Title of Invention

A HAND-HELD LABELLING OR PRINTING DEVICE

Abstract A hand-held labelling or printing device with a belt or wheel printing mechanism (4) has a stationary handle (8) and a hand lever (7) mounted so that it can pivot. By means of this hand lever, the printing device is pivoted toward the label which is located in the printing area, which label is then printed. The housing of the printing device projects beyond the housing (2) of the labelling unit. To properly utilize the space inside the housing (2), only the gear wheels (20) which act as pulleys for the printing belts (23) are located inside the area of the printing mechanism housing (12) that is located inside the unit housing (2). The invention teaches that additional devices which must be located in a wider portion of the printing mechanism housing (4) are located in the vicinity of the gear wheels (22) which are distant from the printing area. Consequently, the gear wheels or pulley wheels which are closer to the printing area can be kept relatively small, which also helps to reduce the size of the housing in this area.
Full Text

This invention relates to a hand-held labelling or printing device with a belt or wheel printing nechaniam and with a stepping device for serial (TRANSLATOR'S ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTION: continuous) numbering, whereby the stepping device has a pivotably mounted stepping lever, actuatable by an actuator handle on the unit.
Known devices include many different types of embodiments, and a large number of such devices are in use. They are used primarily in supermarkets or other stores, in which preferably packaged merchandise must be provided with a label, or another sort of printed information medium. The labelling devices are used to print labels, or sometimes to print information directly on the merchandise packages. The devices are required to make both unchanging impressions, e.g. the selling price on one group of merchandise, and, can also be required to print serial numbers, for example. A line of print accordingly consists of a finite number of printed symbols, each of which is located on a printing wheel, or on a printing belt. To keep the printing wheels to a reasonable size, the capacity of the wheels is limited. On the other hand, a printing belt can have several times more symbols than a printing wheel, e.g. two or three times the number of symbols, for which reason units with a belt printing mechanism, with the same maximum number of symbols per row of the printing mechanism, can be used in more applications than a corresponding wheel printing mechanism.
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Summary
A hand-held laballing or printing mechanism with a belt or wheel printing mechanism (4) has a stationary handle (8) and a hand lever (7) mounted so that it can pivot. By means of this hand lever, the printing mechanism is pivoted toward the label which is located in the printing area, which label is then printed.
The housing of the printing mechanism projects beyond the housing (2) of the labelling unit. To properly utilize the space inside the housing [2), only the gear wheels (20) which act as pulleys for the printing belts (23) are located inside the area of the printing mechanism housing (12) that is located inside the unit housing (2). The invention teaches that additional devices which must be located in a wider portion of the printing mechanism housing (4) are located in the vicinity of the gear wheels (22) which are distant from the printing area. Consequently, the gear wheals or pulley wheels which are closer to the printing area can be kept relatively small, which also helps to reduce the size of the housing in this area.
(Figure 3)
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into a oosnb-like structure/ which is riveted by means of rivets 44 to a shoulder of the depression 41b. Bach detent element 42 is engaged in one of the latch locators 39 of the corresponding gear wheel. Because the detent elements 42 are arranged abreast (TRANSLATOR'S ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTION: in alignment), the result is an orientation of all the teeth of all the gear wheels, also abreast (TRANSLATOR'S ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTION: in alignment). In this manner, a precise orientation of all the symbols of the printing belts 23 is also achieved. Figure 9 also shows an external collar 45, the two ends of which forms stops 46 and 47 for the wheel 33, which wheel 33 has teeth over only a portion of its circumference, is non-rotationally connected to the drive shaft of the stepping device, and is in particular molded integrally to the drive shaft and is made of plastic.
Inserted on the hollow shaft 24 fastened to the housing, on the free end facing the housing wall 19, there is a control device 48, by means of which the number of pivoting movements of the stepping lever 28 can be specified, which causes an indexing movement of the belt or belts 23. Depending on the setting of this control device, the units-wheel can be made to advance by one step, e.g. after each pivoting movement of the stepping lever 28, or only after each second pivoting movement of the lever.
