AU685146B2 - An engraving hand piece - Google Patents

Description

4 P/:00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT I *0 *000 Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: SANPRINT PTY. LTD.

JOHN R.G. GARDNER PO BOX 443 MUDGEERABA QLD 4213 IMPROVEMENTS TO SAND

APPARATUS

Invention title: BLASTING Details of Associated Provisional Applications No: PM 1184 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it know to me:- I- NO 0 a.

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a *a Sa .a AN ENGRAVING HAND PIECE THIS INVENTiON relates to improvements to sand blasting apparatus and in particular to an accessory particularly but not exclusively suited to use with sand blasting apparatus of the type used for marking or engraving objects.

Sand blasting has many applications in industry for cleaning surfaces. Sand blasting is also used to mark or decorate hard surfaces such as glass or metal, for example for the purposes of applying a particular identification marking to the surface. In one particular application, sand blasting techniques are used for marking beer glasses and jugs with a badge with indicates the volume of a particular jug or glass.

This is now a requirement of government authorities. Using this technique, sand or a similar particulate abrasive material is carried by a blast of air and forced through a stencil which defines the required mark or badge to be applied to the glass or jug. A disadvantage of the conventional arrangements is that a large amount of dust and debris is created during the procedure because of the escape of excess amounts of sand or 20 other abrasive medium. This is obviously disadvantageous in situations where cleanliness is a necessity, for example where beer glasses are required to be badged or marked. Considerable time can thus be expended in cleaning up after the marking or badging process.

25 The present invention aims to overcome or alleviate the above disadvantages by providing an accessory for use with sand blasting apparatus and in a particular preferred aspect, for sand bla!ting apparatus used for applying a particular badge or marking to an object which overcomes or minimises the disadvantages of the current systems. The present invention also aims to provide apparatus which is of relatively simple form. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description.

The present invention thus provides in a preferred form an engraving hand piece including: an elongate, hollow body having an open end adapted to support a stencil and an elongate nozzle connected to a

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2 pressurized air supply and extending toward said open end; a venturi port in said nozzle connected to draw abrasive material from a remote source; and an outlet for spent abrasive in a side wall of said body adjacent said elongate nozzle and communicating with remote vacuum means.

Preferably the hollow body is of tubular form and is provided at one end with the nozzle means which is adapted to be connected to an air gun or the like so that air flow through the nozzle means can be selectively controlled. The nozzle means is preferably of hollow tubular form and includes a port partway therealong for communication with the source of abrasive material. Preferably the port is connected to the abrasive material source through a duct. The nozzle means is suitably releasably secured to an end wall of the tubular body.

The nozzle means preferably includes a coupling portion S arranged externally of the body to enable connection to the air source.

The tubular body additionally incorporates a hollow spigot 20 which enables connection of the body to a vacuum source. The hollow spigot is suitably adapted to be connected to a flexible hose of a vacuum cleaner or other similar device. The duct means communicating with the source of abrasive medium suitably

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passes out through the wall of the flexible hose.

25 The means for supporting the stencil preferably comprises a cap releasably mounted to the end of the tubular body. The cap preferably is adapted to releasably support the stencil.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein: ~III ~a~ Fig. 1 illustrates the general configuration of sand blasting apparatus according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing details of the combined vacuum head and sand applying hand piece for the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings and firstly to Fig. 1 there is illustrated sand blasting apparatus 10 according to the present invention including a hand piece 11 having a tubular body 12 provided with a releasable cap 13 for supporting a stencil 14 defining the required marking to be made in an object such as a glass or jug. The stencil 14 in this embodiment is in the form of a disc having cut-out portions which define the marking to be made in the object.

so 15 The hand piece 11 as shown more clearly in Fig. 2 also supports a nozzle 15 at the end of the body 12 remote from the cap 13, the nozzle 15 being releasably mounted to an end wall 16 of the body 12 and having an externally extending coupling 17 adapted to be connected to a source 20 of air, in this case an air gun 18 connected via a hose 19 to a source of compressed air.

