GB2136359A - Engraving Machines - Google Patents
Engraving Machines Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2136359A GB2136359A GB08306868A GB8306868A GB2136359A GB 2136359 A GB2136359 A GB 2136359A GB 08306868 A GB08306868 A GB 08306868A GB 8306868 A GB8306868 A GB 8306868A GB 2136359 A GB2136359 A GB 2136359A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- microcomputer
- movement
- engraving
- engraving machine
- drive means
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B44—DECORATIVE ARTS
- B44B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR TOOLS FOR ARTISTIC WORK, e.g. FOR SCULPTURING, GUILLOCHING, CARVING, BRANDING, INLAYING
- B44B3/00—Artist's machines or apparatus equipped with tools or work holders moving or able to be controlled substantially two- dimensionally for carving, engraving, or guilloching shallow ornamenting or markings
- B44B3/009—Artist's machines or apparatus equipped with tools or work holders moving or able to be controlled substantially two- dimensionally for carving, engraving, or guilloching shallow ornamenting or markings using a computer control means
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B44—DECORATIVE ARTS
- B44B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR TOOLS FOR ARTISTIC WORK, e.g. FOR SCULPTURING, GUILLOCHING, CARVING, BRANDING, INLAYING
- B44B3/00—Artist's machines or apparatus equipped with tools or work holders moving or able to be controlled substantially two- dimensionally for carving, engraving, or guilloching shallow ornamenting or markings
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B44—DECORATIVE ARTS
- B44B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR TOOLS FOR ARTISTIC WORK, e.g. FOR SCULPTURING, GUILLOCHING, CARVING, BRANDING, INLAYING
- B44B3/00—Artist's machines or apparatus equipped with tools or work holders moving or able to be controlled substantially two- dimensionally for carving, engraving, or guilloching shallow ornamenting or markings
- B44B3/06—Accessories, e.g. tool or work holders
- B44B3/065—Work holders
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
- G05B—CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS
- G05B19/00—Programme-control systems
- G05B19/02—Programme-control systems electric
- G05B19/18—Numerical control [NC], i.e. automatically operating machines, in particular machine tools, e.g. in a manufacturing environment, so as to execute positioning, movement or co-ordinated operations by means of programme data in numerical form
- G05B19/19—Numerical control [NC], i.e. automatically operating machines, in particular machine tools, e.g. in a manufacturing environment, so as to execute positioning, movement or co-ordinated operations by means of programme data in numerical form characterised by positioning or contouring control systems, e.g. to control position from one programmed point to another or to control movement along a programmed continuous path
- G05B19/40—Open loop systems, e.g. using stepping motor
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
- G05B—CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS
- G05B2219/00—Program-control systems
- G05B2219/30—Nc systems
- G05B2219/34—Director, elements to supervisory
- G05B2219/34215—Microprocessor
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
- G05B—CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS
- G05B2219/00—Program-control systems
- G05B2219/30—Nc systems
- G05B2219/45—Nc applications
- G05B2219/45212—Etching, engraving, sculpturing, carving
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
- G05B—CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS
- G05B2219/00—Program-control systems
- G05B2219/30—Nc systems
- G05B2219/50—Machine tool, machine tool null till machine tool work handling
- G05B2219/50168—Retrofitting
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
- Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
- Manufacture Or Reproduction Of Printing Formes (AREA)
Abstract
An engraving machine comprises a workpiece holder, a support 10, which is fixed in relation to the workpiece holder an X-Y table 17 mounted on the support for translational movement relatively thereto independently in X and Y directions at right-angles to one another, and a pantograph arm 11 one part of which receives an engraving tool for operation on a workpiece held in the workpiece holder and another part of which is coupled to the X-Y table in such manner that movement of the engraving tool is related to movement of the X-Y table. Motors 20, 22 are provided for effecting movement of the X-Y table in said X and Y directions respectively, and a microcomputer is coupled to control operation of the motors in accordance with the requirements of a program being run by the microcomputer. <IMAGE>
Description
SPECIFICATION
Improvement in or Relating to Engraving'
Machines
The invention relates to engraving machines of
the kind where 9 tool is controlled to move over
the surface of a workpiece, and to remove
material from the workpiece so as to form a
pattern, lettering or other device on the surface
thereof. Such machines will be referred to h'erein
generically as "engraving machi'nes", although
particular versions of such machines'may be
known in the trade by other names, for example
as grouting machines, depending on the type of
work they are designed to do.
Conventionally, in such engraving machines,
the tool is mounted on a pantograph arm which is
arranged to co-operate with a fixed pattern or
template so that the tool moves over the surface
of the workpiece in a path corresponding to the
design of the pattern or template. The pantograph
arm may co-operate mechanically with the
pattern or template, although' machines are also
in use where the pattern or template is read by
other means such as optical means.
The present invention sets out to provide an
arrangement whereby the motion of the tool of an -engraving machine is controlled by a computer, 'and in particular to provide an attachment for
existing conventional engraving machines so as
readily to convert them to computer control. The
latter is an important feature of the present
invention, since there are in use a great many
engraving machines of conventional design and it
would be a very costly operation to convert such
engraving machines to computerised control by
conventional methods. The present invention,
however, in one of its aspects, provides an
attachment which may be simply applied to
virtually any engraving machine at present on the
market to convert it to computerised operation
without involving any fundamental restructuring
or modification of the machine.
