US3601042A

US3601042A - Method and apparatus for printing tags

Info

Publication number: US3601042A
Application number: US52651A
Authority: US
Inventors: Paul H Hamisch Sr
Original assignee: Monarch Marking Systems Inc
Current assignee: Avery Dennison Retail Information Services LLC
Priority date: 1970-07-06
Filing date: 1970-07-06
Publication date: 1971-08-24
Anticipated expiration: 1988-08-24
Also published as: GB1360063A; DE2133609A1

Abstract

A method and apparatus for printing closely spaced lines of characters on a series of tag parts, with a minimum of printing strokes and without the printing of extra tag parts, using a two section printhead having a plurality of band-set lines staggered between the two sections. Each tag part is fed past each printhead section and is partially printed by each section to be completed in two printing strokes. Adjacent tag parts are printed simultaneously by different sections of the printhead. One print stroke more than the total number of tag parts is employed. The feeding of blanks is inhibited during the last feed cycle. Counters control the printing of a selected number of single or multiple part tags through solid-state circuitry, and control the printing, feeding and cutting of tags, and the starting and stopping of the machine which prints them. The controls employ a combination of electrical and mechanical signals for driving, synchronizing, conditioning and enabling the various operations. A portion of the guideway is depressible to expose a cutting edge of the platen, a two section printhead structure with telescoping dials, and selective tag guides which retract into the guideway for accommodating various tag sizes are also provided.

Description

United States Patent inventor [22] Filed July 6,1970 [45] Patented Aug. 24, 1971 [73] Assignee' The Monarch Marking System Company Dayton, Ohio [54] METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRINTING TAGS 41 Claims, 44 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 101/69, 101/19 [51] lnt.C| B411 15/14 [50] Field ofSearch 101/19, 6769, 45, 90, 66

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,180,251 4/1965 Hamisch 101/69 3,228,601 1/1966 Hamisch.... 235/132 3,252,543 5/1966 Lippard..... 101/426 3,415,182 12/1968 White..... 101/68 3,415,183 12/1968 Dudley... 101/68 Re.24,547 10/1958 Braun 101/19 Primary Examiner-William B. Penn Assistant ExaminerE. M. Coven Attorney-Wood, Herron and Evans ABSTRACT: A method and apparatus for printing closely spaced lines of characters on a series of tag parts. with a minimum of printing strokes and without the printing of extra tag parts, using a two section printhead having a plurality of band-set lines staggered between the two sections. Each tag part is fed part each printhead section and is partially printed by each section to be completed in two printing strokes. Adjacent tag parts are printed simultaneously by different sections of the printhead. One print stroke more than the total number of tag parts is employed. The feeding of blanks is inhibited during the last feed cycle. Counters control the printing ofa selected number of single or multiple part tags through solid-state circuitry, and control the printing, feeding and cutting of tags, and the starting and stopping of the machine which prints them. The controls employ a combination of electrical and mechanical signals for driving, synchronizing, conditioning and enabling the various operations. A portion of the guideway is depressible to expose a cutting edge of the platen, a two section printhead structure with telescoping dials, and selective tag guides which retract into the guideway for accommodating various tag sizes are also provided.

Patented Aug. 24, 1971 3,601,042

15 Sheets-Sheet 1 17:1 111.1 :3 CCII] :3 1::3 :13 53:1: :1 7/

l 2 3 4 OFF ON 4 mm l LTAss PARTS KNIFE 53 43;? MJ

I 294 OFZ/ON F I I l l I LTAGS PARTS KNIFE j 6/ 2 52 F563 @J :23] A 4 [1331131113 TAGS PARTS KNIFE Ea-m 3; F I I HID TAGS PARTS KNIFE j n Y f {63 2 3 I 2 3 4 OFF ON mm OIUJJIID TAGS PARTS KNIFE 1 f r i mmm g "7" [rm-[JUL] k TAGS PARTS KNIFE Y uzz Mada. w f' Z/ M,WM

Patented Aug. 24, 1971 3,601,042

15 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Aug. 24, 1971 15 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VENTOR.

y W flffOK/VEYS Patented Aug. 24, 1971 15 Sheets-Sheet G INVENTOR. PM (A W 4 BY z/ml, M i am flraelve Y5 Patented Aug. 24, 3,601,042

15 Sheets-Sheet 7 WA B40 00/ J INVENTOR.

15 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTOR.

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lama, flmM/W Patented Aug. 24, 1971 Patented Aug. 24, I971 15 Sheets-Sheet 10 INVENTOR 4 TTO/?N)J Patentd Aug. 24, 1971 3,601,042

15 Sheets-Sheet 11 .32 I: I: I: -150 INVENTOR. W1. Mala/J.

Patented Aug. 24, 1971 3,601,042

15 Sheets-Sheet l2 Patented Aug. 24, 1971 3,601,042

15 Sheets-Sheet 15 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRINTING TAGS This invention relates to the printing of tickets, tags and labels. More particularly, this invention relates to a novel and highly efficient methodand apparatus for printing high-density information upon a series of tags or tag parts with a minimum number of printing strokes and without the wasting of tags.

The increased use of sophisticated inventory systems in stores has led to a great reliance on tags bearing a large amount of information required'for inventory. Such tags are attached to merchandise, particularly garment merchandise and may comprise several identical separable tag parts which can be distributed to various departments of the store. The information on these tags usually includes humanly intelligible printed information such as the price, a description of the merchandise, etc. In some instances, machinereadable coded data may also be printed on the tag to facilitate its use with automatic data-processing equipment.

