US1111020A - Ticket-printing machine. - Google Patents

Description

F. W. HOEFER.

TICKET PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAB. s. 1913.

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4 SHEETS-SHEET 1 F. W. HOEFER. TIGKET PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAILB. 1913.

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Zhaoeticf THE NORRIS PETERS CO, PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON, Dv C F. W. HOEPER.

TICKET PRINTING MACHINE. APPLIGATION FILED MARJS, 1913. 1, 1 1 1,020, Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

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APPLICATION FILED MAR. s, 1913.

1 1 1 1 ,020, Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

THE NORRIS PETERS co. PHOTOLlTHo., WAN- INGTON, D Cv 'onrrnn s'rarnsgarrn'r ornrc.

FREDERICK W. HOEFER, OF FREEPORT, ILLINOIS.

TICKET-PRINTING ,MACI-IINE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Fnnonnron W. Honrnn,

class, it is customary to provide the cashier with a roll of printed tickets, and one ticket is sold to each person entering the theater.

Thus, if five persons enter together, five tickets would be issued to them. I propose to issue a single ticket to a group of several persons entering the theater at the same time. Thus, when a person wishes to pay for admission for five people for example, a'

single ticket with the figure 5 printed thereon will be issued to him.

My invention contemplates the provision of a machine by which the tickets may be printed as used, and which is arranged to print any desired number, within the capacity of the machine, upon the ticket, this being controlled by the operator at the time the ticket is printed.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a machine of this character in which a web of paper is fed forwardly from a roll thereof, and the tickets are cut from the web, printed with the desired number, and discharged from the machine by a simple movement of an operating element.

'Lnother object of the invention is to provide me hanism by which the total sum of the numbers printed upon the tickets, as' dlstlnguished from the number of singletickets issued, will be accurately registered.

It is also an object of the invention. to provide a machine of this character which is simple in construction, and inexpensive to manufacture, and which is strong and durable, so that it will stand the rough usage which it is apt to receive in practice.

The invention further refers to the advantageous shape and arrangement of the elements and to other details, which will be fully set forth in the following description.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a side elevation, with one wallof the housing removed and with parts in section,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 6, 1913.

Patented sea. 22, 191a.

Serial No. 752,263.

illustrating a ticket-printing machine embodying the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmental top plan view, a portion of the housing being broken away to illustrate the mechanism. Fig. 3 is an elevation from the front end of the machine being partially 1n section on line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. t is a vertical section taken substantially on line l t of Fig. 2. Figs. 5 and 6 are sections on lines 5-5 and (56, respectively, of Fig. 2, and show the mechanism in different positions. Fig. 7 is a detail view illustrating a portion of the register mechanism.

My invention is susceptible of various modifications in its embodiment, and while I will herein show and describe the embodiment which I prefer, I would have it understood that I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to such embodiment.

The machine comprises a suitable housing consisting of a base 10, a pair of side walls 11 and 12, and a wall 13 which, in the present instance, forms the top and the end walls of the housing. The base 10 is in the form of a rectangular frame, and the sides are secured to the base in any suitable way. The wall 18 may be conveniently formed of sheet metal, and the side walls may be clamped together to hold said wall 13 in place by any preferred means herein shown as one or more screws or bolts lt.

The roll of paper 15 from which the tickets are to be out has its core rotatably mounted upon a shaft 16 which is mounted in the sides 11 and 12 of the housing. In the present instance, each side wall has a hollow boss 17 extending inwardly therefrom and holding the roll of paper in central position. The shaft 16 extends through these bosses. The web a from this roll passes through a feeding device, thence through a cutting device, and into position to be printed. The feeding and cutting devices comprise a horizontal table 18 extending between a pair of upstanding brackets 19, said table and brackets being in the present instance cast integral with the base 10. A sheet metal plate 20 is fixed upon the upper side of this table, and its forward end extends beyond the forward edge of the table. A. spring-retaining clip 21 is mounted above the plate 20, and the web of paper a passes between the plate 20 and said retaining clip. This clip is herein shown as consisting of a piece of sheet metal bifurcated to form two arms resting at their forward ends severed to form a ticket.

printing devices. A coiled torsion spring later described.

