HK1131942B - Numbering device for typographic numbering - Google Patents

Description

Numbering device for printing numbers

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to numbering devices (also called numbering boxes) for the printed numbering of substrates or strips fed to a printing machine, in particular for the numbering of securities, such as banknotes, passports, identity cards, checks and other similar objects.

Background

In existing printing machines for value documents, such as banknotes, checks and other similar objects, the serial number is an important feature printed on the value document. For example, each printed banknote typically has a unique combination of numbers and letters that make up the serial number of the banknote.

The prior art already has a number of numbering methods. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,677,910, the content of which is incorporated by reference into the present application, discloses a method and apparatus for processing security prints arranged in rows and columns on a carrier in the form of a paper web or sheet. In this particular example, the print carrier passes through a reader, a cancellation printer, and a numbering machine in sequence. The reading device detects the position of the print inferiority identified by the mark and inputs the position into the computer for storage. The cancellation mark printing machine is controlled by the computer to perform cancellation mark printing on defective printing products. The numbering method of the numbering machine is computer-driven in such a way that always the accepted prints, arranged one after the other in the longitudinal direction, are consecutively numbered, while the rejected prints are skipped. Subsequently, the printed support, which has passed another reading device, is cut into individual security papers (securitypapers) or notes (note), the defective notes are separated in a separating device, and the remaining sequentially numbered individual security notes, all having a complete numerical order, are collected in bundles. In this way, it is possible to ensure a correct and complete numerical sequence in the bundle of security notes, independently of the separation of defective notes.

However, since the working principle of numbering and collection and separation of defective security notes are time consuming, the above method is not suitable from the viewpoint of production efficiency. Another simpler method is to number sheets that contain only good products and to process sheets with defective products in a separate step. All the defective paper, that is, the paper without any good product, is destroyed. Good quality paper containing components may also be destroyed or conveniently cut into individual security notes for processing by a single numbering machine. In the numbering machine, only the good securities and bills are numbered in sequence. This method is preferable from the point of view of optimum production, since it is possible to guarantee a continuous numbering sequence on successive security documents.

In the case of value documents, which are usually printed in a matrix format, on a substrate, several problems arise when it is desired to combine individual value documents numbered in successive numbers into a package or bundle. The first problem is caused by the fact that each sheet or web must be cut into individual notes. To maintain reasonable production speed and efficiency, multiple sheets of substrate (typically one hundred) are stacked and co-cut with a suitable cutting device to cut the stack into individual note bundles. Accordingly, all sheets must be numbered so that the numbering sequence remains continuous in each bundle. By numbering each of several hundred successive sheets, the numbering at each numbering position on the sheet is sequentially increased or decreased by one unit from the first to the hundred, i.e. the last, sheets.

Another difficulty arises when one wants to pack multiple bundles while maintaining the numbering sequence in each bundle. In order to collect and stack note bundles in the proper order, bundle collating systems of varying complexity must be employed, depending on the type of numbering device used to make the numbering and the numbering process used.

Especially when numbering is performed with mechanical numbering devices, it is necessary to use a rather complicated bundle collating system for collecting and storing the bundles of notes in a suitable manner for packing with bundles having a continuous sequence of numbering, since the numbering devices can only be operated in the manner described above, i.e. successively from one numbering cycle to the next. Such bundle collating systems are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,939,621, U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,944, U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,707, U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,557, european patent applications 0656309, 1607355, british patent application 2262729 and international application WO 01/49464, among others.

Bundle collating can be simplified to a certain extent according to the number of bills on each sheet and the difference in sheet layout. This method is possible, for example, in the case disclosed in european patent application 0598679, i.e. when the number of notes per sheet is an integer multiple of ten. With this solution, a plurality of bundles with a consecutive sequence of numbering are located in the same stack, for example one bundle per column, so that the bundles can be sorted according to column. However, with this numbering method, it is still necessary to separate groups of bundles having different numbering sequences from each processed stack (i.e. one sequence per column), and therefore a collating system is still required. In any case, this numbering method is not suitable for the case where the number of security prints contained on the sheets is not an integer multiple of ten.

There are a number of non-collating numbering methods known in the art that do not require a bundle collating system. With these non-collating solutions, the sheets must be numbered in a particular way, which is dependent on the layout of the sheets, in particular the number of prints per note. This particular numbering principle is disclosed in international application WO 2004/016433. With this numbering principle, all bundles from the set stack of sheets correspond to a complete consecutive numbering sequence, i.e. each stack of sheets with MxN note prints results in MxN sequentially numbered bundles, that is MxNx100 sequentially numbered note prints. The above numbering schemes, which do not require collating of the stacks of sheets, require special numbering devices, which are generally more expensive than conventional mechanical numbering devices.

Accordingly, an important issue with the full sheet numbering process is the flexibility in designing and creating the numbering devices for printing the appropriate serial number on each numbering location of the sheets. The numbering device usually comprises several printed numbering wheels or numbering disks. These numbering wheels have on their circumference alphanumeric symbols engraved in relief and are driven by a coordinated mechanical drive method to rotate them to the correct numbering position.

Besides the usual mechanical numbering device with sequential driving of the numbering wheels, there are also some other types of numbering wheels which offer more flexibility, for example the actual or possible driving method of the numbering wheels from one numbering cycle to the next.

For example, a numbering device with freely adjustable numbering wheels is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,106, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. This patent discloses a numbering device in which all of the numbering wheels are rotatable about a common drive shaft and are drivable by a belt coupled to the drive shaft, and in which there are a plurality of electromagnetically driven pawls for selectively blocking any one of the numbering wheels in a desired position. The advantage of this numbering device is that arbitrarily chosen (even out of order) numbers can be formed at any time, in particular skipping from one numbering cycle to the next. This numbering device can be used in particular for implementing the numbering scheme disclosed in European patent application WO 2004/016433. For a detailed description of the operation of this numbering device, reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,106. However, a disadvantage of this numbering device is the relatively complex drive structure and associated costs, and the friction between the numbering wheels and the common drive shaft generates excessive heat.

A somewhat similar numbering device is disclosed in german patent application DE 3047390, but it is more complicated than in U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,106. One disadvantage is that it is relatively slow and only allows the numbering wheels to turn in one direction.

