US2312316A - Facsimile page printer - Google Patents

Description

March 2 1 943. c. W..BURCKY FACSIMILE PAGE PRINTER Filed Sept. 20, 194i 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IIIIII llllll INVENTOR. 1 CHARLES W. BURCKY March 1943. c. w. BURCKY 2,312,316

' FACSIMILE PAGE PRINTER Filed Sept. 20, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. CHARLES W. BURCH Patented Mar. 2, 1943 2,812,816 FACSIMILE PAGE PRINTER Charles W. Burcky, em Ridge, Iii, assignor to Teletype Corporation, @hlcazo, 111., a corpora tion or Delaware ligsoiioeiion Septemiies 2?}, 1941, Serial No. iiisififi im. its-iii 1i mom-e to teie trsiissoi s'oizir'igr m ole to J This invention relates r1 systems and more is provide a simple 23.3.. I

compost telegraph in accordance with invention the system ioeludes, ting station, in addition to the usual transmit equipment which may be the type disoiose in the patent application of Zenuer, No. 209,523, filed may 23', A938, for io terruptiug the transmission of messages by stoo ping the feeding of o to a ooiotroli transmitter at predetermined teiw'ois tieter== mined by the number of oi eseoters in s 1133.8 oi? typing being typed on a page at the z'eoeiviiig station. This interruption of the transmission will permit relative movement between the parser and s part 01 the facsimile printing apparatus at the receiving ststioufor sires-ting the line feeding operation and the carriage return opera.- tion at the receiving station or receiver. in the specific embodiment of the invention disclosed herein, the equipment at the receiving station inoiudes a carriage supported traveling speaker motor having a. knife-edged vibrotobie platen member supported for movement across the res: of a web of paper and responsive to received sigoasis for forcing the paper against it scanning tape or cooperating movable piston having embossed ridges formed on it and moving across the face of the Web of paper. The scanning tape has associated with it ink transferring rolls for supplying ink to the embossed ridges and also has a stiffening plate for holding the tape in a. predetermined position when the paper is forced against the tape upon the receipt of a signal by the vibratabie platen actuator. During the receipt of signals by the receiving apparatus, the speaker motor carriage is clutched to a driving mechanism for a predetermined time governed by the width of the paper, and automatic means are provided for releasing the clutch when the carriage which supports the speaker motor moves the motor to the end of a line, thereby to permit the carriage to return and the line feeding mechanism for feeding the paper-to operate.

A better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the ioiiowing detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein;

the hut v.

i 3 view of tie vided iii the rose iii-g zippers i, 2, and together with o of the apparatus end cireuits transmitting station which int sion at that station during the at the receiving station.

Referring now to the drawings reference characters designate throughout the several views, 1: enoe had at this time to Fig iioted that there is provides? a motedrives the various motor parts gas-rates. The motor iii drives through a gear i2 drives a sh mounted in bearing brackets so tying gears iii, ii, and the 5 with gear ii? on driving ii.

The motor iii is suitably mounted in space i relation to a base member iii Whioii has extendins upwardly from it at its outer a psi-r of side plates 2E and Qi. The hearing brackets is and i5 extend outwardly from the side piste 2i and thus support the shaft is in spaced rela tion thereto. The side plates 2% and iii are in" terconneoteci by a cross member which serves to bracethem, and it also serves as e.- trsck for a carriage 2 3 to be described in detail hereinafter. Cooperating with the cross member is a cross rod 23 positioned above the cross member 22 and serving as the other element of the track which supports the carriage. The carriage 2:; has its upper ends, Figs. 2 and 3, benttowarci the rear of the apparatus as shown most clearly in Figs. 1 and.2 to fans guide lugs 25 and These lugs 25 and 28 are apertureci receive the cross rod 23 and thus slidably support the carriase 24 on the cross rod 23. At the bottom of 29 fixed to it, to which in turn there is fixed a;

rack 38 which meshes with a pinion 3|, on the upper end of a shaft 32. The shaft 32 has slidably keyed to it a driven clutch member 33 on which there is formed a shoulder 34 for engagement by the opposite arms 35 of a bifurcated portion of a pivoted armature 38. The armature 38 is pivoted on an upwardly extending projection 31 of a, plate 38 which extends between the side plates 28 and 2| and serves to support the motor I8 as well as the electromagnet 39 which actuates the armature 38.

