U.S. patent application number 09/991904 was filed with the patent office on 2003-02-20 for indicia carrying element for marking timber and more particularly logs.
Invention is credited to Latschbacher, Klaus.
Application Number | 20030034087 09/991904 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 8178318 |
Filed Date | 2003-02-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030034087 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Latschbacher, Klaus |
February 20, 2003 |
INDICIA CARRYING ELEMENT FOR MARKING TIMBER AND MORE PARTICULARLY
LOGS
Abstract
A indicia carrying element for marking timber and more
especially logs possessing a indicia carrying body bearing such
indicia and having on one side thereof clips for attachment to the
head of an applicator hammer in peripheral grooves therein for
prior to driving said element into timber, whereas the other side
of the element is provided with spurs to be driven into the timber.
The clips are arranged in spring regions like lugs in the
plate-like indicia carrying body, and such regions are for instance
defined by slots in the indicia carrying body. This means that such
indicia carrying elements may be reliably clipped onto the standard
head of an applicator hammer without there being any danger of the
clips breaking off.
Inventors: |
Latschbacher, Klaus;
(Kronstorf, AT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BROWDY AND NEIMARK, P.L.L.C.
624 NINTH STREET, NW
SUITE 300
WASHINGTON
DC
20001-5303
US
|
Family ID: |
8178318 |
Appl. No.: |
09/991904 |
Filed: |
November 26, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
144/4.8 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G09F 3/04 20130101; G09F
3/12 20130101; A01G 23/099 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
144/4.8 |
International
Class: |
B27K 005/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 14, 2001 |
EP |
01 119 493.3 |
Claims
1. An indicia carrying element for marking timber and more
particularly logs, comprising a tag-like body bearing indicia and
from whose one side heel-like clips project for fitting into
peripheral recesses in the head of an applicator hammer for
attaching the indicia carrying element to timber and whose other
side is provided with anchoring spurs to be thrust into the timber,
wherein the clips are placed on regions of the plate-like indicia
carrying element, which are in the form of resilient lugs.
2. The indicia carrying element as set forth in claim 1, wherein
said clips are arranged on the four corner regions of the
rectangular indicia carrying body.
3. The indicia carrying element as set forth in claim 1, wherein
the spring regions are arranged essentially at a right angle to the
upstanding clips.
4. The indicia carrying element as set forth in claim 1, wherein
with the remaining regions of the indicia carrying element the
spring regions constitute a single plane in the unstressed state of
the element.
5. The indicia carrying element as set forth in claim 1, wherein
the spring regions are respectively delimited by at least one slot
extending from an edge region of the indicia carrying body.
6. The indicia carrying element as set forth in claim 5, wherein
each spring region is delimited by a slot extending parallel to or
spaced obliquely from the long side of the indicia carrying body,
which slot extends from an end side of the indicia carrying
body.
7. The indicia carrying element as set forth in claim 1, wherein
the spring regions are formed integrally on the peripheral line of
the indicia carrying body on same.
8. The indicia carrying element as set forth in claim 1, wherein
the indicia carrying body is formed integrally together with
regions provided with such spurs and/or the clips.
9. The indicia carrying element as set forth in claim 1,
manufactured of a synthetic resin and more particularly a synthetic
resin selected from the group essentially comprising polyamide
(PA), polycarbonate (PC), and polyacetal (POM).
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to an indicia carrying element for
marking timber and more particularly logs, comprising a tag-like
body bearing indicia and from whose one side heel-like clips
project for fitting into peripheral recesses in the head of an
applicator hammer for attaching the indicia carrying element to
timber and whose other side is provided with anchoring spurs to be
thrust into the timber.
THE PRIOR ART
[0002] Such an indicia carrying element, which is normally
manufactured of synthetic resin, is disclosed in the British patent
publication 2,075,464 A. This prior art indicia carrying element,
which reassembles the indicia carrying element illustrated in FIGS.
1 through 3 accompanying the present specification, possesses a
rectangular plate-like indicia carrying element, whose four catches
or clips for clipping to an applicator hammer stand up from the
four corner parts. These projecting clips possess detent
projections, directed toward each other, in the upper free terminal
region and these detent projections fit into a peripheral groove in
the hammer head for temporary attachment to it. During attachment
to the hammer head such clips are splayed outward elastically until
the projections snap into position. Such applicator hammers are for
instance marketed by the assignee under the designations 3-027 or
3-010.
[0003] In practice different synthetic resin materials are employed
for the indicia carrying elements, as for example polyamide (PA)
for soft timber, polycarbonate (PC) for hard timber, and polyacetal
(POM) for pulp timber so that the indicia carrying element may be
digested or dissolved during paper manufacture. In a manner
dependent on the respectively utilized type of synthetic resin
there is a more or less pronounced shrinkage during production so
that finished indicia carrying elements in the form of injection
moldings will possess different dimensions. This in turn leads to a
situation in which indicia carrying elements with a high degree of
shrinkage can only be clipped on the hammer head using substantial
force, this entailing a considerable danger of loss of the clips
due to a notch-type fracture of same. One known design for dealing
with this problem is the use of hammer heads of different
respective sizes for different sizes of indicia carrying elements.
