Embossing machine having plural carriage means

Claim 1

IN AN EMBOSSING MACHINE WHEREIN INDIVIDUAL PUNCH AND DIE ELEMENTS ARE TO BE ACTUATED TO EFFECT AN EMBOSSURE ON A PLATE, RESPECTIVE RAM MEANS ALLOCATED TO THE PUNCH AND DIE ELEMENTS AND NORMALLY SPACED THEREFROM IN NON-ACTUATED POSITIONS, SAID RAM MEANS BEING MOVABLE ALONG A COMMON AXIS TOWARD ONE ANOTHER TO EFFECT PUNCH AND DIE ACTUATION AS AFORESAID, A PAIR OF RAM ACTUATING ARMS RESPECTIVELY MOVABLE IN SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL DIRECTION WITH RESPECT TO ONE ANOTHER AND ALONG PATHS THAT ARE GENERALLY NORMAL TO THE AFORESAID AXIS, SAID ARMS AT ONE END THEREOF EACH HAVING AN OPERATING CAM ASSOCIATED THEREWITH TO IMPART A LINEAR MOTION THERETO, AND SAID OPERATING CAMS EACH BEING MOUNTED ON A ROTATABLE SHAFT THAT IS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID AXIS WHEREBY, UPON ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT, SAID CAMS ARE TURNED PRODUCING RAM-ACTUATING LINEAR MOTION OF SAID ARMS ALONG SAID PATHS, SAID ARMS AT THE OTHER ENDS THEREOF HAVING OPERATING ELEMENTS THEREON ENGAGEABLE WITH THE OPERATING HEADS SAID RAMS AND HAVING OTHER ELEMENTS ENGAGEABLE BY OTHER CAM MEANS TO IMPART DRIVING MOTION TO SAID RAMS WHEN THE FIRST-NAMED CAM MEANS ARE EFFECTIVE TO CAUSE LINEAR MOVEMENT OF SAID ARMS AS AFORESAID, AND MEANS EFFECTIVE ON OPERATION OF SAID OPERATING CAMS TO CAUSE ONE OF THE RAM MEANS TO PRECEDE THE OTHER DURING ACTUATION.