US2505900A - Printing machine - Google Patents

Description

May 2, 1950 E. T. KNITTER PRINTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 18, 1945 INVENTOR. ELMER 7: KNITTE'R A T TORNEY BIT/4,4

May 2, 1950 E. T. KNITTER 2,595,900

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 18, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ELMER 7T KN/TTEI? i a M ATTORNEY y 1950 E. T. KNITTER 2,505,900

PRINTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 18, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet a //0 INVENTOR.

YELMER r KN/TTER A T TORNEV ATTORNEY m w 4 R a m 5 e 0 MN 5, .v 0 M 2 m 6 2 1 1r x 9 R 4 WW4 w E 9 9 u M Ill L m u n E H 6 R m 9 I E H Mr n m w m RM N G Q m m m 7. Y E m 5 M l 0 8 /2 w m mm 0% l t a m C 9 .J 9 2 5 IV? d [5 y e F. a u M F 3 Patented May 2, 1959 stares Aren't OFFICE Claims.

My invention relates to apparatus for stamping or embossing, and more particularly, to' a machine useful for applying monograms, initials, or other legends to objects such as playing cards, pencils, or any of a host of similar articles.

Hitherto machines useful for work of this kind have been relatively complicated and expensive in addition to being operable only by highly skilled persons. Hence it has been the general custom of manufacturers to apply legends to articles at the factory and supply to the retail outlets complete sets of monogrammed articles. The result has been unsatisfactory since it is impossible accurately to predictwhat initials or legends will be most indemand.

The most important objectof the present invention is to provide a simple, efficient machine, capable of being used by unskilled persons and by means of which small articles may be rapidly stamped or embossed in the retail storetosuit the demands of the individual customer while the customer waits.

A further object of my invention is to improve the quality and accuracy of an embossing machine.

Still another object of my inventionis to reduce the cost of an embossing or stamping machine to such an extent that it becomes economically practical to install such machines in retail stores.

One feature of my invention resides in anautomatic clutch control which is operated upon the insertion in the machine of an article to be stamped or embossed and which causes the ma chine to eifect one complete cycle and then stop.

Another feature of the invention consists in mechanism capable of automatically pressing an embossing tape upon an article, ejecting the enibossed article, and advancing the tape one step) to prepare the machine for a subsequent operation.

Still another feature of the invention com prises mechanism capable either of automatic operation upon articles of predetermined dimeii? sion or of manual operation upon articles of 'ii'- regular or unusual size.

mechanism for feeding tape from a reel across where the tape is pressed against "an artic Furthermore, in the cycle of thinachine th tape is automatically advanced one step afte 2 each stroke of the carriage, and an ejector is actuated to remove the stamped object from the support.

These and other objects and features of my invention will be more readily understood and appreciated from the following detailed descrip},

tion of a preferred embodiment being selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in cross-section of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in cross section along the line 3-3 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a view in cross-section along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view in cross-section through the clutch mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of the clutch-control and ejector mechanisms;

Fig. '7 is aview in perspective showing details of the pencil support;

Fig. 8 is a View in cross section along the line 8-8 of Fig. 11;

Fig. 9 is a view in end elevation of the clutchcontrol trip mechanism, parts being broken away to show details thereof;

Fig. 10 is a view in cross-section along the line |Ul0 of Fig. 11; and

Fig. 11 is a View in cross section along the line ll-ll of Fig. 10.

Before proceeding toe. detailed description of the elements of the machine shown in the drawings, I shall discuss briefly the instrumentalities of primary significance and explain their inter relation.

Upon the forward end of the base H of the machine is provided a space for support of an object to be stamped. For example, in Fig. 10

a playing card I is shown partially inserted.

on the support. Poised above the support is a w carriage 68 on the end of which is mounted a heated embossing die as, and a strip of tape a; is shown positioned between the die and the support. Behind thesupport for the card E58 .is shown an ejector I28.

In the operation of the machine the carriage 68 is driven downwardly to carry the die 83 into engagement with the tape 96. Subsequently the die presses the tape firmly against the upper surface of the card lafi. I The tape as is gilded, silvered or otherwise colored, and the pressure 'of' the heated die 83 effects an embossing of the Ev back of the card [543. In the following portions of the cycle of the machine, the carriage 53 is moved upwardly, the tape 95 is advanced a predetermined distance to present a fresh portion thereof beneath the die 83, and the ejector is operated. to kick the card its from the support. The machine may be secured to a counter or bench or, if it is desired to render the machine portable, it may be mounted on a wooden block id. The machine is organized about a metal base plate H and a frame comprising a pair of upstanding parallel walls l? and is secured to opposite sides of the base plate ll. At their upper ends the walls carry a rectangular member it which forms, with a cover plate i5, a housing it containing a power supply switch il and an electric socket iii for the electric cord to the heating element 86.

