US2993957A - Type printing telegraph apparatus - Google Patents

Description

July 25, 1961 J. HANDLEY TYPE PRINTING TELEGRAPH APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 17, 1959 Inventor J .Handley Attorney y 25, 1961 J. HANDLEY 2,993,957

TYPE PRINTING TELEGRAPH APPARATUS Filed April 17, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet z Inventor J .Handley Attorney y 1961 J. HANDLEY 2,993,957

TYPE PRINTING TELEGRAPH APPARATUS Filed April 17, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Inventor J .Handley A Home y July 25, 1961 Filed April 17, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor J .Handley Attorney Patented July 25, 1961 2,993,957 TYPE PRINTING TELEGRAPH APPARATUS John Handiey, Little Marland, Briar Hill, Purley, England Filed Apr. 17, 1959, Ser. No. 807,218 Claims priority, application Great Britain May 1, 1958 9 Claims. (Cl. 178-33) This invention relates to type printing telegraph apparatus.

Apparatus which will print individual characters at speeds very much faster than conventional telegraph printers is required at the present time in order to make better use of computing apparatus and other high speed machines such as tape readers. In my previous U.S. application Serial No. 554,009, filed December 19, 1955, I proposed a form of printing apparatus which was capable of printing at speeds approaching 100 characters/second. The present invention proposes type printing telegraph apparatus using a simpler form of selecting apparatus for selecting the particular character to be printedthan was used in my aforementioned specification so that there is an economy of apparatus over that proposed in that specification.

According'to the present invention there is provided type printing telegraph apparatus comprising a disc for each character to be printed, all the discs being freely mounted on a common shaft, means including a plurality of code bars for selecting one disc for movement about the shaft in accordance with a received signal combination, and means consequent upon the movement of a disc about the shaft for causing the corresponding character to be printed The invention will be better understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows in perspective a mechanism in accordance with the present invention for selecting one character to be printed,

FIG. 2 shows in section an operating mechanism for causing the printing of the selected character in association with the mechanism of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows in perspective a preferred mechanism in accordance with the present invention for selecting one character to be printed, this mechanism also being capable of association with the mechanism of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a side elevation partly in section of apparatus embodying the preferred mechanism of FIG. 3, and

FIG. 5 shows a detail for controlling the application of signals to the arrangements of FIGS. 3 and 4.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the accompanying draw ings there is shown a simple embodiment of the invention by means of which a signal combination consisting of a six element two condition code may select a character, which may be a letter, figure, or symbol, for printing by a type head. Preferably the character is printed in a mosaic pattern and the selection of the character is the selection of the particular impression-forming sections making up the mosaic for that character.

A combination of incoming signals representative of the six elements of the code operate six relays 1 to 6, one of which is shown designated 1. These relays, each via a link such as 69, move code bars 7 to 12 relative to one another in either of the directions indicated by the arrows A, so that one of a number of slots such as 70 in each of the code bars 7 to 12 are caused to move into alignment to form one long slot directly beneath an extending arm 71 associated With the one of fifty-five slotted discs 25 which corresponds to the character tobe printed. All the discs 25 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 1) are supported on a common shaft 72. The arms 71 of all the slotted discs 25 are independently and continuously urged toward the code bars 7 to 12 by a compression spring such as 69 but are normally prevented from coming into contact with the code bars by a bar 74 supported at each end by a rocker arm such as 75. When cams such as 76 on a continuously rotating shaft 77 allow the rocker arms and the bar 74 to move under the influence of a compression spring 73, all the arms 71 are allowed to come into contact with the code bars 7-12. The arm 71 of the disc 25 to be selected will be directly over the long slot formed in the code bars 7-12 and will enter this slot while all the other arms 71 will be prevented from making any substantial movement by the code bars 7-12. In consequence this particular disc 25 is actuated through a controlled angular amount about the axis of shaft 72 on which it is accommodated, and in a direction indicated by the arrow B. This angular movement is utilized to cause actuation of one or more rockers such as 78, each of which in turn operates an associated hydraulic valve. Each of the rockers comprises a rod, a finned portion 79 extending radially from the rod along a major portion of its length, and an arcuate lever extending from one end. The end of the arcuate lever 89 is arranged to engage the end of a needle 81 of an associated hydraulic valve which will be described later with reference to FIG, 2 of the drawings.

For the sake of clarity of illustration and description, only one rocker 78 has been shown and it is, as are all the other rockers 7 3, supported at its ends by means not shown so that it may be rotated about the axis of the rod portion. The rocker 78 is also supported in such a manner that the finned portion is bounded on its opposite sides by the opposite sides of a slot such as 82 in the slotted disc 25.

It will be readily understood, that if the slotted disc 25 is actuated about the axis of supporting shaft 72 a controlled angular amount in the direction indicated by the arrow B, then the rocker will in turn be actuated-about the axis of its rod portion since the finned portion 79 acts as a lever when it is engaged by one side of the associated slot in the slotted disc 25. The arcuate lever 80 will also be moved a controlled angular amount in the direction indicated by the arrow C to operate the needle 81 to open the associated hydraulic valve, by which means an impression forming section in a type head, is set-up for the printing of a character simultaneously with other impression forming sections to make up a mosaic pattern of the character corresponding to the disc,

When bar 74 is lifted at a later time due to the action of the cams 76 on the rockers 75, the arm 71 will be lifted out of the slot formed in code bars 7 to 12. In consequence, the slotted disc 25 will be actuated through a controlled angular amount in the direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow B. Rocker 78 will be turned back about the axis of its rod portion due to the engagement of its finned portion 79 by' the other side of the associated slot in the slotted disc 25 and the arcuate lever 80 will be moved back a controlled angular amount in the direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow C. This movement of lever 80 in the reverse direction will allow the needle 81 to close the associated hydraulic valve. Closing of the valve unsets the impression forming section in the type head simultaneously with other impression forming sections making up the mosaic pattern of the character that has been printed.

Other rockers such as 78, making for example, thirty in all, twenty five being used for printing and the other five for functions, may be equispaced and supported around the fifty-five slotted discs 25 on shaft 72. It might be required that one slotted disc 25 is only required to operate ten rockers, the next slotted disc only six rockers, and the other slotted discs greater or lesser numbers of rockers. The slots in the slotted discs 25 which are associated with rockers such as 78 which are not required to be operated are cut so that the clearance between their opposite sides and those of the finned portions 79 of the rockers is such that they never engage the sides of the finned portions during angular movement of the discs. In consequence, the associated hydraulic valves remain in their non-operated position since no operating force is applied to the needles. It will readily be understood therefore, that for each slotted disc operated as the result of a combination of incoming signals representative of the six elements of a six element binary or other code, different combinations of rockers 78 may be operated. This results in the opening and closing of their associated hydraulic valves to set up and unset respectively the impression forming sections in the type head.

The operation of a suitable type of hydraulic valve will now be described with reference to FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings. In this figure there is shown one of thirty hydraulic valves which are incorporated in a single annular valve chest 83. Annular inlet and outlet channels 84 and 85 respectively are machined in the chest to provide passages to and from all the hydraulic valves, for a hydraulic medium, for example oil. Each valve comprises a piston 36 capable of sliding movement in a cylindrical channel 87 machined in the chest 83. The piston is bored to accommodate a compression spring 88 which urges the piston away from an outlet port 89 so that it seals 011. an inlet port 90. These ports are connected respectively to outlet and inlet passes 85 and 84. The lower end of the piston is closed except for a number of vents 91, and this end rests on a headed portion of its associated operating needle 81. The lower end of the needle 81 extends through a bearing portion machined in the chest and rests in contact with the free end of the arcuate lever 80 of the associated rocker 78,

When the slotted disc is rotated in the direction of the arrow B, needle 81 will be pushed in the direction of arrow D, so that piston 86 will move away from inlet port 90, overcoming the resistance of compression spring 86 and sealing off outlet port 89. In consequence of this movement, the hydraulic medium is allowed to feed under pressure through the inlet port 90 from the inlet passage 84 in the direction of the arrow B through vents 91 in the piston 86, and through pipe line 93 in the direction of the arrow F, to operate a piston. This piston moves the impression forming section with which it is associated in the type head to a position for printing. Operation of a number of the valves will cause a mosaic pattern of the character to be printed to be set up. Such a type head and operating piston for the impression forming sections composing it are shown in my British patent application No. 28,748/55, filed October 10, 1955 (British Patent No. 798,093).

Turning back to FIG. 1, it was described how, at a later time during the operating cycle the extending arm 71 of the slotted disc 25 is lifted out of the slot formed in code bars 7 to 12 by bar 74. This causes the slotted disc 25 to be actuated through a controlled angular amount in a direction reverse to that indicated by the arrow B. In consequence, and referring now to FIG. 2, this movement results in rocker 78 being actuated through a controlled angular amount in a direction reverse to that indicated by the arrow G. The compression spring 86 is then able to move the piston 86 and the needle 81 in a reverse direction to that indicated by the arrow D, so that outlet port 89 is exposed and inlet port 90 is sealed off. Pressure on the piston operating the associated impression forming section in the type is released and the impression forming section is withdrawn from the printing position under the influence of a compression spring. The hydraulic medium then flows back down pipe line 93, through the outlet port 89 and into the outlet passage 85.

The actions which have just been described, with reference to one hydraulic valve, are taking place simultaneously with the actions involved in operating other hydraulic valves via other rockers 78 associated with the slotted disc, and thus it will be understood that all the impression forming sections for the particular character corresponding to the selected slotted disc 25 are set up at the same time. The time between the setting up of successive mosaic patterns in accordance with successively received signal combinations is of the order of 10-12 milliseconds. Conveniently, the feeding of the signal combinations and the operating cycle of the printing apparatus, i.e. of the controlling cam shaft, are synchronised.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, of which FIG. 3 shows a simplified perspective view. In this embodiment, two sets of code bars, 7 to 12 and 19 to 24, are used. In consequence, two groups of six relays per group are utilised, one group comprising relays 1 to 6 to operate code bars 7 to 12, and the other group comprising relays 13 to 18 to operate code bars 19 to 24. Each one of the relays is arranged to operate its associated code bar via a link such as 69. By using two groups of relays, it is possible to operate each group alternately by successive signal combinations, each combination in this case being made up of six elements. One way in which this alternate operation may be controlled will be described later with reference to FIG. 5. The arrangement is then such that, whilst one set of code bars 7 to 12, or 19 to 24, is being utilised to control printing, the other set of code bars 19 to 24 or 7 to 12 is being set up in accordance with the succeeding signal combination. In this way it is possible to obtain a printing rate of characters/second without having to operate the individual code bars and the members which read them at a rate of more than 50 characters or signal combinations per second.

In the embodiment now being described, the shaft 72 supporting the fifty-five slotted discs 25 is used also as a cam shaft the purpose of which is to be described later. Each slotted disc has two extending arms 71 and 94 arranged diametrically opposite to one another. Whereas in the first described embodiment shown in FIG. 1 the selection was made by finding the extending arm 71 which would engage the long slot in the code bars 7 to 12; in this embodiment, fingers 95 and 96 arranged to pivot on extending arms 71 and 94 respectively are used to engage in the slots formed in the code bars 7 to 12, and 19 to 24 respectively, and are urged toward their code bars respectively by tension springs 97 and 98. All the slotted discs 25 are normally urged in the direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow B by tension springs 99 and 100, and urgence thereof over a certain desired amount is prevented by a suitably arranged bar 101, the top edge of which engages the undersides of end portions of the extending arms 94 of all the slotted discs. Fingers 95 and 96, on arms 71 and 94 of each slotted disc, are normally prevented from engaging their respective sets of code bars to search for a long slot in that set by rockers 102 and 103 respectively. At the appropriate times during the operating cycle they are operated alternately, and in the directions indicated by the arrows J and L respectively by means cooperating with a cam or earns not shown, on cam shaft 72. Further rockers, 104 for fingers 95, and 105 for fingers 96 are provided. These rockers are each also operated by means co-operating with a cam or cams not shown, on cam shaft 72. The arrangement is such that when a finger 95 or 96 of any one of the slotted discs has been allowed to enter a slot formed in its associated set of code bars, the associated rocker 104 or 105 is caused to move in the direction indicated by the arrows K or M respectively; causing the selected finger to move in the same direction and actuate its associated slotted disc 25, through a controlled angular amount in the direction indicated by the arrow B.

In consequence valve rockers, such as 78, associated with the particular slotted disc are actuated to open their associated hydraulic valves as described with reference to FIG. 2, so that selected impression forming sections in the type head are set up to form a mosaic pattern of the character for printing. After actuation of the selected slotted disc 25 by way of fingers such as 95 or 96, the associated rocker 104 or 105 is moved back in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow K or M re spectively. This movement allows the tension springs 99 and 100 to move the particular slotted disc in a reverse direction to that indicated by the arrow B until it comes to rest with the end portion of its extending arm 94 again in contact with bar 101. Rocker 102 or 103 then moves in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrows I or L respectively to cause the selected finger 95 or 96 to move in the same direction out of the slot in its respective set of code bars against the influence of tension spring 97 or 98. In the first described embodiment, actuation of a slotted disc against the force of a spring such as 69 strong enough to open a pattern of hydraulic valves associated with the disc resulted in a heavy load being applied to bar 74, its associated rocker arms such as 75, and cams such as 76. In the second embodiment just described, the equivalents of bar 74, i.e. rockers 102 and 103 and their associated operating means move fingers such as 95 or 96 against only comparatively light tension springs 97 and 98, and the pattern of valves associated with each disc are operated separately by rockers 104 and 105 acting on the ends of fingers such as 95 and 96. The load on the operating mechanisms is very much lighter in this second embodiment.

The complete operating cycle is arranged to take place in a period of twenty milliseconds, during which time effectively the translation and printing of two characters takes place. This is in fact the printing of one character selected in a previous cycle, the selection and printing of a second character, and the selection of a third character. For ease of explanation the cycle will be considered as being divided into six periods each of three and one third milliseconds. The various periods may be apportioned to various operations as follows:

During the first and second periods of three and one third milliseconds each, code bars 19 to 24 are set up in accordance with the received combination of six elements. Rocker 104 is operated during the first period in a direction indicated by the arrow K to cause printing of a character already selected by code bars 7-12 and the appropriate finger 95 to take place as previously explained. During the second period, rocker 104 is returned in the reverse direction to that indicated by the arrow K to allow finger 95 and the associated slotted disc 25 to return to the rest position.

During the third period of three and one third milliseconds, rockers 102 and 103 are operated simultaneously, rocker 102 in the reverse direction to that indicated by the arrow I causing fingers 95 to be moved clear of the code bars 7 to 12 and rocker 103 in a direction indicated by the arrow L to allow a selected finger 96 to enter the long slot which was formed in code bars 19 to 24 during the first and second periods.

During the fourth and fifth periods of three and one third milliseconds each, code bars 7 to 12 are set up in accordance with another signal combination.

Also during the fourth period, operation of rocker 105 in a direction indicated by the arrow M causes the character corresponding to the selected finger '96 to be printed.

During the fifth period, the rocker 105 is returned in the reverse direction to that indicated by the arrow K so that the operated finger 96 and its associated slotted disc 25 are allowed to return to the rest position and the impression-forming sections of the mosaic are all returned to their non-printing positions.

During the sixth period of three and one third milliseconds, rockers 102 and 103 are again operated simultaneously, rocker 102 in the direction indicated by the arrow J allowing a selected finger '95 to enter the long slot formed in code bars 7 to 12 during the fourth and fifth periods, and rocker 103 in the reverse direction to that indicated by the arrow L to move the fingers 96 clear of the code bars 19 to 24.

It will readily be understood that if two successive characters to be printed are the same, then the same slotted disc may be actuated twice during a cycle such as that just described, which is really only a time cycle for the mechanism based on relays 1348 and code bars 19 to 24.

Translation and printing continues through successive operating cycles such as that which has just been described as long as required.

In continuous operation, successive signal combinations each representative of a character in a six element binary or other code are alternately switched to relays to 6 to operate code bars 7 to 12, and to relays 13 to 18 to operate code bars 1 9 to 24.

All the relays 16 and 13-18 are wound with two coils, one of which is Wound in the reverse direction to the other so that when a signal of one polarity is applied to a relay, it operates to move its respective code bar in one direction to one of its two operating positions. The code bar will remain operated in that particular position until such a time as a signal of the reverse polarity is applied, when the relay will operate to move the code can to the other one of its operated positions.

