US2274595A - Marking machine - Google Patents

Description

. Feb. 24, 1942. c, E EDWARDS MARKING MACHINE Filed Dec 29, 1939 2 sheets-sheet 1 Fi gffl.

Feb. Z4, 1942. c.` E. EDWARDS 2,274,595

MARKING MACHINE Filed Deo. 29, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig-.

AWM/7U@ Patented Feb. 24, 1942 MARKING MACHINE Charles E. Edwards, Beverly, Mass., assigner to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Flemington, Jersey N; J., a corporation` of New Application December 29, 1939, Serial No. 311,614V

(Cl. lOl-410)v 8 Claims.

This invention relates to marking machines of the type in which the printing head is provided w-ith a plurality of .adjustable type wheels for printing a line of characters and also with a plurality of auxiliary type piecesA which are removably mounted on a support where they are arranged for printing additional lines of characters on opposite sides oi the line formed by the type wheels.

Marking machines of this type are customarily provided with means for heating both the type Wheels and the auxiliary type pieces. In the machines heretofore constructed, diiculty has been encountered ingaining access to all the auxiliary type pieces when it becomes necessary to change them and also in preventing the hot auxiliary type pieces from spilling `out of the machine when the changes are made. f

With the above diiculties in view, it is an object o-f this invention to provide a marking machine having an improved auxiliary type support which can be quickly moved` to a convenient` position in front of the machine where all the auxiliary type pieces are well supported and are readily accessible to the operator.

To this end and as illustrated, the invention provides a marking machine which comprises a printing head vhaving an auxiliary type support arranged to secure auxiliary type pieces in proper position, the *printing head and auxiliary type support being connected by means permitting the support to` be lowered away from the head to separate the auxiliary type therefrom, and also permitting sidewise` swinging movement of the auxiliary type support in its lowered position so that all the auxiliary type pieces may be moved to a location infront of thehead where they arer readily and safely accessible. By this arrangement the auxiliary type support is maintained substantially horizontalk in its several poarranged'to preventj relative tilting movement between the auxiliary type support and the type head when the support` is in its type-changing y position.

Invention is also to be recognized in the ccnstruction of the marking plate whereby it may to the accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a printing head embodying my invention and showing the auxiliary type support in the type-changing position;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the printing head showing theauxiliary type support latched to the printing head, the type support being in a lowered positionfwhere the auxiliary type pieces are clear of the printing wheels;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the marking plate showing the relationship between the marking plate, the auxiliary type pieces, and a type wheel; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective View looking at the under surface of the marking plate and showing the relationship yof the plate to the auxiliary type pieces and the manner in which the type characters project through an opening in the plate.

This invention is shown as embodied in a marking machine of the type disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States, No. 2,205,399, granted June 25J 1940, upon an application filed in my name. In the drawings, l indicates the frame of the printing head which corresponds to the heady I2 of the marking machine disclosed in the patent mentioned above. Connected to the frame Iii is a hollow cylindrical support ll having a sleeve l2 upon which is rotatably mounted a plurality oi type wheels I4. The type wheels are adjusted by a handle l5 (Fig. 2) which rotates the support through a train of gears i6, I8, 26 and the type wheels are held in their adjusted position by pawls 22 which are supported above the type Wheels and engage the wheels between adjoining type projections. The characters on the type Wheels are heated by an electrical heating coil which is positioned within the hollow cylindrical support H and is connected to a convenient source of power by conductors (not shown). The construction so far described is similar to that disclosed in the patent referred to above towhich reference may be had for a more detailed descrip-tion of the same.

The illustrated machine is arranged to print two lines of characters in addition to the line made bythe type wheels I4. The two additional lines of printing are positioned respectively on 1 opposite sides of the line printed by the type wheels and are made by auxiliary type pieces 24 which are supported by a frame 26 constituting part of an auxiliary type supporting assembly. The auxiliary type supporting assembly is arranged normally to hold the type pieces 24 in nested engagement with the type Wheels I4 and, when it is desired to change the type pieces, the assembly is adaptedv to be moved into a substantially horizontal position in front of the machine where both lines of type pieces 24 are adequately supported and are readily accessible to an operator for changing purposes.

