US2206743A

US2206743A - Addressing machine for multisection bills

Info

Publication number: US2206743A
Application number: US176436A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harmon P Elliott
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1937-11-26
Filing date: 1937-11-26
Publication date: 1940-07-02
Anticipated expiration: 1957-07-02

Description

y 2, 1940- H. P. ELLIOTT 2,206,743

ADDRESSING MACHINE FOR MULTISECTION BILLS Filed Nov. 26, 1957 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 fly 30 l sa 1";fim0/ -34 /I,229,0- /42 284 i Inverfirorr Hw P. m

July 2, 1940. H. P. ELLIOTT ADDRESSING MACHINE FOR MULTISECTIONBILLS 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 26, 1957 Inc/621202".

SQ www July 2, 1940- H. P. ELLIOTT ADDRESSING MACHINE FOR MULTISECTION BILLS Filed Nov. 26, 1937 6 Sheets$heet 4 July 2, 1940. H. P. ELLIOTT ADDRESSING MACHINE FOR MULTISECTION BILLS Filed Nov. 26, 1957 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented July 2, 1940 ADDRESSING MACl-gNE FOR MULTISECTIQN Harmon r. Elliott, Water-town, Mass. Application November 26, 1937, Serial No. 176,436 15 Claims. (Cl. 101----5'l) This invention relates to a machine for addressing multisection sheets, such as the bills of many public utilities, which bills consists of a main section and one ormore detachable sections, each of which sections is intended to receive the same address. I

The various sections contain printed matter and the present machine is intended to apply the addresses to the preprinted bills.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of an addressing machine adapted to receive a series of individual bill forms, introduced into the machine either manually or automatically, the machine having mechanism for advancing the separate bills intermittently by steps of predetermined length, the address printing mechanism of the machine being such that the same address can be printed repeatedly in different predetermined positions on the bill form or on the different sections thereof.

A further and more specific object of the invention is the provision of bill advancing mechanism including a driving sector having a bill engaging and driving peripheral portion of predetermined length equal to the space between consecutive addresses and mechanism for rotating the driving member between addressing operations to advance the bill by the length of the driving periphery so as to position a different part of the bill in address receiving position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a bill addressing machine having mechanism for advancing the successive bills in a position to receive the first. address and mech anism for advancing the bill by steps of predetermined extent for receiving repetitions of the same address and for ultimately delivering the bill into a second bill advancing mechanism which rapidly extracts the addressed bill from the machine.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of a bill addressing machine having an improved form of mechanism for transferring successive bills from a stack of such bills and advancing the successive bills through the machine.

Another object of the invention is the provisio-nbf bill addressing and feeding mechanism having bill guiding'and feeding parts which can be removed to permit the machine to operate as a versatile addressing machine.

A yet further object of the invention is generally to improve upon addressing machines and addressing methods.

Fig. 1 isan end elevation of the machine embodying the present invention viewed from the left hand or bill delivery end 01. the machine.

Fig. 2 is a plan view 01' the machine of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transversesection taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2. i

Fig. 4 is an end detail of the stencil advancing mechanism taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are sequent views taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 2, Fig. 5 illustrating particularly the mechanism for advancing successive preprinted bills to the action of the machine, Fig. 6 illustrating the mechanism for advancing the bills into and through the addressing elements of the machine, and Fig. 7 illustrating the mechanism for delivering the addressed bill.

Fig. 8 is a sectional detail of a bill retaining pad of Fig. 5 taken along line 8-8 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is an elevation on the pad of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a sectional detail of the bill guideway taken along line Ill-it of Fig. 5. Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic view taken lengthwise of the bill sheet and illustrating the position of the bill with respect to the stop finger and the in-feeding rolls for the first address.

Fig. 12 is a sectional detail of the idler roll of :the intermittent bill advancing mechanism taken along line l2--fl2 of Fig. '7. i Fig. 13 is a sectional detail of the disconnectible connection between the bill advancing sector and the driving mechanism therefor taken along line l3-l3 ofFig. 2.

Fig. 14 is a plan view of a pre-printed multisection public service bill adapted to be addressed by the present machine. v

Fig. 15 is a perspective view of an address'bear ing stencil used in connection with the present machine.

Fig. 16 is an end detail of the machine for automatically disabling the pusher, looking from the left hand end of Fig. 4.

