US2529238A - Printing telegraph apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 7, 1950 H. ANGEL PRINTING TELEGRAPH APPARATUS Filed July 27, 1946 INVENIOR H.ANGEL BY W ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 7, 1950' 2,529,238 PRINTING TELEGRAPH ArrAnArUs Herbert Angel, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to The Western Union Telegraph Company, New York, N. Y., acorporation of New York Application July 27, 1946, Serial No. 686,679

Claims.

1. Thepresent invention relates primarily to printing telegraph apparatus and more particularly to tabulating mechanisms for association with telegraphprinters to facilitate recording in columns on-a recording blank or web.-

It is an object of-the present invention to provide atabulatingmechanism for telegraph printers. thatis more reliable andei'ficient inoperation than-those proposed heretofore.

Another object of the'invention is to providev a tabulating mechanism wherein the relative movement of .the printing unit with respect to therecordingblank from the endof one column of Jprinted matter to the beginning of the next columnis effectedina continuous movement.

Still another object .ofthe invention is to provide a .tabulatingh mechanism 1 for telegraph printers wherein the movement of the recording unit'relative to the recording blank from the end.

of..one columnlto-"the beginning of the nextis effectedin conjunction witha .single cycle of operation of the printer and in a period of time}. not greater than that required to record a single:

character by the printing mechanism.

Stillanother object of the inventionv is to pro-- vide a .tabulatingmechanism-which includes an auxiliaryrecordingunit advancing means which is rendered operative in response. to atabulating signal to advance the recordingnunitl frornthev last printed character inone columnto the beginning of the next.

Stillanother object of the invention is to pro-' vide a vtabulating mechanism embracing the above enumerated and otherfeatureswhich. does not interfere with the usualffunctions of. the.

printer with which it may be associated.

The above and further objects of .the invention will appear hereinafter and be more fully understood.fr0m the .following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof wherein referenceis made to the accompanying drawing.

Thedrawing is a perspective view of the tabulating mechanism of the present invention together with certain. cooperating elements and.

mechanisms of a telegraph printer.

The elementsand mechanisms of the telegraph printer to which the present invention is applied is'disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,281,775 to J. W. Long etal;, granted May 5, 1942, and .the said patentis made a part of the ,presentapplication.

but may be readily applied to various other tele-- graph printers.

In thedrawing-theconstantly rotating selector 1 shaft ll, corresponding to'the-selector'shaft 8t;

Fig; 8, of the Long et a1. patent, is extendedand has "fixed thereto forfirotation therewith a gear l2." Ro'tatable with the gear I2 is the-driving elementvlt of a ratchet type clutch indicated generally byreference numeral I 4 which also includes a driven element l 6." Throughth'eclutch M," in -the manner. hereinafter described; the shaft ll;in;axial alignment with the-selector shaft I I is adapted .to rotate one revolution at atime.

The constantly rotating gear 12 which is fixed to-the extension of the selector shaft H,- mesheswith an idler gear .Ia which also-meshes with a The gear it, together with the driv-- ing element 2| of a ratchet type clutch indicated 1 generally by reference numeral 22, is freely gear l9.

mounted on a shaft 23'extending parallel to the shaft I'l; The driven element 24 of the-clutch 22 is .formed integrally with. a sleeve 25 freely mounted on-the shaft 23.- The sleeve 26 is urged toward the right to effect engagement of the driving and driven elements of the'clutch 22 by the action-of a spring-actuated lever-'27 working against'aflange 25 on the sleeve .26.: However,- a

trip latch 28 mountedon arock shaft 29'normally ,;,;has .the free end :thereof engaging a shoulder or cam surface 3| on the sleeve 26 to preventrightward movement thereof. 7 The -left handend 32 0f the sleeve 26-form thedriving. element ofanother ratchet type clutch 33 havinga driven: element 34-formed integrally with. another sleeve 35 of the shaft 23.

Normally. the driving and driven elements of clutch .33 are also disengaged, being held apart 7 by alever 31, the forward end of which engages ;,a flange 38 on the sleevetii These elements of left hand end ofthe sleeve 36. To the left of the the c1utch.33,'however, are urged .toward en-l gagement by a spring operated lever 39-Worl ing against the flange 38 on the sleeve 36.

