US3552310A

US3552310A - Ribbon inker means in zero print suppressing means

Info

Publication number: US3552310A
Application number: US808863A
Authority: US
Inventors: John G Clary
Original assignee: Addmaster Corp
Current assignee: Addmaster Corp
Priority date: 1969-03-20
Filing date: 1969-03-20
Publication date: 1971-01-05
Anticipated expiration: 1988-01-05

Abstract

A device for eliminating the printing of zeros to the left of the highermost denominational significant digit of an amount comprising a flexible elongate strip movable endwise between the type members and printing hammers associated therewith. The strip includes an ink pervious section for transferring a visible print to a paper tape and a contiguous ink impervious section. The strip is spring moved endwise and a stop element is carried thereby to arrest against the type member registering the highermost significant digit, causing the ink impervious section to block transfer of a visible imprint of zero characters to the left of the highermost significant digit. In a modified form, the strip is moved to different positions by the pin carriage.

Description

pervious section pe and a contiguous moved endwise and igit, causing ghermost signifithe strip is moved to different 5/1964 Claryetal. 9/1964 Kuhne....... 2/1967 Schenk..

impervious section to block transfer of a visible im- 3,132,582 3,146,708 3,304,859 3,401,783 9/1968 Norwood......................

Primary Examiner-William B. Penn Anorney- Fred N. Schwend ABSTRACT: A device for eliminating the printing of zeros to the left of the highermost denominational significant digit of an amount comprising a flexible elongate strip movable endwise between the type members and printing hammers associated therewith. The strip includes an ink for transferring a visible print to a paper ta ink impervious section. The strip is spring a stop element is carried thereby to arrest against the type member registering the highermost significant d the ink print of zero characters to the left of the hi cant digit. In a modified form positions by the pin carriage.

B41j 33/24, B4lf31/18 rmnnnri lnnl John G. Clary Pasadena, Calif. 1211 Appl. No. 808,863

Mar. 20,1969 Patented Jan. 5, 1971 Assignee Addmaster Corporation San Gabriel, Calif. a corporation of California SUPPRESSING MEANS 10 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1952 Schroder...................,..

United States Patent [72] lnventor [22] Filed [54] RIBBON INKER MEANS 1N ZERO PRINT [50] FieldofSearch...........................................

PATENTEU JAN 5 l97l H. mil

PATENTEU JAN 515m SHEET 3 BF Ell:

RIBBON INKER MEANS IN ZERO PRINT SUPPRESSING MEANS This invention relates to printing devices for adding, calculating, readout machines, or the like wherein it is desirable to abling those printing elements or hammersto the left of the tion to provide a zero elimination mechanism of the above type which obviates the necessity of disabling certain of the printing hammers, etc., or removing certain of the type characters from the printing line.

Another object is to provide a zero elimination mechanism of the above type which is highly reliable and yet simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

The manner in which the above and other objects of the invention are accomplished will be I readily understood on reference to the following specification when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through an adding machine embodying one form of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the machine and is taken substantially along the lines 2-2 of FIG; I.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of the printing ribbon. I l

FIG. 4 is a side view of part of the-machine showing the means for advancing the printing ribbon.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view through the printing ribbon magazine.

FIG. 6 is a time chart showing the operating relationship between the printing ribbon advance mechanism and certain associated parts of the machine.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but illustrating a form of the invention.

FIG. 8 is attransverse sectional view taken substantially along line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

FIG.-9 is a sectional plan view showing another modified form of the invention.

The present invention is disclosed as embodied in the wellknown commercially available l key Addmaster adding machine, and for the sake of brevity only those parts which comprise the printing and zero eliminating mechanisms or those parts which cooperate therewithare disclosed herein. Reference may be had to the following US. patents for a disclosure of substantially the complete adding machine:

K.F. Oldenburg et al., 3,095,143, issued on June 25, I963; R.E. Busch 3,l l3,7l9, issued on Dec. 10, I963; I-I.L. Clary et all, 3,132,582, issued on May I2, 1964; and BF. Kuhne, 3,146,708, issued on Sept. 1, I964.

Describing the machine in general, an arcuate pin carriage 11 carrying a plurality of settable stop pins 12 is guided for movement transversely of the machine on a guide rod 13 and by a slotted frame member 14.

The stop pins I2 are arranged in a plurality of vertical rows, each row comprising ten such pins ranging in value from zero to nine. The pins are settable by respective ones of ten amount keys, one of which is shown at 15, suitably supported for vertical movement and connected to respective vertically aligned flexible cables 16 which are guides for endwise movement in a guide block 17.

The upper stop pins 12a, when set, enable incremental escapement of the pin carriage to the left as an incident to depression of each of the amount keys, and for this purpose, the leftmost upper pin 12a normally rests against a fixed stop I8. When an amount key is depressed, it operates through its respective cable 16 to set an aligned stop pin 12 and at the modified same time it actuates a pivotally supported universal plate 20 which rocks a bail 21 pivotally supported at 22 to set the alignedescapement pin 12a. As the escapement pin is set. a tension spring, not shown, advances thepin carriage leftward one increment to align the next row of stop pins with a righthand printing sector 23 and with the row of flexible cables 16.

