US2573756A - Typesetting means in laundry marking machines - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 6, 1951 J. F. ANDERSON 2,573,756

' TYPE SETTING MEANS IN LAUNDRY MARKING MACHINE Filed April 23, 1947 v 2 SHEETS'SHEET 1 v INVENTOR. Jo seph F. Anderson ATTORNEYS Nov. 6, 1951 J. "F. ANDERSON TYPE SETTING MEANS IN LAUNDRY MARKING MACHINE- Y Filed April 25; 1947 2 SHEETSQSHEET 2 v INVENTOR.' Joseph F. Anderson ATTORNEIS Patented Nov. 6, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,573,756 I TYPESETTING MEANS m time MARKING MACHINES .lose'pli F. Anders'on, Denver, 001b,, assignor to Burr Watson & Associates, Inc'., Denver, 0010.,

a corporation of Colorado Application April 23, 1947, sear No. 743,263

3 oi-aims. (01. 101-95) 1 lhis invention relates to marking machines and more particularly to marking maehines for printing identification marks on tags, clothing, articles of merchandise and the like. I One of the objects of my inventionis to produce ail iihpr'oved mar ing machine. which will e compact and small in size, simple and s'turdyfin.

construction, easy to operate and service, and economical to manufacture. Another object is to embody in a marking machine having rotatable type wheels or equivalent members, an improved and compact means for rotating said type wheels or members to a desired 'ii ti s-e si A further object is to produce an improved arrangement of gearing and a quadrant lever for rotating a type wheel or equivalent member to selected printing positions. p

Yet ano her ob'ect is to provide improved means for properly and easily locating each of the numerous selective positions of each type wheel and yieldably maintaining the type wheel in the slected position.

A further object is to provide improved means for aligning the type wheels of a marking machine and locking said wheels against relative rotation. u q r A-still further object is to produce ,iiripro'ed mounting means for the type wheels of nia machines which in permit eas rem ver assembly of the type wheels as a unit and thereby facilitate servicing or repair. e 7 A y Otherobjects of theinvention will beco eapj: parent from the following description taken connection with the accompanying drawings showing, by way of example, a marking machine embodying said invention.

In the drawings: A H M v Figure l is a perspective view of the marking machine; v

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view showing details of the structure for rotatingthe type wheels and yieldably maintaining such in any selected positions; H I

Figure 3 is ahsectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figur M.

Figure 4 is a view showing the spring arrangement for liner bar; 1

Figure 5 is a side View showing theinlrer and platen arm assembly in the position assumed when inking is performed; 7 w I Figure 6 is another side view of part gf the structure of Figure 5, but showing it ap osition assumed when the platen arm is moved forwardly after inking has taken place; and i, M H

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a type wheel assembly showing another arrangement for the liner bar; I

Referring to the drawings in det i lanc l;firs t tc Figure 1-; the marking machine disclosed has a base member I, side frame members 2 and 3. at} tached thereto and arranged in verticalspaced relation. The upper edges of these side frame members are curved, as shown, and attached thereto is an indicia or face plate alshaving slots 5 therein, through which extend the upper handle ends 6 of the quadrant or sector levers l shown in detail in Figure 2. The particular marking machine shown isprovided with eighttypewheels for marking pru'po'ses and thus there are provided eight slots 5 in the indicifa plate; one for each quadrant lever employed to selectively setatype wheel; Adjacent each slot are embossed or otherwise placed upon the indicia plate the in dieia qr charjaeters to indicatethe corresponding characters which are carried by the type wheels. The characters can be letters, numerals or any other symbols. In thema'rking machinesh'own there are both letters and numerals, the numerals being adjacent the upper end portions of the slots and the letters extending from the numerals down to thelower ends of the slots. The marking machine canbe provi'ded with a suitable removable back plate so as to keep out foreign material, said plate not being disclosed in the perspective view of Figure l. g V I A Mounted between the two side frame' members of the markingjniachine and adjacent the front eperiing thereof below the indicia" plate is a type wheel assembly generally indicated by the nuin'eral ;8. In this type wheel assembly there are eight type wheels 9 positioned between two side plates orend' members l0 and II. Supported at its ends in suitable bosses in these side plates is a sleeve type shaft L2 for rotatably mounting the type wheels. The ends of the sleeve shaft are suitably secured mthe end plates so as to be removable when desired, Interposed between adjacent type wheels and also the side plates and the end type wheels are thin spacer plates 13 As best shown in Figures 2 and 3; each spacer; plate is provided with an extension l4 at the rear side thereof. A pin 15 extends through these extensions of thespafcer plates and' has' its en'd's' connected in similar extensions l6 of the side plates. Thus the side plates and spacer plates are held against relative rotatiombu't the type; wheels are free to rotate on the 's'l ee'veshaft' or the assembly. In order that the type wheel as sembl ay nlmpsfl mwnt d'. nithe' tee side r m 2 a diq ihesme kin m t t eir is provided a single headedrod I being arranged to be u r e in. u t ble nm n Openings? in the two side'frame members. This rod is held the slide members by means of athumb screw la mounted in the forward edge of the frame side member3 I in order that the side plates of the typewheel assemb yli s he W thin? s r. la s a be prevented from rotation on the rod H, the

