US2996979A - Data-marking machine - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 22, 1961 R. w. FERGUSON EIAL 2,996,979

DATA-MARKING MACHINE Filed Aug. 25, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. I

N INVENTORS.

J 'RONALD w. FERGUSON m y EMERY M. LOW PAUL J. THUT 4 rromvsv Aug. 22, 1961 R. w. FERGUSON EI'AL 2,996,979

DATA-MARKING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 25, 1960 INVENWRSL HUMALD I! FERGUW ENE/i M m PAUL J! THW v a, All TUE EV Aug. 22, 1961 Filed Aug. 25, 1960 R. W. FERGUSON Er AL 2,996,979

DATAMARKING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent 2,996,979 DATA-MARKING MACHINE Ronald W. Ferguson, Greece, Emery M. Low, Irondequoit, and Paul J. Thut, Penfield, N. assignors to Burroughs Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Aug. 25, 1960, Ser. No. 51,900 9 Claims. (Cl. 101-96) This invention relates to data-marking machines of the type which mark data on a record web. The data to be marked may be amounts or numbers, for example, and the marking may be done by punching, or by making printed impressions with suitable provision for effecting inked contact of a marking member or type with the web.

Several commonly known machines of this character, including machines for printing dollar amounts on checks and the like, are arranged so that the data, specifically the digits in the amount to be marked or printed, are set up in the machine by moving finger pieces attached to segments or disk-shaped members having suitable detents for determining a plurality of settable positions. These positions may correspond to the digits 0-9. A scale or indicator is provided so that the operator can tell when a finger piece has been moved to the position of the segment representing the desired piece of data or digit. These settable disks or segments conventionally carry on their peripheries punches or types which are moved into punching or printing position as the disks are set.

One disadvantage of such an arrangement, in which types, for example, are carried on the manually settable segments, is that the printing must be done at a location dependent on the disposition of the settable segments in the machine. This location may be inconvenient, requiring insertion of the record web or sheet into the machine at a position which makes it difiicult to handle the web properly or which introduces ditficulties in the design of efficient printing mechanisms. Such troubles may be overcome by placing the marking members or types on separate type wheels or slide bars geared to the corresponding settable segments. These arrangements, while they make the machine more flexible and simplify the simultaneous printing of dates, for example, also introduce new problems, however. The separate type wheels or slides tend to be loose, due to play in their coupling to the settable segments and in their own mounting. Use of conventional arrangements to lock such separate printing members in position, after setting, also complicates the problem of clearing or resetting the settable segments prior to the next cycle of operation. If resetting is not automatic, the operator easily may neglect to reset all of the segments all of the way to their rest positions or new positions, resulting in subsequent recording of incorrect data. If an automatic resetting mechanism does not operate positively and freely, as for example when it is dependent upon resetting springs or when impeded by detent devices, the resetting may be rough or undependable. An attempt to incorporate positive automatic clearing in an acceptable data-marking machine having marking members separate from the setting segments, using conventional techniques, tends to increase the complexity and cost of the machine beyond commercially acceptable limits.

Another desirable feature frequently found in such machines, especially those for marking amounts of money on commercial paper, involves the printing of a value designation, such as the dollar sign immediately in front of the highest significant digit in an amount being printed. Since the amounts to be printed may have different numbers of digits, the value designation must be printed by an impression member which is moved into a variable position determined during eachcycle of operation. Positioning of this member is important, because the amount the timing member for movement thereby into engagement 2,996,979 Patented Aug. 22, 1961 printed may be raised fraudulently with relative ease if any space remains to the left of the digit of the highest significant order of digits in the amount printed. Incorporation of this additional feature in a machine with auto matic positive clearing and with marking members separate from the settable segments poses very difficult design problems within the limits of commercial practicability and cost, particularly since machines of this character must be capable of highly dependable operation over years of frequent usage by unskilled operators.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved data-marking machine which avoids one or more of the disadvantages of the prior machines.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved machine for marking or printing data on a record web which incorporates positive automatic clearing of the amounts or other data set into the machine, while effecting locking of punch or type members during the punching or printing of numerical amounts or the like immediately preceded on the web by a value designating symbol.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved, efiicient, yet inexpensive amount-printing machine which prints a protected amount on an accurately located printing line near the front of the machine, convenient for insertion of the record sheet, and also effects positive automatic clearing during the printing cycle of the amounts entered into the machine prior to the cycle.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide, in a data-marking machine, a new and improved timing arrangement for coordinating automatically the operation of mechanisms for marking or printing a preset multi-digit number from printing members which preferably are not unitary with the setting device, the printing members being locked securely in place during the printing with an impression member contiguous to them carrying a value designating symbol, and for thereafter positively resetting the setting device.

In accordance with the invention, in a machine for marking data on a record web, the combination is provided which comprises a plurality of data-selecting members, each settable from a rest position to any of a succession of prelocated data-representing positions for selecting data to be marked on the record web; marking members associated with each of the settable data-selecting members and movable thereby from rest positions to corresponding marking positions; a drive shaft rotated in a reciprocating operating cycle through a forward stroke and a return stroke; a value-designating member movable from a rest position to a variable marking position which is limited in each operating cycle by the settings, made prior to the cycle, of those of the data-selecting members having a predetermined significance; and pressing means actuated by this drive shaft for effecting marking contact of the record web with the marking members and with the value-designating member during a marking period starting in the latter portion of the forward stroke and ending in the earlier portion of the return stroke. This same combination also comprises a clearing member actuated by the drive shaft for carrying all of the data-selecting members which have been set to data-representing positions, and the marking members movable thereby, back to their rest positions after the marking period; timing means, including a timing member, actuated by the drive shaft for effectively completing a forward movement of the timing member before the marking period and for effecting return movement of the timing member after the marking period but before the aforesaid actuation of the clearing member; coupling means resiliently linking the timing member to the value designating member for moving the latter member to the variable marking position and returning it to its rest position; and locking means coupled to period, whereby the value designating member and the locking means are moved into their proper positions for the marking operation before the marking period and are.

removed from such positions and returned to their rest positions thereafter but before actuation of the clearing member.

For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and further objects thereof, reference is had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a plan view taken from the top of a data-marking machine embodying the present invention, with the front of the machine at the left and the top cover removed, a central portion of the machine being cut out midway between the right side, at the bottom of FIG. 1, and the left side, at the top of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side elevation, taken in the direction indicated 22 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is another cross-sectional side elevation, taken in the direction indicated 3-3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional front elevation of the upper portion of the machine, taken in the direction indicated 4-4 in FIG. 1 but with a portion near the right side of the machine, rather than a central portion, cut out.

FIG. 5 is a timing chart representing the operation of several elements in the machine with reference tothe same horizontal axis of abscissas;

FIGS. 6, 7, and 8 are detailed cross-sectional side elevation views of a portion of the mechanism shown in FIG. 2, these views representing successive stages in the operation of the mechanism;

FIG. 9 is a detailed cross-sectional side elevation view of a portion of the mechanism shown in FIG. 3, representing another stage in the operation of the machine; and

FIG. 10 is a rear elevation of the timing mechanism shown in side elevation in the right hand portion of FIG. 9,- but taken with the mechanism in a position corresponding to the initial stage of operation as shown in FIG. 3.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a machine for marking data on a record web and, more specifically, for printing numerical amounts on the web. The amount-printing machine illustrated is designed particularly for imprinting dollar amounts on checks and other negotiable instruments. Such machines may be equipped to print small or large maximum amounts, and the machine illustrated can print amounts having eight orders of decimal digits, from the digits for the cents and dimes orders to the right of the decimal point, to the digit for the most significant order printable by this machine to the left of the decimal point, namely the order for the $100,- 000.00 digit. Thus, when the machine is set to print the digit 9 for the latter order of digits, amounts can be printed from $900,000.00 to the maximum amount-of $999,999.99 which this machine can print.

The machine is provide with a framing structure made up of outer side plates 11 and 12 maintained rigidly upright by lower tie rods 13 and 14 and upper tie rods 16 and 17. The side plates 11 and 12 are slotted deeply from the front of the machine, leaving a deep throat extending across the entire width of the machine for insertion of documents to be marked, and dividing the machine into lower and upper portions. primarily the mechanism for effecting marking impressions or imprinting, consisting of a movable platen and linkages for actuating the platen, as will be described hereinbelow. To support certain other parts in the upper portion, two inner side plates 18 and 19 of irregular outline are disposed parallel to the outer plates 11 and 12, these inner plates being held in place by suitable structure including the upper tie rods 16 and 17,- which may be assembled in sections with sleeves spacin J the inner side The lower portioncontains Y plates from each other and from the outer side plates. In FIG. 1 the tie rod 16 has been cut away except at its left end for simplicity of illustration.

In this amount-printing machine, the combination of elements shown in the drawings comprises a plurality of data-selecting members, specifically eight segmental dataselecting members 21-28. As indicated: above, a central portion of the width of the machine has been'omitted in FIG. 1 by showing all the laterally extending parts broken away, including the parts toward the front of the machine, at the left of FIG. 1, and extending to the parts toward the rear of the machine, at the right of FIG. 1. Only the four segmental members 21-24, for the cents, dimes, dollars,

and tens of dollars orders of digits respectively, with a partof the segmental member 25 for the fifth order of digits, are visible in FIG. 1. The machine may include, in the portion broken away in FIG. 1, any additional segmental members, of like construction and with all associated elements as required, to make up -a total number of segmental members sufiicient to provide one for each order of decimal digits in the amounts to be marked or printed. Since the machine illustrated actually can print an eight-digit amount, the partial front elevational view of FIG. 4 is extended to show the segmental members 26-28 not shown in FIG. 1, and in fact the segmental members 23-28 for all six of the orders of digits to the left of the decimal point are depicted in FIG. 4.

