US1804974A - Perforating machine - Google Patents

Description

May 12, 1931. K. D. EVANS PERFQRA'IING MACHINE Filed April 30. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I7: I) ent 0 attorney 3 May 12, 1931. 'K. D. EVANS 1,804,974

PERFORATING MACHINE Filed April 30. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 12, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KELLEY D. EVANS, OF HAMILTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OI ONE-HALF TO C. E. HOOVEN, OF

HAMILTON, OHIO PERFORATING MACHINE Application filed April 30,

This invention relates to a perforating machine adapted particularly for forming perforated record sheets for automatlc typewriters or automatic typewriter operating mechanisms. In certain respects the present invention is an improvement over the perforating machine or mechanlsm forming the subject matter of the Pillings Patent No. 1,175,986, granted March 21., 1916.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a perforating machine which produces more accurate results in the spacing of the perforations than the machines heretofore used, particularly that shown in the Pillings patent.

Further objects are to produce a perforating mechanism which is simpler in construction, and more easily operated than those heretofore employed.

My invention has for one of its important features the fact that the sheet feeding and perforating means are so related that the punches operate in line with the center hne or axis of the feeding means, thus doing away with the possibility of error due to bulging or stretching of the paper as is the case when the punches operate at more or less distance laterally of the feeding .device. The advantage in the way of accurate results is further enchanced by the aligning of the punches with the center line of the feeding device by reason of the fact that during and just preceding the punching operation the shaft of the feeding device is locked and this, of course, holds the sheet against movement at and adjacent the punches.

Another feature by which the advantages in the way of simplicity and ease of operation are obtained is the fact that the feeding means is directly actuated by the punch operating means on the downward stroke of the feed lever at the beginning of the downward stroke of a key lever carrying a punch so that the sheet is fed just before the perforation is formed rather than after the forming of the perforation and through the action of a weight or spring during the 1927. Serial No. 187,767.

up stroke of the feed lever as in the Pillings patent.

The invention may be further briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts which will be described in the specification and set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings wherein I have illustrated the preferred form of the invention, Fig. 1 is a. plan view of the perforator, a portion thereof being broken away; Fig. 2 is a side view; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary bottom view; and Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view.

My improved perforating machine includes a frame 10 composed principally of two parallel side plates suitably joined together by cross members. At the front of the machine is a keyboard consisting of a series of keys 11 on key levers 12 which at their inner ends are mounted on a stationary cross rod 13 extending between the side plates of the frame, each key lever being adapted to be returned after being depressed by a spring 14.

In this keyboard the keys will correspond to those usually found in a typewriter, including keys for the different letters of the alphabet and other characters, and in addition there is a space bar 15 mounted on levers 16 pinned to a rockshaft 17 lying alongside the rod 13, these levers being similarly spring returned. Additionally, the keyboard may include keys for tabulation, tabulation release, carriage shift, carriage shift release, carriage return, and a key for forming the perforations for stopping the feed of the record sheet in the automatic typewriter. The major portion of these keys will be utilized in forming a record sheet for an automatic typewriter such as constitutes the subject matter of my pending application Serial No. 115,659, filed June 12, 1926, and all will find utility in the production of record sheets for typewriter operating mechanisms such as are being used quite generally at the present time. These key levers are spaced apart and guided by a pair of combs indicated at 120 and 126.

All the key levers 12 and one of the levers 16 supporting the space bar 15 are provided 'near their inner ends with vertically disposed punches 18 which have a sliding fit in perforations of a bar 19 constituting a punch guide bar and are adapted to enter openings of a die 20 consisting of a bar similar to the guide bar 19 and located directly beneath the same. These two bars are secured together attheir ends and are supported by the side plates of the frame.

The two bars are spaced far enough apart to permit the record sheet to be fed between the same. This record sheet, whichis indicated at 21, is supplied from a roll carried by a spool 22 having a center pin removably supported in slots of rearward extensions 10a. of the side plates of the frame.

The sheet is fed by two sprocket wheels 23 which are located just inside of the side plates of the frame 10 and are secured to ,a feed shaft 24: which is located directly beneath the die 20 and, therefore, directly beneath the punches 18. These sprockets are preferably provided with two annular rows of sprocket pins which are adapted to engage in rows of equall spaced perforations previously provided a ong the margins of the sheet, the spacing of perforations corresponding to the distance between adjacent sprocket pins so that the perforations of the sheet and the pins of the sprocket wheels will exactly coincide during the feeding of a sheet in the normal functioning of the machine.

Directly above the sprockets and slightly forward of the center thereof and at about the middle of the machine are curved guides 25 which hold the sheet down against the sprocket wheels so that it will conform for substantially 90 to the curvature of the sprocket wheels as it passes over the latter, the sheet then being permitted to pass forwardly and out from beneath the machine at the forward end.