upon the web of paper, the rear portion of said plate being bent around a shaft 22 and a rod 23, which shaft and rod are mounted in the brackets 19. The clip is thus placed under tension so that it frictionally binds against the web of paper. One of the brack ets 19 has an upward extension 19 thereon in which is fixed a horizontal pivot pin 24. A bell-crank lever 25 is pivoted upon this pin, and to the downwardly extending arm of said lever is pivoted a dog 26 arranged to travel back and forth between the arms of the clip 21 as the bell crank lever is oscil lated, and intermittently engage the web of paper to feed it forwardly to the cutting and 27, carried by the bell crank, tends to hold the dog in its gripping position. The upper arm of the bell-crank is engaged by means to be later described for oscillating the bellcrank. V I

The movable element of the cutting device is pivoted upon the shaft 22, and comprises a U-shaped member 28 consisting of a base 29 and arms 30 which lie at the outer sides of the brackets 19 and are mounted upon said shaft 22. A torsion spring 31 has its arms bearing respectively against the base 10 and one of the arms 30 and tends to hold the cutter in its uppermost position. A stop lug 32, on the base member 29, is arranged to engage the underside of the table 18 to limit the upward movement of the cutter device.

A knife blade 33 has its ends mounted upon the forward ends of the arms 30, said blade having in this instance elongated openings through which screws 34 pass into the arms 30. A pair of adjusting screws 35, threaded in lugs 36 upon the arms 30, and bearing against the rear edge of the movable blade 33, provides means for adjusting said knife blade to the proper position. The means,for depressing the blade 33 will be A stationary knife blade 37 to cooperate with the blade 33 is fixed upon the rear side of the impression platen 38 of the printing mechanism. Said impression platen may be castintegral with the base 10 and comprises in the present instance a. substantially horizontal top or impression surface, substantially vertical sides, and a downwardly and forwardly inclined face or chute leading from the forward edge of the platen. As will be clearly understood from Figs. 5 and 6, the web of paper G extends over the base 29 of the pivoted cutter device, beneath the movable cutter blade 33, and above the'stationa-ry blade 37 and the platen 38. Thus when the pivoted cutter device descends, a section of the web will be It will be noted that the movable blade 33 is inclined slightly with relation to the stationary bladelto imsure a better cutting action, A rock shaft 39 (Fig. 4) is mounted in the sides of the platen and has an annular upwardly extending arm 40 on one end. A dog 41 is fixed upon said rock shaft between the sides of the platen, the point of said dog project- I and printed. ticket, and under the influence of the spring 43 will swing forwardly and eject the ticket from the machine. The for- 7 ward portion of the wall 13 terminates a short distance above the inclined forward face of the platentoprovide a discharge opening 44 for the tickets. 7

The movable portion of the printing mechanism is mounted for vertical move ment above the platen 3S, and comprises a casting or bracket 50 having bearings 51 which are slidableupon a vertical guide post 52, the lower end of which is rigidly fixed in the base 10. A horizontal shaft 53 is rotatably mounted in a bearing in this bracket, and upon said shaft at the inner side of. said bracket is fixed a printing wheel 54. This wheel in the present instance is of eightsided form, although the number of sides may, of course, be varied to suit requirements. In each of the sides of the wheel is mounted a type which preferably consists of a rubber type block 55 fixed in a recess in the face of the wheel. The types used for the purpose heretofore explained are numerals running from 1 to 8 in the present machine. A type block 56 (Fig. 3) may also be seated in the lower end of the bracket 50, the type thereof lying in the same horizontal plane as the lowermost type on the wheel 54. The type block 56may be arrangedto print the name ofthe theater on each ticket.

A handle 57, fixed uponthe shaft 53, provldes means for turning said shaft to bring the desired type on the wheel into printing position and for depressing the bracketbO to move the types 55 and 56 into engagement with the ticket upon the platen. A slot 58 in the side wall 11 permits of thisvertical movement of the handle. The'opposite end of the shaft 53 lies between a pair of guide ribs 59 upon the side wall 12. A springpressed plunger 60, mounted in the bracket 50, is arranged to enter any one of a series of recesses 61 in the side of the printing wheel to hold the wheel in the position in which it has been set. A rearwardly projecting bifurcated lug 62 on the bracket 50 is arranged to embrace the angular upper of the bell-crank 25., so that the H feeding dog 26 will be oscillated by the ver tical movement of the printing device. Near the lower limit of movement of the bracket 50 a lug 68 thereon engages the arm 10 to move the ticket-ejecting dog 11 rearwardly. Similarly a lug (it engages the movable knife blade 33 and depresses said blade. The printing device is automatically returned to its uppermost position after a depression of the handle 57 by the operator, by means of a coiled spring 65 mounted upon a lug 66 on the side wall 11 of the housing, one arm 67 of said spring engaging in an opening 68 (Fig. 4) in the bracket 50, and the other arm 69 of said spring bearing against the boss 17 upon the side wall 11 alongside the roll of paper.

