Apparatus for printing data on structural components
OwnerJoachim Soporainventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This disclosure relates to a machine for applying characters to a structural component, such as an automotive chassis, engine block, or the like, and includes first and second means for moving marking means along first and second paths substantially normal to each other, means for vibrating the marking means along a third path substantially normal to the first and second paths, and control means for selectively energizing and deenergizing the first and second moving means as well as the vibrating means for selectively marking a structural component during movement of the marking means along the first and second paths.
Claims12
A marking machine comprising means for marking a desired character upon a surface of a structural component, said marking means including a marking tip, means for vibrating said marking tip a plurality of times against the surface of the structural component to deform the latter and form the desired character, said marking tip having a contact surface which contacts said structural component surface of a surface area appreciably smaller than the overall surface area of the desired character whereby a multiplicity of contacts of said marking tip surface against the structural component surface are necessary to form the desired character, first moving means for moving said marking tip along a first path contiguous the structural component surface, second means for moving said marking tip along a second path contiguous the structural component surface and generally normal to said first path, a generally closed portable housing within which is housed said marking means and said first and second marking tip moving means, said housing having an end adapted to be disposed contiguous the surface of the structural component to be marked, an opening in said housing end, and said marking tip being positioned adjacent said opening whereby to contact the structural component surface therethrough to form the desired character, and computor means responsive to input data for controlling the operation of said first and second moving means and selectively operating said vibrating means to impart sequential contacts of said marking tip against the surface of the structural component and thereby progressively contact-by-contact form the totality of the desired character.
A marking machine comprising means for marking a desired character upon a surface of a structural component, said marking means including a marking tip, means for vibrating said marking tip against the surface of the structural component to deform the latter, said marking tip having a contact surface which contacts said structural component surface of a surface area appreciably smaller than the overall surface area of the desired character whereby a multiplicity of contacts of said marking tip surface against the structural component surface are necessary to form the desired character, first moving means for moving said marking tip along a first path contiguous the structural component surface, second means for moving said marking tip along a second path contiguous the structural component surface and generally normal to said first path, computor means responsive to input data for controlling the operation of said first and second moving means and selectively operating said vibrating means to impart sequential contacts of said marking tip against the surface of the structural component and thereby progressively contact-by-contact form the totality of the desired character, said first moving means includes a threaded worm rotatable about a first axis, a bracket having a threaded bore receiving said threaded worm, said marking tip being carried by said bracket whereby upon rotation of said threaded worm said marking tip moves along said first path, said second moving means includes a rotatable pinion in mesh with an arcuate rack, said arcuate rack being carried by a second bracket, means mounting said second bracket for pivoting movement about said first axis, and means coupling said first and second brackets to each other whereby upon rotation of said pinion said first and second brackets are pivoted and impart arcuate motion to said marking tip along said second path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.