The sleeve 36, while beingfree on theshaft 23 and. adapted for longitudinal .movement. along the shaft, is adapted to.rotate therewith bymeans-of a pin 4! extending axially from the shaft and engagingaxial slotssuch as 42 in the sleeve. 35 and suitably fixed to the shaft 23 for as if fully included herein. While the 'tabulating mechanism of the present invention is shown applied to" this particular. telegraph:v printenit will be apparent that the mechanism .is not limited :in. application to 7 this particular- :printer rotation therewith are collars 43 and 44 which have located .therebetween a sleeve 46. The sleeve 46 is frictionally coupled to the shaft for rotationtherewith by friction discs 4i engaging the-ends of the sleeve. and'co-operatingifaces of the collars 43 and 33. The axial pressure on the friction discs 41, which are of suitable material such as felt, may be maintained by any one of a number of well known arrangements.

The sleeve 46 has fixed thereto adjacent one end thereof a gear 48, and adjacent the other end a collar 49 with axial holes such as predeterminedly spaced around the periphery thereof. Into one or more of the holes such as 5| are placed radially extending pins such as 52 and the number of these pinsvand the placing thereof -in the collar 49 determine the number of columns that may be'printed on the recording blank and the distances from the edges of the blank at which these columns begin.

The gear 48 has in engagement therewith a rack 53, the rear end of which is suitably attached to the typewheel car of the printer indicated generally by reference numeral 54. The typewheel car 54 is guided for to-and-fro movement along guide rods 56 in a direction parallel to the rack 53 and perpendicular to the shaft 23. The guide rods 56 correspond to rods 456 and 451, Fig. 40, of the above-mentioned Long et a1. patent. v

The typewheel car 54 includes a pair of pawls 5'! cooperating with a pair of racks 58 and the normal advancement of the typewheel car in a letter spacing direction is effected by movement of one of the racks 58. This movement of the typewheel car in a letter spacing direction effects tensioning of a spring in a drum 59 having a web 6| attached to the typewheel car, and at the end of one line of print, disengagement of the pawls 5'! from the racks 58 permits the spring drum 59 to effect backward movement of the car, or a typewheel car return function as it is sometimes called, preparatory to the beginning of a' new line of print.

In the course of printing a full line wherein no tabulation is efiected, the forward and backward movement of the typewheel car 54 through the rack 53 effects rotation of the sleeve 46 stepby-step in one direction during the step-by-step movement of the typewheel car in a letter spacing direction and continuously in the other direction during the continuous typewheel car return operation. Through the friction elements 41 this rotation of the sleeve 46 and attached gear 48 eifects corresponding rotation of the shaft 23 and sleeve 36.

As described in the above-mentionedLong et al. patent, functions of the disclosed printer are effected through the selective operation of a number of so-called floating levers. During each cycle of operation of the printer one end of all the floating levers move in a downward direction and unless an associated function is to be performed the levers pivot idly about their other ends. When one or more printer functions are to be performed during a cycle of operation of the printer, the selective positioning of a plurality of slide bars adjacent the center of the floating levers places one or more interponents in the path of movement of the floating levers. Accordingly, subsequent downward movement of one end of the floating levers causes those having interponents at their centers to pivot thereat whereby the other ends of the selected floating levers move upward and links attached thereto are actuated to perform associated functions.

It is such a floating lever 62 which is employed to initiate into operation the tabulating mechanism. The floating lever 62 is cyclically operated through a link 63 and a lever 64 pivoted at 66 by a cam 61 which makes one revolution during each cycle of the printer. During cycles of operation, other than tabulating cycles, the floating lever 62 pivots idly about its opposite end.

