US2426944A

US2426944A - Paper feed mechanism

Info

Publication number: US2426944A
Application number: US458909A
Authority: US
Inventors: Mueller John
Original assignee: Remington Rand Inc
Current assignee: Remington Rand Inc
Priority date: 1942-09-18
Filing date: 1942-09-18
Publication date: 1947-09-02
Anticipated expiration: 1964-09-02
Also published as: NL74832C; FR938158A; GB568956A

Description

Sept 1947- I J. MUELLER 2,426,944

PAPER FEED MECHANISM Filed Sept. .18, 1942 7 Slgeefcs-Sheet l I04 lO3 INV'IENTOR 'JOH N MUELLER BY )JLL/JL- ATTORNEY p 1947- J. MUELLER 1 2,426,944

PAPER FEED MEGHANI SM Filed Sept. 18, 1942 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 I I I I22 123 j I JOHN MUELLER BY 2%; Z.

ATTO R N EY Sept. 2, 1947. r J. MUELLER 2,426,944

-PAPER FEED MECHANISM Filed Sept. 18, 1942 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 4

INVEN TOR JOHN MUELLER ATTORNEY Sept. 2, 1947. J. MUELLER 2,426,944

PAPER FEED MECHANISM Filed Sept. 18, 1942 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR JOHN MUELLER ATTOR NEY Filed Sept. 18, 1942 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 v INVENTOR JQHN MUELLER av }Q ATTORNEY mm #2 m2 0mm p 1947- J. MUELLER PAPER FEED MECHANISM Filed Sept. 18, 1942 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 m m .ON MH MON INVENTOR JOHN MUELLER JJLLAL ATTOR NEY Patented Sept. 2, 1947- PAPER- FEED MECHANISM John Mueller, North Bergen, N. .112, assignor' to Remington Rand Inc., Buffalo, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application September 18, 1942, Serial No. 458,909

6 Claims.

The invention relates to the paper feeding mechanism of ofiice printing machines and more especially to that of record controlled tabulating machines. The mechanism herein specifically described is designed chiefly to supplement the ordinary line space device with means to execute the longer feeds of the paper that are required when printing on a web of paper predivided into forms, but it is also capable of other classes of work. The mechanism can be pre-set for different extents of feed and for various different programs of automatic operations as re--.

quired by the work to be done. It may be used to print a single line on each form; to print a list of items with a long feed from the bottom of one form to a predetermined line of the next; to feed from the end of one group of items to a predetermined line of the next form; to feed from the end of one group of items to a heading line of the next form and then, after printing a heading, to feed to the first line; to feed from the bottom of one form to the first item line of the next, skipping the space reserved for the heading; to feed from the end of one group of items a pre-set uniform distance to the first line of the next group, where the web is not divided into forms; and in other ways. Long feed operations may be initiated by tripping a clutch, which may be done in various ways. In the instance described, this is done by the total taking control of the tabulator, by means controlled by a special hole in a record card, and by the paper feed mechanism itself after printing "a certain number of lines.

desired. The entire long feed mechanism may be disabled for jobs where it is not required.

It is an object of the invention to provide improved paper feed mechanism of the general kind outlined above.

The invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, all of which, will be fully set forth herein and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing, in which one embodiment of the invention is illustrated:

Fig. 1 is a general vertical sectional view of the Powers tabulating machine to which the invention is shown applied;

Fig. 2 is a right hand side elevation of the upper portion of said machine;

Fig. 3 illustrates a sample of one lng done by the mechanism of the invention;

form of print- Fig. 4 is a left hand side elevation of the paper feed mechanism of the present invention, in place on the machine;

Fig. 5 is a left hand side view of a certain stop and the means by which it is controlled;

Figs. 6 and '7 are respectively an elevation and a front view of a detail; partly broken away and partly in section;

Fig. 8 is-an elevation as viewed from the left of some of the compensating feed mechanism shortly after the start of its return stroke;

Fig. 9'i s a section on the line 99 of Fig. 8;

Figs. Sand 9 are on a larger scale than other figures;

Fig. 10 is a left hand side view of the compensating feed mechanism, the uniform feed mechanism being mostly omitted;

Fig. 11 shows detached and on a larger scale, a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 10;

Fig.12 is a view similar to Fig. 10, but showing the uniform feed mechanism with most of the compensating mechanism omitted;

Fig.13 isa detached view of some of the parts of Fig. 12;

Figs. 14, 15, and 16 are-respectively a left hand side elevation, a front elevation, and a top plan view of a portion of the carriage, the supporting framework and afew elements of the mechanism of the paper feed mechanism;

Fig. 17 is a time chart;

Fig. 18 is a section on line |8l8 of Fig. 9; and Fig. 19 is a schematic view to illustrate the relative positions of two feed yokes. For the purpose of illustration, the inventio is shown applied to a Powers punched card controlled tabulating machine of the kind described and claimed in my prior application for Letters Patent S. N. 316,739, filed February 1, 1940, and

55, from which they pass through the sensing mechanism to rolls 56and to a receptacle 51. The cards are sensed by pins in a pin box 58 reciprocated by an eccentric 60 on shaft 52, which pins raise set pins 6|, which, through Bowden.

wires 62, displace permutation bars 63in the head section 50. Said permutation bars control stops 64 which arrest the upward movements of differential bars 66, which bars carry types 61 and also actuate'totalizers designated generally 68. The bars 66 rise in the first half and,are restored in the last half of each cycle, being urged upward by springs and returned by a restoring bar '10.

