US3280955A

US3280955A - Electrically operated embossing machine

Info

Publication number: US3280955A
Application number: US444002A
Authority: US
Inventors: Milton M Brown
Original assignee: Dymo Industries Inc
Current assignee: Dymo Industries Inc
Priority date: 1965-03-30
Filing date: 1965-03-30
Publication date: 1966-10-25
Anticipated expiration: 1983-10-25

Description

Oct. 25, 1966 M. M. BROWN ELECTRICALLY OPERATED EMBOSSING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 30, 1965 FIG. 1.

M m m w 4 1... m5 6 3% I IN w m 6 M an O W Y B F w & m WIJ- wl. 0 2 M w m 6 M w F e I 8 0 w M a \E m? m Oct. 25, 1966 M. M. BROWN ELECTRICALLY OPERATED EMBOSSING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Mara/V Bleak/1V BY 7 Filed March 50, 1965 l 4am) I 4.I\/ LPF Kr I I Wk i. y l W/VN w: o 8. w w: v:

Oct. 25, 1966 FiledMarch 30, 1965 M. M. BROWN ELECTRICALLY OPERATED EMBOSSING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 l8 as I06 94 20 I20 86 M as no 1 98 FIG. 8.

INVENTOR. M11- ran M BRon/A/ BY 19 /5 H770 A/E/a United States Patent 3,280,955 7 ELECTRKIALLY OPERATED EMBOSSING MACHINE Milton M. Brown, Oakland, Calif, assignor to Dymo Industries, Inc, Emeryville, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Mar. 30, 1965, Ser. No. 444,002

3 Claims. (Cl. 197-67) The present invention relates generally to embossing machines and pertains, more specifically, to electrically operated embossing machines.

Embossing machines which make use of embossable material in the form of an elongated strip have found wide acceptance in the fabrication of embossed displays such as labels, signs, plates, tags and the like. Where such machines are put to relatively heavy use, it has been found desirable and convenient to eliminate time consuming and fatiguing manual operation and attain accurate and consistently high quality embossments through the provision of electrically operated embossing machines.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an electrically operated embossing machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electrically operated embossing machine which employs a single electrically operated actuator and simplified means for operatively engaging the actuator with the various operating elements of the machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electrically operated embossing machine incorporating flexibility and ease of operation while maintaining simplicity in design and construction.

The invention may be described briefly as an electrically operated embossing machine including a frame, electrically operated means carried by the frame, embossing means carried by the frame for establishing emboss ments on a strip of embossable material in response to actuation of the electrically operated means, cut-oft means carried by the frame for severing the strip in response to actuation of the electrically operated means, feed means carried by the frame for advancing the strip through the embossing means and the cut-off means in response to actuation of the electrically operated means, and selector means for allowing selective operation of either the embossing means or the cut-off means in response to actuation of the electrically operated means, the selector means further permitting actuation of the electrically operated means and consequent operation of the feed means without operation of either the embossing means or the cut-off means.

The invention will be more fully understood and further objects and advantages thereof will become apparent in the following detailed description of an embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an electrically operated embossing machine constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a partially schematic bottom plan view of the machine;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the machine taken along line 3--3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary elevational end view illustrating a detail of the machine;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a detail of the feed means of the machine; and

FIGURES 6 through 8 are fragmentary sectional views showing like components of the machine in different operating positions for illustrating details of operation of the machine.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIGURE "ice 1, an embossing machine is depicted generally at 10 and has a housing 12 fitted over a frame 14, portions of which frame project through the top of the housing. A view of the exterior of the machine reveals the ope-rating controls including an emboss key 16, a spacer key 18, a cutolf key 20 and a character selector knob 22, the function and operation of all of which controls will be explained hereinafter.

Turning now to FIGURES 2 through 5, embossing ma chine 10 is designed to emboss selected indicia on an elongated strip or tape of embossable material shown at 24. The tape 24 is supplied to machine 10 in a magazine 26 which is fixed in place beneath the housing and the frame as seen in FIGURES 2 and 3.

Embossing of the tape 24 is accomplished at an embossing station 28 by embossing means carried by the frame and which will be described shortly. Subsequent to embossing, the tape may be severed by cut-off means located at a cut-off station 30 as will be described hereinafter.

