Marking apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR MARKING A SIDE SURFACE AND THE BACK SURFACE OF EACH OF A SERIES OF SPACED APART RECTANGULAR ARTICLES CONVEYED SUCCESSIVELY PAST THE APPARATUS; SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING AN ARM HAVING A MARKING WHEEL ROTATABLY MOUNTED AT ONE END, MEANS SWINGABLY SUPPORTING SAID ARM AT THE OTHER END THEREOF FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT INTO AND OUT OF THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE CONVEYED ARTICLES FROM AND TO AN INOPERATIVE POSITION ALONGSIDE SAID PATH OF TRAVEL WHERE SAID ARM EXTENDS GENERALLY IN THE DIRECTION OPPOSED TO THE MOVEMENT OF THE ARTICLES, FLUID PRESSURE OPERATED ACTUATING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID ARM AND OPERATIVE ALTERNATIVELY IN FIRST AND SECOND DIRECTIONS TO SWING SAID ARM IN THE DIRECTIONS FROM AND TO SAID INOPERATIVE POSITION, RESPECTIVELY, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING FLUID UNDER PRESSURE TO SAID ACTUATING MEANS INCLUDING VALVE MEANS WHICH IS ACTUABLE TO CAUSE SAID ACTUATING MEANS TO ALTERNATIVELY OPERATE IN SAID FIRST AND SECOND DIRECTIONS, AND CONTROL MEANS FOR SAID VALVE MEANS INCLUDING A FIRST CONTROL ELEMENT ENGAGEABLE BY A CONVEYED ARTICLE MOVING PAST THE APPARATUS TO CAUSE SAID VALVE MEANS TO EFFECT OPERATION OF SAID ACTUATING MEANS IN SAID FIRST DIRECTION SO THAT SAID MARKING WHEEL ROLLS ALONG A SIDE SURFACE OF THE ARTICLE AND ACROSS THE BACK SURFACE OF THE LATTER DURING SWINGING OF SAID ARM FROM ITS INOPERATIVE POSITION, A SECOND CONTROL ELEMENT ENGAGEABLE BY SAID ARM UPON A PREDETERMINED ANGULAR DISPLACEMENT OF SAID ARM FROM SAID INOPERATIVE POSITION TO CAUSE SAID VALVE MEANS TO EFFECT OPERATION OF SAID ACTUATING MEANS IN SAID SECOND DIRECTION FOR RETURNING SAID ARM TO ITS INOPERATIVE POSITION UPON COMPLETION OF THE MARKING OF A CONVEYED ARTICLE, AND A THIRD CONTROL ELEMENT DISPOSED ADJACENT THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE CONVEYED ARTICLES IN ADVANCE OF SAID FIRST CONTROL ELEMENT AND BEING ENGAGEABLE BY A CONVEYED ARTICLE APPROACHING THE APPARATUS TO CAUSE SAID VALVE MEANS TO EFFECT OPERATION OF SAID ACTUATING MEANS IN SAID SECOND DIRECTION SO THAT SAID ARM IS RETURNED TO ITS INOPERATIVE POSITION AFTER STARTING SWINGING MOVEMENT FROM THE LATTER IN THE EVENT THAT THE CONVEYED ARTICLE BEING MARKED IS FOLLOWED TOO CLOSELY BY THE NEXT CONVEYED ARTICLE, THEREBY AVOIDING JAMMING OF SAID ARM AND MARKING WHEEL BETWEEN ADJACENT CONVEYED ARTICLES.