US3434456A - Machine for circumferential color coding - Google Patents

Description

March 25, 1969 c. J. GEATING MACHINE FOR CIRGUMFERENTIAL COLOR CODING Filed Sept. 15. 1966 Sheet R G A 3ME 2 G 2 J 2 R E S Wm C m 6 2 5 2 WV X4 55 K v M ATTORNEYS March 25, 1969 c. J. GEATING MACHINE FOR CIRCUMFERENTIAL COLOR CODING Sheet Filed Sept. 13. 1966 IIGA CHESTER J. SEATING March 25, 1969 c. J. GEATING 3,434,456

MACHINE FOR CIRCUMFERENTIAL COLOR CODING Filed Sept. 13. 1965 Sheet '3 of s l INVENTQR nw yw e1 CHESTER J.GEATl-NG 97 95 97 73 79 72 Z I02 7478 76 74 XL/m6 I v lilllllllllllllll 3,434,456 MACHINE FOR CIRCUMFERENTIAL COLOR CODING Chester J. Geating, 1102 E. Joppa Road, Towson, Md. 21204 Filed Sept. 13, 1966, Ser. No. 579,026 Int. Cl. Bc 1/04, 1/12, 1/00 U.S. Cl. 118-211 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to an apparatus for applying indicia to a moving length of material such as wire, bar or sheet stock, tape and the like and more particularly relates to a machine for applying circumferential color coded bands to an indeterminate length of insulated wire for identification purposes.

There has long been a need for marking electrical wire in order that it may be identified as to wire number, type, size, voltage and other qualities and also as to origin. It is important that the marking appear at frequent intervals throughout the length of the wire so that the marking may be seen even though short lengths only are visible or ac-' cessible.

It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for color coding a continuous length of wire by applying spaced bands of color to the wire, and means for varying the application of said bands at the wish of the operator.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the character described which generally includes a plurality of marking devices for applying a complete or partial band to the wire, and the like, said marking being operable by the material being marked to produce a more uniform marking.

A further object of the present invention resides in novel arrangements of the marking device which may take the form of a pen which picks up the marking material from a separate reservoir or a coating applicator with its self-contained reservoir.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an apparatus of relatively simple construction, efiicient in operation and easy to maintain.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of several embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

nited States Patent 0 3,434,456 Patented Mar. 25, 1969 FIGURE 4 s a veritical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged detail view of one of the marking devices in one marking position taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 7 is a similar view in a second marking position taken on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of a modified form of marking device;

FIGURE 9 is a partial sectional view showing the manner of operation of the modified marking device shown in FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 10 is a sectional view taken on the line 10-10 of FIGURE 9;

FIGURE 11 is a partial perspective view of a modified form of marking device of the type shown in FIGURE FIGURE 12 is a front view of a modification of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 13 is an enlarged detail view of a section of the apparatus of FIGURE 12, taken on the line 13-13 of said figure;

FIGURE 14 is a sectional view taken on the line 14-14 of FIGURE 12, and

FIGURE 15 is an enlarged perspective view of one form of marking device to be used in the modified form shown in FIGURES 1 or 12.

Referring in detail to the form of apparatus shown in FIGURES 1-7 wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, numeral 15 designates the casing comprising a base member 16 having upstanding walls 17 and 18 forming the front and rear of the housing for the gear arrangement and a removable U-shaped cover member 19 suitably secured to said front and rear walls to permit access to the interior of the housing. The machine shown in FIGURES 1-7 illustrates a two-sided machine which can be used for marking two lengths of wire with the same or different information. Since the operating and marking devices for both sides are the same, only one side will be described.

The base member extends beyond the front and rear walls and provides a ledge upon which a plurality of inking reservoirs 20 are supported. Although any number of marking pens may be provided, the present machine illustrates the use of four sets of pens and since each set requires its own ink reservoir, four reservoirs 20 are shown.

The four sets of marking pens are indicated generally by numerals 21, 22, 23 and 24 and consist of hubs 25 to which the individual pens are secured, said hubs being mounted on each end of the shafts 26 which extend through the housing 15, with the ends of the shafts extending beyond the front and rear walls of the housing. Gears 27 are secured to the central portions of the shafts 26 within the housing for a purpose to be described.

