US3430010A

US3430010A - Selector switch mechanism

Info

Publication number: US3430010A
Application number: US597092A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles F Rudd; Ronald F Obergefell
Original assignee: Multigraphics Inc
Current assignee: DBS Inc
Priority date: 1966-11-25
Filing date: 1966-11-25
Publication date: 1969-02-25
Anticipated expiration: 1986-02-25
Also published as: DE1611186A1; GB1166367A

Description

SELECTOR SWITCH MECHANISM Filed Nov. 25, 1966 INVENTOR RONA/o F. OBERGEFELL AIPLES $RUDD S t ATTORNEK United States Patent 3,430,010 SELECTOR SWITCH MECHANISM Charles F. Rudd, Willoughhy Hills, and Ronald F.

Obergefell, Cleveland, Ohio, assignors to Addressograph-Multigraph Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 597,092 US. Cl. 200-46 Int. Cl. H01h 43/08, 15/10 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Backgr und of the invention This invention relates to printing machines of the kind through which printing devices are sequentially passed, and more particularly to selectively controlling operation of one or more mechanisms embodied in the machine under control of identifying means included on the printing devices.

The well-known plate printing machine sold under the trademark *Addressograph is one example of such machines. In this machine metal plates carrying classification tabs along one edge, and sometimes employing other lacunas, are passed through the machine and usually selected ones of these plates are caused to print. The plates are not necessarily of metal, but the most common type of system does employ the metal plate. The tabs are extensions from one edge which are located in one or more of several possible locations, and the tabs are used for imparting a response to a selector mechanism which moves against the tabs and sets up a responsive control signal according to which tabs are present and which tabs are absent.

A further refinement of the identification has been accomplished by placing a plurality of holes in each one of the tabs. The tabs are generally provided with four holes for this purpose, with five possible positions.

By employing tabs, and holes in each tab, a great many combinations of signal possibilities are created. This type of sensing device is quite well-known internationally, but for specific reference refer to Hueber US. Patent 2,359,857. That patent, in turn, refers to a number of Gollwitzer patents which teach the various combinations of plates and tabs along with various lacunas.

Summary of the invention This invention is an improvement in the environment of the selector mechanism operative with plates and machines similar to those well-known as discussed above. The known technique of signalling by means of pins which sense the presence or absence of holes in various tabs, produces a responsive signal which will allow selection of particular plates on the basis of a given first condition g a given second condition. That is, it will not select A or B and Q. It must be A or B.

By an electrical system, it is possible to produce a selector bar which will enable the selection of the printing devices on the basis of any combination and/ or situation.

However, a reasonable size printing plate requires a strict limitation in the area in which tabs may be placed for such selection. In order to make a reasonable possible number of combinations available, sixty holes in 12 tabs has evolved as the minimum number of useful openings. Hence, the placement of electrical switches in a closely compacted arrangement such that sixty are available in a longitudinal path of any reasonable dimension becomes an engineering problem. Thus, the invention is embodied in the physical structure which makes possible the compaction of a close cluster of probe rods and an equally effective and close cluster of switch devices.

Normally it would appear that any switch device could be selected from known structures and employed for this purpose, but despite the use of low voltages and currents to avoid electrical spar-king, excessive flexure of parts can cause fatigue and failure of switch devices built for less demanding structures. A modern Addressograph machine will pass 7500 printing devices through the machine per hour, and therefore if a particular tab location appears on even as many as one-half of the printing devices, any one particular switch may be actuated 3750 cycles per hour. Such use is expected to be endured every day for months without failure. Mechanical failure will result unless the switch mechanism is carefully designed to accommodate such large numbers of actuations. This invention provides accommodation for the maximum pos sible number of actuations. It is provided by a structure limited physically to an area which is essentially an extension of the feeler device area. The feeler device is a pin used to drop into a hole in the tabs, when a hole is present. Thus, the object of this invention is the provision of a reliable switch in a restricted longitudinal area of an aliquot one-fifth part of the total area of a printing device tab.

