US3021388A - Tape reader - Google Patents

Description

W. P. BYRN ES Feb. 13, 1962 TAPE READER Filed Sept. 17, 1958 FIG. 2

INVENTOR WILLIAM P. BYRNES ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,021,388 TAPE READER William P. Byrnes, Glenview, Ill., assignor to Teletype Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept..17, 1958, Ser. No. 761,633

11 Claims. (Cl. 178-17) The present invention pertains to tape controlled telegraph transmitters and more particularly to high speed tape sensing devices for controlling the generation of permutation code signals.

In the prior art, exemplified by US. Patent No. 2,659,- 767, granted November 17, 1953, to W. J. Zenner, wherein ultra high speeds are achieved in the transmission of permutation code signals, certain limitations have been experienced in the drive mechanism for the tape sensing and tape feeding facilities, which consists of driving the bail in one direction by an eccentric and returning the bail by means of a spring. In said devices, the return motion is blocked or unblocked by means of a magnetoperated blocking lever, thereby inhibiting or enabling operation of the bail. Moreover, in the operation thereof, a strong bail return spring is required to assure that the bail will follow the motion of the eccentric drive, which spring action upon the blocking lever is conducive to abrupt and noisy operation.

In the arrangement according to the-present invention, a knee-action or toggle-like mechanism is employed to link the eccentric drive and the bail, which organization of elements imparts a positive driving action to said bail in both directions, and also is conducive to smooth blocking operation.

Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a smooth and quiet operating mechanism for a tape controlled transmitter.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a tape controlled transmitter, a magnet controlled toggle linkage mechanism for achieving ultra high speed operation with a minimum of noise and vibration.

A more complete understmding of the present invention may be had from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view partially in section showing the principal elemental parts of a tape controlled transmitter embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the elements comprising the magnet-controlled toggle-linkage driving mechanism comprising the present invention, and

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating an alternate form of the toggle or knee-action linkage.

Referring now to the drawing and more particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown a tape controlled telegraph transmitter generally designated by the reference numeral which senses code combinations of perforations 11 positioned transversely and successively on a continuous tape 12. The tape is advanced through the transmitter 10 in one step intervals to pass over a U-shaped plate 13 secured between a pair of side plates 14 (only one of which is shown in the drawing). A plurality of longitudinal slots 16 are formed in the U-shaped plate 13 and positioned within each slot is a sensing pin 17 fixed to a sensing lever 18. Each sensing lever 18 is formed out of some insulating material, such as a phenolic base compound, in such a manner as to provide a projecting stud formed on its lower extremity to provide a pivotal connection with a switch blade 22 (made of some conductive material such as copper) as shown in FIG. 2 of said Patent No. 2,659,767. Forcing each one of the sensing levers 18 upwardly to engage with the tape 12 is a coiled spring 23 having one end formed in a loop wrapped around an elongated stud 24 securely mounted within the side plates 14. The other ends of the coiled springs 23 engage abutments 26 formed integral with v the sensing levers 18. One force exerted by each coil spring 23 is a force tending to move each sensing lever 18 upwardly, and another force exerted by the spring is a force tending to urge each sensing pin 17 against the trailing extremity of each slot 16.

Returning now to a further consideration of the switch blades 22, they are normally positioned in engagement with a first spacing contact rod 27 which underlies each of the switch blades in a transverse fashion. The spacing contact rod 27 is mounted upon one of the side plates 14 and may be left unconnected or have electrical connection to a source of potential of such polarity as to provide the spacing condition for the particular system in which the telegraph transmitter is desired to be employed. A second or marking contact rod 28 also underlies the switch blades 22 in a transverse fashion, but as shown in FIG. 1, the switch blades do not normally engage this rod. The marking contact rod 28 is securely mounted to one of the side plates 14 but, in this instance, the contact rod is connected to a source of potential of such polarity as to provide the marking signal condition. Securely mounted on rods 27 and 28 are a plurality of insulating plates 29 in such a manner as to be interleaved between the switch blades 22 thereby electrically isolating each switch blade from its adjoining blades.

