US2679798A

US2679798A - Record controlled address type printing machine

Info

Publication number: US2679798A
Application number: US251085A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walter T Gollwitzer
Original assignee: Multigraphics Inc
Current assignee: AB Dick Co
Priority date: 1946-05-27
Filing date: 1951-10-12
Publication date: 1954-06-01
Anticipated expiration: 1971-06-01

Description

June 5 w. T. GOLLWITZER 2,679,798

RECORD CONTROLLED ADDRESS TYPE PRINTING MACHINE Original Filed May 27, 1946 9.Shee ts-Sheet 1 52 den Z02? Z/zrfo/ldd/zer June 1, 1954 w. T. GOLLWITZER 2,679,798

RECORD CONTROLLED ADDRESS TYPE PRINTING MACHINE Original Filed May 27, 1946 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 z/azzfr Tad/@4267 fizz 07721595 June 1, 1954 w. T. GOLLWITZER RECORD CONTROLLED ADDRESS TYPE PRINTING MACHINE 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed May 27, 1946 June 1, 1954 w. T. GOLLWITZER 2,679,798

RECORD CONTROLLED ADDRESS TYPE PRINTING MACHINE Original Filed May 27, 1946 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 June 1, 1954 w. T. GOLLWITZER RECORD CONTROLLED ADDRESS TYPE PRINTING MACHINE 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed May 27, 1946 w. T. GOLLWITZER 2,679,798

9 Sheets-Sheet 6 June 1, 1954 RECORD CONTROLLED ADDRESS TYPE PRINTING MACHINE Original Filed May 27, 1946 June 1954 w. T. GOLLWITZER 2,679,798

RECORD CONTROLLED ADDRESS TYPE PRINTING MACHINE Original Filed May 27, 1946 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 Zhz/ezz/ar: M/z er fo/ZZz/Jzfzer June 1, 1954 w, T. GOLLWITZER RECORD CONTROLLED ADDRESS TYPE PRINTING MACHINE 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 Original Filed May 27, 1946 Wm M QM 15 550222 e gs June I, 1954 w. T. GOLLWITZER RECORD CONTROLLED ADDRESS TYPE PRINTING MACHINE 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 Original Filed May 27, 1946 Patented June 1, 1954 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE RECORD CONTROLLED ADDRESS TYPE PRINTING MACHINE Walter T. Gollwitzer, Euclid, Ohio, assignor to Addressograph-Multigraph Corporation, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of'Delaware '7 Claims.

This application is a division of my co-pending application, Serial No. 672,581, filed May 27, 1946, issued as U. S. Patent No. 2,605,699 on August 5, 1952-.

This invention relates to a printing machine and more particularly to a printing machine which is adapted to print changeable data such as names and addresses, or variable data, such as numerical quantities, amounts of money and the like. More particularly, this invention relates to machines for printing data of theaforesaid character under the control of record members such as perforated cards or other control devices which are fed into a control position seriatim in synchronism with the feeding of sheet or the like to a printing station.

In certain types of business enterprise, particularly where printedforms embodying changeable and/or variable data must be issued periodically, it is highly advantageous to efiect such printing automatically under the control of record members such as perforated cards which determine the positioning of printing members for each sheet or article printed.

It is an object of my invention to print each sheet, envelope or other article or document under the control of a record member which is peculiar to that document by sensing such record member with mechanical devices which are so constructed as to control the setting of variable or changing printing elements at the printing station.

A further object of the present invention is to connect changeable or variable printing members to sensing mechanisms of the character mentioned above in such a manner that operation is accurate and can be carried on at a relatively high rate of speed. For the purpose of controlling such printing members the present invention utilizes certain sensing means which are more particularly described and are claimed, per se, in my co-pending application, Serial No. 663,467, filed April 19, 1946, now United States Patent No. 2,508,603, patented May 23, 1950.

A further object of my invention is to combine variable printing members with sensing means of the type described in my aforesaid copending application in such a manner as to insure rapid and efficient operation properly timed with the feeding of control members such as perforated cards through the sensing position.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated inthe accompanying drawing which, by way of illustration, show preferred embodiments of the present invention and the principles thereof and what I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a front elevation of a printing machine embodying features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the printing machine, with certain parts broken away and showing a feeding mechanism that may be used with a printin machine embodying the features of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view from front to rear of the machine taken substantially on the line 33 of Figs; 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a perforated card which may be used as a control member in the printing machine;

Fig. 5 in a horizontal sectional view showing the upper part of the machine, this view being taken substantially on the lines 5-5 of Figs. 1 and 6;

Fig. 5A is a fragmentary elevational view of certain printing elements, parts being shown in section;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken across the rear part of the machine and looking forward, substantially along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 6A is a fragmentary elevational view of operating elements for part of the printing mechanism, taken substantially on the line 6A-6A, Fig. 6;

Fig. '7 is a left side elevational view of the machine, certain parts being shown in section and this view being taken substantially along the line 1-1, Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a detail view of a modified driving arrangement shown in the upper right hand part of Fi 7;

Fig. 9 is a detail view of the modified driving arrangement taken at right angles to the view shown in Fig. 8 and substantially along the line 9-9, Fi 7;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view similar to the left-hand part of Fig. '7, being on a somewhat larger scale and illustrating certain modifications of certain elements;

Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view through a 3 feeding mechanism for cards or the like taken substantially on the line I I-I I, Fig. 2;

Fig. 12 is a View similar to Fig. 11 but showing certain parts in changed positions;

Fig. 13 is a transverse vertical section through the feeding mechanism shown in Figs. 11 and 12, this view being taken substantially along the line I3I3, Fig. 2;

Fig. 14 is a horizontal sectional detail view taken substantially on the line IA-Id, Fig. 13;

Figs. 15, 16, 17 and 18 are each transverse sectional detail views showing various parts of the feeding mechanism for cards or the like, these views being taken substantially along the lines II5, Iii-I8, Il-I'i, and Ill-I8, respectively, on Fig. 2.