In response to a received tabulating signal code combination, one or more slide bars such as 68 are selectively moved to place upwardly extending projections such as 69 beneath a downwardly extending projection 1! adjacent the center of the floating lever 62. Accordingly, during the following downward movement of the forward end of the floating lever 62;'the said projections 69 and 'H engage whereupon the floating lever pivots at its center. Such pivoting of the floating lever 62 effects rocking of a bell crank 12 about its pivot 13 in a counterclockwise direction which motion is transmitted through a link 14 to a trip arm 16 associated with the clutch l4. This movement of the trip arm 16 causes the end ll thereof to disengage itself from the cam surface 18 of the driven element l6 of the clutch l4 whereupon a spring 19 is effective to slide the driven element [6 along the shaft l1 into engagement with the driving element l3.' Thereuponjthe shaft l'lwill rotate with the shaft II and since the trip arm 16 is momentarily oper ated the end 1'! thereof will return to its normal position in the path of the cam surface 18 to effect disengagement of the driving and driven 7 elements of the clutch I4 following a revolution thereof. H V Fixed to the shaft H for rotation therewith are three cams 8!; 82 and B3. The cam 8l' during the first part of the revolution of the shaft I! operates a lever 84 to release a slide bar 86 and permit the'same under the influence of its attached spring 8'! to move longitudinally to the left. Thisleftward movement of the slide bar 86 places the left hand end thereof in the path of rotation of the pins 52 and through the lever 37 engaging the right hand end of the slide bar and the flange 38, permits the sleeve 36 to slide along the shaft 23 to efiect engagement of the driving and driven elements 32 and 34, respectively, of clutch 33.

Some time thereafter the cam 83 through an arm 88 eifects rocking of shaft 29 to withdraw the end 3| of the trip lever 28 from out of en-, 7 gagement with the cam surface 3! on the sleeve I 26. Thereupon the sleeve 26, through the action of the spring actuated lever 21, moves to the right to effect engagement of the driving and driven elements 2| and 24, respectively, of clutch '22, whereupon the sleeve 26 rotates with the constantly rotating gear H9. The sleeve 36 moves 'to the right with sleeve 26 and the clutch 33 therefore remains engaged. Accordingly, at this time the sleeves 26 and 36 will rotate with the constantly rotating gear l9 and since the shaft 23 rotates with the sleeve 36, the sleeve 46 frictionally driven from the shaft 23' will also rotate. Rotation of the sleeve 46 in this manner, through the gear 48 and rack 53, effects advancement of the typewheel car 54 and this continues until the next one of the pin 52 in the collar 49 of the sleeve 46 engages the underside of the slide bar 86 whereupon further rotation of the sleeve 46 is stopped as will be further advancement of the typewheel car 54 in a letters spacing direction. The friction disks 4'! frictionally coupling the sleeve 46 to the shaft 23 permit the sleeves 26 and 36 to continue rotating and complete the remainder of a revolution while the sleeve 46 is stopped.

The trip a m 23 is momentarily oper t d and therefore is effective to disengage the driven and driving elements' of clutch 22 following 'a revolu-- tionof the sleeve 26 and the shaft Ilis adapted" through "the proper selection of th'e'sizeof gears l2 and [9 to rotate somewhat slower than'gear I9.

Shortly after the disengagement of' the elements of clutch'22, the cam 82' operating onan arm 89 of th'e slide bar 85 slides the same to the'right back into'its normal position; Th'ismovement of the slide bar'86 effects disengagementoftherln) elementsof clutch.33 andmoves 'the'left hand" end of the slide bar out of operative engagement with the engaged'one of the pins 52.- Thereupon' cycles of the operation of the printer wherein.

the typ'ewheel car is advanced one letter space at a time, sleeve 46 and pins 52 will rotate corresponding amounts.

With the employment of two pins, 52 in the collar 49, the sleeve 46 will make one half revolution, from the beginning of one column of print to the beginning of the next. Normally; the sleeve 46 rotates step-by-step in conjunction with printing operations during the first part of a half revolution and continuously during the remainder thereof in response to a tabulating si nal code combination. By locating thepins 52 in different positions in the collar 49, the amount of travel of the typewheel car from the beginning While the invention has been described in but one embodiment thereof, it will be obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential attributes thereof, and it is desired that only such limitations be placed thereon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: o

1. In a printing telegraph machine having a recording web on which recording is effected in columns, a printing unit movable transversely the web step-by-step a predetermined distance in a letter spacing direction in conjunction with printing and word spacing operations, a rotatable member adapted to rotate a predetermined part of a revolution during movement of said printing unit from the beginning of one column to the beginning of the next, means for rotating said rotatable member increments of said predetermined amounts during the step-by-step advancement of said printing unit, signal controlled means for rotating said member continuously the remainder of said predetermined amount and means operative during the remainder of said rotation to continuously advance said printing unit from the end of one column of print to the beginning of the next.

