US2349163A - Mechanism for coloring address plates - Google Patents

Description

May 16, 1944.

J. H. GIBBS MEcHANisM FOR coLonme ADDRESS PLATES Filed July 9, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 16, 1944. J. H. GIBBS MEQHANISM FOR COLORING ADDRESS PLATES Filed July 9, 1942' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. BY I011 E 612%5 MMZE flTTORNEYS Y Patented May 16, 1944 John Henry Gibbs, Jamaica, N. Y., assignor to The Readers Digest Association, Inc., Pleasantville, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 9, 1942, Serial No. 450,266

4 Claims.

This invention relates to the coloring of t e lettering of address plates, such as those used in addressing machines for magazines and the like.

Such address plates are of sheet or plate metal with the address and other indicia pressed into relief on the front face and correspondingly inset on the rear face. To render the marking easily legible it is desirable to color the inset or depressed lettering on the rear side so that it will be in contrast with the metal. This then will show clearly the lettering to be impressed by the plate on the wrapper or envelope in the addressing machine.

The object of this invention is to provide t e depressed lettering of the plate with a clear, legible coloring easily and quickly and inexpensively applied in the depressions of the rear surface.

Further objects of the invention, particularly in the provision of mechanism automatically applying the coloring of the plates will appear from the following description taken in connection with the acompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a diagrammatic elevational view with parts in section showing mechanism for feeding and coloring the address plates;

' Fig. 2 is a rear view of a plate;

Fig. 3 is a section of same taken on line 3-3 of. Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the plate in the guide channels in position for the application of the coloring;

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 showing the removal of the excess coloring; and

Fig. 6 is'a face View of the plate showing the coloring as applied in Fig. 4:.

In the system of this invention the coloring ink is sprayed in atomized form on the rear surface of the plate lettering so that a coating of the coloring is applied over the entire sprayed surface including the depressions formed by the lettering and the surrounding surfaces. This coating is quickly dried and after drying is removed from the flat surfaces of the plate so that the coloring remains only in the depressions formed by the lettering and other indicia. The drying of the colored coating fixes it permanently within the lettered depressions, and at the same time permits it to be quickly and thoroughly removed from the flat surrounding surfaces of the plate. The lettering thus is distinctly and sharply defined, easily legible and durable in use of the plate.

Apparatus for automatically feeding and coloring the plates is illustrated in Fig. 1 where I0 is a box like table having supports or side pieces H and an open top T supporting a plate guide or track G formed by oppositely facing channels M with their open grooves facing each other and dimensioned and positioned to fit the opposite side edges of the plate S as illustrated for instance in Figs. 4 and 5. The plates are fed in end to end contact along the guides formed by these channels, the rear or indented surface of the plate facing downward. The uncolored plates are assembled in a magazine I5, the lower end of which has an opening [6 of full plate Width through the upper flanges 0f the channels I4. A sliding feed. plate ll mounted on the plate l8 reciprocates horizontally a distance slightly greater than the plate length and has a. cutout surface l9 in alinement with the lower edges of the grooves of channel I4 so that as the plate is reciprocated it will feed the plates in succession into and along the guide G, Each plate in turn pushes the line of plates ahead of it so that the entire series of plates is intermittently moved along the guide to the discharge station 2!] where the colored plates are delivered from the machine. The coloring is applied to the under surface of the plate at the intermediate point C where the air brush 2! applies its atomized spray of the coloring as the plate pauses in its movement along the guide G. This spray is finely atomized by the air jet of a Paasche air painting equipment including the compressor 22 driven by the motor 23 maintaining the supply of compressed air in the tank 24. The compressed air passes through tube 25 to the separator and governor 26 and is then divided into two branches, one leading through air hose 2! to the ink supply and the other through the pipe 28 to the air jet. The air hose 27 is connected to the ink tank 29 to supply the coloring ink to the nozzle 2| through the ink hose 3|]. The air tube 28 is connected through the control valve 3i to the air brush 32 to form the air jet used to atomize and project the spray. Control valve 3| is provided with an arm 33 which in closed position of the valve is drawn counter-clockwise against stop 34 by spring 31.

