US2712788A

US2712788A - Addressing machine

Info

Publication number: US2712788A
Application number: US224115A
Authority: US
Inventors: Egbert F Brown
Original assignee: CURTIS PUBLISHING CO
Current assignee: CURTIS PUBLISHING CO
Priority date: 1951-05-02
Filing date: 1951-05-02
Publication date: 1955-07-12
Anticipated expiration: 1972-07-12

Description

July 12, 1955 E. F. BROWN 2,712,788

ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed May 2, 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 F 'gJ-A Fly/5 ||2 N 3 500 C530 I22 I22 I20 F F/gj-E l ARD SOU ST. CAMDEN, N.d. A- 48! N DOE VENTOR.

NORTH ST. EGBER .BROWN msu'rou mus-01a 90 BY MARY MOE 456 EAST s'r. WM M ZZQZQM TRENTON, N. J. 9-045 ATTORNEYS July 12, 1955 E. F. BROWN ADDRESSING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 2, 1951 INVENTOR. EGBERT F. BROWN wMM ATTORN EYS July 12, 1955 E. F. BROWN 2,712,788

ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed May 2, 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVHVTOR. EGBERT E BROWN ATTORNEYS mom July 12, 1955 E. F. BROWN ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed May 2, 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 wmml mmw mm on.

ATTORNEYS July 12, 1955 E. F. BROWN ADDRESSING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 2, 1951 INVENTOR. EGBERT EBROWN ATTORNEYS July 12, 1955 E. F. BROWN ADDRESSING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed May 2, 1951 IN V EN TOR. EGBERT E BROWN ATTORNEYS United States Patent 0 ADDRESSING MACHINE Egbert F. Brown, Haddonfield, N. 3., assignor to The Curtis Publishing Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 2, 1951, Serial No. 224,115 13 Claims. (Cl. 10153) This invention relates to improvements in printing machines of the type used for printing address labels for periodicals and has for an object the provision of methods and apparatus which result in a great saving of time and expense in the procedures involved in preparing the periodicals for mailing with address labels properly attached.

The present invention can best be explained by first considering generally the procedure used by publishers for placing address labels on periodicals nationally distributed. The names and addresses of all subscribers to a particular periodical are embossed on small rectangular plates filed alphabetically in groups according to the city or mailing district common to a plurality of subscribers. In preparing the address labels the plates are fed continuously through the printing or addressing machine where they pass in succession under one or more ink-ribbons at one or more printing stations. At each printing station a strip of paper is pressed against the plate. Each strip of paper is fed forward in timed relation with the feed mechanism provided for the address plates, thus making inked pressions on the tape in manner similar to the operation of the conventional typewriter. One of the tapes with its column of names and addresses is wound on a spool which may be large enough to accommodate the entire subscription list or there may be several spools. Each roll with its column of names is subsequently fed through a labeling machine which applies adhesive to the tape, which cuts the tape into individual labels, and which applies the labels in succession to magazines.

In accordance with regulations of the postal authorities governing bulk mailing, it is necessary to separate the magazines into bundles according to the city or district to which they are to be sent in accordance with the address labels thereon. magazines in accordance with the designated cities or districts is done by men working at the labeling machines. To facilitate their labors a special plate known as a bulls-eye is inserted in the magazine, which holds the supply of address plates fed to the printing machine, at a point between the last address of one district and the first address of the next district. The result is that a special distinctive indicia such as a pair of spaced concentric circles in the form of a bulls-eye is printed in place of an address plate. Hence, when the bulls-eye appears on a label attached to a magazine it signals the worker that all of the magazines preceding it represent the entire group to be mailed to the particular city or district. The succeeding group of magazines will have addresses for the next city or district, the completion of that group being likewise signaled by the appearance of the next bulls-eye. The periodicals with the bulls-eye labels attached are placed in a separate pile and other Workers later remove the labels and again feed the magazines into the labeling machine.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is avoided the need to remove the labels from the The classification of the r is made for the printing adjacent magazines and there are retained the advantages of a distinctive signal indicating the completion of the labeling of all magazines destined to a particular city or mailing district.

