DE69011949T2 - Apparatus for processing account books. - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to an apparatus for processing account books of the type having a print head movable across the apparatus in a direction perpendicular to an account book conveying path direction and cooperating with a platen during a printing operation on the account book; and a magnetic head adapted to cooperating with a magnetic recording zone during a magnetic reading/writing operation on the account book.

The invention finds particular application where the ledger is used in a financial transaction and where transaction information is printed on the ledger and magnetically recorded.

US Patent No. 3,978,964 discloses an apparatus for processing bank books in which a print head is mounted in a print head carriage which is driven across the bank book and cooperates with a disk to perform a printing operation. The apparatus also includes a magnetic read/write head mounted in a magnetic head carriage which is driven across the bank book to perform a read/write operation in a magnetic tape disposed on the bank book. The body size of the known apparatus is large in view of the need to accommodate a drivable carriage for the magnetic read/write head.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a small-scale apparatus of the type described for processing account books.

Therefore, according to the present invention, an apparatus of the type described is provided for processing account books, characterized by a carriage carrying the plate and the magnetic head, the print head and the carriage being designed such that they can be moved during the printing process and during of the magnetic read/write process are driven synchronously in this direction.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the account book processing apparatus incorporating the subject matter of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view showing the height adjustment device for the read/write mechanism;

Fig. 3 is an illustration of a drive arrangement for the print head unit and the read/write mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of an account book in an open state ; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the account book and also shows a conventional reader/writer.

Referring now to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an arrangement for a printer 10 having a carriage 12, a platen 14 and an oppositely disposed print head unit 16. The print head unit 16 is driven across the printer 10 by suitable drive means (not shown). The carriage 12 is slidably mounted on a guide rod 18 which is connected to side flanges or plates 20 and 22. The carriage 12 is driven by a screw spindle 24 which is journalled in the side flanges 20 and 22. A pulley 26 is attached to the left end of the screw spindle 24 and a belt 28 is stretched around the pulley 26 and a pulley 30 which is attached to the end of a shaft 32 of a motor 34. A read/write magnetic head 36 is supported on the carriage 12 and is arranged adjacent to the plate 14.

The right and left flanges 20 and 22 are mounted on respective cams 38 and 40 provided on an axle 42 supported on the printer 10. The carriage 12, which carries the plate 14 and the magnetic head 36, is mounted by means of the right and left flanges 20 and 22 which engage the cams 38 and 40 of the axle 42. At the right end of the axle 42, a gear 44 is mounted which engages a gear 46 at the end of a shaft 48 of a stepper motor 50. The raising and lowering of the carriage 12 is caused by the rotational drive of the axis 42 and the cam disks 38 and 40 by the motor 50, whereby the distance between the print head 16 and the plate 14 is varied in order to adjust or match it for the passage of a recording medium, for example a ledger 52 (see also Fig. 3).

A detection arm 54 is bolted to the left flange 22 and extends in one direction therefrom and is arranged to be detected by a sensor 56. The sensor 56 is attached to one end 58 of a support arm 60. The support arm 60 is mounted on an axle 62 and the same arm 60 supports a lower roller 64 which is opposite an upper roller 66 carried by an axle 68. The lower roller 64 is movable and pivotable on the axle 62 while the upper roller 66 is fixed with respect to the roller 64. The movable roller 64 and the fixed roller 66 are arranged to clamp the passbook 52 therebetween as the passbook is conveyed along the conveying path in the printer 10. A coil spring 70 is connected to the end 58 of the arm 60 and to an appropriate frame portion of the printer 10 to urge the roller 64 against the roller 66 for clamping the passbook 52. In effect, the upper roller 66 and the lower roller 64 function as a passbook thickness sensing mechanism. The sensor 56 senses upward movements of the platen 14 and the read/write head 36 on the carriage 12.

In order to read data from the account book 52 and write data into it, it is necessary for the read/write head 36 to touch a magnetic strip on the account book.

