US3188943A

US3188943A - Rotary marking tool for use in screw machines or the like

Info

Publication number: US3188943A
Application number: US215843A
Authority: US
Inventors: William R King; Joseph C Lang
Original assignee: JAS H MATHEWS AND CO
Current assignee: JAS H MATHEWS AND CO
Priority date: 1962-08-09
Filing date: 1962-08-09
Publication date: 1965-06-15
Anticipated expiration: 1982-06-15

Description

June 15, 1965 w. R. KING ETAL ROTARY MARKING TOOL FOR USE IN SCREW MAcH'Ii I Es on THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 9, 1962 INVENTORS.

WILLIAM R. KING and JOSEPH C. LANG a" El A Horneys W. R. KING ETAL June 15, 1965 3,188,943

ROTARY MARKING TOOL FOR USE IN SCREW MACHINES OR THE LIK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug.

M 3 S. a 4 R 6 u mm m w m 8 MM 4 L E M 2 W J av y/ B w v a w Q 8 2 5 a z 4 I w /A V///V///% United States Patent 3,188,943 ROTARY MARKING T001. FOR USE IN SCREW MACHINES OR THE LIKE William R. King, Wilkinshurg, and Joseph 43. Lang, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignors to .las. H. Mathews & Company,

Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Aug. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 215,843 6 Claims. (Cl. 1tl17) This invention relates generally to a rotary marker, and, more particularly, to a rotary marker having a wheel with type embossed on its periphery for marking a code or other information on an article.

In the marking of hard materials such as wood, metal, and certain plastics, it is the practice to press type into the surface of the material by markers, punches, and the like. Articles manufactured by lathes or screw machines, for example, are marked during the final stages of the product manufacturing operation, and it is in this environment that the present invention is especially applicable. Usual-- 1y articles so marked are relatively small pieces made in rapid succession, and therefore are rotated at relatively high speed in the machine in which they are formed. As the article is being rotated by the machine, a marker wheel is brought into contact with the rotating article which causes the Wheel to rotate in the opposite direction not unlike the engagement of friction wheels or gears with one another, but for less than one complete rotation of the marking wheel. The raised or embossed type on the marker wheel are thus pressed into the surface of the piece with which it is engaged. After the piece is marked, it is necessary for the marker wheel to be stopped and held against rotation in either direction and then to be backed away from the article and to be rotated in the direction opposite of that when marking is achieved in order that the wheel will return to its original position for marking the next piece.

Markers of the nature of the present invention which are known in the art engage the surface of a rotating workpiece on a machine and impress marks therein.

However, proper sustained operation of such markers to give uniformly clear markings in rapid sucession has been difiicult to accomplish due to the marking wheel turning too freely in the initial period of contact with the work piece and then, having built up a considerable inertia, being stopped too abruptly.

A further difiiculty with existing markers of this character with which I am familiar arises from the spring arrangement for returning the marking wheel to starting position when the brake is released. Space limitations are such that the tension springs employed for this purpose were fiexed so far in proportion to their lengths as to materially reduce their useful life.

According to the present invention, the concept is advanced of braking a marker wheel throughout its rotation with a progressively greater force being applied as the wheel rotates, and finally terminating the rotation of the wheel in less than a full revolution from the start of the marking operation whereby a smooth or steady pressure without slippage or erratic rotation is maintained by the wheel against the article to clearly mark the article by the type on the wheel. The present invention is designed such that a long wheel return spring is provided which serves both to return the wheel to its starting position and to apply a progressively greater force on a wheel brake as the spring is tensioned by rotation of the marking wheel in the reverse direction from the starting position through the marking cycle.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide a new and improved rotary marker of the type referred to.

Another important object of the invention is to provide 3,188,943 Patented June 15, 1965 a rotary marker for use in screw machines and the like wherein the wheel return spring and the brake are interconnected in such manner as to enable a long spring to be used and the pressure of the brake to become increasingly effective as the marker wheel rotates through its cycle.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a marking tool of this character an improved marking wheel brake in which braking is effected by combining the rectilinear and transverse movements of the braking member.

A still further object is to provide a unique tool assembly in which replacement of the marking wheel is readily accomplished.