Due to the requirements of the filing system it has heretofore been necessary to print further distinctive indicia in place of an address as for example by eleven plates which in the past have carried two pairs of parallel lines. The indicia printed by the eleven plate signals that all of the address plates taken from a tray or galley of a filing cabinet have been passed through the machine and hence, such address plates should then be removed and replaced in that particular tray or galley. The labeling machine has heretofore fed the eleven labels to and has adhesively secured them on magazines requiring their removal and reprocessing of the magazines, requirements also avoided in accordance with the present invention.

It will, of course, be understood that the requirements of the filing system must be met. That is to say, that at a second printing station there is printed a check list identical with the label list and which will include the printing of all bulls-eye plates and all eleven plates. Hence, by counting the number of indicia from the eleven plates it will be known at once the number of trays which have been processed and an excellent check is had as to Whether or notthe entire subscription list has been processed.

In accordance with the present invention the check list and other lists as may be desired, is printed in the same manner as heretofore but the address label to be attached to the periodical does not include indicia from the eleven plates or from the bulls-eye plates in substitution for an address. However, special provision an address of a distinctive mark to signal the completion of each group of periodicals to be mailed to a particular city or mailing district and the beginning of a new group. Hence, there is avoided the labor and expense heretofore involved in the removal and relabeling of magazines which have heretofore carried the indicia from the bull's-eye and eleven plates.

More particularly, in carrying out the invention in one form thereof the bulls-eye and eleven plates control the operation of feelers which in turn control the operation of the printing mechanism and of the feed mechanism for the roll of paper to prevent the printing of the indicia from said plates in place of an address. Preferably the feelers are arranged to distinguish between an address plate and one of the special plates by movement beyond the plane of the special plate as through an opening therein or by way of a notch in the edge thereof. The arrangement is such that if a feeler moves beyond the plane of the printing plate a printing or pressure head will not be operated and thus there will not be printed on the tape the indicia of one of the special plates. At the same time, the feed mechanism is arranged to be operated directly by the printing head and hence, whenever the printing head is not 0perated the tape will not be advanced. However, whenever an address is printed on the strip of paper it will be advanced.

Further in accordance with the invention, a second feeler operating from beneath the address plates is springbiased against them while they are stationary at the printing station. It is arranged to pass through an opening or notch in the bulls-eye plate to bring into operation a printing element which places upon the label paper a distinctive indicia in an area spaced from that later to be occupied by an address. Thereafter and upon arrival of the next address plate a printing operation occurs to place opposite the distinctive indicia an address. Thus that particular label including the distinctive mark will indicate the beginning of the new mailing district and operators at the labeling machines need only to segregate the periodicals for the new mailing district from those of the old.

For a more detailed explanation of the invention and for other objects and advantages thereof, reference. is to be had to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective drawing illustrating essential operating parts of a printing machine to which the invention has been applied, which machine is used for simultaneously printing address labels on a tape and printing a record list of each address label;

Fig. 1A is a top'plan view of an address plate;

Fig. l- B is a top plan view of a bulls-eye plate constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 1C is a top plan view of an eleven plate constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 1D is a sectional view taken through a stack of three address plates;

Fig. 1E is a fragment of a printed address tape typical of that produced in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of an improved print head and associated parts made in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the mechanism of Fig. 2 as seen from the line 3-3',

Fig. 4 is a' cross section through the mechanism of Fig. 2 taken on the line 4-4 and illustrates the parts in position after start of the cycle of operations and with the feelers contacting an address plate preparatory to printing on the address tape;

Fig. 5 is similar to Fig. 4 but illustrates the parts in positions later in said cycle and illustrates the final po-. sition of a pressure pad by a cam; and

Fig. 6 illustrates the same cam positions as appearing in Fig. 5 but shows the change in positions of certain of the parts due to the presence of a bulls-eye plate at the printing station.

While the principles of the present invention are of general application, the present invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings as applied to an addressing machine heretofore known to those skilled in the art as Class 4100 Speedaumat, machines of this type having been in relatively widespread use for many years. 7

Such a label printing machine generally indicated by the reference character 10 is provided with a driving mechanism 12 including an electric motor 14 and a train of reduction gears 16, one of which is secured to a drive shaft 18. The drive shaft 18 extends the full width of the machine, is journaled in the frame thereof, and provides power to operate the various elements of the machine.

