US2955694A

US2955694A - Type-printing telegraph apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2955694A
Application number: US568657A
Authority: US
Inventors: Handley John
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1955-03-03
Filing date: 1956-02-29
Publication date: 1960-10-11
Anticipated expiration: 1977-10-11

Description

1 J. HANDLEY 2,955,694

TYPE-PR INTING TELEGRAPH APPARATU$ 1 venlor J. HAN DLEY I Attorney Filed Feb. 29, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnvenwr J. HA N D L. E Y

A tf'arney- Oct. 11, 1960 5 Shets-Sheei 3 Filed Feb. 29, 1956 Inventor J. H A N D l. EY

By I

A ltorn ey Oct. 11, 1960 Filed Feb. 29, 1956 J. HANDLEY TYPE-PRINTING TELEGRAPH APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4' I n uentor J. HANDLEY Atorney Oct. 11, 1960 J. HANDLEY TYPE-PRINTING TELEGRAPH APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 29,v1956 Inventor J. HANDLEY Attorney United States PatentO TYPE-PRINTING TELEGRAPH APPARATUS John .Handley, Little Marland, Briar Hill, Purley, Surrey, England The present invention relates to printing telegraph .appara'tus, and more particularly, to such apparatus for printing on paper in sheet form. v

A limitation .on the speed of known printing telegraph apparatus which prints on paper in sheet form is provided bylhe fact that the platen has to be returned at the end of each line before the next line can be printed. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide print ng telegraph apparatus in which the speed of printing is increased by elimination of the carriage return feature. I

According to the present invention there is provided printing telegraph apparatus comprisingya tubular support about which a sheet of paper may be positioned, printing means for printing characters in a line along a circumference .of said tubular support, automatic means for effecting character spacing along said circumference, and means for effecting a line feed operation along the axis of the tubular support.

'In the embodiment of the invention which will be described, the tubular support is a hollow cylinder of, for

2 single revolution camshaft releases a clutch to startth -feed roller shaft. As the feed rollers grip the paper, 'a valve is opened to break the air suction which is holding 'the1pa'per to the feed member. The paper feed member returns to its normal position and the paper is fed round to v the starting position.

When the single revolution cam-shaft has completed its cycle, a contact on the cam-shaft opens a holding circuit to enable the printing to commence. 7

"To eject or unload the sheet, the space relay is operated until the paper is rotated to the eject position, andis then ejected by operation of a reverse relay which rotates it in the reverse direction and so off the carriage. The paper is thus unloaded printed side down on to an upper tray, so that a number of sheets, when taken off, will be in correct order.

The invention will be better understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a printer according to the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a part of the printer of Fig. 1,

, Fig. 3 'is a front view of the printer of Fig. 1,

Fig. '4 is a section of the printer of Fig. 1, taken along 7 the line 1v rv, and

example, plastic material and is surroundedby another plastic cylinder having suitable slots through which the sheet of paper isinserted. The paper is fed sideways into the printer and gripped at its top and bottom edges by cork "rollers and guided between the two cylinders. The-cylinders, and rollers are mountedbetween two end plates which are held together by two tie rods and a toothed rack to form a carriage. The carriage runs on two tubes, a roller for each tube being attached to each of the end plates. Because the paper is fed sideways into the printer, the type is turned at 90 degrees to normal and the paper is rotated on the inner cylinder letter by letter, the carriage being traversed sideways for line feed. Both the rotatteed and lateral feed are reversableand are effected by slipping clutches, escapementsand differential gears. 1 The type unit is of the kind described in copending application Serial No. 554,009; filed December 19, 1955, and positioned underneath the carriage. The type hamis carried inside the carriage and is operated by a ti-ibular push rod from a magnetic clutch driven by the motor, in a similar way to thatdescribed in the said co-' pending application.- The construction of the clutch has been modified, however. a V

The paper is loaded into the printer by a camshaft, which, when released, makes one complete revolution and then comes to rest. Durin the first part of this revolution, a piston in a cylinder is released to cause a decrease in the air pressure in a paper feed member, while at the same time a ratchet feed actuated by a second lifts the stack of paper into contact with the paper feed member, unlessit is high enough already. The top sheet on the stack of paper is therefore gripped by suetion to the paper feed member. V A third cam permits the paper feed member to be traversed forwards carrying the paper to the first feed rollers. As the paper approaches these rollers a contact on the Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of the carriage unit, showing also a part of the letter feed mechanism. I Referring to the drawings and firstly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the power for the printer is supplied by a motor 1, which drives a shaft 2. Mounted on shaft 2 are a worm 3 and the driving part of a magnetic cluthch 132. Clutch 132' operates the printing hammer to cause printing to take place, and its mechanism will be described in detail later. Worm 3 drives shaft 4 (see also Fig. 4), which in turn drives shafts 5 and 133' through further v'vo 'n'ns.

