US2531886A - Stencil controlled printing machine - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 28, 1950 A. w. MILLS ETAL 2,531,886

STENCIL CONTROLLED PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 12, 1946 12 Sheets-Sheet l TEE- INVENTORS Albert A! Mi/As Aou/s J Herman ATTORNEY Nov. 28, 1950 A. W. MILLS ETAL STENCIL CONTROLLED PRINTING MACHINE l2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 12, 1946 Albert 144 44/118 W ATTORN Nov. 28, 1950 A. w. MILLS E'm 2,531,886

STENCIL CONTROLLED PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 12, 1946 12 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS Alba/1 IV MM? owls J, Her/nan ATT'ORNEY Nov. 28, 1950 A. w. MILLS, ET AL STENCIL CONTROLLED PRINTING MACHINE 12 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 12, 1946 INVENTORS Abbe/f if! M///S a) Lou/Ls 1/ Her/I700 WJVW ATTORNEY Nov. 28, 1950 A. w. MILLS HAL 2,531,886

STENCIL CONTROLLED PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 12, 1946 12 Sheets-Sheet 5 5!!!!41'lll65: 5E.-. utif-flill it ilf MA :00 M

ATTO R N EY Nov. 28, 1950 A. w. MILLS ETAL STENCIL coumomao PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 12, 1946 12 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTORS A/berf iii/V1719 5y Zoo/ls JJVQrmcm ATTORNEY 12 Sheets-Sheet 7 Lou/1s- J. Her/nan A. W. MILLS EI'AL Nov. 28, 1950 STENCIL CONTROLLED PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 12, 1946 Nov. 28, 1950 A. w. MILLS ETAL STENCIL cou'momzn PRINTING momma l2 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed April 12, 1946 J 0 m 8/ m H T m m W w s A #5 4 0 w Nov. 28, 1950 A. w. MILLS EI'AL 25 L STENCIL CONTROLLED PRINTING MACHINE 12 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed April 12, 1946 0 0 T N NM R E J o N N? W -r m EUWA w 4 w Nov. 28, 1950 A. w. MILLS ETAL 2,531,886

STENCIL CONTROLLED PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 12, 1946 12 Sheets-Sheet 1O INVENTORS Albert IKM/Z/J Zak/is J. Herman Nov. 28, 1950 A. w. MILLS ETAL STENCIL CONTROLLED PRINTING MACHINE 12 Shets-Sheet 11 Filed April 12, 1946 v n 1. 4 1. T We a J a H H H 5%.; s 4M I 1 H W mm n m I 5 w 5 J 7 Z W b M W m w 0 nun d W W V A U I 0/ M D U J wwm x D I v L f 5 l m E u n 11 W W r w Z w M m W v 2 4 M m a C "Fm HM Pfl Q 0A oll DA t M 0, a c n f 6 w z a 5 6- "1% P. 02 .aJb J; .M F "L wwlb WAC FL. 0 m f 3 n f U U M W Z W 2 7] E L Q r W .T. 6 k H E d 34 m F W K W A w 5 m W F I. 1..-: M a 1m 0/ M H" W w K M 0 Z 3 H 2 4 D 1 m) m m m m a@ m i Q Q E 1 t Z 12 Sheets-Sheet 1 .2

A. W. MILLS ETAL STENCIL CONTROLLED PRINTING MACHINE l I I l l I l l I Ill I llL nah INVENTORS Albert 14! Mi/is M w J M U 0 L NQ $2.5m 33G et 7 5% G ESE 5E ATTORNEY Nov. 28, 1950 Filed April 12, 1946 Q2 eon Patented Nov. 28, 1950 2,531,886 STENCIL CONTRbLLED PRINTING MACHINE Albert w. Mills'and Louis J. Herman, Endicott,

N. Y., assignors to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 12, 1946, Serial No. 661,692

This invention relates to printing machines of the kind in which impressions aremade from stencil or embossed address printing plates sequentially fed through the machine and wherein impressions are made directly from suchplates on record material such as envelopes, or the like, and this invention pertains particularly to improvements which insure certainty of a printing relationship between the printing plates and envelopes before a printing impression can be effected upon an envelope.

The particular value of the present machine resides in the capability of enabling addresses to be printed upon envelopes from printing plates previously utilized for printing addresses upon checks to be mailed in the envelopes.

In a broad aspect the main object of this invention is to provide a printing mechanism for printing from stencil printing plates, or the like, with a control means therefor which prevents its operation to print upon an envelope from a stencil printing plate unless both an envelope and stencil plate have been fed clear to a printing position. Several reasons may be advanced for failure to move either a stencil or envelope to printing position but is due principally to the exhaustion of a supply of envelopes or stencil plates, or failure to properly feed an envelope or stencil plate out of the envelope or stencil plate supply hoppers clear to printing position. These operations are necessary for proper printing operations and herein the continuity of printing operations is made dependent upon all of these conditions being fulfilled.

Another object of the invention is to provide the machine with separately controlled clutches, one for the picker which feeds an envelope out of the envelope hopper, and another for the picker which feeds the stencil out of the stencil hopper, and-to provide control means which prevents the operation of either of such clutches whenever the envelope 01'. stencilhopper becomes empty, which generally happens after the machine has been running and to also prevent a subsequent engagement of both clutches upon failure to feed a stencil or envelope out of the related supply hopper toward printing position.

6 Claims. (Cl. 101-48) the desired conditions are fulfilled. Hence, fail- Another object of the invention is to provide the envelope and stencil feeding mechanism with feeding rollers which function to convey the printed envelope and associated stencil .to a discharge position and concomitantly a following envelope or stencil from the supply hoppers toward printing position, and in fulfilling the object of this invention provision'is made to prevent engagement of a clutch which drives such feeding rollers upon exhaustion of the supply of stencils or envelopes, or upon failure to feed a stencil or envelope from the supply hoppers towards printing position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide the stencil feeding mechanism with a shuttle or supplemental stencil feeding device which shifts a stencil to the set of discharge rollers which feed the stencil already employed for printing to discharge position, and similarly, the

engagement of the clutch which operates such shuttle is not effected unless the aforementioned conditions in the machine ensue.