Machines of this character may be arranged to be set from a keyboard. In that case, punching the keys serves to place stop bars in the paths of rotation of the segmental members, which are urged to rotate during the initial portion of the operating cycle until each segmental member strokes a stop bar which stops it in a rotational position corresponding to the digit represented by the key which was punched. However, the machine illustrated herein utilizes direct manual setting of the segments. Each of the segmental members has a finger piece to permit manual setting, finger pieces 31-34 being shown on the segmental members 21-24 respectively, and the finger pieces for the other segmental members being omitted for clarity of illustration. Finger pieces 31-34 are afiixed to their respective segmental members 21-24 by arms 36-39 respectively.

The members 21-28 are segmental so as to include at least a portion of the full periphery of a disk. In the illustrated embodiment it is convenient for the segmental members to have the form of complete disks, which include the desired segmental portions and hence may be viewed as a species of segmental members. The disks 21-28 have central holes which are loose on a disk shaft 41, which is journaled in and passes between the inner side plates 18 and 19. Each of the disks 21-28 is independently settable by rotation from a rest position to any of a succession of prelocated data-representing, specifically digit-representing, angular positions, having predetermined angular separations on the rotatable segmental members or disks, for selecting data such as the several digits in an amount to be marked or printed on the record web. For cooperating with a detent structure which determines the rotational angular locations of the positions representing the ten digits 0-9, plus a rest position in addition to the 0 position for the disks 24-28, a succession of peripheral indentations 42, having the same angular separations between successive digit-representing positions, is provided on each of the disks. A stop bar 43 (omitted from FIG. 1 to facilitate viewing of other members) is supported between the inner side plates 18 and 19 to stop the arms 36-39, etc., of the finger pieces when the disks are returned to rest position. The bar 43 is staggered to stop the arms 36-38 in a rest position for disks 21-23 coinciding with the digit 0, while permitting the arm 39 for disk 24 and the arms for the other disks to continue one step farther to a rest position separate from 0 position. If the segmental members are not complete disks, then the, indentations 42v are provided alonga peripheral portion of each of. the segmental members. Each of the disks 21-28 is seen in FIG. 2 to have gear teeth 44 formed in most of the peripheral portions not occupied by the succession of indentations 42.

Positioning and detent pawls are provided in springbiased contact with each of the segmental members or disks for retention of the disks in the angular positions to which they are individually set. Portions of four pawls 46-49 for the respective disks 21-24 are visible in FIG. 1. The upper portions of the eight pawls are in contact with the respective disks 21-28; this portion of the pawl 46 is seen in FIG. 2, where the disk 21 is shown in zero or rest position with the pawl 46 in contact with one of the first of the indentations 42, which with the stop bar 43 determines the rest position of the disk. It will be seen that, as a disk is moved counterclockwise, starting with the disk in its rest position as seen in FIG. 2, its detent pawl falls into one of the peripheral indentations when the disk is in any one of the rest and digit-representing positions. The pawls have offset extensions 51 [to the lower right of each pawl, as seen in FIG. 2, and slots are provided on the right side of each pawl near the center thereof. The pawls are pivoted on a shaft 52, on which they may be inserted through the aforementioned slots passing inwardly from the right side of each pawl. Spring-biased contact of the pawls, to position the disks by forcing the pawls to the bottoms of the peripheral indentations 42, is obtained by the action of individual springs 53, fastened at the ends of the respective extensions 51, whereby the disks are urged to rotate slightly, as may be necessary, so that they are detained in a stable position with each pawl at the bottom of an indentation 42.

Marking members are associated with each of the settable data-selecting members and are movable thereby from rest positions to corresponding marking positions for making marks representing the bits of data to be recorded, in this case the individual digits included in the amount to which the respective segmental members are set. In an embodiment of the invention having a minimum number of parts, these marking members may be placed on the segmental members or disks themselves, so that setting a disk into a digit-representing position brings a corresponding marking member into marking position. However, the various parts may be positioned more conveniently, and designed better for performing their several functions, if a plurality of separate marker carriers are geared individually to corresponding segmental data-selecting members for movement thereby, but not coaxially therewith, from rest positions to marking positions. For this purpose arrangements are generally well known in which a marking member is incorporated on a slide carrying a rack for meshing either with the gear teeth 44 on the settable segment itself or with a pinion geared or fastened to the segment. The marking members affixed to such slidable marker carriers thus are carried by the movements of the carriers into positions or locations relative to the surface of a record web for making marks thereon representing the nature of the data or the value of the digit to which the respective segmental members are set. In the embodiment illustrated, however, the marker carriers have the form of a plurality of marking wheels 61-68. These marking wheels are afiixed coaxially at their sides to respective gears 711-78 (FIGS. 1, 2, and 4; 72 and 73 are hidden in FIGS. 1 and 2), which mesh with the teeth 44 formed on the peripheries of the disks 21-28 respectively for rotational movement thereby. The wheels 61-68 carrying the gears 71-78 are free to rotate upon a large shaft 79 journaled in the side plates 11 and 12, which of course is not coaxial with the shaft 41 for the disks 21-28. The marking wheels have sets of protruding marking members, designated 81 collectively, (FIGS. 2 and '3) affixed in circumferentially spaced relationship along the peripheries of the marking wheels.

In one form of marking arrangement the marking members, whether carried directly on the settable disks, or carried on a marking slide or on disks or cylinders such as the marking wheels 61-68, are simply punches, which may have rectangular or round cross-sectional shapes or which may be in coded groups or shaped to represent characters. In this case the operating cycle of the machine brings these punches into contact with an impression member which has the form of a punching die for receiving each of the punches which may be in punching position. The marks then have the form of holes punched in a record web. In the embodiment illustrated, however, the data preferably are recorded in the form of printed marks. Thus the marking members 81 are type members movable into positions for printing, and the marking wheels 61-68 serve .as type wheels having sets of numerical types 81 spaced along the peripheries thereof and geared individually to the corresponding segmental members 21-28 for rotational movement thereby from rest positions to printing positions, the types being carried by such rotational movements into positions for printing the individual digits in the amount to which the respective segmental members are set.

If a sliding type bar were used, each mark might have the same shape, since the marks may be distinguished by position alone on the record sheet. However, the marking members 81 located along the peripheries of the marking wheels differ from each other in shape; they may be code marks of arbitrary shape or alphanumeric characters. Each of the type wheels in the embodiment described herein carries ten numerical types 81 for printing the ten digits 0-9, and the type wheels are closely spaced along the common axis provided by the type wheel shaft 79 in the sequence of the orders of increasing significance in the dollar amounts to be printed. A moderate space between the type wheels. 62 and 63 does not impair the effectively close spacing of the type wheels, since the decimal point intervenes between the type wheel 62 for the dimes order of digits and the wheel 63 for the units of dollars order. Selected types are movable by rotation of the type wheels into positions along a predetermined printing line, parallel to the axis 79 and directly below the center of this at the bottoms of the wheels, for printing the individual digits which make up the amount to which the respective disks are set.

The amount-printing machine also com-prises a main drive shaft 82, suitably journaled in the side plates 11 and 12, and rotated in a reciprocating operating cycle from an initial position, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, through a forward stroke to a full stroke position and then through a return stroke back to its initial position. Machines of this character may be electrically driven through their operating cyclm. In that event a motor shaft would be coupled through a suitable drive mechanism, such as an eccentric coupled to an arm on the drive shaft 82, so as to rotate the shaft 82 in a reciprocating operating cycle. Such a power-operated arrangement is not shown herein, however, since provision is made for manual operation through a handle 83 fastened to an end of the drive shaft extending through the side plate 11. A large gear 84, having in its side an arcuate slot 86 concentric with the center of the gear, is tight on the drive shaft '82 near the side plate 11; the primary function of the gear 84 will be described hereinbelow. Additionally, a stud 87 extends from the side plate 11 through the slot 86 in the gear to limit the rotation of the drive shaft 82. One end of an arm 88 also is tight on the drive shaft 82, and the other end of arm 88 receives the free end of a large spring 8 9 secured forwardly of the drive shaft. The angular position of the handle 83 is shown in dashed lines in the sectional views of FIGS. 2 and 3 to clarify the relative positions of the parts, and is indicated also in FIGS. 6-8. The spring 89 urges the shaft 82 into an extreme clockwise initial position, as viewed in FIG. 2, with one end of the arcuate slot 86 against the stud 87. Pulling the handle 83 to rotate the drive shaft 82 through the forward stroke counterclockwise against the tension of spring 89 brings the shaft to full stroke position with the other end of slot 86 against the stud 87. Motion of the handle to carry the shaft through the return stroke back to its initial position is assisted by the spring tension. To insure that each stroke is carried to the full stroke position, a ratchet 91 on the shaft 82 is prevented by a spring-loaded pawl 92, pivoted on a stub shaft 93, from clockwise motion until the full stroke position is reached, when the pawl passes the last ratchet tooth and swings clear to permit the shaft to travel through the return stroke.

Before describing the impressing mechanism actuated by the drive shaft 82 for effecting the punching or printing, there will be mentioned a value-designating member included in the amount-printing machine in a rest position tothe left of the type wheels 61-68. This value-designating member is in the form of an elongated block 94, having two upwardly extending projections 96 and 97, spaced in the width directionof the machine, which are drilled out to slide laterally on a shaft 98 extending across the machine forwardly of the lower portions of the type wheels. As seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, an extension 99 protrudes from the block 94 downwardly and rearwardly and then extends horizontally toward the rear of the machine. The value-designating member 94 carries, on the lower surface of the last-mentioned horizontally extending portion of the extension 99, a value-designating type configuration 101. The rearward part of this lower surface of the extension 99 also rests freely on a fixed horizontal supporting surface, a part of which may be seen in FIG. 3, positioned near the bottom of the type wheel 68, thus preventing the rearward extension 99' from dropping and causing rotation of the value-designating member 94 about the slider shaft 98.

