US2638038A - Machine for marking tags of different styles - Google Patents

Machine for marking tags of different styles Download PDF

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Publication number
US2638038A
US2638038A US70092246A US2638038A US 2638038 A US2638038 A US 2638038A US 70092246 A US70092246 A US 70092246A US 2638038 A US2638038 A US 2638038A
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Prior art keywords
tag
tags
strip
cam
machine
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Alonzo K Marsh
Weimont Joseph
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A Kimball Co
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A Kimball Co
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B31—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER; WORKING PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER
    • B31D—MAKING ARTICLES OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN SUBCLASSES B31B OR B31C
    • B31D1/00—Multiple-step processes for making flat articles ; Making flat articles
    • B31D1/02—Multiple-step processes for making flat articles ; Making flat articles the articles being labels or tags
    • B31D1/027—Multiple-step processes for making flat articles ; Making flat articles the articles being labels or tags involving, marking, printing or coding
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B26—HAND CUTTING TOOLS; CUTTING; SEVERING
    • B26D—CUTTING; DETAILS COMMON TO MACHINES FOR PERFORATING, PUNCHING, CUTTING-OUT, STAMPING-OUT OR SEVERING
    • B26D7/00—Details of apparatus for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting
    • B26D7/01—Means for holding or positioning work
    • B26D7/015—Means for holding or positioning work for sheet material or piles of sheets
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S493/00—Manufacturing container or tube from paper; or other manufacturing from a sheet or web
    • Y10S493/961—Tag, marker, or label
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T83/00—Cutting
    • Y10T83/444—Tool engages work during dwell of intermittent workfeed
    • Y10T83/4539—Means to change tool position, or length or datum position of work- or tool-feed increment
    • Y10T83/4541—With means to vary magnitude of work-feed increment

Definitions

  • This invention relates to machines for printing price tags and pin tickets such as are used in stores for marking merchandise.
  • tag is used in this specification and in the claims in a broad sense to designate pin tickets as well as :string tickets and other tags that are used for marking merchandise.
  • the invention comprises a single machine to which strips of tags are supplied, and the apparatus can be set to feed and print tags of various combinations of length, width, and.
  • Fig. l is a perspective view of the front of a tag printing machine embodying this invention
  • Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the machine shown in Fig. 1, but viewing the machine from the back
  • Fig. 3 is an end view of the machine shown in the other figures
  • Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the feed control mechanism, the tag guide structure, and some of the apparatus for adjusting the machine.
  • Fig. 4a is a sectional view of a part of the feed control mechanism.
  • Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view of other apparatus for adjusting the guide for one side of the tag strips
  • Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view, partly in section
  • Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail view showing ,mechanism for changing the stroke of the feed control mechanism
  • Figs. 8, 9 and 10 show strips of tags of different styles that can be marked by the machine.
  • the machine includes a base Hi to which is attached a vertically extending panel or frame ll. Behind the frame i I there is a main cam shaft I2 supported by pedestal bearings 13 and M (Fig. 2) which extend upwardly from the frame. There is a bevel gear l6 secured to the cam shaft I2 and this bevel gear meshes with another bevel gear I! on the end of a drive shaft l8.
  • the drive shaft H3 turns in a pedestal bearing I9 attached at its lower end tothe frame IE5, and the drive shaft is rotated by a handle 28 extending from a flywheel 2
  • cam 22 for feed-control mechanism At the right hand end of the cam shaft 12 there is a cam 22 for controlling the operation of the tag feeding mechanism of the machine.
  • This cam 22 has an outer element 23 that extends around the entire periphery of the cam and an inner element 24 which extends around a portion of the cam periphery.
  • the space between the inner and outer cam elements 23 and 24 provides a groove for receiving a cam follower 21.
  • This cam follower 2'! is attached to an arm 28 that rocks back and forth about a pivot which connects the lower end 30 of the arm 28 to a boss 3! on the base Ill.
  • a stud 33 has a threaded rearward end which screws into the upper portion of the arm 28. This stud 33 is secured in position by a lock nut 34. The forward end of the stud 33 extends through a slot 36 in the frame l l, and into slot 38 (Fig. 1) in a rocker plate 39 which oscillates about a screw 40 attached to the frame ll. Rotation of the cam 22 causes the stud 33 to move back and forth in the slot 36, and to rock the plate 39 about its fulcrum screw 40.
  • bracket 43 On the front of the frame It) there is a bracket 43 which supports a table 45 extending substantially the entire length of the machine.
  • a carriage 16 slides along the forward edge portion of the table 45 and is held in contact with the table 45 by a guide screw 47 which passes through a slot 48 in the side of the carriage 43.
  • This guide .screw 47 threads into the side of the table 45.
  • the reciprocating movement of the carriage 46 operates feeding mechanism for advancing a strip of tags through the machine.
  • tags are connected together side by side so that the width of a strip corresponds to the height or 4 must, therefore, be adjustable so that either the upper edge guide, or the lower edge guide, or both can be adjusted with respect to the platen in order to adapt the machine for use with strips of different width and with tags having their marking areas at difierent distances from the upg per edge of the tag.
  • the machine includes mech- 1 anism for limiting the length of the stroke of the carriage 46 when printing narrow tags.
  • a part of the feed control comprises a bell crank 55 which rocks about a fulcrum screw 56 threaded into a portion of the bracket 43. This bell crank 55 has a hook 53 at one end and a cam follower 55 at the other end.
  • the cam follow 59 is periodically displaced by a cam 66, into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 7; and when the bell crank 55 is in this dotted line position, the hook 58 is in the path tif the Stud 53 and limits the stroke of the carriage 46.
  • the dam 'whieh operates the carriage 46 causes the carriage to move toward the right in Fig. '7, and movement of the carriage 45 in the other direction is caused by a spring 82 (Fig. 2)
  • the slot between the cam elements 23 and '23 is constructed so that there is clearance for the cam follower 21 to remain 'out of contact with the cam element 25 when the stroke of the ⁇ feed mechanism is limited to a length less than the run throw of the cam 22.
  • the mechanism for printing the tags which will hereinafter be explained, always prints within the confines of a fixed area 'over a platen located in the table 45 near the discharge end of the table, that is, the right hand end of the table 45 as viewed in Fig. 4. For this reason it is not sufiicient to have one fixed guide and one movable guide for holding tag strips of different width against displacement transversely of the table. For example, with some tags the area to be printed will extend closer to the top of the tag than in the case of other styles.
  • Fig. 8 shows a strip of tags '53 having areas 1 on which the printing can extend close to the top edges of the tags adjacent the attaching pins 84.
  • Fig. 9 shows tags 55 of a different style having longer length but also equipped with pins 54 that leave a large area of the tag available for marking.
  • Fig. 10 shows a still different style of tag 61 which has a main body portion and an auxiliary portion 58, and incised lines along which this auxiliary portion '68 can be torn away from the main body of the tag.
  • tags of the style shown in Fig. 1'0 duplicate indicia are printed side by side on :the tag, with one set of indicia located on the main body ortion of the tag and the other set of indi'cia located -entirely on the auxiliary portion 68.
  • the tags 61 are shown with "strings '69 for attaching them to merchandise
  • This guide plate 15 is spaced from the table 45 to leave space for the attaching pins or strings along the upper ends of the tags, and there is a forwardly-extending lip along the upper edge of the plate I5 for holding the tags down on the table 45.
  • the guide plate I5 With most styles of tags the guide plate I5 is positioned immediately in front of the panel II, with the back of the guide plate “I5 lip against the front wall of the panel.
  • This guide plate is supported by studs 11 (Fig. 5) which extend 'rearwardly from the guide plate "I5.
  • the studs 71 extend through openings in the panel I I and serve as bearings on which the guide plate is movable toward and from the table on which the strip of tags is supported.
  • the guide plate I5 is urged rearwardly toward the panel 'II by springs I5 compressed between the back face of the panel II and flanges an on the studs TI.
  • the guide plate I5 When the machine is to be used for certain styles of tags, the guide plate I5 is pushed forward away from the panel I I by arms 82 located behind the studs I7 and secured to a rocker shaft 8 3.
  • This rocker shaft turns in bearings 85 supported from the frame of the machine, and the shaft 83 is rocked by a lever arm '81 extending downward from the shaft 83 into the path 'of a push rod 88 that slides through an opening in the bracket '43.
  • the forward end of the push rod 88 contacts with the face of a cam 89.
  • the lever '81 and arms 82 are in position to cause the guide plate I5 to be held away from the panel II.
  • the push rod 88, which serves as a cam follower is over a low part of the cam 88, such as the depression 90, the push rod 88, the lei er 81 and studs IT are moved by the springs I8 into position to bring the guide plate "I5 rearwardly toward the panel "I I, and into contact with the panel II when the depression at 90 is of substantial depth for tags having maximum spacing between the marked area and the top of the tag.
  • the cam '89 is on the back face of a composite 'ca'm assembly 92 which includes the 'cam 50., de-
  • This entire com- ,posite cam assembly 92 is attached to and supported by a shaft 93 which-is rotatable inabearing in the bracket 43.
  • the guide for the lower edge of the tag strip is of composite construction with an edge plate '95 (Fig. 4) that has a part 96 of its inner face disposed at an angle to the direction of movement of the strips for facilitating the location of tag strips which do not have pins. Those strips that do have pins are brought into line on the table 45 when the row of "pins is initially inserted into the space between the table 45 and the guide plate 15.
  • the lower guide element includes also a cover plate 91 a portion of which extends beyond the guide face of the edge plate 95, and this cover plate 91 is bent upward to provide a flaring entrance into the lower edge guide.
  • this downwardly extending portion I05 has studs I05 which extend into openings in the front of the table 45 for holding the guide assembly 99 against movement lengthwise of the table 45.
  • the studs I06 are slidable in the openings into which they extend, and the guide assembly 99 is therefore movable transversely of the table for adjusting the guide assembly for tags of different styles.
  • the guide assembly 99 is urged inwardly, to accommodate it to narrow tag strips, by a spring I08 that bears against the front of the guide assembly 99.
