US3610148A

US3610148A - Bed and cylinder printing mechanism with means for adjusting anvil height

Info

Publication number: US3610148A
Application number: US786035A
Authority: US
Inventors: William A Penaluna
Original assignee: Dymo Industries Inc
Current assignee: Dymo Industries Inc
Priority date: 1968-12-23
Filing date: 1968-12-23
Publication date: 1971-10-05
Anticipated expiration: 1988-10-05

Abstract

Imprinting apparatus in which a movable platen traverses a path of travel passing over an anvil and the anvil is selectively positioned with respect to the path of travel by a slide member having an inclined surface which is complementary to a corresponding inclined surface on the anvil and which engages the corresponding inclined surface of the anvil to raise or lower the anvil in response to lateral movement of the slide member. The platen is removably mounted upon a bracket carried by a carriage which traverses a guide track raised above the anvil and the bracket and platen are offset with respect to the guide track to laterally space the path of travel of the platen from the guide track and thus expose the anvil for ease of access thereto.

Description

United States Patent Primary ExaminerWilliam B. Penn Assistant ExaminerE. M. Coven Attorneys-Samuelson & Jacob and Kenneth E. Forman ABSTRACT: Imprinting apparatus in which a movable platen traverses a path of travel passing over an anvil and the anvil is selectively positioned with respect to the path of travel by a slide member having an inclined surface which is complementary to a corresponding inclined surface on the anvil and which engages the corresponding inclined surface of the anvil to raise or lower the anvil in response to lateral movement of the slide member. The platen is removably mounted upon a bracket carried by a carriage which traverses a guide track raised above the anvil and the bracket and platen are offset with respect to the guide track to laterally space the path of travel of the platen from the guide track and thus expose the anvil for ease of access thereto.

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sum 1 OF 3 I0 T3:'.l. 20 2 \HVENTUF? WILLIAM A. PENALUNA PATENTED DDT 5 ISYI SHEET 2 BF 3 WILLIAM A PENALUNR BED AND CYLINDER PRINTING MECHANISM WITH MEANS FOR ADJUSTING ANVIL HEIGHT The present invention relates generally to printing apparatus and pertains, more specifically, to apparatus for imprinting infonnation carried by printing elements temporarily placed within such apparatus upon items which are juxtaposed with such printing elements in the apparatus.

An increasing number of commercial transactions are being made on credit rather than by the payment of cash, especially in the area of retail marketing where the use of printing elements such as credit cards or charge plates has become prevalent. These printing elements usually carry embossed or otherwise raised characters which. identify the account which is to be charged and provide other pertinent information. A transaction which involves the use of such a card or plate generally includes the imprinting of such information upon a business form.

Imprinting is usually accomplished by placing both the printing element and the business form upon an anvil of an imprinting machine and manually moving a platen over the juxtaposed element and form to press the business form against the printing element and obtain an impression of the raised characters upon the form.

The pressure placed upon the juxtaposed printing element and business form by the traverse of the platen should be confined to a prescribed optimum range. Because there is a variation in the thickness of the variety of printing elements and business fomts placed within such an imprinting apparatus, it has become important to enable easy adjustment of the spacing between the anvil and the overlying platen to accommodate a particular thickness of printing element and business form without deviating from the prescribed range of imprinting pressures.

Additionally, since it is desirable that transactions involving the use of credit cards, charge plates and the like be carried out rapidly and with convenience, such imprinting apparatus should provide maximum ease in the placement of the printing element and the business form into proper registration within the apparatus. Maintenance should also be facilitated.

It is therefore an important object of the invention to provide imprinting apparatus in which an anvil is readily adjustably positioned with respect to the path of travel of a platen to assure that optimum spacing is obtained between the platen and the anvil and imprinting pressures will be held to an optimum range for a variety of thicknesses of printing elements and business forms.

Another object of the invention is to provide imprinting apparatus wherein an anvil or anvils are selectively moveable upwardly or downwardly with respect to the path of travel of a platen by means of a simple operating control in order to provide maximum ease and obtain optimum imprinting with a chosen combination of printing element and business form.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an imprinting apparatus in which the structural arrangement of the platen and platen support construction establishes a high degree of structural rigidity, yet provides ready access to the anvil for ease in placement of the printing element and business form in proper registration within the apparatus and in the removal of the printing element and business form from the apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to provide an imprinting apparatus in which increased access to the anvil area is achieved by laterally offsetting the platen itself from the structure which supports the platen over the anvil so as to expose the anvil by virtue of the lateral spacing of the platen and the anvil from the platen support structure.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an imprinting apparatus of the type described above wherein the platen may readily be removed from the apparatus for ease of maintenance and interchangeability.

