EP0914971A1 - Device and method for marking flat supports - Google Patents

Abstract

The marker consists of a receiver (20) for a stack (23) of flat supporting plates (22) which are moved by gravity along the receiver, a positioner (18) and a marking pencil (9), and an ejector (26) for the marked plate. The marking pencil is positioned beneath the receiver so that it marks the under surface of the bottom plate (22A) in a stack. The direction of movement of the plate is inclined relative to the vertical, and the receiver, which is in the form of an open-bottomed trough, extends over only part of the plate stack perimeter, e.g. along two adjacent sides.

Description

The present invention relates to marking devices of flat supports.

Usually, this type of device includes a vertical power box in which the supports are stacked. The interior walls of this case surround the entire periphery of the supports, with a view to their lateral support.

A conveyor assembly allows to direct the support bottom of the stack toward a marking head. Once marked, the support considered is expelled from the marking area by the arrival of the following support extracted from the lower part from the stack.

All marked supports can be stacked within from a receiving chute, or else ejected in bulk.

However, such a device has drawbacks in meaning that it is made up of a large number of elements mechanical. However, most of these are not suitable for supports of different sizes, so that is necessary to change the majority of these elements when changing the size of the supports to be marked.

In addition, it is essential to operate a precise guidance supports along the conveyor elements so as to ensure satisfactory positioning. Finally, each support must be immobilized by clamping at the level of the marking, in order to guarantee a satisfactory quality of marking. This is achieved by means of clamping devices relatively complex increasing the cost of the whole marking device.

In order to overcome all the drawbacks of art mentioned above, the invention proposes to achieve a marking device with a small footprint, which is made up of a limited number of mechanical elements and which guarantee a satisfactory quality of marking.

To this end, the invention relates to a device for marking of flat supports, in particular of plates, comprising means for receiving a stack formed by said supports, these moving by gravity along these means of reception in a direction of travel, a pencil marking, means for positioning a support to be marked relative to the marking pen, and means for ejecting the marked support, characterized in that the marking pencil is arranged under the receiving means and is suitable for marking the underside of the lower battery support.

• la direction de déplacement est inclinée par rapport à la verticale, et les moyens de réception s'étendent uniquement sur une partie du périmètre des supports empilés ;
• les supports sont polygonaux, notamment des quadrilatères, et les moyens de réception s'étendent uniquement sur deux côtés adjacents des supports ;
• les moyens de réception comprennent une goulotte ouverte vers le bas ;
• la goulotte a une section transversale en forme de L, et comprend deux parois inclinées par rapport à la verticale, de manière que les supports tendent à se placer dans l'angle du L ;
• les moyens de positionnement du support à marquer comprennent des surfaces de portée d'au moins deux bords opposés de ce support ;
• la distance séparant les surfaces de portée est réglable ;
• les moyens de positionnement du support à marquer comprennent un poids rapporté sur le support supérieur de la pile ;
• les moyens d'éjection du support marqué comprennent un organe mobile destiné à pousser le support selon une direction d'éjection perpendiculaire à la direction de déplacement, la course de cet organe mobile étant supérieure aux dimensions du support selon cette direction d'éjection ;
• le dispositif comprend des surfaces en regard définissant un chemin de guidage dudit support marqué durant sa phase d'éjection.

According to other characteristics of the invention:

• the direction of movement is inclined relative to the vertical, and the receiving means extend only over part of the perimeter of the stacked supports;
• the supports are polygonal, in particular quadrilaterals, and the receiving means extend only on two adjacent sides of the supports;
• the receiving means comprise a chute open downwards;
• the chute has an L-shaped cross section, and comprises two walls inclined relative to the vertical, so that the supports tend to be placed in the corner of the L;
• the means for positioning the support to be marked comprise bearing surfaces of at least two opposite edges of this support;
• the distance between the bearing surfaces is adjustable;
• the means for positioning the support to be marked comprise a weight added to the upper support of the stack;
• the means for ejecting the marked support comprise a movable member intended to push the support in an ejection direction perpendicular to the direction of movement, the stroke of this movable member being greater than the dimensions of the support in this ejection direction;
• the device comprises facing surfaces defining a guide path for said marked support during its ejection phase.