A hybrid numbering device is disclosed in U.S. patent 4,677,910, which is primarily illustrated in fig. 6 and 6a thereof, and the corresponding description is incorporated herein by reference for illustrative purposes. Which replaces the mechanical numbering wheel in units with a numbering wheel that is independent of the other numbering wheels and driven by a motor, so that the components overcome the limitations of a purely sequential numbering device. However, the flexibility of the numbering device is very limited, since only one numbering wheel (i.e. the unit numbering wheel) can be set in any position, while the other numbering wheels are still running in sequence.

Another hybrid numbering device is disclosed in international application WO2004/016433, which was mentioned above and the content of which is incorporated by reference into the present application. In this numbering device, the numbering wheels for units and tens are driven continuously (i.e. purely mechanically), while the numbering wheels for at least hundreds and thousands are driven independently, so that numbers can be skipped when numbering. This configuration allows the above-mentioned special numbering method to be performed, i.e. without the need for collating bundles.

Another numbering device of the hybrid type is disclosed in US 4,843,959 (corresponding to european patent application EP 0286317 a 1) with reference to fig. 3 to 6 thereof, wherein six of the ten numbering wheels (i.e. the numbering wheels in units, tens, hundreds, thousands, tens and hundreds of thousands) are driven by separate stepping motors through gears and transmission shafts. Each motor is associated with a position sensing device (i.e. a shaft encoder that appropriately controls the operation of the motor) and the sensing device is fed back to a computer which can verify the setting of the numbering wheels. The remaining four numbering wheels carry a prefix or suffix designation, but there is no description of the method by which these numbering wheels are driven.

One major disadvantage of this method is that, with the disclosed arrangement of stepper motor, gears and drive shafts, only up to six numbering wheels can be driven in rotation.

Another disadvantage is that the ability to place multiple numbering devices side by side, which is critical in numbering full notes, is not possible or at least severely limited by the placement of the motor outside the side walls of the numbering device. In practice, the six motors are arranged in pairs with the axes of each pair of motors facing each other.

The method described in U.S. patent 4,843,959 remains problematic because the transmissions used to drive the numbering wheels in rotation have the same diameter and accordingly there is no reduction factor between the motor output and the numbering wheels. In other words, the accuracy of the numbering device, as well as the rotational speed and the rotational torque, depend directly on the characteristics of the motor. With a stepper motor this means in particular that a very large number of steps are required per motor turn or that the size of the motor is very large and cannot easily be integrated in the numbering device.

According to the numbering scheme in international patent application WO2004/016433, it is possible to envisage numbering with a continuously driven mechanical numbering device, depending on the number of notes per sheet and the layout of the sheets. This is still possible only if the number of security prints per sheet is an integer multiple of ten (or twenty-five), by special design of the numbering device. One such method is disclosed in international application WO 2005/018945. THE european patent application 1731324 of THE applicant of this patent discloses a further alternative METHOD, filed on 8.6.2005, entitled "NUMBERING PROCESS FOR SECURITIES AND NUMBERING devices TO CARRY OUT THE NUMBERING PROCESS" (METHOD of NUMBERING SECURITIES, METHOD of processing NUMBERED SECURITIES AND NUMBERING device implementing THE NUMBERING METHOD). As before, such an approach is not feasible for sheets that do not contain an integer multiple of ten or twenty-five note prints.

The numbering devices described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,106, german patent application DE 3047390, U.S. Pat. No. 4,677,910, international patent application WO2004/016433, international patent application WO2005/018945 and european patent application EP 1731324 are disadvantageous. This is because, like conventional mechanical numbering devices, these numbering devices interact mechanically with the drive and the drive is not part of the numbering device itself, but is generally suspended from the numbering device of the numbering machine. In particular, each numbering device requires a drive cam assembly to drive or at least release the numbering wheels. Such a cam assembly may cooperate with a corresponding cam surface in a numbering press. In some solutions, the rotation of the numbering wheels is further driven by means of a mechanical coupling, such as the method described in US patent 5,660,106, which requires a driving gear and a mating sector gear.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to improve upon existing devices and methods.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a numbering device which can implement any numbering method.

Another object of the invention is to provide a numbering device which is easy to produce and which is small.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a numbering device that is reliable.

These objects are achieved thanks to the numbering device defined in the claims.

As previously mentioned, an numbering device for printing numbering on a substrate or web fed to a printing machine; the numbering device comprises a numbering unit with a rotatable numbering wheel, which is provided with alphanumeric characters; the numbering wheels are arranged in sequence and can rotate along a common rotating shaft; the numbering device also comprises an electro-mechanical drive member for positioning the numbering wheels. According to the invention, the electro-mechanical drive means are entirely located within the numbering device and are autonomous mechanical (i.e. do not require any external mechanical coupling to drive the numbering wheels), the electro-mechanical drive means comprising a plurality of independent drive means for driving a corresponding plurality of numbering wheels.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numbering wheels comprise more than six rotatable numbering wheels, which are driven by a corresponding number of independent drive members.

Preferably, the numbering device comprises up to twelve such rotatable numbering wheels having independent drive members. According to another embodiment of the invention, each driving member comprises at least one motor for driving the associated numbering wheels through a transmission; preferably, the electric motor is coupled to the transmission via a reduction gear. The motor is preferably an electronically steered brushless dc motor. The deceleration factor between the motor output and the corresponding numbering wheels is selected such that the measured placement resolution at the outer edges of the numbering wheels is about 0.1 to 0.15 mm or less. This object is achieved according to a preferred embodiment of the invention by selecting a combination of reduction gears and pinions, and by accurately selecting the size and number of teeth of the gears.

According to another aspect of the invention, the drive members are arranged along the axis of rotation of the numbering wheels in an optimized arrangement placed head to tail next to each other. In this case, the first part of the actuating member may be mounted on one side of the numbering device and the remaining part of the actuating member may be mounted on the other side of the numbering device, the actuating member being arranged in such a way that said first part and said remaining part are nested together in two interlocking comb structures. Preferably, the drive member is mounted on two symmetrical semi-circular comb members.

One advantage of the present invention is that the actuation of the numbering device does not require any mechanical interaction with an external actuation. According to the invention, the electro-mechanical drive means are self-mechanically driven by an electrical connection to the numbering device. Moreover, the electro-mechanical drive member is completely internal to the numbering device, thereby making the layout compact.

Furthermore, the numbering device in the present invention is a very flexible numbering device, which is applicable to any numbering method. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, up to twelve different numbering wheels can be driven independently, a number which is not possible with the numbering devices of the prior art.

Not only does this numbering device have flexibility, but this flexibility is not at the expense of increasing the size of the numbering device. In fact, the preferred embodiment of the present invention having as many as twelve independently driven numbering wheels is less bulky than the electro-mechanically driven numbering wheels of the prior art.

