US3117515A - Printing mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 14,1964 Q P. BARTHELMES I 3,117,515

PRINTING MECHANISM FiledJan, 9, 1962 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1964 o. P. BARTHELMES ,515.

PRINTING MECHANISM Filed Jan; 9, 1962 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 14, 1964 o. P. BARTHELMES PRINTING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 9, 1962 United States Patent Ofiice Ii,ll?,5l Patented Jan. 14, 1964 3,117,515 PHQTING MEQHANISM @tto Paul Barthelrnes, Erkrath-Unterbach, near Dusseldost, Germany, assignor to Math. Bauerle G.m.h.H., St. Georgen, Black Forest, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed Jan. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 165,136 Claims priority, application Germany Jan. 12, 1961 19 Claims. (Cl. 101-93) My invention relates to printing mechanisms for business machines, computers, teleprinters and similu equipment.

In printing mechanisms as employed in computers, accounting machines, cash registers and in printing apparatus for remotely controlled recording of information previously entered from a keyboard into punch tape or other recording media, it is known to provide separately adjustable type-face carriers for different kinds of print (normal print, italics), symbols and legends, and to provide separate type adjusting devices for the respective typelface carriers. As a rule, the number of numeral-denoting type carriers corresponds to the maximum number of digit positions to be placed into an accounting column, and special type carriers are additionally provided for symbols, letters and legends. If the printin mechanism serves to place numerical values not only onto an original form sheet but also onto one or more carbon copies, it is necessary to also provide for distinction between plus and minus values on the copies. When numerals are printed only on an original, a differentiation between plus and minus values is simply afiorded by printing the former in black and the latter in red, such as by switching between correspondingly colored zones of an inking ribbon. For also obtaining a distinction on copies, it has been proposed to print plus values in normal print and minus values in italics. In a printing mechanism with a separate type carrier for each digit position to be printed, however, this requires doubling the number of type carriers for the numerals, or arranging normal print and italic-print numerals on a common type carrier. Both kinds of design result in a complicated mechanism excessively susceptible to trouble.

in most cases, all type carriers of a printing mechanism have a device in common by means of which they are moved against the platen roller and the print-receiving paper after the type carriers have terminated their at.-

According to one prior proposal, each type carrier, aside from an adjusting device for typeface selection, is additionally provided with a printing- Lanrmer device. The hammer devices can be so driven that the type carriers previously selected for operation are moved individually and successively into printing position against the pl ten roller in a sequence from higher to lower decimal digit positions. This kind of pri. ting mechanism, too, reques a relatively complicated and expensive design.

Another disadvantage, common to all known printing mechanisms, is the fact that the so-called stationary formsheet technique is applicable only for coluzrm printing but not for line printing of several numerical values in sequential order. That is, these mechanisms lend themselves for line printing only in conjunction with a travelling platen-roller carriage of complicated design.

it is an object of my invention to devise a printing mechanism, equipped with type wheels or type rods, which possesses a simple design and is applicable in form of a column printing device as well as a line printing device in conjunction with the so-called stationary formsheet technique. Another, related, object is to afford the printing of numerals and texts in the direction toward hi decimal positions without the necessity of providing the mechanism with as many printing harnrners as the number of type carriers used.

According to my invention, a printing mechanism is provided with a single adjusting member for a plurality of type carriers, such as type wheels or type rods, and is adapted to be selectively coupled with a selected one of these type carriers, and the adjusting member is movable into dide-ren-t control positions by means of a cam with the aid of a plurality, individually actuable control members, so that in each of the selected control positions of the adjusting member a different type face or" the type carrier, coupled with the adjusting member, is set for printing operation.

Such a type printing mechanism according to the invention has the advantage that the number of type carriers required for a particular purpose can be kept small with relation to the maximum of positions to be printed. This is because the selection of the type face to be printed at a time is efiected in a simple manner by means of the adjusting member and by means of a hammer device placed into active relation to the one type carrier selected.

The printing-hammer device, according to another feature of the invention, is placed into active connection with one of the respective type carriers of the printing mechanism either in dependence upon the particular mode of functioning to which the computer or other device that actuates the printing mechanism is set at a time, or in response to a pre-set control program. Simultaneously with the engagement of the hammer device with this selected type carrier, the coupling connection between the adjusting member and the type carrier is established, whereby during the subsequent motion of the adjusting member in dependence upon the travel direction and the coasting travel of the adjusting member, a definite type face of this particular type carrier is placed into active printing position. The release of the hammer device for the printing of the adjusted type face is effected constrainedly through the control members that actuate the adjusting member, immediately after the adjusting member has selected a type face of the carrier.

According to a further feature of the invention, the type carriers, or the swing members which hold the type wheels or type rods, are preferably arranged in a guiding frame designed as a slide which is incrementally displaceable in analogy to the stepwise displacement of the platen-roller carriage in a conventional typewriter. Arranged within the slider is another stepping-switch device by means of which the printing-hammer device is displaceable into active position in front Olf one of the respective type carriers and by means of which the adjusting member is simultaneously to be coupled with the same type carrier. The stepping switch device, which controls the relative position of the printing-hammer device to the type carriers as well as the coupling between the type carriers and the adjusting member, is preferably released by a tabulatin-g device or by a control bridge equipped with control riders, so that the release is dependent upon the position of columns and/ or decades.

The above-mentioned and other objects, advantages and features of my invention will be apparent from and will be described in detail in, the following with reference to the embodiment of a type printing mechanism according to the invention illustrated by way of example on the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a type-wheel printer, the illustration representing substantially only the components essential to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially sectional plan view of the printing mechanism according to FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a partly sectional lateral view of the same printing mechanism.

The illustrated printing mechanism is primarily controlled by a group of racks 1 which constitute the valuedenoting computer members of an otherwise not illustrated calculating machine. The number of the racks 1 employed corresponds to the maximal digit-position capacity (number of decades) of the calculating machine. That is, the calculating machine employed in the illustrated case comprises a total of sixteen racks 1 and consequently has a capacity of sixteen digit positions. The racks 1 are shifted and adjusted in their longitudinal direction to positions corresponding to the values being transmitted and to be printed by the printing mechanism. This shifting motion of the racks 1 is effected in dependence upon the entering of values into the calculating machine or as a consequence of a calculating performance in the calculating machine. Thus the totality of rack positions set at a time depends upon the particular numerical multi-digit amount to be printed. Each of the racks 1 carries a nose 2 from which the value adjustment of the rack 1 can be transferred into a transfer carriage 3.

The carriage 3 is equipped with a large number of individual, movable transfer pieces 4 of which each is displaceably guided in the carriage 3 at the intersections of a net of coordinates for displacement parallel to the longitudinal axis of the transfer piece. Accordingly, the transfer carriage 3 comprises rows of transfer pieces in two mutually perpendicular directions. In each of the transfer-piece rows extending parallel to the displacing motion of the racks 1, a transfer piece 4 is provided for each digit value (9) Furthermore, each of these transfer-piece rows may possess several, for example three, special transfer pieces or pins 4a that do not denote numerical values but are assigned to certain control functions. The transfer pins 4a are not adjusted by the noses 2 of the calculator racks 1 but by separate adjusting means. A number of the transfer pieces in the rows extending transverse to the displacing direction of the racks 1 corresponds exactly to the number of the racks 1 provided in the calculating machine. Consequently the transfer carriage 3 can be charged by each of the racks 1 with a value corresponding to the numbers 0-9.

For charging numerical values from the racks 1 into the transfer carriage 3, the carriage 3 is pressed from the printing position A shown in FIG. 2 in the downward direction against the noses 2 of the racks 1. This causes those transfer pieces 4 that register with respective noses 2 of the racks 1 to be pressed from below in the upward direction into the transfer carriage 3. The transfer pieces are kept under spring pressure in known manner, and each transfer piece is provided with a nose or shoulder which, in the inwardly pressed position of the transfer piece 4, catches behind a latch bar 5, thus locking the latch piece in opposition to the return force of the spring. Each transfer-piece row extending parallel to the displacing direction of the racks 1, is correlated to a separate latch bar 5, and the latch bars 5 are guided for movement independently of each other.

