US2703642A - Line-spacing mechanism for split platens - Google Patents

Description

March 8, 1955 w. A. ANDERSON 2,703,642

LINE-SPACING MECHANISM FOR SPLIT PLATENS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 12, 1955 lNl E N TOR WALTER A ANDERSON .BY 4m;

ATTORNEY March 1955 w. A. ANDERSON ,7 3,

' LINE-SPACING MECHANISM FOR SPLIT PLA'IENS Filed May 12, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /N VE N TOR WALTER A. ANDERSON A TTORNEV United States Patent LINE-SPACING MECHANISM FOR SPLIT PLATENS Walter A. Anderson, Trumbull, Conn., assignor to Underwood Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application May 12, 1953, Serial No. 354,513

4 Claims. (Cl. 197-129) This invention relates to a split platen feeding mechanism for accounting machines, and more particularly to a mechanism for selectively feeding the parts of a twopart or split platen, either similar or different line space distances.

When using a two-part platen with a separate record carried by each part, it is sometimes desirable to complete a number of entries in various columns laterally, on successive lines, and in separate groups, either single or double line-spaced, on one of the records, and to make only a single line entry on the other record corresponding to each group, this latter entry being also either single or double line-spaced. In such instances, if both records are fed simultaneously, considerable paper on the latter record is wasted.

An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a mechanism for feeding during a machine cycle only that portion of the platen which is in operative relation with the printing type bars during the cycle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a feeding mechanism for feeding either portion of the platen different line-spacings which may be used in combination with a selective feeding control that allows the feeding mechanism to operate only in predetermined columnar positions of the paper carriage.

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, the important elements of which are herein set forth in appended claims, and a preferred form of embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawings which accompany and form part of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation taken from the left side of the machine showing the left-hand line-spacing mechanism in its normal position and the connections thereof for operation by the machine cycling means,

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, with machine and carriage frame elements omitted, showing the parts in tlhe positions they assume when the machine is at mid cyc e,

Figure 3 is a fragmental left side elevation showing the line-space mechanism fully cocked, and about to be released as the machine nears mid cycle.

Figure 4 is a side elevation taken from the right side of the machine showing the right-hand line-space mechanism in its normal position,

Figure 5 is a plan view showing the positions of carriage paper feed stops and the divisions of the line-space mechanism and platen, and

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the two parts of the platen, the two parts of the line-spacing mechanism and two records having one of the many types of printings for which the present invention is adapted.

General description The present invention is herein shown as applied to a key set, motor actuated accounting machine having a traveling paper carriage with suitable function control lugs on the rear thereof similar to the machine disclosed in Patent No. 1,946,505, issued to Oscar I. Sundstrand, dated February 13, 1934, to which patent reference may be made for an understanding of features of construction and mode of operation not fully described or illustrated herein.

Detailed description Referring now to the drawings, a traveling paper car- 2,703,642 Patented Mar. 8, 1955 riage indicated generally by the numeral 10 (Figures 1, 4 and 5) is mounted on anti-friction bearings 11 supported in a rail 13, said rail being mounted on the machine frame, not shown. It is moved from right to left, as seen in Figure 5 in its tabulating or working stroke past type bars (not shown), and is arrested in the various columnar printing positions on the records by means of stops on a control plate similar to that disclosed in the patent to Walter A. Anderson, No. 2,634,051, dated April 7, 1953. A suitable power operated return mechanism returns the carriage to its right-hand position.

While the carriage is arrested in each of its columnar positions, the machine is operable to perform the necessary accounting functions and to print the proper entry on one of the work sheets, and in certain columnar positions the record sheets may be line-spaced, under the control of the carriage. To perform these operations, the machine is cycled by means of the mechanism disclosed in the above mentioned patent, during which a lever 16, comparable to the lever 19 in said patent, is rocked first counter-clockwise, as seen in Figure 1, about a shaft 17 mounted in the machine frame, to the position shown in Figure 2, and then clockwise to return the lever 16 to its normal position, the first movement thereof being hereinafter referred to as the forward, and the second as the return strokes of the machine cycle. Mounted on the lever 16 is a cam 19 which, with the lever 16 in its normal position is abutted by a feed slide 20, mounted for slidable movement on studs 22 and 23 fixed in the machine frame and tensioned rearwardly by a spring 25. Pivoted on a stationary stud 26 is an arm 28 carrying a roller 29, and having a depending cam portion 31, see Figure 2, which rests on a roller 32 mounted on the feed slide 20, to normally hold the arm 28 in its raised position against the tension of a spring 34.

