GB2223199A - Apparatus for delivering tickets - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus for delivering tickets comprises a writer for applying information desired onto the tickets, a device for providing the writer with a material web, onto which it may be written and which forms the tickets, and a cutting device (9) arranged to cut off the ticket-forming portions of the web after the material web has passed the writer, said cutting device comprising a fixed cutting edge 12, a cooperable, pivotal blade 15 and an electric motor 17 for driving the blade 15 via a screw and nut device 18, 19, the nut 19 having a pin (20, Fig 4) for engaging a fork (21, Fig 5) on the cutting knife (15). <IMAGE>

Description

APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING TICKETS This invention relates to an apparatus for delivering tickets. The definition "tickets" here means all kinds of written messages, for instance receipts, tickets for admission, exit tickets etc. The apparatus is especially intended to be used as part of a parking station. Such an apparatus may be arranged in an entrance station to deliver an entrance ticket with information about the entrance time in question to the customers. As an alternative the apparatus may be a part of a payment station and deliver receipts for payments made.

Furthermore, the apparatus may be designed to deliver departure tickets for use in departure stations, said departure tickets being delivered to the customers as soon as the parking fee has been paid.

In known apparatus of this kind the cutting devices have had a very voluminous and complicated structure. The cutting knife has been made movable as a whole in a translation movement by means of an arm system. For the reason of the great number of revolutions of the electric motor the driving power thereof has been transmitted to the arm system by means of a gear transmission.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the kind mentioned in the introduction, the cutting device of which shall be so simply and cheaply constructed as possible.

According to the present invention there is provided an apparatus for delivering tickets, comprising a writer for applying information desired onto the tickets, a device for providing the writer with a material web, onto which it may be written and which forms the tickets, and a cutting device arranged to cut off portions of the web forming tickets after the material web has passed the writer, said cutting device having a fixed cutting edge, a movable cutting knife and a driving device comprising an electric motor for driving the movable cutting knife to cut off the web in co-operation with the fixed cutting edge, characterised in that the cutting knife is designed as a pivoting lever and that the driving device has a screw and nut device, the screw of which may be rotated by means of the electric motor and the nut has engagement means for engaging corresponding means on the cutting knife.

The construction of the cutting knife as a pivoting lever results in a very simple embodiment with a minimum of movable components. By the fact that the driving device has a screw and nut device on the output shaft of the electric motor, this will at the same time act as a "reduction gear" and movement transmission device required, since the nut by means of engagement means co-operates directly with the cutting knife. A very compact construction is obtained by the fact that the pivot axis of the cutting knife may be located on one side of the material web while the screw and nut device and the electric motor are arranged on the other side.

With reference to the attached drawings below follows a specific description of an embodiment of the invention cited as an example.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a view from one side of the apparatus according to the invention, fig 2 is a view from the left of fig 1, i.e. a view in the direction towards the ticket delivery side of the apparatus, fig 3 is a partially sectioned view similar to fig 1 but illustrating also a ticket roll inserted in the apparatus, fig 4 is a partial view of the cutting device of the apparatus from the left in fig 1, and fig 5 is a view similar to fig 2, but with a ticket roll inserted in the apparatus and a cutting knife illustrated at the time of the termination of the cutting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The apparatus according to the invention has a generally by 1 indicated framework having two plate like parts la, ib mutually spaced apart. A writer 2 of a type known per se or arbitrary indicated by dashed lines is fastened between them. This is arranged to write desired information on the tickets, for example time information, the amount paid etc. Furthermore, the apparatus comprises a device 3 for providing the writer with a material web, onto which it may be written and which forms the tickets.This device comprises a rotatary holder 4 for receiving the material web in the form of a roll 5. The material 6 runs, as it appears from fig 3, to the writer 2 through guiding rollers 7, one or some 7a of which are suitably resiliently arranged in order to compensate for sudden irregularities in the feed, and between plate pieces 8 mutually spaced apart, in which the rollers 7 are mounted.

