US1896556A

US1896556A - Roller type stamping machine

Info

Publication number: US1896556A
Application number: US500928A
Authority: US
Inventors: John S Phelps
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1930-12-08
Filing date: 1930-12-08
Publication date: 1933-02-07
Anticipated expiration: 1950-02-07

Description

Feb. 7, 1933. J, sI PHELPS 1,896,556

ROLLER TYPE STAMPING MACHINE Filed Dec. 8, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l a um A rfoA/Ex 7, 1933. 1'k s* PHELPS 1,896,556

ROLLER TYPE STAMPING MACHINE l f4 frog/vf if Feb. 7, 1933. J '5 PHELPS 1,896,556

ROLLER TYPE STAMPING MACHINE I Filed Dec. 8, 1930 3 sheets-sheet 5 ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 7, 1933 ar ."rsics JOHN S. PHELPS, OF WHITTEER, 'CALIFGRNIA ROLLER TYE STAMPNG MACHINE Application filed December 8, 1930. Serial No. 500,926.

My invention relates to means for stamping moving articles, and relates particularly to a stamping device forv use on a conveyor to stamp articles or objects,'such a-s boxes or containers, as they move along the conveyor.

My invention is of especial utilityin placing identiiication marks, such as serial numbers, classifications, or emblems, on packages or ccntainers after they are-packed'with commodities, these marks imparting to an observer' desired information regarding the contents of the packages or containers. As an example of the use of my invention, the fruit packing industry may be cited. Herein the fruits are graded and selected, and different grades and selected fruits are packed in boxes or other containers which are marked `in a manner to indicate the grade or size of the fruit therein. Myv invention may be attached to a conveyor which is associated with a packing machine or cover nailing machine for a fruit box so that each box as it passes along the conveyor will be stamped with the identification or designating marks. Y

It is an abject of my invention toprovide an automatic stamping device for stamping articles as they travel along a conveyor, having a roller stamping member which stamps the articles as they roll along the face thereof.

It is an object of the invention to providev roller which will hold the stamping roller in position to engage the end of an approaching article `and will produce a translational movement of the roller in lateral direction as the roller is moved forwardly by `the mov- 7 ing article,` thereby accomplishing a rolling action of the stamping roller in lateral direction along'the end of the article.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a roller type box stamping machine having a printing roller'adapted to `roll in engagement with a face of an article, and having means for removing the printing roller from engagement with the face of thel article afterI the printing roller has moved through a prescribed distance.

A further object of the invention is to proide means for preventing reverse rotation of the printing roller after it is lifted from engagement with the face of the box.

Another object of the invention is to provide means fer centinuing the rotation of the printing roller after it .has been removed from engagement with the face of the article, thereby assuring complete Ainking of the printing member carried on the printing roller. v

The invention comprehends a device hav-. inga roller adapted to be applied to a face of anarticle as it moves along a conveyor; Although the printing roller may be placed so, as to operate against any selected face of the article, the preferred forms of the invention show equipped with parts whereby it will move `along the ends of the article. This construction is adopted for the reason that as a generalpractice the labels of fruit boxes are placed on theends of the boxes, and as I am herein showing the preferred forms of my invention adapted for use in the fruit packing industry, I have accordingly embodiedthe invention in a form-suitable for placing marks on the ends of the boxes.

Furtherk objects and advantages of the invention will vbe made evident throughout the following part of the specification.

Referring to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only,

Fig. l isa plan view showing al preferred and simple embodiment of my invention in the position which it assumes when it is lirst engaged by the box or article which travels along the conveyor. Y

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the stamping device with the stamping roller removed from engagement with the front end of the box.

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the stampingv device with its parts in the position which theyk occupy just before disengagement with the box which has been stamped.

Fig. 4 is a partly sectioned elevational view taken on a plane represented by the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

5 is an enlarged section on a plane represented by the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a view showing an alternative form of my invention in which the stamping roller is adapted to stamp the rear end of a box. In this view the parts are shown with the stamping roller held in disengagement with the box.