Positioned for cooperation with the driven clutch member 33 is a driving clutch member 58 which is fixed to a shaft The shaft 5I is Journaled in a bearing 52 anchored in the plate 38 and the shaft 52 carries at its lower end a gear 53 meshing with a gear 54 on the end of shaft 55.

Shaft 55 is journaled in the side plate 28 and in a a bearing bracket 58 supported by cross member 22. The outer end of the shaft 55 (the left-hand as viewed in Fig. 3) carries a gear 51 meshing with a gear 58 on the lower end of a shaft 59. The upper end of the shaft 59 carries a gear 88 (Fig. l) in mesh with the gear H on shaft I3, and the shaft 59 is supported at the right side of the machine as viewed in Fig. 1, or the left side as viewed in Fig. 3, by a pair of bearing brackets 8i and 82 fixed to the side plate 28.

Mounted upon the carriage 24 is a speaker motor assembly, designated generally by the numeral G5; which includes a coil 68, a core 61, a core pole structure 58, a permanent magnet 69, and an armature 18 on the upper end of which (Fig. 2) where is secured a printing element II. The armature I8 is hinged to a clamping plate I2 by means of a flexible metal reed I3 whereby the surges of current in the coil 88 may cause the armature to vibrate and move the printing mem ber II as will be described more in detail hereinafter. The printing member II is T-shaped in cross section as may be seen by reference to Fig. 2, and has formed on it a printing ridge or stylus 14 (Figs. 1 and 2) which will be driven into engagement with a web of paper I5 by the armature I8.

Suitably supported at the rear of the apparatus (the left side as viewed in Fig. 2) is a roll of paper 18 from which the web I5 may be drawn. Any suitable tensioning device (not shown) may be provided for imparting the proper tension to the paper which is drawn from the roll I6 and directed over a guide roller I1 journaled in the side plate 28 and 2i. The web is drawn over the roller "and directed upwardly past the stylus 14 to feed rollers 18. There are two feed rollers I8 provided in the apparatus, one of them adjacent to each of the side plates 28 and 2 I, and these feed rollers are mounted upon a shaft I9 which is adapted to be driven intermittently, the shaft I9 having a ratchet 88 positioned thereon for cooperation with a pawl 8i. The pawl BI is pivotally mounted upon the end of an armature member 82 and is spring biased to rotate in a counterclockwise direction with respect to armature member 82, which armature member is urged to rock clockwise about its pivot member 83 by a contractile spring 84. The pivot member 83 is mounted on the end of a bracket 85 '(Fig. 1) extending inwardly from the side plate 28. A second bracket 88 also mounted on the side plate 28 2,812,816 gization will attract the armature 82 thereby to I extend the spring 84, and upon the de-energizationof the electromagnet 81 the spring 84 will drive the pawl 8i to the right (Fig. 2), and thereby imp rt rotation to the ratchet 88. I

The web 15 is held in engagement with the feed rollers by spring pressed rollers 88 mounted on the upper ends of bell crank members 89. Inwardly extending arms 98 formed on the side plates 28 and 2| are interconnected with the horizontally extending arms of the bell cranks 89 by springs 9i thereby to urge the bell cranks 89 to rock in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, and carry the rollers 88 into engagement with their associated feed rollers I8, the rollers 88 being freely rotatable on the upper end of the arm of the bell crank 89. The bell cranks 89 are supports anelectromagnet 81 which upon enerpivotally mounted on the inner surfaces of the side plates 28 and 2i by means of posts 92 being held on the posts by nuts 93.

Extending outwardly from the side plate 28 is a projection I88 on which there is pivotally mounted an ink transferring mechanism, comprising a U-shaped, supporting frame I8I, an ink supply roller I82 and an ink transfer roller I83. The ink supply roller and the ink transfer roller are suitably mounted for rotation on stud shafts I84 and I85 suitably journaled in the U-shaped frame member I 8 I, and the U-shaped frame member I8I is mounted on a pivot stud I 88 extending upwardly from the projection I88. A spring I8'I serves to urge the U-shaped supporting frame I8! to rotate in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1, thereby to carry the ink-transfer roller I 88 into engagement with ridges I88 formed on the outer surface of a belt or tape I89.

An idler roller H5 and a driven roller I I6 suitably mounted in U-shaped brackets Ill and H8 extending outwardly from the side plates 2i and 28, respectively, support the belt or tape I89 and drive it to carry the ridges I88 thereon across the face of the paper web I5 in timed relation to the travel of the carriage 28 and the rate of reciprocation of the stylus I8 under the control of the received signals. The driven roller I I6 is mounted upon a shaft H9 which also carries driving gear I28 in mesh with gear I8 on shaft I3. Thus the belt I88 is driven at a speed proportional to the speed of travel of the carriag 24 across the web of paper- IS in the direction of movement of the carriage, it being understood that the speed of travel of the belt or tape I89 is much more rapid than the speed of travel of the carriage 28, the speed of travel of the belt I89 being such that a straight line equal to the height of a letter being printed will be formed on the paper web I5 through the cooperation of the stylus I4 and the printing ridges I88 when the coil 88 is energized for the longest period under control of a received signal (corresponding to the height of a character). Extending across the front of the apparatus and between the side plates at 28 and 2i is a stifiening plate I28 which will hold the belt I 89 in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 when the stylus" strikes against the paper and tends to bow the-belt I89 toward the front of the machine.

Mounted on the right side (Fig. 3) of the side plate 28 is a contact assembly I2I comprising contacts I22 and I23 insulated from each other and from the side plate 28. The contact I23 constitutes the movable contact of the pair of contacts I22 and I23 and has an insulator I24 mounted at its upper end for an engagement by an actuating extension I25 formed on the carriage 24,

time than the raised portions 538.

whereby the carriage 21 upon reaching the end of its travel to the left (Fig. 3, or the right in Fig. 1), will move the actuating extension I25 into engagement with the insulator IN on contact member I23 thereby to close a circuit between contacts I2! and I23. The contact assembly I2! is connected in the circuit to electromagnet 81, and upon completion of a circuit through them will cause energization of electromagnet U. The completion of a circuit through the contact assembly Iii will also supply an actuating current to the electromagnet 39. The electromagnet 39 may be made slow to release, or any other tion to time its function properly as will-be described hereinafter in connection with the description of the operation of the apparatus.

The system in which the apparatus described in detail hereinbefore is included, may comprise a transmitting apparatus and a receiving apparatus. The transmitting apparatus preferably is of the form disclosed in the copending application to R. E. Zenner, Serial No. 209,523, filed May 23, 1938, modified so that a carriage return period will be automatically provided in the transmission of a message from a transmitter such as that shown in the afore-mentioned application, and adapted to be received by a receiving apparatus such as that described hereinheiore. In the system forming a part of the present invention, as illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 4, a radio frequency tape controlled transmitter of the same general type as that disclosed in said copending application, is provided in a modified form. As described in said copending application, a solenoid 53! controls the sensing of a tape m to opcrate a corresponding set of contacts E28, which control circuits to a series of selectin magnets of a code bar selector, through the instrumentality of which th brushes i2! are selectively operated to be brought into contactual engagement with associated transmitting code discs $33. In the said copending application, the circuit to the electromagnet i3! is completed once for each cycle of character transmission, a contact pair [32 being provided for this purpose. In the present invention, the character transmitting drum B3 is geared to the tape feedcontrolling cam drum 134 in such manner that the circuit to the electromagnet l3i will be held energized for a relatively long period of time after the transmission f a v series of characters representing signals. As shown in Fig. 4, a gear (35 meshes with a, much larger gear E36, and the gear I38 drives the cam drum l34 for controlling the open and closed period of the contact pair B2. It will be noted that the cam drum I34 is provided with a series of raised portions I38 which upon engagement with a cam roller [40 will cause a closure of the contact pair 632, and that a relatively wide angled raised portion 355 is provided for holding the contact pair E32 closed a. relatively longer of the dwell or cam portion H5 designed to be comma rate with the time required to eflect the return operation in the receiving ma-- chine, as will presently appear, the phasing 7 between the transmitter and receiver is such that The length,

messages are being typed at the receiving station, and while a certain number has been shown in the present disclosure, it will be understood that any number of raised portions I38 may be pro-= vided equal in number to the number of characters which may be printed on the page at the receiving station.

