US3150587A

US3150587A - Duplicating, printing and like machines

Info

Publication number: US3150587A
Application number: US217398A
Authority: US
Inventors: Brown Roland
Original assignee: Block and Anderson Ltd
Current assignee: Block and Anderson Ltd
Priority date: 1961-08-22
Filing date: 1962-08-16
Publication date: 1964-09-29
Anticipated expiration: 1981-09-29
Also published as: GB1030695A

Description

Sept. 29, 1964 R. BROWN DUPLICATING, PRINTING AND LIKE MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 16, 1962 R M v, m w M m w R v00 7 m 886w bans? w o .r $35. 22 N J mm A j a Z mm 556 m 9 on J n 9. 1% i 4H? MONO: o n jaw mm mm Whwk 5 0% \m I htSW D \QQ DW muuwwvw 9. he 25w bi 8 w Q 9 mm -a- K T Mm. i 98395 \& $6 51: 2 2

Sept. 29, 1964 R. BROWN 3,150,587

DUPLICATING, PRINTING AND LIKE MACHINES Filed Aug. 16, 1962 Shets-Sheet 2 'FI'gQ. 2 77 I 28b Q 20 I 0 4 P o -o O I 6? GIL am IIIII 28 7-2- I I 3 7.? 7 3 75 .76

lNl/ENTOR ROLAND BROWN BY Ml ATTORNEY p 29, 1964 R. BROWN 3,150,587

DUPLICATINGQ'PRINTING AND LIKE MACHINES Filed Aug. 16, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 CLUTCH SUPPLY 18 SOURCE V BRAKE INVENTOK 190; AM: 5mm;

ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 3,150,587 Patented Sept. 29, 1964 DUPLICATING, PRINTING AND LIKE MACHINES Roland Brown, London, Engiand, assignor to Block &

Anderson Limited, London, England, a British company Filed Aug. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 217,398 Claims priority, application Great Britain Aug. 22, 1961 8 Claims. Cl. 101-132) This invention relates to duplicating, printing and like machines for obtaining copies of selected text lines only of a master image carried upon a printing drum with the respective selectable text lines disposed circumferentially around the drum and held in clip means which is movable axially along the length of the drum.

In one known form of hectographic duplicating machine of this type to which the invention is particularly applicable, a fixed position clip and two axially movable clip means are provided for holding respectively a first or heading master image whose image is to appear on all copies, a second variable or item master image from which selected line items alone are to be printed and a mask for overlying parts of said second master image which are not required. The movement of such movable clip means is normally arranged to be effected in steps of predetermined dimension equal to the chosen depth of one text line section of the movable master whereby any desired text line section of such movable master may be brought adjacent an edge of the heading master and the mask sheet carried in the second movable clip means positioned to overlie any further text line sections of the item master lying beyond the particular section or sections which are required to be printed. Normally the movement of each of the movable clip means is effected under manual control by operation of keys or levers which either move the clip directly or control the interconnection of such clip through clutch means with a power drive such as the normal power drive for the machine.

In co-pending United Kingdom patent application No. 13336/60 (126 PM'T), an electrical control system has been described by which the shifting of either clip is con trolled electrically, such arrangement providing increased operational facilities by affording either unit stepping of the clip or clips in either direction or high speed controlled traverse of the clip or clips over a chosen number of unit steps in either direction or full traverse to the end limit position of the clip in either direction. The arrangements of such prior application are relatively complex and it is an object of the present invention to provide an electrically controlled arrangement of similar capabilities but of substantially reduced complexity and manufacturing cost.

Broadly the invention resides in the provision of means for controlling the position of the movable drum clip which comprise a rotatable member adapted to cause axial shift movement of said clip, a power driven member connectible to rotate said rotatable clip shift member through an electrically operated clutch, a movable switch control member arranged to be maintained in constant positional relationship to the movable drum clip and having a plurality of switch operating abutments spaced apart in accordance with the chosen unit spacing dimension of said clip movement, a switch device for controlling the operation of said clutch and having an operating member engageable by each of said operating abutments, said switch device being arranged so that said clutch is disengaged whenever said operating member is engaged by one of said abutments and manual shift control means for causing separation of said operating member from an abutment with which it was previously engaged to initiate a power driven shift movement of said clip.

In order that the nature of the invention may be more readily understood two particular constructional embodiments will now be described by way of illustrative example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 shows, partly in schematic form, one simple arrangement illustrating the basic features of the inven tion;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified arrangement of the movable switch control disc and its associated manual control lever system for providing increased movement control facilities;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 2, taken approximately on the line IIIIII of FIG. 2;

FIGURE 4 is a. circuit diagram of the electrical arrangements employed with the modification of FIGS. 2 and 3 shown in association with a mainly diagrammatic representationof the other components of the arrangement;

I FIGURE 5 is an axial sectional view through the printlng drum showing the arrangement of the movable clip and its connection to the position control means;

FIGURE 6 is an axial sectional view through the printing drum of a modified construction employing two independently movable clips;

FIGURE 7 is a schematic drawing showing a modification embodying three separate control discs having respectively different spacing distances between their abutment pins to allow clip adjustment by unit steps of different dimension.

