US2966971A - Electric register - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 3, 1961 Filed June 6, 1957 c. J. MANUEL ETAL 2,966,971

ELECTRIC REGISTER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 5 aazl4 MM ATTORNEYS Jan. 3, 1961 c. J. MANuEu. ETAL 2,956,971

ELECTRIC REGISTER v Filed June 6, 1957 r I s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR5 w 2m filzza -M Milan;

ATTORNEYS Jan. 3, 1961 c. J. MANUEL ETAL 2,966Q971 ELECTRIC REGISTER Filed June a, 1957 s sheets-sheet:

I INVENTOR;

. ATTORNEYQ United States Patent ELECTRIC REGISTER Charles J. Manuel, Durham, and Lloyd F. Plummet, Dover, N.H., assignors to Moore Business Forms, Inc, Niagara Falls, N .Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 6, 1957, Ser. No. 663,997

3 Claims. (Cl. 192-2) This invention relates to improvements in autographic registers and more particularly to an electric motor drive for such registers incorporating a novel one-revolution and stop electric mechanism for successively actuating the feed rolls which feed printed forms successively to registering positions over a writing surface.

Various types of electrically driven autographic registers have heretofore been known. However, in many cases it was necessary either to mount the electric driving motor externally of the register housing or else to design a specially built motor of extreme thinness in one dimension for reception between the side walls of the register housing and the adjoining register structure. This is particularly true as to registers of the type which are normally designed for manual operation and which are to be converted to electrical operation.

With this in mind it is a primary object to so arrange the electric driving motor and its reduction gearing that a motor of conventional type may be successfully utilized and housed within the main register housing with a minimum displacement of the contents thereof. In particular it has been found that the usual form supply tray contained within the housing on the infeed side of the feed rolls may be angularly displaced relative to the housing and to the feed rolls at its end adjacent the latter to pro-' vide space for a conventional motor carried by the frame structure within the housing which supports the feed rolls and related mechanism and projecting beyond such structure into the space thus provided. It had been found that with such arrangement, as long as the opposite end of the tray is generally centered with relation to the line of feed of the forms, such angular disposition of the tray will not adversely affect the feeding.

A further and highly important aspect of the invention consists in the provision of the one-revolution and stop mechanism which utilizes a novel control linkage in which the links may assume the form of a toggle linkage.

In a specifically novel feature of this arrangement one of the linksof the toggle linkage is pivotally connected to a movable trigger element whereby the ends of the said linkage may be urged relatively toward each other to deflect the toggle knee and thus retract a holding detent from the controlled rotary element and, as an incident to such retraction movement, close a switch to energize a driving motor for rotating the element. Special provision is made for causing the linkage to re-engage the rotary element to bring the latter to a stop at the completion of one revolution, regardless of the position of the trigger, Thus in the event the operator fails to release the trigger before the completion of the one revolution the said element will be operative nevertheless.

This latter function is made possible through the provision of a disconnectible knee or coupling between the two toggle links and means under the control of the said rotatable element operative to disconnect or uncouple such knee to permit normal operation of .the detent in the event the trigger is maintained in operative position. The foregoing objects and advantages are all contained in the "ice preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a plan view of a usual manually operated type of autographic register with its cover removed, same being modified by the application thereto of the electric driving means of the invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation on a somewhat enlarged scale compared to Figure 1, in which the side wall of the register housing is removed to permit a view of the manner in which the invention is applied to the register structure;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view on a similarly large scale of the structure shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the links of the toggle linkage;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the layer which functions under the control of the cam element to disconnect the toggle knee;

, Figure 7 is a perspective view of the switch element; Figures 8, 9 and 10 are similar diagrammatic views showing the several key elements of the invention in successive operative positions; and

Figure 11 is an enlarged side elevation of the reduction gearing which normally transmits rotation from the motor to the feed rolls in combination with the means for uncoupling the motor from driving relation with the feed rolls, one side of the reduction gearing housing being removed.-