Holding the sensing levers 18 downardly against the effect of the coiled springs 23 is a bail roller 31 which overlies each of the switch blades 22 and is mounted between a pair of side arms 32 forming part of a bail assembly 33. The bail assembly 33 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 34 extending between the side plates 14 of the transmitter'housing. Shaft 34 also provides a mounting for a plurality of contact tension springs 36 which are wrapped thereabout and have one of their free ends formed in the shape of a V to engage within correspondingly shaped V-notches 37 formed in the switch blades 22. The opposite ends of the contact tension springs 36 are partially wrapped around a pin 38 extending between the side plates 14. It is to be understood that this particular mounting for the springs 36 places these springs under continual tension to exert a forceon the switch blades 22 tending to urge them into engagement with the marking contact rod 28.

The position assumed by the bail assembly 33 is controlled through the instrumentality of a reciprocating operating arm 41 acting through a knee-action or toggle linkage, indicated generally by the numeral 42 (FIG. 2). Formed at one end of the operating arm 41 is an enlarged collar 43 into which is fitted an eccentric 44 adapted to be driven by an electric motor (not shown) through the instrumentality of a drive shaft 45. The other end of arm 41 is connected pivotally on pivot stud 40 to the angular portion 46 of the toggle linkage 42. The extremity of the horizontal arm of the portion 46 is of circular conformation and is adapted to be articulated to the socket of the socket-link portion 48 of the linkage 42. Portion 48 is, in turn, connected pivotally to the depending arm 49 of the bail 33. A projection 51 on portion 48 limits the pivotal movement in one direction of said link portion 48. The angular portion 46 is provided with a vertical arm 52 adapted to cooperate with the depending portion 53 of an armature lever 54 mounted pivotally on v a pivot stud 55 secured to the side plate 14. Armature lever 54 is normally urged counterclockwise by a spring 56 and is provided with a pole piece 57 cooperable with an electromagmet 58 suitably supported in the apparatus. Pivot stud 40 is secured to the free extremity of a bail member 59 mounted on a pivot stud 61 secured to the side frame 14. Bail member 59 thus acts to stabilize the motion of the pivotal connection 40 between the arm 41 ratchet by the influence of a tension spring 67.

and the toggledinkage 42. A spring 62 attached to arm 52 retains, under certain operating conditions, the toggle or knee-action linkage in its straightened position to cause the bail 33 to rock about shaft 34 as reciprocatory'motion is imparted to said linkage by arm 41 connected to the eccentric 44.

The inhibiting device, exemplified by magnet 58 and armature 54, is adapted to control the operation of the bail assembly 33 by the reciprocating operating arm 41. In the present embodiment of the invention the. shaft 45 is assumed to be rotating constantly thereby imparting continually a reciprocatory motion to arm 41. During operation of the transmitter 10, the magnet 58 is energized to withdraw the depending portion 53 of armature lever 54 out of the path 'of arm 52 thus allowing the spring 62 to maintain the toggle linkage 42 in its straightencd condition thereby causing the bail assembly 33 to oscillate about shaft 34in a simple harmonic motion under the influence of eccentric 44 through arm 41.

The tape 12 is advanced through the transmitter by means of feed wheel 61 having a plurality of pins 62 attached to its periphery which engages a longitudinal row of perforations formed in the tape 12. The feed wheel 7 61 is fixed to a shaft 63 rotatably mounted within the side plates 14, and the shaft 63 is provided at one end with a ratchet 64. Engaging the ratchet 64 is a feed pawl 66 pivotally mounted on the outer side arm 32 of the bail assembly 33 and maintained in engagement with said The ratchet 64 is provided with'the usual anti-backlash roller mounted on a spring biased arm 68 to insure movement of the ratchet in only one direction.

If the permutated perforated tape 12 is positioned above the sensing pins 17 when the bail roller 31 is pivoted upwardly, then the particular sensing pins 17 positioned beneath the permutated perforations 11 are moved within the perforations by the sensing levers 18 acting underthe influence of the coiled springs 23. Due to the pivotal connections between the-sensing levers 18 and the switch blades 22, and the forces exerted on the switch blades 22 by the contact springs 36, the movement of the sensing lever 18 is imparted to the switch blades 22 cansing said switch blades to pivot about the spacing contact rod 27 into engagement with the marking contact rod 28. Further movement ofthe sensing'levers 18, subsequent to'the. engagement of the switch blades 22 with the'marking contact bail 28,,causes the switch blades 22 to pivot about the marking contact rod 28 and out of engagement with the spacing contact rod 27. Q

The particular electrical connections have not been shown but it is understood that the electrical conditions applied to the marking and spacing contact rods 27 and 28 will be extended, in accordance with the permutated positions assumed by the switch blades 22 after the occurrence of a sensing operation, through the switch blades 22, through the metallic contact tension springs 36, and from there to a transmitter distributor of any well known type such as a rotary mechanical commutator-segment type or an electronic type.