An electric motor 28 is mounted on four legs 2! which are secured to the base ll. Upon the outer end of the motor shaft 212 a worm 2.3 is fixed in position to mesh with a worm wheel 23 mounted for free rotation upon a shaft journalled in the walls i2 and it of the machine frame. Fast to the worm wheel 2 is a clutch disk 25 having a large central recess in one face including in its periphery a series of re-entrant notches 25 arranged as the points of a star. A disk 27, keyed to the shaft carries a pivotally mounted pawl or cam 28 normally urged into engagement with one of the notches 25 by a compression spring at. The disk 27, the cam 28, and the member 25 comprise a clutch operable to couple the shaft 38 to the worm wheel 25...

To control the operation of the clutch I have employed mechanism including a rock shaft 33 journalled in a pair of upstanding ears or lugs 32 secured to the base H and carrying a plate 35 cut to fit the contour of the disk 2'? and carrying a stop bar 3?. On one end of the rock shaft 53 is mounted a pin 34 carrying a weight 35 so arranged as to rock the stop 37! into position to engage the pawl 2t and pivot it out of contact with the notches 26. The shaft Bil is then uncoupled from the worm drive. At the other end of the shaft 33- there is mounted a pin il extending downwardly into a hole cut in the base H (see Fig. 9). Also, the shaft 33 carries a collar 38 provided with an integral lug se upon which bears the lower end of a plunger 32?. It will be evident that the shaft 33 may be actuated either by movement of the pin ii or of the plunger Such motion frees the cam 28, permitting it to engage one of the notches 26 and start the shaft 3% turning. If the weight 35 is now allowed to rock the shaft 33 to initial position, the stop bar 3? will engage the cam 28 when it has traveled 369 degrees and then stop the motion of the shaft 353.

It is contemplated that the clutch be actuated by the insertion of an article in the machine. As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, a playing card its is placed upon the base H in an area protected by a safety guard rail :38. As the card travels along the base i: it encounters a ball bearing held in an inverted cup 46' carried by a bracket 2- secured to the base 1!. The ball bearing holds the card ltd flat upon the base ii. When the card E56 reaches a predetermined position it engages the pin ll, and movement of the card to final position causes the pin il to rock the shaft 33 and trip the clutch.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 4, I have shown a disk 5"? mounted eccentrically on the shaft 33 and arranged to turn in the hub of a pitman so the upper end of which terminates in a clevis 59. A cross pin 5' works in opposed slots 55! cut in the side members of the clevis 49, and a piunger 52 seated in a hole 5i cut in the pitman is urged by a spring 53 against a lever 55 pivotally mounted on the pin 5A. The lever 55 is secured to a bracket 55 pivotally mounted on a stub shaft El carried by the frame walls l2 and it. It will now be evident that rotation of the shaft 3 acting through the eccentric and pitman causes the lever 55 to rock about the stub shaft 51.

Projecting from the walls I2 and i3 is a pair of parallel arms 58 joined at their outer ends by a cross piece iii and carrying a cover plate 60. These members form a frame or housing through which the plunger it extends. A spring 59, encompassing the upper end of the plunger it and bearing upon the plate 89 and an enlarged head is on the plunger so, serves to prevent the plunger from actuating the clutch control shaft until sufiicient force is brought to bear on the head is to cause the plunger to depress the lug 39.

Secured to the cross piece BI is a pair of vertical parallel guide bars G4 between which slides a bar 65. A cross bar 63 extending between the arms 53 serves as a rear guide for the bar 25. A bolt 67 engages a hole tapped in the upper end of the bar 65 and bears against a springdepressed friction pin 66. The bolt t! serves to determine the depth of movement or the bar 55. The pin it prevents the bolt 6"! from turning of its own accord. The outer end of the lever 55, in its stroke, drives the bar 65 downwardly, and a tension spring l8 secured to the cross-piece 6i and the bar 65 serves to return the bar 55 when the upper end of the lever 55 is moved upwardly.

The bar 65 carries a rack H engaging a pinion 12 fast upon a shaft 13 mounted in a pair of brackets secured to the guide bars 64. On the outer end of the shaft 73 there is a pin 69 working in a clevis on the end of a handle 75. The shaft 73 is free to rock without moving the handle, but if the handle 75 is rocked to the left (see Fig. 1), the shaft 73 turns, and the pinion l2 forces the rack H and the bar 65 downwardly against the action of the spring Hi. When the handle is released, the spring IE! returns the bar 65 to its initial position. A stop pin H3 secured to the wall it limits motion of the handle '35.

