US1870392A - Telegraph printer - Google Patents

Description

E. F. WATSON 1,870,392

TELEGRAPH PRINTER Filed Sept. 1, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l /NVNTOR E. f'. WATSON TTRNEK Aug. 9, V1932. E, F, WATSQN K 1,870,392

TBLEGRAPH PRINTER Filed Sept. l. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 5

/NVENTOR E F WA TS 0N A T TORNEY Patented Aug. 9, 1932 .lDATNT .FFEQE EDWQRD F. WATSON, 0F LARCI-IMONT, NEU] YGRK, ASSIGNOR TO AMERCAN TELE- PHONE AND TELEGRAPH COMPANY, A CORPORATON OF NEW YORK TELEGRAEH PRNTEE Application led September 1, 1931. Serial No. 560,631.

'This invention relates to telegraph systems and more particularly to telegraph sj tems including recorders embodyingl a character type carrier for printing characters in different distinctive manners.

v Recorders of this type have a common use in certain telegraph systems, such as circuits for quotation service in which it is desirable to print groups of identifying letters in the upper part of a double line and the corresponding quotations in the lower part.

Systems of this lrind have been operated on a live-unit code, i. e., each character, whet ier of the upper or lower case, has required the transmission of tive signal units7 in which case it has been necessary, as in ordinary printing telegraph systems, to send a shift signal whenever a shift from one case to the other was desired. It is evident that for quotation service a shift vsional would be rcquiredIl on the average, for every two or three characters transmitted.

It has been proposed to adapt a sin-unit code for quotation service.y whereby special.

' shift signals would be eliminated with a considerable sa ring in line time. lilith such arrangement it is possible to utilize a single six-unit signal combination for not only selecting a position of the type carrier, but also to determine whether the character is to be printed in the upper portion or the lower portion of the double line.

It is an objectof the invention to utilize a signal cod'e for the selection of any one of a plurality of character types arranged in groups on the type carrier of a recording device and at the same time for the di iferentiation between the characters in the different groups, as by printing such characters in different rows of a multiple line corresponding to those groups the differentiation between characters depending upon the selected position of the type carrier. y

Another object is 4to provide a telegraph printer capable of utilizing a. signal code for the double purpose of selecting characters for printing and of differentiating between dgroups of characters in which the character tvnes. independent of their code combinati om be distributed in any desired manner in the dierent groups without the necessity of altering the signal code or the permutation mechanism of the printer.

A more specilic object of the invention is the printing of characters in a double line in response to a siii-unit code and the selection of one of two printing hammers responsive to the selected positions of the type wheel.

in accordance with the invention no single unit pulse of the code signals and no single permutation unit of the printer need be allotted any special function involved in the group diiferentiation between the printer characters, the print-ing of a selected character in a certain manner being determined solely by dilierentiating instrumentalities associated with the character and the type carrier. For this purpose any and all of the unit pulses of a signal combination may be used in the selection of a character type by the proper positioning of the type carrier, and due to the selective control by individual means associated with the type and the printing mechanism associated generally with the type carrier, the printing of the type will be performed in a. predetermined manner.

rlhus, a telegraph printer, when adapted for operation by a six-unit code may have a type wheel with as many as sixty-four different types arranged in two rows on its periphery and the printer is arranged for positioning ofthe type wheel in sixty-four different positions responsive to siX units of selecting mechanism, each adjusted in accordance with a` unit impulse of a six-unit signal-7 which by permutation will provide for 64 different signal combinations. Two printing hammers are provided, one for each row of characters, and the typerwheel includes means for permitting` onlyl one cf the hammers to perform its printing' operation for any particular type. Y

However, in accordance with the inventionany other manner of ditferentiating between the printed character with the necessary mechanism therefor may be arranged and such mechanism controlled by differentiating instrumentalities directly or indirectly associated with the types on the type o 2oL recording device for the understanding of the invention;

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are detailed views of the type wheel and the printing hammers;

Fig. 5 is a developed view of a portion of the printing. face of the type wheel; and

Figs. G-A and G-B are views showing the relations between certain elements of a selectingV unit of the recording device under marking and spacing conditions, respectively, viewed from the rear of the machine, as shown in Fig. 1.

Inasmuch as the details of the general selecting mechanism, shown in the drawings, do not forma part of the invention, it is believed to be ysufficient for a clear understanding of the invention and its operation to describe the operation of this mechanism in conjunction with the detailed description'of parts and operations more closely related to the invention.

