FR2504454A1 - Printing process for bank automaton - prints columns or lines of characters onto successive transverse strips with blank indexed linearly - Google Patents

Abstract

The automated printing process produces e.g cheques and- or pay slips and may be used by the cash-point type bank automation. It may print characters in vertical columns or horizontal lines depending on the document being produced, and prints onto a linearly displacing support (6) e.g a blank cheque. Initially the text of the document is memorised (7) in tabular form and the table is divided into transverse strips i.e transverse to the direction of movement (h). Each strip initially accommodates a stack of individual characters, the blank then being moved in steps beneath a needle-type printing head (30) with a printing ribbon. A column or line of characters is printed with each pause in movement of the blank, movement being effected by two roller trains (25,26) driven by an increment motor (27).

Description

 The present invention relates to a new printing kinematics and more particularly to the use of this method for the publication of various documents printed inside machines available to the public.

 Generally, a printed document appears in the form of a succession with spacings of alignments of intelligible symbols called lines.

 Most of the time, these alignments are parallel and oriented in the same direction taken as a convention. Thus, each user can decrypt the document properly by following the reading direction taken as a convention.

 Different kinematics are known for printing such a document symbol by symbol using a print head.

A process widely used in the field of typewriters consists
- on the one hand, to induce a sheet of support paper with
translational movement line by line perpendicular to
a drive roller,
- and secondly, to cause an alternating movement of
translation of the roller along its axis and facing a head
fixed printing.

Another method known and implemented inside certain calculating machine printers consists
- as before, to be induced on a sheet of paper
support a movement of translation line by line per
pendulum to a drive roller, but in this
the position of the roller is fixed,
- and in addition, to alternately move a print head
movable extension parallel to the roller and opposite a line
of the sheet to print.

 Whatever the method used, we note that the support always performs a translational movement line by line perpendicular to a printing axis. In addition, we see that current systems print any document along the lines and in the sense that it will be read. This is due to the fact that until recently, the printing systems were all controlled in real time by an operator such as a secretary who delivered the document object "word by word".

 At present, the printing methods described above are simple, practical and effective in all cases where the mechanisms which implement them are effectively controlled by an operator.

 However, these systems present multiple difficulties of implementation in new devices, such as automatic machines made available to the public freely carrying out document printing jobs on supports of variable dimensions which are supplied to them.

 In particular, there are currently plans to set up various types of payment terminals for merchants capable of automatically processing the various modes of financial transactions and in particular of filling checks, processing magnetic badges and memory cards as well that edition of slips and receipts. The systems currently known may be adapted to this kind of operation.

 First of all, these machines must have minimum dimensions in order to be usable on a merchant's counter. In addition, these devices must edit documents of very different dimensions and geometries such as checks and receipts. Finally, we want these devices to perform the job of printing the documents entrusted to them without the help of any operator.

At present, this triple condition is very difficult to achieve and one must
- either multiply the number of printers to process
different formats, which leads to a very
substantial footprint of the machines,
- either call an operator to frame the image support
pressure against the machine.

 Furthermore, it is easily understood that when blindly introducing a rectangular printing medium such as a sheet of paper inside a device, the guidance is easier and the accuracy of printing increased if the sheet is introduced along its largest dimension. Therefore, it appears that an axially printed check and a transversely printed ticket must however be introduced in the same direction inside the machine.

 However, the printing systems known to date are not capable of carrying out printing in different directions. It is therefore currently necessary to use two different printers to print a check and a ticket.

 The object of the present invention is to find an original solution to these new printing problems and to propose a document editing process which is both simple and precise and which makes it possible to perform using a single suitable automatic device. editing documents of very different format and printing direction.

 Another object of the invention is to provide a printing system capable of implementing the method described above and, moreover, to add to it various sub-assemblies intended to optimize its qualities of use. In particular, a guidance system promoting the precision of the framing of documents, as well as an apparatus limiting the waste of printing ribbons are proposed.

 To this end, the invention essentially consists in carrying out the command to print the document not as it usually takes place, that is to say in real time, but on the contrary to precede the editing of a global storage of the entire document. The print medium undergoes a sequential movement in a single direction of translation During each rest phase of the medium, information is delivered to the print head and leads to an edition of the document section by section in a fixed perpendicular direction in the direction of movement of the print medium.

This operation is performed regardless of the orientation of the document lines.

 In particular, documents such as checks, having their lines parallel to the direction of translation of the printing medium, will be printed column by column, that is to say that the successive printing slices will be perpendicular to the lines of the document. .

 On the contrary, documents such as receipts having their lines orthogonal to the direction of translation of the support will be printed line by line.

