Method for Marking a Tool

Abstract

A method is disclosed for marking a tool. The method includes the steps of providing a tool, cleaning the tool, providing a printed layer on the tool, and providing at least one electroplated layer on the tool. The step of cleaning the tool includes the step of providing an air blast over the tool. The step of providing the air blast includes the step of providing an air compressor for producing the air blast. The step of providing the air compressor includes the step of providing an electrostatic dust gun that produces ions in addition to the air blast so that the ions neutralizes static charges on the tool as the air blast sweeps the tool.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to tools and, more particularly, to a method for marking tools.

2. Related Prior Art

People drive threaded bolts and nuts of various shapes and sizes with tools such as open-ended wrenches, box-ended wrenches, monkey wrenches, socket wrenches or screwdrivers. A toolkit may include a handle and a set of sockets and/or screwdriver bits of various shapes and sizes. In operation, the handle is connected to a selected one of the sockets and/or screwdriver bits for driving a threaded bolt or nut of a certain shape and size. Thus, a toolkit can be used to drive threaded bolts and nuts of various shapes and sizes. It is important to mark the tools to indicate their sizes and/or carry trademarks, logos and/or patterns.

Conventionally, a mark is provided on a tool by relief or provided in a tool by intaglio before the tool is electroplated. The mark and the background are substantially of a same color. The mark is not clearly visible amid the background as they are in weak contrast to each other.

Alternatively, a tool is electroplated before it is printed with a mark. The mark is clearly visible amid the background since they are in strong contrast to each other. However, the mark could easily be removed from the tool because of hits, abrasion or scratches. Hence, the clear visibility of the mark amid the background is not durable.

Disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,448,121 issued to the present applicant is a method for marking a tool. In the method, a reverse-type mark is defined amid a painted layer on a tool. The painted layer is used as a background around the reverse-type mark. The painted layer includes paint of a color or paint of colors based on chromatography. Then, the tool is electroplated so that an electroplated layer covers the tool except the painted layer. The thickness of the painted layer is smaller than that of the electroplated layer so that the painted layer would not easily be removed from the tool by hits, abrasion or scratches and that the reverse-type mark could remain clearly visible amid the painted layer.

However, there is not unusual that the tool carries some static charges that attract dust. The dust affects the attachment of the painted layer to the tool. In that case, the painted layer could easily be removed from the tool. Therefore, the reverse-type mark would not be clearly visible amid the broken painted layer.

Therefore, the present invention is intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide an effective method for marking a tool.

To achieve the foregoing objective, the method includes the steps of providing a tool, cleaning the tool, providing a printed layer on the tool, and providing at least one electroplated layer on the tool.

In an aspect, the step of cleaning the tool includes the step of providing an air blast over the tool.

In a further aspect, the step of providing the air blast includes the step of providing an air compressor for producing the air blast.

In a further aspect, the step of providing the air compressor includes the step of providing an electrostatic dust gun that produces ions in addition to the air blast so that the ions neutralizes static charges on the tool as the air blast sweeps the tool.

Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment referring to the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an effective method for marking a tool according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a tool at a first step of the method shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the tool at a second step of the method shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the tool shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the tool at a third step of the method shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the tool shown in FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, there is an effective method for marking a tool according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, at 10, there is provided a tool 22. The tool 22 is a socket for example. The tool 22 is made by casting or forging. It is not unusual that the tool 22 carries static charges that attract dust.

At 12, the tool 22 is cleaned. In the step of cleaning the tool 22 may be executed with a dusting apparatus 40. The dusting apparatus 40 is preferably an electrostatic dust gun that produces an air blast as well as ions, positive or negative, so that the air blast carries the ions. The ions neutralize the static charges on the tool 22 as the air blast, which carries the ions, sweeps the tool 22. Thus, dust is easily removed from the tool 22 by the air blast.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, at 14, the tool 22 is provided with a colored layer 20. The colored layer 20 is provided by dying, painting or printing for example. The colored layer 20 is of a reverse type, i.e., white on black. In detail, left blank amid the colored layered cover 20 is an area corresponding to a desired mark. However, in another embodiment, the colored layer 20 may be used as a mark. The colored layer 20 may include colorant of a single color or colorant of colors based on chromatography.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 5 and 6, at 16, the tool 22 is provided with at least one electroplated layer 30 that covers the tool 22, including the reverse-type mark 21. The electroplated layer 30 does not cover the colored layer 20 since the colored layer 20 is electrically isolating. Preferably, the thickness of the electroplated layer 30 is larger than that of the colored layer 20 so that the colored layer 20 would not easily be removed from the tool 22 by hits, abrasion or scratches. Therefore, the reverse-type mark 21 remains clearly visible amid the colored layer 20. However, the thickness of the electroplated layer 30 may be identical to that of the colored layer 20.

The present invention has been described via the detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the preferred embodiment shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A method for marking a tool including the steps of providing a tool, cleaning the tool, providing a colored layer on the tool, and providing at least one electroplated layer on the tool.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of cleaning the tool includes the step of providing an air blast over the tool.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of providing the air blast includes the step of providing an air compressor for producing the air blast.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the step of providing the air compressor includes the step of providing an electrostatic dust gun that produces ions in addition to the air blast so that the ions neutralizes static charges on the tool as the air blast sweeps the tool.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of providing the colored layer includes the step of defining a reverse-type mark amid the colored layer, which is used as a background.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the colored layer includes colorant of a color.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the colored layer includes colorant of colors based on chromatography.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of providing the at least one electroplated layer includes the step of providing several electroplated layers.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the electroplated layer is larger than that of the colored layer.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the electroplated layer is identical to that of the colored layer.