As shown in Figure 10, the essential elements of this control device 48 are a ring-shaped notched disc 49 which is rotationally mounted on the hollow shaft 24 fastened to the housing, and a control ring 50 which is rotationally fastened to the notched disc 49 so that the control ring 50 can be actuated in angular (TRANSLATOR'S ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTION: rotational) stages. On the inside circumference of the control ring 50, there are index notches 51. For the tens counter, there are ten index notches 51. A control device latch 52 can be inserted in the index notches 51 as desired. In the illustrated embodiment, this control device latch 52 is designed the same as the latches 38 and is immediately next to the bearing lug 36a (Figure 4). This latch 52 is also spring-loaded. On the outside circumference of
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1. Rand-held labelling or printing unit with a belt or wheel printing mechanism (4) with a stepping (TRANSLATOR'S ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTIONS advance) device (27) for serial (TRANSLATOR'S ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTION: continuous) numbering, whereby the stepping device (27) has a stepping lever (28) which is mounted so that it can pivot and is actuated by an actuator handle (11) of the unit, characterized by the fact that the stepping lever (28) is in an actuation connection with one of the wheels of the wheel printing mechanism or with one of the belt pulleys (22) of the belt printing mechanism distant from the printing area, and the stepping device (27) is assigned to the wheels or belt pulleys which are distant from the printing area.
2. Device as claimed in Claim 1, characterized by the fact that the stepping lever (28) is rotationally mounted on a housing wall (18) of the printing mechanism (4), and is in an actuation connection by means of a drive device (32, 33) with a drive shaft (34) of the stepping apparatus (27).
3. Device as claimed in Claim 2, characterized by the fact that the drive device has two gear wheels (32, 33) or wheels at least partly provided with teeth, whereby the first wheel (32) is non-rotationally connected to the stepping lever (28) and can rotate around its geometric pivoting axis (31), while the second wheel (33) is non-rotationally connected to the concentric drive shaft of the stepping device (27).
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4. Device as claimed in at least one of the Claims 1 to 3, characterized by the fact that in a belt printing nechanism, the geometric axis of rotation (31) of the'first wheel (32) and of the stepping lever (28) is located between the geometric axes of the pulley wheels (20, 22) for the belts (23),
5. Device as claimed in Claim 4, characterized by the fact that the geometric pivoting axis (31) of the stepping lever (28) ia simultaneously the geometric axis of a actuating shaft
(65) for the individual adjustment of the pulley wheels (22)
of the belt printing mechanism (4) which are farther from
the printing area.
6. Device as claimed in Claim 5, characterized by the fact that
the actuating shaft (65), on its stepping lever-side end,
supports a pinion (25) which can be brought into contact as
desired with one of the pulley wheels (22) of the belts (23)
farther from the printing area and designed in the form of
gear wheels, whereby the actuating shaft (65) is mounted so
that it can be displaced longitudinally on a guide shaft
(66) which, for its part, is rotationally mounted on a
housing wall (18) on the stepping lever side.
7. Device as claimed in Claim 6, characterized by the fact that between the guide shaft (66) and the actuating shaft (65), there is a longitudinal locking (TRANSLATOR'S ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTION: stopping) device (68), whereby the index notches (67) correspond approximately to the thickness of a belt pulley wheel (22).
8. Device as claimed in Claim 7, characterized by the fact that the first wheel (32) of the drive device for the drive shaft (34) of the stepping device (27) is mounted on the guide shaft (66) so that it can rotate, but cannot be displaced axially.
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9. Device as claimed in at least one of the Claims 6 to 8, characterized by the fact that the pulley wheels (20, 22) for the printing belts (23) are each oriented in relation to one another by means of a positioning device (e.g. 39, 42) 80 that the teeth of the stationary gear wheels (20 and 22) are aligned with one another.
10. Device as claimed in Claim 9, characterized by the fact that the gear wheels (22), distant from the printing area, are rotationally mounted on a hollow shaft (24) which is firmly attached to the housing, which hollow shaft (24) locates the drive shaft (34) of the stepping device (27), whereby located in a row on the hollow shaft (24) there are spring-loaded (43) locking elements (42), which after each actuation of the stepping shaft (27) are engaged in the respective corresponding latch locator (39) on the hole of the pulley wheels (22) farther from the printing area.