Drawings

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description, given by way of non-limiting example only, which is to be taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a first overall perspective view of one embodiment of a numbering device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a second perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 with certain cover components omitted;

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view in perspective of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is another perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, with portions of the transmission for driving the numbering wheels visible;

FIG. 5 is a perspective partially exploded view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 showing a side frame component of the numbering device and its cooperating support tab for supporting a portion of a drive member for driving the numbering wheel in rotation;

FIG. 6 is another partially exploded view in perspective of the embodiment of FIG. 1 showing another side frame component of the numbering device and another mating support tab for the drive member;

FIG. 7 is an illustration of a power drive chain between a numbering wheel and its cooperating drive member;

figures 8a, 8b and 8c are first variants of releasable indexing mechanisms for mechanical alignment and to maintain the position of the numbering wheels during the numbering operation;

FIGS. 9a, 9b and 9c are second variations of releasable indexing mechanisms for mechanical alignment and to maintain the position of the numbering wheels during the numbering operation;

FIGS. 10a and 10b are two different perspective views of a frame member for use with the numbering wheels of the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a partial perspective view of a numbering wheel according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a variation of the pinion of the drive train of FIG. 7, fitted with a releasable clamp ring for adjusting the position of the pinion on the axis of its mating axle;

FIG. 13 is a top plan view of six secondary wheels of the type shown in FIG. 12 mounted on a numbering device and their associated axle portions;

figures 14a to 14e are perspective views of part of an embodiment having a releasable indexing mechanism according to a first variation shown in figures 8a to 8 c;

FIGS. 15a and 15b are two different perspective views of a flexible printed circuit board arrangement suitable for carrying control circuitry for controlling the operation of the numbering device; and

fig. 16a and 16b are perspective views of another flexible printed circuit board arrangement suitable for carrying control circuitry for controlling the operation of the numbering device.

Detailed Description

Figure 1 is a first overall perspective view of one embodiment of a numbering device 1 according to the invention. The numbering device comprises a cassette having a base frame member 2 and two-piece side frame members 3, 3'. The two-piece side frame member comprises two side frame members 3 and 3 '(side frame member 3' is not visible in fig. 1) which are secured at the bottom to the bottom frame member 2 with screws 25 (visible in fig. 2 and 4). In the embodiment of fig. 1, the upper part of the numbering device 1 is covered with a top cover assembly 4, which is fastened to the side frame parts 3, 3' by means of top screws 5. The top cover assembly 4 has an opening 4a that exposes a portion of the numbering unit 6. The numbering unit in turn comprises a plurality of numbering wheels or disks 7 arranged one after the other, which wheels or disks can rotate about a common axis of rotation, as will be explained in more detail below.

The numbering device 1 is laterally covered by a protective side cover assembly 8, which is mounted on the side frame parts 3, 3' by means of side wall screws 9. Although only two side wall screws 9 are visible in fig. 1, it will be appreciated that two other side wall screws are provided on the other side of the numbering device 1 to similarly secure the side cover assembly 8.

The two piece side cover assembly 8 and top cover assembly 4 are omitted from fig. 2 to better show the arrangement of the internal components of the numbering device 1. In fig. 2, the screws 25 for fixing the side frame member 3' to the bottom frame member 2 are visible, while on the other side there are also similar screws for fixing the side frame member 3 (see fig. 1). In the lower half of the numbering device 1 there are two plates 100 (one on each side of the numbering device 1), which rest on the side frame parts 3 and 3' of the numbering device 1 with screws 11, respectively. The board 100 is a printed circuit board carrying part of the control circuitry for controlling the operation of the numbering device 1.

As shown on the top of the numbering device 1, the numbering unit 6 comprises a plurality of numbering wheels 7 arranged one behind the other along a common axis of rotation and rotatable. In the embodiment shown, the numbering unit 6 comprises twelve numbering wheels 7 and one additional large wheel T. The purpose of the large wheel T is to ensure that the numbering unit 6 has a certain length and is symmetrical when the numbering unit 6 is properly placed between the two side frame parts 3 and 3'. Each numbering wheel 7 carries a plurality of alphanumeric symbols, such as a series of numbers (typically 0 to 9) and/or a series of letters (e.g. A, B, C, etc.). These symbols are used to number the printed tickets (discussed in detail above). In addition to the above-mentioned symbols, the numbering wheel 7 may also comprise, depending on the application, a cancellation label for printing a cancellation mark and/or an empty label for leaving an empty space without printing any symbols during printing. In addition, each numbering wheel 7 carries at least one magnet 12 for calibration, each magnet 12 being designed to cooperate with a corresponding detector 13 (for example a hall effect detector) carried on a support assembly 14, 14'. In the example of fig. 2, six detectors 13 are carried on the support assembly 14' and six others (not visible in fig. 2) are carried on the support assembly 14. The purpose of the magnet 12 and the detector 13 is to calibrate the position of each numbering wheel 7 along the axis of rotation and to ensure that each numbering wheel 7 can be placed in any desired numbering position. The support assemblies 14, 14 'span between the side frame members 3 and 3' and can be pivoted rearwardly from their illustrated positions away from the numbering unit 6 when the top cover assembly 4 is removed, thereby enabling the numbering unit 6 to be removed and installed. Of course, it is also possible to place all the required detectors 13 on the same support assembly 14 (or 14'). Other equivalent methods may also be used for position calibration, such as a code wheel integrated with the numbering wheels 7, etc.

As will be discussed in more detail below, each numbering wheel 7 is independently driven by an associated drive means. In fig. 2, a part of the drive mode including the motor 15 is visible.

In fig. 3, a partly to scale cross-sectional view of the numbering device 1 in the horizontal direction at the axis of rotation of the numbering wheels 7 is shown, and the electromagnetic drive used for setting the position of the numbering wheels 7 is shown in more detail. As already explained, this electromagnetic drive of the visible numbering device is placed entirely inside the numbering device, i.e. inside the box of the numbering device. As shown in fig. 3, the numbering wheels 7 are set up to rotate about a common shaft 17, which bears at both ends on bearings on the side frames 3 and 3'. The numbering wheel 7 and the large wheel T' are held together on the common shaft 17 by means of a pair of positioning rings 71, 72 (not visible in fig. 3, but visible in fig. 2, 4, 8c and 9 c), which positioning rings 71, 72 are fixed at the threaded mouth portions 17a, 17b of the common shaft 17. The numbering wheels 7 are free to rotate around the common shaft 17 between the positioning rings 71, 72. It will be appreciated that the common shaft 17 does not rotate.