A magazine feed 20 is located on the right-hand side of the machine. This mechanism advances the print plates across a plate-feed table 22. The file-record printstation is shown at 24 and the label printing station at 26. A plate ejector mechanism 28 is provided atthe lefthand end of the machine.

The feed mechanism 20 is per so old and Well known. It is operated by a crank disc 30 and crank 32 on the end of a shaft 34 which is driven by sprockets and chain at 36 from the power shaft 18. The crank 32 applies a reciproeating motion to a guided rack gear 38 which oscillates a spur gear 40. This spur gear is secured to a shaft 42 which has secured to its opposite end a quadrant gear 44 whichoperably engages a feed table rack gear not visible in Fig. 1. The reciprocating action applied to this feed table rack simultaneously advances all the print plates on the table by means of pivoted spring-biased fingers 46 which strip the bottom plate from the stack of plates 50. Gther spring fingers 46' serve to hold the plates 50 in position on the feed table while the feed rack is being retracted.

The first print station 24 includes a guided pressure pad which is spring-biased upwards and is depressed by means of a cam 62 on the shaft 34. The cam is set to operate the pad while the plates are at rest. Any suitable mechanism (not shown), as a ratchet and pawl similar to that used in an oflice typewriter, is used to feed an ink ribbon 64 across the face of the print plate. At this station a strip of paper 66 is fed across the print plate above the ink ribbon. Thus, when the pressure pad 60 is depressed by cam 62, it presses the paper and ink ribbon against the embossed marking on the print plate, leaving an inked impression on the under surface of the paper. There is sufficient ink deposited on the embossed letters to make further impressions at subsequent printing stations.

The paper strip 66 is used for file and record purposes and for convenience is cut at regular intervals producing sheets with approximately twenty names per sheet thereon. This is done by automatic shears 70. The shears comprise a stationary blade 72 over which the paper strip 66 is fed. A movable blade 74 is pivoted at 76 to the stationary one and it is actuated by a finger 78 on a ratchet 80. The ratchet is moved by a pawl 82 on the end of the oscillating shaft 42 of the feed mechanism 20. A spring 84 holds the blade 74 upward when free of the operating finger 78. After an impression is made atthe first station 24, the address plate is advanced to the sec? ond station 26 where it is printed on the label tape From the second printing station, later to be described in detail, the plates are advanced to the ejector 28, com prising a guided piston reciprocated in timed relationship with the feed mechanism by means of the earn 102 on shaft 34. The piston 100 pushes the plates 50 past spring-supporting members at this region of the plate feed table. The plates descend on the curved chute 104 where they are fed onto the file trays or galleys in which they are stored.

Figs. l-A, 1B and 1-C illustrate the three types of plates 50 used in the machine. They are all fiat strips of metal having folded protective edges 112 which are thick enough to separate the printing surfaces 114 when they are stacked together, as shown in Fig. l-D. Fig. 1 E. illustrates a portion of label tape 90 with addresses applied thereon. v Fig. lA illustrates a typical address plate 50 having a name, address, and file code numbers embossed thereon. Fig. l-B illustrates a bulls-eye plate 5% modified to cooperate with the special print head 26 yet to serve as a standard bulls-eye plate at print head 24. The printing surface has the familiar bulls-eye symbols 116 embossed thereon and also two holes 118 a and 120. These holes are carefully positioned to cooperate with parts of the mechanism at print station 26. Fig. 1-C illustrates a standard eleven plateSDb with symbols 122 embossed thereon and is provided with a hole positioned identically with the hole 120 in the bulls-eye plate. It is significant to note that a hole 118 is not made in the eleven plates.

The present invention is particularly concerned with the operation of the mechanism at the label printing station 26, the operation of which will now be described in full detail. The pressure pad of the labelprinting mechanism, not shown in Fig. 1, is operated under the control of the cam 92 secured to the shaft 34. All essential parts have been illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 and the manner in which the parts are controlled by the openings in the plates will now be set forth. Referring now to Fig. 2, two stationary side members l30 and 132 are supported from the frame of the machine 10 and they straddle the plate feed table 22 as shown in Fig.1, and they extend between the lower shaft 18 and the upper shaft; 34. A shaft 136, Fig. 2,'extending between the side members and 132 pivotally supports 'two' pressure pad arms 138a and 1323b. A

spacer sleeve 144 separatesthe arms on their pivot shaft a 136. Secured to and connecting these arms at their extremities is a pressure block 140. A rubber pressure pad 142, Figs. 3-6, is secured to the under surface of this block.