  • the spring I08 is compressed between the guide assembly 99 and the cover that fits over the cam assembly 92. This cover is removed in the drawing in order to expose the cam assembly, and it is sufiicient to understand that the forward end of the spring I08 contacts with a fixed abutment of the machine.
  • the inner end of the spring I08 fits over the head of a screw I09 which prevents transverse displacement of the spring.
  • Cam mechanism is provided for moving the guide assembly 99 forward, against the pressure of the spring I08, to accommodate theguide to tag strips of greater width.
  • This cam mechanism includes a bracket I I secured to the front of the guide assembly 99, and a cam follower III extending down from the bracket H0 and into the path of a cam I I2 located on the front of the cam assembly 92.
  • the cover plate 91 is a part of the guide assembly 99 but is connected to the edge plate 95 in such a way as to be movable with respect'to the edge plate.
  • This connection includes a screw I I3 extending through a slot in the cover plate 91 and threaded into the edge plate 95.
  • the head of the screw H3 is wider than the slot and the screw comes down against a shoulder which leaves sufficient clearance under the head for the cover plate 91 to slide freely with respect to the edge plate 95.
  • the cover plate 91 is also guided by a washer I I4 which extends over a downwardly extending edge of the cover plate 91, and which is spaced from the portion I05 of the edge plate 96 so as to leave the cover plate 91 free to slide back and forth with respect to the edge plate 95.
  • the washer II4 prevents the cover plate 91 from moving transversely with respect to the edge plate 95 or from turning about the retaining screw II3.
  • Strip feeding mechanism The cover plate 91 is moved into different positions lengthwise of the edge plate 95 by rocking an arm I I5 (Fig. 1) about a fulcrum stud II6 extending outward from the bracket 43.
  • a spring H8 is wound around the fulcrum stud H6 and anchored at one end to a portion of the bracket 43.
  • the spring II8 has its forward end aI1-. chored to the arm H5 and the torsion of the spring I I8 is in a direction to urge the arm I I5 to move clockwise in Fig. 1.
  • a cam follower stud E20 extends inward from the arm H5 and into .the path of a peripheral cam I22 that forms a part of the composite cam assembly 92. Atthe upper end of the arm H5 there is a stud I23 that extends through a slot I24 in the lowermost part of the cover plate 91.
  • a presser element comprising a finger I25 (Fig. 4) is pivotally supported at one end by a screw I26 which extends through a lug I21 projecting upward from the cover plate 91.
  • a screw I26 which extends through a lug I21 projecting upward from the cover plate 91.
  • a downwardly extending tip I28 At the free end of the finger I25 there is a downwardly extending tip I28 for engaging the tags and for pushing the bottom portion of an end tag downward with respect to the next succeeding tag of the strip so that a pawl I30 of the feed mechanism can engage the depressed portion of the tag under the tip I29 and push the strip forward.
  • strips of tags with which. the invention is intended to be used has a cut I33 extending from the bottom edge of the strip for a substantial distance toward the upper end of the strip.
  • Some of the tags have intermediate cuts I34 of different length from the cut'l33. The reason for the different lengths of these cuts will be explained in connection with the cutting apart of the tags.
  • Fig. 4a shows the finger I25, after it has been pushed down by the printing head, which will be described hereinafter.
  • the pressure of the tip I28 on the last tag 03 immediately to the right of the cut I33 bends the lower end of that tag downward below the plane of the end surface of the next tag so that the pawl I30, on which the other tags are resting, comes against the edge of the depressed tag and feeds the entire strip forward to bring the last tag into the dotted stroke has been completed.
  • the edges of the tags as the abutments against which the feed pawl I30 comes in contact to feed the strip, the strips are fed forward for a distance exactly equal to the distance between succeeding cuts I33 (Figs. 8 to 10), or cuts I33 and I34, provided the stroke of the feed pawl I30 is not equal to or greater than twice the distance between successive cuts.
  • Feed pawlstrokes equal to twice the distance between successive cuts I33 are avoided, when using narrow tags or tags on which two areas are to be printed, as in Fig. 10, by moving the hook 58 (Fig. 7) into the path of the stud 53 so that the carriage 46 is confined to a shorter stroke.
  • the actual distance that the strip is fed on each stroke is determined by the spacing of the cuts I 33 and I34 of the tags and not by the actual stroke of the feed pawl I30 because the feed pawl, on its return stroke has some overtravel, that is, it moves back further than necessary to engage the edge of the next ag.
  • the reason for having the cover plate 91 adjustable lengthwise along the lower edge guide structure 99 is for locating the finger I25 so that the tip I28 is in the proper position for depressing the bottom portion of the tag last printed when using tags of any selected width.
  • the knife I is supported by a fulcrumscrew 23? at the upper end of a .lever I38 which is itself supported by a fulcrum screw its extending through an angle I40 attached to the front of the bracket 43.
  • the lever I38 is urged in a clockwise direction in Fig. 6 by a spring I42.
  • cam follower roller I44 extending from one side of the lever I38, and this cam follower roller Mt contacts with an outer cam face .1; I46 (Fig. 4) of the composite cam assembly 92.
  • Thecam I45 is on the front face of the composite cam assembly and furtherout from the shaft 93 thanis the cam face H 2; and the cam follower roller I44 does not extend in far enough to be affected by the cam- I it.
  • cam I46 The purpose of the cam I46 is to shift the cam follower IM and move thefulcru-m Iit'i (Fig.
  • the machine'i s made so that it can be used to markstrips or tags without cutting the tags apart.
  • the knife I35 can be depressed to' a position thatbrings the top of the knife even with the top of the table.
  • the knife is-in this position inFig. Spa-Dd the strip of tags feeds across the top ofi the knife and through a sheet metal guide I4? (rue 3) attached tothe front ofthe frame or panel I I-.. t
  • the knife i35 i urged into araised position by a spring Hi8 (Fig 6), and the knife-is depressed, to make its-cutting stroke; by apin- I59 extending through a slotted end oi the knife behind the panel.
  • This-pin 50" extends'out from one side of a lever arm I52 which issupported a fulcrum pin- I53 from a bracket I54 extending upward from the frame ofthe machine.
  • The. lever I5! is pushed downward by a cam I55 secured to the main cam shaft-.12. 'I here is one high portion I51 on-the cam I 55 andlthis portion I51- oausesthe lever arm IEZt'ooperate once-for eachcycle of the marking machine.
  • the angularposition'ofthe cam lii'fion the cam shaft I3 is-sorelated-to the angular positions-of the other cams that theknife I35 is-operated at the endof a feed stroke of the machine just after the. tag strip has been advanced to extend .thelast tag-beyond'the-endof the'table 45.
  • tags such asthetagsE-I- of Fig. 1-0
  • the machine must operate through two complete cycles in printing each of these tags because duplicate informationisprinted on the main body and. on the auxiliary tag portion 6-8;
  • the knife merely flexes the material of the strip downward on the right-hand side of the cut I34.
  • the incised webs I62 that connect the successive tags Iii are located closer to the bottom edge of the strip and under the shearing portion of the knife when the knife is adjusted for tags of the style shown in Fig. 10.
  • the knife I35 is moved downward into the inoperative position shown in Fig. 6 by means of a lever I55 extending across the top of the lever arm- I52.
  • This lever I65 is supported at one end by a fulcrum pin ISG extending from the back of the panel II.
  • the other end of arm i65 carries a handle I69 that slides along a stud I70 rigidly connected to the lever I85.
  • the stud H0 extends through a slot III (Fig. 3) in the front of the frame ID, and the handle I69, located out in front of the frame I0, can be moved down- Ward along the slot i'II to depress one end of lever I65 and push the lever arm I52 downward into the position shown in Fig. 6.
  • the lever arm I52 When in such a po'sition the lever arm I52 is not affected by the cam I55 since the lever arm is depressed below the maximum throw of the cam.
  • the handie IE9 is wider than the slot IIi, but there is a counterbore at the upper and lower ends of the slot Ill; and the end of the handle IE9 is pushed into these counterbores for holding the lever I in either its raised or lowered position.
  • indexing for dz'fierent styles of tags The various on the cam assembly 92 (Figs. 4 and 5) are so shaped that with the shaft 93 in various positions the cams adjust the guides, the feed mechanism, and the cut-off knife for every style of tag with which the machine is intended to be used.
  • an indexing head I16 (Fist 1) attached to the end of the shaft 93 by a screw I 75 threaded into th end of the sh'af t 93.
  • the indexing head I'M has pins which fit into openings I'll and I I8 (Fig. i) in the shaft 93 and these pins I'I'I are of different diameter or located less than apart, or may be otherwise arranged, so that the indexing head can be put" on the shaft 53 in only one angular position.
  • the indexing head I74 includes a knob m0 (Fig; I) by which the head is turned, and has a dial I with in'dioia; such as numerals, located at angularly' spaced regions around the face of the diaL-
  • the indexing numbers on the dial correspond to the style numbers of tags shown on a sample display board or on a legend sheet for guiding the userof the machine.- In the apparatus showniri the drawing; the dial IE1 is turned to" bringto' the top position the style numberof the tags to be printed.
  • the cam assembly structure shown in the drawing is ordinarily covered with a housing, and the indexing head is located on the outside of the housing. The indexing numbers on.
  • the dial IBI can be located, with respect to the shaft 93 s'o that the desired style index can be an ight into register with a fixed pointer located at any convenient position 9) I99 in position to be depressed by the cam as the high portion of the cam rotates into its lowermost position.
  • This cam I99 is secured to the main cam shaft I2.
  • the printing head I90 is located out in front of panel II.
  • An ink supply roller 202 is also located out in front of the panel II and is supported by a shaft 203 extending through an opening in the panel II and through a bearing 204 attached to the back of the panel.
  • A- bevel gear 295 meshes with another bevel gear 206 driven by a spur gear 208.
  • This spur gear 208 is rotated by a large driving gear 209 secured to the main shaft I2 of the machine.
  • the ink supply roller 202 is rotated continuously during the operation of th machine and at a speed substantially faster than the speed of rotation of the main drive shaft I2.