Referring first to the simple arrangement illustrating the basic features of the invention as shown in FIG. 1, this arrangement comprises a lead screw 10 rotatable in fixed position bearings at a suitable position within the stationary framework (not shown) of the duplicating machine. A convenient location for such lead screw is one parallel to but outside the main rotatable printing drum of the machine and with opposite ends of such lead screw journalled in bearings secured in or to the opposing side frame plates of the machine framework. The lead screw 10 carries thereon a longitudinally slidable but nonrotatable nut 11 which is coupled by a flexible tensile member 12, such as a wire cable or a roller chain, to a sheet holding clip, indicated schematically at 13, which is arranged in well known manner to be slidable in an axial direction in a slot or groove formed in the periphery of the printing drum 14 of the machine. As shown by way of illustrative example in FIG. 5, the drum 14 comprises

opposite end members

90, 91 between the inner faces of which extends a cylindrical shell 92 provided with an axially directed linear slot 93 within which the outwardly facing, sheet receiving, end of the clip 13 is freely slidable. Such clip may be of any of the already well known forms of construction and is mounted for sliding movement upon a slide bar 94 extending parallel with the drum axis between the

end members

90, 91. The end member 91 is formed with an integral solid axle pin 95 which is journalled within a ball bearing 96 secured to one of the side frame plates 97 of the machine framework but the opposite end member 90 is provided with a hollow axle 16 which is likewise journalled in a ball bearing 98 secured to an opposite side frame plate 99 of the framework. The flexible tensile member 12 from the nut 11 passes over a jockey roller or sprocket 15 rotatably mounted in a bracket extending from the adjacent frame plate 99 and then enters the interior of the drum through the hollow axle 16, being positioned so as to lie coincident with the axis of rotation of the drum. The inward end of the member 12 is connected to one end of a pin 100 having a head 101 and which is freely rotatable Within a hole 102 in an extension piece 103 of the clip 13. The axis of the hole 102 is coincident with the axis of rotation of the drum so that the drum 14 and the clip 13 therein may rotate freely about the pin 100. A tension spring 17 connected between the clip 13 and the end member 91 biases the clip towards the right whereby the axial position of such clip with respect to the drum may be adjusted by pulling upon or releasing the member 12 by altering the position of the nut 11 on the lead screw 10, FIG. 1. A gear wheel 104 secured to the end member 90 serves to couple the drum to the driving power source, e.g. an electric motor, in the conventional manner.

The lead screw is connected through an electrically controlled clutch 13, conveniently an elecctromagnetic clutch, to an input drive shaft 19 which is shown connected by way of a reduction gear device 20 to an electric driving motor 21.

The lead screw 10 also carries fixed thereon the rotatable member of an electrically operated brake 22, conveniently an electromagnetic brake, whose opposite stationary member is held fixed to the machine framework. The lead screw 10 also has secured thereto a worm 23 in meshing engagement with a worm wheel 24 fixed to a control shaft 25 which has a platform disc 26 rigidly connected thereto.

The platform disc 26 is overlaid by and supports a concentric control disc 27 which is provided around the major part of its marginal edge with a plurality of equispaced upstanding abutment pins 28 all located at the same radial distance from the axis of the shaft 25. The control disc 27 is coupled to the platform disc 26 by means of three screws or studs 29, which are secured in the disc 26 and passs through related arcuate slots 39 formed in the control disc 27, and a biasing spring 31 which is secured upon the control disc 27 and is arranged to bear against one of the studs 29 whereby the three studs 29 are normally held in contact with one end of the associated slot. Such an arrangement allows a limited amount of rotational movement of the control disc 27 relatively to the platform disc 26 as will be explained later.

A single-pole changeover electric switch 32, conveniently of the so-called microswitch type, is rigidly secured upon a rocking plate 33 which is pivotally mounted at 34 upon a fixed part of the machine framework. The operating roller or like element 35 of the switch is positioned to lie in the movement path of the abutment pins 28 and to be operated to one switch position as shown whenever such element is depressed by an abutment pin. When the element 35 is not so depressed, the switch assumes the opposite switching position to that shown.

The rocking plate 33 has an extension which carries a manually operable press button 36 while a further oppositely directed extension carries a post 37 which bears against the edge of a lever arm 38 pivoted upon a fixed position stud 39 and provided with an opposite cranked extension .0. Spring means 41 operate to urge the arm 38 in clockwise direction and, by the engagement with post 37, the plate 33 in anticlockwise direction to the position shown where the latter abuts a fixed stop 42.

Overlying the operating roller 35 of the switch 32 is a latching lever 43 pivoted on a fixed position stud 44 and provided towards its opposite end with a notch 45 adapted to co-operate, in a manner described later, with the post 37 under the influence of a biasing spring A second manually operable press button 47 is mounted upon the end of a lever arm 43 which is mounted so as to be both slidable longitudinally and rockable against the action of a spring 49 about a fixed mounting stud 50 passing through a slot 51 in the lever arm. The cranked extension 40 of the lever arm 38 normally lies just clear of the side surfacce of the arm 48 when the latter is in the full line position shown but is adapted to engage and rock such arm 48 clockwise about the stud 50 to the dotted line position whenever the arm 38 is rocked by movement of the post 37 upon manual operation of the press button 36.