Referring now to= Fig. 1, the line L includes a plurality of receiving relays R, R-1, etc. and a transmitting station TS. The transmitting station TS includes a transmitter T of any known type arranged for` a six-unit code, having six transmitting contacts ineluded in the line circuit through a transmitting distributor D of the start-stop type.

The line circuit forms afcloscd loop connecting battery B through the segments of distributor D, 'contacts of transmitter T, the windings in series of all the relays R and back to battery. W'hen the distributor D is in its stop position, this loop circuit ris closed by the brush arm'bridging the common ring and the marking segment MS and all the receiving relays are operated. to marking position. Transmission is started whenever a circuit` .not shown, is closed in a well known manner for the operationof the start magnet SM which releases the brush arm of the distributor. Upon leaving its normal position,

' the brush arm passes over the spacing segment SS, whereby a spacing signal is transmittedover the loop causing all the receiving relays to release to spacing position. The brush arm thereafter passes over segments 1, 2, 3, 4', and 6 in succession causingthe receiving .relays to operate yin accordance with `the combination of open and closed contacts set up inthe transmitter T. yThe brush arm finally comes to a stop on the marking segment yMS again closing the loop circuit lection of a rdesired character and for the printing of the character either in the upper portion or in the lower portion of a double line on a printing surface, such as a paper tape.

Vith the printer magnet PM in the marking position, as shown, a spring 101, exerting a pull on pivoted lever 102, lapplies a pressure to the left on a flutter disc 103 which in turn causes the horizontal arm 105 of the flutter lever 104 to rest against the armature of the printing magnet PM. When the first spacing signal is received, the armature of printing magnet PM moves to the right thereby removing the stop for the arm 105. The flutter disc 103 is fixedly mountedk on a cam drum 110, which forms a sleeve, slidably mounted on the selector shaft 111 but arranged to rotate with the shaft; thus, in response to the operation of the printer magnet the flutter disc 103 and withr it the cam drum move a distance to the left under the pressure of spring 101 until the left hand end of the cam drum engages the fixed stop 112.

The selector shaft 111 is intermittently driven in a direction shown by the arrow at its left hand end through a `friction coupling 113 and proper gearing from a constantly revolving motor shaft 114 connected to a motor, not shown; however, the shaft is prevented from rotating by a stop arm 115 fastened to the cam drum 110 and the freeend of which engages a fixed stop 116; when, as described, the cam drum 110 moves Y to the left the stop arm 115 disengages the stop 116, thus permitting the rotation of shaft 111 and cam drum 110.

The flutter disc 103 has along itsperiphery a series of corrugations, seven 1n num-Y ber, for the purpose of fluttering the lever 104 seven times as the disc makesone revolation, thereby ycausing the horizontal arm 105'of flutter lever 104 to move up and down; however, when due to the signals, the

armature of the printer magnet moves to the left, the downward movement of the arm 105 is prevented and the lever 104 causes the cam drum 110 to flutter in an axial direction on f selector shaft 111 due to the interaction between the corrugations in the flutter disc and the prongs of the lower end of lever 104. The

lution it will ass through seven eriods corresponding to the duration of seven unit iinpulses and in each period it will be either to the right or to the left depending upon whether the corresponding unit pulse isa marking or a spacing pulse, respectively. Upon the completion of the transmission of an impulse series, the cam drum will have completed a revolution and, due to the marking signal then being placed on the line, the cam drum will move to the right in time for the stop arm 115 to engage the stop 116, thereby bringing the cam drum to a stop.

This fluttering operation of the cam drum 110 during a revolution in unison with received signal pulses is eective in storing up a setting on the selecting or permutation mechanism in the printer in accordance with the impulse combination transmitted. F or this purpose the cam drum 110 carries six pairs of cam lugs, namely spacing lugs 11 to 16 and marking lugs 21 to 26, the pairs of lugs being angularly and progressively displaced with respect to each other at a spacing corresponding to the angular spacing between the corrugations in liutter disc 103. Each pair of camming lugs is furthermore aligned in the axial direction with se- I lector levers 31 to 36, which in turn cooperate with transfer levers i1 to 16 for the setting of code discs 51 to 56.

The setting of the code discs from the Y movements of cam drum 110 will be described only in connection with the first permutation unit, shown at the extreme right, which is responsive to the first impulse of a signa-l combination received from the line, since the j operations for setting the other code discs Y are the same. In this description reference will also be made to Figs. 6A and 6B which illustrate a portion of the cam drum 110 with the camming lugs 11 and 21 of the first unit 4 and their cooperation with the associated selector lever 31 in the marking and the spacing positions, respectively, of the cam drum 110. The spacing lug 11 is placed diametrically opposite the marking lug 21 on cam drum 110, but these lugs are axially displaced a small distance.

