Rolling-type marking machine

Claim 2

Apparatus for marking indicia on a plate moving along a fixed path which comprises a marking roll including an elongated central shaft having opposed ends, a plurality of toothed rings loosely mounted on said central shaft, the teeth on each of said rings carrying indicia punch means projecting from the outer periphery of said rings, rotatable shaft means fixed to said central shaft and extending longitudinally from the opposite ends of said central shaft, means for supporting said rotatable shaft means for rotation about a fixed axis, means selectively engageable with the teeth on each of said rings for rotating each of said rings upon said central shaft to preset positions to align a selected tooth on each ring with selected ones on the others of said rings and thus present a desired line of punch indicia to be marked on said plate, means for selectively locking said rings and a preset line of punch indicia carried thereby to said central shaft for rotative movement therewith, and a pair of pinch rolls mounted concentrically on said rotatable shaft means for rotation therewith, the diameter of said pinch rolls being greater than that of said rings, the axis of said central shaft being disposed eccentrically of the axis of said fixed axis by a distance equal to one-half of the difference between the diameter of said pinch rolls and said rings whereby when said rings are locked to said central shaft and said rotatable shaft means is rotated only the preset line of punch indicia carried on said rings projects radially beyond the peripheral expanse of said pinch rolls for effecting marking on a plate moving in rolling contact with said pinch rolls, the means for locking said rings to said central shaft comprising a locking member received in a groove in the outer surface of said central shaft, the inner circumferential surface of each of said rings being provided with notches, said locking member and said groove being provided with companion oblique surfaces, sliding of said member longitudinally of said groove in one direction being operative to urge at least a part of said locking member into locking engagement with the notches in each of said rings, sliding of said locking member in an opposite direction being effective to retract said locking member wholly within said groove.

Claim 3

Apparatus for marking indicia on a plate moving along a fixed path which comprises a marking roll including an elongated central shaft having opposed ends, a plurality of toothed rings loosely mounted on said central shaft, the teeth on each of said rings carrying indicia punch means projecting from the outer periphery of said rings, rotatable shaft means fixed to said central shaft and extending longitudinally from the opposite ends of said central shaft, means for supporting said rotatable shaft means for rotation about a fixed axis, means selectively engageable with the teeth on each of said rings for rotating each of said rings upon said central shaft to preset positions to align a selected tooth on each ring with selected ones on the others of said rings and thus present a desired line of punch indicia to be marked on said plate, means for selectively locking said rings and a preset line of punch indicia carried thereby to said central shaft for rotative movement therewith, and a pair of pinch rolls mounted concentrically on said rotatable shaft means for rotation therewith, the diameter of said pinch rolls being greater than that of said rings, the axis of said central shaft being disposed eccentrically of the axis of said fixed axis by a distance equal to one-half of the difference between the diameter of said pinch rolls and said rings whereby when said rings are locked to said central shaft and said rotatable shaft means is rotated only the preset line of punch indicia carried on said rings projects radially beyond the peripheral expanse of said pinch rolls for effecting marking on a plate moving in rolling contact with said pinch rolls, the teeth on each of said rings being provided with a radial passage, tHere being a marking punch received in said passage, a tip end of said punch being disposed at the outer periphery of the associated tooth, said tip end carrying an arcuate marking surface, the radius of said marking surface being smaller than that of a circle circumscribed by the peripheries of the teeth on said ring, there being a pin passing axially through each tooth and the punch received therein to secure such punch to its associated tooth, said apparatus further comprising a device for stopping the marking roll including a primary one-position clutch idly mounted on said rotatable shaft means and having the teeth of a worm wheel on the outer circumferential surface thereof, a secondary one-position clutch slidably carried on said rotatable shaft means, a worm meshing with said worm wheel for rotatably positioning said one-position clutch a desired angle of rotation of the same and for thereafter holding said clutch locked in said rotated position, brake means to control the rotation of said rotatable shaft means, control means for opening and closing circuitry operating the primary one-position clutch means and brake means, respectively, and means for directing operation of said control means.