In accordance with these and other objects which Will become apparent hereinafter, the best mode contemplated for the present invention is disclosed in the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a selector mechanism which may be employed in the mounting position on an address printing machine where a mechanical selector is currently used in the prior art;

FIGURE 2 is a greatly enlarged section taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of a portion of a printing plate of a well known type employing tabs, and holes in the tabs, for classification.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiment The figures of the drawing illustrate a tab sensing device suitable to illustrate the preferred embodiment of this invention, which comprises generally a carriage 10 having a path of movement between an advanced and retract position. Carriage 10 is an elongated structure of molded synthetic resin, and this member is intended to cooperate with a drive apparatus which might also properly be referred to as a carriage or drive device. The actual driving device is a well-known structure in the art, and therefore is not illustrated in this drawing. In the context of the disclosure, the plastic body will be referred to as the carriage, with the understanding that this portion 10 locks with and is driven by power apparatus of the machine with which it cooperates.

Although the invention is involved in a physical structure which enables a cluster of switches to be placed in a limited area, it is constructed physically of individual switch elements which can be described individually and thus be understood collectively.

A probe rod 12 is a composite structure which is employed to sense the absence or presence of a hole in a tab, and thus be actuated or remain in its home position. The probe rod 12 is composed of a tab sensing end 14 which is tapered to fit into the punched hole of a tab, and a switch end 16 which is provided to actually close the contact of a switch structure. In the illustrated embodiment, the switch end 16 becomes a part of the switch by bridging the gap between the contacts.

The carriage body has a longitudinal cavity 18 which is closed by means of a press cap 20. A foot 21 is used to press the printing device fiat upon an anvil in order to avoid a false reading because of angular placement of any tab hole. The cap 20 is fashioned with a plurality of guide bearing holes 22, one for each of the probe rod ends 14. The rod ends 14 are equipped with a head 24 and thus the end 14 may drop downwardly through a guide bearing hole 22 and establish a maximum advance position for the end 14.

The carriage 10 has a series of guide bearing holes 26 which are each aligned with a similar guide bearing hole 22 of cap 20. The switch end 16 has a head 28 which is seated in contact with the head 24 of tab sensing end 14, and the body portion extends from the head into the guide bearing hole 26. A spring 30 encompasses the stem of the switch end 16 and presses between the wall of cavity 18 and the head 28 to urge both the tab sensing end 14 and the switch end 16 into a normal rest position against cap 20 as illustrated in the FIGURE 2.

The combination of the aligned

holes

22 and 26 provides a mounting means which supports each of the probe rods on the carriage for movement relative to the carriage along a retract path to an actuated position. This actuation takes place by contact of the end 14 against a tab where there is no opening into which the tapered end may drop.

The printing machine disclosed in US. Patent- No. 2,359,857 is a machine for accepting a series of tabbed address plates, and passing these plates through a plate holder means for establishing each plate and the tabs thereon in a sensing plane and thereafter passing the plate to a print position wherein an impression is made only upon actuation of an impression device. The impression device is a head structure which causes a ribbon to press against the plate and any paper or other material which may be placed therebetween to be imprinted.

This invention deals with the improvement of electrical sensing means for coacting with these plates in establishment of controlled circuitry for the machine. The carriage 10, therefore, with its driving device, is dimensioned to bridge the tab area of an address plate to be sensed, and the driving mechanism moves the carriage along an established path between the sensing plane wherein the plates are passed through the machine and some retracted position away from the plate to allow the next plate to come into place. Although this movement is generally a rectilinear movement, it does not necessarily need to be rectilinear.

As the carriage 10 moves toward the sensing plane, and moves into the position of contact, if the end 14 of any particular rod meets an obstruction, such as a tab without a hole to receive the end 14, a relative movement takes place. Actually the probe comes to a stop upon contact and the carriage continues to move. Nevertheless, the effect is that of the probe moving up into the carriage against the force of the spring 30. Such relative movement causes the switch end 16 to project beyond the top surface of the carriage block 10.

A switch block 32, which is a longitudinal rectilinear construction similar to the general form and length of the carriage 10, is held in superposed relationship upon the carriage 10 by means of clamp bolts 33 positioned at both ends of the assembly.