The printing mechanism which embodies my invention is mounted upon a suitable supporting base II, as best shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 7. Sup-.

ported on the base II are vertically upstanding posts or column members I2, I3 and IQ for supporting upper frame members and various operating parts. A driving motor I5 which may be an electric motor of any appropriate size and type secured by suitable means to a supporting block It which may be mounted on the base I I.

Above the base I I and spaced therefrom by the vertical columns I2, I3 and I l are a pair of horizontal parallel frame members I'I. At the rear of the machine, shown at the left in Fig. 7 and at the right in Fig. 3, an upper frame structure is mounted above the columns I3 and I6, this structure comprising a pair of parallel spaced vertical plates I3 and I9 which mount various operating elements to be described hereinafter. The plates I8 and I9 may be secured to the posts or columns I3 and It by any suitable means such as screws or bolts 20.

The rear ends of the bars I! are secured to the plates I8 and I9 by any suitable means such as the screws 2| and 22. A horizontal bar 23 extends between and is rigidly secured to the forward ends of the bars or beams I'l. At its midpoint the bar 23 is mounted on the top of the vertical post or column I2 to which it is secured as by a screw 24.

Extending along the front of the machine is a feed table for perforated cards or the like which are to be fed into a sensing position where, through sensing means and other connecting elements to be described hereinbelow, the printing members are set selectively into printing positions. After the cards are so sensed they are fed out of sensing position along the same feeding table by means and in a manner to be described hereinafter. The feed table is designated generally by the reference character 30 and it comprises a pair of spaced horizontal bars 3i and 32 which extend parallel with the front of the machine and across the beams or frame members I! to which they are secured in any appropriate manner. A flat member 33 which is mounted on and secured to the bars 3| and 32 constitutes the table surface, as best shown in Figs. to 18.

At the right end of the table, as seen by an operator facing the machine and as best shown in Fig. 1, means are provided for supplying cards or similar control members C which are provided with indicia to be sensed. As shown in Fig. 4, such cards or control members may be provided with perforations at selected positions to indicate indicia which is to be set up in the printing elements of the machine. It will be understood, however, that the indicia might be in the form of protuberances or other distinctive elements 4. formed on a flat or substantially fiat member and being capable of sensing by mechanical sensing elements such as those described in detail in my aforesaid Patent No. 2,508,603.

As shown in Fig. l and in the left-hand part of Fig. 2, the sensing station is located about the middle of the table, in the length thereof, and a receiving hopper 33A in which the cards or like articles after being sensed at the sensing station are collected is provided at the delivery end of the table.

The means for advancing the article to be fed from the supply magazine, generally indicated at M in Fig. 1, to the sensing station, are described in detail in my aforesaid application Serial No. 672,581, new U. S. Patent No. 2,605,699, and therefore a brief description only of such means will herein be given.

A rotatably mounted shaft 34 is mounted above the table and in spaced parallel relation therewith in suitable bearings 35 and 36. This shaft extends substantially the full length of the table and controls and operates various mechanisms associated with the feeding and advancing of the control cards C. At its right end, as shown in Fig. l, the shaft 34 carries a disc 31 which bears an eccentric crank pin 38. The disc 31 is secured to the shaft 34 for rotation therewith.

The eccentric pin 38 is connected through a series of linkages to an oscillatable bell crank 43 having a slotted end for the reception of a roller 39 carried on a plate 5|. Plate 5I is provided with a flanged member 52 which is free to slide in the guideway 54. Oscillation of the bell crank, therefore, imparts reciprocatory movement to the plate 5 I As best shown in Fig. 11, plate 5I has one end partly disposed in the supply magazine and beneath the trailing edges of the cards C stacked therein. A plate in the form of a leaf spring 56 is fixed at one end to the reciprocable plate SI and is provided with a stud 58, extended through an opening provided in plate 5| in position to engage the cammed end of slot 6|. It will be clear from Fig. 11 that the free end of plate 56 is adapted to abut against the trailing edge of the lowermost one of the stacked cards C to feed the same between the rollers 85 and I0 I as shown in Fig. 12. Once plate 5| slides along the bottom of the magazine to an extent that stud 58 engages the cammed end of slot GI, plate 56 is urged into a more effective feeding engagement.

In order to assure that only the lowermost one of the stacked cards C will be fed to the feed roller 85 and the idler roller IOI, a vertical bar 65, Figs. 2 and 14, is disposed within the supply magazine. This bar is triangular in cross section and configured complementary to the notch 61 provided in one edge of a card as C, Figs. 4 and 14. In this manner, the cards as C can be positioned in the magazine only when they are properly aligned relative to bar 65. As shown in Fig. 13, bar 65 terminates short of the bottom of the magazine by an amount equal to or very slightly greater than the thickness of a card C and consequently only the lowermost one of the cards will have its notch out of engagement with bar and thus be in position to be fed from the magazine.

In order that the cards will always be firmly positioned against the forward end of the supporting plate 5|, for engagement with the feed plate 56, a weight II is provided.

