US2189545A - Keyboard perforator and counter - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 6, 194o 2,189,545

W. H. EDDY KEYBOARD PERFORATOR AND COUNTER Filed Deo. 2o, 1957 45 Fig. 2 is a fragmentaryfront: elevational vievv ,I.'I, 'lift`s.the other selector bargof the vpair either 45 50 stop unit" perse; and l Patented Feb.A 6, 1940' y l l UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE mesne assignments, to Teletypese'tterL Corporal tion, a corporation of Delav'va'rey f Application'neember 2o, 1937, vsel-'iai Na. 180,758

7 Claims. (C1. 164- 112) This invention relates toimprovementsincomcoveredfin U. S. Patent No,'2,059,2 50 granted posing systems and apparatus therefor and, par- November 3, 1936, to H.. L. Krum. Having referticularly .to perforators' and counters which may ence to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4,' it is notedthat most be utilized for preparing a perforated strip -for of the parts shown vhave their-.counterpart in the vf5 the automatic control of composing machines. structurev illustrated in said. patent, theJzentire The principal objectief the present invention perforating mechanism not being shown but is to provide means for restricting the cooperawhich is nevertheless considered as operatively tion between a reciprocatingv instrumentality and associated with the present invention. In Fig.r 1,

a periodically actuated mechanism to? response apluralityof key levers I I are'pivotedon a com- 10 to certain operating conditions. mon. rod (not shown) and arenormally urged 1o Another is to render the operationof the justiupwardly by individual springsjv-as is common ficat'ion indicator 'of a keyboard perfora'tor andy practice. These key levers extendover a selector counter more accurate and reliable by eliminatmechanismfnot shown) comprising anumber of ing undesirableoperating conditions` y pairs of selectorbars for `controlling the per- Specifically, in prior keyboard perforators and forator unit, vindicated generally by the numeral 15 counters, the paw] Which operates the'ju'stiiica- I2, and over thes'imilar pairs Yof bars I3 and I4 tion or space band pointers, oscillates with its I(Fig. 4), included in a selecting unit for controlcontrol; lever during the operating cycle .of the ling the counting mechanism, indicated ygenerally bar on'which `both the pavvlr and the'controlle- 4by -thenumeral I5.y Thekey llevers II are. each ver are mounted. This oscillation, atthe high provided'with a key LI6 individualy thereto.l The 2 0.

` speed encountered 'during'. the operation of the bars I3 and I4 of each pair' are' supported by a perforator and counter, tends to cause saidpawl pair of lf-shaped rockermembersY I1 disposedv at to overtravel vand occasionally to engage the each end of the pairsof bars I 'af and I4, the rocker justification pointer spacing rack or ratchet prememberat onlyone-end of the selector -bars bematurely, thus interfering with the complete reing shovvninFig. v4. Each seriesofrockerarms 25 turn lof the space band pointers to their starting II is mountedon a-pivot rod .I8y and have oppoor beginning of line position, or vcausingQ-ifals'e sitely directed vlugs I 9 and 2|, which supportthe space band indications to occur. `With `thf'e'feaselector bars I3 and I4, respectively, of the corture of the present invention, .greater operating rresponding pair ofbars. "'Ifherocker members margins are provided because thereby'the'spacer 'I1 of; each vpair of selector bars I3 and I4 are 30 feed pawl isheld outl of contactualengagement pivoted'toand reciprocatea permutation bar 22,

:with its` control leverL at all times' "except .during each 4of ,whicl 1'y is pivotally articulated `to a Y- a cycle of operation of the space bandindicatshaped selector lever23 pivoted on a `rod-.24. ing mechanism. I l

