US2838157A - Duplicating ribbon attachment - Google Patents

Description

June 10, 1958 J. c. HOCHMAN 2,838,157

DUPLICATING RIBBON ATTACHMENT Filed Jan. 19, 1953 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR Jalzus GHoc/zmaw ATTORNEYS June 10, 1958 J. c. HOCHMAN 2,838,157

' DUPLICATING RIBBON ATTACHMENT ZSheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. -19, 1953 K INVENTOR Jalms (YHoc/zman ATTORNEYS United States Patent DUPLICATING RIBBON ATTACHMENT Julius C. Hochrnan, New York, N. Y.

Application January 19, 1953, Serial No. 331,943

21 Claims. (Cl. 197-153) This invention relates primarily to bookkeeping machines, more particularly to the instrumentalities thereof or associated therewith for facilitating collated form insertion.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide a form insertion unit which may be used in conjunction with an open frame carrying one or more lengths of ribbon and constructed so that it may be positionedon the platen of a conventional bookkeeping machine and which will without any alteration whatsoever in the construction of the machine, facilitate collated form insertion into such machine, which unit may be formed substantially solely from metal stampings and may be readily applied upon the machine, without resort to tools, or skilled or timeconsurning fastening manipulation and which may as readily be removed from the machine, which coordinates with the parts of the machine automatically to assure proper co-relation for effective use, which does not interfere with the normal operation of the paper clamps, bail or other paper holding means or the line spacer, and which is free from interference with the primary ribbon mechanism.

The form insertion unit of the invention comprises superposed guides which facilitate insertion of collated paper forms under the respective ribbon or ribbons tautly held by the ribbon carrying frame,

This application is a continuation-impart of co-pending application Serial No. 37,748, filed July 9, 1948, issued as Pat. No. 2,626,035 on January 20, 1953.

In the accompanying drawings in which are shown one or more of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. l is a fragmentary perspective view of the car riage of a front feed bookkeeping machine showing installed one embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view on a larger scale of one end of the frame,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a form insertion unit, Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional View on a larger scale taken along line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the ribbons, with parts broken away.

, Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the carriage of a front feed bookkeeping machine showing installed another embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along line 7-7 of Fig. 6,

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 taken along line 3-8 of Fig. 6, V

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on an. enlarged scale taken along line 9-9 of Fig. 6,

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a ribbon supporting bracket,

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal sectional View taken along line 11--11 of Fig. 10 and Fig. 12 is a fragmentary perspective view of the carriage of a front feed bookkeeping machine showing, installed still another embodimentofthe invention.-

Referring now to the drawings, the form insertion unit 14 illustratively shown in Figs. 1 to 4 desirably comprises a plurality of superposed spring sheet steel form guides, three of which are illustratively shown, designated by the numerals 15, 16 and 17.

The front guide 15 and rear guide 17 each has but a single ply whereas the middle guide 16 is desirably reversely bent to form a separable double ply with the folded end 18 at the top and the open portion 19 at the bottom. As is clearly shown in the drawings, the lower portions or guide tracks of the guides are desirably curved to conform substantially to the curvature of the platen, are in nested relation and desirably taper inwardly along their outer edge as at 21 with the end 22 of the front guide 15 preferably extending substantially beyond the two ends 23 and 24 of the middle guide 16 which in turn extends beyond the end 25 of the rear guide 17, the ends 23, 24 and 25 being thus in stepped relation.

The upper portions of the guides are preferably substantially flat as shown, with the upper portion of the double ply middle guide 16 projecting forwardly from the upper portion of the rear guide 17 to form a space 26 therebetween and with the upper portion of the front guide 15, substantially parallel to the upper portion of the middle guide 16 to form a space 27 therebetween. The ends of the upper portions are preferably of grad uated height increasing toward the rear, further to facili tate the insertion of forms between the guides.

In the illustrative embodiment herein shown, the upper end of the rear guide which extends beyond the middle guide is reversely bent as at 31 and has a central notch 32 therein which defines transversely aligned hangers 33 and .34, each having an outwardly bent lip 35.