An L shaped member 146, best shown in Figs. 46, is also secured to the ends of the pressure pad arms 138a and 1381; having one of its legs projecting forward in a substantially horizontal plane. To the horizontally projecting leg is secured a spring 148 which has its opposite end anchored to an overhanging arm 150a of a post 150 which is an integral part of the stationary side member 130. This spring holds the pressure pad arms 138a and 1238b in their uppermost positions and clear of the feed table 22. At the rear of these

arms

138a and 138b, near their pivotal shaft 136, is an interconnecting shaft 152, on which are pivoted cam follower arms 154a and 1545 separated by a spacer sleeve 156 best seen in Figs. 4 and 5. A cam follower 158 is journaled at the forward end of these arms and a spring 160 is provided to urge the follower in a counterclockwise direction (as viewed in Figs. 4, 5 and 6) towards the operating cam 92 on the shaft 34. p

The construction thus far described causes the cam follower arms 154a and 1541) to be oscillated with every revolution'of shaft 34 independently of the other parts of the print head. Immediately in front of the arms 154a and 1541) is a pawl 161 pivoted on the pin 162 which has its ends secured in the

printer arms

138a and 138b.

In Figs. 4, 5 and 6 it will be seen that a spring 164 provides a clockwise bias to the pawl. At-the upper end of the pawl is a pin 166 which projects from one. side into a cam slot 168 in the print feeler arm assembly which will be hereinafter described. A shoulder or step 161a is provided on the back of the pawl which is adapted to engage the ends of the

cam follower arms

154a and 154b when the various other elements are in the positions shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The engagement. of these elements depresses the

printer arms

138a and 138b. Thus, the pressure pad 142 presses the paper tape against the print plate 50, thustransferring an inked impression to the tape. t

The feeler arm assembly previously mentioned consists of an arm 17%) pivoted on the shaft 136 and urged in a clockwise direction by spring 172 as viewed in Fig. 6. This arm is situated between the stationary sidememher 132 and the print arm 138a. The spring 172 urges a cam follower 174 located on an upwardly projecting finger 176 against a cam 178 on the shaft 34. The forward end of arm 170 is provided with a downwardly projecting feeler pin 180 directly over the plate-track of the plate feed table 22. A small shock absorber spring 182 is provided to prevent breakage of pins on contact with address plates and also to limit the pressure which may be applied to the plates. The cam slot 168; previously mentioned is located in an upwardly extending finger 184 of the feeler arm 170.

The pin 166 of pawl 161 fits'into this slot and works in the following manner. The cams 92 and 178' are in timed relationship so that when a print plate comes to rest under the print head 26 the cam 178 releases the cam follower 174, permitting the feeler arm 170 to rotate downwardly, thus moving the feeler pin 180 toward said print plate 50. If the plate is a standard unperforated address plate, the pin 180 is supported on the surface of said plate as seen in Fig. 4. Then cam 92 depresses follower 158, pushing

arms

154a and 154b against the shoulder 161a of pawl 161. Thus, the printer arms 138a and 1381: are operated as previously described and shown in Fig. 5.

However, if a bulls-eye plate 50a or an eleven plate 50b is under the print head, the holes 120 in such plates are located directly under the feeler pin 180 and said pin passes through the hole 120 beside the label tape 90. When this happens, the cam slot 168 in finger 184 pushes pin 166 of pawl 161 forward so that arms 154a and 15% cannot engage shoulder 161a of said pawl. When cam 92 depresses the print arms, the movement is not transmitted to the rest of the print head, and no impression is made on the paper. Thus, the bulls-eyes and elevens are not printed on the label tape, eliminating the need to remove such labels from magazines at the label-applying machines.

To prevent blank spaces on the label tape at these points, the tape feed mechanism is associated with the print head in the following manner. The paper tape is supplied from a reel (not shown) in the back of the machine and passes between two feed rollers 26!) and 202 journaled on the front of the stationary side members and 132 of the print head 26. The lower roll is supported in cam plates 204, one shown being provided with a handle 206. The cams contact studs 298 in the side members so that the bottom roll can be moved away from the upper roll by rotation of the handle 296. The springs 210 normally hold the bottom roll tightly against the upper one. The upper roll is provided with perforating pins 212 which pierce the paper between printed addresses to provide simple means of accurate registration in the label-applying machines.

