GB2214161A

GB2214161A - Portable labelling machine

Info

Publication number: GB2214161A
Application number: GB8809136A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sang-Bin Chang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-12-30
Filing date: 1988-04-18
Publication date: 1989-08-31
Also published as: GB8809136D0; KR900004404Y1; KR890013162U

Abstract

A portable labelling machine comprising a hand lever (3) having a printing head (11), a feeding roller (2), and a bottom lid assembly (4), wherein the feeding roller is installed to the bottom lid assembly. The arrangement facilitates the loading of a roll (7) of label strip into the machine and/or on the subsequent threading up of the leading end of the strip. <IMAGE>

Description

PORTABLE LABELLING MACHINE This invention relates to a portable labelling machine, particularly to a loading arrangement of label strip for the labelling machine.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART When a roll of label strip is loaded in a known labelling machine, generally the roll of label strip is mounted on a roll support of the labelling machine, and a leading end of the label strip is fed along a relatively narrow label strip passage toward a printing platen by a feeding roller. However, the loading arrangement of the known labelling machine is sophisticated in an aspect of feeding operation. Even though various devices have been proposed by which the leading end of label strip is fed toward the printing platen with ease, they have the drawback that they are not effective in feeding the label strip.

This invention provides a new type of loading arrangement of label strip for a portable labelling machine.

The present invention provides a portable labelling machine comprising a hand lever, a printing head, a feeding roller, and a bottom lid assembly, the feeding roller being mounted to the bottom lid assembly, the bottom lid assembly being pivotably mounted to the machine so that in use it is pivotable away from the machine when inserting a label strip roll.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A detailed description of a labelling machine according to the invention will now be provided with reference to t-he drawings attached hereto as follows.

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a labelling machine of the invention in which a side cover is removed (part of the hand levers are being shown); Figure 2 is a vertical cross-section view of the labelling machine of the invention; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a feeding roller and a pawl assembly of the labelling machine; and Figure 4 is a schematic side elevational view of the labelling machine in which a bottom lid is opened.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the drawings, a labelling machine comprises a housing 1 having a hand lever 3 movement of which causes label material to be printed and a feeding roller 2 for feeding a label strip (shown in dot-dash line) from a roll 7. Various components which are mounted to the housing 1 make it difficult to provide a sufficient space for loading a roll of label strip and/or threading the leading end of the label strip.

Thus, in the prior art, the leading end of the label strip must be inserted into a narrow passage and can be difficult to thread like an eye of a needle. Since various components, particularly the feeding roller 2 and its peripheral components are installed in the housing 1, they obstruct the loading and insertion of the label strip.

According to the labelling machine of the invention, the feeding roller 2 is removably installed in the housing 1, so that when the roll 7 of label strip is loading into the housing 1 the feeding roller 2 is removed together with a bottom lid 4, and after the label strip is loaded in the housing 1 the bottom lid 4 is closed and the feeding roller 2 returns to its feeding position. Therefore the housing 1 has a bottom lid assembly 4 which is pivoted to a lower part of the housing, and the bottom lid assembly 4 includes the printing platen 5 and the feeding roller 2. Thus when opening the bottom lid assembly 4 (see Figure 4) the feeding roller 2 is moved away with the bottom lid assembly and ensures that a large cavity 6 is formed in the housing 1 for loading the label strip roll 7.The label strip roll 7 is wound on a bobbin 7' and is situated above the cavity 6 the label strip roll 7 being loosely housed between an upper lid 8 covering the top of the cavity 6 and a shelf 9 mounted above the feeding roller 2. Under the feeding roller 2, a strip guide member 21 is provided for guiding the label strip maerial to the feeding roller 2.

The feeding roller 2 is rotated by the movement of the hand lever 3 as in prior machines. Thus, when pulling the hand lever 3 by gripping the hand grip 1', the hand lever 3 is pivoted about a shaft 10 in a counterclockwise direction in Figure 1, and it causes a printing head 11 to be lowered to printing the label on the printing platen 5. The hand lever 3 is urged to move in a clockwise direction by a spring 12 and this clockwise motion causes rotation of the feeding roller 2 step-by-step.

A further feature of the invention is that the hand lever 3 is moved clockwise to open by spring 12 which causes the feeding roller 2 to be rotated.

This is carried out in the case of the invention, by a movable pawl assembly 13 connected to the hand lever 3.

As shown in Figure 3, the movable pawl assembly 13 comprises two pawl arms 15 and 15' each having a pawl 14 respectively which engages with the unidirectional teeth 2' of the feeding roller 2 and causes it to be rotated, a spring 16 for biasing the two pawl arms 15,15' in the clockwise direction, a connecting means 17 for connecting the two pawl arms 15,15' to the single spring 16, and a press button 18 for releasing teeth 2' from engagement with the feeding roller 2 and the pawl 14. This movable pawl assembly 13 is pivotably mounted to the hand lever 3 by a pivot pin 19 formed at the upper end of pawl arms 15 and 15'. When in use, the hand lever 3 is rotated clockwise, it lifts the pivot pin 19 so that the pawl 14 rises and moves the teeth 2' so that the feeding roller is rotated by one pitch.

To prevent the reverse rotation of the feeding roller 2, there is provided a resilient latch 20.

In this invention, as shown in Figure 4, when opening the bottom lid assembly 4, the large cavity 6 is formed in the housing 1. The label strip roll 7 is loaded in the cavity 6, and after the leading end of label strip is passed through the gap between a platen 5 and a pivot pin 4' of the bottom lid assembly 4, the leading end of the label strip is inserted between the feeding roller 2 and the strip pushing member 21.

The labelling machine of the invention requires much less effort to insert the label strip into the relatively narrow passage provided in known machines, and the label strip roll may be loaded with ease. In case of the invention, there is no need for a special passage for inserting the label strip. Also the geometric structure of the labelling machine is simple and this reduces the manufacturing cost.

Claims

1. A portable labelling machine comprising a hand lever having a printing head, a feeding roller, and a bottom lid assembly, wherein the feeding roller is installed to the bottom lid assembly.

2. A portable labelling machine comprising a hand lever, a printing head, a feeding roller, and a bottom lid assembly, the feeding roller being mounted to the bottom lid assembly, the bottom lid assembly being pivotably mounted to the machine so that in use it is pivotable away from the machine when inserting a label strip roll.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 2 in which means is provided to freely mount a label strip roll, said means comprising a cavity formed between an upper lid of the machine and a shelf.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 2 or 3 including a pivotable pawl assembly adapted to rotate the feeding roller, said pawl assembly being movable by rotation of said hand lever.

5. A portable labelling machine as claimed in claim 2 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.