In order to feed the tape 24 from magazine 26 and advance the tape along a prescribed horizontal path through the embossing means and cut-off means, the tape is threaded from the magazine through a guide passage 32 to a feed means which includes a feed roller 34 fixed for rotation with a feed roller shaft 36 which is journalled within

support brackets

38 and 40 which are mounted to the frame. Feed roller 34 is provided with a shoe 42, fabricated of a resilient material such as rubber, which shoe projects through frame 14 into passage 32 to press tape 24 against the housing 12 and thereby grip the tape so that rotation of the feed roller in a counterclockwise direction (as seen in FIGURE 3) will ad- Vance the tape from the magazine toward the embossing station. Feed roller 34 is driven incrementally in order to index tape 24 for each embossment, the incremental rotation being accomplished by pawl 44 engaging ratchet wheel 46 (see FIGURE 5) which is also fixed to shaft 36. Pawl 44 is linked to feed lever 48 which is integrally connected to 'a crank shaft 50 supported for rotation by

support brackets

40 and 52. Crank shaft 50 may be rotated by crank 54 which is connected to the actuator arm 56 of an electrically actuated means illustrated in the form of a solenoid 58 through a connecting rod 60. Solenoid 58 may be actuated to operate through a full cycle including a linear advance stroke of arm 56 and a return stroke of arm 56. As best seen in FIGURE 2, the electric circuit between line cord 62 and solenoid 58 may be completed by depressing the emboss key 16 which closes an electric switch 64 and causes actuation of the solenoid through the advance stroke to draw arm 56 to the left, thereby rotating the crank shaft 50 in a clockwise direction (FIGURES 3 and 5) along with feed lever 48 which pulls pawl 44 downwardly allowing the tooth of the pawl to slip along the surface of the ratchet wheel without engaging a tooth of the ratchet wheel and without rotation thereof. However, upon release of the emboss key 16, switch 64 is opened with a consequent deenergizing of the solenoid and return of actuator arm 56 toward the right in the return stroke to the original position illustrated in FIGURE 3 and pawl 44, which is maintained against ratchet wheel 46 by a spring 66, engages a tooth of the ratchet wheel and rotates the wheel thereby incrementally rotating feed roller 34 and indexing tape 24.

Embossing of the tape 24 is accomplished at the embossing station 28 wherein there is located the embossing means shown in the form of an embossing die set 70 actuated by a vertically reciprocating plunger 72 held in place within frame 14 by a leaf spring support 74 passing therethrough. Die set 70 is one of a plurality of die sets located in the periphery of selector wheel 76 which is rotatably mounted upon frame 14 so that any one of the plurality of die sets can be located at the embossing station by rotation of selector knob 22 to enable the embossing of selected indicia in the tape 24. Selector wheel 76 is made up of upper and

lower disks

78 and 80, respectively, one of which carries the'die and the other of which carries the punch of each die set. As seen in FIG- URE 1, the upper disk 78 is provided with visible characters 82 on the outer face thereof corresponding to the indicia which can be embossed by the selectable die sets.

Tape 24 is passed between upper and

lower disks

78 and 80 and then embossed by depressing the emboss key 16 to energize the solenoid 58, as described above, and rotate crank shaft 50 in a clockwise direction (FIGURE 3) thereby raising primary lever 84, which is integral with the crank shaft, and consequently raising a secondary lever 86 (see FIGURE 6), which is pivotally mounted to frame 14 by means of pin 88. An interposer 90 is slidably mounted upon secondary lever 86 and is provided with a boss 92 which, in the normal position of the interposer illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 6, is located beneath the plunger 72 so as to engage the plunger and actuate the embossing die set as seen in FIGURE 6. Upon release of the emboss key, the actuator arm of the solenoid is returned to the right and the secondary lever will be lowered by the action of return spring 94, thereby allowing plunger 72 to be returned to its normal position and held there by leaf spring support 74. As the embossing operation is thus being completed, the tape will be indexed one prescribed increment by the feed means as described above so that the tape will be ready for a subsequent embossing operation.

