US2590037A - Apparatus for feeding carbon interleaved sheets to typewriters and like imprinting machines - Google Patents

Description

March 13, 1952 J. w. RANDALL 2,590,037

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CARBON INTERLEAVED SHEETS TO TYPEWRITERS AND LIKE IMPRINTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 5, 1947 In entor Attorney Patented Mar. 18, 1952 I APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CARBON INTER- LEAVED SHEETS TO TYPEWRITERS AND LIKE IMPRINTING MACHINES John William Randall, Hemel Hempstead, England, assignor to John Dickinson & Co. Limited, Hemel Hempstead, England, a British company Application August 5, 1947, Serial No. 766,290 In Great Britain June 14, 1945 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires June 14, 1965 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved apparatus for feeding carbon interleaved typescript paper to typewriters or the like imprinting machines, and has particular reference to an improved means for feeding a relatively continuous supply of webs of typescript paper while temporarily retaining the interleaved carbon sheets clear of the platen roller. By this means, the said carbon sheets may be used repetitively without removal from the interleaved typescript paper.

The invention consists in combination with a frame or body adapted to support the paper and clamping means therefor, of means for guiding the said paper which may be in the form of a transverse spindle or spigots on which is mounted a rotatable sleeve or roller, discs or side guides, which can be adjustably positioned to form lateral guides for the typescript paper as it enters the frame and passes to the feed mechanism of the typewriter or the like imprinting machine, and catches for temporarily checking the forward movement of the carbon sheet carrier.

The aforementioned catches are pivotally mounted preferably on the said frame or body and adapted to engage and constitute a temporary check for the carbon carrier, whereby at intermittent periods the carbon sheets are held against forward traverse to the typewriter or the like imprinting machine, while the feed of the typescript paper may be continued.

The said catches are arranged so as to be capable of retaining the interleaved carbon sheets against the normal friction of the typescript paper during the period in which the said typescript paper is being fed forward between the feed and platen rollers. Forward feed continues until the typescript paper can be severed, e. g. along a line of perforations, from the succeeding webs if it is intended to separate the webs into individual sheets.

At this stage the carbon sheets are already interleaved with a fresh supply of typescript paper and to bring the complete assembly into the typing position a slight downward pressure is applied which engages the said asseni ly in the nip of the feed and platen rollers.

The pull of the said feed and platen rollers on the interleaved typescript paper and carbon sheets exerts a force which overcomes the balancing arrangement of the said catches.

In order to overcome certain difficulties which occur when using papers and carbon sheets having different frictional characteristics, I propose using catches of novel construction by providing 2 them with counterweight means which can be adjusted to give varying resistances according to the type of paper or carbon sheets being used.

Various methods can be applied in the construction of the said catches to provide adjustment for the counterweight means. For instance, the catches may be provided with spigots on which weights are adjustably mounted. Alternatively, an adjustable bar or rod may be used. It will be appreciated that the return action of the catches could be achieved by means of loading springs which, if desired, may be adapted for adjustment for correcting the tension or compression to suit individual requirements.

In a preferred constructional form of the invention, the support frame would be of a corrugated nature. It will be readily understood that the typescript paper will then assume a position compatible to that of the corrugations of the said support frame and in assuming this position will be made considerably more rigid in a direction parallel to the corrugations. This is of particular advantage when the platen roller of the typewriter or the like imprinting machine is reversed during the operation as hereinafter described.

In order to facilitate correct locating of the webs when ready for severance, a movable pointer or the like may be affixed at a convenient position on or adjacent to the support frame.

In cases where the apparatus is in the form of an attachment to typewriters or the like machines, the support frame is mounted by suitable means on the sliding platen roller carriage preferably on the paper rest.

For attaching the'said support frame to the said paper rest, we may provide novel clamping means which are transversely adjustable to suit most of the well known typewriters.

In some cases where the said paper rest is of particularly light construction, or where the said paper rest is pivotally mounted, the clamp may be designed to give greater rigidity by being provided with an extension constructed to contact a more robust section of the sliding platen roller carriage.

The clamping means for the said support frame would be preferably positioned along the lower edge thereof and may be adjusted inwardly from the extreme side edges of the said support plate, e. g. along a transverse rail or rails, so as to allow the use of the adjustable paper side guides which usually constitute a part of the standard equipment on typewriters or the like imprinting machines.

asoopsr Referring to the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the frame or body shown by' the numeral I is provided with a transverse spindle or spigots 2 on which is mounted a rotatable sleeve or roller 3, adjustable members 4 being adapted to guide the webs over the aforementioned rotatable sleeve or roller.