y .f 'I'he'pefrmutation bars 22, indicated in Fig. 4,;are A better4 understanding ofjthe foregoing and ythose yprovided forthecontrol of the counting 35 other objects of the present invention may be had mechanism.. Similar 4permutation bars (not fromfthe 'following description, taken inconju'ncshown'l' are provided for the. control lof the pertion with the accompanying drawingwhereinlike foratorfl 2,'1 and Iarepivoted: `Ito individual levers reference characters represent Asimilar parts 25 (Fig. l1),.eachof which, -in ,gturn, reciprocates o throughout the several views. ffl* a punchinterference member 26 individual there- 40 Figli is a perspective View of a perforatorfand to. l counter with parts broken away showing the'p'- Eachkey lever. I-Il is arranged to'depress one or vparatus necessary. forv -a clearunderstanding of the other-oieach pair of selector bars I3 andf I4, the present invention;` and throughv the medium of the rocker members Of the aPPaIUS ill-'Stl'atd in Fg- 1 t0 ShO'WfmOe to vadvance orretract the associated permutation clearly the improvement according `to the .pres bar .ZZtoimpart corresponding movement' to the 1 ent invention; I Y, 7. associated Y- shaped lever 23. `Upon depression Fig. 3 is a PSISDGGUVB View 0f the ,Wuming of akeyfleventhepermutation bars22 are set in Y, f characteristic co'mbinationsf/As set forthinPat- 50 Fig. 4 -is a fragmental `sectional View yof Vthe ent No. f2,059,250, each'key lever II, in addition selector mechanism. Y. to actuating theselector bars I 3nand. I4, also op- 'The feature according to the present vinvention Aerates'fa universal bar (not` shown) which funcis disclosed in the presentembodiment in fconnections to initiate a lcyclic operation of the appation with the keyboardA perforator .counter ratus by trippingthe clutch mechanism, indi- 55 cated generally as 20 (Fig. 1), associated with the operating shaft 29. Shaft 29 also carries a series of cams adapted to carry out the several operations of the apparatus. For instance, a cam 50 is employed to operate the perforator l2, and a cam is provided to operate the spacing bar 69. Bar 69 carries mechanism, indicated generally (in Fig. 1) as I9, for controlling the operation of an adjustable space band mechanism, indicated generally as 10 (and disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,083,608 issued June 15, 1937, to E. S. Larson), to actuate a pair of space band pointers 64 and 65.

The setting of the Y-shaped levers 23 permutatively upon the depression of a key lever will control the setting of a plurality of notched discs 3| (Fig. 3), forming part of the counting mechanism I5. Individual to each of the levers 23 and notched discs 3| is a transfer lever 32 pivotally mounted on a rod 33 secured to a bracket 30 (Fig. 4) which is actuated by a cam (not shown) carried on the operating shaft, as fully set forth in Patent No. 2,059,250. For each operation of bracket 30, the transfer levers 32 will be moved downwardly (as viewed in Fig. 4) into operative relation with the Y-shaped levers 23; that is, whether the levers 23 are set in their counterclockwise or clockwise positions, the depending arms of transfer levers 32 will engage or be free of corresponding upper ends of the-arms of Y- shaped levers 23 to cause the discs 3|, upon actuation of bracket 30, to be rotated slightly in either a counterclockwise or clockwise direction respectively. With the Y-shaped levers 29 operated in varying permutations in accordance with the movement of the permutation bars 22, the discs 3| will likewise be rotated in varying combinations and will correspondingly cause for each setting thereof an alignment of the notches in the periphery of the discs 3|.

Cooperating with the notches in the discs 3| are a plurality of rods 34, there being a rod individual to each set of notches (when aligned), and each rod isarranged with anti-friction rollers 35. Each of the rods 34 is centripetally biased by an individual spring 36. In this mannenthe rods 34 normally tend to move radially toward a common center into the notches of the discs 3|, but inasmuch as the notches of the discs 3| are arranged so that for each setting' of the discs only one group of notches will be in transverse alignment, only one of the rods 34 at a time will be moved into the notches. Also, the notches in the discs 34 are arranged so that when the discs are moved for a subsequent selection, the previously selected rod 34 will be cammecl outwardly against the action of its associated spring 36. operatively securedto the right-hand end of each of the rods )34 is a stop member 31 (Fig. 3) which slides in suitable slots formed in a circular member 38.

