US2069489A - Billing machine - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 2, 1937. w EAG 2,069,489

BILLING MACHINE Filed July 26, 1930 5- Sheets-Sheet 1 I (Diifiam a. 66-351",- 351,7 sum,

Feb.2, 1937. v AN 2,069,489

BILLING MACHINE Filed July 26, 1930 v z Sheets-Sheet 2 Qwuem 01 (DiHicm m 0 914 $1 784 abhor/nag Feb. 2, 1937. w, EAGAN 2,069,489

BILLING MACHINE.

Filed July 26, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig. 6.

DOMESTIC sconunin IUATINALR FAT! ll \9 19 SAN JUAN NlG I )9 16 lI-Q COLON U L00 In account with Daily 42 Balance 1 BRUSSELS 2.52 1 DETRO IT M NEW YORK avwe'ncoz (.Uiliiam 6L. 60x59". Gum,

latented Feb. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application 2:25, :01- 3:22: 43,895 I 6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in billing machines, the principal object of the invention being to provide a typewriter billing machine having an attachment by means of which a list of items may be simultaneously typed in a single 'column on one sheet of paper and in a plurality of separate columns on a second sheet.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide in combination with a typewriter having a carriage adapted to receive a comparatively wide sheet of paper, of an auxiliary carriage movable with and independently of the main carriage in the direction of the width of the typewriter.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in combination with a typewriting machine, a paper-feed mechanism which is longitudinally adjustable to accommodate sheets of varying widths. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

In the drawings accompanying this specification,

Fig. 1 is a' broken away perspective view of a. typewriting machine showing the improved attachment applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the attachment shown separate from the typewriter and showing parts thereof broken away;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the attachment, showing parts in section and broken away, the platen of the typewriter being also shown in section;

Fig. 4 is a detail side view of a portion of the attachment shown broken away and in section;

Fig. 5 is a broken away view illustrating another detail of the attachment;

Fig. 6 is a front view of a bill form and a distribution sheet assembled for insertion into the machine; and

Fig. '7 is a broken away view of the top or bill sheet.

Referring to the drawings, so much of a typewriter billing machine of ordinary construction is shown in. Fig. 1 as is necessary to illustrate the invention, said machine being designated generally by the reference character A, and having the usual carriage adapted to travel from one side to the other of the machine in response to the depression of the keys and in which carriage is mounted for rotation the well known printing roller or platen I on which the sheet to be printed on is presented to the printing type.

Secured to the carriage frame 2 at'opposite sides of the machine are a pair of upstanding plates 3 which form brackets for supporting the improved attachment, said plates being cut out as platen I.

.8, said straps being secured to the carriage members l by means of bolts 9 passing through the straps and through elongated slots I formed in the horizontal portions of said carriage members, said bolts being provided with wing nuts I I for clamping the straps 8 rigidly to the members I. By this construction a carriage is provided which may readily be adjusted to accommodate different widths of paper. On the rear wall of each of the carriage members i are secured an up er bracket I2 and a lower bracket I3. In the upper bracket I 2 of each pair is mounted for rotation a pulley l4 adapted to engage the top portion 01 the periphery of the upper rail 5, and in the lower bracket I3 of each pair are mounted for rotation a pair of pulleys I in engagement with diametrically opposite portions of the periphery of the lower rail 6, whereby the carriage formed by the members 1 is freely movable laterally of the machine independently of the usual typewriter carriage. Releasable means is provided, however, for positively retaining the auxiliary carriage at certain definite positions 'of adjustment. This means comprises a plurality of spring-pressed detents l8 mounted in openings formed in the under portion of the track rail 5. It will be understood that as many of such detents may be provided as desired, asuflicient number being shown in the drawings for purposes of-illustration. A lever I'I pivoted at I8 on the side flange of one of the auxiliary carriage members 1, preferably the right-hand member, is curved near one end to correspondwith the curvature of the rail 5 and is maintained in sliding contact with said rail by means of a spring. I9, the lever being bifurcated at its extreme end, as shown at 20, Fig. 2, to receive the rounded nose of the detent I6 which projects from the periphery of the rail 5. The bifurcated end of the lever extends in tangential relation to the rail 5, so that by manually tilting the lever in -the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3 the bifurcated end of the lever is moved out of engagement with the detent I6, whereupon the auxiliary carriage may be shifted to any desired position along the rails 5 and 6.

