Engraving machine having minimum setup time

An engraving machine comprising an elongate guide letter holder, and an elongate workpiece holder disposed adjacent thereto and essentially parallel therewith, said guide letter holder having an essentially planar upper surface upon which guide letters can be removably secured in a centered location, with said upper surface having a central portion that at all times is in aligned, operative relationship to the central portion of said workpiece mounting means, each of said holders being equipped with rapidly operated securing means, such that a selected array of guide letters can be quickly secured upon a selected portion of said guide letter holder, and a workpiece can be quickly secured on said workpiece holder, in appropriate alignment with said guide letter array, said workpiece holder having adjustment means enabling workpieces of different thicknesses to be readily accomodated, a movably mounted router assembly operatively disposed above said holders, comprising a stylus disposed above said guide letter holder, and a router disposed above said workpiece holder, said stylus and said router being repeatedly movable, such that upon an operator grasping said stylus and tracing around the guide letters arrayed upon said guide letter holder, said router will be caused to undertake like movements with respect to said workpiece holder, and when energized, to perform desired cutting movements upon a workpiece secured thereon.

An engraving machine comprising an elongate guide letter holder, and an elongate workpiece holder disposed adjacent thereto, and essentially parallel therewith, each of said holders being equipped with rapidly operated securing means, such that a selected array of guide letters can be quickly secured upon a selected portion of said guide letter holder, and a workpiece can be quickly secured on said workpiece holder, in appropriate alignment with said guide letter array, a movably mounted router assembly operatively disposed above said holders, comprising a stylus disposed above said guide letter holder and a router disposed above said workpiece holder, said stylus and said router being relatedly movable, such that upon an operator grasping said stylus and tracing around the guide letters arrayed upon said guide letter holder, said router will be caused to undertake like movements with respect to said workpiece holder, and when energized, to perform desired cutting movements upon a workpiece secured thereon, said guide letter holder having a planar upper surface of rectangular configuration, guide letter contacting members disposed along each long edge of said guide letter holder, such that guide letters placed upon said planar upper surface in an endwise array can be caused to contact said guide letter contacting members, said guide letter contacting members being separately movable, and each being movable toward the other at the behest of the operator, thus making it possible for guide letters placed in a desired array on said planar surface to be secured firmly and rapidly in the selected position, an elongate bar of substantial length being slidably disposed along each long edge of said guide letter holder, with endwise movements of each rod controlling the movement of the respective guide letter contacting members with respect to the selected guide letters.

An engraving machine comprising an elongate guide letter holder, and an elongate workpiece holder disposed adjacent thereto, and essentially parallel therewith, each of said holders being equipped with rapidly operated securing means, such that a selected array of guide letters can be quickly secured upon a selected portion of said guide letter holder, and a workpiece can be quickly secured on said workpiece holder, in appropriate alignment with said guide letter array, a movably mounted router assembly operativey disposed above said holders, comprising a stylus disposed above said guide letter holder, and a router disposed above said workpiece holder, said stylus and said router being relatedly movable, such that upon an operator grasping said stylus and tracing around the guide letters arrayed upon said guide letter holder, said router will be caused to undertake like movements with respect to said workpiece holder, and when energized, to perform desired cutting movements upon a workpiece secured thereon, said guide letter holder having a planar upper surface of rectangular configuration, guide letter contacting members disposed along each long edge of said guide letter holder, such that guide letters placed upon said planar upper surface in an endwise array can be caused to contact said guide letters contacting members, said guide letter contacting members being separately movable, and each being movable toward the other at the behest of the operator, thus making it possible for guide letters placed in a desired array on said planar surface to be secured firmly and rapidly in the selected position, a plurality of parallel slots being disposed in said planar surface, each essentially parallel to said movable guide letter contacting members, with a divider bar being sized to fit closely within a selected one of said slots, said divider bar serving to react the thrust applied to said guide letters by one of said guide letter contacting members.