Claim 4

Apparatus for marking indicia on a plate moving along a fixed path which comprises a marking roll including an elongated central shaft having opposed ends, a plurality of toothed rings loosely mounted on said central shaft, the teeth on each of said rings carrying indicia punch means projecting from the outer periphery of said rings, rotatable shaft means fixed to said central shaft and extending longitudinally from the opposite ends of said central shaft, means for supporting said rotatable shaft means for rotation about a fixed axis, means selectively engageable with the teeth on each of said rings for rotating each of said rings upon said central shaft to preset positions to align a selected tooth on each ring with selected ones on the others of said rings and thus present a desired line of punch indicia to be marked on said plate, means for selectively locking said rings and a preset line of punch indicia carried thereby to said central shaft for rotative movement therewith, and a pair of pinch rolls mounted concentrically on said rotatable shaft means for rotation therewith, the diameter of said pinch rolls being greater than that of said rings, the axis of said central shaft being disposed eccentrically of the axis of said fixed axis by a distance equal to one-half of the difference between the diameter of said pinch rolls and said rings whereby when said rings are locked to said central shaft and said rotatable shaft means is rotated only the preset line of punch indicia carried on said rings projects radially beyond the peripheral expanse of said pinch rolls for effecting marking on a plate moving in rolling contact with said pinch rolls, the teeth on each of said rings being provided with a radial passage, tHere being a marking punch received in said passage, a tip end of said punch being disposed at the outer periphery of the associated tooth, said tip end carrying an arcuate marking surface, the radius of said marking surface being smaller than that of a circle circumscribed by the peripheries of the teeth on said ring, there being a pin passing axially through each tooth and the punch received therein to secure such punch to its associated tooth, said apparatus further comprising a device for stopping the marking roll including a primary one-position clutch idly mounted on said rotatable shaft means and having the teeth of a worm wheel on the outer circumferential surface thereof, a secondary one-position clutch slidably carried on said rotatable shaft means, a worm meshing with said worm wheel for rotatably positioning said one-position clutch a desired angle of rotation of the same and for thereafter holding said clutch locked in said rotated position, brake means to control the rotation of said rotatable shaft means, control means for opening and closing circuitry operating the primary one-position clutch means and brake means, respectively, and means for directing operation of said control means.

Claim 5

Apparatus for marking indicia on a plate moving along a fixed path which comprises a marking roll including an elongated central shaft having opposed ends, a plurality of toothed rings loosely mounted on said central shaft, the teeth on each of said rings carrying indicia punch means projecting from the outer periphery of said rings, rotatable shaft means fixed to said central shaft and extending longitudinally from the opposite ends of said central shaft, means for supporting said rotatable shaft means for rotation about a fixed axis, means selectively engageable with the teeth on each of said rings for rotating each of said rings upon said central shaft to preset positions to align a selected tooth on each ring with selected ones on the others of said rings and thus present a desired line of punch indicia to be marked on said plate, means for selectively locking said rings and a preset line of punch indicia carried thereby to said central shaft for rotative movement therewith, and a pair of pinch rolls mounted concentrically on said rotatable shaft means for rotation therewith, the diameter of said pinch rolls being greater than that of said rings, the axis of said central shaft being disposed eccentrically of the axis of said fixed axis by a distance equal to one-half of the difference between the diameter of said pinch rolls and said rings whereby when said rings are locked to said central shaft and said rotatable shaft means is rotated only the preset line of punch indicia carried on said rings projects radially beyond the peripheral expanse of said pinch rolls for effecting marking on a plate moving in rolling contact with said pinch rolls, the means for rotating each of said rings upon said central shaft comprising a corresponding plurality of rack bars associated one with each of said rings, means for guiding and supporting the rack bars for sliding travel, movement means to slide said rack bars, said movement means including a plurality of fluid cylinders connected in series, the cylinders being operative to extend or retract the piston rods thereof upon direction from a control unit to move the respective rack bars connected to the piston rod ends for a desired distance, means for moving the rack bars into and out of mesh with the teeth on said rings, said rack bars having teeth corresponding in number to those on the ring gears, automatic control means for directing the operation of said movement means to arrange said rack bars in a desired position suitable for the next rotation of said rings preliminary to marking and give said movement means direction to obtain a desired ring positioning by combination of cylinders having different strokes when the teeth of the rings mesh with the racks after marking is completed, the plurality of Cylinders being arranged at both sides of a beam standing on the upper surface of a strand such that they are staggered by half the plane width, the row of rack bars meshing with the row of said ring gears being mounted on guide rollers and supported by an arm, the ends of the piston rods of each cylinder and the ends of the rack bars being connected by connecting means passing through the stand, a plurality of dovetail grooves being provided on the stand common for said cylinders and said rack bars, protrusions being provided on each side of said connecting means, and each said protrusion being receivable in a dovetail groove.