Preferably, the writer 2 has feeding means in the form of one or several driven rollers (not shown) for feeding the material web 6, preferably a paper tape, forwardly through the apparatus. As an alternative these feeding rollers may be arrangend in a separate unit downstream the writer 2. The material web 6 traverses a slot made in the writer 2 and subsequently reaches a cutting device 9, which is adapted to cut off portions of the web forming tickets after the material web has passed the writer 2. As indicated in fig 5, it is preferred that the material web has markings 10, for example made in different colours, which are detected by a detector, which is arranged in the writer 2 and stops the feed of the material web. Accordingly, the distance between two adjacent markings 10 will define the length of a ticket.

Preferably, the material web 6 runs through a further detector 11, e.g. of the photocell type or the like, which delivers a signal as soon as this detector does not sense the material web any longer, i.e. a signal is delivered when the material web has been used up and the apparatus is then put out of function.

The cutting device comprises a fixed cutting edge 12, which is attached to a plate like frame work part 13 secured between the frame work plates la, lb. An opening 14 is recessed in this for allowing passage of the material web. The cutting edge 12 will be located directly beneath the material web emerging through the opening 14. Furthermore the cutting device comprises a movable cutting knife 15 and a driving device 16 comprising an electric motor 17 for driving the movable cutting knife 15 to cut the web off into separate tickets in co-operation with the cutting edge 12.

The knife 15 is designed as a pivot lever while the driving device 16 has a screw and nut device, the screw 18 of which may be rotated by means of the electric motor and the nut 19 has engagement means 20 for engaging corresponding means 21 on the knife 15. The knife 15 designed as a pivot lever is one-armed with the pivot axis 22 located at one end and the engagement means 21 for engaging the nut at the other end. Furthermore, the pivot axis 22 is arranged on one side of the material web while the screw and nut device and the electic motor are arrangend on the other side (see fig 2 and 5).

The knife 15 is pivotally connected to the framework part 13.

To put it more exactly, the cutting edge 12 may be designed to be secured onto a plate piece 23 on a portion of this projecting laterally past the framework lb.

As a part of the arrangement forming the pivot axis of the knife 15 there are in a manner known per se a spring 24 with the aim to press the knife 15 against the plate piece 23, so that a cutting edge 25 arranged on the knife 15 will pass the cutting edge in a close connection.

It appears from the drawings that the knife 15 has substantially the form of an L with the cutting edge 25 located on that leg of the L at which extremity the pivot axis 22 is arranged, and the engagement means 21 located at the extremity of the other leg of the L. As it appears from fig 5 the leg having the cutting edge 25 is substantially parallel to the cutting edge 12 when the knife is in its cutting end position, while the leg having the engagement means 21 then extends substantially parallelly to the screw 18.

The engagement means between the knife 15 and the nut 19 consists of a projection and a slot. It is preferred that the projection 20 in the form of a pin is arranged on the nut while the slot 21 is provided in the knife 15.

The end of the knife 15 presenting the engagement means 21 extends laterally past the framework plate la through an opening therein. The electric motor 17 and the screw and nut device are mounted on a framework part 26, which in its turn is secured to the outside of the framework plate la.

The screw 18 is directly connected to the drive shaft of the motor so as to be driven at the same number of revolutions as this. As it appears from figs 2 and 5 the screw 18 extends substantially perpendicularly to the extension of the fixed cutting edge 12. A control rod 27 extending substantially parallelly to the screw 18 and located beside this is arranged to displaceably engage the nut 19 so as to prevent this from rotating with the screw. In this example, the nut 19 comprises a slot, in which the control rod 27 is received.

A breaker 28 (fig 4) has a stop member 29 arranged to be hit by the knife 15 (or as an alternative the nut 19) when the knife 15 has reached such a position, that it is out of the way for the feed of a new ticket portion. Then, this breaker 28 will interrupt the current supply to the motor 17. Another breaker may be arranged to stop the motor 17 when the knife 15 has reached its opposite end position, i.e. when it has cut the material web off, said breaker having a stop member arranged to be hit by the knife and/or the nut 19. Alternatively, a device 30 not shown in detail may be arranged to obtain this object.

Preferably, this device 30 has a detector for controlling the rotation of the screw 18. A detector may be of the photocell type and co-operate with a disc rotatably connected to the screw and provided with a suitable marking, for instance a recess. The detector may be so arranged thatit detects when the rotation of the screw 18 stops because the nut 19 has reached a lower stop member, and the detector is then commanding the motor 17 to reverse its direction of rotation, so that the knife moves to its upper position again. As an alternative the detector may count the number of revolutions carried out by the screw 18 and in a predetermined lower position of the nut 19 generate reversing of the direction of rotation of the motor 17.