As a further assurance to feeding of the lowermost card only, a flexing device I5, substantially in the form of a U-shaped bar as shown in Fig.

aevaves' 15,- is provided adjacent the forward end of the supply magazine. A leaf spring it normally tends to urge bar l5downward in the slot 82 and out of the path of an advancing card C as shown in Fig. 12. In order that bar i5 can be shifted vertically upward relative to the slot as to flex the stacked cards as shown in Fig. 11, a cam 17 is fixed to shaft 3 1 for rotation therewith as shown in Fig. 15, and this cam has a flat portion 19 which allows bar 75 to be lowered by spring it.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 16 a first feed roller 85 is mounted in a position to engage the advancing end of the bottom card as it is pushed out of the stack by the feeding plate 56 in the manner described above. The feed roller is mounted on a sleeve 86 for rotation therewith, the sleeve 85 being mounted on a non-rotatable shaft 81. At its forward end the shaft is secured to a leaf spring 83 which is anchored to the bar ii in the same manner as the ieaf spring 16 which mounts the flexing bar or member '15. A belt pulley E9 is secured to the sleeve 96 for driving the roller and a belt 99 which passes about this pulley is driven by a pulley 9! sup ported on a jack shaft t2 mounted in a bracket 93, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The pulley Qi is secured to a larger pulley fi l which is driven by a belt 95 which passes about a pulley 96 on the motor Hi. The belt 9% also passes forward, as shown in Fig. 1, about another pulley 9'5, Fig. l, which drives another feed roller to be described presently. Returning, the belt at; passes over a small idler pulley 98 which is mounted freely on the shaft 87 beside the pulley 89. By the means just described, the feed roller 85 is continuously driven but it is effective to advance a card only when it is in the lowered position, as shown in Fig. 16, that is, when the flat portion of a cam 99 on shaft 3a is disposed so as to lower the feed roller 85 into cooperating position with respect to a small idler roller H)! which is rotatably mounted on a bracket Hi2 beneath the table top and has its periphery extending through a slot I03 in the table top to a position substantially flush with or very slightly above the table H36 and H35 being spaced apart a distance equal to the width of a control card C.

The feed roller 85 in cooperation with the underlying idler fill, Fig. 11, advances a card G into sensing position under a series of sensing elements or teeth lid, each of which is carried by a sensing bar i l l. These bars are specifically described in my aforesaid co-pending application, Serial No. 863,467, now U. S. Patent No. 2,508,603, and are shown in outline in Figs. 3 and '7. By means described more particularly in my aforesaid co-pending application and including the rack members H2 and M3, Fig. 3, the sensing bars are operated to move across the surface of each card as it is in sensing position and to sense perforations or other indicia therein or thereon to position the arcuate rack members H3 which in turn position printing characters in a manner to be desecribed more fully hereinbelow. Upon the sensing element it encountering an indicium on the card or other record member C, the sensing bar H l rocks in a vertical plane to engage locking means described below.

During the time that sensing is taking place, as previously described above, the advance end of the card C to be sensed is positioned against a front stop or positioning member and under another feed roller which at an appropriate time is lowered to carry the card out of sensing position and deliver it to the receiving hopper 33A. As shown in Fig. 17, this other feed roller is indicated by the reference character H5 and it is indicated by the reference character H5 and it mounted on a sleeve H6 which in turn is carried by a shaft ill secured by leaf spring ms to the front bar T5 in the same manner as feed roller 85, previously described. The pulley 91, which is driven by belt 98 in the manner described above, rotates the sleeve 5 l5 and the feed roller H5. As shown in Fig. 18 a stop finger H8 is positioned in the path of the advancing cards at a point where it will hold them properly and accurately in sensing position during operation of the sensing fingers Hi. This finger comprises a vertical plate mounted on a horizontal bar H9 carried by a leaf spring l2l also secured to the front bar ll. ihe feed roller I i5 and the stop finger is are raised and lowered at appropriate times in the feeding cycle by cams 22 and 23, respectively, mounted upon the shaft 3 3. It will thus be seen that all of the mechanisms which feed the card from a stack of cards to and through sensing position and into a receiving hopper are controlled by elements operated from the shaft 3:3. A card or control device 0, to be sensed, is retained in sensing position while the sensing fingers I l l are slid across the face thereof. When an indicium, such as a perforation in a card, is sensed the sensing finger immediately rocks slightly and is locked against further movement across the card. This locking is accomplished by means and in a manner fully described in my aforesaid co-pending application, Serial No. 663,467. Locking the sensing bar against movement obviously positions the racks H2 and H3 in a definite position.

Shaft 3d, which controls the various feeding elements described above, has keyed thereto a bevel gear at its left end as seen Fig. 1. This gear meshes with a bevel gear l26 on a shaft l2! which extends rearwardly of the machine. The shaft i2? is driven in a manner to be described presently, so that shaft 35 is rotated in proper timed relation with operating elements of the printing unit per se. In this manner, and as fully described hereinbelow, the feeding of cards or the like C is accurately synchronized with printing operations.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the bevel gears I25 and l26 are of the same size so that the shafts 3d and i2? rotate at the same speed. With this arrangement a card is fed for each impression of the printing unit, to be described hereinafter. However, for some purposes it is desirable to print the data sensed more than chosen, for example, on the body and stub of a check, receipt, utility bill or the like. In such cases it is desirable that the gear ratio be changed so that only one card will be fed to sensing position for every two or three, or possibly more operations of the printing mechanism.

Accordingly, and as shown in Fig. '7, this arrangement may be modified to provide slower operation of the feed mechanism with respect to certain other parts of the machine including the printing mechanisms. As shown in Figs.