A major consideration in the printing of these tags is that the procedure may be simple and fast to set up, the operation be speedy and efiicient, and that both set up and operation be reliable. Because stores require tags in a wide variety of types and numbers with each batch or run requiring different printed information devices such as that disclosed in U..S. Pat. No. 3,180,254 of I-Iamisch, Apr. 27, 1965 have been employed. This device includes a multiline printhead wherein each line comprises a plurality of characters, each carried by a different one of a plurality of endless bands arranged in sideby-side relation. These bands were quickly and easily settable to a desired character. This device also includes simple to use controls for selecting the number of tags to be printed per run, and the number of parts to be printed per tag. This machine operates efficiently with one printing stroke for each tag part printed and results in no printing of unusable tag parts.

The multiline band-set printhead has one inherent limitation and that is in the density of information which can be printed by it. This is due to the limited closeness of spacing of the band-set lines of type. An approach to solving this problem has been to employ a two-section multiline printhead for printing alternate lines upon each tag part in a two-step process. Where employed in prior art devices, this approach has resulted in the sacrifice of either operator efficiency, machine efiiciency, or both. For example, a shifting two-section printhead, imprinting each tag part with two impressions of the printhead, one with each printing section, doubles the number of operating strokes required and cuts in half the optimal speed of the machine. On the other hand, printing with a two-section printhead simultaneously on two adjacent tag parts has, in the prior art devices which employ this method, generated extra half-printed tags or tag parts at either the beginning or end of each run or both. This not only results in a waste of tag stock, but more importantly, results in a waste in operator time in removing and discarding these unusable tags, and is further a source of operator error in failing to remove these tags and including them in one of the batches. Since the information to be printed on successive batches is usually different, corresponding to two different items of merchandise, an extra tag, printed partially with one batch, and partially with the next batch, carries meaningless information which could jeopardize the whole inventory system.

Accordingly, it is a general objective of the present invention to provide a highly flexible and efficient method and apparatus for printing tags, tickets or labels which is simple and reliable in operation and speedy and efiicient in use, and more particularly, utilizing a two-section multiple-line printhead wherein two sets of lines are successively printed in alternate relation upon a tag or tag part.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a novel method and apparatus for controlling such a printing of tags with a minimum of printing strokes and without the generation of extra partially or completely printed tags or tag parts, and more particularly, to provide a method and apparatus employing an improved combination of electrical and mechanical operations to effectively achieve the above objectives.

A further objective of the present invention is to provide a novel two-section printhead and selective tag guide means which can be quickly and easily set.

The present invention is predicated in part upon the concept of printing a plurality of alternately spaced lines simultaneously upon adjacent tag parts of single or multiple part tags from a strip of tag blanks with different sections of a twosection printhead, each section defining a different printing stage and feeding relative to the printhead, each tag part successively to each of the stages, and printing upon each tag part at each stage, but while disabling the feed of an additional tag blank to the first stage while the last tag part of a run is being fed to the second stage, to thereby print with only one printing stroke more than the total number of tag parts to be printed without generating extra or partially printed tags. This invention is also predicated in part upon the concept of electrically and mechanically conditioning, under the selective control of a counter, the feeding, cutting, and drive functions for printing a given number of multiple p'art tags.

The invention further provides a two-section staggered line printhead with each section supported at a common spacing plane and each stage having a plurality of rows of characters each carried by endless bands and selectively settable by telescopically mounted dials on opposite sides of the printhead.

A variable width channel is provided on the tag guideway to accommodate tags of different widths and at different transverse positions relative to the printhead. The guideway is also provided with a depressible portion which moves with the cutting knife to facilitate the severing of tags from the strip.

The important advantages of the present invention are in overcoming the problems of excessive printing strokes and wasted tags in using a two-section band-set printhead in printing high-density information upon tags, and in providing an improved and simplified method and apparatus for controlling such a tag-printing operation.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from consideration of the following detailed description of the drawings illustrating one preferred form of tag printing apparatus and method embodying principles of the present invention, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating various shapes and sizes of tags labeled types A through E which can be printed on one form of tag-printing apparatus according to the present invention;

FIGS. 2-7 are diagrammatic illustrations of selected completed sample runs of tags and the corresponding control settings which generated them;

FIGS. 8-15 diagrammatically illustrate a sequence of operations performed in printing the selected sample run of FIG. 2;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a tag-printing machine, in accordance with principles of the present invention, set up for the printing of the E type tags of FIG. 1;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view, partially broken away, of the apparatus of FIG. 16 showing the alternate ticket stockmounting set up for the printing of A type gummed labels;

FIG. 18 is a top plan view, partially broken away, of the apparatus of FIG. 16 with the cover removed except that the apparatus is set for B type tags;

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 19-19 of FIG. 18 illustrating the magnetic switch structure;

FIG. 20 is an exploded diagrammatic perspective view, partially broken away for purposes of clarity, of the clutch mechanism and associated actuating solenoids;

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 21-21 of FIG. 18 further illustrating the clutch mechanism in a disengaged condition;

FIG. 22 is a view similar to FIG. 21 except with the clutch mechanism engaged;

FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 23-23 of FIG. 18 illustrating the arms for actuating the various components of the apparatus;

FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 24-24 of FIG. 23 illustrating the fender releasing mechanism;

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 25-25 of FIG. 23 illustrating the ink pad and printhead-operating cam and mechanism;

FIG. 26 is a diagrammatic view of the ink pad and printhead cams of FIG. 25;

FIG. 27 is a view similar to FIG. 26, but of the printhead cam of FIG. 25 only;

FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 28-28 of FIG. 23 illustrating the knife-driving cam and associated linkage in the knife unlatched or inoperative condition;

FIG; 29 is a view similar to FIG. 28 except illustrating the mechanism in a knife-latched or operative condition;

FIG. 30 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 30-30 of FIG. 18 illustrating the selectable ticket guides and associated mechanism;

FIG. 31 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 31-31 of FIG. 30 further illustrating the ticket guides;