 According to a preferred embodiment of the method of the invention, the blank support to be printed is threaded inside an insertion slot, one of the side walls of which serves as a guide for the edge of the support which is tangent. The support is then pressed against this wall by means of a spring system acting on the edge opposite to the previous one. This system makes it possible to guide the translational displacement of the printing medium whatever its width.

 Furthermore, the printing medium is set in sequential translational movement using a roller system driven by a stepping motor. The print head mounted on a carriage is guided by rails and moved along a fixed axis perpendicular to the direction of movement of the print medium.

 Finally, the method of the invention proposes to provide the carriage with a system for controlling the advance of the printing ribbon facing the head.

This mechanism is provided with a device causing the ribbon to unwind only when the head is in a direction of movement corresponding to an operating phase. This ribbon advance clutch mechanism essentially comprises an axis for controlling the unwinding of the ribbon inside the cassette, made integral with a coaxial drive wheel, by means of a helical spring.

 The drive wheel is rotated in two opposite directions in the directions of translation of the carriage and by means of a drive wire wound around the wheel, the two ends of which are fixed.

 Therefore, the spring is tightened in one of the directions of translation which one chooses as being that of operation of the head.

 It then rotates the ribbon drive mechanism.

 On the contrary, the spring relaxes during the following opposite translation period. The ribbon drive control axis is then stationary.

 Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description which follows with reference to the appended drawings, which description and drawings are given only by way of nonlimiting example.

On these drawings
- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a system putting
implement the method according to the invention.

- Figure 2 is a top view of a check partially
filled out following a printing operation according to the process
die of invention interrupted.

- Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the system
clutch of the printing ribbon advance.

- Figure 4 is a side view with partial cutaway
ribbon feed clutch system shown in figure
3.

 In FIG. 1, we see four types of documents which have been edited thanks to the printing mechanism 1 which constitutes a subset of a payment terminal at a merchant of the type described in French patent application No. 7,927. .673. It is a day 2 journal, a check 3 and two receipts 4 and 5.

 The method of editing one of these documents, and in particular the filling of a check 6, is described in the upper part of FIG. 1.

 The operating kinematics of the printing mechanism 1 is entirely controlled using a preprogrammed system essentially consisting of a memory 7 linked to a control interface 8.

 As can be seen in FIG. 1, a blank check 6 has just been introduced along f, between the walls 9 and 10 of an insertion slot 11 formed in a plate 12.

 A ribbon spring 15 at the ear and with opposite double spirals is fixed at 16 and 17 on the plate 12. The active part 18 of the spring 15 is applied against the left edge 20 of the check 6. Therefore, the right edge 21 of the check is pressed along g against the vertical wall 23 of the plate and this wall thus serves as a guide. Thus, the check 6 is perfectly directed along h during its translational movement.

 After introduction, the check is put into translational movement along h by wedging between the two rollers 25 and 26 driven by the stepping motor 27.

 Prior to any printing operation, the entire document to be edited is stored electronically in 7 in a form that can be compared to a table reproducing the image of the document that one wishes to print.

 During printing, the interface 8 controls the sequential starting of the motor 27. The needle print head 30 edits, perpendicular to h and along k, a series of parallel slices of symbols. To do this, the print head 30 is fixed to the carriage 31 and guided along k by the rails 32 and 33.

 During the check stop times, the carriage 31 performs a sequential round trip along k1 then k2 using the stepping motor 34, pulleys 35 and 36 and the latch 37 partially wound on these pulleys and fixed on the frame 31 at its two ends.

 During the movement of the head along ki, the interface 8 isolates the successive slices of symbols which must be printed inside the table of memory 7. It controls the movements as well as the actions of the head and delivers the printing sequences of each symbol of a slice.

 When the printing of a slice is carried out, the print head is returned according to k2 to its rest position. ~ During this phase, the print head is inactive.

 The interface 8 then directs the advance of the motor 27 so as to position the new section to be printed facing the head. A new printing phase takes place and this until all the slices of symbols that make up the document have been edited. The interface 8 then controls the ejection of the document via the motor 27.

 Note that documents 2 to 5 have very different dimensions and geometries. These are arranged in the direction in which they were edited by the printer 1. It appears that their symbol lines are directed differently. In particular, the lines of check 3 and of ticket 5 are directed along h while the lines of journal 2 and of ticket 4 are directed along k.

 However, all these documents were printed in successive bands of symbols aligned along kî.

 Referring now to Figure 2, there is a check 6 partially edited by the printer 1. This consists of a blank pre-printed medium 40 on which has just been printed part of the information necessary for the transmission of 'a check.

 In fact, check 6 has been advanced along h in system 1 and then printed in successive sections 41, 42 ... 50 ... 53.