8 and 9 the shaft 34 carries a relativelylarge spur gear I 3I which meshes with a small spur gear I32 carried by a jack shaft I33. In this instance the bevel gear I25, carried by the jack shaft just mentioned, meshes with a similar bevel gear I26 on the rearwardly extending shaft I2I. Shaft I21 is driven by bevel gears I35 and I36, the latter being mounted on the end of a cam shaft I31 which is carried by the frame members I8 and I9 previously described. Shaft I3! operates the printing mechanism in a manner to be described more fully below and it carries a large spur gear I38 which, as described hereinbelow, may be operably connected with the shaft through a clutch. As shown in Fig. 7, gear I38 meshes with a small spur gear I39, mounted on a jack shaft I4I. Integral with the small spur gear I39 is a larger gear I42 which meshes with a small spur gear I43 mounted coaxially with and driven by a pulley wheel I44. The pulley is driven by means of a belt I45 from a small pulley I43 on the motor I5. By the means just described, various mechanisms of the machine including the printing unit and the card feeder are driven and it will be seen that a positive gear ratio is established between the feed mechanism and the printing mechanism which is operated by cams on the shaft I31 in a manner to be described hereinbelow. The feed rollers 85 and H5 which advance the cards C from station to station are not synchronized with the other parts of the machine, such synchronization not being necessary because the lowering of these rollers into cooperation with the cards is accurately timed by cams on shaft 1 Referring now to Fig- 3, it will be noted that the arcuate racks I I3, previously mentioned as cooperating with racks IIZ to move the sensing bars III to sensing position, are integral with or secured to printing sectors I51. In that form of my invention shown in Figs. 1 to 18, inclusive, there are as many sensing bars III as there are rows of data or data positions on a card C to be sensed. Hence there are a similar number of rack members H3 and printing sectors I5I and each printing sector is adapted to be selectively positioned so as to present a desired character in printing position dependent upon the position at which the sensing bar I I I comes to rest in sensing movement across a card C. As mentioned above and shown in Fig. 3, and as more fully described in my aforesaid co-pending application, Serial No. 663,467, now U. S. Patent No. 2,508,603, the sensing bars III slide across the surface of a card until they encounter a perforation therein whereupon they drop into engagement with a notch in a serrated plate I52. This plate is provided with accurate serrations and is accurately positioned in the machine. Hence when a sensing bar comes into a stop position the printing sector I 5| is positioned with a high degree of accuracy. For example, the printing sector I5I may carry a set of digits therein from to 9." A perforation in the card C may represent any one of these digits and when it is sensed the sensing bar III is locked in an accurately determined position so that the printing member II is also accurately set to dispose the desired printing character below an inked ribbon IR.

Control devices, such as perforated cards C, are subject to variations in size and it is not always possible to locate indicia such as perforations therein with a high degree of accuracy.

Also, as cards of this character, and particularly paper cards, are handled repeatedly and passed through sensing mechanisms and other devices, the perforations frequently become distorted or enlarged. Since it is desirable that minor inaccuracies in the location and form of indicia on cards as C be not transmitted to printing members controlled by sensing devices, separately controlled locking means, other than the perforation in the card itself are provided. Thus the sensing tooth III), on the end of a bar II I, which drops into a perforation on card C encounters an accurately located serration on the plate member I52 underlying the card C, which determines accurately the point at which the sensing bar II I will be stopped in its transverse sensing movement. Minor inaccuracies in the location of the perforations in the card C have no effect on the accuracy with which the sensing bar is finally located, unless the inaccuracy is so great as to cause the sensing tooth on a bar III to engage the wrong serration in which case of course the card should be destroyed and a new one substituted.

The serrations shown on the lower side of the bars I I I, as in Fig. 3, cooperate with other looking means, the details of such construction and operation being fully described in my aforesaid co-pending application, Serial No. 663,467, now U. S. Patent No. 2,508,603.

It is important to note that the positioning of the sensing bars and of the printing elements which they control is only under general control of the indicia carried by the cards C, being under the specific control of the locking elements briefly described above and more fully described in the application just mentioned. In other words, an indicia, as a perforation in a card C, determines what printing character will be selected, but the exact movement of that printing character to a precise printing position is determined by the means which accurately locate and lock the sensing bar, as III, in its final position. Direct connection between the sensing bar III and the printing member I5I makes sure that the printing member will be located with the same degree of accuracy as the sensing bar, the teeth of racks H2 and H3 being accurately formed for this purpose.

Another advantage of this construction, aside from the accuracy which printing members may be selectively positioned, results from the fact that the sensing bars are finally positioned by mechanical elements rather than by the cards C. Since these elements have appreciable mass, even though they may be made very light, cards of paper or the like would be damaged and rapidly destroyed if they were required to stop in sensing position the bars II I moving under the force of springs as I75. Instead, the shock of stopping the bars and parts associated therewith is taken by the serrated plate I52 and other locking means and the cards C are saved from injury.

Above the inked ribbon IR, and aligned with each of the printing sectors I5I, there is disposed a printing platen element I53 carried by a bell crank I54 which is mounted pivotally upon a shaft I55 in the upper rear portion of the side frames I8 and I8. There are as many platen elements I53 and bell cranks I54 as there are printing sectors I5I, each platen element being individually movable to press an article to be printed, such as a sheet of paper, against the inked ribbon, causing an impression to be taken from the printing characters disposed beneath the inked ribbon by the sectors II.

The bell crank levers ltd'which carry the platen elements are each provided with a rather strong tension spring I 56 connected between the bell crank and a stationary rod I 51. Extending above the bell cranks I54 is a hood or shield I58 which carries a comb member !59 at its forward end, disposed so as to keep the bell cranks I5 5 properly separated and the platen elements I53 each aligned with its respective printing sector I5I.

A substantially flat and horizontal printing table I60, Figs. 1, 2, 3, 7 and 10, is mounted on the frame members I8 and H9 at a height substantially flush or level with the tops of the printing sectors I5I. This table is provided with an opening IBI through which the printing characters on the sectors I5I and the inked ribbon IR, are exposed for cooperation with the platen elements I53. The table I79 supports the hood or shield I58 and comb member I59 mentioned above. Guide means !62 and IE3 are provided for sheets, envelopes or other articles which are fed along the table to be printed with the data represented or controlled by the indicia on the cards or control members C. Normally the printing platens are held in raised position, as shown in Figs. 3, '7 and by a bail member H54 carried by an arm I55 pivoted on a shaft I66. This bail member I64 contacts the lower ends of the bell cranks I54, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. As fully described in my aforesaid co-pending application, an arm I65A extends from the shaft IGE to a cam I51 carried by the shaft I3l, Fig. 5A, and at appropriate times after the printing sectors have been set selectively in printing position according to data sensed on the control cards C the cam permits the arm ISSA to swing clockwise as shown in Figs. 3 and 5A, for example, and the bail member ifi i swings downwardly in a slot It? provided in each of the frame members I3 and Hi. This permits the springs I56 to draw the bell cranks I54 which carry the platen elements downwardly quickly and forcibly so as to produce a printing impression on the lower side of the sheet or other article disposed over the printing sector I5! and lying between the guide members I52 and I53 on top of the upper table surface I58 which supports the article being printed. The platen elements are shown in printing position in Fig. 5A.

