Patent GB-687904-A (GB)
Title: Laundry marking machine
IPC: B41K3/08
Filed: 1951-05-10
Abstract: 687,904. Laundry-marking machines. NATIONAL MARKING MACHINE CO. May 10, 1951 [June 1, 1950], No. 11077/51. Class 100 (iv). Driving mechanisms; inking arrangements.- The machine comprises a printing head 14, a first motor, shown as a double-acting air cylinder 35, for moving the printing head 14 to and from a printing position, inking means 51 operated by a second motor, shown as an air cylinder 68, and a control device 105 for the two motors settable in one position in which both the motors are actuated so as to cause printing members 27 to be inked and the printing head rocked into printing position, and to another position in which the printing head 14 is restored to normal position. The head 14 is pivotally mounted at 12 on brackets 11 upstanding from a base 10 formed with an ear 46 at the rear pivotally mounting the air cylinder 35. A rod of a piston 36 extends upwardly from the cylinder 35 and is resiliently connected to a cross-bar 38 extending between side plates of the head 14. The inking means 51 described below is moved to inking position by the air cylinder 68 having a piston rod 69 engaging an arm 70 secured to a hub 71 of a shaft 72 journaled in a boss 73 formed on the base 10. Movement of arm 70 rocks a second arm 74 having a recess in which sits a pin 75 mounted on the bottom of a U- shaped frame 76 whose upward arms 77 are slotted at 78 to slide on pins 79 mounted on a pair of brackets 61 clamped to the shaft 12. The arms 77 engage extensions 80 of a pair of levers 58, causing them to move anti-clockwise on pins 60 on the bracket 61, and shouldered screws 57 on the other end of the levers 58 travel to the bottom of slots 56 in links 53, Fig. 2, pivoted at 55 to the head 14 and carrying a frame 52. This action of the levers 58 effects a clockwise tilting of the frame 52 by means of links 59 so that the inking pad, similar to that described in Specification 461,785, and carried by the frame, is moved into contact with the type members. After a garment has been placed over a resilient platen 28, two hand operated plungers 100 one on either side of the platen are depressed closing contacts 137, 138, Fig. 5, energising a solenoid 102 causing its armature 103 to travel rightwardly until limited by an adjusting nut 109 and so setting a core 104 of the control device 105. In this setting, air from a supply line 112 enters a channel 141 and is directed to outlet 145 where it travels through line 113 to operate the inking cylinder 68 and through line 114 to cylinder 35 causing the print head to effect printing. A throttle valve 115, 119 ensures that the inking is effected quickly while the head is moved relatively slowly. Just before the head reaches the platen a resilientlymounted plunger 122 operates a switch 123, 124 which energises a solenoid 108 moving the core leftwardly so that the air from the cylinder 68 is forced by the spring-returned piston 69 back through passage 145 to an exhaust 146, and air from the cylinder 35 is forced through the same exhaust by the piston 36 now driven by air from line 112, passages 142, 147 and line 117. Since the cylinder 35 has a small rocking movement, the lines 116 and 117 are made flexible. To prevent unintentional lowering of the head should the air pressure be lowered, it is held in upper position by a spring 130. Index-setting arrangements.-The type wheels are set by finger pieces 26 formed on levers 25 attached to gear sectors 23 rotating gearing 22, 21, 20 and wheels 19 attached to the type wheels 18. The finger pieces may be simultaneously restored by a transverse rod on levers 86 latched against any inadvertent movement that may be caused by the head 14 contacting the platen 28.