Marking machine control system

Claim 2

A control system for a marking machine of the type having: a marking member carrying a plurality of marking symbols, means for moving said marking member to sequentially locate said marking symbols at a marking location, table means for supporting a workpiece at the marking location, means for moving said table means and the workpiece supported thereby past said marking location to position successive portions of said workpiece at said marking location, and means for momentarily displacing said marking member into engagement with a workpiece to effect marking thereof with said selected one of said symbols on said marking member located at said marking location; said control system comprising: manually actuatable keyboard means for alternatively selecting one of said marking symbols and one of a plurality of control codes and for producing an output representative of said selected symbol or said selected control code; means responsive to said output for identifying said output as representative of a symbol or a control code and for determining whether said selected symbol is a symbol on said marking member; means normally responsive to the identification of said output as a symbol on said marking member for initiating energization of said marking member moving means to move said marking member to locate said selected symbol at said marking location and for initiating energization of said marking member displacing means to effect said momentary displacement of said marking member and the resulting marking of said workpiece; means responsive to the termination of each energization of said marking member displacing means for energizing said table moving means to increment said table means to position a new portion of said workpiece at said marking location; manually settable switch means for selecting the distance said table means is to be moved during each of said table increments; means responsive to the setting of said manually settable switch means for causing said table moving means to increment said table means a distance corresponding to the setting of said switch means; and means responsive to the identification of said output as a control code for initiating one of a plurality of control operations corresponding thereto.

Claim 3

A control system as claimed in claim 1 including: means for determining the shortest distance between the present position of said marking member and the position at which said selected symbol is located and for causing said marking member moving means to move said marking member said shortest distance.

Claim 4

A control system as claimed in claim 1 including: means responsive to the initiation of a control operation when said control code has been identified as a control code selecting a multiple entry mode for inhibiting energization of said marking member moving means and for enabling said output responsive means to respond to a sequence of said outputs before said marking member moving means is energized.

Claim 5

A control system as claimed in claim 3 including: means responsive to the initiation of a control operation when said control code has been identified as a control code for enabling a multiple print mode for enabling said output responsive means to respond to a multiple print control code.

Claim 6

A control system as claimed in claim 4 wherein said means for enabling a multiple print mode also terminates said multiple entry mode.

Claim 7

A control system as claimed in claim 4 including: means responsive to the initiation of a control operation when said control code has been identified as a control code for said multiple print mode for initiating sequential actuation of said marking member displacing means.

Claim 8

A control system as claimed in claim 1 wherein: said table moving means is a first table moving means for moving said table means and the workpiece supported thereby in a first direction whereby a line of symbols may be marked on said workpiece; said marking machine including second table moving means for moving said table means and the workpiece supported thereby in a second direction whereby a plurality of lines of symbols may be marked on said workpiece; said control system including: display means for displaying all of the selected symbols prior to energization of said marking member moving means.

Claim 9

A control system as claimed in claim 7 wherein: one of said control codes designates a symbol as a symbol not to be marked on said workpiece; and including means responsive to said designating control code for altering the display of said designated symbol from the display of non-designated symbols.

Claim 10

A control system as claimed in claim 7 wherein: said manually settable switch means is a first manually settable switch means for selecting the distance said table means is to be moved in said first direction during each of said table increments; said control system including second manually settable switch means for selecting the distance said table means is to be moved in said second direction during each of said table increments; and said switch setting responsive means being responsive to the setting of said first manually settable switch means for causing said first table moving means to increment said table means a distance in said first direction corresponding to the setting of said first switch means for controlling the spacing between adjacent symbols in a line marked on said workpiece and responsive to the setting of said second manually settable switch means for causing said second table moving means to increment said table means a distance in said second direction corresponding to the setting of said second switch means for controlling the spacing between adjacent lines of symbols marked on said workpiece.

Claim 11

A control system as claimed in claim 9 including: means responsive to said manually settable switch means for controlling said display means for altering the display thereof to display a maximum number of symbols in each line as a function of the setting of said first manually settable switch means and to display a maximum number of lines as a function of the setting of said second manually settable switch means, wherein said display means displays the format of all of the symbols to be marked on a workpiece in the positions at which the symbols are to be marked.

Claim 12

A control system as claimed in claim 10 including: memory means; means for storing information corresponding to the formatted display in said memory means; and means for recalling said stored information from said memory means and displaying said information on said display means.

Claim 13

A control system as claimed in claim 11 wherein: said switch responsive means is responsive to the setting of said switch means in said recalled information.

Claim 14

A control system as claimed in claim 1 wherein: said means for initiating energization of said marking member is normally responsive to the identification of said output as a symbol on said marking member for displaying said symbol in an optical display.

