Apparatus for embossing plates of different sizes and shapes

In an embossing machine having embossing elements located to operate upon a substantially planar workpiece at an embossing site, a movable frame member carrying two opposing track rails forming a track having a track segment for guiding a workpiece onto the frame member via an entering end and away from the frame member via a departure end, and for supporting a workpiece in an embossment receiving position during the embossing operation, and also having means in the form of a locating abutment means and cooperating workpiece retention means to locate the workpiece in a reference position in the track during embossment, the improvement comprising:

• said locating abutment means including a leaf member resiliently mounted at one of its ends on the frame member and having a free end normally positioned to lie substantially in the plane defined by the track segment, said free end being deflectable by a workpiece as said workpiece enters the track segment from the entering end and restorable to normal position to obstruct any return movement of a workpiece once said workpiece has passed the free end of the locating abutment means;
• said workpiece retention means comprising finger means mounted for travel along a first of said track rails in position to be encountered by the leading end of an entering workpiece, and means for urging said finger means in a direction to normally retain the workpiece against said locating abutment means;
• mounting means including slots permitting ready adjustment of the second of said track rails towards and away from said first track rail to accommodate workpieces of different widths, said second track rail being free of association with either of said locating abutment means and workpiece retention means of such character as to interfere with the ready and rapid adjustment of said second track rail.

An embossing machine comprising:

• embossing elements located at an embossing site;
• track means for guiding a workpiece to the embossing site to receive an embossment and away from the embossing site after the embossing operation;
• locating abutment means for determining a position along the track means for properly registering a workpiece for embossment;
• workpiece retention means including a finger for holding the workpiece against the locating abutment means, said workpiece retention means including spring means for both urging the finger towards the locating abutment means and permitting the finger to accommodate workpieces of various lengths;
• and guide means for said finger allowing said finger to retreat out of the workpiece path at a predetermined path location in response to workpiece force against said finger as the workpiece is moved away from the embossing site against the force of said spring means, to allow escape of the workpiece from the finger for discharge.

An embossing machine including embossing elements located at an embossing site;

• track means having an input end and a discharge end for guiding a workpiece to the embossing site to receive an embossment and away from the embossing site after the embossing operation;
• means associated with said track means for holding in embossing position workpieces of different lengths;
• and a supply hopper for supplying workpieces to the input end of said track means, said supply hopper comprising:
• a hopper tray for carrying on-edge workpieces;
• means for urging said hopper tray in a direction to move the workpieces successively into line with said track means;
• means for guiding said hopper tray for movement in a predetermined path normal to said tray means at the input end thereof;
• means on the side of the tray remote from the track means providing a register surface for workpieces;
• normally fixed workpiece guide means extending parallel to the tray path adjacent the side nearest the track means to maintain workpieces on the hopper tray substantially in contact with the register surface of said hopper tray;
• and
• means providing for ready repositioning of said workpiece guide means towards and away from the tray to accommodate workpieces of different lengths.

An embossing machine including embossing elements located an an embossing site;

• track means having an input end and a discharge end for guiding a workpiece to the embossing site to receive an embossment and away from the embossing site after the embossing operation;
• means associated with said track means for holding in embossing position workpieces of different lengths;
• and a receiving stacker for accepting workpieces from the discharge end of said track means, said receiving stacker comprising:
• a stacker tray for carrying on-edge workpieces;
• means for guiding said stacker tray for movement in a predetermined path normal to said track means at the discharge end thereof;
• means on the side of the stacker tray remote from the track means providing a register surface for workpieces;
• normally fixed workpiece guide means extending parallel to the stacker tray path adjacent the side nearest the track means to maintain workpieces on the stacker tray substantially in contact with the register surface of said stacker tray;
• and
• means proving for ready repositioning of said workpiece guide means towards and away from the stacker tray to accommodate workpieces of different lengths.

An embossing machine including embossing elements located at an embossing site, track means for guding a workpiece to the embossing site to receive an embossment and away from the embossing site after the embossing operation;

• input hopper means at an input end of the track means;
• and means for transporting a workpiece from a stack of workpieces in the input hopper means to the embossing site via said track means comprising:
• a cursor;
• means for driving the cursor in a reciprocatory manner adjacent and parallel to said track means;
• a picker arm carried by said cursor and including a picker element for picking a workpiece by encountering its trailing edge at the input hopper means and moving the workpiece through said track means to the embossing site;
• and
• means for mounting the picker arm in alternate locations transversely of the track means to cause the picker element to encounter the workpiece at a selected one of plural positions across the trailing edge of the workpiece, whereby to make possible accommodation of workpieces of different widths and shapes.

An embossing machine including embossing elements located at an embossing site;

• track means for guiding a workpiece to the embossing site to receive an embossment and away from the embossing site after the embossing operation;
• receiving stacker means at a discharge end of the track means;
• and means for transporting a workpiece from the embossing site to the receiving stacker means via said track means comprising:
• a discharge cursor;
• means for driving the discharge cursor in a reciprocatory manner adjacent and parallel to said track means;
• a pusher arm carried by said discharge cursor and including a pusher element for encountering the trailing edge of the workpiece as said workpiece leaves the embossing site and moving the workpiece through said track means to the receiving stacker means;
• and
• means for mounting the pusher arm in alternate locations transversely of the track means to cause the pusher element to encounter the workpiece at a selected one of plural positions across the trailing edge of the workpiece, whereby to make possible accommodation of workpieces of different widths and shapes.