The carriage 10 comprises, in part, left and right side plates 35 and 37 respectively supported in spaced relation by means of a frame indicated by the numeral 38 in Figure 5. Mounted on shafts 40 and 41 journalled in the carriage side plates is a split platen composed of two parts 43 and 44, Figure 6, spacing wheels 46 and 47 individual to the two parts of the platen being secured on the outer ends of the platen shafts 40 and 41. Movement of these spacing wheels rotates their respective shafts, and thereby advances their respective record sheets, the movement of one spacing wheel and platen having no effect on the other. The details of construction of the platen shafts and the manner in which the platens are secured thereto may be similar to the construction disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 1,880,220, issued to Oscar J. Sundstrand.

Pivoted on pintles 49 of the carriage frame 38 are independent hinged feed plates 50 and 52, Figure 5, individual to the two parts 43 and 44 of the platen respectively. Fixed on the plates 50 and 52 are brackets 53 and 55, respectively, carrying studs 56 and 58 pivotally mounting feed pawls 59 and 61, Figures 1 and 4. The feed pawls are tensioned by means of springs 62 and 64 to normally abut stops 65 and 67 fixed in the brackets 53 and 55. In this normal position, pawls are held from engagement with the spacing wheels 46 and 47.

The feed plates 50 and 52 are normally held in the Figure 1 position to overlie the roller 29 on the arm 28. To yieldingly hold the plates in such position, arms 68 and 70, pivoted on the studs 56 and 58, respectively, and each provided with a slot 71, are mounted for slidable movement forwardly and rearwardly on pins 72 fixed in the carriage side plates 35 and 37. These arms are constantly urged forwardly to a position wherein the rear end of the slot 71 abuts the pin 72, by means of springs 74, to set the normal position of the plates 50 and 52.

The present invention provides means for feeding only that portion of the two-part platen which is in operative relation with the printing type bars during that operation. For such feeding, a lever 75 is pivoted on the stud 26 and has a hook portion 77 overlying the upper rear edges of feed plates 50 and 52. Pivoted on a stud 78 in the lever 75 is a trigger 80, normally held by a spring 86 under a square pin 81 fixed in the lever 28. A spring 87 secured to the forward end of lever 75 urges the lever 75 clockwise to the Figure 1 position wherein trigger 80 may be rocked under square stud 81 of lever 28 and the hook portion 77 will be positioned above the normal position of feed plates 50 and 52 to ensure that there will be no interference between hook 77 and plates 50 and 52 during carriage travel.

With the carriage in position for printing in the various columns of a record sheet supported on the portion 43 of the two part platen, feed plate 50 underlies the hook 77. During the forward stroke of the machine cycle the cam 19 on lever 16 moves rearwardly, releasing slide 20 which follows cam 19 under the urge of a spring 25. Cam roller 32 releases the cam portion 31 of lever 28, which is then rocked by spring 34 to lower the roller 29. Due to the abutment of trigger 80 and square stud 81, such rocking of the lever 28 causes the lever 75 to rock downwardly also, whereupon hook 77 rocks the plate downwardly about its pintles 49, to cock the feed pawl 59 for later engagement with the spacing wheel 46 as shown in Figure 3.

Since the carriage may be tabulated to a new columnar position immediately after printing is effected, that is, during the second half of the cycle, hook 77 must be returned to its upper position prior to this time. During the last portion of movement of lever 75, a rearwardly extending tail of trigger 80 contacts a collar 92 on pivot 17 to rotate trigger 80 clockwise from under square stud 81. Lever is thereby released for return to its normal position by spring 87 with hook 77 above the feed plates 50 and 52. Slide 20 and lever 28 remain in their actuated positions so that at the end of the first half cycle, the parts are in the positions shown in Figure 2. The release of hook 77 frees feed plate 50 to the action of its spring 74 and the feed plate thereupon returns to the Figure 2 position wherein pawl 59 engages in a tooth of spacing wheel 46. Spring 74 is not however strong enough to cause rotation of wheel 46 and there will be no line-spacing of platen 43 at this time. As the machine traverses the return stroke of the cycle, the feed slide 20 is returned to its normal forward position by the cam 19, the roller 32 engaging the cam portion 31 of lever 28 to raise that lever, during which movement roller 29, acting upon the lower surface of plate 50, rocks the plate upwardly and advances the portion 43 of the platen by the engaging of the feed pawl 59 with the teeth of the spacing wheel 46. At the fully returned position of lever 28, the trigger 80 is restored to its normal position under square stud 81 and the feeding mechanism is fully restored to the normal, Figure 1, position.

After the completion of the desired printings on the record supported on portion 43 of the platen, the carriage is tabulated into position for printing on a record supported on the portion 44 of said platen. With this movement of the carriage, plate 52 moves into operative relation with the hook 77. The movement of the parts to advance the platen during a machine cycle is identical with that described above, excepting that with the rocking downwardly of the plate 52 by the hook 77, and its return by the roller 29, the portion 44 of the platen is advanced by the engagement of the feed pawl 61 in the teeth of the spacing wheel 47.

