GB1600381A

GB1600381A - Hectographic printing machines

Info

Publication number: GB1600381A
Application number: GB1632077A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Data Card UK Ltd
Current assignee: Gemplus Ltd
Priority date: 1977-04-20
Filing date: 1977-04-20
Publication date: 1981-10-14
Also published as: FR2387790A1; JPS5434911A; JPS5434910A; FR2387791A1; JPS5434912A; DE2817223A1; FR2387792A1; DE2817222A1; DE2817221A1

Description

(54) HECTOGRAPHIC PRINTING MACHINES (71) We, DATA CARD (U.K.) LI MITED, a British Company, of New Lane, Havant, Hampshire PO9 2NR, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates generally to hectographic printing machines.

Previously proposed machines are commonly used, for example, for addressing envelopes, and transfer a hectographic carbon image of the address to be printed from a master card on to the envelope. The cards and envelopes are usually fed from separate piles to a print station through which they move along the same path across a print roller which urges the master card against the envelope thereby transferring an image to the envelope.

In previously proposed machines, cards and envelopes are fed to the printing station in the same direction along paths arranged one beneath the other, and the card and envelope feed are synchronised so that the card and the envelope come into engagement at the printing station. The card and envelope pass together continuously through the printing station and across a print roller to effect the print operation. The cards and envelope are then passed to respective, separate receiving stations.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hectographic printing machine comprising a drive arrangement for feeding hectographic master cards along a path from a feed station to a receiving station through a print station, wherein the drive arrangement comprises a plurality of rotatable drive wheels which are arranged to transport the master cards from the feed station to the receiving station, each drive wheel being arcuate around only part of its periphery, the arcuate part of each wheel being engageable with each card during rotation of the wheel to feed the card along its path and the remaining part being non-engageable with the card.

The wheels are preferably arranged in series and preferably synchronised so that a wheel drivingly engages a card as the preceding wheel is disengaged from that card.

Synchronisation is preferably by a system of cranks.

The card preferably passes over a support through which the wheels project, the support and the wheels being so arranged that at the print station a receiver may pass beneath a card located on the support.

The use of the drive arrangement enables envelopes to pass across the cards between the non-arcuate portion of the wheel and the cards and permits the print-receiving elements and cards to be fed to the print station at right angles to each other.

A hectographic printing machine in accordance with the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure I is a diagrammatic view illustrating the general operation of the machine, Figure 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of the feed apparatus and drive arrangement for hectographic printing cards, Figure 3 is a diagrammatic end view of the feed apparatus shown in Figure 2, Figure 4 is a diagrammatic side view of the feed apparatus of Figure 3, Figure 5 is a plan view of the printing machine with external covers removed, Figure 6 is a section along line VI-VI of Figure 5, Figure 7 is a section taken along line VII-VII of Figure 5, and Figure 8 is a block diagram illustrating a magnetic coding system of the machine for use in encoding hectographic master cards.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, the printing machine comprises a master card feed station 1 at which a pile of hectographic printing master cards 2 are located, and an envelope feed station 3 at which a pile of envelopes 4 are held, a print station 5 at which an image can be tranferred from a card 2 to an envelope 4, a card-receiving station 6 and a printed envelopes receiving station 7. The drive apparatus of Figure 2, to be fully described hereinafter, transfers cards individually to the print station 5 and similarly an envelope feed apparatus transfers envelopes individually to the print station where the envelopes are printed.

The master cards 2 may be of any suitable type, but preferably are such as described and claimed in the Complete Specification of our co-pending Patent Application No.

16321/77. Serial No 1600382 The master cards 2 have an area 8 on which information in a form of an imprint of hectographic carbon is carried.

Briefly, in operation a master card 2 is transferred to the print station 5, and, if it is desired to utilise the card for printing, is retained at the printing station and an envelope 4 is fed beneath the master card at the print station 5. A print roller is used to deposit an image from the master card to the envelope, the latter then being transferred to the envelope-receiving station 7. The card 2 may be retained at the print station 5 to be used for other envelopes, or it may be removed towards the card-receiving station 6 and the next successive card introduced to the printing station. A wetting roller 11 may be provided to smear a patch of suitable fluid on to each envelope as it passes to the print station 5, the fluid assisting in the transfer of the hectographic carbon from the master card 2 to the envelope 4.

Referring now particularly to Figures 2 to 7, the card feed and drive apparatus comprises a plurality of drive wheels 12A-E, only four of which are shown in Figure 2, which are shaped as circles with portions removed. One of the wheels 12A which is located directly beneath the stack of master cards 2 has a greater portion cut away than the remaining wheels 12B-E in which the portion is a segment, leaving a generally D-shaped wheel. The length of circumference of each wheel which can protrude through respective apertures in a card support plate 13 is preferably so chosen that an integral number of complete rotations of each wheel causes a master card 2 to move through a distance which is equal to the length of the card in the feed direction plus an additional length to allow for any slippage which might occur.

