GB2322466A

GB2322466A - An apparatus for assembly of an identification plate

Info

Publication number: GB2322466A
Application number: GB9722223A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Timothy Michael Sanders; Stephen William John Dear
Original assignee: SANDHURST AUTOPRINT Ltd
Current assignee: SANDHURST AUTOPRINT Ltd
Priority date: 1997-10-21
Filing date: 1997-10-21
Publication date: 1998-08-26
Anticipated expiration: 2017-10-21
Also published as: GB9722223D0; GB2322466B

Abstract

An apparatus for assembly of an identification plate comprises a housing or console 2 having an upper surface 3 on which a grid 4 is defined. A ruler 5 is hinged to the upper surface 3 at a forward position of the grid 4. An identification plate may be assembled by placing a background on the grid 4 and presenting digits to the background using markings on the ruler 5. Registration pegs placed in apertures 6 to 11 are used as a registration guide to align a clear plastics panel with the background. Rollers 13 enable pressure to be applied to secure the position digits on the backing and to secure the aligned plastics panel to the backing.

Description

AN APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLY OF AN IDENTIFICATION PLATE The invention relates to an apparatus for assembly of an identification plate. More specifically the invention relates to the assembly of an identification plate comprising a clear panel to which are affixed identification symbols over a background. The invention is well suited for use in the assembly of vehicle registration plates, or so-called "number plates".

Vehicle number plates are available in a variety of different forms but nowadays most number plates comprise a clear plastics panel to which letters and numbers (referred to herein as "digits") on a reflective background are secured. In the UK the law requires the digits to be black and the reflective background to be white for number plates at the front of a vehicle and yellow for number plates at the rear of a vehicle. Each vehicle has a unique registration "number" comprising a combination of digits. This makes it difficult to provide a cost-effective automatic solution to the production of number plates. Consequently number plates are still made by hand.

The method of manufacture that has hitherto been used to produce number plates is laborious and wasteful of materials. The appropriate digits and an effective backing are first placed onto a clear plastics panel. Either the panel or the backing comes supplied with a layer of adhesive thereon. Once the digits and the backing have been placed as desired, the backing is pressed firmly onto the panel so that the backing and the digits become secured to the panel by way of the adhesive. In order to facilitate placement of the backing to the panel the backing is supplied over size. Once the backing is secured to the panel, excess material is cut away in order to have the finished number plate. Thus, the assembly of a number plate is a laborious multi-stage process.

The present invention aims to simplify the manufactured identification plates such as vehicle number plates.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus for assembly of an identification plate, the apparatus comprising: a housing; positioning means on the housing for positioning digits on a backing; aligning means on the housing for aligning a plate with the backing; and pressure applying means on the housing for applying pressure to secure the positioned digits on the backing and to secure the aligned plate to the backing.

The above and further features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims and together with advantages thereof will become clearer from consideration of the following detailed description of an exemplary embodiment of the invention given with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of an apparatus for assembly of an identification plate; Figures 2 and 3 are different perspective views of a console unit; Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of rollers used in the apparatus of Figure 1; and Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a chassis part used to support the rollers as shown in Figure 4.

Turning now to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, there is shown an identification plate assembly unit 1 comprising a console or housing 2 made from sheet steel or other suitably robust material.

The console 2 is shown separately in perspective in Figures 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings. The console 2 has an upper surface 3 on which a grid 4 is defined. A ruler 5 is hinged to the upper surface 3 at a forward position of the grid 4. The console 2 includes peg receiving apertures 6 to 11, and a recess 12 for storing pre-formed digits to be used in identification plates. The unit 1 also comprises a pair of rollers 13 housed within and extending through a cut-out 14 (see Figures 2 and 3) in the console 2. The rollers 13 are driven by a handle 15 which extends through a cut-out 16 (see Figure 2) at the front of the console 2.

The rollers 13 and handle 15 are shown in greater detail in Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings. The rollers 13 comprise two rollers 17, 18 supported by a pair of brackets 19, 20 which together form a roller chassis. One of the brackets 19 is shown in greater detail in Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings. The brackets 19, 20 are secured to the console by way of screws (not shown) which extend through holes 22 to 25 in a side panel 26 of the console unit (see Figures 2 and 3) into engagement with mounting holes 27 to 30 in the brackets 19, 20.

The two rollers 17, 18 are made from a resilient plastics or rubber material, with the upper roller 17 being made from a harder material and the lower roller 18 being made from a softer material. When the roller chassis is mounted in position in the console 2, the upper roller 17 is positioned above the upper surface 3 of the console and the lower roller 18 extends partially through the cut-out 14 to be at least level with the upper surface 3. The lower roller 18 is connected to a shaft 32 which extends through the bracket 20. The handle 15 is secured to the shaft. Thus, the lower, softer, roller 18 is driven by rotation of the handle 15 by a user of the unit 1.

