GB956074A - Improvements in or relating to printing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

956,074. Printing machines. ENGLISH NUMBERING MACHINES Ltd. April 9, 1963 [April 10, 1962], No. 13713/62. Headings B6B, B6C and B6F. A printing apparatus, more particularly for printing on cheques information which can be sensed, comprises two cylinders 2, 3, Fig. 1, one cylinder 3 carrying settable typewheels 102, Fig. 7, having direct-reading type and the other cylinder 2 having an inking means extending over a peripheral portion there-of the inking means being brought into alignment with the set type faces once during each revolution of the cylinders so that sheets guided to the nip of the cylinders are printed by being pressed against the inking means by the set type faces. Driving arrangements; tripping; feeding sheets.-The sheets are fed to the nip of the cylinders 2, 3 through a shoot 7, 8, the plate 7 of which extends upwardly as shown. The other plate 8 is coplanar with a transparent plate 11 which is pivoted at 12 so that it can be moved adjacent to the extension of the plate 7. Feed rollers 45 project through slots 46 in the extension and feed the sheets when the plate 11 has been moved as already mentioned. The rollers 45 and cylinders 2, 3 are geared to a shaft 16 driven non-slip by a ribbed-belt 18 and blocktoothed wheel 21 from a motor-driven shaft 23 through a one-revolution clutch 22 the controlling pawl-lever 25 of which is fixed to a lever 26 pivoted to a bar 28 slidable between rollers 31. Pins 35 on the bar 28 project, in the rest position, through holes in the plates 7, 11 and support and register the front edge of a sheet inserted between the plates. The bar 28 is connected to the plate 11 by a link 37, Fig. 4 (not shown), so that when the plate 11 is moved adjacent to the plate 7 after insertion of a sheet, the bar 28 is moved to withdraw the pins 35 and to release the clutch 22, and at the same time to close a micro-switch in series with the motor. Upon manual closing of a motor main-switch, the sheet, which was held between the rollers 45 and plate 11, is fed forward and the cylinders 2, 3 rotated through one revolution to effect printing. Ink-ribbon mechanism. The inking mechanism comprises an ink-ribbon 67 which passes from a supply roll 66 through slots 71, 72, in a pad 55 of chrome-nickel steel or over a narrow pressure bar with a facing of elastomeric material, to a rewind roll 68. The roller 68 is driven frictionally from ribbon-feed roll 74 itself driven frictionally from a co-operating feed roll 73. A ratchet-disc on the shaft 86 of the roll 73 is engaged by a detent pawl 88, and by a pawl 92 carried by a lever 93 connected to links 94, 95, the connecting point of which extends beyond the cylinder surface. Once during each revolution of the cylinders 2, 3, the links 94, 95 are moved inwardly by the cylinder 3 to operate the pawl 92 and cause the ribbon to be stepped forward. Tensioning rollers 75, 76 for the ribbon are carried by levers 77, 78 acted upon by a spring 81 tending to move the rollers away from one another. The pad 55 is carried by arms 56 slotted to pass over the cylinder shaft 4 and having at their ends a bridge member 58 engaged by a spring 61 which moves the pad so that its surface is just outside the surface of the cylinder. Such radial movement of the pad is limited by stops 62, 63; rocking movement is limited or eliminated by stops 65 engaging the ends 64 of the bridge member 58. Index setting; aligning for impression.-Each typewheel 102 has secured thereto a toothed wheel 105 engaged by a detent spring 106 for correctly registering the wheels as they are set. Another pawl member carries one pawl projection 109 for each wheel 105 and is held normally by a spring 111 so that it is disengaged from the wheels but engages a cam part on the shaft 5. When the machine is set in operation, the cam part causes the projections to be moved into positive engagement with the wheels 105 thus locking the type-wheels. Types.-The faces of the type are curved to conform with the curvature of the cylinder 2. Printing on two or more sets of sheets &c.- More than one ribbon cylinder 2 co-operating with a single printing cylinder 3 or more than one printing cylinder co-operating with one ribbon cylinder 2 may be provided to enable tally strips or other documents to be printed in addition to the sheets or cheques. Non-selectable printing.-In addition to the typewheels, the cylinder 3 may carry fixed printing slugs 112 (Fig. 8, not shown). Mounting printing and impression cylinders.- The end-plates of the cylinders 2, 3 have on their outer faces tapered sectors 51, 99, Fig. 8 (not shown), engaging annular grooves in the machine housing.