The totalizers 68 are moved into engagement with the actuators 66 by rock arms II fast on rock shafts I2 which by means not shown are rocked in suitable timing for adding and for total taking. The types 61, of which there are 35 on each bar. are driven by hammers I3 against a platen".

The head section 50 has a front drive shaft I and a rear drive shaft I5, driven by suitable gear ing from and in synchronism with the base drive shaft 52.

Fig. 3 shows an instance of the kinds of work that can bB'dOIlB automatically by the invention under one pre-setting of the mechanism. A web of paper 80 (usually of several thicknesses) is divided by tearing lines 85 into forms two of which appear in Fig. 3, the web being folded in fanform on said lines 05. For the purpose of speciflc illustration, these forms are shown each of a length of 22 line spaces. The lines are numbered at BI only forthe purposes of this description. Lines 1-5 are occupied by printed matter. Lines 6-10 are set aside'for a heading consisting of the name and address of the particular account, and lines 11-20 for items, comprising designatory matter and amounts to be totalized. The heading may 'consist of from 2 to 5 lines, and the sheet will take a maximum of items. These dimensions are, of course, merely by way of a specific example. The mechanism includes two feed members, one herein called the "compensating feed" and the other the "uniform feed," but this distinction might not necessarily apply to other instances of the invention. In operation, the compensating feed mechanism feeds the form to line 6, and the heading is printed from two or more cards, the last one of which has ,a special hole which causes the compensating mechanism to feed the paper to line 11. The items are printed, one from each card, until the sensing of the first card of the new group changes the designation, whereupon the machine automatically makes a blank stroke, feeding the paper one line, and then prints the total. This brings into operation the compensating feed to line 6 of the next form.

In case there are more than 10 item cards. the feed of the paper to line 20 sets into operation the uniform feed which feeds'the paper directly to line II of the next form, skipping the heading. The balance of the items are then printed, followed by the total, and the paper is fed to line 6 of the next form. Variations in the printing and in the setting up of the mechanism, will be described hereinafter.

The carriage ofthe Powers machine is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which are copied from the Muellerapplication, S. N. 316,739, and in Figs. 14, 15, and 16. Except in one immaterial respect which will be described hereinafter the carriage and platen and the manner in which they are mounted and controlled, are or may be identical with the disclosure in the patent to Lasker and Mueller, patented July 6, 1943, No. 2,323,816. Two brackets I00, mounted on the side frames IIiI of the head 50, support a fixed rail I02 on which a main carriage member I03 is mounted by roller bearings. The platen I4 is iournaled in end brackets I04 of an auxiliary carriage member including also a longitudinal bar I05. Said auxiliary member is mounted at each end on two parallel bell-cranks I05, connected together to rock in unison by a link WI. The lower bellcranks I06 are fast on the ends of a transverse rock shaft I00 (Fig. 1) all as fully disclosed in Patent 2,323,816. The construction is such that a rocking motion of shaft I08 moves the platen horizontally a short distance toward and from the types 51, a spring III) tending to move it toward the types. It is normally held retracted by a rock shaft III having arms I.i2 which carry rollers bearing against a flange II3 projecting from the shaft I08. Said shaft I II has an arm Ill having 9. lug I I9 engaged by a hook II5 which looks the parts in normal position. Said hook is released on each printing cycle to allow the platen to advance to printing position, and the shaft I I I is then rocked back to normal.

- The Powers line space mechanism. at the right hand end of the carriage, is shown in Fig. '2. The line space wheel IIO on platen shaft iI'l is operated by a pawl II8 oscillated by a rock shaft I20 through the linkage shown. The special feed mechanism of the present invention is at the left hand side of the machine.

The total taking control mechanism of the Powers machine of the hereinbefore mentioned patent and application is brought into action when the first card of a new group is sensed by thedevices 585I (Fig. 1) by means i mechanism I.2I which detects the change of designation. Said control mechanism acts to retainsaid first card in the sensing chamber, to lock the card picker 53 out of action, and to lock the stops 64 in their retracted or inactive positions shown in Fig. 1. Among numerous other things,

the total taking mechanism controls four rock shafts in the upper part of the machine, two of which shafts have been found convenient for modifying the action of the present paper feed mechanism, viz., a designation shaft I22 and-a total shaft I23.

According to the present invention, the paper is advanced by a feed unit at the left hand end of the paper carriage, which unit comprises a frame plate I25, the outline of which is best shown as viewed from the right in Fig. 8 and as viewed from the left in Fig. 14. In the specific instance illustrated, this frame plate and the balance of the unit are so mounted as to partake of the short front and back movement of the platen hereinbefore described; but on a machine whose platen does not have that movement, such mounting would not be necessary. Such movement is imparted to the plate I25 by the platen axle which passes through a sleeve I25 (Fig. 16) seated in said plate. At its rear end, the plate I 25 is supported by a pivot IZ'I passing through an upright arm I20 which is built up of two plates which embrace the plate I25 (Figs. 12 and 16). The arm I28 is pivoted on a stud or post I30 projecting from the fixed bracket I00 (Figs.

9 and 12) The. frame plate I25 is further supported by two arms I3I (Figs. 9 and 14), which can swing on a fixed pivot I32 and whose upper ends carry a pivot rod or shaft I33 which passes through said plate. The arms I3I are parts of a structure comprising also a flanged sleeve I34 to which they are riveted and which has its bearing on. the stud I32, which stud is secured to a bracket I35 bolted to the head frame IOI. When the platen and the plate I2 5 move front and back, the arms I28 and I3I swing slightly on their pivots.