The means for inking the type comprises an inking roller 70 which may be of felt or any suitable material, said roller being rotatably carried by the lower end of an arm 71 which is pivoted at its upper end upon a stationary shaft '7 2 fixed in the side wall 12 of the housing. The arm 71 has a cam portion 78 hearing against the hub of the printing wheel 54, so that when the print-.

iug wheel is moved downwardly, the arm will be swung forwardly (to the left Figs. and 6) to carry the inking roller along the face of the lowermost type, the roller moving across the path and then to one side A coiled torsion spring 74, having one end engaging the arm 71 and its other end secured to a of the descending printing wheel.

pin on the shaft 72, tends to maintain the cam portion of the arm 71 in engagement with the hub of the printing wheel.-

Mechanism is provided for recording the number of persons to whom tickets are is sued; that is to say, for recording the sums of the numbers printed upon the tickets issued. This mechanism comprises a register 80 which is mounted upon the upward extension 19 of one of the brackets 19, said register comprising a rotary shaft 81 upon which a pinion 82 is fixed. A bracket 83 (Fig. 7) is mounted for sliding movement upon a vertical guide post 8 1 having its lower end fixed in the base 10. Said bracket carries a vertical rack bar 85 meshing with the pinion 82 of the register. A coiled tension spring 86, having its ends fixed respectively to said bracket and to a pin 87 seated in the upper end of the post 84, tends to hold said bracket in its uppermost position. At the lower end of this bracket is an angular arm 88, the end of which lies in a vertical plane beneath the axis of the printing wheel shaft 53. A disk 89, fixed upon said shaft 88, has upon its outer face a series of numbers 90 corresponding to the numbers on the printing wheel, but inversely arranged, that is to say, the numbers 1 and 5 upon the printing wheel being opposite each other, when the number 1 is to be printed, it will be at the lower side of the wheel, whereas the corresponding number 1 on the disk 89 will be at the upper side of said disk. In other words, the disk 89 is fixed on the shaft with any given number at a diametrically opposite position to the corresponding number on the printing wheel. In the present instance the side wall 11 has an offset portion 11 (see Fig. 2) to receive the disk 89 and permit the vertical movement thereof. An opening 91 (Fig. 3) in the offset portion 11 of the housing gives a view of the number in the uppermost position on the disk, which number indicates the number in printing position upon the printing wheel. The register 80 projects through an opening 92 (Figs. 2 and 4;) in the side wall 11, so that it may be read from the outside of the machine.

The disk 89 is provided on its rear face with a series of lugs 93 spaced radially according to the numbers on the forward face of said disk. Said lugs, however, are spaced at different distances from the axis of the disk. As the handle 57 is depressed by the operator, one of the lugs 93 is moved into engagement with the arm 88 on the bracket 83, so that the rack bar 85 will actuate the register 80. A horizontal arm 9% which may be formed of wire has one end seated in the upper portion of the bracket 83. The other end of said arm is arranged to enter between two teeth of the register pinion 82 at the end of downward travel of said bracket to prevent accidental overrunning of the register shaft. The length of movement imparted to said rack bar depends upon which one of the lugs 93 is in position to engage the arm 88. The location of the lugs is so related to the number on the printing wheel that when the number 1 is to be printed, the lug nearest the center of the disk will be in position to engage the arm 88. lVit-h this position of the parts, as clearly indicated in Fig. 7, there will be a considerable amount of lost motion of the lug before it comes into engagement with the arm, and, therefore, said arm will be depressed only a short distance, and the register will record only 1. If, however, the number 8 on the printing wheel is in printing position, the lug 93 which is farthest from the axis of the disk 89 will lie immediately above the arm 88, so that when the handle 57 is depressed, said lug will immediately engage said arm, the rack bar 85 will be given its maximum movement, and the register will record 8. It will thus be seen that an exact record is made of the number of persons whom the issued tickets entitle to entrance to the theater.