The machine embodying thepresent invention includes a flat bed or table 20 supported upon the top of a suitable frame 22. The table is pro vided in the middle of the front edge thereof with a recess- 24 in which the upper end of a vertical stencil receiver 26 of suitable construction is located.

The machine is adapted to operate upona series of address-bearing printing devices, which specifically are stencils 28 of suitable well known construction, see Fig. 15, a vertical stack of which stencils is contained in a holder 30 rising from the rear portion of the table 20. The table is provided with a groove 32 leading from the stencil holder of the stencil receiver. A pair of mm" om..-

- grooves in their confronting faces are located in the groove 82 and provides a stencil track or guideway along which the stencils'are moved in succession from the stencllholder 80 to the receiver 25.

The mechanism for moving the successive lowermost stencils from the holder into and along the guideway includes a pusher 88, see especially Figs. 3 and 4, disposed below the holder 30 and reciprocable on a pair of parallel guide rods 88 from a position inthe rear of the stack of stencils to'a position where the rear edge of the lowermost stencil is advanced into the guidewav.

The pusher is provided with a pair ofabutments 4d at each. side thereof in proximity to the guide rods 38 which. are adapted to be located behind and engage the rearmost edge of the lowermost stencil to advance it forwardly of the stack and into the stencil guideway. The pusher is also provided with rear elevated portions 42 which support the stack of stencils while the lowermost one is being advanced thereby to remove the weight of the stack from the advancing stencil. J

The pusher is reciprocated by means of a link 44 which is pivotallyconnected at its forward end to the pusher and its rear end to an upstanding arm 46 integral with a hub 48 loosely supported upon an oscillating shaft 50 located below the rear end of the table and supported therefrom by depending

brackets

52 and 54, see especially Fig. 4. The hub 48 carries anarcuate sector 58 having a radial face provided with an aperture adapted removably to receive a clutch pin58 carried by a hub 80 which is movable axially on the shaft 50, but is keyed thereto for conjoint rotation therewith. Thus the hub 60 compression spring 82 which encircles the shaft 50 and bears against the hub and the bearing bracket 54.

The hub. is connected with and is disconnected from the sector 56 periodically to obtain a predetermined number of repetitions of the address of a stencil as will presently appear and also by means under control of the operative. Said operative-controlled means includes a rod 84 journalled in an ear 86 of the bearing bracket 54 and having fixed thereto a depending arm 68 carrying aroller 10' located in an annular groove 12 of the hub. Thus when the arm 88 is swung in a clockwise direction, Fig. 4, the hub 80' is moved axially against the action of the spring 62 to disengage the hub from driving engagement: with the sector 50. The arm 68 is operated by an arm .13 fixed to the pin 68 and pivotally connected at its free end with a vertical connecting rod'IG, the lower end of which is pivotedto the outer end of an arm I8 fixed to a shaft 80 journalled in an extension 82 of the bearing bracket 54 at one end and in a bearing. bracket 84 at the other end. The shaft 80 has an arm 88 fixed thereto which is pivotally connected to the upper end of a rod 88 extended downwardly'to the lower front part of the frame 22 and pivotally connected to the rear end of a "repeat pedal 90.

The present machine is provided with three pedals 92, but one of which is shown in Fig. 1. These pedals are known, respectively, as the 2,200,743 v "print, the "repeat and the "skip" pedals, and

can be singly or conjointly depressed by the operative to efiect control of the machine to start the machine in operation to repeat the printing of the address of any selected stencil or to skip or pass the selected stencil through the printing mechanism without effecting a printing operation thereof. Thus by a depression of the repeat pedal the pusher can be disabled so that a stencil that is in' addressing position stays therein during the next printing operation or for any number of printing operations until the repeat pedal is raised to restore the connection between the hub 80 and the sector 58. J

The oscillable shaft 56 is oscillated or rocked by means of an arm 04, see Figs. 1, 3 and 4, fixed thereto and pivotally connected to the rear end of a link 96, the forward-end of which is pivotally connected to the lower end of an upwardly extended link 98 pivoted at 100 to asuitable support beneath the table 20. The swinging link 98 is provided with a lateral roller 802 which operates in a cam slot I04 of a cam I08 pivoted on a shaft I08 fixed between arms I I0 of a bracket II2 secured to the under face of the table 20. The configuration of the cam slot I04 is such as to eil'ect oscillation of the shaft 50 and hence reciprocation of the pusher 38 in the proper manner. The arm I08 is reciprocated by a connecting rod II 4 driven by a power mechanism II8, now

well known in the art and unnecessary to detently rotating shaft H8 which is under control of the start pedal, not shown, and makes one complete rotation for an operating cycle of the machine following the depression of the start pedal. The shaft 8 operates the connecting rod II4.