An engraving machine comprising an elongate guide letter holder and an elongate workpiece holder disposed adjacent thereto and essentially parallel therewith, each of said holders being equipped with rapidly operated securing means, such that a selected array of guide letters can be quickly secured upon a selected portion of said guide letter holder, and a workpiece can be quickly secured on said workpiece holder, in appropriate alignment with said guide letter array, a movably mounted router assembly operatively disposed above said holders, comprising a stylus disposed above said guide letter holder, and a router disposed above said workpiece holder, said stylus and said router being relatedly movable, such that upon an operator grasping said stylus and tracing around the guide letters arrayed upon said guide letter holder, said router will be caused to undertake like movements with respect to said workpiece holder, and when energized, to perform desired cutting movements upon a workpiece secured thereon, said workpiece holder having a planar upper surface of rectangular configuration, an upstanding shoulder disposed along each long edge of said holder, and a wedge of a length similar to the length of said shoulders, said wedge, when placed along the inner surface of one of said shoulders, and being given a longitudinal movement, causing a workpiece residing on said planar upper surface to be moved into forceful contact with the inner surface of the other of said shoulders, thus securing the workpiece against dislodgement during a routing operation.

A router arrangement for making precision signs comprising an elongate workpiece mounting means, latter means having an essentially planar upper surface and having workpiece securing means that enables a workpiece to be rapidly yet removably secured in a centered location on said surface, an elongate guide letter mounting means disposed adjacent said workpiece mounting means and being disposed essentially parallel thereto, said guide letter mounting means having an essentially planar upper surface upon which guide letters can be removably secured in a centered location, said guide letter mounting means being selectively movable with respect to said workpiece mounting means while at all times maintaining a parallel relation therewith, and at all times maintaining its center portion in an aligned, operative relationship to the center portion of said workpiece mounting means, and a movably mounted router assembly comprising a stylus means and a router means, said stylus means being relatedly movable with said router means, said router means normally being operably disposed above said workpiece securing means, said stylus means operably disposed above said guide letter mounting means and adapted to be grasped by an operator and used in controlling the movements of said router means, said stylus being in a position to trace around selected guide letters secured on said planar upper surface of said guide letter mounting means, with such movements of said stylus causing said router means, when energized, to cut the selected letters in the workpiece secured on said planar upper surface of said workpiece securing means.

A router arrangement for making precision signs comprising an elongate workpiece mounting means, latter means having an essentially planar upper surface and having workpiece securing means that enables a workpiece of selected thickness to be rapidly yet removably secured in a centered location on said surface, an elongated guide letter mounting means disposed adjacent said workpiece mounting means and being disposed essentially parallel thereto, said guide letter mounting means having an essentially planar upper surface upon which guide letters can be removably secured in a centered location, with said upper surface having a central portion that at all times is in an aligned, operative relationship to the central portion of said workpiece mounting means;

• and a movably mounted router assembly comprising a stylus means and a router means, said stylus means being relatedly movable with said router means, said router means having a router bit, and normally being operably disposed above said workpiece securing means, said stylus means and said router means being biased upwardly, with its router bit out of contact with such workpiece, said stylus means being operably disposed above said guide letter mounting means and adapted to be grasped by an operator and used in controlling the movements of said router means, said stylus being in a position to trace around selected guide letters secured on said planar upper surface of said guide letter mounting means, with the operator's movements of said stylus causing the bias to be overcome, and the bit of said router means, when latter is energized, to cut the selected letters in the workpiece secured on the planar upper surface of said workpiece securing means, and height adjustment means associated with said workpiece mounting means, enabling workpieces of different thickness to be readily accomodated.

A router arrangement for making precision signs, including multiline signs, comprising an elongate workpiece mounting means, latter means having an essentially planar upper surface and having workpiece securing means that enables a workpiece to be rapidly yet removably secured in a desired location on said surface, an elongate guide letter mounting means disposed adjacent said workpiece mounting means and being disposed eseentially parallel thereto, said guide letter mounting means having an essentially planar upper surface upon which guide letters can be removably secured in a centered location, means enabling the distance between said workpiece mounting means and said guide letter mounting means to be selectively altered, while at all times maintaining the parallel relationship, and at all times maintaining its center portion in alignment with the center portion of said workpiece mounting means, and a movably mounted router assembly comprising a stylus means and a router means, said stylus means being relatedly movable with said router means, said router means normally being operably disposed above said workpiece securing means, said stylus means being operably disposed above said guide letter mounting means and adapted to be grasped by an operator and used in controlling the movements of said router means, said stylus being in a position to trace around selected guide letters secured on said planar upper surface of said guide letter mounting means, with such movements of said stylus causing said router means, when energized, to cut the selected letters in the workpiece secured on said planar upper surface of said workpiece securing means.