Fig. 7 is a plan view similar to Fig. 6 but showing the alternative form of stamping device with the parts thereof in a position occupied when the stamping roller is in engagement with the rear end of the box.

A conveyor 10 with which my invention may be practiced may have side bars 11 and 12 supported by legs 13 and in turn .supporting rollers 14 over which a traveling inember, such as a belt 15, moves. In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive I provide a rotary printing or stamping member in the form of a printing roller 1G having printing elements 17, such as letters, numbers, or characters, and being adapted to rotate on a shaft 18 which lies in a plane parallel to the front end 20 of an article or box 21 which is to be stamped as it moves forwardly or rightwardly along the conveyor 10 as indicated by an arrow 22 of Fig. 1. rIlhe shaft 18 forms a part of a supporting means 23 for the printing roller and is nonrotatable on its own axis. As shown in Fig. 5, the printing roller 16 is of hollow construction and has a spring 24 therein, one end of which is secured at 25 to the shaft 18 and the other end of which is secured at 26 to the printing roller 16. This spring 24 exerts a resilient force on the printing roller 16 which tends to rotate it in anti-clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow 27 of Fig. 1. The supporting means 23 comprises an arm 28 hinged on a vertical pin 30 carried between the upper and lower

horizontal plates

31 and 32 of a supporting bracket 33. As shown in Fig. 4, a. spring 34 is provided for normally rotating the .supporting means 23 in anticlockwise direction as indicated by the arrow 35 of Fig. 1. For inking the printing elements 17 I provide inking rollers 3G and 37 which are held resiliently in operative positions by pairs of

springs

38 and 40. The invention also provides means 41 for lifting the printing roller 16 from engagement with the end 2O of the box 21 when the roller has rolled across the face 2O through a sullicient distance to complete an impression of the printing elements 17. This means 41 includes a roller member 42 supported on an arm 43 in position for engagement with the end 20 of the box 21. The arm 43 has a rearwardly extending portion 44 of U-shaped form and including upper and

lower legs

45 and 46 connected together by a vertical bar 47, as shown in Fig. 4. rlhe arm 43 is hinged on upper and lower bolts 48 which are carried by the

plates

31 and 32 of the bracket 33 and are positioned somewhat forwardly or to the right of the pivot 30 which carries the .supporting means 23. By means of a bracket 50 mounted on the vertical bar 47 of the retracting means 41, a roller 51 is carried in position for engaging an adjustable member 52 consisting of a plate hinged at 53 to the rearward end 54 of the lever 28, the spacing between the rearward end 54 and the plate 52 being controlled by an adjustment screw 55.

The operation of the device is substantially as follows: Ihen not engaged by an article, such as the box 21, or at the time of initial engagement, the parts of the device are dirposed as shown in Fig. 1. It will be perceived that the print-ing elements 17 carried on the printingl roller 16 are to the left of the point at which the printing roller 15 engages the front end 2O of the box 21. The spring 24 shown in F 5 normally holds the printing roller in this position which is determined by stops consisting of projections 56 and 57 mounted respectively on the roller 16 and the upper plate 58 of a pair of

plates

58 and 59 which constitute the forward end of the supporting means 23. As the box 21 continues to move rightwardly or forwardly, as indicated by the arrow 22 of Fig. 1, the supporting means 23 is caused to rotate in clockwise direction on the pivot member 30 with the result that the printing roller 1G will swing through an arc 61 and with the result that as such printing roller 16 moves through the are 61 it will roll in clockwise direction across the front end 20 of the box 21. During this forward movement of the box 21, the front end 20 thereof approaches the roller 42 of the retracting means 41 and swings the retracting means 41 in clockwise direction around the bolts 48, cau e' the roller 51 to exert a leftward force ag ist the adjustable member on the rearward end 54 of the arm 28 so as to cause the supporting means 23 to move faster than the speed at which it would be moved bv the box 21, with the result of lifting the pri roller from engagement with the front enfl 2O of the box 21. rllhis lifting action accomplished as a result of the placing and proportioning of the reti-acting means 41. It will be noted that the front end (33 of the arm 43 is shorter than the rear end 44 thereof so that the movement of the roller 51 is greater tl in an the movement of the roller 42 and is also greater than the movement of the printing roller 1G. As a result of such proportioning and disposal of parts, the printing roller 16 is lifted from engagement with the front 2O of the box 21 before the roller 16 has reached the corner 64 of the box 21.

