FR2463395A1 - RECORDING APPARATUS FOR ACCORDION FOLDED PAPER - Google Patents

Abstract

A recording instrument for a folded recording strip (7), comprising a paper hopper (10) which has, for easier refolding of the recorded paper in the hopper (10), a guide plate (12), which extends along a shaft (6) of a run-in pin wheel located in the vicinity of a paper inlet (10a) of the hopper (10) and is rotatably supported on the shaft (6), with a drive mechanism which moves the guide plate (12) to and fro synchronously with the running-in of two folded sheets. If necessary, an engageable and disengageable clutch (14) arranged between drive mechanism and shaft (6) is used for setting the synchronism between the movement of the guide plate (12) and the paper advance.

Description

The present invention relates to a recording device for paper capable of being folded in accordion, of the type comprising a reception box for paper carrying a recording as well as an input toothed wheel journalled on a shaft which is adjacent to the present invention. '' a passage for the entry of paper in the inbox.

 Recording apparatuses for recording papers capable of being folded in accordion fashion are usually provided with a strip of paper folded in advance and placed in a reserve box, the strip of paper being taken from this reserve box and being brought to pass on a plate of inscription, using a device for the advance of the paper. After the registration has been traced, the recording tape is usually gripped by a gear or pin, which is connected to the device for advancing the paper tape, which is transported in the inbox. . The paper tends to automatically fold into an accordion, along fold lines prepared in advance.

 In recording machines with vertical paper movement, accordion stacking in the inbox is assisted by gravity. However, due to friction which may occur in a through slot, when the paper jams or when there is insufficient pre-folding, jams can occur in the reserve box due to the fact that the paper strip tends to bend on the wrong side. Such defective folding irreparably leads to a serious disturbance in the operation of the recording apparatus and of the recording itself, if said defective folding is not noticed immediately and if it is not remedied without The recording devices in which this kind of disturbance may occur are recording devices in which the recording tape is moved horizontally over a writing plate arranged in a vertical position. Because in this case, the advantageous action of gravity cannot intervene during the new folding in accordion of the band carrying the inscription.

 The present invention aims to provide, for the accordion of the recording tape provided with its inscription, an auxiliary means in the inbox, serving to ensure correct accordion of the paper.

 In a recording device of the type recalled at the head of this memo, these auxiliary means include a guide plate extending along a shaft and mounted on the latter so as to be able to rotate there in the vicinity of the paper inlet , a paper deflection spout which extends along the entry and which projects, with respect to the guide plate, in the housing, said spout forming, with the guide plate, a slot which controls the movement for introducing the paper into the box, as well as a drive mechanism for moving, in one direction or the other, the guide plate between a first position which corresponds substantially to an outer wall of the box and a second position that is located inside of it.

 Using the movable guide plate, the individual sheets of the recording tape are folded alternately in one direction and in the other, at the level of the prepared folding areas, when the tape enters the reception box, so that in the lower part of said inbox the recording paper, provided with its inscription, is put in accordion. It does not matter whether the paper strip moves up and down or horizontally from side to side. The folding aid provided by gravity plays no role in the recording apparatus according to the invention.

Advantageously, the guide plate is shaped in such a way that it represents a part of the wall of the reception box and that it has a part folded around the shaft and which carries, at the ends of its curvature, slots which follow the curvature and which are used for the passage of the teeth or the pins of two cogwheels or pins.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the object of the invention is distinguished by the fact that the longitudinal edge of the guide plate, which is distant from the shaft, carries two tongues aligned on the lateral edges of the plate while paperweights which penetrate into the box are provided on a wall of the latter, which is located opposite the slot, said tabs pressing in a sheet displaced along the guide plate until the latter passes under the free ends of the clipboard and held there, while the guide plate moves from the first position to the second position.

To this end, the free ends of the paperweight are located in the path of movement of the guide plate and they are made so as to have a certain elasticity.

The cycle of movement in one direction and in the other of the guide plate takes place in synchronism with that of the advance of the recording paper caused by the toothed introduction wheel, which is double the length of a sheet.

