US1377853A

US1377853A - Inking mechanism

Info

Publication number: US1377853A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arthur H Pitney
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1920-06-01
Filing date: 1920-06-01
Publication date: 1921-05-10
Anticipated expiration: 1938-05-10

Description

A. H. PITNEY.

INKING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I.

Patented my 19211.

L37'K53D 3 SHEETSSHEET l.

M mm. M w n a Wifuaoo A. H. PITNEY. INKING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JUNE I Patented May Mk, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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A. H. PITNEY.

I'NKING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNEI Patfimbed May MR, 119211.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

ARTHUR H. PITNEY, 0F WILMETTE, ILLTLNUIIS, ASSTGNOR TO PITNEY-BOWES EXPORT CORPORATION, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, A COBPORATEON OF DELAWARE.

INKING MECHANISM. I

Specification of Letters lPatent."

Patented may 10, rear,

Kiriginal application filed March 25, 1920, Serial No. 368,701. Divided "and. this application filed. June 1,

. 1920. Serial No. 385,681.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ARTHUR H. Frrnnr, a cltizen of the United States, residing at Wilmette, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Inking Mechanism; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This application is a division of my application for patent on postage meter and mail markin machine filed March 25th, 1920, Serial 0. 368,701 (Case 6424). The present invention relates to inking mechanism for mail marking machines and postage meters, for impressing stamps upon envelops, cards or the like of the type shown and described in my Patents No. 753,207, dated February 23, 1904, and No. 1,273,793,

dated July 23, 1918, and in my aforesaid application.

The objects of the present invention are to provide an adjustable supportv for the inking member, whereby it may be moved into position to contact with the printer or out of position to contact therewith; to provide novel means against which the inking roll may be set when out of position to engage the printer, and when so set will prop-r erly ink the printer when moved into inking position; and to provide novel means whereby the meter cannot be removed from, or replaced in, the machine unless the inking member is in inoperative positionthus insuring placing of the inking member in operative position before the machine can be efi'ectively operated.

The foregoing and other minor objects are attained by this invention, and the accompanying drawings illustrate one ractical embodiment of the invention, an I 'will hereinafter describe the same in detail with reference to such drawings; but the invention is not restricted to the specific constructions and combinations of parts shown, and includes such variations in form, arrangement and combination as fall within the sco e of the appended claims.

11 said drawings; Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detall view showing the supply roller in difi'erent positions by means of dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on line D 3-3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional plan of the tripmechanism.

Fig. 5 is a side view of Fig. 4. 4

General description.

ers

21, 22, hereinafter referred to, by which the letters are directed to and between the impression roller 137 and printer 38, hereinafter referred to, and after being postmark-stamped the letters are discharged between rollers 108 and 109 in front of the stacker wheel 110, by which they are stacked in the usual manner on a table or rack 111.

The aforesaid parts are all actuated in proper time with the mechanism hereinafterto be described but as they form no essential part of the present invention and are not claimed herein, ll have not explained or illustrated the same in detail herein.

The trip I mechanism.

The trip roller 22 is preferably journaled on a swingable support and guard 15, which has a part 15 which projects beyond the roller 22, and these parts are normally yieldingly pressed toward the roller 21 by a suitable spring, such as indicated at 22 in Fig.

'1. The shaft of the roller 21 is mounted in fixed bearings opposite the roller 22 andguard 15, and a fence or guide 16 is arranged beside and between the

rollers

21 and 22, beside the guard 15, and is slotted to accommoclate the

rollers

21 and 22 so as not to interfere with their contact with the letter passing between them.

A trip'finger 1 is pivoted on a spindle 27 and has a curved head or end 1 which projects in the path of the letter at the meeting line of the

rollers

21 and 22 so that a letter passing between these rollers, or between the fence 16 and guard 15 will strikethis trip finger and will oscillate spindle 27. To

spindle 27 is pinned and arm- 2 and the trip finger and arm 2 oscillate or move as one piece. The trip finger isnormally held-in letter engaging position by a suitable spring, such as indicated at 28, arm 2 being arrested by abutting against a stop pin 29 when the trip finger is in normal position.

The arm 2 is adapted to engage the curved and notched end 3 of a trip link 3; the said curved end being supported and ided in a grooved member 13. The trip llnk is normally held in position to engage the arm 2 by a spring 20. The other end of trip link 3 is pivoted to one arm 4 of a stop lever which is pivoted on a stud 4 and which arm '4 is normally held against a stop 18 by means of a spring 19, that thus holds the trip link normally retracted. These parts and their operative connections are more fully described and shown in my aforesaid original application, Serial N 0. 368,701.

The meter or registering devices.

The meter for registering the operations of the printer comprises abase 31; a printer 38; and a casing 34 fastened to this base inclosing the registering mechanisms and locking devices therefor; as shown and explained in my aforesaid application, the wholebeing the stamp upon the letter, and may be provided with canceling 'lines if desired. The

postmark-stamp die may be such, for example, as shown in my patent above referred to, or my Patent No. 753,207; or in Patents- NO. 1,274,831, and No. 1,273,793.

The printer is mounted on a spindle 37, journaled in hearings on. the meter; and spindle 37 carries the letter guide wheel 39. These partsmay all be constructed. and operated as-shown and described in my aforesaid application.

As shown the top plate of the machine ,is provided with a horizontally disposed slot into which the base 31 of the meter is slid to place the meter'in operative osi tion, indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, the slot aving grooves in its sides adapted to be engaged by ribs on the sides of thebase 31 of the meter; and when inoperative position on the machine the meter is secured by suitable means as described in my said application.