A complete understanding of the invention may be had from the following detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof when read in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a plan View of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a front elevation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

F FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4 shows a fragmentary isometric view of the friction brake and brake release lever;

FIG. 5 is an exploded isometric view of the marking wheel holder with the marking wheel shaft and associated parts removed, and with parts separated from their normal position to better show the construction;

FIG. 6 is a transverse section in the plane of line VI--VI of FIG. 1, but on a larger scale; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view taken at right angles through the upper portion of FIG. 6, the section being in the plane of line VIIVII of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIG. 1 a marker generally designated numeral 11. The marker 11 is releasably attached to a shank 12 which is shaped to be received firmly by a tool holder, not shown, of a machine which operates to rotate an article such as a screw to be machined and marked for example.

The head 13 of the marker 11 is bifurcated to form two parallel spaced

arms

14 and 15, each of which are provided with bearings 16 which are axially aligned. Journaled in the bearings 16 for rotation is a shaft 17 to which is keyed a marking wheel 18 having raised marking characters 19 on its periphery and extending through an are less than the wheel circumference and as shown in the drawing there are sloping cam-like surfaces leading up to and away from these characters as is customary in marking wheels for this purpose. The wheel 18 has a laterallyextending hub portion 21 so that the wheel with its hub has only a rotating clearance between the

arms

14 and 15. As shown best in FIG. 1 the wheel 18 is of a diameter to extend past the ends 22 of the

arms

14 and 15 whereupon the type 19 travels in a path to freely contact an article to be marked.

The shaft 17 extends laterally beyond the arm 15, and the portion 23 of the shaft next to the arm 15 is of greater diameter than the part on which the marking wheel is carried. The peripheral surface 24 of the portion 23 has a smooth finish which is hardened to function as a brake surface and part 23-2-4 constitutes a brake drum. A circular wheel element 25 is formed integrally with the shaft portion 23 or fixed thereto by suitable means, not shown, and the periphery of this Wheel element is provided with an annular groove 26. There is therefore provided in the holder a rotatable assembly comprising shaft 17, marking wheel 18, brake drum 23-24, and a second wheel or second wheel element 25.

The shaft 17 is removably contained for rotation within 28 in the shaft 17 within guided therebetween. The nose a line contact with the braking surface 24 of the cy-' 3 the bearings'16 by an elongated pin 27 which passes through the bearing in the arm 14 tangentially of the shaft and between the wallsof a circumferential groove the hearing. The pin,27 extends vertically above the arm 14 and is bent on itself to provide a crook 29with the end .of the crook being received within a bore 31 extending into the arm 14 to restrain the pin from rotation about its axis. By means of the pin 27 engagement with'the recess 28 the shaft is prevented from movement in an axial direction, but the shaft is free to rotate.

To replace the wheel 18 with another, the pin '27 is grasped by the crook 29 and pulled vertically from the marker 11. The shaft 17 is then slid sidewise toward the arm 15 by pulling the wheel element 25 in such direction. When the marking wheel 13 slips off the end of the end by aligning its keyway with the key on the shaft. Then the wheel element 25 is urged toward the arm '15 which action carriesthe .end of the shaft 17 toward the arm 14 to be seated within the bearing 16 and locked against further axial movement by passage of the pin 27 between the walls of the shaft annular recess 28.

The wheel elementZS has a tapped'opening in its periphery within which is received a headed. fastener '32. One end of *a flexible coiled tension spring 33 is held firmly beneath the head of the fastener 32, and the spring passes around the grooved periphery of a fixed arcuate support or spring guide 34 which is aligned with the member 25. The support 34 is fixed by screw 35 on a bifurcated brake-guide frame '36, FIGS. 1 and 2, secure-d to the marker head 13 by fasteners such as screws 67, and the frame 36 having a'lower surface which'slopes downwardly towards its open end 3-9 to .a horizontal plane below the horizontal plane of the axis of rotation of the'shaft 1'7. Disposed in the closed opposite end'41 of the guideway 38 are resilient pa'ckings or cushion 42.

A brake 43 is slidably mounted in the guideway 38 of the frame 36 forrectilinear movement therein, and is of a vertical dimension such that its projecting end or nose 44 will move in a rock-ingmotion transversely of its length by reason of the slope of the guideway which provides a vertical clearance or tolerance between the guideway upper and lowerwal-ls and the brake 43 44 is' shape-d to establish lindrical braking drum portion 23 of the shaft 1-7 against which it is urged 'by'the resilient pa'c'ki'riggo-r cushion '42 within the guid-eway end 41-.

