US3701470A - Apparatus for punching a data carrier such as a tape - Google Patents

Abstract

A hand punching apparatus for translating information into a punched tape, comprising a base plate, a shaft secured to the base plate and carrying a plurality of coding disks stacked one above the other and each having information carrying notches and teeth cut along a peripheral portion thereof and a fine teeth segment along an opposite peripheral portion thereof to cooperate with a stop to fix a tooth in aligned position with a punch member, a lever attached to each coding disk for rotating each disk individually about the shaft when the stop is rendered inoperative, a plurality of punch members arranged in a matrix form and each line cooperating with the teeth of a disk so that a single disk will affect punching one line of holes in the tape, while a punching member extending into one of the notches will thereby be prevented from causing a perforation.

Description

United States Patent Binder et al.

[54] APPARATUS FOR PUNCHING A DATA CARRIER SUCH AS A TAPE [72] Inventors: Wolfgang Binder, Kyritz; Hasso Kalkre u t h, S tolpe/uber Neustadt; Josef Glaser, Leubnitz near Werdau;

Gunter Fahrenkrug, Alt eater, all

of Germany [73] Assignee: VEB Kombinat Mess-und Regelung- P werkMa sindus ie Werda, es ey, Geese! [22] Filed: July 8, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 53,043

2,177,788 10/1939 Ross ..234/99 7/1961 Fender et al ..234/99 X Byme ..234/99 Primary Examiner-James M. Meister Attorney-Nolte and Nolte s7 ABSTRACT A hand punching apparatus for translating information into a punched tape, comprising a base plate, a shaft secured to the base plate and carrying a plurality of i coding disks stacked one above the other and each having information carrying notches and teeth cut along a peripheral portion thereof and a fine teeth seg ment along an opposite peripheral portion thereof to cooperate with a stop to fix a tooth in aligned position with a punch member, a lever attached to each coding disk for rotating each disk-individually about the shaft when the stopis rendered inoperative, a plurality of punch members arranged in a matrix form and each line cooperating with the teeth of a disk so that a single disk will affect punching one line of holes in the tape, while a punching member extending into one of the notches will thereby be prevented from causing a perforation.

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SHEET l [1F 5 ATTORNEYS PA'TENTED OCT 3 1 I972 SHEET 5 0F 5 ATYORNEYS APPARATUS FOR PUNCHING A DATA CARRIER SUCH AS A TAPE FIELD OF THEINVENTION The invention concerns a hand punch for punching a data carrier, particularly a punched tape, where mechanically operated punches cannot be used as a rule.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Presently known hand punches are not suitable for i feeding several data simultaneously to a punched tape or for reading them on a punched tape. Usually only one type of information is put in and the holes are as a rule punched individually one after the other. This method of operation is very cumbersome and time-consuming, however, and is only applicable for theproduction of short punched tapes.

Very complicated punching machines are known which are susceptible to trouble and which are not suitable for use in the field. Hand operated punches are also known with which one type of information can be punched ata time. In practice, however, there is frequently a need to be able to feed and store several data originating from one recording object simultaneously.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The objective of the present invention is to provide a hand punch with which the simultaneous 'feeding and storage of several data on a punched tape is possible.

This is achieved according to the presentinvention by the provision of several rotating cam disks, which can be manually adjusted by means of levers and which are so arranged in superimposed fashion over each other on the base plate of thepunch that each cam disk extends in the line of action of punch dies of a special stamping unit for making the rows of holes in a'tape. In a punching operation, a number of data becomes punched into the punched tape depending on the number of superimposed cam disks and on a certain position of the cams with respect to the punch dies of the stamping unit. The operating lever for the stamping unit is so arranged that a feeding mechanism becomes tensioned and a release pawl for the feed of the punched tape is connected thereto.

The cam disks of a certain size and dimension, designed according to a certain code, are so designed that cams arranged according to a certain system are provided only on a segment adjoining the stamping unit. The opposite segmenthas a toothing with a certain division. This toothing is engaged by elastic locking pins to lock the cam disks exactly relative to the punch dies extending in the line of action of the cams. Corresponding partial segments are provided for securing the necessary levers on the cam disks for the preselection of the required combination on the basis of an uncoded numbered scale on the top side of the punch.

