US3625335A

US3625335A - Device for tabulating printed characters to the right for teleprinters and similar data terminal printout apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3625335A
Application number: US818300A
Authority: US
Inventors: Giuseppe Ricciardi; Luciano Rattin
Original assignee: Olivetti Ing & C SpA C
Current assignee: C Olivetti Ing & C Spa; Olivetti Ing & C SpA C
Priority date: 1968-04-26
Filing date: 1969-04-22
Publication date: 1971-12-07
Anticipated expiration: 1988-12-07
Also published as: SE345775B; GB1247782A; DE1922132B2; SU376979A3; DE1922132A1; CH506924A; JPS495161B1; FR1600686A

Abstract

In printers, such as used in teleprinters and data terminal equipment, having a carriage for providing relative motion between a printing paper support and a type carrier, a mechanism for backspacing the carriage responsive to a backspace code and an accumulator for storing code combinations corresponding to characters set on a keyboard; a mechanism for right justifying a group of characters to be printed comprising locking means responsive to setting of a first character in the group to prevent readout from said accumulator of the code combinations of entered characters, means to generate said backspace code independently of the accumulator upon setting of each character of the group and control means for disengaging the locking means and effecting readout of said accumulator; whereby said carriage may be spaced to a tabulated position, the characters of said group may be entered without printing while the carriage backspaces for each entry, and then the characters may be automatically read out of said accumulator printing right justified to the tabulated position.

Description

United States Patent Inventors Giuseppe Ricciardi;

Luciano Rattin, both of Ivrea, Torino, Italy Appl. No. 818,300 Filed Apr. 22, 1969 Patented Dec. 7, 1971 Assignee C. Olivetti Ing. & C., S.p.A.

lvrea (Torino), Italy Priority Apr. 26, 1968 Italy 51435-A/68 DEVICE FOR TABULATING PRINTED CHARACTERS TO THE RIGHT FOR TELEPRINTERS AND SIMILAR DATA TERMINAL PRINTOUT APPARATUS 2,462,834 3/1949 Angel 197/91 X 3,011,701 12/1961 Bogert 235/6038 3,306,417 2/1967 Gassino et al... 197/17 3,450,835 6/1969 Ricciardi et a1. 178/l7.5 3.465,]00 9/1969 Ricciardi et a1 178/33 Primary Examiner-Ernest T. Wright, Jr. Attorney-Kevin C. McMahon ABSTRACT: In printers, such as used in teleprinters and data terminal equipment, having a carriage for providing relative motion between a printing paper support and a type carrier, a mechanism for backspacing the carriage responsive to a backspace code and an accumulator for storing code combinations corresponding to characters set on a keyboard; a mechanism for right justifying a group of characters to be printed comprising locking means responsive to setting of a first character in the group to prevent readout from said accumulator of the code combinations of entered characters, means to generate said backspace code independently of the accumulator upon setting of each character of the group and control means for disengaging the locking means and efiecting readout of said accumulator; whereby said carriage may be spaced to a tabulated position, the characters of said group may be entered without printing while the carriage backspaces for each entry, and then the characters may be automatically read out of said accumulator printing right justified to the tabulated position.

msmaunsc 1m saw v 1 or 3 ATTORNEY PATENIED DEB 7197i SHEET 2 BF 3 m w m 9. )m 5 9 m 32 Q n r: J 9 E? GIUSEPPE RICC LUC IAN ATTORNEY PATENTEDBEB 71911 3625335 SHEET 3 UF 3 DEVICE FOR 'IABULATING PRINTED CHARACTERS TO THE RIGHT FOR TELEPRINTERS AND SIMILAR DATA TERMINAL PRINTOUT APPARATUS CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The convention priority application for this invention is Italian application No. l435A/68 filed on Apr. 26, 1968 in Italy.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION l Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for printing and tabulating characters to the right for use in signal transmitting printing apparatus such as teleprinters.