FIG. 32 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 32-32 of FIG. 30;

FIGS. 33 through 36 are diagrammatic cross-sectional views taken along lines 33-33 through 36-36 respectively of FIG. 32, with the guide selector set for tags of types A through E respectively, the B row in the figures corresponding to the setting illustrated in FIG. 32;

FIG. 37 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 37-37 of FIG. 25 illustrating the staggered two-section printhead;

FIG. 38 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 38-38 of FIG. 37;

FIG. 39 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 39-39 of FIG. 37 illustrating the detent mechanism for controlling the setting mechanism of the printhead;

FIG. 40 is a schematic diagram of the electrical circuit of the machine, including the solid-state control circuitry;

' FIGS. 40A and 40B are schematic diagrams of the part counter and power supply portions of the solid-state control circuitry;

FIG. 41 is a logic diagram relating the mechanical and electrical functions of the machine; and

FIG. 42 is a timing diagram illustrating the functions of the machine and the sequence of steps performed in the operation illustrated in FIGS. 8-15.

MACHINE CAPABILITIES The description of the invention will be better understood if first the general capabilities of the tag-printing machine according to the present invention are briefly described. The capabilities include those of printing on one machine, tags of differing sizes, having differing numbers of printed lines, and comprising a differing number of identical attached tag parts. FIG. 1 illustrates tag part blanks of five different tag types labeled A'- through E." These blanks are shown in their positions of alignment with the printing station and feed fingers, a relationship which will be more fully appreciated in connection with the discussion of the printhead structure and selective guides below.

FIG. 1 shows a print station 50, blanks 60 to be printed at the station 50, and a feed finger assembly 70 for advancing the tag 60 through the printing station 50. The feed finger assembly 70 advances blanks 60 from the right to the left of FIG. I, along a path defining the longitudinal coordinate of the machine. The dimension of a blank 60 or tag part in this direction is referred to as the tag part length. A dimension in the direction transverse the direction of feed is referred to as the tag width or the tag strip width.

The printing station 50 consists of two

print stages

51 and 52 spaced longitudinally apart one tag part length. At the two

printing stages

51 and 52, a printhead carrying six rows of type 53-1 to 53-6, imprints up to six rows of printed characters on each tag blank 60 to form a printed tag part. The six rows of type, 53-1 to 53-6, are oriented longitudinally and are spaced transversely, in numerical order, across the width of the print station 50. The lines are distributed in staggered fashion between the two

stages

51 and 52 with the lines 53-2 and 53-4 located at the first stage 51, and the lines 53-1 and 53-3, and 53-5 53-6 located at the second stage 52. The lines of the different stages are imprinted simultaneously ,upon adjacent tag parts, and successively upon the same tag part, first at stage 51 then at stage 52. This two-stage printing operation allows the rows 53 to be printed closer together than the rows of type can be placed on a printhead when in convenient resettable typeband form.

From FIG. 1 it can be seen that the blanks 60 are of varying widths and differ in the combination of lines which can be imprinted on them. For example, the A" type blank spans three rows of type and is so aligned with the printing station 50 that it will be imprinted by rows of type 53-3, 53-4 and 53-5. The C type blank also carries three lines of characters but is so aligned with the printing station 50 that it will be imprinted by rows of type 53-1, 53-2 and 53-3, while the E type blank is of maximum width and will be imprinted by all six rows of type 53-1 to 53-6.

While FIG. 1 illustrates the versatility of the machine in printing blanks of various sizes and shapes and with various combinations of printed rows of characters, FIGS. 2-7 illustrate the versatility of the machine in the printing and cutting of a selected number of multiple-part tags in a tag-printing run. This selectivity feature is provided by three controls: a tag counter 81 presettable to the total number of tags to be printed in the printing run, a part selector 82 settable to the total number of tag parts of which each completed multiplepart tag will consist, and a knife selector switch 83 which selectively controls the condition of a knife for severing individual multiple part tags from each other during the run. Each of the FIGS. 2-7 illustrates the results of a different tagprinting run, together with the presettings of the controls required to achieve these results.

FIG. 2 illustrates a run of two two-part tags with the knife selector ON, and shows also how the controls are set to achieve this. In this run, four tag parts 63-1 through 63-4 are printed and cut into two two-part tags 64-1 and 64-2. Similarly, FIG. 3 shows a run of two four-part tags with the knife selector ON, and FIG. 4 shows a run of three three-part tags with the knife ON. FIG. 5 also shows a run of threethreepart tags but with the knife selector OFF, which in fact, results in nine tag parts connected together. FIG. 6 shows a run of nine one-part tags with the knife selector OFF, and in the result, this run is identical to that shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 shows a run of nine one-part tags, but with the knife ON, also producing nine tag parts but severed into nine one-part tags.

GENERAL OPERATION Before describing in detail the structure of the machine according to the present invention, a general sequence of operation will be described in conjunction with FIGS. 8-15. These Figures show the step-by-step printing operation for the printing of two two-part tags with the knife selector ON as illustrated in FIG. 2. The four tag parts of this run are printed in five machine cycles including only five strokes of the printhead, and in addition, no extra tag or tag part, is produced either completely or partially printed, at either the beginning or end of the run.

FIG. 8 shows diagrammatically the tag-printing machine set up for a run. A continuous strip 62 of blanks 60 of the B type is shown with its end blank adjacent the printing station 50. During the printing run illustrated, each blank 60 will be imprinted with four rows 53 of characters in two successive multiple line printing operations, with rows 53-2, and 53-4 at stage 51, and then with rows 53-3 and 53-5 at stage 52.

