Replicating apparatus with locking means

Claim 2

Apparatus for replicating a desired plurality of like imprint presentations along and at spaced locations upon a longitudinally traveling member, comprising, in combination, printing means including a plurality of elements carrying indica on a printing face, said elements being movable individually to present indica to a printing zone thereof; indexing means coupled to said printing means for moving sAid individual elements to locate desired indica with the printing zone; means for supporting and moving longitudinally and intermittently said member to and through said printing zone, said movement permitting intermittent longitudinal motion dwell intervals for said member, means for moving during each dwell interval one of said member and printing means toward the other so that individual ones of said plurality of presentations may be imprinted on said member, and indexing means including a gear train for indexing said printing means after having replicated said desired plurality of like imprints whereby the next following presentation of a sequence is located at said printing zone; said gear train includes a plurality of cooperable geneva gears; said plurality of cooperable geneva gears including an input geneva gear, at least one follower member adapted to be driven by said input geneva gear, and means directly coupling said follower member to a first of the remaining cooperable gears; and a second follower mmber adapted to be driven by said input geneva gear, said coupling means also coupling said second follower member to said first of said remaining cooperable gears.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 including means coupled to said input geneva gear for moving said input geneva gear into one of two limit positions wherein it is coupled for driving either said first or said second follower member.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 comprising drive means for said geneva gears, said drive means including a motor having a constant speed, output shaft, a reduction means including an intermittent movement output shaft, said reduction means cooperable with said constant speed shaft to convert said constant speed movement to intermittent movement, and spur gear means connecting said intermittent movement shaft to said input geneva gear.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said spur gear means includes a double gear arrangement for driving said input geneva through one of two selected angular displacements for each movement of said intermittent shaft.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 4 including an input drive shaft coupled to and mounting said input geneva gear and means coupled to said shaft for axial displacing said shaft whereby said input geneva gear cooperates with one or the other follower member.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each said geneva gear is mounted for rotation upon fixed shaft means including first and second shafts, a first and alternate one of said geneva gears being mounted on said shafts.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said follower members are mounted for movement on said first shaft, pin means coupling said follower members to said first geneva gear.

Claim 9

In a printing apparatus for printing a known plurality of desired imprints at spaced locations along an elongated member comprising, in combination: printing apparatus; an index mechanism coupled to said printing apparatus for indexing and printing apparatus to a next sequential presentation after having printed said known plurality of imprints on said member, said index mechanism including a plurality of ganged geneva gears; input drive means for said geneva gears, and at least one follower member coupling said input drive means and the first of said ganged geneva gears for driving the latter, which further includes a second follower member coupling said input drive means and the first of said ganged geneva gears, and means coupled to said input drive means for positioning said input drive means thereby to impart movement to one of said follower members.

Claim 10

In a printing apparatus for printing a known plurality of desired imprints at spaced locations along an elongated member comprising, in combination: printing apparatus; an index mechanism coupled to said printing apparatus for indexing and printing apparatus to a next sequential presentation after having printed said known plurality of imprints on said member, said index mechanism including a plurality of ganged geneva gears; input drive means for said geneva gears, and at least one follower member coupling said input drive means and the first of said ganged geneva gears for driving the latter, which further includes a second follower member coupling said input drive means and the first of said ganged geneva gears, and means coupled to said input drive means for positioning said input drive means thereby to impart movement to one of said follower members.

Claim 11

In a printing apparatus for printing a known plurality of desired imprints at spaced locations along an elongated member comprising, in combination: printing apparatus; an index mechanism coupled to said printing apparatus for indexing said printing apparatus to a next sequential presentation after having printed said known plurality of imprints on said member. said inDex mechanism including a plurality of ganged geneva gears, input drive means for said geneva gears, and at least one follower member coupling said input drive means and the first of said ganged geneva gears for driving the latter; each said geneva gear being mounted for rotation upon fixed shaft means including first and second shafts, said first and alternate ones of said geneva gears being mounted on said first shaft; said follower members being mounted for movement on said first shaft, and means for directly coupling each of said follower members to said first geneva gear.

Claim 12

In a printing apparatus for printing a known plurality of desired imprints at spaced locations along an elongated member comprising, in combination: printing apparatus; an index mechanism coupled to said printing apparatus for indexing said printing apparatus to a next sequential presentation after having printed said known plurality of imprints on said member. said inDex mechanism including a plurality of ganged geneva gears, input drive means for said geneva gears, and at least one follower member coupling said input drive means and the first of said ganged geneva gears for driving the latter; each said geneva gear being mounted for rotation upon fixed shaft means including first and second shafts, said first and alternate ones of said geneva gears being mounted on said first shaft; said follower members being mounted for movement on said first shaft, and means for directly coupling each of said follower members to said first geneva gear.