In operation the left-hand wheel 12A operates until it touches the bottom card of the stack which is fed, by a contact friction, from the stack through a gap 14 in the feed apparatus. The next wheel 12B engages the card as the latter passes through the gap 14 and drives the card 2 when the end point of the first wheel 12A comes out of contact with the card. Thus the card moves clear of the stack so that a gap is left between that card and the next successive card. In this respect, the amount of arcuate circumference on the first wheel is sufficient to enable the card to be gripped and fed from the stack, but is small enough to allow a gap between successive cards fed from the stack.

As it passes along its feed path across the support plate 13, the card is nipped between the second wheel 12B and a spring biased roller 15 to provide sufficient force to pull the card clear of the stack, overcoming the friction of the cards in the stack. The following wheels 12C-E drive the card through the print station 5 and to the card-receiving station 6. The wheels 12C-E may have opposed reaction springs 16 to assist in the feeding of the card by the wheels.

It will be appreciated that the first wheel 12A will drive the card from the stack if the coefficient of friction between the wheel 12A and the card 2 is greater than that between adjacent cards. Of course, reaction springs or rollers may be provided above the card stack to ensure reliable feeding of the last card of the stack.

When in the rest position shown in Figure 2, a gap exists between the card support plate 13 and the drive wheels 12A-D. This permits the feeding of envelopes beneath the card to the printing station.

The card feed apparatus is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 and basically comprises a front retaining plate 17 and a base plate 18 which is effectively an extension of the support plate 13. As seen in Figure 4, the retaining plate has a generally V-shaped bottom edge 17A, the lower part of the V having a flat portion, which may for example be 10 mm wide. The flat portion is directly above a projection 19 formed in the base plate 18, leaving the gap 14 between the retaining plate 17 and the base plate 18, the base plate acting as a support and a guide. The gap 14 is preferably 11/2 times the thickness of the card 2 to be fed. The height of the projection 19 is preferably about 4 times the thickness of the card.

The projection 19 causes the bottom card to be bowed slightly as it is fed from the stack and the local distortion caused by such bowing ensures that variations in the straightness of the edges of the cards do not affect the feed of the cards from the bottom of the stack. The projection is preferably dome-shaped, as illustrated, but other shapes could be used.

It would be possible to utilise more than one projection, for example one near each end of the card, provided that the card is locally distorted sufficiently to overcome any variations in the shape or thickness of the card, for example due to damage, while permitting the card to be readily fethrough the gap 14 between the or each projection 19 and the bottom of the retaining plate 17.

Furthermore, the feed apparatus could be readily modified to feed cards from the stop of the stack instead of the bottom.

Referring now to Figures 5 to 7 both envelopes 4 and master cards 2 are fed utilising a single drive which may be driven manually, for example by a handle, or by a motor. The envelopes 2 are fed from the envelope feed station 3 by a roller 22 (Figure 2) which is operated through a clutch 23 actuated by a solenoid 24 connected to a trip lever 25. The solenoid 24 is actuated when the card is held at the print station, the arresting of the card being sensed for exam le by photo-detecting means (not shown from which a signal is passed to the solenoid 24. From the envelope feed station 3 an envelope is fed to the print station 5 beneath a master card which has been fed from the master card feed station 1 as previously described.

The master card feed is actuated by the same drive arrangement through the intermediary of gears, including a bevel gear arrangement 26 and a clutch 27 which is actuated by a trip lever 29 mounted on rod 29A. The rod is rotatable by a solenoid 28 to trip the clutch. As the master card is fed to the print station 5 by the three wheels 12A-C, during the last few centimeters of its travel a solenoid 30 is operated which lifts a stop plate 31 to hold the card in position at the print station 5. As soon as the card is stopped the solenoid 30 is de-energised and the stop plate 31 is lowered to prevent envelopes catching on the stop plate during envelope feed. Thus the card 2 and the envelope 4 are held stationary at the print station with the card above the envelope, the envelope being arrested by upward movement of a print roller assembly 32 at the start of the print operation.

The wheels 12A-E are synchronised by a series of cranks 52 (Figure 5).

The print mechanism comprises the print roller assembly 32 having two rollers and being journalled at A to a pair of arms 33 pivotally connected at points B at one end to respective pivoted levers 34 and intermediate their ends at point C to respective springs 35. The springs 35 are connected to the pivot pin 36 of the levers 34 having a pivot axis D. The levers 34 are interconnected by a bridge and each has a stub shaft 37A which acts as a follower engaged by a cam 37 which drives the print mechanism.

