US3335699A - Marking machine - Google Patents

Description

Aug .,15,'l967 H. H. AIKEN ETAL MARKING MACHINE 3 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 25, 1965 INVENTORS. HOWARD H. AIKEN ROBERT W. BIRRELL LEROY K. SITES, JR.

ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 15,1967 H. H. AIKEN ETAL MARKING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5;

Filed Jan. 25:. 196 5 FIG. 3A wWF "rub INVENTORS. HOWARD H AIKEN 58 FIG. 3C

ROBERT w BIRRELL LEROY K. SITES, JR.

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ATTORNEYS.

' g- ,1 H.'H.AIKEN ETAL I MARKING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 2s, 1965' FIG. 7

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent @fi ice 3,335,699 MARKING MACHINE Howard H. Aiken and Robert W. Birrell, Carlisle, and Leroy K. Sites, Jr., New Bloomfield, Pa., assignors to Howard Aiken Industries, Carlisle, 1921., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 25, 1965, Ser. No. 427,692 6 Claims. (Cl. 118-76) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A marking machine for marking each of a succession of blanks fed from one magazine to another so that each blank has the same marking thereon and wherein the marking takes place simultaneously with the feeding stroke.

This invention relates to a marking machine, and more particularly, to a marking machine for marking each of a succession of blanks fed from one magazine to another so that each blank has the same marking thereon. The blanks may be quartz crystal wafers and the marking may indicate +X-axis of the crystal wafer blank.

In the production of crystal wafer blanks for frequency control applications as is now accomplished, the wafer blanks are sawed from quartz and then the +X-axis is determined by manually rotating the blank relative to a beam of polarized light. Alternatively, the +X-axis may be automatically determined by a machine as disclosed in application Ser. No. 427,574, filed Jan. 25, 1965 and, assigned to the assignee of this application. After determining +X-axis of each of the blanks, each blank is marked accordingly and is used in an X-ray operation to determine the Z-axis of the wafer blanks with a high degree of accuracy.

In an automatic machine for sorting the crystal wafer blanks such as disclosed in the aforesaid application, the blanks having like X-axis orientation are collected in removable magazines, and the machine of this invention provides a means for marking each of the blanks after they have been sorted and collected in like magazines. Furthermore, the machine of this invention provides a unique arrangement for feeding blanks relative to a marker from a feed magazine and stacking the blanks in an identical receiving magazine, both magazines being interchangeable and removable. Also, the marking machine of this invention includes a marking pencil positioned beneath an unmarked blank feed magazine so that as blanks are fed from the magazine one at a time they move relative to the marker to cause the marker to mark them from the point the marker contacts the blank while in the magazine to the trailing edge. In one feed movement a blank is fed, marked and then collected in a collecting magazine.

Although this invention is described with regard to marking crystal wafer blanks, it is apparent that the principles have broader application in the marking or scribing art and the invention is not limited to the articles being marked.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode which has been contemplated of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the marking machine constituting the preferred embodiment of this invention with certain portions shown in section for the sake of clarity.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the feed slide used in the marking machine of FIG. 1.

3,335,699 Patented Aug. 15, 19 67 FIG. 3A is a sectional view taken through the marking machines magazines, nests and feed slide showing the feed slide at the start of the feed operation.

FIG. 3B is similar to FIG. 3A showing the feed slide near the end of the feed stroke.

FIG. 3C is similar to a portion of FIG. 3B but showing the feed slide at the end of the feed stroke.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 66 of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a crystal wafer blank with a mark thereon as made by the marking machine of this invention.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, the marking machine of this invention is supported on a table 10. Attached to the table is a bracket 12 for supporting an electric drive motor 14. The motor 14 drives a shaft 16 which is connected to a drive eccentric disc 18 which in turn is pivotally connected to one end of connecting rod 20. The other end of connecting rod 20 is pivotally connected to a feed slide 22 for reciprocating the slide as the motor 14 rotates the drive eccentric disc 18.

The feed slide 22 is guided by guide tracks 24, 24, see also FIGS. 5 and 6. These guide tracks are generally L- shaped and overlie a track base 25 which is attached to the top of the table 10.

A magazine 26 for unmarked blanks and an identical magazine 28 for marked blanks are removably positioned in nests 3i] and 32, which nests are stationarily supported above the table by supports 31 and 33, see FIG. 4, as well as FIG. 1. The magazines are held in the nests by identical clamping means 34, 34. Each of the clamps 34 includes a handled nut 36 on screw 38 and the screw is held in fixed portion 40 of the magazine holding nest, and clamping pad 42 is disposed as shown in FIG. 1 so that rotation of the handle 36 causes the clamping pad 40 to clamp or release the magazines in their respective nests. The nests extend around three sides of the magazines and each magazine can move downwardly into its nest until it rests upon a seat 44, see FIGS. 3A and 3B.