'F'rorn Figs. 3 and 4 it can be seen that shaft 5 drives the driving member 134 of a clutch 8 through worm 135. Shafts 2, 4, 5, 133' and driving member 134 are all continuously running. The clutch 8 is a ratchet and pawl clutch which is controlled by relay 7. Momentary operation of relay 7 will allow clutch 8 to engage and perform one revolution. i

The paper to be fed into the printer is stacked on plate 9 which, in its lowest position, rests on blocks 20. Plate 9 may be lifted by racks 10 and 11 which areoperated frorn shaft 13 by

gears

14 and 15. A paper feed member 36, which is supported by rollers 17 arid 18 running in slots 19, is provided above the stack of paper. By manual-1y turning handle 12 the shaft 13 may be rotated, thereby causing

gears

14 and 15 and racks 10 and 11 to raise the plate 9' and the stack of paper thereon. The stack of paper is thus manually raisedfuntil the top of it has lifted the paper feed member36,

androllers

17 and 18 are lifted in their respective slots 19. :Detent pawl 21 is spring-urged into engagement with ratchet wheel 16, which is also mounted on vsha fit 13, and retains shaft 13 in the position to which ithas' been turned when the paper feed member 36 is lifted by the stack of paper. This is the desired position for the paper for loading the printer.

The-top of the stack of paper is maintained in the desired position, even though paper is taken from it and used in the printer, by feed pawl 22.. Feed pawl 2 2 is operated by rocker 23 which is pivotable about shaft 13 but is not in driving contact with that shaft. Rocker 23 is in spring-urged contact with a cam 24 on shaft @thecam 24 being so shaped as to cause feed pawl zz to feed the ratchet wheel 16 round one tooth and lift the stack of paper on plate 9. Thus pawl 22 attempts toiaise the stack of paper every time cani its unoperated position.

feed pawl 22 engages ratchet wheel 16, paper feed member 36 will be lifted,

rollers

17 and 18 will be raised in their slots 19, and guide member 25 is lifted about pin 136. As guide member 25 is raised, so it raises rocker 27 which, through link 137, causes rocker 28 to throw the feed pawl 22 out of engagement withratchet wheel 16 before ratchet wheel 16 has been fed one tooth. The top of the stack is therefore always raised when necessary, but not unless it is necessary.

When the stack of paper has been used and has to be replenished, the plate 9 is allowed to fall to its lowest position, that in which it rests on blocks 20, by manually pressing down trigger 29. This causes both pawl 21 and feed pawl 22 to be released and the plate 9 and racks and 11 are free to fall.

When the machine is started, a loading signal is sent to relay 7 (Fig. 3) which operates momentarily allowing clutch 8 to engage and shaft 6 to rotate. The shaft 6 makes one complete revolution, during which the loading of a sheet of paper takes place, and then stops as clutch 8 is disengaged by relay 7 which has resumed As shaft 6 commences its revolution, roller 30 which in the rest position of shaft 6, lies in a depression in a cam on shaft 6, is forced out of this depression against the action of spring 31 causing contacts 32 to close. Contacts 32 are arranged to prevent the computer or tape-reading device, from which information is to be delivered for printing, from starting until the loading is completed.

At the same time, as the shaft 6 begins its revolution, cam 140 (Fig. 4) allows plunger 33 (Figs. 3 and 4), which is spring-urged upwards by a spring inside cylinder 138 to rise. As plunger 33 rises, it causes a drop in the pressure of the air in the cylinder 138 to occur, with the result that air is sucked into the cylinder 138 from the paper feed member 36 through pipes 34 and 35 (Fig. 3). Paper feed member 36 has longitudinal slots in its under-side which is in contact with the top sheet 'on the stack of paper, but is otherwise air-tight. This top sheet is therefore gripped by the paper feed member 36 by suction.

When the top sheet of paper is gripped by the paper feed member 36, cam 37 (Figs. 3 and 4) on shaft 6 allows cam follower 26 to be moved downwards by spring 139 through arm 38, to which cam follower 26 is attached. Arm 38 is fixed to shaft 39 which carries

arms

40 and 41. As cam follower 26 follows the contour of cam 37, so shaft 39 is caused to turn, first in a clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 4.