The form of pen employed in FIGURES 1 through 7, and shown in detail in FIGURES 6 and 7, consists of a pair of cooperating fingers 28, 29 formed of spring metal, plastic or the like, the lower ends of said fingers being welded or otherwise joined to opposite edges of the hub 25. The finger 28 is formed with a V-shaped bend having the legs 30 and 31 diverging from point 32. The finger 29 is similarly provided with a 'V-shaped bend having legs 33 and 34 diverging from point 35 in a direction opposite from the direction of legs 30 and 31. The two points 32 and 35 are normally in contact with each other and retain ink at their touching point for application to the wire being marked in a manner which will appear as the description proceeds. The ink, which is indicated by numeral 36, is stored in the reservoirs 20 and is picked up by the pens each time the hub rotates and carries the pens through the reservoir. The several sets of pens indicated by numbers 21, 22, 23 and 24 are constructed in the same manner as described in FIGURES 6 and 7 and bear the same reference numerals.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the marking pens 2'1 and 24 comprise two sets of cooperating fingers disposed 180 degrees apart and each complete revolution of the hub 25 upon which the two sets of fingers are mounted will make two complete 360 bands around the circumferference of the Wire 37 being coded. As the Wire first ap proaches the marking wheel, see FIGURES 4 and '6, the wire contacts the converging legs 31, 34 and applies a half circumferential band to the lower half of the wire. Continued rotation of the wheel causes the wire to separate the spring fingers and cont-act the under side of the converging legs 30, 33 as shown in FIGURE 7, thereby applying the upper half of the wire with ink to complete the upper half of the band as required with both halves completing the 360 band to the wire, as indicated in FIGURE 7. Continued movement of the wire separates the wire from the particular set of pens and advances the wire for the next application of a band.

Again referring to FIGURE 1, the marking pens 22 and 23, are provided with four sets of cooperating fingers disposed 90 apart and each complete revolution of marking pens 22 and 23 will apply four complete bands around the wire 37. The various hubs on which the pen sets are mounted can be positioned on their respective shafts to vary the distance between adjacent bands to produce a large number of different combinations. It will be apparent that different colored inks may be stored in each of the reservoirs 20, thereby further increasing the number of band combinations.

A novel drive and guide mechanism for the various operating parts will now be described. The wire 37 is drawn from a stock wheel (not shown) through the printing apparatus by a driven take-up reel (not shown). The wire 37 is wrapped around the wheels 38 and 39 mounted at each end of the marking machine. Either or both of the wheels may be drive wheels as shown or wheel 39 may be free wheeling or a change of direction wheel. The drive wheel 38, and there are two shown on each side of the machine, is mounted on the shaft 40, which in turn carries a gear 41 which meshes with a gear 42 carried by a shaft '43 on which guide wheel 44 is mounted. Guide wheel 44 is geared to gear 27 carried by shaft 26 on marking pen 21 and shaft 26 is geared to a second guide wheel 45. Guide wheel 45 is geared to marking pen 22 which in turn is geared to a third guide wheel 46. The third guide wheel 46 is geared to marking pen 23 which in turn is geared to a fourth guide wheel 47. The fourth guide wheel 47 is geared to marking pen 24 which in turn is geared to a fifth guide wheel 48. Thus, it will be seen that as the wire is pulled through the machine, it serves as the drive means for the train of gears causing simultaneous rotation of each of the guide wheels and marking pens previously described.

Each of the guide wheels is provided with a groove 49 for guiding the wire past the marking pens and preventing lateral shifting of the wire during its movement. Numeral 50 designates a guide wheel similar to guide wheel 44 and both of these guide wheels are solid guide and pressure wheels which support the wire as the fingers or pens come in contact with the bottom of the wire. The guide wheels 45, 46, 47 and 48 are notched at points 51, said notches being arranged to clear the marking that may be wet or not set sufficiently to stand the contact with a solid guide wheel.

The apparatus thus far described discloses a set of separate reservoirs for each of the marking wheels which carries the marking fingers or pens, said wheels applying the circumferential coding hands by a single set of pens which apply one half band at a time. FIGURES 8, 9 and 10 show a modified form of marking arrangement wherein each marking device has a self-contained reservoir thereby eliminating the need for separate reservoirs such as 20. The marking Wheel shown in this form of the invention, generally indicated by numeral 52, comprises a cylindrical housing 53 and cover plate 54. The cover plate is provided with a shaft 55 for r-otatably supporting the wheel 52. A threaded bolt 56 having a knurled cap extends through the housing 53 and cover plate 54 for fastening the housing to the cover plate. The housing can be filled with ink or the like.