According to the invention, therefore, there is
provided an engraving machine comprising a
workpiece holder, a support which is fixed in
relation to the workpiece holder, an X-Y table
mounted on the support for translational
movement relatively thereto independently in X
and Y directions at right-angles to one another, a
pantograph arm one part of which is adapted to
receive an engraving tool for operation on a
workpiece held in the workpiece holder and
another part of which is coupled to the X-Y table
in such manner that movement of the engraving tool
is related to movement of the X-Y table, drive
means for effecting movement of the X-Y table
in said X and Y directions respectively, and a
microcomputer coupled to said drive means so as
to control operation thereof in accordance with
the requirements of a program being run by the
microcomputer.
An existing engraving machine will already
comprise the above-mentioned workpiece holder,
support fixed in relation to the workpiece holder and pantograph arm. Accordingly, therefore, the invention also provides an attachment for converting an existing engraving machine to computer control and comprising an X-Y table adapted for mounting on the fixed support of the engraving machine for translationai movement relatively thereto independently in X and Y directions at rightangles to one another, means for coupling the pantograph arm to the X-Y table in such manner that -movement of the engraving tool carried' by the pantograph arm is related to movement of the X-Y table, drive means for effecting movement of the X-Y table in said X and Y directions respectively, and a microcomputer coupled to said drive means so as to control operation thereof in accordance with the requirements of a program being run by the microcomputer.
The fixed support on the engraving machine may comprise the normal copy holder support which, in a conventional engraving machine, carries the pattern or template to be copied. Thus, the attachment according to the invention may be readily coupled to an existing engraving machine by detaching from the machine the conventional copy holder and the means for co-operation between the pantograph arm and the pattern or template. The attachment according to the invention may then simply be mounted on the copy holder support and the pantograph arm coupled to the X-Y table. No other significant restructuring of the engraving machine should normally be required.
The workpiece holder may comprise a movable table having drive means for effecting movement thereof, and in this case the microcomputer is also preferably coupled to the drive means of the workpiece holder so as to control movement thereof also in accordance with the requirements of a program being run by the microcomputer.
For example, the workpiece holder may be an elevating table, the microcomputer being arranged to control the elevation thereof in a manner to control the depth of cut effected by the engraving tool. Alternatively or additionally, the workpiece holder table may be rotatable and the microcomputer arranged to control the rotational position thereof.
In an engraving machine or conversion attachment according to the invention, means may be provided to receive signals from the microcomputer and convert said signals into impulses which are fed to the drive means for the X-Y table, and/or the drive means for the workpiece holder table where a movable table is provided, so as to control operation of said table or tables in the required manner.
The following is a more detailed description of an embodiment of the invention, by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is an exploded diagrammatic perspective view of an attachment for converting an existing engraving machine to computer control, and
Figure 2 is an exploded diagrammatic perspective view of a workpiece holder table for use with the machine or attachment according to the invention.
Referring to Figure 1, the engraving machine will normally include a copy holder support 10 which, in conventional operation of the machine, is adapted to carry a holder for a pattern or template for the pattern, lettering or design which is to be engraved on the workpiece. The engraving machine will also incorporate a pantograph arm, part of which is indicated at 11.
The pantograph arm will normally carry on one part thereof an engraving tool which operates on the workpiece, and means will also be provided, coupled to the pantograph arm, for effecting movement of the arm in accordance with the pattern or template carried by the copy holder.
These parts of the existing engraving machine will be removed and replaced by the attachment which is now to be described.
The attachment comprises a base plate 1 2 having an enlarged end portion 1 3 which is bolted to the copy holder support 10. A dowel 14 is provided on the portion 1 3 to co-operate with a hole on the copy holder support 10 so as to align the base plate 12 accurately with the engraving machine so that the Y axis of the X-Y table, to be described, is aligned with the Y axis of the engraving machine.
Mounted on an elongate portion 1 5 of the base plate 12 is an X-Y table assembly indicated generally at 1 6 and comprising an X-Y table in the form of an upper block 1 7.
The assembly 1 6 comprises a lower support 1 8 which is fixedly secured to the elongate portion 1 5 of the base plate 12, A lower block 19 is slidable longitudinally of the support 18, i.e. in the Y direction, and is moved longitudinaily of the support 18 by an electric motor 20 fixedly mounted on the support 1 8.
Fixedly mounted on the upper side of the lower block is a transverse support 21 on which is slidable the upper block 17, the block 17 being movable longitudinally of the support 21, i.e. in the X direction, by means of an electric motor 22 fixedly mounted on the support 21. It will thus be seen that the X-Y table may be moved in the X and Y directions by independent control of the motors 22 and 20 respectively.
An arm 23 is secured to the upper side of the block 1 7 so as to project therefrom in the Y direction and one end of the arm 23 is coupled, through a ball bearing 24, to a portion 25 of the pantograph arm 11 of the engraving machine.
