US2631535A - Fruit stamping rotor - Google Patents

Description

March 17, 19$

H. J. MUMMA FRUIT STAMPING ROTOR 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Jan. 15,. 1948 HAROLD J MUMMA INVENTOA? ATTORNEY H. J. MUMMA FRUIT STAMPING ROTOR March 17, 1953 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed Jan. 15, 1948 AT TOR/Vi Y Patented Mar. 17, 1953 UNITED STATES FRUIT STAR/WING ROTOR Harold Mumma, Riverside, Califl, assignor to Food Machinery and Chemical. Corporation, a

corporation of Delaware Claims. 1.

This invention relates tothe printing art and. is particularly useful in the art of stamping trade-marks or other indiciaon rollable articles.

This invention is. an improvement in a certain fruit marking machine disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent to E. A. Verrinder, No. 2,424,006, issued July 15, 1947. The. improvement relates primarily to the printing rotor of the Verrinder machine and. the mechanism. for inking this and reference is had to said patent for details of the fruit marking machine itself.

The Verrinder machine employs an elliptical printing rotor relatively small in size and mounted on an axis which is eccentric with respect to the center of mass of the" rotor but concentric with the printing face of the rotor, this face occupying the longest single are comprised in the periphery of the rotor. The rubber printing stamp mounted Within this arc on the Verrinder rotor rests on springs, permitting it to yield inwardly radially in response to contact with the fruit in order that the die faces of the stamp might enter inequalities of the fruit and make a good mark.

Due to irregularities insize and shape and surface characteristics of cantaloupes, a certain amountoi slippage has been experienced between the printing rotor and the. cantaloupe during the printing operation. Where this occurs, it smears the mark on the cantaloupe and causes the printing die to wear excessively;

It is an object of. the invention to provide a fruit stamping rotor which will substantially prevent the smearing of'marks and excessive wear of the printing die as a result of slippage between the rotor and the cantaloupes during'the printing operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and simplified mechanism for inking an elliptical printing rotor of the Verrinder type.

The manner of accomplishing the foregoing obj'ectsas well as further objects andv advantages will be. made evident in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a printing unit of a Verrinder type fruit marking machine with, which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is incorporated.

Fig. 2-. is a side elevationalview of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is anenlargeddetail sectional view taken onthe line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the-line 44 of Fig. 2.

as Fig. 4, and taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional operational view taken on thelineE-S of Fig. 1 but with the printing rotor turned as when first contacting a cantaloupe being advanced on the conveyor of the machinetowards the rotor.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 illustrating the relation of the printing rotor to the cantaloupe after the rotor is turned approximately from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing the rotor turned approximately beyond the position in which it is shown in Fig. '7.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 and showing the rotor turned approximately 40 beyond the position in which it is shown in Fig. 8, Figs. 8 and 9 illustrating how the printing stamping is permitted in this invention to remain in true rolling contact with the cantaloupe being marked when there is a lag between the rates of rotation of the rotor and the stamp.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the printing unit Ii) shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is mounted on a drive shaft II which corresponds to the drive shaft lit in the Verrinder patent. Fixing the location, on shaft I I, of the unit I0, is a fountain roller 52 having a hub I3 which carries a sprocket Hi and is fixed to a clamp I5, the latter being tightened by a set screw I6 onto the shaft II. Freely fitting over the shaft II against the clamp I5 and sprocket M, are sleeves l1 and I8 to which are welded sheet metal arms I9 and 20.

Arms I9 and 20 comprise identical plates, the arm E9 having a pump actuating arm 26 welded to its upper end which connects through a link 21 with an ink pump (not shown). The arm I9 also has an eye 28 welded thereto to which a clevis 29 of a pressure rod 30 is pivotally connected by a pin 3 I.

The arm 20 has welded to the lower edge thereof a triangular cross brace 35 which extends across the space between the two arms so that the fiat opposite end of this brace lies flush against the arm i9 and is secured thereto as by screws 36.

Pivotally attached by cap screws 31 to the arms !9 and 20 are triangular form roller supports 58, the latter having slots 39 into which hex-headed eccentrics to extend, these eccentrics being pivotally and eccentrically mounted on screws 41 which extend through eccentric holes 4'2 in eccentrics 40 and are screwed into suitable tapped holes provided in the arms I9 and 20. Thus, by loosening the screws 4| and rotating the hex-headed eccentrics to, the roller supports 38 may be swung about their pivot screws ii for purposes of adjustment, the screws 31 then being set by screwing these in tightly to fix the supports in their adjusted positions.