  • the portion of the table 45 (Fig. 1) immediately under the printing he: :1 I90 serves as a platen and preferably contains a rubber insert.
  • the printing head I90 holds a chase 2l3 in guides 2 I4 and the chase is moved in and out by a handle 2I5 when the type is to be changed.
  • the type which extends from the underside of the chase 2I3 is in position to be contacted by an inking roller 2I8 which reoiprocates back and forth in a direction parallel to the table 45.
  • This inking roller 2I8 is supported on a stud 22I extending outward from a carriage 223 which slides in a bearing slot 224 on the front panel I I.
  • the mechanism for moving the carriage 223 backward and forward along the slot 224 is not illustrated; and it is sufficient for purposes of this invention to understand that this carriage 223 is connected by a link mechanism to an operating lever 228 (Fig. 2), and that the rearward end of this operating lever is supported by a vertical pivot bearing 229 extending upward from the frame I and holding the operating lever 228 at such a level that a cam follower roller 23I carried by the lever 228 extends into a slot 232 of a cam 233 secured to the main cam shaft I2.
  • the cam slot 232 is shaped to cause the inking roller 2I3 (Fig. 1) to move from a rest position into contact with the ink supply roller 202 for long enough to acquire a fresh coating of ink around the entire circumference of the inking roller 2I8; and then across the face of the type in the chase 2I3, and back again into the rest position, during each cycle of operation of the machine.
  • This movement of the inking roller is in such timed relation with the operation of the printing head I90 that the inking roller 2; is out from under the printing head before the printing head I90 starts its downward movement.
  • a counter 230 attached to the panel II alongside the lever I9l.
  • This counter is conventional and is operated by the lever I? to record the number of times that the lever moves the printing head. This corresponds with the number of tags marked when using tags such as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, and is equal to twice the number of tags marked when using tags of the style shown in Fig. 10.
  • the counter 236 is turned back to its zero setting by a knob 231.
  • the flywheel 2! (Fig. l) is first turned to an angular position that advances the carriage 46 on its feed stroke far enough to locate the stud 53 (Fig. '7) on the right-hand side of the hook 58 so that if the setting of the 10 cam assembly raises the hook 58, the stud 53 will be on the right side of the hook to limit the movement of the carriage 45.
  • is indicated by an arrow 238 marked on the rim of the flywheel, and the position to which the flywheel 2
  • the operator knows that the other parts of the machine are in position so that they can be correctly adjusted by turning the indexing head I14.
  • the operator compares the strip of tags to be marked with samples or pictures of the different styles on a master sheet that indicates the proper setting of the index head for each style of tag.
  • the index head is turned to bring the correct index number to the top of the dial.
  • the strip of tags to be marked is then laid on the table 45 with the upper ends of the tags in contact with the upper edge guide plate I5, and the strip is moved manually along the table 45 until the end of the strip comes even with the shearing edge at the end of the table 45. If the tags are to be cut apart as successive tags are marked, the handle I69 (Fig.
  • the operator operates the machine by gripping the handle 20 and rotating the flywheel 2I which turns the associated gears and cams to cause the machine to perform one cycle of operation for each rotation of the flywheel.
  • the cams cause the inking roller 2I8 (Fig. 1) to move first into contact with the ink supply roller 220 and travel across the face of the type that extends down from the chase H3.
  • the carriage 223 then moves back and returns the inking roller 218 to its normal position, and the cam mechanism causes the printing head I to move down into contact with the endmost tag on the table 45.
  • the tag is thus printed and this downward stroke of the printing head I90 is utilized to press the finger I25 into contact with the printed tag to depress one edge of the tag into position to be engaged by the feed pawl I30 (Fig. 4a).
  • the feed pawl I30 is always even with the shearing edge of the table 45, and the web connecting the endmost tag with the rest of the strip is thus positioned over the shearing edge of the table 45 and under the knife I35 in position to be out, if the knife is in use.
  • the cycle of operation is repeated over and over again until all of the tags of the strip have been printed.
  • the machine can be used for printing single tags, but much of the automatic mechanism is unnecessary when using the machine for single tags.
  • the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated and described includes features that make it adjustable for styles and sizes of tags having wide variations of dimensions and marking areas, and having duplicate marking areas, but the invention can be used in machines having combinations of some, but not all, of these features.
  • Terms of orientation, are of course, relative, and various structural changes and modifications can be made in the apparatus illustrated without departing from the invention as defined in the claims.
  • a machine for printing successive tags of a strip comprising a supporting table along which the strip moves, a platen portion on one end of the table, independently movable guides extending along opposite edges of the table for preventin transverse displacement of the strip, cut-off mechanism at the end of the supporting table for severing the endmost tag of the strip, apparatus for adjusting the cut-off mechanism to accommodate different styles of tags, automatic mechanism for feeding the strip forward for a predetermined distance during each cycle of operation of the machine, means for adjusting the position of the guide at one side of the table, other means for adjusting the position of the guide on the other side of the table, and common operating mechanism for moving the cut-off adjusting apparatus and both of the guide adjusting means, said operating mechanism including an indexing head that moves the cut-off adjusting apparatus and the guide adjusting means into different positions that cause different combinations of adjustment of the guides with respect to one another and with respect to the cut-off mechanism, said indexing head having designations thereon for diiferent styles of tags, each of which designations is
  • a tag markin mach'ne the combinat on comprising a supporting table along which a strip of tags is fed, a platen portion located at one end of the table, and on which a tag is supported while being printed, a guide plate spaced from one edge of the table for guiding the upper edges of the tags in said strip, a lip on the guide plate extending over the top edges of the tags, supporting hearings on which the guide plate is movable toward and from the edge of said table, spring means urging the guide plate away from the edge of the table, a second guide extending along the other side of the supporting table and transversely across a portion of said table for guiding the lower edges of the tags of said strip, bearing means on which the second guide is movable transversely of the sup-porting table to accommodate it to tags of different width, spring means urging said second guide into position to cover a substantial portion of said table, a cam assembly including cylindrical cams on opposite faces of said assembly, separate cam followers operated by the respective cams and each connected with LTD one of
  • a tag marking machine having a supporting table at a predetermined region of which a tag is marked, and having an indexing head that is movable into diiierent positions for adjusting an element of the machine to accommodate tags of different size or style
  • the combination with said indexing head of a connection for adjusting a second element of the machine automatic feed mechanism for advancing a tag to said predeter mined region and for advancing the tag beyond said region after the marking operation, means that adjust the stroke of the feed mechanism to feed tags of different size, said means being operated from the indexing head through said connection.
  • a support for a strip of tags for a strip of tags, automatic feed mechanism for advancing the strip in successive steps, guides for both sides of the tag strip, separate apparatus for adjusting the guides for the different edges of the strip, apparatus for adjusting the feed mechanism for tags of different width, and a common indexing head operatively connected with the separate apparatus for adjusting the guides for the diiferent edges of the strip and with the feed adjusting apparatus, the indexing head being movable into a plurality of positions that give difierent combinations of adjustment of said apparatus.
  • a tag marking machine including a support for a strip of tags, guide means along one side of the support for guiding the upper edge of the strip, other guide means along the other sde of the support for guidin the lower edge of the tag strip, bearing elements on which the respective guide means are movable toward and from one another to accommodate them to tag strips of different width, spring means urging the respective tag guides in one direction, cam means for moving each of the tag guides in the other direction against the force of said spring means, automatic feed mechanism for advancing the tag strip for a distance equal to the width of one tag during each cycle of operation of the machine, apparatus for adjusting the feed mechanism for tags of diiferent width, and a common indexing head operatively connected with the cam means and with the apparatus for adjusting the feed mechanism, the indexing head being movable into different positions to give different combinations of adjustment.
  • a tag marking apparatus comprising a support for a strip of tags that has successive tags connected together across only a portion of the width of the strip, feed mechanism including a reciprocating pawl located on the strip support and under the tag strip, a device for bending at least a portion of 8 0 the tags of the strip out of line with the successive tag to depress a side of the tag into position for contact with the feed pawl, guides for the upper and lower edges of the tag strip, apparatus for adjusting the guides for strips of differcut widths, other apparatus for adjusting the reduced width, and indexing means for indicating the setting of all of the adjusting apparatus.
  • a tag marking apparatus for use with tag strips having successive tags connected together by webs extending across only a portion of the width of the tag strip, a support along which the tag strip moves through the machine, guide means on both sides of the support for guiding the upper and lower edges of the tags, apparatus for adjusting the guide means to accommodate strips of different width, feed mechanism including a reciprocating feed pawl movable back and forth under a strip in the direction in which the strip is to be advanced, a presser element in position to bend a portion of a ta downward out of line with the next successive tag and into the path of the reciprocating feed pawl, apparatus for adjusting the position of said presser element toward and from the position at which the feed pawl stops at one end of its stroke, and other apparatus for changing the stroke of the feed pawl to accommodate tags of different width.
  • feed mechanism including a reciprocating feed pawl movable back and forth under a strip in the direction in which the strip is to be advanced, a presser element in position to bend a portion of a tag downward out of line with the next successive tag and into the path of the reciprocating feed pawl, apparatus for adjusting the position of said presser element toward and from the position at which the feed pawl stops at one end of its stroke, mechanism for advancing the pawl on its feed stroke, spring means for moving the feed pawl on its return stroke, and adjustable apparatus for determining the length of the return stroke of the feed pawl.
  • a tag marking machine including a support with guides between which a strip of tags is fed to a marking station apparatus that adjusts the guides, transversely of the direction of movement of the strip, to accommodate tags of different style, cut-off mechanism located beyond the marking station and including a knife for severing the endmost tag from the strip, a fulcrum supporting one end of the knife, mechanism for rocking the knife about its fulcrum to bring the knife into position to sever the tag strip, and apparatus for adjusting the position of the fulcrum transversely of the direction of movement of the strip through the guides to accommodate the cut-off mechanism to strips and tags of different styles, and common control means that adjust both of said apparatus simultaneously to selected styles of tags.
