US3143959A - Marking apparatus - Google Patents

Description

gur A V g- 1964 H. BURR ETAL 3,143,959

MARKING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 4, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l 07 INVENTORS HARVEY BURR JOHN J. LEONE JOHN L. OLY'HA W M awek mm mm Fig. 2

Aug. 11, 1964 H. BURR ETAL MARKING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 4, 1961 INVENTORS W h E A d WW 7 UEL [/L B L O M Y 1! E J 0 WWW A00 H UJ United States Patent 3,143,959 MARKING APPARATUS Harvey Burr, New Rochelle, John J. Leone, Harrison, and John L. Olyha, Hastings on Hudson, N.Y., asslgnors, by mesne assignments, to Anaconda Wire and Cable Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 4, 1961, Ser. No. 129,469 3 Claims. ((11. 1016) Our invention relates to apparatus for marking an elongated article and particularly to apparatus for marking said article through a printing tape disposed transversely of said article.

For imprinting a recurrent legend at spaced intervals on an elongated article such as an electric cable it has been known to interpose a pigment or dye bearing printing tape between the cable and a printing die and to impress the die onto the cable through the tape. It has also been known to obtain a more permanent mark upon the cable by using a heated die along with a hottransfer printing tape such as a polyester plastic tape coated with pigment bound in a temperature sensitive vehicle. Machines for printing onto cables through hottransfer tapes are commercially available, but the known machines have a serious disadvantage that results in high operating costs and reduced efficiency. This problem stems from the fact that in all commercial machines known to us the printing tape is run parallel to the cable so that each foot of printed surface requires a foot, also, of tape. Efforts to economize by using the tape two or more times have required elaborate provisions for collecting the used tapes and feeding them into the machines in such a manner that the printing die would encounter only unused portions of the tape surface. The John W. Olson Patent 2,168,431 assigned to the assignee of the present application disclosed a printing tape mounted to feed across the cable instead of lengthwise of it. This tape was wide enough to print the entire length of a legend and for each impression the tape was advanced only a short distance, slightly greater than the height of the lettering. In order, however, to print on a continuously moving surface it was necessary for Olson to rotate his entire tape supporting assembly at a speed equal to the speed of advance of the cable. This apparatus has not been found prac-' ticable for modern high-speed operation.

We have invented an apparatus that has the surprising ability to mark a continuously moving elongated article through a printing tape mounted transversely thereto from fixed stations, i.e., stations that are not part of a rotating assembly. Because of its simplicity our apparatus can operate at high speeds and produce long runs of cable without reloading the tape. The full printing capacity of the tape is exhausted during its first passage through our apparatus with the result that it. can be discharged directly into the discard and does not require any provisions for collection and removal. Our apparatus comprises means for continuously advancing an elongated article such as a cable, means for supporting a printing tape between fixed stations, means for advancing the tape transversely of the article, and means for recurrently impressing raised indicia against the tape onto the article thereby transferring a mark onto the article. The indicia and the portion of the tape in contact therewith advance with the article during the "ice impressing action. Our apparatus also comprises means for applying tension to the tape, means for removing the indicia from the tape, with the tape returning to position for another impression under the compulsion of the tension upon the removal of the indicia. In some embodiments our apparatus comprises a hot transfer tape and means for heating the raised indicia. The raised indicia may be spaced on a printing Wheel in which case our apparatus comprises means for rotating the wheel. A particular preferred embodiment of our invention comprises a frame, a roll of printing tape mounted on the frame, a printing station associated with the frame, means for supporting the elongated article at the printing station, and means fixedly mounted on the frame for tensioning the tape and guiding it to the printing station transversely of the article to be printed. Our apparatus also comprises means, fixedly mounted on the frame on the opposite side of the elongated article from the tape guiding means, for advancing the tape; tape accumulator means mounted on the frame between tape advancing means and the printing station, and means mounted at the station for recurrently printing through the tape onto the article. In order to handle cables of different sizes our apparatus advantageously comprises support means mounted at the printing station supporting the cable at and beyond the printing means, means for urging the support and the cable toward the printing means, stop means adjacent to the printing means and opposite the support means blocking the advance of the support whereby the surface of the cable is fixed in relation to the printing means regardless of the size of the cable. The fixed tape support stations may advantageously be mounted adjustably so as to allow an adjustment of the length of tape between stations.