The power mechanism also-includes a continuously rotating shaft I20 which delivers power into the mechanism from the driving motor I22. The power mechanism I I8 is tied rigidly with the bracket II2 by means of a rigid tie member I24 which is bolted to the housing of the power mechanism and connected to the shaft I08, see Figs. 1 and 3. I v

The printing mechanism. includes an anvil or platen I26-located above the'stencil track forwardly of the stencil holders and fixed to the.

rear of the platen and carried by upstanding ears I82 of the bracket H2. The arms have an integral depending projection I34 below said shaft I30, which projection is provided with a roller I86 which cooperates with the cam face I88 of an operating arm I40 pivoted to the shaft I08. Reciprocation of said arm effects consequent reciprocation of the arms I28 and the movement. of the platen toward and away from the stencils.- v

Cooperating with the platen is a resilient printing' roll I42 disposed beneath the stencil track and the platen and journalled in a frame I44 pivoted at I48 to the bracket 2. I44 carries a cam roller I48 which cooperates with a cam face I50 of said operating arm I40 so that reciprocation of the arm I40 moves the printing roll I42 into and out of engagement with the stencils thereabove. v

The printing roll I42 receives ink on its periphery from an inking mechanism I52 whic need not be described in further detail.

The frame The operating'arm I40 for the printing mecha- 7 moans end of the operating arm and having a latch projection I56 which is normally held in a notch I60 of the cam arm I06 by means of a spring I62, thereby to effect the driving engagement between the arms I06 and I40.

The latch can be disconnected from the cam arm I 06 thereby to disable the printing mechanism so as to skip a stencil selected visually by the operative. To this end a generally vertical lever I64 is fixed to a pinIBG journalled in a bracket I68, see Fig. 4, depending from the rear edge of the table 20. The upper end of said lever is adapted for cooperation with stencil control, selector mechanism, forming no part (if the present invention and not herein illustrated. The lower end of the lever is provided with a cam face I10 that cooperates with a cam roll I12 of the latch I54. Thus by swinging the lower end of the lever in a clockwise directiomj Fig. 3,, the latch can be removed from engage ment with the cam arm or sector I06 to disable the printing mechanism. The lever I64 is normally retained in an unoperated position by a tensile spring I14. The lever I64 is operated manually by means of an arm I16 fixed to the pin I66 and pivoted to the upper end of a pedal operated rod I18 the lower end of which is pivotally connected to the rear end of a repeat pedal I80. Thus by depressing the repeat pedal the latch I54 is disconnected from the cam sector I06 and the printing mechanism is disabled so that selected stencils can be passed through the printing position without being operated upon by the platen and printing roll. This skip feature, however, while useful when the machine is operated for general purposes, is not employed in applying addresses to bill forms.

Since for the purpose of the present invention,

plural and specifically three repetitions oftthe same address are to be recorded on the same bill form, means are provided to retain each desired stencil in addressing position during three operations of the addressing machine. Said means includes mechanism in control of the movable clutch member 60 of the stencil pusher, see Figs. 3, 4 and 16.

A shaft I [II is journalled in the bracket 54 for the oscillable shaft 50 and has fixed on one end thereof a disc I03 having four equi-angularly spaced notches I05 in its periphery which cooperate with a roller I 01 journalled on an arm I09 movable with the clutch operating arm 50 and so arranged that when the roller is on a smooth part ofthe disc-periphery the clutch 60 is held disengaged from the pusher and hence the pusher is held inoperative. -When, however, the pusher drops into a notch M the clutch is engaged and the pusher is caused to operate. The disc is so rotated that the pusher remains in a notch only for one machine operation.

Three machine operations are required to advance the disc under the roller to the next, notch. The disc is advanced in a step by step manner by means includinga twelve-tooth ratchet wheel I II fixed to the opposite end of the shaft and engaged by a pawl H3 carried by an arm II 5 pivoted on said shaft IIlI and having a bifurcated lower end engaged by a pin II1 fixed to an arm H9 carried by and oscillable with the aforesaid shaft 50. Thus threeoscillations of the arm H9 and shaft are required to advance the disc I03 over the roller I01 from one notch to the next the bills and the underlying stencils.