In Fig. 2 I show the parts of the stamping device after the roller 42 has passed the cor- CIJ ` 35 ments 17 across t 60 veyor 10.

ner 64 and is traveling down the side 62 of the box. It will be noted that the supporting means 23 is in a position to hold the printing roller 16 a considerablel distance from the box 21. To prevent anti-clockwise rotation of the printing roller 16vas it is'lifted from engagement with the front 2O of the box 21, and also to continue the clockwise rotation thereof so as to carry the printing elements 17 across the inking roller 36, I provide an automatic means for rotating the roller 16 in clockwise direction after it has disengaged thebox 21. This automatic means consists ofv a lever 65 which is hinged to the arm -28 by means of brackets 66 vwhich engage a vertical pin 67, which pin 67 in turn engages brackets 68 projecting` from the arm 28. By means of studs 70 which project downwardly from the` upper plate 31, rollers 71 and l72 20 are supported in position to consecutively engage the rearward end 74 of the arm 65 as the supporting means 23 swings from its position of Fig. 1 to its position of Fig. 2. This consecutive engagement of the rearward end 74 I of the arm 65 with the

rollers

71 and 72 causes the arm 65 to swing in clockwise direction from its position of Fig. 1 to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 2 and to pull outwardly on a flexible strap or band 75 which is connected at 76 to the front end of the arm 65 and is also wound on the roller 16, causing the band 75 to be unwound from the roller 16 and the roller 16 to be rotated in clockwise direction whereby to carry the printing elee inking roller 36. j y

. As the box 21 continues to move along the roller 42, as shown in Fig.V 2, the roller 42 approaches the rearward corner 77 ot' the box 21, and upon leaving the corner 77 `it '40 will swing in anti-clockwise direction into the space following the rear end 78 oi the box 21, as shown in Fig. 3. VThis inward or anti-clockwise movement of the member 42 permits the supporting means 23 to rotate in anti-clockwisedirection through such distance that a guard 80 formed on the forward end of the member 23 will engage the side 62 adjacent the rearward corner 77, thus preventing the printing roller-16 trom swinging 5o inwardly into engagement with the corner 77 as the roller 42 disengages the corner 77. As the box 21 moves further inV rightward directionfroin the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3, the guard 80 will drop oil i or disengage the corner 77, and all of the parts of the printing mechanism will swing into the position in which they are shownl inFig. 1 preparatory to operative engagement with a consecutive ybox on the con- In the form ofv myA invention shown '1n Figs. 1 to `5 inclusive Ihave shown a device for printing the forward end of. a box. For convenience, the parts supporting the print- 65 ing roller and theroller 42 are mounted to the side of the conveyor so that the parts may swing out of the path of the box 21 as it travels along the conveyor. The

arms

28 and 43 in this embodiment of the invention are swung through horizontal planes, but itwill be recognized that these arms may be positioned so as to swing through vertical planes by placing the

pivot members

30 and 48 either above or below the conveyor.