The platen is driven by a large gear I36 whose hub I31 (Figs. 8 and 9) is journaled on the shaft I33, and hich meshes with a pinion I38 fast on the platen axle Ill, said pinion having half the number of teeth of the line-space wheel I It. The

drive mechanism is similar to and in several' oi its arts is identical with the compensating feed mechanism described in my-prior Patent No. 2,288,828, dated July '7, 1942. The wheel I36 is straddled by a swinging frame or yoke comprising plate-like arms I40 pivoted on the shaft I33, one at each end of the hub I3'I (Fig. 9). These arms are not drawn in Fig. 8, but one of them is shown in Fig. 18.- The outer ends of the arms I40 are rigidly connected together by Posts I and I42 (Figs. 8 and 18). A'shaft I43 passing through the arms I40, serves as a bearing for a pinion I44 meshing with the wheel- I36 and having fast on its hub a detent wheel I45 having twice as many teeth as said pinion. The con struction is such that the wheel I36 may be turned without affecting the yoke I40, or the latter may be rocked about shaft I33 without turning the gear, when the pinion I44 is free to revolve on its shaft; but if the detent wheel I45 be locked against such revolution, the yoke is locked to the wheel I36 and neither can turn about shaft I33 without carrying the other with it. Such locking is efiected on occasion by a dog I46 whose hub is pivoted 'on the post I42 and which carries a diamond shaped stud I4! adapted to-enter the notches in Wheel I45. As these notches have half the angular pitch of the gear I44, this look defines half tooth-spaces of the latter and-of gears I36 and I38, which equal whole tooth spaces of the line space wheel I I6.

In Fig. 8, the yoke and the pinion I44 are shown in full lines at the end of a forward stroke and in broken lines at the end of a return stroke, and the latter or normal position is shown also in Figs. 4, 5, and 10. At the end of the return stroke a stud I38 on an arm of dog I46 strikes a fixed stop I48 and forces the dog into engagement with the wheel (Fig. 5), where it is caught and locked by a latch I50, pivoted on the post I4I. If new the platen be turned, as by the line space wheel in printing on a form, the wheel I36 will be turned step-by-step counterclockwise in Fig. 8 (clockwise in Fig. carrying the pinion I44 and yoke I40 with it. If, after printing a few lines, the yoke be actuated in the same direction to the end of its throw, it will carry the wheel I36 with it and impart a long feed to the paper. At the limit of such motion the tail of the latch I50 strikes a post "I5I fast on the fram plate I25, and is thereby rocked out of engagement with the dog I46, freeing the pinion I44, as shown in Fig. 8, so that the yoke makes its return stroke free of the wheel I36. A spring I49 tends to swing the dog I46 out of, and the latch I50 into engageline 6 of the next form, as described hereinbefore.

Additional means are provided to lock the dog I46 in engagement with wh'eel I45. 'Two arms I52 (Figs. 8 and 9) and a connecting post I53 constitute a yoke pivoted on the reduced ends of shaft I43. This post normally lies in a notch in the upper edge of the dog I46, but when swung counter-clockwise about axis l43, as presently to be described, it moves over a higher part of said dog, locking the latter down. Thi yoke bar- I53 'of the lever.

would force the dog down into engagement, even if it were not so moved by the stop I48.

The feed unit above described constitutes a paper feed operating member. As will presently appear, the mechanism includes two such memin Fig. 18, is pivoted on the shaft I33 just outside the outer yoke arm I40, is influenced by a restoring spring I29 (Fig. 10), and on occasion, it is rocked about said shaft by a long power operated link I55. This lever operatessaid yoke, but with relative lost motion, through a stud I56 projecting from the yoke arm-into a notch in the edge A spring I51 stretched between posts on said lever and said yoke arm, normally holds the stud I56 against the left hand edge of the notch as viewed in Fig. 8 (the right hand edge in Fig. 10). When a long feed is produced by the upward motion of the link I55, the lever I54 first rocks counter-clockwise in Fig. 8 until the right hand edge of the notch reaches the stud I56, stretching the spring I51, after which the yoke I is swung to feed the paper. The purpose of the lost motion is to operate the locking yoke bar I53. One of the arms I52 is in bellcrank form, and its other branch is connected with the lever I54 by a link I58 which is pivoted to the lever I 54 at 280. This link, during the said lost motion, swings the yoke I52, I53

retain this relative position until the link 155' and lever I54 begin their return stroke, the first part .of which moves part I53 to unlocking position; and it is at this instant of the return stroke that Fig. 8 is drawn. The link I may be made as shown in Fig. 18, with a sliding section 28I connected with piece I50 bypins and slots and a'spring 232, which latter can yield in case the tooth I4'I fails to enter a notch in the wheel I45. The pivot pin 280 passes through one of the slots in link I58.

The means for operating the compensating feed mechanisms from a power shaft of the machine is best shown in Fig. 10. The link I55 has in its lower part a longitudinal slot I59 in which plays a pin I60 on an operating angled lever I6I pivoted on a post I62 projecting from the head frame IOI. Said lever is connected by pin and slot I63 with a compound link made up of two 'bars I64 and I66, but which. for the moment,

may be treated as a solid pitman, which is operated by a wrist pin I66 on a crankdisc I61, loose on the forward drive shaft I5 of the machine. Said crank disc is driven by a one-revolution clutch of ordinary construction and comprising a disc I68 fast on the shaft and having a notch I10 adapted to be engaged by a pawl III pivoted on the disc I61 and influenced by a spring I12. The clutch is opened by a shouldered dog I'I3 acting on a tail of the pawlIII, said dog being pivoted on a fixed pivot I14 (Fig. 4) and being on arm of a lever whose other arm "5 is operated by a vertical link I16. The dog "3 is ar- 4 ranged to stop the crank disc I61 in the dead center position shown, where it is yieldingly re tained by a spring-pressed detent I" having a roller engaging a notch in the disc. A momentary upward motion of the link I16 will release the pawl Ill and cause one oscillation of the compensating feed yoke I40. The link I55, measured from the top of the slot I59, is of such length as to swing the yoke I40 to its extreme forward position shown in Fig. 8. The slot enables said yoke to be fed along as the paper is line spaced and also to be arrested on its return stroke at different positions appropriate to different extents of paper feed. Y I

The clutch may be tripped by any means ap propriate to the requirements of the work to be done. In the present instance the link I15 at its upper end lies between two bell-cranks I80 and HM, each loosely pivoted on the total shaft I23 (Figs. 6 and '7). The former (Figs. 12 and 13) has a stud I82 working in a slot in th link, and the latter (Figs. 10 and 11) lies beneath a stud I83 on the link, so that a clockwise rocking of either bell-crank will raise the link and trip the clutch. An arm I94 (Fig. 12) fast on the total shaft I 23 has a stud I85 adapted, when said shaft is rocked clockwise, to rock bell-crank I80 and thus to trip the clutch in order to impart a long feed to the paper after printingla total.

The timing of the feed mechanism merits consideration. Figs. 4 and 10 show the stop position of shaft 15 from which degrees of the cycle are measured. Referring to them and to the time chart, Fig. 17, the type bars are at the tops of their strokes before 160, the typ hammers strike at 162, line spacing occurs at 162-260, and the total shaft I23 is pulled' by 340 of the idle or blank cycle preceding the total cycle. The notch II of the clutch picks up the pawl III and starts the crank disc into motion, at about 160 of one cycle and the rotation of said disc stops at the same point in the next cycle. Therefore, when, at 340 of the blank cycle, th total shaft trips oil the pawl I1 I, the notch I is about 20 to the left of where it appears in Fig. 10, and the disc I61 will not begin to rotate until about 160 of the next or total cycle, just after the printing of the total. The upward motion of link I55 will first rock the lever I54 and afterwards the yoke I40 to feed the paper to line 6, of the next form, as

described hereinbefore.

When the paper is fed to line 6 as justdescribed, the machine prints two or more lines of heading from as many cards, the last one of which has therein a special hole which causes the compensating feed mechanism to feed the paper to line II of the same form, as will now be described. The special hole controls suitable means such, for example, as are described in the Mueller application 316,739 to actuate a Bowden wire I85 which pushes up a link I81 (Figs. 4, l2, and 13) inside the machine. Said link is pivoted to an arm I88 fast on a rock shaft I90 and having another arm I! outside the machine frame and acting, when the wire is actuated, to rock clockwise a three-armed lever I92, pivoted on the post I62. The depending arm of said lever is connected by a link I93 with the depending arm of the bell-crank I80 and rocks the same to trip the clutch as above described. This occurs late in the cycle in which the last heading card is sensed and causes the compensating feed to 0D- .erate in the next cycle just after the matter on be in operation from line 6 to line 11 of the same form, and a stop for said dog is, therefore, interposed to restrict to 5 spaces th return of said dog after said longer feed. These two extents of feed alternate with each other, so that the yoke returns 17 spaces and 5 spaces alternately, the two excursions together being equal to the lengt of a form. p

The means for limiting the return motion of the compensating feed to 5 spaces, is best shown in Fig. 5. See also Fig. 12, where the compensating feed yoke is omitted. When said yoke returns to the initial position, shown in Figs. 5 and 10, e, prolongation of the post I42, strikes one arm I95 of a bell-crank made of two relatively adjustable pieces I95 and I91, the latter of which is pivoted at I to the frame plate I25, and rocks said bell-crank clockwise from the position shown in Fig. 12 to that shown in Fig. 5. The other arm I91 of said bell-crank has 2, lug I98 which is caught and held down by a latch pawl 200 pivoted to the plate I25 and moved to latching position by a spring-urged link 251 (Fig-14) whose operation will be described hereinafter. The free end of thearm I91 has a stop piece 20I pivoted thereto at I99 and which in Fig. 5 is in and in Fig. 12 is out of the path of movement of the stud I39 on the tail of the dog I46. A second pawl 203 pivoted to frame plate I25 is normally drawn by a spring 204 against the pivot I99. The stop 20I has a stud 205 connected by a spring 205 with the pawl 203, which spring presses the stud 205 against the edge of said pawl, and also serves as a restoring spring for the bell-crank I95, I91. When the yoke I40 is swung forward to feed the paper to line 6 of the next form, the stud I 39' in passing the stop 20I, momentarily swings the latter aside against the tension of the spring 206. When the yoke returns from the stroke just mentioned the stud I39 strikes and is arrested by said stop 20I, which, however, swings clockwise, and the stud 205swings the pawl 203 counterclockwise until arrested by the lug I 98. The pawl 203 pushes the pawl 200 free of lug I98, allowing the latter to rise until arrested. by the tooth of pawl 203, which is slightly higher than that of pawl 200, so that the latter cannot reengage the lug. When the compensating feed yoke again moves forward, the pawl 203 is drawn clockwise by the spring 204, out of engagement with lug I98, whereupon the spring 200 restores the bellcrank I 95, I9'I, to the position of Fig. 12, leaving the yoke free to return to the position of Fig. 10. In short, after a total is printed, the yoke advances the balance of 17 spaces from the posisition of Fig. 12, and returns 5 spaces being arrested by stop 20 I. After printing the heading, it advances the balance of 5 spaces and returns 17 spaces.

The stop mechanism just described my be disabled in case statements are to be printed without headings. To this end the bell-crank arm I is made so that it can be shortened so as not to be struck by the stud I39, and the stop 20I will, therefore, remain in its inactive position shown in Fig. 12. The arm I9! is made of the T-shape shown in Fig. 14, where the arm I95 has beenremoved. It has two studs 20'! which pass through slots in arm I95, the upper slot having two branches as shown in Fig, 5, and a spring 208 holds the upper pin seated in one or the other of these branches. By manipulation the piece I95 can be moved upward and the lower notch seated on the pin, thus withdrawing the lower end of the arm out of the path of the stud E39.

In case the work is such that no headings are to be printed, the printing of items may begin at line 6 instead of line 11. The compensating paper feed should, therefore, have an excursion equal to the whole length of a form, that is to say, to 22 spaces instead of 17, as before. To this end, the stopl46is made settable to afford the additional spaces. In the present instance it was found convenient to pivot it on the fixed stud I30, and to connect it to the supporting link I28 to rock with the latter when the auxiliary carriage moves slightly frontward just before and back just after printing-as hereinbefore described. As shown in Figs. 14, 15, and 16, said stop is on the outer end of a hub M0 on the inner end of which is an arm 2| I. The pivot I21 is in the form of a bolt which passes through an arcuate slot in the arm 2| I, permitting the latter and the stop I48 to berocked independently of link I28, A thumb screw 2I2 can be screwed into either of two holes in link I28, retaining stop I48 in the position where its upper end arrests the feed yoke at 17 spaces or where a step 2I3, five spaces lower, arrests it, at 22 spaces. It may be given the.

latter setting when printing forms without headin s.

In connection with the settable sto I48, 2I3, it may be remarked that long paper feed mechanisms frequently have, provision for universal kind, and each user has only a. limited number 01' kinds. For such users, it is preferable to build into the machine only the settings which the individual customer requires. This makes less complicated mechanism, and it is also better for the operator. The stop I40 can be made with any number of steps, but if so, at each change of jobs, th right one would have to be selected out of many. If the device is to be used on different forms, it is a simple matter to make another stop with the appropriate steps, or another link with a slot of different length, etc. Throughout the illustrated instance of the present invention, this principle has been applied, the settings provided being only those required by one user.

The described mechanism may be used to'make lists from groups of cards where no totals are to be taken. For that use, the last item card of each group may be punched with the special control hole, which will initiate the longer compensating feed stroke the same as a total taking operation. In other words, the end'of an item group may be signified to the apparatuseither by total taking or by a special hol in the last item card, resulting in an operation of the compensating feed.

In order to print one item on each form (checks, public service statements, etc.) the stop I48, 2I3 may be set for an excursion of 22 spaces,

and each item card be punched with the special hole. In this use, the feed member I40 I, presently to be described, would not operate because nothing would ever be printed on the last line of a form.

It will be noted that the same compensating paper feed operating member (I40, etc.) is used to accomplish two diiferent compensating feeds, said two feeds of different lengths and automatically alternating with each other. As applied to the form shown in Fig. 3, said member first feeds the paper from any item line of one form to the first heading line of the next (a comparatively long feed) and then feeds it a shorter distance D from any heading line to the first item line of the second form. This is accomplished by the feed operating member (I 40, etc.) having an advance stroke to the stop I 5| and a return stroke measured by the stop I48, settable to measure different extents of return "movement; the line space mechanism shown in Fig, 2 to feed the paper line by line as the data is printed; the lock I46, etc., to cause the paper feed operating member to move in advance direction as the paper is fed line by line, thus compensating for the line by line feed; the stop 20I to restrict the return movement and, therefore, the extent of compensating feed, to a shorter feed, and the means (lever I95, I91, escapement latches 200 and 203, etc, and spring 206), operated by the paper feed operating member to move said restricting stop into and out of the path of said member at alternating strokes. This affords alternating longer and shorter compensating feeds of the paper.

The uniform feed (Figs. 4, 9 and 12) feeds the paper automatically from the last item line be swung down into engagement with 9. lug 226 of one form to the first item line of the next form, whether the forms are printed with headings as in Fig. 3 or without headings, This comprises a yoke similar to the yoke I40 already described, and in the drawings its corresponding parts are given the same reference numerals as those of the latter with a I added. The yoke arms I40I are pivoted on the shaft I33 but (Figs. 9 and 19) farther apart so as to straddle those of yoke I40 and its lever I54, Its pinion I44 and quired of this yoke, and its return motion is,

therefore, limited by a stop 22I situated near the stop I5I which limits the forward movement of the yoke I40 (Fig. 19), Said stop .22I stands in the path of one of the yoke arms I40I instead of the tail of the dog I46I, so that the lock I46I is never applied to the gearing, except when the yoke is operated. Thelever I54I is operated by a long vertical link 2I5, pushed upwardby a pin 2 I 6 on a lever 2 I 1 similar to the lever IBI and pivoted on the same post I62, which lever 2II is rocked by a pitman consisting of two parts 2I8 and 220, from the wrist pin-I66. In Fig. 4, this pitman lies in front of the pitman I64, I65, and hides most of the latter. The feed unit just described constitutes a second paperfeed operating member, which, for convenience, may be referred to as the uniformfeed member.

The two feed members may be operated alternatively in various ways. In the present instance they are operated by the same crank I66, I61 and the two pitmans are made alternatively operative, by the following means (compare Figs. 4, 10, and 12). Zhe two bars I64 and I65 have a 'sort of telescopic action. They lie face to face and are connected by headed studs 222 on bar I65 passing through long longitudinal slots 223 in bar I64, so that, when thewrist pin I66 makes its revolution, bar I65 may slide on bar I64, stretching a spring 224, without operating lever I6I. A dog 225, pivoted to an ear of bar I65, may

11 on the bar I64 and thus lock the two bars together into an effective pitman. When said dog is released, the spring 224 holds the two bars yieldingly in normal relation.

The compound pitman 2I8, 220, is similarly constructed (Fig. 12), but the: dog 225I is on the lower side of bar 2 I6 and its lug 226! on the lower edge of bar 220. The two dogs 225 and 225I are connected together by a link 221 and spring 228, the former pivoted to one dog and having pin and slot connection with the other, so that the two dogs rock about their pivots together, one of them into and other out of active position; The spring 228 is disposed at such an angle that its lever arm on the lower dog 225I is much longer than on the upper dog, so that it normally holds the dogs up, making the pitman 2 I6, 220 normally operative, and the pitman I64, I65 normally inoperative. When this condition is reversed, the dog 225 is latched down temporarily by a latch pawl 230 pivoted at 23I to bar I65 and influenced by a spring 232,

The uniform feed device is brought into operation by that step of the line space mechanism which feeds the paper to the last item line of a form (line 20 in the present instance). It will be recalled that when, on its shorter stroke, the compensating feed yoke feeds the paper to line 11 of a form, it is restored to the position of Fig. where the locking dog I46 has been forced by the stop I48 into its locking position and the latch I50 has secured said dog in engagement. As the paper is then fed line by line, the compensating yoke is, therefore, carried along step-by-step toward the front of the machine and its operating link I55 steps upward, the slot I59 moving relative to the pin I60; and when this link reaches the point corresponding-to line 20 on the paper, a lug 233 (Fig. 11) on a bracket 234 adjustably secured at the correct point on said link, trips the clutch I 66, I1! as will now be described. Pivoted on the post IE2 is an upright lever 235 connected by a link 23-6 with the bell-crank I 8|, so that if said lever be rocked clockwise in Fig. 11 the bell crank I8I will also be rocked and trip the clutch. A dog 231, pivoted to lever 235 at 238, is swung clockwise by a spring 240 until arrested by a pin 2 on the lever lying in an opening in the dog. A shoulder 242 of said dog is acted on by the lug 233 to rock the lever 235 and trip the clutch at the time referred to above. The lu 233 moves upward guided by the pin I60 and slot I59, and it swings the shoulder 242 upward and frontward out of its path. When that has happened, then on the down stroke of the link I55 and lug 233, the dog 231 can swing out of the way about its pivot 238. When the feed mechanism is started in this way, the uniform feed will operate and not the compensating feed, the dogs 225 and 225I being in their upper positions. When, however, the compensating feed is operated by the crank I61, I66, the lever I6I moves the lower end of the link I55, including the lug 233, in a path curved to the left in Fig. 10, and said lug does not strike the shoulder 242, Counter-clockwise rocking of levers I6I and 235 is limited by a stud 239 on an arm 249 fast onthe shaft I23.

The feeding of the paper to its 20th line trips the clutch in the latter half of the cycle in which the- 19th line is printed and the 20th card is sensed. As hereinbefore explained, the crank disc I61 will be set into rotation at about 160 of the next cycle, just after the 20th line has been printed.

When the clutch is tripped for the uniform feed, the pitman 2I6, 220 rocks lever 2 I1, which throughlink 2I5 rocks the lever I54I. The first part of the motion of said lever acts through the link I58I to rock the yoke I52l which acts the same as the yoke I52 hereinbefore described; that is to say, its cross bar I 53I moves the locking dog I46I into engagement with the locking disc, and

retains it locked until the beginning of the return stroke of the yoke I40I, when it releases it and allows the parts to return to normal. The parts are so proportioned that this feeds the paper the 13 space from line 20 to the next line, viz., line 11 of the next sheet, skipping the head- 15 me.

In the case of sheets where no headings are printed, however, the required feed is only 8 spaces, from line to the next line 6. In order to decrease the throw of the yoke for this purpose (Fig. 12), the pin 246 may lie in a slot in the link 2I5 which link may have pivoted thereto at 244 a piece 243 which can be set in the active position shown or swung aside into an inactive position, being secured in either position by a plungor 245 on the piece 243 entering one or the other of two holes in the link 2I5. When the piece 243 is. active as shown, it swings the lever I54I a, distance of 13 spaces, but when said piece is set inactive, said slot affords to the link a lost motion equivalent to 5 spaces, so that the yoke I40I is swung only the 8 spaces required. Obviously, the extent of motion imparted to said yoke may be made variable in other instances according to the requirements of the work.

The operating movements of the yoke; I40 and I40I are rapid, but they are harmonic in character, being stopped gently by the pitman 2 I6, 220 coming to a dead center, and it is found in practice that the parts do not overthrow. It will be noted that the extent of throw imparted to the compensating yoke I40, is regulated by variably limiting the return stroke, whereas that of the uniform feed is regulated by varying the operating stroke.

In order to shift the dogs 225 and 225I from their upper posiitons where the uniform feed is operative, to their lower positions where the compensating feed is operative, the following means are provided. It will be recalled that the clutch is tripped for a compensating feed by two different means, viz., by a special hole in a card resulting in rocking the lever I02 (Fig. 13), which acts through link N33 to rock bell-crank I80 and thus to lift releasing link I16; and by a clockwise rocking of the total shaft I23, which, through arm I84 and pin I85, also rocks said bell-crank I80. In the last operation, the rocking of bell-crank I80 is communicated by link I93 to lever I92, which, therefore, is rocked clockwise every time the clutch is tripp d for a compensating feed. The lower dog 225I has an upstanding arm 241 (Figs. 12 and 13) having a stud 248 standing in front of the third or upstanding arm of the lever I92. When the latter is rocked, it rocks the dog 225I down to inoperative position, and the dog 225 is rocked down to operative position under control of the spring 228 and link 221, and it is held down by the latch 230. Said latch has a stud 250, which, when the ,pitman is operated, describes an orbit I; and a ledge 252, formed off from a fixed bracket 253, and standing in the return lap of said orbit, deflects said stud and releases the latch, and allows the dogs 225 and 225 I to return to their normal setting.