Claim 13

Apparatus for replicating a desired plurality of like imprint presentations along and at spaced locations upon a longitudinally traveling member, comprising, in combination: printing means including a plurality of elements carrying indica on a printing face, said elements being movable individually, to present indica to a printing zone thereof; indexing means coupled to said printing means for moving said individual elements to locate desired indica with the printing zone; means for supporting and moving longitudinally and intermittently said member to and through said printing zone, said movement permitting intermittent longitudinal motion dwell intervals for said member, means for moving during each dwell interval one of said member and printing means toward the other so that individual ones of said plurality of presentations may be imprinted on said member, and said indexing means including a gear train for indexing said printing means after having replicated said desired plurality of like imprints whereby the next following presentation of a sequence is located at said printing zone; said gear train includes a plurality of cooperable geneva gears; said printing elements comprise slide members; means responsive to movement of said indexing means for moving individually said slide members; a plurality of gear members equal in number to the number of geneva gears in said gear train, each of said gear members being mounted for movement and driven directly by said geneva gears; and each gear member supports a cam member, a follower for each cam, and means connecting each follower to a respective slide member for movement of said slide in response to movement of said cam.

Claim 14

Apparatus for replicating a desired plurality of like imprint presentations along and at spaced locations upon a longitudinally traveling member, comprising, in combination: printing means including a plurality of elements carrying indica on a printing face, said elements being movable individually, to present indica to a printing zone thereof; indexing means coupled to said printing means for moving said individual elements to locate desired indica with the printing zone; means for supporting and moving longitudinally and intermittently said member to and through said printing zone, said movement permitting intermittent longitudinal motion dwell intervals for said member, means for moving during each dwell interval one of said member and printing means toward the other so that individual ones of said plurality of presentations may be imprinted on said member, and said indexing means including a gear train for indexing said printing means after having replicated said desired plurality of like imprints whereby the next following presentation of a sequence is located at said printing zone; said gear train includes a plurality of cooperable geneva gears; said printing elements comprise slide members; means responsive to movement of said indexing means for moving individually said slide members; a plurality of gear members equal in number to the number of geneva gears in said gear train, each of said gear members being mounted for movement and driven directly by said geneva gears; and each gear member supports a cam member, a follower for each cam, and means connecting each follower to a respective slide member for movement of said slide in response to movement of said cam.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 10 wherein each cam provides a peripheral contour of constant diameter.

Claim 16

In apparatus for replicating indica at spaced intervals along an elongated member, which indica are replicated in a sequence of sets of a predetermined number of spaced adjacent identical indica, and which adjacent sets of repeated identical indica differ from each other in accordance with a preset rule, the improvement in a counting and indica changing mechanism, comprising an input member (102) which rotates as a function of each replication of an indica; a rotatable follower member (104) which is rotatably advanced a portion of a revolution by said input in accordance with a fixed rule; locking means (130a, 130b, 132) associated with said members, for indexing and locking said follower member in a fixed rotational position for dwell periods intermediate its advancement by said input member in accordance with the fixed rule, while allowing said input member to rotate, said follower member being coupled to the indica producing mechanism in a manner to allow the changing of the indica only when the follower member is advanced to a selected rotational position; whereby a number of replications is counted by advancing the follower member while the possibility of producing individual indica not identical to the others of its set is reduced or prevented by the locking means.

Claim 17

In apparatus for replicating indica at spaced intervals along an elongated member, which indica are replicated in a sequence of sets of a predetermined number of spaced adjacent identical indica, and which adjacent sets of repeated identical indica differ from each other in accordance with a preset rule, the improvement in a counting and indica changing mechanism, comprising an input member (102) which rotates as a function of each replication of an indica; a rotatable follower member (104) which is rotatably advanced a portion of a revolution by said input in accordance with a fixed rule; locking means (130a, 130b, 132) associated with said members, for indexing and locking said follower member in a fixed rotational position for dwell periods intermediate its advancement by said input member in accordance with the fixed rule, while allowing said input member to rotate, said follower member being coupled to the indica producing mechanism in a manner to allow the changing of the indica only when the follower member is advanced to a selected rotational position; whereby a number of replications is counted by advancing the follower member while the possibility of producing individual indica not identical to the others of its set is reduced or prevented by the locking means.

Claim 18

The invention of claim 12 wherein said improved counting and indica changing apparatus includes, as part of the coupling means: a third member advanced by said follower member, and additional locking means associated with said third member and said foLlower member for indexing and locking said third member in a fixed rotational position for dwell period intermediate its advancement by said follower member.