US460328A - Telegeaph - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 4-Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. E. WRIGHT. PRINTING TELEGRAPH.

No. 460,328. Patented Sept, 9, 1891..

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(No Model.) 4 4 SheetsSheet 2.

J. E. WRIGHT. PRINTING TELEGRAPH.

No 460,328." Patented Sept-29,1891.-

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4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

J. E. WRIGHT, PRINTING TELEGRAPH.

Patented Sept. 29.1891.

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@jr Witnesses (No Model.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 4. J. E. WRIGHT. PRINTING TELEGRAPH.

Patented Sept. 29,1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIQE.

JOHN E. \VRIGI'IT, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

PRINTING-TELEGRAPH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,328, dated September 29 1891. Application filedDeeember 30, 1890. Serial No. 376,218. (No model.) Patented in England July 24, 1889, No. 11,799.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. IVRIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing-Telegraphs, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the same.

I have obtained a patent in Great Britain, No. 11,799, dated July 24,1889, in which parts of the invention which forms the subject of this application are disclosed.

This invention is an improvement in that class of printing telegraph instruments known as column-printers, in which the impressions are made in lines across a web or sheet of paper of desired width. These instruments are known in the art as collimo-printers to distinguish them from stoclctickers and other ordinary forms of printing-telegraphs which print on a narrow tape in one continuous line.

A part of the improvements which distinguish my present invention are, however, applicable to printing-telegraph instruments generally, as will be understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the nature and functions of said improvements contained herein.

I have illustrated theinvention, however, as applied and adapted to a column-printer of the general form or character devised by me and described in my application, Serial No. 335,470, filed December 31, 1889.

The novel features of construction which I have devised I shall more particularly pointout hereinafter.

In the drawings annexed, in which a complete printing-instrument embodying my improvements is illustrated, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the instrument. Fig. 2 is a vertical broken section mainly on line a: LUOf Fig. 1, looking toward the type-wheel and printing-roller. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on line 1 1 of Fig. 2, looking from the escapement-magnets toward the type-wheel. Fig. iis a side elevation of the instrument presenting the escapement-magnets. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail,partly in section, of the type-wheel carriage. Fig. (i is a transverse section of the same. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail of a device employed in setting the type-wheel in position. Fig.8 is an enlarged perspective of a sleeve used in connection with the type-wheel shaft.

In the instrument are employed two motors or driving mechanisms-one for the paper or printing roller and the other for the typewheel shaft. The first-named is a barrel A, around which a cord with a weight attached is to be Wound. For the other I prefer to use a continuously-revolving motor, such as an electromagnetic motor, that drives a shaft A, passing through the frame of the instrument and provided with two pulleys a a. A cord or belt connects one of these pulleys with a pulley a, fixed to the shaft to" by a pin and slot and held by means of an adjustable spiral spring A in frictional contact with a disk I) on a sleeve 12', that carries the escapement. A constant tendency to rotation is thus imparted to the escapement, which is checked and controlled by means of the vibrating tongue I) of the escapementmagnet.

B is the printingunagnet; 15, its pivoted armature-lever, mounted on and fixed to a shaft B. hen an impression is to be made, the impulse of current therefor is directed through magnet B. This attracts the armature and turns the shaft B. An arm 0 extends forward from said shaft under an adjustable stop 0 in an arm 0 on a rock-shaft G". Said rock-shaft carries uprights D, in which the printing or paper roll D is mounted, so that by the action of the magnet B the printing-roll D is thrown over against the type-wheel and an impression taken of the letter or other character which at that moment is in the printing position. The paper web is carried on a cylinder or reel D, from which it passes over guides to the printingroll D. After passing around this it is directed over an inclined plate 0.

Other features which are necessary to an understanding of the present case, but which do not form in themselves any part of the invention, and which may be greatly varied or modified, are the means for controlling the type-wheel escapement and the mechanisms employed in conjunction with the type-wheel and its carriage for feeding the same forward step by step as each letter or character is printed and for returning it to its initial position after the completion of a line or paragraph. A general description of these devices will suffice for the present case.