The other end of the tension spring 3 3'is attached to a boss 45 extending fro'm'the exposed section'of the brake 43 protruding from the open end 39 of the guideway 38. Inasmuch as the. spring is passed about the grooved guide 34, the force of the spring urges the brake 43 downwardly at its end or' nose 44,"thus pull ng the nose below the plane which includes the axis of rotation of the shaft .17 and brake drum 23. 1

A vertically extending passageway 46 in the frame 36 is in alignment with a slot 47 in the brake 43 within the is provided with a guideway 38 in FIG. 2 will retract the contact of the nose 44 4 c-ordingly, pushing the lever 48 to the right as viewed with the braking surface 24 of the circular member 25.

A stopmernber 53 extends from the brake surface 24 of the shaft 1-7 and isadjustably retained within a bore 54 passed radially into the shaft, FIG. 2, and'the stop member abuts a shoulder 55 on the frame 36 limiting the rotation of the circular member 25 me counter-clockwise direction. 7

Operation The marker 11 is advanced by a machine tool holder in which the shankof the marker is held against the surface shaft, another wheel may thenbe slipped onto the shaft of a rotating article to be marked when the markeris in a rest or start position as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. When the periphery of: the marker wheel 18, which as explained is slightly eccentric as shown in FIG. 2, engages the rotating article, the latter turns the marker wheel and its shaft 18 clockwise. The brake nose 44, which is urged normally into contact with the brake drum 24 by the resilient packing or cushion 42, is carried over center by the rotation of a brake drum 24 from itsrest position belowthe center of rotation of the shaft 17 to a position above the center. The tension spring 33 wraps about the return spring wheel 25 as the shaft rotates and exerts an increasing forceto urge the brakedown against the drum by reason of its attachment at to the brake member. The type 19 is carried by rotation of the type wheel into impressing contact with the surface of the article, imprinting the desired code into the article surface. After the marking is completed the article engages the are of the wheel which is shown in the upper side of the type in FIG. 2. By the time the type wheel has rotated far enough that theeccentric surface beyond the type has cleared the workpiece, the brake will check further rotation of the rotating parts under their own inertia and the type wheel will be stopped with its surface clear of the work piece. The work piece may therefore continue to rotate as it may do many times before it is carried away from the marking station.

The force of the spring 33 continues to hold the member 25 against retrograde or counter-clockwise rotation until the brake is released, by pushing the lever 48 to the right as viewed in FIG. 2 to ,retract the brake nose 44 slightly and compress the cushion 42. When the brake is released, spring 33, exerting a pull ,on the spring return wheel 25, rotates this wheel and shaft 17 and the marking wheel counterclockwise back to the start position- This reverse rotation is stopped while the spring .is still under slight tension when member 53 strikes shoulder of the frame 36. The lever 48 is guideway 38 into which a brake release lever 48 is guid ingly received. The lever 48 ispinned to a stud49fixed to the frame'within. thepassageway l'o such that the lever pivots about the stud. The. lever has an elongated opening 51 extending through the end portion thereof, which is positioned within the guideway slot 47, through which is received a pin 52 which is fixed to .the brake 43 V 7 and which protrudes into the guideway'irg laterally. As

shown in FIG. 2, the width of the passageway 46 is greaterthan the width of the slot 47 such that the lever 48 when pivoted about the stud 49 moves the brake 43 tripped upon withdrawal of the entire marker 11 from engagement with the rotating article. The marking operation is repeated on an article subsequently rotated by a machine when the wheel 18 is pressedinto engagement with the article. The marking wheel 18 by the operation explained hereinabove engages the article or workpiece during only onerotation of the workpiece, but the wheel never completes afull revolution.

It is manifest that the above-describedembodiment of the invention is merely illustrative and that numerous modifications may be made within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, it will be understood that the rotationof a workpiece is given as an example only for the reason that the, article may be stationary and the jmarker may rotate on the article by moving the entire marker by a suitable means, it being necessary only that axially within the guideway 38. The, elongated opening 51 provided in the lever 48 permits the brake43 to move" vertically to effect a rocking motion at the nose 44. Ac-

relative rotation between the article and the marker wheel periphery is effected in order to'achieve the'markingof an article.