From the base position A (FIG. 2.) the transfer carriage 3 can be shifted at a predetermined speed in the direction of the arrow x. Then the extensions 5a (FIGS. 1 and 3) of the latch bars 5 glide through the lateral walls of the carriage 3 in slots 6- of stationary guide structures. The guide slots 6 have an extension 612 which is upwardly directed and tapers in wedge fashion, the exten sions 6a being located approximately above the calculator rack 1 that denotes the highest digit position. A pawl protrudes from below into the widened slot portion 6a. One lateral surface of the pawl 7 is substantially parallel to the opposite lateral surface of the wedge-shaped recess 6a. The other lateral surface of the pawl 7 extends approximately in the symmetry axis of the Wedgeshaped recesses 6a and perpendicularly to the lateral surfaces of the guide slots 6. The pawl 7 is pivotally mounted and is braced in opposition to the travel motion of the transfer carriage in the direction of the arrow at. During a driving motion of the carriage 3 in the direction x, therefore, the extended guide portions 5a of the latch bars 5 run against the sloping surfaces of the pawls 7. This causes the latch bars 5 to be displaced upwardly along guide slots 8 in the lateral walls of the carriage 3, as the carriage travels in the x-direction.

Only those transfer pieces 4 or 4:1 participate in the displacement of the latch bars 5 along slots 8 (FIG. 3) whose noses have caught behind the latch bar 5 and thus can overcome the force of their respective biasing springs. It is apparent that the latch bars 5, extending transversely of the travel direction of the transfer carriage (FIG. 2), run successively in the direction toward lower decimal positions against the sloping surfaces of the pawls 7 so that the transfer members 4 or 4a are successively placed into active position in the sense of descending decimal digits. The design of the latch bars 5 and their extended guide pieces 5a is such that the latch bars to be successively lifted will run against the sloping surfaces of the pawls 7 only at the moment at which the previously actuated latch bar has glided off the pawl 7.

Suspended above the transfer carriage are several levers 1t) and 16a for pivotal motion about a shaft 9. The levers 10 extend parallel to the travel direction x of the transfer carriage 3 and are arranged beside each other so that one of the respective levers 10, 10a is located above each transfer-piece row extending parallel to the travel direction of the transfer carriage 3.

The three ends of the levers 1t cooperate with a single adjusting member 11 which is guided for displacing motion parallel to the pivot shaft 9 of the levers 1t Illa. Two compensating levers 12 coupled with each other by a pull spring 13, engage the control member 11 at opposite ends and arrest it in a midposition (PEG. 3). For mow ing the control member 11 out of its midposition, this member is provided with a pusher cam 14 against which the levers 10, 10a are deflected by means of the pawl 7 due to lifting of the transfer pieces 4, 4a. In the illustrated embodiment the cam 14 has gable-shaped configuration, and the peak point of the cam curve accurately bisects the distance between the two outer levers 10 or Ella. A notch 15 at the peak of cam 14 is engageable by the deflected lever 10 or Illa in the displaced position of the control member 11, for the purpose of retaining the control member 11 in this position. It is apparent that the control member 11 can be displaced from its midposition either to the right or to the left, and that the particular displacement distance of the control member 11 corresponds to the spacing between the deflected lever 10 or 10a and the notch 15 of cam 14 in the arrested position of the control member 11. Consequently, each. lever 19 or llia produces a different lateral displacement of the control member 11, the direction and length of displacement being predetermined.

The control member 11 is provided with rack teeth 16 continuously meshing with a pinion 17 journalled for free rotation on the machine housing. The pinion 17 continuously meshes with a pinion 18 keyed onto a squared entrainer shaft 19 passing transversely through the machine housing. Another pinion 20 (FIGS. 2 and 3) is seated on the entrainer shaft 19 and is displaceable along its entire length. Pinions 1? and 26 have the same dimensions. A fork member 21 straddles the hub of pinion- 20 and engages a peripheral groove of the hub. The: fork member 21 is displaceable along a shaft 22 extending, through the machine housing.

