GB2174957A - Marker device with adjustable character carriers - Google Patents

Abstract

In a marker device with which character groups, generally numbers, are transferred on to an article to be marked, for example in the form of an embossing or print, endless character carriers, preferably printing or embossing wheels are assembled in a printing or embossing head (2), the character carriers are individually adjustable, namely directly with the aid of separate setting devices which preferably contain stepping motors and with which the character carriers are slip-freely connected for drive, the setting devices are connected to a common control apparatus and settable to pre-determined values, and a coordinate control system connected to the control apparatus is provided for controlling displacement of the workpiece relative to the embossing or printing head. In a first marking action for example only every second character in the desired combination is embossed or printed, while the characters lying therebetween are filled in a further marking action after displacement of the workpiece relative to the embossing or printing head. It is therefore possible to use heads with a greatly reduced number of character carriers, enabling simpler marking devices. Series multiple markings are also possible. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Multi-position marker device with adjustable character carriers The invention relates to a multi-position marker device with adjustable character carriers, where each character carrier comprises a specific store of characters and controllable setting devices are provided for setting, the character carriers to a desired character combination.

Marker devices of this kind serve to provide individual parts with character combinations, as a rule with multi-position letter or numeral combinations, for example in the form of an embossing or printing. The nature of the marking depends upon the purpose in each case and is of subordinate importance within the scope of the present invention.

The character combinations used designate mutually associated components or component groups devices, instruments or appliances. All constituents of such a component group are as a rule provided with the same character combination or with like character groups from the character combination, so that their pertinence to the group is easily recognisable. In the normal manufacturing cycle the designation of the component groups takes place progressively, that is to say the marker device, for example in the form of a printing or embossing mechanism, is a rule automatically stepped further to the next following character combination after marking a group. However stepping onward can also take place under control or by external intervention.

By way of example such marker devices are used for distinguishing lock devices or lock systems, for example security lock cylinders and keys pertaining thereto, which are provided in each case with the same combination of characters or the same character groups of such a combination of characters.

By way of example what are called numbering embossing mechanisms are in use for such marking tasks, where a character carrier call embossing wheel is provided as embossing tool for each character position. The characters to be embossed are provided in the form of matrices at equal angular intervals on the periphery of such a character carrier. As alternatives other similar constructions are known, for example in the form of chain wheels on which the character matrices are arranged at equal intervals.

For niulti-position markings several such character carriers are arranged side by side. In the case of marking operations with progressive numbering, as required in series manufacture, the displacement of the character wheels takes place according to the system of what is called an overflow counting mechanism. In that case the character carrier for the lowest numerical position, after each marking action for a component system, is turned further by one number, namely step by step from "0" to "9", with the aid of a setting device, for example a magnet. After the marking action following upon "9" this character carrier for the next higher position is turned further by one number by an overflow coupling.In corresponding manner the character carrier for the third lowest position is stepped further by one number every time when that for the second lowest position steps from "9" to "0".

For every shift of the thousands group by one number for example the character carrier for the units position must be rotated 1,000 times, that for the tens position 100 times and that for the hundreds position 10 times. Correspondingly more rotations are necessary in case of shifting by several thousands or in the case of numerical combinations with higher numbers of positions.

Now it frequently occurs that subsequently, often years later, that is when hundreds of thousands of successive numbers have been embossed, a specific individual earlier character combination must be reembossed, if an additional part belonging to a system must be resupplied. The resetting of the character carriers to such an earlier character combination, for which as a rule it is necessary to turn the marking mechanism forward according to the above-described position past its complete zero position, becomes extremely uneconomical. Firstly this operation is very time-consuming, since even if a high-speed gear should be interposed there are limits to the rapidity of shift as a result of the inertia of the mechanical parts, also the entire shifting mechanism is here subject to considerable wear.

In recognition of these difficulties a motor-driven shifting mechanism has been proposed in which each character carrier, that is each character position, is individually settable by a motor. For multiposition marker devices with a relatively large number of positions, for example with 8 positions, this operation signifies a considerable construction expense leading to considerable technical difficulties on account of the restricted space conditions, especially for the drive elements between the character carriers. The solution proposed in view of this problem results in a disproportionately great technical expenditure which causes such marking mechanisms to become uneconomical and troubleprone.

In fact laser engraving appliances are also in use for the mentioned individual numberings. These in fact solve the described problem satisfactorily in the technical respect. However the high cost for production and maintenance are disadvantageous.