Referring again to the type wheels, those of the type wheels for the orders of higher significance are shaped to admit passage under certain conditions of the extension 99 if the value-designating member is urged to slide to the right along the shaft 98. The type wheels 64-68, for the five highest orders of digits which the illustrated machine can print, are so shaped. Thus the type wheels 64-68 have similarly shaped radially depressed notches 102 on their peripheries, starting next to the type 101 for the digit 0. These type wheels and the corresponding disks 24-28 are arranged so that they can be rotated past the position for printing the digit to a rest position which is not also a printing position. In other words, the disks 24-28 may be set to non-digit-representing rest positions before their finger piece arms strike the stop bar 43. The notches 102 on the respective type wheels 64-68 accordingly are formed on their peripheries in the locations which are on the aforementioned printing line, heneath the center of the typewheel shaft 79, when the corresponding disks are set to the non-digit-representing positions, such positions of those disks being represented in FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 shows that the extension 99 of the value-designating member 94 has a vertical depth equal to the radial depth of the notches 102 in the type wheels 64-68; so that the value-designating type configuration 101 is aligned, on the printing line, with any of the types 81 which have been moved into positions therealong, and so that the extension 99 may be given support from above by the bottoms of the notches 102 while the type configuration 101 remains aligned with the types 81 on the printing line.

The machine provides pressing means, which may be punching or printing means actuated by the drive shaft 82 for effecting marking contact of the record web with the marking or type members 81 and the value-designating member 94 during a marking or printing period starting in the latter portion of the forward stroke and ending in the earlier portion of the return stroke of the drive shaft. In the amount-printing machine specifically described, this printing means effects inked contact of the types 81 which are in printing positions on the type wheels-that is, which.

are rotated to be on-the printing line-and of the valuedesignating type configuration with the web surface. The

pressing means, arranged to be actuated from the drive shaft 82, includes drive arms 103 and 104 afiixed to-the shaft 82 near the respective side plates 11 and 12. The arms 103 and 104 drive similar balanced linkages on each side of the machine, and the parts of the linkages-on the left side, driven by the arm 104, will be designated in the drawings by the same reference numerals, primed, as the numerals designating the respective parts of the linkages on the right side, driven by the arm 103. One end of a link 106 is fastened by a pin 107 to the end of the drive arm 103, another pin 108 serving to fasten the similar link 106 to the end of the drive arm 104. The other ends of links 106 and 106' are pivoted by a common movable shaft 109 to'one end of respective levers 1-11 and 111. Levers 1.11 and 11'1'are pivoted at their other end on a common fixed shaft 112 passing between the side plates 11 and 12. Thus the shafts 109 and 1-12 serve in both linkages and act to stiffen and balance the actuating mechanism. Another link 113 (having a companion link 113) runs forward from the middle of lever 111 to a point which is common to a lower toggle arm 114 and an upper toggle arm 116. The lower end of toggle arm 114 is secured pivotally on a fixed shaft 117 extending between the side plates 11 and 12 across the machine to engage similarly the companion toggle arm 114", while the upper end of toggle arm 116 is fastened pivotally to the free end of a roughly horizontal arm 118 by means of a platen drive pin 119. The remote end of the arm 118 is pivoted about a fixed stud 121 projecting from the adjacent outer side plate. The platen drive pin 119 protrudes from one end of a platen bed 122 near the top thereof; the platen bed extends across the lower part ofthe machine and a similar drive pin 119' extends from its other end to connect pivotally the arms 116 and 118'. The bottom of the platen bed is notched vertically upward through out its length, so that the notch rides on the fixed shaft 117. This structure permits substantially vertical movement of the drive pins 119 and 119 through a small distance while the lower end of the platen bed is constrained to move vertically by the fixed shaft 117. A platen 123 is fixed on the top of the platen bed 122 and extends thereon across most of the width of the machine.

For making a printed impression through inked contact of a type 81 with a record web, a wide ink-impregnated or ink-coated ribbon 124 is provided, as shown in FIG. 2, the ribbon being omitted in the plan view of FIG. 1 for ease of illustrating other components. The ribbon 124 is supplied on a spool 126 which may be rotatably positioned between spool holders 127 and 128 afiixed to the respective side plates 11 and 12. A ribbon guide bracket 129, shown only in FIGS. 2 and 3, guides the ribbon toward the printing line as it comes off the spool 126. A ribbon guide plate 131 is positioned along the central and rearward portions of the machine (this plate being largely cut out as shown in FIG. '1) and has a depressed portion at its rear edge over which the ribbon passes as it travels rearwardly and then upwardly toward a ribbon take-up spool 132. A lower ribbon guide bracket 133 is affixed to the edges of the guide plate 131 at its rear end to support the ribbon 124 from below as it passes the guide plate on its way to the take-up spool. Any conventional mechanism may be used to maintain ribbon tension and to advance the ribbon a small amount during each cycle of operation, and such mechanism is not shown in the drawings.

A record web 134 may be inserted between the type wheels 61-68 and value-designating member 94 and the platen 123, with the ribbon 124 interposed above the web, below the types 81 located at the bottoms of the type wheels, and below the type configuration 101. The side plates 11 and 12 are slotted deeply to enable insertion of a wide web or long sheet 134. Adjustable positioning members (not shown) may be provided as needed to insure that the marking or typing is carried out at thedesired. locations on the web'134. The web may have the form of a strip, card, or sheet, and machines of the character shown and described herein frequently are used for imprinting amounts on checks, which are inserted as shown for the sheet or web 134 in FIG. 2.

Machines of the character described advantageously are provided with a visual indicator to show the operator the digit-representing position to which each disk has been set. In the embodiment illustrated, this arrangement includes a series of indicating wheels, one for each of the disks 21-28, rotatable on the shaft-shaped tie rod 17. For convenience of illustration, only three of the indicating wheels are shown in FIG. 1. Wheel 136 carries concentrically a gear 137 (in the same plane as the gear 71 and hiding gear 71 in FIG. 1 but not in FIG. 2) which meshes with the gear teeth 44 on the disk 21. Likewise, indicating wheel 138 carries a gear 139 (above the gear 72 and hiding gear 72 in FIG. 1) which meshes with the gear teeth on the disk 22, and indicating wheel 141 carries a gear 142 meshing with disk 23. The wheel 141 and its gear 142 may be seen in FIG. 4 which shows also the remaining five indicating wheels with their driving gears meshing with the corresponding disks 24-28. These indicating wheels carry numbers on their peripheries, a few of which are indicated in the drawings, and these numbers may be viewed by the operator through a hole or slit in the cover (not shown) of the machine to indicate the settings of the disks and the corresponding positions of the type wheels and indicator wheels.

The operation of the portions of the machine which effect the setting up of the amount to be marked on the web and the impressing or printing of the marks thereon now will be described. The finger pieces 31 et seq. are moved until the indicating wheels show the desired amount, starting with the finger piece B1 for the disk 21. With dollar amounts, the digit for the cen order may be set first through the finger piece 31 and disk 21, reading the setting on the indicating wheel 136, then the digits for the dimes and units of dollars orders are set, using the respective finger pieces 32 and 33 for the respective disks 22 and 23, and checking the settings on the respective indicating wheels 138 and 141. The corresponding type wheels 61, 62, and 63 respectively now have been moved, through the gear teeth 44 on the three disks and the meshing gears 71, 72, and 73, to positions for printing the digits of the three orders of lowest significance in the amount in question,.while the gears 137, 139, and 142 insure the proper indications on their wheels 136, 138, and 141. If the amount is less than one dollar, or if a digit for one of the units of dollars, dimes, or cents orders happens to be a 0, the corresponding disk 23, 22, or 21 is left in its rest position, which coincides with its -digit-representing position, and the corresponding typewheel 63, 62, or 61 is in its rest position to print the digit 0. If there are more than three significant orders in the amount to be printed, the remaining disks are set, starting with the next disk 24 through its finger piece 34, until the disks for each order, up to and including the order of highest significance in the amount to be printed, have been set from their rest positions to the proper digit-representing positions and the corresponding type wheels have rotated to positions for presenting the proper types for the respective digits on the printing line. The remaining disks, if any, for higher orders of digits are left in their non-digit-representing rest positions, so that the corresponding type wheels remain in their rest positions and their notches 102 remain on the printing line.

The machine now is set up to mark or print the amount in question. Pulling the handle 83 forward (to the left as viewed in FIGS. 1-3), causes the shaft 82 to rotate counterclockwise through an angle of 115". Reversal of direction during this forward stroke is prevented by the action of the pawl 92 on the full stroke ratchet 91. At the end of the forward stroke, as the slot 86 in the large gear 84 strikes the stud 87, the pawl 92 releases the ratchet, and the return stroke may be carried out with the aid of the large spring 89, which has been placed 16 under increasingly great tension during the forward stroke.

In the graphical timing chart of FIG. 5, the horizontal axis represents the angular displacement of the drive shaft 82 from its rest position, passing from 0 to on the forward stroke, and back to 0 on the return stroke. The position of the faces of those types 81 which are on the printing line, relative to the upper surface of the web 134 supported by the platen 12 3, allowing for the thickness of the intervening ribbon 124, is represented by the curve 151 in the lower portion of FIG. 5. The vertical axis of ordinates of the lower portion of FIG. 5 is subdivided at the left of the chart in thousandths of an inch of free space between the type and the platen. It will be realized that use of an unusually thick web 134, or the use of a manifolded stack of thin web sheets with interleaved carbon sheets, will decrease this clearance space, having the effect of moving the entire curve 151 downwardly in relation to the fixed coordinate axes. FIGS. 2 and 3 show the machine in its rest condition between operating cycles. As the handle 83 is pulled toward the front of the machine, the drive shaft 82 turns until the drive arms 103 and 104 reach the full stroke position shown in dashed lines for arm 103 in FIG. 2. During this operation the arms pull the link 106 (and 106') upward, rotating lever 111 counterclockwise as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, which in turn pulls the link 113 toward the right and tends to pull the toggle arms 114 and 116 into vertical alignment. Guided by the arm 118, the right end of which performs a small arc in a direction substantially vertically upward, the platen drive pin 119 moves upwardly with similar motion of the drive pin 119 on the other side of the machine, carrying the platen bed 122 upwardly with them, the forked lower end of the platen bed of course sliding upwardly on the fixed shaft 117.