The escapement is composed of two toothed wheels d cl, secured in fixed relation and with their teeth alternating. A tongue b", vibrated by means of polarized electro-magnets E, engages alternately with each wheel and permits them, therefore, to move forward under the action of the motive power applied thereto one step for each movement or vibration. If the position of the type-wheel corresponds to that of the escapement, the desired character is brought to the printing position by sending the proper number of alternations or impulses through magnet E.

The type-wheel is moved step by step forward by the following devices: Two pawls d" d are pivoted to the carriage and engage with two rack-bars E E respectively. These rack-bars have teeth of the same width, and one of said bars, as E, is stationary, while the other E is capable of a small longitudinal movement, being supported by pins or screws 6, passing through slots 6. A spiral spring e, connected at one end to the frame and at the other to the rack E, holds thelatter in position.

F is a right-angled lever pivoted to the frame of the instrument. One end engages with a projection f on the movable rack E, while under the other end is an adjustable screw f, set in the end of alever F, carried by and fixed to the shaft B. By this means the pawls d and carriage are carried forward through the space of one tooth at each impression until the end of the line is reached, when the absence of teeth on rack E permits the other I parts of the instrument to move without moving the type-wheel carriage. WVhen this point is reached or when it is desired to return the type-wheel from any point to begin a line, a pivoted bar G is raised, which lifts a pin f, set in one pawl and extending under the other, raises both pawls from engagement with the racks E E, and leaves the carriage free to be drawn back to its initial position by a cord g, that passes around guide-pulleys and around a spring-barrel G, Fig. 1. The bar G is raised to effect this resuit. by a cam-wheel G, Fig. 3, that forms a part of the train between the barrel A and the paper-roller. Whenever the said train is set in motion to feed the paper, one of the projections on wheel G" depresses one end of the lever X and raises the arms or levers X, that carry the bar G. Thus the type-Wheel carriage is brought back to the starting-point at the beginning of every-line or from any point in a line.

Having now described the means for per forming the several operations of setting the type-wheel escapement, for advancing the type-wheel carriage, for returning the typewheel carriage to its initial position, and for printing the characters from the type-wheel,

all of ,which, while adopted and used in this instrument, form no part of the improvements which the present invention involves, I shall now proceed to describe the nature of said improvements.

As a means of feeding the paper I have devised the following mechanism: A pinion g Figs. 1 and 3, engages with one member of the paper-feeding train, and is so proportioned as to make one complete revolution while the paper is moving through the space of one line. The shaft w of this pinion is extended and carries a pin ac, that engages with a slotted or hooked lever h, pivoted to the frame and acted upon by a spring h. Normally the pin 00 engages this lever and prevents the paper-feeding train from movement; but when the lever h is swung for a moment to one side the pin is released and the paper feeds until the pin 00, making one revolution, again engages with the hooked lever h. To shift the lever h, a pin I is set in the sleeve 1'), that carries the escapement. A right-angled lever 11, with a beveled end t',is pivoted to a bracket H on one of the swinging uprights D, that carry the paper or printing roll. The other end of the lever H is connected to the lever h by means of a link II. hen it becomes necessary to move the paper, the, escapement is rotated until the pin I is brought into position to engage with the end of the lever II. The printing-magnet is then operated and the uprights D, with the printingrollD, thrown forward. This brings the beveled end of lever II against the end of pin I, and the lever H is in consequence turned on its pivot sufficiently to effect, through its connections with the lever h, the release of the pin ac,

In ordinary printing-telegraph instruments the type-wheels (referring only to instruments of that class which employ type-wheels) have.

either a continuous movement or one advanced step by step to bring the various characters to the printing-point. The merits and demerits of the respective systems are well recognized and need not be pointed out in detail herein. In the usual and more feasible instruments, however, those in which the designing the mechanism for this I have had regard to certain features that contribute to a more rapid adjustment of the type-wheel and have provided means for turning the said wheel in both directions, so that it never has to be turned through more than a half-revolution.

In order to have as little Weight as possible for the escapement to carry, I mount the latter on the light sleeve 1), as above described, and in said sleeve at a point near its end I set a pin 1'', which preferably earries a small anti-friction roller '6, Fig. 8.