The paper is fed between these rolls by rotating the upper roll by means of a ratchet and pawl mechanism. The ratchet 214 is fastened to one end of roll 200 and the pawl 216 is pivotally mounted to one arm 218a of a bell crank 218 which in turn is pivoted to the axle 209a of roll 200. The other arm 21% of hell crank 218 is reciprocated after every cycle of the print head operating arms 154a and 15% by means of a connecting rod 222. The axle 224 of the crank disc is provided with a sprocket 226 seen in Fig. l which is driven by chain 228 from sprocket 23% on the main drive shaft 18. There is sufficient lost motion in this arrangement that the effective drive is only momentary between operations of the rest of the print head.

The pawl 216 has a short stud or pin 232 which projects into a slot 234 in arm 236 which is mounted on the front of the pressure head assembly. This slot 234 guides the path traversed by the pawl 216. It will be seen by a comparison of Figs. 5 and 6 that the pawl engages the ratchet when the print head is depressed (Fig. 5) but the slot 234 guides the pawl over the ratchet if the print head is not depressed (Fig. 6).

It will be noted that the timing is such that the pawl 216 makes contact with the ratchet 214 the instant be fore the print head retracts, after which the drive range of the crank disc 222 moves the pawl while the paper is released. So that the pin 232 does not bind in slot 234 while the pawl is turning the ratchet after the print head has gone up, it is necessary to pivot the arm 236 to the print head so that it is free to turn within the limits provided by the fixed pin 238 and the slot 249.

The tape 90 is rewound on a reel 25% which is driven by a friction belt 252 from the drive shaft 18, Fig. 1. The belt may either slip on its pulleys when. no paper is fed to the reel by the feed rolls 2% and 202, or preferably, a torque-limiting friction clutch is included in the drive pulley.

Since the mechanism described will not print a bullseye label, it is necessary to provide some other means of indicating a change of mailing districts on the labels. This is accomplished by providing a lever arm 260 which is pivoted at 262 to a part of the frame of the press 10. At the rear of this arm is a cam follower 264 which is held normally in contact with a earn 266 on shaft 18 by spring 268. The front end of this arm 260 is slotted at 270 to receive a pin 272 on the bulls-eye printer 274. This printer 274 is shown as comprising a hollow block member 276 having a guide stem 278 which fits in a hole. 28% in the frame member 10 which holds the printer erect and limits it to a vertical reciprocating motion. The pin 272 transmits this motion from the lever 260. Projecting upwardly from the block member 276 is a feeler rod 282 and a wick holder tube 284. The wick 286 protrudes slightly from this tube and is V supplied with ink from a suitable reservoir 288 and an interconnecting flexible tube 290. The cam 266 is timed to raise the bulls-eye printer at the same time that the pressure pad is bearing on the upper side of the address plate 50. The feeler rod 282 which stands slightly higher than the wick 286, bears on the under surface of the plate and no mark is made.

The same conditions prevail when an eleven" plate 501; is in the printing position for the hole 120 is not-in position to admit the feeler finger 282. However, when a bulls-eye plate 50a is in position, the feeler finger 282 passes through the hole 118 provided in these plates. This feeler finger comes up just beside the label tape 90 and the wick 286 contacts the paper, making a mark thereon as illustrated by mark 91 shown in Fig. l-E. Since the print head is not engaged when bulls-eye" plates are in position, the feed rolls 200 and 202 are not operated. Therefore, the paper address tape 90 remains stationary with a distinctive mark thereon at the marginal edge, and the next address plate, which is the first name of a new mailing district, is printed on the tape beside the said mark.

Now that the principles of the invention have been explained in detail, it is, of course, to be understood that modifications may be made without departing from the invention, the scope of which is to be ascertained by reference to the appended claims. For example, in the modification illustrated in the drawings, the

feelers

180 and 282 have been illustrated as movable beyond the the plates in order to control the actuating or 138b plane of driving connection to the printing arms 138a, which support'the printing head 140. V

It is to be understood certain of the plates marking the beginning of a new mailing district or the passage of a predeterminednurnber of address plates through the printing station may be provided with elevated projections instead of openings or cut-away portions.