A cutting knife 90, mounted transverse the path of strip 62 on the entry side of the printing stage 51 is normally maintained justabove the tag strip 62 and is pivotally mounted, about the shaft 91 which is parallel to the strip 62, to move downwardly to sever tags from the strip 62. The feed finger assembly 70 includes two sets of feed fingers, a first set of tagadvancing fingers 71, and a second set of strip-advancing fingers 72 spaced one tag part length behind the tag-advancing fingers 71. The fingers engage notches 73 between the blanks 60 of the strip 62 to advance the tag or the strip one tag part length in each cycle of operation of the feed fingers. A fender 75 underlies the strip feed fingers 72 and overlies the strip 62. The fender 75 is normally inactive in the position shown in FIG. 8. When the fender 75 is activated, it is interposed between the finger 72 and the corresponding notch 73 of the strip 62 to prevent the fingers 72 from engaging, and thereby advancing, the strip 62 as the fingers 72 advance in a feed cycle. This is shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. The tag-advancing fingers 71 advance either severed or unsevered partially printed tag parts from stage 51 to stage 52. The strip-advancing fingers 72, when not disabled by the activated fender 75, advance the strip 62 one tag part length to bring a blank tag 60 to station 51. When the controls have been preset as illustrated in FIG. 2, the operation proceeds as follows:

As shown in FIG. 9, the strip feed fingers 72, by engagement of the underlying slot 73 of the strip 62, begin to advance the strip 62 to bring the first of the blanks 60 to the first print stage 51. After the

feed fingers

71 and 72 have so advanced the strip, they retract, and with one stroke of the printhead, the rows 53-2 and 53-4 of type imprint lines of printed characters 54-2 and 54-4 upon the first of the blanks 60 to partially form a tag part 63-1 as shown in FIG. 10. This completes the first machine cycle.

A second cycle of operation completes the first tag part 63-1 and partially forms a second tag part 63-2 as shown in FIG. 11. The tag part 63-1 is advanced from stage 51 to stage 52 where the lines of characters 54-3 and 54-5 are printed upon it by rows of type 53-3 and 53-4 in a second stroke of the printhead, while simultaneously a new tag blank 60 of the strip 62 is advanced into the stage 51 where the lines of characters 54-2 and 544 are imprinted upon it to partially form the second tag part 63-2. During this cycle, since the second part of a two-part tag is being formed because two-part tags are to be printed, and since the knife control is set for the severing of these tags from each other, the knife 90 is actuated to sever the tag part 63-2 from the strip 62, to form a two-part tag 64-1 of tag parts 63-1 and 63-2.

In the third cycle of operation, both sets of

feed fingers

71 and 72 are operative to advance both the severed tag 64-1 and the strip 62. The tag feed fingers 71 advance the severed tag 64-1 to carry the tag part 63-2 from stage 51 to stage 52, while the strip feed fingers 72 similarly engage and advance the leading blank tag part 60 of the strip 62 into stage 51. The feed fingers then retract and, with a single stroke of the printhead, tag part 63-2 is completed at stage 52 with lines 54-3 and 54-5 being imprinted upon it by rows of type 53-3 and 53-5, and lines 54-2 and 54-4 being simultaneously imprinted upon tag part 63-3 at stage 51. This third cycle results in the completion of the two-part tag 64-1 as shown in FIG. 12.

The fourth cycle for arriving at the condition shown in FIG. 13. The knife blade 90 actuates to sever a fourth partially completed tag part 63-4 from the blank strip 62 to form a partially completed two-part tag 64-2. In addition, the completed tag 64-1 is forced from the print station 50. However, now, since four tag blanks have been fed to the printing station 50, which is all that is necessary to form the four tag parts which make up the two two-part tags to be printed in this run, it is desired to stop the feed of blanks 60 from the strip 62 to the printing station 50. But since the last tag part 63-4 is only partially completed, one addition machine cycle must be executed in which the tag part 63-4 is advanced from stage 51 to stage 52, where with one more stroke of the printhead, lines 54-3 and 54-5 are imprinted upon it. These functions are achieved by conditioning the machine, for executing one more cycle with the strip feed fingers 72 disabled, by the interposing of the fender 75 between the strip feed fingers 72 and the strip 62 thereby covering slot 73 at the end of the fourth cycle of operation. This conditioning occurs generally whenever the machine has executed a number of cycles equal to the product of the number of tags to be printed times the number of tag parts per tag, as is set by

controls

81 and 82 at the beginning of the run. Also, the actuation of the knife 90 occurs at this time regardless of whether or not the knife control switch 83 is set to ON. The fifth cycle proceeds as illustrated in FIG. 14, wherein only the severed tags are advanced by the tag feed fingers 71 to bring tag part 63-4 to stage 52. FIG. 15 illustrates the completion of the fifth cycle of operation where the feed fingers have retracted and a fifth printhead stroke has completed the second two-part tag 64-2, and restored fender 75 to its original position and thereby completed the run. Two two-part tags 64-1 and 64-2 have been printed, but no partially printed tags or tag parts'have beenprinted either at the beginning or the end of the run. In the above sequence of operation, four tag parts have been printed in a two-stage plural line process, and in five cycles of machine operation, including only five printhead strokes, only one cycle more than the number of tag parts that are printed in the run.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE APPARATUS The apparatus according to the present invention is best described by reference to the tag-printing machine illustrated in FIG. 16. The tag-printing machine comprises the printing station which includes a two-stage printhead reciprocatable with respect to a frame 56. (Reference to the frame 56 is made whenever it is necessary to refer to the frame 56 or to a structure or support rigidly secured to the frame or closing of the machine.) The machine also includes a supply station 65 for supplying the blank tag parts in the form of a continuous strip 62 and a guideway 93 forming a path connecting the tag supply station with the printing station 50. The strip 62 of blank tags 60 is threaded from the supply station 65 along the guideway 93 and into the printing station 50. Overlying the strip 62 on the guideway 93 is the feed finger assembly mounted to reciprocate longitudinally along the guideway 93. The strip 62 may be either supplied from the spool 94 or from the alternate spool 95 (FIG. 17) behind the door 96. The spool 94 is used for supplying relatively stiff paper tags and string tags illustrated in FIG. 16 as the E type blanks of FIG. 1, while the spool 95 is of smaller diameter and suitable for relatively thin flexible tags such as gummed labels of the size illustrated in FIG. 1 as A" type blanks. In the initial threading of the machine, the strip 62 from the spool 94 is brought around a tapered pulley 97 which aids in twisting the strip from a vertical to a horizontal orientation. When string tags are used, a short length of string will trail from each of the blanks 60 and to insure that these strings are separated or untangled, the strings of the unwound portion of the tag strip 62 are combed over a string bar 98 which is pivotally mounted about an axis parallel to the axis of the spool 94 and spring urged against the spool 94. The strings of tag blanks proceeding through the guideway 93 are further passed between opposing brushes actuated by a brush lever 99 as will be shown more clearly in FIG. 23.