At the time when the uniform feed comes into l3 action, the stop 2M, on the swinging frame I95, I91, is in its lower, operative position, held. down y the latch 200, and ready to arrest the compensating feed for its short or heading stroke. But the mechanism is now skipping the heading and going directly to line 11. Means are, therefore, provided for releasing said latch 200 so that the compensating feed yoke returns fully to the positionof Fig. 10. Said latch 2W (Figs. 12 and 14) has a depending arm to which is pivoted a horizontal link 25l having a slot 258 in its front end. A pin 260 projects from said link through a hole in the frame plate I25 where it is connected to a spring which controls the link and the latch 200. A pin 25! (Fig. 12) on the yoke Mill, runs in the slot 258, and acts, when said yoke is operated, to pull on the link 25? and release the latch, so that the compensating feed yoke will return to its longer feed position.

In the present instance, the uniform feed operates only when, in the course of printing items, the paper reaches the last line, At this time the compensating feed yoke is locked to and is traveling with the large gear I36, and it has already completed 10 of the 1'7 spaces of its travel. Its

latch I50 strikes and is arrested by the fixed stop II (Fig, 8) at line 6 of the next form, releasing the yoke from the wheel in the midst of the uniform feed, which extends to line 11. Unless means to the contrary were provided, the yoke M5, when so released, might jump back to its return position against stop 2M and become relocked to the wheel before the uniform feed was completed. A spring-controlled latch lever 255 (Fig. 14) pivoted at 255 to the frame plate I26, has a tooth 256 in position to engage the prolonged inner end of the post IM of the compensating yoke when the latter is near its extreme advanced position, and to prevent the return motion of said yoke. Said latch is normally held up out of the path of said post, however, (Fig. 4) by the inclined free end of the latch resting on a lug on the uniform yoke. When the latter is operated as above described, the latch 254 drops down to operative position and catches the compensating yoke. At the last part of its return motion the lug on the uniform yoke again raises the latch and permits the compensating yoke to return,

When there areexactly cards in a group, and, therefore, 10 items to be printed, the last item comes on line 20, and when this is printed the first heading card is in the sensing chamber and effects a change of designation. total taking operation is initiated, and at the same time an operation of the uniform feed is brought about. The latter feeds the paper to line 11 of the next form for the blank stroke of the total taking operation, in which the line space mechanism feeds the paper to line 12, where on the total stroke, the total is printed. The pulling of the total shaft initiates an operation of the compensating feed to line 6 of the next succeeding form, as above described. 'The result is, that the total appearsalone on the second sheet.

A peculiar condition arises when there are exactly 9 items in a group. The last item is printed online 19 and atotal taking operation results, feeding the paper to line 20- on theblank stroke. This trips,the clutch for a uniform feed to line ll of the next sheet, where the total would be printed somewhat like the action when there are 10 items. This is unnecessary, as there is room on the first form for the total. Means are, therefore, provided automatically to prevent the uniform stroke, whereupon the total is printed Thus, a

on line 21 of the first form. For this purpose Q the designation shaft M2 is utilized. In the machine to which the invention is shown applied, this shaft is "pulled (rocked clockwise in Fig. 12) early in the blank stroke and is held rocked until near the end of the total stroke. An arm 262 on said shaft, is connected by pin and slot andspring with a link 2133 whose rear end is pivoted at'255 to a guid link 26 i pivoted on the post 52, The pivot 265 is prolonged into a stud which is in the plane of the link M5 which operates the uniform feed yoke. The pin 2"; on the lever 2II normally occupies a horizontal off-set in a long vertical slot 265 in said link, forming a shoulder against which said pin acts to operate the link. When, however, the designation shaft L22 .is rocked as above described, the stud 2B5 swings the link rearward so that,

when the clutch is tripped, the pin 2I6 moves.

idly in the slot 265 without operating the feed. This occurs in the second half of the blank cycle, in the latter part of which the total shaft I23 is pulled holding the arresting dog I13 of the clutch mechanism out of action and causing a second rotation of the crank. At the same time,

the dogs 225 and 225i are shifted, so that this second rotation of the crank operates the compensating "feed to line 6 of the next form. A slot 261 in the link 221, allows the depression of dog 225 to be delayed until, in the-first rotation of the crank, the pitman bar I65 and its lug 225 return to normal.

It is sometimes desirable to prevent the compensating yoke I40 from returning to such a point as that the stud I39 (Fig. 5) on the locking dog I66 strikes a stop and locks the dog to the toothed wheel I55. A simple means for this purpose is best shown in Figs. 9 and 10. A plunger 210 of ordinary construction is mounted on the outer supporting arm I3I and it has a finger button by which it can be retracted or advanced to enter an opening 2II in the plate lever I54 to limit the return motion of said lever. The effect will depend on the dimensions of said opening. In Fig. 10 this opening is. shown of such dimensions as to-hold the lever at or near the extreme of its forward throw, which would disable the compensating feed altogether. This is sometimes needed, as where the machine is simply printing a long list of items on a succession of forms. On that setting, the uniform feed will feed the paper from the bottom of one form to the top of the next, which is all that is required. If any totals are taken, the link I55 will be at the top of its throw and the pi I will move idly up and down in the slot I59.