J is the shaft that carries the type-wheel carriage. It is mounted exactly in line'with the axis of the sleeve 1) by pivotal points that permit it to turn with great freedom. This shaft is formed with longitudinal knife-edges j", upon which slidesa sleeve or hub K, which is connected with the type-wheel carriage by the engagement of two pins 011 the carriage with circular grooves in said hub, as shown in Fig. 5. The sleeve or hub is formed or provided with a diagonal gear-wheel K, that imparts rotary motion to the type-wheel, as hereinafter explained. By the devices described the rotary motion of the shaft J is communicated to the type-wheel, while the latter, with its carriage, is free to move longitudinally along the shaft J. The end of the shaft J adjacent to the sleeve b is rounded off and reduced to the diameter of the sleeve 1'). Over it slides a cam-sleeve J, which has two pins j, engaging with longitudinal slots J in the shaft J, so that said cam,while free to move longitudinally on said shaft, turns with it.

L is a bell-crank lever pivoted at Z to the frame of the machine. The upper and long arm of this lever is bifurcated and carries two anti-friction rollers Z Z on pins set in the two arms of the lever. The rollers Z run in a circular guide Z on the cam-sleeve J, which latter is therefore moved forward or backward when the lever L is turned on its pivot. In the short end of the lever L is a slot, with which the end of a lever L", fixed to shaft B", engages, so that when the printing-magnet is energized the cam-sleeve J will be forced forward over the sleeve 6.

The plan of construction of the cam-sleeve J will be understood from Fig. 8. The for ward end of the tube or sleeve is a point from which the'sides of the sleeve are cut away on proper lines to a narrow sloton, diametrically opposite to the point. In operating the instrument the proper impulses of current are sent over the line to set the escapement-wheel and sleeve 7) in the desired position for any given letter or character, and the printingmagnet is then energized. The first effect is to shift the lever L and move the cam-sleeve Jover onto the sleeve 7). By this motion the pin 1 on sleeve Z) meets the cam-sleeve on one side or the other of the point and between said point and the slot m. The sleeve in consequence will be turned more or less, according to the position of the pin 2", and the shaft J, and with it the type-wheel, will also be turned a corresponding extent, whereby the latter will be brought to the position in which the character to be printed is presented at the printing-point. When the pin 0." reaches the slot on in the cam J, the latter ceases to turn, but, being still moved forward, the pin enters the slot, allowing the full movement of the cam and preventing it from turning.

In order to preventthe sleeve 1) from moving when the cam J is forced forward into engagement with the pin i, I employ, in addition to the tongue I), a pawl m, that engages with a ratchet-wheel m", that is fixed to or turns with the two escapement-wheels.

The pin I, which I have described above, is set in the sleeve 1) just back of the pin 1', so that it is never touched by the cam J. When the paper is to be fed for a new line and the escapement and sleeve are set to bring the pin I in position to encounter the end of lever H, the printing-magnet is energized as before. The cam-sleeve J is first carried forward to adjust the type-wheel to a position to present a blank space where a character has been omitted, so that no impression will be made, while the further movement of the shaft B moves up the lever H into engagement with pin I and releases the pin g from engagement with lever 70.

The exact shape of the cam J is easily determined by experiment or calculation. By using a double cam the shaft J can never be turned through more than a half-revolution, and it will be brought to its position by being turned in one direction or the other, according to the position of the pin 'iwith reference to the point of the cam J.

The shifting of the type-Wheel by mechanism of the kind described is done with great rapidity, and as it is practically impossible to entirely avoid some lost motion between the series of devices that produce this move ment, and as the slightest displacement of the typewheel at the instant of depression is liable to make a blurred and indistinct impression, I have devised a means of locking the type-wheel in its exact position just before and during the interval of the impression. The mechanism for this is as follows: The type-wheel carriage is a light frame-work traveling on guides parallel to the rack-bars E E, above described. It is supported on and secured to these guides n n by means of grooved or flanged wheels M and rollers M. The type-wheel N is carried on a verticalspindle N, mounted in the frame or carriage. This spindle carries a sleeve N, with which it engages by a pin or screw 0 and slot 0, so that the spindle has a limited vertical movement in the carriage. The spindle N is rotated by the engagement of a diagonal gearwheel 0" with the wheel K, above described.