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, magazine 26 includes unmarked crystal wafer blanks CW while magazine 28 includes marked crystal wafer blanks CW,,,. The mark made on the crystal wafer blanks is shown in FIG. 7. Attached to the nest 30 is an adjustable feed gate 4-6 including a feed control finger 48 extending downwardly toward the lower end of the nest. The feed finger 48 is adjustable vertically by means of a slot 50 therein through which a screw 52 passes to be threadedly engaged by handled nut 54. The lower end of the finger 48 is vertically adjusted so that only a single wafer blank CW may be fed at a time, the finger serving to retain all above the lowermost blank which is being fed.

Adjacent the nest 32 is a collecting gate 56. This gate is supported from a support bracket 58 attached to the table It) and the support bracket carries vertical guide tracks 60, 6% attached thereto by screws 61, see FIG. 5. The collecting gate 56 has a stop 63 extending attached to the top thereof to stop the vertical downward movement. A collected blank holding finger 64 extends downwardly as the lower end of the collecting gate 56 to stop retrograde movement of the blanks after they have been fed into the collecting magazine 28 as shown in FIG. 3C, but finger 64 is movable upwardly by sliding movement of gate 56 in tracks 60', 60 to allow a marked blank CW to be inserted under the stack of collected marked blanks as shown in FIG. 3B.

A marker assembly 66 is positioned beneath the unmarked blank magazine 26 as shown in FIG. 1. This marker assembly includes a tubular housing 68 carrying therein a marking lead 70. The marking lead is supported on a slide 72 which is biased upwardly by a spring 74. A cap 76 with a bayonet coupling closes the bottom of the tube 68 and the tube is clamped after adjustment to a suitable position by means of a Split coll;t 78 and tightening screw 81). The collet 78 is attached to the underside of table by suitable screws 32.

An ejector plug assembly 84 is positioned beneath the marked crystal wafer blank magazine 28 to allow the wafers stacked in the nests to be moved upwardly until they are all inside the magazine so that the magazine can remove all of the marked wafer blanks. This ejector plug assembly includes a tubular support 86 adjustably clamped by "a split collet housing 88 identical in construction to collet 78. A slidable rod 90 carries on its upper end a plug 92 and is biased downwardly by spring 94 carried between the lower endof tube 86 and a knob 96. The knob 96 may be moved upwardly to cause the plug 92 to move upwardly forcing the stack of marked crystal wafer blanks CW to move upwardly past the seat 44 in the lower end of the nest 32 so that a bottom closing arrangement on the magazine 28 may close off the opening at the lower end of the magazine and the entire magazine may be removed with the stack of marked crystal wafer blanks CW This bottom closing means may be of the type shown in copending application No. 427,574 and includes a slide assembly 99 movable downwardly to move a finger, not shown, into the space defining the opening at the lower end of the magazine.

Referring to FIG. 2, the feed slide 22 includes a pair of edges 1%, 100 extending outwardly to cooperate with the tracks 24, 24 to guide the movement of the slide. The slide further includes a central slot 98 allowing the plug 92 and pencil lead 70/ to extend through the slide during movements thereof. On each side of the slot 9 8 there is a recessed portion 102 for receiving the crystal wafer blanks. The recessed portion has a flat bottom having a length equal to the length of the blanks.

The recess includes a square shoulder 104 at one end thereof and an inclined ramp 106 in the direction of feed at the other end thereof.

In operation, a pencil lead 70 is placed in the marker assembly 66 and the marker assembly is adjusted while unmarked blanks contained in magazine 26 are inserted in the machine and an empty magazine 28 is placed in nest 32 to receive the blanks after marking. The motor 14 is started and the connecting rod reciprocates the slide 22 through a stroke at least equal to similar points on magazines 26 and 28. The start of the stroke of the slide 22 is illustrated in FIG. 3A wherein an unmarked crystal wafer blank CW which is lowermost in the stack in magazine 26 falls within recess 102 and as slide 22 moves forwardly finger 48 will retain the next highest blank while square shoulder 104 will cause the lowermost blank to move to the left as viewed in FIG. 3A. The

pencil lead 70 bearing against the lower surface of the blank from the center thereof will leave a mark from the center to the trailing edge of the blank as shown in FIG. 7. The blank will continue moving to the left as viewed in FIG. 3A and when it reaches the collecting finger 64, the blank bears against the inclined side thereof causing the collecting gate 56 to slide upwardly as viewed in FIG. 3B. The upper surface of slide 22 normally supports the stack of marked crystal wafer blanks and allows the recently marked crystal wafer blank CW shown in FIG. SE to be inserted therebeneath. At the end of the stroke of the slide 22 as shown in FIG. BC, the surface of the last marked blank passes from under the collecting gate 56 allowing it to fall downwardly until stop 63 stops the downward movement at which time collecting finger 64 is in the path of the trailing edge of the last marked crystal wafer blank CW Then the slide 22 moves to the right as viewed in FIG. 3 and the last marked crystal wafer CW lank at the bottom of the stack slides upwardly and the entire stack supported on it slides upwardly as the inclined ramp 106 moves to the right until the entire stack is at the level of the top of the slide 22 and the slide 22 is returned to the position shown in FIG. 3A.

