US3595165A — Addressing machine with toggle-link mechanism

Claim 1

Independent Claim 346 words

In an addressing machine of the type in which addresses are sequentially printed upon workpieces by the transfer of ink through a print-forming element to a workpiece, the combination comprising: a frame; a printing station on the frame; a table located on the frame at the printing station; means for locating workpieces on the table at the printing station; means for sequentially receiving print-forming elements in juxtaposition with the workpiece at the printing station; a toggle-link mechanism mounted upon the frame at the printing station, said toggle-link mechanism including first and second toggle links, each having opposite ends, said first and second toggle links being arranged generally in end to end relationship and pivotally interconnected at adjacent ends; pivot means mounting the end of the first link opposite said adjacent end thereof upon the frame for pivotal movement of said first link about a point located at a predetermined distance from the table; printing means mounted upon the frame for reciprocating movement along a path of travel between a first location wherein the printing means is spaced from the juxtaposed print-forming element and workpiece at the printing station and a second location wherein the printing means is urged against the juxtaposed print-forming element and workpiece in response to movement of the end of the second link opposite said adjacent end thereof; actuator means mounted on the frame and interconnected with said adjacent ends of the toggle links for moving said toggle links between a first position wherein the links are at an angle to one another and the printing means is at said first location and a second position wherein the links are in substantial alignment with one another and the straight line distance between said opposite ends of the links is that which is required to urge the printing means into said second location with sufficient force to print the address on the workpiece; and means for selectively moving said point about which said first link is pivoted to change said predetermined distance between the point and the table and accommodate workpieces of different thicknesses.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 346 words

In an addressing machine of the type in which addresses are sequentially printed upon workpieces by the transfer of ink through a print-forming element to a workpiece, the combination comprising: a frame; a printing station on the frame; a table located on the frame at the printing station; means for locating workpieces on the table at the printing station; means for sequentially receiving print-forming elements in juxtaposition with the workpiece at the printing station; a toggle-link mechanism mounted upon the frame at the printing station, said toggle-link mechanism including first and second toggle links, each having opposite ends, said first and second toggle links being arranged generally in end to end relationship and pivotally interconnected at adjacent ends; pivot means mounting the end of the first link opposite said adjacent end thereof upon the frame for pivotal movement of said first link about a point located at a predetermined distance from the table; printing means mounted upon the frame for reciprocating movement along a path of travel between a first location wherein the printing means is spaced from the juxtaposed print-forming element and workpiece at the printing station and a second location wherein the printing means is urged against the juxtaposed print-forming element and workpiece in response to movement of the end of the second link opposite said adjacent end thereof; actuator means mounted on the frame and interconnected with said adjacent ends of the toggle links for moving said toggle links between a first position wherein the links are at an angle to one another and the printing means is at said first location and a second position wherein the links are in substantial alignment with one another and the straight line distance between said opposite ends of the links is that which is required to urge the printing means into said second location with sufficient force to print the address on the workpiece; and means for selectively moving said point about which said first link is pivoted to change said predetermined distance between the point and the table and accommodate workpieces of different thicknesses.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 151 words

The combination of claim 1 wherein: the printing means includes a platen of resiliently deformable material movable along a prescribed path of travel perpendicular to said table; the actuator means includes a connecting rod interconnected with said adjacent ends of the toggle links and reciprocable along a direction perpendicular to the direction of the prescribed path of travel of the platen; the pivot means includes a pivot pin extending perpendicular to the direction of movement of said connecting rod and perpendicular to the direction of the prescribed path of travel of the platen; and the means for selectively moving said point includes means for moving said pivot pin relative to the table in a direction parallel to the direction of said prescribed path of travel of the platen and for retaining said pivot pin in any one of a plurality of positions along the path of movement of the pivot pin.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 202 words