2. Description of the Prior Art In a known printing apparatus, a mechanism for blocking the printingof stored code combinations is provided which is such as to permit the storage of at least a given number of code combinations in the accumulating device prior to printing. The accumulating device can then be completely emptied or cleared, printout then being effected, by manually rendering the blocking member inoperative. For tabulating a given group of characters to the right with this device, it is necessary that a code combination for backspacing by one step be also accumulated between each two successive characters of the group. In this case, the number of characters in the group which can be accumulated in the device is halved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The device according to the invention provides a printing device comprising a paper carrier and type carrier, one of said carriers being mounted on a carriage, a printing mechanism responsive to code combinations to select and efiect printing of the characters, to space the carriage, and, responsive to a backspace" code combination, to backspace the carriage, an accumulator adapted to store code combinations and then to transmit the stored code combinations in order to the printing mechanism and a mechanism for tabulating characters from the right. The tabulating mechanism comprises means for entering code combinations in the accumulator, means for locking, during such entering, a control member of the accumulator commanding the transmission of stored code combinations from the accumulator to the printing mechanism, means for automatically transmitting the backspace code combination to the printing mechanism, but not to the accumulator, each time a code combinationis entered in the accumulator, and control means for rendering the locking means inoperative so as to unlock the control member and cause the stored code combinations to be transmitted from the accumulator to the printing mechanism which then prints the characters in the entered sequence right justified to the tabulated position.

The invention will be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a partial plan view of a teleprinter incorporating a device according to the invention for tabulating from the right; i

FIG. 2 is a partial front perspective view of the teleprinter from the left;

FIG. 3 is a partial plan view of the accumulating device of the teleprinter;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section of a detail of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is another front perspective view of the teleprinter from the left;

FIG. 6 is another front perspective view of the teleprinter;

FIG. 7 is a partial rear perspective view of a detail of the teleprinter from the left, and

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal section of a detail of the teleprinter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 shows the usual support for the teleprinter paper, which is constituted by a platen 6 fixed on a shaft 7 rotatable in the fixed frame 5 of the machine. The teleprinter is moreover provided with a carriage 8 bearing a series of type wheels 9 and slidable by means of the rollers 11 on a guide 12 parallel to the platen 6. To the carriage 8 there is fixed the usual rack 13 constantly in mesh with a pinion l4 fixed to a vertical shaft 16 rotatable in the fixed frame 5 of the machine. The shaft I6 can be rotated step-by-step in both directions in any known manner to shift the carriage 8 correspondingly.

More particularly, the shaft 16 can be rotated clockwise by one step on the writing of each character under the control of the corresponding code combinations received and on reception of each space" code combination while it can be rotated counterclockwise by one step on reception of each backspace code combination.

The teleprinter moreover comprises a series of eight transverse code bars 17 (FIG. 2) each adapted to oscillateabout two pins 18 disposed in the two ends thereof and turning in the frame 5 of the machine. The bars 17 are adapted to be set selectively by a plurality of longitudinal sliders 19, only one of which is visible in the drawing. The sliders 19 are associated with a plurality of writing stems 21 and can be shifted to the rear on the depression of a corresponding conventional alphanumeric key 22 in the manner described in US. Pat. No. 3,306,417.

The bars 17 are moreover adapted to enter the eight units of each code combination in an accumulating device substantially in the manner described in the specification of US. Pat. application, Ser. No. 647,648filed June 21, 1967, now US. Pat. No. 3,450,835 issued on June 17, 1969 to Ricciardi et al. and assigned to the present assignee. More particularly, each code combination set on the bars 17 is introduced into the accumulating device on the rotation of an entering shaft 23 (FIG. 3) turning in the frame 5 of the machine and adapted to be rotated cyclically through by means of an entering clutch 24 by means of an electric motor not shown in the drawing.

Similarly, the various code combinations entered in the accumulating device can be read sequentially at the telegraphic speed of the machine when a reading shaft 26 turning in the frame 5 of the machine and adapted to be rotated cyclically through 180 by means of a reading clutch 27 is actuated.