The controls of the machine are mounted on a switch panel 80. These controls include the tag counter 81 having three presettable digit wheels 84, the four position rotary part selector switch 82, and the two position rotary knife control switch 83. The

controls

81, 82 and 83 are preset before each run. The panel also includes a momentary pushbutton start switch which is used to initiate a run of tags, a momentary pushbutton stop switch 86 which is used to interrupt the normal run under the control of the counter, and a momentary pushbutton reset switch 87 which is used only to reset the solidstate controls of the machine after power has been interrupted or after it has been necessary to terminate a run by depression of the stop button 86. A power switch 88 is provided at the on the panel 80 to selectively set guides within the guideway 93 to provide means for aligning tags 60 of the various sizes or types A through E illustrated in FIG. 1. This dial 89 should be preset prior to the threading of the machine.

CYCLIC DRIVE SYSTEM All of the functions of the tag-marking machine of the present invention are driven in a timed relationship by a rotating shaft, one rotation of which defines an operating cycle of the machine. The machine functions are considered to comprise unconditional functions and conditional functions. The unconditional functions are those which occur or are performed in each cycle of rotation of the shaft. The conditional functions, although driven by and timed in response to rotation of the shaft, will only be performed when they are conditioned or enabled by the controls of the machine. The unconditional functions include the printing, inking, and feeding functions, while the conditional functions include the cutting function performed by the interposing function performed by the knife 90, fender 75 and the automatic stopping of the machine at the end of a cycle.

The drive system of the machine is best understood by reference first to FIG. 18. The drive system includes a cyclic drive assembly 100, a motor assembly 101, and a clutch 102 connected between the cyclic drive assembly 100 and the motor 101. The cyclic drive assembly 100 is primarily a series of cams concentrically mounted upon a camshaft 117 which is rotatably mounted near the central portion of frame 56 by a camshaft bearing support assembly 103 and is suitably journaled at its other end by a bearing (not shown) support in the left-hand portion of the frame 56 (See FIG. 24).

"The motor assembly 101 includes an electric motor 104 which is coupled to a gear reduction unit 105 havinga doubleended rotary output shaft 106. A knob 107 is secured to one end of the shaft 106-and is accessible from the outside of the machine to provide means for manually rotating the output shaft106 for the purpose of servicing and the like. A toothed output shaft sprocket 108 secured to the shaft 106 is linked by a chain 109 to a toothed camshaft sprocket 110 of the clutch assembly 102. i

The clutch assembly 102 is a pawl and ratchet-type clutch assembly and is best illustrated by reference to FIGS. 20, 21 and 22. The clutch 102 includes a driving portion 112 of which the camshaft sprocket 110 is a part, a driven portion 113 which is locked to the camshaft 117, and a clutch latch 114 which conditions the clutch 102 for engagement and disengagementbetween the

clutch portions

112 and 113. The clutch driven portion 113 includes clutch flange 115 fixably held by a pin 116 to the camshaft 117 of the cyclic drive assembly 100. The shaft 117 has a stub end or sleeve bearing portion 118 at its outer end. The clutch driving portion 112 includes the camshaft sprocket 110 which is rigidly attached to an inner sleeve-bearing portion 119. The sleeve-bearing portion 119 is rotatably received about the stub end 118 of the driven portion 113. The driving portion 112 is retained on the stub end 118 by a screw and washer 120. A clutch ratchet 121 forms the outer surface of the driving clutch portion 112. The ratchet 121 rotates together with the inner sleeve 119 and has seven squared notches 122 evenly spaced about its circumference. A clutch pawl 124 is pivotally mounted to the clutch flange 115 of the driven clutch portion 113 by a pawl support 123 and is spring biased toward the ratchet 121 by spring 123a contained in the pawl support 123 (FIG. 22). The clutch pawl 124 is adapted to engage one of the notches 122 of the clutch ratchet 121 to make a driving connection between the two

portions

112 and 113 of the clutch 102 as shown in FIG. 22. To maintain the drive assembly 100 in a normal idling condition, the clutch is disengaged by maintaining the pawl 124 out of engagement with the notches 122 as illustrated in FIG. 21. The pawl 124 is so held by the clutch latch assembly 114.

Referring again to FIG. 20, the pawl 124is provided with a cam follower 125 which projects through a slot 126 in the clutch flange 115 to engage a camming surface 127 presented by a clutch lever 128 of the clutch latch 114. The clutch lever 128 is pivotally mounted to the frame 56 of the machine at point 129 and is biased toward the clutch flange 115 by a spring 130. When the clutch lever 128 is in the clutch unlatch position against the flange 115, the clutch pawl 124 will be disengaged from the ratchet 121 on its next passing of the camming surface 127. The pawl 124 will be held out of engagement, and the flange 115 will be held against rotation until the clutch lever 128 is moved to the clutch latch position away from the flange 115. When the lever 128 is in this latch position, the pawl 124 drops against ratchet 121 to engage the next notch 122 to pass the pawl 124.

