US450783A - Numbering-machine - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T. J. A. MACDONALD.

NUMBERING MACHINE. No. 450,783. Patented Apr. 21, 1891.

Eqnlllllllljljlw' I I (No Model.\ 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. J. A. MACDONALD.

NUMBERING MACHINE.

No. 450,783. PatentedApr. 21,1891.

(No Model 3 Sheets-Sheet a. T. J. A. MACDONALD.

NUMBERING MACHINE.

No. 450,783. Patented Apr. 21, 1891.

N i lm I M o w i g w I" 7% 3, a

ttest IIIVEITUJI UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. A. MACDONALD, OFDETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO CARTER & COMPANY, LIMITED, OF NIAGARA FALLS,

NEW YORK.

NUMBERlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 450,783, dated April 21, 1891.

Application filed July 21, 1888. Serial No. 280619. (No model.)

To coZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. A. MACDON- ALD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of \Vayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Numbering-Machines; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, ref erence being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 8 is a plan view. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are detail views.

It is the purpose of my invention to produce a machine for printing consecutive numbers upon sale-slips, checks, and other articles of like nature; also, to produce a mechanism which shall be capable of printing consecutive numbers upon both sides of such a sale-slip, check, &c.

This'machine is specially designed for consecutive numbering of checks, sale-slips, and devices of like nature intended to be grouped in the form of a book or block. Ileretofore it has been customary to employ for this purpose a series of type-wheels arranged side by side, each of which is provided with the ten digits, with mechanism for operating the said type-wheels; but such arrangement of the type-wheels and their necessary operating mechanism are complicated and expensive, and the printing is usually unsatisfactory.

My invention consists in the improved organization of a machine which is comparatively simple and in many respects adjust- 4o able, and is also more efficient in its operation,

all as hereinafter fully described, and specifically set forth in the claims.

Referring to the annexed drawings, A represents the main supporting-frame.

5 B is the sheet or strip of paper upon which the sale-slips, checks, or other similar matter are to be printed, and which is to be provided by this machine with consecutive numbers of any given number as, foriustance, bunches 50 of fifty or a hundred.

C and O are respectively the first and sec 0nd platens or impression-bars, upon which the paper rests when receiving the impression from the printing or numbering wheels, said platens being disposed, respectively, under one and over the other of the said wheels and different distances from the paper-feeding end of the machine. Adjacent thereto are tension-rollers c.

D and D are respectively the lower and upper printing or numbering wheels, each wheel being provided upon its periphery with the consecutive numbers corresponding with the blocks or bunches to be numbered-as, for instance, from one to fifty. The printing or numbering wheels are rigidly mounted on shafts, which are journaled at opposite ends to two pairs of frames E Eand E E, each of which pairs is arranged on opposite sides of the machine, and the two pairs are in different planes and pivoted, respectively, at opposite ends of the machine, as shown at e e, and extending lengthwise of the machine, the free end of one pair of frames being above and those of the other pair being below the rotary horizontal shaft f, which is extended across the machine and has secured to its ends eccentrics F F, to which the free ends of the aforesaid frames are connected by eccentric-straps and right and left screw-couplings e as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Said screw-couplings allow the connections between the eccentrics and frames E E and E E to beshortened or lengthened, as may be required, to cause the printing or numbering wheels to print the web of paper passing over the platens. The rotation of the aforesaid eccentrics imparts vertical oscillating movement to the frames E E and E E, which carry the numbering-wheel D upward against its platen C and the numbering-wheel D simultaneously down against the platen C, thus printing the paper on both sides simultaneously. The shaft of each numbering-wheel is provided with a ratchetwheel G, and a spring-pawl G is so adjusted that as the numbering-wheel descends the next adjacent pawl will yield to the downward movement of the ratchet, and as the numbering-wheel and ratchet-wheel rise the pawl engages the ratchet and revolves the numbering-wheel,so as to bring the next succeeding number into proper position to deliver its impression upon each numberingwheel shaft. A friction-collar H, having a stud h, projects through a stationary part It on the frame of the machine. In this contrivance the disk 72 is rigidly keyed to the shaft, and preferably has at its periphery a surface of leather or equivalent material k About this is the clamp-collar H, the pressure of which is governed by clamping-bolts h". In this way the motion of the numberingwheel is made positive and is accurately de termined by the pawl G. This pawl Gr" has a longitudinal movement by reason of the slot g. (Shown in detail in Fig. 6.) The adj usting-screw g regulates the distancethrough I which the pawl may be moved longitudinally before-it comes to rest. Now the friction exerted by the friction appliance I-l upon the shaft of the numbering-wheel is so great that as the ratchet wheel rises the spring-pawl G does not exert sufficient resistance to turn the ratchet-wheel; but, on thecontrary, the pawl is lifted longitudinally until arrested by the adj ustingscrew g. Then it affords a resistance to the further upward movement of the ratchetrwheel and so turns-the ratchetwheelshaf-t, and with it the nu mber-ing-wheel, through the space necessary to bring the next number into proper position to deliver its impression. Now the numbering-wh el maybemade larger or smaller and it may haveinore or less-numbers-upon it and sore quire to berevolved through a less or greater angle. This angle is of course determined by the upward movement of the ratchet- Wheel after the pawl has come to rest, and this distance isdeterminedby the adj ustingscrewg, which may cause the pawl to come to rest at one point or another, as the case may demand.