For the purpose of controlling the reading cycles of the shaft 26, the accumulating device comprises two elements respectively constituted by a screw 28 (FIG. 3) rotatable on a shaft 29 and a lead nut 31 carried by a sleeve 32. The screw 28 is fast with a gear 33 in mesh with a gear 34 of equal diameter fixed to the reading shaft 26. The shaft 29 is rotatable in the frame 5 of the machine and is fast with a gear 36 similar to the gear 33 and in mesh with a gear 37 of equal diameter and fixed to the entering shaft 23. The shaft 29 is provided with an axial groove 38 which is engaged by a tooth 39 of the sleeve 32, so that the latter is angularly fast with the gear 36.

The sleeve 32 is provided with a shoulder 41 of conical profile against which there normally bears by the action of a spring 42 a lever 43 pivoted on a fixed pin 44. The lever 43 is equipped with a pin 46 on which there is pivoted a tie rod 47 provided with a slot 50 engaging a pin 45 of a crank 48 (FIG. 4) fixed to a shaft 49 which can turn in the frame 5 of the machine. A spring 51, stretched between the tie rod 47 and the crank 48, normally holds the pin 45 of the latter bearing against the left-hand end (in FIG. 4) of the slot 50 in the tie rod 47. On the shaft 49 there is moreover fixed a second crank 52 connected via a tie rod 53 to an arm 54 pivoted at 56 and provided with a lug 57 which normally holds the reading clutch 27 open.

The teleprinter is moreover equipped with a transmission arrangement having a series of transmission bars 58 (FIG. 5) adapted to assume selectively one or the other of two longitudinal positions on a pair of spindles 59 fixed to the machine.

The bars 58 are each provided with a projection 61 engaged in a corresponding wedge slider 62. The sliders 62 are adapted to be explored or scanned sequentially by a code-signal-serializing device, as described in the specification of U.S. Pat. application, Ser. No. 638,180, filed Apr. 25, 1967, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,465,100 issued on Sept 2, 1969 to Ricciardi et al. and assigned to the present assignee.

The transmission arrangement moreover comprises a series of members adapted to be set simultaneously and constituted by eight cross-shaped levers 63, only one of which is visible in FIG. and which can turn on a shaft 64 fixed to the frame 5 of the machine. Each lever 63 is provided with an arm 66 engaging a notch 65 in the corresponding transmission bar 58. Each lever 63 is moreover provided with two opposite arms 67 and 68 adapted to cooperate alternately with two shoulders 69 and 71 of a corresponding code slider 72. The sliders 72 are slidable in two fixed combs 73 and 74 and can be positioned selectively through the medium of the accumulating device, as described in the specification of the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. application, Ser. No. 647,648.

The eight sliders 72 are embraced by an actuating member constituted by a frame 76 slidable vertically in two slots 77 in a fixed plate 78. The frame 76 is connected by a pin 80 to a rocking lever 79 pivoted on a pin 81 of a bail 82. The bail 82 is pivoted on a fixed spindle 83 and is normally caused to bear by the action of a spring 84 against a cam 86 fixed on a longitudinal shaft 87 rotatable cyclically clockwise and constituting the usual sending shaft of the teleprinter. The rocking lever 79 is connected by means of a spring 88 to a lug 89 of the bail 82 and carries a stud 91 normally locked by a catch 92 which can turn on a fixed spindle 93.

As described in the specification of the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. application, Ser. No. 647,648, the shaft 87 is rotated cyclically simultaneously with a transverse shaft 94 (FIG. 6). The latter is adapted to be rotated counterclockwise for a cycle of 360 through the medium of a clutch 96 to command a transmission cycle of the machine. The clutch 96 is normally held open or disengaged by a lug 97 of a lever 98 pivoted on a fixed spindle 99. The lever 98 is normally held by a spring 101 so that it bears against a lug 102 of a lever 103, which can also turn on the spindle 99. The lever 103, in turn, is normally held by the action of a spring 104 so that it bears against a pin 106 fixed to a bail 107 turning on the shaft 99. Pivoted on the bail 107 is a latch 108 normally biased by a spring 109 against a lug 111 of a lever 112 turning on the spindle 99. The lever 112 is adapted to cooperate by means of the lug 111 with a shoulder 113 of the latch 108 and is normally caused to bear by the action of a spring 114 against a cam 116 on the reading shaft 26.

