GB2030931A

GB2030931A - Label printing device

Info

Publication number: GB2030931A
Application number: GB7845592A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: GUHL AND SCHEIBLER AG
Current assignee: GUHL AND SCHEIBLER AG
Priority date: 1978-09-26
Filing date: 1978-11-22
Publication date: 1980-04-16
Also published as: FR2437299A1; CH635782A5; FR2437299B3; JPS5544887A; GB2030931B

Abstract

A device for printing on labels 40, 41 arranged in continuous strip has a needle printing head mounted on a carriage 17 movable in the direction X the labels and carriage guide supports 18, 22 are movable in the direction Y. Stepper motors 4, 3 generate the X and Y movement respectively. The printing head is mounted so that it can be rotated about its longitudinal axis and therefore print in the X or Y direction. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Label printing device This invention relates to improvements in devices for printing labels and is concerned with such devices of the kind (hereinafter referred to as being of the 'kind specified') comprising a needle printing head, storage and feed apparatus for feeding labels arranged in continuous strip form in a feed direction along a feed path, electronic control apparatus forregulating the feed of the labels, the needle printing head and the needle position for printing a legend, a support assembly extending transversely of said feed direction, a sliding carriage carrying such needle printing head and mounted on said support assembly for slidable displacement thereon transversely of said feed path and a first drive motor operable to displace said sliding carriage with the needle printing head on said support assembly in the direction transverse to said feed direction.

In known devices of the kind specified, the needle printing head is displaceable only in the direction transversely to the direction of feed of the labels so that a label can be printed only in this transverse direction. Also, when printing a plurality of lines, the line spacing must be set by adjusting the label feed. For this purpose a relatively complicated control for the correct cooperation of the needle head printing operation and the feed of the paper is necessary, wherein positioning difficulties for the paper strips consequent upon the necessary clearance between hole entraining means (in so-called Remaniliner guide perforations) or slip in the case of frictional roller feed lead to uneven line spacings and discontinuous image representations.In addition, as a result of the capability of the needle printing head to move in one direction only, the forming of the image for a rapidly executed change of printed representations in the case of small-series or medium series production is either accompanied by considerable complications or is simply not possible. The feed apparatus disposed between the needle printing head and the label delivery position results in a relatively large distance through which the printed labels are pulled between the printing region and the dispensing or delivery location and makes it impossible for printed labels to be dispensed or delivered immediately following the printing region.As a result, when a change in the printed image is required, a number of blank labels is always produced on the carrier strip or label strip which can lead to a noticeable proportion of losses where the text or image is frequently changed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved printing device of the kind specified capable of printing labels supplied successively to a printing region along a line which extends transversely to the feed direction as in known devices and also along a line or a plurality of spaced lines extending in the feed direction without requiring displacement of the label during the printing operation.

According to the present invention, there is provided a printing device of the kind specified including means mounting said support assembly for displacement in said feed direction and means operable to displace said support assembly in said feed direction.

Preferably, the support assembly mounting means comprises support members disposed on opposed sides of the feed path, longitudinal guide members mounted on said support members and extending parallel to the feed direction and slide members mounted on said guide members for displacement in a direction parallel to said feed direction and carrying said support assembly.

The invention further provides a device for printing labels arranged in continuous strip, the device comprising a base plate, storage and feed apparatus operable to feed said labels over said base plate in a feed direction, a needle printing head, a sliding carriage carrying said needle printing head, a support assembly carrying said sliding carriage for displacement thereof in a direction transversely of said feed direction, longitudinally extending guide members mounted on said base plate and carrying said support assembly for displacement thereof in a direction parallel to said feed direction, a first motor drivingly connected to said sliding carriage and operable to displace said sliding carriage in a stepwise manner relative to said support assembly and transversely of said feed direction, a second motor drivingly connected to said support assembly and operable to displace said support assembly in a stepwise manner relative to said longitudinally extending guide members and in said feed direction and means for angularly adjusting said needle printing head in said sliding carriage to adjust the angular disposition of the legends printed thereby on said labels.

Without requiring displacement of the label to be printed during printing the label printing device according to the invention enables a plurality of lines to be printed which extend normal to the feed direction and which are spaced from each other in the feed direction and also enables at least one line to be printed in the feed direction.