 On edge 41, the symbol M has been printed, on edge 42, the symbol O. These two symbols constitute the beginning of the name of the recipient of the check.

 Slice 53 has just been printed, it contains the three symbols 5, T, E. The symbol 5 is part of line 61 of the amount of the check in the form of figures. The symbol T is part of line 62 of the amount of the check in the form of letters. The symbol E is part of line 63 of the recipient's name.

 Each of the symbols which have been printed by the head 30 and distributed in the sections 41, 42, ... 50, ... 53 are freshly inked.

 Note that the editing of the check is not finished. In particular, the amount, the recipient's first name and the date of issue are incomplete. It appears that the printing of the document being processed is stopped along a straight section 53 perpendicular to the lines of the document 61, 62 and 63.

 In FIG. 3, there can be seen in detail the clutch mechanism 70 controlling the advance of the printing ribbon 65 disposed inside the cassette 72 secured to the printing carriage 31. This ribbon is driven inside of the cassette 72 by a control mechanism 73. A drive wheel 75 is coaxially connected to the control mechanism 73 by means of a helical spring 76.

 To do this, the left end 77 of the spring 76 is integral with the wheel 75. Furthermore, the ribbon control mechanism is constituted by a notched cap 80 fixed on the axis 71 by means of the screw 82. The right end 83 of the spring 76 is integral with the axle 71. The wheel 75 and the spring 76 are threaded freely on the part 84 of the axle 71.

 The ribbon winding reel 91 is provided with a cam 92 fitted inside two of the teeth of the notched cap 80.

 The wheel 75 undergoes rotational movements R1 and R2 in phase with the displacements kl and k2 of the carriage 31. To do this, a drive wire 95, the ends of which are fixed, is stretched along k by the spring 98 and wound in 99 around the wheel 75.

 It is obvious that when the print head is in an operating phase, that is to say when the carriage 31 moves along k1 along the rails 32 and 33, the wheel 75 rotates in the direction R1. Therefore, the spring 76 is tightened and compressed at 84 on the axis 71. This drives the coil 91 along R1 and scrolls the ribbon 65 in front of the head.

 On the contrary, when the carriage is driven along k2, that is to say when the head is in the rest phase, the spring 76 is relaxed, the coil 91 and the ribbon 65 remain inactive.

 Figure 4 shows in position the different active sub-assemblies of the ribbon clutch means. The axis 71 and the cap 80 are joined by the screw 82. The wheel 75 is threaded at 84 on the axis 71. The intermediate spring 86 is connected at one of its ends 77 to the axis 71 and to the other end 83 to the wheel 76.

 We realize that the printing system 1, controlled by the preprogrammed interface 8, is capable of editing documents of very different types and formats, and this without the intervention of any operator.

 In particular, an apparatus of this type connected to a financial transaction terminal can edit, after insertion of a suitable printing medium, a day newspaper as well as a sales receipt or a check. We easily realize the space saving achieved.

 We also realize that the guiding system of the print medium using a spring pressing the latter against a side wall solves in a simple and automatic way the problems of framing of the document which can arise and allows adapt the printer to handle documents of very different formats.

 Finally, it is realized that the clutch mechanism described in FIGS. 3 and 4 makes it possible to considerably limit the waste of printing ribbon and to reduce the frequency of reloading operations. It is understood that this is very favorable for intensive use of the device.

 Of course, it is possible to use the printing method according to the invention in very different fields than that of the example treated. In particular, the use of the method is very suitable in all cases where it is desired to print using a single machine and without the intervention of an operator, several standardized documents of different formats.

 The invention having now been explained and its interest justified in detailed examples, the applicant reserves exclusivity for the entire duration of the patent, without limitation other than those of the terms of the claims below.

Claims (10)