In Fig. 6 I show my invention adapted to print the rearward end of a box 82 which is traveling in leftward direction, as indicated by an arrow 83, along a conveyor which may be also identied by the numeral 10. To the parts shown in Figs. 1 to 5 I have merely added a retracting means 84 which consists of an arm 85 pivoted at 86 to a bracket 87 and having an. adjustable extension or end 88 secured thereto by bolts 89, and an adjustable link 91 which is pivotally connected to the arm 85 at 92 and is also pivotally connected to the rearward portion 44 of the arm 43 by means of al bracket 93. During the period of disengagement with the box 82, and at the time of disengagement therewith, the parts are in the positions shown in' Fig. 7. It will be noted that the arm 85 projects inwardly across the path of travel of the box 82 so that the extension 88 will be engagedas the box 82V traveling in leftward direction reaches the plane of the

parts

85 and 86. After the box 82 engages the extension 88, its further leftward movement will cause the extension 88 to swing leftwardly into the position shown in Fig. 6, swinging the arm 85 into a similar position, and through the link 91 causing the arm 43 to swing from the position of Fig. 7 to the position of Fig. 6, this movement ofthe arm 43 causing the printing roller supporting means 23 to be withdrawn into fully retracted position, during which movement of the supporting means 23 the arm 65 will be rotated in clockwise direction and the band or strap 75 will bey thereby unwound, causing rotation of the printingroller 16 across the inking roller 36. When the rightward corner 95 ofthe box 82 passes the end 96 of the extension 88, the arm 85 is left free to swing in clockwise direction. The roller 42 then drops into engagement with the side97 of the box 82, permitting the supporting means 23 to swing inwardly through a short distance. When the corner 95 is reached, the

lroll in anti-clockwise direction across the end 98 of the box 82 toward the position in which it is shown in Fig. 7, at which time the continued leftward or forward travel of the box 82 will move the box from engagement with the printing roller, leaving the printing roller in an inactive position corresponding to the position of the retracting means 8a in readiness for the approach and printing of a consecutive box in the manner above described. It will be noted that in this form of the invention the guard has been omitted as there is no need for such guard when the invention is employed to stamp the rear end of a box.

By the use of two devices of this character on a conveyor, the front and rear ends of a box traveling along such conveyor may be stamped with names, identification marks, or numbers. The distance through which the supporting means 23 is swung by the retracting means 41 is determined by the spacing of the plate 52 relative to the rear end 54 of the arm 28 so that the time at which the roller 51 makes engagement with the plate 52 may be varied.

The invention also includes a simple means for adjusting the printing device to proper operating position. |Ihe supporting bracket 33 has a downwardly projecting leg 100. A bolt or screw 101 secures the central portion of this leg to a side of the conveyor, such as the side member 12. A lateral adjustment member 102 extends from the lower extremity 103 of the leg 100 to a clamping means consisting of a bolt 104 extending through a slot 105 into a leg 106 or other supporting part of the conveyor 10 positioned at a distance from the side of the conveyor on which the bracket 33 is mounted. A longitudinal adjusting means consisting of a bar 107 extends diagonally upwardly from a bolt 108 near the lower end of the leg 100 to a bolt 110 which projects through a slot in the upper end of the bar 10T and is screwed into the side member 12 of the conveyor 10. By use of the lateral and longitudinal adjusting means 102 and 107, the bracket may be rotated forwardly or sidewardly so that the

arms

28 and 43 will swing through a horizontal plane or such other plane as may be necessary for proper operation of the device,

In the forms of the invention disclosed I have shown means for supporting the printing roller so that it will move through a path diagonal to the path of movement of the article along the conveyor7 thereby causing the roller to roll across the face of the article as it moves with the article. In addition, my preferred form of tne invention includes means for lifting the roller from engagement, but in some practices it may be desired to omit the means for lifting the roller from engagement, for it is characteristic of the construction shown that the arm or support 23 holds the printing roller in such a manner that were the lifting means omitted, it would move outwardly across the face of an article and would then roll along the side of the article, finally dropping off the rear end of the article into position for engagement with the front end of an approaching article. To prevent blurring of the imprint, the printing roller 16 is provided with flanges 120, as shown in Fig. 1. The peripheries of these flanges have substantially the same radius as the printing elements 17, but, as indicated at 121, the peripheries of the flanges 120 are interrupted so that the printing roller is supported only by the letters or characters of the printing elements 17. In the use of this construction I am able to avoid blurring of the end letters or characters of the printing elements 17 as the printing roller rolls smoothly from the peripheries of the flanges 120 to the printing elements 17.