Each cam 37 is connected through a drive linkage, including a clutch 38, to the input drive. The clutch 38 is actuated by a trip lever 39 actuated by a solenoid 40. The rollers of the assembly 32 act through an aperture in card support plate 13 (Figure 2) against an upper reaction plate (not shown) beneath which the card and envelope are fed.

The print mechanism is so arranged that the pressure of the roller along its length of travel is substantially constant, as described below. In the position illustrated, i.e. the position before printing commences, taking moments about the point B F.e = R.d where F is the force exerted by the springs 35; e is the perpendicular distance from the line of action of force F to point B; R is the normal reaction between the rollers and the upper reaction plate; d is the perpendicular distance from the line of action of R to point B.

As the roller moves along to the right as seen in Figure 6 the ratio of R:F, i.e. the ratio of e:d, decreases in magnitude as d increases. Since the force F is provided by springs, then force F increases as d increases. The exact relationship between the parameters depends on the geometry of the points A, B, C, D and can be designed such that the reaction force R is substantially constant during the stroke or travel of the roller 32 across the envelope. Furthermore, the profile of the cam 37 may be designed to provide a constant rate of travel of the roller assembly 32 for a constant angular rate of the cam 37, which may have a portion of its profile arranged such that the roller C is brought out of contact with the upper surface. The print rollers may be replaced by a single, larger roller if desired.

In addition to cams 37, an additional cam (not shown) may be provided to drive a dummy cam follower and provide a reaction torque. The reaction torque acts to oppose the torque required to first lift the print roller assembly 32 and then reverses so as to control the spring-loaded return of the roller. Thus, the additional cam removes some of the torque fluctuation acting on the clutch and gears driving the ptin mechanism.

When the printing operation is complete the card is fed from the print station 5 and can be fed toward a receiver 50 at the card-receiving station 6, where they are preferably stacked in the same order as the cards are received from the feed station.

If the card is to be singled out for any reason, for example due to its useful life having expired, as will be described below, a pair of reject fingers 42 may be moved from the position illustrated in Figure 6 upwardly by means of a solenoid 43 so as to pass the cards down a chute 44 to an auxiliary receiver 51. The drive wheel 12E is located so as to assist in the drive of the cards to the auxiliary receiver 51 from the print station 5.

In a preferred form of the printing machine an information reading system is provided so that if each master card which carries the address of a client is marked with particular information which, in the case of Estate Agents for example, may be the type of property in which that client is interested, the machine can read the information. At the print station 5 the stop plate 31 stops only those cards which it is required to obtain addresses from, the remainder being passed through the machine without being stopped at the print station 5. Preferably the reading system utilises a card such as described and claimed in the Complete Specification of our co-pending Patent Application No. 16321/77 Serial No. 1600382. Such a card has a plurality, preferably 24, of opaque black stripes or bars extending inwardly from one edge perpendicular to that edge.Each black stripe is either imperforate or has a hole punched in it so that the card carries its particular information in the form of holes (i.e. transparent areas) or opaque areas, the information being carried by the first 16 stripes.

The reading system is arranged to read the information on the card and can be programmed, by passing through the machine a programming master card having an information carried by stripes and holes similar to the printing master cards, to accept only master cards containing the information called for by the programming card. The system comprises a light source 45 (Figure 4) on one side of the card and a photodetector 46 on the other side of the card so that direct light transmission is sensed, this being more easily readable and more reliable than utilising reflective measurements with both light source and detector on the same side of the card.

The light source 45 and detector 46 are normally placed close to the retaining plate 17 of the card feed apparatus and read the information on the card as the latter issues through the gap 14 from the feed apparatus.

If the card is one to be printed the card stop solenoid 30 is actuated to stop the card in the print station against the stop plate 31.

However, if the card is one that is not to be printed, then the card stop solenoid 30 is not actuated and the card passes directly through the print station 5. It will be appreciated that even without printing, the sensing system incorporated in the machine could be used to quickly select cards having particular information from a stack of cards by actuating the reject solenoid 43 when such a card is sensed so that the chosen cards pass to the auxiliary receiver 51.

In addition to the above-described reading system, the machine preferably also includes a magnetic coding system illustrated in Figure 8 which reads and marks information on a magnetic strip on the card and ensures that the cards are used only a desired predetermined number of times.