Another object of the invention is to provide an address printing machine functioning in two cycles of machine operation, one of which cycles is utilized to feed a stencil and envelope to printing position and the other cycle is utilized to effect an address printing operation from said stencil on an underlying envelope and to provide control means effective to cause such cyclic operations in the mentioned sequence, and with a continuity which depends upon the preceding conditions in the machine being fulfilled.

From the preceding it is obvious that machine operations are so interlocked and made so dependent upcn the presence of a supply of cards and envelopes and their proper passage and position in the machine that the proper'performance of, the machine, namely, address printing operations onthe envelopes are inhibited unless ure to feed a stencil through the machinewith- Another object of the invention is to provide 1 in correct" position to be printed, and to also I prevent the engagement of this clutch when stencils and envelopes fail to feed out of the related supply hopper to printing position.

out an accompanying printedenvelop'e is prevented, thus insuring a printed envelope for each stencil which is the principal object andresult to be secured byenvelope address printing machines. I g

It should be noted that the use of stencils in the form of cards as printing :instrumentalities is merely illustrative and metal embossed printing plates or other kinds of platesor stencils can also be used." Furthermore, printing ne'ed not beeifectedsolely upon envelopes, since other record materials, such as checks, other cards, etc. can receive the printing from the printing plates.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode, which has been contemplated, of applying that principle.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the machine.

Figs. 2 and 2a when joined together with Fig. 2 on the top show a horizontal sectional view of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2 and illustrates the detail of a gear drive embodied in the machine.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the irregular section line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a plan view taken on the line 5-5, of Fig. 2 showing the clutch control drive for certain parts of the printing mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a plan view taken on the line 6-8 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a view in side elevation showing the detail of the electromagnetically controlied picker clutch for feeding envelopes.

Fig. 8 is a view in side elevation showing the details of the electromagnetically controlled clutch for feeding the stencils.

Fig. 9 is a view in side elevation showing the I detail of the electromagnetically controlled clutch for operating the shuttle.

Fig. 10 is a wiring diagram of the machine. Fig. 11 is a timing diagram showing the events I that occur in the four successive cycles of the Stencils and envelopes The selected embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings is adapted for the printing of addresses on conventional envelopes from suitable printing plates, such as card stencils, so that such addressed envelopes can be used to mail checks or other business instruments. when card checks are addressed by the same series of printing plates it is obvious that there should be a printed envelope for each check. Printing plates of the card stencil type are well known and herein they may comprise the type shown in the patent to A. W. Mills et al., No. 2,357,487, dated September 5, 1944. In general, each consists of a card of the type used in card controlled accounting machines but having a window-covered by stencil tissue material. The stencil tissue is cut by a typewriter torecord the name and address by the arrangement shown in the patent just mentioned. Prior to use in the present machine the stencil cards are preferably "charged" or conditioned by the machine shown in Patent No, 2,357,486 to A. W. Mills etaL, dated Septemher 5, 1944. The conditioned stencils are placed in the supply hopper of the present machine and re-inking herein enables the imprints to be clearly made on the envelopes. The envelopes are of a conventional type in-that they are provided with gummed flaps underneath which a picker projects for feeding the envelope from the supply hopper.

Main driving mechanism Mounted in the base of the machine is a motor 3 (Fig. 2a) which continually rotates a pulley l0 secured to the drive shaft of a speed reduction drive unit i3 (Fig; 1). The driven shaft H of the speed reduction drive unit is thus rotated at a desired speed and continually as long as the motor 9 is in operation. The shaft It extends from the front of the machine to the back and the front extension carries a series of continually running cams which close contacts involved in the electrical circuits at predetermined times in the machine operation. The speed reduction unit I3 is supported by a sub-base i6 of the machine. A bracket is also attached to the sub-base i6 so that the rearward extension of shaft It can be journalled' by the bracket arms ii. To the shaft is there is secured a bevel gear I! meshing with a bevel gear i8 secured to a short drive shaft 19 which extends horizontally of the machine, that is, from the left to the right. Shaft i9 is journalled in a bracket 20 (Fig. 211) also carried by the sub-base iii of the machine. Between the bracket arms Hi there is attached to the main drive shaft M a cam 62 which operates the stencil card picker mechanism and a cam 8! which operates the stencil card shuttle. The function of these cams will be described in subsequent sections of the description of the operation of the machine.

Envelope feed and clutch The envelopes are placed in a supply hopper 2| (Fig. 1) with the flaps down and at the rear of the hopper, i. e. the edge of the envelope having the flap is the leading edge. The envelopes are fed from the front of the machine to the rear singly from the hopper by a picker mechanism now to be described. At the same time the envelope. feed rolls are rotating to receive and feed the envelope fed from the hopper and move it to printing position.