Supports 38 also have open slots 50 in which shaft blocks are slidably disposed. Supported in the blocks 5! is a shaft 52 carrying a rubber tired ink form roller 53. Opposite ends of the shaft 52 extend outwardly beyond the blocks 5| and springs 54 are looped around these shaft ends and around the screws 41 to yieldably pull the shaft blocks 5! towards their inwardmost positions in the slots so. This brings the rubber tired form roller 53 into contact with the periphcry of the fountain roller I2.

Mounted between lower ends of the arms l9 and 2G is a shaft 65. This has a hex-shaped shoulder 66 at one end thereof and is secured to the arms 19 and 2G by cap screws 67 entering eccentric tapped holes in opposite ends of the shaft.

Freely rotatable on the shaft 65 is a printing rotor 10. The rotor has a sleeve H which is freely rotatable on the shaft t5 and has bearing bushings l2 and 73.

One end of the sleeve H is knurled as at M. Pressed onto the knurled end of this sleeve is an elliptical rotor tread plate 35. Also pressed on the extending knurled end of the sleeve 'H is a pinion sprocket l6, this plate and this sprocket then being soldered to the sleeve H.

Another plate 11, identical with the plate I5, slips over the opposite end of the sleeve 1|, these plates both being recessed about their respective peripheries to receive endless rubber tire treads 18. The plates [5 and H are held in the relation just described by spacers 8! and S2 and bolts 83 (Fig. 5) which extend through the plate through the spacers 3! and 82 and are screwed into suitable tapped holes provided therefor in plate Tl.

Before the plate I? is thus assembled on the sleeve H in spaced relation with the plate 15 a stamp supporting rocker 8t, fabricated from sheet metal and including a bearing sleeve 81, side Walls 88, and an arcuate stamp receptacle 89, is inserted in the space which separates the plates l5 and TI, when these are assembled, with the sleeve 81 receiving and freely rotatable on the sleeve H.

Extending between and with its opposite ends supported on the walls 88, is a pin 9B (Fig. 5).

When the plate H has been assembled, as above noted, and fixed in rigid spaced relation with the plate 15 by the spacers 8! and 82, one end of a coiled spring M is hooked around the pin 90 and the other end is hooked around the spacer 8| in a suitable groove provided therefor The side walls 88 of the rocker 86 extend outwardly to form side walls for the receptacle 8%, outer edges of these walls having inturned flanges 92 which lie at the same radius from the axis of the sleeve H as the peripheral portions of the plates 75 and H which are concentric with the sleeve H, and which occupy zone 93 (Fig. 5).

The flanges t2 retain an arcuate stamp 94 in the receptacle 89, this stamp including a deep cushion 95 of sponge rubber to the outer surface of which is bonded a rubber type bearing strip 95 from which type faces 91 extend radially outwardly to a greater radius than that of the outer surfaces of the tires it in the concentric zone 93.

When the rotor it is thus assembled, the spring 91 normally holds the rocker 86 with one end thereof engaging the spacer 8! as indicated by broken line 98 (Fig. 5). The spring 9! is fairly light however, and the rocker 86 is free to be swung by the exertion of a slight pressure against this to its opposite position in which the rocker engages the spacer 82 as indicated by broken line 99 (Fig. 5).

Encircling the sprockets i4 and 16 is an endless rotor drive chain Hlfl which ma be tightened by loosening the cap screws 61, rotating the shaft 55 by a wrench applied to the hex-shoulder 56 and then re-setting the screws 61.

The unit Ill is multiplied to provide one unit in the stamping machine for each of the files of fruit the machine is made to accommodate.

Rod 30 has an expansion spring (not shown) coiled thereabout just like the spring 22!! coiled about the rod ZIG in the Verrinder patent and this rod 30 is likewise suspended on the frame by a nut on its end so as to limit the downward swinging of unit it about the shaft H and to permit this to be swung upwardly from its lowermost position against the pressure of the spring coiled about the rod 30.

Operation The invention, bjeing particularly useful in marking cantaloupes, is shown as associated with a cantaloupe C in the various views in the drawings. This cantaloupe is of course delivered on the conveyor of the marking machine into contact with the rotor Ill in a certain timed relation with the rotation of the latter as effected through the chain I00 by the shaft H.

Figs. 6, '7, 8 and 9 illustrate various stages of the operation of printing a mark on a cantaloupe- These cantaloupes vary in diameter but each cantaloupe initially contacts the rotor at a point on the periphery thereof outside of the concentric zone 93 as shown in Fig. 6. That is, the initial contact of the rotor with the cantaloupe is always on a non-concentric portion of the rotors periphery.

