Patent GB-498594-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to marking machines
IPC: A43D95/14
Filed: 1937-06-09
Abstract: 498,594. Marking-machines. BRITISH UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CO., Ltd. (United Shoe Machinery Corporation) June 9, 1937, No. 15957. [Classes 100 (it) and 100 (iv)] [Also in Group XI] Ink-ribbon mechanism; index type - wheel machines ; work-supports.-A machine particularly for marking shoe-parts comprises a power-operated marking-head, and an inking- apparatus consisting of a ribbon wound on spools and moved step-by-step over a pad which moves the ribbon into contact with the marking-head between successive marking operations. The marking-head preferably carries settable type-wheels, a printing-plate, and loose types for printing on separate lines. The marking-head may be provided with electrical heaters for the type-wheels and printing-plate, and the machine may be provided with a chase having an electric heater for heating the loose types before they are assembled on the marking-head. In the machine shown in Figs. 1 and 3, a depressible marking-head 12, carrying adjustable typewheels 106, is secured to a frame 14 mounted on rocking arms 16, 24, the arm 16 being connected by a yielding pitman 26 to a crank on a shaft 28 provided with a pedal-controlled clutch. The pitman consists of rods 74 secured to a cross-head on the crank and passing freely through another cross-head 66 carried by the arm 16. Springs 78 on the rods abut on the cross-head 66 and a block 80 which can be adjusted by means of a screw 82 in accordance with the thickness of the work. The work is placed on a table 10 which is provided with a resilient pad 50 and is secured to a bracket 52 which is vertically adjustable on a pivoted arm 56 by means of a screw 62. The arm 56 is provided with an adjusting- screw 58. A ribbon 40 carrying a thermoplastic medium for inking the type-wheels is wound on spools 49 mounted in a frame 44 which is pivoted at 46 to the framework 18 and is connected by links 61, 63, Fig. 9, to the frame 14. The ribbon passes over guides 53, 55 and a rubber or fibre pad 42 on the frame 44, the guide 55 being provided with a shield 48. The pivotal connection 47 of the links 61, 63 is eccentrically adjustable, and the link 61 can be swung aside to permit changing of the ribbon. The ribbon is normally in contact with the type-wheels, and when the marking-head descends, the frame 44 swings rearwards and the ribbon is moved out of the path of the marking-head. Each spool 49 is mounted on a shaft provided with a ratchet-wheel 51 for co-operation with a pawl 57 to feed the ribbon when the frame 44 swings. The pawl is adjustably mounted on a sleeve 59 which is coupled to the link 63 and can be adjusted to cause the pawl to engage either ratchet-wheel, or to be silenced. Each spool abuts at one end on an adjustable collar on the spool-shaft and is driven frictionally by a spring which abuts on the other end of the spool and on an adjustable collar 79 provided with a latch for engaging grooves in the spool-shaft. The type-wheels 106 are formed with type-bearing teeth 122 and are frictionally mounted on a sleeve 94 which is revoluble in the marking-head and is geared to a knob 104. On release of detents 114, the type-wheels can be set by turning the knob. To facilitate the marking of sizes and half-sizes, the marking-head may be provided with a type-wheel 108 which bears the types 0 .. 9 and is adjacent to another type-wheel 110 having half-size marks and blanks on alternate teeth 122. The typewheel 108 is provided with a ratchet-disc 143 co-operating with a pawl 164 on a plate 128 which is rocked by means of a fingerpiece 126 to step forward the type-wheel for type-selection. A detent 150 co-operates with another ratchet-disc on the type-wheel to prevent backwards movement of the typewheel. Lateral movement of the pawl and detent is prevented by co-operation of flanged parts 176, 162 of studs thereon with the faces of the type-wheel, the ratchet-discs. being arranged to maintain the studs out of contact with the types. The type-wheel 110 engages a dog 132 which is pivoted at 134 to the plate 128 and is secured by a screw 140. When the finger-piece 126 is operated to step on the typewheel 108, the type-wheel 110 moves backwards and forwards into position for printing a half-size mark and no mark respectively, so that, for instance, the mark is changed from 2¢ to 3 by one operation of the fingerpiece. On release of the screw 140, the typewheel 110 can be moved to change the halfsize mark. A printing-plate 196 for a trade mark &c. is detachably mounted on a plate 180 on the marking-head. Loose types 210 for printing a line of characters are mounted by means of notches 212 on a bar 214 connecting plungers 216 mounted in the marking- head and held in raised position by springs 220. Normally the front ends of the types abut on a bar 250 on the marking-head, and projections 252 fit between the teeth 122 of the type-wheels. When it is required to change the types, the plungers are depressed by means of a finger-bar 222 and are retained by a latch 226. On release of the latch, the springs 220 and a spring 238 raise the plungers. If the operator omits to release the latch, release is effected automatically by a pin 242 on the rocking arm 24. The types are provided on the front ends with indicating- characters 256, and projections 258 for engaging tweezers. The set of type-wheels 106, 108, 110 is electrically heated by means of an element 120 mounted in the sleeve 94 and formed with fewer windings at the middle than at the ends, so as to compensate for loss of heat by conduction from the end type-wheels. The printing-plate 196 is electrically heated by means of an element 182 mounted in the plate 180. The leads for the elements 120 182 pass through a junction-box 184 and a cable 185 to a switch-box 188 having a pilot light 190. The loose types 210 are electrically heated, before being assembled on the bar 214, in a chase 274 arranged over an element and comprising cross-bars 276 and ledges 280 for engaging the types. Specifications 3700/05 and 9653 /07, [both in Class 100], are referred to.