Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~1~ 6393
IMPACT ENGRAVING MACHINE
Field of the Invention
This invention is related to an impact engraving machine which includes a
5 ~n~ llA~ or solenoid engraving device equipped with a striker point capable ofimpacting on the engraving surface and producing on the surface a pointed
deformation on each impact.
Ba~l~Jund of the Invention
The machines of the type in~ ate~ are utilized to engrave signs and/or
characters of dirÇ~relll type on surfaces of pieces of metal, of plastic material, etc.,
the whole set of signs and chalacl~l~ engraved colllplising a key or identification
cfclcnce or a supplier of det~,llnilled il~ll..alion.
Thus, for example, in the automobile industry nearly all of the parts utilized
15 carry engraved reference numbers. It is l-~cess~y that the frame and motor of the
vehicles carry an idelllirying number illlplillled on them.
In order to carry out this engraving, it is necessaly that the striker point,
besides its axial placement origil~ ,-g from the engraving device, can be displaced
according to two axes perpendicular to each other, parallel to the surface to be20 el~.avcd. In order to meet these requhclllelll~ nlachilles are known which have two
sides which displace each other in pcl~elldicular directions, activated by the
corresponding motors. l~hin~s of this type have the dlawback that they occupy a
relatively large volume, due to the e~ Lcnce of the two movable slides.
For the l~ull~ose of reducing the volume of the m~chin.o, m~hin~s are known
25 in which the engraving device is mounted on a support which can be moved in
controlled manner along an axis parallel to the surface to be e .Iglavt;d and also can
turn in both directions a certain angle, also in a controlled fashion, around said axis.
This type of machine is usable when the surface to be engraved does not require an
excessive turn of the striking point, in such a way that its incidence on the surface to
30 be engraved is practically normal in all cases.
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~ hinPs of this type are desc,il,ed, for example, in German patent No. 24 23
424 and in Eulopeall patent No. 371,896.
In German patent No. 24 23 424, the axis over which the support of the
striking device is IllUUll~d iS conll~lised of an endless screw which crosses a threaded
5 bore hole of the support. This endless screw will cause the linear displacement of the
support toward one side or the other. Also, on the lead screw there is mounted a U
shaped stirrup, the centMl branch of which is related to the support and with the
activating motor through the gear ~y~l~llls. The tipping of the stirrup causes the
turning one way or the other of the support, around the lead screw.
This configuration involves a considerable complication of the activating
~Pr1~a~ , due partly to the a~ ge.lllld of the two a;livalhlg motors on the chassis
of the ...a~ . However, the turn of the support around the endless screw provokes
a certain linear displacement thereof, even though of minim~l m~gnitl-dP, which acts
to the dellimelll. of precision in the engraving operation.
In the Eu,opeall patent No. 371,896, the axis on which the support of the
eng,~villg device is mounted consists of a bar of circular section, along which the
support can be moved and on which it can turn a certain angle in both directions. As
in the previous case, when the two acliv~ling motors located on the chassis of the
~a~hil~P operate, I,~ ...;.csion mech~ni.cm.~ are required from the two motors for the
20 linear di~l)lare--.r,-l and for the turn of the support, complicating the construction and
function of the whole.
In the two cases col~ lel~ d upon, the support of the engraving device is
revolving with respect to the lead screw or bar along which the linear displacement
of the device takes place.
S~ al~ of the Invention
This invention has the purpose of a machine of the type stated, in which the
support of the engraving device can rotate and be linearly displaced in controlled
fashion on an axis, both with some systems of activation which enable simplifying the
30 tran~mi~sion mechanism and achieving a high precision in the engraving operation.
Also in a machine in accoldallce with the invention, the support of the engraving
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device is not revolving with respect to the part which makes up the axis along which
the linear displacement of the support will take place.