If it be assumed that the facsimile printer at the receiving station is in its normal position where the carriage H is at its extreme left-hand position, the cam drum I should be in such position that the cam roller 0 has just passed oil? of the high portion of the cam surface or portion I39. with the apparatus in this condition, a message may be transmitted by the transmitting apparatus and each time the cam roller 0 engages a raised portion 38 on the cam drum I the circuit to the electromasnet l3! will be closed, thereby to cause, as described in the afore-mentioned copending application, the tape at the transmitting station to be stepped forward to present a code combination of holes for controlling the transmitting apparatus. Transmission of a message may thus proceed and if the proper numher of raised portions I38 have caused the closure of the circuit through the electromagnet iii a predetermined number of times, the actuating extension ii! on the carriage 24 at the receiving station will engage the insulator l2 thereby to 3 complete a circuit to the electromagnets 81 and 3! to restore the carriage 24 to its normal position, at

' the same time the portion I38 of the cam drum 31 engages the contact E32, interrupting the feeding of tape to the tape sensing portion of the transmitting apparatus. It is observed that the carriage 24 is returned to the beginning-of-line position'only after it has traveled the full width of the page and has engaged the contact E23. It

is possible that a message will have been com- 40 pleted before the carriage 24 has reached said position. In this event, the succeeding message will start at this point without having the carriage 24 returned to its beginning-of-line position. It is thus noted that a succeeding message is not always started at the left-hand margin of the page (as viewed in Fig. l) unless and/ or until the carriage 24 is first permitted to move to the righthand margin of the page to engage and close contact I23 to initiate simultaneously the carriage return and line feed operations. As previously indicated, the dwell or cam portion 539 controls the cessation of transmission of intelligence signals'during the performance of the carriage return function in the receiver. More specifically, it is a requirement of the arrangement or system according to this invention that a predetermined phase relationship be established between the transmitter and the receiver, and this is achieved when the extension i 25 on carriage 24 closes contact 3 while at the same time cam portion i3! is acting to close contact I32. So long as portion 139 is holding contact i32 closed, and while the carriage 24 is being returned to its beginning-oiline position, a series of blank signals is being transmittedfrom the transmitter. At the receiver, as shown schematically in Pig. 4 at Hi, the transmitted signals will be received and will control, after being demodulated, the circuit to a line coil i522 through which they are directed to ground at H23. The received signals are also directed over a conductor I, through a winding N5 of a double wound relay ME and then to ground. The line coil [42 and the winding it! are accordingly connected in parallel. The radio printer disclosed schematically in Fig. 4 com prises the printing stylus I4 which cooperates with the ridges I08 on the tape I03 and reciprocates with the line coil in response to received signals. The line coil I 42 will respond to marking signals and force the stylus 14 against the paper to pinch the web I between the stylus I4 and the ridges I08 on tape I08 whereby the web I5 will be'marked in accordance with, received marking signals to record the characters. The other winding of the double wound relay I46 is connected to a locking circuit as described in said copending application of R. E. Zenner, Serial'No. 209,523.

In the operation of the apparatus, signals transmitted by the transmitter shown in Fig. 4, will be received, and the tape at the transmitter (not shown) will-be passed through the sensing mech- "anism (also not shown but fully disclosed in thesaid copending Zenner application), the feeding of the tape being controlled by the contact pair I32 to transmit a series of character representing signals corresponding in number to the number of raised portions I38 on the cam drum I34, and the tape feeding mechanism will be disabled temporarily during the rotation of the cam drum I34 by the engagement of the cam roller I40 with the portion I39 of the cam drum I34. The signals transmitted by the transmitter will be received in the radio frequency receiver I4I, demodulated, and the signals impressed on the line coil 66 thereby to cause the printing stylus I4 to reciprocate, and in cooperation with the ridges I08 on the tape I09 eifect printing on the web of paper I5.

. As the cam drum I34 reaches the position where the portion I39 thereof will engage the cam roller I40,- the carriage 24 will have traveled to its extreme position, and the extension I25 thereon will close the circuit between contacts I22 and I23 to complete a circuit to electromagnets 39 and 81. Energization of electromagnet 81 will extend the spring 84 and prepare the ratchet 80 for operation by its associated pawl 8I upon the release of the electromagnet 81. Electromagnet' 81 upon its release will permit the spring 84 to drive the ratchet 80, and in turn impart rotation to the paper feed roller I8.thereby to advance the paper a predetermined amount and effect line spacing. The energization of electromagnet 3.9 will disengage the driven clutch member 33 from the driving clutch member 50 on shaft 5|. Upon release of the driving and driven clutch members 50 and 83, the spring motor 4I mounted 'on bracket 43 bratory response of said motor to received signal impulses.

