US3404594A

US3404594A - Visible perforating apparatus with reciprocating stripping

Info

Publication number: US3404594A
Application number: US407840A
Authority: US
Inventors: William L Dollenmayer
Original assignee: International Business Machines Corp
Current assignee: International Business Machines Corp
Priority date: 1964-10-30
Filing date: 1964-10-30
Publication date: 1968-10-08
Anticipated expiration: 1985-10-08
Also published as: DE1266531B; FR1454647A; GB1050750A

Description

Oct. 8, 1968 w. 4.. DOLLENMAYER 3,404,594

VISIBLE PERFQRATING APPARATUS WITH RECIPROCATING STRIPPING Filed Oct. 50, 1964 CONT'D. FROM N0.

INVENTOR. WILLIAM L. DOLLENMAYER av 11 f ATTORNEY.

BY f DEPT LTR SEC

FIG. 7

United States Patent 3,404,594 VISIBLE PERFORATING APPARATUS WITH RECIPROCATING STRIPPING William L. Dollenmayer, Lexington, Ky., assignor to International Business Machines Corporation, New York,

N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 407,840 4 Claims. (Cl. 83-587) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to perforating apparatus in a dictating machine environment in which all of the primary working elements of the apparatus are positioned adjacent an index slip being perforated on a side opposite to that being observed so that entire index slip is visible.

The dictating machine is controlled by a microphone handset having an index control button. Movement of the button to the alternative Letter (LTR) or Secretary (SEC) positions operates mechanisms to punch corresponding perforations in an index slip 21. The perforations are effected by a punch element that is mounted in a stripper for reciprocation from a home position toward the front of the machine and then back to the home position. A conical portion of the punch element tears the index slip during the outward movement from home position and severs a chad in the slip as it returns to the home position.

The perforating apparatus is disclosed herein in connection with dictating equipment but should find usefulness in a wide variety of equipment in which perforation of a media is required.

Dictating machines of many different types are in widespread use today. Their advantages, including rapid and efficient preparation of reports, letters, and similar documents using various types of recording media such as magnetic belts or sheets, are well known. Such machines are normally provided with a transducer, such as a microphone having control buttons thereon for controlling various machine operations, and circuitry and mechanisms for translating the dictators speech into signals that may then be recorded on the recording media employed. If a magnetic belt is used, for example, a typical dictating capacity for the belt is ten to fourteen minutes. During dictation, the drive mechanisms in the equipment serve to move the magnetic recording head from a zero position to the end of the belt. During this movement of the head the belt is rotated and the combined movements of the belt and head result in a helical path being recorded on the belt.

It has always been desirable in dictating equipment to have some means for informing the dictator of his position on the recording media. This means is commonly referred to as indexing means and serves not only to inform the dictator of his position, but also to inform the transcriber at a later time of the length of the various dictated materials on the media as well as special instructions that should be observed during the transcribing procedure.

Indexing mechanisms in the past have taken a number of forms but in practically every case they include some sort of index slip that is arranged adjacent the record media and having index markings on it that correspond to the increments of dictating intervals on the recording media. As an example, if the recording media has a capacity of ten minutes, then the index slip might have designations printed thereon from zero to ten at regular intervals corresponding to each minute on the recording media. Many methods have been proposed in the past for marking the index slip in order indicate the ends of letters or special instructions. Index slips have been provided with specially treated surfaces that can be scraped off to give an indication. One of the most common ways of making indications on the index slip is to perforate the slip by means of an associated perforating mechanism that moves along with the head and which is always positioned adjacent the index slip in a position that corresponds to the relative position of the head with respect to the recording media.

One of the problems with prior art perforating mechanisms of this nature is that the mechanisms have been somewhat complicated and cumbersome and have usually obscured the area of the index slip that is currently subject to perforation. This has necessitated the dictator or transcriber moving the entire assembly to another location with respect ot the slip so that area under consideration can be observed. Prior art devices have usually had some large portion of the perforating or marking mechanism positioned in front of the slip between the observer and the slip. Moving the entire assembly out of the Way in order to observe the slip requires additional time and also requires that the operator, the dictator or transcriber, listen again to the material in order to relocate the head assembly and indexing assembly in the same position that they previously occupied.

Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide a simplified perforating apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide a perforating apparatus that is arranged in such a fashion that any media being perforated is visible at all times to an observer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a perforating apparatus that may be operated electrically or manually as requiredlby equipment parameters.

Another object of the invention is to provide an indexing mechanism for dictating equipment that performs the indexing operation with a high degree of reliability and which operates with complete visibility for the user of the equipment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a perforating apparatus which is designed in a manner to reduce noise of operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus for perforating closely spaced indicia with compactly arranged mechanisms.

Still another object of the invention is to provide apparatus for perforating a record media in a rapid and sh-arply defined fashion.

In order to accomplish these and other objects of the invention, a perforating apparatus is arranged in such a manner that all of the primary working elements of the apparatus are positioned adjacent the record media being perforated on a side opposite to that being observed.

In addition, the mechanisms of the present invention are designed in such a manner that rapid and smooth operation is insured with perforations that are cleanly severed.

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of the various embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a dictating equipment in which the invention is incorporated.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of a portion of the indexing mechanism in the dictating equipment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top elevation of certain perforating mechanisms used in the equipment of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 4, 5, and 6 represent a typical sequence of operation of the perforating mechanisms illustrated in FIG. 3, slightly modified.

FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative arrangment of the perforating mechanisms previously shown.

FIG. 8 illustrates another embodiment of the perforating mechanisms and associated actuating elements.

FIG. 1 illustrates a 'well known dictating machine configuration.

The dictating equipment is not shown in complete detail but generally is comparable to that dislosed in US. patent application Ser. No. 216,261, now US. Patent 3,222,460, entitled Multiple Station Selection System, with N. J. Albanes and M. P. Langendorf as inventors, filed Aug. 10, 1962, and assigned to the same assignee as the present application. The dictating machine is designated 1 and is interconnected by a cable 2 to a handpiece microphone 3. Machine 1 has various circuits and mechanisms for recording and reproducing dictated material and for giving an indication of the progress of dictation or transcription. A belt release lever 4 is pulled forward to permit the loading of a magnetic belt 5, whereupon the belt release lever 4 is moved again to the position shown in FIG. 1. Signals derived from the microphone 3 through a transducer area 6 are directed by cable 2 to amplifier block 7 and from there to the recording head 8. Recording head 8 is mounted for lateral movement on a carriage 9 from a home position at the extreme left of belt to an advanced position at the extreme right of belt 5. Belt 5 is rotated by mandrel 10 in a forward direction indicated by arrow 11 past recording head 8. As mentioned before, the relative movements of head 8 and belt 5 result in the recording of a helical path about the periphery of belt 5.

Machine 1 also has a speed control lever 12, a volume control knob shown in phantom at 13 and a tuning or tracking knob that is designated 15. Lever 12 permits the slowing down or speeding up of the belt to suit the listeners requirements. Knob 13 controls the volume level during playback. Knob 15 enables the user to position head 8 with a fine degree of control in order to establish proper tracking of a recorded path.

In addition to transducer 6 for picking up speech signals during recording and for serving as an output during reproduction, microphone 3 has a mode control button 16 with three positions: Record (REC), Listen (LIS) and Review (REV). Microphone 3 also has an instruction or indexing button 17 with three positions: Letter (LTR), off, and Secretary (SEC). Microphone 3 also has a dictate bar 18.