To the right of the code disc selector 39 (as viewed in Fig. 3) is a counting barrel or unit 4|, forming a part of the counting mechanism, which is rotated by power communicated from a continuously rotating motor 4D through a friction clutch 42. The countingunit 4| comprises a plurality of circumferentially arranged slides4 43 which are longitudinally slidable and coact with the stop members 31 to determine the degree of rotation of unit 4|, and any of the slides 43 which are found in the zero position are operated invariably by a lever 21 (corresponding to lever 205 disclosed in Patent No. 2,059,250), controlled by a cam (not shown) carried on the operating shaft 29. Simultaneously with the actuation of a slide in its zero position, the previously operated slide is restored to its normal or nonoperating position by a collar 44 to accomplish, through the coaction of an operated slide 43 and a selected stop member 31, the incremental progressive movement of the counting unit 4|. The countingunit 4| includes a shaft 45 on which is Aformed a worm 46.

As previously mentioned, the slides 43 cooperate with the members 31 to control the rotation of the counting unit 4|, which is driven through the friction clutch 42, to cause a corresponding degree of rotation to worm 45. The rotation of `worm 46, which meshes with a gear 41 secured to a shaft 48, causes the corresponding or proportional angular rotation of a shaft 49 through gears 5| and 52. A worm 53 is fixed to the right extremity (as viewed in Fig. l) of shaft 49 and meshes with a worm wheel 54 associated with the counting clutch arrangement indicated generally as 28, completing a gear train between the counting unit 4| and counting clutch 2B.v

As shown in Fig. 1, the indicator comprises a portion 55 of sectoral shape mounted on a frame 56 carried on the base 51, which portion carries slidably thereon a dial or scale 58 provided adjacent its arcuate edge with a scale or series of graduations representing the number of units in a line of maximum length. Associated with the scale 58 is a matrix pointer 59, the reverted end of which moves along the arcuate edge of the dial from left to right, towards zero, in response to the totalization of the matrix thicknesses by the counting mechanism l5. Thus, the distance from the pointer 59 to zero indicates the amount of space left in the line to be filled with matrices when the line contains no space bands. However, when space bands are inserted in the line, the space remaining to be filled varies with the number of space bands inserted. So, to indicate the justifiability of the line being composed, the pair of space band pointers 64 and 65 is provided, the distance between the pointers G4 and 65, when in the dotted line position, for example, indicating the amount of expansibility of the space bands.

'In the embodiment shown, the dial 58 is articulated tothe minimum space band pointer 65 through pin 8l and is movable vmth said pointer. The space left in the line to be filled withmatrices is represented by the distance between the matrix pointer 59 and any point between space band pointers 64 and 65. The manner of effecting the` differential or proportional movement of pointers 64 and 65 toward the left (from the vzero position) is fully set forth in Patentv No. 2,083,608 and will be described only briefly hereinafter. The matrx pointer 59 is disposed between a flanged sleeve 62 (which carries gear 54) and a disc 53, and, as fully described in the aforementioned patents, the matrix pointer 59 is rendered movable with the gear 54 by reason of the pressure produced between it and the disc 63 by a spring 66 through rod 61. To effect the return ofthe matrix pointer r59 leftwardly to its initial or beginning of line position against a stop (not shown), the rod 61 integrally formed with disc 63 is pushed forwardly by a suitable means against the compressive actionvof spring 66 to relieve said pressure and permit the matrix pointer 59 to be returned to its initial position by a spring 68 acting on a cord 1|.

As previously mentioned, the adjustable space band mechanism 10 is fully described in U. S.

Patent 2,083,608 and providesl means for varying the incremental movements .of space band pointers' 64and 65 independently of eachother. Brieily,.wto accomplish this result, there are vmounted on a bracket 12 two adjusting screws 13 and 14 (Fig. 2) which control' the movement of traveling blocks 15 and 16. Carried on fulcrums 11 and 18 integralwith blocks 15 and16 are operating levers 19. and 8|. Through the rotation of 'screws 13 and"14 the blocks 15 and 16 are caused to travel therealong, thus varying the position of fulcrums 11 and 18 to change the rotative movements of levers 19 and 8|, respectV'ely.`

