Electrically Operated Marking Device

Abstract

Marking device with settable characters electrically operated for stamping preset characters on the articles to be marked. A switch for operating the device is actuated upon placing the marking device on the article to be marked.

Parent Case Text

This application is a continuation of the copending application Ser. No. 732,649, filed on May 28, 1968.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to marking devices, particularly belonging to the class of rubber stamps with adjustable or settable characters. Rubber stamps with a plurality of characters which may be set in a certain combination, also having their own fixed ink pads are known. These stamping devices are hand operated, and are of substantial size, so that it is a tiring job to use them over an extended time period, for example in a supermarket, where a large number of articles has to be daily numbered and price marked. This invention overcomes this inconvenience and provides novel improvements over the existing art.

SUMMARY

The invention consists in such novel features, construction arrangements, combinations or parts and improvements as may be shown and described in connection with the devices herein disclosed by way of examples only and as illustrative of preferred embodiments. The basic concept of the invention is to create a new marking device which operates fast and precisely with a consistently equal stamping power without any greater effort of the operator than to put the device down onto the article to be marked, after setting the characters on the device. Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereafter and in part will be obvious herefrom or may be learned by practicing the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a practical, efficient and novel device in which the characters can be easily and conveniently adjusted.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a marking device in which the stamping member is in a protected position within the housing of the device when it is in the inoperative position.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an inking device by which the characters to be stamped are inked while the stamping member is retracted in the inoperative position.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide the marking device with electric means for performing the actual stamping operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a power-operated marking device which is actuated by a microswitch upon lightly touching the device to the article to be marked.

Furthermore it is an object of the present invention to provide a marking device which is easy to operate and which can be economically manufactured.

Various further and more specific purposes, features and advantages will clearly appear from the detailed description given below taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which forms part of this specification and illustrates merely by way of examples embodiments of the device of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following description and in the claims; parts will be identified by specific names for convenience, but such names are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit. Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawing, in which

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the marker according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section of the marker;

FIG. 3 is a front end view of the marker;

FIG. 4 is a cross section of the marker, taken along the line 4--4 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 illustrates the ink pad and the ink supply for the ink pad;

FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram embodied in the marker;

FIG. 7 is a plan view similar to FIG. 1 of the marker showing the invention in modified form;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 2 of the device shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a front view similar to FIG. 3 of the device shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a section taken through line 10--10 of FIG. 8; and

FIG. 11 is a section taken through line 11--11 of FIG. 8.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now in more detail to the drawing illustrating preferred embodiments by which the invention may be realized, there is disclosed in FIGS. 1 and 2 a marking device 10 which has a housing 11 which is extended on one end to form a handle 12. A slidable carrier 13 is arranged in housing 11, which has a plurality of endless elastic bands 15 in juxtaposed position. Bands 15 carry characters 14 which are made of suitable material such as rubber and are in reversed or negative form so that they may print a positive character on the articles to be marked. Two posts 16, 17 extend laterally through slots in housing 11 to guide carrier 13 in a straight line.

A linkage consisting of a lever 20 which is pivotally located on a shaft 43 and a connecting bar 21, one end of which is pivotally attached to carrier 13, serves to move carrier 13 from the normally retracted position, as shown in FIG. 1, downward for printing preset characters 14 on articles to be marked. The linkage is operated by a solenoid 22, the armature 23 of which is connected with one end of lever 20. The other end of lever 20 is connected to the other end of connecting bar 21. Solenoid 22 may be powered by a standard flashlight battery 24 which is held in conventional manner in hollow handle 12 having a screw cap 25 with a compression spring 26.

The front end 27 of housing 11 is open and it is surrounded by a frame 28 made of suitable material such as soft rubber. In one corner of frame 28 is a microswitch 29 embedded in the rubber in such manner that the operating pin 30 thereof is almost flush with the surface of the rubber when the rubber is not compressed.