Claim 15

A control system for a marking machine of the type having: a marking member carrying a plurality of marking symbols, means for moving said marking member to sequentially locate said marking symbols at a marking location, table means for supporting a workpiece at the marking location, first means for moving said table means and the workpiece supported thereby in a first direction past said marking location to position successive portions of said workpiece at said marking location, whereby a line a symbols may be marked on said workpiece, second means for moving said table means and the workpiece supported thereby in a second direction whereby a plurality of lines of symbols may be marked on said workpiece, and means for momentarily displacing said marking member into engagement with a workpiece to effect marking thereof with said selected one of said symbols on said marking member located at said marking location; said control system comprising: manually actuatable keyboard means for alternatively selecting one of said marking symbols and one of a plurality of control codes and for producing an output representative of said selected symbol or said selected control code; means responsive to the identification of said output as a control code for initiating one of a plurality of control operations corresponding thereto; means responsive to said output for identifying said output as representative of a symbol or a control code and for determining whether said selected symbol is a symbol on said marking member; display means for displaying all of the selected symbols prior to energization of said marking member moving means; means responsive to the identification of said output as a symbol on said marking member for displaying said symbol on said display means in a position corresponding to the position at which said symbol is to be marked on said workpiece; first manually settable switch means for selecting the distance said table means is to be moved in said first direction during each of said table increments; second manually settable switch means for selecting the distance said table means is to be moved in said second direction during each of said table increments; means responsive to the setting of said first manually settable switch means for causing said first table moving means to increment said table means a distance in said first direction corresponding to the setting of said first switch means for controlling the spacing between adjacent symbols in a line marked on said workpiece and responsive to the setting of said second manually settable switch means for causing said second table moving means to increment said table means a distance in said second direction corresponding to the setting of said second switch means for controlling the spacing between adjacent lines of symbols marked on said workpiece; means responsive to said manually settable switch means for controlling said display means for altering the display thereof to display a maximum number of symbols in each line as a function of the setting of said first manually settable switch means and to display a maximum number of lines as a function of the setting of said second manually settable switch means, whereby said display means displays the format of all of the symbols to be marked on a workpiece in the positions at which the symbols are to be marked; memory means; means for storing information corresponding to the formatted display in said memory means; and means for recalling said stored information from said memory means and displaying said information on said display means; said switch responsive means is responsive to the setting of said switch means in said recalled information; means responsive to the initiation of a control operation when said control code has been identified as a control code for enabling a multiple print mode for initiating sequential actuation of said marking member moving means to move said marking member to locate said selected symbol at said marking location and for initiating energization of said marking member displacing means to effect said momentary displacement of said marking member and the resulting marking of said workpiece; and means responsive to the termination of each energization of said marking member displacing means for energizing said table moving means to increment said table means to position a new portion of said workpiece at said marking location.

Claim 16

A control system for a marking machine of the type having: a marking member carrying a plurality of marking symbols, means for moving said marking member to sequentially locate said marking symbols at a marking location, table means for supporting a workpiece at the marking location, first means for moving said table means and the workpiece supported thereby in a first direction past said marking location to position successive portions of said workpiece at said marking location, whereby a line a symbols may be marked on said workpiece, second means for moving said table means and the workpiece supported thereby in a second direction whereby a plurality of lines of symbols may be marked on said workpiece, and means for momentarily displacing said marking member into engagement with a workpiece to effect marking thereof with said selected one of said symbols on said marking member located at said marking location; said control system comprising: manually actuatable keyboard means for alternatively selecting one of said marking symbols and one of a plurality of control codes and for producing an output representative of said selected symbol or said selected control code; means responsive to the identification of said output as a control code for initiating one of a plurality of control operations corresponding thereto; means responsive to said output for identifying said output as representative of a symbol or a control code and for determining whether said selected symbol is a symbol on said marking member; display means for displaying all of the selected symbols prior to energization of said marking member moving means; means responsive to the identification of said output as a symbol on said marking member for displaying said symbol on said display means in a position corresponding to the position at which said symbol is to be marked on said workpiece; first manually settable switch means for selecting the distance said table means is to be moved in said first direction during each of said table increments; second manually settable switch means for selecting the distance said table means is to be moved in said second direction during each of said table increments; means responsive to the setting of said first manually settable switch means for causing said first table moving means to increment said table means a distance in said first direction corresponding to the setting of said first switch means for controlling the spacing between adjacent symbols in a line marked on said workpiece and responsive to the setting of said second manually settable switch means for causing said second table moving means to increment said table means a distance in said second direction corresponding to the setting of said second switch means for controlling the spacing between adjacent lines of symbols marked on said workpiece; means responsive to said manually settable switch means for controlling said display means for altering the display thereof to display a maximum number of symbols in each line as a function of the setting of said first manually settable switch means and to display a maximum number of lines as a function of the setting of said second manually settable switch means, whereby said display means displays the format of all of the symbols to be marked on a workpiece in the positions at which the symbols are to be marked; memory means; means for storing information corresponding to the formatted display in said memory means; and means for recalling said stored information from said memory means and displaying said information on said display means; said switch responsive means is responsive to the setting of said switch means in said recalled information; means responsive to the initiation of a control operation when said control code has been identified as a control code for enabling a multiple print mode for initiating sequential actuation of said marking member moving means to move said marking member to locate said selected symbol at said marking location and for initiating energization of said marking member displacing means to effect said momentary displacement of said marking member and the resulting marking of said workpiece; and means responsive to the termination of each energization of said marking member displacing means for energizing said table moving means to increment said table means to position a new portion of said workpiece at said marking location.