US3753482A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Automatic push button tape embossing machine
Assignee: Dymo Industries Inc
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Filing: 1971-05-10
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Granted: 1973-08-21
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Expires: 1991-05-10
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for successively embossing characters onto a tape in response to depression of keys representative of the characters is described. The apparatus includes a rectangular keyboard and an embossing wheel having about its periphery an annular array of embossing dies corresponding to the characters to be produced. The embossing wheel is normally continually rotated during operation of the mechanism, and each of the keys has a stem which cooperates with a stop on the embossing wheel for interrupting the rotation of the wheel with the proper die positioned at an embossing station upon the depression of any one of the keys. A cam assembly is activated by the depression of one of the keys to then cause the character positioned at the embossing station to be embossed on a tape located at such station and also to advance the tape through the embossing station for appropriately spacing successively embossed characters.
Inventors
- 👤 M Brown
- 👤 E Beers
- 👤 A Nicole
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 07:25
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J5/00; B41J5/02; B41J5/04; B41J3/00; B41J3/38
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
356 words
Apparatus for embossing characters on a base substance comprising a support structure, an embossing station, means for passing a base substance through said embossing station to leave characters embossed thereon, a generally circular array of embossing dies corresponding to the individual characters to be produced, said dies being annularly arranged and mounted for rotation together about the axis of said annulus to pass said dies successively past said embossing station, means for normally continually rotating said annular die array about said axis, a generally rectangular array of depressible keys mounted for general vertical reciprocation in parallel rows and each being representative of the individual characters to be embossed respectively, said array of keys being positioned directly over and above said annular array, each of said keys having an upper finger striking portion, a depending stem and abutment at the lower end of said stem rigidly interconnected, each of some of said keys having a horizontally extending offset portion rigidly interconnecting with said stem between said abutment and finger striking portion to transversely space said abutment offset from said finger striking portions, said offset portions being of different lengths and enabling said rectangular array of key striking portions to select any desired one of said annularly arranged dies, means responsive to the depression of any one of said keys of said rectangular key array for positioning the corresponding die of said annular die array at said embossing station for embossing the character thereof on said base substance, said last named means including a stop means carried by said annular array of dies for coaction with the stem abutment of any depressed key to locate the corresponding die of said annular array at said embossing station, said stop means being directly selectively engageable with the stem abutment of any depressed key to interrupt rotation of said annular die array only when the die of said annular array corresponding to said depressed key is positioned at said embossing staton, said stop means further extending radially of said annular die array for rotation therewith, and means for embossing the character of the die at said station on said base substance.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
356 words
Apparatus for embossing characters on a base substance comprising a support structure, an embossing station, means for passing a base substance through said embossing station to leave characters embossed thereon, a generally circular array of embossing dies corresponding to the individual characters to be produced, said dies being annularly arranged and mounted for rotation together about the axis of said annulus to pass said dies successively past said embossing station, means for normally continually rotating said annular die array about said axis, a generally rectangular array of depressible keys mounted for general vertical reciprocation in parallel rows and each being representative of the individual characters to be embossed respectively, said array of keys being positioned directly over and above said annular array, each of said keys having an upper finger striking portion, a depending stem and abutment at the lower end of said stem rigidly interconnected, each of some of said keys having a horizontally extending offset portion rigidly interconnecting with said stem between said abutment and finger striking portion to transversely space said abutment offset from said finger striking portions, said offset portions being of different lengths and enabling said rectangular array of key striking portions to select any desired one of said annularly arranged dies, means responsive to the depression of any one of said keys of said rectangular key array for positioning the corresponding die of said annular die array at said embossing station for embossing the character thereof on said base substance, said last named means including a stop means carried by said annular array of dies for coaction with the stem abutment of any depressed key to locate the corresponding die of said annular array at said embossing station, said stop means being directly selectively engageable with the stem abutment of any depressed key to interrupt rotation of said annular die array only when the die of said annular array corresponding to said depressed key is positioned at said embossing staton, said stop means further extending radially of said annular die array for rotation therewith, and means for embossing the character of the die at said station on said base substance.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
93 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said annular array of dies is provided on a rotatable embossing wheel and wherein said means responsive to the depression of any one of said keys for positioning the corresponding one of said dies at said embossing station further includes an indexing means engageable with the periphery of said wheel for maintaining said array of embossing dies in a stopped condition with said corresponding die positioned at said embossing station during the operation of said means for embossing the character of said die on said base substance.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
109 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further including lock means for maintaining any depressed key in its depressed condition with its stem interrupting rotation of said annular array until completion of operation of said means for embossing the character of said die at said statioN on said base substance said lock means including a spring loaded lock plate through which the stems of said keys extend, each key stem having a camming surface for translationally displacing said lock plate against spring pressure upon the depression of said key and a locking shoulder engageable with said plate after said displacement to provide said maintenance of said key in said depressed condition.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
63 words
The apparatus of claim 3 further including a release means responsive to the completion of the operation of said means for embossing the character of the die at said embossing station on said base substance for translationally displacing said lock plate to disengage the same from said lock shoulder of the depressed key to allow said key to return to its non-depressed position.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
