Aratus for imprinting on moving articles without smearing the imprint

Claim 2

In a stamping machine for imprinting a distinctive mark on each of a series of articles sequentially delivered to and briefly dwelling at a selected location, such machine including a platen carrier actuated between a first initial position and a second imprinting position in response to each of a series of electric triggering impulses supplied to the machine, apparatus for modifying said machine to imprint a distinctive mark on each of a series of similar articles sequentially transported by a rapidly and continuously moving conveyor in a selected direction through a path of travel including an imprinting station in such path, such apparatus comprising, in combination; I. a printing platen support member having a generally planar surface and embodying a longitudinal and relatively wide hole which opens through said surface; II. a generally rectangular printing platen including a generally planar surface and of a substantially smaller length than the length of said hole in said platen support member; III. means for supporting said printing platen within said hole in said platen support member for longitudinal sliding movement of such platen between first and second ends of such hole and with said planar surface of the platen paralleling said planar surface of the platen support member; IV. a printing element having a first surface secured to said planar surface of said printing platen and a second opposite surface including thereon a printing type of a mark to be printed, such second surface extending beyond said planar surface of said platen support member; V. means for supporting said machine at said imprinting station and adjacent said conveyor with said planar surface of said printing platen and said printing type of said printing element facing said path of travel of said articles and with the direction of said sliding movement of said printing platen within said hole in said platen support member being in alignment with said path of travel; VI. means, responsive to the passage of each of said articles as they are respectively transported through said imprinting station, for supplying an electric triggering impulse to said machine; VII. means, operating when saId platen carrier is in its said initial position, for impinging pressurized fluid against a first end of said printing platen to move such platen in a first direction within said hole in said platen support member, such first direction of movement being opposite to said selected direction of transport of said articles by said conveyor; and VII. means, operating during actuation of said platen carrier between its said initial position and its said second imprinting position, for impinging pressurized fluid against a second end of said printing platen to move such platen in a second direction within said hole in said platen support member, such second direction of movement corresponding to said selected direction of transport of said articles by said conveyor.

Claim 3

The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 and in which each of said series of articles is a piece of dinnerware which is transported in an inverted position by said conveyor and said machine is mounted above such conveyor with said printing type facing downwardly.

Claim 4

The apparatus in accordance with claim 2 and in which said conveyor is a belt.

Claim 5

The apparatus in accordance with claim 3 and in which said means for supplying an electric triggering impulse comprises a photosensitive device positioned to normally receive a beam of light from a light source, such beam being momentarily interrupted by the passage of each of said articles.

Claim 6

The apparatus in accordance with claim 2 and in which said means for supplying an electric triggering impulse comprises a photosensitive device positioned to normally receive a beam of light from a light source, such beam being momentarily interrupted by the passage of each of said articles.

Claim 7

The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 and in which said conveyor is a belt.

Claim 8

The apparatus in accordance with claim 6 and in which said means for supplying an electric triggering impulse comprises a photosensitive device positioned to normally receive a beam of light from a light source, such beam being momentarily interrupted by the passage of each of said articles.

Claim 9

The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 and in which said means for supplying an electric triggering impulse comprises a photosensitive device positioned to normally receive a beam of light from a light source, such beam being momentarily interrupted by the passage of each of said articles.

Claim 10

In a stamping machine adapted for imprinting indicia on each of a series of articles sequentially delivered to and briefly dwelling at a selected location, such apparatus comprising; A. a housing and apparatus support structure, B. a platen carrier having a first end disposed within said housing and a second end extending out of the housing, such carrier movable between an initial position and a second imprinting position, and C. drive means in said housing and including a motor coupled with said carrier for periodic reciprocative movement of such carrier between said positions in response to an electric triggering impulse supplied to said drive means; D. apparatus for modifying said machine to imprint indicia on each of a series of similar articles sequentially transported by a rapidly and continuously moving conveyor through a path of travel including an imprinting station in such path, such apparatus comprising, in combination; I. a generally rectangular rail support member secured in one wall of said housing and embodying a pair of first and second fluid passages extending through such support member and having first ends spaced apart a distance substantially equal to twice the distance of said movement of said platen carrier between said initial and second imprinting positions. Such first ends opening through a smooth planar surface of said rail support member within the interior of said housing; II. a pair of spaced-apart and parallel rail members secured to said planar surface; III. a slide member secured to said platen carriEr for movement therewith, such slide member snugly and slidably supported between said rail members and having a smooth planar surface slidably contacting said smooth planar surface of said rail support member with a substantially hermetic relationship between such surfaces, such slide member also embodying a pair of first and second spaced-apart fluid passages extending through such slide member and having first ends opening through said smooth planar surface of the slide member and spaced-apart a distance substantially equal to the distance of said movement of said platen carrier between said initial and said imprinting positions, said first ends of said first passages in said support member and said slide member being located to face each other when said platen carrier is in its said initial position, and said first ends of said second passages in the support member and the slide member being located to face each other when such platen carrier is in its said second position, and at least one of said members embodying a channel for providing fluid communication between said first ends of said second passages during movement of said platen carrier between a position near to said initial position of the carrier and said second position thereof; IV. a generally flat printing platen support member having a pair of first and second opposite and generally planar surfaces, such support member carried by said platen carrier with said second end of such carrier contacting said first planar surface of said platen support member normal thereto, such platen support member embodying a longitudinal and relatively wide hole which opens through at least the second of said opposite surfaces of the member and a pair of first and second fluid passages extending through the member and having first ends opening through the walls defining the limits of the first and second ends, respectively, of said hole at substantially the centers of such ends; V. a generally rectangular printing platen of a substantially smaller length than the length of said hole in said platen support member; VI. means for supporting said printing platen in said hole in said platen support member for sliding movement of such platen between said first and second ends of such hole and with substantially the centers of the first and second ends of the platen in generally alignment with said centers of the first and second ends of the hole, respectively; VII. a printing element having a first surface including thereon a printing type of indicia to be printed and a second opposite surface secured to the surface of said printing platen which is opposite said first opposite surface of said platen support member, said printing type extending beyond said second opposite surface of such support member; VIII. a first pair of first and second fluid conduits having first ends connected with the second ends of said first and second passages, respectively, embodied in said rail support member and second ends connected with a source of pressurized fluid; IX. a second pair of flexible first and second fluid conduits having first ends connected with the second ends of said first and second passages, respectively, embodied in said slide member and second ends connected with the second ends of said first and second passages, respectively embodied in said printing platen support member; X. means for mounting said housing at said imprinting station with said first end of said printing platen facing in the direction of transport of said articles by said conveyor and said indicia on said printing element facing said path of travel of said articles normal to such path; and XI. means, responsive to the passage of each of said articles as they are respectively transported through said imprinting station, for supplying an electric triggering impulse to said drive means.

Claim 11

In a stamping machine adapted for imprinting indicia on each of a series of articles sequentially delivered to and briefly dwelling at a selected location, such apparatus comprising; A. a housing and apparatus support structure, B. a platen carrier having a first end disposed within said housing and a second end extending out of the housing, such carrier movable between an initial position and a second imprinting position, and C. drive means in said housing and including a motor coupled with said carrier for periodic reciprocative movement of such carrier between said positions in response to an electric triggering impulse supplied to said drive means; D. apparatus for modifying said machine to imprint indicia on each of a series of similar articles sequentially transported by a rapidly and continuously moving conveyor through a path of travel including an imprinting station in such path, such apparatus comprising, in combination; I. a generally rectangular rail support member secured in one wall of said housing and embodying a pair of first and second fluid passages extending through such support member and having first ends spaced apart a distance substantially equal to twice the distance of said movement of said platen carrier between said initial and second imprinting positions. Such first ends opening through a smooth planar surface of said rail support member within the interior of said housing; II. a pair of spaced-apart and parallel rail members secured to said planar surface; III. a slide member secured to said platen carriEr for movement therewith, such slide member snugly and slidably supported between said rail members and having a smooth planar surface slidably contacting said smooth planar surface of said rail support member with a substantially hermetic relationship between such surfaces, such slide member also embodying a pair of first and second spaced-apart fluid passages extending through such slide member and having first ends opening through said smooth planar surface of the slide member and spaced-apart a distance substantially equal to the distance of said movement of said platen carrier between said initial and said imprinting positions, said first ends of said first passages in said support member and said slide member being located to face each other when said platen carrier is in its said initial position, and said first ends of said second passages in the support member and the slide member being located to face each other when such platen carrier is in its said second position, and at least one of said members embodying a channel for providing fluid communication between said first ends of said second passages during movement of said platen carrier between a position near to said initial position of the carrier and said second position thereof; IV. a generally flat printing platen support member having a pair of first and second opposite and generally planar surfaces, such support member carried by said platen carrier with said second end of such carrier contacting said first planar surface of said platen support member normal thereto, such platen support member embodying a longitudinal and relatively wide hole which opens through at least the second of said opposite surfaces of the member and a pair of first and second fluid passages extending through the member and having first ends opening through the walls defining the limits of the first and second ends, respectively, of said hole at substantially the centers of such ends; V. a generally rectangular printing platen of a substantially smaller length than the length of said hole in said platen support member; VI. means for supporting said printing platen in said hole in said platen support member for sliding movement of such platen between said first and second ends of such hole and with substantially the centers of the first and second ends of the platen in generally alignment with said centers of the first and second ends of the hole, respectively; VII. a printing element having a first surface including thereon a printing type of indicia to be printed and a second opposite surface secured to the surface of said printing platen which is opposite said first opposite surface of said platen support member, said printing type extending beyond said second opposite surface of such support member; VIII. a first pair of first and second fluid conduits having first ends connected with the second ends of said first and second passages, respectively, embodied in said rail support member and second ends connected with a source of pressurized fluid; IX. a second pair of flexible first and second fluid conduits having first ends connected with the second ends of said first and second passages, respectively, embodied in said slide member and second ends connected with the second ends of said first and second passages, respectively embodied in said printing platen support member; X. means for mounting said housing at said imprinting station with said first end of said printing platen facing in the direction of transport of said articles by said conveyor and said indicia on said printing element facing said path of travel of said articles normal to such path; and XI. means, responsive to the passage of each of said articles as they are respectively transported through said imprinting station, for supplying an electric triggering impulse to said drive means.