Means is provided for gripping and vertically feeding the sheets carried by the auxiliary carriage simultaneously with the vertical shifting of the sheet carried by the main carriage. Said means comprises a feed roller 2|, preferably of hard rubber, supported on a shaft mounted for rotation in the flangesof the carriage members 1. Cooperating with the roller 2| is a tension roller 22 also preferably of hard rubber'supported on a floating shaft 23 mounted in slots 24 formed in the side flanges of the members 1, said roller 22 being normally maintained in contact with the roller 2| by means of springs 25 secured on the carriage members 1 and exerting their tension on the ends of the shaft 23. For moving the roller 22 out of contactwith roller 2 lthereby to release the sheet of paper and permit removal or manipulation thereof, a lever. is secured on one end of a rod 21, preferably the right-hand end, mounted for rotation in the side flanges of the carriage member 1. The end of the lever 26 is of cam formation, as shown at 23, Fig. 3, and in contact with the end of the shaft 23, so that by swinging the lever on its pivot in the direction of the arrow the cam end of said lever will push the shaft 23 against the tension of the spring 25 and thus move the roller 22 out of contact with the roller 2|. The rod 21 is provided at its opposite end with a cam 29 adapted to act in a similar manner on the shaft 23 thereby to move the roller evenly throughout its length. In order to permit adjustment of the length of the feed mechanism to correspond with the adjustment of the carriage to suit varying widths of sheets as hereinbefore described, the rollers 2| and 22 and their supporting shafts, as well as the releasing rod 21 are each made in several sections, the sections of the shafts and the rod 21-being connected to their respective companion sections by a driving connection. Such a connection is illustrated in Fig. 5, wherein one end of a section of the shaft of roller 2| is shown provided with a sleeve 30 having a hexagonal opening, while its companion section is provided with a stem 3| of similar formation adaptedto fit snugly into the opening of the sleeve or female member 30, whereby the sections are caused to rotate together. Each'of the intermediate sections of the roller shafts and the rod 21 is similarly provided at one end with a sleeve and at its opposite end with a hexagonal stem for engagement with the sleeve of a companion member. Since the engaging members 39 and 3| are of substantial length, the roller sections 2| may be separated more or less, thereby toincrease or decrease the eifective length of the rollers without impairing the driving connection between the sections. If, on the other hand, the desired variation in length is outside the limits of the members 30 and 3|, intermediate sections may be removed and replaced by longer or shorter sections, as will be readily apparent. It is to be understood, however, that this manner of connecting the sections is illustrative only, and that any other suitable driving connection is within the purview of the present invention.

For transmitting rotary motion to the feed rollers 2| and 22, a shaft 32 is mounted for rotation in the side brackets 3 and is provided at one end with a pinion 33 in mesh with the rack wheel 34 usually carried at one end of the platen of a typewriter. The shaft 32 is grooved or fluted for its entire length over its entire periphery, thereby forming elongated gear teeth extending from one side bracket 3 to the other. A pinion 35 is mounted for rotation on a stud secured in the side flange of one of the carriage memwith the teeth on the shaft 32. The shaft carrying the roller 2| is provided with a pinion 36 constantly in mesh with said pinion 35. It will thus be obvious that when the operator actuates the hand lever 31 thereby to rotate the platen one or more steps through the medium of the rack 34 and pawl 38 in the usual manner, motion will be imparted simultaneously by pinion 33, gear shaft 32 and pinions 35 and 36 to the feed rollers 2| and 22, so that the paper sheet sup ported on the auxiliary carriage will be moved vertically a distance corresponding to the movement of the platen In Figs. 6 and '7 are illustrated a form of bill 39 and a companion distribution or abstract sheet 40 such as are commonly used in a certain business. It will be noted that sheet 40 is divided vertically into a number of main columns, designated respectively Domestic", Foreign and Local, said columns being each subdivided into secondary columns designated "Destination, Rate, etc. These distribution sheets are intended to show all items of business transacted over a certain period, for instance a day,

the items being distributed to the proper columns.-

On the other hand, the bill form 39 is to be addressed to the customer and all of the items are to follow each other in a single column, regardless of destination or other distributive heading.

In the operation of the machine, the bill form and distribution sheet are assembled with a sheet of carbon paper therebetween and are fed together beneath the platen in the usual manner. As soon as the top edges of the sheets have passed above the printing point 4|, the operator, by manipulating the lever I1, will release the auxiliary carriage 1 and move it on its rails 5 and 6 to a position in alinement with the bill form, and will then lift the upper edge of the bill away from the distribution sheet and, by operating the lever 26, will separate the rollers 2| and 22 sufficiently to permit the bill form to pass between them. The lever 26 is then returned to its normal position, thereby causing the feed rollers to grip the bill form, and thereaftenwhenever the lever 31 is actuated to bring a new line on the distribution sheet into printing position, the bill is also moved up a corresponding distance by means of the gearing above described. The respective paths of travel of the distribution sheet and bill form are indicated in Figs 3 by the broken lines a-a and b-b. Now, suppose the first item to appear on the bill is Brussels and that item belongs in the main column designated Foreign on the distribution sheet, ii