As shown particularly in Fig. 2, a base member fl is secured to the bottom of the sliding bar 55 by a screw 18, and a pair of L-shaped members 86 secured to the base 71 form guides for a die holder 8| having downwardly extending parallel flanges for clamping a stick of type. The type is shown at 83 and the slug or type base is shown at 82. The bar 65, the base 71; and the members may be considered as a carriage, which I have denoted by the general reference numeral 68. Any suitable die, stamp, embossing tool, or type may be mounted on the end of the bar 65, and it is contemplated that the operator of the machine will have at hand complete alphabets of various styles of monograms, initials, legends, or ornamental devices. A suitable length of high resistance wire '84 such as Nichrome, is arranged about the base H in order to heat the stamp or die electrically and produce an effective embossing or stamping of an article;

A bracket 99 secured to the wall [3 supports a horizontal rod 9! which carries a reel 92. The reel is secured against lateral displacement by a collar 93 fast upon the outer end of the rod 9! assesso and by a spring 94 hearing against the reel and I The reel may conveniently be wound with'ordinary a-second collar: 95 secured-to the rod SI.

embossing tape 96'; either gilt, silver, or other suitable color. The tape 96 is led from the reel 92 down beneath the guard rail 66 and up on the other side of the machine to a step-by-step feed mechanism by means of which the tape 95 is advanced between the article support onthe base (I; I and the die or stamp carried by the carriage Secured to one of the arms 58 is a U-shapedframe member 91 inwhich is journalled a stub The shaft BB'carrying a rubber feed roll I06. frame-91 also loosely supports-a second stub shaft IGI mounted above and parallel to the shaft 93. A metal roll IIi2-secured tothe shaft IGI has a pair of knurled flanges cooperating with the feed roll Ifill. A plate IE3 is forked to provide two arms I04 bearing-on the-stub shaft ml and has lar I It having an integral lug carrying a pivotally' mounted pawl III which normally engages a ratchet wheel I 09 keyed to the shaft t8. A pin H2 mounted on the frame 97 provides a pivotal mount for a second pawl II 3 urged against the ratchet by means of a spring (not shown). Pawl II3 prevents the rubber roller I from backing up.

One end of a turnbuckle EM is pivotally connected to the collar I I0, and the other end thereof is pivotally mounted at one end of a lever I I5 which traverses the machine and connects pivotally to another lever IIIi secured to one of the guide bars 64. The lever II5 rests againsta stop II? secured to the carriage '58. When the carriage descends, the stop also lowers and .permits the lever H5 to drop. This motion retracts the pawl II I along the ratchet I09. When the spring I0 moves the carriage 58 upwardly, the stop II 7 lifts the lever H5 and causes the pawl I I I to turn the ratchet wheel I09. The feed rolls I00 and IE2 then operate to advance the tape 95.

In order to control the rate at which the tape is advanced during a cycle of the machine, I provide a stop bar IIB slidably mounted on one of the brackets I l and maintained in position by means of a spring-pressed clamp I29. The bar H8 is widened at its lower end to provide a shoulder Il8a (see Fig. 2) arranged to lie in the path of the falling lever H5. By adjusting the bar IIB up or down the motion of the pawl II I is determined and the rate of feed of the tape 96 thereby controlled. It is evident that the feeding motion begins shortly after the carriage 88 starts its upward movement.

The ejector mechanism will now be described with particular reference to Figs. 2, 4, and 6. Keyed to the shaft St is a cam H9 arranged to strike a follower I29 carried by a lever IZI pivotally mounted on a pin i22 carried on the inner surface of the wall 13. A second lever 2 5 is pivotally connected to the lever i2! and to a lug I24 forming an integral part of a plate I25. The plate I25 has a centrally located elongated slot mounted in the base I I and carrying'springs abouttheir shanks-tourge -the plate I25 against the flat surface of the base I I. Oneend of' the plate I24 is bent upwardlyto-form a flanged28." A spring I30 is connected toa screw l3 I mounted on the base I I andtothe plate -l 24; As the shaft 30 turns; the cam I I9 acts through the levers I2I and I28 topush the platetoward an article held The flange I 28 ejects" the article fromthe base II and itfalls-intoareceptacle I32 carriedby a pair of pins Itfi on' the block It. Afterthe ca-m II 9 li'as passed' by thefollower I29, the spring I38 returns the under the ball bearing 45.

ejector to itsinitialposition.