. Referring now in more detail to the accompanying drawings, in Figure 1 there is shown a plan view of a conventional autographic register which is of a conventional hand-operated type modified by the application thereto of the electric driving mechanism of the invention in place of the usual hand crank. The register includes an external casing or housing C of rectangular shape in plan having relatively opposed parallel side walls 10 and 11, respectively, and enclosing a chassis consisting essentially of relatively opposed vertical plates 12 and 13, between which is rotatably supported the shaft 14 of a conventional lower feed roll 16. Feed roll 16 is drawn through a gear 18 fixed to the shaft 14 in the relatively narrow space between the chassis side plate 12 and the adjoining side 10 of the casing. It will be understood that the casing C may comprise a pair of cover sections 20 and 22, respectively, portions of which are shown in Figure 2. These are hingedly connected in any suitable manner to an upper roll housing 23 and are respectively provided with opposed books 24 and 26 which normally cooperate with pins 25 and 27 to secure the covering on the casing. It will be noted that the upper feed roll housing 23 is located between the hinged sections of the cover and that it provides a rotatable support as well as housing for a feed roll 30 having coaxially affixed thereto a drive pinion 32 which is in meshing engagement with gear 18.

In accordance with usual practice and as is shown in the Sheppard et al. Patent 2,127,704, a stack of folded relatively interconnected forms may be disposed within a form tray T within the casing C on the infeed side of the feed rolls 16 and 30 and at one end of the chassis sides 12. As shown in the above mentioned patent, these forms are fed around a'tensioning device at the left hand end of the register as seen in Figures 1 and 2, thence over a writing surface 34 which is accessible through a rectangular opening in cover section 20in usual manner. The forms are passed between the feed rolls 16 and 30 which are rotated successively to an accurately predetermined extent as necessary to place successive forms over and in registry with the writing surface 34. It is of course essential that the successive rotational move-. ments of the rolls be of equal extent and such' as will re sult inaccurate registry of the successive forms with the writing surface as above mentioned. In accordance with well known practice, several of the forms may be superimposed-and strips of carbon pa ersapported between them whereby an original and one or more'copies may be made and atleast one of said copies of each form may be delivered by the feed rolls i nto a compartment beneath the hinged lock cover-36.

As shown in the patent above referred to, the instant machine is of a type which is adapted for hand operation by means of a hand crank, not shown, on the shaft 14. However, by making but slight modification in such a hand-operated machine it has been possible by the present invention to adapt same either for automatic motor operation or for manual operation.

The referenee character 40 in Figure l merely designates the escapement wheel of'a usual form counting device which is actuatedfrom thefe'ed roll shaft 14 through a usual escapement mechanism each time a form is moved into registry with the Writing surface 34. In accordance with usual practice the counting device releases a spring loaded hammer (not shown) for impact against a bell 42 to signal the exhaustion or near exhaustion of the supply of forms within the tray T.

Except as to the particular disposition of the form tray T the structure thus far described is old and well known in the art and constitutes no part of the invention, but is thus briefly referred to merely to facilitate an understanding of the invention.

In order to provide space within the casing C for a conventional type of electric driving'motor M, the tray T has its end adjacent the feed rolls offset into near proximity with the side 11 of the housing, thereby leaving a space of substantial width'for reception of the motor M between the tray and the side wall 10. At the same time the end of the tray T remote from the feed rolls is maintained in centered relation with respect to the casing C whereby the forms may be withdrawn and fed in proper alignment to the machine. It has been found'that this particular arrangement, despite the angular displacement of the tray T,will function'quite efilciently to maintain the forms properly aligned for passage through the feed rolls and over the'table-or writing surface 34.

The motor M is supported from the chassis side 12 in cantilever fashion to project beyond the narrow space between chassis side 12 andthe adjoining casing side 10, whereby the motor is received within the relatively wider space between the tray T and the adjoining casing side '10. It will be seen that diagonal braces 33 and 35 extend between the opposite sides of the casing and the tray T to better secure the latter in its position and the-brace 33, of course, extends above and clear of the motor'M. As will best be'seen by reference to Figures 2, 3 and '11 of the drawings, the motor M is carried at one end of a reduction gear housing H through which rotation is transmitted from the motor to the gear 18. The housing H comprises relativelyspaced vertical sides plates '42 and 44 interconnected by bolts 45, 46 and pivot pin 47. The bolt 45 and pin 47 extend through integral spacer projections 45', 47' of a 'crosshead '48 which carries the motor M. Motor shaft 49 projects between the side plates of the frame H and terminates in a worm 50 which meshes with a worm wheel 51 keyed on shaft 52 rotatably journalled between the plates 42 and 44. A gear'53 "also keyed on the shaft 52 meshes *with agear 54 fixed on shaft 55. The shaft 55 also is'rotatably supported between the plates 42 and 44 andhas fixed thereon an output pinion 56 (Figure 11) which meshes with the gear 18 to cause rotation of the latter'in a clockwise direction as seen in the accompanying drawings.