The operation of the device will now be'understood. Themachinery having'been set in motion, the sheet B is caused to pass through the machine in the direction of thearrow. The shaft f in revolving operates, through the medium of the eccentrics F and F, to bring the numbering-wheels D D simultaneously against the two impression-bars,- and they deliver their impressions upon the lower and upper sides, respectively, of the sheet or strip of paper. Now in the further revolution of the shaft f the numberingwheels recede. The pawl G- operates to advance the wheels one number-space and the operation is repeated. The sheet is, by mechanism forming no part of this apparatus, caused to feed through the machine at any desired speed dependent on the intervals along the sheet at which the consecutive numbersare to be printed.

1 represents a-spacing-roller, from which the strip of paper passes between the two'i'mpression-bars- C O. This spacing-roller is pivoted'at opposite ends to vertical racks I, which are supported movably and vertically on the main frame, to which frame are pivoted haud-pinions 1 which engage the aforesaid racks. By turning these pinions the racks are caused to raise or lower the aforesaid spacingroller. It is apparent that this adjustment of this roller I upward increases the length of the sheet between the two impression-bars C C, and it therefore aifords a means whereby the distance between the points of impression on the sheet may be accurately adjusted, so that the numbers upon the checks or sale-slips, 850., may be caused to be printed at just the proper localities upon the two sides of the sheets. So, again, J represents a similar spacingroller, the purpose of which is to regulate the length of the strip between the impressionbars 0 and the form on the printing-press to which the strip is being fed. to be printed, and so furnishes a means foraccurately adjusting the sheet, sothat then-umbered portions will come to their exact proper places in s the press, not only with respect to the form, but with respect to the perforating and cutting appliances connected with the press. Again, any change in thesizeof the number in g-wheel will require a correspondingchange in the locality of the two impression bars G O. I therefore'provide at M at the extremities of said impression-bars adj usting-screws, whereby the ends of the impression-bar may be adjusted up and down, and t'husbrought nearer to or farther from the numberingwheels. This, with the adjusting-screws e adjusting the frames E and E of the numbering-Wheels, provide for any. necessary'regulationin this particular.

K and K are ink-distributing rollers, and K is theinking-roller, which delivers the ink to the numbering-wheel. Upon the shaft of the ink-roller K are cams 7c. The inkingroller K is journaled in boxes These boxes are in turn held against the cams by springs 75, located in suitable housings k on the frame of the machine,- andso it is that at each revolution of the distributing-roller K the cams lo force the inking-roller K into contact with the type on the numbering-wheels. The distributing roller K is given a suitable transverse motion along the distributingroller'K by the bell-crank lever L. Thisis in turn operated by the'eccentric'L and suit ableconnections L? L L In order that the numbering-wheels may move directly up'anddown instead of in the arc of a circle, their'shafts are each journaled with boxes which move up and down in straight vertical guides 01, and the'frames E E are each provided'wit-ha longitudinal slot d,in which the aforesaid journal-box is seated movably lengthwise of the slot;

By a machineof this character'I am ena bled toprint the numbers in'consecutive order, from one up to any desired number, for a bunch or block of sale-slips, checks, or other blanks, and am enabled also to printsimultaneously the numbers on both sides of. the said blanks. This can be accomplished with great speed and with perfect accuracy, the

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numbers being given any desired relative positions upon opposite sides of the said blanks. So, also, by shifting either numbering-wheel out of service the machine is adapted for printing with equal facility the numbers in consecutive order upon one side only of said strip. The numbering-wheel may have cavities in which regular type may be inserted separately, although I prefer to set up the type, stereotype the same, and arrange the stereotyped strips upon the periphery of the numbering-wheel. I do not limit myself to any particular method of arranging the said numbers upon the said wheels.

What I claim is 1. In a machine for numbering sale-slips and the like upon both sides, the combination, with the numbering-wheels, one operating upon the top and the other upon the under side of the slip, and means for intermittently revolving the same, of frames supporting said wheels, pivoted at opposite ends and eccentrically mounted at their adjacent ends upon a single shaft, whereby the revolution of the shaft will simultaneously bring the impression-wheels in contact with the paper, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the main supportingframe and two platens and printing-Wheels arranged at difierent distances from the paper-feeding end of the machine, a spacingroller between said platens, vertical racks on opposite sides of the machine carrying the said spacing-roller and supported vertically and movably on the frame, and hand-pinions pivoted to the said frame and engaging the aforesaid racks, substantially as described and shown.

3. The combination of the two pairs of frames E E and E E, each of which pairs is arranged at opposite sides of the machine lengthwise thereof and in a different plane than the other pair, and the two pairs pivoted, respectively, at opposite ends of the machine, the shaft f, extending across the machine between the free ends of the aforesaid frame, rods connecting the eccentrics to the free ends of the frames E E E E, shafts extending across the machine and mounted on the said frames, and printing-wheels D D, rigidly attached to said shafts and platens, respectively, under one and over the other of said printingwheels, substantially as described and shown.

4. In a machine for numbering sale slips and the like, the combination, with removable numbering-wheels and a supporting-frame E, pivoted at one end and connected with the revolving eccentric F by connecting-rods adjustable as to their length, of a movable impression-bcd and a screw M for adjusting the same, all operating to adapt the device to different sizes of numbering-wheels, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS J. A. MACDONALD.

Witnesses:

M. B. ODOGHERTY, SAMUEL E. THOMAS.

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