Claim 6

Apparatus for marking indicia on a plate moving along a fixed path which comprises a marking roll including an elongated central shaft having opposed ends, a plurality of toothed rings loosely mounted on said central shaft, the teeth on each of said rings carrying indicia punch means projecting from the outer periphery of said rings, rotatable shaft means fixed to said central shaft and extending longitudinally from the opposite ends of said central shaft, means for supporting said rotatable shaft means for rotation about a fixed axis, means selectively engageable with the teeth on each of said rings for rotating each of said rings upon said central shaft to preset positions to align a selected tooth on each ring with selected ones on the others of said rings and thus present a desired line of punch indicia to be marked on said plate, means for selectively locking said rings and a preset line of punch indicia carried thereby to said central shaft for rotative movement therewith, and a pair of pinch rolls mounted concentrically on said rotatable shaft means for rotation therewith, the diameter of said pinch rolls being greater than that of said rings, the axis of said central shaft being disposed eccentrically of the axis of said fixed axis by a distance equal to one-half of the difference between the diameter of said pinch rolls and said rings whereby when said rings are locked to said central shaft and said rotatable shaft means is rotated only the preset line of punch indicia carried on said rings projects radially beyond the peripheral expanse of said pinch rolls for effecting marking on a plate moving in rolling contact with said pinch rolls, the means for rotating each of said rings upon said central shaft comprising a corresponding plurality of rack bars associated one with each of said rings, means for guiding and supporting the rack bars for sliding travel, movement means to slide said rack bars, said movement means including a plurality of fluid cylinders connected in series, the cylinders being operative to extend or retract the piston rods thereof upon direction from a control unit to move the respective rack bars connected to the piston rod ends for a desired distance, means for moving the rack bars into and out of mesh with the teeth on said rings, said rack bars having teeth corresponding in number to those on the ring gears, automatic control means for directing the operation of said movement means to arrange said rack bars in a desired position suitable for the next rotation of said rings preliminary to marking and give said movement means direction to obtain a desired ring positioning by combination of cylinders having different strokes when the teeth of the rings mesh with the racks after marking is completed, the plurality of Cylinders being arranged at both sides of a beam standing on the upper surface of a strand such that they are staggered by half the plane width, the row of rack bars meshing with the row of said ring gears being mounted on guide rollers and supported by an arm, the ends of the piston rods of each cylinder and the ends of the rack bars being connected by connecting means passing through the stand, a plurality of dovetail grooves being provided on the stand common for said cylinders and said rack bars, protrusions being provided on each side of said connecting means, and each said protrusion being receivable in a dovetail groove.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a preset memory unit for making the present preset value A for marking character from the next preset value C for marking character and storing the same with the preceding preset value B for marking character, a comparing arithmetic circuit which compares the present preset value A for marking character with the preceding preset value B so as to calculate (a) the value by which a ring should be rotated clock-wise or counter-clockwise within the range less than half of the number of the teeth and (b) the direction in which the associated rack bar should be moved and reset by the distance corresponding to half of the number of the teeth of the ring gear and stores the same, an output circuit to convert the calculated values into the normal figures and amplify the same for driving, driving means to open an instructed electromagnetic valve to operate an associated cylinder so that the rack bar may be moved to right or left by the distance as instructed, and means for detecting any erroneous operation which compares the amount of movement of the rack bar sent from means for detecting the amount of the movement of the rack bar with the instruction figures sent from the comparing arithmetic circuit.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 4 in which said marking roll is supported for vertical upward and downward movement relative to the fixed travel path of said plate, said apparatus further comprising device for adjusting the height of the marking roll relative to said travel path, said device comprising means to detect the present height of the position of the marking roll, means to convert said height into signals, means to preset the thickness of the material plate to be marked, means to convert said thickness to a signal, means to compare and calculate said two signals received as input and thereby give the instruction signal for velocity to the motor depending upon the deviation of the distance between the present position and the next position of the marking roll so that said roll may move to the next position, said motor being operated to raise and lower said marking roll, a control panel to control the motor velocity, and means for supplying power to said motor.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising an automatic control for the marking position of the marking roll which comprises means to generate a signal when one of the front end and tail end of the plate to be marked has passed a point upstream of the marking position by a preset distance, means to generate a pulse for each predetermined length of the circumference of the table roll as it rotates, control means to (a) store the value obtained by subtracting a length from the sum of said preset distance and the distance between the end of the material and the desired marking position, said length being a distance by which the material moves during the time required for the marking roll to rotate by half the circumference thereof from the start, and (b) calculate the number of said pulses from the time when said signal is received to thereby give instructions about start of the marking roll at each said calculation, and a fluid cylinder operable responsive to said instructions so as to push the marking roll to the surface of the material to be marked.