US3559622A

US3559622A - Wire striping apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3559622A
Application number: US807651A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kenneth Rake
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-03-17
Filing date: 1969-03-17
Publication date: 1971-02-02
Anticipated expiration: 1988-02-02
Also published as: GB1218686A; DE1946893A1

Abstract

A head assembly for striping wire with identification coding as the striping head rotates about the axis of a wire moving vertically through the head assembly. Three striping discs are held pressed against the wire by individual counterbalance means and by common adjustable resilient means. The mechanism includes simple, unique, easily-manipulated means for making several precise adjustments of each disc independently of the other discs.

Description

United States Patent Inventor Kenneth Rake 4250 Madison Ave., Culver City, Calif. 90230 Appl. No. 807,651

Filed Mar. 17, 1969 Patented Feb. 2, 1971 WIRE STRIPING APPARATUS 2 1 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 118/222, 1 18/234 Int. Cl B05c 1/04 Field ofSearch 118/221,

222, 225, 234(Wire & Cord Striping) [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,592,674 4/1952 Forsberg l l8/234X 2,687,109 8/1954 Krukonis... 1 18/221 2,714,364 8/1955 Donnan l 18/234X Primary Examiner-John P. Mclntosh Att0rneySellers and Brace ABSTRACT: A head assembly for striping wire with identification coding as the striping head rotates about the axis of a wire moving vertically through the head assembly. Three striping discs are held pressed against the wire by individual counterbalance means and by common adjustable resilient means. The mechanism includes simple, unique, easily-manipulated means for making several precise adjustments of each disc independently of the other discs.

PATENTEUIFEB 2 I97l' SHEEI 2 OF 2 INVENTOR [6/V/V6TH v5/7/56 A TTOEA/V WIRE STRIPING APPARATUS This invention relates to striping apparatus and more particularly to an improved high precision apparatus for continuously striping wire or cabling with one or more colored strips for identification coding purposes.

Various proposals have been advanced heretofore respective equipment to apply spiral striping to a conductor but such mechanisms are subject to various shortcomings and disadvantages avoided by the present invention. For example, such prior devices are complex mechanically and much difficulty is experienced in adjusting the several striping discs which must be precisely adjusted relative to one another and to the axis of the wire undergoing striping for proper functioning. Each striping disc must be delicately counterbalanced as well as spring-biased to maintain the proper pressure contact with the wire and to avoid introducing vibration forces in the head. The striping discs must also be equally spaced from one another circumferentially of the wire and adjusted to the same angle relative to the wire axis in order that each strip will have a similar pitch axially of the wire.

Prior striping mechanisms have endeavored to make provision for these and similar desirable adjustments but the facilities heretofore proposed have been characterized by their complexity, sensitivity, and the pronounced skill required of the operator. Additionally, it has been a time consuming and arduous task to adjust and maintain the mechanism in adjustment. This fact is readily appreciated from the fact that loosening the parts to change the adjustment has heretofore inherently involved loss of the prior adjustment as a reference point in making the new adjustment.

By the present invention there is provided a simple, rugged striping head assembly characterized by its simplicity of design, the ready accessibility of all components including, in

particular, those requiring adjustment, and the fact that the I former position remains available as a reference after loosening the parts preparatory to making a change. The several rotary striping discs are pivotally supported at the top of the head fully exposed for ease of access. All adjustments for each disc can be made independently of the others with the exception of the final delicate adjustment of the spring bias on the several independent counterbalances. In this instance, a single movable component is movable in fine increments to vary the bias on all striping discs simultaneously and in like degree.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of separate coating fluid containers for each disc with simple means for holding each removably in place on the head assembly as well as for releasing the containers individually and quickly for servicing without disturbing any other component or the adjustment of any part.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a unitary striping head assembly for wire, tubing or the like comprising a rugged unitary main body supporting a plurality of easily-adjusted precision striping components.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a unitary rotary striping head assembly for wire and the like flexible material featuring an improved mode of supporting and adjusting the striping discs.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a striping head assembly having a tubular main body designed for rotation about a vertical axis and including improved means for applying a plurality of closely spaced coded strips in a selected spiral pattern.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a striping head mechanism featuring improved means for holding a plurality of striping discs against tubing, wire, or the like, while undergoing striping and including means for adjusting the mechanism for applying each strip to the material independently of the others.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a striping subassembly having improved means for adjustably supporting the same and for varying the pitch of the strip applied thereby to a wire.

