Engraving machine for engraving offboard and onboard items

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11999187-B2
Application number	US-202016992590-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2020
Priority date	Aug 13, 2020
Publication date	Jun 4, 2024
Grant date	Jun 4, 2024

Abstract

An engraving machine is disclosed. The engraving machine may have a housing and an engraver located within the housing. The engraving machine may have a slot disposed on the housing for receiving a cartridge including an offboard item to be engraved. The engraving machine may have an onboard storage configured to store a plurality of tags. The engraving machine may have a carrier for receiving the cartridge through the slot and for positioning the cartridge relative to the engraver. The engraving machine may have a pick mechanism for selectively retrieving a tag from the tags stored in the onboard storage and for positioning the tag relative to the engraver. The engraver may engrave the offboard item or the tag based on a user selection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An engraving machine, comprising:
a housing;
an engraver located within the housing;
a slot disposed on the housing and configured to receive a cartridge including an offboard item to be engraved;
an onboard storage configured to store a plurality of tags;
a carrier configured to receive the cartridge through the slot and to position the cartridge relative to the engraver; and
a pick mechanism configured to selectively retrieve a tag from the tags stored in the onboard storage and position the tag relative to the engraver,
wherein the engraver is configured to engrave a selected one of the offboard item or the tag.

2. The engraving machine of claim 1 , wherein
the carrier is configured to move toward or away from the slot in a first direction, and
the pick mechanism includes a movable platform configured to move toward or away from the onboard storage in a second direction generally perpendicular to the first direction.

3. The engraving machine of claim 2 , wherein the pick mechanism includes a pair of gripper arms configured to be movable relative to each other, the gripper arms being configured to engage with opposing surfaces of the tag.

4. The engraving machine of claim 3 , wherein, the pick mechanism further includes an actuator configured to:
position the tag such that an upper surface of the tag faces the engraver; and
rotate the gripper arms to flip the tag such that a lower surface of the tag faces the engraver.

5. The engraving machine of claim 4 , wherein the pick mechanism includes a horizontal clamp configured to engage with an edge of the tag.

6. The engraving machine of claim 5 , wherein the horizontal clamp includes a pair of jaws movable relative to each other in a third direction that is generally perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction.

7. The engraving machine of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the jaws includes a generally V-shaped groove configured to engage with the edge of the tag.

8. The engraving machine of claim 7 , wherein the pick mechanism includes an anvil positioned between the jaws, the anvil configured to support one of one of a pair of opposing surfaces of the tag.

9. The engraving machine of claim 2 , further including:
a carrier assembly, including:
a fixed plate;
at least one docking pin attached to the fixed plate; and
a movable plate configured to move the carrier toward or away from the slot in the first direction, and
a receptacle attached to the movable platform, the receptacle including an opening configured to receive the at least one docking pin.

10. The engraving machine of claim 1 , wherein the onboard storage includes:
at least one first magazine configured to store a first plurality of tags having a first circumferential length; and
at least one second magazine configured to store a second plurality of tags having a second circumferential length different from the first circumferential length.

11. The engraving machine of claim 1 , wherein the onboard storage includes a carousel including:
a ring rotatable about a generally vertical axis; and
a plurality of magazines arranged circumferentially around the ring.

12. The engraving machine of claim 11 , wherein the ring includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced mounting locations for removably attaching the magazines to the ring.

13. The engraving machine of claim 1 , further including a controller configured to:
receive selection of one of the offboard item or the tag for engraving;
selectively position the carrier at a first engraving location, when the selection includes the offboard item;
selectively position the pick mechanism at a second engraving location, when the selection include the tag; and
position the engraver adjacent to one of the first engraving location or the second engraving location based on the received selection.

14. The engraving machine of claim 1 , wherein the engraver is one of a scratch engraver, a laser engraver, or a milling engraver.

15. An engraving machine, comprising:
a housing;
an input device associated with the housing;
an engraver located within the housing;
a slot disposed on the housing and configured to receive a cartridge including an offboard item to be engraved;
a carrier configured to receive the cartridge through the slot and to position the cartridge relative to the engraver;
an onboard storage configured to store a plurality of tags;
a pick mechanism configured to selectively retrieve a tag from the tags stored in the onboard storage and to position the tag relative to the engraver;
a chute configured to dispense the tag; and
a controller, configured to:
receive, from the input device, a user selection of one of the offboard item or the tag for engraving; and
selectively control one or more of the carrier, the pick mechanism, or the engraver to engrave one of the offboard item or the tag based on the user selection.

16. The engraving machine of claim 15 , wherein when the user selection includes the tag, the controller is configured to:
control the pick mechanism to retrieve the tag from the onboard storage and position the tag at a first engraving position;
position the engraver adjacent to the first engraving position;
control the engraver to engrave a user-selected inscription on the tag; and
cause the pick mechanism to dispense the engraved tag in the chute.

17. The engraving machine of claim 16 , further including
an item ejector positioned adjacent the onboard storage, and
wherein the onboard storage includes a carousel including a magazine.

18. The engraving machine of claim 17 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
selectively rotate the carousel such that the magazine including the tag selected by a user is positioned adjacent the item ejector;
control the item ejector to push out the tag from the magazine; and
adjust the pick mechanism to grasp the tag pushed out by the item ejector.

19. The engraving machine of claim 15 , wherein when the user selection includes the offboard item, the controller is configured to:
move the carrier to a position adjacent the slot;
receive, in the carrier, the cartridge inserted into the slot;
move the carrier to a second engraving position spaced apart from the slot;
position the engraver adjacent to the second engraving position;
control the engraver to engrave a user-selected inscription on the offboard item;
return the cartridge to the position adjacent the slot; and
control the cartridge to dispense the cartridge through the slot.

20. The engraving machine of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of tags includes one or more of a football tag, a luggage tag, a military tag, a heart tag, an elongated tag, or an oversized tag.

21. An engraving machine, comprising:
a housing;
an engraver located within the housing;
a circular carousel configured to store a plurality of tags in one or more magazines configured to eject a tag in a radially inward direction towards a center of the carousel; and
a pick mechanism configured to selectively retrieve the tag ejected from the carousel and position the tag relative to the engraver,
wherein the engraver is configured to engrave the tag.

22. The engraving machine of claim 21 configured to dispense an accessory with the tag.

23. The engraving machine of claim 21 configured to dispense a split ring with the tag.

24. The engraving machine of claim

Assignees

• Hillman Group Inc

Inventors

• Wilkinson David
• Garikapati Nalinikanth

Classifications

• B44B3/009 Primary

  using a computer control means · CPC title

• B44B3/065

  Work holders · CPC title