3 so that the pusher is operated to change stencils after every third addressing operation.

The bill form I62 adapted to be addressed by the machine of the present invention is illustrated in Fig. 14 and comprises a plurality of pro-printed sections, a, b, c, detachable from each other along the lines it and e, and each adapted to receive an address 1, the addresses being equidistant. While the bill herein illustrated has the section b shorter than the sections a and c, neither the length nor the number of the sections is important so far as the principle of the present invention is concerned except that the machine is designed to operate upon a bill of certain dimensions and number of sections.

The successive bills are adapted to be moved through the printing mechanism along a removable guideway I84, see especially Figs. 2, 5, 6, '7 and 10.. The guideway consists of a bottom wall I86 and upstanding side walls I88 spaced apart by the width of the bill form. The side walls are provided with plates I90 which overlie the side edges of the bottom wall to provide between them and' the bottom wall a track for the bill forms. The guideway I84 overlies the stencil track and is disposed between it and the printing anvil I26, the bottom wall I86 of the bill guideway having an opening I92 therein under the anvil to permit pressure engagement between The bill guideway is provided with laterally extending ears I94 through which clamping. screws R96 are passed and are screw threaded into the table 20 to secure the guideway removably in position.

The bill forms are adapted to be automatically fed into the bill guideway by the mechanism best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5. A stack of bill forms is disposed face down upon a supporting table I98 disposed at the right hand end of the table '20. The table is pivotally connected at its right 6 hand end to the upper end of a pair of brace members 200 which at their lower end are secured to the frame 22 of the machine. The intermediate portion of the table is supported by a vertical rack 202, the upper end of which is pivoted at 204 to the under side of the table. A shaft 206 is rotatably supported in bearings 7200 carried by the brace members 200 beside the rack 202. The shaft 206 has fixed thereto a gear 2 I0 which meshes with the rack. The knob m is fixed to the shaft so that the shaft can be rotated manually to raise and lower the rack and thus raise and lower the front end of the table. A ratchet wheel 2% is fixed to the shaft and engages a spring pressed detent m which normally holds the ratchet wheel against rotation due tothe weight of the table and thus holds the table in any adjusted position. By moving the detent 2I6 away from the ratchet wheel the table is caused to drop by its weight upon a support Elli carried by the table 20. A spring 220 normally holds the rack 202 in engagement with the gear 2 I0.

With this arrangement the top of the stack of bill forms can be adjusted to the level of the entrance of the bill guideway'in proportion as the height of the stack diminishes due to the removal of the bill forms therefrom.

The frontend of the stack of bill forms is disposed between a pair of vertical fingers 222 by which the stack is held in line with the guideway. The rear end of the stack is disposed between 21. pair of. vertical plates 224 secured releasably to the table I98 by screws 228. The inner faces of plates 224 have pads 228 of sponge rubber or the like secure d thereto by means including screws 2%, see Figs. 5 and 9. Said sponge rubber pads are engaged with the side edges of the bills of the stack with suficient firmness to hold the lower bills from the stack against forward movement while the uppermost bill of the stack is being advanced.

The advancing mechanism for the uppermost bill of the stack includes an arm 232, see Figs. 2 and 5, disposed at one side of the table and pivoted at its lower end on the aforesaid shaft 2%. A rod 23% is journalled in the upper end of said arm and overlies the bill stack. An arm 2% is fixed removably' to said rod 2% and projects forwardly or to the left therefrom. At its forward end it is provided with a pair oi? links 238 preierably clamped securely to the arm'and having a soft rubber feed roll 2% pivoted between their lower ends. llhc weight of the arm 23% and associated parts is such as to press the-feed roll Mil firmly uponthe topmost bill of the stack irrespective of the height of the stack within the limits of the machine and reciprocation oi the arm 232 causes the roll to be reciprocated lengthwise oi the stack and in engagement with the uppermost bill thereof.

The roll 2th is arranged to roll freely betweenthe links 238 during retracting movement of the roll but to be held from rotation during the forward movement of the roll and thereby to be in suificient frictional engagement with the upper" most bill of the stack to move it lengthwise ofi the stack and into the bill guideway. To this end the arm 2% is provided with a clutch plate 2st which depends from the arm and terminates beaccessehind the roll 2% and in close proximity thereto and at an angle to the periphery thereof.