The hand punch according to the present invention is simple and uncomplicated in its design. By varying the number of cam disks each of which can be adjusted by hand over levers, and by an appropriateexchangeable control scale provided with uncoded characters, the apparatus can be used for all possible cases where several data must be recorded going into or originating BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, shown, by way of example, in the accompanying drawing; in which:

FIG. 1 is a simplified cross-section illustration of the punch in elevation and partly in vertical section;

FIG. 2 is a detail view of the feeding device according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an illustration of the code unit and of the stamping unit in a plan view;

FIG. 4 shows a detail of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a control scale used in the preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the die unit;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the die unit of FIG. 6 taken along line 7-7; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional and partial view of the die unit of FIG. 7 taken along line 8---8.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to FIG. 1 it is seen that a punching apparatus illustratedin a simplified manner comprises a housing 30, enclosing a base plate 1. A tape stamping unit 4 is mounted on the top of the plate 1. A paper tape 6 to be punched extends from a tape supply unit 31, through the stamping unit 4, where it is perforated, and thence to a winding mechanism 8. The supply unit is mounted on the stamping unit 4, and the winding mechanism is mounted on the bottom of the plate 1. A

plurality of coded cam discs 2 which carry the desired information in a manner hereinafter described, are mounted for rotation about a shaft 15 extending up wardly from base plate 1. The cam discs 2, one of which can be seen in FIG. 3, have a cam carrying segment 11 in which notches and teeth 5 are formed according to the desired information to be punched on tape 6. Another peripheral portion 12 of each disc 2 is provided with fine teeth 13 adapted to engage a stop means 14 so that the cam disc may be securely held at a predetermined position with the notches and teeth 5 in alignment with punching members 3 of the stamping unit 4 according to a programmed operation. The stop means 14 is spring biased as shown in FIG. 3. Each cam disc 2 is provided with a program lever or handle 10 for rotating its respective disc 2, and as more clearly seen in FIG. 1, such program handle 10 of each cam disc 2 protrudes vertically through a control scale 16, individually shown in FIG. 5. The scale 16 is provided with a plurality of circumferential slots through which the program levers 10 extend. The program levers 10 follow the configuration of the slots in scale 16 which causes the associated disc 2 to rotate and to align its information carrying notches and teeth 5 with the punching members 3,-as hereinafter described. Scale 16 can be made with any desired number of slots to accommodate accordingly a certain number of program handles each associated with a separate cam disc 2. Scale 16 indicates the particular operation of the punching and may be provided with suitable indicia indicating the positions of the levers l and hence the data which is to be punched into tape 6. The stamping unit 4-has a plurality of punch dies 3 arranged in rows and columns as more particularly seen in FIGS. 6 and 7 and their number is selected to accommodate a predetermined width of tape and to punch information therein along its entire width. The individual punch dies, two of which are more clearly shown in FIG. 4, are

. mounted in recesses 17 formed in a guide plate 19. A

so-called matrix or bottom die member 18 cooperates the guide plate and tape 6 passes between the plate 19 and the die member 18. The bottom die member 18 is fixedly secured to the guide plate 19 and is forced upward by a transmission lever 43 which urges a pin 44 through a hole in the member 4 against a block 90 abutting the member 18. By the action of transmission lever 43 and pin 44 the punching members 3 are forced against the tape 6. The stamping unit 4 is actuated by pressing down an operating lever 33 (FIG. 1) which forces the transmission lever to the right by means of a connecting link 34 (FIG. 1). This is turn forces the pin 44 together with the guide plate 19 and the bottom die 18 toward cam discs 2. The punching member 3 follows the plate 19 through this movement, unless they are aligned with teeth on their respective cams 2. Any punching members which are so aligned, however, are held so that their ends are forced through the tape 6 when the member 19 and die plate are moved.

Of course, it should be appreciated that the abovedescribed movement of the guide plate forces the punching members of each row and column against corresponding teeth in every disc 2 in the stack, since each disk is aligned with a corresponding row of the punching members 3 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Punching of a hole occurs only if a tooth 5 happens to be aligned with the particular punching member 3, while in the contrary case, the forward movement of the guide plate 19 and of the punching members 3 therewith, results in no punching since the punching member 3 remaining inactivated, assumes a position as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 4. The operating lever 33 and the guide plate 19 along with the matrix 18 are returned to the initial position by the spring 36 provided on pin 44, against the force of which, as described above, the operating handle 33 acted. The lever 43 is pivotally mounted to member 4 by any suitable means.