side plates l and H are provided with integral outwardly extending pins or lugs l9 and 20, as best shown in Figure 3. The lug I9 on the side plate I0 is arranged to be positioned between two spaced lugs or guides 2| and 22 extending in wardly from the side frame member 3. In a similar manner the lug of the other side member of the type wheel assembly is arranged to extend between two lugs or guides 23 and 24 extending inwardly from the other side frame member 2. The lugs I9 and 20 on the side plates are positioned rearwardly of the axis of the type wheel assembly and therefore it will be seen that the side plates will be prevented from rotation, as will also the spacer plates 9 since they are connected to the side plates by the pin I5.

The particular type wheel assembly shown and the manner in which it is arranged to be mounted between the two side frame members 2 and 3 of the marking machine will permit the type wheel assembly to be readily removed from the machine as a unit so that this assembly can be cleaned, otherwise serviced or repaired. The removal of the assembly is accomplished by merely loosening the thumb screw l8, pulling the supporting rod I! outwardly through the sleeve l2, and then sliding out the type wheel assembly by pulling forwardl thereon. The lugs l9 and 20 will thus be slipped from between the cooperating lugs on the inside of the side frame member. When it is desired to replace the type wheel assembly it can be grasped so that the lugs I9 and 20 are away from the hand and inserted between the side frame members so that these lugs slide in between their cooperating lugs on'the side frame members. This will support the type wheel assembly while the sleeve I2 is axially aligned with the holes in the side frame members so that the rod I! can be inserted in the sleeve I2 and the opening in the side frame member 3. The assembly will be completed when the thumb screw is turned up to hold the rod I! in position.

The improved mechanism which is employed to rotate the type wheels of the marking machine to any selected positions is shown in detail in Figure 2 and reference thereto is now made. On a shaft 25 having its ends mounted in the side frame members 2 and 3 towards the back side of the marking machine are the previously referred to eight quadrant or sector levers I which are provided with the handle ends 6 positioned above the slots 5 in the indicia plate so as to be readily movable by the hand of the operator. Each quadrant or sector lever 1 has an arcuate portion 26 provided with teeth 21 on its inner curved edge. The arcuate portion is supported by a slightly curved connecting part 28 extending from the lever adjacent its pivot to the lower end of the arcuate portion. Forwardly of the shaft 25 forming the pivotal mounting for the quadrant levers is another shaft 29 having its ends supported in suitable bosses on the inside of the two side frame members 2 and 3 of the marking machine. On this shaft 25 are rotatably mounted eight spur gears 30, each of which is arranged to have its teeth 3| in meshing engagement with the teeth 32 of a type wheel, said teeth of the type wheel carrying on their outer ends the letters and numerals for accomplishing the printing or marking. Integral with each gear 33 is a smaller spur gear 33, the teeth 34 of which are arranged to mesh with the teeth 21 on the inner edge of the arcuate portion 26 of a quadrant lever. Thus with the integral gears and 33 it is seen that by swinging a quadrant lever 1 about its pivot 25, there will be a transfer of rotary movement from the lever to a type wheel so that the type wheel can be rotated and set in any desired selected position. Since the spur gears 33 are considerably smaller than the gears 30, each quadrant lever can move in between the larger gears 30 as is well illustrated in Figure 2. The number of teeth on the spur gear 32 and the number of teeth on the gear 30 are so selected that any of the numbers or letters on a type wheel can be selected by moving the handle ends 6 of the quadrant levers from one end of its slot 5 to the other end of said slot.