This makes unnecessary the previously essential control and correlation between the operation of the printing head and the paper feed and avoids positioning difficulties. The change in printing positions can be carried out rapidly and without difficulty.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the needle printing head is mounted on the sliding carriage for angular displacement about an axis normal both to the feed direction and the direction of displacement of the carriage on the support assembly. Thus by simple rotation of the printing head through 900 about a vertical axis, lines may printed in either the feed direction or in the direction of displacement of the carriage on the support assembly.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the label printing device has label delivery means mounted immediately adjacent the region at which the labels are printed. This is possible because the labels no longer have to be pulled line by line and with great accuracy through the printing region and the conveying or feed apparatus can be constructed either as a pusher device upstream of the printing region or as a puller device downstream of the printing region after a dispensing edge. A printed label can therefore be delivered immediately it leaves the printing region so that when a printing program is changed no blank or wasted labels are left undelivered between the printing region and the delivery edge.

One embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the single figure of the accompanying drawing which shows diagrammatically in perspective the constructional and control elements of the device and partially in block form the additional equipment necessary for printing labels with a needle printing head.

The printing device of this example comprises a base plate 1 on which fixed support elements 2 for stepping motors 3 and 4 are mounted. These three components can be formed as a drive unit and designed to be installed as one assembly. Also fixedly mounted on the baseplate 1 are support members 5, 6, 7 for a rectilinear straightedge guide 8 and a cylindrical rod 20 which serve to support a cross slide support assembly K, capable of displacement in the direction parallel to the feed direction y of the label strip. The support members 6 and 7 respectiveiy carry a return pulley 10 and a drive pulley 11 for a toothed continuous belt 12 which is driven by the drive pulley 11 which is mounted on a shaft 13 coupled to the stepping motor 3.At its end towards the motor, the shaft 13 carries a further toothed drive pulley (not shown), around which a further toothed continuous belt 14 is conducted, which runs parallel to the toothed belt 12 and around a retum pulley (not shown) of opposite hand to the pulley 10 and mounted on support element 5. The belts 1 2 and 14 are disposed on opposite sides of the feed path for the labels and extend parallel to the feed direction.

The rectilinear straightedge guide 8 extends between the support members 6 and 7 to one side of the feed path and in a direction parallel to the feed direction and has a slide profile (not shown in detail) for the parallel guidance of a flat slide member 1 5. This slide member 1 5 is connected to the lower run of the toothed belt 12 and serves also as one end bearing for a lower slide guide 16, formed as a cylindrical bar for a sliding carriage 1 7 (to be described below) and also as a base element for mounting a lateral support 18 for an upper slide guide 29 for the sliding carriage 1 7.

As a corresponding component to the guide straightedge 8, there is provided on the opposite side of the base plate 1 and on the opposite side of the feed path for the labels a slide guide 20 which extends from support element 5 towards a corresponding portion of the fixed support element 2. This slide guide 20 is in the form of a cylindrical bar and is mounted in a seating (not shown). The slide guide 20 extends in a cylindrical bore in a slidable guide block 21 on which the right-side lateral support 22 for the upper slide guide 29 of the sliding carriage 1 7 is mounted.

The lower slide guide 16 is mounted on the block 21 which slides on the guide 20 so that the guide 1 6 is displaceable with the slide member 1 5 and guide block 21 in the direction parallel to the direction of feed of the labels. The guide block 21 is connected to the lower side of a toothed belt 14 for displacement.

Rotation of the shaft 13 leads to a displacement of the cross slide support assembly K parallel to the direction of feed of the labels.

Rotation in the ciockwise direction displaces the support assernbly K towards a rearwardly disposed label feed device 31. A stiffening plate 23 is mounted on the backs of the lateral supports 1 8 and 22 and connects these two supports rigidly together, serving mechanically to stabilise the cross slide assembly K. This stiffening plate 23 carries on its rear face a bearing, not visible, for a polygonal drive shaft 24 which extends therethrough and which is driven by the stepping motor 4 (shown dotted) through a coupling 25.

The shaft 24 drives a drive pulley 26, slidably mounted thereon to accommodate displacement of the support assembly K in the feed direction. On the drive pulley 26, a toothed belt 27 is seated, this belt being conducted around a return pulley 28 which is journalled on the stiffening plate 23.

One side of the belt 27 is drivingly connected to the printing head sliding carriage 1 7 so that rotation of the polygonal shaft 24 displaces the sliding carriage 1 7 transversely to the feed direction of the labels. The sliding carriage 1 7 is supported towards its lower end by the lower slide guide 16 and accurate parallel guidance is provided by a carriage guide member 29 which is mounted towards the upper ends of the lateral supports 1 8 and 22 and which has a profile of angie section.