In this Way the platen bed 122 carries the platen 123 upwardly during the forward stroke. The free space be tween the platen and the selected type on each of the type wheels 61-68 thus decreases until, at point 152 on the curve 151, the marking or type members are brought into marking or inked contact through the ribbon 124 with the upper surface of the web 134 when the drive shaft is in-the neighborhood of its full stroke position. The type configuration 101 on the value-designating member 94 also is in position above the platen 123 on the printing line, as indicated hereinabove, so that it also commences to make printing contact with the web at the point 152 in the latter portion of the forward stroke. As the platen is pressed upwardly beyond the point 152, .relative motion between the platen and the type cannot occur except for a moderate compression of the ribbon and the web beneath the type face, but some additional effective motion of the platen still takes place until the full stroke position actually is reached at the point 153 on curve 151, represented by a platen position indicated in dashed lines in FIG. 2. This added motion of the platen appears as a corresponding distortion in the side plates 11 and 12, which as mentioned above are grooved deeply to receive the record web 134 from the front of the machine, bringing the portions of the side plates above and below the groove slightly closer together and increasing the printing pressure. On the return stroke the pressure decreases, and the printing couple opens and the platen starts to withdraw from the record web at the point 154 on curve 151. Thus the marking members 81 and value-designating member 94 come into inked contact with the web surface in the neighborhood of the full stroke .position, during a marking or printing period corresponding to angular positions starting at the point15'2 on the curve 151 of FIG. 5 in the latter portion of the forward stroke and ending at the point 154 in the earlier portion 'of'the return stroke, to print a value-designating symbol and the amount selected by the settings of the segmental members or disks. Of course, if alpha-numeric types are not used, the marking members associated with the segmental members or disks are brought similarly into marking contact with the web surface during the operating cycle to make holes or other marks in or on the web 134 representing the amount selected by the settings of the segmental members. If on the surface of the web, the marks need not be made in an ordinary ink, but may be, for example, of a special magnetic, conductive, or fluorescent ink, and need not even be visible under ordinary light.

Describing further the machine as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, an arrangement is provided for automatically and positively resetting the segmental members 21-28, and the type wheels 61-68 and indicating wheels rotated thereby, back to rest positions during the return stroke of the operating cycle and after the marking period has effectively ended. This clearing of the segmental members is effected without any interference from the pressure of the spring-biased detent pawls 46 et seq. on the segmental members. To furnish the necessary and properly timed actuation for the clearing mechanism and related parts, a cam member 156 is rotatable through one revolution by the drive shaft 82 during each operating cycle, the aforesaid one revolution starting only after the marking period when the amount-marking or -printing is substantially completed, that is, when the printing couple is almost or completely open, such opening occurring as the point 152 is reached in the curve 151. To provide the single timed revolution of the earn 156 a stub shaft 157, afiixed in the side plate 11, carries a small gear 158 so as to be in mesh with the large gear 84 on the drive shaft 81. Fastened concentrically on one side of this gear 158 is a ratchet wheel 159 having only a single tooth 161. The throw of the drive shaft during the forward and return strokes, and the ratio of the gears 84 and 158, is such that the ratchet wheel 159 is geared to the drive shaft for a rotation, during the forward stroke, of more than one revolution but less than two revolutions of the ratchet wheel and for the same rotation thereof in the reverse sense, of course, during the return stroke. In the machine illustrated, for a full stroke rotation of 115 of the main shaft 82 and the large gear 84, the small ratchet gear 158 has a rotation of about 523, corresponding to a gear ratio of 50:11, or somewhat less than 1%. revolutions.

The cam 156 is rotatable on an axis concentric with that of the ratchet wheel 159, and as shown is mounted loose on the same stub shaft 157. A driving pawl 162 is pivotally mounted on a pin 163, fixed to the side of the cam 156, so that the pawl engages the single tooth 161 of the ratchet wheel 159 only when the small gear 158 is rotated counterclockwise (FIG. 2) past the one point of engagement at the tooth 161. Since the drive shaft 82 and large gear 84 rotate clockwise, to drive the small gear 158 counterclockwise, only on the return stroke, the driving pawl can engage the ratchet wheel only during the return stroke. As seen in FIG. 2, which shows the positions of the parts at the start and end of the operating cycle, the driving pawl 162 is at the point of engagement with the tooth 161 at the start of the cycle. However, the ratchet wheel 159 rotates in the sense which carries the tooth 161 away from the pawl for one full revolution and almost a half of another revolution during the forward stroke, and almost one third of the return stroke has been accomplished before the ratchet wheel has returned in the reverse sense, that is, counterclockwise, to the position of engagement of its tooth 161 with the pawl 162. Consequently, the driving pawl is mounted on the cam for. engaging the single tooth of the ratchet wheel only during the last full revolution of the ratchet wheel in this reverse sense, whereby the cam 156 rotates during each operating cycle through one revolution, counterclockwise as seen in FIG. 2, starting only after the marking or printing period.

Means is provided, driven by the cam 156, for removingall of the eight positioning and detent pawls, of which the pawls 46-49 for the disks 21-24 are indicated in 12 FIGS. 1 and 2, from their individual spring-biased contact with the segmental'members or disks 21-28 at about the end of the marking period. This means also serves for releasing the pawls back into contact with the segmental members as soon as the latter have been reset to rest position. The means for moving the pawls includes a cam follower riding on the peripheral camming surface of the cam 156. The cam follower 165 has the shape of a rod, the outer end of which has a roller to contact the cam, and which extends inwardly beneath the inner side plate 18 to connect at its inner end with a yoke how 166. This bow is one of a pair of bows 166 and 167 located just inside the inner side plates 18 and 19 respectively. These bows are connected by a yoke cross member 168 and are pivoted at their upper left ends, as seen FIGS. 1 and 2, on the same shaft 52 about which the detent pawls 46 et seq. rock. The yoke structure is completed by an upper pin 169 and a lower pin 170, which pass between the yoke bows 166 and 167 parallel to the pawl shaft 52. Springs 17 1 and 172 are connected to the respective bows to urge the yoke structure 166-170 counter-clockwise (FIG. 2) about the shaft 52 and maintain the follower 165 on the camming surface.

The cam-follower means 165-172 thus carries a pawlcontacting arrangement in the form of the upper pin 169 passing near the upper surface of the offset extension 51 of each pawl and the lower pin passing near the lower surface of each extension 51. The cam-follower means cooperates with the cam 156, through downward pressure of the upper pin 169 on the pawl extensions 51 when the follower rides toward a high point on the cam, for causing the pawl-contacting pin 169 to rock all of the pawls out of their spring-biased contact with the respective segmental members or disks 21-28 during an earlier portion of each revolution of the cam member, and thereafter for releasing the pawls back into contact with the respective segmental members or disks when the follower 165 reaches a camming surface having a smaller radius.

The data-marking machine further comprises a clearing member 175 for contacting all of the segmental members and pushing them back to rest positions, ready for setting prior to the succeeding operating cycle. With the aid of the cam 156, driven by the ratchet wheel 159 during an appropriately timed portion of the return stroke, the clearing member, which ordinarily is in inoperative position, is actuated by the drive shaft for carryng all of the data-selecting segmental members or disks 21-28 which have been set to data-representing or digit-representing positions, and the marking members 81 movable thereby, back to their reset or rest positions after the marking or printing period. Of course, when the marking members or types 81 are mounted on marker carriers, or more specifically the marker wheels or type wheels 61-68, these carriers or wheels move to rest positions when the segmental members are reset. The resetting member 175 is a bail, passing through similarly shaped slots 176 in each of the disks 21-28, and having arms 177 and 178 tight on the shaft 41 which carries the disks. A linkage in the form of a crank member 179 is provided between the cam 156 and the clearing bail 175 for causing the bail to operate and reset the disks, and for then returning the bail 175 to its inoperative position. The crank 179 is fastened eccentrically to the side of the cam 156 by a pin 181 and is connected at its other end to a lever 182 which is tight on the disk shaft 41. This connection is made through a pin 183 which rides in a slot near the end of the crank 179, permitting some lost motion in the linkage between the cam 156 and the bail 175.

Describing now the operation of the cam 156 and the mechanisms driven by it, reference may be had again to FIG. 5, in which the curve 186 represents qualitatively the rotation of the clearing bail 175 as a function of the angular position of the drive shaft 82. During the forward stroke of the operating cycle the handle 83 is pulled forward (left in FIG. 2), whereby the large gear 84 on the drive shaft 82 causes the single-toothed ratchet 159 to rotate clockwise from the position shown in FIG. 2 through a full revolution and then to continue through almost another half revolution, at which time the handle 83 is in its extreme forward position and the drive arm 103 has reached the position shown in dashed lines in FIG. 2. This stage corresponds to a vertical line 187 through the curves of the FIG. 5 graph, intersecting the point 153 on curve 151. As the handle returns and the printing couple starts to open, the ratchet 159 rotates counterclockwise until just one revolution remains during the return stroke, at which point it has returned again to a position where the driving pawl 162 is contiguous to the tooth 161 on the ratchet. This point is represented by the vertical line 188 on the FIG. 5 graph.