1. Method for printing according to a unified principle  - a document (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) consisting of a series of sym  neat bowls,  - on a moving material support following a single  direction of translation (h),  and this whatever the ordered geometric distribution of sym  bowls with respect to the direction of translation (h) of the support,  said process being characterized in that  before printing  - the ordered text of the symbols and their arrangement are memorized  inside a table (7), in particular electronically,  - we divide this table  in a series of sections perpendicular to the direction  support translation,  each section being constituted by a stack  ordered with symbol spacing,  during printing  - the support (6) is moved sequentially in its direction  of translation (h) by saving it downtime suc  discontinuous, in particular by passing it between two trains of  rollers (25, 26) actuated by a stepping motor (27),  - during each downtime, we print, in particular using  a needle head (30) provided with a printing ribbon (65)  one of the ordered sections (41, 42 ... 50 ... 53), of which  the stored characteristics are isolated (in 7),  along a fixed printing axis (k) perpendicular to  the axis of movement (h) of the support (6),  - then we again advance the support by a step equal to the  distance between the section just printed and the following  brags and we print the next slice,  - and these sequences are carried out successively until printed  All slices of the stored table of the document  (6) to edit. 2. Method according to claim 1  - applied in case we print  on a rectangular support (6) of elongated shape,  including a check form  a document consisting of a parallel alignment of lines  ordinates (62, 63) of symbols directed according to the large  support axis (h),  - and in which the support of the do is transversely guided  cument in its translational movement (h) by applying  (g) along its largest dimension, one of its side edges  rails (21) against a fixed vertical wall (23),  said process being characterized in that the document is printed  by reproducing all of its symbols  - in parallel sections (41, 42 ... 50, 51, 52, 53),  - oriented perpendicular to the document lines (6). 3. Method according to one of claims 1 and 2, wherein  - we print each of the slices (41, 42 ... 50, 51, 52, 53)  of the document (6)  by imposing a movement of va  and comes from a print head (30), in particular to ai  guille, guided by a carriage (31) moved along  rails (32, 33) embodying the printing axis (h),  and only working the head in one of its  two directions (kil) of movement, in particular the outward journey,  - the print head is made to cooperate with an im ribbon  pressure (65) set in motion inside a cassette  (72) integral with the head (30),  - And finally, the cassette is provided with an axis (71) for controlling  advancing the ribbon in front of the print head,  the method being intended to cause the displacement of the roller  (65) printing in front of the head (30) only when this  last one is in work phase,  said process being characterized in that  - we unite on the same axis (71)  in particular perpendicular to the direction (k) of movement  headache  and by means of a helical spring (76)  ribbon advance control pin (71)  and a drive wheel (75),  - It causes said drive wheel (75) to move  alternative elements (21, 22) of rotation in phase with the slack  alternative head translation movements (kil, k2) (30),  this in particular by means of a wire (95) wound around  of the drive wheel (75) and the two ends of which  are kept fixed,  - Finally, we orient the steps of the helical spring (76) joining the  drive wheel (75) to the axis (71) of advance of the ribbon (65)  so that it (76) is tightened only in the  -sense (kil) of displacement corresponding to the action phases  of the head. 4. Method according to one of claims 2 and 3, intended to perfect  position the support (6) laterally in its movement  opposite the print head (30), whatever the width  document manager (6),  said process being characterized in that  - we introduce the support (6) inside a thin slot  setting (11) of which a side wall (23) is oriented along the  direction (h) desired and serves as a guide,  - during its movement, we push the document (6)  . against the lateral guide wall (23),  . using a system (15) with variable lateral geometry  and in particular a double-ribbon ear spring (15)  opposite spirals,  acting against the edge (20) of the document (6) opposite to  the one that is against the guide wall (23). 5. As a new industrial product, printing system (1)  for carrying out the method of claim 1 and  typically comprising  - a lead track (12) of the document (6) provided with means  of sequential movement thereof, such as a dou  ble set of rollers (25, 26) activated by a stepper motor  step (27),  - a print head (30) directed opposite the track (12), which  freely set in a fixed perpendicular direction (k)  to the direction of translation (h) of the document (6) and implementation  movement sequentially along this axis (k), no  especially using a pulley system (35, 36), latches (37),  stepping motor (34),  - a prior storage system (7) of the document to be  edit linked to a command interface (8) of the different  moving parts and the print head (30),  this interface delivering symbols to the print head (30)  stored to print in the form of bands (41, 42 ... 51  ... 53) perpendicular to the direction of translation (h) of the  document (6).  6. Mechanism (70) for driving a printing ribbon (65) of the  keen to implement the method according to claim 3 and  typically comprising on the same axis  - a control axis (71) for advancing the print ribbon  sion (65),  - And a drive wheel (75) joined by a helical spring  coidal.  7. System intended to implement the method according to the reven  dication 4 and characteristically constituted  - a document insertion slot (11) (6) including a wall  side (23) is perfectly flat,  - And facing which is a spring system (15) with  variable lateral geometry.  8. Flat spring (15) intended to implement the method of re  yendication 4 inside a re-type system  vendication 7, said spring being characterized in that it is  ribbon and ear type with double opposing spirals.  9. Printing system (1) comprising one of the devices described  in one of claims 5 to 7. 10. Rectangular document (6)  - being edited according to the method of claim 2  - and printed on a blank or pre-printed support, in particular  a check form (6),  said document being characterized in that it comprises  - a series of lines (61, 62, 63) of parallel symbols inter  broken and freshly printed,  - ending prematurely along a straight line (53) perpen  in the direction (h) according to which these lines must  be read later.