 Advantageously, the movement of the guide plate is combined in such a way with the introduction of the paper that the guide plate is near its first position when a folding edge, distant from the paper inlet, enters the box, and is in the second position when a fold edge of the paper, close to the side of the entrance, enters said box.

 To facilitate coordination between the movement of the guide plate, the movement mechanism of which is driven indirectly by the input gear wheel, and the input of the paper to be folded, an output or evacuation gear wheel is provided on a on the paper folded in accordion marks which must be compared with each other when the device is loaded.

The mark provided on the output or discharge gear wheel is advantageously constituted by a tooth or peg of distinctive coloring, and on paper this mark is constituted by a colored spot located near one of the holes used for the engagement of the teeth or ankles.

 In order to nevertheless be able to adjust, when the paper is threaded, the synchronism between the movements of the guide plate and the entry of the sheets linked to each other, there is provided between a drive wheel secured to the shaft which carries the input toothed wheel and the drive mechanism for the guide plate, a coupling for establishing or suppressing, as desired, the transmission of forces between the two parts, a control element allowing the clutching and disengaging of mating.

 Advantageously, the guide plate can be moved manually when the coupling is in the disengaged position.

The coupling control member can be controlled manually or in conjunction with other elements of the recording device.

The coupling advantageously consists of a differential.

By way of example, an embodiment of the object of the invention has been described below and shown
- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the recording apparatus;
- Figure 2 is a perspective view of the inbox, with a guide plate
- Figure 3 shows the guide plate in side view, with its drive mechanism
- Figure 4 a partial view of the recording device with output pin wheel and control of the guide plate.

- Figure 5 shows a detail of the recording device
- Figure 6 is a partial section of a differential which is part of the coupling
- Figure 7 is a partial view of the coupling and the guide plate, and shows their drive mechanism
- Figure 8 shows a detail of the recording device.

The recording device shown in section in FIG. 1 comprises toothed outlet or discharge wheels, 3, and inlet or inlet wheels, 5, these toothed wheels or dowel wheels being connected together by a drive mechanism not shown or by a suitable belt, such as a toothed belt, said drive mechanism being in turn connected to the driving element of a synchronous motor for example. The means which have just been described serve to transport the recording paper 7 from the reserve chamber 1 into an inbox 10. The evacuation toothed wheels 3 are located, in pairs, at opposite edges of the paper 7, and they have pins 3b arranged radially on their periphery.

The pegs penetrate into two rows of perforations formed on the opposite edges of the recording paper 7.

The input pin wheels 5 are also arranged in pairs opposite the opposite edges of the recording paper 7. They are carried by a rotating shaft 6.

Each of the wheels 5 also carries on its periphery radial pins 5a which penetrate into the advancement perforations of the recording paper 7. A guide plate 12 is articulated on the shaft 6 by means of support levers 12a and 12b, and it interacts with a paper deflection spout, 11, which is opposite it and which is provided on a side wall of the recording apparatus. The guide plate 12 and the spout 11 together form a slot which serves as an inlet 10a for the reception box 10.

The spatial relationship between the guide plate 12 and the receiving bowl 10 is shown in Figure 2 which shows a perspective view of the interior of the recording apparatus, in the direction of the arrow R in Figure 1. The plate guide 12 forms a guide surface of the reception box 10, as shown in FIG. 2. The guide surface is however not fixed to the reception box 10; on the contrary, it is articulated around the shaft 6 and more particularly it is movable downwards, from the position shown in FIG. 2. The guide plate 12 has a partially cylindrical curvature on a side which is parallel to the shaft 6. The center of curvature of the curved part coincides with the perforations 12c and 12d formed in the support levers 12a and 12b. Near these lateral edges, the curved part of the guide plate 12 is also provided with curved slots 12e and 12f through which penetrate the pegs 5a carried by the peg wheels 5. The pegs 5a penetrate into the displacement perforations of the recording paper 7 which is transported by the peg evacuation wheels 3, and they move the paper 7 along the guide plate 12 to introduce it into the receiving tank 10. The recording paper 7 is detached from the pin wheels 5 when the pins 5a retract in the fentXs 12e and 12f of the guide plate 12, during the continuous rotation of the pin wheels 5.

