GB2138748A

GB2138748A - Kerb Engraving Machine

Info

Publication number: GB2138748A
Application number: GB08410340A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Charles Gordon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-04-26
Filing date: 1984-04-19
Publication date: 1984-10-31
Also published as: GB2138748B; NZ207890A; ZA843067B; GB8410340D0

Abstract

An engraving machine 10, is held by pneumatically driven suction devices 13 to an article, such as a concrete kerb, to be engraved. The machine 10 includes a frame 11 releasably holding a stencil and including a traversing plate 12 mounted on two pairs of tube members 19, 21. Each tube member of a pair is parallel to the other tube member of that pair with the tube members of each pair being perpendicular to those of the other pair. The traversing plate 12 is slidably attached to one pair of tube members 19 which are in turn slidably attached to the other pair of tube members 21. A pneumatic motor drive tool actuator 16 holds an engraving tool which is thereby rotated for engraving the article to which the machine is secured. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Kerb Engraving Machine The present invention is related to engraving machines adapted to engrave concrete or similar structures especially road side kerbing.

It has been known to engrave concrete kerbing for the purposes of permanent street signs and numbering. Prior art devices for this purpose have had problems in maintaining the stability of stencils being used to guide the engraving tool. To some extent this has been overcome by a specific prior art device which requires the user to apply weight on a surface of a stencil holder so as to steady it. This application of weight has been for example kneeling on a padded surface hinged to a stencil holding frame. However even this improved device suffers disadvantages in that the user is required to constantly bend over while manipulating the hand-held engraving machine.

Furthermore, the control or depth of engraving -.

depended upon the users pressure upon the tool, resulting in varying depth especially where concrete of non-homogeneous hardness is encountered.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide apparatus which will ameliorate disadvantages of the prior art.

Accordingly, in one broad form, the present invention may be said to provide an engraving machine comprising: a rigid frame including fixing means defining a stencil plane and adapted to removably secure a stencil thereto; a traversing plate movable throughout a plane parallel to the stencil plane and including a guide adapted to follow a pattern possessed in a stencil to be secured to the fixing means; an engraving tool actuator rotatably attached to said plate and adapted to hold an engraving tool bit so as to engrave a surface of an article to be engraved; and suction devices actuable to secure said frame to the article to be engraved.

Preferably the engraving tool actuator and suction devices are adapted to be controlled from a common pneumatic power source. In this regard the engraving tool actuator may include an air motor and suction at the suction devices is provided by a vacuum source at the pneumatic power unit.

The stencil is preferably secured to the frame in a position removed from the actual area of engraving so as to substantially reduce the possibility of damage to the stencil while in use.

Further the stencil plane is preferably parallel to the surface being engraved.

The traversing plate is preferably slidingly mounted on a plurality of parallel tubes which are in turn slidingly mounted on a second plurality of parallel tubes. The two pluralities of parallel tubes being mutually perpendicular and defining a plane parallel to the stencil plane.

By way of example only, one preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is an overall view of one embodiment of the invention; and Fig. 2 is a detailed view of a portion of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 shows engraving machine 10 as a whole. The major components comprising the machine 10 are frame 1 traversing plate 12, suction devices 13, stencil fixing means 14, guide 1 5 and engraving tool actuator 1 6.

Not shown in the diagrams, but used in cooperation with machine 10, is a pneumatic power unit which supplies compressed air for motivating air engine 17 which includes a chuck for securing a rotatable engraving bit. Alternatively engine 1 7 may drive by belt or chain a separate actuator including the chuck. Also connected to the pneumatic unit are the suction devices 1 3.

Suction devices 13 are connected to a vacuum supply of the pneumatic power unit so as to provide-the necessary suction.

Stencil fixing means 14 may simpiy comprise two parallel spaced apart channel members with their open edges facing each other. The stencils to be used can then be merely slid along the channels and held rigidly therein by the use of for example pins or blocks attached therein.

Shown clearly in Fig. 2 is the means allowing traversing plate 12 to move throughout the plane parallel to a stencil 1 8 placed within fixing means 14. The frame 11 includes two spaced apart parallel tubes 19 which extend longitudinally across stencil 18. Adapted to slide along tubes 19 are four collars 20. Collars 20 are arranged in two pairs, with one respective collar 20 of each pair sliding on each respective tube 1 9. Two further tubes 21 are mutually parallel and spaced apart and are respectively connected rigidly to a respective pair of collars 20 so that tubes 21 are perpendicular to tubes 19. Further collars 22 are provided on tubes 21 and adapted to slide therealong and to have the traversing plate 12 attached thereto. This attachment, in the embodiment shown, is via threaded members 23.

In use selected stencils 1 8 are placed in the fixing means 14 and held fast by appropriate means. Traversing plate 12 is moved into a position so that guide 1 5 is directly over a groove in one of the stencils 18 so as to co-operate therewith. The engraving may then be started and the engraving bit brought into engagement with the article to be engraved. As engraving progresses the traversing plate is moved so that guide 1 5 foliows the groove of stencil 18. Once one groove is fully completed the engraving bit may be removed from the surface being engraved while guide 15 is moved onto the next groove of the stencil.

During this operation the entire machine 10 is held rigid relative to the surface being engraved by the suction devices 1 3. So long as vacuum is applied to devices 13 the machine 10 remains stable and allows the operator to manipulate traversing plate 12 and control engraving tool actuator 1 6.

For added firmness weighted arms (not shown) may be pivotally attached to an upper portion of the machine 10. The weighted arms fold backwardly to rest on the ground behind the machine 10 giving the machine greater stability due to increased mass and friction between the weights and the ground.

A similar device can also be mounted at the rear of a truck or tractor, being positioned and held rigidly by suitable hydraulic/pneumatic actuated, articulations.

Claims

1. An engraving machine comprising: a rigid frame including fixing means defining a stencil - plane and adapted to removably secure a stencil thereto; a traversing plate movable throughout a plane parallel to the stencil plane and including a guide adapted to follow a pattern possessed in a stencil to be secured to the fixing means; an engraving tool actuator rotatably attached to said plate and adapted to hold an engraving tool bit so as to engrave a surface of an article to be engraved; and suction devices actuable to secure said frame to the article to be engraved.

2. An engraving machine as defined in claim 1 further including pneumatic means rotatably powering said tool actuator.

3. An engraving machine as defined in claim 2 wherein said suction devices are pneumatically actuated.

4. An engraving machine as defined in claim 3 wherein said tool actuator is restrained so that engraving can occur only to a preset maximum depth.

5. An engraving machine as defined in claim 4 including a stencil, said stencil comprising formed symbols to guide said guide so that said engraving tool bit reproduces the pattern of said symbols.

6. An engraving machine as defined in claim 5 wherein said symbols are formed as grooves within said template.

7. An engraving machine comprising: a rigid frame and including a horizontal pair of tube members and stencil fixing means, said stencil fixing means defining a stencil claim and adapted to removably secure a stencil thereto; a pair of parallel vertical tube members slidingly attached to said horizontal tube members; a traversing plate slidingly attached to said vertical tube members so as to be movable throughout a plane parallel to said stencil plane; a guide extending rearwardly from said traversing plate and approximately perpendicular thereto so as to engage a stencil secured by said fixing means within said stencil plane; an engraving tool actuator rotatably attached to said traversing plate and adapted to hold an engraving tool bit so as to engrave a surface of an article to be engraved; and suction devices pneumatically operated and actuable to secure said frame to said article to be engraved.

8. An engraving machine substantially as described with reference to, and as iilustrated in, the accompanying drawings.