The lever 103 is provided with a lug 117 adapted to cooperate with a step 118 of a lever 115 pivoted on a fixed spindle 119 and normally bearing against the lug 117 through the action of a spring 121. The lever 115 is provided with an arm 122 adapted to cooperate with a lug 123 of the frame 76.

On the depression of each alphanumeric key 22, the relevant slider 19 is shifted to the rear, setting the bars 17 according to the code combination corresponding to the key depressed. Immediately afterwards, the clutch 24 is rendered operative as described in the specification of the said US Pat. application, Ser. No. 647,648, as a result of which the shaft 23 effects a cycle of 180 and enters in the accumulator the code combination represented on the bars 17. As the shaft 23 rotates, it causes the shaft 29 to rotate counterclockwise together with the sleeve 32 through the medium of the

gears

37 and 36. Due to the lead nut 31, the sleeve 32 is shifted to the right by half a pitch of the thread 28, so that the shoulder 41 releases the lever 43. The spring 42 then causes the lever 43 to rotate clockwise, bringing it into contact with a fixed stop 124. Then, through the medium of the spring 51 and the crank 48, the tie rod 47 causes the shaft 49 to rotate counterclockwise together with the crank 52. Via the tie rod 53, the crank 52 causes the arm 54 to turn counterclockwise, as a result of which the lug 57 allows the closing or engagement of the reading clutch 27. The shaft 26 then executes a cycle of 180, positioning the eight sliders 72 (FIG. 5) in accordance with the code combination read.

During the cycle of the reading shaft 26 (FIG. 3), the screw 28 is rotated counterclockwise through the gears 34 and 33, so as to cause the sleeve 32 to return to the left by half a pitch until the lever 43 is locked again by the shoulder 41, thus presetting the reopening of the reading clutch 27.

Towards the end of the cycle of the reading shaft 26, the cam 116 (FIG. 6) causes the lever 112 to turn counterclockwise and this, in turn, also causes the bail 107 to turn in the same sense through the medium of the latch 108. Through the pin 106, the bail 107 also causes the lever 103 to turn counterclockwise and then said lever 103 is engaged in the turned position by means of the lug 117 by the step 118 of the lever and at the same time causes the lever 98 to turn counterclockwise by means of the lug 102, thus causing the clutch 96 to close. This clutch 96 now causes the shaft 94 to initiate a 360 cycle counterclockwise and the shaft 87 (FIG. 5) to initiate a 360 cycle clockwise.

During the transmission cycle of the shaft 87, the cam 86 causes the bail 82 to turn counterclockwise. The pin 81 of the bail 82 then causes the rocking lever 79 to turn about the pin 91 and urge the frame 76 upwardly and, therefore, also the eight sliders 72. Each slider 72, acting selectively by means of one of the two shoulders 69, 71 on the corresponding arm 67, 68 causes the lever 63 to rotate in one direction or the other, thus positioning the corresponding transmission bar 58 together with the wedge slider 62.

At the same time, the lug 123 (FIG. 6) of the frame 76 engages the arm 122 of the lever 115, causing the lever 115 to turn counterclockwise. The lever 115 then releases the lug 117 of the lever 103, which is brought back to the rest position by the spring 104, while the lever 98 is brought back to the rest position by the spring 101, presetting the reopening of the clutch 96. The position of the eight sliders 62 (FIG. 5) is scanned to send to line the signals corresponding to the code combination read in a manner known per se.

In addition to the group of conventional alphanumeric keys 22 (FIG. 2), the keyboard of the teleprinter comprises a group of numerical keys 126 each of which is fixed to a corresponding stern 127 associated with a setting slider 128 similar to the sliders 19 of the keys 22. Normally, the various numerical keys 126 cannot be depressed, since the relevant stems 127 are in correspondence with the teeth 129 of a universal locking member constituted by a bar or slider 131 slidable transversely in two guides 132 and normally held by a spring 133 against a fixed stop 134. In this position of the slider 131, the alphanumeric keys 22 can be depressed, since the relevant stems 21 are all located in correspondence with the gaps 136 between two successive teeth 129. The slider 131 can be shifted from its normal rest position to another position in which the teeth 129 are located in correspondence with the stems 21 and the gaps 136 in correspondence with the stems 127, when a selection electromagnet 137 is energized in any convenient manner. To this end, a hole 138 in the slider 131 engages a pin 139 on a plunger 141 of the electromagnet 137 slidable in an energizing coil 142.