Fig. 4 is a top view of the account book 52 in an open state and shows an upper section 72 and a lower section 74 of the account book with columns provided for printing data or information relating to business transactions. A fold line 75 connects the sections 72 and 74. The column headings may include line number, date, withdrawal, deposit, comments and account balance.

Fig. 5 shows the ledger 52 open and in position for movement through the printer 10 in the direction of arrow 76. The ledger 52 is moved into position for reading a magnetic stripe 78 oriented horizontally or transversely or for reading a magnetic stripe 80 oriented in the vertical or ledger travel direction. The magnetic head 36 is used for reading and recording data associated with the magnetic stripe 78 and a magnetic head 82 is used for reading and recording data associated with the magnetic stripe 80. In this regard, it can be seen that the magnetic head 36 is designed to be movable across the printer for cooperation with the magnetic stripe 78, while the magnetic head 82 is fixedly arranged on the left side of the ledger 52 for cooperation with the magnetic stripe 80. In addition to moving the carriage 12 and the magnetic head 36 across the printer 10, it is necessary to move the magnetic head vertically up or down to accommodate the thickness of the ledger 52.

As can be seen from Fig. 1 and 2, the magnetic head 36, which can be moved upwards and downwards, is pivotally mounted on a support pin 84, which is connected to upright projections 86 and 88 of a guide element 90 supported on the carriage 12. The guide element 90 has the shape of an angle-like bracket and is designed to provide for the upward and downward height adjustment of the magnetic head 36. A downwardly directed mounting pin 92 is engageable with and supports the guide member 90. The carriage 12 has an opening to slidably receive the mounting pin 92 and a coil spring 94 is provided between the top of the carriage 12 and the bottom of the guide member 90 for biasing it in an upward direction (Fig. 2).

A roller 96 is supported on a support pin 98 secured to the bottom or lower portion of the guide member 90. The roller 96 engages and rolls along a lower edge 100 of a height adjustment bar 102. The action of the spring 94 exerts an upward force on the guide member 90, while the roller 96 engaging the lower edge 100 of the bar 102 limits or blocks the upward movement of the guide member 90. Thus, when the height adjustment bar 102 is pressed or moved downward, the guide member 90 is moved downward against the action of the spring 94, thus lowering the magnetic head 36. A fixed counter bar 101 is arranged between the downwardly facing portion of the guide member 90 and the height adjustment bar 102. The counter bar 101 is secured at its ends to suitable frame portions of the printer 10. A support pin or bolt 103 is secured to the bar 101 and extends through a cam slot 107 in the bar 102. A C-clamp or the like 105 is disposed on the support pin 103 to hold the bar 102 on the fixed bar 101. The cam slot 107 and the support pin 103 serve to guide the bar 102 during the height adjustment of the magnetic head 36.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the height adjustment bar 102 and associated parts required for the adjustment process of the magnetic head 36. The length of the lower edge 100 of the bar 102 is greater than the distance that the carriage 12 over the printer 10. The carriage 12 moves horizontally over the printer 10 while the roller 96 of the guide element 90 is in engagement with the lower edge 100 of the adjustment bar 102 (Fig. 1 and 2).

An L-shaped arm 104 is pivotally supported on a support pin 106 located and secured to the left side of the bar 102. At the other end of the L-shaped arm 104, as viewed from the support pin 106, a support pin 108 is secured. The middle portion of the L-shaped arm 104 is pivotally supported on a support pin 110 secured to a suitable frame portion of the printer 10. The support pin 108 of the arm 104 engages a slot 112 formed in an L-shaped arm 114 adjacent one end. The other end of the L-shaped arm 114 is pivotally supported on a support pin 116 secured to a suitable frame portion of the printer 10. The central portion of the L-shaped arm 114 is pivotally connected to one end of a link 119 by a support pin 118. The other end of the link 119 is pivotally connected by a support pin 121 to a piston 120 of a holding solenoid 122 which is suitably attached to the printer 10. The link 119 enables a shock-free operation of the piston 120 with respect to the arm 114.