It is an aim of the invention to produce an improved and simplified marker device of the initially stated kind in which any desired character group, for example groups of letters or multi-position numerical combinations, can be set as desired at any time in a simple, time-saving and low-wearing manner, but the production and maintenance costs of which are substantially lower than those of the mentioned laser engraving appliances.

According to the present invention there is provided a multi-position marker device with adjustable character carriers, where each character carrier comprises a specific store of characters and controllable setting devices are provided for setting the character carriers to a desired character combination, wherein the number of character carriers is less than the number of positions of the marking to be effected, the character carriers are individually actuatable by the controllable setting devices, for the controlling of the setting devices to the desired character combination a common control apparatus is provided, the control outputs of which are in communication with the setting devices, and wherein co-ordinate control means for the mounting of the character carriers and/or for a workpiece mounting are connected to control outputs of the control apparatus.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows an embossing head with the four character wheels, that is a four-position marking device according to the invention, Figure 2 shows the embossing head according to Figure 1 in lateral elevation, and Figure 3 shows the diagrammatic representation of a pertinent control apparatus.

In the illustrated embodiment, in contrast to the previous procedure, each character carrier is set individually and the number of type carriers reduced in comparison with the number of positions of the marking to be effected. Thus the construction expense is considerably reduced, since the drive elements for the type carriers can be arranged uncompromisingly in the interspaces occurring between the type carriers. Thus the reliability of the marker device is decisively increased. Any desired character combinations can be set simply and quickly. Then the serial numbering can be continued, in that each character carrier is adjusted at most once only. Thus the time consumption for such settings is very greatly reduced, and the components of the device are subject to far less wear.

The execution of markings outside the continuous series, for example the repetition of a previously made marking, can thus be carried out substantially more rationally. Moreover by simple control measures it is possible to interrupt a series manufacture currently in progress, to store the position of the marking mechanism which has been reached and after executing the special marking to carry on working again in the series with the counter state which was previously reached.

The example of the embodiment as described below shows a marker device formed as an embossing device. However it is within the scope of the technical measures as disclosed to design any desired other marker devices according to the same or similar principles.

According to Figure 1 an embossing head 2 contains four character wheels 4, 6, 8, 10 which are arranged on one common spindle and carry the characters to be embossed, or their matrices, on their periphery. The character wheels each designate a specific character position of a multi-positioned character combination to be embossed.

They are individually directly settable, that is without any overflow coupling from one character position to the next. For this purpose each character carrier is connected to its own separately controllable setting device. This will be described below for the first character wheel 4. The setting devices for the other character wheels are made the same in the example.

To the setting device there pertains a toothed wheel 12 which is arranged on the spindle of the character carrier 4 and is coupled to the latter, for example firmly connected with it. The toothed wheel 12 is driven through a toothed belt 14 by a drive tooth wheel 16. This drive toothed wheel 16 is applied to the output of a stepping motor 18 which is secured on a frame-type vertical side plate 20 of the embossing head 2.

The stepping length of the stepping motor and the toothed wheels 12 and 16 are attuned to one another in such a way that a defined stepping number of the stepping motor 18 steps the character wheel 4 onward from one character to the next by a predetermined stepping length S.

Each character wheel can be set individually and independently of the neighbouring character wheels by the pertinent stepping motor 18. The coordination to the desired character combination is achieved with the aid of a control apparatus 22 which is connected in the example to a computer 24 or itself contains a simple process calculator designated as computer 24. However the computer 24 can also be a part of a distantly arranged computer system which is connected in known manner with the control apparatus 22.

This control apparatus 22 preferably controls the entire function of the embossing device, that is, in addition to the setting of the desired character combination, for example the position of the embossing head 2, the embossing pressure and the number of embossings of the same character group, according to pre-set or pre-stated data.

Thus in the control apparatus 22 there are provided counting and/or detector devices with the aid of which the position of the character wheels is detected for example by counting of the stepping motor pulses in pulse counters 23A - 23D or by position indicators 25 on the character wheel itself.

Furthermore an indicator device 32 can be connected to the control apparatus 22 which indicates the momentary position of the character wheels.

If now a specific character combination is to be set, this can be fed into the control apparatus 22 with the aid of a keyboard 34, which control apparatus for this part actuates the stepping motors 18Ato 18D. Whereupon each stepping motor, through its drive toothed wheel 16, the toothed belt 14 and the toothed wheel 12, rotates the character carrier 4 or 6 to 10 as appropriate, allocated to it, into the desired position. The actually set character combination can be examined with the aid of an indicator device 32 connected to the control apparatus 22.