To assemble the guides into a unit, the front guide 15 and top ply 36 of the middle guide each desirably has a laterally projecting arm 37 integral therewith which two arms are secured to the rear guide 17 along the outer edge thereof, as by a pair of rivets 38. The inner edge 41 of the front guide is desirably aligned with the inner edges of the other two guides, and the curved portion 39 of front guide 15 is of greater width than and extends beyond the other guides.

The form insertion unit 14 may be used, for example, on a Remington front feed typ'e bookkeeping machine in conjunction with a ribbon carrier of the general type shown. in Patent No. 2,226,863, dated December 31, 1-959, 7

and Patent No. 2,626,035, dated January 20, 1953.

In Fig. l of the drawings is illustratively shown the carriage of a Remington front feed type bookkeeping! machine showing the platen 51, the bail rod 52 and its support arm 53 which also mounts the bail rod brace 54. The machine also includes a movable deflector plate 56 extending beyond the lower and forward edge 5'8 of a resilient deflector plate 55.. The machine also includes the fixed table 59 which, like the other plates, extends the length of the platen with its lower and forward edge 61 underneath and supporting and guiding the sliding movement of the lower end 57' of the movable deflector plate as.

The machine is also equipped with front feed paper clamp rollers 64, only one of which is illustratively shown, and which is displaced by suitable mechanism (not shown) in the upward and outward movement of the movable deflector plate 56 for form insertion in. the manner hereinafter described.

A line finding wire 65' is supported by means (not shown) at each end of the platen slightly above the upper edge of the type head (not shown) which strikes the primary ribbon (not shown) to make an impression on thetop form inthe machine.

The foregoing-constructionofthe Remington book keeping machine is conventional and per se forms no part of this invention.

The ribbon holder with which the form insertion unit 14 may be used, as illustratively shown in Figs. 1 and 2, may comprise a spring metal angle bar 67 which may be of length nearly equal to that of the platen, having end arms 68 extending at right angles thereto, the arms 68 desirably being curved to the curvature of the platen. Although arms 68 may be formed integrally with bar 67, desirably each of the arms 68 has a laterally extending member 69 affixed to bar 67, preferably by rivets 71.

Each curved arm 68 desirably has at its edge an integral upstanding stiffening ledge 72, said ledges being notched as at 73 to straddle the bail 52.

Special retainer means is preferably provided for releasably securing the ribbon ends to the arms 68 of the frame. In a preferred construction shown, the free end of each of the arms 68 may be substantially rectangular in shape as at 74 and has a lock shoulder 75 integral with its outer edge. Each of the ribbons R shown in Fig. 5 is ink impregnated and has an impervious backing on one face and desirably has a tab 76 at each end, preferably of impervious fabric afhxed thereon. The ribbon R has a pair of slits 77 and 78 clear through each tab end and parallel to the length of the ribbon and may be of equal length, as shown, to accommodate the substantially rectangular ends 74 of the arms 68. It is of course to be understood that the tabs 76 could be eliminatcd and the slits 77 and 78 through the ribbon alone when suitably stiffened near its ends, could accommodate end 7 4 of arm 68.

The distance between the outer edges of the slits in the ribbon is somewhat shorter than the distance between the outer edges of the ribbon attaching ends 74 of the frame arms so that the lock shoulders 75 on arms 68 will snap under the respective outer ends of top slits 77 when the tabs are aflixed to the ends 74 of arms 68, securely yet releasably to retain the lock shoulders under the associated outer ends of slits 77, thereby securely and tautly retaining the ribbons on the arms, yet permitting their ready release when desired.

Although one or more ribbons could be mounted on the arms 68, in the illustrative embodiment shown, there are shown two ribbons 81 and 82 in superposed and aligned relation with their inked faces toward the rear.

By the construction above described, when the frame is laid upon the platen of the bookkeeping machine, as the distance between the upstanding ledges 72 on the arms 68 is preferably somewhat less than the length of the paper bail 52 of the machine, the bail may readily be positioned so as to register with and be straddled by notches 73 in ledges 72 and thus retain the frame in position,.while still permitting limited its longitudinal movement with respect to the platen.