The selector lever 31 has a spacing projection a aligned with the lug 11 when the cam drum is in spacing position and a marking projection aligned with the lug 21 when i" the cam drum 110 is in marking position;

the spacing lug 11 will clear both projections a and Z) in marking position, and marking lug 21 will clear both projections a and b in the spacing position ofthe cam drum. The lugs are shaped to exert a camming action on these projections to impart a small angular movement to the selector lever 31 about its pivoting point 120, whereby two other projections c and (Z on the selector lever 31 are caused to take one of twopositions. The projections c and d cooperate with projections e and f, respectively, of thetransfer lever l1 in such a manner that, in the case of marking, the projection Z is aligned with projection f and projection c isoutof alignment with projection e, whereas, in the case of spacing, projection c is aligned with pro-V j ection c and projection l -is out of alignment with projection f. The transfer lever 41V is hinged on a bail 121 which may be raised and lowered through the roller 122 from cam 123 mounted on the selector shaft 111; the transfer lever 41 has a projection g fitted into a slot t cut into the periphery of the code disc 51 for placing the disc in one of two angular positions, the disc being rotatable about the shaft 142.

During a complete revolution of cam drum 110 the pairs of camming lugs will pass in succession before corresponding projections on the selector levers and due to the fluttering of the drum in response to received signals the lugs will operate the selector levers into their marking or spacing position in accordance with signals received. Shortly before the completion of the revolution the projection on cam 123 will raise the roller 122 for an instantthereby raising the bail 121 carrying all the transfer levers l1 to 46. With the selector lever 31 in marking position as shown in F ig. 1, the projection d will be in the upward path of projection f of the transfer lever 41, thereby imparting a small angular displacement to the transfer lever, which in turn places the code disc 51 in its marking position; with the selector lever 31 in spacing position the projection o would be in the path of projection c of the transfer lever thereby placing the code disc in its spacing position. In this manner all the code discs 51 to 56 are adjusted to their spacing or marking positions in accordance with a received signal combination.

Each of the code discs 51 to 56 has a plurality of notches cut into its periphery, and the arrangement of these notches is different in all the discs so that any one of a plurality of stop pins 130 may be selected by corresponding settings of these discs for positioning of the type wheel 140. As shown for Lone of the stop pins 130 these pins comprise a straight portion 131 which is forced into engagement with the notched periphery of allthe code discs by means of a spring 132; the other end of the pin 130 is pivoted at 133.

For each setting Vof the discs one of the stop pins 130 will be admitted to its inward position, due to the alignment of the notches associated therewith in all thek code discs, while all other stop pins will beheld out by-a raised portion on at least one of the Code-discs. The selected stop pin thus enters into the path ofthe type wheelstop arm 141 together with the type wheel 140 which is mounted on the type wheel shaft 142 driven through friction clutch 143 and gearing from motor shaft 114. The same setting of the code discs, `which caused the selective operation of the lstop pin 130 referred to, is also 'instrumental in releasing the stop arm 141 with one kof the printinghammers 151l and agg;

152 ready for printing.

In the'` past only five code discs have been providedfor the selection of stop pins, and for the complete utilization of the possible combinations of the five-unit code thirty two stop pinsl have been provided fortheY stopping kof the type wheel in thirty-two different positions. In accordance with the invention the sixth selecting unit associated with the cam drum y110 is made to operate a sixth code disc, which also cooperates in the selection of the stop pins. lVith this arrangement sixty-four selections are possible and the code discs may be notched for as many as sixty-four stop pins, whereby the type wheel maybe stopped in sixty-four different positions. l

In the following description of the type Wheel and its associated printing hammers, reference will also be made to Figs. 2, y3, 4 and 5. y

As shown in F ig. 5, illustrating adeveloped portion of the printing face of the type wheel in accordance with a preferred form of the invention the characters are arranged in two groups with letters inthe upper .case and incidentals in the lower case.

The paper tape 144 is interposed in the usuall manner between thev type vwheel and the printing hammers 151 and 152 and means (not shown) are provided for advancing the printing tape between each printing operation; the tape is sufficiently wide to permit the printing of the upper case in a line in `the upper portion of thetape and of the lower case in .a line in the lower portion of the tape as is usual for quotation series. An ink roller 145 engages the types on the wheel 140.