  • a tag marking machine for marking duplicate indicia on spaced-apart areas of successive tags that have one of the marking areas on an auxiliary tag portion connected to the main body of the tag by a web extending for only a portion of the height of the tag and that have successive tags connected together in strips by webs extending for only a portion of the width of the strip, the tag-connecting webs being cated at a different distance from the edge of the strip than are the other webs that connect each of the auxiliary tag portions with the main body of its tag, the combination that comprises a marking station, a support along which the strip of tags is advanced through the machine, a cutoff mechanism at the discharge end of the support beyond the marking station, the cut-off mechanism comprising a knife having a shearing edge extending for only a portion of the width of the support, feed mechanism for advancing a tag strip along the support after each marking operation of the machine for a distance equal to the width of one of the marked areas of the tag, other mechanism for moving the knife to shear the end most tag from
  • a tag marking machine including a supporting table, a guide at one side of the table for the upper edge of a tag, a guide at the other side of the table for the lower edge of the tag, feed mechanism for advancing the tag along the table, apparatus for adjusting at least one of the ed guides to accommodate tags of different height, other apparatus for adjusting the feed mechanism to accommodate the machine to tags of different width, and motion transmitting connections that shift the apparatus for adjusting the feed mechanism into a different position upon movement of the edge guide adjusting apparatus into a predetermined position.
  • a tag marking machine including a supporting table, a guide at one side of the table for the upper edge of a tag, a guide at the other side of the table for the lower edge of the tag, a feed mechanism for advancing the tag along the table, apparatus for adjusting the feed mechanism for tags of different width, other apparatus for adjusting at least one of the guides to accommodate tags of different height, and common indexing means operatively connected with the apparatus for adjusting the guide spacing and the apparatus for adjusting the feed mechanism, said indexing means being movable into a plurality of different positions to obtain different combinations of adjustment of said apparatus so that all of said apparatus can be set simultaneously for tags of predetermined style.
  • a tag marking machine including a table along which a tag is advanced a predetermined location on the table at which the tag is marked, guide means along opposite sides of the table for guiding the upper and lower edges of the tag, feed mechanism for advancing the tag with a step movement into position to be marked and thereafter advancing the tag beyond the marking position, apparatus including a cam for adjusting the spacing of the guides to accommodate tags of difierent height, other apparatus including a cam for adjusting the feed mechanism to change the length of the steps by which the tag is moved, a common shaft to which both of the cams are connected, and an indexing head on the shaft that moves the shaft to different positions to obtain different combinations of adjustment of said apparatus.
  • a tag marking machine including a support, guide means alongopposite sides of the support for guiding the upper and lower edges of a tag, apparatus for adjusting the guide means to accommodate tags of diiierent he ht, reciprocating feed mechanism for advan g alone; the support, apparatus for adjusting the mechanism including a stop movable to position to limit the stroke or the feed hanism when using the machine with narrow tags, a common indexing head operatively connected with the apparatus for adjusting the guide means and the feed mechanism, the indexing head being movable into a plurality of positions to give different combinations of adjustment of said ap- Daratus.
  • a tag marking machine including a support having a predetermined area at which the tag is marked, guide means along opposite sides of the support for guiding the upper and lower edges of a tag, app atus for adji the spacing of the guide means to accommodate tags of different height, d mechani m for advancing the tag with a step-by- -step movement, said feed mechanism including a reciprocating portion over which the tag travels, and a presser element for holding the tag down on the support and in position for cooperation. with the reciproeating portion of the feed mechanism, and apparatus for adjusting the position of said element to accommodate the feed mechanism to different styles of tags.
  • a tag marking machine comprising a support for a strip of tags, guide means for the upper and lower edges or the and between which the tag strip moves as it is advanced along said support, a marking station at a predetermined region of said support, feed ing mechanism for advancing the tags, bearing surfaces on which the guide means are movable to shift the course of the tag strips transversely with respect to the marking station and to change the spacing of the guide means to accommodate tags of diiierent height, apparatus for adjusting the guide means on said bearing surfaces, other apparatus for adjusting the feed mechanism for accommodating tags of different width, a knife at one end of the support beyond the marking station for severing the endmost tag from the strip, apparatus for adjusting the position of sai knife to sever of different styles, a common indexing head movable into different positions, and operative connections between the indexing head and the respective apparatus for adjusting the guide means, the feed mechanism, and the position of the knife.
  • a machine for marking successive tags connected together in a strip including a support for the tag strip, feed mechanism for advancing the strip intermittently in steps that are correlated with the width of the successive tags to be marked, apparatus for adjusting the feed mechanism to accommodate tags of difierent styles, a marking station to which successive tags are fed, cut-ohmechanism beyond the marking station.
  • a common indexing head operatively connected with the apparams for adjusting the feed mechanism and also with the apparatus for adjusting the position of the cut ofi mechanism, the indexing head being movable into a plurality of positions that give differentcombinations oiadiustment of said a! paratus.
  • a tag marking machine including a support for a strip of tags, 2. top guide along the support for guiding the upper edge of the strip a lower guide on the other side of the support for guiding the bottom edge of the strip, feed.
  • mocha-- nism including a reciprocating element, mechanism for operating said reciprocating element, a presser element for holding successive tags of the strip in position for cooperation with the reciprocating element of the feed mechanism, out-off mechanism including a knife extending transversely of the strip, apparatus including a cam for moving the knife to accommodate it to tags of different styles, other apparatus including a cam for adjusting the position of the presser element lengthwise of the strip, other apparatus including a cam for limiting the stroke of the reciprocating element 01' the feed mechanism, other apparatus including a cam for adjusting the posttion of the bottom edge guide transversely of the support, other apparatus including a cam for adjusting the position of the top guide transversely of said support, and indexing means for indicating the setting of all of said cams.
  • a tag marking machine including a support and device for marking successive tags located over a predetermined region of the support, guides along opposite sides of the support for guidint the upper and lower edges of a tag as it advances along said support, a cam and motion transmitting connections operated by the cam for I'' ing the upper edge guide transversely of the support, a second cam and motion transmitting connections operated by the second cam for adiush ing the lower edge guide transversely of the support, feed mechanism including a reciprocating pawl and a presser element that holds a tag in position for cooperation with said pawl.
  • apparatus including a cam for adjusting the stroke oi the pawl, other apparatus including a cam for ad justing the position of the prcsser element lengthwise of the support for cooperation with tags of different size, common operating mechanism for the marking device and the feed mechanism, and motion-transmitting connections that operate the marking device in timed relation with the feed mechanism and independently of the adjustments of the guides and of the feed mechanism.
  • a tag marking machine including a sup.- port and a device for marking successive tags located over a predetermined region of the support, guides along opposite sides of the support for guiding the upper and lower edges of a tag as'it advances along said support, a cam and motion transmitting connections operated by the cam for moving the upper edge guide transversely of the support, a second cam and motion transmitting connections operated by the second cam for adjusting the lower edge guide transversely of the support, feed mechanism includ' ing a reciprocating pawl and presscr element that holds a tag in position for cooperation with said pawl, apparatus including a cam for adjust ing the stroke of the pawl, 21 common shaft to which all of said cams are operatively connected, an indexing head connected with said common.
  • said indexing head being movable into :2. number of angular-1y spaced positions and. the cams being of such angular extent that they operate over an angular range corresponding to the combined angular spacing of a number of positions of the indexing head, and said cams having their rises located at different angular positions so that different positions of the indexing head obtain different combinations of adjustment of the upper and lower guides and the feed mechanism.
  • a tag-marking machine including a support along which a strip of tags is fed past a marking device, guides along opposite sides of the course followed by the strip for preventing transverse displacement of the strip as it moves through the machine, separate adjusting means connected with each of the guides, parts movable into different positions to shift the guide adjusting means independently with respect to one another to obtain different combinations of positions transverse of the support, a feeding device that advances the strip with step by step movement along the support, a cut-off device at the end of the support, apparatus for adjusting at least one of the devices to ac commodate strips having tags of different styles,

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Description

May 12, 1953 A. K. MARSH ET AL MACHINE FOR MARKING TAGS OF DIFFERENT STYLES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 3, 1946 JNVENTORS 1 M \M M BY a 9M ATTORNEYS y 1953 A. K. MARSH ET AL 2,638,038
MACHINE FOR MARKING TAGS OF DIFFERENT STYLES Filed 001:. 3, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTORS K. W \M M ATTORNEYS y 1953 A. K. MARSH ET AL 2,638,038
MACHINE FOR MARKING TAGS OF DIFFERENT STYLES Filed Oct. 3, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS srww.
ATTORNEYS May 12, 1953 A. K. MARSH El AL MACHINE FOR MARKING TAGS OF DIFFERENT STYLES Filed Oct 3, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 JNVENTORS s ATTORAZIE May 12, 1953 A. K. MARSH El AL MACHINE FOR MARKING TAGS OF DIFFERENT STYLES Filed Oct. 3, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS .variety of different styles.
Patented May 12, 1953 MACHINE FOR MARKING TAGS OF DIFFERENT STYLES Alonzo K. Marsh, Ridgewood, and Joseph Weimont, Bogota, N. J., assignors to A. Kimball Company, New York, N. Y.,
New York a corporation of Application October 3, 1946, Serial No. 700,922
21 Claims.
This invention relates to machines for printing price tags and pin tickets such as are used in stores for marking merchandise.
Different styles of tags are attached to different articles, and the differences in styles are not only in the attaching means, whether pin, string,
or other means, but also in the sizes of the tags or tickets which differ in length or width or both, and in the location on the tag of the area which is to be printed.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved machine for printing price tags of a The term tag is used in this specification and in the claims in a broad sense to designate pin tickets as well as :string tickets and other tags that are used for marking merchandise.
7 The invention comprises a single machine to which strips of tags are supplied, and the apparatus can be set to feed and print tags of various combinations of length, width, and.
marked area. In accordance with one feature of the invention all of the necessary adjustments of the strip guides and feed mechanism are oblike reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views:
Fig. l is a perspective view of the front of a tag printing machine embodying this invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the machine shown in Fig. 1, but viewing the machine from the back,
Fig. 3 is an end view of the machine shown in the other figures,
Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the feed control mechanism, the tag guide structure, and some of the apparatus for adjusting the machine.
i "Fig. 4a is a sectional view of a part of the feed control mechanism.
Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view of other apparatus for adjusting the guide for one side of the tag strips,
Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view, partly in section,
showing the control for the knife by which the tags are severed from the strip,
Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail view showing ,mechanism for changing the stroke of the feed control mechanism,
Figs. 8, 9 and 10 show strips of tags of different styles that can be marked by the machine.
M anualZy-opemted drive The machine includes a base Hi to which is attached a vertically extending panel or frame ll. Behind the frame i I there is a main cam shaft I2 supported by pedestal bearings 13 and M (Fig. 2) which extend upwardly from the frame. There is a bevel gear l6 secured to the cam shaft I2 and this bevel gear meshes with another bevel gear I! on the end of a drive shaft l8. The drive shaft H3 turns in a pedestal bearing I9 attached at its lower end tothe frame IE5, and the drive shaft is rotated by a handle 28 extending from a flywheel 2| which is secured to the outer end of the drive shaft.
Drive for feed-control mechanism At the right hand end of the cam shaft 12 there is a cam 22 for controlling the operation of the tag feeding mechanism of the machine.
This cam 22 has an outer element 23 that extends around the entire periphery of the cam and an inner element 24 which extends around a portion of the cam periphery. The space between the inner and outer cam elements 23 and 24 provides a groove for receiving a cam follower 21.
This cam follower 2'! is attached to an arm 28 that rocks back and forth about a pivot which connects the lower end 30 of the arm 28 to a boss 3! on the base Ill.
A stud 33 has a threaded rearward end which screws into the upper portion of the arm 28. This stud 33 is secured in position by a lock nut 34. The forward end of the stud 33 extends through a slot 36 in the frame l l, and into slot 38 (Fig. 1) in a rocker plate 39 which oscillates about a screw 40 attached to the frame ll. Rotation of the cam 22 causes the stud 33 to move back and forth in the slot 36, and to rock the plate 39 about its fulcrum screw 40.
On the front of the frame It) there is a bracket 43 which supports a table 45 extending substantially the entire length of the machine. A carriage 16 slides along the forward edge portion of the table 45 and is held in contact with the table 45 by a guide screw 47 which passes through a slot 48 in the side of the carriage 43. This guide .screw 47 threads into the side of the table 45.
oscillation of the rocker plate 39 moves the stud 3 53 back and forth and causes the carriage 46 to slide along the table 45.
The reciprocating movement of the carriage 46 operates feeding mechanism for advancing a strip of tags through the machine. Ihe tags are connected together side by side so that the width of a strip corresponds to the height or 4 must, therefore, be adjustable so that either the upper edge guide, or the lower edge guide, or both can be adjusted with respect to the platen in order to adapt the machine for use with strips of different width and with tags having their marking areas at difierent distances from the upg per edge of the tag.
length of a tag. The machine includes mech- 1 anism for limiting the length of the stroke of the carriage 46 when printing narrow tags. A part of the feed control comprises a bell crank 55 which rocks about a fulcrum screw 56 threaded into a portion of the bracket 43. This bell crank 55 has a hook 53 at one end and a cam follower 55 at the other end.
The cam follow 59 is periodically displaced by a cam 66, into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 7; and when the bell crank 55 is in this dotted line position, the hook 58 is in the path tif the Stud 53 and limits the stroke of the carriage 46. The dam 'whieh operates the carriage 46 causes the carriage to move toward the right in Fig. '7, and movement of the carriage 45 in the other direction is caused by a spring 82 (Fig. 2) The slot between the cam elements 23 and '23 is constructed so that there is clearance for the cam follower 21 to remain 'out of contact with the cam element 25 when the stroke of the {feed mechanism is limited to a length less than the run throw of the cam 22.
Guides for "tag strips The mechanism for printing the tags, which will hereinafter be explained, always prints within the confines of a fixed area 'over a platen located in the table 45 near the discharge end of the table, that is, the right hand end of the table 45 as viewed in Fig. 4. For this reason it is not sufiicient to have one fixed guide and one movable guide for holding tag strips of different width against displacement transversely of the table. For example, with some tags the area to be printed will extend closer to the top of the tag than in the case of other styles.
Fig. 8 shows a strip of tags '53 having areas 1 on which the printing can extend close to the top edges of the tags adjacent the attaching pins 84. Fig. 9 shows tags 55 of a different style having longer length but also equipped with pins 54 that leave a large area of the tag available for marking. Fig. 10 shows a still different style of tag 61 which has a main body portion and an auxiliary portion 58, and incised lines along which this auxiliary portion '68 can be torn away from the main body of the tag.
With marking tags of the style shown in Fig. 1'0, duplicate indicia are printed side by side on :the tag, with one set of indicia located on the main body ortion of the tag and the other set of indi'cia located -entirely on the auxiliary portion 68. When merchandise are sold, the sales clerk tears off the auxiliary portion 68 of the tag and these torn-off portions are used for inventory control. The tags 61 are shown with "strings '69 for attaching them to merchandise There are guides extending along both sides of the table (Fig. l) for holding a strip of tags against displacement transversely of the table. The upper ends of the tags move along a guide plate $5. This guide plate 15 is spaced from the table 45 to leave space for the attaching pins or strings along the upper ends of the tags, and there is a forwardly-extending lip along the upper edge of the plate I5 for holding the tags down on the table 45. With most styles of tags the guide plate I5 is positioned immediately in front of the panel II, with the back of the guide plate "I5 lip against the front wall of the panel. This guide plate is supported by studs 11 (Fig. 5) which extend 'rearwardly from the guide plate "I5. The studs 71 extend through openings in the panel I I and serve as bearings on which the guide plate is movable toward and from the table on which the strip of tags is supported. The guide plate I5 is urged rearwardly toward the panel 'II by springs I5 compressed between the back face of the panel II and flanges an on the studs TI.
When the machine is to be used for certain styles of tags, the guide plate I5 is pushed forward away from the panel I I by arms 82 located behind the studs I7 and secured to a rocker shaft 8 3. This rocker shaft turns in bearings 85 supported from the frame of the machine, and the shaft 83 is rocked by a lever arm '81 extending downward from the shaft 83 into the path 'of a push rod 88 that slides through an opening in the bracket '43.
The forward end of the push rod 88 contacts with the face of a cam 89. When the end of the push rod 88 is at a high part of the calm, the lever '81 and arms 82 are in position to cause the guide plate I5 to be held away from the panel II. Whenever the end of the push rod 88, which serves as a cam follower, is over a low part of the cam 88, such as the depression 90, the push rod 88, the lei er 81 and studs IT are moved by the springs I8 into position to bring the guide plate "I5 rearwardly toward the panel "I I, and into contact with the panel II when the depression at 90 is of substantial depth for tags having maximum spacing between the marked area and the top of the tag.
The cam '89 is on the back face of a composite 'ca'm assembly 92 which includes the 'cam 50., de-
scribed in the explanation of Fig. 7., and other cams which will 'be described. This entire com- ,posite cam assembly 92 is attached to and supported by a shaft 93 which-is rotatable inabearing in the bracket 43.
The guide for the lower edge of the tag strip is of composite construction with an edge plate '95 (Fig. 4) that has a part 96 of its inner face disposed at an angle to the direction of movement of the strips for facilitating the location of tag strips which do not have pins. Those strips that do have pins are brought into line on the table 45 when the row of "pins is initially inserted into the space between the table 45 and the guide plate 15. The lower guide element includes also a cover plate 91 a portion of which extends beyond the guide face of the edge plate 95, and this cover plate 91 is bent upward to provide a flaring entrance into the lower edge guide.
ing portion I05 in front of the table 45, and this downwardly extending portion I05 has studs I05 which extend into openings in the front of the table 45 for holding the guide assembly 99 against movement lengthwise of the table 45. The studs I06 are slidable in the openings into which they extend, and the guide assembly 99 is therefore movable transversely of the table for adjusting the guide assembly for tags of different styles.
The guide assembly 99 is urged inwardly, to accommodate it to narrow tag strips, by a spring I08 that bears against the front of the guide assembly 99. The spring I08 is compressed between the guide assembly 99 and the cover that fits over the cam assembly 92. This cover is removed in the drawing in order to expose the cam assembly, and it is sufiicient to understand that the forward end of the spring I08 contacts with a fixed abutment of the machine. The inner end of the spring I08 fits over the head of a screw I09 which prevents transverse displacement of the spring.
Cam mechanism is provided for moving the guide assembly 99 forward, against the pressure of the spring I08, to accommodate theguide to tag strips of greater width. This cam mechanism includes a bracket I I secured to the front of the guide assembly 99, and a cam follower III extending down from the bracket H0 and into the path of a cam I I2 located on the front of the cam assembly 92.
The cover plate 91 is a part of the guide assembly 99 but is connected to the edge plate 95 in such a way as to be movable with respect'to the edge plate. This connection includes a screw I I3 extending through a slot in the cover plate 91 and threaded into the edge plate 95. The head of the screw H3 is wider than the slot and the screw comes down against a shoulder which leaves sufficient clearance under the head for the cover plate 91 to slide freely with respect to the edge plate 95. The cover plate 91 is also guided by a washer I I4 which extends over a downwardly extending edge of the cover plate 91, and which is spaced from the portion I05 of the edge plate 96 so as to leave the cover plate 91 free to slide back and forth with respect to the edge plate 95. The washer II4, however, prevents the cover plate 91 from moving transversely with respect to the edge plate 95 or from turning about the retaining screw II3.
Strip feeding mechanism The cover plate 91 is moved into different positions lengthwise of the edge plate 95 by rocking an arm I I5 (Fig. 1) about a fulcrum stud II6 extending outward from the bracket 43. A spring H8 is wound around the fulcrum stud H6 and anchored at one end to a portion of the bracket 43. The spring II8 has its forward end aI1-. chored to the arm H5 and the torsion of the spring I I8 is in a direction to urge the arm I I5 to move clockwise in Fig. 1. A cam follower stud E20 extends inward from the arm H5 and into .the path of a peripheral cam I22 that forms a part of the composite cam assembly 92. Atthe upper end of the arm H5 there is a stud I23 that extends through a slot I24 in the lowermost part of the cover plate 91.