Another object of the invention is to provide an imprinting I apparatus of simplified design and construction having a minimum number of component parts of simplified configuration for economy of manufacture and ease of use.

The above objects, as well as further objects and advantages, are attained by the invention which may be described briefly as providing in an imprinting apparatus wherein a printing element and an article to be printed upon are placed over a base in the apparatus and located between an anvil and a platen which moves along the path of travel extending across the base and the anvil, means for selectively positioning the anvil with respect to the path of travel of the platen to adjust the spacing between the anvil and the path of travel of the platen, the means comprising a member mounted for movement between the base and the anvil in a lateral direction and having an inclined surface engaging a corresponding surface of the anvil, the corresponding surface of the anvil being inclined and complementary to the inclined surface of the laterally moveable member such that lateral movement of the member will displace the anvil toward or away from the path of travel of the platen, means biasing the corresponding surface of the anvil toward the inclined surface of the laterally moveable member, and means for moving the member to a selected position corresponding to the desired position of the anvil. The imprinting apparatus may be provided with a frame rising from the base and a guide track carried by the frame and extending laterally from the frame over a portion of the base, a carriage mounted for movement along the guide track, the platen being carried by the carriage for movement along the path of travel extending acros the anvil, the platen being offset laterally with respect to the guide track and the carriage such that the platen extends beyond the portion of the base over which the guide track extends and at least a portion of the path of travel of the platen lies laterally beyond the overlying guide track, at least a portion of the anvil being juxtaposed with the portion of the path of travel of the platen which lies laterally beyond the overlying guide track. In addition, the carriage may include a bracket, and the platen includes a platen roller carried upon an axle passing through the roller and through the bracket to mount the roller on the bracket, and resiliently deflectable detent means removably retaining the axle within the bracket for selective removal of the axle and the platen roller from the bracket.

The invention will be more fully understood, and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of an embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an imprinting apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a further enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a further enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a further enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawing, and especially to FIGS. 1 and 2, an imprinting apparatus is shown in the form of imprinter 10 having a frame 12 which includes a base 14 to which there is attached a tray 16. The base 14 is provided with a plurality of depending feet 18 which enable the imprinter 10 to be placed upon a tabletop, or upon a counter or upon some other working surface. A pair of bumpers 20 project rearwardly from the base 14 of the imprinter so as to preclude direct contact between the rear 22 of the base and any adjacent upstanding wallv The frame 12 includes an upright portion 24 at either side 26 thereof and the upright portions 24 each include an arm 28 extending laterally out over the base 14 and tray 16. Mounted between the arms 28 is a horizontal beam member 30 which includes a pair of opposed guide tracks 32 extending horizontally over the width of the base 14. A carriage 34 is mounted for movement within the guide tracks 32 by means of a plurality of rollers 36 placed within the guide tracks 32 and carried by roller shafts 38 journaled within upright projections 40 of the carriage 34. The carriage 34 carries a housing 42 which encircles a major portion of the periphery of the horizontal beam member 30 and a handle 44 projects vertically upwardly from the housing 42 to provide actuating means by which the carriage may be advanced manually horizontally along the guide tracks 32 between

opposite ends

46 and 48 of the horizontal beam member 30.

The carriage 34 includes a bracket 50 having downwardly depending legs 52 in which there is joumaled an axle 54 which, in turn, carries a platen shown in the form of a roller 56. The bracket 50 is offset laterally outwardly in a forward direction with respect to the horizontal beam member 30 and the guide tracks 32 carried thereby such that as the carriage is moved along the horizontal beam member the platen roller 56 will follow a path of travel at least a portion of which lies beyond the vertical projection of the outermost or forwardmost edge 58 of the horizontal beam member 30 upon the base 14 lying below the horizontal beam member.