Pivoted to a rock shaft 22 (Figs. 2a and 7) is a pair of upstanding arms 23. each of which carries a related spring steel picker knife blade 24 which slides over a guide plate 25 to get between the flap and the back of the envelope in order to move the envelope through a card throat comprising a roll 25a of impregnated cork to the first set of feed rolls I10 which carry it to printing position. A spring 23c returns the arms 23 and an adjusting screw 23b is used for setting the positions of the picker blade 24 in relation to the envelope flap. To one of the arms 23 there is pivoted by an eccentric screw 21a a link plate 21 having a bayonet type slot comprising a horizontal slot 28 and a vertical slot 29. A follower arm 30 fixed to a rod 3| carries a pin 32' cooperating with said bayonetslot. The follower arm 30 carries a roller 33 cooperating with aprofile cam 34 secured to the continually rotating drive shaft ii). A spring 35 extends between the end of link plate 21 and the follower arm 30 and tends to move the free end of the link plate 21 downwardly normally, i. e. in the absence of the energization of clutch magnet 36 a hook 31 integral with the link plate 21 will strike and rest upon the armature 38 of the clutch magnet 36. The eccentric screw 21a adjusts the position of hook 31 with relation to the armature 33. To the link plate 21 there is secured a bracket plate 33 having an extension, in the path of a stud 4! attached to cam 34. In the absence of the energization of the clutch magnet 36 the movement of stud 4| concentrically away from the extension 40 will enable spring 35 to rock the free end of link plate 21 downwardly until hook 31 strikes the top of which has a belt connection H to a pulley i2 1 the armature 38. This will hold link plate 31in such a position that the oscillation of arm. 96 uni any movement ofthepicker through the inter linkage. when magnet 36 is energized its arms.- ture will be attracted to a position where it is out of the path of hook 31 and movement of the free endgofllink plate 7l.1 downwardly in the manner just -explained .cause the vertical slot 26 to be received Iby'the stud 32'." Hence, a-clutch connection is ,established;j between follower-arm 36' andthe linkage extendingto. the picker. Oscil- Iationof the follower arm will, accordingly reciprocate the picker to feed the lowermost-envelope.

The stud 4| normally maintains hook not; r

contact with the armature 38 to eliminate pres.

sure between such parts so that the armature 38' can be freely attracted by energization of clutch magnet 36 when this relationship is effected.

The stud 4| also acts on the extension 46 at the end of the envelope feed operation to elevate link plate 21 upwardly so that hook 31 is again disposed over the end of armature 38, which, in

the meantime, has been returned to latching po sition by a spring 42.

Stencil card feed clutch Referring to Figs. 2 and 8 the stencil cards 44 are disposed in a stencil card supply hopper 45 and the trailing edge of the lowermost stencil is engaged by a picker 46 which has a swivel connection 41 to a slidably mounted plate 48. The latter has a fork connection 49 with an arm 56 secured to a rock shaft 5|. To an arm 52 secured to rock shaft 5| there is pivoted a depending link 53. To the free lower end of the link 53 there is connected a spring 54 which is extended in such manner as to tend to draw the lower free end of the link 53 to the right when the link is unlocked for this movement by an arm 69 but this action is normally frustrated by the abutment of a lug 54a with the extremity of an armature 55 of a stencil card feed clutch control magnet 56.

When the magnet 56 is energized the armature 55' is attracted upwardly, moving the armature out of the path of lug 54a. Spring 54 shifts the free end of the link to the right when the link is unlocked by arm 69 so that a horizontal slot 51 in the link cooperates with a stud 58 of a follower arm 59. The follower arm 59 is loose on a rod 66 and its roller 6| cooperates with a cam 62 secured to the drive shaft l4. Energization of the clutch magnet 56 enables a clutch connection between the follower arm 59 and link 53 to cause the reciprocation of the link 53 and through arms 52, 56 the picker 46 is reciprccated to feed the lead ing edge of the stencil card to a throat to be subsequently described.

In the absence of the energization of magnet 56 the follower arm 59 reciprocates idly without effecting any movement oflink 53, and in such idle operations, which occur during each print cycle, the stud 58 moves idly in a long vertical slot 63 of the link 53. A spring 64 attached to the link 53 aids in its restoration and the return I to restrict feeding spring 68 rocks the arm 69 upwardly sothat if the armature 55 is now attracted by the energizedfinagnet 56, spring 54 can now shift the lower end of link 53 to the right to effect the clutch connection. As link 53 is lowered the arm 69 will be above it. When'link 53 is fully restored, roller 66 will now engage arm 65, rocking arm 69 downwardly to cam link 53 to the left to the normal position shown in Fig. 8 where it is relatchedby the armature 55.

The leading edge of the stencil card being fed passes between a card throat comprising a blade 1 I and a roller 12 which are separated a distance of stenc .to one only. The reciprocation of the picker k fe feeds the stencil card from left to right, over a plate-16' to the first set of feed rolls 15L (Fig. 2) which rotate to feed the card to the extreme right. When feed rolls 15L stop in their rotation they hold the stencil in printing position above the envelope which in the meantime has been fed from front to back in the same feed roll cycle and over a plate 14. This is effected because the envelope feed rolls and stencil card feed rolls feed both to printing position at the same time since they are clutched to the operating means by the same clutch to be later described.

Stencil card shuttle and clutch the stencil card from the first set of feed rolls 15L to the second set 15R or; discharge rolls. This movement is obtained by means of a card shuttle which seizes the trailing edge of the stencil card already used for printing and at printing position and shifts the stencil card from the printing position tothe discharge rolls 15R. The card shuttle operation is under control of a clutch magnet 86-(Fig. 9) which is deenergized after the envelope printing operation to effect the shuttle movement. v

This clutch is best shown in-Figs. 2, 2a and 9 and is a back acting interposer type clutch, i. e. the shuttle operates when the clutch magnet 86 is deenergized and is declutched as-long as the clutch magnet 86 is energized.

Secured to the drive shaft I4 is a cam 8| cooperating with the roller 82 of a follower arm 83 which is connected by a screw stud 64 to a link 85. The continually rotating cam 8| continually reciprocates thelink 85 which is guided in brackets 86 for such movement. A spring 81 attached to the free end of the link retracts the link 85 and maintains the follower roller 82 against the cam 8|. Pivotedon a stud 88 carried by an arm 89 is a clutch dog 96. spring 9| normally tends to effect a clutch engagement between a lug 92 of the clutch dog 96 and a notch 93 in said link, but is restrained from so doing by the armature 94 of the clutch magnet 86 which abuts an extension 95 ofthe clutch dog 96 as long as the magnet 86 is energized. When the magnet 86 is deenergized ,a spring 96 attached to armature 94 moves the armature out of cooperative relationship with the extension 95, and spring 9| is now free to rock the clutch dog 96 so that lug 92 engages the notch 93 to thereby effect the clutch connection between arm 09 and link 85. Before a shuttle operation is completed the magnet is reenergized to attract .armature- 96. This places its end in the path of the extension 95 and'as the link 85 returns totheright, the extension 95 is struck by the armature 94 to rock the clutch dog 90 to unlatchlng position.