Each of said numbering wheels 7 is preferably driven by an electric motor 15 in combination with a gear combination 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 (a schematic view is also given in fig. 7). At this end, each numbering wheel 7 has a toothed wheel 16 to rotate with the numbering wheel 7. As can be seen in fig. 2 and 3, the twelve toothed wheels 16 are between the numbering wheels 7. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, the electromagnetic drive driving the numbering wheels 7 comprises twelve electric motors 15, twelve combinations of gears 19 to 23, and twelve toothed wheels 16 (i.e. one for each numbering wheel 7). Preferably, each motor 15 has a reduction gear 18 coupled thereto, the purpose of which will be explained below. The reduction gear 18 comprises an output shaft 19 carrying a first pinion 20 which meshes with a gear 21 mounted on a central shaft 22. The central rotating shaft 22 is driven to rotate by the gear 21. A second secondary wheel 23 is also mounted on the central spindle 22 and meshes with the toothed wheel 16 of the corresponding numbering wheel 7. In this way, each numbering wheel 7 is rotated by the above-mentioned respective independent drive, so that it can be set to any desired position independently of the other numbering wheels 7.

In the following description (including the claims) the combination comprising the motor 15, the optional reduction gear 18, and the gear combinations 19 to 23 will be referred to as the "drive member" which drives the rotation of the mating toothed wheel 16 and numbering wheels 7. In the illustrated embodiment, there are twelve independent drive members, respectively.

It will be appreciated that each gear combination 19 to 23 and the cooperating toothed wheel 16 constitute a two-stage gear transmission, as illustrated in figure 7. The two-stage gearing has a defined reduction factor which is determined by the gear ratios of the pinions 20, 23, the gear wheel 21 and the toothed wheel 16. Specifically, the deceleration coefficient Rz of the two-stage transmission gears 16, 19 to 23 is given by the following expression:

Rz＝(Z2*Z4)/(Z1*Z3)(1)

wherein Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4 are the number of teeth of the first pinion 20, gear 21, second pinion 23, and rim gear 16, respectively.

As previously mentioned, each motor 15 is preferably coupled to the two-stage rotation 16, 19 to 23 by means of a reduction gear 18. The reduction gear 18 may additionally reduce the output speed and increase the output torque for the motor 15. Reduction gear 18 is also providedHaving a deceleration coefficient, called R_G. The overall reduction factor R between the output of the motor 15 and the co-operating numbering wheels 7 can thus be expressed as follows:

R＝R_G*R_z＝R_G*(Z2*Z4)/(Z1*Z3)(2)

it is understood that if the reduction gear is omitted, the reduction coefficient R in the above expression (2)_GIs replaced by 1. The embodiment of the numbering device 1 shown in the figures is designed to achieve three main purposes:

1. the resolution or accuracy of the placement of the numbering wheels 7 is as high as possible;

2. the switching time for the numbering wheels 7 to move to the target position is as short as possible;

3. the numbering device is as small and compact as possible.

In the illustrated embodiment, these three objectives are achieved by selecting the appropriate sizes of the motor 15, the reduction gear 18, and the pinions 20 and 23, the gear 21, and the toothed wheel 16. Preferably, the motor 15 and the reduction gear 18 are manufactured and sold by Maxon Motors AG of switzerland (www.maxonmotor.com). More precisely, the motor 15 is preferably an electronically commutated brushless dc motor, as produced by Maxon Motors AG (with a speed of several thousand rpm) according to the specification EC6, being particularly suitable for the present invention, while the reduction gear 18 is preferably a small planetary gear, as produced by Maxon Motors AG according to the specification GP6, both of which have a diameter of approximately 6 mm. Electronically steered brushless dc motors have several advantages over other types of motors. Firstly, due to the brushless design of such motors, the problems of friction and losses are greatly reduced, resulting in a longer service life. In addition, such motors can be relatively small, yet still provide high speeds and high torques sufficient to meet the requirements of numbering applications.

The overall reduction factor between the output of the motor 15 and the corresponding numbering wheel 7 is chosen so that the positioning resolution of this numbering wheel 7 measured on its edge is about 0.01 to 0.15 mm or less, to ensure a sufficient fine adjustment of the position of this numbering wheel 7. For a numbering wheel 7 having a typical diameter of about 20 to 30 mm, this means a resolution of several hundred steps per revolution (i.e. an angular resolution of less than 1 °). For a given type of motor to be selected, for example six different positions a week (e.g., Maxon's EC6 motor), this requires a total deceleration factor of about one hundred. This reduction factor can be easily achieved by the combination of the reduction gear 18 and the transmission gears 16, 19 to 23 described above.

Referring again to the preferred embodiment of fig. 3, it will be appreciated that each central axle 22 does not exceed the length between the two side frame members 3, 3'. As shown in fig. 3, each of the intermediate shafts 22 is held between one of the side frame members 3, 3' and one of the intermediate support walls 30. As explained below, the intermediate support wall 30 is made up of end parts 31a, 31a 'of two separate support pieces 31, 31' (see also fig. 5 and 6). Each of the intermediate shafts 22 is supported by a pair of bearings, i.e. 3 'and 31', on the side frame members 3 and the support piece 31, respectively.

Fig. 4 is another view of the numbering device 1. It will be understood that the side frame 3' is omitted here to show some of the pinions 20 and the gears 21 of the gear combination. As already mentioned above, the side frame members 3 and 3' are mounted to the base frame member 2 by means of a pair of screws 25 (see fig. 4). In fig. 4, for the sake of convenience of illustration, the numbering wheels 7 have also been provided with alpha-numeric symbols on their edges (the symbols "5" and "6" being visible in the figure).

In fig. 4, an additional printed circuit board 110 is visible in the space available below the numbering unit 6 and the cooperating drive members 15, 18 to 23. The printed circuit board 110 is designed to: the side walls of the printed circuit board 100 are connected to each other by suitable electrical connectors, such as flexible connectors (not shown). Preferably, all control circuits required for controlling the operation of the numbering device 1 are integrated on the printed circuit boards 100, 110. A multipolar connector (not shown) to which the control circuit is connected can be conveniently placed in one of the openings 3a or 3a ' of each side frame part 3, 3 ' (these openings 3a, 3a ' are visible in figures 1, 2, 5 and 6). By placing this connector in one of the side frame parts 3, 3', the control circuit of the numbering device 1 can be connected to an external controller, in particular to a controller for numbering prints.