To time the coloring operation to synchronize it with the presentation of the plate in the path of the spray disk 40 is driven counter-clockwise through the gears 4| by the shaft 42 belt-driven by the motor 43. The disk 40 carries the pin 44 to which one end of the feed rod 46 is pivoted, the other end of the rod being pivoted to lug 41 projecting downward from the under surface of the feed slide I'I. As the disk 40 is rotated the feed slide I1 is reciprocated and the plates are successively brought into position at station C. The arm 33 of the valve 3| is then engaged by the lower end of the rod 46 as the disk 40 continues its rotation, and this tips the air valve 3| clockwise to open position and for a very short time temporarily to supply air to the air jet while the plate is stationary at the station C. The pin 44 is so positioned that the coloring jet is formed with the plate in the path of the jet and pausing between the intermediate feeding movements.

As shown in Fig. 4 the bottom of guide G is preferably provided with a mask plate 49 having an opening sized to confine the spray of the jet to the lettered surfaces. An exhaust opening 56 communicates by the piping with an exhaust fan maintaining a constant suction to draw out the vapors from the spray and the drying of the plates. Preferably the guide G will have a removable protecting cover above the guide and retaining the spray and spray vapors against escape.

The applied coloring is dried over the entire sprayed surface, the drying either being at room temperature or being accelerated by any desired heating.

To remove the dried coloring from around and between the depressed lettering a rotary wire brush 55 is provided mounted on a bell crank 56 pivoted at 56 (Figs. 1 and 5) on the bracket 51 and having its end 58 held in contact with the cam 59 on shaft 42, spring 6| tending to turn the bell crank 56 clockwise (Fig. 5). As the cam surface of larger diameter engages the end 58 the bell crank 56 is tipped counter-clockwise (Fig. 5) to depress the brush 55 away from the plate surfaces. At the portion of the cam of least diameter the bell crank 56 tips clockwise (Fig. 5) to a position bringing the tips of the wire bristles against the under surface of a plate as it passes to the left toward the discharge point 20. The rotation of the brush 55 causes the bristle tips to clear the coloring from the flat surfaces of the plate, leaving the coloring in the depressions as illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 5. The cam 59 is so positioned and dimensioned as to permit the brush to contact with the under surface of the plate at the beginning of the plate movement and maintain it there until the finish of the movement, then causing the bell crank 56 to move back counter-clockwise out of contact with the plate during the pause between the feeding movements. To eject the colored plates a bell crank 63 is provided pivoted at 64 to the bracket 65 and having its lower end 66 drawn by the spring 66 against the cam 69 on shaft 42. The upper end 61 of the bell crank is formed as a tappet moving downward between the channels M to engage the plate and press it downward.

As the cam 69 raises the lower end 68 of the bell crank 63 the upper offset end forming the tappet 61 is moved downward to eject the plate with the coloring in the recessed lettering.

In the system of this invention the plates are colored in a single, continuous sequence through the machine. The jet of the coloring is allocated 1 to each plate as it pauses above the spraying .nozzle and the prompt drying fixes the coloring in place within a very small length of travel of the plate. The removal of the excess coloring by the wire brush flakes this coloring off in a dustlike residue which may be accumulated and disposed of as desired, and the wire tips of the brush do not in any way disturb the very smooth surfacing of the coloring deposited within the recesses of the lettering. At the completion of the treatment the plate is in finished form, no further cleaning or drying being required.

I claim:

1.' In mechanism for coloring impressed plates in combination with a guide for the plates, of means for feeding the plates along said guide with their impressed surfaces facing downward; color spraying means forming a wet coating on said surfaces of said plates, means conveying said coated plates and permitting said coating to dry, rotary means for engaging the surfaces of said plates to remove the dry coating from around the impressions while leaving the coating fixed within said impressions, and means for delivering said plates with the impressions colored.

2. Mechanism as set forth in claim 1 in which the color spraying means is an air spray directing an atomized stream vertically upward against the under surface of the plate.

3. Mechanism as set forth in claim 1 in which the rotary means removing the dry coating comprises a wire brush having a mounting automatically movable into contact with the plate surface at one end of the plate and retracted away from said surface at the other end of said plate.

4. Mechanism for coloring impressed plates as set forth in claim 1 in which the means conveying the plates during drying and the means for engaging the surfaces of the plates to remove the dry coating maintain the plates with the impressed surfaces facing downward during said drying and removal of the dried coloring.

JOHN HENRY GIBBS.

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