The motor 21 is shown energised by way of a manually operable reversing switch 52 from a suitable supply source such as A.C. public supply mains 35 while the clutch 18 and the brake 22 are each connected to a suitable, preferably low voltage, supply source 82 through opposite contacts of the changeover switch 32 whereby when one member, e.g. the clutch 18, is energised, the other member, e.g. the brake 22, is de-energised and vice versa. The low voltage source 82 is conveniently a conventional stepdown transformer and rectifier arrangement providing a direct current output.

The operation of this embodiment is as follows. Assuming the nut 11 is at some position away from its extreme left hand limit and that the operating roller 35 of the switch 32 is engaged and depressed by one of the abutment pins 28, then the switch 32 is in the position shown to cause the brake 22 to be energised and the clutch 18 to be de-energised whereby the lead screw 10 is held stationary and the clip 13 is in one of its predetermined positions relative to the drum 14.

The press button 47 provides a single-step control. Manual depression of such button causes longitudinal sliding movement of the arm 48 whereby the inner end of the latter engages one of the abutment pins 28 on the control disc 27 and causes a limited angular movement of such control disc relatively to the underlying platform disc 26 against the action of the spring 31. This movement of the disc 27 displaces the particular abutment pin 28 which was previously in contact with the roller 35 to an extent sufiicient to allow the switch 32 to reverse its switching position whereby the brake 22 becomes de-energised and the clutch 18 is engaged. The motor 21, which rotates continuously, now rotates the lead screw 10 in a direction to shift the nut 11 towards the left and the clip 13 on the drum 14 is consequently moved to the right by the spring means 17. Simultaneously the platform disc 26 is rotated in anticlockwise direction through the worm 23, worm wheel 24 and control shaft 25 to take up the previous relative displacement of the control disc 27 so that, even if the press button 47 is released, the previously operative abutment pin 28- is moved clear of the switch roller 35 to allow rotation of the lead screw 10 to continue until the next following abutment pin 28 is brought into engagement with the switch roller. Upon engagement of the switch roller 35 by such abutment pin the switch 32 returns to its initial position, i.e. that shown, whereby clutch 13 is rendered inoperative and the brake 22 is again applied. The clip 13 has thus been moved one step to the right, the amount of such one-step movement being determined by the angular spacing between adjacent pins 28. If the press button 47 is held depressed instead of being immediately released, the cycle of operation is just the same. In either case, the abutment pin 28 next following that engaged by the inner end of the lever arm 4-8 deflects such arm to the right against the action of the spring 49 and finally moves into a position just beyond the inner end of such arm when the press button is eventually released. Further unit step movements can be effected in similar manner.

Continuous movement of the nut 11 and hence of the clip 13 by an amount equal to an integral number of unit steps may be obtained by manual operation of the press button 36 inwardly to a limited extent. This limited inward movement is sutficient to rock the plate 33 in a clockwise direction to move the switch 32 and its operating roller 35 bodily to a position where the latter lies out of the path of the pins 28; at the same time the lever arm 33 is moved about its pivot 39 by the post 37 whereby the extension 40 engages and rocks the arm 48 clear of such pins 28. Since the roller 35 is now freed, the switch 32 is reversed to the position where the clutch 13 is engaged and the brake 22 is released. The lead screw 10 is now driven continuously by the motor 21 until the press button 36 is released whereupon the switch 32 is returned to its normal position as shown. The next available pin 28 then engages and operates the switch roller 35 and the lead screw is arrested with the nut 11 and the interconnected clip 13 in the next following unit step position.

If the press button 36 is depressed to its full extent, the post 37 on the rocking plate 33 becomes engaged behind the notch 45 of the latching lever 43 and rotation of the lead screw 10, after being initiated in the manner just described, continues, even if the press button is released, until a limit-defining one 28a of the pins 28, which is of greater height than the others, engages the inner end of the latching lever 43. The latter is then rocked about its pivot 44 to release the post 37 from the notch 45. The plate 33 then rocks about its pivot 34 to return the switch 32 to its normal position where the switch roller 35 is again operated by one of the pins 28. The resultant de-energisation of the clutch 18 and energisation of the brake 22 causes the lead screw to be arrested and held at the limit position of the nut 11. Return movement of the lead screw 10 to bring the nut 11 and clip 13 to the opposite limit position in readiness for a further series of clip-shift operations may be obtained by use of the reversing switch 52 and operation of the press button 36 to its intermediate position.

A modified and more complex arrangement of the control disc and its associated lever systems to provide increased movement facilities in shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.

In this embodiment the control disc 27, provided as before with the peripheral series of abutment pins 28, is rigidly connected to the control shaft 25, Le. without the previous limited lost-motion displacement afforded by the platform disc 26, studs 29 and slots 30 of FIG. 1. The changeover switch 32 is mounted upon a rocking plate 33 which is pivoted at 34 to a fixed machine part and is arranged, as in the first embodiment, to control the energisation and de-energisation in alternate manner of the clutch 18 and brake 22. The rocking plate 33 is provided with an off-set extension limb 53 carrying an upstanding pin 54 lying adjacent the edge of a horizontal and longitudinally movable switch-operating slide bar 57. In the same plane as the bar 57 and also parallel therewith are disposed three further slide bars, namely, two latching

bars

58 and 59 and a reversing switch control bar 60.

Disposed at right angles to the bars 57-60 in a common overlying plane are two groups of four

parallel control bars

61L, 62L, 63L, 64L and 61R, 62R, 63R, 64R. All of these further control bars are arranged to he slidable longitudinally in guide means and all are spring urged in the direction of arrow a towards a frontal plane in which each control bar is provided with a manually operable press button 65.