The link 85 is reciprocated during each cycle but the clutch connection 'is-cnly made-for the feed roll cycles. In other cycles, or each print .to this shaft 91 there is fastened an arm 98 which has-a link connection 30 to the shuttle Plate I00.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 9 the shuttle plate I00 carries rollers IOI rolling in a guide track formed in a frame bar I02 (see Fig. 1). Re-.

ferring to Figs. 2 and 9, pivoted on a stud I03 is a spring urged claw shaped member I04 which is shaped atits extremity to engage th'e'trailing edge of a card when it is held by the first set of feed rolls 151).. As a result of the clutch connection, member I04 moves to the right as viewed in Figs. 2 and 9as the two sets of card feed rolls are rotating and thus shifts the stencil card to the right to be seized and fed by the now rotating discharge feed rolls R. As the member I04 returns to the left it arrives at a position to engage the trailing edge of the next stencil card fed out of the hopper by the card picker.

Stencil card feed rolls and feed roll clutch These comprise the two sets 15L, 15R, the set 15L receiving the leading edge of the stencil card which is fed by the stencil card picker mechanism and the set 15R subsequently receiving the leading edge of the same. These sets of rollers are separated by suitable mountings a distance apart greater than the width of the stencil card in a card feed direction, resulting in the condition that the foremost set of feed rollers 15L holds the stencil card at printing position but the leading edge of this card is not received by the discharge set of rollers 15R. As was previously described, the shuttle engages the trailing edge of the stencil card from which printing has been effected and feeds it to the discharge rollers 15R which are rotating so that the latter discharges the stencil card to a suitablereceiving hopper. Discharge rollers 153. rotate faster than rollers 15L to avoid interference between incoming and outgoing stencils. The selective clutch drive for these feed rollers will now be explained:

Referring to Fig. 1, to the rearward extremity of shaft I4 there is secured a bevel gear I I0 meshing with a bevel gear II I secured to a main vertical drive shaft II2, which shaft is mounted in the back of the machine by suitable brackets. To shaft II2 there is secured a gear II3 (Fig. 6) meshing with an idler gear II1 which meshes with a gear I I8 attached to a short vertical drive shaft I I9. To shaft II9 there is secured a clutch disk I (Fig. 6) having a clutch notch which is engaged by a tooth of a clutch dog I2I. The clutch dog is held out of engagement with clutch disk I20 by a clutch arm I22 which is operated when a clutch magnet I23 (Fig. 10) is energized. The clutch dog is carried by an arm I24 secured to a sleeve I25. The above is a general description of a well known form of clutch. By circuits to be subsequently described in detail the magnet I23 is energized so that drive shaft H2 is clutched to the sleeve I25 which is supported by the drive shaft IIS mounted in bearings in suitable brackets. To the sleeve I25 there is secured a bevel gear I26 meshing with-a bevel gear I21 secured to a drive shaft I28 (see Figs. 3 and 6).

'Bevel gearl30 which is secured to the drive shaft I28 meshes with a bevel gear I33 attached to a shaft 132. A gear I34 attached to shaft I32 meshes witha gear I35 rotatably mounted on a short stub shaft. Gears I30 and I31 are integral with gear I35 and from gear I31 there is agear drive to the upper and lower stencil feed roll shafts I45, I52 (Fig. 2) associated with the first set of feeding rollers 15L. Gear I31 meshes with a gear I38 secured to a shaft I39 and attached to shaft I39 is a bevel gear I40 meshing with a bevel gear I secured to a drive shaft. I42. Attached to shaft I42 is a gear I43 (Fig.2) meshing with a gear I44 secured to a feed roll shaft I45 which carries the upper feed rollers of the set 15L.

Gear I31 also meshes with a gear I46 (Fig. 3)

secured to a shaft I41 and a bevel gear attached to shaft I4I'meshes with a bevel gear I48 (Fig. 3)

secured to shaft'I49. A gear I50 (Fig. 2) attached to shaft I49 meshes with a gear I5! secured'to feed roll shaft I52 (Fig. 2) to which is secured the lower feed rolls of the set 15L.

As best shown in Fig. 6, shaft I39 extends to the right to drive the upper feed roller shaft I60 (Fig. 2) of the discharge set 15R. by the following gear drive connections. To the shaft I39 there is secured a bevel gear I55 (Fig. 6) meshing with a bevel gear I56 secured to shaft I51. Attached to shaft I51 is a gear I58 (Fig. 2) meshing with a gear I59 secured to the upper feed roll drive shaft I60 to which is secured the upper feed rolls of the discharge set 15R.

Shaft I41 also extends to the right (Fig. 6) and has secured to it a bevel gear IBI meshing with a bevel gear I62 secured to a shaft I63. To the shaft I63 there is secured a gear I64 (Fig. 2) meshing with a gear I55 secured to the lower feed roll drive shaft I56 to which is secured the lower feed rolls of the discharge set 15R. The shafts carrying the feed rolls 15R and 15L carry suitable disks to hold the feed rolls spaced apart, since the disks are in contact with each other. These hold the rolls spaced apart to less than the thickness of the stencil card.