As thus arranged when the roll is advanced toward the left, Fig. 5, the plate 2% due to its angle of engagement with the roll and the compressibility oi the roll is caused to dig. thereinto and hold the roll from rotating. Thus as the roll advances it acts as a stationary friction pad that engages the uppermost bill sumciently firmly to surely advance it off the stack and into the bill guideway. On the retraction movement of the roll the relation between the roll and the clutch plate is such that the roll can rotate freely in contact with the uppermost bill and hence exerts no driving tendency thereon.

The roll is reciprocal-ed by means of a connecting rod 244 having a longitudinally elongated slot ,246 in one end thereof in which a pin 2% fixed to the roller operating arm 232 is located. A relatively strong tension spring 258 is connected with the pin 248 and with a part ofthe connecting rod 24% and serves to" hold the pin 246 normally in the left hand end of the slot. The other end of the connecting rod is pivoted on a crank pin 252 of a crank arm 254 fixed to a shaft 256 journalled in a bracket 258 secured to the underside of the machine table 20. Thus rotation of the shaft 25% effects reciprocation of the connecting rod 245 and hence of the feed roll 240, the force for advancing the feed roll being transmitted through the spring 250. If there is some obstruction in the way of the feed roll the spring 250 yields and thus prevents-damage to the associated parts.

The shaft 256 is driven from a shaft 260 journalled in the bracket 258 through small and large spur gears 262- and 264 fixed respectively to the

shafts

260 and 256, the shaft 260 making three revolutions to one revolution of the shaft 256 for advancing the three section bill herein shown. The shaft 260 is driven through miter gears 266 ingniechanism above described and the bill advancing mechanism to be described. I

The successive bills from the stack are delivered into the bill guideway a sufiicient distance to be engaged by a pair of cooperating driving and idler rolls tit and t lt respectively. The driving roll 2% is h red to a shaft 2% journalled in. a bracket tilt, see Fig. 11, and the upper peripheral portion thereof is located in aligned slots of the machine table 2@ and the bottom of the bill guideway and projects lntothe guideway so as to be overlaid by the bill. The idler roll are is adapted to be moved downwardly to press the bill into driving 2% which extends longitudiengagement with the driving roll did thereby to projects slightly into the upper part of the bill guideway to be overlaid with the bill. Said roll is fixed to ashaft 29d journalled in brackets 292 fixed to the under side of the machine table, see Figs. 1 and l. The idler roll 28% is adapted to be reciprocated toward and away from the driving roll so as to cause the bill at the proper time to be ven by the driving roll and advanced out oi the bill guideway.

The driving roll 23! is driven by means ing a pulley 29d fixed to the roll shaft 2% about which is passed a half-turn belt 2% that is passed about a pulley 298 fixed to a counter-shaft 3th iournalled in a bracket 3H2 secured to the machine frame 22 and also journalled in the aforesaid bracket 272. The shaft 3% is driven by means including a cross belt 396 from the eontinuously operating shaft i2t of the power mechanism tit. v

The iii-feeding roll 276 is driven concurrently with and at the same peripheral speed as the out-feeding roll 286. For this purpose the shaft 290 of the roll 284 has a pulley 306 fixed thereto about which a belt 306 is passed. Said belt'is passed about idler rolls 3m carried by a bracket 3l2 secured to the tile member I243, see Figs. 1 and ll, and thence about a pulley 3H8 fixed to the shaft 280 that carries them-feeding roll 216.

The idler rolls 218 and 286 are adapted to be reciprocated conjointly. To this end the idler roll 218, see Figs. 2 and 6, is journalled on a shoulder bolt 3l6 adjustably secured in the slot MB of an arm 32l1 clamped to a shaft 322 journalled in brackets 324 detachably fixed to and rising fromvthe top of the machine table 26. The out-feeding idler roll 286, see Figs. 2 and '7, is journalled on a bolt 326 fixed in an arm 328 clamped to a shaft 330 journalled in brackets includ- 332 detachably secured to and rising from the arm 336 fixed to the, shaft 336 -and the other end , of which is pivotally connected to an upstanding arm 336 fixed to the shaft 322. With this mechanism both the in-feeding out-feeding idler rolls are movable simultaneously toward and away from their cooperating driving rolls. I