In insertion or open throat position of the Remington front feed bookkeeping machine, illustratively shown in Fig. 1, with the bail in raised position with its rollers (not shown) out of contact with the platen and with the clamp roller 64 spaced from the platen, the journal sheet I is inserted from the rear between the resilient deflector plate 55 and the platen 51 and is pushed directly about the latter until it passes up in front of the platen for a short distance. The ribbon carrying frame is then dropped loosely upon the platen with its ribbons 81 and 82 on top of the journal sheet and the guide unit -14 is then hung from the bail rod 52 adjacent arm 68 by means of its clips 33, 34 with the lower end 22 of the front insertion guide 15 inside of the movable deflector plate 56 which at this time is in its upper or form receiving position as shown in Fig. 1. The guides 15, 16 and 17 are positioned with respect to ribbons 81 and 82 so that the ends 23, 24 of guide 16 straddle ribbon 81 and the end 25 of guide 17 is in front of ribbon 82. 7

The top end of journal sheet I may pass underneath the angle bar 67 of the frame as shown, or above if 4 desired, and the bail is then lowered with the bail rod 52 resting freely in the notches 73 of the ledges 72, thus positioning the frame with the ribbons 81 and 82 located along the writing line of the machine and with the bail rollers (not shown) pressing the journal sheet J against the platen.

In one of the many widely used bookkeeping operations, the user then takes a ledger form L and a statement form S, preferably held in proper collated position for entry at the desired places on each form, and positions the corner of the ledger form L between the upper portions of guides 16 and 17 and the corner.86 of the upper or statement form S between the upper portion of guides 15 and 16 as is shown in Fig. 1 and thereupon pushes the ledger and statement forms downward and around the platen until the proper writing line is brought into position as indicated by the line finding wire 65.

As the portions of the ribbons 81 and 82 beneath the guide unit 14 are not in contact as the ends 23, 24 of guide 16 straddle ribbon 81 and the end 24 of guide 16 and the end 25 of guide 17 are in front of ribbon 82, and as the corners 85 and 86 or" the respective forms L and S are between the smooth faces of the opposed guides, the forms will not catch on the top edges of the ribbon and hence there will be nothing to impede their movement down and around the platen. Thus, the forms may readily be properly positioned in the machine with ribbon 82 between the face of the journal sheet I and the back of the ledger form L and ribbon 81 between the face of the ledger form L and the back of the statement form S. The user then need merely slide the forms S and L longitudinally of the platen to clear the guide unit 14 until they are in proper columnar position with respect to the journal sheet].

When deflector plate 56 is moved from closed to open position, it will ride on the outer surface 39 of end 22 of guide 15. This will prevent the deflector plate 56 from catching on the bottom end of arm 68 or on the bottom edges of the ribbons. If desired, a piece similar to end 22 (not shown) could be provided on the other end of the frame for the same purpose.

When the forms L and S and journal I are correctly correlated, the deflector plate 56, the clamp rollers 64 and line finding wire 65 are moved against the platen 51 securely holding the ledger and statement form in place with the line finding wire aligned with the top edges 88 of the superposed ribbons 81 and 82 and with the bottom edge of the last previously typed entry on the forms.

With the machine in its closed position, the deflector plate 56 presses against the extending lower surface 22 of top guide 15, thus retaining all of the fiexible guide leaves in close proximity with the platen so that in the lateral movement of the machine carriage, no possibility exists of any elements mounted on the moving carriage colliding with forwardly projecting stationary elements such as type guides, ribbon vibrator, etc, that are mounted on the machine base.

In use, the impact of the type keys (not shown) through the primary ribbon (not shown) will imprint the statement form as usual and through ribbons 81 and 82 will cause a similar ink imprint upon the ledger form L and journal form I.

In movement of the carriage platen after each depression of the type keys, the ribbon frame is carried lengthwise with the platen, thereby to expose a fresh area of the ribbons to the type heads, which only move transversely of the platen always to strike at the same position relative to the frame of the machine. Hence substantially the entire length of the top half of the ribbon will be utilized.