Movement of the cross slide support assembly K longitudinally of the label strip 9 is produced by means of the toothed belt drive 10-14 driven by the motor 3. This movement is referred to for simplicity below as movement or "in the y direction". Movement of the sliding carriage 1 7 in the direction transversely of the direction of feed of the label strip is produced by means of the toothed belt drive 26-28 driven by the motor 4 through the coupling member 25 and the shaft 24, this movement being referred to for simplicity as x-movement or "in the x-direction". The polygonal shaft 24 and the drive pulley 26 mounted slidably thereon permit the support assembly K to travel into any -positions and there to displace the sliding carriage 1 7 together with the needle printing head into any positions in the x-direction.

The sliding carriage 17 comprises a base or slide component 19 slidably mounted on the lower slide guide 16 and an integrally formed mounting block 30 extending upwardly and rearwardly therefrom with a horizontally extending slot formed in its top edge engaged with and complementary to the downwardly oriented flange of the rail so that the carriage 17 is guidedly constrained for displacement in the direction normal to the feed direction. The front or leading face of the carriage 17 is formed with an upwardly extending groove in which is received an upwardly extending rib formed on the rear face of a slidable carriage component 1 7.1 whereby the latter is guided for movement up and down in the groove.

The front or leading face of the carriage 1 7 is also formed with a horizontally extending slot in which is received a slide bar (not shown) which is horizontally displaceable in the slot and which carries a rib which projects from the front of the leading face of the carriage 17, is inclined to the horizontal and is received in a corresponding complementary groove in the rear face of the slidable carriage component 17.1. By horizontal displacement of the slide bar, the height of the slidable carriage component 1 7.1 is adjusted as it rides up and down the inclined rib and is constrained by the upwardly extending groove in the front face of the carriage.Centering means 17.2 is secured to the slid able carriage component 1 7.1 to receive and support the needle printing head NDK shown in dot-dash lines and to centre the latter correctly for printing. Thus the distance between the needles of the printing head and the surface of the labels to be printed can be accurately adjusted to give uniform quality of printing. As can be seen from the method of functioning described below of the label printing machine described here as an example, additional elements (nor further explained) for the attachment of a label storage and feed apparatus 31 and a label dispensing apparatus 32 may be provided on the base plate 1. Self-adhesive labels mounted on a carrier strip as well as labels to be furnished with an adhesive after dispensing can equally well be processed by the new device.

Depending upon the label material that is used and the form of the feed and dispensing devices, additional feed or holding-down means 34 may be mounted in the framed region 33 of the base plate 1, in which the label printing is carried out. As a result of the possibility of mounting the label dispensing apparatus 32 close to the printing region of the device, the last printed label can be dispensed as soon as the succeeding label is correct!y positioned in the printing region. In this manner, wastage of labels when changing the printed pattern or at the end of a series can be avoided.

When printing labels, the printing data is supplied through a data input system of a control unit 35 (shown as a block). The control unit then produces printing symbol signals which are conducted through a first control line 36 to an NDK control device 37 connected to the printing head and also feed signals, which are supplied through a second control line 38 to a line-stepping and symbol-spacing control device 39, which governs the stepping motors 3 and 4. A further control line, leaving the input control unit 35 but not shown here, conducts a feed signal to the label feed device at the end of a label printing operation.Furthermore, signal lines may be provided between the label dispensing apparatus 32 and/or the label feed apparatus 31 and the control unit 35, and also between this control unit and a stripping, pressing-on or parcel-feed plant disposed if necessary after the dispensing apparatus 32, which signal lines make possible an at least largely automatic printing and labelling operation.

The new device for printing labels with a needle printing head makes it possible for the labels to be printed in the x-direction as shown on the label 40 or in the y-direction, as shown on the label 41.

Since the needle printing heads preferably produce only one linearly oriented point sequence, the needle printing head needs to be turned through 900 when changing over from the xwriting direction to the y-writing direction. Since the change-over usually does not need to be carried out very frequently or very rapidly, this rotation can be executed simply by hand. It is, of course, also possible to provide means which render possible an automatic rotation of the needle printing head. When writing in the xdirection, a symbol feed takes place according to the foregoing from right to left (sliding carriage movement x) and a line feed from rear to front (sliding carriage movement y) where "right" and "left" and also "rear" and "front" are always to be understood as relating to the feed direction of the label strip. For lettering in the y-direction, consequently, the symbol feed takes place from the rear towards the front and the line feed from left to right. The use of toothed belts and corresponding pulleys in conjunction with accurately stepping motors 3, 4 makes possible an exactly reproducible maintaining of the spacing of lines and symbols in conjunction with the maximum working speeds attainable with needle printing heads, by using a simple, easily arranged construction of the device.