the bill is not in the proper position the operator I will first actuate the usual paper release lever common in all "typewriters and therefore not shown, thereby to free the lower portion of the bill from the carbon sheet, so that upon depressing the end of the lever H the auxiliary carriage 1 may be moved along the rails 5 and 6 until the bill is in proper position over the distribution sheet, whereupon the paper release lever, of the typewriter is operated to clamp the bill and distribution sheet together on the platen The operator then types in the item Brussels together with the other data pertaining thereto. Suppose now the next items to appear on the bill are Detroit, New York and Halifax" but these belong in the first main column designated Domestic on the distribution sheet. After actuating the lever 31 of the typewriter to raise both the bill and distribution sheet to a new 75,

printing line, the bill is again freed from the main feed rollers of the typewriter and the auxiliary carriage shifted toward the left so as to carry the bill to the proper position over the first main column of the distribution sheet.

For the sake of simplicity, I have shown and described the improved attachment applied to an ordinary wide-carriage typewriter of the usual under-feed type, but it will be understood that it is equally applicable to machines having what is known as a front feed, in which latter machine the operation of the device is simplified by reason of the fact that, by leaving the front feed open the upper or bill sheet carried by the attachment -is at all times free from the paper feed for the lower sheet and can therefore be readily moved relatively to the lower sheet at any time without disturbing said lower sheet.

In some businesses, the customer is identified on. the distribution sheet by a code word, or a number, or some other short designation, rather than by the customers full name, and it is desirable that all of the items chargeable to any particular customer appear under his designation; On the other hand, it is usually not desirable to type the designation on the bill, but to address the latter with the customers full name and address. In order, therefore, to permit the typing of the code word or other designation on the distribution sheet without having it appear on the bill, I have provided the bill form with an elongated slot or window 42 through which, after the bill form has been adjusted to the proper position over the distribution sheet the code designation can be typed on the carbon sheet through the window in the bill and thus transferred to the distribution sheet without appearing on the bill.

While I have described in detail the device herein shown, it is to be understood that I do not thereby limit my invention to the precise features of construction illustrated in the drawings, as I am aware that many mechanical changes and modifications may be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims hereto appended.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a main carriage having a rotatable platen and means for imparting a step-by-step rotary motion to said platen, of an auxiliary carriage mounted for reciprocatory movement above said platen and from end to end thereof, releasable means automatically operative to retain said auxiliary carriage at predetermined points in the length of the platen, means instantaneously operable to release said retaining means thereby to permit ready shifting of the auxiliary carriage with relation to the platen, paper feed rollers mounted for rotation in said auxiliary carriage, and gearing between said platen and said feed rollers'for rotating the latter simultaneously with and proportionately to the rotation of the platen.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a main carriage having a rotatable platen and means for imparting a, step-by-step rotary motion to said platen, of an auxiliary carriage adjustable to vary the eflective length thereof thereby to accommodate different widths of paper.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a main carriage having a rotatable platen, a ratchet wheel secured to said platen, and means in engagement with said ratchet wheel for im-= parting a step-by-step rotary motiontothe platen, of an auxiliary carriage mounted, for reciprocatory movement above. said. platen and from end to end thereof, releasable means automatically operative to retain said auxiliary carriage. at predetermined points in the length of the platen, means instantaneously operable torelease said retaining means thereby-.to permit ready shifting of the auxiliary carriage with relation to the length of, the platen, paper feed rollers mounted for rotation in said auxiliary carriage, and gearing between said ratchet wheel and said feed rollers for rotating the latter simultaneously with and proportionately to the rotation of the platen.

4. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a main carriage frame and a platen mounted for rotation in said frame, of a pair of supporting brackets secured to said frame at opposite ends thereof, a carriage supported in said brackets for sliding movement above said platen, a paper-feed mechanism carried by said carriage, an elongated gear mounted. for rotation in said brackets in parallel relation with said platen throughout its length, gearing between the platen and said elongated gear, and a pinion carried by said paperfeed mechanism in mesh with said gear for transmitting motion from the platen to the paper-feed I I mechanism.

5. In a typewriting machine, a feed-roller comprising a plurality of roller sections separable from each other thereby to vary the effective length of the roller, and driving connections between said sections operative to transmit motion from one section to another at any position of separation of the sections within predetermined limits.

6; In a typewriting machine, a feed-roller comprising a plurality of longitudinally separable roller sections each having at one end a sleeve provided with an elongated hexagonal axially extending opening and at its opposite end an elongated exteriorly hexagonal stem adapted to engage the opening of a companion section thereby to form a constant driving connection between said sections at varying positions of separation.

WILLIAM A. EAGAN.

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