U.S. patent number 3,660,208 [Application Number 04/888,702] was granted by the patent office on 1972-05-02 for thermostatic heat wheel.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Xerox Corporation. Invention is credited to Leo J. Hubbard.
United States Patent |
3,660,208 |
Hubbard |
May 2, 1972 |
THERMOSTATIC HEAT WHEEL
Abstract
A heat transfer wheel including a label transfer pad to carry
address-bearing labels from a label pick-up station to the point of
application where the addresses are transferred to an article
through the use of heat, heating means in said label transfer pad,
said transfer pad being thermally insulated from the rest of the
wheel to facilitate heat retention and distribution; vacuum passage
means leading to the label bearing surface of the label transfer
pad to enable labels to be temporarily attached thereto; and
thermostatic control means in heat exchange relation with said
label transfer pad for regulating operation of said heating means
in response to temperature conditions of said pad so as to maintain
said transfer pad at a uniform temperature condition.
Inventors: |
Hubbard; Leo J. (Dayton,
OH) |
Assignee: |
Xerox Corporation (Rochester,
NY)
|
Family
ID: |
25393714 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/888,702 |
Filed: |
December 29, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
156/571; 156/568;
156/359 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65C
9/24 (20130101); Y10T 156/1773 (20150115); Y10T
156/178 (20150115) |
Current International
Class: |
B65C
9/24 (20060101); B65C 9/00 (20060101); B65c
009/22 (); B65c 009/28 () |
Field of
Search: |
;156/359,566-572 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Borchelt; Benjamin A.
Assistant Examiner: Hanley; J. M.
Claims
I claim
1. In a heat transfer wheel for bringing labels having address
information thereon into transfer contact with articles to be
labeled, the combination of:
a base member adapted for rotatable mounting;
at least one label transfer pad having a surface area adapted to
support a label thereon;
heating means for heating said pad surface area including at least
one resistance type heater;
an energizing circuit for said heater;
means for mounting said pad on said base member in insulating
relation thereto whereby to minimize loss of heat from said label
transfer pad through said base member;
means to permit vacuum to be applied to at least a portion of said
pad surface area so as to temporarily hold a label on said pad
surface area and enable said base member to transport said label
into contact with an article to be labeled, and
control means for regulating operation of said heating means
whereby to maintain said label transfer pad within a predetermined
temperature range,
said control means including a temperature responsive switching
element in heat exchange relation with said label transfer pad and
in series with said heater circuit, said switching element being
adapted on a predetermined low temperature condition of said label
transfer pad to close whereby to energize said heater and on a
predetermined high temperature condition of said label transfer pad
to open whereby to deenergize said heater; and
signal light means to visibly indicate temperature conditions of
said label transfer pad, said light means being in parallel circuit
relationship with said switching element such that on opening of
said switching element, said light means is activated and on
closure of said switching element, a bypass circuit is established
effectively rendering said light means inoperative.
2. The heat transfer wheel according to claim 3 in which said
control means includes a temperature responsive element in heat
exchange relation with said label transfer pad.
3. In a heat transfer wheel for bringing labels having address
information thereon into transfer contact with articles to be
labeled, the combination of:
a base member adapted for rotatable mounting;
at least one label transfer pad having a surface area adapted to
support a label thereon;
heating means for heating said pad surface area;
means for mounting said pad on said base member in insulating
relation thereto whereby to minimize loss of heat from said label
transfer pad through said base member;
means to permit vacuum to be applied to at least a portion of said
pad surface area so as to temporarily hold a label on said pad
surface area and enable said base member to transport said label
into contact with an article to be labeled;
control means for regulating operation of said heating means
whereby to maintain said label transfer pad within a predetermined
temperature range;
said heating means comprising at least two individual heat sources
and;
means for energizing one of said heat sources continuously during
labeling operation of said transfer wheel,
said control means serving to operate the other of said heat
sources in response to temperature conditions of said label
transfer pad.
4. The heat transfer wheel according to claim 3 including
means for signaling operating temperature conditions of said label
transfer pad; said control means being adapted to actuate said
signaling means on deenergization of the other of said heat
sources.
Description
This invention relates to article addressing machines, and more
particularly, to an improved heat transfer wheel for use with
article addressing machines.
Certain automatic addressing machines for addressing or labeling
articles, for example envelopes, utilize a rotatable, heated
transfer wheel to carry the address-bearing item, normally referred
to as a label, into physical contact with the article being
addressed. The addressing machine incorporates suitable article
transport means to bring the articles, one at a time, into
operative position with the label transfer wheel.
In some applications, the labels themselves are physically attached
to the articles and in this type of application, the labels carry a
heat activated adhesive on their underside to enable the labels to
be secured to the articles. During the relatively short interval
while the label is borne by the label transfer wheel from the label
supply point to the point where the label is transferred to the
article, the transfer wheel must heat the label sufficiently to
activate the adhesive.