The subject of the invention is also a method of marking of flat supports, in particular of plates, in which one has the supports according to a stack within the reception means, makes the supports stacked along gravity move these reception means, a support is positioned to be marked by compared to a marking pencil, we mark this support and we ejects this marked support, characterized in that it marks the underside of the lower battery support.

• la figure 1 est une vue schématique en perspective d'un dispositif de marquage conforme à l'invention ;
• la figure 2 est une vue de dessus, selon l'axe de la goulotte, d'une partie du dispositif représenté à la figure 1 ;
• les figures 3 et 4 sont des vues en coupe selon la ligne III-III à la figure 2, représentant deux phases successives du fonctionnement du dispositif conforme à l'invention et
• la figure 5 est une vue en coupe selon la ligne V-V à la figure 3.

The invention will be described below, with reference to the accompanying drawings, given solely by way of non-limiting example and in which:

• Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a marking device according to the invention;
• Figure 2 is a top view, along the axis of the chute, of a part of the device shown in Figure 1;
• FIGS. 3 and 4 are sectional views along line III-III in FIG. 2, representing two successive phases of the operation of the device according to the invention and
• FIG. 5 is a sectional view along the line VV in FIG. 3.

The marking device according to the invention, shown in Figure 1 and designated as a whole by the reference 2, includes a base 4 on which are arranged two feet 6 intended to support a type marking unit known per se, designated as a whole by the reference 8. This marking unit comprises, as usual, a drive mechanism, for example with crossed carriages, as well a marking pencil not shown in this figure 1, and designated by the reference 9 in Figures 4 and 5.

The device 2 comprises, on the other hand, a support 10 substantially vertical at the upper end of which is added, by any known means, a base 12 having, as this is visible in particular in FIG. 2, a profile in L shape.

In order to guarantee optimal rigidity of the entire structure, we can plan to support the base 12, not only by means of support 10, but also by another element not shown.

This base 12 includes two wings perpendicular to each other and substantially coplanar. For convenience, in the following description, we will designate by rear wing 14 the wing located behind in the direction of ejection of the marked plates, materialized by the arrow F in Figure 2. The other wing 16 is therefore called the left wing and is located fixed on the wing 14 for example by screwing.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the left wing 16 is provided on its inner flank with a rim 18 defining a bearing surface for a plate, as will be explained thereafter.

The base 12 is inclined relative to the horizontal in two planes perpendicular to each other. Indeed, in a plane vertical P extending parallel to the main direction of the rear wing 14, it is inclined upwards with respect to horizontally at an angle α, in the direction of ejection of marked plates. Furthermore, in the vertical plane P 'extending parallel to the main direction of the rear wing 14, the base 12 is inclined downward relative to the horizontal by an angle α 'towards the left wing 16. These angles α and α 'are for example from 45 to 75 °.

A trough 20 of L-shaped cross section is reported at the level of the inner flanks of the wings 14, 16 of the base 12. This chute 20 extends perpendicularly to the base 12, so that it is also inclined by relation to the vertical in two perpendicular planes between them. This chute 20 constitutes a means of reception for plates 22 arranged therein so as to form a stack 23. These plates 22, which are rectangular, are susceptible to move by gravity along this chute 20, according to the longitudinal axis of the latter. A weight 24 whose function will be explained later, is further reported above the stack 23 formed by the plates 22.

The chute 20 comprises two perpendicular walls, which will be called rear wall 20A and wall respectively left 20B, depending on whether they are arranged in the vicinity of the rear 14 and left 16 wings respectively of the base 12. Each of these walls 20A, 20B is therefore inclined relative to the vertical so that the plates tend to wedge in the corner of chute 20.