The sliders 128 of the numerical keys 126 are adapted to set the eight code bars 17 selectively in accordance with the digit with which each slider 128 is associated and, moreover, each of these sliders 128 is provided with a shoulder 143 adapted to actuate another bar 144 similar to the bars 17.

The bar 144 can render operative a mechanism indicated generally by the reference numeral 146 in FIG. 7 and adapted to generate a backspace code combination automatically without entering it in the accumulating device, in a manner which will be explained hereinafter. The mechanism 146 comprises a bail 147 fast with a fixed shaft 149 and provided with a profile 151 having a succession of teeth 152 and gaps 153 corresponding to the backspace code combination. The teeth 152 and the gaps 153 of the profile 151 can be sensed by the projections 154 of a series of sensing elements 156 pivoted on a bar 157 carried by a frame 158. The bar 157 engages in a slot 159 in each of a pair of arms 161 fixed on a shaft 162 which can turn in the fixed frame 5 of the machine. The frame 158 is provided with a slot 163 in which there is engaged an extension 164 of a resilient comb 166 having a series of leaf springs 167. Each spring 167 acts on a lug 168 of the corresponding sensing element 156, which normally bears by means of an am 169 against a projection 171 extending laterally from the corresponding cross-shaped lever 63 (FIG. 5). The sensing elements 156 (FIG. 8) are moreover provided with a step 172 adapted to cooperate with the projection 171, and with a projection 173 adapted to cooperate with an arm 174 (FIG. 8) bent laterally from the corresponding cross-shaped lever 63.

The frame 158 (FIG. 7) is provided with a notch 176 slidable vertically on the shaft 64 and is moreover connected by means of a pin 177 to a link 178 (FIG. 6) pivoted on a rocking lever 179. The rocking lever 179, in turn, is pivoted on a pin 181 carried by the bail 82. The rocking lever 179 is connected by means of a spring 182 to the bail 82 and carries a stud 183 adapted to cooperate with a hooked arm 184 of a bail 186 slidable and tumable on a spindle 187. The bail 186 engages in a notch 188 of the catch 92 and is normally held bearing against a fixed stop 189 by means of a spring 191. The bail 186 is provided with another arm 192 of forked form in engagement with a lug 193 of a bail 194 turning on the spindle 99 and connected to the bar 144 by means of a connecting rod 197 (FIG. 2).

The bar 144 is moreover connected to a slider 198 slidable on a fixed shaft 199 and provided with a projection 201 against which there normally bears by the action of a spring 202 a locking lever 203. This lever 203 is pivoted at 204 and is provided with a lug 206 adapted to cooperate with an arm 207 fixed on the shaft 49 and normally out of the path of the arm 207.

For the purpose of blocking the rotation of the shaft 49 in order to prevent the reading of the accumulating device when the bar 144 is actuated, a lug 208 is moreover formed on the locking lever 203 and by means of this lug 208 the lever 203 can be retained in the position shown in dash lines in FIG. 2 by a shoulder 209 of a lever 211 pivoted on a shaft 212. Due to the action of a spring 213, the lever 211 normally bears against the lug 208 and carries a key 214 commanding the reading of the accumulator.

A pin 216 can cooperate with the lever 211, this pin 216 being fixed to a lever 217 (FIG. 4) pivoted on the shaft 212 and normally hearing by the action of a spring 218 against a fixed stop 219. The lever 217 carries a key 221 commanding the correction of the code combinations entered in the accumulator. The lever 217 (FIG. 6) is adapted to cooperate by means of a lug 222 with an arm 223 of the latch 108, and, by means of another lug 224, normally retains a catch 226 in opposition to the tension of a spring 227. The catch 226 is provided with a shoulder 228 adapted to cooperate with the lug 224 and is provided with a pin 231 engaging a slot 232 of a slider 229 connected in turn to the pin 46 of the lever 43 (FIG. 4).