These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawing to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

FIG. I is a vertical view of the invention striping head assembly with parts broken away to show constructional details;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 2-2 on FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale taken along line 3-3 on FIG. 2 showing details of the several independent adjustments for a single striping disc;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view taken along line 4-4 on FIG. 1.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views taken along lines 5-5 and 6-6; respectively, on FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 7 and 8 are elevational views of the wire having slightly differing typical sets of coding strips applied thereto.

Referring initially more particularly to FIGS. 1,2 and 3, there is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention striping head, designated generally 10, having a main body formed by a pair of axially-aligned tubes 11,12 held rigidly assembled in spaced-apart relation by three

radial partitions

13,14,15 (FIG. 6). The upper and lower ends of these partitions are welded to

rings

17,18 welded in turn, to a respective one of tubes 11,12. Each of the partitions is provided with a semicircular notch 20 along its inner edge (FIG. 2) to provide ample viewing and working space when adjusting the positions of the striping disc for reasons which will be better understood presently.

Rings

17 and 18, and

radial partitions

13,14,15 serve not only to hold tubes 11,12 rigidly spaced apart but also to form three sectorlike chambers housing the generally complementary shaped

striping fluid containers

22,23,24, the configuration and disposition of which is best shown in FIG. 6. Each container is cut away near its inner upper end opposite notches 20 to provide an opening 25 through which one of the striping discs projects.

Containers

22,23,24are held snugly in assembled position by keeper buttons 27 rotatably secured to the outer edges of

partitions

22,23,24 when these buttons are rotated to their horizontal positions. The opposite ends of these keepers extend across the adjacent edges of a pair of the fluid containers whereas, when rotated to their vertical positions, the containers can be manipulated for withdrawal from their supporting chambers. 1

Rigidly secured to the top of upper ring 17 by cap screws 30 (FIG. 5) is a ring 31 formed about its periphery with three outwardly opening

notches

32,33,34. The arms of each notch or yoke is provided with aligned threaded openings seating pivot screws 35 carrying an associated lock nut 36. Pivotally supported between the tapered inner ends of an associated pair of screws 35 is an inverted L-shaped member having a first or vertical arm 37 and a second or horizontally disposed arm 38. The pivot support for the L-

shaped member

37,38 is at the junction of these .arms and close to the side wall of main body tube 12. The counter for these are arms comprises an upright rod 39 socketed in the outer end of each arm 38 and secured thereto by set screw 40 (FIG. 2). A separate counterbalance weight 42 telescopes freely over the upper end of each rod 39 and is locked in a desired adjusted position by set screw 43. Alternatively, weights 42 may be threaded to rods 39 and locked in any adjusted position by the described set screw.

Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 1,2 and 3, it will be understood that the lower end of arm 37 supports a striping disc 46, this disc being mounted on one end of a shaft 47 and secured by a pin 48 to a'sector 49 having a cylindrical surface. Disc 46 is held assembled to shaft 47 by a lock nut 50. The other end of shaft 47 projects through a vertical slot 52 formed in an arcuate housing 53 having a seating surface complemental to the cylindrical surface of sector 49. Housing 53 is braised, welded, or otherwise secured to one radial face of arm 37. Since both slot 52 and cylindrical sector 49 lie in a vertical plane it will be clear that shaft 47 supporting the striping disc 46 is confined to pivotal movement in the vertical plane of slot 52.

Disc 47 is locked in any adjusted position along slot 52 by a lock nut 55 on the end of shaft 47. The radius of the cylindrical surface of sector 49 is centered at a point 56 (FIG. 3) located in the median plane of disc 46. It will therefore be recognized that disc 46 is tiltable about a horizontal line passing through point 56 and extending diametrically of disc 47. It follows that the pivot axis of the disc as it tilts about point 56 passes through the rim of the disc at its point of tangency with a wire undergoing striping and located along the axis of the main body tubes 11,12.

The means for resiliently urging the discs into contact with the item being striped will now be described. Each of the horizontal arms 38 of the L-shaped support for discs 46 is provided with an opening 60. A wrist pin 61 (FIG. is frictionally held in assembled position crosswise of opening 60 and passes through a loose-fitting opening 62 formed crosswise of the head of a T-bolt 63. The threaded shank of this T- Bolt extends loosely through an opening 64 in a ring 65 having a close sliding fit on a bearing sleeve 66 (FIG. 2) fixed concentrically to the upper end of tube 12. T-bolt 63 provides an adjustable connecting link between each of the L-shaped

members

37,38 and ring 65, and is held in any adjusted position relative to this ring by a pair of

lock nuts

68,69.

Ring 65 is normally urged downwardly along its supporting bearing 66 by a compression spring 70, the lower end of this spring bearing directly against ring 65 and its upper end bearing against a knurled nut 71 having fine threads mating with similar threads 72 encircling tube 12. Nut 71 can be locked in any adjusted position by set screw 73 (FIG. 2).