The various slide bars 57, 58, 59 and 60 are each provided with upstanding pins as indicated at 66 for cooperation, in the manner described later, with lateral projections on the control bars as shown at 67 and with latching lugs as shown at 68 on the control bars 62L, 62R and 64L, 64R.

The switch operating slide bar 57 is spring urged towards the right, FIG. 2, by spring means as shown at 83, while the latching slide bars 58 and 59 are similarly spring urged to the left by spring means 84. The reversing switch control bar 60 is not spring biased but is, instead, provided with locating means 68 in the form of a ball or roller engageable with spaced recesses in the bar whereby such bar is firmly held in either of its left or right hand positions after being shifted. This bar 60 has a cam projecion 69 operative upon the roller 86 or like operating member of the motor reversing switch 52 whereby such switch is in one position to cause motor operation in one direction when the bar 60 is to the left and is in the opposite position to cause motor operation in the opposite direction when the bar is to the right.

As shown more clearly in FIG. 3, each of the abutment pins 28, except certain limit pins at each end of the series, is of tubular form and has a slidable plunger 70 which is provided, on the underside of the control disc 27, with a head 71 which is displaceable from an inoperative position as shown in full lines to an operative position as shown in dotted lines where such head is in alignment with the upper one of two generally parallel bellcrank latch release levers 72, 73 each rockable about a fixed position pivot pin 74. The lever 72 co-operates with a pin 75 projecting from the underside of the slide bar 58 while the lever 73 similarly co-operates with a pin 76 which projects from the underside of the slide bar 59.

As shown more clearly in FIG. 3, the release lever 72 can engage and be operated by the plunger heads 71 of the abutment pins 28 only when the latter have their respective plungers displaced downwardly but the two end limit pins 28a, 28b have fixed downward extensions of a length sufficient to operate each of the release levers 72 and 73.

Each of the control bars 611., 61R carries a springcontrolled pawl 78 whose inclined end surface is arranged for co-operation with one of the pins 66 on the slide bar 57, while the slide bar 57 is also provided with a lateral projection 79 for co-operation with the pin 54 carried on the extension limb 53 of the switch rocking plate 33.

Referring now to FIG. 4, it will be seen that the input drive shaft 19 is driven, as in the previous embodiment of FIG. 1, through a reduction gear 20 from an electric driving motor 21. This motor operates continuously while the machine is in use but, unlike the previous embodiment, is not made reversible. Such motor 21 can, in practice, be the main drive motor of the machine. The input drive shaft 19 is capable of being coupled by way of the electrically controlled clutch 18 directly to the lead screw 10 whereby the latter rotates in the same direction as the shaft 19. In addition the input drive shaft 19 is capable of being coupled to the lead screw 10 by way of a second electrically controlled clutch 80 and gear trains 81 which serve to provide the same drive ratio but with a reversed direction of rotation of the lead screw. The reversing switch 52 operated by the slide bar is arranged to control the selection of the required one of the

alternative clutches

18, 80, while switch 32 operates as in the first embodiment to select either a clutch 18 or 80 or the brake 22 for energisation by the output from the low voltage source 82.

53 and 56 are normally-closed limit switches connected in series with the respective leads from the reversing switch 52 to the

alternative clutches

22 and 80. As shown in FIG. 2, switch 55 is arranged to be opened by a projection 77 on the control disc 27 when the latter is in the position where the end pin 28a is opposite the switch roller 35 while the other switch 56 is similarly arranged to be opened when the disc 27 is in the opposite limit position where the other end pin 28b is opposite such switch roller.

The left hand group of press buttons associated respectively with the control bars 61L-64L all provide leftward displacement of the clip 13 of the printing drum, bar 61L giving one unit step of clip displacement for each operation thereof, bar 62L giving a tabulation facility of continuous clip movement as far as the next following arrest position as chosen by downward displacement of the appropriate plunger on the control disc 27, bar 63L giving continuous clip displacement only for as long as the associated press button is held operated and bar 64L giving continuous traverse of the clip to its extreme left hand limit position. The right hand group of press buttons 65 associated respectively with the control bars 61R-64R provide precisely similar controls but with rightward displacement of the clip.

The manner of operation is as follows: Manual actuation of any one of the left hand group of press buttons 65 immediately results in leftward displacement of the slide bar 60 (if such bar is not already in its left hand position) by means of the cam-faced projection 67 on the actuated control bar bearing upon the related pin 66 neither bar can be latched in.

on the slide bar. This leftward positioning of the control bar 60 causes the cam projection 69 to depress the roller 86. This results in operation of the switch 52 to the position which selects the clutch 80 required to produce the direction of rotation of lead screw necessary to cause leftward movement of the clip 13. Conversely, operation of any one of the right hand group of press buttons 65 causes shift of the control bar 60 to the right (if it is not already in such right hand position) to operate the switch 52 to the position which selects the clutch 18 for causing rotation of the lead screw in the opposite direction as is necessary to cause rightward movement of the clip 13.