A more thorough understanding of our invention may be gained by a study of the appended drawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of apparatus made to our invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, of an element of our apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an element of our invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 a marking apparatus indicated generally at 10 has .a frame 11 on which is mounted a roll 12 of printing tape 13. The tape 13 is preferably a polyester tape one mill thick of the hot transfer type such that it'makes a permanent mark on a surface when it is impressed with a heated die. A tape which we have found suitable for use in our apparatus is sold by the Acromark 00., 9-13 Morrell St., Elizabeth, N.I., under the name Acromark Acroleaf Tape. Leaving the roll 12 the tape 13 passes over a guide roll 14 across the frame 11 to anther guide roll 15. The guide roll 14 has flanged rims 16 which prevent lateral shifting of the tape 13 and the surface of the roll is knurled for the purpose of increasing the frictional grip of the guide roll upon the tape 13. A rubber pinch roll 17 that fits between the flanges 16 is mounted to compress the tape 13 against the roll 14. The roll 14 is mounted on a shaft 18 coupled to a sheave 19 driven by a belt 20 from a sheave 21 driven, in turn, through a shaft 22, by a sheave 23. The sheave 23 is driven by means of a belt 24 by a sheave 25 mounted on an angle gear box 26 connected through a shaft 27, flexible coupling 28, shaft 29, pulley 30 and belt 31 to a drive means not shown. The shaft 29 is journalled in pillow blocks 3232 supported on the frame 11 by a table 33. Also mounted on the shaft 29 is a gear 34 meshing with a gear 35 mounted on a shaft 36. Also mounted on the shaft 36 is a printing wheel 37 with raised indicia 38. We have shown the printing wheel 37 to have a truncated circular periphery and it will be understood a circular wheel is not necessary for the successful operation of our machine so long as all the indicia 38 are spaced at equal distances from the center of the shaft 36. The word wheel as used in this application includes any rotatable mounting for the indicia 38 which so spaces the said indicia. The shaft 36 which serves as the axis of the printing wheel 37 is seen to be parallel to the tape 13. Normal to this axis a cable 39 passes under the wheel 37 at a portion of the apparatus 10 that constitutes a printing station designated generally by the symbol S for the cable 39. It will be understood that although our apparatus has particular advantages for marking cables it is not limited thereto and our invention is also useful for continuously marking other elongated articles such as strands, belts, and the like.

The tape 13 after leaving the guide roll 15 passes under a roll 40 rotatably mounted between two horizontal links of which only the nearer link 41 can be seen in the drawing. The link 41 and its mate are hingedly connected by a pin 42 and vertical bars, of which only a bar 43 can be seen in the drawing, to the frame 11. The other end of the link 41 and its mating member are connected by means of a pin 44 to a tension spring 46. The lower end of the spring 46 is fastened to a threaded stud 47 which screws into a nut 48 rotatably connected to the frame 11. By turning the nut 48 the tension in the spring 46 can be adjusted. The assembly of the elements 40 to 48 comprises an accumulator for the tape 13 designated generally by the numeral 49. Tape leaving the roll 40 of the accumulator 49 passes over a flanged sheave 50 and under a rubber pinch roll 51 which serves as a capstan to draw the tape through our apparatus 10. After leaving the rolls 50, 51 the tape is discarded by dropping into a waste bin 52. The sheave 50 is mounted on and keyed to a shaft 53 which is driven by means of a sheave 54 and a belt 55 by a sheave 56 mounted on and keyed to the shaft 22. In order to maintain tension in the tape 13 the sheave 50 isdriven somewhat faster than the sheave 14. The sheave 54 is not mounted directly on the shaft 53 but on a coaxial shaft 57 that is connected to the shaft 53 by means of a slip clutch 58. We have found that satisfactory operation with a printing tape two inches wide results when the clutch 58 is adjusted to maintain a tension between /2 to pounds and preferably between 1 /22 pounds. It is a feature of our invention that the tape 13 is maintained in position under the indicia 38 by reason of the tension maintained therein. This tension causes the tape to return to a printing position after each impression. In order, however, for the tape tension to effect this desirable result it is necessary that there should be a considerable length of tape between the two sheaves 14, 15 and we have provided that the aforementioned sheaves shall each be at a distance of 30 inches from the printing wheel 37. This permits a lateral displacement of the tape 13 during each impression on the moving cable 39 without danger of tearing the tape 13.