Lying directly below the path-of travel of the platen roller 56 are a pair of anvil assemblies 60, each assembly 60 including an anvil 62 placed within the anvil frame 64 which extends around the entire periphery of the anvil with the exception of.

the portion of the periphery of the anvil which includes a notch 66 lying adjacent an access channel 68 within the anvil frame 64. A printing element 70, such as a credit card or charge plate, having raised characters 71 may be placed within the anvil frame 64 and upon the anvil 62 with the raised characters projecting upwardly toward the path of travel of the platen roller 56. An item which is to be imprinted, such as a business form 72, may then be placed upon tray 16 with at least a portion of the item lying over the printing element 70 and the imprinting apparatus may be actuated by grasping the handle 44 and moving the carriage 34 along the horizontal beam member 30 to advance the platen roller 56 along it path of travel over the base 14 and across the anvil assemblies 60 and the juxtaposed printing element 70 and business form 72. The anvil frame 64 positively registers the printing element 70 in proper location with respect to the path of travel of the platen roller 56 since the printing element will be placed within the anvil frame and upon the anvil 62. The access channel 68 and notch 66 enable the operator to reach into the anvil frame 64 and grip the printing element 70 so that the printing element may be easily removed from the anvil frame,

It is noted that a pair of anvil assemblies 60 are provided, each of which is identical so that corresponding parts of the anvil assemblies are labeled with corresponding reference characters. In this instance, one of the anvil assemblies may be made to carry a printing element 70? which remains in place for all transactions and carries raised characters which supply information pertaining to the particular establishment where a transaction is made; for example, the name of a retail store or a particular department in a large store. The other anvil assembly will then be made to carry only temporarily a credit card or charge plate belonging to a customer who is a party to the transaction recorded in the business form which is placed within the imprinter.

It will be seen that both anvil assemblies 60 are exposed with respect to the horizontal beam member 30 since the assemblies extend in a forward direction outwardly beyond the vertical projection of the front edge 58 of the horizontal beam member 30 by virtue of the ofi'set construction of the carriage 34.

As'the platen roller 56 passes over the juxtaposed printing element 70 and business form 72, the platen roller will exert an imprinting pressure which actually accomplishes the printing of the information carried by the printing element upon the business form. The magnitude of the printing pressure may be regulated by the vertical spacing between the periphery of the platen roller and the uppermost surface of the printing element. Since printing elements may vary in thickness, this spacing may be varied and such variations will produce concomitant variations in the imprinting pressure. In order to keep the printing pressure within an acceptable range, imprinter provides means for adjusting the position of the anvil 62 with respect to the path of travel of the platen roller 56 so that the vertical spacing between the uppermost surface 74 of the anvil and the periphery of the platen roller may be selectively adjusted to accommodate the thickness of a particular combination of printing element and business form.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the anvil frame 64 of each anvil assembly 60 includes an integral bottom 76. Interposed between the bottom 76 of the anvil frame and the anvil 62 is a wedge-shaped slide member 80 which includes an inclined surface in the form of a planar surface 82 lying at an angle to the horizontal bottom 76 of the anvil frame and which engages a corresponding inclined planar surface 84 on the lower surface of the anvil 62. A pair of pins shown in the form of machine screws 86 project downwardly from the anvil 62 and pass through laterally extending slots 87 in the slide member 80, through the bottom 76 of the anvil frame and through the base 14 and are urged downwardly by means of helical springs 88 which are in compression between the base 14 and a retaining nut 90carried by each of the machine screws 86. At the same time, a pair of helical springs 92 which are in compression between the base 14 and the bottom 76 of the anvil frame 64 urge the anvil frame upwardly so that the inclined surface 84 of the anvil 62 and the inclined surface 82 of the slide member 80 are resiliently biased toward one another.

Depending downwardly from the lower surface 94 of the slide member 80 is a finger 96 which slideably engages a slot 98 in one end 99 of a lever [00 mounted for pivotal movement with respect to the base 14 at 102 and having an opposite end 103 which passes through a slot 104 in the base portion 106 of the frame 12, which end 103 carries a knob 108. The lever may be pivoted between two positions as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 by virtue of the pivotal mounting at 102 which includes a tongue I10 projecting downwardly from the lever I00 and engaging an opening 112 in the base 14. The opening II2 has a lemniscatelike configuration providing a first pair of shoulders l 14 which engage the downwardly depending tongue I10 and delineate the first position of the lever 100 and a second pair of shoulders 116 which engage the downwardly depending tongue when the lever 100 is pivoted to delineate the second position of the lever.