If either of the press buttons 65 on control bars 61L or 61R is operated, in addition to the clutch selection operation as just described, the slide bar 57 is also shifted leftwards momentarily by the passage of the pawl 78 on the operated control bar past the associated pin 66. As a result of this movement of the slide bar 57 the abutment 79 thereon engages the pin 54 on the limb 53 of the plate 33 and causes rocking movement of the latter sutlicient to remove the operating roller 35 of the switch 32 from contact with the particular abutment pin 28 which is at that moment opposite to it. The switch 32 is accordingly reversed in its switching position to cause operation as in the first embodiment by de-energisation of the brake 22 and energisation of the particular clutch 18 or 80 already selected by the positioning of the bar so. The pawl 78 rides past and clear of the pin 66 to allow the slide bar 56 to return to the right regardless of whether the press button 65 is held actuated or not. The switch roller 35 is therefore immediately returned to the normal position in readiness to be operated by the next following abutment pin 28 on the control disc 27 as the latter rotates in unison with movement of the clip 13. The shift operation accordingly stops at the end of one unit step of clip movement.

If either of the press buttons 65 associated with the control bars 62L, 62R is operated, in addition to clutch selection for direction control by the slide bar 60 as described earlier, the slide bar 57 is again shifted leftwards by engagement of the cam projection 67 with the associated pin 66 so as again to move the rocking plate 33 to the position Where the switch roller 35 is clear of the abutment pins 23 on the control disc 27 thereby starting the clip shift movement. In this case, however, the chosen operated

bar

62L or 62R is latched in by engagement of lug 68 thereon behind pin 66a on the slide bar 58. Shift operation now continues regardless of whether the push button is held operated or is released until the latch release lever 72 is en aged either by a downwardly displaced plunger head 71 of the abutment pins 23 or by one of the end pins 23a or 2311. When such engagement occurs, the slide bar 53 is shifted to the right by engagement of the lever 72 with the pin 75 on the slide bar to release the latched

control bar

62L or 62R. Switch 32 then returns to its normal position to be operated by the abutment pin 23 which has arrived in position opposite the roller 35.

The control bars 63L, 63R operate in a manner similar to that just described for

bars

62L or 62R except that Clip movement accordingly continues only while the press button 65 is held operated. Immediately it is released, the switch 32 returns to the normal position and causes arrest of the clip at the next unit shift position.

When either of the press buttons 65 associated with the control bars 64L, 64R is operated, the switch 32 is moved to a position where its roller 35 is clear of the abutment pins 28 as already described through movement of the slide bar 57 but the control bar is, in this case, latched in by means of the slide bar 59 whose pin e612 engages behind the associated lug 68 on the operated control bar. This slide bar 59 can only be shifted to the right to effect release of the locked-in control bar by the 8 engagement of the release lever '73 with its pin 76. Such release lever however is engageable only with the end abutment pins 23a, 28b and the clip 13 is accordingly shifted continuously up to the chosen end limit.

When either of the end limit positions of the clip 13 is reached, the projection 77 on the control disc 27 engages and opens the

appropriate limit switch

55 or 56 thereby preventing further engagement of the particular clutch which has previously been operative to reach that limit position.

In either arrangement the control disc 27 may be made interchangeable with other control discs of similar general form but with different unit spacing distance between adjacent abutment pins 28 whereby the unit spacing distance of clip movement can be changed to suit requirements. For example, one form of disc may have pins so spaced that the clip moves in half-inch steps whereas another disc form may provide unit steps of one centimetre. If desired, a multiple unit space machine may be provided by arranging several control discs, having different unit spacing distances for their respective abutment pins, in stacked relationship upon a common control shaft 25 and then selecting which of the several switches 32 (and 52) is to be operated by means of a separate selector switch.

One arrangement of this form is indicated schematically in FIG. 7 Where three

control discs

27a, 27b and 270 are secured to the control shaft 25. The control discs have appropriately different spacing distances between their respective abutment pins 28. Each control disc has associated therewith a set of push buttons, control bars and slide bars as already described and illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 together with the switches controlled thereby shown at 32a, 32b, 32c and 52a, 52b, 526. The circuit of the current supply from the source 82 to the alternative clutches 18, 8t) and the brake 22 is as already described with reference to FIG. 4 and employs a single pair of

limit switches

55, 56. Which one of the three available control systems is to be operative is determined by the setting position of a selector switch controlling the connection from one side of the supply source 82 to the required one of the

switches

32a, 32b and 326.

In yet a further embodiment, not shown, the various control buttons are arranged to operate electric switches which, in turn, control the energisation of a system of relays and electromagnets which provide for controlled movement of the switch 32 and interlocking facilities analogous to those described above. Such modification is particularly convenient when the operators control panel is required to be located at a position remote from that convenient for the location of the control disc 27.

While the invention has been described with relation only to movement of a single clip it will be understood that similar means will normally be provided for controlling the position of a second movable clip through a second hollow axle at the opposite end of the drum.

FIG. 6 illustrates such a modified form of drum. In addition to the components shown in FIG. 5 which are given similar reference numerals, the end member 91 is also provided with a hollow axle 106 journalled in the bearing 96 on the side frame plate 97. A second axially directed slot 107 in the shell 92, alongside the slot 93, accommodates a second movable clip 108 guided on slide bar Hi9. Such second clip 108 is urged by tension spring 116 towards the left in opposition to the pull of the second tensile member llll which is coupled to the clip 108 by the rotatable pin 112 in identical manner to that of the pin 100. Such tensile member 111 passes along a path coincident with the drum axis through the hollow axle 196 and over a further jockey pulley 113 to a second control arrangement identical with that already described for the first movable clip.