Block 32 has a plurality of vertically extending, through opening, wire cavities 34 along the length thereof. For each switch end 16 of the probe rods, there is provided two closely adjacent cavities 34 with a dividing wall therebetween. The cavities 34 are large enough to receive an insulated conductor. The bottom portion of the cavities 34 narrows into a closely restricted blade passage 36. Each conductor wire 37 is united to a resilient switch strip 38, and the strip 38 passes from the larger top portion of the cavity 34 through the blade passage 36 and into a space 39 which is created by the physical form of the block 32. The projecting pair of resilient strips 38 that result from the adjacent spacing of the cavities 34, produces a contact means which is aligned with the switch end 16 for actuation by movement of the probe rod. In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the end 16 is a conductor and will close the nonconductive gap between the two adjacent strips 38 when the end 16 projects into the space between the strips. The FIGURE 2 illustrates two such strips 38, which is the usual number that is serviceable for most applications. Any number may be used to form a switch cluster.

In operation, when sensing the rapidly moving group of printing devices, it is quite possible that any one probe will be actuated hundreds of times in each hour of the day. Hence, it is essential for service-free operation that the switching device continues for long periods of time of high speed operation, but providing good electrical contact. The illustrated embodiment of the invention carries out this object of the invention with complete success.

The resilient strips 38 are held tightly in the blade passages 36 by means of two pips 40 which are raised from the face of the blade. The pips 40 cause the blades to jam into the passage 36 and provide a clamping action to establish the working position of the strip 38. Installation is achieved by grasping the ends of the strips 38 and pulling the pips 40 into the restricted blade passage 36. In this mechanically locked position, the resilient strips 38 project into the cavity 39 in cantilever fashion. The projecting portion of each strip is a high ratio of length with respect to the amount of lateral fiexure required to accommodate the switch end 16, and therefore the degree of work hardening and fatigue is kept to such infinitesimally small proportions that fatigue failure is virtually eliminated.

Miniaturized construction usually is costly because of high precision requirements. This invention embodies, as a subcombination, the provision of a reduced section 42 which is smaller than the bearing hole 26. As the rod 12 is forced into the carriage, the section 42 enters bearing hole 26 and reduces the stability of the guide control over switch end 16. The switch end 16 is enabled to rock with respect to the longitudinal axis of bearing hole 26. As the end 16 enters a switch cluster, it will therefore accommodate to the switch cluster, and avoid an increase in bearing friction with hole 26. By this construction, the end 16 is guided to the switch cluster, and thereafter gradually released to accommodate to the external forces imposed thereon.

Another advantage and feature of this invention has been discovered to be the wiping action which takes place between the tapered end 16 and the internal surfaces of the resilient strips 38 as the end 16 enters into the contact area. Oxidation and dust accumulation will alone cause contacts to lose conductivity, particularly at low operating voltages and currents, and therefore clean contacts for instantaneous conductivity are essential in an operation such as the rapid sensing of tab positions. Therefore, although it is possible to press two contacts together and achieve a circuit establishment, this invention produces the aforementioned wiping action for superior assurance of contact even after a holiday closedown of operation of the machine, or the occasional use of those tab classifications seldom employed.

FIGURE 3 illustrates the physical limitation of space in which the switch device may operate. FIGURE 3 is the end portion of a printing plate 44 having a plurality of removable tabs 46. One ta-b can indicate from one to five different primary classifications depending upon the number and position of the holes. The absence of a hole indicates the cIasSifificatiOnThus a tab to represent five different classifications would be a plain, full-faced tab without any holes. A tab to indicate one classification would have holes in the four remaining positions. The illustration is of three possible hole combinations and the usual practice is to provide twelve tabs with each tab having five possible classifications, thus giving a total of 60 possible classifications.

The tabs are removably installed into the plate by means of a stem 48 projecting into a socket created by spaced cross bars 50 punched from the surface of the plate. Retainer lock tongue 52 prevents the tab from falling out of the socket created by bars 50. However, manufacturing tolerance will permit a few thousandths of an inch variation in tab position and, therefore, the guide bearing holes 22 are not extremely tight in order to allow a slight swivel action of end 14, and the taper end formation will accommodate variation in hole position.