As the lever 100 is moved between the first and second positions, the finger 96 is moved between the two positions illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, and the slide member 80 is moved in a lateral direction to effect a raising or lowering of the anvil 62. Thus, the vertical spacing between the path of travel of the platen roller 56 and the uppermost surface 74 of the anvil may be varied between a minimum spacing of S and a maximum spacing of T (see FIG. 3). I

As the platen roller 56 passes over each of the anvil assemblies 60, the anvil assemblies are each urged downwardly until the bottom 76 of each anvil frame 64 is seated upon four studs 120 which are fixed in place upon the base 14. These studs 120 are threaded and are locked in place by means of locking nuts 122 which may be loosened to reposition each of the studs 120 and thereby adjust the actual magnitude of the minimum spacing S and the maximum spacing T. Thus, the operator may set the studs 120 so that either the maximum spacing T or the minimum spacing S will coincide with one extreme or the other of a permissible range for the vertical spacing between the periphery of the platen roller 56 and the anvil 62 and the adjusting mechanism which includes the slide member 80 and the pivoted lever 100 may be utilized to adjust the level of the upper surface 74 of the anvil 62 within that range. The anvil 62 is provided with downwardly depending projections 124 which pass through apertures 126 in the base 14 so as to provide lateral stability and confine the movement of the anvil to the vertical direction.

Turning now to FIGS. 2 and 5, the platen roller 56 may quickly and easily be removed from imprinter 10 by merely removing the axle 54 from the bracket 50. The axle 54 is provided with a knob 130 at one end thereof and an annular groove 132 at the other end thereof. Placed within the annular groove 132 is a resiliently deformable ring 134, which is preferably fabricated of an elastomer, such that by drawing upon the knob 130, the axle 54 may be displaced axially to the left as seen in FIG. 5 thereby radially compressing the ring 134 into the annular groove 132 and allowing the axle to be pulled from the bracket 50 and from the platen roller 56 to free the platen roller from the bracket. Thus, the platen roller may be removed for cleaning or for replacement with a minimum of effort.

The above detailed description of an embodiment of the invention is provided by way of example only. Various details of design and construction may be modified without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention which is set forth in the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A manually operated imprinting machine comprising:

a frame including a base for receiving an item to be printed upon;

an anvil on said base for carrying a printing element;

a platen mounted for movement upon said frame along a path of travel extending in a plane across the base and over the anvil;

said anvil having a surface inclined relative to said plane in a lateral direction extending parallel to said plane between the base and the path of travel of the platen;

a slide member mounted between the base and the anvil for movement in a lateral direction and having an inclined surface complementary to and engaging the inclined surface of the anvil such that lateral movement of the slide member will raise or lower the anvil with respect to the path of travel of the platen;

a lever;

means mounting said lever upon the frame for pivotal movement parallel to said plane and including a lever portion movable between first and second laterally spaced positions in response to said pivotal movement of the lever, said lever portion being coupled with said slide member for moving the slide member to a selected position corresponding to the desired position of the anvil relative to the path of travel of the platen; and

spring means resiliently biasing the inclined surface of the anvil and the inclined surface of the slide member toward one another;

said means mounting the lever upon the frame including an opening in said base, said opening having a lemniscatelike configuration including a first pair of shoul ders and a second pair of shoulders opposite to said first pair of shoulders; and

a tongue projecting from said lever and into said opening such that the tongue will engage one of said first and second pairs of shoulders when the lever is in the first lateral position thereof and will engage the other of said pairs of shoulders when in the second lateral position thereof whereby pivotal movement of the lever is limited to movement between said first and second lateral positions by engagement of said tongue with said shoulders.

Claims

1. A manually operated imprinting machine comprising: a frame including a base for receiving an item to be printed upon; an anvil on said base for carrying a printing element; a platen mounted for movement upon said frame along a path of travel extending in a plane across the base and over the anvil; said anvil having a surface inclined relative to said plane in a lateral direction extending parallel to said plane between the base and the path of travel of the platen; a slide member mounted between the base and the anvil for movement in a lateral direction and having an inclined surface complementary to and engaging the inclined surface of the anvil such that lateral movement of the slide member will raise or lower the anvil with respect to the path of travel of the platen; a lever; means mounting said lever upon the frame for pivotal movement parallel tO said plane and including a lever portion movable between first and second laterally spaced positions in response to said pivotal movement of the lever, said lever portion being coupled with said slide member for moving the slide member to a selected position corresponding to the desired position of the anvil relative to the path of travel of the platen; and spring means resiliently biasing the inclined surface of the anvil and the inclined surface of the slide member toward one another; said means mounting the lever upon the frame including an opening in said base, said opening having a lemniscatelike configuration including a first pair of shoulders and a second pair of shoulders opposite to said first pair of shoulders; and a tongue projecting from said lever and into said opening such that the tongue will engage one of said first and second pairs of shoulders when the lever is in the first lateral position thereof and will engage the other of said pairs of shoulders when in the second lateral position thereof whereby pivotal movement of the lever is limited to movement between said first and second lateral positions by engagement of said tongue with said shoulders.