Apparatus for printing data on structural components

Claim 2

A marking machine comprising means for marking a desired character upon a surface of a structural component, said marking means including a marking tip, means for vibrating said marking tip a plurality of times against the surface of the structural component to deform the latter and form the desired character, said marking tip having a contact surface which contacts said structural component surface of a surface area appreciably smaller than the overall surface area of the desired character whereby a multiplicity of contacts of said marking tip surface against the structural component surface are necessary to form the desired character, first moving means for moving said marking tip along a first path contiguous the structural component surface, second means for moving said marking tip along a second path contiguous the structural component surface and generally normal to said first path, a generally closed portable housing within which is housed said marking means and said first and second marking tip moving means, said housing having an end adapted to be disposed contiguous the surface of the structural component to be marked, an opening in said housing end, and said marking tip being positioned adjacent said opening whereby to contact the structural component surface therethrough to form the desired character, and computor means responsive to input data for controlling the operation of said first and second moving means and selectively operating said vibrating means to impart sequential contacts of said marking tip against the surface of the structural component and thereby progressively contact-by-contact form the totality of the desired character.

Claim 3

The marking machine as defined in claim 1 including means for guiding said marking means during the movement thereof along said first path, and said second moving means pivotally moving said marking tip along said second path.

Claim 4

The marking machine as defined in claim 1 wherein one of said first and second paths is linear and arcuate.

Claim 5

The marking machine as defined in claim 1 wherein one of said first and second paths is linear and uniplanar, and the other of said first and second paths is linear and arcuate.

Claim 6

The marking machine is defined in claim 1 wherein said first moving means includes a rotatable threaded worm in threaded engagement with a threaded bore of a bracket carrying said marking tip.

Claim 7

The marking machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said second moving means includes a rotatable pinion in mesh with an arcuate rack, said rack being carried by a first bracket which in turn carries said marking tip, and means for pivotally mounting said first bracket about a predetermined axis whereby motion imparted to said arcuate rack by said pinion imparts arcuate motion to said marking tip along said second path.

Claim 8

The marking machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second moving means include respective first and second brackets, and cooperative guide means between said brackets for guiding movement of said marking tip along both said first and second paths.

Claim 9

A marking machine comprising means for marking a desired character upon a surface of a structural component, said marking means including a marking tip, means for vibrating said marking tip against the surface of the structural component to deform the latter, said marking tip having a contact surface which contacts said structural component surface of a surface area appreciably smaller than the overall surface area of the desired character whereby a multiplicity of contacts of said marking tip surface against the structural component surface are necessary to form the desired character, first moving means for moving said marking tip along a first path contiguous the structural component surface, second means for moving said marking tip along a second path contiguous the structural component surface and generally normal to said first path, computor means responsive to input data for controlling the operation of said first and second moving means and selectively operating said vibrating means to impart sequential contacts of said marking tip against the surface of the structural component and thereby progressively contact-by-contact form the totality of the desired character, said first moving means includes a threaded worm rotatable about a first axis, a bracket having a threaded bore receiving said threaded worm, said marking tip being carried by said bracket whereby upon rotation of said threaded worm said marking tip moves along said first path, said second moving means includes a rotatable pinion in mesh with an arcuate rack, said arcuate rack being carried by a second bracket, means mounting said second bracket for pivoting movement about said first axis, and means coupling said first and second brackets to each other whereby upon rotation of said pinion said first and second brackets are pivoted and impart arcuate motion to said marking tip along said second path.

Claim 10

A marking machine comprising means for marking a desired character upon a surface of a structural component, said marking means including a marking tip, means for vibrating said marking tip against the surface of the structural component to deform the latter, said marking tip having a contact surface which contacts said structural component surface of a surface area appreciably smaller than the overall surface area of the desired character whereby a multiplicity of contacts of said marking tip surface against the structural component surface are necessary to form the desired character, first moving means for moving said marking tip along a first path contiguous the structural component surface, second means for moving said marking tip along a second path contiguous the structural component surface and generally normal to said first path, computor means responsive to input data for controlling the operation of said first and second moving means and selectively operating said vibrating means to impart sequential contacts of said marking tip against the surface of the structural component and thereby progressively contact-by-contact form the totality of the desired character, said first moving means includes a threaded worm rotatable about a first axis, a bracket having a threaded bore receiving said threaded worm, said marking tip being carried by said bracket whereby upon rotation of said threaded worm said marking tip moves along said first path, said second moving means includes a rotatable pinion in mesh with an arcuate rack, said arcuate rack being carried by a second bracket, means mounting said second bracket for pivoting movement about said first axis, and means coupling said first and second brackets to each other whereby upon rotation of said pinion said first and second brackets are pivoted and impart arcuate motion to said marking tip along said second path.

Claim 11

The marking machine as defined in claim 8 wherein said coupling means is a linear sliding connection between said first and second brackets whereby upon the rotation of said threaded worm said first bracket and the marking tip carried thereby is moved linearly along said first path under the guidance of said coupling means.

Claim 12

The marking machine as defined in claim 8 wherein said second bracket is pivotally mounted upon an unthreaded portion of said threaded worm.

Claim 13

The marking machine as defined in claim 8 wherein said first bracket is of an L-shaped configuration defined by a pair of legs, a first leg of said L-shaped bracket carries said marking tip, said second bracket carries said marking tip, said second bracket is of an inverted U-shaped configuration defined by a bight portion and a pair of legs, said U-shaped bracket legs are pivotally mounted upon unthreaded portions of said threaded worm, and said coupling means is a linear sliding connection between a second leg of said L-shaped bracket and the bight portion of said inverted U-shaped bracket.

Claim 14

The marking machine as defined in claim 11 wherein said second leg of said L-shaped bracket includes a guide slot forming a portion of said coupling means and slidably receives therein said inverted U-shaped bracket bight portion.