The printing sectors 23 are independently pivotally mounted on a shaft 24 and during each cycle they are yieldably advanced clockwise and returned. Each sector has a shoulder 25 adapted to limit against a set one of the pins 12 during clockwise rocking movement of the sectors. Each sector also carries type characters 26 ranging in value from zero to nine which coact with printing hammers 27 to imprint amounts on a paper tape 28 which is guided between the sectors and the hammers. The paper tape is fed from a supply roll 30, over a feed roller 31 and through a guide chute-32. After passing underthe hammers 27, the paper tape is guided upwardly between a transparent tearoff bar 33 and wall member 34. i

The machine is motor driven through .a cyclic clutch, -not shown, and at approximately as indicated in FIG. 6. All the hammers are impelled downwardly by spring fingers 35 to impact those type characters 27 which are aligned along a printing line P against the undersurface of the paper tape 28. Thereafter, the'hammers are returned by a cam 36 which operates against a pivoted bail 37 underlying the various spring fingers 35.

In order to render the various impacted characters visible .on the paper strip, an inking ribbon 40 is provided, the latter being guided along the print line P between the sectors 23 and the hammers 27. The printing ribbon comprises a printing section 41 of ink-pervious fabric or similar material and a contiguous nonprinting section 42 of thin flexible ink-impervious material. The latter may be formed .of the same fabric as the printing section but rendered nonabsorbent or impervious to ink by a suitable treatment or it may be formed of solid plastic material, such as Mylar, bonded at 43 to the printing section 41.

The printing section 41 of the ribbon is normally wrapped around an inking core .44 of ink impregnated absorbent material, such as felt, carried by a ribbon spool 45 (see also .FIG. 5) rotatably mounted within a magazine housing 46 supported from the machine frame by a bracket 47. A spring 48 is tensioned over an arcuate flange 50 on the housing and is attached at one end to a stud 51 carried by the housing 46 and at the opposite end to a stud 52 carried by the spool 45, thereby urging the spool in a clockwise direction.

The ribbon section 42 is attached at 53 to a spool 54 rotatably supported from the machine framework by a bracket 55. A flexible cable 56 is wrapped around the spool 54 and is guided around a frame-supported roller 57 for attachment to a cam follower 58 pivotally supported at 60 and carrying a follower roller 61 engaging a cam 62 carried by a main drive shaft 63.

lt.will be noted that each sector 23 has a shoulder 64 thereon located directly adjacent the zero type character 26. Such shoulder normally, when the respective type sector registers zero, lies directly in front of the path of a stop element '65 secured to the printing ribbon 40 at the juncture of the printing section 41 and nonprinting section 42.

During a machine cycle and before the sectors 23 are yieldably advanced clockwise, the cam 62 causes the spool54 to draw the printing ribbon to the left, as viewed in FIG. 2, until the stop element 65 is located to the left of the leftmost sector 23. Thereafter, and after those sectors 23 which are to register significant digits have advanced clockwise a short distance, the cam 62 permitsspring 48 to yieldably draw the printing ribbon to the right until the stop element 65 engages the side of the sector whichhas advanced out of its zero registering position.

At approximately 195 in the cycle, and after the various sectors 23 have been differentially advanced to registering positions, all of the hammers 27 will be impelled downward and in those denominational orders to the right of and including the sector 23 registering the highermost significant digit, a visible imprint will be transferred by the printing section 41 of the printing ribbon. Since the nonprinting section 42 of the ribbon lies to the left of such sector containing the highermost significant digit, no visible imprint will be transferred even though zero type characters are presented in line with the hammers 27 in those orders to the left of the sector containing the highermost significant digit.

After the printing operation and during counterclockwise return of the sectors toward their home positions, the shoulders 64 on the various sectors 23 will be returned to their positions shown in FIG. 1, permitting the spring 48 to draw the ribbon to the right into its initial position wherein the major portion of the printing section 41 will engage the core 44.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a modified form of the invention in which the printing strip generally indicated at 66 is in the form of an elongated endless loop.

Spools

67 and 68 are rotatably supported from the machine framework 70 by brackets 71 and 72, respectively, to support the looped ends of the ribbon.

The spool 68 is formed with an ink-impregnated core 73 of felt or the like. In this case, the strip 66 is formed of an inkpervious fabric section 74 attached at its ends to a thin rigid plate 75 of metal or plastic, the plate having a downwardly turned car 76 which is adapted to arrest against the side of one of the sectors 23 in the same manner as does the stop element 65 (FIG. 2). The plate 75 is guided independently of the fabric printing section 74 and for this purpose, it is provided with an elongated slot 77 (FIG. 8) which is guided over a pair of guide studs, one of which is shown at 78 extending from the lower wall of the paper guide chute 32.