A presser element comprising a finger I25 (Fig. 4) is pivotally supported at one end by a screw I26 which extends through a lug I21 projecting upward from the cover plate 91. At the free end of the finger I25 there is a downwardly extending tip I28 for engaging the tags and for pushing the bottom portion of an end tag downward with respect to the next succeeding tag of the strip so that a pawl I30 of the feed mechanism can engage the depressed portion of the tag under the tip I29 and push the strip forward. The
strips of tags with which. the invention is intended to be used has a cut I33 extending from the bottom edge of the strip for a substantial distance toward the upper end of the strip. Some of the tags have intermediate cuts I34 of different length from the cut'l33. The reason for the different lengths of these cuts will be explained in connection with the cutting apart of the tags.
Fig. 4a shows the finger I25, after it has been pushed down by the printing head, which will be described hereinafter. The pressure of the tip I28 on the last tag 03 immediately to the right of the cut I33, bends the lower end of that tag downward below the plane of the end surface of the next tag so that the pawl I30, on which the other tags are resting, comes against the edge of the depressed tag and feeds the entire strip forward to bring the last tag into the dotted stroke has been completed. It will be apparent that by using the edges of the tags as the abutments against which the feed pawl I30 comes in contact to feed the strip, the strips are fed forward for a distance exactly equal to the distance between succeeding cuts I33 (Figs. 8 to 10), or cuts I33 and I34, provided the stroke of the feed pawl I30 is not equal to or greater than twice the distance between successive cuts.
Feed pawlstrokes equal to twice the distance between successive cuts I33 are avoided, when using narrow tags or tags on which two areas are to be printed, as in Fig. 10, by moving the hook 58 (Fig. 7) into the path of the stud 53 so that the carriage 46 is confined to a shorter stroke. The actual distance that the strip is fed on each stroke, however, is determined by the spacing of the cuts I 33 and I34 of the tags and not by the actual stroke of the feed pawl I30 because the feed pawl, on its return stroke has some overtravel, that is, it moves back further than necessary to engage the edge of the next ag.
The reason for having the cover plate 91 adjustable lengthwise along the lower edge guide structure 99 is for locating the finger I25 so that the tip I28 is in the proper position for depressing the bottom portion of the tag last printed when using tags of any selected width.
their tags connected by webs extending along only a portion of the length of each tag and the shearing section 536 is long enough to sever the tag-connecting webs. The knife I is supported by a fulcrumscrew 23? at the upper end of a .lever I38 which is itself supported by a fulcrum screw its extending through an angle I40 attached to the front of the bracket 43. The lever I38 is urged in a clockwise direction in Fig. 6 by a spring I42.
There is a cam follower roller I44 extending from one side of the lever I38, and this cam follower roller Mt contacts with an outer cam face .1; I46 (Fig. 4) of the composite cam assembly 92.
Thecam I45 is on the front face of the composite cam assembly and furtherout from the shaft 93 thanis the cam face H 2; and the cam follower roller I44 does not extend in far enough to be affected by the cam- I it.
The purpose of the cam I46 is to shift the cam follower IM and move thefulcru-m Iit'i (Fig.
.6) to change the location of the shearing section #35 of the knife transversely of the tag strip supporting table in accordance with the location of thewebs connecting the tags of different styles.
The machine'i s made so that it can be used to markstrips or tags without cutting the tags apart. The knife I35 can be depressed to' a position thatbrings the top of the knife even with the top of the table. The knifeis-in this position inFig. Spa-Dd the strip of tags feeds across the top ofi the knife and through a sheet metal guide I4? (rue 3) attached tothe front ofthe frame or panel I I-.. t
The knife i35= i urged into araised position by a spring Hi8 (Fig 6), and the knife-is depressed, to make its-cutting stroke; by apin- I59 extending through a slotted end oi the knife behind the panel. Ii. This-pin 50" extends'out from one side of a lever arm I52 which issupported a fulcrum pin- I53 from a bracket I54 extending upward from the frame ofthe machine. The. lever I5! is pushed downward by a cam I55 secured to the main cam shaft-.12. 'I here is one high portion I51 on-the cam I 55 andlthis portion I51- oausesthe lever arm IEZt'ooperate once-for eachcycle of the marking machine.
The angularposition'ofthe cam lii'fion the cam shaft I3 is-sorelated-to the angular positions-of the other cams that theknife I35 is-operated at the endof a feed stroke of the machine just after the. tag strip has been advanced to extend .thelast tag-beyond'the-endof the'table 45.
For tagssuch asthetagsE-I- of Fig. 1-0, the machine must operate through two complete cycles in printing each of these tags because duplicate informationisprinted on the main body and. on the auxiliary tag portion 6-8; The
knife. wilLoperateonce for eachcycle of the 'to be under the shearing sectionof the knife.
The knife merely flexes the material of the strip downward on the right-hand side of the cut I34. The incised webs I62 that connect the successive tags Iii are located closer to the bottom edge of the strip and under the shearing portion of the knife when the knife is adjusted for tags of the style shown in Fig. 10.
The knife I35 is moved downward into the inoperative position shown in Fig. 6 by means of a lever I55 extending across the top of the lever arm- I52. This lever I65 is supported at one end by a fulcrum pin ISG extending from the back of the panel II. The other end of arm i65 carries a handle I69 that slides along a stud I70 rigidly connected to the lever I85. The stud H0 extends through a slot III (Fig. 3) in the front of the frame ID, and the handle I69, located out in front of the frame I0, can be moved down- Ward along the slot i'II to depress one end of lever I65 and push the lever arm I52 downward into the position shown in Fig. 6. When in such a po'sition the lever arm I52 is not affected by the cam I55 since the lever arm is depressed below the maximum throw of the cam. The handie IE9 is wider than the slot IIi, but there is a counterbore at the upper and lower ends of the slot Ill; and the end of the handle IE9 is pushed into these counterbores for holding the lever I in either its raised or lowered position.
Indexing for dz'fierent styles of tags The various on the cam assembly 92 (Figs. 4 and 5) are so shaped that with the shaft 93 in various positions the cams adjust the guides, the feed mechanism, and the cut-off knife for every style of tag with which the machine is intended to be used. In order to determin the angular position of the Shaft 93 there is an indexing head I16 (Fist 1) attached to the end of the shaft 93 by a screw I 75 threaded into th end of the sh'af t 93. The indexing head I'M has pins which fit into openings I'll and I I8 (Fig. i) in the shaft 93 and these pins I'I'I are of different diameter or located less than apart, or may be otherwise arranged, so that the indexing head can be put" on the shaft 53 in only one angular position.
The indexing head I74 includes a knob m0 (Fig; I) by which the head is turned, and has a dial I with in'dioia; such as numerals, located at angularly' spaced regions around the face of the diaL- The indexing numbers on the dial correspond to the style numbers of tags shown on a sample display board or on a legend sheet for guiding the userof the machine.- In the apparatus showniri the drawing; the dial IE1 is turned to" bringto' the top position the style numberof the tags to be printed. The cam assembly structure shown in the drawing is ordinarily covered with a housing, and the indexing head is located on the outside of the housing. The indexing numbers on. the dial IBI can be located, with respect to the shaft 93 s'o that the desired style index can be an ight into register with a fixed pointer located at any convenient position 9) I99 in position to be depressed by the cam as the high portion of the cam rotates into its lowermost position. This cam I99 is secured to the main cam shaft I2.
The printing head I90 is located out in front of panel II. An ink supply roller 202 is also located out in front of the panel II and is supported by a shaft 203 extending through an opening in the panel II and through a bearing 204 attached to the back of the panel.
A- bevel gear 295 meshes with another bevel gear 206 driven by a spur gear 208. This spur gear 208 is rotated by a large driving gear 209 secured to the main shaft I2 of the machine. Thus the ink supply roller 202 is rotated continuously during the operation of th machine and at a speed substantially faster than the speed of rotation of the main drive shaft I2.
The portion of the table 45 (Fig. 1) immediately under the printing he: :1 I90 serves as a platen and preferably contains a rubber insert. The printing head I90 holds a chase 2l3 in guides 2 I4 and the chase is moved in and out by a handle 2I5 when the type is to be changed. When the printing head is in its raised position, the type which extends from the underside of the chase 2I3 is in position to be contacted by an inking roller 2I8 which reoiprocates back and forth in a direction parallel to the table 45. This inking roller 2I8 is supported on a stud 22I extending outward from a carriage 223 which slides in a bearing slot 224 on the front panel I I.
The mechanism for moving the carriage 223 backward and forward along the slot 224 is not illustrated; and it is sufficient for purposes of this invention to understand that this carriage 223 is connected by a link mechanism to an operating lever 228 (Fig. 2), and that the rearward end of this operating lever is supported by a vertical pivot bearing 229 extending upward from the frame I and holding the operating lever 228 at such a level that a cam follower roller 23I carried by the lever 228 extends into a slot 232 of a cam 233 secured to the main cam shaft I2.
The cam slot 232 is shaped to cause the inking roller 2I3 (Fig. 1) to move from a rest position into contact with the ink supply roller 202 for long enough to acquire a fresh coating of ink around the entire circumference of the inking roller 2I8; and then across the face of the type in the chase 2I3, and back again into the rest position, during each cycle of operation of the machine. This movement of the inking roller is in such timed relation with the operation of the printing head I90 that the inking roller 2; is out from under the printing head before the printing head I90 starts its downward movement.
There is a counter 230 attached to the panel II alongside the lever I9l. This counter is conventional and is operated by the lever I? to record the number of times that the lever moves the printing head. This corresponds with the number of tags marked when using tags such as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, and is equal to twice the number of tags marked when using tags of the style shown in Fig. 10. The counter 236 is turned back to its zero setting by a knob 231.
