 17 will be able to detect the passage of a light ray or the like 16 when, obviously, all the orifices 14 are in coincidence.
• An entirely preferred variant of the invention therefore consists in providing the knobs with orifices 14 for all the characters (cf. FIG. 4) except one.
• the wheels are a priori, at the start, in a random position, it can be the previous stop position, or result from a change of wheels etc ... or simply from the mounting of the device.
• An optical system has been placed (generator G, radius 16 and sensor or detector 1) which can be replaced by any equivalent means.
• the logic system checks in a first phase whether the light ray passes or not, that is to say reaches the detector or not.
• phase three consists in rotating a wheel, logically the first, all the others remaining fixed, until the radius is obscured. This gives the system knowledge of the position N of the wheel responsible for interception. This is recorded, then the system performs a return of the said wheel by one step to authorize the passage of the spoke again. The thumbwheel is then in either N + 1 or N - 1 position depending on the direction of rotation. This position is the final starting position for this dial and is saved.
• the system repeats the same operation with each of the knobs.
• the operator can then display the desired number.
• the logic system will then calculate the "distance" of each new character compared to the starting character of each wheel, and, playing on the possibility of forward or backward movement or station in neutral, optimize the rotation of each wheel until chosen character.
• the marking order can come, not from an operator, but from an external system such as a parking meter, a clock, a device for measuring any data (for example a weighing device), even a shape recognition device, a code system bar, etc ... or any system capable, by its function, of generating a signal which, suitably coded and transmitted by known means, will give the order to the dialer according to the invention to mark the "number" (at broad meaning defined above) appropriate.
• an external system such as a parking meter, a clock, a device for measuring any data (for example a weighing device), even a shape recognition device, a code system bar, etc ... or any system capable, by its function, of generating a signal which, suitably coded and transmitted by known means, will give the order to the dialer according to the invention to mark the "number" (at broad meaning defined above) appropriate.
• D2 of the arm 6, or of one of the branches 9 or 10, laterally, are any and known to those skilled in the art. They were therefore voluntarily represented symbolically in FIG. 3, as well as the possible locking means D3, the press P and the part to be marked E.
• Fig. 5 there is shown in addition to the optical system control means D4 of two arms corresponding to two successive knobs, as well as a return means common to these two knobs, D5.
• each pair of successive wheels carries or cooperates with, each a means D4 for operating the arm and, jointly, a common means of return D5 .
• the means D4 are located alternately on each side of the knobs, while the common arrangement of a single return means D5 eliminates a fulcrum of this means.
• the invention applies to any type of industry using the numbering function (in the broad sense above) and including by means such as inking or hot stamping, respectively for paper and cardboard, etc. .... and plastics and the like; according to the invention, the functions of the movements of mechanical parts and their mechanisms are important, not the marking means which may be any. This can be easily appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Landscapes

• Toys (AREA)
• Electromechanical Clocks (AREA)
• Pinball Game Machines (AREA)
• Printers Characterized By Their Purpose (AREA)
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging Apparatus (AREA)
• Control Of Electric Motors In General (AREA)
• Structure Of Transmissions (AREA)
• Motorcycle And Bicycle Frame (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

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ID=9489838

Family Applications (1)

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• 1996
  • 1996-02-28 FR FR9602709A patent/FR2745231B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1997
  • 1997-02-26 DE DE69703969T patent/DE69703969T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1997-02-26 EP EP97907132A patent/EP0883498B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1997-02-26 AT AT97907132T patent/ATE198856T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1997-02-26 AU AU19291/97A patent/AU1929197A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1997-02-26 WO PCT/FR1997/000341 patent/WO1997031789A1/fr active IP Right Grant

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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