Displaceably guided on and along the shaft 22 and. along another shaft 23 within the machine housing is a. frame 24 between whose lateral parts a shaft 25 is. mounted. Several swing members, for example five swing: members, 26a to 262 are journalled on shaft 25 and are individually rotatable. Each of the swing members has two arms 26' and 26". Rotatably mounted on the upper arm 2-6 of each swing members 26a to 26:: is a type wheel 27a to 272. Each of the type wheels 27a to 27c is rovided with a multiplicity of, for example 13, type faces uniformly distributed over the periphery. Respective pin ons 23a to 28c are provided on each of the type wheels 1270 to 270 and are in continuous meshing engagement with respective pinions 29a to 2% which are journalled in the respective swing members 26a to 26c. The pinion 2b can be placed into meshing engagement with each of the pinions 29a to 29s by laterally displacing the fork member 21 between the lateral parts of the frame 24 on the shaft 22. This permits ad usting each of the type wheels 27a to Tie individually, in dependance upon the position of the calculator rack 1, through the action of the transfer carriage 3, the levers lb and Ida, the control member 11, and the pinions 17, fit and 2b.

The printing of the adjusted type face upon the form sheet guided by means of a platen roller St is effected by a printing hammer 31 which is guided on shaft 22 for lateral displacement by means of the fork member 21 together with the pinion 20. When the pinion Zll is placed into driving engagement with any one of the type wheels 27a to 272, the printing hammer 31 is placed simultaneously in front of the lower arm 26" of the swing member carrying this particular type wheel. The printing hammer 31 is driven by an entrainer shaft 32, preferably a shaft of square cross section, which protrudes through a driving finger 53 into the moving range of a teeter 34. The teeter 34 is turned against the driving finger 33 by the one lever it? or Illa that also effects the adjustment of the one type wheel. The turning motion is forced upon the teeter 34- by the lever 19 or 19a at the moment in which the lever It) or commences entering into the notch 25 of the control member 11 for latching the latter. As is apparent from FIG. 3, the active connection between the pinion it) and the particular type wheel adjusted thereby at a time, is eliminated when the adjusted typeface is bein' imprinted. in order to prevent the type wheel from becoming displaced during the printing motion, suitable locking members (not illustrated) of 'now kind are provided wt rch latch the type wheels in their po on relative to the swing member as soon as the pinion moves out of meshing en agement.

The frame 24-, conjointly with the type wheels 27a to 27c journaled by means of the swing members 26a to c in the frame, and also together with the adjusting and printing devices 2! and 31 guided by the fork member 21, forms a slider assembly which is incrementally movable along the platen roller 3% by cans of the shafts 22 and 23. This slider assembly comprises a type wheel 27:: with number type faces in normal print for producpositive number sequences, as well as a type wheel 27!) with inclined types or italics denoting numbers to be printed as negative values. Each of these type wheels 27a and 27b is further provided with type faces for function-denoting le ends such as item (or single item) sub-total and total. The three other type Wheels 276 to 2% serve for the printing of further characters and legends.

As explained, the transfer carriage, durin its progressive linear travel in the direction of the arrow x (PEG. 2) causes the transfer pieces 4, adjusted by means of the racks i, as well as the transfer pieces 4a., adjusted by special control members, to become active against the levers it in the direction toward lower decimal digit positions. Consequently, the printing of the adjusted type faces also takes place in the direction toward lower decimal dig' s. l or this purpose, the printing slider assembly is equipped with a stepping-switch device of conventional design or with a switching lock (not illustrated). This lock is actuated in dependence upon the movement of the printing hat mer 31 so that the slider assembly performs one switching step after each type printing operation. As a rule, the fork member which holds the adjusting pinion 23 and the printing hammer 31, participates in the stepping-switch motion of the slider assembly, so that the pinion 2t and the printing hammer 31, during a succession of several type-printing operations, remain correlated to one and the same printer swing member 26a to Zoe. However, if the pinion 2i} and the hammer 31, after the printing operation of the given type group is terminated, are to be switched over to a type group provided on any other desired type wheel in order to then commence printing different type faces, it is necessary to ad- Vance the fork member 21 relative to the printing slider. lf types in italics are to be printed after the printing of normal types, it is necessary to suppress the stepping travel of the printing slider, and, in lieu thereof, to only perform a forward switching of the fork member 21. As a result, the pinion Zll and the printing hammer 31 become disengaged from the swing member 26a of the normaltype wheel 27a, and now enter into the range of the swing member 26b for the italics-type wheel 2.7!). On the other hand, if it is necessary to keep a type wheel available for the printing of symbols or legends, then the fork member 21 must be kept arrested, while the slider assembly alone performs a corresponding stepping-switch travel. Therefore, another stepping switch mechanism can be provided between printing slider and fork member 21, to be actuated, for example in dependence upon a given program or by remote control in known manner.