The idler rolls are oscillated by means of an arm 340' which is fixed to-the rear end of the shaft 322 and has a laterally projecting roller 342 at its lower end which overlies and rides upon a cam 344 fixed to the shaft 256 that operates the mechanism for feeding the successive bills into the action of the in-feeding rolls. The cam 344 has a circular part which holds the idler rolls in elevated unoperated position and also has a recessed portion 346 which permits the idler rolls to drop down into engagement with the underlying bills to advance the bills: The periph-,

eral extent of the recessed portion 346 of the cam is sufficient to cause the bills to be advanced from the in-feeding roll into position to receive the first address and to cause the out-feeding roll to extract the addressed bill from the machine.

The in-feeding bill is held frictionally in addressing position during the addressing operation by a spring finger or strip 348, see Figs. 2

screw 354 carried by the block 352 and bearing on the arm 326 so as to change its angular position with respect to the shaft and thus the de-* gree of spring pressure exerted on the bill strip. When the idler rolls descend to advance the bill the strip 346 rises away from the bill to permit the free feeding thereof.

The bill is advanced by the in-feeding rolls a predetermined distance as determined by the setting of a stop plate 356which, when in operative position is located in the path of movement of the bill and constitutes anabutment against which the leading edge of the bill impinges to restrict further advance of the bill and to define the position of the first address. The plate 356 is carried by a rod 358, see Figs. 2, 6 and '7, which is secured in a longitudinally adjustable manner in one end of a lever 36!) fixed to a rod 362 journalled in upstanding brackets 364 of the bill guideway. The other end of the lever is located below and is adapted to be engaged by a laterally projectingroll 366 carried by an arm 36B fixed to the shaft 330 of the out-feeding idler roll.-

Thus as the out-feeding idler roll 286 is caused to descend the arm 366 is elevated thereby permitting the heavier end of the lever 366 to drop and to position the stop plate 356 in a position to be engaged by the incoming bill.

The bill sheet is advanced successively between the printing mechanism the distance between consecutive addresses by means including a driving sector 316, see Figs. 1, 2, 6 and '7. Said sector is disposed above the bill guideway at one side of the printing anvil and is fixed to a horizontal shaft 3'l2 journalled in a bearing 3M removably secured to and upstanding above the machine table 26 and having a detachable connection 315, see especially Fig. 13, with an aligned drive shaft 316 journalled in bearings 318. Said shaft 316 has a sprocket 380 fixed thereto and driven by means of a chain 382 from a sprocket 384 of the same pitch diameter fixed to a shaft 388 journalled in abracket 388. Said shaft 336 has a mutilated gear 390 fixed thereto which is in mesh with a corresponding mutilated gear392 of twice the diameter fixed to the shaft 394 and driven by means of miter gears 396 from the drive shaft 268. With this arrangement the driving sector 320, when rotated, is rotated at twice the speed of the drive shaft 268 and the

gears

390 and 392 are so arranged that the sector is held stationaryduring one revolution of the shaft 268. Thus the sector can advance the bill between consecutive addressing positions during the time between consecutive'printing operations of the printing mechanism. i

The driving sector 310 is provided with a circumferential driving face 398, the driving length ofxwhich in engagement with the bill sheet is equal to the distance between the successive addresses. The sector cooperates with an idler roll 406 which is disposed beneath the bill form and supports the bill when the driving sector is in pressure engagement therewith. Said roller 406, see especially Figs. 2, 7 and 12, is located in a recess 402 of the bottom wall of the track so as to project slightly above the bottom wall and is journalled on a shaft 404 located close 'under the track and having one end thereof oosely received in an ear 406 of the track. The other end of the shaft is located in a notch 463 formed in one end of a lever 4H] pivoted at 2 to a side wall of thetrack, the other and free end of'the leading edge is disposed between the in-feeding rolls 216 and 218. These rolls are brought intoengagement with the bill and advance it into the printing mechanism. The distance from the infeeding rolls to the printing mechanism is adapted to be such that the bill is in proper position to receive the first address at or prior to the time the trailing edge of the bill leaves the bite of the rolls, as indicated in Fig. 11. The leading edge of the bill comes up against the stop plate 356 which at this time has been in the lowered position. Thus the position of the first address'is accurately predetermined. The bill need not have passed completely out from the bite of the iii-feeding rolls at the time the leading edge thereof engages the stop plate as the bill can bulge between the rolls and the stop plate since the bulge will flatten out by backward movement of the rear portion of the bill when the idler roll is elevated. As the idler roll moves upwardly the spring finger 348 exerts pressure upon the bill in the vicinity of the printing mechanism to hold the bill against rearward movement. The printing mechanism then operates to imprint an address on the first bill section. During this time the driving sector 396 has remained in the unoperated position illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. When the idler rolls are moved into elevated position the stop plate has also been moved into elevated position so that the bill is free to be advanced by the sector 398. The sector now rotates and pinches the bill between itself and the cooperating roll 462 and advances the bill by the m length of the circumferential driving face thereor and positions the second section or the bill into position to receive the address. The printing mechanism then operates and imprints a repetition of the same address. The sector again rotates and advances thebill to position the third section between the elements of the addressing mechanism which then operate to incprint the third repetition oi? the address. The leading edge of the bill at this time is positioned between the out-feeding rolls which then engage the bill and advance it out of the machine into the hopper 288. At the same time a new bill has been fed into position between the lid-feeding rolls which advance the second bill to the first printing position. Aiter'the last address on a bill is printed the stencil pusher operates to advance a new stencil into printing position to operate on a new bill form.