The arm has alternative fixing holes so that its longitudinal position on the block 1 7 may be adjusted.
The pattern of movement to be followed by the X-Y table 17, and hence by the engraving tool with which it is coupled through the arm 23 and pantograph arm 11, is determined by a program fed into a conventional microcomputer (not shown). Instructions for movement of the X-Y table are fed by the microcomputer, in accordance with the requirements of the program being run by the computer, to a device (also not shown) which converts the signals from the computer into electrical impulses which control the electric motors 20 and 22 so as to move the X-Y table 17 according to the requirements of the program.
The attachment therefore enables the movement of the conventional engraving tool of the engraving machine to be controlled according to a program fed into the computer rather than from reading a pattern or template, and it will be appreciated that this gives great flexibility to the nature of the work which can be undertaken on the engraving machine, as well as simplifying the setting up of the machine to carry out a particular engraving.
Figure 2 shows a workpiece support table for use with the engraving machine. The table comprises a base 26 which carries a circular support 27 which may be raised and lowered and/or rotated, by electrically operated mechanisms within the base 26. In the embodiment shown a chuck 28 for holding the workpiece is connected to the support 27 by a rotary table 29 which is screwed to the support 27. Alternatively, however, the chuck 28 may be replaced by various sizes of tables for the production, for example, of nameplates etc.
The depth of cut of the engraving and the spacing of elements of the engraved design, such as the spacing of letters, is controlled by the position of the elevating table shown in Figure 2, and the electrical drive for the table may thus also be controlled by the aforementioned microcomputer, information for control of the table being fed, according to the requirements of the computer program, to the aforementioned device, or another such device, which converts the signals from the microcomputer into impulses to control the elevating rotary table.
Claims (8)
1. An engraving machine comprising a workpiece hoider, a support which is fixed in
relation to the workpiece holder, an X-Y table
mounted on the support for translational
movement relatively thereto independently in X and Y directions at right-angles to one another, a
pantograph arm one part of which is adapted to
receive an engraving tool for operation on a workpiece held in the workpiece holder and
another part of which is coupled to the X-Y table
in such manner that movement of the engraving
tool is related to movement of the X-Y table,
drive means for effecting movement of the X-Y table in said X and Y directions respectively, and a
microcomputer coupled to said drive means so as
to control operation thereof in accordance with
the requirements of a program being run by the
microcomputer.
2. An attachment for converting an existing
engraving machine to computer control and
comprising an X-Y table adapted for mounting
on the fixed support of the engraving machine for
translational movement relatively thereto independently in X and Y directions at rightangles to one another, means for coupling the pantograph arm to the X-Y table in such manner that movement of the engraving tool carried by the pantograph arm is related to movement of the X-'Y table, drive means for effecting movement
Of the X-Y table in said X and Y directions respectively, and a microcomputer coupled to said drive means so as to control operation thereof in accordance with the requirements of a program being run by the microcomputer.
3. An engraving machine according to claim 1, wherein the workpiece holder comprises a movable table having drive means for effecting movement thereof, and wherein the microcomputer is coupled to the drive means of the workpiece holder so as to control movement thereof in accordance with the requirements of a program being run by the microcomputer.
4. An engraving machine according to claim 3, wherein the workpiece holder is an elevating table, the microcomputer being arranged to control the elevation thereof in a manner to control the depth of cut effected by the engraving tool.
5. An engraving machine according to -claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the workpiece holder table is rotatable and the microcomputer is arranged to control the rotational position thereof.
6. An engraving machine according to claim 1 or any of claims 3 to 5, or an attachment according to claim 2, wherein means are provided to receive signals from the microcomputer and convert said signals into impulses which are fed to the drive means for the X-Y table, and/or the drive means for the workpiece holder table where a movable table is provided, so as to control operation of said table or tables in the required manner.
7. An engraving machine according to claim ,1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
8. An attachment for an engraving machine, according to claim 2 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08306868A GB2136359B (en) | 1983-03-12 | 1983-03-12 | Engraving machines |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08306868A GB2136359B (en) | 1983-03-12 | 1983-03-12 | Engraving machines |
Publications (3)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB8306868D0 GB8306868D0 (en) | 1983-04-20 |
| GB2136359A true GB2136359A (en) | 1984-09-19 |
| GB2136359B GB2136359B (en) | 1986-02-05 |
Family
ID=10539466
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08306868A Expired GB2136359B (en) | 1983-03-12 | 1983-03-12 | Engraving machines |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2136359B (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2001069337A2 (en) * | 2000-03-15 | 2001-09-20 | Emmegi S.P.A. | Apparatus and method for working profiled elements |
-
1983
- 1983-03-12 GB GB08306868A patent/GB2136359B/en not_active Expired
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2001069337A2 (en) * | 2000-03-15 | 2001-09-20 | Emmegi S.P.A. | Apparatus and method for working profiled elements |
| WO2001069337A3 (en) * | 2000-03-15 | 2001-12-06 | Emmegi Spa | Apparatus and method for working profiled elements |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB8306868D0 (en) | 1983-04-20 |
| GB2136359B (en) | 1986-02-05 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |