US2265014A - Autographic register - Google Patents

Description

@en 2, im. H. J. WAECHTER wf UTOGRAPHIC REGISTER Filed April 24, 1939 im l mg jg INV ENTOR.

` WMfIMATTORNEY Patented Dec. 2, 1941 UNH'ED STATES PATENT @ENCE AUTOGRAPHIC REGISTER Harry J. Waechter, Mount Healthy, Ohio, assignor to Paul Benninghofen and Fritz G. Diesbach, both of Hamilton, Ohio, as trustees Application April 24, 1939, Serial No. 269,646

4 Claims. (Cl. 282-12) This invention relates to improvements in autographic registers or manifolding machines particularly for manifolding and dispensing shipping or sales bills and the like. In such types of machines, the shipping or sales bills are incorporated in strips of paper either wound on reels or folded into packets and dispensed in definite measured proportions corresponding to the length of the individual shipping bill or sales slip. Thereafter the bills or slips are severed from the strips. These continuous strips of paper or continuous form stationery are fed from a supply compartment upon and over a writing table or platen. The strips also contain filing holes located in the spacing between the forms and adjacent the tear-off lines established across the sheets. These apertures are utilized in the machine for permitting the withdrawal of the strips in measured lengths, or lengths representing the full length of each printed form. They are also utilized in the operation of aligning and registering the printed forms of the severed strips upon the writing table for making the entries and manifolding and holding the same in position while making the entries.

The present invention, more specifically identified, is directed to that type of autographic register described and claimed in Patent No. 2,133,792,

granted to me on October 18, 1938. In the autographic registers of the past, as well as that disclosed in the patent above mentioned, the apertures or filing holes have been engaged by pins or detents. The pins arrest the feed of the superposed strips and align the same by registration with the aligned apertures in the superposed paper.

In my previous patent, a register is disclosed in which the strip arresting means, namely a pin, is displaceable by means of a pencil. The operator, upon the completion of the step of lling out the form, uses the pencil, which is conveniently in the hand of the operator. The machine has been arranged so as to permit forward feed or projection of the strips through the same instrumentality, namely the pencil. In other words, the strips are released and projected by the simple manipulation of a pencil or a like instrumentality.

In the first step of the operation, the pin is depressed by actual engagement of the pencil therewith, and, in the second step, is projected by moving the pencil forwardly While in position traversing the apertures.

It has been the object in the present invention to provide a register of the character of that shown in the patent mentioned above, which incorporates two or more aligning pins respectively cooperating With laterally spaced openings in each of theform lengths of the superposed strips, wherein depression of one of these pins by means of a pencil or the like, will result yin the depression of the other pin. Thereupon, the strips may be advanced or projected beyond the register so as to be conveniently grasped.

It has been a further object in this invention to provide an arrangement of aligning pins, in which one of the pins provides means for cooperation with the depressing means, for aiding in the engagement of the depressing means with the pin and for assisting in the forward movement of the depressing means. Furthermore, it has been found that the pins have returnedor reengaged the apertures as the pencil has been moved forwardly for the feed. That is to say, as the pencil leaves the pin, the pin may slip into the aperture before the paper is advanced suciently to clear the aperture. Accordingly, provision has been made for a pin extension or way upon which the pencil may slide and hold the pin down until the apertures havecleared the pin.

Further, it has been an object to form the pins wherein they have a more efficient aperture aligning action.

These objects have been achieved in a structure wherein the pins are mounted on interconnected levers, so that a depressing action on one will have the same effect on the other. The arrangement includes spring means for causing the pins to return uniformly to strip stopping position when released.

Other objects and certain advantages will be more fully apparent from a description of the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of the forward end of the register.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2 2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken on line 3-3, Figure 2, showing the depressible pins in strip arresting position.

Figure 4 is a view showing the pins depressed for releasing the strips.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line zi- 5, Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of Figure 2, showing a pin in strip arresting position.

Figure 7 is a View taken similar to Figure 6,

but showing the pin depressed by means of a pencil.

Figure 8 is a view taken similar to Figure 6, but showing the strips projected by forward manipulation of the pencil.

Figure 9 is a sectional View taken similar to Figure 6, but showing the mechanism in position at the last stage of strip advance just before the pins rise into the apertures for arresting strip movement.