FIG. 5 shows acircuit and operating means by which a succession of incoming signal combinations of a twocondition code may be switched alternately between, for example, relay 1 and relay 13. This arrangement would be duplicated for complementary pairs of the other relays of the two groups such as relays 2 and 14, 3 and 15 etc.;'

so that the six signal elements of the code are simultaneously being applied to relays 13 to 18- of one group during the first and second three and one third millisecond periods of the cycle of operation and to relays 1 to 6 of the other groups during the fourth and fifth three and one third millisecond periods.

Cam C1 is driven in a 1:1 ratio with or by shaft 72, so that for each revolution of the shaft, cam. C1 also makes one revolution. Sector 051 on cam 31 is arranged to occupy so that during one revolution, contacts S1 and S2 are alternately made for a period of six and two thirds milliseconds covering the first and second periods and fourth and fifth periods respectively.

It will be seen that one side of contacts S1 and S2 are commoned and connected to one side of an incoming signal source ISS, whilst the other sides are connected respectively to relay 1 and relay 13 the other sides of which are commoned to the other side of the signal source.

The signal source may be arranged to send a signal combination every ten milliseconds. This would be convenient where the signals were coming from a high speed tape reader.

Alternatively, means may be provided, such as a cam on shaft 78, which will operate a switch to send a calling signal to the signal source, e.g. a computer to tell it when to send the succeeding signal combinations. Such arrangements, however, form no part of the present invention.

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.

What I claim is:

1. Type printing telegraph apparatus comprising a disc for each character to be printed, all the discs being freely mounted on a common shaft, means including a plurality of code bars for selecting one disc for movement about the shaft in accordance with a received signal combination,

7 and means operated by the movement of a selected disc about the shaft for causing the corresponding character to be printed.

2. Type printing telegraph apparatus comprising a plurality of code bars, means for positioning each code bar in accordance with an element of a received signal combination, a disc for each character to be printed, all the discs being freely mounted on a common shaft, means for selecting one disc for movement about the shaft in accordance with the positions of the code bars, and means operated by the movement of a selected disc to cause a selection of impression-forming sections to print the corresponding character.

3. Type printing telegraph apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which there is provided an extending arm on each disc and in which means is provided for biasing all the said arms towards the code bars and thereby to cause the code bars to select the extending arm associated with the disc corresponding to the character to be printed.

4. Type printing telegraph apparatus as claimed in claim 2, in which the said means for printing a character includes a rocker for each impression-forming section, means on each disc for causing a selection of rockers to be turned upon movement of the disc, and valve means operable by movement of the corresponding rocker for causing the corresponding impression-forming section to be moved to a printing position.

5. Type printing telegraph apparatus comprising a plurality of code bars, means for positioning each code bar in accordance with an element of a received signal combination, a disc for each character to be printed, all the discs being freely mounted on a common shaft, an arm extending from each disc, a finger pivoted on each arm and spring urged toward the code bars, means for allowing a finger associated with the disc corresponding to the character to be printed to be selected by the code bars, means for actuating the selected finger to turn the corresponding disc about the shaft, and means responsive to the movement of the disc for causing a selection of impression forming sections to print the corresponding character.

6. Type printing telegraph apparatus comprising a disc for each character to be printed, all the discs being freely mounted on a common shaft, two selection means arranged to be operated alternately for selecting a disc for movement about the shaft in accordance with a received signal combination, means for moving about the shaft a selected disc, and means responsive to the movement of a disc for causing a selection of impression forming sections to print the character selected by one selection means while a selection is being made by the other selection means.

7. Type printing telegraph apparatus as claimed in claim 6, in which each said selection means com rises a plurality of code bars, an extending arm from each disc, a finger pivoted on each arm and spring urged toward the code bars, and means for allowing a finger associated with the disc corresponding to the character to be printed to be selected by the code bars.

8. Type printing telegraph apparatus as claimed in claim 7 in which the said means for moving a selected disc comprises two cam-actuated rockers each arranged to actuate a selected finger of one of the said selection means.

9. Type printing telegraph apparatus as claimed in claim 6, in which there is provided a cam having a 120 degree sector for causing the two selection means to be operated alternately.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,904,164 Morton et al. Apr. 18, 1933 1,936,956 Rothermel Nov. 28, 1933 2,323,824 Maschmeyer July 6, 1943 2,773,931 Klienschmidt et al. Dec. 11, 1956

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