Title of Invention

PRINTING MECHANISM

Abstract

The invention provides a printing mechanism, in particular for labelling and marking devices, with multiple, coaxial print wheels or guide wheels on the print-area side for priating belts. The wheels are rotataionlly mounted on a shaft which is fixed to the housing andwhich can be locked: into specified rotational positions by means of a locking mechanism. In each specified position, the numbers, letters, symbols etc., of all the print wheels or printing belts form exactly one row and the locking mechanism consists of a number of spring-loaded locking elements corresponding to the number of print wheels or guide wheels, as well as several locking locators fer each locking element. The shaft which is fixed to the housing is provided with a longitudinai gro8ve into which a locking strip with the locking elements is inserted. For each locking element, the locking strip has ene guide ch.nnel which is t.pered .t its outer end, beyond which the locking part element wah is inserted into one of the locking l.c.*ors PR.lC£: TH'RTY RUPEES

Full Text

The invention relates to a printing mechanism, in particular for labeling and marking devices, with multiple, coaxial printing letter wheels or printing-area side guide wheels for printing belts. The wheels are rotationally mounted on a in specified rotational positions by means of a locking mechanism. In each specified position, the numbers, letters, symbols, etc., of all the print wheels and / or printing belts form exactly one row. The locking mechanism consists of a number of spring-loaded locking elements, which number of spring loaded locking elements corresponds to the number of prmt wheels or guide wheels, and the locking mechanism also consists of several locking locators for each locking element, which lockage locators are evenly distributed about the bearing hold of the print wheels or guide wheels. By means of an adjustment sail which can be moved axially, each prompt wheel or printing belt can be set, one after the other, with Respectively, respect to its adjacent wheel or printing belt/so that upon completion of the adjustment process, those printing symbols which are to be used to print a label or similar item in the respective setting are in one row. The locking mechanism mentioned above ensures that all of the symbols in the impression form a properly configured row of symbols. The locking mechanism ensures the correct orientation of each symbol in respect to the neighboring symbol for each setting of each print wheel or printing belt. That means that each locking locator of each print wheel or each guide wheel, on the print-area side, must be correctly oriented with respect to the symbols of its print wheel or the teeth of its guide wheel when viewed circumferentially. Thus, in the case where printing belts are used, these belts are designed internally in the form of toothed belts, with the guide wheels forming the associated toothed gears. Also, in the case where print wheels are used, the number of locking locators, for example, can correspond to the number of print symbols on the respective print wheel. By providing a correspondence between locking indicators and print symbols, for example, the middle of a toothed symbol carrier can be precisely oriented with the middle of a locking locator. The same applies to the guide wheels in the case of printing belts, but other arrangements are also possible. With printing belts, in particular, one can choose the number of locking locators to be less than the number of teeth on the guide wheels, whereby the number of teeth is preferably a whole multiple of the number of locking locators of the respective wheel. If there are 8 teeth, for example, there can be 4 locking locators at intervals of 90 degrees. This is a function of the size of the symbols, seen in the circumferential direction of the belts. When turning the print wheels or guide wheels on the shaft which is fixed to the housing, which turning in a belt printing mechanism can be accomplished by means of the respective printing belt, the locking element must move radically inward against the resistance of its load spring until the desired rotational orientation of this wheel is reached, in which rotational orientation the locking element can be engaged in the associated locking locator. In a known embodiment of such a printing mechanism - , the locking elements are realized in the form of over-mounted pistons, inner ends of which are braced against a common flexible strip. For assembly reasons, each locking element is secured on the shaft against unintentional removal from its locator. This is provided by fixing each locking element to the housing by means of two opposing locking teeth which are engaged in corresponding recesses in the locking element. The engagement of the locking teeth with their locating shaft is accomplished by means of a radial pressure with corresponding elastic guide motions. The barb-like shape of the locking teeth of the shaft which is fixed to the housing prevents the release of this snap-in connection. However, as a result of this coupling of the locking elements with the shaft which is fixed to the housing, the locking elements project at various distances from the shaft so that they are engaged at different depths in the locking locators of the associated wheels. Because of the trapezoidal shape of both the locking locators and the engaging end of the locking elements, engagement at different depths results in a different rotational orientation, which can be reflected by an incorrect row of symbols. It is therefore the object of the current invention to refine a printing mechanism of the type described above so that the printing mechanism guarantees that the print wheels or the guide wheels on the print-area side are properly locked, free of