I claim:

1. In a duplicating or like machine comprising a rotatable printing drum having at least one securing clip for a master image-bearing sheet movable axially along said drum in steps of predetermined dimension to position said image-bearing sheet at different locations relative to the length of the drum, means for controlling the movement of said clip to its different step positions which comprises a rotatable lead screw, a nut on said lead screw, said nut being non-rotatable so as to be translated axially of the screw upon rotation of the latter, means coupling said nut to said clip of said drum to translate the linear motion of said nut into axial motion of said clip, a power driven rotatable shaft, a clutch for coupling said shaft to said lead screw, said clutch including electromagnetic means for controlling its engagement and disengagement, a movable control member, motion transmitting means coupling said control member to said lead screw to maintain a predetermined relationship between the position of said nut on said lead screw and the position of said control member, a plurality of equi-spaced abutments on said control member, electric switch means controlling the energisation of said electromagnetic control means of said clutch, said switch means having a switch operating member, said switch operating member being engageable by each of said abutments to operate said switch to disengage said clutch and to engage said clutch when not engaged by an abutment, and manually operable stepping control means for forcibly separating said switch operating member from any abutment with which it is in engage ment thereby to cause engagement of said clutch with resultant movement of said control member and said lead screw until a following abutment engages said switch operating member.

2. In a duplicating or like machine comprising a rotatable printing drum having at least one securing clip for a master image-bearing sheet movable axially along said drum in steps of predetermined dimension to position said image-bearing sheet at different locations relative to the length of the drum, means for controlling the movement of said clip to its diiferent step positions which comprises a rotatable lead screw, a nut on said lead screw, said nut being non-rotatable so as to be translated axially of the screw upon rotation of the latter, means coupling said nut to said clip of said drum to translate the linear motion of said nut into axial motion of said clip, a power driven rotatable shaft, a clutch for coupling said shaft to said lead screw, said clutch including electromagnetic means for controlling its engagement and disengagement, a rotatable control disc, gear means coupling said control disc to said lead screw to maintain a predetermined relationship between the position of said nut on said lead screw and the angular position of said control disc, a plurality of equi-spaced abutment pins disposed around a circular path on said control disc, electric switch means controlling the energisation of said electromagnetic control means of said clutch, said switch means having a switch operating member, said switch operating member being engageable by each of said abutment pins of said control disc to operate said switch to disengage said clutch when engaged by an abutment pin, and to engage said clutch when not engaged by an abutment pin, and manually operable stepping control means for forcibly separating said switch operating member from any abutment pin with which it is in engagement thereby to cause engagement of said clutch with resultant rotation of said control disc and said lead screw until a following abutment pin engages said switch operating member.

3. In a duplicating or like machine comprising a rotatable printing drum having at least one securing clip for a master image-bearing sheet movable axially along said drum in steps of predetermined dimension to position said image-bearing sheet at different locations relative to the length of the drum, means for controlling the movement of said clip to its different step positions which comprises a rotatable lead screw, a nut on said lead screw, said nut being non-rotatable so as to be translated axially of the screw upon rotation of the latter, means coupling said nut to said clip of said drum to translate the linear motion of said nut into axial motion of said clip, a power driven rotatable shaft, an electromagnetic clutch for coupling said shaft to said lead screw, a rotatable control disc, gear means coupling said control disc to said lead screw to maintain a predetermined relationship between the position of said nut on said lead screw and the angular position of said control disc, a plurality of equi-spaced abutment members around the periphery of said control disc, electric switch means having a switch operating member and controlling the energisation of said clutch, said switch operating member being engageable by each of said abutment pins of said control disc to operate, said switch to de-energise said clutch when engaged by an abutment pin and to energise said clutch when not engaged by an abutment pin and manually operable stepping control means for forcibly separating said switch operating member from any abutment pin with which it is in engagement thereby to cause engagement of said clutch with resultant rotation of said control disc and said lead screw until a following abutment pin engages said switch operating member.

4. In a duplicating or like machine comprising a rotatable printing drum having at least one securing clip for a master image-bearing sheet movable axially along said drum in steps of predetermined dimension to position said image-bearing sheet at different locations relative to the length of the drum, means for controlling the movement of said clip to its different step positions which comprises a rotatable lead screw, a nut on said lead screw, said nut being non-rotatable so as to be translated axially of the screw upon rotation of the latter, means coupling said nut to said clip of said drum to translate the linear motion of said nut into axial motion of said clip, a power driven rotatable shaft, an electromagnetic clutch for coupling said shaft to said lead screw, an electromagnetic brake for holding said lead screw stationary, a rotatable control disc, gear means coupling said control disc to said lead screw to maintain a predetermined relationship between the position of said nut on said lead screw and the angular position of said control disc, a plurality of equispaced abutment members around the periphery of said control disc, electric switch means having a switch operating member and controlling the energisation of said electromagnetic clutch and brake, said switch operating member being engageable by each of said abutment pins of said control disc to operate said switch to disengage said clutch and engage said brake when engaged by an abutment pin and to engage said clutch and to disengage said brake when not engaged by an abutment pin and manually operable stepping control means for forcibly separating said switch operating member from any abutment pin with which it is in engagement thereby to cause engagement of said clutch with resultant rotation of said control disc and said lead screw until a following abutment pin engages said switch operating member.