The combination of claim 2 wherein the means for moving and retaining said pivot pin includes: a sleeve mounted on the frame; a shaft mounted for axial sliding movement in opposite directions parallel to the path of movement of the pivot pin and for angular rotation within the sleeve; means carrying said pivot pin for movement with said shaft along said path of movement; stop means on said shaft and said sleeve cooperatively engageable in any one of a plurality of angular positions of the shaft relative to the sleeve to locate the shaft at any one of a plurality of corresponding axial positions of the shaft relative to the sleeve; means resiliently biasing said shaft in one of said opposite directions relative to said sleeve to engage the stop means; and means for selectively sliding said shaft against said resilient biasing means to disengage the stop means and for selectively rotating the shaft to index the stop means and select any one of said angular positions such that upon release of the shaft, the shaft will be biased to a corresponding axial position and the pivot pin and platen will be placed at a corresponding selected location relative to the table.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 42 words

The combination of claim 3 wherein said stop means includes: a plurality of angularly spaced shoulders in the sleeve, said shoulders each having a different axial location; and a radial projection in said shaft selectively engageable with any one of said shoulders.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 39 words

The combination of claim 3 including means mounting said sleeve on the frame for selective axial movement relative to said table over relatively small displacements in comparison to the increments between the plurality of positions of said pivot pin.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 40 words

The combination of claim 3 including means mounting said sleeve on the frame for selective axial movement relative to the table over a relatively large displacement in comparison to the increments between the plurality of positions of said pivot pin.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 89 words

The combination of claim 6 wherein said means mounting said sleeve on the frame includes: a collar carrying said sleeve and mounted for selective rotation relative to the frame; a helical groove in said collar and having a relatively large pitch in comparison to the increments between the plurality of positions of said pivot pin; and a radial spindle affixed to the frame and engaged in said groove such that rotation of the collar will move the sleeve axially over a relatively large displacement in comparison to said increments.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 95 words

The combination of claim 7 including means mounting said sleeve on the frame for selective axial movement relative to the table over relatively small displacements in comparison to the increments between the plurality of positions of said pivot pin, these means including: threaded means engaging said sleeve and said collar and having a pitch smaller than any one of said increments; and means for permitting selective rotation of the sleeve relative to the collar for fine adjustment of the location of the pivot pin and the corresponding location of the platen relative to the table.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 149 words

The combination of claim 1 wherein the actuator means includes: drive means; a drive shaft rotated in response to a drive torque applied thereto by the drive means; a crank affixed for rotation with said drive shaft; a connecting rod interconnecting said crank with said adjacent ends of the toggle links and reciprocable along a direction perpendicular to the direction of the path of travel of the printing means to exert a drive force upon said toggle-link mechanism in response to rotation of the drive shaft, said drive force being sufficient to print an address; and reaction means for applying a reaction torque to the drive shaft opposite to said drive torque as the toggle links are moved out of their second position toward said first position to compensate for the sudden decrease in the required drive force resulting from movement of the toggle links out of substantial alignment.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 167 words

The combination of claim 9 wherein: the table includes a flat, planar area at said printing station; the print-forming elements are stencils received between a workpiece on the flat, planar area of the table and the printing means; the printing means includes a print roller of resiliently deformable material movable along a prescribed path of travel perpendicular to said flat, planar area of said table and having a surface portion conformable to the area of the stencil upon which the address is carried; the drive force exerted upon the toggle mechanism is sufficient to resiliently deform the print roller to conform said surface portion to said area of the stencil when the print roller is urged against the stencil, the workpiece and the flat, planar area of the table; and the reaction torque is great enough to compensate for the decrease in the required drive force resulting from the return of the print roller to its undeformed configuration as the toggle links move out of substantial alignment.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 69 words

The combination of claim 10 wherein said reaction means includes: at least one reaction cam mounted for rotation with said drive shaft and having a predetermined contour; a follower engaging the reaction cam; and means resiliently biasing said follower into engagement with the reaction cam with a biasing force so directed relative to the drive shaft by the contour of the reaction cam as to provide said reaction torque.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 60 words

The combination of claim 11 wherein the contour of the reaction cam directs said biasing force relative to the drive shaft so as to provide a supplementary torque upon said drive shaft in the same direction as said drive torque as the toggle links are moved toward said second position and the drive force begins to deform the print roller.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1974-07-26	1975-01-25	1975-07-27	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1978-07-26	1979-01-25	1979-07-27	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1982-07-26	1983-01-25	1983-07-27	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Addressing machine with toggle-link mechanism

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