The device operates in the following manner.

In order to tabulate the numbers on the writing support constituted by a sheet placed around the platen 6, it is necessary initially to bring the carriage 8, in any known manner, one step forward to the right of the position of the least significant digit to be tabulated.

Immediately afterwards, by energizing the coil 142 of the electromagnet 137 in any suitable manner, the plunger 141 moves to the right together with the slider 131, thus releasing the stems 127 of the keys 126. The keys 22, on the other hand, cannot be shifted, since the teeth 129 of the slider 131 are located in correspondence with the stems 21. The number to be tabulated can then be set on the keys 126 starting from the most significant digit. When this digit is set, the relevant slider 128 is shiflcd to the rear, setting the eight code bars 17 selectively in accordance with this digit. Moreover, by means of the shoulder 143, the slider 128 causes the bar 144 to turn clockwise and this bar 144 then shifts the connecting rod 197 and the slider 198 to the right in FIG. 2. The slider 198 then causes the lever 203 to turn counterclockwise by means of the projection 201 and this lever 203 brings the lug 206 into the path of the arm 207, thus blocking the reading of the accumulator, and at the same time disengaging the lug 208 from the shoulder 209 of the lever 211. Due to the action of the spring 213, the lever 211 then turns counterclockwise slightly and, by means of the shoulder 209, retains the lug 208 in the position reached. The connecting rod 197 causes the bail 194 to turn counterclockwise in FIG. 6 and the bail 194 then both turns the lever 98 counterclockwise by means of the lug 196, thus releasing the clutch 96 and turns the bail 186 clockwise by means of the lug 193.

The hooked arm 184 now engages the stud 183, while the catch 92 disengages from the stud 91 (FIG. 5), thus preventing transfer on transmission bars 58 of any possible codes set previously by means of the keys 22 (FIG. 2) and the accumulating device on the sliders 72 (FIG. 5). The clutch 96 (FIG. 6) now causes the shaft 87 to begin a clockwise cycle of 360. The cam 86 then causes the bail 82 to turn counterclockwise, as a result of which the pin 181 (FIG 6) causes the rocking lever 179 to turn about the stud 183. By means of the link 178, the rocking lever 179 now shifts the frame 158 (FIGS. 7 and 8) upwardly together with the eight sensing elements 156. If the projection 154 of a sensing element 156 encounters a tooth 152 of the bail 147 to be read, the sensing element 156 acts by means of the projection 173 on the arm 174, bringing the lever 63 into the full-line position of FIG. 8, if it is not already in this position. If, on the other hand, the projection 154 encounters a gap 153, the step 172 engages the projection 171 and causes the lever 63 to rotate, bringing it into the position shown in dash lines in FIG. 8. The transmission bars 58 are thus positioned selectively together with the sliders 62 (FIG. 5).

Thereafter, the cam 86 (FIG. 6) allows the bail 82 to turn clockwise, bringing the rocking lever 179 back to the inoperative position and thus lowering the frame 158 (FIG. 7). Immediately afterwards, the slider 128 (FIG. 2) which has been set is released, as a result of which, due to the action of the spring 145, the bar 144 pushes it back into its inoperative position.

Moreover, the bar 144, rotating counterclockwise, causes the bail 194 (FIG. 6) to turn clockwise and the bail 194 is then brought back to the rest position by the spring 101, presetting the opening of the clutch 96.

Moreover, the bar 144 (FIG. 2) causes the slider 198 to shift to the rear and release the lever 203, which is now held by the lever 211 of the key 214 in the position reached.

Immediately afterwards, the clutch 24 is rendered operative as previously described, as a result of which the shaft 23 performs a cycle, entering in the accumulator the code combination corresponding to the digit set on the keys 126 (FIG. 2).