We do not wish to be limited to this particular distance since it will be readily understood that the optimum distance will vary with the tape dimensions, tape tension, speed of operation and other variable factors within the scope of our invention and we have provided means, hereinafter to be described, for adjusting the distance between the guide rolls 14, 15 and the printing wheel 37.

In order to make most economical use of the tape 13 the width of the tape is selected to match the length of the mark or legend to be printed on the article 39 and the sheaves 19, 54 are selected to provide a rate of advance of the tape 13 relative to the advancement of the cable 39 adjusted to the height of the legend. A doughnut-shaped electric heater 59 is attached adjacent to the printing wheel 37 for the purpose of heating the indicia 38. The heater 59 maintains the indicia 38 at a temperature sufficient to print through the hot transfer tape 13 onto the cable 39.

A feature of our invention of particular advantage for marking cables of different sizes is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In order to support the cable 39 while it is being impressed with the indicia 38 we have provided a channel 70 holding a plurality of grooved rolls 71. The channel 70 is mounted on a rod 72 that terminates in a vertical guide plate 73 that slides between two vertical grooved guide blocks 74, 75. The rod 72 has a threaded portion 76 whose threads match threads 77 at the bottom of the block 73. The rod 72 passes through a collar 78 at the bottom of the block 73 to serve as a stop for a compression spring 79. The bottom of the spring 79 is supported on a plate 81 spanning the slides 74, 75. The

plate 81 has a hole 82 through which the rod 72 projects. A ring handle 83 terminates the rod 72 at a point below the plate 81. The spring 79 is thus seen to urge the cable 39 resting on the rolls 71 upwardly against the indicia 38. The compression can be adjusted by turning the handle 83 so as to lengthen or shorten the length of the rod 72 protruding from the block 73. A stop roll 84 mounted to the frame 11 ahead of the wheel 37 prevents the cable from being lifted too high by the action of the spring 79.

. The channel 70 is long enough to extend under the roll 84 so that there is no tendency to push the cable up at a point beyond the stop roll.

In order to provide an optimum snap back of the tape 13 when it is released from the cable 39 by the re moval of the indicia 38 the distance between the guide rolls 14 and 15 is made adjustable as follows: Horizontal plates 85, 86 are rigidly mounted on the left hand side of the frame 11 and horizontal plates '87, 88 are rigidly mounted on its right hand side. Slidably mounted on the plates 85, 86 is an assembly comprising a slotted steel plate 89, a channel 91 and the guide roll 14, pinch roll 17, shaft 18 and sheave 19. Slotted holes 92, 93 in the plate 89 accommodate threaded pins 94, 95 projecting from the plate 85 and slotted holes 96, 97 in the plate 89 accommodate threaded pins 99, 100 projecting from the plate 86. By sliding the plate 89 leftward any selected distance up to the point where the pins 94, 95, 99, 100 reach the right extremities of the slots 92, 93, 96, 97 the length of the free tape 13 between the roll 14 and the printing wheel 37 can be increased and the plate 89 can be locked in position by tightening cap nuts 101 onto the pins 94, 95, 99, 100. Similarly a plate 102 slides on the plates 87, 88 and has mounted thereon the right hand assembly including the rolls 15, 50 and 51. Slots 103, and 104 in the plate 102 accommodate threaded pins 106, 187 projecting from the plate 88 and slots 108, 109 in the plate 102 accommodate threaded pins 111, 112 projecting from the plate 87; By sliding the plate 102 to the right any selected distance up to the point where the pins 106, 107, 111, 112 reach the left hand extremities of their respective slots 103, 104, 108, 109 and then tightening cap nuts 113 on the pins the tape 13 can be lengthened between the wheel 37 and the roll 15.