Pressure between the two rollers is adjustable by way of an adjustable offset cam 33, 34 to which the upper roller 17 is mounted in each of the brackets 19, 20. The cam 33, 34 allows the height of the upper roller 17 to be adjusted relative to the lower roller 18. It will be appreciated that the rollers 13 need not be contained within the console 2 but could instead be attached to a side of the console.

The unit 1 may be used in the manufacture of a number plate or other identification plate comprising a clear plastics panel to which digits and a reflective background are fixed to be viewed through the panel. In such identification plates the reflective background and the panel are secured together by way of an adhesive with the digits being held in position between the two. Either the panel or the reflective background may be supplied with the adhesive already applied thereto, i.e. either the panel or the background may be "wet". The other of the background or the panel is "dry" (no adhesive). The unit 1 may be used with either dry panels or dry backgrounds.

Assembly of a vehicle registration plate using a dry panel and a wet background will be described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings. A wet reflective background is first placed on the grid 4. The grid 4 includes markings indicating where the background should be placed for a range of different combinations of digits. The background should therefore be aligned with the appropriate mark for a given identification. Next, the appropriate digits from the digit-storing recess 12 are presented to the background. Letters and numerals for number plates are of a standard size (to meet statutory requirements) and are supplied on a carrier (i.e. a backing sheet) which also is of a standard size. This standardisation facilitates positioning of the digits. The ruler S therefore also includes markings indicating starting points for placing the first letter or numeral for a range of different combinations of digits.

Once all the letters and numerals have been presented to the background, the same is passed through the rollers 13 to secure the digits to the background. The carrier on which the digits are supplied is made of a material to which the adhesive on the background will not adhere. Once the digits have been secured to the background by way of the rollers 13, the carrier is removed from each of the digits.

Next the background is placed at the rear of the unit 1 in contact with registration pegs placed in the apertures 6 to 11. Once the background has been so positioned a clear plastics panel is presented to the same with the pegs being used as a registration guide to ensure that the background and the plate are aligned.

Pressing the plate onto the background causes the background to be secured to the plate. The background and plate are then fed through the rollers 13 to complete assembly of the number plate.

The registration pegs thus avoid the need to use a background that is oversize. There is therefore no excess material to be trimmed from the number plate once it has been passed through the rollers 13.

Now assembly of a vehicle registration plate using a dry background and a wet panel will be described. A dry reflective background is first placed on the grid 4. The hinged ruler 5 may include a magnetic strip (not shown) which is attracted to the steel of the console unit 2 to enable the ruler to hold the background in place on the grid. Alternatively gravity may be relied upon to the same end. Next appropriate digits on respective carriers are selected and presented to the background using the markings on the ruler 5. The digits include an adhesive on the rear surface thereof to secure the same to the background. The background and digits are then passed through the rollers 13. In order to avoid having to adjust the spacing between the two rollers 17, 18 (see Figure 4) a spacer plate may be used of a similar thickness to the panel to which the background and digits are to be secured. (A spacer plate may similarly be used when using a wet background as described hereinabove.) Next, the corners are removed from the digits. Then the background is placed at the registration pegs and the wet clear plastics panel is presented thereto. Finally, the panel and background with the numerals therebetween are passed through the rollers to complete the registration plate.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the unit 1 is not limited to the assembly of vehicle registration plates. The unit 1 may be used to enable any sign or panel comprising symbols or patterns secured by adhesive between a clear panel and a background. The term identification plate should be construed accordingly.

Having thus described the present invention by reference to a preferred embodiment it is to be well understood that the embodiment in question is exemplary only and that modifications and variations such as will occur to those possessed of appropriate knowledge and skills may be made without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. An apparatus for assembly of an identification plate, the apparatus comprising: a housing; positioning means on the housing for positioning digits on a backing; aligning means on the housing for aligning a plate with the backing; and pressure applying means on the housing for applying pressure to secure the positioned digits on the backing and to secure the aligned plate to the backing.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the positioning means comprises a grid presented on an upper surface of the housing.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the positioning means comprises a rule mounted on an upper surface of the housing.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the rule is hingedly mounted on the upper surface.

5. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the aligning means comprises a plurality of registration pegs mounted in an upper surface of the housing.

6. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the pressure applying means comprises a pair of rollers at an upper surface of the housing.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the pair of rollers comprises an upper roller positioned above the upper surface and a lower roller within the housing.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 or 7, further comprising a handle for driving the rollers.

9. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 6 to 8, further comprising adjusting means for adjusting the position of the pair of rollers relative to each other.

10. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim further comprising a recess for storing digits for positioning on a backing.

11. An apparatus substantially as described herein.