While the present invention is not restricted in its broadest aspect to use on an elliptical rotor of the type employed on the Verrinder machine, it is especially useful in that type of rotor. This is because in this machine it is desirable to have the type faces extend outwardly a considerable distance beyond the rubber rotor treads T8 in order for these type faces to penetrate depressions in the face of the cantaloupe to make a good mark, and this results in a lag between the rates of rotation of the rotor and the type faces which tends to smear the mark and wear out the stamp.

The present invention permits a limited degree of relative rotation between the stamp and the rotor about the axis of the latter during a printing operation. It then returns the stamp to its initial normal relation with the rotor as soon as the printing operation is completed.

As may be seen by a comparison of Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9, the rotary shifting of the stamp with reference to the rotor takes place progressively and because the spring 9! impose only a very light resistance to this relative rotation, the latter takes place without causing any smearing of the mark by a wiping action of the stamp.

As the stamp 94 leaves contact with the cantaloupe C, following the stage in the stamping operation shown in Fig. 9, the spring 9| snaps the rocker 8% into its position 98 (Fig. 5) in which it is stopped by engagement with the spacer 8|.

From the foregoing it is evident that the present invention permits the use of a stamp which extends radially beyond the rotor treads so that the stamp penetrates depressions in the cantaloupe being marked and yet because of the rotational displacement which the stamp is permitted with reference to the rotor, smearing of the mark and rapid wearing of the stamp are eliminated.

The claims are:

1. A printing device comprising: a support for a tread; a tread provided on said support and adapted to have an article to be marked brought into rolling contact with said tread; a stamp mounted on said support with a stamping face thereof adjacent said tread so that said face is also brought into rolling contact with said article by bringing the latter into rolling contact with said tread; means on said support for shiftably relating said stamp to said tread whereby said stamp is free to shift progressively relative to said tread, during the progres of said mutual rolling contact, in a direction and along a path parallel with the direction in which said mutual rolling contact progresses; a stop on said support for limiting the aforesaid shifting movement of said stamp in a given direction; and a spring yieldably holding said stamp against said stop during the intervals between printing operations and for returning said stamp into contact with said stop at the conclusion of each printing operation.

2. In a printing rotor the combination of: an axial member; a pair of elliptical tread plates fixed on said member in spaced relation; yieldable treads provided on the perimeters of said tread plates, certain corresponding portions of said perimeters being concentric with said axial member; a stamp supporting rocker pivotally mounted on said axial member between said tread plates; a stamp supported on said rocker with said stamp disposed opposite said concentric portion of said treads and between said treads, the printing face of said stamp also being concentric with said axial member; a stop limiting the freedom of said rocker to rotate about said member; and a spring yieldably returning said rocker into contact with said stop following a printing operation.

3. A combination as in claim 2 in which said stamp has a deep resilient support therefor on said rocker, and in which aid stamp extends radially a substantial distance beyond the adjacent peripheral surfaces of said treads.

4. A printing device comprising a shaft constituting an axle for a rotor mounted thereon, said rotor including a tread support having resilient tread means thereon for yieldable rolling engagement with an article to be printed, said rotor further including a stamp support housed therein, said stamp support having a resilient stamping means thereon extending radially beyond the tread means of said rotor for coincident rolling engagement with said article, said stamp support being coaxially mounted on said shaft for relative rotation between said rotor and stamp support, and spring means connecting said rotor and stamp support for normally holding the latter against rotation on said shaft relative to said rotor in initial printing position, said spring means being yieldable during said coincident rolling engagement of said resilient rotor and resilient stamping means with said article to provide relative coaxial rotation between the resilient rotor and stampsupport to prevent slippage of the stamping means on the article and consequent smearing of a stamp impression applied thereto, said spring means returning said stamp support to initial printing position after passage of the article from engagement therewith.

5. A combination as in claim 4 wherein said rotor is journaled on said shaft and said stamp support is journaled on said rotor for relative rotation about said shaft axis, and wherein the resilient article engaging rotor and stamping means are disposed concentric with said axis, and means for coincidentally rotating said rotor and stamp support in timed relation with presentation thereto of articles to be stamped, whereby said articles are placed in simultaneous rolling contact with said rotor and stamping means to apply a stamp impression to said article without relative slippage between said stamping means and the article.

HAROLD J. MUMMA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,238,229 Weller Aug. 28, 1917 1,499,796 Wilkinson July 1, 1924 1,606,190 Sharp Nov. 9, 1926 1,906,094 Powell Apr. 25, 1933 2,040,526 Mumma May 12, 1936 2,263,893 Schulman Nov. 25, 1941 2,424,006 Verrinder July 15, 1947

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