A pawl arrester link 131 is pivotally mounted to the clutch lever 128 at point 132. The link 131 is biased by a spring 133 toward the cam follower 125 and serves to lock the pawl 124 out of engagement with the ratchet 121 when the cam follower 125 ison a step portion 134 of the camming surface 127. Thus, the cam follower 125 can move to step 134 along cam surface 127, but can move from the step 134 only by a pivoting of the lever 128 away from flange 115 when clutch engagement is desired.

The engagement of the clutch 102 is accomplished by the energizing of a rotary solenoid 137. The output shaft (not shown) of the solenoid 137 is connected to an arm 138. When the solenoid 137 is energized, the arm rotates to a position against the clutch lever128 deflecting it away from the clutch flange 115 and releasing the cam follower 125, thereby allowing the clutch pawl 124 todrop into one of the notches 122 which next passes the pawl as the driving clutch portion 112 rotates. A trip lever 140 holds the clutch lever 128 away from the clutch flange until an appropriate command to stop the machine is given. The trip lever is pivotally mounted to the shaft 141 which is fixed to the frame 56 of the machine. At the free'end of the trip lever 140 is a detent notch 142. The trip lever 140 is biased by spring 143 toward the lever 128. When the solenoid 137 is energized, the lever 128 is pivoted beyond the step of the detent 142 and the lever 140 pivots to latch the lever 128 away from the clutch flange 115. In stopping the machine a trip solenoid (not shown) having an output shaft 146 linked to the trip lever 140, is energized causing the trip lever 140 to move away from the lever 128 to I remove the notch 142 from behind the clutch lever 128 and to allow the spring 130 to move the lever 128 toward the clutch flange 115 where the camming surface 127 is positioned in the path of the cam follower 125. During the next revolution of the clutch flange 115, the cam follower 125 is caught by the camming surface l27'and cammed into the notch 134 of the clutch lever 128, thereby lifting the pawl 124 out of engagement with the notch 122 and disengaging the clutch 102. This action stops the camshaft 117 of the cyclic drive assembly 100 in a specific angular orientation referred to henceforth as the 0 position of the cyclic drive assembly 100.

As mentioned above, the cyclic drive 100 has conditional and unconditional periodic output functions. These output functions are in the form of either mechanical signals produced generally by cams, or electrical signals produced by the magnetic actuation of switches.

The general timing of these functions will be described in more detail below in connection with FIGS. 41 and 42. The structure for performing these functions is shown in FIG. 18.

concentrically mounted on the camshaft 117 is a barrel cam assembly 150. The cam assembly 150 includes a feed cam groove 151 for driving the feed finger assembly 70, a fender reset cam 152 which resets the fender 75, and a portion of electric pulse generating means 155 which drive the electronic counter and synchronize the conditional functions to the operation of the cyclic drive 100.

The electric pulse-generating means 155 is better illustrated in FIG. 19. This means 155 includes a permanent magnet 156 set into a recess in the circumference of the cam 150. The

Claims

1. A method for printing a plurality of tag parts in the form of N tags having M parts each for a total of (M X N) tag parts, in a minimum of printing strokes and without the printing of extra tag parts, with a printhead having two rigidly interconnected sections including a first section for printing at a first stage and a second section for printing at a second stage, each tag part being printed first at said first stage then at said second stage with a total of at least three lines of which one line printed at one of said stages falls between two lines printed at the other of said stages for a close line spacing, said method comprising, in order, the steps of: partially printing a tag part at said first stage with said first section of said printhead by a first printing stroke; performing (M X N)-1 intermediate operations, each of said intermediate operations comprising the steps of feeding a partially printed tag part from said first stage to said second stage and simultaneously feeding a blank tag part to said first stage, and thereafter printing tag parts simultaneously with a single printing stroke at both said first stage with said first printhead section to partially print a tag part, and at said second stage with said second printhead section to complete a tag part; feeding the partially printed Mth tag part of the Nth tag from said first stage to said second stage while inhibiting any feeding of blank tag parts to sAid first stage; and printing said Mth tag part of said Nth tag at said second stage with said second section of said printhead with the last printing stroke to complete a partially printed tag.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of: feeding a blank tag part to said first stage prior to said first printing stroke.

3. A method according to claim 1 for printing N tags having M parts each for a total of N X M tag parts, in (M X N)+1 printing strokes, said method comprising the steps of: generating first signals corresponding one for each one of said printing strokes; generating second signals corresponding one for each Nth one of said first signals; counting said second signals, thereby counting the partial printing of the Mth tag parts; generating a third signal corresponding to the Nth one of said second signals, thereby signaling the at least partial printing of said total number of tags parts; and said inhibiting of any feeding of blank tag parts to said first stage being in response to said third signal.

4. A method according to claim 3 for printing N separate tags of M attached tag parts each, wherein said blank tags are supplied in the form of a continuous strip, said method further comprising the steps of: severing from said strip each tag part which, during each Mth one of said printing steps, is partially printed at said first stage.

5. A method according to claim 4 further comprising the steps of: enabling said severing steps in response to each of said second signals.

6. A method according to claim 3 further comprising the steps of: generating print signals; generating feed signals; said print signals and feed signals being synchronized with said first signals; said printing steps being responsive to said print signals; and said feeding steps being responsive to said feed signals.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein said print signals and feed signals are mechanical signals.