The positions of the various elements in question at the stage corresponding to 188 on the graph are illustrated in the partial elevational view of FIG. 6, where the angular positions of the handle 83 and the drive arm 103 are indicated in dashed lines for comparison with their rest positions shown in FIG. 2. The return stroke has carried the drive arm 103 from the position shown dashed in FIG. 2 to the horizontal position indicated in FIG. 6. Further counterclockwise rotation of the ratchet 159 during the balance of the return stroke causes the tooth 161 to engage the driving pawl 162 and drive the cam 156 through one revolution. This carries the mechanism through the positions represented in the partial elevational views of FIGS. 7 and 8, corresponding to the vertical lines 189 and 190 respectively in the FIG. 5 graph. At the stage represented in FIG. 7, the crank 179 has moved leftward until the pin 183 has been engaged by the right end of the slot in the crank 179, and the bail 175 then has been moved counterclockwise about the disk shaft 41 through an are long enough to pick up the disks which have been set to extreme positions. As the mechanism continues to move toward the stage represented in FIG. 8, the bail 175 contacts all of the disks which had been set, and at the point 190 has carried them to their rest positions with the arms 36 et seq. against the stop bar 43. As the cycle continues, the eccentric connection of the crank 179 on the cam 156 moves the crank toward the right, again taking up the lost motion of the pin 183 in the slot on the crank 179 and returning the bail 175 to its inoperative position, as shown in FIG. 2. The motion of the bail 175 clockwise about the shaft 41 to reset the disks is represented by the downwardly extending portion 191 of the curve 186 in FIG. 5, while the return of the bail to its inoperative position is represented by the upwardly extending portion 192 of this curve near the end of the operating cycle. The positions of the arm of the handle 83 and of the drive arm 103 are indicated also in FIGS. 7 and 8, at the stages 189 and 190 during the return of the drive shaft 82 toward th initial position represented in FIG. 2.

As the return stroke proceeds from the stage identified as 188 in FIG. 5 and illustrated in FIG. 6, cam 156 and the cam-follower means 165-172 have operated to rock the detent pawls 46 et seq. away from contact with the disks 21-28. The motion of the pawls is represented by the curve 193 in FIG. 5. During the entire portion of the operating cycle from the position shown in FIG. 1 to that shown in FIG. 6, the cam follower 165 remains seated in a small depression 196 in the camming surface. The shape of the camming surface is best seen in FIGS. 6-8. As soon as the tooth 161 engages the driving pawl 162 and begins to turn the cam 156, starting at the stage 188 in FIG. 5, the follower 165 climbs out of the depression 196. This causes the yoke assembly 166170 to start rotating clockwise so that the pin 169 commences to push against the upper edge of the offset extension 51 on each detent pawl. During the first quarter revolution of the cam 156, the follower 165 rides to the highest point on the camming surface, causing all of the pawls to be rocked against the biasing force of the springs 53 so that the pawls move clear of the indentations 42 and of the interdontal portions therebetween on the disks 21- 28. This motion of the pawls is represented by the rising portion 197 of the curve 193. The follower now remains at its position of maximum travel while the cycle proceeds through the position 189, represented in FIG. 7. As the cam 156 approaches the position shown in FIG. 8, however, the follower commences to fall sharply into a deep depression 198 in the camming surface, causing a rapid return of the pawls into contact with the disks. This motion of the pawls is represented by the falling portion 199 of curve 193.

At this same stage 190, however, the disks which have been reset by the bail 175 have just reached their rest positions, as indicated in FIG. 8 and by the curve 186, and there is a tendency of the disks to vibrate or recoil from the stop bar 43 as they decelerate from the resetting rotation. The pawls now are seated in the peripheral indentations 42 for the rest positions of the disks. To stabilize the disks quickly in their rest positions, the camfollower means cooperates further with the cam 156 for causing the pawl-contacting arrangement not only to release the pawls back into spring-biased contact with the respective disks when the disks thus have been reset to rest position, as represented by the portion 199 of curve 193, but also for a short time immediately thereafter to retain the pawls in substantially fixed position within these respective peripheral indentations on the disks. This camfollower action is achieved by making the depression 198 in the camming surface deep enough so that the yoke springs 171 and 172 pull the yoke and its lower pin against the lower edge of the offset extensions 51 on the pawls. This retains the pawls within the indentations on the disks while the follower remains in the bottom of the depression 198, so that the pawls cannot retract against the action of the biasing springs 53. The additional motion of the pin 170 to achieve this pawl-retaining position is represented by the dotted depressed portion 200 added to the curve 193 which represents the pawl position. After a short hold in the deep depression 198 on cam 156, the cam follower rises to a plateau on the camming surface and stays there during the brief remainder of the operating cycle, falling back into the small depression 196 as the cam reaches the rest position and the cycle ends.

Referring to the curves 186 and 193 in FIG. 5, it will be seen that the detent pawls are removed from springbiased contact with the disks at the beginning of the portion 188-190 of the operating cycle and are released back into contact with the disks at the end of that portion of the cycle. The clearing bail 175, through the eccentric connection of the crank 179 to the cam 156, is caused to carry all of the disks back to rest position, as represented by the portion 191 of curve 186, during this same portion of the cycle, at a time when all of the pawls are held out of contact with the disks.

Occasionally it is desired to operate the amount-printing machine described hereinabove in consecutive cycles of operation to print the same amount during each cycle. For this purpose it is convenient to provide disabling means for preventing the resetting of the settable disks between these successive cycles of operation. Thus, disabling means is provided for holding the driving pawl 162 in a pivotally withdrawn position, out of engagement with the single tooth 161 of the ratchet 159, during any operating cycle in which it is not desired to clear the machine of the amount represented by the settings of the segmental members or disks. This disabling means has the form of a lever 201 pivoted coaxially with the shaft 41 which carries the setting disks. The disabling lever has a lower end portion 202 adapted to be rocked into contact with an upper extension of the driving pawl 162. Ordinarily the driving pawl is maintained in contact with the ratchet surface by a spring 203. However, backward motion of the disabling lever 201 where it extends above the machine mechanism forces its lower end portion 202 to rotate the driving pawl 162 counterclockwise about the pin 163 and out of engagement with the ratchet 159. The disabling positions of the lever 201-202 and of the pawl 162 are indicated in dashed lines in FIG. 6. While the disabling lever remains in this position, the drive shaft 82 and the ratchet wheel 159 pass through the return stroke without any rotation of the cam 156, so that the motions represented in the curves 186 and 193 in FIG. do not occur.

An arrangement, in a data-marking machine of the type under consideration, involving settable segmental members, the positioning and detent pawls, the resetting or clearing bail, and the mechanism for holding the pawls removed from contact with the segmental members while the resetting bail moves and carries the segmental members back to rest position, is the subject matter of an application Serial No. 51,899 for Letters Patent of the United States entitled Data Registering and Marking Machine, filed concurrently herewith in the names of Ronald W. Ferguson and Emery M. Low and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention.

Describing further the data-marking machine embodying the present invention, as illustrated particularly in FIGS. 1, 3, 4, 9, and 10 of the drawings, the machine also comprises timing means, including a timing member, actuated by the drive shaft for effectively completing a forward movement of the timing member before the marking or printing period, which starts at 152 and ends at 154 as represented graphically in FIG. 5, and for effecting return movement of the timing member after the marking or printing period but before the actuation of the clearing member 175. The timing means includes also a driving member 211 rotated by the drive shaft 82. The driving member 211 has the form of a ratchet wheel having two peripherally separated, opposed, pawl-engaging shoulders 212 and 213. The driving ratchet wheel 211 is constrained to rotate with the drive shaft 82 by an extension of the pin 108 passing from the drive arm 104 into the driving ratchet 211. In the illustrated embodiment, the aforementioned timing member, included in the timing means, is a timing cam 214 which is loose on the drive shaft 82 and is rotatable coaxially with the driving ratchet wheel 211.

The timing means further includes two oppositely disposed pawls 216 and 217 pivoted on respective pins 218 and 219 carried by the timing cam 214. One of these pawls 216 thus is .pivotally disposed to engage one of the two shoulders, 212, and start a forward rotation of the timing cam member 214 near the beginning of the forward stroke, the location of the shoulder 212 on the driving ratchet wheel 211 being such that the pawl 216 is in position to engage the shoulder 212, with a small clearance, when the driving ratchet 211 is in rest position between operating cycles, as seen in FIG. 3. A single spring 220, passing over a stud 221 on the driving ratchet 211 and fastened to tabs 222 and 223 on the respective pawls 216 and 217, serves to urge both of these pawls into engagement with the shoulders on the driving member or ratchet wheel 211. The other pawl 217 is pivotally disposed to engage the other shoulder 213 and start a reverse rotation of the timing cam member 214 at a time which, because of the inclination of the shoulder 2 13 and its pawl 217, occurs during the reverse stroke and which, as described hereinbelow, occurs after the marking or printing period but before the actuation of the clearing member 175.

The length of the forward rotational movement of the timing cam 214 and the length of its return movement are determined by pawl-disengaging means including two members having the respective surfaces 224 and 225. The member having the surface 224 conveniently may be a cam follower member 226 disposed, as will be described further hereinbelow, in contact with a camming surface of the timing cam 214. The surface 225 is provided by a fixed stud. These surfaces 224 and 225 are disposed in the paths of travel of the pawls carried by the timing cam member 214; more specifically, the surface 224 is disposed for pivotally deflecting the one pawl 216, through the tab 222 thereon, out of engagement with the one shoulder 212 to stop the forward rotation of the timing member before the marking or printing period commences. Likewise, the stud surface 225 is disposed for pivotally deflecting the other pawl 217, through its tab 223, out of engagement with the other shoulder 213 to stop the reverse rotation of the timing cam member 214 before the actuation of the clearing bail member the stud 225 arrests the reverse rotation when the timing cam 214 and the pawls 216 and 217 are back in their rest positions as seen in FIG. 3, so that the lengths of the forward and return rotational movements of the timing cam are the same.