As shown in more detail in Figure 4, the rear wing 14 of the base 12 comprises, at a projection lower 25, a pusher designated as a whole by the reference 26 which consists of a substantially parallelepipedic body 28 terminated by a thinned finger 30. The latter presents a thickness less than that of a plate 22. This pusher 26 is movable in a direction of ejection of the plates 22, materialized by arrow F, which is parallel to the axis longitudinal of the wing 16 of the base 12.

The projection 25 has, as shown in Figure 3, a rim 25A coplanar with the rim 18 of the left wing 16, and extending on either side of the pusher 26. The rear wall 20A of the chute 20 rests on this flange 25A, and comprises a notch 31 intended for the passage of pusher 26.

The left wall 20B of the chute 20 rests, as the shows in particular Figure 3, at the step 32 defining the rim 18 of the distal wing 16 of the base 12. However, it can be expected that this rim 18 constitutes a trough bearing surface 20.

An arm 34, parallel to the left wing 16 of the base 12, is reported at the free end of the rear wing 14 of this base 12. It is connected to two superimposed sleepers 36A, 36B respectively upper and lower, which are parallel to the rear wing 14 of the base 12. These crosspieces, illustrated in particular to Figures 3 and 4, are subject to the end free of the left wing 16 of this base 12.

The distances between the rear wing 14 respectively sleepers 36, as well as the left wing 16 of the arm 34, are adjustable thanks to the presence of lights 38 in which penetrate unrepresented stems likely to be moved by means of knurled buttons 42. The arm 34 is provided a rim 44 illustrated in particular in FIGS. 2 and 5 and arranged opposite the rim 18 with which the left wing 16 is provided, these two ledges being arranged in the same plane parallel to the plane of the basement.

The spacing separating the two crosspieces 36A, 36B is adjustable by means known per se, not represented. The bottom crosspiece 36B projects, by relative to upper cross member 36A, in the direction of the wing rear 14 of the base 12, so as to constitute a flange 46 arranged in the same plane as the flanges 18 and 44 described previously. A receptacle 48 is further subject to the bottom cross member 36B, at its side opposite the base 12.

As shown in Figures 2 and 5, the bottom plate 22A of the stack 23 rests, by its four edges, on the edges corresponding coplanars 18, 25A, 44 and 46 which are provided respectively the left wing 16, the projection 25, the arm 34 and the bottom crosspiece 36B. In addition, this plate 22A is held transversely through the end bottom of the rear wall 20A of the chute 20. Finally, during the action of the marking pencil 9 on the underside of the lower plate 22A, illustrated in FIG. 3A, the upper plates, as well as the weight 24, ensure the holding the bottom plate 22A against the action of the marking head.

Plate 22B disposed immediately above the plate 22A is held transversely by the end lower of the chute and through the cross 36A.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the ejection phase of the bottom plate 22A. This ejection is carried out via of the push-piece 26. The thinned finger 30 of the latter enters the notch 31 of the rear wall 20A, enters contact with the edge of the plate 22A and the conduit between the opposite faces of the sleepers 36A, 36B which thus delimit a guide path 50 intermediate. The distance between these two sleepers 36A, 36B is preferably between one and 1.5 times the thickness of each plate 22. The stroke of the pusher 26 is greater than the dimensions of the plates 22, according to the direction of ejection of the latter. In addition, this finger 30 has, in the direction of ejection of the plates 22, dimensions larger than those of the cross-pieces 36A, 36B. Of the so, at the end of the pusher stroke, the finger 30 of the latter enters guide path 50 and ejects the plate lower 22A which is collected within the receptacle 48.