 As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the guide plate 12 has at its free end a pair of tabs 20 which are aligned with the lateral edges of this plate, said tabs 20 projecting clearly beyond the edge of the free end.

The reception box 10 has a rear wall 10c on which is provided a pair of clipboards 21 which extend from a front edge of the rear wall 10c inside the reception box 10. The paperweights 21 are each made up of a thin sheet metal leaf spring. The free ends of these spring blades are folded towards the inside of the rear wall 10c.

 The elements of the recording apparatus which have just been mentioned are dimensioned as follows.

If it is assumed that a sheet of recording paper has a length 1, the free width L of the reception box 10 is chosen so as to have a width of 1 mm greater than 1. Therefore, the paper which is again folded into an accordion, is stored somewhat loosely, but in the correct order in the inbox. The distance L 'between the free ends 21a of the clipboards 21 and the deflection spout of the paper 11 is chosen to a somewhat narrower dimension (about 2 mm) than the length 1 of a sheet of paper. it is assumed that the guide plate 12 has, in the position shown in solid lines in the drawing, a distance h relative to the free ends 21a of the clipboards 21, and if it is assumed that the guide plate 12 is likely to switch to a stroke H, then the distance h must be chosen in such a way that it is shorter than the stroke E by 2 to 3 mm.

The guide plate 12 is capable of tilting between an upper position (hereinafter designated as the first position), which is recognized in solid lines in FIG. 1, and a lower position (hereinafter referred to as the second position), which is drawn in dashed lines, in order to fold the recording paper correctly in accordion. If the guide plate 12 is in its first position, the recording paper 7b can be inserted correctly, as shown in solid lines in Figure 1. This ensures that a fold 9b directed to the left moves in direction of the rear wall 10c of the inbox. While the guide plate 12 is in this position, the fold which is directed to the left moves along the surface of the guide plate, in a position which is close to the rear wall 10c of the receiving box 10. Then, the guide plate 12 is tilted down around the shaft 6 to push down the fold 9b directed to the left and belonging to the paper recording which is to be folded in accordion. The fold 9b which is directed to the left is applied by the tabs 20 against the clipboard 21, until the tabs 20 reach the second position so that the fold 9b which is directed to the left leaves the free ends 21a from the clipboard and moves towards the bottom of the inbox 10.When the guide plate 12 assumes the second position in the inbox 10, the surfaces 20a of the tongues 20 are situated approximately parallel to the bottom 10b of the reception box 10. If a significant quantity of recording paper again folded in accordion is stacked in the reception box, the guide plate 12, if it is moved into its second position, presses, using tabs 20, an upper sheet 7a of folded recording paper, against the bottom 10b of the inbox 10, in the direction of arrow S.

If the guide plate 12 is in its second position, it is advantageous for the recording paper 7c to be in a position which is shown in broken lines in Figure 1. Thanks to this, a fold 8 of the paper, directed to the right, can also be moved towards the bottom 10b of the inbox 10. In its second position, the guide plate is located approximately in the middle of the inbox 10, so that the paper recording is folded correctly around fold 8 directed to the right, without risk of incorrect folding in accordion. This is even the case when the start of the recording paper is introduced into the reception box 10. After folding the recording paper at the fold 8 directed to the right, the guide plate is returned to its first position.

Although the accordion-folded recording paper has the tendency to follow the return movement of the guide plate, the fold 9a is gripped by the free ends 21a of the clipboards 21 and is prevented from unfolding. Because there is a very high space in the reception box when the guide plate 12 is in its first position, even when the reception box 10 is already filled with a significant amount of recording paper , the fold 9b directed to the left can move along the guide plate 12, against the rear wall 10c of the reception box 10, until the recording paper is folded completely and correctly at the level of the fold directed to the left. When the paper is completely folded at the fold 9b directed to the left, the guide plate 12 begins to tilt down, pressing, in the direction of the arrow S, the fold 9b which comes to be trained. The fold 9b is pushed back by the tabs 10 in the direction of the arrow S, the fold pushing the free ends 21a of the clipboards against the rear wall 10c of the reception box 10. When the fold goes under the free ends, the folding cycle is completed.