In connection with the quadrant lever and gearing arrangement for operating each type wheel, it is to be particularly noted that by providing teeth on the inside edge of the arcuate portion 26 of the quadrant lever and employing the large and small gears 30 and 33 in association therewith and with the type wheels that it is possible in a very small space to obtain a complete 380 degree rotation of each type wheel by moving a quadrant lever through an are which is only a small fraction of 380 degrees. The compact arrangement for rotating each type wheel results in a much smaller marking machine than could otherwise be obtained, particularly by such known type wheel actuating means wherein the type wheel is actuated directly by external teeth on a curved portion of a lever or bythe interpositioning of a gear between external teeth on a lever and the teeth of the type wheel. The particular actuating means disclosed between the quadrant lever and the type wheel has resulted in the production of a marking machine which is considerably less as to the height and depth of marking machines which are at present on the market and employing other types of driving means between a lever and a type wheel as already referred to.

In order that any selected position of the type wheel may be easily located and maintained against accidental shifting, there is provided a simple and efiicient yielding means which is arranged to operate for each selected type wheel position. Pivotally mounted on the same shaft 25 on which the quadrant levers are pivoted are eight arms 35. These arms are arranged alternately with the quadrant levers and such results in an arm lying in the same plane as the small gear 33 and extending beneath the said gear. These arms also act as spacer members between adjacent quadrant levers. On the upper edge of each of these arms is a curved portion 36 having such curvature as to be able to project partially in between adjacent teeth 3| of the large gear 30, but yet be easily pushed out from between said teeth and ride over a tooth whenever the quadrant lever and gear 30 is rotated. The rear end of each arm 35 has an extending portion 31 and to the free end of which there is connected one end of a coil spring 38. The other end of the spring is attached to a rod 39 extending between and supported in the two side frame members 2 and 3. It is thus seen that each spring 38 will so act on the arm 35 as to bias the arm upwardly so that its curved portion 36 can cooperate with the teeth 3| of the gear 30. Thus there is provided a position locating means for each movement of the gear 30 corresponding to the distance between teeth, and since the gear 30 meshes with teeth on a type wheel, then there will be a corresponding locating for each tooth of the type wheel which carries an indicia. It is to be particularly noted that the yieldable locating means for the type" wheels also functions by means of the arm as a spacer between quadrant levers and thereby reduces the number of parts in the machine.

In order to rigidly lock the type wheels in any desired position and-to also insure thatthe selected indicia or type on all the type wheels is properly aligned for marking purposes, there is provided a liner and locking bar 40, as shown in Figure 1, which is of a general U-shape, the leg portions of which are pivoted by pins 4| and 42 to the inside surfaces of the side frame members 2 and 3 at points slightly above the top of the type wheel assembly. The body portion of the liner bar thus can be swung to a position above the type wheel assembly so that it is free therefrom or can be swung downwardly sov that the main body portion. thereof will enter the spaces between teeth of the type wheels. If the spaces should be slightly out of alignment, the bar will bring them into alignment as it is pushed down- Wardly. The baris provided with spaced fiat members 43 and 44 at its forward side so as to provide finger grasping -means to permit easy swinging of the liner bar. The forward edges of the side frame members are formed with short inwardly extending flanges 45 and 46 and it is to be noted that the legs of the aligning bar are bent to fit around these flanges. On .the inside of one of the flanges, as 45, there is attached a leaf spring 41 (shown in detail in Figure 4) and this leaf spring is so formed and so cooperates with a bent part of the bar as to provide a yield able means for holding the bar in any desired position. Thus if the bar is swung upwardly away from the type wheel the spring will insure that the bar will be held free of the wheel and not drop down and interfere with the rotation of the type wheels.

In place of mounting the liner bar on the two side frame members, the bar can be mounted on the type wheel assembly. Such an arrangement is shown in Figure '7. In this arrangement the liner bar 43 is provided with an L-shaped exten-' sion 49 which is pivoted to the side plate ID, for example, of the type wheel assembly. A finger grasping member 50 is provided near the juncture of the liner bar and extension 49 so as to facilitate swinging the bar either to a locking position with the type wheels or free of the type wheels. In order that the bar may be held in its various positions, there is provided a coil spring 49 connected at one end to the elbow' of the L-shaped extension 49 and at the other end to the side plate It]. When the liner bar is swung away from the type wheels this spring will be moved so as to be slightly over center with respect to the pivotal axis of the L-shaped arm 49 and it can thus hold the liner bar in its inoperative position. When the liner bar is moved into engagement with the type wheels to perform its aligning and locking operations, the spring will be so positioned that it will be effective to hold the liner bar in operative position.