An ink pad is pivotally mounted on a shaft 32 extending through housing 11. A lever arm 33 having a slotted end 34 is attached to shaft 32. A pin 35 is fastened on carrier 13, engaging slotted end 34 so that ink pad 31 is swung out of the way when carrier 13 is moved downward for printing indicia or characters 14. An ink cartridge 36 held by clip 36a and preferably made of flexible plastic is replaceably located on one side of housing 11 under a side cover 37 (FIGS. 1 and 5). A syringelike hollow needle 38 is pushed into cartridge 36, whereas the other end of needle 38 extends through shaft 32, which is made hollow for this purpose, into ink pad 31. A spring-loaded wheel 39 is fastened on carrier 13 in such manner that a certain amount of marking ink is squeezed out into pad 31 from ink cartridge 36 because wheel 39 rolls against one side of cartridge 36 when the marker is operated.

Every one of bands 15 has a knob 40 which protrudes through suitable slots 41 in housing 11. A cover lid 42 is swingably arranged to cover knobs 40 after they have been used to set characters 14 on bands 15 to the desired position.

The operation of the marking device is as follows. The price of the article to be marked is set by moving knobs 40 adjacent the desired numerals or characters appearing on the housing so that characters 14 are placed in printing position. By positioning the marker down with frame 28 on top of the article to be marked, a slight downward pressure will trigger microswitch 29 which causes solenoid 22 to be energized thus pushing carrier 13 downward by means of linkage 20,21 and prints characters 14 on the article. By releasing the pressure (usually by lifting the marking device off the article), microswitch 29 opens and the conventionally spring-loaded solenoid armature 23 (spring not shown in the drawing) pulls carrier 13 by means of linkage 20, 21, back into its normally retracted and inoperative position.

Referring to FIGS. 7 through 11 there is disclosed a marking device 50 which has a housing 51 which is extended on one end to form a handle 52. A slidable carrier 53 is arranged in housing 51, which has a plurality of endless elastic bands 54 in juxtaposed position. Bands 54 carry characters 55 which are made of suitable material such as rubber and are in reversed or negative form so that they may print a positive character on the articles to be marked. Two posts 56, 57 extend laterally through slots in housing 51 to guide carrier 53 in a straight line.

A linkage consisting of a lever 60 which is pivotally located on a shaft 83 and a connecting bar 61, one end of which is pivotally attached to carrier 53, serves to move carrier 53 from the normally retracted position, as shown in FIG. 8, downward for printing preset indicia or characters 55 on articles to be marked. The linkage is operated by a solenoid 62, the armature 63 of which is connected with one end of lever 60. The other end of lever 60 is connected to the other end of connecting bar 61. Solenoid 62 may be powered by a standard flashlight battery 64 which is held in conventional manner in hollow handle 52 having a screwcap 65 with a compression spring 66.

The front end 67 of housing 51 is open and it is surrounded by a frame 68 made of suitable material such as soft rubber. In the corners of frame 68 are microswitches 69 embedded in the rubber in such manner that the operating pin 70 thereof is almost flush with the surface of the rubber when the rubber is not compressed.

An ink pad 71 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 72 extending through housing 51. A lever arm 73 is attached to shaft 72 enabling ink pad 71 to swing out of the way when carrier 53 is moved downward for printing indicia or characters 55 as shown in dotted lines in the direction of the arrow. Spring means is provided to return ink pad 71 to its position against characters 55 when the marker is in its inoperative position. An ink cartridge 76 held by clip 76a and preferably made of flexible plastic is replaceably located on one side of housing 51 under a removable side cover 77. A syringelike hollow needle 78 is pushed into cartridge 76, whereas the other end of needle 78 extends through shaft 72, which is made hollow for this purpose, into ink pad 71. A spring-loaded wheel 79 is fastened on carrier 53 in such manner that a certain amount of marking ink is squeezed out into pad 71 from ink cartridge 76 because wheel 79 rolls against one side of cartridge 76 when the marker is operated.