Through vertical standards 0 O on the car-- riage slides a bar 0, with a spearhead or sharpened point 0. To the rear end of this bar is connected one of the arms of a bellcrank lever P, pivoted to a depending arm P on the type-Wheel carriage. The short arm of the lever P carries a roller P, that is en- IIO gaged by the end of an extension Q from the arm 0, attached to the shaft B. When this shaft is turned, therefore, by the magnetization of the printing-magnet B, the lever P is swung on its pivot and the bar thrust forward. This device is utilized to lock the type-wheel by entering one of one or more rows of perforations Q in the type-wheel. The type-wheel shown in this case has two rows of characters and two rows of perforations. In order to print from the under row, if the other row be the one normally presented, I employ an electro-magnet R and an armature B. An arm R extends out from the armature, and when the latter is drawn toward the magnet the arm R raises the spindle N and brings the lower row of characters on the type-wheel into printing position and the lower row of perforations in line with the locking-bar O.

In the above described instrument the printing-magnet, the esoapemen t-magnet, and the type-wheel-lifting magnet are or may be included in the same circuit. The escapement-magnet is the most sensitive and responds to all impulses transmitted. The printing-magnet is Wound to respond to a prolonged current, but not to a very short impulse, the magnet being what is known as sluggish. The magnet R,on the other hand, is a quick-acting magnet, but requires a current of greater strength than either of the others. The necessary currents are sent over the line by an automatic transmitter, such as is usually employed in these systems. The printing-magnet, moreover, has three separate functions to perform each time that it is ener gized by a prolonged current, whether weak or strong: first, to turn the type-wheel into position; second, to lock the type-wheel in such position, and, third, to make theimpression. These several functions are performed through the levers or arms extending from the shaft B, as above described, encountering or moving the levers L, P, and O, and to secure the proper order of operation the adjustments are made so that the said levers L, P, and C will be encountered and moved in the order named.

The instrument is operated, as will be understood from the above description,by sending first the proper number of comparatively weak and rapid impulses over the line to bring the escapement-wheel to within one step of the desired pointsay for a small letter. Then a prolonged impulse is sent,which brings the escapement up to the desired point, energizes the magnet B, shifts the lever L, turns the spindle or shaft J, sets the type-wheel, looks it by throwing forward the bar 0', and finally throws the printing-roller and paper over against the character on the type-wheel, which is in the printing position. If the paper is to be moved, the escapement is turned until the pin I is within one step of the point at which it encounters the end of lever H. A prolonged impulse then brings the pin into the desired position and moves lever 11', as above described. If a character in the lower row of the type-wheel is to be printed, the escapement is moved to within one step of the position which will print such character. A strong impulse of current is then sent over the line. In response to this the escapement turns one step, the quick-acting magnet R raises the type-wheel, and the slower-acting printing-magnet does the rest.

T T are rotary inking-rollers, of felt or like substance, carried by light spring-arms T on the type-wheel carriage and held against the surface of the type. They are made of sufficient length to remain in contact with the type-wheel in either of the latters positions.

The type-wheel in this instrument has the distinguishing capability of movement in three directions: first, a rotary movement in both directions about its vertical axis; second, a longitudinal movement bodily across the paper, and, third, a vertical movement on its axis. By this arrangement a much greater number of characters may be printed in a given time than by any instrument of which I am aware.

The above-described instrument is capable of many uses, but is especially adapted for clubs or any public resorts as a means for reporting news, stock-quotations, or the like.

Vi hat I claim is- 1. In a printing-telegraph instrument, the combination, with a ratchet or escapement wheel and a magnet for setting the same in any desired position, of a rotating type-wheel, a cam intermediate to the type-wheel and the escapement, and a magnet for moving the cam and adjusting the type-wheel to positions corresponding to those of the ratchet or escapement wheel, as set forth.

2. In a step-by-step printing-telegraph instrument, the combination, with the intermittently-rotating part, of a type-wheel, a cam intermediate to the type-wheel and the said intermittently-movable part, and an electromagnet for moving said cam into engagement with the movable part and adjusting or turning the type-wheel according to the position of said part, as set forth.