Six pinions 20 and six gears 21 are visible in fig. 4. It will be understood that the other six pinions 20 and gears 21 are located on the other side of the numbering device 1. In fact, in the illustrated embodiment, the drive members 15, 18 to 23 are arranged in a preferred manner along the axis of rotation of the numbering wheels 7 (below the lower part), i.e. with the adjacent drive members 15, 18 to 23 lying head to tail along the axis of rotation of the numbering wheels 7. In the illustrated embodiment, this arrangement is achieved by supporting a first half of the drive members 15, 18 to 23 on one side of the numbering device 1 (i.e. on the side frame part 3), while the remaining other half is supported on the other side of the numbering device 1 (i.e. on the side frame part 3'). More specifically, the drive members 15, 18 to 23 are positioned in such a way that the first and second halves are nested together in two interlocking comb-like structures (see fig. 5 and 6). The pinion 20 and the gear wheel 21 seen in fig. 4 belong to the half supported on the side frame part 3'.

In addition, as shown in fig. 4, the six gears 21 are preferably placed on two separate planes so that all six gears 21 can be placed in the available space. The remaining six gear wheels 21 are placed symmetrically on the other side of the numbering device 1 in a similar manner.

With the above arrangement, it is possible to arrange the drive members of the illustrated embodiment to independently drive up to twelve different numbering wheels 7 in a very compact manner, which was previously not possible with numbering devices of the prior art. It will be appreciated that numbering devices according to the invention can also be used with less than twelve independently driven numbering wheels 7, if there is more space to place the required drive members. Depending on the number of independently driven numbering wheels, it is also possible to place all the drive members on the same side of the numbering device, or more drive members on one side.

The arrangement of the drive members on both sides of the numbering device 1 can be better understood with reference to fig. 5 and 6. In these figures, the numbering unit 6 is omitted for clarity. In fig. 5 is shown the side frame part 3 and a supporting piece 31 cooperating for supporting the first half of the driving member 15, 18 to 23. In fig. 5, the motor 15, the associated reduction gear 18, the output shaft 19 and the first counter wheel 20 are omitted to better illustrate the shape and arrangement of the support plate 31. In fig. 6 is shown the side frame 3 ' still fixed to the bottom frame member 2 and containing one of the printed circuit boards 100, and the second support piece 31 ' still fixed to the side frame 3 ' and containing the supported drive members 15, 18 to 23.

The two support plates 31, 31' are identical, designed as two symmetrical semicircular comb-shaped parts, and can be nested together. Each support piece 31, 31 'comprises six end parts 31a, 31 a', each of which has a bearing for supporting one end of the central shaft 22; as mentioned above, the other end of the intermediate shaft 22 is supported by bearings on the side frame parts 3, 3', as shown in fig. 5. When assembled, end parts 31a, 31a 'of support pieces 31, 31' constitute an intermediate support wall 30, as described above with reference to fig. 3.

Menisci 32, 32 ' (see also fig. 4) are interposed between the side frame member 3 and the support sheet 31 and between 3 ' and 31 ', respectively, and have openings for passage of the numbering unit 6 shaft, and slit openings for passage of the secondary wheel 20, the cooperating shaft 19 and the central rotary shaft 22. Support plates 31, 31' also include recesses 31b sized to receive motor 15 and its reduction gear 18. These recesses 31b are visible in fig. 5, but are hidden by the motor 15 and the reduction gear 18 in fig. 6.

As shown in fig. 5 and 6, comb-shaped support pieces 31, 31 'are attached to the side frame members 3, 3' by a pair of screws 33. The side frame members 3, 3' contain recesses 3b (visible only in fig. 5) to provide space to accommodate the first pinion 20 and gear 21; six bearings are provided in the groove for holding the other end of the central shaft 22.

As shown in fig. 5 and 6, the pinions 23 are staggered along the central axis 22, and the second pinions 23 are arranged in such a way as to mesh with the toothed wheels 16 of the respective numbering wheels 7. The position of the secondary wheel 23 on the intermediate shaft 22 can be adjusted as a function of the width of the co-operating numbering wheels 7 on the common shaft 17 and/or the position of their axes. Thus, it is easy to replace the numbering wheels 6 with another numbering unit 6 equipped with numbering wheels of different width and/or axial position, just by adjusting the position of the secondary wheels 23 on the central axis 22.

In the upper part of each side frame part 3, 3 ', as shown in fig. 2 and 3, there is also a U-shaped recess 3c, 3 c', respectively, for receiving one end of the axle 17 in the numbering unit 6.

Alternatively, the support piece 31 and the side frame parts 3, and 31 'and 3' can be designed as a single piece, provided that appropriate adjustments are made. Similarly, this single piece may be integrated with one of the side frames 3, 3 ', or, preferably, it may be divided into two halves, integrated with the side frames 3, 3', so as to reduce the number of separate parts and simplify the assembly of the numbering device 1.

This method is shown in fig. 10a, 10b and 11. Fig. 10a and 10b are views at two different angles of the frame part with reference number 303. Two such frame parts may be secured together to form an outer casing of the numbering device for supporting the numbering unit and the drive member as described above. As shown in fig. 10a and 10b, the frame part 303 comprises a support part 331, which is an integral part of the frame part 303, for supporting half of the drive means. The support member 331 can perform the same function as the support pieces 31, 31' described above, and has a semicircular comb shape having an end part 331 a. The end 331a has a bearing for supporting one end of the rotation shaft 22 in the driving member, and a recess 331b of an adjusted size for receiving the motor 15 and its reduction gear 18. After the two identical frame parts 303 are locked to each other, the end part 331a forms an intermediate support wall in a manner similar to that discussed above with reference to fig. 3.

The frame member 303 also has two extensions 304, 305 which, when assembled together, function the same as the base frame member 2 in the previous embodiment. To this end, the extension 304 includes a threaded portion 304a (visible only in FIG. 10 b), and the extension 305 includes a through hole 305a (not shown) through which a screw may pass. When the two frame members 303 are assembled, the extensions 304 and 305 on one frame member mate with the extensions 305 and 304 on the other frame member, respectively, i.e., screws can be passed through the through holes 305a on the extension 305 of each frame member to mate with the threads 304a on the extension 304 of the other frame member. Thus, two screws are required to secure the two frame members 303 together.

Similar to the previous embodiment of fig. 1 to 6, the frame part 303 contains six through holes 319 and six through holes 322, the positions of which correspond to the required passages for the output shaft 19 of the drive means and the central spindle 22.

