US1209416A - Platen for address-printers and the like. - Google Patents

Description

J. S. DUNCAN.

PLATEN FOR ADDRESS PRINTERS AND THE LIKE.

- APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28.1915.

1,209,416. D Patented De0.19,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

[III/ Ilium J. S. DUNCAN.

PLATEN FOR ADDRESS PRINTERS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28,1915.

Patented Dec. 19, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- awn snares manna oration.

JOSEPH S. DUNCANQOF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ADDRESSOGRAPH COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PLATEN FOR ADDRESS-PRINTERS AND THE LIKE.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 11%16.

Application filed June 28, 1915. Serial No. 36,694.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH S. DUNCAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Platens for Address- Printers and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to platens for printing machines and more particularly to a multi-faced platen, especially adapted for use with address printers, although obviously applicable to other printing machines where it is desirable to accomplish a result similar to that about to be described.

Address printing devices generally carry, in addition to the name and address of an individual, the proper Salutation to be used in filling in letters, as well as other data and classification marks which are to be printed on, certain classes of matter. For example, in'addressing an envelop, only the name and address of the individual should be printed; in filling in a letter, the salutation should also be printed; in printing certain kinds of statements, the name, address and certain additional data should be printed but the Salutation omitted, and in printing an index card, which is usually attached to the print ing device, all of the information on the printing device should be printed.

Address printers and similar machines, as previously constructed, have been generally provided with a single platen, so that it has been impossible to rapidly print at will various combinations of the items of information appearing on a single printing device.

It is the object of my invention to provide means, whereby a plurality of platens, which may present surfaces of varying area and relative position, may be used in connection with address printers and similar machines, the desired platen being selectively and quickly movable 'to operative position and the inoperative platens being so disposed as not to interfere with the operation of the machine.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent as it is better understood by reference to the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation partially in section illustrating an address printer equipped with my improved platen; Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a plan view of a printing device, showing the arrangement of the address and other information thereon, and Figs. 6,7, 8 and 9 are plan views of the separate faces of the platen, illustrating the manner .of cutting the platen faces to present surfaces of varying area and relative position, particularly with reference to the printing device shown in Fig. 5, so that only the desired portions of the information carried by the printing device will be printed.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates the platen arm of an address printer which in the present instance is illustrated as pivotally mounted at 2 on a base 3, it being understood, however, that this is merely illustrative and that the platen which forms the subject-matter of my invention may be supported in any suitable manner. A bed 4: is illustrated which supports the printing device 5 beneath a ribbon 6, serving to transfer an impression from a printing device 5 to the impression-receiving material when the latter is disposed above the ribbon 6 and the platen is caused to descend and strike an impression-forming blow thereon.

Secured in any suitable manner to the platen arm 1 is a supporting head Z, provided with oppositely disposed bearings-'8 adapted to receive the ends of the shaft'9. The bearings 8 are semi-circular in form, as

. clearly shown in Fig. 3, and on either side thereof the head 7 is provided with guide members 10, so that the shaft may move outwardly from the bearings 8, but will be maintained in proper alinement therewith. Disposed within suitable openings 11 in the head 7 are a pair of springs 12, one end 13 of each of which is disposed about the shaft 9 while the other ends 14 are secured to'suitable members 15 seated in the ends of the for f'the operator.

openings 11. The springs 12 are normally under tension and maintain the shaft 9 in close engagement with the bearings S.

Secured to the shaft 9 is a rectangular platen ,member 16, provided with a plurality of resilient faces 17, preferably of rubber, which may be cut,'as will presently be described, to present surfaces of varying area and relative position. Secured to the end of the shaft 9 is a knurled button 9, whereby the shaft may be manually rotated,

carrying with it the platen member 16. The

frame 7 is provided with shoulders 19, which. cooperate with the faces of the platen member 16 to maintain it in proper relation to the frame and to take up the thrust when the platen is moved into printing position. The corners 20 of the platen member 16 are slightly rounded and act as cams to force the shaft 9 away from the bearings 8 when the shaft is rotated to place a new platen. face in operative position. Each side of the platen member 16, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing, is provided with two resilient faces, the shorter face 18 at the left of the figure being intended to cooperate with a separate printing device (not shown) which may bear a date or other information. It is to be understood that this portion of the platen may be omitted if desired.

Referring to Fig. 5 of the drawing, 21 indicates a metal base adapted to receive a metal printing plate 22 having printing characters forced up from the body of the metal. The base 21 is also provided with means to retain a card 23 upon which has been printed the matter carried by the printing plate 22 and which serves as an index The particular form of printing device described is one well-known in the art and is illustrative merely of a class of printing devices of-which there are many well-known forms. The printing device forms no part of my present invention but is illustrated in order that the operation of my improved platen may be clear.-

As will be noted from an inspection of Fig. 5 the printing device carries the name and address of an individual, the Salutation, certain data illustrated in the upper left hand corner of the figure and the index reference X shown at the right in the figure. To print all of the information carried by the printing device a platen of full size is required and hence one of the resilient faces of the platen member 16 may remain uncut, as shown at 17 in Fig. 6. To fill in a letter it is desirable to eliminate all of the matter other than the name, address and salutation, and hence another face of the platen member 16 is cut, as indicated at 17 in Fig. 7, the portions in dotted lines being removed. To print certain classes of notices it is desirable to print the name, address and the information shown in the upper left hand corner of Fig. 5 but omitting the Salutation and for this purpose one of the faces of the platen member 16 is cut as indicated at 17 in Fig. 8, the portions outside the full lines being removed. Finally to print an envelop it is desirable to print. only the name and address and one of the faces 17 of the platen member 16 is cut as indicated at 17 in Fig. 9. It will be seen, therefore, that by rotating the shaft 9 by means of the button 9 it is possible to present platen faces having surfaces 'of varying area and relative position. This provides material advantages, since I am enabled to rapidly change the character of the platen to' print selected portions of the matter on the printing device and hence a printing machine equipped with my platen has a much wider range of use than a machine provided with but a single platen and requiring separate printing devices to print different classes of matter. The position of the data on the printing device may obviously be varied to meet the individual needs of the user and it is to be understood that the platen faces shown in Figs. 6 to 9 are illustrative merely and may be varied=in accordance with the character of the matter carried by the printing device.

It will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, or sacrificing any of its material advantages, the foi'in hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A platen for address printers and the like, comprising a rigid supporting head. bearings therein, a shaft rotatably mounted on said bearings and movable with respect to said head, resilient means to maintain said shaft in engagementv with said bearings, a member secured to said shaft and. provided with a plurality of resilient faces, and means for rotating said shaft to selectively place one of said faces-in operative position.

2. A platen for address printers and the like, comprising a rigid supporting head, bearings therein, elongated guide members at either side of each of said bearings, a shaft rotatably mountedin said bearings and movable therefrom between said guide members, springs normally maintaining said shaft in engagement with said bearings, a member secured to said shaft and having a plurality of resilient faces, and means for rotating said shaft to selectively place one of said faces in operative position.

3. A platen for address printers and the like, comprising a rigid supporting head, bearings therein, elongated guide members at either side of each of said bearings, a

shaft rota-tably mounted in said bearings and movable therefrom between said guide members, springs to in 5 gu ing normally maintain said shaft engagement with sand bearlngs, a rectanlar member secured to said shaft and havapt-ed to be so cut as to present surfaces a plurality of resilient faces, each of varying area and relative position, and means for rotating said shaft to selectlvely place one of said faces in operative posi-

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