In other applications, the address information may be formed on
carbon paper-type labels. Here the physical contact between the
label and article in the presence of heat causes the information on
the label to be transferred to the article. The used labels are
thereafter removed from the transfer wheel and stored for
subsequent use or simply thrown away. As in the case of the
adhesive bearing labels, the transfer wheel is relied upon as the
source of heat.
In effecting the aforedescribed transfer of label or label
information to articles, the heat input to the label supporting pad
of the transfer wheel, which in turn is transmitted to the label
itself, is critical. If too little heat is provided, transfer of
the label or the label information may be incomplete. On the other
hand, too much heat may result in incomplete transfer of the label
or label information or damage to the label.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and
improved heat transfer wheel for article addressing machines.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide
controlled heat at the label bearing pad of a heat transfer
wheel.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved
label transfer wheel having multiple heating elements embedded in
the label carrying pad thereof, with thermostatic means for
controlling at least one of the heating elements in response to
temperature conditions of the pad.
It is a further object of the invention to provide, in a label
transfer wheel having a thermally insulated label support pad,
thermostatic control means for maintaining pre-determined
temperature conditions on the external surface of the label support
pad.
This invention relates to a heat transfer wheel for bringing labels
having address information thereon into transfer contact with
articles to be labeled, the combination of, a base member adapted
for rotatably mounting; at least one label transfer pad having a
surface area adapted to support a label thereon; heating means for
heating the pad surface area; means for mounting the pad on the
base member in insulating relation thereto whereby to minimize loss
of heat from the label transfer pad through the base member; means
to permit vacuum to be applied to at least a portion of the pad
surface area so as to temporarily hold a label on the pad surface
area and enable the base member to transport the label into contact
with an article to be labeled; and control means for regulating
operation of the heating means whereby to maintain the label
transfer pad within a pre-determined temperature range.
Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from
the following description and drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an addressing machine with
portions broken away to show internal mechanisms;
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the improved label transfer wheel of
the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the label transfer wheel
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;
FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the label transfer wheel
taken along lines 4--4 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a wiring diagram for the label transfer wheel shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2; and
FIG. 6 is an alternate wiring diagram for the label transfer wheel
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
Referring to FIG. 1 there is shown an automatic addressing machine
5 of the type adapted to use the label applicator or transfer wheel
10 of the present invention. Addressing machine 5 is encased in
housing 11, parts of which have been removed as required to show
internal constructions. Addressing machine 5 includes, on the left
side thereof, as viewed in FIG. 1, a magazine 12 for the reception
of articles to be labeled. The walls of the magazine are adjustable
for receiving stacks of materials of varying sizes. Suitable
conveying mechanisms (not shown) are employed to feed the
bottom-most article in magazine 12 forward into association with
article transport belt 14 which carries the article into operative
position with transfer wheel 10. Transport belt 14 is supported on
rollers 16 and 18, at least one of which is driven by a suitable
source of power (not shown).
Labels to be used for addressing are supplied from label
preparation station 21, preparation station 21 serving to cut, trim
and feed the labels sequentially to the label transfer wheel 10 for
transfer of the label itself or of the address information only to
the article being carried therepast by transport belt 14. As will
appear, transfer wheel 10 picks up through vacuum holddown means
individual labels from pick-up station 23 and carries the
individual labels through an arc of approximately 180.degree. into
physical contact with the article moving therebelow on transport
belt 14.
During the interval while the label is carried on transfer wheel
10, heat from label transfer wheel 10 is relied upon to partially
melt, soften or tackify either the carbonized address information
on the label where the label is a heat transfer type label or the
heat activated adhesive on the bottom of the label where the label
is an adhesive label. Where heat transfer type labels are used, the
vacuum control valving (not shown) is arranged so that the label
itself is retained on transfer wheel 10 past the point 27 where
label information is transferred to the article and until the used
label comes opposite vacuum pick-off wheel 31. At this point, the
vacuum of pick-up wheel 31 removes the used label from transfer
wheel 10 and onto vacuum pick-off wheel 31 for disposition in used
label storage trough 34. Where addressing machine 5 is operated
with adhesive type labels which are physically transferred to the
article by applicator wheel 10, the vacuum pick-off wheel 31 and
trough 34 are not used and may be eliminated.
Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings, label transfer
wheel 10 comprises a base member or block 20 and a vacuum or heat
pad 22. As will appear, one side 24 of block 20 cooperates with the
stationary vacuum distributing block 25 to couple wheel 10 with the
vacuum source while the opposite or second side 26 of block 20
cooperates with slip rings 28 to couple heating elements 30 with
the source of electrical power.
Block 20 is suitably apertured at 32 for mounting on drive shaft 33
of addressing machine 5. Vacuum passages 35 are provided in block
20, passages 35 leading from side 24 of block 20 to the heat pad
support surface 38. The opposed or second side 26 of block 20 has
an arcuate recess 40 for holding the electrical wiring leading to
heating elements 30. The recess 40 is best seen in FIG. 3.