5. In a duplicating or like machine comprising a rotatable printing drum having at least one securing clip for a master image-bearing sheet movable axially along said drum in steps of predetermined dimension to position said image-bearing sheet at different locations relative to the length of the drum, means for controlling the movement of said clip to its different step positions which comprises a rotatable but axially immovable lead screw, a nut on said lead screw, said nut being nonrotatable but axially movable along said lead screw, a flexible coupling between said nut and said movable clip of said drum, a lead screw driving motor, an electromagnetic clutch coupling said motor to said lead screw, a rotatable platform disc, gear means coupling said platform disc to said lead screw to maintain a predetermined relationship between the position of said nut on said lead screw and the angular position of said platform disc, a control disc on said platform disc, said control disc being coupled to said platform disc by lost-motion means permitting limited angular displacement on said control disc relative to said platform It El disc, spring means biasing said control disc towards one limit of said lost-motion coupling, a plurality of equispaced abutment pins including limit pins at each end located around said control disc, an electric switch having a switch operating member, a pivotal mounting for said electric switch to allow positioning of said switch in a first position where said operating member is engageable by each abutment pin to cause switch reversal and a second position where said operating member is clear of all of said abutment pins, a manually operable step control member including an arm positioned to engage behind and transmit movement to any abutment pin engaged thereby so as to rotate said control disc relative to said platform disc against said bias spring means, a pivoted latching lever engageable only by said limit abutment pins, said latching lever operating to latch said movable switch member in the position where said switch operating member is clear of said abutment pins until engaged by one of said limit pins and a power supply for said clutch with circuit means extending through said switch whereby said clutch is de-energised when switch operating member is in contact with an abutment pin and is energised when said operating member is not in contact with an abutment pin.

6. In a duplicating or like machine comprising a rotatable printing drum having at least one securing clip for a master image-bearing sheet movable axially along said drum in steps of predetermined dimension to position said image-bearing sheet at different locations relative to the length of the drum, means for controlling the movement of said clip to its ditferent step positions which comprises a rotatable but axially immovable lead screw, a nut on said lead screw, said nut being nonrotatable but axially movable along said lead screw, a flexible coupling between said nut and said movable clip of said drum, a lead screw driving motor, reduction gear mechanism driven by said motor, an electromagnetic clutch coupling said reduction gear mechanism to said lead screw, an electromagnetic brake having its movable element connected to said lead screw, a rotatable platform disc, gear means coupling said platform disc to said lead screw to maintain a predetermined relationship between the position of said nut on said lead screw and the angular position of said platform disc, a control disc on said platform disc, said control disc being coupled to said platform disc by lost-motion means permitting limited angular displacement on said control disc relative to said platform disc, spring means biasing said control disc towards one limit of said lost-motion coupling, a plurality of equispaced abutment pins including limit pins at each end located around said control disc, an electric change-over switch having a switch operating member, a pivotal mounting for said electric switch to allow positioning of said switch in a first position where said operating member is engageable by each abutment pin to cause switch reversal and a second position where said operating member is clear of all of said abutment pins, a manually operable step control member including an arm positioned to engage behind and transmit movement to any abutment pin engaged thereby, so as to rotate said control disc relative to said platform disc against said bias spring means, a pivoted latching lever engageable only by said limit abutment pins, said latching lever operating to latch said movable switch member in the position where said switch operating member is clear of said abutment pins until engaged by one of said end limit pins and a power supply for said clutch and brake with circuit means through said change-over switch whereby said clutch is de-energized and said brake is energised when said switch operating member is in contact with an abutment pin and said brake is de-energised and said clutch is energized when said operating member is not in contact with an abutment pin.