In use, the machine will be placed upon a suitable support in the ticket sellers booth. When the patron wishes to purchase any number of tickets, say for example five, the

cashier will rotate the handle 57 to bring the number 5 on the indicator disk 89 into an uppermost position where it can be seen through the sight opening 91. This will position the figure 5 on the printing wheel in its lowermost or printing position. The handle is then depressed, and in its downward movement the inking roller 70 will be carried across the face of the type 5 on the wheel and the type block 56 in the lower end of the bracket 50 to ink the types. As the bracket 50 descends, the bellcrank lever will be swung to carry the feeding dog 26 rearwardly to grip a fresh portion of the web of paper a, and as said racket nears its lowermost position, the lug 6i thereon will engage the knife blade 33- to depress said blade and commence severing the ticket from the web. When the bracket reaches the limit of its downward movement, the ticket will have been completely severed, and the type will, be in contact with the ticket lying on the impression surface 38. At this time the ejector dog will have been swung downwardly by the lug 63 on the bracket 50, so that when the bracket is again moved upwardly, said dog will' engage the ticket andswing forwardly to eject the ticket through the discharge opening 44. In its upward movement the bracket 50 swings the bell-crank lever 25 and causes the feeding dog 26 to engage the web a and feed forward a fresh portion thereof above the impression platen 38. In each downward movement of the bracket 50 the proper one of the lugs 93 on the disk 89 will engage the bracket 83 and move the rack bar 85 the proper distance to cause the register 80 to register the number printed.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a ticket-printing machine, in combination, a horizontally elongated housing, means in one end of said housing for supporting a roll of paper, vertical guide means in the opposite end of said housing, abracket mounted for vertical rectilinear reciprocation along said guide means, a horizontal shaft rotatably mounted in said bracket, a printing wheel fixed on said shaft and having a plurality of types on its periphery, a handle fixed on said shaft for rotating said shaft and for vertically sliding said bracket,

said handle extending outside of said housing, a stationary horizontal impression element positioned beneath said printing wheel and adapted to cooperate with the latter in printing, means located between the roll of paper and. said impression element for intermittently feeding the web from said roll onto said impression element, and means for severing the web to form tickets.

2. In amachine of the character described, the combination of a stationary impression element having a horizontal surface, a printing device mounted for vertical reciproca the web from said roll extends, a pivoted lever directly engaged by said printing device and carrying a pivoted feed dog for engaging the web on said feed table and feeding it onto said surface, a stationary knife blade fixed on said impression element, a pair of arms pivoted at one end on said feed table, a knife blade carried by the opposite ends of said arms, said web being fed between said blades, and a projection on said printing device arranged to swing said arms downwardly to sever theweb.

3. In a ticket-printingmachine, in combination, a base, a vertical guide post mounted therein, a bracket slidably mounted on said post and having a horizontal bearing, a rotary shaft mounted in said bearing, a printing wheel fixed on said shaft and having a plurality of types on its periphery, a handle fixed on said shaft for rotating said wheel and vertically sliding said bracket, an approximately horizontal feed table, a bellcrank lever pivoted at its angle above said feed table, and a feed dog pivoted on the downwardly extending arm of said lever and cooperating with said table to feed the web of paper, the laterally extending arm of said bell-crank lever engaging with said bracket and being operable by the vertical movement of said bracket.

4-. In a ticket-printing machine, in combination, printing means including a stationary element having a horizontal impression surface and having a slot in said surface, said printing means further comprising a printing device vertically -movable above said surface, means for placing tickets on said surface, a rock shaft mounted in said element and having an arm arranged tobe directly engaged by said vertically movable printing device to rock said shaft in one direction, a spring tending to rock the shaft in the opposite direction, and an ejector dog fixed on said shaft and projecting through said slot to engage the printed tickets and eject them. 7 a

5. In a ticketprinting machine, in combination, a base having a horizontal impression element and having a vertical guide ad jacent to said element, a bracket mounted for vertical reciprocation on said guide above said element, a rotary horizontal shaft mounted in said bracket, a printing Wheel fixed on saidshaft,'a handle fixed on said shaft for rotating said printing Wheel and for vertically sliding said bracket, means for supporting a roll of paper, a feed table over which the web from said roll extends, a bellcrank lever pivoted above said feed-table, and engaging with said bracket for opera tion thereby, a feed-dog pivoted on said bellcrank lever and cooperating with said feedtable, a stationary knife-blade between said feed-table and said impression element, a movable knife blade, and a lug on said bracket arranged to engage said movabie knife blade and push itv downwardly to sever the web.