As the shaft 23 rotates, it the shaft 29 to rotate counterclockwise together with the sleeve 32 by means of the gears 37 and 36 (FIG. 3), so that said sleeve 32 is shifted by half a pitch to the right, releasing the lever 43. This lever 43, however, cannot now turn clockwise, because the shaft 49 is locked by the lug 206 (FIG. 2) through the arm 207, as a result of which the reading of the code combination entered in the accumulator cannot be effected.

Almost at the same time, the position of the eight sliders 62 (FIG. 5) is scanned to send to line the signals corresponding to the backspace code combination. Immediately afterwards, the clutch 96 (FIG. 6) is reopened by the lug 97 of the lever 98 and the shaft 87 stops.

As soon as the backspace code combination transmitted is received by the receiving device of the machine, the shaft 16 (FIG. 1) is rotated counterclockwise by one step, thus causing the carriage 8 to shift to the left by one step. On the setting of each of the successive digits of the number to be tabulated, the device is actuated as hereinbefore described.

As soon as the least significant digit has been set on the keys 126 (FIG. 2), the carriage 8 is disposed shifted to the left with respect to the starting position by as many steps as there are digits making up the number, while all the code combinations corresponding to the digits of the number remain stored in the accumulator.

In order to write the number entered in this way, it is sufficient to actuate the key 214 against the bias of the spring 213. This releases the lever 203 which then turns clockwise under the action of the spring 202 until it bears against the projection 201 of the slider 198, thus releasing the arm 207. The lever 43 (FIG. 4), biased by the spring 42, can then turn clockwise, thus commanding the reading and therefore the transmission of the code combinations contained in the accumulator. The code combinations corresponding to the various digits are then received by the receiving device of the teleprinter in the order in which they have been set and the corresponding number is written digit by digit by means of the type wheels 9 (FIG. 1) on the writing page.

Since the carriage 8 is shifted stepby-step to the right on the writing of each digit, the carriage 8 is brought into its initial position on the writing of the least significant digit, so that the number is thus tabulated from the right.

In the case where the operator becomes aware of having made a mistake in the setting of one or more digits of the number to be tabulated, the corresponding code combinations that have been accumulated can be eliminated by depressing the correction key 221 (FIG. 4). The lever 217 then turns clockwise and, on the one hand, by means of the pin 216, causes the lever 211 (FIG. 2) to turn, releasing the lever 203 and thus permitting the reading of the accumulator as hereinbefore described and, on the other hand, by means of the lug 222 (FIG. 6), causes the latch 108 to turn, thus disengaging the shoulder 113 from the lug 111 of the lever 112. The lever 217 moreover releases the catch 226 which due to the action of the spring 227 turns counterclockwise until the shoulder 228 is brought below the lug 224 so as to hold the lever 217 in the turned position together with the lever 211 (FIG. 2) of the key 214.

When the cam 116 (FIG. 6) of the reading shaft 26 then causes the lever 112 to turn counterclockwise at each rotation through 180, the lever 112 does not oscillate the bail 107, so that the transmission clutch 96 (FIG. 6) is not closed. The accumulator is thus cleared completely of all the stored code combinations, which however, are not transmitted. On the reading of the last code combination stored, the shoulder 41 (FIG. 3) of the sleeve 32 causes the lever 43 to turn counterclockwise, thus reclosing the reading clutch 27. Moreover, the lever 43 (FIG. 4) turning counterclockwise, causes the catch 226 to turn clockwise by means of a slider 229, thus disengaging the lever 217 which, biased by the spring 218, returns to its inoperative position and disengages the lever 211 from the pin 216.

We claim:

1. A device for tabulating a group of characters to the right for use in teleprinter's and data terminal apparatus in general, of the class comprising a support for the paper, and a support for the type carriers, one of these supports being mounted on a carriage, a keyboard for setting code combinations, a mechanism for backspacing the carriage by one step under the control of a predetermined code combination, an accumulator for accumulating the code combination set on the keyboard, and a mechanism for reading the set code combination on said accumulator and transmitting said set code combinations at a predetermined speed, wherein the improvement comprises locking means responsive to the setting of the first character of the group of characters to prevent said mechanism for reading the accumulator and from transmitting the set code combinations of the group of characters,

means operable on the setting of any character of the group of characters for generating the predetermined code combination without entry in the accumulator,

and control means for rendering the locking means inoperative, whereby said mechanism for reading is enabled for reading the set code combinations of said group of characters on the accumulator.