Although I have herein shown and described my invention in simple and practical form, it is recognized that certain parts or elements thereof are representative of other parts, elements, or mechanisms which may be employed in substantially the same manner to accomplish substantially the same results; therefore, it is to be understood that the invent-ion is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the following claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A stamping device adapted to print an article as it moves along a conveyor, including: a rotary printing member adapted for engagement with an end of the article; supporting means for translationally supporting said printing member to cause said printing member to move laterally as it is moved forwardly by said article; and means for lifting said printing member from engagement with said article.

2. A stamping device adapted to print an article as it moves along a conveyor, including: a rotary printing member adapted for engagement with an end of the article; supporting means for translationally supporting said printing member to cause said printing member to move laterally as it is moved forwardly by said article; means for lifting said printing member from engagement with said article; and means for preventing reverse rotation of said printing member as it is lifted from engagement with said article.

3. A stamping device adapted to print an article as it moves along a conveyor, including: a rotary printing member adapted for engagement with an end of the article; supporting means for translationally supporting said printing member to cause said printing member to move laterally as it is moved forwardly by said article; means for lifting said printing member from engagement with said article; and means for continuing the rotation of said printing member as it is lifted from engagement with said article.

4. A stamping device adapted to print an article as it moves along a conveyor, including: a rotary printing member adapted for engagement with an end of the article; supporting means for translationally supporting said printing member to cause said printing member to move laterally as it is moved forwardly by said article; and means operated by engagement with said article for lifting said printing member from engagement with said article.

5. A stamping device adapted to print an article as it moves along a conveyor', including: a rotary printing member adapted for engagement withan end of the article; supporting means for translationally supporting said printing member to cause said printingV member to move laterally as it is moved forwardlyV by said article; means operated by engagement with said article for lifting said printing member from engagement with said article; and means for preventing reverse rotation of said printing member as it is lifted from engagement with said article.

6. A stamping device adapted to print an article as it moves along a conveyor, including: a supporting structure adapted to be mounted along the path of movement of the article; a rotary printing member having a printing element on the exterior thereof; means for operatively securing said printing member to said supporting structure in position for engaging said article so as to produce a rolling movement of said printing member across an end of said article; and means for determining the period of engagement of said printing member with said article, said means moving said printing member bodily from engagement with said article.

7. A stamping device adapted to print an article as it moves along a conveyor, including: a printing` roller; means for movably supporting said printing roller so that said printing roller will roll across an end of said article as said article moves along said conveyor; and means for determining the period of engagement of said printing roller with said article, said means moving said printing member bodily from engagement with said article.

8. A stamping device adapted to print an article as it moves along a conveyor, including: a print-ing roller; means for movably supporting said printing roller so that said printing roller will roll across an end of said article as said article moves along said conveyor; and means controlled by engagement with said article for determining the period of engagement of said printing roller with said article.

9. A stamping device adapted to print an article as it moves along a conveyor, including: a printing roller; means for movably supporting said printing roller so that said printing roller will roll across an end of said article as said article moves along said conveyor; and means operated by force received from said article for determining the period of engagement of said printing roller with said article.

10. A stamping device adapted to print an article as it moves along a conveyor, including: a printing roller; means for movably supporting said printing roller so that said printing roller will roll across an end of said article as said article moves along said conveyor; and means for moving said printing roller in an angular direction relative to said end of said article whereby to determine the period-of engagement of said printing roller with said article.

l1. A stamping device adapted to print an article as it moves along a conveyor, including: a printing rollen-means for movably supporting said printing roller so that said printing roller will roll across an end of said article as said article moves along said conveyor; and means controlled by engagement with said article for moving said printing roller in an angular direction relative to said end of said article whereby to determine the period of engagement of said printing roller with said article.

