IL45592A

IL45592A - Device for printing and dispensing labels

Info

Publication number: IL45592A
Application number: IL45592A
Authority: IL
Original assignee: Dymo Industries Inc
Priority date: 1973-09-07
Filing date: 1974-09-04
Publication date: 1977-04-29
Also published as: ZA745539B; FR2243116A1; NL161408B; JPS5717783B2; GB1477743A; DK469474A; NO743183L; NL161408C; IE40022B1; BR7406895D0; IE40022L; SE392868B; FI59556C; FI59556B; YU241074A; AT337218B; TR18414A; AR203209A1; US3911817A; HU171566B

Abstract

A device for printing and dispensing labels in which a printing mechanism and a label strip advancing mechanism are actuated by movement of a secondary lever and the secondary lever is moved by a primary lever only after actuation of the primary lever to exceed a predetermined biasing force tending to maintain the secondary lever stationary. [US3911817A]

Description

rn nn nocnm noDin ιρηπ Device for printing and dispensing labels Dymo Industries Inc* 1 - 45592/2 The present invention relates to a device for printing and dispensing of labels of a label strip, said device being provided vith advancing means for advancing the label strip in movements corresponding to its division at each operating cycle; vith a printing platen over vhich the label strip is advanced} vith a printing mechanism vhich is movably arranged in relation to the printing platen and vhich is provided vith an inking device; and vith a hand lever being held by a reset spring in the spreaded position vhich lever is coupled vith the advancing means and the printing mechanism, the movement of the printing mechanism against the printing platen occuring while the hand lever is svung inwardly and the movement resistance becoming effective in the eourse of the svin¾ng in movement of the hand lever reaching a maximum at the same time.

Such a device is knovn from the German Opening Specification 1,511,884. In this device, the hand lever is coupled to a printing mechanism and to a transportation roll for the label strip in such a way that vhen the hand lever is pivotted invardly initially the transportation of the label strip is effected, the transportation roll being moved by a transportation ratchet vhich abuts an abutment of the transportation roll vhen the hand lever is pitotted invardly, and at the end of the pivot movement of the hand lever invardly the printing mechanism is urged against the label disposed in the printing position. In order that the labels are provided vith a still readable print inspite of a veak 45592/2 la - operation of the hand lever for instance by virtue of tiring of the operator^ the transportation ratchet is guided in this device in such a way that it slips of the abutment of the transportation roll vhen the hand lever is pivotted invardly, shortly before the printing mechanism contacts the label to be printed. The slipping of the transportation ratchet from the abutment of the transportation roll at the end of the transportation movement brings about the effect that the entire force acting upon the hand lever and suddenly released after overcoming a resistance maximum is attributed to the impacting of the printing mechanism, so that a readable print is always achieved, J The printing mechanism of the prior art device is equipped vith a so-called dovn-slaP nking mechanism, in vhich in the inoperative position of theprinting meohanism an inking pad is urged by a spring against the printing mechanism, in order to ink the individual printing types for the next printing operation* When the hand lever is pivotted inwardly in counteraction to the force of the reset spring and in counteraction to the resistance opposing the movement of the transportation roll and the outward pivotting of the inking device, the printing mechanism moves in direction to the printing platen and print8 the labels disposed there when the resistance turns weaker* The force with which the printing mechanism engages the label to be printed essentially depends on the force with which the hand lever is pivotted inwardly* This force, however, is subject to substantial variations, in particular by virtue of tiring of the operator or by virtue of the fact that differently strong persons handle the device* Although a certain maximum force is always available in the prior art device for the printing operation, prints of varying ink intensity do result on the printed labels* A further disadvantage of the prior art device is that the printing types of the printing mechanism are prone to be easily damaged when the hand lever is operated particularly strongly, because they are then urged against the printing platen with too much force* Finally, the prior art device has the disadvantage that both the transportation operation of the label strip and the printing operation must be effected during the inward pivotting movement of the hand lever, while during the return pivotting movement of the hand lever merely the printing mechanism is returned into the initial position together with the down-slap inking device coacting therewith* An object of the invention is to provide a device of the initially - 3 - with which the hand lever is pivotted inwardly.