Arms

40 and 41, in the forks of which

rollers

17 and 18 are located respectively, therefore pivot about shaft 39 and move the

rollers

17 and 18 in the slots 19 to the right as seen in Fig. 4. Paper feed member 36, which is gripping the top sheet of paper on the stack is therefore moved to the right and inserts the edge of the sheet between the

cylinders

42 and 43 until the edge is in contact with

rollers

44 and 45.

Rollers

44 and 45 are mounted on shaft 49 and positioned in cut-out portions in cylinder 42 so that they bear directly on cylinder 43.

Rollers

69, 70, and 71, 72 are similarly positioned at different pointson the circumference of cylinder 43.

At the same time as the paper is fed into contact with

rollers

44 and 45, roller 30 (Fig. 3) is urged further outwards by its cam so that contacts 66 are closed as well as contacts 32. Contacts 66 operate relay 46 and hold it operated for the remainder of the revolution of shaft 6. Operation of relay 46 (Fig. 2) causes the magnetic circuit of this relay to be closed by movement 4 of the armature and this movement of the armature raises pawl 61 out of engagement with escapement wheel 62 (Fig. 1). Escapement wheel 62 is mounted rigidly on the shaft of a differential 50 which is arranged to drive shaft 49 which is a spline shaft. Mounted loosely on the shaft of differential 50 is a gear wheel 48 which is constantly driven from shaft 4 through gear wheel 47. Gear wheel 48 is continually trying to drive escapement wheel 62 through a friction clutch but this clutch slips until such time as pawl 61 is raised by operation of relay 46. Shaft 49 is then driven and

rollers

44 and 45 start to rotate.

Springs 73 and 74 (Figs. 3 and 4) are arranged to urge bracket 141 constantly to the right, as seen in Fig. 4.

Rollers

71 and 72 thus thrust cylinder 43 against the

other rollers

44, 45, 69, 70 so that the paper is gripped and as

rollers

44 and 45 are rotated by shaft 49 the paper is fed onto the cylinder 43.

Gears such as 63 (Fig. 1) are mounted on shaft 49 beside

rollers

44 and 45 and engage with geared rings 67 and 68 (Figs. 1 and 3).

Geared rings

67 and 68 engage further gears on the shafts of

rollers

69, 70, 71 and 72. Thus, as shaft 49 turns, all six

rollers

44, 45, 69, 70, 71, 72 turn to move the paper over the surface of cylinder 43.

As

rollers

44 and 45 grip the paper, the grip on it exerted until now by paper feed member 36 is broken. This is done by operation of lever 55 (Figs. 1 and 4) which engages with screw 57 to open valve 56 and break down the low pressure suction which had enabled paper feed member 36 to hold the paper.

While the paper is being fed into the cylinder 43, earn 37

causes arms

40 and 41 to return the paper feed member 36 to its rest position (i.e. that shown in Fig. 4). At the same time cam 140 returns plunger 33 against the action of its spring, and then, at the end of the revolution of shaft 6 when the paper has been fed round cylinder 43 so that there is a slight overlap, clutch 8 releases shaft 6 and roller 30 drops back into the depression on its cam thus allowing

contacts

66 and 32 to open simultaneously and retaining the shaft 6 in the correct rest position until another loading signal operates relay 7 again.

The opening of contacts 32 allows the delivery of information for printing to start. The printing mechanism may be of any suitable, known kind, but the outline of the printing mechanism shown in Fig. 4 is that of the kind described and claimed in co-pending application Serial No. 554,009, filed December 19, 1955. The type representing the character to be printed is selected by a selecting relay such as 58, and is set up at 59. The sheet of paper is then struck against the type by printing hammer 60 under the control of clutch 132 to print the character.

Clutch 132 (Figs. 1 and 2) is a modified form of that described in co-pending application Serial No. 554,009, filed December 19, 1955. Clutch 132' consists of two

plates

108 and 109 both of which are continuously driven by shaft 2 from motor 1. Between these two plates there is a friction plate 107 which is supported on boss 118 by a spider 106. Friction plate 107 is normally stationary.

Plates

108 and 109 contain respective magnetisable laminations 111 and 112 which may be energised by coils connected to slip rings 116 and 117, ring 117 being grounded to frame. The laminations 112 in plate 109 are shaped with lugs 114 and are clamped by plate 115 to plate 109 in which they are located in four rectangular slots. Plate 108 has four spigots 110 and can be moved backwards or forwards to adjust the air gap between laminations 111 and laminations 112 by adjustment of clamping screws 113. As the type representing the character to be printed is selected, the coils are energised and the laminations 111 and 112 in

plates

108 and 109 are drawn together and engage friction plate 107 to turn it for the duration of the energising pulse.