To record material on belt 5, mode control button 16 is moved to the upper Record position. When the user desires to dictate, he depresses the dictate bar 18 which results in the movement of belt 5 and head 8 in the manner previously noted, and through circuits not shown, signals are recorded on belt 5. In order to listen to previously dictated material, the mode control button 16 is moved to the central Listen position, whereupon the drive mechanism in machine 1 is automatically activated to rotate belt 5 and move head 8, and to thereby generate signals for reproduction by transducer 6. If the dictator desires to hear material that he has previously recorded he moves the mode control button 16 down to the lower position for Review purposes. Button 16 is spring loaded from the lower position to the central position. Movement of button 16 in this manner results in a backspacing operation so that head 8 takes up a position approximately one track earlier on belt 5. Each time button 16 is depressed to the lower position in this manner a backspacing operation will occur. The spring loaded movement of button 16 to the Listen position then enables the user to litsen to the previously recorded material from transducer 6t As with most dictating machines, machine 1 is provided with an indexing assembly 19 and associated perforating mechanisms indicated at 20. Portions of these assemblies are illustrated with a front elevation in FIG. 2. The indexing assembly has provision for retaining an index slip or tab 21 having numerical designations thereon 'which correspond to the relative location of the head 8 in relation to belt 5. In the example illustrated, index slip 21 has 4 fourteen increments respectively designated 0, 10 etc. through 140. These correspond to fourteen minutes of dictation capacity on belt 5.

Associated with carrier 9 is an index lever 22 having a serrated element 23. Sound head 8 can be positioned to any point with respect to belt 5 by squeezing element 23 and lever 22 together and thereafter sliding lever 22 to the right or left as desired. Certain portions of the indexing assembly 19 have been cut away in FIG. 1 to more clearly show the structural configuration of the perforating assembly 20.

Assembly 19 has a transparent material 24 with

slots

25 and 26.

Slots

25 and 26 are positioned in such a manner that when index slip 21 is properly inserted in the index assembly, two channels, a Letter instruction channel, and a Secretary instruction channel on the index slip will be completely exposed to view while the remainder of the index slip 21 can be seen through the transparent material 24.

Button 17 on microphone 3 has upper and lower positions that correspond respectively with the upper and lower channels on the index slip 21. When button 17 on microphone 3 is moved to the upper Letter position, a hole is perforated in the top channel of the index slip 21 by actuation of perforating mechanism 20. When knob 17 on microphone 3 is moved to the lower Secretary instruction position, a hole is perforated in index slip 21 in the lower channel by the perforating mechanism 20. Generally speaking, a perforation in the upper channel informs the transcriber that a letter has ended at the point of perforation.

According to a feature of the present invention, the perforations in the two channels of index slip 21 are formed by actuation of

punch elements

27 and 28 that are respectively associated with

channels

25 and 26, and the operation is such that the index slip is completely visible at all times as head 8 scans belt 5 from beginning to end. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-7, the punching operation takes place with the following mechanisms.

Referring to FIG. 3, an observers position is indicated at 29 as being positioned on the front side of the index slip 21. The perforating assembly 20 is positioned on the reverse side of index slip 21 which is in a direction toward the rear of machine 1. FIG. 3 is a top cross-sectional elevation of the perforating assembly and only punch element 27 is shown. Punch element 27 is mounted in a stripper 30 for reciprocation from a home position toward the front of the machine and then back to the home position as shown in FIG. 3. Punch element 27 is arranged for reciprocation in an opening 31 of stripper 30. Punch element 27 has three major portions. A conical portion 27a is positioned toward the front of the machine. A cylindrical portion of lesser diameter 27b is formed as an intermediate part of punch element 27, and a shank portion 270 is at the rear of punch element 27. Punch element 27 also has a flanged surface 27d at the rearmost extremity. Punch element 28 is formed like punch element 27. Punch element 27 is normally maintained to the rear in its restv position by a compression spring 32 while punch element 28 is normally maintained in its home position to th rear by a compression spring 33.