An arrangement for indicating when the material on the roll 5 starts to run low has a pivoting arm 31 arranged to bear against the periphery of the roll, for example by means of a pulley 32 (fig 5). A detector means 33 is arranged to detect the pivot position of the arm 31 and to initiate the delivery of a signal when a predetermined pivot position is reached, which indicates that a certain, comparatively small amount of material is left on the roll 5, in order to inform supervising stuff concerned thereof. The detecting means 33 has a stop member 34 arranged to be acted upon by a member 35, e.g. a pin, arranged on the arm 31.

The arm 31 has in the example the character of a one-armed pivoting lever, which at its one end has a pivot axis 36 and at its other end carries a pulley 32. Preferably, the arm 31 is arranged to be influenced by the gravitation to bear against the periphery of the roll and it is accordingly arranged above the holder 4.

The arm 31 has a portion 37, e.g. a laterally located plate like leg of the arm, which is arranged to, in every position of the arm 31, project downwardly outside the outer side of the roll overlapping an upper portion thereof, as it appears from fig 3 and 5, in order to prevent the roll from unintentionally sliding off the holder 4. The latter is arranged to carry the roll by engaging into a central void therein and has on its inner side means 38 delimiting the pushing of the roll onto the holder.

In order to enable convenient handling of the arm 31 when an almost empty roll is removed and a new roll is applied again, the arm 31 has a pin like handle 31 projecting laterally past the frame work lb, said handle being received in an arched slot 40 in the frame work plate lb during the required pivoting of the arm 31 upwardly.

The embodiment described is of course only an example, and many modifications thereof are possible within the scope of the idea of the invention.

Claims (11)

Claims

1. An apparatus for delivering tickets, comprising a writer (2) for applying information desired onto the tickets, a device (3) for providing the writer with a material web (6), onto which it may be written and which forms the tickets, and a cutting device (9) arranged to cut off portions of the web forming tickets after the material web has passed the writer, said cutting device having a fixed cutting edge (12), a movable cutting knife (15) and a driving device (16) comprising an electric motor (17) for driving the movable cutting knife to cut off the web in co-operation with the fixed cutting edge, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the cutting knife (15) is designed as a pivoting lever and that the driving device has a screw and nut device, the screw (18) of which may be rotated by means of the electric motor and the nut (19) has engagement means (20) for engaging corresponding means (21) on the cutting knife (15).

2. An apparatus according to claim l, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the pivoting lever forming the cutting knife (15) is one-armed with the pivot axis (22) located at one end and the engagement means (21) for engaging the nut (19) at the other end, and that the pivot axis (22) is arranged on one side of the material web while the screw and nut device and the electric motor are arranged on the other.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the pivoting lever (15) has substantially the form of an L with a cutting edge (25) located on that leg of the L at the extremity of which the pivot axis (22) is arranged, and the engagement means (21) located at the extremity of the other leg of the L.

4. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the engagement means (20, 21) consists of a projection and a slot

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the projection (20) is arranged on the nut (19) while the slot (21) is made in the cutting knife (15).

6. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the screw (18) is directly connected to the drive shaft of the motor so as to be driven at the same number of revolutions as this.

7. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the screw (18) extends substantially perpendicularly to the extension of the fixed cutting edge (12).

8. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that a control rod (27) extending substantially parallelly to the screw (18) and located beside this is arranged on a framework (1) of the apparatus to displaceably engage the nut (19) so as to prevent this from rotating with the screw.

9. An apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the device for providing the material web comprises a rotary holder (4) for receiving the material web in the form of a roll (5), that a device for indicating when the material of the roll is running low has a pivoted arm (31) arranged to bear against the periphery of the roll and a detecting means (33) for detecting the pivot position of the arm.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the arm (31) has a portion (37) arranged to, in every position of the arm, project downwardly outside the outer side of the roll overlapping a portion thereof, in order to prevent the roll (5) from unintentionally sliding off the holder (4).

11. An apparatus as substantially hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.