A dustproof housing 78 extends over the spool 68 and is suitably attached to the framework 70. A tension spring, not shown, similar to spring 48, extends between the spool 68 and housing 78 to urge the spool counterclockwise into its position shown in FIG. 7 so that normally the plate 75 is located between the sectors 23 and respective ones of the hammers 27. The spool 67 is rotated clockwise by a cable 86 wrapped therearound during each cycle, the latter being actuated in the same manner as is cable 56.

During the printing operation, the plate 75 will extend over those sectors 23 located to the left (as viewed in FIG. 7) of the sector containing the highermost significant digit so as to block printing of zeros to the left of such digit.

FIG. 9 illustrates a modified form of the invention which is particularly intended for use in readout or printing machines which have no accumulating features and are thus effective to print only. In this case, a strip 80 is provided having a printing section 81 of ink-pervious fabric or the like which is normally wrapped over an inking spool (not shown) similar to the spool 45 of FIGS. 2 and 5. A thin ink-impervious nonprinting fabric or flexible solid section 82 is suitably attached to the left-hand end of the section 81, and, in turn, is attached at 83 to a bracket 84 rigidly secured to the pin carriage 11.

The spring (not shown) for drawing the ribbon 81 to the right is considerably weaker than the aforementioned spring for moving the pin carriage to the left so that as the carriage is stepped to the left as an incident to setting of the stop pins 12 therein, the printing section 81 of the ribbon will move over corresponding ones of the sectors 23. Accordingly, only that sector 23 which registers the highermost significant digit and those in lower denominational orders will have a visible imprint transmitted to the paper tape and all to the left thereof will be blocked from printing by the nonprinting section 82.

I claim:

1. In a printing machine. the combination comprising:

a plurality of type members each having a plurality of type characters thereon; means for setting said type members from initial positions to position different ones of said type characters to a printing line; print impression means adjacent said printing line; an elongate strip including a printing section pervious to ink and a contiguous nonprinting section impervious to ink; and means for positioning said strip intermediate said type members and said print impression means at said printing line to locate said nonprinting section over those type members located in higher denominational orders than that denominational order containing the highermost denominational order significant digit and for locating said printing section over all other of said type members. 2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said last mentioned means comprises spring means for advancing said strip endwise, and means controlled by a said type member representing the highermost denominational order of an amount for arresting said strip in position to locate said nonprinting section over those type members located in denominational orders higher than said last mentioned order.

3. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said last mentioned means comprises a stop element on said strip engageable with a said type member which has moved from its said initial position.

4. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said last mentioned means comprises stop means on said type members and a cooperating stop element on said strip intermediate said printing and nonprinting sections for arresting said strip in position to locate said nonprinting section over the type members located in denominationally higher orders than the order containing the type member registering the highermost significant digit of an amount to be printed.

5. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said strip comprises a fabric including said ink-pervious section and said ink-pervious section.

6. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said strip comprises a fabric ink-pervious section and a contiguous solid ink-impervious section.

7. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said strip comprises a flexible fabric ink-pervious section and a contiguous rigid solid ink-impervious section, and means for guiding said rigid section independently of said fabric section. 8. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said first mentioned means comprises a pin carriage movable across said type members for differentially controlling movement of said type members to different positions, and means connecting said strip to said pin carriage.

9. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said strip is in the form of an endless loop, and rotatable members at opposite ends of said loop for guiding said strip endwise over said type members.

10. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said first mentioned means comprises cyclically operable means and said last mentioned means comprises means operable by said cyclically operable means prior to said setting of said type members for advancing said strip endwise toward a position wherein said printing section extends over all of said type members and thereafter permits said spring means to move said strip toward said first mentioned position after said type members are at least partially set.

Claims

1. In a printing machine, the combination comprising: a plurality of type members each having a plurality of type characters thereon; means for setting said type members from initial positions to position different ones of said type characters to a printing line; print impression means adjacent said printing line; an elongate strip including a printing section pervious to ink and a contiguous nonprinting section impervious to ink; and means for positioning said strip intermediate said type members and said print impression means at said printing line to locate said nonprinting section over those type members located in higher denominational orders than that denominational order containing the highermost denominational order significant digit and for locating said printing section over all other of said type members.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said last mentioned means comprises spring means for advancing said strip endwise, and means controlled by a said type member representing the highermost denominational order of an amount for arresting said strip in position to locate said nonprinting section over those type members located in denominational orders higher than said last mentioned order.

7. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said strip comprises a flexible fabric ink-pervious section and a contiguous rigid solid ink-impervious section, and means for guiding said rigid section independently of said fabric section.

8. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said first mentioned means comprises a pin carriage movable across said type members for differentially Controlling movement of said type members to different positions, and means connecting said strip to said pin carriage.