Coupling means, resiliently linking the timing cam member 214 to the value-designating member 94, is provided for moving the value-designating member from its rest position to its aforementioned variable marking position, holding it there during the marking period by virtue of the resiliency of this linkage, and returning the valuedesignating member to its rest position. This means, accordingly, utilizes the above-mentioned forward rotational movement of the timing cam 214 to move the value-designating member to its variable marking or printing position, and later utilizes the reverse rotational return movement of the timing member to return the value-designating member to rest position. This coupling means includes an elongated resilient lever 227 in the form of a wire made of spring metal. A vertical supporting bracket 228 is screwed at its base to a block adjacent to the type wheel assembly. A bracket 229, affixed to the top of support 228, carries a stud 231, and the wire lever 227 is pivotally supported by this stud. The wire lever 227 conveniently is pivoted about the stud 231 by being wound loosely thereabout for several turns, forming a small coil of the spring metal which adds materially to the resilient action of the relatively straight portions of the elongated wire lever. The pivot stud 231 is oriented so that the entire elongated lever 227 remains generally disposed in, and is pivoted for rotation generally in, a plane including the printing line described hereinabove. By loosely connecting the wire lever 227 to the value-designating member 94 at a connection point 232 on the resilient lever distant from its pivot point 231, the end portion of the wire lever 227 near the connection point 232 is constrained to move in the desired direction for moving the value-designating member 94 when the wire lever is rotated about the pivot stud 231.

A linkage lever 233 couples the timing cam member 214 to a point 234 on the resilient wire lever 227, the point 234 being removed from the pivot point 231, but being less distant from the point 231 than is the connection point 232 to the value-designating member. The lever 233 in turn is pivoted about a stud 236 projecting from the side plate 12. The end of the lever 233 opposite from the point 234 is coupled suitably to the timing cam member 214, and, as shown, the lever 233 carries the cam follower 226, mentioned above, which is maintained in contact with the camming surface of the timing member 214 by a spring 237.

If the punches or types 81 were carried directly on the disks 21-28, it would be most desirable to provide locking means for engagement with the marking members, either directly, or indirectly by engaging the disks themselves, to hold the marking members 81 firmly in their selected marking positions during the marking period. The springbiased centering and and detent pawls 46 et seq., which must permit fairly easy movement of the disks when they are being set, cannot firmly stabilize the positions of the disks when marking pressure is applied by the printing platen or punching die 123. In the illustrated embodiment, however, the marking members can be stabilized by atte ts providing locking means, also coupled to the timing cam member 214, for movement thereby into engagement with the marker carriers, and hence with the marking members thereon, to hold the carriers firmly in the selected marking or printing positions during the marking or printing period. With the marking wheels 61-68 serving as marker or type carriers, the locking means thus is coupled to the timing cam member 214, for utilizing the rotations thereof to move the locking means into engagement with the marking or type wheels 61-68 and hold the wheels, and hence the marking members or types 81 thereon, in their marking or printing positions during the marking or printing period.

The locking means in the illustrated machine includes a series of locking dogs, one for each of the type Wheels 61-68, which engage the type wheels and, more particularly, the driving gears 71-78 afiixed centrally to the sides of the type wheels. The locking dogs themselves have been omitted from the view of FIG. 1 in order to permit other parts to be seen, but their structure and disposition are shown in the side elevational views of FIGS. 2, 3, and 9. A locking dog 241, seen in FIG. 2, is disposed to move into centering and locking engagement with the teeth of the gear 71 on the type wheel 61 for the first (cents) order of digits. An identical locking dog 242 is seen in the sectional view of FIG. 3, disposed similarly to move into engagement with the gear 74 aifixed behind the type wheel 64 for the fourth (tens of dollars) order of digits. It will be understood that individual locking dogs are provided similarly for the gears 72, 73, and 75-78 aflixed to the left faces of the other type wheels.

The locking means also involves supporting and moving mechanism, shown in FIGS. 1-4 and 9. This includes a shaft 243, passing laterally between the side plate 11 and the vertical support 228, on which the several locking dogs, including dogs 241 and 242, are pivoted. A strong counterclockwise torque is applied to each locking dog, as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, by individual springs, including a spring 244 for dog 241 and spring 245 for dog 242. Between the point of attachment of such spring and the engaging portion of each dog, the dog has an indentation 247. Aifixed to the locking dog shaft 243 are two spaced arms 248 and 249, and a locking dog lifter rod 251, passing between arms 248 and 249, runs within the indentations 247 in all of the locking dogs. As shown in the views of FIGS. 2 and 3, the lifter rod 251 is pushed upwardly against the upper surface of each indentation 247, maintaining the locking dogs rotated clockwise to the extent that they are clear of the gears 71-78 on the type Wheels. This permits setting of the disks 21-28 1 with rotation of the type wheels into printing positions.

To couple the locking dogs and their lifter arrangment to the timing cam member 214, another arm 252 is afiixed to the lifter rod 251. A link 253 runs between a pin 254 on the arm 252 and a pin 256 on the linkage lever 233 driven by the timing cam 214. Rotation of the lever 233 counterclockwise about its pivot stud 236, as seen in FIGS. 3 and 9, moves the link 253 leftward, causing counterclockwise rotation of the arm 252, the locking dog shaft 243, and the arms 248 and 249 thereon. This causes the lifter rod to move downward, away from the upper surfaces of the indentations 247 in the dogs, permitting the springs 244, 245, etc. to pull the locking dogs into individual engagement with the type wheel gears 71-78. By this linkage arrangement the timing cam 214 is coupled to the locking means for movement of the locking dogs of the locking means into engagement with the type wheels.

The operation of the timing means, including the driving ratchet member 211, the timing cam member 214, and the associated parts 216-227, now will be described. This will be followed by a discussion of the operation of the linkage therefrom through the levers 233 and 227 to move the value-designating member 94, and of the further coupling by the link 253 to move the locking 18 means 241-245 through its arm 252 on shaft 243 and the lifter rod 251.

Referring again to the chart of FIG. 5, the upper curve 261 represents the motion of the locking dogs 241, 242, etc. into and then out of engagement with the type wheel gears. As the forward stroke of the drive shaft 82 commences, the ratchet shoulder 212 engages the pawl 216 and starts to drive the cam 214 counterclockwise from the position shown in FIG. 3. The camming surface of the timing member 214 starts to drop at the angular position represented by the point 262 on curve 261, rotating lever 233 counterclockwise, and the aforementioned coupling through the cam follower 226, lever 233, and link 253 causes the lifter rod 251 to drop. By the point 263 on curve 261 the locking dogs have engaged the gears 71-78, and the lifter rod continues to withdraw toward the lower surfaces of the identations 247 in the locking dogs to insure complete centering and locking contact.

After about 40 of counterclockwise rotation of the timing cam 214, at the point 264 on curve 261, the pawl 216 is disengaged by the surface 224 and the cam 214 comes to rest. The driving ratchet wheel continues to turn until the stage 187 at the end of the forward stroke, at which time the timing means and the parts coupled thereto have reached the positions depicted in FIGS. 9 and 10, with the lifter rod 251 clear of the locking dogs.

On the return stroke, the ratchet wheel 211 rotates clockwise until the ratchet shoulder 213 returns through an angle sufficient to engage the pawl 217, which occurs at the stage represented by the point 265 on curve 261. The cam 214 then commences to rotate clockwise, as viewed in FIGS. 3 and- 9, and the coupling to the lifter rod 251 commences a return motion to move the rod upward as the camming surface rises. At the point 266 the rod 251 contacts the locking dogs, which are rotated thereby until, at the point 267, the dogs are all clear of the printing Wheel gears. The follower 226 now has reached the high point on timing cam 214, and further rotation of the cam to the point 268 on curve 261 brings the tab 223 on pawl 217 against the stud 225, disengaging the pawl and stopping the cam at its original rest position, at a time represented by the point 268 on curve 261. The return stroke of shaft 82 then continues back to the rest position, shown in FIG. 3, at the end of the operating cycle.

Reference to FIG. 5 shows that the locking dogs firmly engage the marking or type members, through the marker carrier wheels 61-68, between the stages represented by the points 263 and 266 on the curve 261. Since the marking or printing period extends between substantially the stages represented by the points 152 and 154 on the curve 151, it appears that the marking members or wheels are held firmly during substantially the entire marking period. The stage 154 at the end of the printing period may approach closely, or even overlap somewhat, the stage 266 at which the dog lifter rod starts to lift, but the clearing action, represented by the falling portion 191 of curve 186, should not begin until the printing couple is well open.

Referring now to the value-designating member 94, it is movable from a lateral rest position, shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, in a direction toward the right to a variable marking position. The extreme marking position is reached, in the amount-printing machine particularly described, when the dollar amount to be printed is less than $10.00, so that all of the disks 24-28 for the digits of orders of tens of dollars and higher remain in rest position, and the notches 102 in the five corresponding type wheels 64-68 remain on the marking or printing line. This limit of the variable marking position for the member 94 is indicated in dashed lines in FIG. 4. While the timing cam 214 makes its forward rotation from the beginning of the operating cycle to the stage 264 shown in FIG. 5, the linkage lever 233 rotates counterclockwise,

and the point 234 moves downward as seen in FIG. 4 between stages 262 and 264. This causes the end 234 of Wire lever 227 to move downward, urging its other end 232 toward the right. The member 94 thus is urged by the resilient lever 227 to move toward the right along the printing line, and within the notches in any of the type wheels 68-64 for the orders of digits of highest significance which are set in rest position, to a variable marking position with the right leading edge of the valuedesignating member 94 abutting against the side of the type wheel for the order of the highest significance which is set in a digit-representing position, so that its notch 102 is not on the printing line to permit passage of the extension 99 of the value-designating member 94. It will be seen that the value-designating type configuration 101 of the member 94 is aligned with the numerical types in printing positions along the printing line when the member 94 is in its printing position, abutting against the left side of one of the type Wheels 63-68, depending on the amount set to be printed. The bottoms of the notches 102 provide backing for the value-designating member 94 when the platen 123 exerts marking or printing pressure.