Accordillg to this in~ ioll, the axis along which the support of the p,lf ....~tic
device can be moved is co~ ised of a guide-bar of polygonal section, which can turn
5 freely on its axis. This guide-bar carries a mounted slide which can move freely
along it, and a fixed bridge which runs betw~en the ends of the bar. The bridge in
turn has n~ullted on its outside a longit~-lin~l ll;..~.~..iisiol~ ch~i.cl.., colll~lised of
a belt which runs along the bridge, in parallel direction to the guide-bar, and an
activating end motor. The carrier support of the en~ldvillg device is set on the slide,
10 dil~;l~d in a ~OI~dl~ direction to the one occupied by the bridge, and it is related to
the section of the belt nearest the guide-bar.
The system formed by the guide-bar and bridge is related to a tipping
mechanism mounted on the frame of the ,llacl,ine. This tipping Illechdnism is
comprised of an arm which is set pel~endicularly by one of the ends to the system
15 formed by the guide-bar and the bridge, while on the opposite end it is capped in a
toothed sector, with an axis of turn coinciding with that of the guide-bar, which
meshes with a pinion a~;livdl~d by the motor. The pinion and motor are mounted on
the machine's frame. The support of the engraving device has an arm which
o~elllany~ the one ~;u~;ed by the striking point in the opposite direction, behind the
20 bridge. This arm is crossed pel~,~ndicul~rly with the section of the belt nearest the
guide-bar and it has, on the front surface, a l~ el~e slot which can be coupled on
the said section of belt, without possibility of slipping relative to each other.
Brief Descli~)lion of the Dl~win~s
For a full ullde~ l;u~ of the nature and obJe~ es of the invention, reference
should be made to the following detailed description taken in culljun~;tion with the
acco",~a"yillg drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an impact engraving machine in accordance with
the invention.
Fig. 2 is a left side elevation of the machine in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a top view of the machine ,~p,esented in Fig. 1.
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Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the system formed by the guide-bar and bridge,
in~ lin~ the support of the en~l~villg device and the linear displacement mech~nicm
of the same.
Fig. S is a side elevation of the guide-bar and bridge assembly, according to
5 direction A of Fig. 4.
Fig. 6 shows in pel~peclive the guide-bar with the movable slide mounted on
it.
Fig. 7 is a partial section according to the section line VII-VII of Fig. 1.
10 Detailed Desclil)tion of the Invention
Referring now to the agures wherein like elements are designated by like
l~:r~rellce numerals, and as can be obse~ed in Figs. 1 to 3, the machine accol.lillg to
the invention includes a frame or slluulule 1 which is capped below on lugs 2 ofangular support, which enables locating the ..~chi.~f both on flat surfaces and on
15 curved surfaces, for their engraving.
The IIIAr~h;llf~ includes an engi~villg device 3 which is equipped with a striking
point 4, which imp~ct.c on the surface to be engraved in order to produce point
deformities on it with each irnpact. The device 3 is mounted on a support 5 which
can be moved in controlled manner along an axis 6, parallel to the surface to be20 engraved, and it can also turn in both directions a certain angle, also in controlled
.almer, around the axis 6.
In the machine according to the invention, the axis 6 is embodied in a
guide-bar 7, Fig. 6, of polygonal section, which can adopt for example a sectionapproximately l~cl~ngular~ having angular longibl~inAI chqnn~lc 8 coming from two
25 of its opposing faces. In this guide-bar, a slide 9 is mounted which partially covers
the bar bclweell the ~-~A.~..fl~ 8. The slide 9 is the bearer of race elements which will
facilitate their sliding along the bar 7.
The guide-bar 7 also has IIIOUIIt~:d belwt~ its ends a fixed bridge 10, Figs. 1,4 and 5. As observed in Fig. 1, the system formed by the guide-bar 7 and the bridge
30 10 is mounted with the possibility of free turning betwæn the laterals of the frame or
chassis 1 of the m~.hinf, by means of bealillgs 11.
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As can be observed in Figs. 4 and 5, the bridge 10 has fastened on the outside
two end :iU~)OllS 12 and 13, which are carriers of pulleys 14 bel~,J which a belt 15
runs. On the axis of the pulley 14 a pulley 16 of greater ~ meter is mounted which
is related by means of a tr~n.emi.esion belt to the pulley 17 of smaller diameter which
5 is solidary with the axis 18 of an a~livaling motor 19.