To assist this stacking of the recording paper, which has just been described, the tilting movement of the guide plate 12 is synchronized with the advance movement of the sheets of the recording paper. The change in position of the guide plate 12 allows folding and secure stacking of the recording paper from the first to the last sheet.

The guide plate 12 can be tilted by implementing a drive mechanism such as for example a crank mechanism, a cam mechanism or an electromagnetic device. In the exemplary embodiment which is shown in FIG. 1, the tilting movement of the guide plate is obtained using a crank mechanism.

 The crank mechanism comprises a transmission pinion 13 which is fixed to one of the toothed wheels or input pins 5 or to the shaft 6, an intermediate transmission pinion 14 and a crank wheel 15 which is driven by the pinion 13, via the intermediate pinion 14. The transmission ratio between the pinion 13 and the crank wheel 15 is such that the latter rotates one complete revolution when the recording paper is moved over a length which is double the length 1 of a sheet. The crank wheel 15 has, on its side, an eccentric pin, and the guide plate is provided, on its rear face, with a pin 17 which is located at the free end of the guide plate, at a distance less than the support levers 12a and 12b. The eccentric pin 16 and the pin 17 are connected together by a connecting rod 18.

As a result of the synchronized rotational movement of the toothed or peg wheels 3 and 5 connected together by the belt, the rotation of the output or discharge peg wheel 3 causes a synchronous tilting movement of the guide plate 12. When said pin wheel 3 rotates by an angle which corresponds to the length of two sheets, the guide plate 12 is precisely moved on a tilting cycle.

 The guide plate 12 is moved back and forth to fold the recording paper along the folds 9 and 8 directed to the left and to the right. To be certain that the guide plate is in its first position, when the folds 9b which are directed to the left arrive, and that it is in the second position when the folds 8 which are directed to the right enter the Inbox, it is necessary that the tilting or oscillating movement of the guide plate 12 is coordinated with the entry of the recording paper 7. To obtain this coordination, several possibilities can be offered, some of which will be described later.

 But before giving a description of these possibilities, it is necessary to refer to FIG. 3.

This shows a lateral elevation of the guide plate 12 for which no extension tongues have been provided on the free edge 12g of this plate 12.

This solution, which eliminates the need for a clipboard in the receiving tank, also leads to a significant improvement in the folding operation. The other elements which are represented in FIG. 3 correspond to the details of the figures described previously, the same elements being designated by the same references.

 In Figure 4 there is shown a first means for coordinating the movement of the paper with the tilting or oscillating movement. A prerequisite for this realization is that the evacuation pin wheel 3 must have a periphery whose length is equal to twice the length of a sheet of recording paper 7. If the pin wheel 3 is dimensioned in this way, a tilting cycle of the guide plate 12 is accomplished for one revolution of the pin wheel 3. It is therefore easy to obtain coordination by making the pin wheel as well as the paper recording are provided with a mark and that these two marks coincide with each other when loading the paper. In the embodiment according to FIG. 4, a small notch 7b is provided at the fold of the recording paper, and the pin wheel 3 is provided with a mark 3b. The notch and the mark are placed in coincidence when loading the paper. The same result is obtained by coloring one of the pins 3b of the pin wheel and by making the recording paper have a colored sign 7f affixed near a perforation of the paper which corresponds to the colored pin 3b.

When the evacuation or output peg wheels have a periphery which is different from twice the length of a sheet, the coordination means which has just been described cannot be used. Coordination measures are then used as they appear in FIG. 5. In this embodiment, a frame 19 of the recording device is provided, at a determined location, with a reference 19a (see FIG. 5) . The recording paper bears, at a fold, a small notch 7e of the same kind as that which has already been indicated in connection with the figure described above. If a new package of accordion-folded recording paper is loaded in the recording device, the guide plate 12 must first be brought to one of its extreme positions, for example to its first position. '7th notch is placed at the mark or mark 19a. This mark 19a can also be affixed to other elements of the recording apparatus than the frame or chassis 19, insofar as said mark is affixed in a position which proves to be suitable, by tests, to ensure good coincidence - between the movement of the folds of the recording paper and - the oscillating or rocking movement of the guide plate 12.