A U-shaped arm 124 is pivotally mounted on a support pin 126 which is arranged and secured to the right side of the height adjustment bar 102. The middle part of the U-shaped arm 124 is pivotally mounted on a support pin 128 which is secured to a suitable frame section of the printer 10. At the other end of the U-shaped arm 124, as seen from the support pin 126, a support pin 130 is secured to which one end of a spring 132 is secured. The other end of the spring 132 is connected to a suitable frame section of the printer 10. The action of the spring 132 pushes the height adjustment bar 102 to the right or in the direction of the arrow 134. In the illustration according to Fig. 2, the Bar 102 is pushed to the right and the magnetic head 36 is in the raised position with respect to the plate 14.

The structure and arrangement of the L-shaped arm 104 and the U-shaped arm 124 are designed so that equal dimensions are present in certain ratios of the height adjustment mechanism. The distance between the support pins 106 and 110 of the L-shaped arm 104 is the same as the distance between the support pins 126 and 128 of the U-shaped arm 124. The angle 111 between a straight line through the support pins 106 and 110 and a horizontal line through the support pins 110 and 128 corresponds to the angle 131 between a straight line through the support pins 126 and 128 and the horizontal line through the support pins 110 and 128. The same dimensions between the support pins 106, 110 and 126, 128 and the same angles 111, 131 enable a straight, horizontal raising and lowering of the height adjustment bar 102.

When the solenoid 122 is energized, the piston 120 moves in the direction of arrow 136 (Fig. 2) pulling the link 119 with it so that the L-shaped arm 114 is pivoted counterclockwise about the support pin 116. In response to this counterclockwise rotation of the arm 114, the support pin 108 of the adjacent L-shaped arm 104 engages the slot 112 and causes the L-shaped arm 104 to pivot clockwise about the support pin 110. Accordingly, since the L-shaped arm 104 and the height adjustment bar 102 are connected at one end of the bar 102, the bar is moved in the direction shown by the curved arrow 138. During this movement of the height adjustment bar 102, its lower edge 100 is maintained on a substantially straight plane. As a result of this movement, the height adjustment guide element 90 is lowered because the lower edge 100 of the bar 102 engages the roller 96 and the movement causes compression of the spring 94, thereby lowering the magnetic head 36.

When the solenoid 122 is de-energized, the height adjustment bar 102 is moved under the action of the spring 132 in the opposite direction to that shown by the curved arrow 138. Under the influence of the L-shaped arms 104 and 114 and the U-shaped arm 124, the bar 102 can be moved vertically in the direction shown by the arrow 140 while maintaining the lower edge 100 of the bar 102 in a substantially parallel condition. Accordingly, the carriage 12 can be moved horizontally across the printer 10 while maintaining the height or elevation of the magnetic head 36 at a predetermined value regardless of the position (above or below) of the height adjustment bar 102.

Fig. 3 shows a drive arrangement for the print head 16 and the carriage 12. The carriage 12 is supported on the screw spindle 24 and guide rod 18 (Fig. 1) for lateral movement across the printer 10. The print head assembly 16 is supported by a screw spindle 156 and guide rod 158 for lateral movement as indicated by the double-sided arrow 160. The ledger 52 is shown in position for printing and transaction-related read/write operations between the print head assembly 16 and the carriage 12. A print head element 162 is positioned opposite the platen 14 and the read/write head 36 is positioned adjacent the platen 14. A print head guide 164 is provided to bring the ledger 52 into the correct position with respect to the read/write head 36 and to place it there.

A motor 142 drives a pulley 144 around which a belt 152 is stretched to drive a pulley 146 and a pulley 148 at the right end of the screw spindle 156. A belt 154 is stretched around the pulley 148 to drive a pulley 150 at the right end of the screw spindle 24. It is therefore clear that the drive arrangement shown in Fig. 3 is suitable for synchronous movement the print head unit 16 and the carriage 12 via the printer 12.

