Patent GB-852570-A (GB)
Title: Marking apparatus
Inventor: HIRSCHEY MALCOLM
IPC: B41F17/18
Filed: 1958-12-16
Abstract: 852,570. Endless conveyers; rotary conveyers. GOTTSCHO Inc., A. Dec. 16, 1958, No. 40497/58. Class 78 (1). [Also in Group XVI]. Apparatus for marking articles, e.g. food or cosmetic containers, transported by an uninterrupted conveyer comprises a frame positioned alongside the conveyer and having an upper part which overhangs the conveyer, a rotatable star wheel depending from the upper frame part and rotating about a vertical axis extending into the path of the conveyed articles, said star wheel having peripheral pockets for receiving the successive conveyed articles, guide means associated with the star wheel so that the latter transports the articles received in the pockets along a generally semi-circular path extending from the conveyer, laterally off one side thereof and then back to the conveyer, and means for marking the articles in the star wheel pockets as they pass a location on the said semicircular path. The apparatus is mounted on castors and has a base 12 having an upstanding column 14 mounted thereon and supporting a cantilevered arm structure 16 overlying the base and a conveyer 104. A spindle 30 depends from the arm 16 and carries a star wheel 82, the spindle being rotated by means of a chain and sprocket drive from a shaft 40 which is powered by an electric motor. A horizontal table 94 extends from the column 14 in the plane of the conveyer 104 to receive the articles to be marked as they are removed laterally from the conveyer by the star wheel along a semi-circular path defined by guides 118, 120, 122, 124, 126 mounted on the table 94 and on the conveyer structure. The guides form a loop in the path defined by straight guides 132 which guide the articles along the conveyer. Pockets 88 in the star wheel 82 engage the articles, such as A and microswitches 136, 138 mounted on one of the guides 132 are arranged to open, and thereby stop the motor driving shaft 40, when there are insufficient contiguous articles adjacent to the star wheel to ensure that the one abutting the star wheel is initially held securely in engagement therewith. At approximately the midpoint of the semi-circular path each article passes over a hole in the table 94 where the concave bottom of the container is printed by a marking element. A hub 206 mounted on the spindle 30 above the star wheel 82 and rotatable therewith carries radially extending arms 212 pivoted thereto at 210. Each arm 212 carries a pad 214 at its outer end which overlies one of the pockets 88 in the star wheel. Normally the pads 214 are held in positions vertically spaced from the articles in the pockets 88 by the action of springs 216, but as each article passes over the hole in the table 94 the corresponding arm 212 is forced downwards by a roller 228 carried by a rod 224 depending from the arm structure 16 and the pad 14 thereon abuts against the top of the article to hold it down during printing of its underside. The positions of the table 94, star wheel 82, hub 206 and roller 228 are vertically adjustable, and the guides 118, 120, 122, 124, 126 are adjustable laterally. As shown in Fig. 8 devices are provided for gripping the articles in the pockets 88 during printing. A disc 270 concentric with the star wheel and rotatable therewith has arms 266 pivoted thereon at 268 adjacent to each pocket in the star wheel. The arms 266 carry at their outer ends pads 276 which are normally held within the contour of the star wheel by the action of springs 280. Further arms 294, having cam follower rollers 296, are also pivoted to the plate 270 at 268. Eye-bolts 298 are pivoted to the arms 266 and pass through holes in the arms 294, springs 300 on the eyebolts tending to force the arms apart until the arms 294 abut against lock nuts on the ends of the eye-bolts. The rollers 296 engage the periphery of a cam 286 which is mounted on a non-rotatable housing for the spindle 30 and which, as each pocket of the star wheel approaches the hole, thrusts the corresponding arm 294 outwards whereby the associated arm 266 is also swung outwards and the pad 276 thereon resiliently engages the article in the pocket. In a modification the arms 266, 294 are replaced by a single bell-crank lever and the pads 276 are resiliently mounted in the outer ends thereof.