Tire ring drive for label printers

Claim 2

In a printing apparatus in which there is included a printing roller having printing indicia to be reproduced mounted on the surface thereof, a cooperative platen roller positioned close to the printing roller for effecting a printing of sheet material interposed between the printing roller and the cooperative platen roller, a tire ring, means removably positioning said tire ring concentrically with and at one end of the printing roller, said tire ring having a circumferential length slightly greater than the extent of the printing indicia, said tire ring engaging and imparting drive to said interposed sheet material for movement of that material a distance equal to the circumferential length of the tire ring and independently of the printing indicia whereby the printing indicia is saved from the excessive wear that would be caused by the printing indicia driving the interposed sheet material, said means removably positioning said tire ring comprising a clamp at the outer end of said printing roller, a spring normally urging said clamp in a direction axially of the printing roller axis and against said tire ring, said clamp having a concentric ring portion inclined from a right angle with respect to the axis of rotation of the printing roller, and said tire ring having an inclined outer portion, and said inclined concentric ring portion of said spring biased clamp abuttingly engaging said inclined outer portion of said tire ring, said spring biased clamp including a disc, said disc having a circumferentially notched cut-out portion, and said tire ring including an axially extending pin adjacent one end thereof whereby said pin cooperatively engages the edge of said notched cut-out of the disc to prevent arcuate shifting of said tire ring.

Claim 3

In a printing machine for labels comprising a roll of label stock, a printing roller, a label printing medium carrying indicia to be printed removably positioned on a part of the cylindrical surface of said printing roller, a platen roller disposed close to and parallel to said printing roller, means imparting rotational drive to said printing roller and said platen roller in opposite directions during the printing operation, the closely disposed surfaces between the printing roller and the platen roller adapted to receive an end of the label stock so that the label printing medium on the printing roller causes an imprinting on the label stock with the platen roller as a back-up, a tire ring member, means removably mounting said tire ring member on said printing roller near one end thereof, said tire ring member being of an arcuate length somewhat in excess of the arcuate length of the indicia of the printing medium, said tire ring member disposed in arcuate alignment with the indicia and its outer surface lying at a radial extent substantially equal to the radial extent of the printing medium, whereby the tire ring member imparts independent movement to the label stock through its full arcuate extent thus saving the indicia of the printing medium on the label stock from wear that would be caused thereto if the printing medium were used to drive or assist in driving the label stock, and whereby the label stock is intermittently moved a distance equal to the length of the removably mounted tire ring which length is made commensurate with the arcuate extent of the indicia on the printing medium, said means removably mounting said tire ring comprising a clamp at the outer end of said printing roller, a spring normally urging said clamp in a direction axially of the printing roller axis and against said tire ring, said printing roller including an axial shaft, and said axially spring biased clamp being disc shaped and including a hub journally mounted for axial slidable movement on said printing roller shaft, said disc shaped clamp having an outer annular ring portion inclined inwardly toward said printing roller and its tire ring, said tire ring having a similarly inclined outer surface whereby the cooperative engagement of the inclined surfaces of the clamp and the tire ring act to prevent radial separation of the tire ring from the printing roller, a rod journally mounted within said printing roller shaft and having a cross pin at its inner end for engagement with the hub of the clamp, said shaft having an axially extending elongated slot through which the cross pin may have axial movement, a spring surrounding the printing roller shaft and arranged to abut the clamp at its inner end and having a fixed abuttment at its outer end, and a handle on the outer end of said rod, whereby the spring normally urges said clamp against said tire ring but may be overcome by pulling outwardly on the handle against the action of the spring to separate the clamp from the tire ring.

Claim 4

In a printing machine for labels comprising a roll of label stock, a printing roller, a label printing medium carrying indicia to be printed removably positioned on a part of the cylindrical surface of said printing roller, a platen roller disposed close to and parallel to said printing roller, means imparting rotational drive to said printing roller and said platen roller in opposite directions during the printing operation, the closely disposed surfaces between the printing roller and the platen roller adapted to receive an end of the label stock so that the label printing medium on the printing roller causes an imprinting on the label stock with the platen roller as a back-up, a tire ring member, means removably mounting said tire ring member on said printing roller near one end thereof, said tire ring member being of an arcuate length somewhat in excess of the arcuate length of the indicia of the printing medium, said tire ring member disposed in arcuate alignment with the indicia and its outer surface lying at a radial extent substantially equal to the radial extent of the printing medium, whereby the tire ring member imparts independent movement to the label stock through its full arcuate extent thus saving the indicia of the printing medium on the label stock from wear that would be caused thereto if the printing medium were used to drive or assist in driving the label stock, and whereby the label stock is intermittently moved a distance equal to the length of the removably mounted tire ring which length is made commensurate with the arcuate extent of the indicia on the printing medium, said means removably mounting said tire ring comprising a clamp at the outer end of said printing roller, a spring normally urging said clamp in a direction axially of the printing roller axis and against said tire ring, said printing roller including an axial shaft, and said axially spring biased clamp being disc shaped and including a hub journally mounted for axial slidable movement on said printing roller shaft, said disc shaped clamp having an outer annular ring portion inclined inwardly toward said printing roller and its tire ring, said tire ring having a similarly inclined outer surface whereby the cooperative engagement of the inclined surfaces of the clamp and the tire ring act to prevent radial separation of the tire ring from the printing roller, a rod journally mounted within said printing roller shaft and having a cross pin at its inner end for engagement with the hub of the clamp, said shaft having an axially extending elongated slot through which the cross pin may have axial movement, a spring surrounding the printing roller shaft and arranged to abut the clamp at its inner end and having a fixed abuttment at its outer end, and a handle on the outer end of said rod, whereby the spring normally urges said clamp against said tire ring but may be overcome by pulling outwardly on the handle against the action of the spring to separate the clamp from the tire ring.