In the embodiment of the invention disclosed in the drawing, a casing is provided, including a writing table and a storage chamber. The superposed strips are disposed in the chamber, from which they are drawn across the table to the front thereof. Each form has a pair of laterally spaced openings near its juncture with the neXt form. These apertures are adapted to be aligned with the stop pins. The stop pins are mounted in the casing below the table in position for traversing the aligned or registered apertures of the superpcsed strips, for arresting movement of the strips and aligning the same.

The operator uses the pencil, which is conveniently in his or her hand after filling in the form, and very quickly displaces one of the pins by engagement of the pencil against the pin and through the openings in the paper. Thereupon, without retracting the pencil, a forward or lateral force is imparted to the pencil, thus feeding the superposed strips forwardly until their forward margins may be grasped for pulling the superposed sales slips to their tear-olf positions.

Referring to the drawing, the is generally indicated at it. The casing consists of a base portion Il, side walls l2, and end walls i3. In this disclosure, the strips Eil are supplied in packet form or are zig-Zag, folded on the severance lines l5 defining the sales slip forms. A platen or writing table it is disposed across the top of the compartment. This platen is hinged at the forward end of the compartment on hing-e pins I7, which traverse the inwardly turned side flanges i8. The rear edge of the platen is rounded to provide a circular edge i9, around which the manifold paper passes in its movement from the compartment along the table to the forward end thereof. The writing platen includes short guide flanges 29 at the respective opposite side edges thereof. These flanges overhang th-e pack of paper as it slides along the top of the platen. The platen rests upon lugs 2l struck inwardly in the side walls.

The carbon paper E2 is mounted in the disclosed structure in the same manner as in. my

previous Patent No. 2,111,825 'granted to me on March 22, 1988. Generally speaking, it is held against displacement between the strips by means of retainer strips 23 disposed across the rear edge of the platen and anchored in the side flanges 24 of the compartment.

At the issue end of the register, a retaining plate 25, providing the tear-off edge, is disclosed. This plate is disposed across the for- The superposed strips are arrested by means of the detents or stop pins 28 located at the forward end of the compartment. These detent pins are spring urged upwardly, so that normally they project above the top of the platen or table. Therefore, they immediately enter into the openings in the paper as these openings register with them.

Each pin is mounted on the forwardly projecting flange 29 of a pivoted arm 3S. The support for these arms is a plate or septum 3|, disposed parallel to and spaced from the front wall of the compartment. This plate includes a base liange 32, attached to the floor of the compartment. Each arm is pivotally mounted or hinged on a pin 33 at the upper corner of the plate. These pins are fixed to the plate. Thus, the arms are disposed and slide along the front face of the plate as the pins are depressed. A coil spring 34, under tension, has its respective terminals attached to pins 35-35, xed to the respective levers and projecting forwardly therefrom.

The levers are angular; that is to say, they have a portion 36 extending downwardly from the pivot point, and a pin carrying portion 31 extending substantially at right angles from the downwardly extending portion 33 across the face of the septum. The pins, between which the springs are anchored, are located adjacent the lowermost points of the levers, so that the tendency under the action of the spring is to rock the levers upwardly. Upward movement of the arms is limited by engagement with lugs 38 struck from the support plate and projecting across the path of movement of the arms just beyond the pin carrying flanges 29 thereof.

The respective levers are offset appropriately so that the pin carrying portion, or outer end, of one rides behind the pivoted portion of the other, but clear of its pivot pin. The central portions of the levers may be held in sliding engagement by means of a pin 33 xed in the outer lever and traversing an arcuate slot 40 in the inner lever. The head end of the pin lies against the inner face of the inner lever and moves in a clearance slot 4l in the supporting plate. Since the pins 28 are fixed to the outer ends of arms, which have a swinging length corresponding substantially to the width of the register, the amount of swinging movement of the pins is negligible. Therefore, the pins move downwardly substantially vertically.

The pins project upwardly through clearance openings d2 in the platen and in the retainer plate. The clearance opening at one side is in the form of a slot i3 extending forwardly from the pin. The other opening 42 is of such shape as to provide clearance for vertical movement of the pin relative to the plate 2 5 and the platen. Thus, the particular pin 28a is accessible from above, and clearance is afforded for permitting the pencil to be moved forwardly out of engagement with the pin, and carrying the paper with it. This pin 28a, designed for engagement by the pencil lor like depressing means, is recessed as at d to receive the point of the pencil and to center the pencil, and is open at its forward end to provide a throat 15, through which the pencil may be moved as it leaves the pin forwardly.