The line finding wire 65 being aligned with the upper edge 88 of the ribbons, the type heads will strike close to such upper edge and hence it is merely necessary to rotate the platen one line space to see the line just typed, which greatly'facilitates entry of figures on the forms.

Because of its symmetrical construction, when the ink in the upper half of the ribbon is spent it may be reversed end to end so that the unused lower half is brought into type impact position adjacent the line finding wire and in this way substantially the entire serviceable area of the ribbon is effectively used.

Although the device shown in Figs. 1 to 4 utilizes but two ribbons, it is of course to be understood that a single ribbon or a greater number of ribbons could be utilized and an additional double ply guide provided for each additional ribbon.

Due to the loose mount of the ribbon carrying frame on the platen, the frame may move horizontally along the platen, in response to such forces as those of momentum and inertia, generated during normal carriage movement and. carriage tabulation. Preferably this movement of the frame along the platen is limited to a distance equal to approximately one type space, the movement being preferably controlled by spaced collars (not shown) mounted on bail rod 52 for abutment by the upstanding ledges 72 on the frame arms 68. A somewhat lesser amount of vertical movement of the ribbon, with respect to the line of type impact, is also provided for by making notches 73, in which the bail rod 52 rests, slightly wider than the diameter of the bail rod.

It is obvious that the various movements of the ribbon carrying frame with respect to the point of type impact, as outlined above, results in a complete utilization of the ribbon area adjacent the writing line of the machine, and that the provision of a symmetrical ribbon capable of end to end reversal with two such copy making areas, makes possible an extremely large amount of typing before ribbon changing becomes necessary.

'The embodiment of the form insertion unit 91 shown in Figs. 6 to 9 is desirably for use on a Remington Bookkeeping Machine of the type having a moving element such as a rock shaft 128. Both the ribbon carrying frame 90 and form insertion unit 91 are desirably similar to the frame 67 and insertion unit 14 shown in Figs. 1 to 4 and corresponding parts have the same reference numerals primed.

By setting. of the machine to closed typing position after insertion of the forms, the form insertion unit 91 is retracted or moved away from the typing line.

To this end, the superposed spring sheet steel form guides 15', 16 and 17' which are retained together by rivets 38 through their laterally extending arms 37 are slida'bly mounted on arm 68 desirably on the left side of the frame 67'.

Although the superposed form guides may be so mounted in any suitable manner, in the illustrative embodiment herein shown, there is a longitudinal slot 115 in the portion of arm 37' of guide 17' which extends beyond the upper ends of the arms 37 of the guides 15 and 16, and a second longitudinal slot 115' aligned with the first through the three superposed arms 37. The guides 15, 16' and 17' are mounted on arm 68' by means of rivets 116 which extend through the slots, such rivets providing sufficient clearance between their heads 117 and the arm 68' for such sliding movement.

a The curved portion 119 of front guide 15' is desirably of greater width than the other guides so as to cover the latter and also to cover all but the outer edge portion of arm end 74", with its lower end 97 extending substantially below the end of the frame arm 68.

Desirably, the inner edge 102 of the guides 15', 16' and 17' tapers inwardly as at 103 and then extends longitudinally of the guides as at 104 for the purpose here matter to be described.

Although the assembled guides 15', 16 and 17' may he slid back and forth on arm 68 from retracted position. to form insertion position in any suitable manner, in the embodiment herein shown, one of the arms 37' may have an outstanding ear 121 to which is pivoted at one end, a pitman or connecting bar 122. The other end of the bar 122 is pivotally connected as at 123 to a lever 124 which mounts a substantially U-shaped connecting clip 125 at its free end, the legs 126, 127 of which, in the embodiment shown, straddle a rock shaft 128, the leg 127 of the clip having an inwardly extending portion 129 which seats in a longitudinal groove 131 in said rock shaft to key the clip thereto.