The requirement of compact construction will lead to structure not suitable for rapid and repeated actuation unless the principles of this discovery are carefully incorporated. Each tab has a dimension A of approximately .250 inch, and a dimension B which varies between .330 and .340 inch. The tab is longer than dimension B but the available portion is indicated by dimension B.

The small area of tab face is divided into five aliquot parts to accept a through opening of .089 inch diameter in each part with sufiicient material surrounding the hole available to prevent collapse of the tab. This extremely limited amount of space is successfully sensed by a nonfailing switch device provided by the concepts of this invention.

Whereas the present invention has been shown and described herein in what is conceived to be the best mode contemplated, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention which is, therefore, not to be limited to the details disclosed herein, but is to be afforded the full scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A printing machine for impressing information from selected ones of a plurality of fiat plate embossed printing members upon business instruments, said machine having a sensing station and a printing station with a printing device guideway along which said printing members each equipped with control devices, may be advanced one-byone to said sensing station and printing station in succession, the control devices being a plurality of surface irregularities in an arbitrary pattern confined within a finite area of predetermined size, wherein the improvement comprises:

a body frame carriage, a plurality of probe rods mounted on said body frame in a parallel relationship and within a space area corresponding in cross section to said finite area of said control devices;

mounting means supporting each said probe rod on said carriage for movement of the rod along its longitudinal axis, each rod having a sensing end projecting from said carriage and a switch end;

said printing member control device supported in a plane in said sensing station;

said body frame having a path of movement between a sensing position at said sensing station wherein said rod sensing ends have a normal condition projecting to a plane bearing a fixed parallel relationship to said plane of the control means, and a withdrawal position,

whereby, said probe rods may be caused to move with respect to said carriage and to one another by obstructing the advancement thereof with said control device surface irregularities as the body frame is moved to said sensing position, and

switch means aligned with each probe rod for actuation by said switch end upon said relative movement.

2. The improvement in printing machine as defined in claim 1, further characteried in that:

said control devices are tabs carried on printing plates, each ta-b having the area thereof divided into aliquot parts, and each part being opened or closed to provide a combination of open and closed parts in a code array;

said probe rods carried in clusters, the number of rods in a cluster corresponding to the number of aliquot parts of a tab, and

a plurality of switch contacts carried by said body, said switch contacts carried in clusters, the number of switches in a cluster corresponding to the number of aliquot parts of a tab, said switches positioned in an array corresponding to the parts of said tab and each switch having two separate blades defining a socket into which said probe rod switch end may project upon relative movement of the carriage and rod.

3. An electrical switch comprising:

a carriage body having a forward end movable toward and away from a target area along given path;

a probe projecting from said forward end, said carriage 'body having a bearing hole in which the probe resides and is thus mounted, said probe having a full hearing surface positioned in said bearing hole in a nonretracted condition, and a reduced section positioned in said bearing hole in a retracted relative position;

a plurality of cantilever strips mounted around an extension of the axis of said bearing hole and jointly defining a switch cluster socket opening toward said probe;

said switch cluster socket positioned for activation by said probe in a retracted probe position, conductors from said socket to an associated circuit, said conductors and socket substantially confined to an area representing an extension of said probe and its mounting means;

whereby, said probe may rock in said bearing hole to accommodate to the lateral forces imposed by said switch cluster.

4. A selector switch device as defined in claim 1, further characterized in that:

the contact means comprises a block of insulating material with at least two parallel spaced through switch blade passages;

a resilient switch strip for each opening, each strip having two pips raised from the face of the strip and physically wedged into said opening to anchor the strip, each strip having an extension projecting from the block;

said probe rod aligned to move into the space between the two strip projections, and dimensioned to force the projections apart, spacing of said strip projections related to the said rod dimension such that the projecting portion of each strip is a high ratio of length with respect to the amount of lateral fiexure required to accommodate the probe rod.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,191,926 2/ 1940 Lemire. 2,825,773 3/1958 Avdeenko 200-46 2,924,678 2/ 1960 Hickok 200-46 1,930,799 10/1933 Gollwitzer 10l58 2,570,112 10/1951 Gollwitze-r 10158 ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner.

H. BURKS, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 101-58; 200-163