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

• Current Assignee: The Pannier Corp.
• Original Assignee: The Pannier Corp.
• Inventors: Hopson, Julius L., Gross, Frank D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yan, Ren
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Anthony H.
• Application Number:
  US09/061,585
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 400/636, 400/634, 400/633, 400/613, 101/47, 101/66, 101/72, 101/483, 347/264, 347/263, 347/245
• US Class Current: 400/636
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0045 Guides for printing material curl smoothing B41J11/0005; platens B41J11/02, B41J11/06; guiding webs B41J15/046
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 15/04 Supporting, feeding, or guiding devices; Mountings for web rolls or spindles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4075 Tape printers; Label printers

Abstract

A tag feed system is used to feed tags through a marking machine, such as a tag printer or a laser marking machine, that marks information on the tags. A laser-marking system is used to mark and label information on metal tags, and a tag feed system for the laser-marking system that drives the tag material through the laser-marking system for marking. The laser marking system can include a housing, a laser for marking tag material, a tag unwind system for holding and supporting unlabeled tag material before it is marked and a tag retainer system for holding and supporting labeled tag material after it is marked. The tag feed system for feeding tag material through the laser marking system includes a housing unit that contains a first aperture through which tag material enters the housing unit for marking, a second aperture through which marked tag material exits the housing unit, and a lasing window through which a laser beam from the laser passes to mark tag material. The tag feed system also includes a drive unit assembly to move tag material through the feed system housing unit for lasing, a pressure unit assembly to press tag material against a component of the drive unit assembly, and a tension adjust device to exert a varying amount of tension to the pressure unit assembly. The laser-marking system also includes a control system for signaling the drive unit assembly to move and to stop moving tag material through the feeding apparatus housing unit.

Claims

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.

2. A laser marking system comprising:

a housing;

a laser for marking tags in the form of a continuous strip of tag material;

a tag unwind system for holding and supporting an unlabeled of tag material before it is marked;

a tag feeding apparatus for feeding the strip of tag material through said laser marking system, said tag feeding apparatus comprising;

a housing unit comprising a first aperture and a second aperture;

said first aperture being the aperture through which the strip of tag material enters said housing unit for marking;

said second aperture being the aperture through which the marked tag material exits said housing unit;

a lasing window;

said lasing window being the window through which a laser beam from said passes to mark a portion of the strip of tag material;

a drive unit assembly, being configured and disposed to move the strip of tag material through said feeding apparatus housing unit to the lasing window for lasing;

a pressure unit assembly being configured and disposed to press the strip of tag material against a component of said drive unit assembly as the strip travels through said housing; and

a tension adjust device being configured and disposed adjacent said pressure unit, said tension adjust device being disposed to exert a varying amount of tension to said pressure unit assembly; and

a control system for signaling said drive unit assembly to move and to stop moving the strip of tag material through said feeding apparatus housing unit.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising a tag retainer system for holding and supporting labeled tag material after it is marked.

4. A method of marking tags in the form of a continuous strip of tag material comprising the steps of

feeding the strip of tag material through a laser marking system, said laser marking system comprising:

a housing;

a laser for marking the strip of tag material;

a tag unwind system for holding and supporting the unlabeled strip of tag material before it is marked;

a tag feeding apparatus for feeding the strip of tag material through said laser marking system to an area where the material is marked, said tag feeding apparatus comprising;

a housing unit comprising a first aperture and a second aperture;

said first aperture being the aperture through which the strip of tag material enters said housing unit for marking;

said second aperture being the aperture through which marked the tag material exits said housing unit;

a lasing window;

said lasing window being the window through which a laser beam from said passes to mark the strip of tag material;

a drive unit assembly, being configured and disposed to move the strip of tag material through said feeding apparatus housing unit to said lasing window for lasing;

a pressure unit assembly being configured and disposed to press the strip of tag material against a component of said drive unit assembly; and

a tension adjust device being configured and disposed adjacent said pressure unit, said tension adjust device being disposed to exert a varying amount of tension to said pressure unit assembly; and

a control system for signaling said drive unit assembly to move and to stop moving the strip of tag material through said feeding apparatus housing unit;

using said tag feed system to move tags in the strip of tag material to and from a marking area; and

marking tags in the continuous strip of tag material moved to the marking area by said tag feed system.

5. The method of marking tag material according to claim 4 wherein said laser marking system further comprises a tag retainer system for holding and supporting labeled tag material after it is marked.