For instance, the applicator hammer marketed by the assignee as
article no. 3-027 is supplied with two different sizes of heads for
different sizes of indicia carrying elements. This system is
however complicated, more especially if a large range of different
hammer heads is necessary for different element sizes. The other
possibility, that is to say using a separate injection mold for
each type of synthetic resin employed for the indicia carrying
elements also leads to substantial expense in manufacture.
SHORT SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] One object of the invention is to create a indicia carrying
element, which despite having dimensions departing from a standard
size owing to properties of its material and its manufacture may be
readily clipped on a standard head of an applicator hammer without
danger of breakage.
[0005] In order to achieve these and/or other objects appearing
from the present specification, claims and drawings, in the present
invention the clips are placed on regions of the plate-like indicia
carrying element, which are in the form of resilient lugs.
[0006] In the case of the indicia carrying element of the invention
the deformation is distributed between the clips and the spring lug
regions. This means that the notch fracture effect at the foot of
each of the clips is substantially reduced and this in itself
substantially prevents any danger of fracture.
[0007] Owing to the elasticity of the spring lug regions the clips
may be bent more readily in an outward direction so that even
indicia carrying elements, which are really too small, may still be
clipped easily that they can be readily taken with the hammer head
from a magazine and then be driven into the respective timber.
[0008] The features recited in the dependent claims represent
advantageous further developments of the indicia carrying element
as defined in claim 1.
[0009] The clips are preferably arranged at the four corner regions
of the rectangular indicia carrying element, that is to say, their
position does not have to be different to that of a standard
indicia carrying element.
[0010] In the unstressed state the spring lug regions are arranged
substantially at a right angle to the perpendicularly standing
clips, such right angle being substantially maintained when the
hammer head is inserted owing to the elasticity of the spring lug
regions--unlike the case of conventional indicia carrying element,
in the case of which such angle is considerably changed so that
stresses occur which produce notch stresses.
[0011] In keeping with a preferred form of the invention the spring
lug regions are respectively formed by there being at least one
slot extending inward from the edge region of the indicia carrying
element. This involves the advantage that injection molds only have
to be modified to a slight degree and the overall configuration of
the indicia carrying elements remains unchanged. It has been found
to be particularly convenient to have a design in which each spring
lug region is delimited by a slot extending in parallelism to or
obliquely at a distance from the long side of the indicia carrying
element, such slot having its starting point at one end of the
element. The length of the slot can then be selected in accordance
with the desired elasticity or flexibility in the spring lug
regions formed.
[0012] Such indicia carrying bodies are preferably made integrally
with the clips and/or the spring lug regions having the clips.
[0013] Further advantageous developments and convenient forms of
the invention will be understood from the following detailed
descriptive disclosure of one embodiment thereof in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings.
LIST OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE FIGURES
[0014] FIG. 1 shows a prior art indicia carrying element clipped on
a suitable hammer head in a vertical section.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a plan view of such indicia carrying element, the
hammer head being indicated in chained lines.
[0016] FIG. 3 shows a further known indicia carrying element which
however has undergone shrinkage during manufacture and which is
slipped on the same hammer head, all in a view similar to that of
FIG. 1.
[0017] FIG. 4 is a plan view of a indicia carrying element as a
working example of the invention.
[0018] FIG. 5 is detailed view of a corner region of the indicia
carrying element depicted in FIG. 4.
[0019] FIG. 6 is a vertical representation of such a corner
region.
[0020] FIG. 7 shows the indicia carrying element clipped on a
hammer head in an arrangement similar to that of FIGS. 1 and 3.
DETAILED ACCOUNT OF WORKING EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
[0021] The conventional indicia carrying element or tag represented
in FIGS. 1 through 3 is an integral synthetic resin injection
molding and its principal part is a rectangular, tabular or
plate-like indicia carrying body 11, which at its four chamfered
corner regions is provided with clips which are usually termed
attachment clips. At their free end parts such attachment clips 12
have catch projections 13 directed toward each other, that is to
say toward the middle of the indicia carrying element. On clipping
the indicia carrying element on a hammer head 14 such catch
projections fit into a peripheral groove 16 in the head 12 of an
applicator hammer 15, which is only depicted diagrammatically in
chained lines, when the indicia carrying element is clipped to such
hammer and become attached to the hammer with a detent effect. The
catch projections 13 and the cross section of the corresponding
peripheral groove 16 are wedge-like or triangular, but have some
other suitable catch configuration.
[0022] Two through holes 17 in each indicia carrying body 11 render
it possible for two bars of a magazine (not illustrated) to be
threaded through the indicia carrying elements 10. Such magazines,
indicia carrying elements and applicator hammers are described in
sales literature of the assignee.