Referring to both FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, positioned ad jacent the rearmost extremities of

punch elements

27 and 28 is an actuator bail member 34 that is rotatably mounted in a bushing 35 at one end and in a bushing 36 at the other end. Actuator bail 34 has an upper flat extension 37 that lies adjacent the rear extremity of punch element 27 and a lower flat extension 38 that is positioned adjacent the rear extremity of punch element 28;

Actuator bail 34 is mounted for movement under control of a punch plate 39 that in turn is controlled by plungers 40 and 41. Plungers 40 and 41 are moved by upper and

lower solenoids

42 and 43. Bail 34 is also suming that it is desired to perforate a Letter instruction hole in index slip 21, button 17 is moved to the upper Letter (LTR) position. Movement of the button 17 in this direction results in the energization of solenoid 43. Plunger 41 is thereupon pulled to the rear which rocks plate 39 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1. Rocking of plate 39 results in the associated actuator bail 34 also rocking with top flange 37'being moved toward punch element 27. This causes punch element 27 to move forward in the opening 31 with continued movement causing conical portion 27a of punch element 27 to pierce the index slip 21.

The sequence of operation is shown in FIGS. Referring to FIG. 4, punch element 27 and bail 34 are in the home position. When operated, bail 34 moves in a direction toward the front of the machine as indicated by arrow 44, FIG. 4. The piercing of index slip 21 by punch element 27 is illustrated in FIG. 5. The movement of punch element 27 is quite rapid and a perforation occurs when conical portion 27a passes through slip 21 due to the inertia of slip 21 and the relative positioning of slip 21 adjacent the transparent material 24.

FIG. 6 illustrates conditions as punch element 27 is restored to its home position. For convenience, the stripper is shown with a slanted front face that is slightly modified from FIGS. 1-3, and is redesignated 30w. Conical portion 27a has a relatively flat rear surface that cooperates with the slanted face of stripper 30a. As punch element 27 passes through slip 21 and prior to its complete return to the home position, the severed portions of slip 21 drop into the area of portion 27b of punch element 27. These portions are carried by the conical portion 27a to the rear as the punch element restores. A shearing action takes place due to the fact that the fiat surface of portion 27a is fitted with rather close tolerance inside the opening 31a and also due to some extent to the slanted face of stripper 30a. This action results in the complete severing of the edges of the perforation to insure that a clean well defined perforation is made in the index slip. Continued movement of punch element 27 to its home position returns punch element 27 to the rear of index slip 21 and permits slip 21 to return to its normal vertical position in the index assembly 19.

The front face of stripper 30 can also be changed so that it is more or less vertical in relation to the index slip. This is illustrated in FIG. 7 where a transparent plate 45 is positioned in front of an index slip 46. A punch element 47 is positioned inside a stripper element 48 which has a substantially vertical front surface 48a. Operation of the perforating mechanism of FIG. 7 would occur in approximately the same fashion as with the mechanisms previously discussed except that the shearing action on the return movement of the punch element 47 will take place about the same time around the entire edge of the opening 49 in stripper 48 rather than in a scissors-like manner as occurs with the slanted surface of the stripper 30a.

Normally, the chad resulting from one perforation will fall out the front of the stripper on the forward stroke of the punch element during the succeeding operations. If desired, however, a chad drop, such as opening 59 in FIG. 7, can be provided to allow chad to drop out of the mechanism immediately following each perforation.

Considering FIG. 4 again, the perforating mechanism of the present invention could be actuated manually rather than electrically as previously described. The dashed bail 34 would then not be provided at all. A manual depression of the punch element 27 by pressing on flange 27d in the same direction as indicated by arrow 44 would result in a comparable perforating action. Additional linkages could be added to the mechanism to provide manual levers that would be more accessible to the front of the device. A manually actuated perforating element of this type could be advantageous in a small portable dictating machine, for example.