If, on the other hand, the opening 2'" is of the dimensions shown in broken lines in Fig. 8, i. e., such that the plunger 210 arrests the lever I54 after, say, 6 line spaces of return motion, then the yoke I40 and its adjuncts will be converted into a uniform'feed, because the dog I46 yoke.

is not locked down by the return motion of the The effect of this setting would be that the paper would be advanced to a uniform extent, say, six line spaces, after every total, which is a mode of operation frequently wanted. Also, a special hole in a card may at any time cause the paper to be advanced six line spaces, if such a mode of operation is desired.

It will be 'perceived that the compensating feed" is compensating" only because, on the return stroke of the yoke I40, the locking lever I46 is locked down by the latch I50, and that the other feed is funiform only because its lever 6| is not so locked: and the the former feed 'is rendered uniform when the yoke is arrested by meanswhich do not lock the gearing. Obviously, the feed yoke M can readily be made compensating if the work to be done makes that desirable.

In order to disable the long feed mechanism altogether any suitable means may be provided. In the present instance (Fig. 4) the stud 212 projectin from the end of the arm I75, passes through a round hole in a bar 213 and thence through a slot in the link "6. Said bar is slidably mounted on said link by said stud and by a second headed stud 2H riveted in said bar and playing in a slot in the link. Relative motion of said link and bar is prevented by a plunger 215 mounted in the bar 213 and adapted either to enter a hole in the link, orto be Withdrawn therefrom, after a familiar fashion. When said pin is so withdrawn, and the link is given its upward motion, it slides idly on the bar 213 without tripping the clutch. When the clutch is thus disabled, the compensating feed yoke should be held forward by inserting the pin 2'") in the opening 2' as above described, so as to prevent the feed yoke from becominglocked to the gear wheel I36, and having unnecessary movements imparted to it during line spacing.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement without departin from the invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure, by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a machine of the class described and in means for feeding record forms each to-a heading line and to the first item line of a form, the combination with a paper feed operating member having an advance movement to feed the paper and a measure return movement preparatory to a long feed of the paper, and a stop settable to restrict the return movement preparatory to a shorter feed, of means operated by said member on one stroke thereof to set said stop in restricting position and means operated by said member on the next stroke thereof to set said stop in non-restricting position, whereby the successive strokes of said member are caused to be of alternating longer and shorter extents.

2. In mechanism for feeding a web of paper and comprising a paper feed roller,,line space mechanism, a drive wheel geared to the paper feed roller, and two oscillatory yokeslpivoted coaxially with said wheel, the combination of means to lock one only of said yokes to said wheel at the end of its return stroke thus constituting said one yoke a compensating feed member, means to lock the second said yoke to said wheel on an operating stroke of said second yoke, and means to impart long strokes to one or the other of said yokes selectively.

3. In a printing machine and in mechanism for feeding a web of paper divided into forms, each having a space in which to print headings and a space in which to print items, said mechanism comprising a compensating paper feed operating means and a uniform paper feed operating means to feed the paper from the last line of one form to the first item line of the next, means for imparting to said compensating means advance and return strokes, means operated by said com- 16 line, means to initiate an operation of said uniform means, and means controlled by said uniform means to disable-said limiting means.

4. In mechanism for feeding a web of paper divided into forms and comprising a long paper feed operating member having operating strokes and return strokes, means to advance said memher when the paper is fed by other means, a uniform paper feed operating member, and means operated by said advancing means to bring said uniform feed member into operation at the bottom of a form, the combination ofa latching means brought into operation by the uniform feed operating member upon its advance movement to delay the return stroke of said long paper feed operating member, said latching means being rendered ineffective by said uniform feed operating member upon the return stroke thereof to.

permit said return stroke of the long paper feed operating member.

5. In a machine of the class described and inmeans for feeding record forms each to a heading line and to the first item line of a form and comprising a paper feed operating member having an advance movement to feed the paper and a measured return movement preparatory to a long feed of the paper and a second paper feed operating member to skip the heading on said form, the combination of a stop settable to restrict the return movement of the first said member preparatory to a, shorter feed, means operated by the first said member on the longer stroke thereof to set said stop to active position, means operated by the first said member on the shorter stroke thereof to reset said stop to inactive position, and means controlled by said second member to reset said stop and thus to interrupt the W alternation of long and short strokes of the first pensating means to limit every other return stroke member.

6. In a machine of the class described and in means for feeding record forms each to a heading line and to the first item line of a form, the combination of a line space device to feed the paper line by line, a'paper feed operating member having an advance movement to feed the paper through several line spaces and a measured return movement preparatory to a long feed of the paper, means to cause said member to move in advance direction as the paper is fed line by line, a stop settable to restrict the return movement of said member preparatory to a shorter feed, and means operated by said member to move said restricting stop into and out of the path of said member sequentially whereby alternating longer and shorter compensating feeds of the paper are afforded.

JOHN MUELLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,059,251 Lasker Nov. 3, 1936 2,059,215 Dreher Nov. 3, 1936 2,156,990 -Keen -1 May 2, 1939 2,189,025 Carroll et al. Feb. 6, 1940 2,288,828 Mueller July 7, 1942 2,056,393 Didzuns Oct. 6, 1936 2,256,693 Thomas Sept. 23, 1941 2,141,269 Ewald et a1 .4. Dec. 27, 1938 FOREIGN PA'I'EN'IS Number Country Date 522,562 Great Britain June20, 1920