Referring now to Figures 1, 5 and 6, the lower front corners of the two side frame members have mounted therein the ends of a. shaft 5| upon which is pivoted the inker and platen assembly generally indicated by the numeral 52. This assembly has a hub portion 53 pivoted on the shaft 5| and integral therewith and extending therefrom in diverging relationship is the platen or printer arm 54. and the inker arm 55. The upper end of the-platen arm carries a handle 56 having rounded hand grasping portions at its ends. Mounted on the central part of this handle is wheels.

a platen clip 51 and the platen 58'. The inke'r' arm 55, at its upper end, has pivotally. mounted thereon an inker assembly generally indicated by the numeral 59 and comprising an inker member 60 pivoted to the inker arm 55 by a pin 6|. The inker member carries the inker pad 62 between opposite side-flanges 63 and 64, which flanges carry rollers 65 and 66 adapted for en'- gagement with the side plates l0 and II of the type wheel assembly (see Figure 5) and to roll thereon, as willbe later described. These side plates I0 and H are also provided with curved recesses 61 and 68 for receiving the rollers-65 and B6,'respective1y, so that as the inker arm is moved forwardly the inker pad can engage the presented type and apply ink thereto. The inker member 60 has attached thereto a spring 69 which extends downwardly along the forward side of inker arm 55 and has its lower end attached to the lower portion of the inker arm.- This spring normally maintains the inker memher in aligned relationship with the inker arm 55 which is determined by stops 10. The inker member, however, is permitted to swing backwardly with respect to the inker arm 55 under yielding of the spring. This swinging rearwardly will occur when the inker arm is moved forwardly to cause the inker pad to engage the type of the type wheels. The rearward swinging will continue as the inker arm is continued to be moved forwardly by the moving of the handle and the platen arm forwardly towards the type wheel assembly. As the inker arm 55 moves forwardly beneath the type wheel assembly, the rollers will move out of the recesses 6! and 68 and on to the circulareclges of the side plates of the type wheel assembly as illustrated in Figure 6. This will result in the inker pad being moved outwardly away from the type wheels, remaining away from it as the rollers roll down the edges of the side" plates of the type wheel assembly. Thus the inker assembly will be moved out of the path of movement of the platen 58 as the platen arm moves forwardly. Printing will occur when the platen arm engages any tag or other material placed over the face of the platen and this tagor other material is forced by the movement of the platen arm into engagement with the type It is to be particularly noted that the construction of the inker arm, inkerassem'bly and platen arm is very simple and because of the integral arrangement of the hub, the inker arm 55 and the platen arm, one pivot can be employed for the whole mechanism, thus decreasing the number of parts.

In order to provide a yieldable retractile stop for the inker arm and platen arm, the base I of the machine carries the rubber bumper H and when the platen arm engages this bumper the inker assembly will be in inoperative position where said assembly is spaced away fromis very easily operated, as all that needs be done is select the desired characters by operating the quadrant levers to positions indicated on the indicia plate alongside of each slot. This will then locate each type wheel so that the indicia thereon which is presented for engagement by the platen 58 will correspond to the indicia on 7 the indicia plate as selected by a quadrant lever. If it is desired to lock the type wheels in their selected positions, the liner bar employed can be lowered, which will also insure that the selected charactersor type on the type wheels will be'in proper alignment. To accomplish the printing, the article tobe printed is placed over the platen, the handle 56 grasped and the platen arm swung forwardly. If a tag is to be marked, a suitable tag holder might be employed to hold the tag on the face of the platen. If a piece of cloth or paper is to be printed it can be conveniently held by the hands as they are employed to grasp the ends of the handle. The initial forward movement of the handle and platen arm will bring the inker pad into engagement with the selected type, thus placing inkon the type, which occurs just prior to the rollers entering the recesses 61 and 68 as illustrated in Figure 5. During inking the inker assembly will be moved backward somewhat with respect to the inker arm. Continued forward movement of the handle and platen arm will then result in the further bending backward of the inker assembly relative to the inker arm as the rollers move out of the recesses 61 and 68 in the side plates l and H of the type Wheel assembly, all as illustrated in Figure 6. The upper end of the inker arm 55 will thus continue to move under the type wheel assembly and the inker assembly will follow it with the inker pad out of contact with the type of the type wheel. When the platen arm is moved so that the tag or other material is forced into engagement with the type by the platen 58, printing will occur. The handle and platen arm are then returned to their initial position, as shown in Figure 1, which will result in the inker assembly on the end of the inker arm 55 also assuming the position shown in Figure 1.