The assembly consists of an L-shaped member 21 (Fig. 1) which is adjustably connected to the printing head by a rod 28 that is slidably mounted in bearings 36, 32 which project outwardly from one side of the head I6. Pivoted to one end of the L-shaped member 21 is a rod 34 which supports one side of the rectangular auxiliary type supporting frame 26. ported in spaced bearings 38, 46 which project outwardly from the upper and lower portions of the printing head, the spaced points of support preventing any tilting movement between the supporting frame 26 and the printing head. Thus the frame 26 is rmly supported while in the type-changing position, shown in Fig. 1, and there is no danger I" the frame w-obbling or slipping off the machine when the type pieces are being changed thereby spilling the hot type pieces.

The type supporting assembly is normally held in its upper or printing position by a spring 42, the shoulders on the auxiliary type pieces 24 being nested in recesses in the type wheels I4 (Fig. 3) adjacent to the type carrying projections. The spring 42 is connected at one end to a pin 46 on the member which supports the type head and at its other end to an eye bolt 46 mounted on a bar 56 which is connected to the long arm of the L-shaped member 21. To change the auxiliary type pieces, the type supporting assembly is rst moved downwardy against the resistance of the spring 42 by applying pressure to the bar 56 and the frame 26 is then swung outwardly about the rod 34 to the position shown in Fig. 1. When the assembly reaches the predetermined position in its downward movement where the auxiliary type pieces are clear of the type projections on the wheels I4, it is held in its lowered position by a latch 52 which snaps over a tooth 54 on the member 21, the latch being urged into engagement with the tooth by a spring 56. With the assembly latched in its lowered position, all the operator is required to do is to swing the frame 26 to its position in front of the printing head (Fig. 1).

The frame 26 is biased in a clockwise direction by a torsion spring 58 which surrounds the rod 34 between the bearing 38 and the member 21 and is connected at one end to a pin 66 on the rod 34 and at its other end to a stud 62 on the under side of the L-shaped member 21. Clockwise movement of the frame toward the type head is limited by a rod 64 which extends upwardly from the frame 26 and which, when the frame is properly positioned beneath the type head, seats in a recess 66 in the L-shaped member 21 and a recess 68 in a lug which projects outwardly from the lower portion of the head I6. The rod 64 also forms a convenient handle for moving the frame 26 to and from the type-changing position shown in Fig. 1. 'I'he recesses 66, 68 are positioned so as properly to.

locate the auxiliary type pieces on the frame The rod 34 is sup- 26 with respect to the line of type carrying projections on the wheels I4. As the rod 64 moves into contact with the recesses 66, 68, it snaps past a spring latch 16 which holds it in the recesses. When the frame 26 is beneath the type head it is also supported by the engagement between a flange 12 projecting out from one corner of the frame and a notch 14 in the lower end of the rod 28.

The frame 26 (Fig. 1) is rectangular in shape and consists of a pair of auxiliary type supporting bars 16, 11 which are spaced parallel to each other and are connected by arms 18, 19. The bars 16, 11 are so positioned that when the frame 26 is in its upper position the shoulders 25 on the auxiliary type pieces 2'4 will be seated in marking position in the recesses in the type wheels I4 on opposite sides of the row of type projections.

In addition to printing three lines of characters, some manufacturers wish to have the characters framed by a line of circular or elliptical shape. This is known as window marking and can be made in my machine by the use of a marking plate 86 (Fig. 4) The marking plate 66 consists of a pair of side members 82, 84 (Figs. 1 and 3) which have grooves 86, 88 formed on their under surface for seating engagement with the bars 16, 11. The side members 82, 84 are connected by a web 96 having an opening 9| therein through which the characters on the type wheels and the auxiliary type pieces can project for printing engagement with the material to be marked and on its under surface (Fig. 4) this web carries a raised printing surface 92 of desired type encompassing configuration. The web 96 is quite thin so that the auxiliary type pieces 24 can t over the web and project down into the opening 6I as is indicated in Fig. 1.

The shape of the back of the marking plate 86 (Fig. 1) is similar to that of the back of the auxiliary type pieces 24 so that the marking plate can t snugly up against the type wheels I4 in the same manner that the auxiliary type pieces 24 do. 'Ihe position of the marking plate 86 on the supporting frame 26 is controlled by stops 94 which abut the sides of the plate and are fastened to the bars 16, 11 by screws 96.

It has been found desirable to supplement the heat supplied by the heating unit in the hollow sleeve II and to that end the bars 16, 11 are made hollow to receive heating coils 15. The arms 34, 64 are made tubular to receive conductors 68 which supply current to the heating coils 15.