In the'event it is desired for'any reason tooperate the machine by hand, provision is made for disconnecting the driving motor M from the gear 18 whereby the intereng'agement between the worm S and worm wheel 51 will not exert 'a braking action opposing the manual operation. To this end the reduction gear housing H and of course the motor M are swingable as a unit about the pivot pin 47 whereby the output pinion 56 may be moved into and out of mesh with the gear 18. A spring 58 connected under tension between the gear housing H and a plate 6i), constituting part of the frame structure, normally urges the gears toward and into mesh. It will be seen that the lower end of the spring 58 is connected to the gear housing H by being wound or coiled about the spacer sleeve 5? disposed on connecting bolt 46 between the plates 42 and 44. .For the purpose of disengaging the output pinion 56 from the gear 18 as above mentioned there may be provided a toggle linkage including links 62 and 64 interconnected at their adjoining ends by a pivot 65. The link 62 has a socketed or bifurcated end 66 (Figure ll) normally receiving and abutting against the spacer bushing 59 to exert an endwise thrust thereagainst. The link 64, which is the actuating or controlling link, is medially pivoted-at67 to the plate 60 and at its outer end is provided with a finger piece 68 whereby the operative portions of the links may be swung into substantial relative alignment as in Figure 11 to effect the disengagement of the gears 58 and 18.

The side plate 60 hereinbefore referred to is supported in spaced generally parallel relation from the chassis side plate 12 by means of the bolt 69 and relatively vertically aligned bolts 71 'and 72 together with appropriately disposed spacersleeves on said bolts between the respective plates. As thus arranged the side plate 60 merely exemplifies one of various possible anchoring means for the several springs herein referred to and also functions as a mounting means for toggle link 64. However, it is obvious that these functions may be served by other structures and therefore that the particular arrangement and disposition of the plate 60 is by no means essential.

Energizatio'n of the motor M is controlled by means of a usual micro'switch S mounted on the frame side plate 12, as by means of bracket 73, and connected in circuit with the motor M. This switch has a resilient controla'rm 74 normally biased toward open position as in Figures '1, 8 and 10 but movable to depress the switch button 75 for the purpose of closing the switch and energizing the'm'otor. Control of the switch S is achieved by a rotary-element'or catn '76 which in the'present embodiment is fixed concentrically to one side of the gear 18, and a follower arm or link 77 pivoted at 78ito the side plate 12 for swinging movement between'the cam 76 and switch arm 74.

In the form shown cam 76is of the peripheral type having a locking recess 79 with an abutment 80 at one side thereof for reception 'ofand locking engagement respectively with a follower detent 81 carried by the link 77. Link 77 is normally urged-toward cam 76 by a spring 82 interconnected between the frame plate .60 and the link. The upper-end of-thelink projects and is swingable between the'sp'a'ced plates 60 and 12and, as shown in Figure '5,'the link is provided with a slot '83 for reception of the bolt 71 and its spacer sleeve '71 to permit such*swinging of the link within its operating range.

A'sshown inFigure's '2 and 8, 'when'the locking detent '81 is received in'the recess 79 of the cam, the link 77 is swung' 'away 'frorn 'switch arm 74 to permit opening of Ithe's'witch an'd't'hus to maintainthe motor dc-energiz'ed. As above 'rnentioned'theswitch arm 74 is resiliently biased toward and normally tends to assume a switch opening position.