It is further understood that in the description and in the claims the word perforate" and the term opening are intended to cover apertures, slots, scallops, and the like, which would permit passage of the feelers beyond the plane of a plate.

It is also to be understood that the operation of the latches may be the reverse of that illustrated since an obvious modification of the form of the invention shown would include a simple reversal of the'parts of the latch so that a printing operation would be effected by movement of the feeler through openings in each address plate and a printing operation would not occur for an imperforate plate which, in such case, would correspond to the bulls-eye or the eleven plate.

Similarly, the control member 236 which moves the

control elements

214 and 216 into operative relation with each other whenever the print arm moves into printing engagement may be differently designed so that the two

elements

214 and 216 will normally be in engagement and disengaged upon disengagement of the driving connection between elements comprising the

arms

154a, 154b and the element or pawl 161.

In summary, there is provided an addressing machine of the type in which address plates are fed in succession to a plurality of printing stations where a printing arm produces on tapes at each of the stations a series of addresses. The address plates 50 are separated by a bulls-eye plate 500 whenever the geographical classification of a group of address plates changes. Also, a predetermined number of the address plates are separated 'by an eleven plate 50b. The indicia carried by the eleven plate 5% signals that all of the address plates taken from a tray or galley of a filing cabinet have been passed through the machine and, hence, such address plates should then be removed and p that particular tray or galley.

laced inactuating said'arm actuating means including adisenga'geable driving "con- At one of the printing stations 24 there is provided means ior printing on a tape for file record purposes addresses from each of the address plate 50 and also the distinctive symbols carried by each of the bulls-eye plates 50a and the eleven plates 50b. At a second printing station addresses on a tape and for preventing the printing of the symbols carried by the bulls-eye and eleven plates. Each of the fbulls-eye plates 50a and-the eleven plates 50b is provided with at least one opening or cut-out portion, and feele'rsat the second printing station 26 are disposed to register with at least one of the openings or cut-out portions. Upon registration of one of the feelers with the cut-out portion in'an eleven plate 50b, movement of the printing arm at the second station 26 is restrained, thereby preventing it from mov ing into its printing position with the eleven plate, and the tape-advancing mechanism also is disengaged at the second station. When a bulls-eye plate 50a moves into position underneath the printing arm at the second station 26 both of the feelers will be brought in registration with the cut-out portions in the bulls-eye plate. At this time the printing arm at the second station 26 will be restrained from moving into its printing position with the plate, the tape-advancing mechanism will be disengaged, and concurrently the second feeler and a printing member will move through a cut-out portion in the bullseye plate to print a distinctive symbol 91 adjacent the location where an address normally appears.

After this operation is performed, the next plate to be brought into position under the printing arm at the second station 26 will be an address plate, and as'the tape has not been advanced'the address carried by the plate will be printed-on the tape in the location oppositethe symbol that was previously applied. The tape is then moved from the printing station 26, cut into labels and 'the latter 'adhesively applied to magazines.

As the indicia carried by the eleven'plates 50b is not printed on the tape at the second station 26, and as the bulls-eye symbol carried by the bulls-eye" plates 50a is'not printed on the tape at but a corresponding symbol 91 is applied by a separate printing member disposed to one side of the address area to which an address is later applied, all of the sections of the tape will be provided with an address, and thus the necessity of removing eleven labels and "bulls-eye labels from magazines and reprocessing of'those magazines has been eliminated.

What is claimed is: 1

1. In an addressingmachine ofthe type in which address plates are moved insuccession to and from a printing station,the combination of a printing arm, means for actuating the am into and out 'of printing engagement with each address plate, said actuating means including a disengageable driving connection for said arm, a feeler membermovable with said arm toward an address plate, means operable upon movement of said feeler beyond the plane of an address plate to disengage said driving connection to prevent a printing operation of said printing arm, a printing member disposedbelow the path of movement of the address plates and including a second feeler, and actuating means for said printing member for moving it toward each plate when in printing position, engagement of the 66161: with said plate bringing said printing member to standstilL-certain of said plates having cut-out portions for movement of said second feeler and of said printing member therethrough and intoa printing position for the printing of'a'distinctive symbol in the same region as an address appears.

