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Feed system for a marking system and laser marking system

  • US 6,079,890 A
  • Filed: 04/16/1998
  • Issued: 06/27/2000
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1998
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. Tag feeding apparatus for feeding tag material through a tag marking system, said tag feeding apparatus comprising:

  • a housing unit defining a first aperture, a second aperture and a lasing window and at least two guide devices, said at least two guide devices extending lengthwise along said housing unit walls from said first aperture to said second aperture, said guide devices each comprising guide channel that receives the edge of the tag material to guide the tag material through the housing, said first aperture being the aperture through which tag material enters said housing unit for marking, said second aperture being the aperture through which marked tag material exits said housing unit; and

    said lasing window permitting the beam produced by a laser marking device to enter said housing unit to mark tag material located within said housing unit;

    a drive unit assembly that moves tag material through said housing unit for marking, said drive unit assembly including a drive roll rotatably mounted to said housing that moves tag material through said housing unit for lasing and a drive motor operatively connected to said drive roll that rotates said drive roll; and

    a pressure unit assembly by which the tension on the tag material can be adjusted, said pressure unit assembly including a pivot shaft mounted to said housing for rotation and a pinch roll rotatably mounted to said pivot shaft proximate and parallel to said drive roll, rotation of said pivot shaft adjusting the distance between said drive roll and the pinch roll, the tag material being fed between said drive roll and said pinch roll said pressure unit assembly passing through a wall of said housing unit and exerting a force perpendicularly to a drive pressure block, causing said drive pressure block to exert a proportional force on said pinch roll, causing said pinch roll to exert a proportional force to the tag material to press the tag material against said drive roll, and a plunger device being disposed within said pressure unit assembly, said plunger device being disposed to move laterally in response to a pulling force to temporarily release tension exerted by said pressure unit assembly and thus tension exerted onto the tag material by said pinch roll;

    a light seal roll assembly;

    said light seal roll assembly being disposed within said housing unit and adjacent said second aperture, said light seal roll assembly preventing the laser beam from escaping from said second aperture of said housing unit;

    said housing unit further comprising at least one notch detector device, said notch detector device being disposed within said housing unit and detecting when a tag is in proper alignment within said housing unit, in front of said lasing window, for marking.

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