It will beseen that clockwise swinging of the link 77 in Figures 2 and 8 will 'withdrawthe detent 81 from recess '79 'to "permit-rotation "of the roll shaft 14 in a clockwise direction, While at the same time an abutment 85 on link 77 'move'sintoengagement with the free end of switchcontrol arm"74 and urges same in a direction to close the switch -S,-asin Figure9. Such clockwise swinging of the link 77 is manually produced through a spring-projected push button 86 in the cover 22, the lower end of which abuts against and actuates a trigger 87. The trigger 87 is guided for vertical movement between the plates 12 and 60 by means of slots 88 and 89 as shown in Figures 7 to 10, which slidably receive the spacer sleeves 71, 72' on bolts 71 and 72. It will be seen that the trigger 87 is axially positioned on these sleeves between and in sliding engagement with the link 77 and the lever 90 referred to in more detail hereinafter.

As shown in Figure 2, trigger 87 is urged toward its raised or retracted position by means of a spring 91 tensioned between a tab 92 at the lower end of the trigger and the frame plate 60. Means normally detachably connecting the trigger 87 to the link 77 for swinging the link to its operative position of Figure 9 is exemplified by toggle link 93 pivoted at 94 to the trigger 87. The lower free end of this link normally is detachably pivotally connected or coupled to the link 77 to define a toggle knee 95 which, in accordance with usual practice, is displaced from alignment with the end pivots 78 and 94 of the linkage. The displacement is toward the switch arm 74 whereby relative movement of the end pivots 78 and 94 toward each other incident to depression of the trigger 87 will swing the lever 77 in a clockwise direction to remove the detent 81 from notch 79 in the cam and to cause the abutment portion 85 of the lever to engage the switch arm 74 and close the toggle switch S.

The ability of the toggle knee 95 to be uncoupled or disconnected in order to free the link 77 from control by the link 93 is a highly important feature of the invention which of course may conceivably be carried into practice by structures other than that specifically illus trated. The illustrated means, as shown best in Figures 5, 8, 9 and 10, embodies the concept of forming the upper edge of the link 77 with an edge portion 96 which is inclined downwardly from left to right in these figures and which terminates in an abutment 97. In general the arrangement is such that the edge portion 96 and the abutment 97 together define a shallow notch opening generally toward the pivot 94 of the link 93 and thus generally in the direction of thrust exerted by the said link 93 to receive the pivot 95 carried thereby; It will be seen in Figure 2 that the link 93 extends with its longitudinal axis at an acute angle to the edge 96 and is urged toward engagement with such edge and of course into the notch above mentioned by means of a spring 98 connected between the link and frame plate 60.

Where the manual pressure on the push button 86 is relieved in time to permit the push button and its associated trigger 87 to retract to inoperative position prior to the completion of the revolution of the cam 76, it will be seen that the action of spring 82 on the link 77 will automatically swing the link away from the switch arm for reception of its detent in the cam recess 79 at the end of the revolution, since the link 93 will no longer be exerting an actuating thruston the link 77. Obviously reception of the detent 81 within the recess 79 and in engagement with the abutment 80 will bring the cam to rest immediately upon the completion of one rotation. Moreover, the movement of the link 77 in a counterclockwise direction as above mentioned will result in moving it away from the switch arm 74 to thus open the switch and to tie-energize the motor M.

If desired, the periphery of the cam 76 may be somewhat relieved or in other words of gradually reduced radius in the zone generally designated by the bracket 99 of Figure 9 to de-energize the motor before the rotation of the cam is arrested by the detent 81. In such case the rotational momentum of the motor reduction gearing, feed roll, etc., is relied upon to continue the rotation of these parts together with the cam 76 through the balance of the revolution. This is of advantage as reducing the wear and tear on the parts both by virtue of reducing the impact incident to sudden stops and also as precluding the possibility of arresting the rotation of the motor itself while the latter is still energized.

With the parts as thus far described, their coaction to arrest the rotation of the rotary cam 76 can occur only in the event the trigger 87 is permitted to retract to inoperative position prior to completion of one revolution of the cam. Such return of the trigger 87 depends in turn upon release of the actuating finger pressure from the push button 86. In order to insure the arrest of the rotation of the cam 76 at the end of each revolution, regardless of the position of the trigger 87, the invention includes a novel mechanism controlled by the cam 76 for detaching or uncoupling the connection means, exemplified by link 93 between the trigger 87 and link 77, such uncoupling occurring between the inception and completion of the rotation of the cam element whereby the arresting function may occur as hereinbefore described.