2. In an addressing machine of the type in which address plates are moved in succession to and from a printing station, certain of said plates having at leastone'cutout portion, the combination of a printing arm, meansfor into' and out of printing position, said 26 provision is made for printing the the second station 26, e

aerated nection for said arm, a printing member disposed below the path of movement of said address plates and including a feeler, actuating means for said printing member for moving it toward each plate when in printing position at said station, engagement of the feeler with said plate bringing said printing member to standstill, said feeler being disposed for registration with said cut-out portion and movable therethrough to bring said printing member into a printing position at said station for the printing of a distinctive symbol adjacent the printing position of an address.

3. In an addressing machine of the type in which address plates are moved in succession to and from a printing station, the combination of a printing arm, means for actuating the arm into and out of printing position, said actuating means including a disengageable driving connection for said arm, a feeler member movable with said arm toward each address plate, means operable by the extent of movement of said feeler in the direction of each address plate for controlling said driving connection, certain of said address plates having provisions for a different extent of movement of said feeler than other of said plates selectively to disengage said driving connection and to prevent movement of said arm into a printing position, certain of said plates having a cut-out portion, a printing member movable through said cut-out portion and toward said printing arm, a second feeler, and means operable by the extent of movement of said second feeler toward an address plate forcontrolling movement of said printing member through said cut-out portion and into printing position.

4. in an addressing machine of the type in which address plates are moved in succession to and from a printing station, the combination of a printing arm, means for actuating the arm into and out of printing position, said actuating means including a disengageable driving connection for said arm, a feeler member movable with said arm toward each address plate, means operable by the extent of movement of said feeler in the direction of each address plate for controlling said driving connection, certain of said address plates having provisions for a diiferent extent of movement of said feeler than other of said plates selectively to disengage said driving connection and to prevent movement of said arm into a printing position, a printing member tion and movable toward and away from said printing arm to move said printing member into and out of printing position, a second feeler movable with said printing member toward and away from an address plate at said station, certain of said address plates having provisions for a different extent of movement of said second feeler selectively to permit movement of said printing member to printing position, and means operable in accordance with the extent of movement of the second feeler toward said address plate at said station for controlling movement of said printing member to said printing position.

5. In an addressing machine of the type in which address plates are fed in succession to a plurality of printing stations where a printing arm produces on tapes at each of said stations a series of addresses, said address plates being separated by a bulls-eye plate whenever the geographical classification of a group of address plates changes, a predetermined number of said plates being separated by an eleven plate, means for printing on the tape at one of said stations addresses from each of said printing plates and for printing on said tape distinctive symbols from each of said bullseye plates and from each of said eleven plates, each of said bulls-eye" plates and said eleven plates having at least one cut-out portion, feelers at another of said printing stations disposed to register with at least one of said cut-out portions, means operable by one feeler upon registration with said portion in one of said plates to restrain movement of a printing arm from its printing position with said plate and to disengage the tape-advancing mechanism at said lastdisposed at said printing eta 10 named station, and means responsive to the registration of the other of said feelers with another of said cut-out portions for printing a distinctive symbol in the same region as appears an address placed thereon by one of the address plates.

6. The method of automatically printing in succession on a tape addresses to be used as labels for periodicals or the like and separating said addresses while on ,said tape into predetermined groups comprising concurrently feeding step by step a series of printing plates and said tape to and past a printing station, said series of plates including address plates separated at predetermined locations by signal plates, printing an address on said tape while an address plate is at said printing station, interrupting the feed of said tape when one of said signal plates arrives at said printing station and marking said tape adjacent a blank area thereon to indicate a group separation, and thereafter printing an address on said blank area of said tape when the first address plate of the succeeding group is at said printing station.

7. The method of automatically printing in succession on separate tapes at a plurality of printing stations a series of addresses and separating said addresses while on said tapes into predetermined groups comprising feeding step by step separate tapes past each of said printing stations, concurrently feeding step by step a series of printing plates past all of said printing stations, said series of plates including address plates separated at predetermined locations by signal plates, at one of said printing stations printing on its corresponding tape from all of said plates, at all of the other printing stations printing an address on the corresponding tapes while an address plate is at the corresponding last-named stations, and when one of said signal plates arrives at one of said last-named stations, interrupting the feed of the corresponding tape and marking said last-named tape adjacent a blank area thereon to indicate a group separation, and thereafter printing an address on said blank area of said last-named tape when the first address plate of the succeeding group is at said one of said last-named printing stations.