play, for each printing mechanism setting. To achieve this object, the invention teaches that the shaft, which shaft is fixed to the housing of a printing mechanism of the type described above, is equipped with a longitudinal slot into which a locking strip with the locking elements is inserted. For each locking element, the locking strip has one guide channel which is tapered at its outer end, and the portion of the locking element which engages in one of the locking locators protrudes beyond the outer end of the guide channel. The locking strip is inserted radially into the longitudinal slot of the shaft, or if the longitudinal slot is open on the axial edge, the strip can also be inserted axially. The locking strip wheels, whereby the number of teeth is preferably a whole multiple of the number of locking locators of the respective wheel. If there are 8 teeth, for example, there can be 4 locking locators at intervals of 90 degrees. This is a function of the size of the symbols, seen in the circumferential direction of the belts. When turning the print wheels or guide wheels on the shaft which is fixed to the housing, which turning in a belt printing mechanism can be accomplished by means of the respective printing belt, the locking element must move radially inward against the resistance of its load spring until the desired rotational orientation of this wheel is reached, in which rotational orientation the locking element can be engaged in the associated locking locator. In a known embodiment of such a printing mechanism {DE-AS -3-§—37 010) , the locking elements are realized in the form of over-mounted pistons, inner ends of which are braced against a common flexible strip. For assembly reasons, each locking element is secured on the shaft against unintentional removal from its locator. This is provided by fixing each locking element to the housing by means of two opposing locking teeth which are engaged in corresponding recesses in the locking element. The engagement of the locking teeth with their locating shaft is accomplished by means of a radial pressure with corresponding elastic guide motions. The barb-like shape of the locking teeth of the shaft which is fixed to the housing prevents the release of this snap-in connection. However, as a result of this coupling of the locking elements with the shaft which is fixed to the housing, the locking elements project at various distances from the shaft so that they are engaged at different depths in the locking locators of the associated wheels. Because of the trapezoidal shape of both the locking locators and the engaging end of the locking elements, engagement at different depths results in a different rotational orientation, which can be reflected by an incorrect row of symbols. It is therefore the object of the current invention to refine a printing mechanism of the type described above so that the printing mechanism guarantees that the print wheels or the guide wheels on the print-area side are properly locked, free of play, for each printing mechanism setting. To achieve this object, the invention teaches that the shaft, which shaft is fixed to the housing of a printing mechanism of the type described above, is equipped with a longitudinal slot into which a locking strip with the locking elements is inserted. For each locking element, the locking strip has one guide channel which is tapered at its outer end, and the portion of the locking element which engages in one of the locking locators protrudes beyond the outer end of the guide channel. The locking strip is inserted radially into the longitudinal slot of the shaft, or if the longitudinal slot is open on the axial edge, the strip can also be inserted axially. The locking strip Printing mechanism^ in particular for labelling and marking devices The invention relates to a printing mechanism, in particular for labelling and marking devices, with multiple, coaxial printing-type (TRANSLATOR'S ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTION: index) wheels or printing-area side guide (TRANSLATOR'S ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTION: deflection) wheels for printing belts. The wheels are rotationally mounted on a shaft which is fixed to the housing (TRANSLATOR'S ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTION: case) and which can be locked in specified rotational positions by means of a locking mechanism. In each specified position, the numbers, letters, symbols etc. of all the print wheels and/or printing belts form exactly one row. The locking mechanism consists of a number of spring-loaded locking elements, which number of spring loaded locking elements corresponds to the number of print wheels or guide wheels, and the locking mechanism also consists of several locking locators for each locking element, which locking locators are evenly distributed about the bearing hole of the print wheels or guide wheels. By means of an adjustment shaft which can be moved axially, each print wheel or printing belt can be set, one after the other, (TRANSLATOR'S ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTION: in turn) with respect to its adjacent wheel or printing belt so that upon completion of the adjustment process, those printing symbols which are to be used to print a label or similar item in the respective setting are in one row. The locking mechanism mentioned above ensures that all of the symbols in the impression form a properly configured row of symbols. The locking mechanism ensures the correct orientation of each symbol with respect to the neighboring NHL:cer/krv. 1 EMI-28-TRANS Accordingly, the present invention therefore provides a printing mechanism, in particular for labelling and marking devices, with multiple, coaxial print wheels or guide wheels on the print-area side for printing belts, which wheels are rotationally mounted