As plate 107 is rotated through a fraction of a revolution, so also is the boss 118 on which it is mounted. As

s e in s- :S'b s ,118 i tu ned s i ht y n an e ckwise d e iqni s ins i e ac ion o spr n 1- IJ- e restposition of friction plate .107 when it is not engaged b p 1 an 109 Pr 51 .1 ho d arm 11. 0 o 118 in contact :with stop 120.

Boss 118 also carries arms '1-22 and 126. Arm 122 a i pi 23 31 4 3 the basi 1 8 tu this operates the tubular push rod-124 which ,in turn causes rocker 125 to moyeganticlockwiseabout its pivot and printing hammer 16.0 .to strike the "paper against the type. Arm 126 m me t r y i ts pawl v i 2 d out of engagement with escapement wheel 62 and the paper is fed round .one .positionready for the printing of the next character.

Rocker 125 (Fig. 5 is carried; on the bracket 127 which supports ,thetwo tubes 128=and 1 29 (Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5). Thecarriage runs on

tubes

128 and 129 on rollers such as 131, 1 32 133, .(Figs. 4-and 5) which are supported from the end plates of ;the carriage.

A tabulating distributor wiper 51, which is driven by

gears

52 and 53 from differential '50, is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 The wiper 51 is traversed over distributor 54 as the paper .is moued .over the surface of the cylinder 43. h method by which the distributor may be operated when'tabulating is required, which will be obvious to one skilled in theua inwill not .be described here.

Whenprinting has'continued until the end of the line,

the line feed rang/19s (Fig. 1') is operated. If the printer is m d t a pm u e the camp may be arranged to. give a line feed signal as the end of a .line is approached. a t r at el f t m ste swprim s n at o m perforated tape, a contact on the distributor may be arranged to give a signal to operate the line feed relay 98 when the paper has been rotated to a given position on cylinder 43.

When line feed relay 98 is operated, its armature 102, which is pivoted on pin 103, moves against the action of leaf spring 105 to close the magnetic circuit of the relay. This movement of the armature releases the escapement wheel 84 (Figs. 1 and 4) which is fixedly mounted on the shaft of differential 85. Shaft 133' (Fig. 4), which is continuously rotated by shaft 4 through worms 90 and 91, carries on it gears 88 and 89. Gear 89 drives gear 92 which is loosely mounted about the shaft of differential 85, and gear 92 attempts to drive escapement wheel 84 through a friction clutch. It is only when escapement wheel 84 is released by operation of the line feed relay 98 that the clutch engages and gear 92 drives the differential 85, and the gear wheel 86 mounted on its shaft. Gear wheel 86, which engages the carriage feed rack 87 (Fig. 1), is thus driven in a clockwise direction (as seen in Fig. 1), to traverse the carriage to the left to the next line position.

When the carriage is moved fully to the left and the last line of the page is printed, a relay (not shown) similar to relay 98 but situated directly beneath it and controlling escapement wheel 95 (Fig. 4) is operated. Again, if the printer is used with a computer, the computer may be arranged to give carriage return, unloading and loading signals when the last line of the page has been printed, or, alternatively, the signals may be given by operation of a number of contacts when the carriage reaches the end of its traverse and when it is fully returned.

The continuously-rotating gear wheel 88 on shaft 133 drives gear 94 which is loosely mounted about the shaft of differential 85 through idler 93, so that gear 94 is continuously driven in the opposite direction to gear 92. Gear 94 attempts to drive escapement wheel 95, which is fixedly mounted to the shaft of differential 85, through a friction clutch. The friction clutch only engages when escapement wheel 95 is released on the appearance of a carriage return signal. Escapement wheel 95 is then driven anticlockwise (as seen in Fig. 1), as is also gear wheel 86 through differential 85. The carriage is thus returned fully to the right.

- T enn oading signal thencaus'es "thesheet of fp'aper to be ejected from the carriage. The, unloading signal consists of two Signalsfone to .operatefirelay 46 :for ;the period jnecessary gtp rotate :the paper (as already .described) ,until-thegreariedge of the sheet is opposite :the aperture-96 ;(;Fig. ,4). "Then-a signal is sent which o erates relay :80 (Fig. 71'). (The armaturelof :relay180 controis the .pawLSZ of rescapementwheel 81 which is fixedly mounted :to :the .shaft of differential .50. ,Gear 77 which is loosely ;mounted:about the shaft of differential '50 com tinuously attempts -to .dri ve' escapement wheel 81 in the opposite direction to gear .48 (already described), the

drive for .gear 77 being derived from gear 75 .on shaft 4 through idler :gear'z76 l( Figs. land 2 The unloading signal sent to relay 80 causes pawl 82 to release escapement wheel 81, when the sheet of paper is ejected onto plate 97. Immediately following this a loading signal is :sent to operate relay 7 and the next sheet of .paperis loaded.