81 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further including means for automatically advancing said base substance a predetermined distance through said embossing station after operation of said means for embossing the character of the die at said station on said base substance, said advancing means including means for sensing which one of said keys has been depressed and controlling the distance through which said advancing means moves said base substance to relate said distance to the dimension of the character at said station.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
151 words
The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said base substance constitutes an elongated embossing tape and said means for advancing same through said embossing station includes a tape advancing wheel having a frictional circumferential surface for cooperation with a pinch roller to frictionally engage said tape and drive same therebetween and through said embossing station upon rotation of said wheel, and said means for sensing which one of said keys has been depressed and controlling the distance through which said advancing means moves said tape includes a sensing slide connectable with said wheel for angularly rotating same upon translational movement of said slide, said slide having a sensing nose engageable with steps on a stop ring which are correlated with the location of individual dies in said annular array of dies to control the distance through which said slide is translatable and annularly rotates said advancing wheel and thus advances said tape.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
45 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further inclusing means responsive to the interruption of rotation of said annular array of dies upon the depression of one of said keys for activating said means for embossing the character thereof on said base substance at said embossing station.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
89 words
The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said base substance constitutes an elongated embossing tape and further including means located in the path of travel of said tape beyond said embossing means for severing a portion of said tape having a desired character or characters embossed thereon from the remainder of said tape after said embossing, and means responsive to the actuation of said tape severing means for first advancing said tape so as to position the last embossed character thereon beyond said severing means and thereafter severing the tape.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
118 words
The apparatus of claim 7 wherein means are provided for advancing said base substance through said embossing station independently of the interruption of rotation of said annular array of dies, said means for advancing said base substance through said embossing station including a feed wheel having a frictional circumferential surface cooperable with a pinch roller to frictionally engage said substance and drive same therebetween and through said embossing station upon rotation of said wheel, and said means for enabling advancement of said base substance independently of the interruption of rotation of said annular array of dies including a drive shaft axially secured to said wheel and having a knob for manual rotation of said shaft and said wheel.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said base substance constitutes an elongated embossing tape.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
121 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means responsive to tHe depression of any one of said keys of said key array is responsive to said depression by both positioning the corresponding die of said array at said embossing station and thereafter activating said means for embossing the character of the die at said station to produce said character on said base substance said means responsive to the depression of any one of said keys including a cam assembly activated by said key depression to motivate an embossing linkage to drive an embossing plunger at said station to bring together the male and female portions of the embossing die at said station to produce said embossed character on said base substance.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
78 words
The apparatus of claim 11 further including a slip clutch for integrating said cam assembly with a drive shaft for rotation therewith in response to the depression of any one of said keys to provide said activation of said cam assembly, and means for advancing said base substance a predetermined distance through said embossing station, said cam assembly activating said means to so advance said substance after motivating said embossing linkage to emboss said character on said substance.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
53 words
The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said base substance constitutes an elongated embossing tape and further including a cut-off cam assembly integrated with a drive shaft for rotation therewith in response to depression of a cut-off key to drive a severing means for severing a portion of said tape from the remainder thereof.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
40 words
The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said cam assembly upon being integrated with said drive shaft and activating said means for advancing said tape advances the last embossed character thereon beyond said severing means prior to driving said severing means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
81 words
The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said array of dies is mounted on a rotatable embossing wheel and further including an indexing means engageable with the periphery of said wheel to maintain said array in a stopped condition with said corresponding die at said emb0ssing station, said cam assembly motivating said indexing means to engage the periphery of said wheel prior to activating said embossing linkage to thereby maintain said array in said stopped condition during operation of said embossing linkage.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
170 words
The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said annularly arranged dies are mounted on a rotatable embossing wheel for rotation together about its axis to pass said dies successively past said embossing station, means are provided for normally rotating said wheel about said axis, said means responsive to the depression of any one of said keys for positioning the corresponding one of said dies at said embossing station includes stop means on said wheel engageable with the stem of any depressed key to interrupt rotation of said annular array when the die of said array corresponding to said depressed key is positioned at said embossing station, and a spring loaded lock plate is provided through which the stems of said keys extend for maintaining any depressed key in its depressed condition with its stem interrupting rotation of said annular array, said cam assembly motivating a release means to displace said lock plate to release any depressed key after motivating said embossing linkage to produce an embossed character on said base substance.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein there is only one said radially-extending stop means associated with said annular die array for engaging the key abutments.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-08-20 | 1977-02-19 | 1977-08-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-08-20 | 1981-02-19 | 1981-08-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-08-20 | 1985-02-19 | 1985-08-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |