US2294371A

US2294371A - Vacuum actuating means for serial numbering and notching cards

Info

Publication number: US2294371A
Authority: US
Inventors: Andrews Thomas Coleman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1940-08-13
Filing date: 1941-07-03
Publication date: 1942-09-01
Anticipated expiration: 1959-09-01
Also published as: US2294370A

Description

Sept 1, 1942- v T. c. ANDREWS v 2,294,371

VACUUM ACUATING MEANS FOR SERIAL NUMBERING AND NOTCHING CARDS Original Filed Aug. 13, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l Sept-1, '1942; T. c. ANDREWS VACUUM ACUATING MEANS FOR SERIAL NUMBERING AND NOTCHING CARDS 'Original Filed Aug. 13, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 L Il I l L l INVENTOR. am Qmlmm) ATTORNEY SePtl, 1942 T. c. ANDREWS 2,294,371

VACUUM ACUATING MEANS FOR SERIAL NUMBERING AND NOTCHING CARDS Original Filed Aug. 13, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Koma/J) coge/MM /ENTOR.

Patented Sept. 1, 1942 UNiTE STATES lTFlNT @FICE VACUUM ACTUATING MEANS FOR SERIAL N UMBERING AND NOTCHING CARDS Thomas Coleman Andrews, Richmond, Va.

4 Claims.

My invention relates to that class of machines described in my Patent 2,261,710 of Nov. 4, 1941, granted on my co-pending application, Ser. No. 352,456 filed Aug. 13, 1940, of which this application is a division. Machines of the type described are designed to serially number each card as it passes through the machine and subsequently to notch the edge of the card with a pattern of notches to designate the card by the number printed thereon. This notching the edge of a card with a pattern of notches referring to a single numerical classification is in accordance with the well known Keysort system manufactured by the McBee Company of Athens, Ohio under the patents issued to Perkins, No. 1,544,172 and No. 1,739,087. Cards of this type can be quickly and expediently sorted into numerical or other sequence after they have been indiscriminately mixed by the users. It is, however, of vital importance that the notching be performed correctly so that it will correspond with the number printed on the face of the card. When this notching is performed manually by the user or even with a standard key punch, the human equation is more or less liable to allow errors to creep in.

My invention has for its principal object to provide a machine which will automatically print a desired number on a card and then punch a pattern of notches in the edge of the card corresponding to the printed number; as the two operations are synchronized the danger of errors is reduced to a minimum.

A further object of my invention is to provide a means actuated by a vacuum to control the punches.

My means of accomplishing the foregoing objects may be more fully comprehended by having reference to the accompanying drawings, which are hereunto annexed and are a part of this specification in which similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout.

Fig. 1 is a plan View showing the belt feed and gear train mechanisms for operating my device;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the structure shown in Fig, 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged and somewhat diagrammatic longitudinal section taken along line 3 3 of Fig. 1 with the frame outline in broken lines;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view partly in section; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view showing a control element for use with my invention.

As shown in the drawings, my automatic numbering and notching machine is provided with a casing having opposed side frames 25 and 22 which are held in spaced relationship by two straps Zd and 26 attached thereto in any convenient manner. A suitable cover, not shown, may be provided for the mechanism, in which case the cover can rest on a seat suitably fashioned in the side frames and may be fastened thereto.

Operating power is furnished by an electric motor 2B, shown as supported by shelf 3d under the machine, although if desired, it may be mounted elsewhere with respect to the operating mechanism. Conductors 3l are depicted as leading to a switch 33 which is in turn connected to a source of current for supplying the motor.

It will be understood, of course, that other driving means may be employed, if desired.

Feeding mechanism On one end of the shaft of the motor 23, I mount a pulley 32 over which a belt 34 is trained for transmitting torque to another pulley 36 secured to a feed driving shaft 38. The shaft 38 carries several driving pulleys 40, which in cooperation with a similar number of idler pulleys 42 supported on a shaft 4:3 drive a like number of narrow feeding belts 46. These belts ll constitute the carrying means for feeding cards 48 or other work to be printed and notched, to the various positions which they assume in their progress through the machine and delivering; them into a suitable container (not shown) when the work has been completed.

The belts 46 are made relatively narrow so that when one of the cards 68 is brought to a position of rest for effecting a numbering or notching operation, the belts will slip beneath it, per-. mitting the card to remain stationary without. subjecting it or the belts to undue friction or- Under some circumstances, it may befound that the pressure caused by the printingf of the numbers on the cards or notching them, tends to interfere with the continuous movement. In such cases, the belts may be-v trained over and under idler rollers 5i) to reducefriction at the points of dwell and thereby permit. continuous rotation. As clearly shown in Fig. 31 of the drawings, when such rollers are employed,A a portion of the die block adjacent to the belts' Wear.

of the belts.

must be cut away. Any two of the belts l5 will' provide sufficient frictional engagement to carry the card or other work across the cut-away por-- tion, and accordingly the rollers and belts are so arranged that the desired results are achieved.

Interruption of the feed of the cards or other' work occurs at two points in the machine; one below the elements for printing the numbers', and the other below the punches for notching or kotherwise punching the card with a representation corresponding to the number supplied by the printing elements. The required interruptions may be effected by an eccentric drive such as that shown in the drawings wherein a shaft 52, suitably rotated, has an eccentric 54 secured thereto for cooperation with a strap 56 carried by the end of an eccentric rod 58. The opposite end of the rod 58 is provided with a pin 60, pivotally articulating it to a pair of

levers

62 and 64. The levers are provided with pivots 66 and 68 respectively, carried by the side frames; The opposite end of the lever 62 is pivotally connected by a pin 10 to a reciprocating stop '|2 which operates in suitable guides 14 to project periodically above the surface of the table '|.6 into the path of travel of the cards 48 to serve as a temporary abutment therefor, restraining them from further forward movement until the numbering operation has been completed. A similar stop T8 is arranged in a position to serve as a temporary abutment for the cards during the punching operation. 'Ihis stop 18 is pivotally connected to one end of lever 54 by means of a pin 80, through which the stop is periodically reciprocated in its guides 82 to project above the table I6 into the path of the cards or other work. After a card has received its printing number by the printing mechanism 84, continued rotation of the eccentric 54 will move the stop 12 downwardly and out of the path of travel of the card, which will then be carried forward into position below the punch or punches 85 for the notching of the card. By this time the eccentric will have revolved so as to bring the stop 18 into the path of travel of the card, against which it will be held until the notching operation has been performed, whereupon continued rotation of the eccentric will move the stop 78 downwardly out of the path of travel of the card which will then be carried on and deposited in a pile or received by a suitable container. It will be clear that the twostops are thus synchronized to move upwardly and downwardly in unison as the eccentric 54 is revolved. The movement of the stops is effected in timed relationship with respect to the numbering mechanism 84 which is driven by a train of gears from the motor shaft 28. The motor shaft carries another pulley 81,

which drives through a chain or belt 88, a sprocket or pulley 98 carried by a shaft 92. At one side of the frame, the shaft 92 carries a spur 94 which through similar gears 96 and 98, drives the shaft of the printing and numbering mechanism 84.

The punching mechanism On the other side of the frame and secured to the shaft 92, a gear It is provided which meshes with a gear |02 mounted on a shaft |84 carrying a gear |06 as well. The gear |85 is arranged to mesh with a gear |08 which is secured to the eccentric shaft 52.

As clearly set forth in my Patent No. 2,211,310, a gang of punches 86 will be provided, which in the case of Perkins cards of the type referred to using the 7241 system of punching, will be cperated in groups of one, two and three out of four for representing each digit. As depicted in Fig. 3 of the drawings, each punch 88 is supported from a punch lever by a pivot pin H2. The punches and their levers are normally maintained out of the path of the work by coil springs |4 suspended from the frame by suitable hooks IIB. The lower ends of the springs are flexibly connected to the punch levers at their left ends as viewed in the drawings, and it is necessary to overcome the bias of these springs to displace the punches into the path of the work for completing a punching operation. The punch levers are suitably pivoted, as by a rod ||8 mounted in the frame. A punch lever guide |29, which may assume the form of a comb is also supported by the frame. The principal differences of the present invention over that of my copending application reside in the manner of selecting and actuating the punches to operate in the proper sequence.

The invention herein described contemplates control of the punches by a preformed pattern produced on or in a web of material. The punches themselves and their operating levers are essentially like those described in my said Patent No. 2,211,310. In this case, however, the punches and their levers are actuated by means of a vacuum which at predetermined intervals acts upon a piston mounted in a cylinder |60. The extension |22 of the lever ||l is coupled by a suitable clip |52 and pivot |54 to a rod |56 carrying a piston |58. The piston is reciprocated in the cylinder |60, the upper end of which is connected by a fluid line |62 with a port |54 whose communication with a manifold |66 is controlled by the preperforated web |68. The web is wound upon a core Il!! carried by the shaft 92 which is synchronized with the feed and numbering mechanisms. The web is unwound from a core |12 which is mounted upon a spindle |14. The piston is biased toward its lower position as shown in the drawings by a coil spring |16. When the piston is drawn upwardly it deiiects the lever and displaces the punch into the path of the work. An aperture in the cylinder casing permits the system to breathe.

The manner in which the control web or relay web may be perforated is illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The lowermost perforation shown controls the connection between the manifold and the uid line to the piston for actuating the l punch. The next perforation controls the 2 mechanism. The following two perforations control the l and 2 punch mechanism, andso on. The reels for the pattern web are shown more or less diagrammatically, since it must be remembered that some compensation is necessary for the increasing the diameter of the web as it winds about the core |18. .Suitable provision may be made by interposing feed rollers to render uniform the speed of the web passing the manifold; or the speed of the shaft 92 may be graduated to suit the increasing diameter; or the spacing of the perforations in the web itself may be varied to the same effect.

In operation, it will be understood that the printing mechanism will be one number ahead of the punching mechanism where a card is to receive corresponding representations from both mechanisms. This is true because the work is printed and punched in separate, sequential steps.

Having described my invention, what I regard as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine of the class described which notches a notch-receiving means, means to feed said notch-receiving means, means to stop said notch receiving means periodically, a plurality of notching punches, means to hold said punches normally out of the path of the notch receiving means, punch control means Which actuate said punches, means to actuate said punches selectively, a vacuum control in each of said punch control means, means operated by a vacuum to actuate said punches, and sliding means to open and close ports leading to said Vacuum actuated means.

2. In a machine of the class described which edge notches cards having means to feed said cards; a pair of stops operated simultaneously to stop the cards periodically, a plurality of edge notching punches, means to hold said punches normally out of the path of the work, punch control means for producing a displacement of said punches from normal position to a position intersecting the path of the Work, means to actuate each punch, a Vacuum control for each of said punch control means, means operated by a Vacuum to actuate said punches, and sliding means to open and close ports leading to said vacuum actuated means in timed relation with the Workfeeding means.

3. In a machine of the class described which edge notches cards having means to feed said cards; a pair of stops operated simultaneously to stop the cards periodically, a plurality of edge notching punches, means to hold said punches normally out of the path of the Work, punch control means for producing displacement of said punches from normal position to a position intersecting the path of said Work, means operated by a vacuum to actuate said actuating means, valve means actuated in timed relation With respect to said Work feeding means for controlling said Vacuum operated means, a vacuum pump, a motor to drive said pump, and suitable pipe connections to connect said pump to said Vacuum control means'.

4. In a machine of the class described which edge notches cards having means to feed said cards; a pair of stops operated simultaneously to stop the cards periodically, a, plurality of edge notching punches, means to hold said punches normally out of the path of the Work, punch control means for producing displacement of said punches from their normal position to a position intersecting the path of said Work, a resilient floating direct acting punch carrying lever for each punch to actuate said punch control, an eX- tension on said lever, a cylinder, a piston therein, a piston rod, one end of which is connected to said piston and the other end being pivotally connected to said extension, and means to open and close a port to exhaust the air in said cylinder.

THOMAS COLEMAN ANDREWS.

CERTIFI GATE OF CORRECTI ON Patent No. 2,'29Lh571. september 1, 19m.

THOMAS COLEMAN MIDREWS.v

It is hereby certifiedv that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, first column, line 68, for "the '7214.1' system" read --the "7h21" system-f; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record ofthe case in the Patent Office.

v Signed and sealed this 20th day of October, A. D. 19LL2.

Henry VanvvArsdale, (,Seal) Acting; Commissioner of Patents.