The printing hammer mounting comprisesY a. common lever 153 which carries at its left handend the twoprinting hammers 151 and 152, each provided. with a platen surface-154 and a guiding projection 155 aligned with the` platen surface. The angular relation between the hammers 151 yand 152 and the lever 153 is normally maintained, as

pins 156 of the hammers with the body portion of lever 153 under the tension of springs 157, this arrangement permitting either of the printing hammers to be heldk back while the lever153 and the other printing hammer move forward for the printing of a character. Printing cam 158 is arranged to be driven Vin unison with the selector shaft 111 by means not lshown and to force the printing hammers intor engagement with the printing tape and the type wheel a ainst the tension of 'spring 159 once for eaci revolution of shaft 111, the timing of this operation being such that it will take place shortly after the type wheel has been positioned for printing.

The type wheel 140 has certain configurations along its periphery which in the referred form consists of thirty-two guiding notches 146 with intermediate pro]ections or teeth associated with the upper case and thirty-two similar notches'lll'( and teeth associated with the lower case, adapted to prevent eitherone of the hammers from printing and to permit theother hammer to print by the placing of a notch in the path of the projection 155 on one of the hammers and the placing of a tooth in the path of the projection 155 on the other hammer. When, for example, a lower case character is selected, the type wheel will be stopped in one of its sixty-four positions whereby a notch 147 will be in alignment with projection 155 on hammer 151; at the same time a tooth between notches 146 will be in the path of rojection 155 on hammer 152, so that when goth hammers are advanced for printing by cam 158, the hammer 152 will be stopped before its plateny surface 154 engages the printing tape and thus will be prevented from printing a character on the upper portion of the printing tape, whereas'hammer 151 will not be stopped until its platen surface 154 has brought the printing tape into engagement with the selected type in the lower case, which consequently is printed on the lower portion of the tape; the printing positions of the hammers is shown in F ig. 4. Conversely, when a type in Vthe upper case is selected, its associated notch 146V will admit hammer 152 for printing on the upper portion ofthe printing tape, whereas a tooth between notches 147 will prevent the hammer 151 from kprinting in the lower portion of the prlnting tape.

The projections 155 on ha-mmers 151 :and 1 52 inV` cooperation with their respectivey notches 147 and 146 `also act'to accurately center the selected character type with respect to the platen so that ,the characters will be `printed Vwith a. uniform spacing on the paper tape. e

e It is evidentthat the arrangement of the hammers and their movements and the means arranged on the hammers and on the type wheel lfor the selection of one hammer for printing and the prevention of theother from printing may be modified in many ways to serve the same purpose without a deparuture from the scope of the invention. Thus, either the two sets of notches may he displaced with respect to each other and the cooperating projections on the hammers aligned, or the ynotches may be aligned and the projections on the hammers displaced; it is also possible to arrange 'projections or indentations or other formsof alternating selecting. coniigurations for the hammers in a single row so that the projection on one hammer for a given position is aligned with one portion of the row and the projection'of the other hammer with an alternateportion of the saine row whereby one hammer may he admitted for printing'and the other prevented from printing.

What is claimed is:

.1. A character recording device responsive to permutation signalsffrom a line circuit for printing of characters one at a time in differently aligned portions of a multiple line of said multiple line as selected hy said translation.

2. A character recording device responsive to permutation signals from aline circuit for printing of characters one at a time in two diiferently aligned portions of a double line of print without separate shift operations or shift signals, which comprises a type carrier having a 'plurality-v of character types arranged in a. plurality ofangularly displaced positions and in two axially displaced positions, common permutation means for translation'of a signal simultaneously into angularly and axially displaced printing positions of said character types. and means .for striking a character type selected by said translation for printing in either one of the differently aligned portions of said multiple lin as selectedhy. said translation.

3. A character recording device and a line circuit for impressing current variations in accordance with a permutation code upon said device, said device being adapted to record characters in a double line of print in accordance with said code withoutthe use of shift signals and said device comprising a rotating type carrier having two rows of character types arranged in a plurality of printing positions, printing means for strik- Ving one type at a time for printing of characters in a double line ot' print, a plurality'of permutation units responsive to said impressed current variations and a pluralityu of control means individual to said printingy positions and adapted to be selected by said plurality o f permutation units for determining the printing positions of said type carrier and the row of characters to be presented ,A

for printing.

4. A character recording device connected to a line circuit and comprising a plurality of selecting units responsive successively to current variations composing a character code signal in said line circuit, an intermittently rotating type carrier, a plurality of type carrier control means individually responsive to the'selective setting of all of said selecting units for starting the rotation of said carrier and for stopping said carrier in any one of a plurality of angular printing positions, character types on said carrier aligned for printing in said printing positions and arranged in two rows axially displaced, printing control means adapted to move in unison with said type 'carrier havingl configurations of two characteristics corresponding to different printing positions of said type carrier, and printing means adapted for stroking a type aligned for printing in either one of said rows in accordance-with the coniiguration presented by said control means for the selected position of said typecarrier.