Means are provided for rotating the printing sectors i5! and the racks H3 which are integral therewith in both directions about the shaft I'll on which they are freely pivoted. Since the racks 1 H2 are integral with the sensing bars IEI and are in mesh with the racks I 53, rotary movement of the printing sectors is accompanied at all times by longitudinal sliding movement of the sensing bars I I I. As best shown in Figs. 3 and 5A a bail member 1 i2 is mounted on arms I13 fixed against rotation on the shaft Ill. The arms I13 also carry a transverse rod I'M. A tension spring HE is connected between each of the printing sectors IEI and the rod I'I i.

Referring now to Fig. 6A, the shaft ITI has affixed thereto, as by set screw I'it, a two armed lever ill carrying at the end of each arm a cam follower roller I78. Each of the rollers His is adapted to cooperate with one of a pair of conjugate cams Hi5 and ltd, carried by and fixed to the shaft I31. B the means just described the shaft i?! which carries the arms I73, bail H 2 and rod I74, is rocked in alternate directions at appropriate times. When the shaft is rocked clockwise, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6A, the bail H2 is withdrawn from contact with the rear edges of the printing sectors I5! and the springs 5'55 are tensioned to urge the printing sectors to rotate clockwise also. This causes the sensing bars to move forward, the sensing element at the extreme front end of each bar sliding across a card C in sensing position (not shown in Fig. 3) until a perforation or other indicia borne by the card is encountered. As briefly expiained hereinabove and as more fully described in my aforesaid co-pending application, Serial No. 663,467, new U. Patent No. 2,508,603, the sensing bars are stopped accurately defined positions and the various printing sectors likewise are positioned selectively, according to the data sensed, to print when the platens I53 are lowered to strike the upper surface of an article to be printed.

The printing sectors are retained in printing position by means more fully described in my aforesaid co-pending application, and including the locking elements !82 and I83, Fig. 3, until printing is accomplished. Thereafter, the conjugate cams I19 and I88, Figs. 6A, return the shaft iii and arms M3 to their normal or zero positions counterclockwise, as seen in Figs. 3 and 6A, and the bail member I72 restores the print ing sectors i5! and the sensing bars III to their zero positions. As each new card C to be sensed is fed into sensing position, these operations are repeated.

The platen elements I53, carried by bell crank levers me, as previously described, are quickly withdrawn from impression position after printing is accomplished, this occurring before the rintin sectors I5I are restored to their zero positions in the manner just described. In case it is desired to print the same data on separate sheets, or on different parts of the same sheet, the card C is retained in sensing position durin a plurality of cycles of the shaft 53?. The arrangement described hereinabove in connection with Figs. 8 and 9 provides for operation of shaft 53? a plurality of times while the card feeding mechanism is being operated only once. The number of operations for each card is obviously determined by the ratio of the spur gears 53! and I 32. Where the ratio is to be one to one, the spur gears are eliminated and the drive is directly from shaft 27 to shaft 3 through bevel ears 525 and I25.

Any suitable means may be provided for feeding sheets to be printed along the table I60 over the opening I6I and between the guides I62 and I53. A mechanism suitable for this purpose is described in detail in my Patent No. 2,342,190 issued February 22, 19%. In those instances where a plurality of impressions are to be taken on a single sheet, suitable feeding means for advancing the sheet step by step may be provided. Since the feeding means for single printed sheets, or for advancing sheets step by step through the printing means of the present invention form no part of such invention, description thereof is unnecessary.

Means are provided in my improved printing machine for advancing the inked ribbon IR step by step so as to present a new portion thereof in printing position after each operation of the machine as is well known in the art. As shown in Figs. 6 and 6A, these means include an arm 59! secured to the shaft l'iI as by a set screw 592 for rotation therewith. A substantially vertical link I93 has its lower end engaged in an opening in the end of arm It! and its upper end is pivotally connected with one arm I94 of a bell crank pivotally mounted on a stud I95 secured to a part of the frame. The other arm I96 of the bell crank terminates in a short rack portion I91 which engages cooperating teeth on a block 28I secured by a set screw 282 to a transversely slidable rod 283. Near each end thereof the rod 283 carried a forwardly projecting pawl member 284 afixed non-rotatably to said bar as by a set screw 285. one of the pawl members, the upper ends of said spring being secured to a frame portion to urge said pawls upwardly into cooperation with ratchet wheels 29! which are secured non-rotatably to reels 288 for the inked ribbon IR. The reels 208 and ratchets 287 may be supported by suitable bolts 209 secured to an appropriate frame member. Reversing mechanism is provided as well known in the art, description thereof being unnecessary. When the shaft I1! is oscillated by the conjugate cams I19 and ISO, the link I93 causes the bell crank I 94, I96 to slide the rod 203 back and forth and the pawls 284 encase one or the other of the ratchets 281 to ad- Vance the ribbon in one direction or the other, dependin upon the position of the reversing mechanism.

A hand wheel 2I8 is mounted to rotate with shaft I31 during normal operation and provide a manual means by which the printingmechanism i may be operated when desired.