In the preferred form as shown the members 4 are mounted on the top edge of the frame or body member I and are provided with extensions which encircle the rotatable sleeve or roller 3 and function as guides for the webs. Alternatively, the guide members may be in the form of discs adjustably mounted on the rotatable sleeve or roller. Catches 5 capable of retaining the carbon sheet holder 25 and the interleaved carbon sheets in order to hold back the carbon sheets during the period in which the said typescript paper is being fed forward between the feed platen rollers, are pivotally mounted on an assembly arranged for vertical adjustment relative to the frame or body. Stop members 6 are provided above the catches to prevent the carbon sheet holder over-riding the end of the frame or body I. The said catches are designed to accommodate weights I which can be adjusted to give varying resistances according to the type of paper or carbon sheets being used. In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the weights 1 are applied separately to each catch device; alternatively, the weights may be replaced by a rod or bar linking both catches 5. As a further alternative (as shown in Fig. 3) the return action of the catches 5 may be accomplished by springs attached at one end to extensions I4 and at the reverse end to tension adjusting screws I3 provided with adjusting nuts I7 and IS. The free ends of the screws I6 pass through anchoring arms I9 which are afilxed to the movable assembly for adjustment with the catches 5. The arms I9 may also be linked by a transverse bar. The catch devices shown in Figs. 1, 2' and 3, are adjustable along the slots 8, Fig. 1, to permit the use of varying lengths of carbon carriers differently interleaved in the webs, suitable to the size of forms of which the webs are composed.

To add to the rigidity of the paper when the webs are reversed for clearing carbons from the completely typed portions thereof, a raised or corrugated portion 9 is embodied in the plate. The pointer I0 may also be adjustably mounted upon the edge of the frame I to indicate the end of thesheets when they are ready for severance.

The whole fitment is attached to the existing paper rest 2| of the typewriter (see Fig. 4), by means of clamps II attached to bars I2 and I3 to permit of transverse adjustment of the clamps.

When additional support for the fitment is necessary, a strut as shown in Fig. 4 is attached to the clamp member I I, said strut bearing upon or gripping a stable member on the carriage of the typewriter or like machine.

As illustrated in Fig. 4, the interleaved typescript webs of paper 24 are pulled over the rotatable sleeve or roller 3 by means of the feed rolls 22 and platen 23 of the typewriter.

The operation of the apparatus when mounted on a typewriter or the like machine and provided with a supply of typescript paper and carbon sheets arranged for continuous web feed is as follows:

It will be appreciated that initially the carbon sheets are interleaved with the typescript paper in such a manner that the first run of paper into the machine is fed forward with the interleaved carbon sheets as a unit.

When the first sheet has been typed the platen roller is reversed and the typescript paper together with the interleaved carbon sheets is fed back until the lower edge of the carbon sheet holder extensions 2'5 or other carbon sheet holder supporting means pass beyond the shoulders formed in the configuration of the catches, before referred to (as shown in Fig. 4). At this stage the lower edges of the carbon sheets are free from the grip of the feed and platen rollers, and forward motion of the typescript paper can be resumed.

The retention of the carbon sheet holder device and carbon sheets by the catches 5 enables the typescript webs to be drawn forward between the platen 23 and rollers 22 until the end or severing line of the typed portions or sheets of the webs, e. g. the transverse perforations between these sheets and the remainder of the webs, are brought into alignment with the pointers I0. At this stage the carbon sheets have become interleaved with the next succeeding sheet portions of the typescript webs and it is necessary merely to engage the leading edges of the carbon sheets by applying pressure to draw these edges into engagement with the platen 23 and rollers 22. The pull exerted upon the interleaved sheets is sufficient to overcome the resistance of the catches 5 which thereupon yield to release the carbon sheet holder so that the carbon sheets are free to move with the typescript webs whereupon the forward motion is continued until the typed sheets are freed for severance leaving succeeding sheets in a position ready for typing.

I claim:

1. A carbon sheet holder for use with a carbon sheet carrier interleaved with multiple sheeted webs of relatively continuous stationery on. a manifolding machine, said holder comprising a frame and means to clamp the same to a manifolding machine in a rearwardly and upwardly sloping position, guiding means on said frame to guide the webs thereon down to the platen of the machine, and self-releasable counter-balanced catches on the sides of the frame and having shoulders normally positioned in the path of movement of the carbon sheet carrier for temporarily checking forward movement of the carbon sheets, the catches releasing the carrier by movement of the catches against the influence of the counterbalance to disengage the shoulders and carrier in response to a. slight forward pull exerted by the operator upon the webs and interleaved carbon sheets, said catches being sloped on their forward faces to allow the carrier to ride thereover when the feed of the webs is reversed to again temporarily hold the carrier from forward feeding with the webs.

2. The carbon sheet holder of claim 1, including stops along the sides of the frame above the catches to revent the movement of the carrier therebeyond.

3. The carbon sheet holder of claim 1, in which the frame is longitudinally centrally corrugated. to curve the Webs passing thereover to stiffen them and facilitate their upward reverse movement.

4. The carbon sheet holder of claim 1, in which said catches are vertically adjustable alongJ'the sides of the frame to accommodate different lengths into which the webs are to be divided. 5. The carbon sheet holder of claim 1, including means whereby the holding force of said catches may be varied whereby, prior to their self-release, they will hold carbon paper of different surface characteristics.

JOHN WILLIAM RANDALL.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Great Britain 1940

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