In contrast to the previous embodiment, the recess 303b is located on the outer surface of the frame member 303 (corresponding to the mounting location of the numbered elements) to provide space to accommodate the necessary bearings for the driving members, namely the first pinion 20 and the gear 21, which are mounted on the corresponding output shaft 19 and intermediate shaft 22, respectively (as is more clearly shown in fig. 11); the bearing is placed in the groove 303b, and thus six through holes 322 are used to place the other end of the corresponding middle rotating shaft 22. As shown in fig. 11, a faceplate 350 (shown as translucent for illustrative purposes) is secured to the outer surface of frame member 303 with three screws 355 to cover and protect first sub-wheel 20 and gear 21.

As shown in fig. 10a, 10b and 11, the upper part of the frame part 303 has a recess 303c for receiving the end of the common shaft 17 of the numbering unit 6. The frame member 303 is also provided with an opening 303a so that the multi-stage connector 150 partially shown in fig. 11 is linked to the control electronics of the numbering device (see fig. 15a and 15b) and so that the electronics are connected to an external controller, in particular a numbering press controller.

Reference is now made to fig. 12 and 13. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a variation of the second sub-wheel of the drive train of fig. 7. In this variant, the reference numbers are23^*The second secondary wheel of which is provided with a releasable clamping ring 235 for adjusting the secondary wheel 23^*At the location of its axis on the mating shaft 22. To this end, the auxiliary wheel 23^*Comprises a pipe member 232 integrally formed with a sub-wheel member 231, the pipe member 232 having four longitudinal slits 232a at its distal end. These longitudinal cuts 232a allow this end of the tube member 232 to be slightly deformed by the releasable clamping ring 235. More specifically, the tube member 232 presents a slightly conical outer surface, the diameter of which becomes smaller towards this end, i.e. towards the longitudinal slits 232 a. When the clamp ring 235 is placed at this end of the pipe member 232, the clamp ring 235 makes the diameter of the inner through hole of the pipe member 232 small, i.e., effectively makes the sub-wheel 23^*Fixed in a predetermined axial position. When the clamping ring 235 is removed from the end of the tube member 232 (i.e., to the right of the arrangement shown in FIG. 12), it contacts the tube member 232 on which the secondary wheel 23 is mounted^*The counter-shaft 22, the secondary wheel 23^*To slide on its shaft 22 and thus to adjust the position on the shaft.

Figure 13 shows six pinions 23 of the type shown in figure 12^*Including the shafts 22 fitted to the numbering device and cooperating with these secondary wheels. Accordingly, the cartridge of the numbering device may be constituted by the first or second embodiment described above, i.e. by the side frames 3, 3 'and the support pieces 31, 31', or by the frame part 303 and its support part 331. It will be appreciated that the advantage of this variant in figure 12 is that the position of the secondary wheel 23 on the central axis 22 can be easily adjusted as a function of the width of the co-operating numbering wheels 7 on the common axis 17 and/or the position of their axes. It is therefore very easy to replace one of the numbering units 6 with another numbering unit 6 having a different width and/or position on the shaft numbering wheel. Thus, for example, numbering units 6 having numbering wheels of non-constant width may be used, thereby providing the numbering device with the ability to print alphanumeric characters of novel format and font.

Referring now to fig. 8a to 8c and 9a to 9c, there are seen two releasable indexing mechanisms (or locking mechanisms) which mechanically align and maintain the position of the numbering wheels during the numbering operation. This indexing mechanism is not necessarily required, but it ensures that the numbering wheels 7 are positioned accurately in a predetermined position if necessary. It will be appreciated that the indexing mechanism can be operated in conjunction with all of the numbering wheels once they have been rotated to a predetermined position.

The two variants of the indexing mechanism operate substantially the same by pushing the movable indexing assembly 50, 50 'against the indexing recesses 7a and 7 a' on the numbering wheel 7 so that it extends parallel to the axis of rotation of the numbering wheel 7. The only difference between the two variants is that in the first variant of figures 8a to 8c the indexing member 50 cooperates with the outer edge of the numbering wheel 7, between the numbering symbols being the outer indexing grooves 7a, while in the second variant of figures 9a to 9c the indexing member 50 'cooperates with the inner edge of the numbering wheel 7, i.e. at the inner indexing grooves 7 a'.

In the variant of fig. 8a to 8c, the indexing mechanism may be placed on one of the support members 14, 14', and the calibration probes 13 on both members (i.e. the probes are placed on one support member instead of on both). As shown in fig. 8a and 8c, the indexing member 50 is pushed forward along the outer indexing groove 7a after all the numbering wheels 7 have been turned to the target position. When the numbering is completed, the indexing member 50 is pulled back out of the outer indexing recess 7a to allow the numbering wheel 7 to rotate to the next target position. The operating principle of the second variant in fig. 9a to 9c is essentially the same. In this second variant, the indexing member 50 'may be placed in a groove 17c extending axially along the outer edge of the common shaft 17, and this groove 17c serves to guide the indexing member 50'. It will be appreciated that the advance and retraction of the indexing member 50 'into the inner indexing recess 7 a' is less than in the first variant, since in the first variant the indexing member 50 must be retracted a certain distance so that it does not block the path of movement of the numbering on the outer rim of the numbering wheel.

The indexing members 50 and 50' may be moved by an actuator (not shown). Such prior art known drives are not described in detail herein. In addition, it is preferably checked by the control member whether the indexing members 50, 50 'are properly pushed into the indexing recesses 7a, 7 a'. This can be achieved by placing a pair of detectors at the ends of the indexing members 50, 50 'to detect the position of the ends of the indexing members 50, 50'.