Manual means are provided, also, for locking the printing platens in their raised positions when it is desired to operate shaft I31 without printing. As shown in Figs. 3, 6 and 10 a twoarmed lever 2 is pivoted on a stud 2I3 and its upper end has a notch 2M adapted to engage a projecting end of the bail I64 when the bar is rotated counterclockwise, as seen in Fig. 3, to the dotted line position. In this position the bail I64 is held up, against the force of springs I56, tending to pull the platen levers I 54 down, and printing cannot take place. The lower arm 2I5 of lever 2 has attached thereto a tension spring 2I6, the forward end of which is secured to the frame to normally hold lever 2I I in its inoperative position against the shaft I55 which serves as a stop to limit rotation thereof. A rod 2II, connected to the lower end of the arm 2l5, extends to the front of the machine where it is slidably mounted in a bracket 2I8. A knob or knurled head 2I9 is provided on the end of the knob for pushing the lever into locking engagement with bail I64 when it is desired to prevent printing.

As previously noted, the cam shaft I3! is driven by the gear I38 through the intermediary of a clutch. This clutch is of the one revolution type and is similar to the clutch described in detail in my prior Patent No. 2,132,413, patented October 11, 1936. As best shown in Fig. 6, it comprises a toothed member 22I secured to gear I38 to rotate therewith, the gear and toothed member 22I being freely mounted for rotation with respect to shaft I37. A cooperating toothed member 222 is slidably mounted on shaft I37 but is constrained to rotate therewith, as by a spline or a key, as well understood in the art. A collar 223 is fixed to the shaft I31 as by a set screw 224 and a compression sprin 225 is interposed between the collar and the toothed member 222 to urge the member 222 into drivin engagement with the member 22 I.

The toothed member 222 is provided with a projecting stud 226 which is adapted to cooperate A tension spring 286 is attached to 1 with a cam shaped edge portion 221 of a hinged plate 228. As the parts are shown in Fig. 6, the stud 226 advances toward the observer and encounters the cam shaped edge portion 22! toward the close of a cycle of operation. As it does so, cam 22! moves the stud to the right, as seen in Fig. 6, compressing spring 225 and disengaging the clutch elements. At its terminus, the cam 22! merges into a stop shoulder 229 which holds the shaft against further rotation until the stud is released from stop 229 by moving plate 228 away from the clutch elements and allowing the stud to become disengaged therefrom. Plate 228 is pivotally carried on the rod 203, as best shown in Fig. 10. A spring '23I tends normally to hold the plate against the clutch elements but a push rod 232, secured to the lower part of the plate 228, and projecting to the front of the machine, aifords a means for releasin the clutch for a cycle of operation. The front end of the push rod is provided with a suitable knurled head or knob 233. When the knob 233 is pushed inwardly, plate 228 swings to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 10, clearing the stud 226 to permit the clutch to engage. Upon release, spring 23I swings the plate 228 back against the clutch elements and the operation of shaft I 31 is discontinued upon completion of a complete single cycle. However, the knob 233 may be held in continuously and in this case operation of the shaft I31 will be continued without interruption until release of the declutching mechanism just described.

The mechanism just described requires manual release of the declutching plate 228 for each cycle of operation of the machine. For some types of operation, as where sheets are fed by hand to printing position, this is desirable, but it is normally preferred to feed sheets automatically and it is desirable that operation be automatic and continuous, subject to interruption if there is a failure in the feeding of a sheet to printing position or a card to sensing position. An arrangement for this purpose is shown in Fig. 7 where a solenoid 240 has its plunger 2 connected by a link 242 to the plate 228. Normally, for continuous operation of the machine, the solenoid is activated just before the close of each cycle to draw the plate 228 out of the path of the stud 226 and thereby trip the machine for another cycle. Any interruption in current to the solenoid at this time, however, releases the solenoid plunger so that the spring 23I can draw the plate 228 into position to separate the riving elements of the clutch.

Current may be supplied to solenoid 240 from any suitable source. Preferably a sheet controlled interrupter is incorporated in the electric circuit so that failure to feed a sheet to printing position will cause interruption of current to the solenoid in a manner well known in the art.

The electric circuit may include a pair of electric contacts 250, Fig. '7, which are adapted to be closed periodically as by a cam 25I mounted on a shaft 252 which comprises a part of an automatic sheet feeding mechanism not shown. The cam 25I closes the contacts once each cycle near the end of such cycle to activate the solenoid and withdraw plate 228 to permit the clutch to be engaged for another cycle. Should some other part of the circuit be interrupted at this time, as by failure of a sheet feeding or advancing operation, solenoid 248 is not activated even though contacts 258 are closed and automatic operation will not be resumed until the cause of the interrup- 13 tion is ascertained and removed. If desired, the sheet feeding mechanism may be similarly controlled by a solenoid activated single revolution clutch, such an arrangement being described in my aforesaid Patent No. 2,342,190.

It is believed that the operation of the single printing unit, will be clear from the foregoing description. Briefly, however, the operation of the machine is as follows:

The feed plate 55 feeds a control member such as a card C from the bottom of a pile thereof to a point where its advance end is positioned under the first feed roller 85. At a properly timed point in the cycle of the machine the feed roller 85 is lowered to advance the card G into sensing position where it is accurately aligned with sensing fingers I I I At this point the conjugate cams I19 and I80 on shaft I3! move the arms I13 and bail I12 away from the printing sectors i5I. As this occurs the springs ['55, which are individually attached to each of the printing sectors, cause the sectors to follow the bail I72 and through racks H3, H2 they cause the sensing fingers or bars III to traverse the card C. As each of the fingers II I encounters a perforation or other indicia on the card C, further movement is stopped and the finger, and the printing sector I 5 I geared thereto, are stopped, the printing sector thereby positioning a printing character, corresponding to the position of the indicia on the card C, beneath the inked ribbon IR.

