GB662441A - Improvements in or relating to numbering devices - Google Patents

Abstract

662,441. Number-printing devices. KODAK, Ltd. Oct. 3, 1949 [Oct. 7, 1948], No. 26161/48. Class 100 (ii). A portable numbering device comprises a casing 1 containing a drive means, such as an electric motor 13, for driving a feed drum 16 also mounted in the casing, the documents to be numbered being separately fed on to the drum 16, a numbering unit 22 non-rotatably mounted on a shaft 20 parallel to the drum axis and geared to the drive means to be driven through a friction clutch 28 on the shaft 20, the clutch 28 including a clutch plate 34 normally held against movement by a lever 35 which is rendered inoperative upon actuation by a document of a trip means 36 adjacent the drum 16. The feed drum 16 is frictionally driven by a number of 'spaced belts 15 passing round grooves in rollers 7, 8 and spring pressed tensioning rollers 17, the roller 7 being driven through pulleys 9, 11 and belt 10 from the motor 13, which is mounted in a separate compartment 14 of the casing 1 and which may be connected to the electric mains supply at 47 and operated by a switch 48. The numbering unit shaft 20 is of half-round section intermediate its ends and supports a forked block 21 between the forks of which is mounted a known type of rotary numbering unit 22 including a shift mechanism arm 23 which is moved after each stamping operation to advance the number by one unit. When the numbering unit 22 is in the rest position it bears against an inking pad 26 rotatably supported on a stub shaft 27 carried by a triangular plate 24 loosely mounted on the shaft 20 and a tubular bar 25 secured to the side plates 2, 3 of the casing 1. The shaft 20 is journalled in the side plates 2, 3 and is coupled to the driven roller 7 through the clutch mechanism 28 and a reduction gearing 29-33. The mechanism 28 is as described in Specification. 648,705 and is arranged so that the shaft 20 is not rotated by the gearing 29-33 when the clutch plate 34 is held by the lever 35, the plate 34 being released when a document is fed through an opening 45 in the casing, and under a pressure plate 46 onto the belts 15, the tripping means 36 comprising projections on a plate 37 extending into the path of the document. The plate 37 is supported in a block 38 keyed to a shaft 39, a spring 40 holding the block against a stop 41 with the projections in the document path. The lever 35 is pivoted midway at 42 and is linked by an arm 43 to a rotatable member 44 fixed to the shaft 39, the slight movement of the trip means 36 moving the latching end 35a away from a lug 34a on the clutch plate 34, and into the path of a shorter lug 34b which stops the plate 34 when the numbering unit has almost completed one revolution. The block 21. may be laterally adjustable, a spring pressed plunger 50 engaging suitable notches on the shaft 20. A part of the clutch 28 may be adjustable relative to the shaft 20 to preadjust the distance of the number stamped from the leading edge of the document, a scale being provided on the casing 1 to indicate such distances. The adjustment may be effected by a key 57 to loosen and retighten a screw 56 securing the boss 59 of clutch 28 to the shaft, the shaft being rotated by the pointer 60 on the scale to the required distance. The feed drum shaft 16a is slidably mounted against the action of springs 62 in guide rods 61 so as to accommodate different thicknesses of documents. The pressure plate 46 has leaf springs 46a for guiding the documents under a second plate 67 carrying spring arms 68 and rollers 69 and a deflector member 70 is provided to guide'the numbered documents to a photographic copying or like apparatus, such as is described in Specification 648,296, [Group XX].