The arrangement is located close to the retaining plate 17 (Figure 4) of the feed apparatus and comprises a magnetic sensor 47 and a marker 48 which sense and mark a magnetic strip on the master card. Thus, every time a card passes from the feed apparatus and the information read system indicates that the card is to be used for printing purpose, and not simply passed through the machine without printing, the magnetic marker 48 marks the magnetic strip on the card to indicate that the card has been used.

If desired, a single card can in one operation be used to print a desired number of envelopes and may be held at the print station 5 while that number of envelopes are passed beneath the card for printing. In this case, the machine is set, by means of a dial (not shown), to produce a required number of prints from a single card and the magnetic marker marks the magnetic strip of the card with that number of prints.

Referring to Figure 8 an optical sensor is connected to a counting logic which counts the stripes and passes signals to a magnetic coding system. At the same time the magnetic sensor 47 detects signals on the magnetic strip and issues a series of magnetic pulses which are indicative of the number of print operations performed by the card. A biasing code system is used so the signal on the magnetic strip corresponding to the first opaque stripe represents a count of 1, that on the second stripe represents a count of 2 and so on, the eighth stripe representing a count of 128.

Thus, after combination of the signals from the magnetic and optical sensors to a coded pulse chain, a signal indicative of the total number of print operations is obtained which is passed through a shift register to an arithmetic unit where the number of print operations required for the card while in the machine, as set on a variable dial referred to above, is added to the number of print operations already performed.

If the card is to be printed, the signal is passed through a coder to a write head oscillator which, in response to the optical reading of stripes 17 to 24, causes the marker 48 to erase the existing number and write a new number on the magnetic strip.

This new number is the new total of print operations performed by the card.

Stripes 9 to 16 of the card are not used for the magnetic encoding as described above and are used only for the coded information referred to above.

It will be appreciated that in the abovedescribed arrangement, the information as to whether the card is to be used is contained within the first 16 stripes and a decision is then taken as to whether or not to print, i.e. the card stop solenoid 30 is either operated or not.

It will be appreciated that the electronic circuitry and connections required to perform the above operations in response to the information reading and to the magnetic sensing and marking will be readily accomplished by a skilled man and need no further description here.

The light source 45 and detector 46 of the information reading system and the sensor 47 of the sensing system are preferably in line transversely, but are shown offset in Figure 4 for the sake of clarity.

The above described machine has many advantages, among which are that in the card feed apparatus, when in the rest position, a gap exists between the card and the D-shaped drive wheels which may be used to allow envelopes to be fed beneath the cards when the card drive has stopped so that a card may be retained at the printing station and print a desired number of envelopes which pass beneath it; the discontinuous circumference of the drive wheels 12A-E interrupts drive to the cards so that feed may be progressed in discrete steps by rotating the wheels through indexed complete rotation after which the contact is removed so that the card may for example be allowed to come to rest against the card stop plate 31; the printing roller 32 provides uniform pressure along the length of its stroke; the information reading arrangement enables quick selection of a particular card for a printing operation; the magnetic sensing and marking arrangement ensures that the card is only used a predetermined number of times and is then discarded, thus ensuring that print quality is maintained; the drive of the master cards is at right angles to the drive of the envelopes so that the machine can be made compact.

Reference is made to the description and claims of our co-pending Patent Applications Nos 15601/78 and 16321/77 Serial Nos 1600382-1600383 WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A hectographic printing machine comprising a drive arrangement for feeding hectographic master cards along a path from a feed station to a receiving station through a print station, wherein the drive arrangement comprises a plurality of rotatable drive wheels which are arranged to transport the master cards from the feed station to the receiving station, each drive wheel being arcuate around only part of its periphery, the arcuate part of each wheel being engageable with each card during rotation of the wheel to feed the card along its path and the remaining part being non-engageable with the card.

2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the wheels are arranged in series along the path to engage each successive card as it travels along the path.

3. A machine according to claim 2, wherein the wheels are synchronised so that a wheel is drivingly engaged with a card as the preceding wheel is disengaged from that card.

4. A machine according to claim 3, wherein the wheels are interconnected by a series of cranks which are arranged to synchronise rotation of the wheels.

5. A machine according to any of claims 1 to 4, comprising a card support over which the cards can pass.

6. A machine according to claim 5, wherein the support has apertures through which the arcuate parts of the respective wheels can extend to engage a card passing over the support.

7. A machine according to claim 6, wherein in the disengaged condition of each wheel its non-arcuate part is spaced from the support to permit the passage of a print receiver element between the wheel and the support on the side of the support opposite to the cards.

8. A machine according to any of claims 1 to 7, further comprising resilient means for urging the cards towards the wheels 'as the cards travel along the path.