The present invention includes means for setting the feed pawls 59 and 61 to either prevent their advancing the associated portion 43 or 44 of the platen, or to enable the advancing thereof one or two teeth of the spacing wheels 46 and 47 during operation of the associated feed pawls. To do this, a pin 93 is fixed in the feed pawls 59 and 61. Mounted for forward and rearward movement on studs 95 and 96 are a left slide 98 and a right slide 99, each of which includes an inclined edge 101 for engagement by the pins 93. The slides 98 and 99 are detented in three positions by means of detents 102 engaging a pin 104, carried by said slides, under the tension of springs 105, and are each provided with a convenient handle 107 for shifting them between their extreme forward position wherein the cam edge 101 thereof is so set as to engage the pin 93 and prevent engagement of the feed pawl 59 or 61 and teeth of the spacing wheels 46 and 47, and their center or rearward positions wherein the engagement of the inclined edge 101 and pin 93 enables the engagement of the feed pawls with one and two teeth of the spacing wheels respectively.

With the present invention, various types of accounting work may be performed, one of which is illustrated in Figure 6. The illustration shows tapes 108 and 110 which we may assume to be supported on the platen portions 43 and 44 respectively. Printings may be made in several columns on each tape, utilizing the full capacity of the two part platen. As the hook 77 is not directly to the rear of the printing point of the usual type bars, the position laterally in the carriage wherein the plates 50 and 52 are separated, as indicated by the numeral 111, Figure 5, is offset with relation to the point of separation of the two part platen, as shown, enabling printing on the tapes without loss of horizontal printing space, and subsequent advancing of one portion of the platen while the carriage is tabulating to the printing columnar position on the other. Also, as is shown, a multiplicity of vertical printings may be made in several columns on tape 108, while single line entries with single line-spacings are printed on tape 110, with consequent conservation of the paper comprising tape 110.

Studs 89, Figure 5, represent the usual columnar position carriage stops which arrest the carriage 10 in the desired positions and may be positioned in selected locations to enable printing in any chosen positions on the platens 43 and 44. As is well known in the art, other studs may be aligned with studs 89 to control the effectiveness of slide 20 to determine a feed or non-feed of the platen at each columnar position.

It will be apparent from the above description of a preferred embodiment of the invention that many variations of structure are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A machine of the class described having a carriage laterally movable into columnar positions, a two part platen rotatable in said carriage to support work sheets for printing thereon, a cyclically operable actuating means, two elongated plates arranged end to end in said carriage, each plate having a length substantially the same as the related section of said two part platen and cyclically operable by said actuating means so long as the related section of said platen is in a printing position, a separately adjustable platen rotating means for each section of said two part platen and operating members between said plates and said platen rotating means.

2. A machine of the class described including a carriage movable laterally into predetermined columnar positions, at two part platen in said carriage, each part of said platen being rotatable to advance a work sheet supported thereby, a platen rotating mechanism individual to each part of said platen, and a cyclically operable actuating means for said platen rotating mechanisms, said actuating means comprising a pair of releasably connected cyclically operated members, one member during operation actuating either of said platen rotating mechanisms in an idle stroke and the other driven to thereafter restore said mechanism for a work sheet feeding movement, means to release the connection between said members to free said one member for return to its normal position at the end of said idle stroke and means to restore said other member to normal position and thereby restore said platen rotating mechanism.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 2 wherein each of said platen rotating mechanisms includes an actuatable part elongated in the direction of movement of said carriage, the actuatable parts of the two said rotating mechanisms being substantially colinear and each actuatable part being engaged between said cyclically operated members when the work sheet carried by said platen rotated thereby is aligned with a predetermined position.

4. An accounting machine of the class described having a frame, a carriage laterally movable on said frame into columnar positions, a two part platen rotatable in said carriage, means individual to each part of said platen to rotate the associated part of said platen, each platen rotating means being operable in an idle stroke and a return, platen rotating stroke, a pair of aligned pivoted plates on said carriage, each plate operable to actuate one of said platen rotating means and extending in the direction of carriage motion a distance substantially equal to the length of the part of the platen rotated thereby, a cyclically operated member on said frame to restore a plate aligned therewith to a normal position, another member to move said plate from said normal position, a connecting arm pivoted on said other member and normally engaged with a portion of said cyclically operated member, means to actuate said cyclically operated mem- 5 6 her, amtih a stationary faart engaged fby sgiid ciorglifcting References Cited in the file of this patent arm at e mi point 0 movement 0 sai cyc ic y operated member to free said other member for return to UNITED STATES PATENTS normal position prior to restoration of said cyclically 795,377 Wales July 25, 1905 operated member. 5 2,084,519 Anderson June 22, 1937

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