Desirably, the pivotal connection of the lever 124 to the bar 122 is designed to facilitate separation thereof. To this end, as shown in Fig. 9, bar 122 desirably has a lateral stud 133 at its end which extends through an opening 134 in a leaf spring 135 afiixed as by riveting as at 136 to the side of bar 122 and extending toward the end thereof, such extending portion being spaced from the rod with the end of such extending portion being bent outwardly. The lever 124 desirably has a transverse opening 137 therethr-ough which coacts with the stud 133, securely yet releasably to retain the lever and the stud together.

When the machine is in form insertion position, the rock shaft will have been oscillated in conventional manner in a counterclockwise direction. As a result, due to the movement of lever 124, the bar 122 will be pulled outwardly from the platen thereby pulling the assembled guides downwardly to form insertion position from the retracted position shown in Fig. 6, the longitudinal slots 115 and 115' permitting such movement. With the guides in this position, a ledger and statement sheet may be properly collated and inserted between ribbons 141 and 142 mounted between the arms 68' of the frame in the manner previously described with respect to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

After the ledger and statement sheet have been properly inserted, the machine is moved to closed position which will cause oscillation of the rock shaft 128 in a clockwise direction to move the guides to the position shown in Fig. 6. By reason of the tapered inner edge 193 of the guides, substantially the entire length of the ribbons will be exposed to permit typing throughout substantially their entire lengths.

' The movement of the guides and the length of their bottom portions are so correlated that even when the assembled guides are in retracted position as shown in Fig. 6, the ribbons will still be properly positioned with respect thereto. As a result, in subsequent form insertions, the forms will dependably be positioned between the ribbons and there is no likelihood of jamming of the bottom edges of the guides against the upper edges of the ribbons. The operation and advantages of the insertion guides have been previously described in detail with respect to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

The embodiment shown in Figs. 10, 11 and 12 is especially designed for use where a wide form and a long platen is used which requires a long ribbon carrying frame and preferably a long ribbon or ribbons as the case may be.

The frame is illustratively shown mounted on a National Cash Register, Class 31 Bookkeeping Machine, which has a bar 151, substantially rectangular in cross section extending longitudinally of the platen 152.

Affixed to bar 151 near each end of the platen is an outstanding bracket 153 which desirably has an inwardly extending stud 154 at its end. The frame desirably has a reversely bent clip 155 at each end by means of which it may be suspended from the studs 154, with the end arms 156 of the frame resting on the platen 152.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 12, the end arm 151 of the frame may carry a guide unit 158 thereon in the manner provided in Patent No. 2,626,035, issued January 20, 1953, or if desired, a separate guide unit may be utilized such as that shown in Figs. 1 and 4. As the guide unit 158 is substantially identical to that shown in the above identified patent, and to that shown in Figs. 1 and 4, it will not be further described.

In order to prevent bowing of the long ribbons 161 and 162, due to the frictional dragging of the forms when the platen is rotated, a support bracket 163 may be provided which is shown in Fig. 10. The bracket which is preferably a strip of resilient sheet metal, is preferably formed at its upper portion 164 so that it may be securely yet slidably mounted on the longitudinal bar 165 of the frame. In the illustrative embodiment herein shown in which the longitudinal bar is an angle bar, the upper portion 164 is desirably reversely bent defining a resilient leg 166 which has a substantially L-shaped portion 167 at its end, one leg 168 of which is designed to seat on the top 169 of the longitudinal bar and the other leg 171 of which is designed to press against the rear edge 172 thereof. The strip desirably has two inturned ears 173 which extend beyond the front portion 174 of the bar. Thus, by reason of the resilience of the reversely bent leg 166, the support bracket will be securely yet slidably mounted on the longitudinal bar 165. The lower portion of the support bracket is desirably curved to conform generally to the curvature of the platen and desirably has a longitudinal slot 175 in its end through which the ribbons may be passed. As the length of the slot 175 is substantially equal to the width of the ribbon, the bracket will provide a support for the tensed ribbons intermediate their ends.

It is of course to be understood that where such support bracket is used, it would be positioned along the longitudinal angle bar of the frame at a point where no entries will be made on the forms and hence the type heads will not strike against the bracket.