The type configuration 101 may represent any information affecting the importance, value, or origin of the amounts or other data printed. It may print simply a symbol or slogan which always appears next to the datum or digit printed by the marking wheel for the highest significant order which is set to a data-marking position; this prevents insertion of other data or digits to the left of the printed information. The configuration 101 commonly represents the unit of exchange, such as the symbol for dollars, pounds, or pesos. A preferred configuration prints EXACTLY Thus the printing means effects inked contact of those types 81 and of the value-designating type configuration 101 on the printing line to print the amount selected by the settings of the disks 21-28, with the value-designating configuration 101 printed closely adjacent to the highest significant digit in the printed amount.

It appears from the above that the linkage provided by the lever 233 from the timing cam member 214 through the resilient lever 227 to the value-designating member 94 serves for translating the forward and return rotational movements of the timing member, during the periods 2624.64 and 265467 respectively (FIG. 5), into respective pivotal motions of the resilient lever 227 which urge the member 94 respectively forward in its path along the printing line to hold it resiliently in its variable printing position and then returning back along the printing path to its rest position.

Accordingly, by the action of the timing means and its couplings to the value-designating member 94 and the locking dogs 241, etc., the value-designating member and the locking means are moved into positions for the marking or printing period 152-154; are held firmly in such positions and are removed from such positions thereafter, by the time the stage 267 is reached, but before the actuation of the clearing member represented by the portion 191 of curve 186.

While there has been described what at present is considered to be the preferred embodiment of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention. It is aimed, therefore, in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for marking data on a record web, the combination comprising: a plurality of data-selecting members, each settable from a rest position to any of a succession of prelocated data-representing positions for selecting data to be marked on such record web; marking members associated with each of said settable data-se- 'lecting members and movable thereby from rest positions to corresponding marking positions; a drive shaft rotated in a reciprocating operating cycle through a forward stroke and a return stroke; a value-designating member movable from a rest position to a variable marking position which is limited in each operating cycle by the settings, made prior to the cycle, of those of said dataselecting members having a predetermined significance; pressing means actuated by said drive shaft for effecting marking contact of the record web with said marking members and value-designating member during a marking period starting in the latter portion of said forward stroke and ending in the earlier portion of said return stroke; a clearing member actuated by the drive shaft for carrying all of the data-selecting members which have been set to data-representing positions, and said marking members movable thereby, back to rest positions after said marking period; timing means, including a timing member, actuated by the drive shaft for effectively completing a forward movement of the timing member before said marking period and for effecting return movement of the timing member after said marking period but before said actuation of the clearing member; coupling means resiliently linking said timing member to the valuedesignating member for moving the value-designating member to said variable marking position and returning it to its rest position; and locking means coupled to said timing member for movement thereby into engagement with the marking members to hold such members firmly in their selected marking positions during said marking period, whereby the value-designating member and the locking means are moved into positions for the marking operation before the marking period and are removed from such positions thereafter but before actuation of the clearing member.

2. In a machine for marking data on a record web which includes a plurality of data-selecting members each settable from a rest position to any of a succession of prelocated data-representing positions for selecting data to be marked on such record web, marking members associated with each of said settable data-selecting members and movable thereby from rest positions to corresponding marking positions, a drive shaft rotated in a reciprocating operating cycle through a forward stroke and a return stroke, a value-designating member movable from a rest position to a variable marking position which is limited in each operating cycle by the settings made prior to the cycle of those of said data-selecting members having a predetermined significance, and pressing means actuated by said drive shaft for effecting marking contact of the record web with said marking members and value-designating member during a marking period starting in the latter portion of said forward stroke and ending in the earlier portion of said return stroke, the combination therewith comprising: a clearing member actuated by said drive shaft for carrying all of said data-selecting members which have been set to data-representing positions, and said marking members movable thereby, back to rest positions after said marking period; timing means, including a timing member, actuated by the drive shaft for effectively completing a forward movement of the timing member before said marking period and for effecting return movement of the timing member after said marking period but before said actuation of the clearing member; coupling means resiliently linking said timing member to the value-designating member for moving the value-designating member to said variable marking position and returning it to its rest position; and locking means coupled to said timing member for movement thereby into engagement with the marking members to hold such members firmly in their selected marking positions during said marking period, whereby the valuedesignating member and the locking means are moved into positions for the marking operation before the marking period and are removed from such positions thereafter but before said actuation of the clearing member.

3. In a machine for marking data on a record web, the combination comprising: a plurality of segmental data-selecting members, each settable by rotation from a rest position to any of a succession of prelocated datarepresenting angular positions for selecting data to be marked on such record web; a plurality of marker carriers geared individually to corresponding segmental dataselecting members for movement thereby, but not coaxially therewith, from rest positions to marking positions; marking members affixed to said marker carriers and carried by said movements thereof into positions for making marks representing the data to which the respective segmental members are set; a drive shaft rotated in a reciprocating operating cycle through a forward stroke and a return stroke; a value-designating member movable from a rest position to a variable marking position which is limited in each operating cycle by the settings, made prior to the cycle, of those of said segmental members having a predetermined significance;

pressing means actuated by said drive shaft for effecting marking contact of the record web with said marking members and value-designating member during a marking period starting in the latter portion of said forward stroke and ending in the earlier portion of said return stroke; a clearing member actuated by the drive shaft for carrying all of the segmental members which have been set to data-representing positions, and said marker carriers movable thereby, back to rest positions after said marking period; timing means, including a timing member, actuated by the drive shaft for effectively completing a forward movement of the timing member before said marking period and for effecting return movement of the timing member after said marking period but 'before said actuation of the clearing member; coupling means linking said timing member to the value-designating member for moving the value-designating member to said variable marking position and returning it to its rest position; and locking means coupled to said timing member for movement thereby into engagement with the marker carriers to hold the carriers firmly in their selected marking positions during said marking period, whereby the value-designating member and the locking means are moved into positions for the marking operation before the marking period and are removed from such position thereafter but before actuation of the clearing member.

4. In a machine for marking data on a record web, the combination comprising: a plurality of segmental data-selecting members, each settable by rotation from a rest position to any of a succession of prelocated datarepresenting angular positions for selecting data to be marked on such record web; a plurality of marking wheels geared individually to corresponding segmental data-selecting members for rotational movement thereby, but not coaxially therewith, from rest positions to marking positions; sets of marking members affixed in circumferentia-lly spaced relationship along the peripheries of said marking wheels and carried by said rotational movements thereof into positions for making marks representing the data to which the respective segmental members are set; a drive shaft rotated in a reciprocating operating cycle through a forward stroke and a return stroke; a value-designating member movable from a rest position to a variable marking position which is limited in each operating cycle by the settings, made prior to the cycle, of those of said segmental members having a predetermined significance; pressing means actuated by said drive shaft for effecting marking contact of the record web with said marking members and value-designating member during a marking period starting in the latter portion of said forward stroke and ending in the earlier portion of said return stroke; a clearing member actuated by the drive shaft for carrying all Of the segmental members which have been set to datarepresenting positions, and said marking wheels movable thereby, back to rest positions after said marking period; timing means, including a timing member, actuated by the drive shaft for effectively completing a forward movement of the timing member before said marking period and for eifecting return movement of the timing member after said marking period but before said actuation of the clearing member; coupling means resiliently linking said timing member to the value-designating member for moving the value-designating member to said variable marking position and returning it to its rest position; and locking means coupled to said timing member for movement thereby into engagement with the marking wheels to hold the marking wheels firmly in their selected marking positions during said marking period, whereby the value-designating member and the locking means are moved into positions for the marking operation before the marking period and are removed from such positions thereafter but before aotuation of the clearing member.

5. In an amount-printing machine, the combination comprising: a plurality of segmental members, one for each order of decimal digits in the amounts to be printed, each settable by rotation from a rest position to any of a succession of prelocated digit-representing angular positions for selecting the several digits in an amount to be printed; a plurality of type wheels geared individually to corresponding segmental members for rotational movement thereby, but not coaxially therewith, from rest positions to printing positions; sets of numerical types spaced along the peripheries of said type wheels and carried "by said rotational movements thereof into positions for printing the individual digits in said amount to which the respective segmental members are set; a drive shaft rotated in a reciprocating operating cycle through a forward stroke and a return stroke; a valuedesignating member carrying a value-designating type configuration and movable from a rest position to a variable printing position which is limited in each operating cycle by the settings, made prior to the cycle, of those of said segmental members having a predetermined significance; printing means actuated by said drive shaft for effecting inked contact of the types which are in printing positions on the type wheels and of said value-designating type configuration with a Web surface during a printing period starting in the latter portion of said forward stroke and ending in the earlier portion of said return stroke; a clearing member actuated by the drive shaft for carrying all of the segmental members which have been set to digit-representing positions, and said type wheels movable thereby, back to rest positions after said printing period; timing means, including a timing member, actuated by the drive shaft for effectively completing a forward movement of the timing mem ber before said printing period and for effecting return movement of the timing member after said printing period but before said actuation of the clearing member; coupling means resiliently linking said timing mem. ber to the value-designating member for moving the value designating member to said variable printing position and returning it to its rest position; and locking means coupled to said timing member for movement thereby into engagement with the type wheels to hold the type wheels firmly in their selected printing positions during said printing period, whereby the value-designating member and the locking means are moved into positions for the printing operation before the printing period and are removed from such positions thereafter but before actuation of the clearing member.