Claims

1. In a device for printing labels which device comprises a needle printing head, storage and feed apparatus for feeding labels arranged in continuous strip form in a feed direction along a feed path, electronic control apparatus for regulating the feed of the labels, the needle printing head and the needle position for printing a legend, a support assembly extending transversely of said feed direction, a sliding carriage carrying such needle printing head and mounted on said support assembly for slidable displacement thereon transversely of said feed path and a first drive motor operable to displace said sliding carriage with the needle printing head on said support assembly in the direction transverse to said feed direction, the improvement comprising means mounting said support assembly for displacement in said feed direction and means operable to displace said support assembly in said feed direction.

2. A device according to Claim 1 in which the support assembly displacing means comprises a second drive motor.

3. A device according to Claim 1 or 2 in which the support assembly mounting means comprises support members disposed on opposed sides of the feed path, longitudinal guide members mounted on said support members and extending parallel to the feed direction and slide members mounted on said guide members for displacement in a direction parallel to said feed direction and carrying said support assembly.

4. A device according to Claims 2 and 3 including a fixed base plate on which said support members and said seco'nd motor are fixedly mounted.

5. A device according to Claim 4 in which a said first and second motors are constructed as a drive unit and a common support bracket is fixedly connected to said base plate and supports said motors.

6. A device according to Claim 3, 4 or 5 including synchronously operable continuous band driving elements drivingly engaged with said slide members and operable to displace said slide members and said support assembly in said direction parallel to said feed direction.

7. A device according to Claim 6 in which said continuous band drive elements are toothed belts driven by said second motor.

8. A device according to any one of Claims 3 to 7 in which said longitudinal guide members comprises a first guide member disposed to one side of said feed path and having a rectilinear edge guide portion extending parallel to said feed path and a second guide member including a cylindrical bar disposed on the other side of the said feed -path and extending parallel thereto and said slide members include a first slide member having a planar face engaged with said rectilinear edge guide portion and a second slide member having a cylindrical bore into which said cylindrical bar extends.

9. A device according to any one of the preceding claims in which said support assembly includes a cylindrical bar extending transversely of said feed path and a carriage guide member extending transversely of said feed direction and having a profile of angle section, and said sliding carriage is slidably mounted on said cylindrical bar and guidingly engaged with the profile of said carriage guide member.

10. A device according to any one of the preceding claims including a polygonal shaft driven by said first motor and extending parallel to said feed direction, a drive pulley drivenly mounted on said polygonal shaft and displaceable therealong said direction parallel to said feed direction, a return pulley, and a toothed belt mounted on said drive pulley and return pulley and drivingly connected to said sliding carriage for displacement of said carriage in said direction transversely of said feed direction.

11. A device according to Claim 8 in which said support assembly includes a bearing for said polygonal shaft.

12. A device according to any one of the preceding claims in which said sliding carriage includes a slide part adjustable in height relative thereto and including centering and fixing devices operable to locate the needle printing head correctly in position in the carriage.

13. A device according to any one of the preceding claims in which the needle printing head is mounted on the sliding carriage for angular displacement about an axis normal both to the feed direction and the direction of displacement of the carriage on the support assembly.

14. A device according to any one of the preceding claims in which means is provided immediately adjacent the region at which the labels are printed.

15. A device according to any one of the preceding claims in which the label feed apparatus is mounted upstream of the region at which the labels are printed considered in said feed direction.

16. A device for printing labels arranged in continuous strip, the device comprising a base plate, storage and feed apparatus operable to feed said labels over said base plate in a feed direction, a needle printing head, a sliding carriage carrying said needle printing head, a support assembly carrying said sliding carriage for displacement thereof in a direction transversely of said feed direction, longitudinally extending guide members mounted on said base plate and carrying said support assembly for displacement thereof in a direction parallel to said feed direction, a first motordrivingly connected to said sliding carriage and operable to displace said sliding carriage in a stepwise manner relative to said support assembly and transversely of said feed direction, a second motor drivingly connected to said support assembly and operable to displace said support assembly in a stepwise manner relative to said longitudinally extending guide members and in said feed direction and means for angularly adjusting said needle printing head in said sliding carriage to adjust the angular disposition of the legends printed thereby on said labels.

17. A device for printing labels constructed, arranged and adapted to operate substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.