Such a printing mechanism is particularly well suitable for use in accounting machines according to the so-called stationary form-sheet technique. It is applicable for column printing as well as for the line-printing method customary with accounting machines having a travelling pa per carriage. This is because the control of the printing slider can be performed in dependence upon a pre-set or pro-selected program. By applying a control program for column printing it is thus possible to switch the printing slider assembly back to its starting position after printing a given type sequence or a given number of types, and to simultaneously release a line switching of the platen roller. The control program can be made interchangeable or selectively adjustable in known manner so that a program for line printing can likewise be readily utilized. With a line-printing control program, the printing slider assembly is switched forward a selectable number of switching steps after printing a predetermined type sequence or number of types. Only when the last-programmed type is imprinted upon the recording form sheet, is the printing slider assembly returned to its starting position and simultaneously a line switching performed. When operating with column printing, the return of the transfer carriage to its base position A (FIG. 2) is released simultaneously with the return of the printing slider assembly. When operating with line printing, the return of the transfer carriage into this base position takes place in dependence upon the forward switching of the slider assembly to the next printing column of the same line. However, it is also readily possible to employ a transfer carriage whose capacity corresponds to the maximum capacity of an accounting line on the accounting form being used. Then, when operating with line printing, a return of the transfer carriage to its base position is possible only after completion of a line-printmg sequence.

According to FIG. 3, the transfer carriage 3 cooperates with Contact sliders or brushes 35 by means of which it is possible to release control commands for imprinting of type faces accurately into the columns, and, inside the columns, in the accurate decades. With the aid of this device, the printing mechanism can be controlled to skip the printing of zeros at the left of the first vacant digit during correct decade-wise printing in each accounting column. To provide for the control commands required in the individual columns, a position indication is controlled in dependence upon the fork member 21. Furthermore, in dependence upon the position of mem ber 21 in the slider assembly, in conjunction with the contact 36 actuated by the levers 10, the issuance of the types to be imprinted, for example for tape or card punches, can be remotely controlled.

Although the invention is described with reference to the printing mechanism with type-wheels, it is readily applicable with printers whose type faces are mounted on rod-shaped carriers. It is then only necessary to employ such type-carrier rods in lieu of the type wheels.

it can also be seen from FIG. 2, that the transfer carriage 3 may be brought by the calculator racks 1 not only to the base position A but also to a second base position B in which the transfer-piece row representing the highest digit value is first located above the adjusting. levers 37 of a group 38 of data-entering control magnets. By means of a stepping-switch device (not shown) of known type the transfer carriage 3 can be intermittently switched forward from the base position B in the direction towards lower decimal digit positions, each time after one of the adjusting members 37 of the magnetic data-entering device 38 has substituted 2. transfer piece 4 or 46s. The control of the stepping-switch device is released by a universal bar 39 with which each of the adjusting members 37 in the magnetic entering device 38 cooperates during a switching movement. After the transfer carriage 3 is filled by the magnetic data entering device 33 and has left the base position B, the carriage can be moved ahead, either by switching or by continuous displacement at predetermined speed as described above with reference to travel in the direction of the arrow x.

Due to the fact that the pawls 7, cooperating with the guides 6, are pivotally mounted in such a manner that they will turn in opposition to the direction at when the transfer carriage 3 is in travelling motion, an easy and unimpeded return travel of the transfer carriage 3 is secured.

Upon a study of this disclosure, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that my invention permits of various modifications with respect to structural details and airangement of components, Without departing from the essential features of my invention, and hence that my invention can be embodied in printing mechanisms other than particularly illustrated and described herein, without departing from the essential features of my invention and within the scope of the claims annexed hereto.