Also, the flange, which, carries the pin, is eX- tended forwardly to provide an extension 46, or a way upon which the pencil may be slid as the paper is projected. This extension prevents the pencil from leaving the pin element before the pins are clear of the apertures. This is especially true if the pins are depressed only a slight amount. The pin is held down during the forward movement of the pencil as the Pencil slides along the way 46,

Both of the pins are tapered irregularly; that is, their back surfaces are slightly inclined or overhanging, so that the pin has a hooking action backwardly upon the paper, whereas the side surfaces and forward surface are tapered or ared outwardly so as to have an aligning action as the pin comes up into the apertures.

Assuming that the register has been loaded with superposed strips of paper and the strips advanced so as to register superposed apertures with the respective pins (see Figure 6), the following operations will ensue. The operator fills out the form or sales slip with some writing instrumentality such as a pencil. Upon the completion of the operation of lling in the form, the pencil is then utilized as the paper releasing and advancing means. Toward this end, the top of the pin is concave, as described heretofore, and, therefore, eiciently receives the pencil point. The operator depresses the pin by a downward movement of the pencil, and, thereupon, causes the end of the pencil to traverse the openings in the strips (see Figure '7). The ordinary pencil is admirably adaptable for this purpose, since it has a tapered end.

A short forward movement of the paper is then brought about by moving the pencil forwardly, that is, traversing the slots in the retainer plate and platen. This operation definitely aligns the strips, since the forward margins of the apertures will be engaged by the pencil (see Figure 8) as the forward movement of the pencil is effected.

This short forward movement projects the forward ends of the strips beyond the line of the register, where they can be conveniently grasped and the strips drawn forwardly (see Figure 9). The forward movement continues until the pins rise into the necessary set of apertures and thereby arrest the forward feed at a predetermined point. The projected sales slips can then be severed or torn off along the front end of the retainer plate. The machine need not include limitation of the forward movement of the pencil, since, once it is in the apertures, it can be moved forwardly the full length of the form, for completely discharging the sales slips. Towards this result, the slot 43 should extend entirely through the forward edge of the plate 25.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. An autographic register comprising a table adapted to receive superposed strips of printed forms, said strips having tear-off lines formed between printed forms, apertures in each form, said apertures spaced apart laterally, detents engageable within aligned apertures of superposed strips, said table including a slot traversed by one detent, said detent traversing said slot, including a recessed top surface for receiving and centering the point of a tapered instrumentality, and an extension disposed forwardly from the base of said detent and forming a way across which an instrumentality inserted through the openings in the strip may slide from engagement with the detent.

2. An auto-graphic register comprising a platen over which a plurality of superposed strips of paper containing printed sales slip forms may be drawn, depressible pins mounted beneath the platen and .engageable through registrable openings in the strips for stopping the forward feed of the strips at predetermined points, the only means for depressing the pins being engagement with the top of one of the pins itself, a tapered instrumentality engageable with the top of said pin adapted to traverse the apertures and move the paper forward by movement of the instrumentality while in the apertures, means on the table for limiting forward movement of the instrumentality, laterally disposed pivoted arms carrying said detent pins, said arms crossed centrally of the register, and a coil spring under tension between the levers constantly urging the detent pins upwardly.

3. An autographic register comprising a casing providing a writing table over which a strip of paper is drawn for dispensing sections thereof, said strip divided into sections by transverse tear lines, each of which has laterally spaced apertures near the forward end thereof adjacent the tear-off line, depressible pins movably mounted for perpendicular movement relative to the writing table and for engaging said apertures in the strip when brought into registry therewith, said table including clearance openings for said pins, and pivoted levers carrying said pins, said levers interconnected, whereby depression of one depresses the other for clearing the pins relative to the apertures and one of said clearance openings being 4extended forwardly for the purpose of permitting forward movement of an instrumentality engaging one of the pins for causing forward movement of the paper.

4. An autographic register comprising a table adapted to receive a strip of printed forms and including an aperture, said strip having tear-off lines formed between printed forms, at least one aperture in each form, a detent pin projected upwardly through said aperture and engageable within apertures in the strip successively registering therewith, said detent pin including a top surface formed for engagement by the point of a pencil or the like and an extension disposed forwardly from said detent and forming a` way across which the pencil may slide as the pencil is moved forwardly.

HARRY J. WAECHTER.

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