Fig. 14a to 14e show one possible embodiment of a releasable indexing mechanism, which utilises the principles described above in relation to fig. 9a to 9 c. As shown in fig. 14b, the indexing mechanism in this case comprises an indexing member 510 which is disposed with a coil 520 at the opening of the common axis of the numbering wheels 7 (in this case, respectively 17)^*And 17c^*To indicate the shaft and opening). As shown in fig. 14b, the indexing member 510 is substantially inverted T-shaped in cross-section, having a top piece 510a and a longitudinal extension 510b which mates with the inner indexing groove 7 a' on the numbering wheel 7, with a vertical portion (not numbered) of the numbering member 510 being disposed in the opening 520a of the coil 520. The numbering devices 510 may be on a common axis 17^*And up and down to selectively cooperate with the inner indexing groove 7 a' of the numbering wheels 7 in the manner described above. The up and down movement of the numbering device 510 is controlled by an electromagnetic coil 520, which is also integrated in the common shaft 17^*And (4) the following steps. In isolated view, fig. 15c, the solenoid 520 consists essentially of a frame 525 having openings 520a for the passage of corresponding portions of the numbered elements 510; the frame 525 is wound with conductive wires 526. As shown in FIG. 14e, electrical contacts 531, 532 connecting respective ends (not shown) of the wire 526 are disposed on the shaft 17^*At both ends of the same. The two electrical contacts 531, 532 are used to provide electrical connection between the wire winding 526 and the corresponding control circuitry in the numbering device. In fig. 16a and 16b, one possible way of connecting with the electrical contacts 531 or 532 is provided, as will be discussed below. When installed, the electrical contacts 531 or 532 face downward, facing a flexible PCB element 126 on one side of the numbering device^*An electrical track on the substrate.

Preferably, as shown in FIG. 14e, a thin plate 560 made of a non-magnetic substance is placed on the shaft 17^*Opening 17c of^*In (1). The backing plate 560 acts as a barrier to prevent electromagnetic shorting in the coil 526. The backing 560 may also secure the indexing member 510 and shaft 17 in motion^*At a distance from each other so as to prevent the indexing member 510 from being moved by the shaft 17^*And is blocked.

As shown in fig. 14a to 14e, the index member 510 and the electromagnetic coil 520 are designed such that the coil 520 is wound around the index member 510. The indexing member 510 may be made of any substance that interacts with an electromagnetic drive field. Electromagnetic actuation is a well known principle in the art and will not be described in detail herein. It will be readily appreciated that, under the action of a suitable electromagnetic field generated by the electromagnetic coil 520, the indexing member 510 can be selectively lowered to cooperate with the indexing recess 7 a' of the numbering wheel 7, or raised, to release the numbering wheel 7 so that it can rotate.

Preferably, the winding 526 of the coil 520 is supplied with a coil current that generates a variable reluctance force in order to lift the indexing member 510 and thus release the numbering wheels 7. The indexing member 510 is preferably placed in a default position (i.e. the position in which the indexing member 50 is pushed into the indexing recess 7 a' as shown in fig. 14 b), for example, in the top piece 510a and the shaft 17 of the indexing member 510, using a spring 550^*In between (see the spring in fig. 14 a).

Preferably, the numbering wheels 7 are made of, or plated with, a non-magnetic substance.

Reference is now made to fig. 15a and 15b, which are one embodiment for placing the numbering device control circuit in the outer box. According to this preferred embodiment, the control circuit is designed as a flexible Printed Circuit Board (PCB)120 with a plurality of support surfaces for placing the electrical and electronic parts (only parts are shown in fig. 15a and 15b) that will be needed.

Being flexible, the printed circuit board 120 may be folded into a box-like configuration as shown. On opposite sides of this box-like configuration, two multi-stage connectors 150 are visible, arranged at corresponding openings of the numbering box (i.e. openings 3a, 3 a' in the embodiment of figures 1 to 6 or opening 303a in the embodiment of figures 10a, 10b, 11). As mentioned above, these two multi-level connectors 150 provide a connection between the circuitry embedded in the numbering device and an external controller, in particular a numbering press controller.

The flexible printed circuit board 120 has six microcontrollers 130, namely a total of twelve microcontrollers (only one half of which is visible in fig. 15a and 15b), on each side of the box-like arrangement, while the microcontrollers 130 are designed to be electrically connected to a respective motor 15 in the drive means via a connector. As mentioned above, the extension with reference number 125 in fig. 15a and 15b is designed to: (only one in this embodiment) for connecting the calibration sensor 13 on the corresponding support member 14. This extension 125 is in particular provided with conductive tracks (not shown) for connecting the corresponding calibration sensor 13. A second extension may also be provided on the flexible printed circuit board 120 for connection to a further set of calibration sensors which, as discussed above, should be placed on the two separate support members 14, 14'.

Figures 16a and 16b illustrate another embodiment of the placement of control circuitry within the outer housing of the numbering device. In fig. 16a and 16b, the frame part 303 of the outer box of a numbering device is visible^*And a support member 14 carrying a calibration sensor 13, the frame member substantially corresponding to the frame member 303 discussed above with reference to figures 10a, 10b and 11. A flexible PCB120 similar to the flexible PCB120 of fig. 15a and 15b^*Is arranged on the frame part 303^*And (4) the following steps.

Unlike the embodiment shown in fig. 15a and 15b, the flexible PCB120^*Comprising only one extension 125c^*This extension is intended to be placed on the frame member 303 as discussed above^*Electrical connectors (not shown) at the side openings are connected. In addition, the flexible PCB120^*Has two extensions 125a on one side^*、125b^*For connection with a corresponding detector 13 in the support member 14.

In addition, another flexible PCB element, reference numeral 126 in FIG. 16b^*For connecting the flexible PCB120^*And electromagnetically driven indexing mechanisms 510, 520 as described above with reference to figures 14a to 14 e. In particular, the present invention relates to a method for producing,the flexible PCB element 126^*Has electrically conductive tracks for connecting the electrical connector (531 or 532 in fig. 14 e) of the coil windings 526 to the flexible PCB120^*The control circuit of (1). Flexible PCB element 126^*One end 126a of^*(see also fig. 16a) thus extends to the frame member 303^*Is open at the top, i.e. the corresponding shaft 17^*One end and where the electrical connector 351 (or 352) of the numbering unit 6 is located. Flexible PCB element 126^*Another end 126b of^*And a main flexible PCB120^*Are connected. Flexible PCB element 126^*Or the main flexible PCB120^*An integrated part of (a). It will be appreciated that various modifications and/or improvements obvious to a person skilled in the art may be made to the above described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, all of the numbering wheels are driven by different drive members. However, the invention is equally applicable to the case where only some of the numbering wheels shown have to be driven by separate driving members, while the other numbering wheels are driven manually. For example, it is possible to use a prefix numbering wheel that does not need to be pushed as often. In this case, the prefix wheel can simply be changed manually each time by the operator.

In addition, the preferred drive means for driving the numbering wheels in rotation comprise a motor driving the corresponding numbering wheel through a gearing. Since the gearing has a certain mechanical play, this play should be minimized. Various methods can be devised to compensate for this play, in particular at least the play between two meshing gears in a gear arrangement. For example, at least some of the gears in the gear arrangement may be designed such that they exhibit a certain elasticity, thereby compensating for radial and/or axial play.