I claim:

1. A printing mechanism for calculating machines, business machines, teleprinters or the like machinery, comprising type carriers respectively equipped with different kinds of types, symbols and legends to be printed, each of said type carriers being movable independently of the other carriers for placing a selected one type into printing position; a single displaceable control member common to a plurality of said type carriers and adapted to be coupled with a selected one of said carriers, said control member havin a cam means; a plurality of individually actuable selector members engageable with said cam means for displacing said control member to respectively different control positions depending upon which of said selector members is actuated; in each of said control positions a different one of the types being in printing position on the one carrier coupled with said control member.

2. In a printing mechanism according to claim 1, each of said control positions of said control member being determined by a different one of said selector members, and said selector members being mounted side by side, and being equally spaced from each other.

3. In a printing mechanism according to claim 2, said and the type carrier coupled with said control member a .at a time being adjustable from a midposition in two mutually opposed directions respectively.

4. In a printing mechanism according to claim 3, said cam contour of said control member having a notch located on the symmetry axis of the contour, the one selector member actuable for the selection of a given control position of said control member being latchingly engageable with said notch when said control member reaches said control position.

5. In a printing mechanism according to claim 4, each of said selector members forming a swing arm and having one end pivoted and the other end engageable with said cam contour of said control member, said selector members being deflectable about their respective pivots, :a transfer carriage having transfer pieces sequentially displaceable in the direction toward smaller decimal digits, said swing arms being individually defiectable by said transfer pieces when the latter are in lifted position, whereby selected swing arms are moved against said cam tcontour during travel of said transfer carriage.

6. A printing mechanism according to claim 5, comprising a cam pawl, and said transfer pieces for deflection of said selector members being liftable by said cam pawl.

7. In a printing mechanism according to claim 6, said transfer carriage being selectively lowerable to a base position to be charged from the value-denoting members of a calculating or accounting machine, and being dis placeable in decadic steps from a different base position to be changed by values from a magnetic data-entering group.

8. A printing mechanism according to claim 2, comprising swing members in which said type carriers are mounted, a guiding frame in which said swing members are pivotally mounted beside one another for individual swinging motion, a printing hammer incrementally displaceable together with said guiding frame and engageable with one of said respective swing members in dependence upon a control program or by remote control.

9. In a printing mechanism according to claim 8, said guiding frame for the type-carrier swing members forming a slider assembly and being incrementally displaceable in dependence upon the actuation of said printing hammer.

10. A printing mechanism according to claim 9, comprising an intermediate member incrementally displaceable together with said printing hammer in said slider assembly and adjustingly engageable with said type carriers, an entrainer shaft having stationary bearings, and drive means for actuating said printing hammer as well as said type-ad-usting intenmediate member, said drive means being connected with said ent-rainer shaft to be operated thereby.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,155,991 Kurowski Apr. 25, 1939 2,192,365 Pitman Mar. 5, 1940 2,812,906 Reppert Nov. 12, 1957 2,924,382 Saxby et al. Feb. 9, 1960 2,986,993 Gang June 6, 1961

Claims (1)

1. A PRINTING MECHANISM FOR CALCULATING MACHINES, BUSINESS MACHINES, TELEPRINTERS OR THE LIKE MACHINERY, COMPRISING TYPE CARRIERS RESPECTIVELY EQUIPPED WITH DIFFERENT KINDS OF TYPES, SYMBOLS AND LEGENDS TO BE PRINTED, EACH OF SAID TYPE CARRIERS BEING MOVABLE INDEPENDENTLY OF THE OTHER CARRIERS FOR PLACING A SELECTED ONE TYPE INTO PRINTING POSITION; A SINGLE DISPLACEABLE CONTROL MEMBER COMMON TO A PLURALITY OF SAID TYPE CARRIERS AND ADAPTED TO BE COUPLED WITH A SELECTED ONE OF SAID CARRIERS, SAID CONTROL MEMBER HAVING A CAM MEANS; A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUALLY ACTUABLE SELECTOR MEMBERS ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID CAM MEANS FOR DISPLACING SAID CONTROL MEMBER TO RESPEC-

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