OPERATION The operation of the striping head assembly described above will be readily understood by those skilled in this art. Thus as is well known, the lower end of main body tube 11 provides a supporting shank adapted to be socketed vertically in a rotating socket of a conventional striping machine for passing wire or cabling vertically through suitable striping head mechanism. Before starting operation of the machine, the striping

fluid reservoirs

22,23,24 are removed to provide ready access to the three striping discs 46 and a suitable gauge tool, in dot and dash lines 75 in FIG. 2, is inserted downwardly through tube 12. This gauging tool has a spindle 76 at its lower end of the same diameter as the cable to be striped. Prior to inserting tool 75, ring 65 is shifted upwardly in opposition to spring 70 so as to retract each of the striping discs 46 radially away from one another. Once the gauging tool has been dropped into position ring 65 is released allowing spring 70 acting through connecting links 63 and

arms

37,38 to press the rim of each of the discs against the sides of spindle 76.

As shown in full lines in the present drawing, each of the discs 46-lies in a vertical radial plane. However, when properly adjusted for striping purposes it will be understood that the discs are suitably and similarly canted to the vertical, such as to the dot and dash line position indicated in FIG. 3, to apply a narrow stripe as the head rotates and the wire advances therethrough. The pitch of the stripe is a function of the rotary speed of the head, the speed of the wire through the head and the cam angle of the disc.

The cant angle is quickly and accurately obtained by loosening lock nut 55 (FIG. 3) and tilting the disc along the mating cylindrical surfaces between sector 49 and the seating surface provided therefor in housing 53. Once the proper position is reached, lock nut 55 is tightened to clamp the parts rigidly in place.

The spacing between stripes is controlled by lateral adjustment of the disc-supporting arms 37 within notches 34,34 (FIG. 3). This adjustment is made by holding pivot screws 35,35 firmly in position while loosening lock nuts 36. One of the screws 35 is then advanced a partial turn followed by backing oh the other by a like distance. This operation is repeated in small discreet increments until the desired spacing has been obtained whereupon the lock nuts are firmly tightened.

Another variation in coding is achieved by using a striping disc 46 with a peripheral edge which is either narrower or broader than that of an adjacent striping disc. Thus. in FIG. 7, one of the stripes 77 has a width approximately double that of

adjacent stripes

78 and 79. In FIG. 8, however, all three stripes 78.79 and 80 are of the same width.

Another important adjustment involves adjusting the spacing of the disc periphery from the axis along which the wire is advanced, it being highly desirable that the peripheries of all discs be equally spaced from this axis as they are in FIGS. 5 and 6. In the present design this spacing is controlled by the adjustment of

lock nuts

68,69 along the shank 64 of T-bolts 63 (FIG. 3), each disc being adjustable independently of the others. This adjustment is made by the aid of gauging tool 75 (FIG. 2) which is inserted into the upper end of the head with its gauging probe 3 inserted between the peripheries of discs 46. To assure that the adjustment of one disc does not interfere with the adjustment being made on any other disc it is desirable to insert a spacer block (not shown) between the under side of ring and the top of ring 31 thereby deactivating spring during the adjusting operation. Disc 46 is then adjusted in turn manipulating

locking nut

68,69 as necessary to position the periphery of the disc in bare contacting relation to probe 76 of gauging tool 75.

Nuts

68, 69 are then locked against ring 65 and the operator proceeds to adjust each of the other discs in the same manner, following which the spacer block inserted between

rings

31 and 65 is removed.

Thereafter, the spring tensioning control nut 71 bearing against the top of spring 70 is adjusted up or down as desired to place the discs in light pressure contact with the wire to be striped. Although a gauging tool having a probe size corresponding to the wire diameter to be striped is described in making the spring adjustment it will be understood that the spring pressure may be varied at any time, with a wire undergoing striping present, by loosening setscrew 73 and rotating knurled nut 71 in the appropriate direction to change the loading on the spring. Since the discs have previously been adjusted so that their peripheries are equally spaced from the wire axis and since each is connected to a common rigid ring 65, it follows that any change in the spring pressure automatically changes the springbias and all disc in equal amounts.

The sole remaining adjustment not previously described involves counterweights 42. This is accomplished initially by shifting each counterweight to precisely the same position along supporting rods 39, thereby to substantially balance the mass above pivot pins-35 with the mass below thesepivot points. In other words, the centrifugal forces tending to throw the discs outwardly away from the wire should substantially counterbalance the centrifugal forces acting in the opposite direction by virtue of the mass of rods 39 and weights 42.