The support 5 of the engraving device 3 has an arm 20, Figs. 4 and 5, which
ove,l,allgs in the direction opposite to that occupied by the striking point 4, Fig. 1,
behind the bridge 10 and comes to cross ~ell,endi~;ularly the stretch of the belt 15
nearest to the guide-bar 7. This arm has, coming from its front surface, a llal~vel~e
10 slot 21, Fig. 4, in which this lower section of the belt is introduced as adjusted,
without possibility of their slipping from each other. Preferably the belt 15 will have
an internal surface ll~v~lsely ribbed and the slot 21 will be limited, at least on one
of its surfaces, by a gearing 22 capable of being coupled b~;lweell the ribbing of the
belt 15, in order to assure mutual anchorage.
With this construction, the displacelllenl of the belt 15 is caused by means of
the motor 19, which will drag the arm 10 along the guide-bar 7, varying the direction
of turn of the motor the change of direction of displacelll~nl of the support 5 is
achieved and, thereby, the direction of displacement of the engraving device 3.
The motor 19 utilized for causing the displacement of the slide 7 and thereby
20 the engraving device 3, is mounted on the bridge 10 set at the ends of the guide-bar
7.
As is obsel v~d in Fig. 1, the system formed by the guide-bar 7 and the bridge
10 is related to the tipping mechal~isll~ which is colll~lised of an arm 23 which is
f~etenPd pel~l~di~ larly at one of its ends to the said system, as a co~ ion of the
bridge 10. The uppo~ite end this arm 23 is capped in a toothed sector 24, Fig. 7, on
an axis coinciding with the axis of turn 6 of the guide-bar 7. The toothed sector 24
engages with a pinion 25 with which a pulley 26 of greater .li,.~.rl~l is solidary, which
is related to a smaller pulley 27, solidary with the axis of an acliv~lh~g motor 28
which is mounted on the chassis 1 of the m~chinP.
Activation of the motor 28, Fig. 7, will cause the rotation of the pinion 25 in
the desired direction and m~gni~llde. When this pinion engages with the rack 24 it
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will cause the tipping of the arm 23 and thereby the turn of the system formed by the
guide bar 7 and bridge 10. This turn will translate into an angular displacement of
the engraving device 3 and striking point 4, this angular displacement being of
sufficient breadth so that the striking point 4 reaches the limits of the surface to be
S engraved without producing alterations in the characlelislics of quality of the print
produced by each impact.
In the machine described above, the linear displacement of the support 5 and
lleler(,le of the eng,~ving device 3 is achi~d by means of a ll~ .i.csion mechanism
15 and an activating motor 19 which are mounted on the bridge 10 solidary with the
10 guide-bar 7, while the motor 28 and l~ ."i~icion mechanism which causes the tipping
of the engraving device 3 is Ill~ d on the chassis 1 of the l..At~ . In this way one
achieves the simplification of the ll;~ issiol1 mecha~ ll, and obtains a maximume~rtit~l-1e and safety both in the linear displacement movement and in its tipping
movement.
The system of fastening of the support 5 to the ll~ -,-ission belt 15 is simple
and of great safety. The motor 28, in turn, which will produce the tipping of the
engraving device 3 is mounted on the structure of the machine and the l~ c~,ission
",~1~An:~." b~lw~n said motor and the guide-bar 7 is co~ lised of a system of gears
which makes it possible to achieve the maximum precision in the angle of tipping of
20 the striking point 4.
As is observed in Figs. 1 to 3, the machine can be equipped with upper
handles 30 which facilitate its manipulation in the portable version.
The system permits ...~.I.ii~g on two planes located up to 90 apart, only by
increasing the arc of turn by means of the parts 24, Fig. 7.
Although a certain plcse~llly pler~lled embodiment of the present invention has
been ~l,ecirlcally described herein, it will be al),arclll to those skilled in the art to
which the invention pertains that variations and modifications of the embodimentshown and described herein may be made without del,al~ g from the spirit and scope
of the illvelllioll. Accordi.lgly, it is intended that the invention be limited only to the
30 extent required by the appended claims and the applicable rules of law.