Operation During operation the cable 39 is advanced by means not shown said means being synchronized through the belt 31 to drive the printing wheel 37 at the same speed as the cable 39. Meanwhile the tape 13 is moved transversely of the cable 39 by the rotation of the sheave 50. Before making contact with the indicia 38 the tape 13 is not centered under the axis of the wheel 37 but has one edge only slightly downstream (with reference to the movement of the cable 39) of'the said axis. As the wheel 37 rotates and the first of one group of the indicia 38 contacts the tape 13 the contact is made close to one edge of the tape and the tape is carried laterally forward with the cable 39 as each of the indicia in turn reach the tape and impress it into the cable surface. When the last of the raised indicia lift free from the tape 13 the latter snaps back into position under the influence of the tension in the tape. From the first contact of an indicia 38 to the tape 13 the tape is prevented from moving forward toward the sheave 15 and cannot move forward again until it is released from the indicia by reason of the continued rotation of the wheel 37. During this time, however, the sheave 50 continues to rotate and discard tape into the bin 52 by drawing slack from the accumulator 49. Also during this time of printing contact the sheave 14 continues to pay tape into the apparatus creating some slack at the tape feed end of the station S. As soon as the tape is released from the indicia 38 all the slack is taken up by the roll 40 under the urging of the spring 45 and a fresh surface of the tape 13 is positioned over the cable 39.

We have invented a new and useful apparatus for marking elongated articles for which we desire an award of Letters Patent.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for marking an elongated article comprising means for continuously advancing said article, means for supporting a printing tape between fixed stations, means for advancing said tape in a fixed path between said stations transversely of said article, means for recurrently impressing indicia against said tape onto said article thereby transferring a mark onto said article, said indicia and the portion of said tape in contact therewith advancing with said article laterally out of said path during said impressing while points of said tape spaced from said portion remain in said path, means for applying tension to said tape, said tape snapping back laterally to position in said path for another impression under the compulsion of said tension upon the removal of said indicia.

2. Apparatus for marking an elongated article comprising means for continuously advancing said article, means for supporting a hot transfer printing tape between fixed stations, means for advancing said tape in a fixed path between said stations transversely of said article, means for recurrently impressing raised indicia against said tape onto said article, means for heating said indicia whereby a mark is transferred onto said article, said indicia and the portion of said tape in contact therewith advancing with said article laterally out of said path during said impressing while points of said tape spaced from said portion remain in said path, means for applying tension to said tape, said tape snapping back laterally to position in said path for another impression under the compulsion of said tension upon the removal of said indicia.

3. Apparatus for marking an elongated article comprising means for continuously advancing said article, means for supporting a printing tape between fixed stations and means for advancing said tape in a fixed path between said stations transversely of said article, a printing wheel mounted on an axis normal to the axis of advance of said article, raised indicia supported on said wheel, means for rotating said wheel whereby said indicia are impressed against said tape onto said article thereby transferring a mark onto said article, said indicia and the portions of said tape in contact therewith advancing with said article laterally out of said path during said impressing while points of said tape spaced from said portion remain in said path, means for applying tension to said tape, said tape snapping back laterally to position in said path for another impression under compulsion of said tension when said indicia is rotated away from said tape.

4. Apparatus for marking an elongated article comprising means for continuously advancing said article, means for supporting a hot transfer printing tape between fixed stations and means for advancing said tape in a fixed path between said stations transversely of said article, a printing wheel mounted on an axis normal to the axis of advance of said article, raised indicia supported on said wheel, means for heating said indicia, means for rotating said wheel whereby said indicia are impressed against said tape onto said article transferring a mark onto said article, said indicia and the portion of said tape in contact therewith advancing with said article laterally out of said path during said impressing while points of said tape spaced from said portion remain in said path, means for applying tension to said tape, said tape snapping back laterally to position in said path for another impression under compulsion of said tension when said indicia is rotated away from said tape.