Although the supporting bracket has illustratively been described in conjunction with a frame having form insertion guides thereon, it if course obvious that such supporting bracket could be used on frames which do not have the form insertion guides and which carry one or more ribbons.

In certain bookkeeping operations which may be performed, for example, on a National Cash Register Machine, Class 31, with a long platen requiring a long ribbon holding frame, it may be desired to insert two sets of statement and ledger forms in association with a single journal sheet. In such case, it may be desired to provide a second form guide unit intermediate the ends of the frame. In the illustrative embodiment shown in Fig. 12, such second form guide unit 181 which is substantially identical to guide unit 158, is mounted on the supporting bracket 163 which is substantially identical to the supporting bracket heretofore described and shown in Figs. and l 1.

With the construction thus described, it is readily apparent that collated sheets of ledger and statement forms may be inserted in proper relation with respect to the ribbons by the use of guide unit 158 and a second set of collated forms may be inserted in proper relation with respect to the ribbons by the use of guide unit 181.

By reason of the combining of the supporting bracket 163' and the guide unit 181 in a single assembly, bowing of the relatively long ribbons 161, 162 when the platen is rotated, is avoided and consequently the ribbons will not move from the insertion guides, which movement, in addition to requiring that the ribbons again be properly positioned with respect to such guides, might cause jamming of the machine.

By the use of the above described insertion guide units, with the ribbon carrying frames, form insertion in front feed type machines is greatly facilitated. Statement and ledger forms or forms of similar nature may be rapidly collated without the necessity of handling additional loose carbons, and the guides direct the forms automatically into proper position between the ribbons. Every typed item on the journal sheet is fully visible, for unimpeded reference thereto, as is desired in many bookkeeping opera tions. p i

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis:

1. As an article of manufacture, an insertion guide unit for a bookkeeping machine of the front feed type including a platen and a deflector plate underneath the platen, said guide unit comprising a plurality of superposed insertion guides of sheet material secured together near one edge of width but a small fraction of the width of the sheet, the upper portions of said guides being spaced from each other, the lower portion of at least one of said guides being adapted to be located between said deflector plate and said platen, said unit including means of supporting it in operative position with respect to the machine.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which each of said guides has an upper portion and a curved lower portion and the ends of said curved portions are stepped, with the end of the front guide extending beyond the end of the rear guide.

3.. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which each of said insertion guides is a thin leaf of sheet metal and has a lower portion curved to conform approximately to the platen of the machine.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which each of said insertion guides has an upper portion and a curvedlower portion and the lower portion of the front guide is of greater Width than the lower portion of the guides therebelow.

5. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which the bookkeeeping machine has a sheet deflector plate extending under the platen and the sheet material insertion guides extend between the platen and the sheet deflector plate.

6. As an article of manufacture, an insertion guide unit for a bookkeeping machine of the front feed type including a platen and a deflector plate underneath the platen, said guide unit comprising at least three insertion guides, superposed at their lower portions, means securely retaining said lower portions together, the lower portion of at least one of said guides being adapted to be located between said deflector plate and said platen, the upper portions of the guides being spaced apart, each guide between the front guide and rear guide having two separable plies, said unit including means for supporting it in operative position with respect to the machine.

7. The combination set forth in claim 6 in which the upper portion of the rear guide is conformed as a support extending beyond the other guides, and each of the other guides has a laterally extending arm at which it is affixed to said rear guide.

8. The combination set forth in claim 6 in which the upper portion of the rear guide extends beyond the other guides, each of said other guides has a laterally extending arm atfixed to said rear guide adjacent an edge thereof, and the upper end of the rear guide is reversely bent to define the means for supporting the unit in operative position with respect to the machine.

9. The combination set forth in claim 6 in which the ends of the curved portions are stepped, with the end of the front guide extending beyond the end of the rear guide, the lower portion of the front guide extending laterally outward beyond the lower portions of the guides therebelow.