1. A rotary marker comprising a bifurcated; head with spaced'parallelarms having aligned bearings, a shaft journaled in the bearings'and bridging the spacing between the arms, a marking wheel having type on the periphery thereof mounted on the shaft between the arms for rotation with the shaft, the shaft extending laterally beyond one of the arms and having a circumferential braking surface beyond the arm, a circular member with a grooved periphery fixed to the end of the shaft adjacent the braking surface for simultaneous rotation with the shaft and wheel, a frame secured to the head, an arcuate support with a grooved periphery mounted fixedly on the frame with the groove in alignment with the grooved periphery of the circular member, the frame having a horizontally extending guideway, a brake slidably mounted within the guideway with a nose formed for line contact with the braking surface, resilient means within the guideway for biasing the brake nose into line contact with the braking surface of the shaft, the brake having a vertically extending slot, the frame having a vertically extending passageway in alignment with the slot in the brake, a brake release lever pivoted within the passageway and pinned to the brake within the slot for moving the brake slidably within the guideway, a spring fixed at one end to the periphery of the circular member and extending around the grooved periphery of the arcuate support, the other end of the spring being attached to the brake portion extending from the guideway whereby a force is exerted downwardly on the nose of the brake against the braking surface, the guideway being of a dimension whereby the nose of the brake rocks from below the axis of the circular member to a point above the axis of the circular member, a stop member extending from the periphery of the circular member for limiting its rotation and being in abutting contact with the frame at a position of rest from which the wheel rotates in a marking operation, the rotation of the circular member increasing the tension on the spring whereby the nose of the brake is pulled downwardly with increasing force against the braking surface of the shaft in proportion to the amount of rotation of the circular member whereby the circular member is stopped by the brake after the type on the wheel have marked an article, the release of the brake by the lever actuating a retrograde rotation of the circular member by the action of the spring.

2. In a marking tool of the character having a holder of the type having a marker wheel adapted to be rotated in one direction by engagement with a rotary work piece in one direction and a second wheel fixed to rotate with the marking wheel and having a tension spring that is wrapped by rotation of the marking Wheel about the periphery of the second wheel, the spring having one end anchored to the periphery of the second wheel whereby it will wrap about the periphery of said second wheel when said wheel is rotated in one direction and effect rotation of the second wheel in the opposite direction to return the said wheel to starting position, wherein (a) there is a brake drum also arranged to rotate with the marking wheel and the second wheel,

(b) a brake bar having a nose bearing against the brake drum,

(c) the brake bar being supported on the holder in a manner to enable the nose to travel through a limited arc transversely of the length of the bar and also move rectilinearly relative to the brake drum,

(d) means for resiliently urging the nose of the brake bar against the brake drum,

(e) the spring having its other end anchored to the brake bar and guided about the holder in such manner that the tensioning of the spring as it wraps about the second wheel increases the pressure of the nose of the brake bar against the drum.

3. A marking tool of the class described comprising (a) a holder,

(b) a marking wheel shaft in the holder,

(c) a marking wheel, a brake drum, and a spring return wheel fixed on the shaft for rotation with the shaft,

(d) a brake bar holding means on the holder,

(e) a brake bar in the holding means having a nose bearing against the brake drum, the brake bar being axially movable in the holding means and also movable transversely of its length with the nose moving in an arc from a position where the nose is in a plane below the axis of rotation of the marking wheel shaft over center to a plane above said axis,

(f) means for resiliently urging the brake bar nose against the brake drum,

(g) a spring attached to the brake bar near the nose extending downwardly from the bar,

(h) guide means on the holder about which the spring is looped so that after extending downwardly from the bar it extends rea-rwardly, upwardly and then forwardly at a level above the bar,

(i) the other end of the spring being attached to the spring return wheel in a manner to wrap about the periphery of said wheel when it is rotated in one direction against the tension of the spring.

4. A mark-ing tool -as defined in claim 3 wherein a brake release lever is pivotally mounted between its ends on the holder with one end projecting above the holder and having its other end passing transversely through the brake bar inter-mediate its ends, whereby movement of the lever imparts rectilinear movement to the brake bar, the engagement of the lever with the brake bar being such as to allow transverse movement of the brake ba-r relative to the lever.

5. A marking tool of the character described comprising a holder, a rotatable shaft in the holder, a marking wheel, brake drum and return spring wheel all fixed to the shaft for rotation therewith, the periphery of the marker wheel extending beyond the holder and being of greater diameter than the brake drum and return spring wheel, a brake bar having a nose portion bearing against the brake drum and movable rectilinearly transversely with respect to the axis of rotation of the shaft with the nose portion of the bar being movable transversely relative to said axis, guide means on the holder in which the brake bar is retained for such movement, resilient cushion means between the guide means and the brake bar for resiliently urging the bar rectilinearly toward the brake dr-um, an extensible flexible spring having one end attached to the return spring wheel and its other end attached to the brake bar near the nose thereof, a spring looping guide on the holder, the spring extending from its point of attachment to the brake bar transversely to the length of the bar, thence around the guide and looping forwardly in a direction generally parallel with the bar to the spring return wheel, and a trip lever engaging the brake bar for effecting rectilinear movement of the brake bar to release the brake bar from braking engagement with the drum.