In a printing-telegraph instrument, the combination, with a type-wheel capable of rotation, a cam movable longitudinally on but turning with the spindle or shaft imparting motion to said type-wheel, a stop or pin in the path of said cam, step-by-step mechanism for setting said pin in given positions, and an electro-n1agnet for bringing the cam and pin into engagement and adjusting the type-wheel to a position corresponding to that of the pin, as set forth.

4. In a step-by-step printing-telegraph instrument, the combination, with a rotary shaft, of a type-wheel turning therewith and a cam-sleeve movable longitudinally on but turning with the shaft, an escapement or ratchet wheel, a pin or stop turning therewith, and an electro-magnet for shifting said cam into engagement with the pin or stop, and thereby turning the type-wheel shaft to a position corresponding with that of the escapement and pin, as set forth.

5. In a column-printing telegraph-instrument, the combination, with a shaft, a typewheel turned by said shaft and movable longitudinally with respect thereto, and a camsleeve turning with and slidinglongitudinally on the shaft, of an escapement-shaft in line with the type-Wheel shaft, a pin or stop carried by the same, an electro-magnet, and an armature-lever for shifting the cam-sleeve over the escapement-shaft and into engagement with the pin thereon, as described.

6. The combination, with a type-Wheel, an escapement, a cam intermediate to the same, and an eleotro-magnet for shifting said cam and adjusting the type-wheel to positions corresponding to those of the escapement, of a locking device adapted to engage with the t ype-wheel, an d mechanism for effecting such engagement immediately before and during the impression, as set forth.

7. Ina column-printingtelegraph, the combination, with a type-Wheel carriage movable in the direction of the lines of print from side to side of the column, of a spindle or axis carried thereby, a type-wheel having a plurality of rows or lines of characters mounted on said spindle and capable of rotary movement about its axis and of vertical movement in the direction of its axis, and mechanism for imparting and controlling said movements, as and for the purpose set forth.

8. The combination, with a rotary typewheel having a plurality of rows of characters and a carriage upon which the typewheel is mounted on a vertical spindle, of a revoluble horizontal shaft geared with the type wheel, an electromagnet for moving said carriage and type-wheel along said shaft, and an electro-magnet for moving the typewheel vertically in the direction of its axis, as set forth.

9. The combination, with the type-wheel shaft for imparting rotary motion to the type-wheel and an independent escapementshaft carrying a pin or stop, of a sleeve movable on but turning with the type-wheel shaft and formed as adouble'cam, and a lever operated by the printing-magnet for moving the cam-sleeve into engagement with the pin or stop on the escapement shaft and thereby adjusting the type wheel to positions determined by the position of the pin or stop, as set forth.

10. In a printing-telegraph, the combination, with three electro-magnets, one for controlling the esca-pement, another for adjusting the type-wheel to positions corresponding to those of the escapement for locking said type-wheel in such positions and for printing, and the third for moving the typewheel in line with its axis to bring one of a plurality of rows of characters into printing position, of independent escapement and type-Wheel shafts, intermediate connections operated by the printing-magnet, and a look ing mechanism, all substantially as set forth.

11. The combination, with the swinging printing-roller and paper-feeding mechanism and a lever carried by the frame or supports for the printing-roll and normally locking the paper-feeding mechanism, of an escapementshaft carrying a pin or projection, and magnets for turning the shaft, whereby the pin may be brought into position to engage the locking-lever and release the paper-feeding mechanism, as set forth.

12. The combination, in a column-printing telegraph-instrument, with a type-Wheel carriage and type-wheel mounted thereon and provided with a series of perforations, of a locking-bar and lever for shifting the same into engagement with one of the perforations, a printing-magnet, and a lever operated thereby and engaging with the lever of the locking-bar, as set forth.

13. The combination, with the type-wheel and escapement shafts mounted in line and independently movable and a pin setin the escapement-shaft, of a sleeve arranged to slide on and turn with the type-wheel shaft 5 andformed with a longitudinal slot and a double cam at its end, and a lever engaging with thesleeve and adapted to be moved by the printing-magnet to slide said sleeve onto the escapement-shaft in engagement with the pin thereon, as set forth.

JOHN E. \VRIGHT.

Witnesses:

FRANK B. MURPHY, ERNEST HOPKINSON.

IOO

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