Every one of bands 54 has a knob 80 which protrudes through suitable slots 81 in housing 51. A cover lid 82 is swingably arranged to cover knobs 80 after they have been used to set indicia or characters 55 on bands 54 to the desired position.

The operation of the marking device is as follows. The price of the article to be marked is set by moving knobs 80 adjacent the desired numerals or characters appearing on the housing so that characters 55 are placed in printing position. By positioning the marker down with frame 68 on top of the article to be marked, a slight downward pressure will trigger either or both microswitches 69 which causes solenoid 62 to be energized thus pushing carrier 53 downward by means of linkage 60, 61 and prints characters 55 on the article. By releasing the pressure, usually by lifting the marking device off the article, the microswitches 63 open and the spring 85 attached to the juncture of levers 60 and 61 pulls carrier 53 by means of linkage 60, 61 back into its normally retracted and inoperative position.

It is understood that the solenoid may be replaced by any mechanism whereby the electrical energy from the electric power source, such as the battery, will provide linear or rotary motion to effect movement of the carriage. Any suitable power source may be employed.

While the invention has been described and illustrated with respect to certain preferred examples which give satisfactory results, it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the principle of the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intended therefor in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An electrically operated marker comprising a housing having an opening at one end and a handle-shaped portion at the other end, said portion being adapted to contain a source of electric power, guiding means longitudinally disposed in said housing, a carrier longitudinally movable in said housing and guided by said guiding means, a plurality of flexible bands adjustably disposed on said carrier in side-by-side relationship, said bands carrying indicia for printing, an electrically operated solenoid within said housing and adjacent to said handle-shaped portion, lever means connected at one end to the reciprocable armature of said solenoid and rotatable about a fixed axle member between said carrier and said armature, a member mounted on said carrier between the ends thereof for moving said carrier longitudinally within said housing between an inoperative retracted position and a forward operative printing position, link means rotatably secured at one end to said member and being rotatably secured at the other end to said lever means, switch means adjacent said opening in said housing for controlling the operation of said solenoid for moving said carrier from an inoperative position to an operative printing position upon contact of said switch means with a surface to be printed, inking means having an ink-applying member engaging said indicia when said carrier is in inoperative position for applying ink to said indicia, and means connected to said ink-applying member and to said carrier for moving said ink-applying member out of engagement with said indicia when said carrier is moved into said forward operative position.

2. An electrically operated marker comprising a housing having an opening at one end and a handle-shaped portion at the other end, guiding means longitudinally disposed in said housing, a carrier longitudinally movable in said housing and guided by said guiding means, a plurality of flexible bands adjustably disposed on said carrier in side-by-side relationship, said bands carrying indicia for printing, an electrically operated solenoid within said housing and adjacent to said handle-shaped portion, a lever connected at one end to the reciprocable armature of said solenoid and rotatable about a fixed axle member between said carrier and said armature, a bar member mounted on said carrier between the ends thereof for moving said carrier longitudinally within said housing between an inoperative retracted position and a forward operative printing position, an elongated connecting link rotatably secured at one end to said bar member and being rotatably secured at the other end to said lever at the lever end lying opposite to the lever end connected to said armature, an electric battery within said handle-shaped portion, switch means adjacent said opening in said housing for controlling the operation of said solenoid for moving said carrier from an inoperative position to an operative printing position upon contact of said switch means with a surface to be printed, and inking means comprising an ink-applying member rotatable about a pivot in said housing and engaging said indicia when said carrier is in inoperative position for applying ink to said indicia, and means connected to said ink-applying member and to said carrier for moving said ink-applying member out of engagement with said indicia when said carrier is moved into said forward operative position.

3. An electrically operated marker according to claim 2, said means connected to said ink-applying member and to said carrier comprising a linking member for moving said ink-applying member into reengagement with said indicia when said carrier moves to said retracted position; and ink-supplying means in said housing and communicating with said ink-applying member for supplying ink thereto.