6. In a ticket-printing machine, a housing having a vertical guide therein, a bracket vertically slidable along said guide, a horizontal shaft rotatably mounted in said bracket, a printing wheel fixed on said shaft and having a plurality of types on its periphery, said housing having a slot through which said shaft projects and in which the shaft travels in the reciprocation of said bracket, a handle fixed on said shaft for rotating said printing wheel and for sliding said bracket, said housing having a sight opening therein above said slot, and an indicator disk fixed on said shaft and. having characters thereon corresponding with those 1 sing wheel, said disk being positioned on the shaft with respect to said printing wheel that the character visible through said sight opening will be the charactor on the printing wheel which is in. printing position.

7. In a ticket-printing machine, in combi nation, printing means including a hori- Zontal impression element and a vertically reciprocable printing device, a feed table, means for intermittently feeding a web of paper over said table and onto said impre sion element, a pair of arms positioned at opposite sides of said table, and being pivoted at their ends distant from said impression element at a point close to the upper face of said table, a knife blade rigidly carried by the free ends of said arms and lying above the web of paper, and a stationary cooperating knife blade positioned at the rear side of said impression element beneath the web of paper.

8. In a ticket-printing machine, in combination, printing means including a hori-- zontal impression element and a vertically reciprocable printing device, a feed table, means for intermittently feeding a web of paper over said table and unto said impression element, a stationary knife blade positioned rearwardly of said impression element and beneath the web of paper, and a movable cutting device comprising a pair of arms positioned atopposite sides of said table, and being pivoted at their ends distant from said impression element at a point close to the upper face of said table, and a knife blade rigidly mounted on the free ends of said arms and arranged to coiiperate with said stationary blade to sever the web, said reciprocatory printing device having a portion arranged to engage said movable cutting device to swing the latter downwardly and sever the web.

9. In a ticket-printing machine, in combination, printing means including a vertically movableportion, means for feeding a web of paper to said printing me ns, and means for severing the web comprising astationary vertically disposed knife blade, apair of horizontal pivoted arms between which the web is fed, an approximately horizontal blade rigidly mounted on the free ends of said arms to cotiperate with said stationary blade, means for adjusting the blade on said arms, and a spring tending to swing said arms upwardly, said arms being arranged to be swung downwardly to sever web by it by said vertically inc ta i portion id printing means.

10. In a ticket-printing machine, in combination, printing means including a horizontal impression element and a vertically reciprocable printing device, a feed table, a pair of arms pivoted at opposite sides of said feed table, a knife blade carried by the free ends of said arms, a stationary knife blade, a spring tending to swing said arms upwardly, a lug carried by said arms and engaging said feed table to limit such upward movement, said arms being. arranged to be swung downwardly by said reciprocatory printing device, and means for feeding a continuous web of paper over said feed table between said arms and between said knife blades to said printing means.

11. In ticket-printing machine, in combination, printing means, a feed table, a pair of arms pivoted at opposite sides of said table, a cross bar rigidly connecting the free ends of said arms, a spring tending to swing said arms upwardly, a lug on said cross bar engaging beneath said table to limit such upward movement, a knife blade adjustably mounted on said arms above said cross bar, means for feeding a continuous web of paper over said feed table between said arms and betweensaid cross bar and said knife blade to said printing means, and a stationary cutting element cooperating with said knife blade.

12. In a ticket-printing machine, in combination, printing means, a feed table, a bellcrank lever pivoted above said table, a dog pivoted on one arm of said lever and arranged to engage a web of paper on said table and feed it to said printing means when said lever is swung in one direction, a sheet metal clip positioned above said table and bearing down on the web to prevent movement thereof in the opposite direction, a stationary .knife blade, and a knife blade movably mounted on said feed table, said printing means having portions to engage said bell-crank lever and said movable knife blade for actuating them.

18. In a ticket-printing machine, in com bination, a horizontally elongated housing, a support for a roll of paper mounted in one end of said housing, a rotatable printing Wheel mounted for vertical sliding movement in the other end of said housing, 'a

feed table positioned between said roll of paper and said printing wheel, the Web of paper being fed from said roll over said table to said printing wheel, and means ment thereon, a printing wheel mounted above said element for vertical reciprocation, an axlal handle for both rotating and depressing'said *WllGBl, severing ineansiin-v eluding a pivoted knife mounted on said base and actuated bya' downward move ment :of said printing wheel, and means ac? I tuated during the upward movement of said wheel to feed a fresh portion'of paper onto said impression element.

In testimony whereof Iaflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

7 FREDERICK WV. HOEFER Witnesses: r V

I-LH. ANTRIM, F. H. ALTEMEIER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained forfive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of iifatentsJ} 1 Washington, D. G. I

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