One or more slots 58 are formed in the periphery of the wheel and receive a marking pad 59 made from felt, rubber, palstic or the like which can be wetted by the inking material 60 within the housing and transferred to the wire 61 which is to be marked. The outer transverse edge of each of the marking pads is formed with a V-cut-out 6 2 and the two cutout portions 62 plus the inherent resiliency of the pads will cooperate to circumscri-be a band around the wire 61 as it is being drawn through the apparatus. The wheels 52 have portions 63 removed therefrom adjacent the marking pads to prevent smearing of the marking material as it is being applied. The periphery of each of the wheels is also provided with a groove '64 to properly guide the wire through the apparatus.

With this type of marking wheel, upper and lower wheels are used to mark completely around the wire. If it is desired to mark only part way around the wire, either top or bottom wheel can be used. It will be understood that the gearing arrangement used in this form of the invention will be modified to provide for intermediate idler gears whereby the marking Wheels will rotate in the same direction. It is understood that a plurality of wheels are provided and may be arranged with respect to each other to provide various spacings of the coded bands. The wheel housings may be of any desired size and are arranged to be readily removable and replaced with different sized wheels when desired.

FIGURE 11 discloses a slight modification of the marking wheel shown in FIGURE 8 and differs therefrom in substituting openings 65 for the slots 58. This type of marking wheel is used when it is desired to apply dots to the wire, or the like. Small pads can be used in the openings 65 but these can be dispensed with by using a slightly more viscous marking material.

FIGURES 12 through 14 disclose a modified form of print-ing apparatus wherein the wire to be marked is drawn through the printing apparatus in a vertical direction. For purpose of illustration, only a single wire is shown but it will be clear that similar printing and guiding mechanism can be provided on both sides of the casing 66. The casing 66 is substantially rectangular in shape and includes a front 67 on which the four inking reservoirs 68, 69, 70 and 71 are rigidly supported. Ink ing rollers or applicators 72 are rotatably supported on the casing wall and transfer the ink or other suitable marking material to the marking pens which in turn transfer said material to the wire 73 to be coded. The inking rollers may be formed of felt, rubber, fiber, metal, or the like, or may have a covering layer formed of felt, rubber or the like.

The inking pens illustrated in this form of the invention and shown in detail in FIGURE 15 are similar in construction to the inking pens illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7 and consist of cooperating fingers 74 and 75. As shown in FIGURES 6 and 7, the pens are fastened to the hub 25. In the present modification, the pens may be similarly secured to the hub 76 but as disclosed the pens are detachably secured to the hubs in order that the number of pens mounted on each hub can be varied. Each of the hubs 76 is provided with twelve openings 77 circumferentially spaced adjacent the periphery of the hub, said openings cooperating with openings 78 formed in the fingers 74 and 75 to receive a threaded bolt 79 and nut 80 to lock the fingers to the hub. Raised nibs 81 are provided on each surface of the hub and are adapted to extend through openings 82 provided in each pen finger to prevent twisting of the pens during operation. As shown in FIGURE 12, the lower hub 76 has twelve pens mounted thereon, the upper hub has four pens mounted thereon whereas the intermediate hubs have six pens mounted thereon. Each of the hubs 76 is rigidly mounted on a shaft 83 extending through the front and rear walls of the casing and suitably secured thereto for rotation. The hubs 76 are readily detachable from the shaft '83 whereby different hubs may be used, means are provided to insure proper positioning of the hubs on the shaft mounting and consists of an opening 77' provided in each hub to receive a pin 77". Also mounted on each shaft 83 is a gear 84 which cooperates with intermediate gears 85 whereby the hubs 76 turn in the same direction when being actuated. The means for rotating the hubs 76 is similar to the means for rotating the hubs 25 as previously described. Thus, the upper end of wire 73 is wound around a driven take-up reel (not shown) whereas the lower end of the wire is drawn from a stock wheel (not shown). The wire is wound around a drive wheel 86, secured to shaft 87 which is rotatably supported by the front and rear rear walls of the casing and a gear 88 is mounted on said shaft to rotate therewith. The gear 88 meshes with one of the intermediate gears 85 to provide rotation of the first marking wheel in the same direction of the travelling wire 73.

The wheel 86 functions and operates in the same manner as drive wheel '38 previously described but differs from wheel 38 in providing adjustment of wheel 86- for accommodating wires of dilferent diameters. This is accomplished by making wheel 86 in two parts with part 89 having a threaded post 90 extending therefrom and part 91 threaded on said post and held in various adjusted positions by means of nut 92. The periphery of each of the parts 89 and 90 are beveled in a direction towards each other whereby a V-shaped groove is provided when the two parts are assembled as clearly shown in FIGURE 14. A V-shaped belt 94 formed of rubber, or the like, is received in the groove and can expand in diameter when the two wheel parts are brought closer together.