We then act, by the actuator not shown, on the pusher 26 so as to return it to its position retracted, shown in Figure 4. The plate 22B, arranged immediately above the bottom plate 22A, takes then the place of the latter and is in turn maintained by edges 18, 25A, 44 and 46. A new marking operation, using the pencil 9, can then be implementation on this plate 22B which will then be ejected after marking, in a manner analogous to the operation described above.

As the marking operations progress, each of the plates 22 forming the stack 23 moves along the chute 20 by gravity, is marked by pencil 9 and then is expelled by the pusher 26. When the number of plates 22 forming the pile 23 is reduced, the weight 24 is particularly advantageous in that it allows the maintenance of the plate lower during its marking, against the action of the pencil 9.

The device according to the invention has been shown, in all of the figures, with a feed chute inclined to the vertical. Of course, we can provide that this chute has a longitudinal axis substantially vertical. In this case, its walls surround the entire perimeter of the plates admitted to it.

In addition, planar marking supports can be provided. the shape of which is not rectangular, in particular round or oval.

The invention makes it possible to achieve the objectives previously mentioned. Indeed, the fact of marking the underside of the bottom plate 22A of the stack 23 makes it possible to overcome the presence of a conveyor assembly for this lower plate towards the marking pen, as was the case in the prior art. Maintaining this bottom plate to be marked is ensured by means of elements mechanics of very simple conformation, as well as by top plates so it is only necessary to if necessary, bring a weight above the stack of plates.

The fact of providing a reception chute inclined by vertical also has advantages specific. Indeed, this chute has a structure particularly simple, since it consists only of two branches forming an L. The loading of the plates is therefore significantly simplified compared to a surrounding chute the entire perimeter of the plates.

In addition, the visibility of the marking area by the operator is optimal during the marking phase properly said, which is particularly advantageous. Finally, a inclined chute is capable of adapting to all kinds of plates, since it extends only over part of their periphery. The presence of means to adjust the distance between the proximal wing and the base respectively relation to the crosspieces as well as the distal wing of the base by arm, ensures the maintenance of plates of different sizes.

Claims (11)

Device for marking (2) flat supports, in particular of plates (22), comprising means (20) for receiving a stack (23) formed by said supports (22), the latter moving by gravity along said receiving means according to a direction of movement, a marking pencil (9), positioning means (18, 44, 46) of a support to be marked (22A) relative to said marking pencil (9), and means ejection (26) of said marked support, characterized in that said marking pencil (9) is arranged under the means of receiving (20) and is adapted to mark the underside of the lower support (22A) of said stack (23). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that that said direction of movement is inclined relative to the vertical, and the receiving means (20) extend only on part of the perimeter of the stacked supports. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that that the supports (22) are polygonal, in particular quadrilaterals, and the receiving means (20) extend only on two adjacent sides of said supports. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the receiving means comprise a chute (20) open downwards. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that that the chute (20) has an L-shaped cross section, and comprises two walls (20A, 20B) inclined relative to the vertical, so that the supports (22) tend to be placed in the corner of L. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the means for positioning the support to be marked (22A) include bearing surfaces (18, 44, 46) at least two opposite edges of said support (22A). Device according to claim 6, characterized in that that the distance between the bearing surfaces (18, 44, 46) is adjustable. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the means for positioning the support to be marked include a weight (24) attached to the support top of the stack (23). Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the means for ejecting the marked support (22A) include a movable member (26) for pushing said support in an ejection direction perpendicular to the direction of movement, the stroke of said movable member (26) being greater than the dimensions of the support (22A) according to the ejection direction. Device according to claim 9, characterized in that that it includes facing surfaces (36A, 36B) defining a guide path (50) of said marked support (22A) during its ejection phase. Method of marking flat supports, in particular of plates (22), in which said supports are arranged in a stack (23) within reception means (20), move by gravity the supports (22) stacked along said receiving means (20), a support to be marked is positioned (22A) relative to a marking pencil (9), said mark support and ejecting said marked support, characterized in that we mark the underside of the lower support (22A) of said stack (23).

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