When the meter is slid into place in the machine the key 47 on the lower end of the spindle 37 is adapted to telescope with and driven member 20 whereby the spindle and printer will be rotated when the parts are in operative position and the trip mechanism is actuated by the passage of a letter as explained in my said application.

The inking mechanism.

position shown in full lines in Figs. land 2, where it contacts with the printer 38,

into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, where it would not contact with the printer. The inking roller may be /held inoperative position to contact with the printer 38 by meanS=0f a catch 125 having a tooth adapted to engage'a notch in the end of the support 124 as indicated in Fig. 2, this latch being controlled bya suitable spring '224. i

Fast to the shaft 23 is a cam 14 (Figs. 4 w

and 5) which cam is adapted to engage the.

trip-link 3 and move it out of position to be. engaged by the arm 2 whenever the ink roller is swung out of position to contact with the printer, so that moving the inking roller outof contact with the printer 38 automatically renders the trip mechanism ineffective; and thus the machine is prevented from being. run without inking the printer when it is being used to postmarkstamp letters. Also if it is desired to run the machine merely to'seal the letters without printing them the adjustment .of the inkmg mechanism out of the way automatically, through the described devices, renders the tripmechanism and the printer ineffective.

ably connected to the slide 124 by'mounting the inking roller on a slide 127, which is fastened to the support 124 by a thumb screw 128. When the inking roller 123 is turned out of operative position, asfindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, it may be adjusted into contact with a gage pin 25, which is so fixed in the machine that if the periphery of the inking roller is set up against this gage pin when the support 124 is in the position indicated in dottedlines in Fig. 2, then the periphery of the inking roller 123. will properly contact with the printing surfaces on the printer 38 and properly supply ink thereto when'the inking mechanism is turned to operative position, as shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 2.

This gage pin 25 might be removable but I prefer to have it fixed in the machine.

'i'io Preferably the inking roller 123 is adjust-- k newness I This pin is a simple and eficient device for vent the removal of the meter from (or replacing it in) the machine without first moving the ink roller out of operative position; and thus render it necessary for the operator to readjust'the inking roller each time the meter is replaced in the machine. For this purpose I preferably attach a pin 320 to the meter base, at such apoint that when the meter is in the machine, said pin lies close against the left end of the fence '16, as indicated in Fig. 2, out of the way,

but the inking roller 123 when in operative position lies' in the path of pin 320 and consequently it it is attempted to remove the meter from the machine without first adjusting the inking roller into inoperative position (as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2) the pin 320 will "strike the inking roller as the meter is drawn outward and prevent the complete withdrawal of the meter until the inking roller is moved out of the way. Of course the meter cannot be replaced in the machine unless the inking roller is in imierative position.

'- y providing this pin 320, or equivalent devices, in the machine, it becomes necessary to readjust the inking roller to operative position each time the meter is replaced in the machine; and this pin in sures first that the machine will not operate unt1 the inking roller is in operative position, and also insures that any possible shrinkage or reduction in the size of the inking roller will be compensated forby the operator adjusting the inking roller against the pin 25,'which practically automatically insures compensation for any variationwin size of the inking roller, which would naturally be reduced in'size by wear.

While I prefer to use the pin 320 as and for the urpose described and it is simple and eihc1ent, Ido not consider the invention limited to use of such pin as other devices equivalent thereto in function and effect might be substituted therefor within the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine of the character specified,

' a printer; an inker; an adjustable support for said inker, whereby it may be moved into position to contact with the printer or out of position to contact therewith; and means for setting the inker when out of operative position so that when so set it will properly ink the printer when moved into inking position.

2. In a machine of the character specified,

a printer, an inker, and an adjustable support for said inker, whereby it may be moved into position to contact with the printer or out of position to contact therewith; with a device against which the inker may be set when out of position to engage the printer, so that when so set it will properly ink the printer when moved into inking position.

3. In a machine of the character specified, a printer, an inking roll, and an adjustable support for said inking roll, whereby it may be moved into position to contact with the printer or out of position to contact there- I meter, and a device connected with the meter whereby the removal of the meter is prevented by contact of said device with said inker unless the latter is first moved into inoperative position. I

5. In a machine of the character specified, a printer; an adjustable inker; a removable meter; and a pin connected with the meter base whereby the removal of the meter is prevented by contact of said pin with the inker unless the latter, is first moved into inoperative position.

6. In a machine of the character specified, a printer, an inker, an adjustable support for said inker whereby it may be moved into or out of operative position a removable meter; and a pin connected with the meter base whereby the removal from'or insertion of the meter in the machine is prevented by contact of said pin with the inker unless the latter is first moved into inoperative position.

7. In a machine of the character specified, a printer; an adjustable inker; a removable meter, a device connected with the meter whereby the removal of the meter is prevented by contact of said device with said inker unless the latter is first moved into inoperative position; and means for setting the inker when out of operative position so-that the inker may be set when out of position to engage the printer, so that when so set it will properly ink the printer when moved into inkin position.

' 9. n a machine of the character specified, a printer, an inker, an adjustable support for said inker whereby it may be moved into or out of operative position; a removable meter; may be set when out of position to engage the and a pin connected with the meter base printer,l so that when so set it will properly whereby the removal from or insertio'nof the ink the printer when moved into inking posimeter in the machine is prevented by contact tion.

of said pin with the inker unless the latter is In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 10 first moved into inoperative position; with my own, I aflix my signature. v

a relatively fixed pin against which the inker ARTHUR H. BITNEY.