In this form of the invention, the guide wheels 44, 45, 46, 47 and 48 are replaced by an endless belt 95, the inner surface of which is provided with teeth 96 for meshing with teeth 97 formed on pulleys 98 and 99. The pulley 98 is supported on a bar 100 which in turn is adjustably secured to the casing 66 andadjustment means 101 is provided to increase the tension on the endless belt. Intermediate support rollers 102 are mounted on the bar 100 to provide a substantial rigid support for the wire as it is being marked. The outer surface of the endless belt is provided along its length with transverse ridges 103, said ridges being closely spaced but far enough apart from each other to permit the marking pens to mark the wire between adjacent ridges as shown in FIGURE 15. The space between the ridges 103 serves the same purpose as the notches 51 in FIGURE 1. The pulley 99 is suitably geared to the internal gearing which is driven by the drive wheel 86 which in turn rotates the marking pens and the endless belt 95.

The modified form shown in FIGURE 12 through 15 is constructed so that wire being coded is run vertically. However, by rearranging the position of the inking reservoirs the machine can be arranged horizontally with the wire moving in a horizontal position.

In FIGURE 15, as shown, a pair of fingers 74 and 75 are shown attached to hub 76 by means of screws or the like. If desired the fingers can be formed as a single member joined by a U-shaped portion which can be inserted in transverse slots formed around the periphery of the hub 76 and secured in place by anchoring means. A further form of attachment could be by merely taking the single member and detachably securing the same to the outer periphery of the hub by screws or the like.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed 1s:

1. A machine for applying coded groups of spaced markings along a length of strand, comprising:

a housing,

a drive wheel rotatably supported on said housing,

a plurality of marking wheels each having plural discrete marking elements located about its periphery, said marking wheels being rotatably supported on said housing in cascade along the length of said strand,

means drivably intercoupling said drive wheel and said marking wheels to rotate in fixed relative speeds each with respect to the others and with fixed relative phases of said marking elements each with respect to the others,

said strand being wound about the periphery of said drive wheel and also passing linearly along said marking elements in sequence in marking relation to said marking elements,

means including said drive wheel for rotating said marking wheels in fixed speed relative to the translatory speed of said wire for all values of said translatory speed solely by pulling on said wire at a location of said wire which is downstream of said machine, and

means for applying pressure to move said strand against said marking means during translation of said strand without smearing the markings made on said wire by said marking elements, the relative phases of said marking elements of separate ones of said marking Wheels being such that sequences of adjacent but separated marks is made as related groups of markings on said strand, wherein said means for applying pressure includes pressure devices moved in synchronism with rotation of said marking wheels and contacting said wire only at discrete positions not occupied by any of said markings made by any of said marking wheels, and wherein said marking elements are separable ink carriers through which said Wire moves sequentially in inward and outward movements for producing mark-ings over substantially complete circumferences of said wire.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said means for applying pressure are plural rotary wheels each individual to one of said marking wheels and rotatably synchronized therewith.

3. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said means for applying pressure include translatory fingers and means for moving said fingers parallel to and at the same speed as said strand.

4. A rotatable marking element for marking a linearly translatory wire about its entire periphery, comprising:

two longitudinally extending supports having inking protrusions located in opposition to a corresponding protrusion in the other of said supports,

said protrusions having at least substantially contacting and opposed apices and said fingers having spacings taken on either side of said apices greater than the diameter of said wire, said protrusions being resiliently separable in response to movement of said wire through said apices to enable said movement,

the dimensions and configurations of said protrusions being such that said wire is marked only once over comprising:

a first inking member having a first inking element,

through said protrusions in a direction generally parallel to said fingers and perpendicularly of the direction of translation, and

means constraining said wire to move inwardly through said protrusions and thereafter to move outwardly of said protrusions during translation of said wire by applying force to said wire only at locations unoccupied by markings.

7. In a system for inking a translating wire, strand or bar, two parallel longitudinally extending members having protruding elements extending towards each other,

said protruding elements being at least substantially contacting and opposed elements, said members exclusively of said protruding elements having spacings a second inking member having a second inking eletaken on either side of said protrusions greater than ment normally facing and at least substantially in the diameter of said wire, said members being recontact with said fir t inki g element aid inking siliently separable in response to movement of said elements being separable in response to movement of Wire through Said P iO said strand, wire or bar therebetween, the dimensions and configurations of said protruding a rotatable wheel supporting both said inking members 2 elemen s being such that said wire is marked over at for rotation of said inking elements on a predeterleast nearly its entire cifcumffleflce during movernined radius, ment of said wire through said protruding elements means translating said wire with respect to said wheel in a direction generally parallel to said fingers and with its center line at said radius and with all points perpendicularly 0f the direction f an a n, of said center line moving at the same linear speed a marking W eel aving an axis and means securing said as said inking elements, and members to said marking wheel for rotation theremeans for moving said wire wholly past said inking elewith about Said axis, and

