Apparatus for putting bar codes on a thin metal strip

An apparatus for putting a bar code on a thin strip, the bar code consisting of a plurality of parallel thin and wide bars of respective thin and wide widths and a plurality of thin and wide spaces separating the bars, the apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of stations spaced apart along a transport path extending in a transport direction and each having a respective group of tools of the relatively thin width, the tools of each station being immediately juxtaposed with one another in the direction;
• transport means for displacing the strip in the direction along the path through the stations with a stop at each station;
• respective selector and actuator means at the stations for pressing only selected ones of the respective tools down into the strip thereat;
• and
• control means connected to the selector and actuator means and to the transport means for
• (a) forming each of the thin bars by pressing into the strip a one of the tools;
• and
• (b) forming each of the wide bars by
• (b.sup.1) pressing into the strip at an upstream one of the stations another one of the thin tools to form a respective partial wide bar,
• (b.sup.2) displacing the strip downstream to the next station,
• (b.sup.3) pressing into the strip immediately adjacent the partial wide bar at the next downstream station another such thin tool having the relatively thin width to widen the partial wide bar, and
• (b.sup.4) repeating steps b2 and b3 at succeeding downstream stations until the partial wide bar is of the relatively wide width.