When it is desired to index the tape without performing an embossing operation, the spacer key 18 is depressed simultaneously with the depression of the emboss key 16. Depression of the spacer key will cause downward displacement of a spacer cam 96 which is integral with the spacer key and which will engage a corresponding spacer follower 98 fixed to the interposer 90 through an interposer link 100. As best seen in FIGURE 7, such downward displacement of the spacer cam and engagement of the spacer follower will slide the interposer to the left to a second position on the secondary lever 86 wherein the boss 92 is no longer located below the plunger 72 and will not engage the plunger when the secondary lever is raised by the energizing of the solenoid. The driving connections between the solenoid and the feed means are undisturbed by the depression of the spacer key, however, and the tape is advanced as before. Thus, simultaneous depression of the emboss and spacer keys accomplishes indexing of the tape without the establishment of an embossment thereon.

In order to sever the already embossed strip from the tape remaining in the machine, the emboss key 16 and the cut-off key are simultaneously depressed. Depression of the cut-off key will cause downward displacement of cut-off cam 102 which is integral with the cutoff key and which will engage a cut-off follower 104 also fixed to the interposer 90 through interposer link 100. As best seen in FIGURE 8, such downward dis placement of the cut-01f cam and engagement of the cut-off follower will slide the interposer even further to the left to a third position on the secondary lever wherein a finger 106 which is provided on a lower portion of the interposer 90 will be located above a lateral rod 108 fixed between depending arms 110 of a cut-ofi yoke 112. The cut-off yoke 112 is mounted in the frame 14 for reciprocation in a vertical direction and includes a lateral beam 114 wihch carries

cutting blades

116 and 118 and which is normally maintained in an uppermost position shown in FIGURES 3, 6 and 7, by a spring 120.

Upon simultaneous depression of the emboss and cutoff keys, the secondary lever is pivoted about pin 88 as before and finger 106 is lowered to engage lateral rod 108 and draw cut-off yoke 112 downwardly until

cutting blades

116 and 118 are brought against a cutting anvil 122 and the tape 24- is severed. In certain instances, tape 24 is actually comprised of upper and lower strips of material laminated to one another and it is desired to sever both strips at one point along the tape while severing only one strip at another adjacent point. Hence, two blades are illustrated, one for severing both strips, the other for severing only one strip. Thus, simultaneous depression of the emboss and cut-off keys accomplishes severing of the tape without the establishment of an embossment thereon.

The spacer cam 96 and cut-oft" cam 102 are each provided with a slot 124 and two guide pins 126 and 128 (see FIGURE 4) passing through each slot and fixed in the frame. The guide pins cooperate with their respective slots to define the path of the respective cams and place upper and lower limits upon the vertical travel of the cams. Thus, each cam can travel vertically downwardly in response to the depression of a corresponding key until the upper extremity of its slot rests upon an upper pin 126. The cams are each resiliently biased upwardly by an interposer link return spring 130 and will move upwardly, when their respective keys are released, until the lower extremity of each of their respective slots rests against a lower pin 128.

It will be appreciated that by enabling the interposer to be located in any one of three positions, each illustrated in FIGURES 68, a single electrically operated actuator, shown in the form of solenoid 58, may be employed to accomplish embossing, spacing and severing of a tape in the electrically operated embossing machine 10.

It is to be understood that the above detailed description of the invention is presented by way of example only and is not intended to limit the invention. Various details in design and construction may be modified Without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrically operated embossing machine comprising:

a frame;

electrically operated means carried by said frame for operation through a cycle including an advance stroke and a return stroke;

embossing means carried by the frame for establishing embossments on a strip of embossable material in response to the advance stroke;

cut-off means carried by the frame for severing the strip in response to the advance stroke;

feed means carried by the frame for advancing the strip through the embossing and cut-off means in response to the return stroke; interposer means capable of being selectively located in either a first position for engaging the electrically operated means with the embossing means to actuate said embossing means during the advance stroke, a third position for engaging the electrically operated means with the cut-off means to actuate said cut-off means during the advance stroke, or a second position for engaging neither the embossing means nor the cut-off means to allow only actuation of the feed means during the return stroke;

means for selectively locating said interposer means at 'any one of said first, second or third positions; and

means for actuating said electrically operated means when the interposer means is located .at any one of said first, second and third positions for selectively accomplishing embossing, indexing and severing of the strip, respectively.

2. An electrically operated embossing machine of claim 1 wherein said electrically operated means comprises a single solenoid.