11. Device as claimed in Claim 10, characterized by the fact that in the vicinity of the outer shell of the drive shaft (34) of the stepping device (27), several catches (38), spring-loaded in the latching direction are rotationally mounted on the drive shaft (39), each of which corresponds to one of the distant pulley wheels (22), and the hollow shaft (24) which is fastened to the housing is slotted longitudinally to form a passage slot (41a) in this area, whereby on the hole of the pulley wheels (22) farther from the printing area, there are latch locators (39) for the corresponding latch (38).
12. Device as claimed in Claim 10 and 11, characterized by the fact that the latch locators (39) for the latches (38) simultaneously form the latch locators for the positioning device (39, 42) for the pulley wheels (22), distant from the
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printing area, whereby the latches (38) and the spring-loaded latch elements (42) are preferably offset from one another by approximately 180 degrees.
13. Device as claimed in at least one of the Claims 1 to 12/ characterized by the fact that on the end of the hollow shaft (24) which is solidly fastened to the housing farther from the stepping lever, an adjustable control device (48) for the stepping device (27) is placed, by means of which the number of pivoting motions of the stepping lever (28) can be specified, and which causes an actuation step of the belt or belts (23).
14. Device as claimed in Claim 13, characterized by the fact that the control device (48) for the stepping device (47) consists essentially of a ring-shaped notched disc (49) rotationally mounted oh the hollow shaft (24) which is solidly fastened to the housing, and a control ring (50) which is rotationally mounted on the notched disc (49) but which can be actuated in rotational steps, which ring (50) on the inside circumference has index notches (51) for the optional entry of a spring-loaded control device latch (52), which latch (52) is mounted coaxially with the latches (38) of the pulley wheels (22), distant from the printing area, and which latch (52) can be coupled to the latch (38) of the units-wheel (22), whereby the coupled latch (38) of the units-wheel (22) is located in an inactive position.
15. Device as claimed in Claim 14, characterized by the fact that the control ring (50) has ten index notches (51), and that five locking teeth (56) are located on the inside of the notched disc (49), which locking teeth (56) assume an inactive position in the one defined locking orientation of the control ring (50) and notched disc (49), while in another defined locking orientation, they each cover an index notch (51) of the control ring (50).
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16. Device as claimed in Claim 15, characterized by the fact
that on the outside circumference of the control ring (50),
there are twenty additional index notches (53), and attached
to the notched disc (49) there is at least one flexible tab
(55) with a locking element (54), which looking element (54)
is engaged in the two defined locking orientation rotational
positions in one of the other index notches (S3).
17. Device as claimed in at least one of the Claims 14 to 16,
characterized by the fact that on the outside circumference
of the notched disc (49), there are notches (74) for the
insertion of an actuation tool, and the housing of the
printing mechanism (4) has an aperture in the housing at
this point.
18. Device as claimed by at least one of the Claims 14 to 17,
characterized by the fact that on the free end of the hollow
shaft (24) fastened to the housing, an actuator ring (60) of
a mechanical actuator for the stepping device (27) is
placed, which interacts with the control device latch (52),
and whose control extension (61) projects outward beyond the
housing of the printing mechanism (4), whereby a
corresponding aperture slot forms rotational (TRANSLATOR'S
ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTION: angular) stops with its two ends.
19. Hand-held labelling or printing unit, substantially as herein
above described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying


Documents:

103-mas-95-abstract.jpg

103-mas-95-abstract.pdf

103-mas-95-claims.pdf

103-mas-95-correspondence-others.pdf

103-mas-95-correspondence-po.pdf

103-mas-95-description-complete.pdf

103-mas-95-drawings.pdf

103-mas-95-form-1.pdf

103-mas-95-form-26.pdf

103-mas-95-form-29.pdf

103-mas-95-form-4.pdf

103-mas-95-other-document.pdf

103-mas-95-others.pdf


Patent Number 187618
Indian Patent Application Number 103/MAS/1995
PG Journal Number 30/2009
Publication Date 24-Jul-2009
Grant Date 29-Nov-2002
Date of Filing 30-Jan-1995
Name of Patentee M/S. METO INTERNATIONAL GMBH
Applicant Address ERSHEIMER STRASSE 69, 69434 HIRSCHHORN
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 HEINRICH VOLK NECKARTALSTRASSE 29, D 64743 BEERFELDEN
2 ULF KOCH AM LINKBRUNNEN 23, D-69412 EBERBACHI
3 RAINER HECKMANN BARTELSWEG 3, D-69434 BROMBACH
PCT International Classification Number B41F 1/02
PCT International Application Number N/A
PCT International Filing date
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 NA