Such mechanism is exemplified by the lever 90, earlier mentioned, which is of generally right-angular configuration having a depending arm 100 fulcrumed at 101 on the trigger. It will be noted that the lever in the present embodiment is on the opposite side of the trigger from the link 77 and is retained in parallel relatively movable engagement with the trigger in a plane parallel thereto by means of the bushing and washer 102 and 103 (Figure 4) on the spacer sleeve 71 between plates 12 and 60. The upper end of the lever arm is swingably disposed for cooperative engagement with a follower 106 formed at one edge of the link 93. By engagement with such follower the lever 100 is capable of swinging the link 93 in a counterclockwise direction over and clear of the abutment '97. This will obviously result in detaching or uncoupling the toggle links 77 and 93 at their knee 95. Although this action occurs when the lever 77 is in the position shown in Figure 9 wherein it engages the switch arm 74 to close the switch S it will be apparent that the resiliency or flexibility of the switch arm 74 will permit any necessary degree of additional swinging movement of the link 77, which may be required to permit the uncoupling operation. However, normally the abutment 97 will extend substantially tangentially to the path of swinging movement of the free end of link 93 so that no such additional displacement will normally be necessary and therefore it is not essential that the switch arm- 74 or other equivalent means permitting such additional movement of the link 77 be provided.

The lever 90 is further provided with ahorizontal arm 104 which projects over the axial face of the cam 76 and hasa free end portion 104' which is disposed in the rotational path of a pin 105 on the cam when the trigger 87 is depressed to operative position. It will be seen that such depression of the trigger 87 also effects a bodily movement of the lever 90 to so position its free end portion 104. The location of the eccentric pin 105 on the cam is such that as the cam approaches the end of a complete rotation with the trigger maintained in its depressed operative position, as in Figure 10, the pin 105 will engage said free end portion 104 and thereby tilt the lever about its fulcrum 101 in a clockwise direction to engage the follower 102 of link 93 and thereby uncouple the toggle, knee 95. Thus the operative connection between the trigger and link 77 will be broken before the cam completes its revolution, permitting the link 77 to swing under the influence of spring 82 to the position indicated, in which the switch control arm 74 is positioned to open the motor switch S while the detent 81 is operatively received in indexing recess 79 to arrest the rotation of the cam in an accurately predetermined position.

Since the lever 90 is carried by the trigger 87, if the trigger is permitted to retract prior to completion of the cam rotation, the free end portion 104' of the lever in such case will be removed from the rotational path of pin 105 and the lever will not function to disengage the toggle knee 95 as above mentioned, but its functioning in such event would be superfluous.

The overall operation of the invention'is believed to be readily apparent'from "the foregoing description, but 1for purposes of clarity willbe briefly summarized as folows:

Normally a form is positioned -on and in accurate registrywith the'writing surface 34- and the strip of forms extends from such Writing surface between the feed rolls 16 and 32. Thecircumterence of the feed roll 16 will normally-equal the length of the form to be fed whereby each complete rotation of the feed rollwill result in positioning a new form over and in accurate registry with'the writing surface 34. Each such complete rotation-is controlled through the cam 76 'whichis fixedly connected to the roll for rotation therewith.

With the parts-normally at rest and a form positioned over" the'writting surface 34,111; above rnentioned,-the relative positions of the several key parts of the drivemechani'sm of the invention are as illustrated diagrammatically in "Figure 8. At this time the link 77 will be positioned with its detent 81 in the indexing recess 79 of the cam to maintain the position of the latter, and the switch arm 74 will be positioned to open the switch S and maintain the motor M de-energized. By depressing the push'button 86.as in Figure 9 the mechanism of the invention may be placed in operation to feed another form forwardly into accurate registering position over the writing surface 34. Such degression'of the button 86, and there fore of-the trigger 87,will result in removing'the detent 81 out ofengagement with'the cam 76 and-also in closing the switch S'to energize the motor M to'initiate a revolution of the 'cam'and itsass'ociated feed roll.