Upon completion of each sensing operation, the tape 12 is' advanced one incrementto' bring another transverse row of permutated apertures 11 into position to be sensed by the sensing pins 17. This is accomplished by advancing the feed wheel 61 in one step increments. Each time that the bail assembly 33 is oscillated in a counterclockwise direction, the spring biased feed pawl 66 is caused to move upwardly and advance over one of the teeth on the ratchet 64 and upon each clockwise movement of the oscillating bail 33, the feed pawl 66 is caused to engage a tooth to move said ratchet one increment, and as a consequence, the feed wheel 61 and tape 12 is advanced a like distance.

When it is desired to arrest the operation of the transmitter 10, the magnet 52 is de-energized, whereupon the armature lever 54 is released and is rotated about pivot 55 by its spring 56 and caused to rest against a stop 70, thereby presenting the depending abutment portion 53 into the path of the vertical arm 52. Then, upon each rightward movement of the toggle linkage 42, the arm 52 will impinge against the portion 5 3 to cause the angular portion 46 to rotate counterclockwise to collapse the toggle 42, which will thereupon assume the dotted line position (FIG. 2) during a substantial portion of the rightward movement of'each reciprocation of'the toggle linkage 42. As a consequence, the reciprocating arm 41 is ineffective to oscillate the bail assembly 33 about its shaft 34, because when the magnet 52 is dc-energized, the arm 52 of angle portion 46 will be blocked by the armature lever 54, thus throwing links 46 and 48 of the linkage 42 out of toggle, so that the bail assembly 33 fails to receive a complete operating stroke. a

In FIG. 3 is illustrated an alternate form of toggle or knee-action linkage between the bail arm 49 and the operating arm 41, comprising an angular portion 71 and a link portion 72 pivotally articulated to each other by a pivot 73. The link portion 72 is provided with an extension terminating in a laterally directed lip portion 74 adapted to overlap the upper edge of portion 71 to thereby limit the pivotal movement in one direction of the link portion 72, in a manner analogous to projection 51, in FIG. 2. The angular portion 71 is also provided with a vertical arm .75 comparable in function to arm 52 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2. Spring 76 attached to arm 75 retains, under certain operating conditions set forth hereinbefore, the toggle or knee-action linkage in its straightened position to cause the bail 33 through arm 4?, to rock, as reciprocatory motion is imparted to said linkage by arm 41.

The above described arrangement of apparatus and construction of elemental parts are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention, and other modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a tape reader, a plurality of tape sensing means, a reader main bail for moving said tape sensing means to effectuate a tape reading operation, a constantly operating eccentric drive means, a toggle linkage interconected between said bail and said drive means, an impinging means integrally associated with said toggle linkage, and an .electromagnetically controlled abutment means cooperable with said impinging means under a predetermined condition of operation of said abutment means to govern the effectiveness of said toggle linkage to control said bail.

2. In a tape reader, a plurality of tape sensing means, a reader main bail for moving said tape sensing means to effectuate a tape reading operation, a constantly operating eccentric means, drive means controlled by said eccentric means, a toggle linkage interconnected between said bail and said drive means, a stabilizer for floatingly supporting said drive means and said linkage, impinging means integrally associated with said toggle linkage, and an electromagnetically controlled abutment means cooperable with said impinging means under a predetermined condition of operation of said abutment means to govern the effectiveness of said toggle linkage :to control said bail.

V 3. In a tape reader, a plurality of tape sensing means, a reader main bail for moving said-tape sensing means to effectuate a tape reading operation, a constantly operating eccentric means, drive means controlled by said eccentric means, a toggle linkage interconnected between said bail and said drive means, means for floatingly supporting said drive means and said linkage, abuttal means integrally associated with said toggle linkage, abutment means cooperably related to said abuttal means, and means for controlling said abutment means, whereby said abutment means is enabled under certain conditions of operation to render said toggle linkage ineffective to control said bail.

4. In a tape reader, a plurality of tape sensing means, a reader main bail for moving said tape sensing means to effectuate a tape reading operation, a constantly operating eccentric means, drive means controlled by said eccentric means, a toggle linkage interconnected between said bail and said drive means, abuttal means integrally associated with said toggle linkage, abutment means cooperably related to said abuttal means, and means for controlling said abutment means, whereby said abutment means is enabled under certain conditions of operation to render said toggle linkage ineffective to control said bail.