6. In an amount-printing machine, the combination comprising: a plurality of disks, one for each order of decimal digits in the amounts to be printed, each settable by rotation from a rest position to any of a succession of prelocated digit-representing angular positions for selecting the several digits in an amount to be printed;

a plurality of type wheels, closely spaced along a common axis in the sequence of the orders of increasing significance in said amounts, and geared individually to corresponding disks for rotational movement thereby, but not coaxially therewith, from rest positions to printing positions; sets of numerical types spaced along the peripheries of said type wheels, selected types being movable by said rotational movements of the type wheels into positions along a prelocated printing line, parallel to said axis, for printing the individual digits in said amount to which the respective disks are set, those of said type wheels for the orders of higher significance having radially depressed notches on their peripheries in the locations which are on said printing line when the corresponding disks are set to non-digit-representing rest positions; a drive shaft rotated in a reciprocating operating cycle through a forward stroke and a reverse stroke; a valuedesignating member movable from a rest position, in a path along said printing line and within said notches in any of the type wheels for the orders of highest significance which are set in rest position, to a variable printing position with the leading edge of the valuedesignating member abutting against the side of the type wheel for the order of the highest significance which is set in a digit-representing position for a current operating cycle, said value-designating member having a valuedesignating type configuration which is aligned with said numerical types along said printing line when the member is in said printing position and having a depth equal to the radial depth of said notches in the type wheels; printing means actuated by said drive shaft for effecting inked contact of said types which are on said printing line, and of said value-designating type configuration, with a web surface during a printing period starting in the latter portion of said forward stroke and ending in the earlier portion of said return stroke to print the amount selected by the settings of said disks with the valuedesignating configuration printed closely adjacent to the highest significant digit in such printed amount; a clearing member actuated by the drive shaft for carrying all of the disks which have been set to digit-representing positions, and said type wheels movable thereby, back to rest positions after said printing period; timing means, including a timing member, actuated by the drive shaft for effectively completing a forward movement of the timing member before said printing period and for effecting return movement of the timing member after said printing period but before said actuation of the clearing member; coupling means resiliently linking said timing member to the value-designating member for moving the value-designating member to said variable printing position and returning it to its rest position; and locking means coupled to said timing member for movement thereby into engagement with the type wheels to hold the type wheels firmly in their selected printing positions during said printing period, whereby the valuedesignating member and the locking means are moved into positions for the printing operation before the printing period and are removed from such positions thereafter but before actuation of the clearing member.

7. In an amount-printing machine, the combination comprising: a plurality of disks, one for each order of decimal digits in the amounts to be printed, each settable by rotation from a rest position to any of a succession of prelocated digit-representing angular positions for selecting the several digits in an amount to be printed; a plurality of type wheels, closely spaced along a common axis in the sequence of the orders of increasing significance in said amounts, and geared individually to corresponding disks for rotational movement thereby, but not coaxially therewith, from rest positions to printing positions; sets of numerical types spaced along the peripheries of said type wheels, selected types being movable by said rotational movements of the type wheels into positions along a prelocated printing line, parallel to said axis, for printing the individual digits in said amount to which the respective disks are set, those of said type wheels for the orders of higher significance having radially depressed notches on their peripheries in the locations which are on said printing line when the corresponding disks are set to non-digit-representing rest positions; a drive shaft rotated in a reciprocating operating cycle through a forward stroke and a reverse stroke; a valuedesignating member movable from a rest position, in a path along said printing line and within said notches in any of the type wheels for the orders of highest significance which are set in rest position, to a variable printing position with the leading edge of the value-designating member abutting against the side of the type wheel for the order of the highest significance which is set in a digit-representing position for the current operating cycle, said value-designating member having a valuedesignating type configuration which is aligned with said numerical types along said printing line when the member is in said printing position and having a depth equal to the radial depth of said notches in the type wheels; printing means actuated by said drive shaft for effecting inked contact of said types which are on said printing line, and of said value-designating type configuration, with a web surface during a printing period starting in the latter portion of said forward stroke and ending in the earlier portion of said return stroke to print the amount selected by the settings of said disks with the value-designating configuration printed closely adjacent to the highest significant digit in such printed amount; a clearing member actuated by the drive shaft for carrying all of the disks which have been set to digit-representing positions, and said type Wheels movable thereby, back to rest positions after said printing period; timing means, including a timing member, actuated by the drive shaft for effectively completing a forward movement of the timing member before said printing period and for effecting return movement of the timing member after said printing period but before said actuation of the clearing member; an elongated resilient lever of spring metal, pivoted for rotation generally in a plane including said printing line, and connected to said valuedesignating member at a connection point on said resilient lever distant from its pivot point; a linkage, coupling said timing member to a point on said resilient lever removed from its pivot point but less distant therefrom than said connection point of the value-designating member, for translating said forward and return movements of the timing member into respective pivotal motions of said resilient lever which urge said valuedesignating member respectively forward in its path along said printing line to hold it resiliently in its variable printing position and then returning back along said path to its rest position; and locking means also coupled to said timing member for movement thereby into engagement with the type wheels to hold the type wheels firmly in their selected printing positions during said printing period, whereby the value-designating member and the locking means are moved into positions for the printing operation before the printing period, are held in such positions during the printing period, and are removed from such positions thereafter but before said actuation of the clearing member.

8. In a machine for marking data on a record web which includes a plurality of data-selecting members each settable from a rest position to any of a succession of prelocated data-representing positions for selecting data to be marked on such record web, marking members associated with each of said settable data-selecting members and movable thereby from rest positions to corresponding marking positions, a drive shaft rotated in a reciprocating operating cycle through a forward stroke and a return stroke, a Value-designating member movable from a rest position to a variable marking position which is limited in each operating cycle by the settings made prior to the cycle of those of said data-selecting members having a predetermined significance, and pressing means actuated by said drive shaft for effecting marking contact of the record web with said marking members and value-designating member during a marking period starting in the latter portion of said forward stroke and ending in the earlier portion of said return stroke, the combination therewith comprising: a clearing member actuated by said drive shaft for carrying all of said dataselecting members which have been set to data-representing positions, and said marking members movable thereby, back to rest positions after said marking period; a driving member rotated by said drive shaft and having two peripherally separated, opposed, pawl-engaging shoulders; a timing member rotatable coaXially with said driving member; two oppositely disposed pawls carried by the timing member, one of said pawls being pivotally disposed to engage one of said two shoulders and start a forward rotation of the timing member near the beginning of said forward stroke, and the other pawl being pivotally disposed to engage the other shoulder and start a reverse rotation of the timing member at a time during said reverse stroke after said marking period but before said actuation of the clearing member; pawl-disengaging means having surfaces, disposed in the paths of travel of said pawls carried by the timing member, for pivotally deflecting said one pawl out of engagement with said one shoulder to stop said forward rotation of the timing member before said marking period, and for pivotally deflecting said other pawl out of engagement with said other shoulder to stop said reverse rotation of the timing member before said actuation of the clearing member; coupling means resiliently linking said timing member to the value-designating member for utilizing said forward rotation of the timing member to move the value-designating member to said variable marking position and for utilizing said reverse rotation of the timing member to return the value-designating member to its rest position; and locking means coupled to said timing member for utilizing said rotations thereof to move said locking means into engagement with the marking members and hold such members firmly in their selected marking positions during said marking period, whereby the value-designating member and the locking means are moved into positions for the marking operation before the marking period and are removed from such positions thereafter but before said actuation of the clearing member.

9. In an amount-printing machine, the combination comprising: a plurality of segmental members, one for each order of decimal digits in the amounts to be printed, each settable by rotation from a rest position to any of a succession of prelocated digit-representing angular positions for selecting the several digits in an amount to be printed; a plurality of type wheels geared individually to corresponding segmental members for rotational move ment thereby, but not coaxially therewith, from rest positions to printing positions; sets of numerical types spaced along the peripheries of said type wheels and carried by said rotational movements thereof into positions for printing the individual digits in said amount to which the respective segmental members are set; a drive shaft rotated in a reciprocating operating cycle through a forward stroke and a return stroke; a value-designating member carrying a value-designating type configuration and movable from a rest position to a variable printing position which is limited in each operating cycle by the settings, made prior to the cycle, of those of said segmental members having a predetermined significance; printing means actuated by said drive shaft for effecting inked contact of the types which are in printing positions on the type wheels and of said value-designating type configuration with a Web surface during a printing period starting in the latter portion of said forward stroke and ending in the earlier portion of said return stroke; a clearing member actuated by the drive shaft for carrying all of the segmental members which have been set to digit-representing positions, and said type wheels movable thereby, back to rest positions after said printing period; a driving member rotated by said drive shaft and having two peripherally separated, opposed, pawl-engaging shoulders; a timing member rotatable coaxially with said driving member; two oppositely disposed pawls carried by the timing member, one of said pawls being pivotally disposed to engage one of said two shoulders and start a forward rotation of the timing member near the beginning of said forward stroke, and the other pawl being pivotally disposed to engage the other shoulder and start a reverse rotation of the timing member at a time during said reverse stroke after said printing period but before said actuation of the clearing member; pawl-disengaging means having surfaces, disposed in the paths of travel of said pawls carried by the timing member, for pivotally deflecting said one pawl out of engagement with said one shoulder to stop said forward rotation of the timing member before said printing period, and for pivotally deflecting said other pawl out of engagement with said other shoulder to stop said reverse rotation of the timing member before said actuation of the clearing member; coupling means resiliently linking said timing member to the value-designating member for utilizing said forward rotation of the timing member to move the value-designating member to said variable printing position and for utilizing said reverse rotation of the timing member to return the valuedesignating member to its rest position; and locking means coupled to said timing member for utilizing said rotations thereof to move said locking means into engagement with the type wheels and hold the type wheels firmly in their selected printing positions during said printing period, whereby the value-designating member and the locking means are moved into positions for the printing operation before the printing period and are removed from such positions thereafter but before actuation of the clearing member.

No references cited.

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