on a shall which is fixed to the housing and which can be locked into specified rotational positions by means of a locking mechanism, whereby in each specified position, the numbers, letters, symbols etc., of all the pram wheels or printing belts form exactly one row and the locking mechanism consists of a number of spring-loaded locking elements corresponding to the number of print wheels or guide wheels, as well as several locking locators for each locking element, wherein the shaft which is fixed to the housing is provided with a longitudinal groove into which a locking strip with the locking elements is inserted, whereby for each locking element, the locking strip has one guide channel which is tapered at its outer end, beyond which the locking part of the locking element which is inserted into one of the locking locators protrudes. One embodiment of the invention is described in greater detail below.*^" The drawings show this embodiment. With reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a side view of a printing mechanism with printing belts with the top half of the housing partly removed; Figure 2 shows on a somewhat smaller scale a broken sectional view of the inside of the lower half of the housing shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a longitudinal section through the lower end of the housing, but without the guide wheels on the print-area side or the printing belts; Figure 4 shows a plan view in the vicinity of the outer surface of the locking strip; and Figure 5 shows a section along Line V-V in Figure 4. The exemplified embodiment shows a printing mechanism with printing belts. The printing mechanism consists of a housing 1, which is longitudinally divided at approximately mid-plane 2 (Figure 3) so that there is a first housing part 3 and a top or second housing part 4. Each printing belt is passed over a top guide wheel 5, realized as a toothed wheel, and a bottom guide wheel 6 on the print-area side, which bottom guide wheel 6 is likewise a toothed wheel. As a consequence, each printing belt 10 is configured, on the inside, as a toothed belt while having print symbols on its outside. The symbols can create the impression on a print medium, for example, a label, etc., if the printing mechanism is pressed against the label. Each top guide wheel 5 can be caused to rotate, in a known manner, by means of a pinion 7, whereby the pinion 7 is mounted in such a manner that it can be moved in stages inside the housing 1, in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. The stages preferably correspond to the thickness or width of the guide wheels 5 or 6. The pinion 7 is non-rotationally coupled to an adjustment shaft 8, which shaft 8, on the end which extends from the housing 1, can have a pull-and-turn knob. The respective top guide wheel 5 can be acted upon in any axial displacement position. The rotation of the pinion 1, and thus the resultant opposite rotation of the top guide wheel 5, are transmitted by the associated printing belt 10 to the guide wheel 6 on the print-area side of the same plane. In this manner, a precise position or a specified print symbol of the currently connected printing belt 10 can be moved to the print area 9. Figure 1 shows, in a cut-away view, a segment of the bottom end of a printing belt 10, which end has passed over the guide wheel 6. Figure 1 shows the typographic symbol 11 currently in position to print and the opposing tooth 12 of the toothed belt, which tooth is engaged in the space between the neighboring teeth 13 and 14 of the guide wheel 6 on the print-area side, thus resulting in a positive interlocking rotational drive All guide wheels 6 on the print-area side are rotationally mounted on the shaft 15 which is fixed to the housing. In this exemplified embodiment, the shaft 15, as shown in Figure 3, is manufactured as a single piece with the first part of the housing 3. The shaft extends laterally through the housing 1, whereby the free end of the shaft is engaged in a blind recess 16 of the other, i.e., second part of the housing 4. The recess corresponds to the cross-section of the shaft. The result is that the rotating shaft is supported on both ends. A locking mechanism 17 ensures that the guide wheels 6, on the print-area side, can only assume stable, precisely specified rotational positions. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, there are four such defined positions at intervals of 90 degrees from one another. The locking mechanism 17 consists of one locking element 18 for each guide wheel 6, as well as a number of locking locators 19 about the bearing hole 20 of each guide wheel 6. The locking element 18 can be engaged in any desired locking locator 19, of which there are four in this embodiment. The locking element is spring-loaded toward the outside by means of a pressure spring 21, whereby the spring is preferably a helical pressure spring. However, the locking element 19, which in this embodiment is in the shape of a ball, cannot fully leave its guide channel 22, but protrudes there from by the specified amount necessary to engage in one of the locking locators. As seen in Figure 5, this protrusion is achieved by means of the taper 23 in the outer end of the guide channel 22, which guide channel 22 is realized in the form of a hole. The clearance width of the taper 23 is less than the diameter of the ball. The ball in Figure 5 is inserted into the guide channel 22 from below. The pressure spring 21 is then installed. As shown in Figure 4, a locking strip 24 is equipped with a series of guide channels 22, each of which holds one locking element 18 and a pressure spring 21. The distance between holes between neighboring guide channels 22 corresponds to the distance between the sides of the center planes of neighboring guide wheels 5 or 6, or in other words, approximately the