6. A marking tool as defined in claim 3 wherein the marking wheel is keyed to the shaft, the holder having two arms through which the shaft passes With the marking wheel positioned between these arms, the brake drum and spring return wheel being on one end of the shaft outside the space between the two arms, and removable means in the other arm interfitted with the shaft to permit rotation thereof, said shaft being movable endwise upon removal of said last-named means to enable the marker wheel to be removed and replaced.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS WILLIAM B. PENN, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A ROTARY MARKER COMPRISING A BIFURCATED HEAD WITH SPACED PARALLEL ARMS HAVING ALIGNED BEARINGS, A SHAFT JOURNALED IN THE BEARINGS AND BRIDGING THE SPACING BETWEEN THE ARMS, A MARKING WHEEL HAVING TYPE ON THE PERIPHERY THEREOF MOUNTED ON THE SHAFT BETWEEN THE ARMS FOR ROTATION WITH THE SHAFT, THE SHAFT EXTENDING LATERALLY BEYOND ONE OF THE ARMS AND HAVING A CIRCUMFERENTIAL BRAKING SURFACE BEYOND THE ARM, A CIRCULAR MEMBER WITH A GROOVED PERIPHERY FIXED TO THE END OF THE SHAFT ADJACENT THE BRAKING SURFACE FOR SIMULTANEOUS ROTATION WITH THE SHAFT AND WHEEL, A FRAME SECURED TO THE HEAD, AN ARCUATE SUPPORT WITH A GROOVED PERIPHERY MOUNTED FIXEDLY ON THE FRAME WITH THE GROOVE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE GROOVED PERIPHERY OF THE CIRCULAR MEMBER, THE FRAME HAVING A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING GUIDEWAY, A BRAKE SLIDABLY MOUNTED WITHIN THE GUIDEWAY WITH A NOSE FORMED FOR LINE CONTACT WITH THE BRAKING SURFACE, RESILIENT MEANS WITHIN THE GUIDEWAY FOR BIASING THE BRAKE NOSE INTO LINE CONTACT WITH THE BRAKING SURFACE OF THE SHAFT, THE BRAKE HAVING A VERTICALLY EXTENDING SLOT, THE FRAME HAVING A VERTICALLY EXTENDING PASSAGEWAY IN ALIGNEMENT WITH THE SLOT IN THE BRAKE, A BRAKE RELEASE LEVER PIVOTED WITHIN THE PASSAGEWAY AND PINNED TO THE BRAKE WITHIN THE SLOT FOR MOVING THE BRAKE SLIDABLY WITHIN THE GUIDEWAY, A SPRING FIXED AT ONE END TO THE PERIPHERY OF THE CIRCULAR MEMBER AND EXTENDING AROUND THE GROOVED PERIPHERY OF THE ARCUATE SUPPORT, THE OTHER END OF THE SPRING BEING ATTACHED TO THE BRAKE PORTION EXTENDING FROM THE GUIDEWAY WHEREBY A FORCE IS EXERTED DOWNWARDLY ON THE NOSE OF THE BRAKE AGAINST THE BRAKING SURFACE, THE GUIDEWAY BEING OF A DIMENSION WHEREBY THE NOSE OF THE BRAKE ROCKS FROM BELOW THE AXIS OF THE CIRCULAR MEMBER TO A POINT ABOVE THE AXIS OF THE CIRCULAR MEMBER, A STOP MEMBER EXTENDING FROM THE PERIPHERY OF THE CIRCULAR MEMBER FOR LIMITING ITS ROTATION AND BEING IN ABUTTING CONTACT WITH THE FRAME AT ITS POSITION OF REST FROM WHICH THE WHEEL ROTATES IN A MARKING OPERATION, THE ROTATION OF THE CIRCULAR MEMBER INCREASING THE TENSION ON THE SPRING WHEREBY THE NOSE OF THE BRAKE IS PULLED DOWNWARDLY WITH INCREASING FORCE AGAINST THE BRAKING SURFACE OF THE SHAFT IN PROPORTION TO THE AMOUNT OF ROTATION OF THE CIRCULAR MEMBER WHEREBY THE CIRCULAR MEMBER IS STOPPED BY THE BRAKE AFTER THE TYPE ON THE WHEEL HAVE MARKED AN ARTICLE, THE RELEASE OF THE BRAKE BY THE LEVER ACTUATING A RECTROGRADE ROTATION OF THE CIRCULAR MEMBER BY THE ACTION OF THE SPRING.