I claim:

1. A striping head assembly having a vertical axis along which a wire to be striped is passed, said assembly having a tubular main body including a mounting shank at one end adapted to be coupled to means for rotating said assembly about its vertical axis, at least three bellcranks each having first and second integral arms and horizontally disposed pivot means connecting said bellcranks to said main body on axes tangential to a circle concentric to said main body and closely thereto, a striping disc journaled to the free end of said first arms, ring means vertically movable axially of said main body and including means pivotally connecting each of said second arms thereto, adjustable means for applying a force of a selected magnitude to each of said bellcranks in a direction to hold the rims of said discs against the surface of a wire supported axially of a said main body, and means for maintaining the rims of said discs in contact with a striping agent so long as said head assembly is rotating at a selected operating speed.

2. A striping head assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said ring means is slidably supported along said tubular main body on the opposite end thereof from said mounting shank. I

3. A striping head assembly as defined in claim 2 characterized in that the adjustable means biasing said striping discs against a wire being striped comprises spring means interposed between said ring means and an adjustable support for said spring means, and said adjustable support being manipulatable to vary the effective load applied to said striping discs by said spring means.

4. A striping head assembly as defined in claim 3 characterized in that said spring means encircles said tubular main body with one end bearing against said ring means and its other end bearing against said adjustable means, and said adjustable means having threaded engagement with a threaded length of said tubular main body.

5. A striping head assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said means pivotally connecting said second arms to said ring means includes independently adjustable links having a pivoting coupling at one end of each and a threaded shank and a pair of cooperating nuts at their other ends.

6. A striping head assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in that each of said bellcranks includes an adjustable counterbalance carried by one of said first and second arms arranged to neutralize in major part centrifugal forces acting to pivot said discs away from one another and from opposed sides of a wire undergoing striping.

7. A striping head assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in that each of said bellcranks includes associated adjustable counterbalance means mounted on said second arms and projecting therefrom in a direction opposite to said first arm whereby centrifugal forces of said counterbalance tend to pivot said striping discs toward the surface of a wire passing therebetween while undergoing striping.

8. A striping head assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said tubular main body includes a pair of axially aligned tubes having their adjacent ends spaced apart and rigidly interconnected by a plurality of rigid spacer members disposed in radial planes about the exterior of said aligned tubes.

9. A striping head assembly as defined in claim 8 characterized in that said radially disposed spacer members cooperate with one another in forming a ring of segmental chambers about the zone between the adjacent ends of said tubes, and said striping discs having limited pivot movement generally radially of the axis of a said tubular main body in the space between the adjacent ends of said tubes.

10. A striping head assembly as defined in claim 9 characterized in that said means for maintaining the rims of said striping discs coated with striping agent includes a plurality of independent fluid reservoirs shaped complementally to said segmental chambers and including an upper hooded end substantially embracing an associated one of said striping discs and shaped to maintain the rim of the discs wet with striping fluid when the striping head assembly is being operated at its effective rotational speed.

11. A striping head assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said horizontally disposed pivot means for said bellcranks comprises a pair of axially-aligned pivot pin screws facing toward one another from the opposite sides of each of said bellcranks, and fixed threaded supports for each of said pivot screws whereby said bellcranks are bodily shiftable laterally of the plane thereof by appropriate axial adjustment of said pivot pin screws thereby to shift said striping rollers transversely of a radial plane through a wire undergoing strip- 12. A striping head assembly having a vertical axis along which a wire to be striped is passed, said assembly having an elongated main body having an open ended vertical passage therethrough along which wire undergoing striping passes and about the axis of which said head assembly is adapted to be rotated, a plurality of arms arranged about said main body including means pivotally supporting one end of each for movement generally radially of the axis of said vertical passage, a semicylindrical recess opening through one lateral side of the free ends of said arms, striping disc means adjustably clamped in said semicylindrical recess by means including a supporting shaft for said striping disc having an extension passing through a vertical slot in the free ends of each said arms, and means clamping the extension end of said shaft to said arm with the plane of the associated striping disc lying at a selected angle to the axis of a wire undergoing striping.

13. A striping head assembly as defined in claim 12 characterized in that said supporting shaft includes an enlargement fixed thereto shaped complementally to said semicylindrical recess and having a smooth sliding fit therein when said extension is positioned in said slot, and said adjustable clamping means being secured to the outer free end of said shaft extension and operable to clamp said striping disc firmly in a selected position thereof.