9. A machine according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein one of said wheels has a smaller arcuate part than other of the wheels, and has two coincident substantially straight edges.

10. A machine according to claim 9, wherein said one wheel is arranged at said feed station to feed cards individually from a stack of such cards.

11. A machine according to claim 10, wherein said one wheel has an arcuate peripheral extent which is sufficient to grip and feed a card from the stack but is small enough to allow a gap between successive cards fed from the stack during successive rotations of said one wheel.

12. A machine according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein at least some of said wheels are D-shaped.

13. A machine according to claim 12 as appendant to any of claims 5 to 7, wherein the or one of the substantially straight edges of each wheel is generally parallel to the support in the disengaged condition of that wheel.

14. A machine according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the arcuate peripheral extent of

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. the magnetic encoding as described above and are used only for the coded information referred to above. It will be appreciated that in the abovedescribed arrangement, the information as to whether the card is to be used is contained within the first 16 stripes and a decision is then taken as to whether or not to print, i.e. the card stop solenoid 30 is either operated or not. It will be appreciated that the electronic circuitry and connections required to perform the above operations in response to the information reading and to the magnetic sensing and marking will be readily accomplished by a skilled man and need no further description here. The light source 45 and detector 46 of the information reading system and the sensor 47 of the sensing system are preferably in line transversely, but are shown offset in Figure 4 for the sake of clarity. The above described machine has many advantages, among which are that in the card feed apparatus, when in the rest position, a gap exists between the card and the D-shaped drive wheels which may be used to allow envelopes to be fed beneath the cards when the card drive has stopped so that a card may be retained at the printing station and print a desired number of envelopes which pass beneath it; the discontinuous circumference of the drive wheels 12A-E interrupts drive to the cards so that feed may be progressed in discrete steps by rotating the wheels through indexed complete rotation after which the contact is removed so that the card may for example be allowed to come to rest against the card stop plate 31; the printing roller 32 provides uniform pressure along the length of its stroke; the information reading arrangement enables quick selection of a particular card for a printing operation; the magnetic sensing and marking arrangement ensures that the card is only used a predetermined number of times and is then discarded, thus ensuring that print quality is maintained; the drive of the master cards is at right angles to the drive of the envelopes so that the machine can be made compact. Reference is made to the description and claims of our co-pending Patent Applications Nos 15601/78 and 16321/77 Serial Nos 1600382-1600383 WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A hectographic printing machine comprising a drive arrangement for feeding hectographic master cards along a path from a feed station to a receiving station through a print station, wherein the drive arrangement comprises a plurality of rotatable drive wheels which are arranged to transport the master cards from the feed station to the receiving station, each drive wheel being arcuate around only part of its periphery, the arcuate part of each wheel being engageable with each card during rotation of the wheel to feed the card along its path and the remaining part being non-engageable with the card.

each D-shaped wheel is so chosen that an integral number of complete rotations of each wheel causes a card to move through a distance which is slightly greater than the length of the card is the feed direction.

15. A hectographic printing machine according to any preceding claim, including holding means for holding the master card stationary at the print station during a printing operation.

16. A machine according to claim 15, wherein the holding means comprises a selectively operable stop located downstream of the print station and movable into and out of the path of the path of the master card.

17. A machine according to claim 16, wherein the stop is actuated in response to a signal activated by the master card.

18. A machine according to any preceding claim having an information reading system for reading information on a coded portion of a master card, comprising a light source and a detector located on opposite sides of a path of travel of the master card.

19. A machine according to claim 18, as appendant to any of claims 15 to 17, wherein the reading system is operable in response to information on the card to activate the card holding means which holds the master card at a print station.

20. A machine according to claim 18 or 19, wherein the system is programmable by a programming card passing along the path of travel of a master card.

21. A machine according to any of claims 18 to 20, wherein the light source and detector are located close to the master card feed station from which the master cards are fed to the print station.

22. A machine according to any of claims 18 to 21. further comprising a solenoid-operated card rejecting means operable in response to signal from the reading system to direct a master card from its usual path to an auxiliary card-receiving means.

23. A machine according to any of the preceding claims including means for holding the receiver element stationary at the print station adjacent a master card during a print operation.

24. A machine according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a magnetic marking and sensing means which is operable to mark a magnetic strip on a master card each time the master card is used from a print operation and to read the marks on the master card.

25. A machine according to claim 24, comprising a solenoid-operated reject means which is operable when said sensing means detects a predetermined number of marks to direct a master card from its usual path of travel to an auxiliary receiving means.

26. A machine according to any of the preceding claims, wherein master cards and print receiver elements are fed to the print station along substantially perpendicular paths.

27. A hectographic printing machine substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.