8. In an addressing machine of the type in which printing plates are fed in succession to a plurality of printing stations where a printing arm produces on tapes at each of said stations a series of addresses, said printing plates including address plates separated at predetermined locations by signal plates bearing distinctive symbols difiering from said address plates, means for printing on the tape at one of said stations addresses from each of said address plates and distinctive symbols from each of said signal plates, feelers at another of said printing stations disposed for movement toward said printing plates, each of said signal plates having provisions for a difierent extent of movement of said feelers than said address plates, said feelers being adapted to register with said provisions for a ditferent extent of movement, means operable by one of said feelers upon registration with said provisions in one of said signal plates to restrain movement of a printing arm from its printing position with said plate and to prevent advancement of the tape at said last-named station, and means responsive to the registration of another of said feelers with another of said provisions for printing a distinctive symbol in the same region as appears an address placed thereon by one of the address plates.

9. The method of preparing address labels by printing in continuous succession addresses on address-receiving means to be used as address labels for periodicals or the like and providing for separation of said addresses into selected groups comprising moving address-receiving means step by step to and past a printing station, at the printing station, printing in continuous succession addresses on the address-receiving means within predetermined areas to form a continuous succession of address labels, at selected intervals marking in distinctive manner the address-receiving means adjacent a blank address area to indicate a group separation, interrupting the advancement printing addresses on said address-receiving tervals for marking said address-receiving of the address-receiving means for the'printing of aweceeding address in the blank address area adjacent the distinctive mark to provide a continuous succession of address labels, and thereafter advancing the addressreceiving means for the printing of a succeeding address in thecontinuous succession.

l 10. Apparatus for preparing address labels by automatically printing in continuous succession addresses to be used as labels for periodicals or the like and providing for separation of said addresses to selected groups comprising means for moving address-receiving means pasta printing station, printing means at the printing station for means within predetermined areas to form a continuous succession of address labels, marking means operable at selected inmeans adjacent a blank address area to indicate a group separation, said printing means thereafter printing a succeeding address on said blank address. area, and marking elements provided with signal indicia only for automatically selectively controlling said marking means, said elements moving in timed relation with said address-receiving means.

11. An addressing machine of the type in which address plates are moved in succession to and from a printing station, a printing arm, means pivotally mounting said arm for movement into and out of a printing position, an actuator for said printing arm for moving the same toward saidprinting position after arrival of an address plate at said printing station, said actuator including two elements which when in engagement form a driving connection with said arm, said actuator also including a pivoted arm, a feeler supported by said last-named arm, said last-named arm having a cam surface for rotating one of said elements out of engagement with the other of said elements upon a predeterminedmovement of said cam surface, certain of said plates having different configurations than other of said plates for controlling the rnovement of said feeler, sai last-named arm and'said cam surface for selective control of said element and its movement out of engagement with the other of said elements, a tape-feeding mechanism provided at said printing station for advancing printing tape after the printing thereon of an address, a controller for said feeding mechanism having two control elements movable into and out of engagement, and

her movable with said printing arm toward the printing said controller having a control mem- 12' position tov move said control elements into engagement for a feeding operation of said tape, disengagement ofsaid elements supported by said printing arm preventing movement of said control member to move said control elements of said feeding mechanism into engagement with each other. i V 7 1 2. In an automatic addressing machine of the type utilizing address-carrying means for effecting printing in continuous succession of addresses on address-receiving means to be used as individual address labels for periodicals or the like, the combination of means for marking address-receiving means in distinctive manner at spaced locations to separate addresses thereon into groups, and means other than said address-carrying means and selectively adjustable by an operator for selectively controlling the operation of said distinctive marking means, whereby each group includes a selected variable number of ad-. dresses and each label in the continuous succession bears an address with certain of the labels in addition bearing the distinctive marking indicating group separation.

13. The combination set forth in claim 12 wherein said address-carrying means comprise individual address plates and said means for controlling the operation of said distinct ive marking means comprise signal plates separating said address plates at intervals corresponding to said group separations whereby the number of address plates within a group may be increased or decreased without changing the signal plates.

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