Obviously, if pressure on the button 86 is released immediately after'commencement of such rotation, the detent 81 will merely engage the peripheral surface of the cam 76 in the-manner of a cam followerand will be controlled by thereduced radius portion 99 of the cam to de-energize the motor just prior to completion ofthe rotation. At completion of the rotation 'the detent 81 will be received in the indexing recess 79 and the parts will be repositioned as shown in Figure 8.

-How'ever, in'the event the button 86 is maintained by finger pressure in its depressed condition the lever 90 will co-act with the cam pin 135 to disengage the toggle joint 9o5 as illustrated in Figure in time-to permit the link 77 to return to its starting position and to 'project its detent 81 into the indexing recess 79, all under the control of spring 82, to arrest the movementof the cam and to de-energize the motor, bringing the'cam and its associated feed rollto rest at the end-of the revolution.

Although in this application we have shown and described only the preferred embodimentof our-invention it is to be understood thatthe structure herein'disclosed is obviously capable of modification in various respects without departing from our invention. Accordingly,-the drawings and description herein are to be construed-as merely. illustrative innature and notasrestrictive.

Having thus described our-invention, we'claim:

l. A one-revolution and stop drive mechanism, com prisinga'supporting chassis, a peripheralcam'mounted for rotation on said chassis and having anind'exingJrecess in its periphery, anelectric motor in drivingrelation withsaid cam, a resiliently openingswitchin circuit'with said motor, a'toggle linkage'extend'ingbetween saidcam and said switch, including afirst linkpivotally connected at'one end' to'said chassis with its free'end extending and swingable between said cam and said switch, resilient means urging said link into operative engagement with the periphery of said cam, a'detent carried by said link for locking receptioninlsaid indexing recess, said link being associated 'with'said switch in controlling relation thereto to open the switch when said link is swung to a locking'positionfor reception of its'detent'in said recess and to close the switch when swung to an unlocking position to retract said detentirom said recess, a trigger mounted on said chassis for rectilinear movement towardthe pivotal connection of said first link, a second toggle link having one end pivot-ally connected to said trigger, the free ends ofsaid firstand second links being releasably pivotally interconnected-to define the knee of the toggle linkage,'said knee being displaced from alignment withsaid end pivotal connections of'the'links-toward said switeh,'to release said cam 'for'rotation and to energize said motor incident to such movement of the trigger, a disconnectingmember movably carried by said trigger for movement therewith-into and from cooperating'relation with said cam to disconnect the releasable knee of'said linkage, and means positioned-on the cam for actuating engagement with said member incident to rotation of the cam, whereby said detent -may automatic-ally reenga'ge in said recess toarrest the rotation of said caman'd to' de-energizesaid motor upon :the completion of one revolution ofthe cam regardless-of the position of said trigger.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said'firs't link includes an 'angularly disposed arm projecting toward said'switch for operative engagement therewith, andis provided with an edgeextendinggenerally transversely to thernovement of said trigger, -said second-link-extending-at an-acute angle tosaidedge and having a pivotal connecting element projecting acrosssaid edge, said edge being formed with arr-abutment 'normally en'gageable by said connecting element to define'the said knee of the toggle joint, and spring means acting on said second link to urge .said connecting element toward-said edge, said disconnecting-member bein'gpos'iti'oned for abutment with saidsecond llink toswin'g said second'link and its connecting elementaway from saidiedge.

3. The-cornbination of-claim 2 wherein said disconnecting member comprises a lever pivotally mounted-on said trigger in abutment with said second link,-and' swingable toward said-secondlink to disengage :said coupling, said lever including an-arm projecting over an axial taceof said cam, and saidmeans-positionedon the cam for actuating engagement with:said member comprising 'a pin projecting from'said face for tilting engagement with said arm.

References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,573,022 :Homan- Oct. :30, 1951 2,669,331 Dudis etal. i Feb. 16, 1954 2,723,116 Abbott Nov. 8, 1955 2,819,071 Dietz-et a1. Jan. 7, 1958

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