Patent GB-1455013-A (GB)
Title: Method and device for labelling objects such as blooms
IPC: B65C1/00
Filed: 1973-09-17
Abstract: 1455013 Punching; welding by pressure UNION SIDERURGIQUE DU NORD ET DE L'EST DE LA FRANCE 17 Sept 1973 43501/73 Headings B3W and B3R [Also in Division B8] Objects are labelled by coining, stamping, punching or otherwise marking information in a weldable metal or plastics strip or band 3 by deformation of the latter, severing the formed label from the strip, and welding the label directly to the object at a plurality of points by movable electrodes 114 whilst the label is pressed against the object by an articulated heat screen 94. As described, a steel band 3 is fed stepwise by a device 8 through a punching device 10, which forms information-constituting perforations in the band. The formed label is cut from the band by shears 12 and is transferred by a device 14 to a welding unit 18 which effects spot-welding of the label directly to a hot steel bloom 20. The punching device 10 comprises two staggered rows of punches 48 and 49 disposed in aligned bores of two spring-separated blocks 34 and 38, which are movable by a ram 28 towards a die 22 having corresponding aligned bores 23. Selectively-actuable, ram-operated, transversely movable push rods 56 are associated with each punch and are operable to engage the enlarged head of a respective punch and hold an intermediate punch flange 54, Fig. 3 (not shown), against an abutment 53 on the block 34 so that only those threshold punches move in one with the block 34 on lowering of the latter and perforate the band 3, which is located between the die and block. In a modification, Figs. 6 and 7 (not shown), the punches each comprise a tubular lower portion 148 and a headed upper portion 149, the punches of each row being alternately long and short and being arranged such that the heads of the short and long punches of one row are in sliding engagement with the heads of the respective short and long punches of the other row, Fig. 8 (not shown). A control device 70 checks the perforations formed and the shear 12 is then actuable to cut off the formed band. The transfer device 14 comprises a frame 14 having depending arms 74 with supports 76, which receive the label. The frame is pivotally mounted for movement about mutually perpendicular axes by a pin extending between reciprocable arms 86, Fig. 4 (not shown), so that the label and frame may be initially swung to a horizontal position II, then pivoted downwardly to a vertical position III and moved adjacent the welding unit 18. The welding unit comprises a reciprocable carriage 95 mounting a three-piece articulated heat screen 94 on jack or spring-biased sliding rods 92. The screen has pivotable holding arms 100 and 102, which receive the label from the transfer device and which are swung away to release the label when feelers 111 engage a steel bloom 20 on advancement of the carriage or an actuation of jacks 108 thereby leaving the label held against the bloom by the screen. The articulated nature of the latter and the sliding rods 92 ensure an evenly-applied pressure. Electrodes 114 are then moved by jacks 116 and pass through edge notches 118 in the screen to spotweld the label to the bloom, the inner four electrodes being operated before the remaining outer electrodes. The various machine operations may be automatically controlled by a control arrangement 120, 122 connected to a unit having a keyboard or computer input 128 or 124 for feeding information to be punched via a memory 132 to a read-out 136. A check comparator 138 and display 140 are also provided.