Engraving machines

Claim 3

A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein between each different depth stage at least one pass is effected with the engraving head and the reading head shifted laterally and in opposite directions by a distance equal to a submultiple of the transverse interval.

Claim 4

A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the transverse interval of the engraving head differs from the transverse interval of the reading head by a percentage corresponding to the percentage of distortion of the engraving relative to the model which is required to be obtained.

Claim 5

An engraving machine comprising a movable table for holding a plate to be engraved and a model from which the engraving is to be made, first lead screw means for reciprocating said table in a first direction, first carriage means, optical reading means carried by said carriage means, second lead screw means for moving said carriage means in a second direction generally transverse to said first direction to cause said optical reading means to scan the model and produce a signal in response to the information on the model, second carriage means, independently movable of said first carriage means, engraving means carried by said second carriage means, said engraving means including a stylet movable with respect to the plate to engrave grooves in the plate, means responsive to the signal produced by said optical means to control the movement of the engraving means with respect to the plate, third lead screw means extending generally parallel to said second lead screw means for moving said second carriage in said second direction, and means including gear means for driving said second and third lead screw means substantially in synchronism.

Claim 6

An engraving machine comprising a movable table for holding a plate to be engraved and a model from which the engraving is to be made, first lead screw means for reciprocating said table in a first direction, first carriage means, optical reading means carried by said carriage means, second lead screw means for moving said carriage means in a second direction generally transverse to said first direction to cause said optical reading means to scan the model and produce a signal in response to the information on the model, second carriage means, independently movable of said first carriage means, engraving means carried by said second carriage means, said engraving means including a stylet movable with respect to the plate to engrave grooves in the plate, means responsive to the signal produced by said optical means to control the movement of the engraving means with respect to the plate, third lead screw means extending generally parallel to said second lead screw means for moving said second carriage in said second direction, and means including gear means for driving said second and third lead screw means substantially in synchronism.

Claim 7

A machine as in claim 4 further comprising micrometer adjustable means for said engraving means limiting the depth of the grooves produced by the stylet to a maximum range of from about 3 to 4 mm.

Claim 8

A machine as in claim 4 wherein said gear means is disconnectable from between said second and third lead screw means.

Claim 9

A machine as in claim 4 wherein said second and third lead screw means have threads of opposite directions and substantially the same pitch, said drive means rotating said second and third lead screw means in the same direction.

Claim 10

A machine as in claim 4 wherein said second and third lead screw means have threads of opposite directions, and drive means rotating said second and third lead screw means in the same direction.

Claim 11

A machine as in claim 4 wherein said drive means includes means for varying the speed between the second and third lead screw means by a ratio in the range of about 10:1.

Claim 12

A machine as in claim 4 wherein said gear means includes gears having an unequal number of teeth to produce a given amount of difference in the movement between said first and second carriage means and an amount of distortion between the signal produced by said optical reading means and the grooves produced by said stylet.

Claim 13

A machine in accordance with claim 4 wherein information picked up from the model by the reading head is transmitted to the engraving means by means of electronic means, said electronic means including means for recording the signals on magnetic tape, and magnetic reading means for transmitting the signals to the engraving means.

Claim 14

A machine as in claim 4 wherein said engraving means includes a rocker arm of adjustable length acting on a rod, a lever arm actuated by said rocker arm, means for pivotally mounting said rod with an adjustable pivot point, said lever arm driving said stylet.

Claim 15

A machine in accordance with claim 4, including means for mounting a rectangular frame and a model on the table with their edges parallel to the directions of movement of the table and of the engraving and reading means, and a cutting tool adaptted to be mounted in a ferrule on the engraving means for enabling the edges of an engraving to be cut off using the longitudinal movement of the table and manual transverse displacement of the engraving means.

Claim 16

A machine as in claim 4 further comprising fluid circulating means for cooling the plate.

Claim 17

A machine in accordance with claim 4 wherein the width of the end of the stylet is slightly greater than the distance separating two grooves.

Claim 18

A machine as in claim 4 wherein said first carriage means carrying said optical reading means is mounted on a nut on said second lead screw means, said nut including means for allowing play in a direction parallel to the axis of said second lead screw means, and means for locking said first carriage means to the nut in a selected position.

Claim 19

A machine as in claim 16 wherein said locking means includes micrometer adjustment means.

Claim 20

A machine in accordance with claim 4 wherein the plate to be engraved is formed with a base of paraffin wax and pure carnauba.

Claim 21

A machine as in claim 18 wherein said base of the plate includes a coloring agent.

Claim 22

A machine in accordance with claim 18 wherein the plate is formed with a base of a mixture of approximately 70% of paraffin wax and approximately 30% of carnauba wax.

Claim 23

A machine as in claim 4 further comprising ratchet means operable in response to a return movement of the table for controlling the movement of said second lead screw means and said first carriage means.

Claim 24

A machine as in claim 21 wherein the ratchet means is constructed relative to the pitches of the second and third lead screw means to permit an advance of said second carriage means during a complete traversal of movement of the table in said first direction.

Claim 25

A machine as in claim 21 wherein said gear means has a number of teeth which is substantially a multiple of the number of teeth of said ratchet means.

Claim 26

A machine as in claim 23 wherein said gear means comprises a plurality of gears, and means for disengaging the gears.

Claim 27

A machine in accordance with claim 4 wherein the cutting angle of the stylet is in the order of 10°, the lateral faces of the tool at inclined at 5° to the vertical and the right section of the tool is trapezoidal, the sides of the trapezium being inclined at approximately 15° to the height.