Electric nameplate marker
AssigneeSignode Corporation
InventorRalph T. Wuetig
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Marking dial in an electrically actuated nameplate marker is indexed by a ratchet gear means having two adjacent rows of gear teeth which are out of phase relative to each other. A solenoid-actuated detent plate is adapted to engage a gear tooth in one of the two rows of gear teeth in response to a signal from a rotary switch means, thereby positioning the marking dial so as to imprint a desired character. The rotary switch means is operably connected to an alphanumeric keyboard which completes a circuit to solenoids which actuate the detent plate.
Claims7
In an electrically actuated nameplate marker having a frame, a marking ram means slidably mounted in said frame for substantially vertical travel, indexing shaft means comprising a rigid shaft portion journaled in said frame and a flexible shaft portion connected at one end to said rigid shaft portion and journaled in said marking ram means, a rotary marking dial fixedly mounted on the distal end of said flexible shaft portion, ratchet gear means fixedly mounted on said rigid shaft portion, rotary switch means mounted on the distal end of said rigid shaft portion, detent means mounted on said frame for engagement with said ratchet gear means, solenoid means linked to said detent means for shifting said detent means in engagement with said ratchet gear means and operably connected to said rotary switch means for energization by said switch means, keyboard means operably connected to said rotary switch means for actuating said switch means, table means for supporting a workpiece to be marked below said marking ram means, and electric motor means driving said marking ram means and said indexing shaft means, an improved marking dial indexing assembly which comprises:
- a pair of substantially parallel rows of equally spaced gear teeth on said ratchet gear means disposed so that one row of gear teeth is out of phase relative to the other row of gear teeth by about one-half the distance between consecutive gear teeth in each row, a single detent plate means situated substantially normal to the plane of rotation of said rows of gear teeth for selective engagement with a gear tooth in one of said rows and provided with a marginal notch receiving both of said rows, and a pair of opposed solenoid means individually linked to said detent plate means for shifting said detent plate into sliding engagement with a gear tooth of one of said parallel rows in response to a signal from said rotary switch means, said gear teeth having a tooth form providing substantially line contact with said single detent plate means when said detent plate is shifted into engagement with said gear tooth.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.