Envelope feed rolls These comprise two sets I10 and HI (Fig. l), the set I10 receiving the leading edge of the envelope which is fed by the envelope picker mechanism and the concomitant rotation of such feed rolls receives an envelope to feed the envelope to printing position and hold the envelope when the rotation of such feed rolls terminates. These rolls may be spaced apart similar to that described above for the stencil card feed rolls. The driving connections for such rolls come from the clutch shown in Fig. 6 which causes the rotation of the driven shaft I28 (Fig. 6) so that the stencil card feed rolls and envelope feed rolls are driven in synchronism. The feed rolls for the envelope are, of course, at right angles to the stencil card feed rolls so that the envelope is fed transversely with respect to the stencil card.

The upper and lower front envelope feed rolls I10 are driven by gear connections from shaft I28. Shaft I32 (Figs. 3 and 6), which it will be accuses lower feed roll shaft for the lower feed rolls of- 4 (Fig. 6) meshing with a bevel gear I attached to the lower feed roll shaft I16 of the discharge set of lower feed rolls "I. The upper feed roll drive shaft of the discharge set I need not be driven but by a friction drive with the lower feed rolls they will be rotated to feed the printed envelope to the discharge hopper. Through-the described drive connection both sets of envelope feed rolls I10 and "I are concomitantly driven to feed a new imprinted envelope to printing position and to discharge an envelope from which printing has been effected to discharge position.

Stencil printing mechanism To efiect the operation of the stencil printing mechanism during printing cycles, amagnetically controlled clutch is employed, this being shown in Fig. 5. The clutch construction is similar to that previously described and is identical to the form of clutch shown in Fig. 21 of British Patent No. 523,709.

The main drive shaft II2 extends upwardly to nearly the top of the machine and has attached thereto a clutch disk I18 (Fig. 5) having a clutch notch engageable by the clutch tooth I19 of a clutch dog I80. The clutch dog I80 is pivotally mounted on an arm I8I secured to a sleeve I82. The normal position of the clutch dog which prevents its engagement with the clutch disk I19 is maintained by a clutch control arm I83. It is suflicient to state that by an intermediate mechanism energization of the print control clutch magnet I81 causes the rocking of arm I88 to disengage it from the clutch dog I80, whereupon the latter effects a clutch connection to the clutch disk I18 to cause the rotation of the sleeve I82 a complete revolution.

Secured to the sleeve I82 is a bevel gear I84 (see Fig. 1) meshing with a bevel gear I85. Bevel gear I85 is attached to a shaft I06 (see Fig. 5) from which shaft driving connections are made, as will be subsequently described, to parts of the stencil printing mechanism which are to be operated.

The printing unit consists of a series of ink transfer rollers, an inking printing impression roller and an ink reservoir. The printing mechanism is fabricated as a single unit which may be attached to and removed from the machine. This mechanism is primarily supported by two side plates I90 and NH (Fig. 2) which are spaced apart and connected by a front top cross plate I92 (F'g'. 1), a back top cross plate I93, a front bottom cross plate I94 as well as other transverse members to be subsequently described. The side plates I90, I-9I rest upon the cross bars I95, I96 supported by the main side frames I91, I 98 of the machine. In such position the unit is fixed in its proper relation with respect to the rest of the machine. The entire printing unit may be withdrawn from the machine for the purpose of assembly, inspection, etc.

The printing unit includes an inking printing hooks 221 and to slides 228 also 10 roller 200 and four ink distributing rollers 2", 202, 203, and 204, of which rollers 200, 20I, 202, 203 are rotatably mounted in the frame plates I and I9I while the roller 204 is mounted in a removable ink supply unit.

The impression inking roller 200 cooperates with a stencil card 44 in printing position (see Fig. 6) to press ink through the cutout window portion 44a of the stencil forming the letters and is mounted on a shaft 205, encircled by bushings 206 (Fig. 1) the extremities of which are flattened to ride in vertical slots 201 in plates I90 and I9I, respectively. The right end of shaft 205 is provided with a ratchet wheel 208 (Fig. 4) with which cooperates a dog 209 having a tooth engageable with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 208 and actuated upwardly by a spring M0. The dog 209 is provided with a wide lug 2 (Fig. 2) to which the spring 2I0 is attached and which lug bears against an edge of the side frame I9I when the printing roller 200 is in its uppermost or retracted position.

The printing roller 200 is moved downwardly into contact with the stencil portion of a stencil card by means of cams 2I2 (Figs. 2, 4, 5) which are secured to a drive shaft 2 I 8 rotatably mounted in the side plates I90 and I9I. Ball bearings 2 (Fig. 2) on the shaft 205 have their outer ball races in the plane'of cams 2I2 so that the ball races act as cam follower rollers for the cams 2l2. It is evident that when the shaft 2I2 is rotated one revolution the roller 200 will be depressed into contact with a stencil. As shown in Fig. 5 shaft I86 has secured to it a bevel gear 2I5 meshing with a bevel gear 2 I 6, thus giving a driving connection to shaft 2 I3. Normally, the tooth on the dog 209 (Fig. 1) is clear of the teeth in the ratchet wheel 208 but, when the shaft M3 is rotated the ratchet 208 will be lowered to engage the tooth in the dog 209 to stop the rotation of roller 200 which, however, will continue its downward movement until the soft rubber of which the roller is made is flattened against the stencil window. Attached to the central base plate of the machine is a bracket 2I1 (Figs. 1

,and 4) to which the guide plate 14, over which the envelopes are fed,'is secured, said plate functioning as a platen to furnish a backing for both the envelope to be printed upon and the stencil which previously have been brought into printing relationship for the printing operation. The stencil card is fed above the guide plate 16 which has an opening in it registering with the window 44a of the stencil card to permit printing.