Claim 5

A device as set forth in claim 2 in which said disc shaped clamp is provided with a circumferential notch, said tire ring having a short pin extending axially adjacent one end thereof, whereby said tire ring pin engages the circumferential notch of the clamp to prevent relative rotation of the tire ring with respect to the printing roller.

Claim 6

In a printing machine for labels comprising a roll of label stock, a printing roller, a label printing medium carrying indicia to be printed removably positioned on a part of the cylindrical surface of said printing roller, a platen roller disposed close to and parallel to said printing roller, means imparting rotational drive to said printing roller and said platent roller in opposite directions during the printing operation, the closely disposed surfaces between the printing roller and the platen roller adapted to receive an end of the label Stock so that the label printing medium on the printing roller causes an imprinting on the label stock with the platen roller as a back-up, a tire ring member, means removably mounting said tire ring member on said printing roller near one end thereof, said tire ring member being of an arcuate length somewhat in excess of the arcuate length of the indicia of the printing medium, said tire ring member disposed in arcuate alignment with the indicia and its outer surface lying at a radial extent substantially equal to the radial extent of the printing medium, whereby the tire ring member imparts independent movement to the label stock through its full arcuate extent thus saving the indicia of the printing medium on the label stock from wear that would be caused thereto if the printing medium were used to drive or assist in driving the label stock, and whereby the label stock is intermittently moved a distance equal to the length of the removably mounted tire ring which length is made commensurate with the arcuate extent of the indicia on the printing medium, said tire ring comprising an L-shaped rubber inner ring and an outer metal ring bonded to the interior angle of said L-shaped rubber ring, whereby the rubber inner ring spring urges the tire ring into positive frictional engagement with the label stock, and said means removably mounting said tire ring comprising a clamp at the outer end of said printing roller, a spring normally urging said clamp in a direction axially of the printing roller axis and against said tire ring, whereby the clamp abuttingly engages the tire ring on the side opposite the radially disposed leg of the L-shaped rubber ring.

Claim 7

In a printing machine for labels comprising a roll of label stock, a printing roller, a label printing medium carrying indicia to be printed removably positioned on a part of the cylindrical surface of said printing roller, a platen roller disposed close to and parallel to said printing roller, means imparting rotational drive to said printing roller and said platent roller in opposite directions during the printing operation, the closely disposed surfaces between the printing roller and the platen roller adapted to receive an end of the label Stock so that the label printing medium on the printing roller causes an imprinting on the label stock with the platen roller as a back-up, a tire ring member, means removably mounting said tire ring member on said printing roller near one end thereof, said tire ring member being of an arcuate length somewhat in excess of the arcuate length of the indicia of the printing medium, said tire ring member disposed in arcuate alignment with the indicia and its outer surface lying at a radial extent substantially equal to the radial extent of the printing medium, whereby the tire ring member imparts independent movement to the label stock through its full arcuate extent thus saving the indicia of the printing medium on the label stock from wear that would be caused thereto if the printing medium were used to drive or assist in driving the label stock, and whereby the label stock is intermittently moved a distance equal to the length of the removably mounted tire ring which length is made commensurate with the arcuate extent of the indicia on the printing medium, said tire ring comprising an L-shaped rubber inner ring and an outer metal ring bonded to the interior angle of said L-shaped rubber ring, whereby the rubber inner ring spring urges the tire ring into positive frictional engagement with the label stock, and said means removably mounting said tire ring comprising a clamp at the outer end of said printing roller, a spring normally urging said clamp in a direction axially of the printing roller axis and against said tire ring, whereby the clamp abuttingly engages the tire ring on the side opposite the radially disposed leg of the L-shaped rubber ring.