14. A striping disc subassembly for use in a wire striping head unit, said subassembly comprising counterbalanced pivotally supported arm means, a striping disc having a narrow rim adapted to operate against the surface of a wire undergoing striping, means for clamping said disc beside one exterior face of the free end of said arm means, said clamping means including shaft means having said disc rotatably supported on one end thereof and its other end threaded and projecting through a slot extending lengthwise of the free end of said arm means, and said shaft means including an arcuate surface complemental to and seated against a juxtaposed arcuate surface on said arm means and cooperating with said slot to restrict the adjusting movement of said disc to a plane normal to a diameter of the disc passing through a substantially constant point of tangency with a wire undergoing striping.

15. The subassembly defined in claim 14 characterized in that said clamping means includes a segment having an arcuate surface means securing said segment to a central portion of said shaft means, and said disc being secured to said shaft means on the end thereof remote from said arcuate surface.

16. A striping head assembly for use in applying spiral coding strips to wire as the head assembly is rotated about wire passing vertically therethrough, said head assembly comprising a first tubular mounting shank adapted to be socketed vertically in a rotary drive for said head assembly, a second tube axially aligned with and spaced above the top end of said mounting shank and connected thereto by means including a plurality of radially disposed connectors, a plurality of counterbalanced striping disc assemblies pivotally connected to said head assembly with the rim edges of said discs converging toward one another in the space between the adjacent ends of said first and second tubes and adapted to bear against a wire located along the axis of said tubes, ring means slidably supported axially of said second tube, separate independently adjustable linkage means connecting said ring means and said striping disc assemblies, and adjustable spring means bearing against said ring means for simultaneously varying the bias urging said striping discs toward one another.

17. A striping head assembly as defined in claim 16 characterized in the provision of means for applying a fluid coating medium to the peripheries of at least one of said striping discs from a container therefor removable from said head assembly without disturbing the position of said striping disc assemblies.

18. A striping head assembly as defined in claim 16 characterized in that said striping head assemblies include means for shifting the position of each striping disc axially thereof in either direction by a known magnitude.

19. A striping head assembly as defined in claim 16 characterized in that said striping head assemblies include independently adjustable means for adjusting the respective striping discs toward and away from the axis of said first and second tubes by small increments of known magnitude and independently of the position (if other of said striping discs.

20. A striping head assembly as defined in claim 16 characterized in that said means interconnecting the adjacent ends of said first and second tubes comprises ring means encircling the adjacent ends of said tubes and rigidly fixed thereto, and

three equally-shaped radially-disposed partition plates extending between and fixed to a respective one of saidring means, and said partition plates and ring means cooperating to fonn terized in the provision of n manually manipulatable keepers on the outer edges of said partition plates movable between positions retaining and releasing said coating fluid containers

Claims

2. A striping head assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said ring means is slidably supported along said tubular main body on the opposite end thereof from said mounting shank.

11. A striping head assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said horizontally disposed pivot means for said bellcranks comprises a pair of axially-aligned pivot pin screws facing toward one another from the opposite sides of each of said bellcranks, and fixed threaded supports for each of said pivot screws whereby said bellcranks are bodily shiftable laterally of the plane thereof by appropriate axial adjustment of said pivot pin screws thereby to shift said striping rollers transversely of a radial plane through a wire undergoing striping.

12. A striping head assembly having a vertical axis along which a wire to be striped is passed, said assembly having an elongated main body having an open ended vertical passage therethrough along which wire undergoing striping passes and about the axis of which said head assembly is adapted to be rotated, a plurality of arms arranged about said main body including means pivotally supporting one end of each for movement generally radially of the axis of said vertical passage, a semicylindrical recess opening through one lateral side of the free ends of said arms, striping disc means adjustably clamped in said semicylindrical recess by means including a supporting shaft for said striping disc having an extension passing through a vertical slot in the free ends of each said arms, and means clamping the extension end of said shaft to said arm with the plane of the associated striping disc lying at a selected angle to the axis of a wire undergoing striping.

19. A striping head assembly as defined in claim 16 characterized in that said striping head assemblies include independently adjustable means for adjusting the respective striping discs toward and away from the axis of said first and second tubes by small increments of known magnitude and independently of the position of other of said striping discs.

20. A striping head assembly as defined in claim 16 characterized in that said means interconnecting the adjacent ends of said first and second tubes comprises ring means encircling the adjacent ends of said tubes and rigidly fixed thereto, and three equally-shaped radially-disposed partition plates extending between and fixed to a respective one of said ring means, and said partition plates and ring means cooperating to form receptacles for coating fluid containers which containers are provided with inwardly facing openings at their upper ends to accommodate said striping discs.

21. A striping head assembly as defined in claim 20 characterized in the provision of n manually manipulatable keepers on the outer edges of said partition plates movable between positions retaining and releasing said coating fluid containers.