8. A method according to claim 4 further comprising the steps of: enabling said severing step in response to said second signals; generating knife drive signals synchronized with said first signals; and said severing step being responsive to the coincidence of the enabling of said severing step and any one of said knife drive signals.

9. A method according to claim 8 further comprising the steps of: generating knife reset signals synchronized with said first signals; and disabling said severing step in response to said knife reset signals.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein said knife drive signals and said knife reset signals are mechanical signals.

11. A method according to claim 3 wherein each of said partial printing steps includes cyclically operating a printing drive means which is drivingly connected to the printhead to cyclically move the printhead in imprinting relationship to the tag parts, and wherein said method further includes the steps of: generating a pulse signal in synchronism with each cycle of operation of said printing drive means; generating a drive-disabling signal in synchronism with the (M X N)+1-th cycle of said drive means; and stopping said printing drive means in response to the coincidence of said drive-disabling signal and any one of said pulse signals.

12. A method according to claim 3 further comprising the steps of: generating blank-feed signals; said feeding of said blank tags being in response to said blank-feed signals; generating an inhibit signal in response to the Nth one of said second signals for inhibiting said blank-feed signals, thereby inhibiting any feeding of blank tags to said first stage; generating inhibit reset signals synchronized with said first signals; and resetting said inhibit signals in response to any one of said inhibit reset signals.

13. A method according to claim 3: wherein at least one of said first, second and third signals are electrical signals.

14. An apparatus for printing a plurality of tag parts in the form of N tags having M parts each for a total of (M X N) tag parts, in a minimum of printing strokes and without the printing of extra tag parts, with a printhead having two rigidly interconnected sections including a first section for printing at a first stage and a second section for printing at a second stage, each tag part being printed first at said first stage then at said second stage with a total of at least three lines of which one line printed at one of said stages falls between two lines printed at the other of said stages for close line spacing, said apparatus comprising: a supply of blank tag parts; a printing station including said first and said second printing stages; a guideway extending from said supply through said stages of said printing station; feeding means positioned adjacent said guideway for feeding tag parts along said guideway from said supply to said first stage and from said first stage to said second stage; means for inhibiting said feeding means from feeding blank tag parts from said supply to said first stage when said inhibiting means are actuated; and control means connected to said printing station, said feeding means, and said inhibiting means for operating said printing station through (M X N)+1 printing strokes, for operating said feeding means through a feeding step between each of said printing strokes, and for actuating said inhibiting means during the feeding step which occurs between the (M X N)th and the (M X N)+1th printing stroke.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein both N and M are numbers greater than one, and wherein said control means comprises: means for generating first signals corresponding to each of said printing steps; a part counter having an input connected to said first signal generating means, and having an output; said part counter generating at its output second signals corresponding to each Mth one of said first signals; a tag counter having an input connected to the output of said part counter, and having an output; said tag counter generating at its output a third signal corresponding to the Nth one of said second signals; and said inhibiting means being connected to the output of said tag counter and being actuated by said third signal.

16. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein: said supply comprises a continuous strip of blank tag parts; said control means comprises a tag counter for generating a signal corresponding to the printing of the Nth tag; said apparatus further comprises a knife positioned adjacent said guideway and responsive to said signal for severing said Nth tag from strip.

17. An apparatus according to claim 14 for printing N separate tags wherein: said supply comprises a continuous strip of blank tags; said control means includes means for generating a signal corresponding to the printing of each tag; and said apparatus further comprises a knife positioned adjacent said guideway and responsive to said signal for severing each printed tag from said strip of blank tags.

18. An apparatus according to claim 15 for printing N separate tags having M attached tag parts each, wherein: said supply comprises a continuous strip of blank tags; and said apparatus further comprises a knife positioned adjacent said guideway and responsive to said second signals for severing each M-part tag from said strip.

19. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said feeding means comprises: a pair of feeding members spaced one tag part length apart along said guideway, said pair including a first member engageable with said supply for said feeding of blank tags to said first stage, and a second member engageable with a tag part at said first stage for said feeding to saId second stage; and wherein said inhibiting means, when actuated, disables said second feeding member and thereby inhibits any feeding of blank tag parts to said first stage.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19 wherein said inhibiting means includes: a fender movable from an inactive position to a position against said second feed member to prevent engagement of said blank tags by said member.

21. An apparatus according to claim 19 wherein said control means comprises: a tag counter for generating a signal corresponding to the printing of the Nth tag; and said inhibiting means being actuated by said signal.

22. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said control means further comprises: a cyclic drive operatively connected to said printing station and to said feeding means; a motor; a clutch connected between said motor and said cyclic drive to form a conditional driving engagement therebetween; a tag counter having an output, said tag counter generating at its output an end-of-run signal corresponding to the printing of the Nth tag; and means for disengaging said clutch in response to said signal after the (M X N)+1th printing stroke.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22 wherein: said end-of-run signal is generated by said tag counter in response to the (M X N)th printing stroke; and wherein said control means further comprises: delay means connected between the output of said tag counter and said disengaging means to permit an additional printing stroke after the occurrence of said end-of-run signal.

24. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein said delay means comprises: a clutch latch for conditioning said clutch to engage and release, said latch having alternative latched and unlatched states; clutch release signal generating means partially carried by said cyclic drive and partially carried by said clutch latch, for generating clutch release signals corresponding to a predetermined cyclic position of said cyclic drive, each of said clutch release signals demarking cycles of said cyclic drive, each cycle including one printing stroke; a count signal generator carried at least partially by said cyclic drive for generating count signals synchronized to said clutch release signals, said end-of-run signal timed to the count signal of the (M X N)th cycle; a reset signal generator having an output and carried at least partially by said cyclic drive for generating signals synchronized to said clutch release signals and preceding said count signals in each cycle; said clutch latch connected to said reset signal generator and responsive to the coincidence of any one of said reset signals and said end-of-run signal for setting said latch to said unlatched state; said clutch-disengaging means being responsive to the coincidence of the unlatched state of said clutch latch and any one of said clutch release signals.