After all the sensing bars I I I have been locked and the printing sectors thereby positioned for printing, the rotating shaft I31 brings the cam I6! to a point where its follower IBEA may drop off the abrupt shoulder on the cam. When this occurs, each of the springs I55 draws its associated bell crank I54 down sharply, striking the platen elements I53 against the article to be printed and producing an impression on its lower face from the printing characters through the inked ribbon IR. Subsequently, rotation of shaft I3? restores the platen arms IM to their raised positions and the conjugate cams I19 and I80 restore the bail H2 and the printing segments NH and sensing bars III to their normal zero positions.

If the machine is manually controlled it must be tripped for each cycle and this is accomplished by the operator pushing in the knob 233. If the machine is automatic, as it usually is, particularly when articles to be printed are fed automatically. the machine is tripped by the solenoid 24s for each operation and its operation is continuous unless and until a sheet fails to be fed properly. The same control may, if desired, be extended to the card feeding system, so that continuous operation is dependent both upon feed of a card and feed of an article to be printed. This arrangement is not shown in the drawings but is believed to be obvious to those skilled in the art, since it involves only the use of conventional sheet detectors along the path of the card feed.

When it is desired to print data more than once on a single sheet, the feed mechanism for control cards 0 is geared to operate through only one cycle for each sheet. Thus if each sheet is to be printed with the same data at two or at three positions thereon, as might be done in printing checks and stubs, utility bills and stubs, and the like on a single sheet, the feeder for the control cards operates only once for each two or each three operations of the printing and sensing mechanism. Gearing between the shaft I21 and shaft 341s appropriately selected for the particular purpose of the machine.

While I have described my invention 'as being used particularly in connection with perforated control cards and a particular feed means therefor, as well as with sensing bars I I I of a particular type, it will be understood that any type of control or record member which can be sensed mechanically may be-employed therein as well as any type of feed means, suitable modifications being made in the sensing means as desired or as more fully pointed out in my aforesaid co-pending application, Serial No. 663,467, now U. S. Patent No. 2,508,603.

Hence, while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it-is to be understood that these are capable of variation and modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

I claim: I

1. In a printing machine in which a recordcarrying card or the like is advanced from a supply station on to a guideway and fed therealong to a station where the record is sensed by a reciprocable sensing means, and in which machine type-carrying means pivotable in position are set up at a printing station in accordance with the extent of sensing movement of the sensing means, and in which machine platen means are actuated after the record is sensed to cooperate with the type-carrying means to print the record on a sheet locatable at the printing station, a power supply means and a clutch means adapted to be driven thereby, a main drive shaft adapted to be driven by the clutch means, a second shaft driven by the drive shaft, eccentric means at one end of the second shaft for reciprocating a feed means adapted to advance a record carrying card from the supply station on to one end of the guideway, a feed roller at the said one end of the guideway normally in position to engage a card advanced from the supply station to feed the card to the sensing station, means on the second shaft for raising the feed roller out of engagement with the so-advanced card, a stop means at the sensing station for intercepting the path of the sofed card, means on the second shaft for raising the stop means out of the path of the so-advanced card after the record thereon has been sensed, an oscillatable bail member at the printing station normally bearing against the type-carrying means to hold the same in a non-printing position while the so-advanced card.

is being fed to the sensing station, cam means on the main drive shaft for rocking the bail member away from and toward the type-carrying means whereby the type-carrying means are, respectively, free to be set in printing position and to be restored to non-printing position, a second bail member at the printing station normally holding the platen means in non-actuated position, a second cam means on the main drive shaft for rocking the second bail member away from and toward the platen means whereby the platen means are, respectively, free to be'actuated and to be restored to non-actuated position, and means for disengaging the clutch means whereby the machine is disabled.

2. A printing machine comprising a supply station from which a record-carrying card or the like is to be advanced on to a guideway, said guideway leading to a sensing station, a reciprocable sensing bar at the sensing station adapted to sense the record on said card, printing means pivotable in position at a printing station and operatively connected to the sensing bar and adapted to be set up in accordance with the extent of sensing movement of the sensing bar, actuatable platen means at the printing station adapted to cooperate with the printing means to print the record on a sheet locatable therebeneath, a power supply means, a clutch adapted to be driven by the power supply means, a main drive means adapted to be driven by the clutch means, a shaft driven by the main drive means,

a feed plate at the supply station adapted to engage the trailing end of a record-carrying card thereat to advance the same on to the guideway, means operated by the shaft to reciprocate the plate toward and away from the supply station, a feed roller adjacent the supply station at one end of the guideway in position to engage the so-advanced card to feed the same to the sensing station, means operated by the shaft to raise and lower the feed roller relative to the 'said one end of the guideway, stop means in the guideway at the sensing station adapted to intercept the path of the so-fed card, means operated by the shaft to raise and lower the stop means relative to the guideway, an oscillatable bail member at the printing station for engaging an extension of the printing means, cam means on the main drive means for withdrawing the bail member away from engagement with respect to the printing means when the so-fed card is at the sensing station, cam means on the main drive means for moving the bail member into engagement with the printing means after the record has been printed to restore the printing means to non-printing position, a second bail member at the printing station normally bearing against the platen means to hold the same in a non-actuated position, cam means on the main drive means for withdrawing the second bail member away from engagement with respect to the platen means after the printing means have been set up, and cam means onthe main drive means for moving the second bail member into engagement with the platen means to restore the platen means to non-actuated position after the record has been printed.