 Other means and measures for coordination between the movement of the paper and the tilting movement of the guide plate are described in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8. This is a coupling 14a which is mounted between the drive mechanism of the guide plate 12 and the input pin wheel 5 or its drive shaft. In the embodiment according to FIG. 6, the coupling 14a essentially consists of a kind of differential comprising a toothed wheel 34 which meshes with a toothed wheel 13 belonging to the drive mechanism of the guide plate 12. The driven gear 34 can, according to Figure 7, be driven by an intermediate gear 13a. The driven toothed wheel 34 is idle on an axle 31. At a corresponding distance from the driven toothed wheel, the axle 31 carries a crazy toothed wheel 35.

Between the two toothed wheels 34 and 5, an arm 32 is fixed on the axis 31. A bevel gear 33 is journalled on the free end of the arm 32. The driven toothed wheel 34 has, in addition, a bevel gear 34a on its face which is directed towards the idler gear 35. Similarly, the idler gear 35 is provided with an additional bevel gear 35a on its side which is turned towards the gear 34. The bevel teeth 34a and 35a mesh with the bevel gear 33. I1 emerges from FIG. 7 that the axle 31 is connected, at one of its free ends, with the crank wheel 15. With a coupling produced in this way, the driven gear 34 and the idler gear 35 rotates at the same speed, but in opposite directions, when the gear 35 is not braked. At the same time, the bevel gear 33 rotates about its axis, while the arm 32 and l 'axis which is integral with it are immobile. The axis 31 can, under the effect of a couple which attacks it, be turned.

When the idler gear 35 is prevented from turning, while the driven gear 34 rotates, the bevel gear 33 which is driven by the bevel gear 34a will run on the bevel gear 35a of the gear 35 which is prevented from being rotated . It drives the arm 32 on the end of which it is mounted, and consequently, also the axis 31. The latter is therefore driven in rotation in the same direction as the toothed wheel 34, at a speed which is not than half that of the gear 34.

The coupling mechanism 14 can therefore be engaged or disengaged by stopping the free gear 35 or by allowing it to rotate. The control of the coupling is obtained by means of an actuating element 36 which is shown in FIG. 8. The operating element 36 comprises a pawl 36a used to lock the idler gear 35, as well as a slide 36b for moving the operating or control element 36, with the fingers, in the direction of the arrow, for disengaging the coupling. In addition, a stop 36c is provided which interacts as follows with the cover 2 for the reserve chamber of the recording paper. When the cover is opened, an appendage 2a of the latter presses against the stop 36c and moves the element control actuator 36 to the right, in the direction of the arrow, automatically causing the clutch to disengage.

Notches 36d formed in the control or maneuvering element 36 ensure with a ball loaded by a spring that the control element wdemanoeuvre 36 is not mistakenly controlled, by oscillations or by jolts.

When the control or operating element 36 is made to interact with the idler gear 35 and when the pin wheel 5 is in motion, a rotational movement of the gear 13 is transmitted, through the mechanism coupling 14a, to the axis 31 which rotates the crank wheel 15. The rotation of the crank wheel 15 is transformed, by the connecting rod 18, into a rectilinear movement, and this leads to the control of the movement of oscillation of the guide plate 12. The guide plate 12 is tilted repeatedly in one direction and the other so that the recording paper is folded correctly at the folds 8 and 9 which are directed to the left and to the right. As already mentioned, in order to ensure synchronous movement, it is necessary to coordinate, over time, the tilting movement of the guide plate 12 with the entry of the folds of the recording paper.

 With the proposed measures, this coordination can be brought about over time, either manually or by opening the cover 2, by moving the operating element 36 of the coupling in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 8, which results in disengagement of the coupling. When the coupling is disengaged in this way, the axis 31 is stopped, even if the pin wheels 5 rotate. This is the reason why the movement of the guide plate 12 is interrupted.