7. In a duplicating or like machine comprising a rotatable printing drum having at least one securing clip for a master image-bearing sheet movable axially along said drum in steps of predetermined dimension to position said image-bearing sheet at different locations relative to the length of the drum, means for controlling the movement of said clip to its dilferent step positions which comprises a rotatable but axially immovable lead screw, a nut on said lead screw, said nut being nonrotatable but axially movable along said lead screw, flexible tensile coupling means between said nut on said lead screw and said movable clip of said drum to transmit the linear motion of said nut to said clip to produce corresponding linear motion thereof, a power driven rotating shift, forward and reverse electromagnetic clutch devices, gear means coupling the inputs of each of said clutch devices to said power driven shaft, further gear means coupling the outputs of said clutch devices to said lead screw to cause rotation thereof in one direction when said forward clutch device is engaged and rotation in the opposite direction when said reverse clutch device is engaged, a brake device having its movable member connected to said lead screw, first, second and third electromagnetic operating means for said forward clutch device, said reverse clutch device and said brake respectively, a rotatable control disc having a plurality of equi-spaced abutment pins set at a common radial distance therearound, gear means coupling said control disc to said lead screw to maintain a predetermined relationship between the position of said nut on said lead screw and the angular position of said control disc, a first electric change-over switch having an operating member adapted to be engageable by each of said abutment pins to cause reversal of the switch position, a pivotally mounted carrier for said first switch means, first and second groups of manually operable first, second, third and fourth control bars, said bars being each reciprocable axially in parallel relationship, a switch operating slide bar disposed transversely to said control bars, first and second latch bars each parallel to said switch operating slide bar and a switch reversing slide bar parallel to said switch operating slide bar, second change-over switch means having an operating member engageable by said switch reversing slide bar to reverse the switch position in accordance with the direction of displacement of said switch reversing slider bar, abutment means coupling said pivotally mounted first switch carrier to said switch operating slider bar, abutment means including a pivotal pawl lever on said first control bar of each of said two groups of control bars to cause linear movement of said switch operating slide bar upon depression of said first control bar thereby momentarily to rock said first change-over switch means to a position where its operating member is clear of any abutment pin, latching means on the second control bar of each of said two groups of control bars cooperating with latching means on said first latch bar to retain said second control bar in an operated position, further latching means on the fourth control bar of each of said groups, said latching means co-operating with latching means on said second latch bar to retain said fourth control bar in an operated position, a first pivotal latch release lever engageable by each of said abutment pins and operable when so engaged to move said first latch bar to release any latched second control bar, a second pivotal latch release lever positioned to be engaged by the end abutment pins only of said series of abutment pins and operable when so engaged to move said second latch bar thereby to release any latched fourth control bar, each of said second, third and fourth control bars of each group including cam means co-operating with said switch operating slide bar to cause longitudinal movement of said slide bar when any control bar is in operated position thereby to cause reversal of said first change-over switch means, each of said four control bars of the first group including cam means operable on said switch reversing slide bar to move said switch reversing bar to a position to set said second change-over switch means in one position when any of said first group contact bars is operated and each of said second group control bars including cam means operable to move said switch reversing slide bar to the opposite position to set said second change-over switch means in the opposite position when any of said second group control bars is operated, limit switch means each operated by said control disc to reverse position when said disc is at one or other of its limit positions, an electric power supply source and circuit means interconnecting said power supply source with said two clutch devices and said brake through said first and second change-over switch means and said limit switches whereby the operative clutch device is determined by the position of said second change-over switch means and whereby said selected clutch is energised and said brake is de-energised when said first change-over switch means 1 is not engaged by an abutment pin while said selected clutch is de-energized and said brake is energised when said change-over switch is in engagement with one of said abutment pins.

8. The invention as claimed in claim 7 in which each of said abutment pins except said limit pins is movable between a first position where it is engageable with said first pivotal latch release lever and a second position where it is not engageable with such latch release lever.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,645,174 Levin July 14, 1953 2,704,591 Bogert Mar. 22, 1955 2,724,330 Brown et al Nov. 23, 1955

Claims

1. IN A DUPLICATING OR LIKE MACHINE COMPRISING A ROTATABLE PRINTING DRUM HAVING AT LEAST ONE SECURING CLIP FOR A MASTER IMAGE-BEARING SHEET MOVABLE AXIALLY ALONG SAID DRUM IN STEPS OF PREDETERMINED DIMENSION TO POSITION SAID IMAGE-BEARING SHEET AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS RELATIVE TO THE LENGTH OF THE DRUM, MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID CLIP TO ITS DIFFERENT STEP POSITIONS WHICH COMPRISES A ROTATABLE LEAD SCREW, A NUT ON SAID LEAD SCREW, SAID NUT BEING NON-ROTATABLE SO AS TO BE TRANSLATED AXIALLY OF THE SCREW UPON ROTATION OF THE LATTER, MEANS COUPLING SAID NUT TO SAID CLIP OF SAID DRUM TO TRANSLATE THE LINEAR MOTION OF SAID NUT INTO AXIAL MOTION OF SAID CLIP, A POWER DRIVEN ROTATABLE SHAFT, A CLUTCH FOR COUPLING SAID SHAFT TO SAID LEAD SCREW, SAID CLUTCH INCLUDING ELECTROMAGNETIC MEANS FOR CONTROLLING ITS ENGAGEMENT AND DISENGAGEMENT, A MOVABLE CONTROL MEMBER, MOTION TRANSMITTING MEANS COUPLING SAID CONTROL MEMBER TO SAID LEAD SCREW TO MAINTAIN A PREDETERMINED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE POSITION OF SAID NUT ON SAID LEAD SCREW AND THE POSITION OF SAID CONTROL MEMBER, A PLURALITY OF EQUI-SPACED ABUTMENTS ON SAID CONTROL MEMBER, ELECTRIC SWITCH MEANS CONTROLLING THE ENERGISATION OF SAID ELECTROMAGNETIC CONTROL MEANS OF SAID CLUTCH, SAID SWITCH MEANS HAVING A SWITCH OPERATING MEMBER, SAID SWITCH OPERATING MEMBER BEING ENGAGEABLE BY EACH OF SAID ABUTMENTS TO OPERATE SAID SWITCH TO DISENGAGE SAID CLUTCH AND TO ENGAGE SAID CLUTCH WHEN NOT ENGAGED BY AN ABUTMENT, AND MANUALLY OPERABLE STEPPING CONTROL MEANS FOR FORCIBLY SEPARATING SAID SWITCH OPERATING MEMBER FROM ANY ABUTMENT WITH WHICH IT IS IN ENGAGEMENT THEREBY TO CAUSE ENGAGEMENT OF SAID CLUTCH WITH RESULTANT MOVEMENT OF SAID CONTROL MEMBER AND SAID LEAD SCREW UNTIL A FOLLOWING ABUTMENT ENGAGES SAID SWITCH OPERATING MEMBER.