Operation of the machine When the machine is to be set for marking a particular style of tag, the flywheel 2! (Fig. l) is first turned to an angular position that advances the carriage 46 on its feed stroke far enough to locate the stud 53 (Fig. '7) on the right-hand side of the hook 58 so that if the setting of the 10 cam assembly raises the hook 58, the stud 53 will be on the right side of the hook to limit the movement of the carriage 45.
The proper direction for rotating the flywheel 2| is indicated by an arrow 238 marked on the rim of the flywheel, and the position to which the flywheel 2| (Fig. 1) must be turned to bring the parts into the correct positions for setting the index head is also determined by the arrow 238. For example with the arrow 238 in the position shown in Fig. l, the operator knows that the other parts of the machine are in position so that they can be correctly adjusted by turning the indexing head I14.
The operator compares the strip of tags to be marked with samples or pictures of the different styles on a master sheet that indicates the proper setting of the index head for each style of tag. The index head is turned to bring the correct index number to the top of the dial. The strip of tags to be marked is then laid on the table 45 with the upper ends of the tags in contact with the upper edge guide plate I5, and the strip is moved manually along the table 45 until the end of the strip comes even with the shearing edge at the end of the table 45. If the tags are to be cut apart as successive tags are marked, the handle I69 (Fig. 6) is positioned at the top of the slot I'iI; but if the strips are to be marked without cutting the tags apart, the handle I69 is moved downward and to the end of the slot III and pushed into the counterbore at the bottom of the slot to hold the handle I69, lever I55, and the associated lever arm I52 and knife I35 in a lowered position that permits the strip of tags to pass over the top of the knife I65 and out through the guide I41 (Fig. 3).
The operator operates the machine by gripping the handle 20 and rotating the flywheel 2I which turns the associated gears and cams to cause the machine to perform one cycle of operation for each rotation of the flywheel. The cams cause the inking roller 2I8 (Fig. 1) to move first into contact with the ink supply roller 220 and travel across the face of the type that extends down from the chase H3. The carriage 223 then moves back and returns the inking roller 218 to its normal position, and the cam mechanism causes the printing head I to move down into contact with the endmost tag on the table 45. The tag is thus printed and this downward stroke of the printing head I90 is utilized to press the finger I25 into contact with the printed tag to depress one edge of the tag into position to be engaged by the feed pawl I30 (Fig. 4a).
Further operation of the cam mechanism causes the printing head to rise and the carriage 46 (Fig. 4) to move forward carrying the feed pawl I30 into contact with the endmost tag. At
the end of the stroke of the feed carriage 46, the feed pawl I30 is always even with the shearing edge of the table 45, and the web connecting the endmost tag with the rest of the strip is thus positioned over the shearing edge of the table 45 and under the knife I35 in position to be out, if the knife is in use.
Further operation of the cam mechanism depresses the knife I35 to sever the endmost strip, unless the knife has been locked in an inoperative position as previously explained. The feed carriage returns to its original position, or to the intermediate position if the indexing head has been set to bring the crank 55 (Fig. 7) up into the path of the pin 53. Such a restricted stroke is used only-for narrow tags or double tags on which 1 l duplicate indicia are to be marked on adjoining portions of the tag.
As the operator continues to rotate the flywheel, the cycle of operation is repeated over and over again until all of the tags of the strip have been printed. The machine can be used for printing single tags, but much of the automatic mechanism is unnecessary when using the machine for single tags.
The preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated and described includes features that make it adjustable for styles and sizes of tags having wide variations of dimensions and marking areas, and having duplicate marking areas, but the invention can be used in machines having combinations of some, but not all, of these features. Terms of orientation, are of course, relative, and various structural changes and modifications can be made in the apparatus illustrated without departing from the invention as defined in the claims.
What is claimed is:
1. In a machine for printing successive tags of a strip, said machine comprising a supporting table along which the strip moves, a platen portion on one end of the table, independently movable guides extending along opposite edges of the table for preventin transverse displacement of the strip, cut-off mechanism at the end of the supporting table for severing the endmost tag of the strip, apparatus for adjusting the cut-off mechanism to accommodate different styles of tags, automatic mechanism for feeding the strip forward for a predetermined distance during each cycle of operation of the machine, means for adjusting the position of the guide at one side of the table, other means for adjusting the position of the guide on the other side of the table, and common operating mechanism for moving the cut-off adjusting apparatus and both of the guide adjusting means, said operating mechanism including an indexing head that moves the cut-off adjusting apparatus and the guide adjusting means into different positions that cause different combinations of adjustment of the guides with respect to one another and with respect to the cut-off mechanism, said indexing head having designations thereon for diiferent styles of tags, each of which designations is set in a different position to produce the combination of guide positions and cut-off mechanism adjustment for the particular style of tag designated.
2. In a tag markin mach'ne the combinat on comprising a supporting table along which a strip of tags is fed, a platen portion located at one end of the table, and on which a tag is supported while being printed, a guide plate spaced from one edge of the table for guiding the upper edges of the tags in said strip, a lip on the guide plate extending over the top edges of the tags, supporting hearings on which the guide plate is movable toward and from the edge of said table, spring means urging the guide plate away from the edge of the table, a second guide extending along the other side of the supporting table and transversely across a portion of said table for guiding the lower edges of the tags of said strip, bearing means on which the second guide is movable transversely of the sup-porting table to accommodate it to tags of different width, spring means urging said second guide into position to cover a substantial portion of said table, a cam assembly including cylindrical cams on opposite faces of said assembly, separate cam followers operated by the respective cams and each connected with LTD one of the guides for moving its guide against the force of said spring means, an indexing head connected with the cam assembly for turning the cam assembly into diilerent positions to produce diiferent combinations of adjustment of the guides, a dial on the indexing head, and designations of tag styles located at angularly spaced regions around the face of the dial to indicate the position to which the dial must be set to obtain the combination of guide adjustments required for the particular style of tag correspond ing to the respective designations.
3. In a tag marking machine having a supporting table at a predetermined region of which a tag is marked, and having an indexing head that is movable into diiierent positions for adjusting an element of the machine to accommodate tags of different size or style, the combination with said indexing head of a connection for adjusting a second element of the machine, automatic feed mechanism for advancing a tag to said predeter mined region and for advancing the tag beyond said region after the marking operation, means that adjust the stroke of the feed mechanism to feed tags of different size, said means being operated from the indexing head through said connection.
4. In a tag marking machine for printing successive tags of tag strips, a support for a strip of tags, automatic feed mechanism for advancing the strip in successive steps, guides for both sides of the tag strip, separate apparatus for adjusting the guides for the different edges of the strip, apparatus for adjusting the feed mechanism for tags of different width, and a common indexing head operatively connected with the separate apparatus for adjusting the guides for the diiferent edges of the strip and with the feed adjusting apparatus, the indexing head being movable into a plurality of positions that give difierent combinations of adjustment of said apparatus.
5. In a tag marking machine including a support for a strip of tags, guide means along one side of the support for guiding the upper edge of the strip, other guide means along the other sde of the support for guidin the lower edge of the tag strip, bearing elements on which the respective guide means are movable toward and from one another to accommodate them to tag strips of different width, spring means urging the respective tag guides in one direction, cam means for moving each of the tag guides in the other direction against the force of said spring means, automatic feed mechanism for advancing the tag strip for a distance equal to the width of one tag during each cycle of operation of the machine, apparatus for adjusting the feed mechanism for tags of diiferent width, and a common indexing head operatively connected with the cam means and with the apparatus for adjusting the feed mechanism, the indexing head being movable into different positions to give different combinations of adjustment.
6. In a tag marking apparatus the combinatlon comprising a support for a strip of tags that has successive tags connected together across only a portion of the width of the strip, feed mechanism including a reciprocating pawl located on the strip support and under the tag strip, a device for bending at least a portion of 8 0 the tags of the strip out of line with the successive tag to depress a side of the tag into position for contact with the feed pawl, guides for the upper and lower edges of the tag strip, apparatus for adjusting the guides for strips of differcut widths, other apparatus for adjusting the reduced width, and indexing means for indicating the setting of all of the adjusting apparatus.
'7. In a tag marking apparatus for use with tag strips having successive tags connected together by webs extending across only a portion of the width of the tag strip, a support along which the tag strip moves through the machine, guide means on both sides of the support for guiding the upper and lower edges of the tags, apparatus for adjusting the guide means to accommodate strips of different width, feed mechanism including a reciprocating feed pawl movable back and forth under a strip in the direction in which the strip is to be advanced, a presser element in position to bend a portion of a ta downward out of line with the next successive tag and into the path of the reciprocating feed pawl, apparatus for adjusting the position of said presser element toward and from the position at which the feed pawl stops at one end of its stroke, and other apparatus for changing the stroke of the feed pawl to accommodate tags of different width.
8. In a tag marking apparatus for use with tag strips having successive tags connected together by webs extending across only a portion of the width of the tag strip, a support along which the tag strip moves through the machine,
guide means on both sides of the support for guiding the upper and lower edges of the tags, apparatus for adjusting the guide means to accommodate strips of different width, feed mechanism including a reciprocating feed pawl movable back and forth under a strip in the direction in which the strip is to be advanced, a presser element in position to bend a portion of a tag downward out of line with the next successive tag and into the path of the reciprocating feed pawl, apparatus for adjusting the position of said presser element toward and from the position at which the feed pawl stops at one end of its stroke, mechanism for advancing the pawl on its feed stroke, spring means for moving the feed pawl on its return stroke, and adjustable apparatus for determining the length of the return stroke of the feed pawl.
9. In a tag marking machine including a support with guides between which a strip of tags is fed to a marking station apparatus that adjusts the guides, transversely of the direction of movement of the strip, to accommodate tags of different style, cut-off mechanism located beyond the marking station and including a knife for severing the endmost tag from the strip, a fulcrum supporting one end of the knife, mechanism for rocking the knife about its fulcrum to bring the knife into position to sever the tag strip, and apparatus for adjusting the position of the fulcrum transversely of the direction of movement of the strip through the guides to accommodate the cut-off mechanism to strips and tags of different styles, and common control means that adjust both of said apparatus simultaneously to selected styles of tags.