The present invention thus consists in a device of the kind specified above, characterised in that the hand lever is coupled with a seoond lever carrying the printing mechanism and being swingable in the swinging plane of the hand lever, the ooupling being performed by way of a spring, which spring is, when the hand lever is swung inwardly, biased upto a spring force which is larger than the movement resistance counter-acting the movement of the printing mechanism against the printing platen and in that both levers comprise abutment surfaces which are facing each other and which rest adjacent each other in the course of the backward movement of the levers.

This arrangement permits that the printing mechanism strikes the label disposed on the printing platen with the same force in all instances. The resistances counteracting the movement of the printing mechanism against the printing platen can be brought about by the inking device or also by other means, for instance a snap spring or a knee lever pivot operating against a spring. When the hand lever is pivotted inwardly, the printing mechanism initially stays in its inoperative position, and the reset spring of the hand lever and/spring disposed/the between the hand lever and the lever carrying the printing mechanism are further biased only. If the spring positioned between the two levers attains a bias which is greater than the resistance maximum, which counteracts the movement of the printing mechanism against the rintin laten this s rin ur es or ulls the rintin 45592/2 3a mechanism against the printing platen vith decreasing resistance.

When the hand lever pivots back into the expanded position, according to the invention an abutment surface of the hand lever abuts an abutment surface of the lever carrying the printing meohaniem and urges it together vith the mechanism back into the initial position.

Advantageously the lever carrying the printing mechanism is direction opposite to the hand lever as viewed from this axis* The advancing device for the label strip can be coupled to the hand lever or to the lever carrying the printing mechanism in such a way that it advances the label strip, while the hand lever is pivotted inwardl or on the other hand, while the hand lever pivots back under the effect of the reset spring.

The label strip may be composed of a carrier or backing strip and self-adhesive labels adhering thereon in rows, or it may be composed of a backing strip and a self-adhesive strip adhering thereon, from which a label is respectively severed after the printing and advancing operation. The label strip, however, aay be provided without any backing strip, also, and it may be provided with an adhesive layer capable of being activated by heat or solvents. The advancing device for the label strip may be defined for instance by a roll pair, by a transportation roll engaging with teeth in the carrier strip, by a clamp pusher or also by a grasp pusher* In the description to follo an embod imeat has been explained in closer detail in referring to the drawings. In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the labelling device according to the invention, and Pig* 2 is a sectional view along line II-II of Pig. 1.

With the device illustrated in Fig. 1, self-adhesive labels 1 which adhere in a row to a carrier strip 2 are printed in going from the label supply roll 3 to the label dispensing station by a printing mechanism 6 movable against the printing platen 5, and the carrier strip 2 is drawn in increments around reversing means 10 by transportation means comprising a transportation roll4 end a transportation bail 7 with a clamping piece 8 linked thereto, for releasing the labels 1. The label 1 disposed in its dispensing position which has been printed and re-leased for the major part from the carrier strip underneath a pressure engagin roll 9 with its leading edge, by means of which it can be rolled into an article to be labelled* The parts of the device necessary for printing the labels as ve l as for the transportation of the labels in increments are accomodated in a housing which has a hollow handle 11 into which a hand lever 13 pivotable about the axis 12 at the housing is capable o being pivotted in counteraction to the force of a reset spring 14· The printing mechanism 6 is carried by a lever which is likewise supported pivotable about the axis 12· A down-slap inking device 16 is urged with its inking pad by a spring 17 formed as a torsional spring against the printing types of the printing mechanism 6 disposed in the printing position* The two levers 13 and 15 above their pivot axis 12 have lever arms 18 and 19 opposing each other and between which a compression spring 20 is seated. This spring 20 urges the lever 15 with the abutment surface 21 against the abutment surface 22 of the hand lever 13. ¥hen the hand lever 13 is pivotted inwardly, the compression spring 20 arranged between the two lever arms 18 and 19 is compressed, because the spring 17 of the down-slap inking device 16 counteracts a movement of the printing mechanism 6 against the printing platen 5, until a resistance maximum has been overcome* So that in spite of the pivotable connection of the two levers 13 and 15 the printing mechanism 6 and the inking device are moved back by the reset spring 14 into the initial position, when the hand lever 13 pivots back into the expanded position, the abutment surfaces 22 and 21 are formed in such a way a the two levers 13 and 15 that they abut each other before the hand lever has reached its expanded position. The abutment surfaces 21 and 22 of the two levers 13 and 15 are held in this engagement by the prestressing of the compression spring 20. The two levers 13 and 15 thus are pivotable relative to 20 together with the motion mechanism of the inking device brings about a resistance maximum which must be overcome before the printing mechanism 6 is able to be moved against the printing platen 5. If thus the hand lever 13 is pivotted inwardly, initially the slightly preetressed compression spring -20 is compressed by a greater extent. 17 By this compression of the compression spring 2Θ, energy is stored which finally reaches a strength which suffices in order to overcome the resistance maximum which counteracts the movement of the printing mechanism against the printing platen. As soon as this resistance has been overcome, the inking device 16 pivots out of the path of movement of the printing mechanism 6, the resistance counteracting the movement of the printing mechanism 6 being strongly decreased so that the force stored in the spring 20 moves the printing mechanism 6 with increasing velocity against the label to be printed* The force with vhich the printing mechanism engages the label to be printed is constant and depends only on the force of the spring 20 and the forces counteracting this spring 20· Only after the hand lever 13 is released the abutment surfaces/of the 21,22 two levers 13, 15 engage with one another, so that the printing mechanism 6 is returned into its initial position* When the hand lever 13 is released, the spring 20 is relieved until the abutment surface 22 of the hand lever 13 engages the abutment surface 21 of the lever 15· Then the reset spring 14 draws the hand lever 13 into the expanded position, the lever 15 being pivotted upwardly into the initial position together with the printing mechanism 6* In doing so, the spring 17 pivots back the inking device 16 into the inking position.