Movement is imparted to levers 19 and 8| mechanicallyfthrough the operation of spacing bar 69 in the manner fully described in Patent No. 2,083,608 but will be briefly described here to 'clarify the present description. Spacing bar 69 is pivotally articulated to a lever 82 (Fig. l) suitably carried ony a pivot (not shown) mounted in a. bracket carried on base 51, which lever carries a follower roller-that cooperates with cam 60. For each half revolution of cam 60, spacing bar 69 is `reciprocated leftwardly and then returned to its normal rightward position. Carried on spacing bar 69 near its right-hand end is a lever 83 which has latching relation with an intermediate lever 84, also pivotally carried on spacing bar 69. Intermediate lever 84 cooperates with a spacing pawl 85 so that, when space key lever 86 is depressed, link 81 pivoted thereto is actuated downwardly to impart clockwise rotation tov lever 83' to cause the disengagement oflever 83 from the v,intermediate lever 84.- 'I'hus disengaged, lever 84 is actuated in a clockwise direction by a spring 88 to throw spacing pawl 85 into engagement with a spacing rack 89 carried on a movable bracket 9|.`

Spacingpawl85 is biased normally in a counterclockwise` direction by a spring 92 against an adjustable stop member 93. Stop member 93,

as shown in Fig. 2, is of the eccentric screw type andis secured to the spacing bar 69, adjustment being effected by the hexagon flange 94 integral therewith. In this manner, spacing pawl 85 normally bears against the stop 93 instead of against the intermediate lever 84.' Spacing pawl 85 is thereby rendered independent of the hereinafter described vibrations imparted to intermediate lever 84 by the reciprocating action of spacing bar 69. kUpon the operation of space key lever 86, lever 84 will be oscillated once due to the tripping action imparted by lever 83 and the restoration action imparted to intermediate lever 84 by plate 95 through depending lug 96; that is, intermediate lever 84 becomes unlatched from lever 83 substantially simultaneously with the tripping of the clutch 20; therefore, as cam 68 rotates to operate lever 82 to move spacing bar 69 leftwardly, intermediate lever 84 has already been tripped in readiness for this action, and spring 88 has urged lever 84 clockwise against spacing pawl 85 to raise the spacing pawl 85 into engagement with spacing ratchet 89. Then, as spacing bar 69 is actuated leftwardly, pawl 85 carries the ratchet 89 in the same direction until depending lug 96 of intermediate lever 84 strikes against reset plate 95, whereupon counterclockwise rotation is imparted to lever 84 against the tension of spring 88 to bring lever 84 again into latching engagement with lever 83. Spacing pawl 85 isy thereupon disengaged from ratchet rackI pawl 85, the relative movements being upon the adjustable position of` fulcrums 11 and 18.

in itsactuatedpositlon by a retaining pawlnotI As disclosed in'Patent No. 2,059,250, the spacing bar 69 is reciprocated upon the depression of every key lever, although it becomes effective' to move the spacing rack only upon the depression. of the space key lever. Therefore, it is apparent that for every reciprocation of spacing bar 69, the depending lug 96 of lever 84 will strike against plate 95, because to enable the latchment of levers 83 and 84, lever 84 must be rotated counterclockwise a suilicient distance (that is, lever 84' must be given a slight amount of overtravel) to eilect its latching engagement with lever 83, thereby causing, in response to every key operation, momentary vibration of intermediate lever 84. This sharp, but momentary, action on lever 84 was transferred to the spacing pawl 85,l since heretofore the spacing pawl 85 normally rested upon the leftwardly extending arm of lever' 84.' 'I'his caused the spacing pawl 85 to engage the rack 89 accldentally and occasionally'resulted vin false operations of the space band indicating mechanism. To obviate this difliculty, the adjustable stop 93 was provided for spacing pawl 85, thereby rendering spacing pawl 85 vnormally independent of intermediate lever 84; that is, during all operations except that in response to theoperaton of the space key. f