The nozzle 15 is of generally tubular form and S includes a port 20 in itp side wall which communicates with a duct 21 which is suitably screw engaged with the nozzle 25 15. The duct 21 is coupled to a flexible pipe 22 which is connected to a remote supply of abrasive particulate material, such as sand. Extending radially outwardly of the tubular body 12 is a hollow spigot 23 which is adapted to be connected to a flexible pipe 24 coupled to a vacuum cleaning device 25 or other vacuum source. The flexible abrasive material carrying duct 22 extends through the wall of the flexible pipe 24 as shown in Fig. 2 to be connected to the duct 21 which extends along the spigot 23. The spigot 23 also acts as a gripping and manipulating handle In use and where a particular engraving is required to be undertaken a suitable stencil 14 defining the required pattern to be applied to the object is mounted A 4 within the cap 13. The cap 13 is then placed adjacent to le I

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the object to be marked and the air gun 18 operated to cause a blast of air to pass through the nozzle 15. This blast of air will cause the abrasive material to be drawn upwardly through the ducting 22 and 21 to pass into the nozzle 15 and be carried with the blast of air towards the stencil 14. The abrasive effect of this material will cause the pattern defined by the stencil 14 to be rapidly formed in the object to be marked. At the same time the vacuum apparatus 25 is operated to create a vacuum within the body 12 to cause excess abrasive materials and abrasive materials which have lost their velocity after the engraving process to be withdrawn through the pipe 24 and collected. This arrangement thereby ensures minimum amount of abrasive material escapes from the hand piece 11 so as 15 to ensure that the marking operation is particular clean.

The handpiece 11 is preferably constructed of 9* metal such as aluminium however it may also be constructed of plastics. The cap 13 may be formed integrally with the body 12 of the handpiece 11 or other means may be provided 20 for supporting the stencil 14. The stencil 14 in this embodiment is formed of a plastics material and is in the shape of a disc. The stencil 14 however may be of any form and constructed of any material and define any marking to be made in the product.

25 The nozzle 15 is detachable from the body 12 to allow for replacement and/or cleaning however the nozzle may be formed integrally with the body 12 in some circumstances. The design of the nozzle 15 may also be other than that described and i.lustrated.

The vacuum device 25 may be any conventional vacuum cleaner or other device which will create sufficient suction to withdraw the particulate abrasive material from the body 12.

Whilst the apparatus 10 of the present invention is particular suited to marking or badging glasses or jugs it may equally applied in situations where marking of other objects is required or for general sand blasting operations where stencils are not employed.

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Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative embodiment of the invention, all such modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

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Claims (8)

1. An engraving hand piece including: an elongate, hollow body having an open end adapted to support a stencil and an elongate nozzle connected to a pressurized air supply and extending toward said open end; a venturi port in said nozzle connected to draw abrasive material from a remote source; arid an outlet for spent abrasive in a side wall of said body adjacent said elongate nozzle and communicating with remote vacuum means.

2. An engraving hand piece according to Claim i, wherein said elongate, hollow body is of tubular form, said nozzle extending from the opposite end of said body toward said open end.

3. An engraving hand piece according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, S"15 wherein said nozzle is connected to said pressurized air supply oeoo via selective control means. .0 o 4*

4. An engraving hand piece according to any one of the r preceding Claims, wherein said open end is adapted to support said stencil by means of a stencil supporting cap releasably 20 mounted on said open end.

5. An engraving hand piece according to any one of the eeeao preceding Claims, wherein said outlet includes a spigot integrally formed with said body and extending therefrom. 4e S

6. An engraving hand piece according to Claim 5, wherein said remote vacuum means comprises a vacuum cleaner connected to said spigot by flexible hose.

7. An engraving hand piece according to Claim 6, wherein said body and spigot are both substantially cylindrical and of similar hollow cross section. 7, IT IL L -sa CI II

8. An engraving hand piece substantially as hereinbefore defined with reference to the accompanying drawings. SANPRINT PTY LTD BY PIZZEYS PATENT AND TRADE MARK ATTORNEYS C* C C. C* os Ce *l b 0 ~s Cr ~k ABSTRACT An accessory (11) for use in engraving using sand blasting including a hollow body (12) which supports a stencil (14) at one end which defines the required badge or marking to be applied to an object and a nozzle (15) within the body and connected to a source of pressurised air and a source of particulate abrasive material such that air flowing through the nozzle entrains abrasive material, and forces it towards the stencil The body (12) is connected to a vacuum source (25) to withdraw said abrasive material from the body (12). oee r I