2. In a facsimile telegraph system, a receiver including a speaker motor translatable across the rear face of a web of paper, a scanning tape having ridges thereon translatable across the front face of a web of paper and adapted to cooperate with said motor to effect printing, means -for driving said tape and said motor in their translation in the same direction at predetermined proportionate speeds, and means efiective upon a predetermined movement of said motor for disconnecting said motor translating mechanism from its driving source, whereby said motor may be returned to an initial position. I

3. In a facsimile telegraph system, a receiver including a ridged tape movable across the front face of a web of paper, a speaker motor actuated platen responsive to received signals movable across the rear face of a web of paper and adapted to cooperate with said tape to effect printing, means for applying marking material to the ridges on the tape, and means effective automatically upon a predetermined movement of said speaker motor for returning the speaker motor to its initial position.

4. A printing telegraph receiver comprising means actuated in response to repeived signals, 7

meansrfonmovinga web of'pa'per through a predetermined path, means movable across the web a stylus member having a plurality of straight will be permitted, through strap 42, to draw the carriage 24 back to its starting position, thus effecting carriage return and line spacing at substantially the same instant.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been described hereinbefore, it will be understood that numerous modifications and adapspeaker motor translatable across one face of a web of paper, a scanning tape translatable across the opposite face of said web of paper and adapted to cooperate with said motor to efiect printing, means for depositing marking material on said tape, and means for driving said tape and said motor translating means in synchronism with said transmitter, whereby a printed record is made on said web in accordance with the viline stylus edges, means for manipulating the stylus member to move the stylus edges rapidly through a predetermined zone, a vibratory ridged means slowly movable across said zone, and signal responsive means for vibrating said vibratory ridged means.

6. In a facsimile recorder the combination of a stylus member having a plurality of straight line stylus edges, means for manipulating the stylus member to move the stylus edges rapidly through a predetermined zone, a vibratory ridged means slowly movable across said zone, means for drawing a sheet of record material over the said stylus member, and signal responsive means for vibrating the ridged means to compress and mark the record material between the stylus member and ridged means.

7. In a facsimile telegraph system, a transmitter having a transmitting element for each character, each element having a single line of signal controlling portions thereon corresponding to a scanning of its character, means for directlyrecording a facsimile of a selected character by signals received from its transmitting element, said means including a receiving element operable in synchronism with the transmitter, rack and pinion means for controlling the movement of said means in one direction, function performing means, a clutch for controlling the power supplied to said rack and pinion means, an electromagnet for controlling said clutch, a circuit for said electromagnet, a contact in said circuit, means carried by said receiving element effective at one operable position of said element for operating said contact to effect the energization of said electromagnet to condition said clutch for releasing said receiving element for reverse movement under control of said function performing means, and means in said transmitter for interrupting operation of the transmitter at predetermined intervals to 6 provide automatically an interval of sufllcient duration to assure complete operation of saidw' function performing means.

8. In a facsimile telegraph system, a transmitter having a perforated control member, a 10 plurality of feeler fingers engageable with said perforated member and selectively positioned in accordance with the perforations therein, a plurality of transmitting elements each having signal impulse controlling portions corresponding to a scanning of a character, means effective under the control of said feeler fingers-for transmitting signal impulses by one of said elements, meansfor directly recording a facsimile of a selected character controlled by said signals, said means; clutch means for controlling the power 5 supplied to said rack and pinion means, an electromagnet for controlling said clutch, a circuit for said electromagnet, contact means in said circuit, means carried by said receiving element effective at one operable position of said element for operating said contact to effect the energize.- tion of said electromagnet to condition said clutch means for releasing said receiving element for" reverse movement under the control of said function performing means, and means in said transmitter for interrupting operation of the transmitterat predetermined intervals to provide automatically an interval of suilicient duration to assure complete operation of said function performing means.

9. In a facsimile recorder, the combination of a stylus member having a plurality of straight line stylus edges, means for operating the stylus member to move the stylus edges rapidly through a predetermined zone, a platen slowly movable across said zone, and signal responsive speaker motor means for vibrating said platen.

10. In a facsimile telegraph recorder, the combination of a stylus member having a plurality of straight line stylus edges, means for operating the stylus member to move the stylus edges rapidly through apredetermined zone, a platen means slowly movable acrosssaid zone, means for, drawing a sheet of record material over said stylus member, and signal responsive speaker motor means for actuating the platen to compress and mark'the record material between the -nals, means for moving a web of paper through ,a predetermined'path, a platen adapted to be moved across the web of paper between the paper and the speaker motor means, and means cooperating with said speaker motor means and positioned on the side of the paper away from g the platen and cooperating therewith to pinch the paper and mark it upon receipt of a'signal.

CHARLES W. BURCKY.

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