Cable marking method and apparatus

Claim 3

The method of Claim 1 further comprising the steps of locating said cable across an upper surface of the platen, around beneath a lower surface of the platen in an unrestrained loop and back across the upper surface of the platen so that said spaced-apart cable portions are arranged in parallel juxtaposed relationship on the upper surface of the platen.

Claim 4

Apparatus for marking an identification at pre-selected intervals along a cable length by laser marking means characterised by drive means adapted during use to sequentially move two longitudinally spaced-apart portions of the cable length along a marking platen, and positioning means adapted to establish an operative relationship between the laser marking means and a stationary one of the cable portions.

Claim 5

Apparatus for marking an identification at pre-selected intervals along a cable length by laser marking means characterised by drive means adapted during use to sequentially move two longitudinally spaced-apart portions of the cable length along a marking platen, and positioning means adapted to establish an operative relationship between the laser marking means and a stationary one of the cable portions.

Claim 6

Apparatus for marking an identification at pre-selected intervals along a cable length comprising a carriage block assembly including a marking platen and laser operated marking means positioned above the platen, characterised in that longitudinally spaced-apart input and output portions of a cable length are routed across the platen in substantially parallel juxtaposed relationship, said apparatus including drive means to sequentially move the input and output portions across the platen and positioning means to alternately position the laser marking means in operative relationship with a stationary one of the cable portions.

Claim 7

Apparatus for marking an identification at pre-selected intervals along a cable length comprising a carriage block assembly including a marking platen and laser operated marking means positioned above the platen, characterised in that longitudinally spaced-apart input and output portions of a cable length are routed across the platen in substantially parallel juxtaposed relationship, said apparatus including drive means to sequentially move the input and output portions across the platen and positioning means to alternately position the laser marking means in operative relationship with a stationary one of the cable portions.

Claim 8

Apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, characterised in that apertures are provided through the carriage block assembly upstream and downstream of the marking platen, the input portion of the cable being routed longitudinally across the platen and down through the downstream aperture to form an unrestrained loop portion beneath the platen, the cable being routed from the loop portion up through the upstream aperture to the output portion.

Claim 9

Apparatus as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5, characterised in that the drive means comprise driven rollers carried by the carriage block assembly and located upstream and downstream respectively of the marking platen.

Claim 10

Apparatus as claimed in Claim 6, characterised in that said driven rollers are spaced-apart vertically below the cable length and are operatively associated with idling rollers supported above the cable length and selectively moveable downwardly into contact with the respective driven roller to press the cable on to the surface of said driven roller.

Claim 11

Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 4 to 7 inclusive, characterised in that a plurality of cable lengths are located along the carriage block assembly in spaced-apart substantially parallel relationship.

Claim 12

Apparatus as claimed in Claim 8, characterised in that said carriage block assembly is moveable laterally to locate a selected one of the cables beneath the idling rollers and the laser marking means.

Claim 13

Apparatus as claimed in Claim 8 or Claim 9., characterised in that the cables are individually located through apertures in guide block assemblies located upstream and downstream of the driven rollers.

Claim 14

Apparatus as claimed in Claim 10, characterised in that the cables are drawn from individual cable reels located in a cable support means located at an end of the apparatus adjacent the upstream guide block assembly.

Claim 15

Apparatus as claimed in Claim 10 or Claim 11, characterised in that said downstream guide block assembly incorporates cable measuring means.

Claim 16

Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 10 to 12, characterised in that a guillotine is operatively associated with said downstream guide block assembly.

Claim 17

140 Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 10 to 13, characterised in that cable guide means is provided downstream of said downstream guide block assembly, said guide means being adapted to guide the cable into a cable receptacle.

Claim 18

Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim and controlled by a pre-programmed micro-processor.

Claim 19

Apparatus for marking an identification at selected intervals along a cable length comprising a carriage block assembly including a marking platen and a laser operated marking means positioned above the platen, characterised in that apertures are provided upstream and downstream of the platen, an input portion of the cable being located along the platen through the downstream aperture and up through the upstream aperture to form a slack loop below the platen, an output portion of the cable being located across the platen in parallel juxtaposed relationship with the input portion, drive means arranged to sequentially move said input and output cable portions and control means arranged to operate said drive means and said laser means and to position said laser means so as to mark a stationary one of said input and output portions.

Claim 20

Apparatus for marking an identification at selected intervals along a cable length comprising a carriage block assembly including a marking platen and a laser operated marking means positioned above the platen, characterised in that apertures are provided upstream and downstream of the platen, an input portion of the cable being located along the platen through the downstream aperture and up through the upstream aperture to form a slack loop below the platen, an output portion of the cable being located across the platen in parallel juxtaposed relationship with the input portion, drive means arranged to sequentially move said input and output cable portions and control means arranged to operate said drive means and said laser means and to position said laser means so as to mark a stationary one of said input and output portions.

Claim 21

Apparatus for marking an identification at selected intervals along a length of cable and comprising a carriage block assembly including a marking platen, apertures at upstream and downstream ends of the platen, an input portion of the cable being routed across the platen, down through the downstream aperture and up through the upstream aperture to form a loop portion below the platen, an output portion of the cable being routed across the platen in parallel juxtaposed relationship to the input portion, first drive means adapted to drive the input portion of the cable across the surface of the platen, second drive means arranged to draw the output portion of the cable from the surface of the platen, a laser operated marking means positioned above the platen so as to be capable of longitudinal movement relative the platen and of lateral movement at least sufficient to encompass the input and output portions of the cable, and control means adapted to control sequential operation of the first and second drive means and to alternately position the laser marking means above a stationary one of said input and output portions of the cable.

Claim 22

Apparatus for marking an identification at selected intervals along a length of cable and comprising a carriage block assembly including a marking platen, apertures at upstream and downstream ends of the platen, an input portion of the cable being routed across the platen, down through the downstream aperture and up through the upstream aperture to form a loop portion below the platen, an output portion of the cable being routed across the platen in parallel juxtaposed relationship to the input portion, first drive means adapted to drive the input portion of the cable across the surface of the platen, second drive means arranged to draw the output portion of the cable from the surface of the platen, a laser operated marking means positioned above the platen so as to be capable of longitudinal movement relative the platen and of lateral movement at least sufficient to encompass the input and output portions of the cable, and control means adapted to control sequential operation of the first and second drive means and to alternately position the laser marking means above a stationary one of said input and output portions of the cable.