The bill guideway and the various feed rolls associated with the bill addressing mechanism that is above the machine table to can be re-' moved to condition the machine for general addressing purposes.

I claim:

1. In a machine for addressing a series of separate multi=section bills, bill addressing mechanism, means deflmng a guldeway along which the successive separate bills are adapted to move through the addressing mechanism, a stop engageable with the leading edges of the successive bills and positioned a predetermined distance from said addressing mechanism to definethe position oi the first address on the successive bills, bill advancint. mechanism disposed between said stop and said addressing mechanism and arranged for driving engagement with the successive bills to move them through said addressing mechanism, and means advancing the successive bills into said advancing mechanism free from driving engagement therewith and against said stop.

2. In a machine for addressing multl-section bills, addressing '1 means having an intermittent engagement with the bill for advancing it in a step by step manner through said addressing mechanism, means for holding said dressing mechanism in position to receive the first address and into said advancing mechanism, a stop engageable with the leading edges of the successive bills and disposed in position to define the position of the first address on the bill, bill out-feeding mechanism arranged to receive the addressed bills and move them away from said advancing mechanism, means to remove said stop from holding engagement with a bill in addressing position at least during the time that said advancing mechanism'is advancing the 'bill, and means to operate said in and out feeding mechanisms to feed in a. bill only after a completely addressed bill is out of said addressing mechanism.

dressing mechanism, and bill out-feeding mechanism, positioned to receive the addressed bill from said advancing mechanism and having means to move said bill away from said advancing mechanism.

5. In a machine for addressing multi-section bills, addresing mechanism, bill ire-feeding mechanism arranged to advance successive bills toward said addressing mechanism, bill outfeeding mechanism arranged to advance successive addressed bills away from said addressing? mechanism, and means having intermittent drivins engagement with the bill for advancing the bill in a step by step manner through said. addressing mechanism, and means for rendering said iii-feeding and out feeding mechanism inoperative while said advancing mechanism is in drving engagement with a hill.

6. In a machine for addressing multi-section bills, addressing mechanism, means having an intermittent driving engagement with a bill for advancing it in a step by step manner through said addressing mechanism, iii-feeding mechanism disposed approximately one bill length from said advancing mechanism for advancing a bill into the action ofsaid mechanism, out-feeding mechanism disposed approximately one bill length from said advancing mechanism for receiving the addressed bill and removing it from said advancing mechanism, and means rendering said iii-feeding and out-feeding mechanisms inoperative when said bill advancing mechanism is conditioned for driving engagement with a bill.

Z. In a machine for addressing multi-section bills, addressing mechanism, mechanism having an intermittent driving contact with a bill for advancing it in a step by step manner through said addressing mechanism, intermittently acting iii-feeding rolls operative to advance a bill into position to be gripped by said advancing mechanism at the time said advancing mechanism is out of contact with the bill, and intermittently acting out-feeding rolls disposed in position to receive an addressed bill from said advancing mechanism and to remove the bill from the action of said advancing mechanism following the delivery of the bill to said out-feeding rolls when said driving mechanism is out of contact with the bill.