Heat pad 22 is constructed of a thermally conductive rigid material
and is provided with vacuum grooves 42 over the label supporting
portion of its periphery. Primary vacuum passages 43 in pad 22 have
branch passages 44 communicating with vacuum grooves 42, the
construction being such that on coupling of primary vacuum passages
43 with a source of vacuum, a partial vacuum is created along the
periphery 45 of pad 22 to retain the label on the periphery of heat
pad 22. Apertures 50, 52, which are substantially parallel with the
axis or rotation of label transfer wheel 10, are provided for the
reception of heating elements 30 and thermostat 54 respectively as
will appear more fully hereinafter.
An insulated manifold plate 56 is disposed between applicator wheel
base 20 and heating pad 22, plate 56 being rigidly secured between
heating pad 22 and block 20 by suitable means. A network of vacuum
passages 62 through manifold plate 56 communicates vacuum passages
35 in block 22 with primary vacuum passages 43 in heating pad 22.
Suitable thermal insulating washers 64 are provided between
manifold plate 56 and block 20 to assure effective thermal
isolation of heating pad 22 from block 20.
Suitable valve means (not shown) are provided in manifold plate 56
to permit the vacuum to pad 22 to be controlled in accordance with
operating conditions.
Heat is supplied to the vacuum pad 22 by heating elements 30 which
fit in the apertures 50 in pad 22. As best shown in FIG. 3, the
heating rods 30 are arranged proximate the label bearing surface 45
of vacuum pad 22, elements 30 being located so that the surface 45
is substantially uniformly heated to assure complete and even
transfer of the address information to the articles.
Electrical power is supplied to the heating elements 30 through
suitable leads 63 which are held within the recess 40 of block 20.
Recess 40 is closed as by insulated plate 65. Slip rings 28 are
supported on plate 64 by screws 67 which serve to electrically
connect rings 28 with leads 64 of heating elements 30. Support
shaft 33 is journaled in addressing machine frame part 71 as by
ball bearing 69.
The transfer wheel 10 is positioned on shaft 33 such that slip
rings 28 on face 26 of wheel 10 contact brushes 70 on machine part
71. Brushes 70 are connected with a suitable source of electrical
energy as will appear.
The stationary vacuum distributing block 25 has suitable arcuate
vacuum distributing grooves 73 in the inside face 74 thereof.
Suitable passage means (not shown) communicate grooves 73 via hose
type coupling 78 with a suitable source of vacuum. The relative
rotation developed between transfer wheel 10 and distributing block
25 on rotation of wheel 10 selectively communicates vacuum grooves
42 with the source of vacuum to enable wheel 10 to pick up and
carry the label from label preparation station 21 into physical
contact with the articles carried therepast on transport belt 14
where the label is released. It is understood that where the
address information only is transferred to the article, the design
of grooves 73 is altered to assure that the transfer wheel 10
retains the used label on vacuum pad 22 thereof until the used
label is removed by pick-off wheel 31 for storage in trough 34.
To control heating elements 30 and maintain desired temperature
conditions at the transfer wheel pad 22, a suitable temperature
responsive control element or thermostat 54 is disposed in heat
exchange relation with vacuum pad 22. In the exemplary showing of
the drawings, thermostat 54 comprises a tubular element carried
within aperture 52 in pad 22, aperture 52 being located generally
intermediate the multiple heating elements 30. To provide visible
indication to the user of temperature conditions of pad 22, a
suitable signal light 75 is preferably provided on side 24 of base
20 of transfer wheel 10.
Referring particularly to FIG. 5, heating elements 30 are connected
through slip rings 28 and brushes 70, thermostat 54, and a suitable
off-on switch 76 across a suitable source of electrical energy as
represented by leads L.sub.1, L.sub.2. To enable signal light 75 to
reflect the safe operating condition of transfer wheel 10, light 75
is connected in parallel with thermostat 54. By this arrangement,
light 75 is operative when thermostat 54 is open and current to
heating elements interrupted as when heat pad 22 is at or above the
predetermined temperature response of thermostat 54. Where
thermostat 54 closes to complete an energizing circuit to heating
elements 30 however, the current drain is sufficient to render
light 75 inoperative and indicate to the user that heat wheel 10 is
below desired operating temperature.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, where like numerals refer to
like parts, certain of the heating element 30' are connected
directly through on-off switch 76 with leads L.sub.1, L.sub.2. The
remaining heating elements 30" are controlled by thermostat 54 in
the manner described in connection with FIG. 5 above.
In the FIG. 6 embodiment, the continuously operating heating
elements 30' serve to maintain the pad 22 of heat wheel 10 at a
base or minimum temperature with the remaining heating elements 30"
being cycled on and off as required in accordance with temperature
conditions of heat pad 22 as sensed by thermostat 54.
While the invention has been described with reference to the
structure disclosed, it is not confined to the details set forth,
but is intended to cover such modifications, or changes as may come
within the scope of the following claims.
* * * * *