3. An electrically operated embossing machine comprising:

a frame;

an embossing station in said frame;

6 a selector wheel having .a plurality of die sets along movement in response to actuation of the solenoid; the periphery thereof and being mounted for rotatan interposer mounted upon said lever and movable tion on said frame such that a selected die set may along the lever to any one of first, second and third be positioned at said embossing station; horizontally spaced positions such that when the feed means for advancing a strip of embossable ma- 5 interposer is in said first position, pivotal moveterial along a fixed horizontal path through the die ment of the lever during the advance stroke of the set positioned at the embossing station, said feed solenoid will engage the interposer with the plunger means including a feed roller mounted for rotaand actuate the embossing die set, when the intertion on said frame for engaging and gripping the poser is in said third position pivotal movement strip, a ratchet Wheel associated with the feed roller 10 of the lever during the :advance stroke will engage for rotation therewith and a pawl for engaging the the interposer with the cut-off yoke and actuate the ratchet wheel and driving the ratchet wheel and cut-01f blade, and When the interposer is in saidsecond the feed roller in predetermined increments; position the interposer will engage neither the plunger a solenoid mounted on said frame for operation through nor the yoke during the advance stroke of the a complete cycle including an advance stroke and solenoid; a return stroke and linked to said pawl such that means for selectively locating the interposer at any upon actuation of the solenoid through a complete o e of said first, second and third positions during cycle, the advance stroke will index the pawl and actuation of said solenoid, and the return stroke Will rotate the ratchet Wheel an means for actuating said solenoid when the interposer feed roller through said increment; is located at any one of said first, second and third 3 Plungfir mountfid Vertical reciprocating mOVepositions for selectively accomplishing embossing,

ment in said frame at the embossing station below indexing d severing of the stri res ectively. said path for actuating the die set positioned at the embossing station upon movement vertically up- References Cited y the Examine! f fy; k t d f t 1 t UNITED STATES PATENTS a cut-o yo e moun e or ver ica reciproca mg movement in said frame and including at least one blade gg gl above said path and displaced horizontally beyond the embossingstation tor severing the strip upon ROBERT E- PULFREY, Primary Examiner movement vertlcally downwardly; a generally horizontal lever pivotally mounted to said E. S. BURR, Asszstant Examiner.

frame between the plunger and the yoke for pivotal

Claims

1. AN ELECTRICALLY OPERATED EMBOSSING MACHINE COMPRISING: A FRAME; ELECTRICALLY OPERATED MEANS CARRIED BY SAID FRAME FOR OPERATION THROUGH A CYCLE INCLUDING AN ADVANCE STROKE AND A RETURN STROKE; EMBOSSING MEANS CARRIED BY THE FRAME FOR ESTABLISHING EMBOSSMENTS ON A STRIP OF EMBOSSABLE MATERIAL IN RESPONSE TO THE ADVANCE STROKE; CUT-OFF MEANS CARRIED BY THE FRAME FOR SEVERING THE STRIP IN RESPONSE TO THE ADVANCE STROKE; FEED MEANS CARRIED BY THE FRAME FOR ADVANCING THE STRIP THROUGH THE EMBOSSING AND CUT-OFF MEANS IN RESPONSE TO THE RETURN STROKE; INTERPOSER MEANS CAPABLE OF BEING SELECTIVELY LOCATED IN EITHER A FIRST POSITION FOR ENGAGING THE ELECTRICALLY OPERATED MEANS WITH THE EMBOSSING MEANS TO ACTUATE SAID EMBOSSING MEANS DURING THE ADVANCE STROKE, A THIRD POSITION FOR ENGAGING THE ELECTRICALLY OPERATED MEANS WITH THE CUT-OFF MEANS TO ACTUATE SAID CUT-OFF MEANS DURING THE ADVANCE STROKE, OR A SECOND POSITION FOR ENGAGING NEITHER THE EMBOSSING MEANS NOR THE CUT-OFF MEANS TO ALLOW ONLY ACUTATION OF THE FEED MEANS DURING THE RETURN STROKE; MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY LOCATING SAID INTERPOSER MEANS AT ANY ONE OF SAID FIRST, SECOND OR THIRD POSITIONS; AND MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID ELECTRICALLY OPERATED MEANS WHEN THE INTERPOSER MEANS IS LOCATED AT ANY ONE OF SAID FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD POSITIONS FOR SELECTIVELY ACCOMPLISHING EMBOSSING, INDEXING AND SEVERING OF THE STRIP, RESPECTIVELY.