In operation of the mechanism of the present invention and referring to Fig. 1, a passbook 52 is inserted into position for printing and reading and writing operations in a business transaction. At the beginning of the transaction, the carriage 12 with the platen 14 and magnetic read/write head 36 and the print head assembly 16 are located on the left side of the printer 10. As previously described, the carriage 12 is lowered by means of the cams 38 and 40 to facilitate the passage of the passbook 52 between the print head assembly 16 and the magnetic head 36, as shown in Fig. 3. The print head guide 164 and the platen 14 and magnetic head 36 act together as upper and lower guide means in conveying or transporting the passbook 52 past the printing station.

The passbook 52 is picked up and held by the rollers 64 and 66 (Fig. 1) and the thickness of the passbook is sensed. The cams 38 and 40 on the axle 42 are rotated by the motor 50 via the gears 44 and 46, thereby raising the flanges 20 and 22 and the carriage 12. When the sensor 56 senses the sensing arm 54 on the flange 22, the motor 50 stops and the thickness of the passbook 52 is determined by the action of the various elements. A predetermined number of the number of steps required by the stepper motor 50 under conditions where no passbook 52 is present between the print head assembly 16 and the platen 14 is stored in memory. In this regard, the position of the sensing arm 54 is linked to the predetermined number of steps required when no passbook 52 is present. The predetermined number of steps is then compared with the actual number of steps of the stepper motor 50 when a passbook 52 is present to determine the thickness of the passbook. When the passbook 52 is held between the rollers 64 and 66, the roller 64 lowers by an amount equal to the thickness of the passbook 52, and the sensor 56 is lowered by an equal amount due to the difference in the distance of the roller 64 and the sensor 56 from the pivot axis 62. Therefore, the detection arm 54 is detected at a position which is lower by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the passbook 52 and the amount by which the carriage 12 is raised. In this regard, it should be noted that the number of steps taken by the stepping motor 50 is fewer when a passbook 52 is present and clamped by the rollers 64 and 66 compared to the number of steps taken by the stepping motor 50 when no passbook is present. The thickness of the passbook 52 is determined from the positions of the individual elements relative to one another, and the distance between the print head element 162 of the print head unit 16 and the platen 14 can be set to an optimum value for performing printing. Alternatively, the detection arm 54 and sensor 56 may be adjusted to provide appropriate spacing for a series of printing operations depending upon the thickness of the passbook 52 at the printing station.

After adjusting the distance between the print head element 162 and the platen 14 by positioning the carriage 12, the printing operation is performed. The printing operation is performed under the control of a control unit (not shown). During the printing operation, the print head unit 16 and the platen 14 are arranged in opposing relation, and the print head unit 16 and the carriage 12 are driven synchronously. In this regard, the print head unit 16 and the carriage 12 may be driven with separate drive devices, or the print head unit 16 and the carriage 12 may be driven by the same motor, such as 142 in Fig. 3.

In a magnetic read/write operation, the account book 52 is conveyed or transported in a manner and to a position in which the magnetic stripe 78 (Fig. 5) is directly above the magnetic head 36 is located. The magnetic head 36 is located on the left side of the printing station and the height or elevation of the carriage 12 with the magnetic head 36 and the platen 14 is adjusted and fixed to the value required for the correct printing pitch. During the read/write operation, the magnetic head 36 is moved into contact with the magnetic stripe 78. When the head 36 is moved in this respect, it should be placed in a higher position for a read/write operation than for a print operation. This helps prevent damage to the magnetic stripe 78 by the platen 14. In such a read/write position, the magnetic head 36 is brought into contact with the magnetic stripe 78. The magnetic head 36 is raised by means of the height adjustment mechanism shown in Fig. 2. When the magnetic head 36 is raised, the passbook 52 is clamped by the rollers 64 and 66 and is tightly enclosed by the print head unit 16 and the magnetic head 36 so that the magnetic head 36 comes into contact with the magnetic stripe 78. It should be noted that by compressing the passbook 52 by the print head unit 16 on the side opposite to the contact side of the magnetic head 36 and the magnetic stripe 78 and using the read/write device in the read/write operation, the carriage 12 and the print head unit 16 run synchronously as in the printing operation. (Fig. 3).