25. An apparatus according to claim 24 wherein: said clutch-disengaging means includes a cam member and a cooperating cam follower member, one of said members carried by said cyclic drive and one of said members carried by said clutch latch; said clutch release signal-generating means including said cam and cam follower members, said clutch release signal being defined by the alignment of said cam follower member with a predetermined position of said cam.

26. An apparatus according according to claim 24 wherein said count signal generator and said reset signal generator are electric pulse generators.

27. An apparatus according to claim 26 wherein said control means further comprises an electromagnetic solenoid having a winding connected to the output of said signal generator, said solenoid having an output shaft connected to said clutch for setting said latch to said unlatched state when said solenoid is energized.

28. An apparatus according to claim 24 wherein said control means further comprises: a start signal generator having an output; an electromagnetic solenoid having an input connected to the output of said start signal generator, said solenoid having an output shaft connected to said clutch latch, said solenoid being energized by a signal at its input, said solenoid setting said latch to said latched state when energized; and said clutch being engaged in response to the latched state of said clutch latch,

29. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said control means further comprises: a motor; and a cyclic drive having an input drivably connected to said motor, said cyclic drive having a plurality of periodic outputs, said outputs including: a print output directly connected to said printing station to cause the execution of a printing stroke with each cycle of said cyclic drive; and a feed output directly connected to said feeding means to cause the feeding of a tag part relative to said printhead with each cycle of said cyclic drive.

30. An apparatus according to claim 29 wherein said print output includes a cam member and a cam follower member, one of said cam and follower members carried by said cyclic drive and the other of said cam and follower members linked to said printing station.

31. An apparatus according to claim 30 wherein said other member is linked to said printhead to move said printhead through said printing strokes.

32. An apparatus according to claim 29 wherein said feed output includes a cam member and a cam follower member, one of said cam and follower members carried by said cyclic drive and the other of said cam and follower members linked to said feeding means.

33. An apparatus according to claim 29 wherein said feeding means comprises: a pair of feeding members spaced one tag part length apart along said guideway, said pair including a first feed member engageable with said supply for said feeding of blank tags to said first stage, and a second feed member engageable with a tag part at said first stage for said feeding to said second stage; and wherein said inhibiting means, when actuated, disables said first feed member thereby inhibiting any feeding of blank tag parts to said first stage.

34. An apparatus according to claim 33 wherein said inhibiting means includes: a fender movable from an inactive position to a position against said second feed member to prevent said second feed member from engaging blank tags.

35. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said control means further comprises: a motor; said first signal-generating means comprising a cyclic drive having an input drivably connected to said motor, said cyclic drive having a periodic output including an electronic circuit for generating said first signals in the form of an electric pulse, one of said first signals occurring with each cycle of said cyclic drive at a predetermined cyclic position of said cyclic drive.

36. An apparatus according to claim 35 wherein: said third signal is an electrical signal; and said control means further comprises a solenoid having a winding connected to the output of said tag counter, said solenoid having an output shaft linked to said inhibiting means to actuate said inhibiting means when said solenoid is energized by said third signal.

37. An apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said control means further comprises: a motor; a cyclic drive having an input drivably connected to said motor, and having a plurality of synchronized periodic outputs, said outputs including: said first signal generating means, a knife drive cam, and a knife latch reset output; and a conditional linkage connected between said knife and said knife drive cam, said linkage including a knife latch, said knife latch having a latched condition wherein said knife drive cam is effective to drive said knife through said linkage and an unlatched condition wherein said linkage is disengaged, said knife latch being set to said latched condition in rEsponse to said second signal and to said unlatched condition in response to said knife latch reset output.

38. An apparatus according to claim 37 wherein: said knife latch reset output is a cam mechanically linked to said knife latch; and said controls further comprising a solenoid having a winding connected to the output of said part counter whereby said solenoid is engaged by said second signal, said solenoid having an output shaft connected to said knife latch for setting said knife latch to said latched condition.

39. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein: said supply is in the form of a continuous strip of blank tags; said apparatus further comprises a knife pivotally mounted adjacent said guideway and having a mounting shaft parallel to said guideway, said knife movable against said guideway to sever tags from said strip; said guideway includes a transverse cutting edge and a depressible portion abutting said cutting edge; and said knife includes an abutting surface engageable with said portion when said knife moves against said guideway to depress said portion as said tags are severed from said strip.

40. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said printhead comprises: a center mounting plate; two external mounting plates, including a first mounting plate and a second mounting plate spaced on opposite sides of said center mounting plate; a first printhead section and a second printhead section, each of said sections including said center mounting plate, a respective one of said external mounting plates, one of said sections including at least two rows of type, aligned between two of said rows of the other said sections, each of said rows of type mounted between, and at opposite ends to, said center mounting plate and the respective one of said external mounting plates; each of said rows including an upper shaft, a lower shaft, and a plurality of type carrying endless bands surrounding both of said upper and lower shafts; a dial shaft telescopically mounted within said upper shaft and projecting through the respective external plate; an indexing wheel mounted to the interior end of said dial shaft and selectively engageable with a selected one of said bands in accordance with the telescopic setting of said dial shaft, for indexing said selected one of said bands to a selected character.

41. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said guideway comprises: selective guide means for forming a channel of variable size and position on said guideway, said selective guide means comprising: at least one retractable guide plate, including a first plate, extending longitudinally of said guideway, said plate having an operative position projecting from the surface of said guideway and an inoperative position remote from the surface of said guideway; and a control element for selectively moving said guide plate between said operative and inoperative positions.