After the motor has operated for a sufficient period of time to feed all of the blanks from magazine 26 across the marking lead to the magazine 28, the ejector plug 92 is moved upwardly to above the seat 44 in the nest 32 so that the magazine 28 can be effectively closed at the bottom by the fingers, not shown, and the entire stack of marked blanks CW can be removed to allow further processing, for example an X-ray operation to determine the Z-axis using the +X-axis which has been marked shown in FIG. 7 as a reference.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the preferred embodiment, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine for marking a line on each of a succession of blanks, the machine comprising:

first magazine means removably mounted in a magazine receiving nest for holding a stack of unmarked blanks faced downwardly,

a marker positioned upwardly in marking contact with the downward face of the end blank in a stack of unmarked blanks in said unmarked blank stack holding means,

second magazine means identical to said first magazine means removably supported in 'a magazine reeeiving nest for holding a stack of marked blanks,

feed means for feeding blanks one at a time from said stack of unmarked blanks to cause marking thereon by means of the marker contacting the blank and movement of the blank relative to the marker,

said feed means comprising a reciprocating slide provided with a blank receiving recess having a square shoulder for supporting and pushing a blank when the slide is reciprocated in a direction of feed and an inclined ramp to allow the slide to retract and leave the marked blank at a marked blank stack holding magazine.

2. A machine as defined in claim 1 further comprising collected blank holding means positioned above the reciprocating slide to hold the blank at the marked blank stack holding means when the slide is retracted.

3. A machine as defined in claim 2 wherein the marker is a biased pencil lead positioned approximately at the center of the bottom-most blank in the unmarked blank holding magazine so that when the blank is fed from this magazine, the blank will be marked from the center to its trailing edge.

4. A machine as defined in claim 3 further comprising a biased pusher rod positioned below the marked blank holdingmagazine to allow the marked blanks to be pushed up into this magazine prior to magazine removal.

5. A marking machine for marking on each of a succession of blanks, the machine'comprising; a support, an unmarked blank magazine nest, a marked blank magazine nest, each of the nests supported from the support in spaced apart relation and each of the nests adapted to receive and hold identical magazines, each magazine capable of holding a stack of blanks, a feed slide reciprocable in a path beneath the magazine nests on the support to'feed a blank from the unmarked blank magazine nest to the blank magazine nest, a marker positioned beneath the unmarked magazine nest to contact in marking relation the innermost blank in the unmarked mag-azine nest, and means to retain the blanks fed by the reciprocating slide at the marked blank magazine nest which blanks have been marked by the movement relative to the marker, said feed slide including a blank receiving recess having a square shoulder for supporting and pushing the blank when the slide is reciprocated in the direction of feed and an inclined ramp to allow the slide to retract and raise the marked blank and the marked blank stack into the marked blank stack magazine and wherein the retaining means comprises a collected blank holding finger biased downwardly to hold a fed blank at the marked blank holding nest.

6. A marking machine as defined in claim 5 further comprising an adjustable feed gate attached to the unmarked blank magazine nest for controlling the feed of only one blank at a time from the unmarked magazine nest 'by the feed slide.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Maxwell 27144 Partch 118-236 X Troyer 2146.2 Lasker 11876 X Iacquemin 118236 X Blaisdell 1l8236 X Knitter 2146.2 Mallory 2146.2 X Stohlquist 2146.2 X Clark 118--76 X Stephens et al. 118428 Germany.

MORRIS KAPLAN, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A MACHINE FOR MARKING A LINE ON EACH OF A SUCCESSION OF BLANKS, THE MACHINE COMPRISING: FIRST MAGAZINE MEANS REMOVABLY MOUNTED IN A MAGAZINE RECEIVING NEST FOR HOLDING A STACK OF UNMARKED BLANKS FACED DOWNWARDLY, A MARKER POSITIONED UPWARDLY IN MARKING CONTACT WITH THE DOWNWARD FACE OF THE END BLANK IN A STACK OF UNMARKED BLANKS IN SAID UNMARKED BLANK STACK HOLDING MEANS, SECOND MAGAZINE MEANS IDENTICAL TO SAID FIRST MAGAZINE MEANS REMOVABLY SUPPORTED IN A MAGAZINE RECEIVING NEST FOR HOLDING A STACK OF MARKED BLANKS, FEED MEANS FOR FEEDING BLANKS ONE AT A TIME FROM SAID STACK OF UNMARKED BLANKS TO CAUSE MARKING THEREON BY MEANS OF THE MARKER CONTACTING THE BLANK AND MOVEMENT OF THE BLANK RELATIVE TO THE MARKER, SAID FEED MEANS COMPRISING A RECIPROCATING SLIDE PROVIDED WITH A BLANK RECEIVING RECESS HAVING A SQUARE SHOULDER FOR SUPPORTING AND PUSHING A BLANK WHEN THE SLIDE IS RECIPROCATED IN A DIRECTIO OF FEED AND AN INCLINED RAMP TO ALLOW THE SLIDE TO RETRACT AND LEAVE THE MARKED BLANK AT A MARKED BLANK STACK HOLDING MAGAZINE.

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