314,086. British Tabulating Machine Co., Ltd., (Assignees of Carroll, F. M.). June 22, 1928, [Convention date]. Line spacing mechanism; feedroller rotation for blanking.-Paperfeeding mechanism for a web or sheet comprises one or more pairs of feedrollers and means for coupling either roller of a pair to a common driving- means. The coupling-means may be arranged to impart adjustable linespacing movement to the web or sheet when items or totals are printed, the movement for total printing preferably occurring in two stages between which printing is effected, and the latter stages being sometimes employed as a blanking-feed for passing over printed headings on a web or for ejecting a sheet. The mechanism may be associated with means for stopping the machine when a predetermined number of items have been printed. The mechanism shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 9 is included in a record-card controlled statistical machine such as is described in Specification 183,867, [Class106 (i), Calculating &c.], and comprises paper-feed rollers A, C and B, D which are arranged above the platen 21 and are revoluble on shafts 28, 29 respectively, the pairs A, B and C, D being geared together by pinions 32. The shaft 28 is mounted in pivoted arms 34, Fig. 4, connected to springs 36 which hold the rollers A, C in contact with the rollers B, D, release being effected by turning a rod 37 having a flat 38 thereon. The rollers C, D and A, B are provided with axially movable clutches E, F and G, H operated by hand-levers 45 and 49 respectively. A pinion 69 having pawl- and -ratchet connection 55<1> to the shaft 28 is geared by pinions 68, 67, 66, Fig. 4, to a sector 51 secured to a rocking frame 70, ratchet-teeth 75 on the sector cooperating with a pawl 74 on a rocking arm 73. A link 95 connects the arm to a lever 94 operated by a one-revolution cam 92 which is loosely mounted on a constantly rotating shaft 91 and is provided with a pawl 96 for engaging a ratchetwheel 89 on the shaft, the pawl being normally held by the armature 100 of a magnet 97. At each item-printing operation, the magnet is energized and the pawl couples the cam, whereupon the sector is advanced by the pawl, and the shaft 28 receives line-spacing feed. After one revolution of the cam, the pawl is released by the armature and the cam stops, rebound being prevented by a pivoted arm 102 and a co-operating pin 101 on the cam. The frame 70 is returned by a spring 108, shock being absorbed by a spring- resisted plunger 105 operated by a pin 107 on the frame. The line-spacing feed is adjusted by means of a shield 76 arranged in the path of the pawl 74 and secured to a rocking arm 77 which is adjustable by a finger 80 arranged over a scale 81. A pawl 78 retains the arm 77 in the set position. A pinion 52 having ratchet-and-pawl connection 55 to the shaft 29 engages a sector 50 secured to a rocking frame 120 and having ratchet-teeth 119 for engaging a pawl 118 on a rocking arm 117 connected to the arm 73, a pawl 125 normally co-operating with the ratchet-teeth to retain the sector in its successive positions. A shield 121 for the pawl is secured to a rocking arm 122 which is adjustable by a finger-piece 123 arranged over the scale 81, and is retained by means of a pawl 124. A rocking arm 141 is connected by a link 140 to a lever 139 operated by a one-revolution cam 135 which, at each totalprinting operation, is coupled to a ratchet-wheel 90 on the shaft 91 by a pawl 137 controlled by the armature 138 of a magnet 133. The frame 120 is connected to a returning-spring 130 and is associated with a spring-resisted plunger 131 for absorbing shock. The circuits of the magnets 133, 91 include contacts controlled by cams, and contacts 113, 146 which are closed by a rocking contact-arm 115 when the machine is in listing and non-listing condition respectively, the contact-arm being connected by a link 149 to an operating-arm 150. If the clutch-levers 45, '49 are moved towards each other, the rollers A, C are clutched to the shaft 28, and the sector 51 is operative to impart at each item-printing operation a predetermined line-spacing feed to separate webs 19 or sheets' passing between the pairs A, B and C, D of rollers, or a single wide sheet or web passing between both pairs. For stopping the machine when a predetermined number of items has been printed, the sector 50 is provided with an adjustable block 126, Fig. 3, adapted to rock a bell-crank 127, 128 and thereby open contacts 129 in the motor-circuits of the machine. The block is arranged in a groove in the frame 120 of the sector and is secured by a screw 143, a pointer on the block being set with reference to a scale indicating the number of items, and the shield 121 being so adjusted that the sector is advanced one tooth at each operation. When it is desired to distinguish totals by abnormal spacing or to impart a blanking-feed to the paper, line-spacing is effected by the sector 50, the clutch-levers 45, 49 being moved away from each other to clutch the rollers B, D to the shaft 29, and the pawl 125 being released and retained by a catch 132 to permit of return of the sector after each operation by the pawl 118. When totalprinting is initiated, the magnet 133 is energized and the cam 135 is effective to depress the arm 141 which thereupon co-operates with the block 126 to depress the sector and impart an abnormal feed movement to the rollers. The cam is formed with two cam-parts 135<a>, 135<c> separated bv a dwell 135<b>, the arrangement causing the feed to occur in two stages separated by an interval for printing. The first stage is varied by adjusting the block. The second stage may be employed as a blanking-feed for passing over printed headings on a web, or for discharging sheets from the rollers. When the block 126 is set in the above-described manner to predetermine the number of items that can be printed, the arm 141 is enabled by co-operating with the block 126 to complete the predetermined feed-movement if a total is printed before all the items are printed. A finger 144 on the arm co-operates with a lug 145 to release the pawl 125 and permit the sector to return to normal position. When it is required' to list totals only, the rollers A, C or B, D are clutched to the shaft 28 or 29 and th lever 115 is moved to close the non-listing contact 146, the pawl 125 being simultaneously released from the sector 50 by means of the link 149. When the rollers B, D are employed the block 126 is removed to prevent stopping of the machine after the first total-printing operation. When it is required to list totals and items on separate sheets passing between the pairs A, D and B, C of rollers respectively, or vice versa, the rollers C, B are clutched to the shaft 28, 29 and at each item-printing and total-printing operation the segments 51 and 50 are enabled to operate the rollers B, C and A, D respectively. Feed-roller detents and couplings.-Aligning- wheels 57, 57<1>, Fig. 9, in connection with the above-described couplings 55, 55<1> for the feedroller shafts 29, 28 co-operate with detents 65, Fig. 3. To permit of fractional line-spacing by turning a knob 64 on the shaft 29, the knob is connected to the ratchet-wheel by means of a broad pinion 60 which is mounted on a loose sleeve 61 and engages pinions 62, 58 secured to the shaft and ratchet-wheel, the pinion 58 having fewer teeth than the pinion 62 and permitting of slight independent rotation of the shaft. A similar connection 61<1> is provided for a knob 64<1> on the shaft 28.