This in a time-saving and material-preserving manner it is possible to set any desired character group at any time. By appropriate programming of the computer 24 it is also possible to put character combinations into temporary storage, for example if the series manufacture must be interrupted in order to set another character combination which does not fit into the progressive serial numbering.

The controlling of a workpiece mounting, which is known per se and therefore not further illustrated, in relation to the embossing head 2 and vice versa, is achieved in an especially advantageous manner with the aid of the control apparatus 22. The additionally controllable values necessary for this purpose are designated in Figure 3 as X-control 26, Y-control 28 and Z-control 30.

These controls constitute the inputs of co-ordinate controls known per se for a machine table or for the tool heads of appropriate machine tools. However they can also serve as control inputs for any desired other control systems, for example for pneumatic controls. In the simplest case it is even possible for only a single-axis control system to be provided.

By suitable programming of the computer 24 or by communication of suitable data from an external data source, for example from an external computer, the control apparatus 22 is caused, after a first marking action, to displace the workpiece by a definite amount in relation to the embossing head, to adjust the character wheels and then to instigate a second marking action. This plurally repeatable measure permits the marking of the workpiece with a number of character positions many times exceeding the capacity of the embossing head.

In the simplest example of embodiment the shifting of the workpiece in only one control axis, for example the X-axis, suffices so that the workpiece can be displaced in relation to the embossing head for example in the axis of one numerical or character column. If no co-ordinate control system is present the single-axis controlling can be realised for example by hydraulic actuating means which are combined with end stops for travel limitation.

The advantageous measure as described in a simple manner permits the saving of character wheels, design with a robust adjusting apparatus between the type carriers and thus a reduction of costs and expenditure for the inherently costly embossing heads or other marking mechanisms. The printing or embossing operation can for example reproduce in a first step only every second position of a set of characters to be printed or embossed, then displace the workpiece and the printing or embossing head by one character position in relation to one another, under control by the control apparatus 22. Consequently in a second printing or embossing operation the positions which previously remained empty can be inscribed, after the character wheels or the printing head have been set to the appropriate character values under control by the control apparatus 22.

It is also possible in an advantageous manner to use existing embossing heads, in that every second character wheel is removed from them and replaced by a toothed wheel which is connected with a stepping motor. Admittedly this initially halves the number of embossable positions. In the case of co-ordinate control systems present in any case on machine tools however it is possible to increase the number of embossing positions by simple control measures in the manner as described above; the work table and tool being displaced in relation to one another by one character position.

Claims (11)

1. Multi-position marker device with adjustable character carriers, where each character carrier comprises a specific store of characters and controllable setting devices are provided for setting the character carriers to a desired character combination, wherein the number of character carriers is less than the number of positions of the marking to be effected, the character carriers are individually actuatable by the controllable setting devices, for the controlling of the setting devices to the desired character combination a common control apparatus is provided, the control outputs of which are in communication with the setting devices, and wherein co-ordinate control means for the mounting of the character carriers and/or for a workpiece mounting are connected to control outputs of the control apparatus.

2. Marker device according to Claim 1, in which the characters of each position are arranged staggered by defined step units on the character carrier, wherein the controllable setting devices for each character position contain a stepping motor adapted to the step unit and the control inputs of the stepping motors are connected to the common control apparatus.

3. Marker device according to Claim 2, with endless character carriers, wherein a slip-free transmission element is provided as coupling element between the stepping motor and the associated character carrier.

4. Marker device according to claim 3, wherein the transmission element is formed as a toothed belt; on the stepping motor there is provided a drive toothed wheel co-operating with the motor, and on the character carrier there is provided a toothed wheel adapted to a specific transmission ratio in relation to the drive toothed wheel.

5. Marker device according to Claim 2, wherein the stepping motor is in direct drive connection with the character carrier through at least one toothed wheel element.

6. Marker device according to Claim 1, wherein position indicators allocated to the character carriers are provided which are connected with signal inputs of the control apparatus and permit the detection of the momentary character position.

7. Marker device according to Claim 1, wherein an input device formed as keyboard is connected to the control apparatus.

8. Marker device according to Claim 1, wherein the character carriers are mounted rotatably on one common spindle and formed as embossing wheels on the circumferences of which the characters to be transferred are arranged at equal angular intervals.

9. Marker device according to Claim 1, wherein parts of the control apparatus are formed as substation of a control apparatus to which it is subordinate.

10. Marker device according to Claim 1, wherein single-axis co-ordinate control means are provided which effect a relative displacement between the workpiece mounting and the embossing head in the axis of a character column by a distance corresponding to the interval between two character positions.

11. Marker device substantially as herein described and shown in the accompanying drawings.