As already mentioned above, numbering devices having less than twelve independently driven numbering wheels are also within the scope of the invention. It will be appreciated that if the number of independently driven numbering wheels is less than twelve, there is more room for arranging the drive members along the rotational axis of the numbering wheels. As is evident from the figures, the space available for the placement of the driving members covers a sector of approximately 180 ° about the axis of rotation of the numbering wheels. In the illustrated embodiment, up to twelve independent drive members are placed in the available space by properly interlocking the two portions of the drive members. For numbering devices with fewer numbering wheels, such interlocking may not be required.

Claims (28)

1. Numbering device (1) for printing numbering on a substrate or web fed to a printing machine; said numbering device (1) comprising a numbering unit (6) having rotatable numbering wheels (7), the numbering wheels (7) carrying alphanumeric symbols, the numbering wheels being arranged one after the other and being rotatable about a common axis of rotation, and electro-mechanical drive means for positioning the numbering wheels, wherein,

the electro-mechanical drive means are entirely located within the numbering device (1) and are autonomous mechanical, comprising a plurality of independent drive means (15, 18-23; 23) for driving a corresponding plurality of numbering wheels (7).

2. The numbering device according to claim 1, comprising more than six rotatable numbering wheels (7) driven by a corresponding number of independent drive members (15, 18-23; 23).

3. The numbering device according to claim 2, comprising twelve rotatable numbering wheels (7) driven by a corresponding number of independent drive members (15, 18-23; 23).

4. Numbering device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each drive member (15, 18-23; 23) comprises at least one motor (15) for driving the corresponding numbering wheel via transmission means (16, 19-23; 23).

5. The numbering device according to claim 4, wherein each motor (15) is coupled to the transmission means (16, 19-23; 23) via a reduction gear (18).

6. The numbering device according to claim 4, wherein said transmission means (16, 19-23; 23) are a two-stage transmission comprising, for each numbering wheel (7):

a first secondary wheel (20) coupled to the motor (15); a gear (21) mounted on the central rotating shaft (22), wherein the gear (21) is meshed with the first auxiliary wheel (20) and drives the central rotating shaft (22) to rotate; and a second auxiliary wheel (23; 23) mounted on said central shaft (22) and driven in rotation by said central shaft (22), said second auxiliary wheel (23; 23) being in engagement with a toothed wheel (16) placed on one side of the counter-numbering wheel (7) for driving in rotation said numbering wheel (7).

7. The numbering device according to claim 6, wherein the position of said second secondary wheel (23; 23) along said central axis (22) is adjustable so as to: the width of the respective numbering wheel (7) and/or the position of the wheel axis of the numbering wheel.

8. The numbering device according to claim 7, wherein said second secondary wheel (23) comprises a clamping mechanism (232, 232a, 235) for selectively clamping or releasing said second secondary wheel (23) along said central axis (22).

9. The numbering device according to claim 4, wherein said transmission means (16, 19-23; 23) comprise the following members: for compensating play between at least two meshing gears (16, 20, 21, 23; 23) of the gear arrangement (16, 19-23; 23).

10. The numbering device according to claim 4, wherein said motor (15) is a brushless DC motor with electronic steering.

11. The numbering device according to claim 4, wherein the deceleration coefficient (R) between the output of the motor (15) and the corresponding numbering wheel (7) is chosen such that the numbering wheel (7) has a positioning resolution of 0.01 to 0.15 mm measured on its edge.

12. The numbering device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said drive members (15, 18-23; 23) are arranged along the rotation axis of said numbering wheel (7).

13. The numbering device according to claim 12, wherein adjacent driving members (15, 18-23; 23) are positioned end to end along the axis of rotation of the numbering wheels.

14. The numbering device according to claim 13, wherein a first portion of said driving members (15, 18-23; 23) is mounted on one side of the numbering device (1) and the remaining portion of said driving members (15, 18-23; 23) is mounted on the other side of the numbering device (1), said driving members (15, 18-23; 23) being nested inside each other in two interlocking comb-like structures.

15. The numbering device according to claim 14, wherein said driving members (15, 18-23; 23) are mounted on two symmetrical, semi-circular, comb-shaped support plates (31, 31'; 331).

16. The numbering device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a control circuit for controlling the operation of said drive members (15, 18-23; 23) is located within said numbering device (1).

17. The numbering device according to claim 16, comprising an electrical connector (150) placed in a side frame (3; 3'; 303; 303) of said numbering device for connecting said control circuit to an external controller.

18. The numbering device according to claim 16, wherein said control circuit is disposed on a flexible printed circuit board (120 ).

19. The numbering device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said numbering device (1) comprises an outer casing (2, 3, 3 ', 4, 8; 303; 303) having at least two side frame members (3, 3 '; 303; 303) placed at the two ends of said numbering unit (6) perpendicularly to the axis of rotation of said numbering wheel (7), said driving member (15, 18-23; 23) being mounted between said two side frame members (3, 3 '; 303; 303).

20. The numbering device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a calibration member (12, 13) for calibrating the position of the numbering wheel (7) along the rotation axis.

21. The numbering device according to claim 20, wherein said calibration means (12, 13) comprise a hall effect detector (13) for each numbering wheel (7) which cooperates with at least one corresponding magnet (12) placed on the numbering wheel to be calibrated.

22. The numbering device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a releasable indexing mechanism (7a, 50; 7a ', 50 '; 7a ', 510, 520) for mechanically aligning and maintaining the position of said numbering wheels during the numbering operation.

23. The numbering device according to claim 22, wherein said indexing mechanism comprises a movable indexing member (50; 50 '; 510) extending parallel to said axis of rotation, wherein the movable indexing member (50; 50 '; 510) can be suitably pushed into the indexing recess (7a, 7a ') after the numbering wheel (7) has been rotated to a predetermined position.

24. The numbering device according to claim 23, wherein the indexing grooves (7a) are located on the outer edge of the numbering wheel (7).

25. The numbering device according to claim 23, wherein the indexing grooves (7a) are located on the inner edge of the numbering wheel (7).

26. The numbering device according to claim 22, wherein said releasable indexing mechanism is an electromagnetically actuated mechanism.

27. The numbering device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein all the numbering wheels (7) are driven by independent drive members (15, 18-23; 23).

28. The numbering device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a portion of said numbering wheel (7) is driven by an independent driving member (15, 18-23; 23) and the remaining portion of said numbering wheel (7) is a manually driven numbering wheel.