ments inwardly toward said wheel and thereafter outmeans 6011511 aining Said Wife to move inwardly through wardly from said wheel, as said wire translates past Said protrusions and thereafter to move outwardly of said inking elements and said wheel rotates, said last Said protrusions during translation f Said Wiremeans being operative to contact said strand, wire or bar only at points free of markings made by said inking elements.

6. A machine for applying markings to a length of wire said members being resiliently separable in response to movement of said wire through said protrusions,

the dimensions and configurations of said protrusions being such that said wire is marked over at least its entire circumference during movement of said wire 8. A machine for applying coded groups of spaced markings along a length of strand, comprising:

a housing,

a drive wheel rotatably supported on said housing,

which is being pulled through said machine, said machine a plurality marking Wheels each havirig plulal disbeing operative solely in response to power applied by s marking elements i about us penphery pulling of said wire through said machine, comprising: i mark.mg Wheels bemg rotatably Supported a housing said housing in cascade along the length of said a plurality of marking wheels rotatably mounted along one side of Said housing in a Common plane, each means drivably mtercouplmg said drive wheel and said having discrete marking elements in said plane sepf wheals to rotate m fixed relfmve Speeds ea.ch armed by am 31 angles with respect to the others and with fixed relative a free drive wheel rotatably mounted on said housing, Phases of sad markmg elements each with respect to said wire being wound about said drive wheel in drivothers ing relation to said free drive wheel, said drive wheel said i Passing imearly .along t marking elebeing rotatable solely in response to translational {mints m Sequence m markmg relatlon to Sald markmovement of said wire through said machine in remg elements. sponse solely to pulling of said wire through said mains for rotatmg Sald drive wheel. m fi Speed relamachine and in synchronization with the movement five 9 the translatory Speed of i wlre for an vahies of the wire for all speeds of movement of said wire, of trarislatory Speed i m i l to pillhng the line of said wire and the radii and centers of rota- On Sald Wire at locatlfm of sad Wire which 18 tion of said marking elements and drive wheel being downstream Sald machme such that said wire and said marking elements coinfor aliplymg Pressur? to move i stranil against cide and contact on a common line once during each Sa.1d markmg {means dunng.translatlon of sand Strand rotation of each of said marking elements, wlihout m the markmgs a on Said Wire f means intercoupling said drive wheel and all said sald Lmarkmg elements the relative of sad marking wheels for driving all said marking wheels marking fiiements of Separate Ones of q marking in synchronism and in such relative phases that said wheels being Such that Sequences of adjacent but marking elements all travel at the same linear veeparated P are made f groups of mark' locity as said wire while said marking elements con- 0 i on Bald Wherem Sald means for P tact said wire but in diverse phases arranged such that mg PrFsSure.mc1ude pressure. devlces. moved m marks created by different ones of said marking chromsin Wm} rotfitlon of Said .markmg hi and wheels are spaced from each other to create spaced contaqtmg Sald wlre Dilly at (.hscrete Posmons not groups of spaced marks on said wire in response to ocpupled any of Said markulgs niade by.any of passage of said wire through said machine, wherein 35 sald markmg wheelsfland wherein Said marking each of said marking elements includes two parallel f i are sepafaPle mk Gamers through Whlch Said longitudinally extending members having protrusions Wlre 1S .moved Inward and movements 9 acting as inking elements extending towards each producmg markings y substantlauy Complete other in a sense transversely of the longitudinal dicumference} sand Wire mansions of Said members 9. The combinatlon according to claim 8, wherein said means for applying pressure are plural rotary wheels each individual to one of said marking wheels and rotatably synchronized therewith.

10. The combination according to claim 8, wherein said means for applying pressure include translatory fingers and means for moving said fingers parallel to and at the same speed as said strand.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Burbank 10135 XR Hallock 401--35 Manss 10137 XR Thornayer.

Shaifner 101172 Blackwell et a1 101119 Phillips 10136 Olson 10137 XR Hargreaves et a1 10136 Malnar 1017 XR Nystrom 10136 XR Sherman 1011 19 Reigh 118227 XR Seigle 118227 XR Burns 118224 XR King 10136 ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner. 10 C. D. CROWDER, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

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