The rollers 202 and 203 are mounted in the side plates I90 and I9I, similar to the mounting of the shaft 205 of .the printing roller 200. The roller 202, however, is mounted on a shaft 220 which is slidably journalled in bushings 22I (Fig. 1) carried by side plates I90 and NI. The roller 200 is urged into contact with the roller 2M and the latter and roller 203 are urged into contact with the roller 202 by means of springs 225 and 228 (Figs. 2 and 4) which are engaged to spring hooks 221 and slides 228 shaped to wholly or partly surround the bushings of the support shafts of the respective rollers. The effect of these springs is to press the rollers 200, 20l, 203 toward the shaft 220 and the springs 225 nearest the shaft 205 which are engaged to the spring hold the ball gages of bearings 2 in engagement with cams The removable ink supply includes a framework consisting of side frames 230 (Figs. 1 and 21 4) joined together primarily by a casting 231. Plates 230 carry a rod 232 which rests in ears formed in the ends of a bracket 233 secured to the cross bar 194. The upper ends of the side plates 230 are provided with catches 234 (Fig. 4) pivoted by studs 235 which pass through slots in the catches. Catches 234 are hooked over the lower edge of the cross plate 193 and are actuated in a clockwise direction lly springs 236 and due to the slots in the catches 234 springs 236 also tend to rock the frames 230 counterclockwise.

Between plates 230 and secured thereto by studs 231 (Fig. 4) are links 230 which rotatably mount the inking roller 204. The casting 231 secured between the plates 230 provides an ink reservoir 239 (Fig. 1) and has secured thereto a cover plate 240 and a doctor blade 241. A shaft 242 (Fig. 4) is rotatably supported in the plates 230 and extends to the right beyond the plate 191 and has a ratchet 243 which forms part of the means for rotating the shaft 242. Secured to the shaft 242 are a plurality of rollers or disks 244 (Fig. 1) which do not actually touch the roller 204. When shaft 202 is rotated, ink will be carried on the peripheries of the disks up to the roller204. The spacing between the peripheries of the roller 204 and the rollers 244 is less than the thickness of the film of ink which the rollers 244 transport with the result that bands of ink are applied to the roller 204.

The doctor blade 241 is adjusted so as to not quite touch the rollers 244 and maintain the film of ink thereon of constant thickness and prevent over-charging roller 204 with ink.

Loosely mounted on the shaft 242 is an ink agitator 245 (Fig. l) shaped somewhat like a bail whichconsists of a cylindrical plate, the inside surface of which is concentric with the rollers 244 but does not quite touch such rollers and which also clears the inside cylindrical surface of the ink reservoir 239. This a tator is formed with parallel slots extending longitudinally of the cylindrical plate and has an arm 246 cooperating with a cam 241 on the shaft on which roller 203 is mounted, whereby the agitator is given one oscillation for each complete revolution of the roller 203. Springs (not shown) are attached to the arm 246 to hold the arm in contact with the cam 241.

In order to spread the ink more evenly over the rollers the roller 202 (Fig. 2) is oscillated axially by a mechanism driven by the vertical drive shaft H2 (Figs. 1 and 3). For this purpose the drive shaft 112 carries a bevel gear 250 meshing with a bevel gear 251 secured to a shaft 253. Shaft 253 carries a bevel gear 254 in mesh with a lbevel gear 255 carried by a shaft 256 which has secured to it a wide gear 251 (Fig. meshing with a narrower gear 250 secured to the shaft 220 (Fig. 2) on which the roller 202 is mounted. The shaft 220 extends to the right and carries the aforementioned narrow gear 258 and also has freely mounted thereon a, member 259 (Figs. 4 and 5) in the form of a casting having ears 260 (Fig. 5) receiving the shaft 220. Between the ears 266 is a worm 261 fixed to the extended portion of shaft 202. The casting member 259 is formed with an upward projection 262 (Fig. 4) which is freely slidable in a slot formed in a stationary guide plate 263 and also with a, lower extension 264 slidably mounted in a fixed guide block 265. Thus, when the shaft 220 is oscillated axially the casting 259 may follow its movement but is prevented from 12 rotating about the axis of shaft 220, although such shaft can turn freely.

Pivoted on a stud 266 carried by the casting 259 is a worm wheel 261 which meshes with the worm wheel 261 and has a crank pin 268 connected by a link 269 (Fig. 2) to a pin carried by a fixed bracket 210 secured to the fixed side plate 19. It will be remembered that the shaft 220 turns continually in a. print cycle, thus continuates with a cam 210 on the shaft 213.

ally driving the inking rollers through the shaft 220. Also, when the shaft 220 rotates it drives the worm wheel 261 through the train of gearing described above, thereby alternately imparting thrust and tension to the link 269. This causes the casting 259 and hence the shaft 220 and roller 202 to move axially at a slow rate, thus spreading the ink evenly over the rollers 203, 201. The ratchet wheel 243 is rotated by a mechanism shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The mechanism includes a slide 215 which is slotted to embrace the shaft 213 and a guide rod 216. A spring 211 anchored to a stud carried by the slide 215 urges the slide downwardly. The lower end of the slide carries a follower roller 219 which cooper- Thus rotation of the shaft 213 causes a vertical reciprocatory movement of the slide 215 and at its upper end slide 215 carries a spring actuated pawl 200 engaging the ratchet wheel 243.

The guide rod 216 is provided with a cam 211 (Fig. 4) which is in the plane of a stud 212 carried by the operating slide 215 for the purpose of determining the starting position of the feeding pawl 280 and, therefore, the extent that it rotates the ratchet wheel 243. This covers the amount of ink fed in each operation. The rod 243 has secured to it a hand wheel 213 (Fig. 2) to position the cam 211 and said cam is held in the desired position by a detent 214 of the usual construction.

especially in regard to selective operation of certain instrumentalities and the continuity of operation of the machine, the latter is provided with a number of card lever and associated contacts. The function of such contacts will appear in the drawings.

Mounted at the bottom of the card stencil supply hopper are the well known hopper contacts 261 (Fig. 2). The top portion of a pivoted lever 252 is pressed down by cards in the supply magazine to close the hopper contacts.

