Patent ID: 7168364

Claim:
An apparatus for marking a sheet-shaped workpiece, said apparatus comprising: a punch press, said punch press having a stroke driving mechanism; at least one marking tool disposed in the punch press, said marking tool comprising a tool tip, a guide bush axially supporting a support, a marking tool elastic element, and a drive head, said marking tool elastic element operatively connecting the drive head to the tool tip, said stroke driving mechanism acting upon said drive head to force the marking tool towards the workpiece; and at least one counter-support located opposite the marking tool and fixed in place on a side opposite of a marking surface of the workpiece, wherein, when said apparatus has a workpiece disposed between the marking tool and the counter-support, the marking tool is operatable to be pressed onto or into a marking surface of the workpiece against a restoring force of the elastic element, and the marking tool marks the workpiece while the workpiece is translated in its plane.