2. In combination with a cyclically operable telegraph recorder having a signal responsive selector controlled recording unit movable to and fro relative to a recording web to effect letter and word spacing and the return of said unit for the ing movement of said printing mechanism, a

beginning oflinesof print, the advancing movement of said unit in a letter spacing direction being eifectedstep by step during certain cycles of operation of said recorder one letterspace at a timeyan auxiliary recorder unit advancing means having a member rotatable from one pre-- determine'd"position to another predetermined position during movement of saidrecording unit fromthe beginning of one column of print to the nextymeans-operated by said'recording unit for rotating saidmember fractions of the distance fromone predeterminedpositionto the next-dur-' ingthe step by step advancement of saidrecording unit, means determined by the position of 'said'member-forcontrolling the operation of said" auxiliary advancing means to-advance said unitcontinuously from any point in its path of travel to the beginningof the next column'of print and means for operating said auxiliary means-in-a :time-intervafnot greater than that of a cycle ofoperation of said recorder.

3. In combination with a cyclically operable telegraph recorder having a signal responsive selector controlled recording unit movable to and fro relative to a recording web to effect letter and word spacing and the return of said unit for the beginning of a new line of print, the advancing movement of said unit in a letter spacing direction being effected by an advancing means step by step one letter space at a time, an auxiliary recording unit advancing means, said auxiliary means including a stop arm rotated a predetermined part of a revolution during advancement of said recording unit from the beginning of one column of print to the beginning of the next column, a stop member for said stop arm normally out of the path of movement thereof, means responsive to a received predetermined code group of signals on said selector to move said stop member into the path of said stop arm and rotate the latter until it engages said member, and means operative during such rotation of said stop arm to advance said unit continuously to the beginning of the next column of print and in a time interval not greater than that of a single cycle of operation of said recorder.

4. In a cyclically operable print ng telegraph machine including a signalcontrolled selector, a

recording web and a printing mechanism controlled by said selector for recording on said Web, said printing mechanism and said Web being relatively movable step by step in a letter spacing direction in conjunction with word and letter spacing and continuously in the opposite'direction to effect recording in successive lines on said web, a tabulating mechanism for moving said printing mechanism relative to said web from any position in a line to the next one of a plurality of predetermined points whereby recording is effected in columns. a rotable control member for said tabulating mechanism rotable a predetermined amount during advancement of said printing mechanism from the beginning of one column to the next. said memher being rotated increments of said redetermined amount during each word and letter spacsign l controlled element operable through a definite path during asingle cycle of operation of said telegraph machine, and means for coupling said element to said control member and rotating the same from any intermediate position to the next one of said predetermined points whereby said print ng mechanism is advanced from the end of one column to the beginning of the next in one cycle of operation of said telegraph machine.

5. In combination with a cyclically operable telegraph recorder having a signal responsive selector controlled recording unit movable to and fro relative to a recording web to efiect letter and word spacing and the return of'said unit for the beginning of a new line of print, the advancing movement of said unit in a letter spacing direction being effected by an advancing means step by step one letterspace at a time, an auxiliary recording unit advancing means, said auxiliary means including a stop arm rotated a predetermined part of a revolution during advancement of said recording unit from the beginning of one column of print to the beginning of the next column, a stop member for said stop arm normally out of the path of movement thereof, means responsive to a received predetermined code group of signals on said selector to move said stop member into the path of said 8' stop arm and rotate the latter until it engages said member; means operative during such rotation of said stop arm to advance said-unit.

continuously to the beginning of the next column of print and in a time interval not greater than that of a single cycle of operation of said recorder, and means for automatically moving said stop member out of the path of said stop arm following the movement of said recording unit by said auxiliary advancing means to the beginning of a column of print.

. HERBERT ANGEL.

REFERENCES CITED file of this patent: 7

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Number v Potts May. 23, 1944

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