2. A device as in claim 1, further comprising a shift bar settable by each key of the keyboard associated with a character of said group of characters, said locking means comprising a locking element normally in an inoperative position, said shift bar when so set shifting said locking element from said inoperative position to a second position in which said mechanism for reading is arrested on the setting of the first character of the group of characters, said shift bar when so set rendering said operable means operative, and catch means for retaining said locking element in the inoperative position, said catch means being releasable by the manual actuation of said control means.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein said operable means comprises a series of sensing elements operable for sensing a fixed bar coded in accordance with the predetermined code combination and for selectively positioning a series of transmission bars, and further comprising a drive train actuated when said locking element is in said second position for operating said sensing elements to sense said fixed bar.

4. A device as in claim 2 wherein said mechanism for reading is actuated cyclically for reading the accumulator to position a series of transfer members according to the set code combination read, and mechanism for reading then commanding a cycle of transfer of the set code combination read to the transmission bars, and comprises a correction member which can be actuated manually to act on said catch means to cause the reading of all set code combinations entered in said accumulator, the correction member when operated preventing said mechanism for reading from commanding the transfer cycle.

5. A device as in claim 1 further comprising a two-position bar operable when said carriage is brought to a tabulating point to the right of the group of characters to lock a first group of keys of the keyboard, said two-position bar normally locking a second group of keys.

6. A device as in claim 1 wherein said operable means comprises a series of sensing elements operable for sensing a fixed bar coded in accordance with the predetermined code combination and for positioning a series of transmission bars selectively.

7. In printing apparatus comprising a carriage for providing relative motion between a paper support and a type carrier, a mechanism for backspacing the carriage by one step under the control of a backspace code, a keyboard, and an accumulator for storing the code combinations set on said keyboard; a mechanism for right justifying a group of characters to be printed comprising:

a. locking means responsive to setting of a first character in a group to prevent reading from said accumulator of the code combinations of entered characters;

b. means to generate said back space code independently of said accumulator upon setting of any character of said group; and

c. control means for disengaging said locking means to effect reading of said accumulator; whereby said carriage may be spaced to a tabulated position, the characters of said group may be entered without printing with the carriage backspacing for each entered character and then the characters may be read out of said accumulator and automatically printed right justified to the tabulated position.

* i i t

Claims

1. A device for tabulating a group of characters to the right for use in teleprinters and data terminal apparatus in general, of the class comprising a support for the paper, and a support for the type carriers, one of these supports being mounted on a carriage, a keyboard for setting code combinations, a mechanism for backspacing the carriage by one step under the control of a predetermined code combination, an accumulator for accumulating the code combination set on the keyboard, and a mechanism for reading the set code combination on said accumulator and transmitting said set code combinations at a predetermined speed, wherein the improvement comprises locking means responsive to the setting of the first character of the group of characters to prevent said mechanism for reading the accumulator and from transmitting the set code combinations of the group of characters, means operable on the setting of any character of the group of characters for generating the predetermined code combination without entry in the accumulator, and control means for rendering the locking means inoperative, whereby said mechanism for reading is enabled for reading the set code combinations of said group of characters on the accumulator.

7. In printing apparatus comprising a carriage for providing relative motion between a paper support and a type carrier, a mechanism for backspacing the carriage by one step under the control of a backspace code, a keyboard, and an accumulator for storing the code combinations set on said keyboard; a mechanism for right justifying a group of characters to be printed comprising: a. locking means responsive to setting of a first character in a group to prevent reading from said accumulator of the code combinations of entered characters; b. means to generate said back space code independently of said accumulator upon setting of any character of said group; and c. control means for disengaging said locking means to effect reading of said accumulator; whereby said carriage may be spaced to a tabulated position, the characters of said group may be entered without printing with the carriage backspacing for each entered character and then the characters may be read out of said accumulator and automatically printed right justified to the tabulated position.