The machineas described above is'set up par ticularly to emboss a playing card I56 or a similar- A ledge Men the base I! servesto flat article. position the card for embossing or stamping.

downwardly traveling carriage 68:

'When cards areto be stampedthe machine is automatically tripped by the impingement of a card against the pin 4|.

ill. When articles of irregular or unusual dimensions are to be embossed the handle'ifi may be used to move the carriage 53' the proper distance.

Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the machine shown and described is but one possible embodiment of my invention. Many variations will be apparent, but the invention is to be measured by reference to the appended claims.

Having thus described and illustrated my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure bylietters Patent of the United States is:

1. A stamping machine, including in combination a frame; a support for an article to be stamped, adjacent said frame; a drive shaft; means to rotate said drive shaft; a second shaft mounted in said frame; clutch means, including a pawl keyed to said second shaft, for operatively connecting said drive shaft to rotate said second shaft; means normally urging said pawl into a position when said clutch is engaged; means including a weighted rocker shaft, to urge said pawl into a non-engaging position; a lever system operated when an article is positioned in said support in its correct stamping position to counteract said last-named means and permit said pawl to engage said clutch means for one 360 turn; a die-carrying carriage mounted above said support in said frame for movement toward and away from said support; means urging said carriage normally upwards; eccentric means operated by said second shaft to move said carriage down against an article placed in said support; means on said frame for mounting a roll of embossing tape; means on said frame to pull said tape between said support and said carriage and out from between them; ratchet means on said tape-pulling means for moving said tape in only one direction; and a lever system actuated by said carriage to slip said rachet during the down stroke of said carriage and engage said ratchet and move it during the up stroke thereof.

Otherwise the machine? may be placed in motion by pressing the plunger asor eoo- 2. A stamping machine, including in combina= tion aframe; a support for an article to be stamped, adjacent said frame; a drive shaft; means to rotate said drive shaft; a second shaft mounted in said frame; clutch means, inciuding a pawl keyed to said second shaft, for operatively connecting said drive shaft to rotate said second shaft; means normally urging said pawl into a position when said clutch is engaged; means including a weighted rocker shaft, to urge said pawl into a non-engaging position; a lever system operated when an article is positioned in saidsupport in its correct stamping position to counteract said last-named means and permit said pawl to engage said clutch means for one 369 turn; a die-carrying carriage mounted above said support in said frame for movement toward and away from said support; means urging said carriage normally upwards; eccentric means operated by said second shaft to move said carriage down against an article placed in said support; means on said frame for mounting a roll of embossing tape; means on said frame to pull said tape between said support and said carriage and out from between them; ratchet means on said tape-pulling means for moving said tape in only one direction; a lever system actuated by said carriage to slip said ratchet during the down stroke of said carriage and engage said ratchet and move it during the stroke thereof; and a cam keyed to said second drive shaft, an ejecting means reciprocated horizontally by said cam to eject said article from said support after it has been stamped.

3. A stam ing machine, including in combination a frame; a support for an object to be stamped, adjacent said frame; a carriage supported above said support for reciprocation in said frame toward and away from said support; means for urging said carriage normally upward; a die mounted on said carriage; means secured to said frame for supporting a roll of embossing tape; means for feeding a predetermined amount of said tape from said roll between said die and said support on the upward stroke of said carriage; means for ejecting an object from said support; a drive shaft mounted in said frame; means to rotate said drive shaft; a clutch capableof employingsaid drive shaft to give the power to lower said die to press said tape against said object, and then to release said die and allow it to pass upward, and the power to operate during said upward stroke said ejecting means; and a lever operated by the object to be stamped to move said clutch to its engaging position.

i. A stamping machine, including in combination a frame; a support for an article to be stamped, adjacent said frame; a drive shaft; means to rotate said drive shaft; a second shaft mounted in said frame; clutch means, including a pawl keyed to said second shaft, for operatively connecting said drive shaft to rotate said second shaft; means normally urging said pawl into a position where said clutch is engaged; means including a weighted rocker shaft, to urge said pawl into a non-engaging position; a lever system operated when an article is positioned in said support in its correct stamping position to counteract said last-named means and permit said pawl to engage clutch means for one 360 turn;

a die-carrying carriage mounted above said support in said frame for movement toward and away from said support; means urging said carriage normall upwards; eccentric means operated by said second shaft to move said carriage down against an article placed in said support; a cam keyed to said second drive shaft, an ejecting means reciprocal-ted horizon ally by said cam to eject said article from said support after it has been stamped.

5. The machine of claim 3 in which there is an electrically energized heating unit mounted in said carriage adjacent said die, whereby said die is heated for transferring pigment from said embossing tape to said object.

ELMER T. KNIT'IER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,504,545 Chadwick Aug. 12, N24 1,910,918 Helm May 23, 1933 1,978,575 Funk Oct. 30, 1934

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