The use and operation of the auxiliary type assembly will be briefly reviewed. Assuming that there is a row of auxiliary type pieces 24 on each of the bars 16, 11 and that the frame 26 is in its up position with the auxiliary type pieces nested against the type wheels I4; to change the auxiliary type pieces the operator rst presses down on the bar 56 moving the entire assembly downwardly against the pull of the spring 42 until the latch 52 snaps over the tooth 54 where the assembly will be heldin its lowered position shown in Fig. 2'. The operator then grasps the bar 64 and swings the frame outwardly about the bar 34 past the latch 16 into the position shown in Fig. 1. It will be observed that in this position all the type members, both on the front and back rows, are well away from the hot type wheels I4 and are readily accessible for interchanging purposes. Furthermore, as the bar 34 is supported by the spaced bearings 38, 46, there is no possibility of it tilting relatively to the head and thus spilling the hot auxiliary type members over the operator, the auxiliary type support being maintained substantially horizontal in each of its several positions and during all movements from one position to another. After the desired changes have been made, the operator releases' i supporting auxiliary type pieces in nesting engagement with said row of type and means constituting an upstanding rod for Vconnecting said auxiliary type supporting member to the printing head for sliding movement away from the row of type on the printing head and for pivotal movement about the axis of the rod. A

2. Iny a marking machine, a printing head, a row of type mounted on the printing head, an auxiliary type supporting member for supporting auxiliary type pieces with their characters adjacent to said row of type, the auxiliary type supporting member including a bar of non-circular cross section arranged for engagement with the auxiliary type pieces,4 and an upstanding rod secured to said bar, said rod being connected to the printing head for pivotal and axially sliding movement whereby said bar` may be moved away from the row of type to separate the auxiliary type pieces from the row of type ing headfor pivotal and axially slidable movement whereby said frame may be moved downwardly away from the type wheels to separate the auxiliary type pieces from the type projections and then rotated to move both type supporting bars to a position in front of the type head where all of the auxiliary type pieces are readily accessible for interchanging purposes.

5. In a marking machine, a printing head, a row of ytype mounted on the printing head, an auxiliary type supporting member comprising a rectangular frame, an upstanding rod secured to said frame, said rod being connected to the printing head for pivotal and axially sliding movement whereby said frame may be moved downwardlyA from the head and then swung about its pivot to bring the auxiliary type pieces in frontof the machine in a position where they are readily accessible for interchanging purposes, and means for holding the rod in its downward position.

6. In a marking machine, a printing head, a row of type mounted on the printing head, an

auxiliary type supporting assembly comprising a carrier slidably connected to the head for up and down movements, a frame arranged to support auxiliary type pieces ron said assembly with their characters on opposite sides of the row of type,

and then may be swung to-a position in front of f the printing head to render the auxiliary type pieces readily accessible for interchanging purp'oses. i

3. In a marking machine, a printing head, a

i row of type mounted on the printing head, an

auxiliary type supporting member constructed and arranged removably to support auxiliary type pieces with their characters located on opposite sides of the row of type, said auxiliary type supporting member comprising a rectangular frame having spaced type supporting bars, and an upstanding rod slidably and pivotally connecting said supporting member to the printing head for vertical movement and pivotal movement in a substantially horizontal plane, and means for supporting said frame against tilting movement relatively to the printing vhead while infront of the head.

4. In a marking machine, a printing'head, a plurality of adjustable type wheels on said head having on their yperipheries type carrying projections, an vauxiliary type supporting member comprising a substantially horizontal rectangular frame vhaving a pair of spaced type supporting bars adapted to support auxiliary type members in nesting engagement with the type wheels adjacent to the type carrying projectionsy that are in type printing position, and a rod secured to the frame, said rod .being connected to the printand a pair of members extending from said frame, one of said members being pivotally connected to the carrier about a substantially ver-l engagement with said row of type and to move said auxiliary type pieces from that position to a position in front of the machine where the auxiliary type pieces are readily accessible to an operator, said assembly comprising a carrier slidably mounted on the printing head for up and down movements, a rectangular auxiliary type supporting frame having spaced type supporting bars, and a pair of upstanding rods, one of said rods journaling the carrier on the frame for movement about that rod as an axis, said other rod being arranged for latching engagement with the head, and resilient means for urging the second-mentioned rod into its latched position.

f 8. In a marking machine, a printing head, a 4row of type mounted on the printing head, an auxiliary type supporting member for removably supporting auxiliary type pieces in nesting en- CHARLES E. EDWARDS.

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