10. In a machine of the front feed type including a platen and means movable with respect to such platen from typing to form inserting position; the combination therewith of a frame, means on said frame coacting with said machine to position said frame on said platen, ribbon mounting means near opposite ends of said frame to retain the respective ends of a ribbon to extend therebetween longitudinally of said frame, insertion guide means to facilitate the simultaneous insertion of a plurality of forms incorrect relation with respect to said ribbon, and means slidably to mount said insertion guide means with respect to said frame to move vertically with respect to said platen.

11. In a machine of the front feed type including a platen and means movable with respect to such platen from typing to form inserting position; the combination therewith of a frame, means on said frame coacting with said machine to position said frame on said platen, ribbon mounting means near opposite ends of said frame to retain the respective ends of a ribbon to extend therebetween longitudinally of said frame, insertion guide means to facilitate the simultaneous insertion of a plurality of forms in correct relation with respect to said ribbon, means slidably to mount said insertion guide means with respect to said frame, and a transmission between the movable member and the insertion guide means to displace it vertically with respect to said, platen to or from form insertion position.

12. A ribbon carrier for a bookkeeping machine of the front feed type that has a platen, type keys and a movable member, said ribbon carrier comprising a frame to rest on said platen and to move longitudinally therewith, means'on said frame coacting with said machine for positioning it to rest on said platen, parallel ribbon holding arms on said frame at the respective ends thereof extending substantially at right angles thereto, ribbon holding means at the outer parts of said arms to retain the respective ends of a ribbon, an insertion guide unit displaceably mounted on one of said arms for setting in form insertion or retracted position, and a transmission from said movable member to control said setting of said insertion guide unit. r

13. The combination set forth in claim 12 in which said insertion guide unit comprises at least three superposed insertion guides, means securely retaining said guides together, each of said guides having a laterally extending arm superposed over an arm of said frame, and means connecting the guide arms to said frame arm for sliding displacement therealong between form inserting and retracted position.

14. The combination set forth in claim 13 in which the inner edges of said guides are tapered downward and outward, so that in retracted position it will clear the end of the ribbon to permit typing thereat.

15. The combination set forth in claim 13 in which the insertion guide unit is slidably mounted for lengthwise movement relative to said arm.

16. The combination set forth in claim 13 in which the insertion guide unit is slidably mounted for lengthwise movement relative to such arm by means ofa pair of rivets on one of said relatively movable elements riding in elongated slots in the other.

17. The combination set forth in claim 13 in which said movable member is a rock shaft and the transmission to said insertion guide unit comprises an outstanding ear on the outer edge of one of said laterally extending arms, a bar pivotally connected at one end to said ear, a lever mounted at one end to said rock shaft and pivotally connected at its other end to the free end of said bar.

18. The combination set forth in claim 13 in which said movable member is a rock shaft and the transmission to said insertion guide unit comprises an outstanding ear on the outer edge of one of said laterally extending arms, a bar pivotally connected at one end to said ear, a stud affixed at the free end to said bar and extending laterally outward from its side through an opening in a leaf spring affixed at one end to the side of said bar, the free end of said leaf spring being spaced from said bar, said stud extending also through an opening in a lever mounted at one end to said rock shaft and positioned at its other end between said bar and said leaf spring.

19. As an article of manufacture, a combined ribbon brace and insertion guide unit for an auxiliary ribbon holder to be used on a bookkeeping machine, said combined unit comprising a bracket in the form of a strip, means at the upper end of the strip for positioning said combined unit on said machine, the lower portion of said strip being curved and having'a vertical opening near the lower end thereof through which a ribbon may extend and an insertion guide unit superposed over and secured to said bracket.

20. The combination set forth in claim 19 in which the means at the upper end of said bracket is conformed for releasable and slidable engagement with a longitudinal bar element of the auxiliary ribbon holder.

21. As an article of manufacture, a combined ribbon brace and insertion guide unit for an auxiliary ribbon holder to be used on a bookkeeping machine, said combined unit comprising a bracket in the form of a strip.

means at the upper end of the strip for positioning said combined unit on said machine, the lower portion of said strip being curved and having a vertical opening near its lower end through which a ribbon may extend, said insertion guide unit including a plurality of superposed guides, each having a laterally extending arm and means securely mounting said unit by retaining said arms to said strip near one edge thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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