Referring again to Figs. 4 and 5, a passbook 52 is shown in the open condition passing through the printing station as indicated by the double line 166 in Fig. 5. As mentioned above, the passbook 52 includes the pages for the printed data or information and the magnetic strips 78 and 80 on the back cover of the passbook. The print head assembly 16 moves in the direction of arrow 168 and prints data on the lines of the passbook 52. Data reading/writing or recording operations are performed magnetically by the magnetic head 36 which moves with the carriage 12 and cooperates with the magnetic strip 78. The magnetic head 82 is fixed in position with respect to any transverse movement. fixed and interacts with the magnetic strip 80. In the case of the two magnetic heads 36 and 82 (Fig. 5), it is apparent that separate drive mechanisms would be required to drive the two magnetic heads during read/write operations of the magnetic strips on the account book 52.

The present invention provides a carriage 12 which moves the disk 14 and magnetic head 36 as a unit across the printer so that a separate carriage or conveyor mechanism for the magnetic head 36 is not required. The magnetic head 36 moves across the printer 10 and reads data from the horizontal magnetic stripe 78 in a side-to-side carriage operation. The magnetic head 36 may also be designed and constructed to read data from a vertical magnetic stripe 80, and the magnetic head 36 may be oriented with respect to the stripe 80 so that the head 36 can be stopped at a predetermined position for reading the stripe 80. It is not necessary to change the read and write mechanism to accommodate different types of ledgers and different arrangements of magnetic stripes. The provision of the magnetic head 36 on the carriage 12 and along the pressure line 166 enables a reduction in the size of the entire apparatus.

It will therefore be appreciated that there is shown and described a passbook read/write mechanism comprising a carriage 12 which carries both the printing plate 14 and the magnetic read/write head 36 over the printer 10 and this mechanism includes an adjustment member 102 for changing the height of the read/write head 36 relative to the plate 14.

Claims (5)

1. Apparatus for processing account books, with a print head (16) which is movable in a direction perpendicular to an account book conveying path direction over the apparatus and interacts with a plate (14) during a printing process on the account book (52); and a magnetic head (36) which is suitable for interacting with a magnetic recording zone (78) during a magnetic reading/writing process on the account book (52), characterized by a carriage (12) carrying the plate (14) and the magnetic head (36), the print head (16) and the carriage (12) being designed such that they are driven synchronously in this direction during the printing process and during the magnetic reading/writing process. 2. Apparatus for processing account books according to claim 1, characterized in that the magnetic head (36) is movably mounted on the carriage (12) for movement towards and away from the account book conveyor path by a mounting device (90, 92) and by a height adjustment device which cooperates with the mounting device (90, 92) and is suitable for controlling the movement, whereby the position of the magnetic head (36) with respect to the plate (14) can be changed. 3. Apparatus for processing account books according to claim 2, characterized in that the fastening device (90, 92) is provided with a roller (96) which is suitable for cooperating with a displaceable plate element (102) contained in the height adjustment device, whereby the height of the magnetic head (36) with respect to the plate (14) is maintained during the synchronous drive of the print head (16) and the carriage (12) via the apparatus. 4. Apparatus for processing account books according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a scanning device (54, 56) which is suitable for scanning the thickness of the account book (52). 5. Apparatus for processing account books according to claim 4, characterized in that the scanning device has a pivoting element (60) with a scanning element (56) which is suitable for cooperating with a detection element (54) connected to the carriage (12), and that the carriage (12) is movable towards the account book (52) depending on the amount of movement of the pivoting element (60) when the account book (52) engages therewith during the movement along the account book conveying path.