In the printing operation, i.e., when pivotting the lever 15 downwardly which carries the printing mechanism 6, the transportation bail 7 pivotable about an axis 24 of the transportation roll 4 is respectively grips over a projection at the periphery of the transportation roll 4. When the hand lever 13 is released, it is swung back under the effect of the spring 14, and the lever 15 lifts the pin 25 so that the transportation bail 7 and the transportation roll 4 are rotated by an angle which brings about an advance movement of the label strip by one label 1· Instead of the compression spring 20 arranged above the pivot axis, a tension spring could be arranged below the pivot axis 12. For instance a rubber band or a similar strip - or cord-like tension spring could be secured also around the downwardly directed arms 26 and 27 of the levers 13 and 15.

Claims

45592/2 - 8 - CLAIMSt

1. Device for printing and dispensing of labels of a label strip, said device being provided vith advancing means for advancing the label strip in movements corresponding to its division at each operating cycle; vith a printing platen over vhich the label strip is advanced; with a printing mechanism vhich is raovably arranged in relation to the printing platen and vhich is provided vith an inking device; and vith a hand lever being held by a reset spring in the spreaded position vhich lever is coupled vith the advancing means and the printing mechanism, the movement of the printin mechanism against the printing platen occuring while the hand lever is swung inwardly and the movement resistance beooming effective in the course of the swinging in movement of the hand lever reaching a maximum at the same time, characterised in that the hand lever is coupled vith a second lever carrying the printing mechanism and being svingable in the swinging plane of the hand lever, the coupling being performed by way of a spring, vhich spring is, when the hand lever is swung invardly, biased upto a spring force vhich is larger than the movement resistance counter-acting the movement of the printing mechanism against the printing platen and in that both levers comprise abutment surfaces which are facing each other and which rest adjacent each other in the course of the backward movement of the levers.

2. Device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the lever carrying the printing mechanism is pivotable about t v t is of e hand lever. 45592/2 - 9 -

3. Device according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the lever carrying the printing mechanism and the hand lever extend substantially in opposite directions.

4. Device according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the spring is a compression spring arranged above the cogmifo pivot axis of the tvo levers between said two lever, said compression spring urging the lever carrying the printing mechanism with its abutment surface against the abutment surface of the hand lever,

5. · Device acCording to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the spring is a tension spring arranged underneath the common pivot axis of the two 1ewers, said spring pulling the arms of the levers toward one another,

6. Device according to one of ^laitas 1 to 5, characterized in that the resistance counteracting the movement of the printing mechanism against the printing platen having a resistance maximum at the initiation of the downward movement of the printing mechanism is caused in a manner known per se by a downslap inking device* 7· Device for printing and dispensing labels, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawin 8. FOB THE APPLICANTS