GB2264264A - Marking apparatus. - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for marking indicia on a metal girder G comprises a stencil 14 in the form of an annular band having angularly spaced cut-out stencil characters therearound. A spray gun 13 is located within the band, and the stencil is movable step-wise relative to the article to be marked to enable successive characters in a string thereof to be marked in turn. The gun 13 can spray molten aluminium from a supply 18 of wire, or can spray alumina. The apparatus is movable using a motor 12. <IMAGE>

Description

MARKING APPARATUS This invention concerns apparatus for marking steel especially suitable for sections such as 1-section girders or the like by spraying indicia thereonto.

It is known to mark steel billets, slabs, plates and the like by spraying molten aluminium or ceramic material from a spray gun through a stencil which is moved step-wise relative to the item to be marked to enable successive characters to be marked in turn. The stencil is usually in the form of a disc having angularly spaced cut-out characters around its periphery and indexable to bring a selected character into register with the spray gun for each individual character marking operation Attempts to mark the web between the flanges of such as an 1-section girder have not proved satisfactory in that the stencil disc cannot be positioned close to the surface of the web with the result that the marked characters are diffused and may even be illegible It is an object of the present invention to provide marking appratus which overcomes the problem aforesaid According to the present invention there is provided marking apparatus comprising a stencil in the form of an annular band having angularly spaced cut-out stencil characters therearound, a spray gun within the band, means for moving the stencil step-wise relative to the article to be marked to enable successive characters in a string thereof to be marked in turn and means for indexing the stencil to bring a selected character into register with the spray gun for each individual character marking operation.

It will be understood that the annular band may be offered into the space between, for example, flanges on opposed sides of a connecting web.

The invention will be further apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show, by way of example only, one form of apparatus embodying sameo Of the drawings: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of the apparatus; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the stencil of the apparatus of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a diagrammatic cross-section on the line III III of Figure 1.

The apparatus comprises a marking head generally indicated at 10 mounted on a table 11 which can be moved step-wise in the direction of the arrow X along the length of an article (in this example an I-section girder G) to be marked, by means of a travel motor 12.

This step-wise movement may of course be superimposed on any continuous movement of the girder G.

The arrangement is such that the marking head 10 is arrested relative to the girder G at a plurality of successive lateral positions at each of which a character is marked by spraying molten aluminium from an arc gun 13 through a stencil 14.

The stencil 14 comprises an annular band 15 upstanding from a disc 16 and having stencil cut-out characters 17 angularly spaced around its periphery.

The arc gun 13 is mounted within the band 15 and is fed with aluminium wire from a reel 18 thereof mounted on the table 11.

A motor 19 is provided for indexing the stencil 14, by rotation about a line passing through the centre of the disc 16, to bring a selected character 17 into register with the arc gun 13 each time the marking head is arrested for the marking of a character.

As best seen from Figure 3 the peripheral edge of the stencil 14 can be offered to the web of the girder G and between the flanges lying to either side of the web.

It will be seen that the stencil is indexable about an axis perpendicular to the line of marking effected by the apparatus.

Release sprays and scrapers are provided in known manner to keep the interior surfaces of the stencil 14 clean.

It will be appreciated that it is not intended to limit the invention to the above example only, many variations, such as might readily occur to one skilled in the art, being possible, without departing from the scope thereof.

Thus, for example, a ceramic powder such as aluminium oxide may be supplied to a flame spray gun instead of aluminium or other wire.

Claims (3)

1. Marking apparatus comprising a stencil in the form of an annular band having angularly spaced cut-out stencil characters therearound, a spray gun within the band, means for moving the stencil step-wise relative to the article to be marked to enable successive characters in a string thereof to be marked in turn and means for indexing the stencil to bring a selected character into register with the spray gun for each individual character marking operation.

2. Marking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said spray gun discharges molten aluminium.

3. Marking apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by the figures of the accompanying drawings.

3. Marking apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by the figures of the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. Marking apparatus comprising a stencil in the form of an annular band having angularly spaced cut-out stencil characters therearound, a spray gun within the band, means for moving the stencil step-wise relative to the article to be marked to enable successive characters in a string thereof to be marked in turn and means for indexing the stencil to bring a selected character into register with the spray gun for each individual character marking operation, wherein the stencil is indexed by rotation about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its step-wise movement.

2. Marking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said spray gun discharges molten aluminium.