Also disposed in the envelope supply hopper (Fig. l) is a similar card lever 263 which closes contacts 284 as long as there is a supply of envelopes in the hopper.

As cards emerge from the stencil card hopper and are fed by the first set of feeding rollers 15L (Fig. 2) they actuate a card lever 235 to close' r $89? may are well known.

Operation of machine in connection with circuit diagram The operation of the machine will now be described in connection with the circuit diagram of Fig. 10 and timing diagram of Fig. 11.

Preliminary to an operation of the machine a switch S is closed to connect the power supply to power lines 299 and 30I and a crank lever 302 (Fig. 2) is rocked so that a cam 303 carried by the shaft of crank lever 302 closes contacts 304.

Incidentally the crank lever 302 is secured to a rock shaft 295 (Figs. 2 and 3) and the rock shaft has secured thereto an eccentric cam 2!" (Fig. 3) which cooperates with a related depending link 292. Each link 292 is connected by a stud 294 to a plate 295 which is hooked over the extremities of the feed roller shafts which carry the upper rollers of the forward and rearward sets and I'll. By the rotation of the crank 302 the eccentric is positioned to elevate both links 292 and, therefore, raise the upper feeding rollers of the sets I10 and I'll to provide a separation with respect to the lower ones of said sets of rollers. This facilitates the removal of envelopes which may become jammed. However, when the crank lever 302 is in such position to close contacts 304 then the sets of feeding rollers I10 and Ill are insuch position as to enable the feeding of the incoming and outgoing envelopes. Closure of contacts 304 closes an obvious circuit across the lines 299 and 301 to energize RI relay. RI relay closes RI a relay contacts to extend a line 300 to the power supply line 299. As long as envelopes are in the envelope supply hopper, the aforementioned contacts 284 are closed to energize the R5 relay by an obvious circuit. Also, as long as there are stencil cards in the stencil card receiving hopper, contacts 28I are closed to energize, by an obvious circuit, the R6 relay. The relays R5 and R; close their respective contacts R5b and R61) which are in the pickup circuit of the pickup coil of the feed control relay R9.

Machines of this type are provided with cams which close and open contacts at dlflerent times in the cycle and cam operated contacts designated as CRI-CRI (Fig. 11) are driven by the continuously rotating shaft I4 (Fig. 1). Additional cam contacts designated FRI and F32 in Fig. 11 are provided and are operable in a feed roll cycle. .The cams for operating these contacts are driven by an extension of feed roller shaft I28 (see Fig. 6). FBI contacts are controlled by a'cam driven by shaft 253 (Fig. 3) which is operable during each printing cycle.

The depression of a Start Key so labeled in the circuit diagram will close contacts 305 to close a circuit to the R2 start relay when cam contacts CR2 close at 119, the energizing circuit extending from line 300, CR2 cam contacts, the start key contacts 305, R2 start relay to line I. For the sake of simplicity it will be assumed that the Start Key is held down until the first envelope is printed, machine operations thereafter being continuous. Closure of the R2a holdin contacts extends a holding circuit back to line 300, through R2a contacts, CRI cam contacts during the next cycle but not in of feeding rollers 15L From line 300, CR4 cam contacts, Rld relay'contacts now closed, R2c relay contacts now closed, Rib relay contacts now transferred,-R9b relay contacts now transferred, R3d relay contacts now closed, to the pickup winding of the R9 relay to line 30L A circuit also extends from Rld relay contacts, RIc relay contacts now transferred, to the envelope feed clutch control magnet 36 to line 30I. The R9 relay is a duo-wound relay coil wherein P represents the pickup winding and H v the holding winding. R9 relay, now being energized, closes the R911 holding contacts to energize the holding coil by a circuit extending from line through FR2 cam contacts now closed because its controlling cam is stationary at this time, through R9c relay contacts to the holding wind! ing of the R9 relay to line MI and such holding circuit is maintained closed until 20 of the second machine cycle which is a card and envelope feed roll cycle.

When the R9 relay is energized, it closes its R9b relay contacts, completing a .circuit from line 300 through CR4 cam contacts, R4d relay contacts now closed, R9b relay contacts now closed to stencil card feed clutch control magnets 55 to line 30I R9 relay closes R9c relay contacts so that when cam contacts CR6 close at 325 of the start cycle a circuit is closed from line 300, through CR5 cam contacts, R9c relay contacts to feed roll clutch control magnets I23 to line 30I.

Energization of the envelope picker clutch magnets 36 effects a clutch connection at about 210 of the start cycle so that under control of the operating cam 34 the lowermost envelope is fed from its supply hopper to engage the first set of feeding rollers I10 (Fig. 1) at about 358 of the start cycle (see Fig. 11) Energization of the stencil card picker clutch control magnets 56 eil'ects a clutch connection at about 252' of the startcycle so that under control of the operating cam 52 the lowermost stencil card is fed from the supply hopper to engage the first set (Fig. .2) at about 26 of the feed roll cycle.

Energization of the feed roll clutch magnets I23 by circuit connections just described causes aclutch connection at about 358 of the start cycle so that the rotation of feeding rollers 15L will feed the stencil card to printing position such position that it is engaged by the second set of feeding rollers 15R. The stencil card is at printing position at about 358 of the feed roll cycle. Rotation of the first set of envelope feed rollers "0 will feed the envelope rearwardly to printing position so that the second set of feed rollers I II receives this envelope while being fed to printing position. The envelope is at printing position at about 358 of the feedroll cycle. The third cycle is a print cycle and printing is effected from the first stencil card upon the first envelope fed.