The perforation of index slip 21 in channel 26 for in- FIG. 8 illustrates a compact arrangement for actuating the punch elements directly with solenoids that are mounted concentrically with the elements and in a staggered fashion to permit the use of solenoids having sufficient size to perform satisfactorily. In FIG. 8, a transparent material 50 is positioned in front of an index slip 51 that is maintained by an index assembly 52. Punch element 53 has an associated solenoid 54 while punch element 55 has an associated solenoid 56 that is positioned to the rear and below solenoid 54. Punch element 53 extends through solenoid 54 in a coaxial fashion to terminate with a flange portion 53a while punch element 55 extends through solenoid 56 and terminates with a flange portion 55a. Punch elements 53 and 55 are maintained in a normal rearward home position by respectively associated

spring elements

57 and 58. The shapes of the punch elements adjacent index slip 51 in FIG. 8 would be comparable to the shapes for those punch elements previously discussed such as

elements

27 and 28.

Operation of the device in FIG. 8 is as follows. Assuming that microphone 3 is interconnected with the device of FIG. 8, depression of the button 17 on microphone 3, results in the energization of either solenoid 54 or solenoid 56. If solenoid 54 is energized, punch element 53 is drawn to the front and thereafter restored to perforate index slip 5-1 in essentially the same fashion as previously described in connection with FIGS. 1-7. The movement of button 17 in the opposite direction results in the energization of solenoid 56 and the perforation of the lower channel of index slip 51 by punch element 55.

It is appropriate to point out certain advantages of the inventive apparatus. The structural characteristics are such that the apparatus lends itself to simplified manufacturing and installation procedures. In addition, since no die element is required in the front of the mechanism, no alignment problems exist as with prior art devices that use a cooperating die and stripper combination. From the foregoing discussion, it is evident that the inventive concepts could be applied in many different types of equipment all using similar basic principles.

An outstanding and obvious advantage provided by the apparatus is that the index record media, such as slip 21, is visible to the operator of the equipment at all times, and therefore the necessity for moving the carrier assembly and the index assembly in order to determine what perforations exist in the slip and the requirement to then relocate the entire assemblies to their former positions, is eliminated.

The device functions in an accurate and rapid manner to supply perforations having good visibility.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to several embodiments, it Will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Marking apparatus for visibly perforating a record media to form individual apertures of substantial size and predetermined configuration comprising:

an observation station;

means for supporting said media in a plane with a first one of its surfaces facing toward said observation station;

reciprocating perforating means mounted solely adjacent an opposite surface of said media for movement from a home position toward said media, said perforating means having a portion shaped for easy penetration of said media during movement from said home position and further having a shoulder formed in accordance with said predetermined configuration for engagement with a substantial portion of said media upon penerating said media;

means for reciprocating said perforating means from said home position a sufficient distance for said perforating means to penetrate said media;

and stripper means coextensively mounted with said reciprocating perforating means, said stripper means also being formed in accordance with said prede termined configuration and cooperatively engaged with said perforating means so that during the return movement of said perforating means the portion of said media engaged by the shoulder of said perforating means is completely severed as a chad from said media to form an aperture according to said predetermined configuration.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, which further comprises:

transparent means mounted adjacent the first one of the said surfaces of said media for providing backup support for said media during the forward perforating movement of said element, said transparent means being positioned substantially coextensively with said media and enabling viewing of the entire surface of said media.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

8. said stripper means has an opening extending therethrough and is generally perpendicularto 'the plane of said media; and wherein i said perforating me'ans'is mounted within'said opening for reciprocationfrom home position toward said media, has ipenetratingportion positionedtoward said media and a cutting shoulder surface formed for engagement with said media and severing action with said opening, and fiirther has an axial portion of lesser dimension to accommodate media engaged there- 10 with following penetration.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein: said perforating means has a conically shaped portion positioned for penetration of said media and an edged 15 surface on said conically shaped portion formed for severing action with said stripper means to form round apertures in said media.

References Cited 20 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,941,316 12/1933 Patzer 83-578 3,091,668 5/1963 .Trost 179100.1 X 3,222,460 12/1965 Albanes et al 179100.1

25 BERNARD KONICK, Primary Examiner.

R. F. CARDILLO, Assistant Examiner.