Because the axis 31 is at rest, the guide plate 12 or the eccentric pin 16 can be moved manually in order to bring the guide plate 12 easily to its starting position. While the guide plate is in its starting position, a new accordion paper packet is introduced into the reserve chamber.

The beginning of the paper strip is released and is placed around the pin wheels 3 and 5. Then, the marks 7e (see FIG. 5) are placed in coincidence with the mark 19a carried by the frame or chassis 19 of the apparatus recorder. Then the coupling is engaged and therefore there is coordination over time between the movement of the paper and the movement of the guide plate.

Claims (12)

1. A recording apparatus for recording paper capable of being folded in accordion type, comprising a receiving box for the paper provided with its recording and a toothed wheel or input pins journalled on a shaft which is next to an inlet for the paper in the inbox, characterized in that it has a guide plate (12) which extends along the shaft (6) and which is mounted on the latter , in the vicinity of the paper inlet, so as to be able to turn on it, a paper deflection spout (11) projecting into the reception box (10), along the inlet and opposite the guide plate, said spout forming with said guide plate (12) a slot (lova) controlling the passage of the paper in the reception box (10), as well as a drive mechanism (15, 16, 17, 18 ) to move in one direction and in the other the guide plate between a first position which corresponds substantially to a paro i outside of the inbox (10) and a second position which is located inside said inbox (10). 2. Recording apparatus according to claim 1 ,. - characterized by the fact that the guide plate (12) forms part of the wall of the reception box (10), and comprises a part curved around the shaft (6), provided at its ends with slots (12e , 12f) which follow the curvature and which allow the passage of the pins 5a of two pin wheels. 3. Recording device according to claims 1 and 2 taken as a whole, characterized in that the longitudinal edge of the guide plate, which is distant from the shaft (6), carries two tongues (20) aligned with the edges side of the plate (12), that a wall (10c) of the reception box (10), which is located opposite the slot (10a) carries clipboards (21) which enter the reception box (10) and that the tabs (20) press on a sheet displaced along the guide plate (10) until said sheet passes under the free ends (21a) of the clipboards and is held there, for that the guide plate (12) moves from its first position to its second position.  4. A recording device according to claim 3, characterized in that the free ends (21a) of the paperweight (21) are resiliently in the path of the guide plate (12). 5. Recording device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the guide plate, during its cycle of movement in one direction and in the other, moves in synchronism with the advance of the paper ( 7) caused by the input pin wheel (5), twice the length of a sheet of recording paper (7)  6. Recording device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the guide plate (12) is in its first position when the edge of a fold (9b) of the paper (7), distant from the paper inlet enters the inbox (10), and near its second position when a fold edge (8) of the paper (7) located on the side of the inlet, enters the inbox (10 ).  7. Recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that marks or marks (3b, 3a, 7f) are provided on an output pin wheel (3) and on the paper (7) , which marks are compared with each other when loading the paper to coordinate the movements of the sheets of the recording paper and the guide plate (12).  8. Recording device according to claim 7, characterized in that the mark on the pin wheel (3) is constituted by a coloring given to an ankle (3b) and by a colored spot (7f) deposited on the paper, near one of the perforations with which the ankles interact.  9. Recording device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a drive gear wheel (13) is integral in rotation with the shaft (6) which carries the input pin wheels , said drive input wheel (13) transmitting a force to the entrainment mechanism of the guide plate (12), and by the fact that a coupling (14a) is provided between the drive mechanism and said wheel (13) for establishing or interrupting, as desired, the transmission of forces, a control or maneuvering element (36) of the coupling being provided to cause the clutch to be engaged or disengaged.  10. Recording device according to claim 9, characterized in that the guide plate (12) can be moved manually when the coupling is in the disengaged position.  11. Recording device according to claim 10, characterized in that the control or operating member (36) of the coupling is capable of being controlled manually or in conjunction with other elements of the recording device.  12. Recording apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the coupling (14a) comprises a differential (33, 34, 35).