In order to'provide for the stripping, that is removal of the punch dies 3 from the tape 6 and to thus permit the unimpeded forward movement of the perforated tape 6, a return strip 21 shown in FIGS. 4 and 7 is provided which returns the punching dies 3 in their initial position after the punching has been performed, that is return strip 21 pulls the punching dies 3 out of the perforated tape 6. A return strip 22 also seen in FIGS. 4 and 7 and which along with strip 21 are placed in a recess 20 assures that the punching members 3 are returned to their position as shown in FIG. 4. The return strip 22 is fixedly mounted with the guide plate 19, and the return strip 21 is fixedly mounted to member 4, as shown in FIG. 8. As can be seen in FIGS. 6 8, the member 4 is U-shaped, and is adapted to be fixedly held to plate 1. Pins 92 are affixed to the member 4 to guide the block 90, plate 19 and die member 18, for sliding movement within the member 4. The block 90 has a recess 93 facing the die member 18, so that paper waste from the punching operation can be removed by way of a chute 45 coupled to the recess. As shown in FIG. 1, the chute 45 may extend externally of the device.

The operating lever 33 is pivoted on an axis 94 fixed with respect to plate 1. When the operating lever 33 is pressed down a plate 40 is moved against the action of a torsion spring 41 into a starting position by means of a tension lever affixed to the lever 33. The lever 7 engages a pin 39 (FIG. 1)on plate 40 and forces the plate to pivot clockwise until the pin 39 engages and is held by a release pawl 9 (as shown in dotted lines). When the lever 33 is released the lever 7 returns to its initial position, due to the force of spring 36 on pin 44 acting on lever 43. The back side (FIG. 1) of the lever 7 is provided with a projection 95 (shown in dashed lines) that engages a forwardly extending projection 96 on the release pawl 9, so that the release pawl is pulled out of the way of the pin 39 when the punch dies are pulled out of the punched tape 6, thereby permitting the plate 40 to rotate counterclockwise to its original position due to the force of spring 41. This rotation of the plate 40 is coupled, by any conventional ratchet means (not shown) to the star wheel 28 (FIG. 2) of the tape feeding mechanism 8, to effect the forward feed of the tape The tape feeding mechanism 8 of the punching apparatus includes a star wheel 28 rigidly connected with a supply wheel 24. The above-mentioned ratchet mechanism acting on the star wheel 28 causes forward feeding of the tape 6. The feed wheel 24 is so designed (FIG. 2) that a belt 25 is driven thereby and which acts on a take-up spool 23 and winds the punched tape 6 on it. The feed wheel 24 is loosely mounted on a fixed shaft 42 behind the plate 40, and hence is not visible in FIG. 1. By an appropriate selection of the belt 25 length and of the shaft distance of the carrying wheels a certain slip is obtained which compensates the transmission ratios varying during the winding operation. The feed wheel 24 carries a plurality of pins 26 thereon the number of which is always an integral multiple of the number of cam discs 2. The number of lobes 27 of the star wheel 28 must be equal to this integral multiple.

A counter-mechanism 29 and 38 (FIG. 3) is coupled through a lever 37 to the transmission lever 43, and each time the transmission lever becomes depressed through the operation of lever 33, the counter 29, 38 is actuated by lever 37. As a result, the number of holes punched can be reliably counted. If desired, the counter can be arranged to control the operation of the entire punching apparatus by connecting appropriate feedback control circuits thereto.

From the above, it is apparent that although the invention has been described hereinbefore with respect to a certain specific embodiment thereof, it is evident that many modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, by the appended claims, we intend to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

What we claim is:

