Stamp apparatus

Details Stamp apparatus Stamp apparatus

2002-06-06

2004-03-16

Funk, Stephen R. (Department: 2854)

Printing

Printing members

Mail-cancelling stamps

C101S022000, C101S023000, C101S032000, C101S072000, C101S075000, C101S079000, C101S094000, C101S095000, C101S099000, C101S110000, C101S216000, C101S213000, C101S361000, C101S368000, C101S480000, C101S093030, C400S103000, C400S056000, C400S058000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06705224

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stamp apparatus and, in particular, to an apparatus for impressing a paper-sheet object with a mark continuously from a predetermined position to another predetermined position. The present invention is applicable, for example, to a machine for canceling a stamp bonded on a postal matter with a postmark (automatic flat canceling machine).
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional stamp apparatus will be described with reference to FIG.
1
. The stamp apparatus comprises a presser roller
31
, an impress hub
32
, a timing disk
33
, a proximity switch
34
, and a pair of photoelectric sensors
35
a
and
35
b.
The structure of the stamp apparatus will be described in detail. The presser roller
31
, rotatably supported to one end of an L-shaped arm
36
, is always rotated clockwise by a motor (not shown). The arm
36
is rotatable about a point of support
36
a
thereof. The other end of the arm
36
is pulled by a coil spring
37
. Therefore, the arm
36
rotates counterclockwise, however, more than a predetermined rotational angle in the left direction is limited by a stopper
38
. Adjusting the position of the stopper
38
changes the rotational angle of the arm
36
until a vicinity of the other end of the arm
36
abuts the stopper
38
. As a result, a clearance (slightly smaller than the thickness of a paper-sheet object
30
) is changed between the presser roller
31
and a part of printing types
32
b
(part having a predetermined character/symbol string) of the impress hub
32
.
The impress hub
32
can counterclockwise rotate about the center
32
a
, and has the part of printing types
32
b
with a sectorial shape ranging over approximately 180°. The radius of the part of printing types
32
b
is larger than that of the impress hub
32
. The sectorial timing disk
33
fixed to the impress hub
32
has a cut-out
33
a
ranging over approximately 90°.
At a predetermined time after an edge of a paper-sheet object
30
being conveyed at a predetermined speed passes through between an emitting sensor
35
a
and a receiving sensor
35
b
, the paper-sheet object
30
enters between the presser roller
31
and the impress hub
32
, which are located at an initial position (position shown in FIG.
1
). Then, since the presser roller
31
is pushed up by the paper-sheet object
30
, the arm
36
rotates clockwise about a supporting point
36
a
. An impress-starting position on the paper-sheet object
30
reaches between the presser roller
31
and the impress hub
32
, a motor (not shown) for the impress hub
32
rotates owing to the detection of the paper-sheet object
30
by the pair of sensors
35
a
and
35
b
and to a function of a delay circuit. Therefore, the impress hub
32
is rotated so as to initiate to impress the paper-sheet object
30
with the part of printing types
32
b
. When the impress hub
32
is rotated around in a complete circle and the cut-out
33
a
of the timing disk
33
is detected by the proximity switch
34
, the impress hub
32
stops at the initial position. Up to this point, one cycle of impress is completed.
As the surface of the presser roller
31
is made of an elastic material such as rubber, the surface is slightly compressed when being urged by the paper-sheet object
30
.
In the conventional stamp apparatus, the urging force of the presser roller
31
to the paper-sheet object
30
is adjusted with the coil spring
37
. Therefore, a paper-sheet object
30
having a predetermined thickness or more cannot pass through between the presser roller
31
and the part of printing types
32
b
of the impress hub
32
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a stamp apparatus, in which even a thick paper-sheet object can pass through between a presser roller and a part of printing types of an impress hub.
According to the present invention, a stamp apparatus is provided, which comprises an impress hub having a predetermined character/symbol string, a presser roller for urging a paper-sheet object to the impress hub, for impressing the predetermined character/symbol string to the paper-sheet object being conveyed between the impress hub and the presser roller, and a presser mechanism, comprising an arm having the presser roller, for suppressing a rebound produced when the presser roller starts to urge the paper-sheet object by rotating the arm so as to urge the presser roller to the paper-sheet object and simultaneously for maintaining a predetermined urging pressure of the presser roller relative to the paper-sheet object having a predetermined thickness at most.
The present invention described above has advantages as follows.
1. A thick paper-sheet object having a predetermined thickness and below can smoothly pass through between the presser roller and the impress hub.
2. A rebound produced when the presser roller starts to urge a paper-sheet object to the impress hub is suppressed so that the paper-sheet object having a predetermined thickness and below can be clearly impressed.
3. As the stamp apparatus may further comprise a separating lever, the separating lever separates a paper-sheet object from the impress hub immediately after completion of impressing the paper-sheet object by the impress hub, so that the needless contact between the paper-sheet object and the impress hub can be avoided.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4415801 (1983-11-01), Franke
patent: 4459910 (1984-07-01), Taube
patent: 4995315 (1991-02-01), Koper et al.
patent: 5237924 (1993-08-01), Fujino et al.
patent: 5373784 (1994-12-01), Muraji
patent: 6006661 (1999-12-01), Tukahara et al.
patent: 6095699 (2000-08-01), Baumann et al.

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