[0023] On the side, which faces away from the clips 12, two
anchoring spurs 18 are integrally formed, which may be a hammered
into a piece of timber. As described in the initially mentioned
prior art such spurs may be corrugated or flat in structure and
taper toward their outer ends as cutting edges to facilitate
driving them into the timber which is to be marked. There are
indicia on the side opposite to the side spurs 18 of the indicia
carrying body 11 but they are omitted in order render the drawing
more straightforward. Such indicia may be in the form of an
embossed, molded or printed sequence of numbers or letters or a
optical, magnetic or electromagnetic code or of a for instance
adhesively attached label.
[0024] Such indicia carrying elements 10 are retrieved from the
magazine by the hammer head 14 by firstly moving the hammer 15 so
that its head 14 is thrust against the top indicia carrying element
so that the clips 12 are splayed apart and eventually clip into the
peripheral groove 16. Now the indicia carrying element 10 is struck
against the timber to be marked by a blow of the hammer, the spurs
18 being thrust into the timber. On retracting the applicator
hammer 15 the hammer head 14 is freed from the clips 12 by splaying
them apart.
[0025] FIG. 1 shows a indicia carrying element 10, which as regards
its dimensions is exactly adapted to the hammer head 14, the
upstanding clips 12 are at an angle of 90 degrees to the plane of
the indicia carrying body 11 in the clipped on or unstressed
position (as illustrated in FIG. 1).
[0026] Dependent on the type of timber different synthetic resin
materials are utilized for the production of the indicia carrying
elements 10, as for instance polyamide (PA) for soft timber,
polycarbonate (PC) for hard timber, and polyacetal (POM) for pulp
timber. In the case of the last application the indicia carrying
element must be able to be digested or dissolved during paper
manufacture. However, the different types od synthetic resin
undergo a different degree of shrinkage during working and the
finished indicia carrying elements as moldings possess mutually
different dimensions and for instance polyacetal shrinks by
approximately 2.3%. In the case of the utilization of the same
hammer head 14 the situation will be as illustrated in FIG. 4, that
is to say the clips 12 must be splayed substantially further
outward on fitting on the hammer head 14 and consequently in the
snapped-on condition will still be at an angle differing from 90
degree, for instance 80 degrees. The result of this is that
substantially more force must be exerted for clipping on and
furthermore the clips 12 are liable to notch fracture owing to the
stresses then occurring. Consequently they may drop off the hammer
head 14 so that it is no longer possible to anchor the indicia
carrying element on a log. Furthermore fracture in the clips may
endanger an operator. The proper removal of such indicia carrying
elements 10 from a magazine is then hardly possible in the
described manner.
[0027] The indicia carrying element 20 illustrated in FIGS. 4
through 7 as an embodiment of the invention is in some respects
identical to the indicia carrying element 10 so that like
structural elements are denoted by the same reference numerals and
are not described over again. In contradistinction to the indicia
carrying element 10 the indicia carrying body 21 has a slot 22
extending in each corner zone from the respective clip 12 at the
narrow end sides and running approximately parallel to the long
sides. This means that flexible regions 23 like spring lugs are
formed, whose outer ends bear the clips 12. In the unstressed state
the regions 23 like spring lugs lie in the plane of the indicia
carrying body 21, from which they are shaped and with the clips
they constitute an L-like arrangement. On clipping onto the hammer
head 14 such L-like arrangement is bent essentially about the line
24 of flexure depicted in FIGS. 5 and 6 in an outward direction,
such line extending in the transitional zone between the spring
region 23 and the remaining region of the indicia carrying body 21.
This means that the bending load and accordingly the fracturing
effect is substantially kept clear of the foot of the clips 12 on
the indicia carrying body 21 and is shifted toward the line 24 of
flexure so that now the region 23 in the form of a spring lug is
subject to continuous deformation. Even in the case of "undersize"
indicia carrying elements 20 in accordance wit FIG. 7, there will
still be an angle of essentially 90 degrees between the clips 12
and the spring regions 23. Adjacent to the lines of flexure in the
spring regions 23 there will be substantially smaller bend stresses
than in conventional indicia carrying elements 10.
[0028] The slots 22 illustrated in the figures of the embodiment
extend essentially in parallelism to the long sides of the indicia
carrying element 21. In principle same may also extend obliquely so
that the width of the spring regions 23 is made smaller or larger
along the length thereof. The slots 22 may be produced with a taper
in order to optimize the bend line.
[0029] In further embodiments of the invention, not illustrated,
two slots may delimit each respective spring region 23. These slots
22 then run toward the middle of the indicia carrying body 21 for
instance. In other respects round, square or other suitable
configurations of indicia carrying bodies are possible. The
invention is not limited to the disclosed forms and may be applied
to all known modifications of indicia carrying elements, as for
example the indicia carrying elements indicated in the initially
mentioned prior art. The essential point is that the spring regions
defined by one or two slots are of such a width and length that
owing to the deformability of the elements same may be made with
different sizes and may be readily clipped on a hammer head 14.
[0030] A further embodiment of the invention, not illustrated, may
be such that the spring regions are formed on the peripheral line
of indicia carrying bodies. For instance, in the case of round
indicia carrying bodies three regions will be sufficient.
* * * * *