10. In a tag marking machine for marking duplicate indicia on spaced-apart areas of successive tags that have one of the marking areas on an auxiliary tag portion connected to the main body of the tag by a web extending for only a portion of the height of the tag and that have successive tags connected together in strips by webs extending for only a portion of the width of the strip, the tag-connecting webs being cated at a different distance from the edge of the strip than are the other webs that connect each of the auxiliary tag portions with the main body of its tag, the combination that comprises a marking station, a support along which the strip of tags is advanced through the machine, a cutoff mechanism at the discharge end of the support beyond the marking station, the cut-off mechanism comprising a knife having a shearing edge extending for only a portion of the width of the support, feed mechanism for advancing a tag strip along the support after each marking operation of the machine for a distance equal to the width of one of the marked areas of the tag, other mechanism for moving the knife to shear the end most tag from the strip, common operating means that operates the feed mechanism and the knife, and that operates the knife once for each operation of the feed mechanism, said knife extending across the Width of the support further than the intended location of the webs that connect the successive tags together in the strip, but not extending as far as the intended location of the other webs that connect each of the auxiliary tag portions with the main body of its tag.
11. In a tag marking machine including a supporting table, a guide at one side of the table for the upper edge of a tag, a guide at the other side of the table for the lower edge of the tag, feed mechanism for advancing the tag along the table, apparatus for adjusting at least one of the ed guides to accommodate tags of different height, other apparatus for adjusting the feed mechanism to accommodate the machine to tags of different width, and motion transmitting connections that shift the apparatus for adjusting the feed mechanism into a different position upon movement of the edge guide adjusting apparatus into a predetermined position.
12. In a tag marking machine including a supporting table, a guide at one side of the table for the upper edge of a tag, a guide at the other side of the table for the lower edge of the tag, a feed mechanism for advancing the tag along the table, apparatus for adjusting the feed mechanism for tags of different width, other apparatus for adjusting at least one of the guides to accommodate tags of different height, and common indexing means operatively connected with the apparatus for adjusting the guide spacing and the apparatus for adjusting the feed mechanism, said indexing means being movable into a plurality of different positions to obtain different combinations of adjustment of said apparatus so that all of said apparatus can be set simultaneously for tags of predetermined style.
13. In a tag marking machine including a table along which a tag is advanced a predetermined location on the table at which the tag is marked, guide means along opposite sides of the table for guiding the upper and lower edges of the tag, feed mechanism for advancing the tag with a step movement into position to be marked and thereafter advancing the tag beyond the marking position, apparatus including a cam for adjusting the spacing of the guides to accommodate tags of difierent height, other apparatus including a cam for adjusting the feed mechanism to change the length of the steps by which the tag is moved, a common shaft to which both of the cams are connected, and an indexing head on the shaft that moves the shaft to different positions to obtain different combinations of adjustment of said apparatus.
' .14. In a tag marking machine including a support, guide means alongopposite sides of the support for guiding the upper and lower edges of a tag, apparatus for adjusting the guide means to accommodate tags of diiierent he ht, reciprocating feed mechanism for advan g alone; the support, apparatus for adjusting the mechanism including a stop movable to position to limit the stroke or the feed hanism when using the machine with narrow tags, a common indexing head operatively connected with the apparatus for adjusting the guide means and the feed mechanism, the indexing head being movable into a plurality of positions to give different combinations of adjustment of said ap- Daratus.
15. In a tag marking machine including a support having a predetermined area at which the tag is marked, guide means along opposite sides of the support for guiding the upper and lower edges of a tag, app atus for adji the spacing of the guide means to accommodate tags of different height, d mechani m for advancing the tag with a step-by- -step movement, said feed mechanism including a reciprocating portion over which the tag travels, and a presser element for holding the tag down on the support and in position for cooperation. with the reciproeating portion of the feed mechanism, and apparatus for adjusting the position of said element to accommodate the feed mechanism to different styles of tags.
16. In a tag marking machine, the combination comprising a support for a strip of tags, guide means for the upper and lower edges or the and between which the tag strip moves as it is advanced along said support, a marking station at a predetermined region of said support, feed ing mechanism for advancing the tags, bearing surfaces on which the guide means are movable to shift the course of the tag strips transversely with respect to the marking station and to change the spacing of the guide means to accommodate tags of diiierent height, apparatus for adjusting the guide means on said bearing surfaces, other apparatus for adjusting the feed mechanism for accommodating tags of different width, a knife at one end of the support beyond the marking station for severing the endmost tag from the strip, apparatus for adjusting the position of sai knife to sever of different styles, a common indexing head movable into different positions, and operative connections between the indexing head and the respective apparatus for adjusting the guide means, the feed mechanism, and the position of the knife.
17. In a machine for marking successive tags connected together in a strip, the combination including a support for the tag strip, feed mechanism for advancing the strip intermittently in steps that are correlated with the width of the successive tags to be marked, apparatus for adjusting the feed mechanism to accommodate tags of difierent styles, a marking station to which successive tags are fed, cut-ohmechanism beyond the marking station. for severing the endmost tag from the strip, apparatus for adjusting the position of the cut-off mechanism to accommodate tags of different styles, a common indexing head operatively connected with the apparams for adjusting the feed mechanism and also with the apparatus for adjusting the position of the cut ofi mechanism, the indexing head being movable into a plurality of positions that give differentcombinations oiadiustment of said a! paratus.
18. In a tag marking machine including a support for a strip of tags, 2. top guide along the support for guiding the upper edge of the strip a lower guide on the other side of the support for guiding the bottom edge of the strip, feed. mocha-- nism including a reciprocating element, mechanism for operating said reciprocating element, a presser element for holding successive tags of the strip in position for cooperation with the reciprocating element of the feed mechanism, out-off mechanism including a knife extending transversely of the strip, apparatus including a cam for moving the knife to accommodate it to tags of different styles, other apparatus including a cam for adjusting the position of the presser element lengthwise of the strip, other apparatus including a cam for limiting the stroke of the reciprocating element 01' the feed mechanism, other apparatus including a cam for adjusting the posttion of the bottom edge guide transversely of the support, other apparatus including a cam for adjusting the position of the top guide transversely of said support, and indexing means for indicating the setting of all of said cams.
19. A tag marking machine including a support and device for marking successive tags located over a predetermined region of the support, guides along opposite sides of the support for guidint the upper and lower edges of a tag as it advances along said support, a cam and motion transmitting connections operated by the cam for I'' ing the upper edge guide transversely of the support, a second cam and motion transmitting connections operated by the second cam for adiush ing the lower edge guide transversely of the support, feed mechanism including a reciprocating pawl and a presser element that holds a tag in position for cooperation with said pawl. apparatus including a cam for adjusting the stroke oi the pawl, other apparatus including a cam for ad justing the position of the prcsser element lengthwise of the support for cooperation with tags of different size, common operating mechanism for the marking device and the feed mechanism, and motion-transmitting connections that operate the marking device in timed relation with the feed mechanism and independently of the adjustments of the guides and of the feed mechanism.
20. A tag marking machine including a sup.- port and a device for marking successive tags located over a predetermined region of the support, guides along opposite sides of the support for guiding the upper and lower edges of a tag as'it advances along said support, a cam and motion transmitting connections operated by the cam for moving the upper edge guide transversely of the support, a second cam and motion transmitting connections operated by the second cam for adjusting the lower edge guide transversely of the support, feed mechanism includ' ing a reciprocating pawl and presscr element that holds a tag in position for cooperation with said pawl, apparatus including a cam for adjust ing the stroke of the pawl, 21 common shaft to which all of said cams are operatively connected, an indexing head connected with said common. shaft, said indexing head being movable into :2. number of angular-1y spaced positions and. the cams being of such angular extent that they operate over an angular range corresponding to the combined angular spacing of a number of positions of the indexing head, and said cams having their rises located at different angular positions so that different positions of the indexing head obtain different combinations of adjustment of the upper and lower guides and the feed mechanism.
21. In a tag-marking machine, the combination including a support along which a strip of tags is fed past a marking device, guides along opposite sides of the course followed by the strip for preventing transverse displacement of the strip as it moves through the machine, separate adjusting means connected with each of the guides, parts movable into different positions to shift the guide adjusting means independently with respect to one another to obtain different combinations of positions transverse of the support, a feeding device that advances the strip with step by step movement along the support, a cut-off device at the end of the support, apparatus for adjusting at least one of the devices to ac commodate strips having tags of different styles,
References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date DeForest Dec. 8, 1863 Number Number Number 18 Name Date Crane Oct. 23, 1883 Oehring Mar. 1, 1910 Stewart May 17, 1910 McCauley Mar. 4, 1913 Henry Apr. 15, 1919 Kohnle -1 Feb. 19, 1924 Laencher Nov. 22, 1927 Shively Jan. 22, 1929 Rabinowitz Feb. 4, 1930 Bignell Oct. 6, 1931 Laencher Dec. 22, 1931 Laencher Feb. 14, 1933 Evans May 9, 1933 Laencher Jan. 1, 1935 Powers Feb. 19, 1935 Flood Dec. 3, 1935 Weimont Dec. 28, 1937 Henry Jan. 4, 193-8 Flood Aug. 2, 1938 Purdy Feb. 14, 1939 Mestre Mar. 1941 Hafecost July 29, 1941 Sutter Dec. 19, 1944 Iverson Oct. 11, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Aug. 1, 1912
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US2762300A (en) * 1954-10-08 1956-09-11 Toledo Scale Co Reciprocating feed device for printing apparatus
US2895415A (en) * 1955-01-05 1959-07-21 Toledo Scale Corp Inking means for rotary printing apparatus
US2996001A (en) * 1953-06-26 1961-08-15 Rotomark Mfg Corp Label printing and cutting apparatus
US3094925A (en) * 1957-11-18 1963-06-25 Guhl & Scheibler A G Label printing machines
US4027590A (en) * 1973-07-09 1977-06-07 Avery International Corporation Label, ticket and tag printing machine with interchangeable tape supply and feeder magazines
EP0105191A2 (en) * 1982-09-07 1984-04-11 Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance SA Cutter for flexible webs

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