3. In a printing machine comprising a printing means and a platen means mounted for move ment between printing and non-printing positions at a printing station, a supply magazine for record-containing cards or the like, a guideway extending from one end of the supply magazine to a sensing station and along which said cards are to be sequentially fed, reciprocable plate means at the other end of the magazine for advancing one of said cards therefrom on to the guideway, feed means and a guideway for advancing a sheet to be printed to the printing station, reciprocable sensing means at the sensing station for sensing the record on a record-containing card thereat, the printing means being mounted at the printing station for movement to and from printing and non-printing positions, the printing means being connected to the sensing means for movement to printing positioning in accordance with the extent of sensing movement of the sensing means, a power supply, a drive means, a driven means, a clutch adapted to couple the drive means with the power supply, the

clutch engaged whereby power is transmitted to the drive and driven means, a pivotable plate contiguous to the clutch and having a cam edge adapted to be urged into the path of the rotatable stud to effect disengagement of the clutch to thereby disable the drive and driven means, means operable to detect failure to feed a sheet or card and to thereupon cause the pivotable plate to be moved into the path of the rotating stud, a feed roller adjacent the said one end of the magazine in position to be lowered to engage a card advanced from the magazine to the guideway to feed the card to the sensing station, means operated by the driven means to raise and lower the feed roller relative to the guideway, a stop element in the guideway at the sensing station in position to be lowered into the path of the so-fed card prior to arrival of the card at the sensing station, means operated by the driven means to raise and lower the stop element relative to the guideway, a bail member at the printing station normally holding the printing means in non-printing position, means operated by the drive means to withdraw the bail member relative to the printing means when a record-containing card is in position at the sensing station, a second bail member at the printing station normally holding the platen means in said non-printing position, means operated by the drive means to withdraw the second bail member relative to the platen means after the printing means are located in printing position, and means carried by the drive means to effect restoring action of the bail members after printing the record at the printing station.

4. A printing machine comprising; a printing station comprising a printing means in the form of a plurality of individual printing sectors movable from a non-printing to a printing position, a

plurality of platen means for cooperating with the printing means and being movable from a non-impressing to an impressing position to effect printing of a record on a sheet feedable to the printing station, a supply magazine for record-carrying cards, a sensing station for the card, means for feeding the cards sequentially from the magazine and along a guideway to the sensing station, reciprocable sensing means at the sensing station adapted to be moved across the card to be sensed to the extent of the record carried thereon, the printing means and the sensing means being directly connected whereby the printing means are adapted to be set in accordance with the extent of sensing movement of the sensing means, a releasable bail member at the printing station normally bearing against each of the printing sectors to hold the same in non-printing position, a second releasable bail member at the printing station normally bearing against the platen means to hold the same in the non-impressing position therefor, a power supply and a main drive shaft connected thereto, cam means on the drive shaft timed, respectively, to withdraw the first bail member relative to the printing means when a card is in position to be sensed at the sensing station and to withdraw the second bail member relative to the platen means after the record has bee sensed and the printing means set in accordance therewith, and other cam means on the drive shaft to restore the bail members relative to the printing and platen means after printing has been eiiected at the printing station.

5. In a printing machine, a power supply and a main drive shaft, a one-revolution clutch for coupling the power supply and the drive shaft, printing means and cooperating platen means each movable from a non-printing to a printing position, bail members for holding said printing and platen means in non-printing position and for restoring the same from printing to non-printing position, means on the drive shaft for oscillating the bail members toward and away from the printing and piaten means in timed relation, one with respect to the other, a guideway along which articles are to be sequentially fed to another station in the machine, a driven shaft, a stop element in the guideway at said other station for engaging the articles thus fed, a feed roller in the guideway for advancing articles along the guideway to the stop element, said roller and stop element normally being held out of engagement with the articles in the guideway, means on the driven shaft for raising and lowering the feed roller and stop element in timed relation one with respect to the other, and means to disengage the clutch when there is a failure to advance an article to said other station, said means on the driven shaft being effective to lower the feed roller and stop element prior to the said means on the drive shaft being effective to oscillate the bail members away from the printing and platen means.

6. In a cyclic operable record printing machine in which a record card to be sensed is fed along a guideway to a sensing station prior to printing the record at a printing station, and in which machine the printing means are in the form of individual pivotably mounted printing sectors adapted to be set in printing position in accordance with movement of sensing means at the sensing station, means for feeding a sheet to be printed to the printing station, means for moving the printing sectors from a non-printing to a printing position, a plurality of platen elements corresponding in number to the printing sectors and being movable from non-printing to printing position, a main drive shaft, an oscillatable bail member for engaging each of the printing sectors to hold the same in non-printing position, an oscillatable bail member for holding the platen elements in non-printing position, cam means on the drive shaft for withdrawing the first bail member relative to the printing means immediately after a record card is in sensing position at the sensing station, cam means on the drive shaft for withdrawing the second bail member relative to the platen means after the printing means are set in printing position, means to actuate the platen elements from non-printing to printing position, and other cam means on the drive shaft for restoring the bail members relative to the printing and platen means after the record has been printed.

"I. In a printing machine in which articles bearing records are sequentially fed along a guideway to a sensing station where reciprocable bars are adapted to sense the record and to set up individual type sectors in printing positions corresponding to the record sensed, and in which machine platen elements movable to a printing position and corresponding in number to the printing sectors cooperate with the so-set type elements to print the record on a sheet locatable at a printing station, a main drive shaft, a driven shaft connected to the driving shaft, a feed roller in the guideway adapted to advance the articles sequentially therealong to the sensing station, a stop element at the sensing station against which the leading end of each article is adapted to abut in sensing position, cam means on the driven shaft for raising and lowering the feed roller and stop element in timed relation one with respect to the other, a bail for normally holding the printing sectors out of printing position until an article is located at the sensing station, means on the drive shaft effective to disable the bail when an article is located in sensing position, another bail normally holding the platens out of printing position, means on the drive shaft for disabling said other bail when the printing sectors are set up in printing position, means on the drive shaft to effect restoring action of said bails relative to said printing sectors and platen elements, and means to move the printing sectors and platen elements to printing position and operable upon disabling of the corresponding bails.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,717,231 Krell June 11, 1925 1,725,400 Last Aug. 20, 1929 1,991,729 Brougham Feb. 19, 1935 2,335,949 Lewis Dec. 7, 1943 2,344,345 Elliott Mar. 14, 1944 2,425,149 Gollwitzer Aug. 5, 1947