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US 3,956,828 AGranted
Stylus for sign-making machine
OwnerKenneth R. Kloweitinventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerKenneth R. Kloweitinventor
Estimating the term…
In a sign-making machine, a stylus is mounted within the free end portion of an arm carrying a router to follow a template for cutting grooves in a workpiece to produce a sign. The stylus includes a body slidably mounted in the arm for movement between extended and retracted positions with respect to the arm and a spring acts between the stylus body and the arm to urge the stylus into its extended position for engagement with the template before the router bit cuts into the workpiece as the arm is lowered from a raised position into a working position. An adjustable stop connected to the stylus abuts the arm to support the arm against sliding downwardly on the stylus below a selected distance from the tip of the stylus and is movable vertically relative to the lower end to vary the selected distance while cutting a groove in the workpiece so as to move the arm vertically and thereby adjust the position of the router to follow the surface of the workpiece.
In a machine for making a sign by routing grooves in a workpiece, the combination of a frame, a template located on said frame along one side thereof, a clamp for securing the workpiece on the frame in a preselected position relative to said template, a guide rod secured to said frame opposite said template and extending in an x direction, a carrier slidably mounted on said guide rod for movement in said x direction, an arm slidably mounted on said carrier for movement therewith in said x direction and for movement relative to said carrier in a y direction, said arm also being pivotal relative to said rod for movement in a vertical direction between a raised position and a work position extending in a generally horizontal direction, a router secured to said arm intermediate the ends thereof and being movable in said x and y directions with said arm, said router having a slide plate for engagement with the surface of said workpiece and a bit extending downwardly beyond said plate for cutting a groove in said workpiece as said router is moved with said arm in said x and y directions when the arm is in its work position, the improvement in said machine comprising a stylus mounted within the outer end portion of said arm and having a lower tip engageable with said template to guide said router to produce a groove in said workpiece, said stylus tip being movable relative to said arm between first and second positions spaced from said arm, said tip in said first position being spaced from said arm to engage said template before said bit cuts into the workpiece as the arm is pivoted downwardly toward its work position thereby enabling said router to be aligned accurately with respect to said template before initial cutting of the groove, said stylus in its second position riding on the template with the arm in its work position to guide movement of the arm in said x and y directions, and means connected between said stylus and said arm for securing said stylus to said arm and for limiting movement of said tip between said first and second positions.
A stylus adapted for mounting on the movable arm of a sign-making machine, said stylus including an elongated generally cylindrical body with a pointed tip at one end thereof, an axial bore formed in and opening from the opposite end portion of said body, said bore having a lower end spaced intermediate the opposite ends of said body, an elongated slot formed through the body and opening into said bore, said slot extending from said opposite end of said body in a generally axial direction toward the lower end of said bore, a coil spring telescoped into said bore, a connector having an inner end portion extending through said slot and into said bore to captivate said spring within said bore and being adapted to slide in an axial direction along said slot toward and away from the tip of said body, said connector having an outer end portion for fastening said stylus slidably through the arm whereby said spring acts between said arm and said stylus so as to urge said tip away from the underside of the arm, means connected to said opposite end portion of said body for blocking said connector against sliding out of said bore, an externally threaded section formed on said body intermediate the ends thereof, and an internally threaded collar mated with said threaded section to abut the underside of said arm for selective positioning of said arm relative to said tip when using said stylus on the machine.
In a sign-making machine having a frame, an arm pivotally mounted thereon for movement in a vertical direction between a raised position and a generally horizontal working position and also for sliding movement in x and y directions, a template supported on said frame, and a router carried by said arm and including a bit projecting downwardly therefrom to cut grooves in a workpiece corresponding to said template, the improvement in said machine comprising a stylus for guiding said arm to follow said template, said stylus having a body mounted slidably through said arm for movement between extended and retracted positions with respect to said arm, a spring acting between said arm and said stylus to urge the latter into its extended position to engage said template before said bit cuts into said workpiece as said arm is moved from its raised position into its working position, said stylus being slid upwardly relative to said arm and into said retracted position as said arm is lowered into its working position with said bit cutting into the workpiece, and an adjustable stop connected to said stylus and abutting the arm to support the latter against sliding downwardly on said stylus below a selected distance from the lower end of said stylus, said stop being movable vertically relative to the lower end of said stylus while cutting a groove in the workpiece to vary said selected distance and thereby move said arm vertically so as to adjust the vertical position of the router with respect to horizontal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.