The feeding sprockets are actuated whenever one of the keys 11 or the space bar 15 is depressed and before the perforation is punched by the following mechanism:

Directly beneath the key and space bar levers 16 is a rod 26 which extends crosswise of the frame and the ends of which project through arc-shaped slots 27 in the side plates of the frame. This rod is connected to a rock shaft 28 also supported in the side plates of the frame, the rod and shaft being connected together by an arm 29 on one side of the frame and a second arm 30 at the opposite side of the frame, this last mentioned arm being in the form of a bell crank lever, the forward end of which has a key 30a which can be depressed to feed the sheet without causing it to be perforated. The bell crank arm or lever 30 has at its inner end a downward extension 30?) provided with a pawl 31 which is adapted to actuate a ratchet wheel 32 secured to the feed shaft 24 on the outer side of one of the side plates of the frame. This pawl is in the form of a small bell crank, the upward extension of which is connected to one end'of a spring 33, the other end of which is connected to the frame 10. The bell crank pawl 31 also has a for-- ward extension which extends beneath the ratchet wheel 32 and has a tooth which is adapted to engage the teeth thereof. The spring 33 has the two-fold function of holding up the forward extension of the bellcrank pawl 31 and of returning to normal position the feed lever assembly composed of the parts 26, 28, 29, 30 and 31 immediately after the key 30a is depressed. The forward end of the pawl 31 is curved as shown and this curved forward end is adapted to engage a roller 34- which is in the path of movement of the lower portion of the pawl and is carried by an adjustable block 35 supported on the adjacent side plate of the frame.

Additionally, the machine includes a holding pawl 36 carrying a roller 37 which is adapted to engage between adjacent teeth of the ratchet wheel 32 immediately after each feeding movement of the ratchet wheel and sprockets.-

It will be observed that whenever one of the keys 11 or the space bar 15 is'depressed, so as to lower a punch, the rod 26 is pushed downward. This, of course, actuates the feed lever assembly which turns the sprockets and therefore feeds the sheet, but the parts are so arranged and proportioned that the initial movement only of the bell crank lever 30 is instrumental in turning the ratchet wheel 32 the distance of one tooth, this occuring before the punch perforates the sheet. That is to say, in depressing a key 11 or the space bar 15 to perforate the sheet, the ratchet wheel is first turned by the pawl 31 and the latter is then cammed by the roller 34: out of engagement with the the toothed periphery of the ratchet wheel, and immediately. after the ratchet Wheel has been turned a distance equivalent to the spacing of the teeth the roller 37 of pawl 36 drops into the depression between two teeth and holds the ratchet wheel and therefore the feed shaft and feed sprockets against movement, and as soon as this occurs the punch carried by the lever which was manually depressed perforates the sheet. As soon as the operator releases his finger from the depressed key or space bar, the parts are immediately restored totheir former positions whereupon the operation may be repeated.

It is to be noted that the feed is direct and positive and occurs before the perforation is formed when the key or space bar is depressed to perforate the sheet, but the feed pawl and ratchet are disengaged and then the ratchet is held against movement before the actual perforating takes place. The fact that the feeding mechanism is operated directly and prior to the perforating operation permits the use of a much more simplified feeding mechanism compared with one wherein the feed is performed indirectly through a spring or weight following the perforating operations, and inasmuch as it is unnecessary to li a weight or to actuate some other part such as a spring which is adapted to subsequently operate the feedin mechanism, it is obvious that my improve perforating and feeding mechanism can be more easily operated than in the latter case. Additionally, it is to be noted that the perforations are formed directly in line with or directly above the axis of the feed shaft and of the feed sprockets rather than laterally thereof as in the Pillings patent referred ,to above,

and since the ratchet is carried by the feed shaft 24 the feed mechanism is also held stationary in line with and directly beneath the punches, these features adding greatly to the accuracy of the machine as compared with one such as shown in the- Pillings patent wherein the feeding and holding means are located some distance ,making it possible from the line of o eration of the punches, or bulging or stretching of the sheet between the location of the feeding means and the point at which the perforations are made to. cause inaccurate refeedin sults.

While I have shown the preferred em-, bodiment of the invention I do not desire to be confined to the precise details shown but aim in my claims to cover all modifications which do not involvea departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a perforating machine, a row of unches, levers for actuating the same, a eed shaft having means for engaging and a sheet and havin its axis substantia ly in the same p ane with the punches, and means operated by the depression of any of said levers for turning the shaft prior to the perforating of the sheet by the punch corresponding to such lever.

2. In a perforating machine, a series of plunches, levers for actuatin the same, a s eet feeding mechanism w ich. is. actuated by the depression of any of said levers to feed the sheet one step just prior'to the perforation of the sheet, by the punch corres onding inc uding a feed shaft whose axis is in the plane of the punch. 3. In a perforating machine, a row of unches, levers for actuating the same, a eed shaft having means for engaging and feeding the sheet to be perforated and means operated directly by the depression of any one of said levers for turning the shaft a predetermined amount prior to the perforatmg of the sheet'by the punch corresponding to such lever, the axis of the shaft being in the same plane with the punches.

4:. In a perforating machine, punches, levers for actuating the same, a eed shaftlocated in the same plane with unches having means for engagin and eeding the sheet to be perforate means operated by the depression of any one of said levers for turning the shaft a predetermined amount and including a ratchet wheel and a pawl, and means for disengaging the pawl from the ratchet a series of wheel prior to the completion of the stroke of the lever and prior to the perforating of the sheet by the punch associated with the lever which is depressed.

5. In a perforating machine, a series of,

punches, means for 6. Ina perforating machine, a series of punches, levers for actuating the same, means for feeding a sheet intermittently comprising a shaft having sprockets for engagmg the sheet, means for actuating the sprockets including a feed lever actuated by the actuating levers, lever, a ratchet wheel on the shaft, and roller depression of any one of the puncha pawl carried by the feed means for causing disen agement of the awl-from the ratchet w eel after a preetermined downward movement of the punch actuating lever and rior to the portion of its movement w ich causes the punch to perforate the sheet.

In testnnony' whereof, vI hereunto aifix my signature. 1

- KELLEY D. EVANS.

to said lever, said mechanism

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