' 1. Apparatus for translating information into a carrier such as a punched tape, comprising a base plate, a shaft secured to said base plate and extending therefrom, a plurality of coding disks having notches and teeth along a peripheral portion thereof and a fine teeth segment along an opposite peripheral portion thereof, stop means cooperating with said fine teeth segment, lever means individually attached to each coding disk for rotating each disk individually about said shaft when said stop means are inoperative, perforating means comprising an actuating lever and a plurality of punching members arranged in lines in transverse directions, each line of punching members cooperating with said notches and teeth of a disk so that a single disk will affect punching one line of holes in said tape, and whereby a punching member cooperating with a tooth will cause a perforation while a punching member extending into one of said notches will thereby be prevented from causing a perforation, and means for advancing said information carrier past the punching members.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein an operating scale means is provided for engagement with predetermined ones of the levers of said plurality of disks and causing movement of said levers about said shaft.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said perforating means comprises a guide plate for guiding said punching members and a die member fixedly secured to said guide plate and movably supported with respect to said punching members, means for returning said punching members in a rest position after a punching operation.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising a driving roller for said tape and a take-up roller for receiving said tape when punched, belt means coupling said rollers and providing a predetermined slip for compensating for translating differences during the winding operation.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said driving roller comprises a plurality of peripheral pins the number of which is an integral multiple of the member of said plurality of coded disks, said driving roller comprising a star wheel having a number of teeth corresponding to said integral multiple.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein counter means are provided for counting the number of punched holes.

7. Apparatus for punching a tape with coded information comprising a plurality of coding discs selectively rotatable on a common axis, a matrix of punching dies aligned with said coding discs whereby each column of each dies is aligned with a separate disc, the periphery of said discs having a plurality of teeth separated by notches, means for feeding said tape into said matrix of dies, means urging said matrix toward said discs whereby the movement of dies aligned with teeth'on said discs is inhibited and said last mentioned dies perforate said tape, a separate operating lever connected to each said disc for rotating the respective disc about said common axis, a scale having a plurality of arcuate slots, and a separate manually operable handle connected to each said lever and extending in a direction parallel to said axis through a separate slot, a plurality of said handles being spaced different distances from said axis.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said means urging said matrix comprises a manually operable lever, and said means feeding said tape comprises means responsive to the operation of said lever for advancing said tape subsequent to perforation of said tape and removal of dies from said tape.

Claims (8)

1. Apparatus for translating information into a carrier such as a punched tape, comprising a base plate, a shaft secured to said base plate and extending therefrom, a plurality of coding disks having notches and teeth along a peripheral portion thereof and a fine teeth segment along an opposite peripheral portion thereof, stop means cooperating with said fine teeth segment, lever means individually attached to each coding disk for rotating each disk individually about said shaft when said stop means are inoperative, perforating means comprising an actuating lever and a plurality of punching members arranged in lines in transverse directions, each line of punching members cooperating with said notches and teeth of a disk so that a single disk will affect punching one line of holes in said tape, and whereby a punching member cooperating with a tooth will cause a perforation while a punching member extending into one of said notches will thereby be prevented from causing a perforation, and means for advancing said information carrier past the punching members.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein an operating scale means is provided for engagement with predetermined ones of the levers of said plurality of disks and causing movement of said levers about said shaft.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said perforating means comprises a guide plate for guiding said punching members and a die member fiXedly secured to said guide plate and movably supported with respect to said punching members, means for returning said punching members in a rest position after a punching operation.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising a driving roller for said tape and a take-up roller for receiving said tape when punched, belt means coupling said rollers and providing a predetermined slip for compensating for translating differences during the winding operation.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said driving roller comprises a plurality of peripheral pins the number of which is an integral multiple of the member of said plurality of coded disks, said driving roller comprising a star wheel having a number of teeth corresponding to said integral multiple.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein counter means are provided for counting the number of punched holes.

7. Apparatus for punching a tape with coded information comprising a plurality of coding discs selectively rotatable on a common axis, a matrix of punching dies aligned with said coding discs whereby each column of said dies is aligned with a separate disc, the periphery of said discs having a plurality of teeth separated by notches, means for feeding said tape into said matrix of dies, means urging said matrix toward said discs whereby the movement of dies aligned with teeth on said discs is inhibited and said last mentioned dies perforate said tape, a separate operating lever connected to each said disc for rotating the respective disc about said common axis, a scale having a plurality of arcuate slots, and a separate manually operable handle connected to each said lever and extending in a direction parallel to said axis through a separate slot, a plurality of said handles being spaced different distances from said axis.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said means urging said matrix comprises a manually operable lever, and said means feeding said tape comprises means responsive to the operation of said lever for advancing said tape subsequent to perforation of said tape and removal of dies from said tape.

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