12. vA stamping device adapted to print an article as it moves along a conveyor, including: a printing roller; means for movably supporting said printing roller so that said `printing roller will roll across a face of said article as said article moves along said conveyor; means for determining the period of engagement of said printing roller with said article; and means for preventing reverse rotation of said printingl roller as it disengages said article.

13. A stamping device adapted to print an article as it moves along a conveyor, including: a printing roller; means for movably supporting said printing roller so that said printing roller will roll across an end of said article as said article moves along said conveyor; means for determining the period of engagement of said printing roller with said article; means for inking said printing roller; and means for continuing the forward rotation of said printing roller as it disengages said article.

14. A stamping device adapted to print an article as it moves along a conveyor, including: a printing roller; means for movably supporting said printing roller so that said printing roller will roll across a face of said article as said article moves along said conveyor; means for determining the period` of engagement of said printing roller with said article; meausfor inlring said printing roller; and means for preventing reverse rotation of said printing roller as it disengages said article.

15. A stamping device adapted to print an article as it moves along a conveyor, including: a printing roller; means for movably supporting said printing roller so that said printing roller will roll across an end of said article as said article moves along said conveyor; and means for lifting said printing roller from engagement with said article.

16. A stamping device adapted to print an article as it moves along a conveyor, including: a printing roller adapted to print upon an end of said article; an arm supporting said printing roller; a pivot for said arm situated to one side of the pat-h of movement of said article along said conveyor on which said arm may swing so as to determine a path of movement for said printing roller into and out of the path oi movement of said article; and means auxiliary to said printing roller for swinging said arm.

17. A stamping device adapted to print an article as it moves along a conveyor, including: a printing roller adapted to print upon an end of said article; means tor inking said roller; an arm supporting said printing roller; a pivot for said arm situated to one side of the path of movement of said article along said conveyor` on which said arm may swing so as to determine a path ot movement for said printing roller into and out of the path of movement of said article; and means auX- iliary to said printing roller for swinging said arm.

18. A stamping device adapted to print an article as it moves along a conveyor, including: a printing roller adapted to print upon an end of said article; means for inking said roller; an arm supporting said printing roller; a pivot for said arm situated to one side of the path of movement of said article along said conveyor on which said arm may swing so as to determine a path of movement for said printing roller into and out of the path of movement of said article; and means auxiliary to said printing roller, operative in response to engagement with said article, for swinging said arm.

19. A stamping device adapted to print an article as it moves along` a conveyor, including: a printing roller adapted to print upon an end of said article; means for inking said roller; an arm supporting said printing roller; a pivot for said arm situated to one side of the path of movement ot said article along said conveyor on which said arm may swing so as to determine a path of movement for said printing roller into and out of the path of movement of said article; and means auX- iliary to said printing roller, operative in response to engagement with said article, Jfor swinging said arm, said auxiliary means having a part engaged by said article as it approaches said printing roller adapted to swing said printing roller from the path of movement ot said article whereby to prevent engagement of the front end of said article and said printing roller.

20. A stamping device adapted to print an end of an article as it moves along a conveyor, including: a cylindrical printing member; and supporting means for said printing member adapted to produce a single rolling engagement of said printing member with said end of said article.

21. A stamping device adapted to print an article as it moves along a conveyor, including: a cylindrical printing member; and supporting means for said printing member adapted to produce a single rolling engagement ot said printing member with an end of said article and to cause said printing member to move through a diagonal path while it engages said article.

22. A stamping device adapted to print an article as it moves along a conveyor, including: a printing roller; means for movably supporting said printing roller so that said printing roller will roll across and imprint a tace of said article as said article moves along said conveyor; and means for preventing reverse rotation of said printing roller as it disengages said article to avoid smudging of the print.

In testimony whereof, l have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 4th day of December, 1930.

JOHN S. PHELPS.