GB2183549A

GB2183549A - Engraving machines

Info

Publication number: GB2183549A
Application number: GB08618680A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Charles Gordon
Original assignee: PERMANENT SIGN Co Ltd
Current assignee: PERMANENT SIGN Co Ltd
Priority date: 1985-08-02
Filing date: 1986-07-31
Publication date: 1987-06-10
Also published as: GB8618683D0; GB8618681D0; GB2183550A; EP0231317A1; AU6198286A; EP0231316A1; GB8618680D0; GB2178370A; WO1987000801A1; GB2183551A; AU6197986A; GB8618682D0; WO1987000800A1

Description

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GB 2 183 549 A

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SPECIFICATION

Improvements in engraving machines

5 The present invention relates to engraving machines primarily for engraving concrete kerbstone orthe like in situ.

A known engraving machine of the type with which the present invention is concerned is descri-10 bed in GB Patent Publication No 2138748. A general object of the present invention is to improve the known form of machine.

The present invention provides an engraving machineforusein engraving a concretioussurface 15 in situ; said machine comprising a mainframe, means on the frame for receiving one or more stencils, a carriage, means supporting the carriage at the f ront of the f ra me f or m ovem ent rel ative to the frame within a plane parallel to the surface to been-20 graved, an engraving tool ortool holder supported by the carriage for permitting the tool to engage the surface to be engraved, a stencil guide which can be made to follow a pattern defined by a stencil by movement of the carriage in said plane, arms fitted 25 to the mainframe to project outwardly and more usually rearwardly, therefrom during use, the arms serving to receive weighted objects to stabilize the machine during the engraving operation, and means for supporting the arms or parts thereof on a sup-30 portive surface beneath the arms.

As is known from GB 2138748, suction devices may also be provided to clamp the main frame to the surface which is to be engraved, but as an alternative thrust devices can be used. Because of the weighted 35 arms which form a rearframe the use of thrust or suction devices is not essential however.

Conveniently the support means for the arms, permits these arms to be adjusted in inclination thereby to bring the main frame into a desired orientation vis 40 a vis the surface to be engraved, e.g. a face of a kerb. The support means can take the form of screw-threaded spindles on the arms or parts thereof.

Tubularguidesorthe likealso known from GB 2138748 can define the directions of movement of 45 the carriage.

The invention may be understood more readily and various other aspects and features of the invention may become more apparent from consideration ofthefollowing description.

50 Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of exa mpleonly,with reference to th e accompanying drawings, wherein:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an engraving machine constructed in accordance with the inven-55 tion;and

Figure 2 is an end elevation of another modified form of engraving machine.

In the accompanying drawings, the reference numeral 10 denotes an engraving machine and as 60 depicted in Figure 1 the machine 10 is composed of a frame 11 with side members 28 and a channel-like transverse structure 27 which receives cut-out stencils 18. Bearing blocks orcollars 20 are mounted for sliding along a pair of tubular guides 19 disposed 65 between the side members 20. A pair of tubular guides 21 interconnect the blocks 20 and a carriage 12 in turn slidably mounted on the tubular guides 21 with the aid of bearing blocks or collars 22. The guides 21 extend perpendicularto the guides 19. The carriage 70 12 has a handle 24 for displacing the carriage 12 along the guides 21 in the direction of arrows C-D. The guides 21 are additionally connected at their ends with a cross-piece serving as a handle 25for displacing the carriage 12 along the guides 19 in the 75 direction of arrows A-B. The carriage 12supportsa stencil-engaging guide 15 which an operator can displace by moving the carriage 12 as appropriate to fol low the shape of the stencils 18. A rotary engraving tool 29 with a replaceable hardened bit is likewise 80 supported by a holder on the carriage 12 and follows the path described by the guide 15 to permanently mark a kerb 30.

Suction devices 13 can serve to clamp the frame 11 to the kerb 30 and as shown in Figure 1, the suction 85 devices 13 are supported by arms31 which are linked to the side members 28 for pivoting universally orup and down as indicated by arrow S. This pivotal motion can be disabled by operating levers 32 orthe like to lock the arms 31 to the side members 28. This per-90 mitstheframe 11 to be positioned and clamped in an appropriate orientation depending on the depth of the kerb 30 and its angular rake. Instead of suction devices 13 thrust devices such as hydraulic rams in association with some other abutment forming equi-95 pmentcanbeusedtourgetheframe11 againstthe kerb 13. Both thrustorsuction devices can however be omitted since the frame 11 is subjected to additional stability and rigidity in accordance with the invention by means of an auxiliary rearframe or struc-100 ture which can carry weighted objects. As shown, the side members 28 of the frame 11 are linked to rearwardly projecting arms 39. These arms 39 are separate but could be linked by additional frame members. The arms 39 would normally have the 105 same shape but for simplicity the arm 39 at the right-hand side of the drawings is cranked and one-piece while that at the left hand-side is, as an alternative, composed of two pivotably-connected portions 39', 39". L-shaped cross pieces 40 on the arms 39 provide 110 beds for weighted blocks 41 which can be stacked one on another. The arms 39 are supported by means of adjustable screw-threaded spindles 42 with pads 43 attheir lower ends. By adjusting the spindles 42 up and down the disposition of the main 115 frame 11 can be altered to adjustthe angular disposition ofthekerb30.

Figure 2 depicts another alternative arrangement where the arm 39 is again composed of pivotably linked portions 39', 39" of which the rear portion 39" 120 is inclined to rest on the ground while the portion 39' is supported by adjustable legs 48.

Claims

125 1. An engraving machineforusein engraving a concretious surface in situ; said machine comprising a main frame, means on the frame for receiving one or more stencils, a carriage, means supporting the carriage atthe front of theframefor movement relat-130 ive to the frame within a plane parallel to the surface

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GB 2 183 549 A

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to be engraved, an engraving tool ortool holder supported by the carriagefor permitting the tool to engage the surface to be engraved, a stencil guide which can be madeto follow a pattern defined by a 5 stencil by movement of the carriage in said plane, arms fitted to the main frame to project outwardly therefrom during use, the arms serving to receive weighted objects to stabilizethe machine during the engraving operation, and meansforsupporting the 10 arms or parts thereof on a supportive surface beneath the arms.

2. A machine according to claim 1,whereinthe frame is composed of side members with a channellike transverse structure therebetween, said struc-

15 ture constituting at least in partthe stencil reception means.

3. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the carriage support means supports the carriagefor movement in orthogonal directions.

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4. A machine according to claim 2, wherein a first set of elongate guides extend between the side members, and the carriage support means takes the form of bearing collars mounted for sliding on said first set of guides, a further set of elongate guides 25 extending perpendicularlytothefirstset of guides and interconnecting said collars and further bearing collars mounted to the carriage for sliding on said further set of guides.

5. A machine according to claim 4, wherein the 30 further set of guides are interconnected by a cross-piece serving as a handle for displacing the carriage along thefirst set of guides and the carriage has a further handle for displacing the carriage along the furtherset of guides.

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6. A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein suction devices are connected via pivot-able levers to theframe and serve selectively to clamptheframein position against thesurface of be engraved during use. 40

7. Amachineaccordingtoanyoneofclaimslto 5, wherein thrust devices are provided selectively to urge the frame against the surface to be engraved during use.

8. A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 45 7, wherein the arms are cranked.

9. A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the arms are each composed of pivotably-interconnected portions.

10. A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 50 9, wherein the arms are provided with cross-pieces forming beds for receiving the weighted objects.

11. A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the means for supporting the arms takes theform of adjustablescrew-threaded spindles with

55 padsattheirlowerends.

12. A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the means for supporting the arms is adjustableto varytheangulardispositionofthe frame.

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13. A machine substantially as described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office by Croydon Printing Company (UK) Ltd, 4/87, D8991685.

Published by The Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC2A 1 AY,from which copies maybe obtained.