`5. A character recording device in accordance with claim 4; in which'said printing control means are integral with said intermittently rotating type carrier.

6. A telegraph printer comprising a type carrier having a plurality of printing positions, a plurality ofcharacter types on said carrier arranged in two different rows and platen means adapted for striking a type in either one of said two rows for printing on a surface, said type carrier comprising printing control means adapted to cooperate with said platen means for print-ing only one character at ay time, the row in which printing takes place being determined hy the coniiguration of said printing control means corresponding to a selected printing position.

7. AV telegraph printer inaccordance with claim 6 in which said printing control means comprises a plurality of alternating projections and recesses aligned alongside of said rows of character types to cooperate with said platen means for respectively preventing and permitting printing of characters in vone of said'rows in accordance with a selected printing position.

8. A telegraph printer in accordance with claim 6 in which said platen means comprises a platen surface for covering individual types in one of said rows and another platen surface for covering individual types in the other row for the purpose of printing,

iis

one of said surfaces being out of alignment and the other in alignment with a typey in ytheir respective rows in any one printing types in said rows and cooperating with said printing means to prevent printing in more than one row at a time.

10. In a telegraph printer a rotating type carrier having characters arranged in two groups, two printing hammers, common means for operating said hammers for printing, and selecting means associated with and movable/in unison with said type carrier for ,causing only one hammer to print characters arranged in one of said groups and for causing only the otherhammer to print characters in the other of said groups.

11. In a telegraph printer a type wheel having a plurality of printingA positions,` a plurality of characters on said type wheel arranged in two different lines, the Vcharacters in one line being centeredin even printing positions onlyr and the characters in the other line being centered in odd printing positions only, platen means for printing said characters in two different alignments on a printing surface, said platen means comprising two yieldably connected'printing hammers,and common means for the operation of said hammers-said type wheel having means for selecting one or the other of said printing hammers for printing in accordance with the even or odd position of said type wheel.

12. In a telegraph printer a4 type wheel .having characters arranged in a plurality of printing positions, aplurality of printing hammers aligned for printing ofcharacters in any one of said positions and selecting means associa-ted with and movable in unison with said type wheel for admitting said hammers one at a'time for printing in accordance with the selected positions ofsaid type wheel.

13. VIn a telegraph printer a rotatable type` carrier having types arranged in a. plurality of groups, a plurality of yieldable Aprinting hammers, common operatingmeans for said hammers and restraining means connected with said type wheel for selecting'any oneV of said-hammers for printing inn accordance with different angular positions of said type v wheel.

14. In a telegraph printer a rotatable type carrier, a plurality of 4types arranged in two groups on said carrier, ,a kpair of type ham-A mers each adapted to press against the corresponding group of types, means orsimul- :7

taneously operating both hammers, said hammers being yieldably mounted on said operating means, and selecting means integral with said type wheelsfor causingy one hammer to yield without printing and for permitting the other hammer to print.

y 15. telegraph tape printer of the startstop type for recording on a. tape upper `and lower casetypes in two different rows, re-

spectively, of a double printing line in sponse to six-unit code signals received from a line circuit and without shift signals which comprises a series of six selecting units successively responsive to a code signll, an intermittently rotating type carrier having upper and lower case types arranged inV two separate rows, the printing positions of said vcarrier for the uppercase being intermediate those for the lower case, a plurality of carrier control means individually respon-.:I

sive to said six selecting units for positioning said carrier in a plurality of upper and lower case printing positions, twoF yieldably mountedV printing platens, one for the upper case and one for the lower case, each having a guide projection, means for efecting printing engagement between said `platetns and said type 'carrienan'd means on saidtype carrier for selection lof one or the other platen yfor printing comprising a plurality of vobstruct-ing portions of said carrier for` preventing printing engagement between one or the other platen and a type in upper orlower rcase j printing positions, respedivoly, md also comprising cut-outs between midkob'- structing portions for registering with said guiding projections to permit an unobstructed platen-to' come into printing engagement with a type in the lower or upper case, respectively, said cut-outs being aligned with said types of aid in the centering of a selected type with respect to the platen selected vfor printing. f

16. A codeY signaling system comprising a 5 gurations associated with said type carrier for controlling said printing mechanism to print in any position of said carrier, a, character with a Characteristic determined by the 5 ooniiguration of said control means associated With the position of said type carrier.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 28th day of August, 1931.

EDWARD F. WATso1\i.y

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