thickness of one guide wheel. The invention teaches that the shaft 15, which is fixed to the housing, is equipped with a longitudinal groove 25 for the insertion of the locking strip 24 therein. In this embodiment, the longitudinal groove 25 has an approximately U-shaped cross-section with parallel groove walls. Accordingly, the side walls 26 and 27 of the locking strip 24 (Figure 5) are also parallel. To facilitate insertion of the locking strip 24 in the longitudinal groove 25 of the shaft 15, the inner regions of the side walls 26 and 27 are inclined slightly toward one another. Figures 4 and 5 also show that the side walls 26 and 27 support several, e.g. three, wedge-like locking shoulders 28. By means of the locking shoulders 28, the locking strip 24 can be locked into the longitudinal groove 25 in such a manner that the locking strip 24 cannot be ejected. The wedge-like locking shoulders 28, which are engaged in corresponding locking grooves or notches in the walls of the groove, are located in such a manner that, with the locking strip 24 inserted, the circular arc-shaped outer surface 19 completes the interrupted outer shell of the shaft 15, which is fixed to the housing, to form a cylindrical shell. It will be apparent that a locking strip 24, of the seine length, can have a greater or lesser number of guide channels 22 than the one in this embodiment. This makes it possible to use locking strips 24 which have fewer guide channels 22 with a greater distance between the channels, or which have more guide channels 22 with a smaller distance between the channels, in one and the same housing 1 for the printing mechanism. Thus, it is possible to accommodate wheel sets with different numbers of wheels, such as a configuration with eight printing belts. Configurations with a higher or lower number are also possible. As a result, the same housing 1 can be used for a variety of label making devices, such as labelling devices commonly referred to as No- 22 or No. 26 devices. In this manner, the universal use of the housing 1 and a whole series of printing elements becomes possible. WE CLAIM: 1. Printing mechanism, in particular for labelling and marking devices with multiple, coaxial print wheels or guide wheels (6) on the print-area side for printing belts (10), which wheels are rotationally mounted on a shay) (15) which is fixed to the housing and which can be locked into specified rotational positions by means of a locking mechanism (17), whereby in each specified position, the numbers, letters, symbols (11) etc., of all the print wheels or printing belts (10) form exactly one row and the locking mechanism (17) consists of a number of spring-loaded locking elements (18) corresponding to the number of print wheels or guide wheels (6), as well as several locking locators (19) for each locking element (18), wherein the shaft (15) which is fixed to the housing is provided with a longitudinal groove (25) into which a locking strip (24) with the locking elements (18) is inserted, whereby for each locking element (18), the locking strip (24) has one guide channel (22) which is tiered at its outer end, beyond which the locking part of the locking element (18) which is inserted into one of the locking locators (19) protrudes. 2. Printing mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein each locking element (18) is spring-loaded outwardly by means of a separate compression spring (21), in particular a coil compression spring, and the springs (21) rest with one end on the floor of the longitudinal groove (25) while the other end extends into the guide channel (22). Printing mechanism as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the locking strip (24) has parallel side walls (26,27) in at least its outer region ^d the longitudinal groove (25) has parallel groove walls in the vicinity of the locking strip (24) which walls make a continuous transition into the floor of the groove, which has a circular arc cross-section. Printing mechanism as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the end surface (29) of the locking strip (24) has a circular arc cross-section, whereby the radius of the locking strip corresponds to that of the shaft (15) which is fixed to the housing. Printing mechanism as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein wedge-like locking shoulders (28) are provided on both parallel side walls (26,27) of the locking strip (24), the said shoulders are engaged in locking grooves or similar structures of the two groove walls of the shaft (15). Printing mechanism as claimed in any one of the claims I- 5, wherein the locking elements (18) are balls and the guide channels (22) are holes with a circular cross-section. Printing mechanism as claimed in any one of the claims 1- 6, wherein the shaft (15) which is fixed to the housing is fabricated as a single piece with the housing (1) or, in the event of a multi-part housing, is fixed to one of the parts of the housing (3,4) and is preferably made of plastic. Printing mechanism as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (1) is divided parallel to the plane of the wheels or printing belts and that the shaft (15) which is fixed to the housing is located on one part of the housing (3) while the other part of the hums (4) has a blind recess (16) for the free end of the shaft, into which recess the end of the shaft is engaged with little radial play when the housing (1) is closed. Printing mechanism substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Documents:

104-mas-95-abstract.jpg

104-mas-95-abstract.pdf

104-mas-95-claims.pdf

104-mas-95-correspondence-others.pdf

104-mas-95-correspondence-po.pdf

104-mas-95-description-complete.pdf

104-mas-95-drawings.pdf

104-mas-95-form-1.pdf

104-mas-95-form-29.pdf

104-mas-95-form-4.pdf

104-mas-95-other-document.pdf

104-mas-95-others.pdf