The feeding of the first-envelope causes the operation of card lever 281 to close contacts 288 at 346 of the start cycle. Further, the feedand stop key contacts 305. This holding circuit will extend the energization of the R2 relay over to 210 of the start cycle. At 160 of this start cycle, and before the aforementioned holding circuit is opened and R2 relay is deenergized, cam contacts CR4 will close to energize the R9 relay and the clutch control magnet 36 which initiate the feeding of envelopes by the following circuit:

ing of a stencil card in the start cycle causes the operation of a card lever 285 to close contacts 286 at 320 of the start cycle. By an obvious circuit relays R3 and R4 (Fig. 10) are energized and referring to Fig. 11 the continued closure of card lever contacts 288 and 295 will retain relays R3 and R4 energized to nearly the end of the feed roll cycle. However, a stick circuit maintains R3 and R4 relays energized depressed to pick up the R2 start relay and close contacts R20 in the pickup circuit of R9 relay, the latter and clutch control magnets 36 and 56 are not picked up in the print cycle because of the opening of contacts Bid and R311. Since R9c contacts are now opened the feed roll clutch magnet I23 is not energized in a print cycle.

However, during the feed roll cycle the. envelope position card lever 289 is operated to close contacts 290 at about 332 and also after this until 268 of the second feed roll cycle, so that when cam contacts FRI close at 333 a circuit will be closed from line 300, through FRI cam contacts, Rte relay contacts now closed, Rlc relay contacts now closed, and card lever contacts 290 and print clutch control magnets l8! to line 30 l.

The energization of the clutch control magnets I81 will cause the engagement of a clutch at about 12 of the third or first print cycle so that under control of the pressure cams 212 printing from the stencil on the envelope will be eiiected during 96-192 of the third cycle.

It should be noted that unless the start key.

is held down during the third cycle the stencil and card feed operations of the machine come to a stop after printing has been eifected because cam contacts CRI open at 210 of the first cycle (or the second cycle it the key is held depressed) to break the holding circuit of the R2 relay to deenergize the latter. A re-depression of the start key would be required in the third cycle, it the start key is not held down to again pick up the R2 relay to repeat operations in the fourth or second feed roll cycle which are the same as those efiected during the first feed roll cycle, and previously described. At the end of the first print cycle clutch magnets 36 and 56 and feed roll clutch magnet I23 are again energized so that the envelope picker clutch and card picker clutch are again engaged so as to begin the feeding of the second stencil card and the second envelope from their respective hoppers in the manner previously described. The first envelope now having been printed under control of the-first stencil card, circuits are rendered effective during the print cycle so that the stencil card is moved to the stacker and also the envelope is fed to its storage magazine. At the beginning of the start cycle the shuttle clutch control magnets 80 are normally energized to prevent the engagement of the shuttle clutch by a normally closed circuit extending from line 299, through Rad relay contacts now closed, shuttle clutch control magnets 80 to line 30L It will be recalled that R9 relay is energized at 160 to open contacts Rild but before this CR cam contacts close to retain clutch magnets 80 energized by an obvious circuit until 325 when such cam contacts open. This causes a clutch engagement at 350 and-under control of the shuttle operating cam 8| the shuttle is operated but since the first stencil card is not in position to be fed by the shuttle this operation is an idle operation in the feed roll cycle. In the print cycle the operation is repeated as in the feed roll cycle and the shuttle clutch is engaged at 350 of the first print cycle. The

operation of the shuttle will move the first stencil card from printing position to a position where it is seized by the second setof feeding rollers "R. The latter now being rotated will move the first stencil card to the storage hopper.

Since the feeding rollers I10, I'Ii of the envelope feeding mechanism are also rotating during the second teed roll cycle the printed envelope is fed to the storage hopper. A repetition of the events outlined in the timing diagram then ensues and stencil cards and envelopesare automatically fed and the envelopes printed without interruption.

It will be recalled that the holding circuit for the R2 relay is normally maintained by CRI cam contacts until 210 oi the machine cycle. However, a supplemental holding circuit is provided by relay contacts Rib and R3b for a portion of the cycle by a holding circuit'extending through R2a relay contacts, R3b relay contacts, R41) relay contacts, RSa relay contacts, RSa relay contacts, stop key contacts 306 to line 300. This holding circuit is broken when R31) and Rlb relay contacts open at 150 of each print cycle when CR3 cam contacts open. However, during this cycle the R2 relay is maintained energized after 150 of the print cycle by cam contacts PR! and these contacts keep the R2 relay energized to the end of the print cycle to open at 10 of the following, or second feed roll cycle. During the above mentioned feed roll cycle, it both a new stencil card and a new envelope have been fed, the holding circuit for the R2 relay will now again be maintained through the R3b and R40 contacts. Thus, as long as cards and envelopes feed, relay R2 will be held energized through either the card and envelope card lever relay circuits or the PR! cam contact.

Hence, the machine will continue running as long as none of the following conditions occurs.

1. Either hopper runs out of cards or envelopes.

2. Either a card or an envelope fails to feed.

3. Either a card or an envelope fails to be moved properly to printing position.

4. Stop key is depressed.

1. In this case the machine will stop because either the R5 or R6 relay will be deenergized so as to open contacts R611 and R511 in the machine running circuit. In this case the hopper which is empty must be refilled and the Start Key depressed or cards or envelopes removed from the hopper which was not empty and the Start Key depressed.

2. In this case when either a card or envelope fails to feed the machine can be started by depression of the Start Key as soon as reason for failure to feed has been corrected. However, there will be an unprinted card or envelope, depending upon which item is fed.

3. when either a card or envelope fails to feed clear into printing position the Runout Key, so labeled in the wiring diagram, will be operated. When this condition occurs either one or the other of the R3 or R4 relays will be deenergized and their b contacts will be open to break the supplemental holding circuit of the R2 relay. The 20 relay contacts will be opened to prevent the pickup of the R9 relay. Depression of the Runout Key will cause both the envelope and stencil card to be run out of the machine without having been printed and to restore the machine to normal, cam contacts CR1 are so timed that depression of the Runout Key results in the energization of feed roll clutch magnet I23 and shuttle clutch magnet but does not permit

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