An embossing machine including embossing elements at an embossing site;

• a supply hopper;
• a receiving stacker;
• said supply hopper and receiving stacker each having a workpiece support surface;
• track means for guiding workpieces from the supply hopper through the embossing site to the receiving stacker;
• means defining a workpiece registration location within the track means at said embossing site;
• picker means including a picker element for moving a workpiece from the supply hopper to the registration location defining means;
• and pusher means including a pusher element for moving a workpiece from the registration location defining means to the receving stacker;
• the improvement comprising:
• said supply hopper including a first registration member determining the initial position of the workpiece with respect to the trailing edge thereof;
• said receiving stacker including a second registration member for determining the final position of the workpiece with respect to the leading edge thereof;
• first guide means associated with said supply hopper, and means for adjusting the first guide means with respect to said first registration member to accommodate workpieces of different length;
• second guide means associated with said receiving stacker, and means for adjusting the second guide means with respect to said second registration member to accommodate workpieces of different length;
• said pusher means including a motive means;
• a control circuit means, coacting with said motive means, to activate or deactivate said motive means, said control circuit means including a limit switch which, when activated by contact with a moving portion of the pusher means, terminates a driving effect of the motive means on the pusher element;
• and
• means for adjusting the location of contact occurrence between said movable portion of the pusher means and the limit switch to provide for feeding workpieces of different lengths;
• said workpiece registration location defining means including a stop member and a retention finger urging a workpiece against the stop member, and a spring for causing the finger to urge a workpiece against the stop member which spring is so constructed as to be capable of substantial deformation in a direction lengthwise of the track means without undue change in force, whereby to accommodate workpieces of substantially different lengths.

An embossing machine as set forth in claim 34 in which the supply hopper comprises:

• a hopper tray having a support surface for carrying on-edge workpieces;
• means for urging said hopper tray in a direction to move the workpieces successively into line with said track means;
• means for guiding said hopper tray for movement in a predetermined path normal to said track means at the input end thereof;
• means on the side of the hopper tray remote from the track means providing said first registration member for workpieces;
• said first guide means comprising normally fixed first workpiece guide means extending parallel to the tray path adjacent the side nearest the track means to maintain workpieces on the hopper tray substantially in contact with said first registration member;
• and
• means providing for ready repositioning of said first guide means towards and away from the hopper tray to accommodate workpieces of different lengths;
• and in which the receiving stacker comprises:
• a stacker tray having a support surface for carrying on-edge workpieces;
• means for guiding said stacker tray for movement in a predetermined path normal to said track means at the discharge end thereof;
• means on the side of the stacker tray remote from the track means providing said second registration member for workpieces;
• said second guide means comprising normally fixed second workpiece guide means extending parallel to the stacker tray path adjacent the side nearest the track means to maintain workpieces on the stacker tray substantially in contact with said second registration member;
• and
• means providing for ready repositioning of said second workpiece guide means towards and away from the stacker tray to accommodate workpieces of different lengths.

In an embossing machine, a stack controlling device for a workpiece stack comprising:

• means providing a throat for passing individual workpieces between a feed path and a workpiece stack extending normal thereto;
• an abutment adjacent said throat for receiving the thrust of said workpiece stack and guiding a workpiece through the throat between the end of the workpiece stack and said feed path;
• a tray for carrying said workpiece stack in on-edge position and having a head plate;
• means for urging the tray in a direction normal to the feed path to compress a workpiece stack on the tray between the head plate and the abutment;
• rollers for supporting said tray as said tray is moved towards or away from said abutment;
• a rib depending from said tray, normal to the feed path, at least some of said rollers having aligned grooves for receiving said rib and guiding the tray in a predetermined path;
• means on said tray extending normal to the feed path providing a register surface for the ends of the workpieces at the side away from said throat;
• means mounted independently of said tray and adjacent thereto on the side towards the throat providing a workpiece guide surface extending normal to said feed path and parallel to said register surface;
• and
• means providing for ready positioning of said guide surface means at various selected positions towards and away from said tray to accommodate workpieces of different length.

In an embossing machine, a stack controlling device for workpiece stacks comprising:

• means providing a throat for passing individual workpieces between a feed path and a stack of workpieces extending normal thereto;
• an abutment adjacent said throat for receiving the thrust of said stack of workpieces and guiding said individual workpieces between the end of said stack of workpieces and the feed path;
• a tray for carrying said stack of workpieces in on-edge position and having a head plate;
• means for urging the tray in a direction normal to the feed path to compress said stack of workpieces on the tray between the head plate and the abutment, said urging means comprising guide means, extending parallel to the direction of tray travel, a traveler slidable on said guide means and means for normally driving said traveler towards said abutment;
• means for connecting said tray with said traveler and for facilitating convenient detachment therefrom;
• a terminal element at the end of said guide means remote from said abutment;
• and
• cooperating detent means on said traveler and said terminal element, active when the tray is pushed to a limiting position towards said terminal element to coact and capture the traveler and temporarily overcome the effect thereupon of said means for urging, thereby allowing the tray to be manually removed and replaced without the traveler escaping to an undesired position, said detent means also being activatable by manual force applied to the tray, when in place upon the traveler, to cause release of the traveler for normal operation.