8. In a machine for addressing multi-section bills, addressing mechanism, bill in-feeding mechanism for advancing a bill toward said addressing mechanism comprising a driven roll and a cooperating swinging idler-roll, bill out-feeding mechanism for moving the addressed bill away from said addressing mechanism comprising a driving roll and a cooperating swinging idler roll, advancing mechanism between the aforesaid mechanisms for advancing the bill in a step by step manner through said addressing mechanism and into the action of said out-feedin: mechanism, and means for swinging said idler rolls conjointly into and away from cooperative relation with their associated driving rolls.

9. In a machine for addressing multi-section bills, addressing mechanism, bill in-feeding mechanism for advancing a bill toward said addressing mechanism comprising a driven roll and a cooperating swinging idler roll, bill out-feeding mechanism for moving the addressed bill away from said addressing mechanism comprising a driving roll and a cooperating swinging idler roll, advancing mechanism for advancing the bill in a step by step manner through said addressing mechanism and into the action of said out-feeding mechanism, a stop engageable with the leading edge of a bill to define its initial address receiving position in said addressing mechanism, and means to swing said idler rolls into and away from cooperative relation with their associated driving rolls and also to move said stop out of and into the path of advance of the bill. I

10. In a machine for addressing multi-section bills, addressing mechanism, in-feeding mechanism disposed on one side of said addressing mechanism and comprising a driving roll and a cooperating swinging idler roll, out-feeding mechanism disposed on the other side of said addressing mechanism and comprising a cooperating swinging idler roll, mechanism interconnecting saidswinging idler rolls for effecting conjoint movement thereof into and away from cooperative relation with their associated driving rolls, and advancing mechanism having an intermittent driving engagement with a bill for advancing the bill through said addressing mech-' anism in a step by step manner and presenting the bill to the action of said out-feeding mechanism.

11. In a machine for addressing multi-section bills, addressing mechanism, a stop removablydisposed in the path of advance of a bill through said addressing mechanism and. in position to define the location of the initial address on the \bill, bill in-feeding mechanism disposed on one side of said addressing mechanism and approximately one bill length away from said stop and comprising a driving roll and a cooperating swinging idler roll. a rotatable bill advancing sector having a length of bill engaging periphery equal to the distance between successive addresses on the bill for advancing the bill in a step by step manner through said addressing a mechanism, bill out-feeding mechanism disposed on the other side of said addressing mechanism and comprising a driving roll and a cooperating swinging idler roll located approximately one bill length away from'said' bill advancing sector and operative to receive the addressed bill and move it away from said sector, mechanism interconnecting said swinging rolls to effect conjoint movement thereof into and out of bill driving cooperation with their respective driving rolls, and means associated with said mechanism for also moving said stop out of and into the path of advance of the bill.

12. In a machine as defined in claim 11 the addition of means adapted to engage the bill at times it is in addressing position and is free from driving engagement with a feeding mechanism for holding said bill stationary in addressing position during the time said sector is free from engagement with the bill, and means for moving said holding means out of bill holding position at the time said in-feeding mechanism is operative.

13. In a bill addressing machine, addressing mechanism, a table, a bill guideway removably said guideway and a cooperating idler roll journalled in said guideway beneath said bottom wall and having a peripheral part thereof extended through the bottom wall.

14. In a machine for addressing the several sections of multi-section bills, a driving member repeatedly movable into and out of driving engagement with a bill and having a bill engaging part of the efiective bill engaging and feeding length of which is equal only to the distance between successive address positions on the bill, means for operating said driving member to bring said bill engaging part into successive engagements with successive parts of said bills to advance the bill by a succession of intermittent steps from an initial addressing position dis- J'tances equal to the spacing between successive address positions, and means for advancing the successive bills into the initial addressing position and into position to be engaged by said driving member when it moves into driving engagement with the bill.

15. In a machine for addressing multi-section bills, addressing mechanism, means for advancing successive bills in a step by step manner through said addressing mechanism including a rotatable driving member having a driving face the eifective circumferential bill engaging and driving length of which is equal only to the distance between successive address positions on the bill, means for rotating said driving member repeatedly to move said driving face repeatedly into and out of engagement with a bill for advancing it intermittently by steps equal to the length of the driving face with intervening stationary periods of the bill, means for advancing a following bill into initial addressing position and also into position to be operatively en-' .gaged by said driving face at a time when the HARMON P. ELLIOTT.