5. Apparatus for marking an elongated strand comprising a frame, a roll of printing tape mounted on said frame, means for continuously advancing an elongated article across said frame, a printing station associated with said frame, means mounted on said frame for supporting said article at said printing station, means fixedly mounted on said frame for tensioning said tape and guiding the same to said printing station transversely of said article, means fixedly mounted on said frame on the opposite side of said article from said tape guiding means for advancing said tape, tape accumulating means mounted on said frame between said tape advancing means and said printing station, a printing wheel mounted on an axis normal to said article at said station, raised indicia supported on said wheel, and means for rotating said wheel at the speed of advancing of said article thereby printing on said advancing article through said tape.

6 Apparatus for marking an elongated strand com- PIlSlIlg a frame, a roll of hot transfer tape mounted on said frame, means for advancing an elongated article across said frame, a printing station associated with said frame, means mounted on said frame for supporting said article at said printing station, means fixedly mounted on said frame for tensioning said tape and guiding the same to said printing station transversely of said article, means fixedly mounted on said frame on the opposite side of said article from said tape guiding means for advancing said tape, tape accumulating means mounted on said frame between said tape advancing means and said printing station, a printing wheel mounted on an axis normal to said article at said station, raised indicia supported on said wheel, means mounted on said frame for heating said indicia, and means for rotating said wheel thereby printing on said article through said tape.

7. Apparatus for marking an elongated strand comprising a frame, a roll of printing tape mounted on said frame, means for advancing a cable across said frame, a printing station associated with said frame, a means fixedly mounted on said frame for tensioning said tape and guiding the same to said printing station transversely of said cable, means fixedly mounted on said frame on the opposite side of said cable from said tape guiding means for advancing said tape, means comprising a printing wheel having a truncated periphery mounted at said station for recurrently printing through said tape onto said cable, support means mounted at said station, said support means supporting said cable at and beyond said printing means, means for urging said support means and said cable toward said printing means, stop means adjacent to said printing means and opposite said support means blocking the advance of said support means whereby the surface of said cable is fixed in relation to said printing means regardless of the size of said cable.

8. Apparatus for marking an elongated article comprising means for continuously advancing said article, means for supporting a hot transfer printing tape be- 7 tween fixed stations, means for adjusting the length of said tape between said stations, means for advancing said tape in a fixed path between said stations transversely of said article, means for recurrently impressing raised indicia against said tape onto said article, said indicia and the portion of said tape in contact therewith advancing with said article laterally out of said path during said impressing while points of said tape spaced from said portion remain in said path, means for applying tension to said tape, said tape snapping back laterally to position in said path for another impression under the compulsion of said tension upon the removal of said indicia.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Luedke et a1. May 28, 1929 Seward Jan. 5, 1932 Olson Aug. 8, 1939 Goldstein Sept. 26, 1950 Brownlee Dec. 16, 1958 Andren Mar. 22, 1960

Claims (1)

1. APPARATUS FOR MARKING AN ELONGATED ARTICLE COMPRISING MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY ADVANCING SAID ARTICLE, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A PRINTING TAPE BETWEEN FIXED STATIONS, MEANS FOR ADVANCING SAID TAPE IN A FIXED PATH BETWEEN SAID STATIONS TRANSVERSELY OF SAID ARTICLE, MEANS FOR RECURRENTLY IMPRESSING INDICIA AGAINST SAID TAPE ONTO SAID ARTICLE THEREBY TRANSFERRING A MARK ONTO SAID ARTICLE, SAID INDICIA AND THE PORTION OF SAID TAPE IN CONTACT THEREWITH ADVANCING WITH SAID ARTICLE LATERALLY OUT OF SAID PATH DUR-

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