The method of drive of shaft .49 which has been described enables .a definite time in which the drive is operative .to'be established. Further the shock of stopping the parts moving under .the action of one clutch is taken by the opposite clutch which is driven backwards a little and then returns to its .escapement again, thus acting as a shock absorber and damper.

The construction .of all the relays used is similar, and may be seen from Fig. l where the construction of relay 98 is shown. The relay consists of laminations 83 which are clamped :into a die-casting 99 and located by a V shaped portion 101 and .a clampingscrew100. The armature 102 is returned as soon as the operating signal ceases by leaf spring 105 which is controlled by stop screw 104.

While the principles of the invention have been described above in connection with specific embodiments, and particular modifications thereof, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation on the scope of the invention.

Whatl claim is:

1. Printing telegraph apparatus comprising a tubular support about which a sheet of paper may be positioned, printing means for printing characters in a line along a circumference of said tubular support, and automatic means for effecting character spacing along said circumference comprising a plurality of rollers, spring means for urging said rollers towards said tubular support to maintain them in contact with a sheet of paper on said tubular support, a friction clutch, gear means for driving said rollers and arranged to be driven through said friction clutch, driving means for driving said friction clutch, and control means, associated with said gear means, for allowing said gear means to be driven through said friction clutch upon printing of a character or receipt of a space signal.

2. Printing telegraph apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a second friction clutch means for driving said gear means in the reverse direction through said second friction clutch, and control means including a relay for preventing the driving of said gear means through the second friction clutch except on receipt of a sheet-ejection signal by the relay.

3. Printing telegraph apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

further comprising means for mounting said tubular support in fixed position on its axis.

4. Printing telegraph apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising further means for effecting a line feed operation comprising a rack associated with said tubular support, a gear engaging said rack, a second friction clutch, line-feed driving means for driving said gear through said second friction clutch, a relay, and means under control of said relay for preventing the driving of said gear through said second friction clutch-except on receipt of a line feed signal by said relay.

5. Printing telegraph apparatus as claimed in claim 4,

-7 comprising a third friction clutch, further means for driving said gear in a reverse direction to that in which it is driven by said line-feed driving means, through said third further friction clutch, a second relay and means under control of said second relay for preventing the driving of said gear through said third friction clutch except on the completion of printing on said sheet.

6. Printing telegraph apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a tubular member having a longitudinal slot extending along a substantial portion thereof, the said tubular member being so positioned as to enclose a substantial portion of said tubular support, and means for feeding a sheet of paper onto said tubular support through the longitudinal slot in said tubular member.

7. Printing telegraph apparatus as claimed in claim 6, in which said means for feeding a sheet of paper onto the tubular support comprises a paper feed member having longitudinal slots in the lower side thereof and being otherwise air-tight, means for lifting a sheet of paper into contact with the lower side of said paper feed member, means for decreasing the air pressure inside said paper feed member and thereby causing said paper fee'd member to grip the sheet of paper, and means for moving said paper feed member such that one edge of the sheet of paper is passed through the longitudinal slot in said tubular member.

8. Printing telegraph apparatus comprising a tubular support about which a sheet of paper may be positioned, printing means for printing characters in a line along a circumference of said tubular support, automatic means for effecting character spacing along said circumference and means for elfecting a line feed operation along the axis of the tubular support comprising a rack associated with said tubular support, a gear engaging said rack, a friction clutch, line-feed driving'means for driving said gear through said frictionclutch, a relay, and means under control of said relay for preventing the driving of said gear through said friction clutch except on receipt 'of a line-feed signal by said relay.

9. Printing telegraph apparatus comprising a tubular support about which a sheet of paper may be positioned, printing means for printing characters in a line along a circumference of said tubular support, a tubular member having a longitudinal slot extending along a substantial portion thereof, said tubular member being so positioned as to enclose a substantial portion of said tubular support, means for feeding a sheet of paper onto said tubular support through the longitudinal slot in said tubular member, means for gripping the said sheet of paper fed onto said tubular support, first means for operating the said gripping means to rotate the said sheet of paper around the said tubular support one revolution for each line printed, and second means for operating the said gripping means to rotate the said sheet of paper in a reverse direction to remove it from said tubular support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 118,491 Sholes Aug. 29, 1871 765,457- Buckingham et al. July 19, 1904 2,135,541 Stuart et a1. Nov. 8, 1938