Having reference to Fig. 2, lever 19 (as more fully described in Patent otally" connected at its upperend to a gear-rack 91, and lever 8| 'is pivotally connected'tofa gear rack 98. The lower end of operating 'lever 19 is provided with an open ended slotwhich cooperates with a pin 99 'secured to'frame 9|. Similarly, operating lever 8| is also provided with an open ended slot at its lower end which cooperates with a pin |0| also secured to frame 9|-, so that'upon actuation of spacing rack or ratchet 89 bythe pawl 85,v this movement is imparted to frame 9| and, in turn, causes levers 19 and 8| to rotate about their fulcrums 11` and 18, respectively, thus imparting movement to gear racks 91I and 98.4 Gear rack 91 meshes with a gear sectorv |02 associated with the maximum space band pointer 64, and similarly, gear rack 98 meshes with a gear sector |03associated with the minimum space band pointer 65. Thus, upon actuation of the gear racks 91 and 98 through the instrumentality of spacing ratchet 89, the space band pointers 64 and 65 are moved differentially or proportionately for each reciprocation of spacing bar 69 (and hence spacing ratchet 89) in response to each operation of space dependent It is understood that various changes may be made in the details set forth in the foregoing description without departing from essentials of the invention or from the vspirit or the scope of equivalency thereof, as dened by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a keyboard apparatus for producing control strips for composing machines, a series of keys, means adapted to be reciprocated invariably upon the actuation of said keys, a periodically actuated mechanism cooperably related to said means, and eccentric means eiTective on said means to vary the cooperative relationship between said means and said mechanism.

2. In a keyboard apparatus for producing control strips for composing machines, a series of keys, a reciprocating instrumentality invariably i l so. No. 2,083,608) is piv'- ative by said special key,

operated in response tfsaid keys, -a periodically actuated mechanism cooperably related to said instrumentality, and eccentricmeans effective on said instrumentality to vary the cooperative relationship between said instrumentality and said mechanism, c

3. In a keyboard apparatus for producing control strips for ,composing machines, a series of keys, a reciprocatinginstrumentality invariably actuated in response to said keys, a periodically actuated mechanism cooperably related to said instrumentality, and eccentric means elective on said instrumentality to restrict the cooperation between said instrumentality and said mechanism to response to a certain one of said keys.

4. In a keyboard apparatus suitable for the production of perforated tape representing lines of composition, a series of keys, a scale, a pointer movable variably with respect to said scale to indicate aV condition representing cumulative widths of characters, a pair of pointers, a special key, means adapted to be reciprocated invariably upon the actuation of said keys, supplemental means carried by said means and rendered operdiierential gearing operable by said supplemental means for rotating said pair of pointers different amounts for each eectiveness thereof for indicating a different condition, and means to vary the cooperative rei lationship between said supplemental means and said gearing.

5 In a keyboard apparatus suitable for the production of perforated tape representing lines of composition, a series of keys, a scale, a pointer movable variably with respect to said scale to indicate a condition representing cumulative Widths of characters, a pair of pointers, a special key, means adapted to be reciprocated invariably upon the actuation of said keys, supplemental means carried by said means and rendered operative by said special key, diierential gearing operable by said supplemental means for rotating said pair Vof pointers dierent amounts for each effectiveness thereof for indicating a different condition, and eccentric means effective on said supplemental means to restrict the cooperation between said supplemental means and said gearing to response to certain operating conditions.

6. In combination vm'th a' keyboard apparatus suitable for the production of perforated tape representative of consecutive characters and word spacers, a series of keys, a scale, a pointer movable variably with respect to said scale in response to the operation of said keys to indicate the cumulative widths of characters, a pair of pointers, means for operating said pair of pointers differentially to indicate the cumulative expansibility of the Word spacers, a special key, means reciprocated invariably upon the operation of said keys, supplemental means carried by said reciprocable means cooperable with said first recited means, said special key when actuated adapted to render said supplemental means operative to actuate said pointers to correspond to the increment of expansibility provided by a spacer, and eccentric means effective on said supplemental means to restrict the cooperation of said supplemental means with said first recited means to response to said special key only.

7. In a keyboard apparatus suitable for the production of perforated tape representing lines of composition, a plurality of keys, a counting device, means to operate said device incrementally according to the keys depressed, an indicator dial, an index hand, said index hand operable variably with respect to said dial to correspond with the operation of said device, a special key, a pair of pointers, differential means for actuating said pointers, means adapted to be reciprocated invariably upon the lactuation of each of said keys, means carried by said reciprocable means and cooperable with said differential means upon the actuation of said special key, and means to vary the cooperative relationship between said last recited means and said differential means, the relative actuation of said index hand and said pointers indicating at all times the justiability of the line being composed.

W'ILLIAM H. EDDY.

Images