5. In a tape reader, a plurality of tape sensing means, a reader main bail for moving said tape sensing means to effectuate a tape reading operation, a constantly operating drive means, a knee-action device interconnected between said bail and said drive means, abuttal means integrally associated with said knee-action device, abutment means cooperably related to said abuttal means, and means for controlling said abutment means, whereby said abutment means is enabled under certain conditions of operation to render said knee-action device inefiective to control said bail.

6. In a tape reader, a plurality of tape sensing means, a reader main bail for moving said tape sensing means to eifectuate a tape reading operation, a constantly operating drive means, a knee-action device interconnected between said bail and said drive means, means for fioatingly supporting said drive means and said linkage, abuttal means integrally associated with said knee-action device, abutment means cooperably related to said abuttal means, and means for controlling said abutment means, whereby said abutment means is enabled under certain conditions of operation to render said knee-action device inetfective to control said bail.

7. In a tape reader, a plurality of tape sensing means, a bail for actuating said tape sensing means to effectuate a tape reading operation, constantly operating eccentric drive means, pivotally interconnected toggle members interconnecting said bail and said drive means, and means for maintaining said pivotally interconnected toggle members in positive driving relation with each other to permit said eccentric drive means to operate said reader bail.

8. In a tape reader, a plurality of tape sensing means, a bail for actuating said tape sensing means to efiectuate a tape reading operation, constantly operating eccentric drive means, permanently interconnected members interconnecting sm'd bail and said eccentric drive means, means for selectively maintaining said permanently interconnected members in driving relation with one another to permit said eccentric drive means to operate said bail, and means for selectively moving and maintaining said permanently interconnected members out of driving relation with one another to preclude operation of said bail by said constantly operating eccentric drive means.

9. In a tape reader, a plurality of tape sensing means, a bail for actuating said tape sensing means to etfectuate a tape reading operation, constantly operating eccentric drive means, linkage interconnecting said bail and said eccentric drive means including a pair of rods joined in a pivotal connection, selectively operable means for maintaining said rods in rigid end-to-end engagement in said pivotal connection to permit said eccentric drive means to operate said reader bail, and means for breaking said rigid end-to-end engagement at said pivotal connection point to preclude operation of said bail by said eccentric drive means.

10. In a tape reader, a plurality of tape sensing means, an oscillatable bail for accommodating movement of said tape sensing means into sensing engagement with said tape in one direction of oscillatory movement and for moving said tape sensing means out of sensing engagement with said tape in the other direction of oscillatory movement, constantly rotating eccentric drive means, pivotally interconnected toggle members interconnecting said bail and eccentric drive means, means for selectively maintaining said pivotally interconnected members in driving relation with each other to permit said eccentric drive means to positively drive said bail in each direction of oscillatory movement, and means for selectively maintaining said pivotally interconnected toggle members out of driving relation with each other to effectively preclude movement of said bail by said eccentric drive means.

11. In a tape reader, a plurality of tape sensing means, a bail for actuating said tape sensing means to effectuate a tape reading operation, constantly operating eccentric drive means including a reciprocating driving member, linkage interconnecting said bail and said driving member including an L-shaped rod connected pivotally to said driving member at the bend formed in said L-shaped rod and a second rod having one end thereof connected pivotally to said bail, the other end of said second-mentioned rod interconnected with one end of said L-shaped rod in a pivotal connection, one of said rods having a projection formed thereon and disposed in overlying relation to the other rod, a spring connected to said other end of said L-shaped rod and operative to pivot said L-shaped rod about the pivotal interconnection with said driving member to move the second-mentioned ends of said rods into rigid end-to-end engagement at said pivotal connection, said projection and said spring cooperatively operable to maintain said rods in rigid end-to-end relation to permit the eccentric drive means to transmit motion to said bail and operate said bail, and electromagnetically operable means including an armature with .a blocking member formed thereon and operable to present said blocking member in the path of the arm of the L-shaped rod having the spring attached thereto upon response of said armature to one electrical condition of said electromagnetically operable means to pivot said L-shaped member about the pivotal connection with said driving rod and move the rods out of rigid end-to-end engagement at said pivotal connection thereby reducing the motion transmitted by said eccentric drive means to said bail and preeluding effective operation of the bail.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,206,219 Bryce July 2, 1940 2,550,411 Gemmel Apr. 24, 1951 2,659,767 Zenner Nov. 17, 1953

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