In the particular marking machine shown, full 380 degree type wheels are employed, but in place thereof quadrants can be employed with type thereon if desired, particularly where fewer charactors are to be printed. It is, therefore, to be understood that the word type wheel is intended to include any rotatable member'having type thereon. The number of type wheels and rotating gears and quadrant levers can be varied as desired. Therefore, being aware of the possibility of modifications of the particular structure shown and described without departing from the fundamental principles of my invention, it is not intended that the scope of said invention be limited in any manner except in accordance with the appended claims. 7

What is claimed is:

1. In a marking machine having a plurality of rotatable members each provided with printing type on the peripheral portion and all being rotatable on a common axis, a plurality of pivoted levers mounted on a common shaft, gearing means between each lever and a type carrying rotatable member for rotating the latter to selected positions, and means cooperating with teeth of the gearing means between each lever and a retatable member for yieldably holding a rotatable member in any selected position, each of said last named means comprising an arm pivoted on the pivot shaft of the levers and having a portion for partial reception in the space between gearing teeth to permit rotation of the gearing means in either direction, and spring means acting on the arm and yieldably opposing the movement of the arm portion from said partial reception position, said arms being alternately arranged with the levers. 2'. In a marking machine having a plurality of rotatable members each provided with printing type on the peripheral portion and all being rotatable on a common axis, a plurality of pivoted levers mounted on a common shaft, each of said levers having an arcuate portion with the axis of the lever as its center and being provided with inwardly extending teeth, a plurality of sets of gears rotatable on a common axis, each set comprising two gears of different size connected to rotate together with the teeth of the smaller gear of each set meshing with the teeth on a lever andthe larger gear of said set arranged to rotate in a plane adjacent to the plane of movement of the lever, means for rotating a type carrying rotatable member by the larger gear of each set, and means for cooperating with the teeth of the larger gear of each set for yieldably holding the gear in positions it assumes when rotated through a space between teeth or any multiple thereof, each of said last named means comprising an arm pivoted intermediate its ends on the pivot shaft of the levers and lying in the plane of rotation of a larger gear, one end of said arm being provided with a portion for partial reception between teeth of a larger gear, and a spring acting on the other end of the arm for biasing the said one end of the arm for cooperation with the teeth of the larger gear, said arms bein alternately arranged with respect to the levers and the arms between adjacent levers acting as spacer members.

3. In a marking machine having a plurality of rotatable members each provided with printing type on the peripheral portion and all being rotatable on a common shaft, a plurality of levers mounted on a common pivotal shaft positioned rearwardly of the members, gearing means between each lever and a type carrying rotatable member for rotating the latter to selected positions, and a means cooperating with teeth of each gearing means, between each lever and a rotatable member for yieldably holding a rotatable member in any selected position, said last named means including a yieldably operated member pivoted on the pivotal shaft of the levers, said yieldably operated members being alternately arranged with the levers and capable of permitting rotation of the gears in either direction while engaging the teeth thereof.

JOSEPH F. ANDERSON.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 864,790 Lang Sept. 3, 1907 902,582 Hill Nov. 3, 1908 907,577 Diehl Dec. 22, 1908 1,014,954 Dodge Jan. 16, 1912 1,118,051 Robbin Nov. 24, 1914 1,196,114 Hume Aug. 29, 1916 1,197,279 Fesler Sept. 5, 1916 1,241,417 Mitchell Sept. 25, 1917 1,289,762 Hoggson Dec. 31, 1918 1,314,021 Robbins May 25, 1920 1,644,144 Osborne Oct. 4, 1927 1,663,588 Glass Mar. 27, 1928 2,020,493 Andrews Nov. 12, 1935 2,384,035 Keuper Sept. 4, 1945

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