Print head with dual exchangeable hot inking rolls

A marking apparatus including a frame and a drive means and comprising:

• a rotary print head mounted on a shaft rotatably supported by said frame and rotated by said drive means, said rotary print head carrying at least one printing element on a periphery thereof;
• a backing roller and means for mounting said backing roller to said frame for supporting a workpiece between said rotary print head and said backing roller for imprinting on said workpiece by said printing element;
• a support member connected at a pivot means to said frame and having a slot therein;
• two spaced inking rolls releasably mounted on said support member, each inking roll being positionable for engaging said printing element for supplying ink thereto;
• a second shaft rotatably supported by said frame and having a cam roller eccentrically mounted at a first end thereof, said cam roller being received in said slot in said support member;
• and
• a manually accessible lever connected to a second opposite end of said second shaft, said second shaft being rotatable upon movement of said lever through an arc for rotating said eccentric cam roller within said slot thereby rotating said support member about said pivot means for simultaneously positioning one of said inking rolls for engagement with said printing element and positioning the other of said inking rolls out of engagement with said printing element for replacing said other of said inking rolls while continuously imprinting said workpiece.

A marking apparatus including a frame and a drive means and comprising:

• a rotary print head mounted on a shaft rotatably supported by said frame and rotated by said drive means, said rotary print head carrying at least one printing element on a periphery thereof;
• a backing roller and means for mounting said backing roller to said frame for supporting a workpiece between said rotary print head and said backing roller for imprinting on said workpiece by said printing element;
• a support member connected at a pivot means to said frame and having a slot therein;
• two spaced inking rolls releasably mounted on said support member, each inking roll being positionable for engaging said printing element for supplying ink thereto;
• a second shaft rotatably supported by said frame and having a cam roller eccentrically mounted at a first end thereof, said cam roller being received in said slot in said support member;
• a rack received in a guide means connected to said frame;
• a pinion connected to a second opposite end of said second shaft and supported by said frame in driving engagement with said rack;
• a hydraulic cylinder and piston for moving said rack, said piston being connected to said rack and having a piston head;
• a valve means for alternately supplying hydraulic fluid to opposite sides of said piston head for moving said piston and said rack in opposite directions;
• a counter for counting the number of impressions of said printing element on said workpiece and for generating a signal upon attainment of a selected count;
• and
• a control means interconnected between said counter and said valve means for supplying an actuating signal to said valve means upon receipt of said signal from said counter for moving said piston and said rack for rotating said pinion for rotating said cam roller within said slot, thereby rotating said support member about said pivot means in a direction opposite to rotation of said support member upon attainment of an immediately preceding selected count.

A marking apparatus including a frame and a drive means and comprising:

• a rotary print head mounted on a shaft rotatably supported by said frame and rotated by said drive means, said rotary print head carrying at least one printing element on a periphery thereof;
• a backing roller and means for mounting said backing roller to said frame for supporting a workpiece between said rotary print head and said backing roller for imprinting on said workpiece by said printing element;
• a support member connected at a pivot means to said frame and having a slot therein;
• two spaced inking rolls releasably mounted on said support member, each inking roll being positionable for engaging said printing element for supplying ink thereto;
• a second shaft rotatably supported by said frame and having a cam roller eccentrically mounted at a first end thereof, said cam roller being received in said slot in said support member;
• a rotary air cylinder having a driven element rotatable in opposite directions;
• a rotatable element connected to a second opposite end of said second shaft and supported by said frame in driving engagement with said driven element;
• a valve means for actuating said rotary cylinder for rotating said driven element in opposite directions upon successive actuations of said rotary cylinder;
• a counter for counting the number of impressions of said printing element on said workpiece and for generating a signal upon attainment of a selected count;
• and
• a control means interconnected between said counter and said valve means for supplying an actuating signal to said valve means for driving said driven element for rotating said rotatable member for rotating said cam roller within said slot, thereby rotating said support member about said pivot means in a direction opposite to rotation of said support member upon attainment of an immediately preceeding selected count.