USRE23847E - hyland - Google Patents

Description

July 6, l1954 1 J, HYLAND Re. 23,847

WIRE TYPE PRINTING MACHINE Original Filed April 20, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. John J. Hyland,

July 6Y1954 .1. J. HYLAND WIRE TYPE PRINTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed April 20, 1949 INVENTDR. .101m J. 113mm@ July 6, 1954 1. J. HYLAND WIRE TYPE PRINTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. BY JOHN J. /JYLAND Original Filed April 20. 1949 K ATTORNEY TT N u! l QG I m l w QN t E Q H L L Il..

n m f, 9(2) INVENTOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 JOHN J. H VLA/VD BY 65W@ July 6, 1954 .1. J. HYLAND WIRE: TYPE PRINTING MACHINE Original Filed April 20, 1949 23,847 l WIRE TYPE PRINTING MACHINE John J. Hyland, New York, N. Y., assignor to Burroughs Corporation,

Michigan a corporation of Original No. 2,632,386, dated March 24, 1953, Se-

rial No. 88,527, April 20, 1949. Application for reissue April 15, 1954, Serial No. 423,551

- 8 Claims.

Matter enclosed in heavy brackets appears in the original patent but forms no part of this reissue specification; matter printed in italics indicates the additions made by reissue.

This invention relates to improvements in printing machines and has particular reference to a machine where one or more print heads, each comprising a plurality of printing elements capable of selection in various combinations to form different characters, are employed to print characters identied by the selected combinations.

In the co-pending application of W. Wockenfuss and H. A. Speh, filed March 8, 1949, Serial No. 80, 136. there is disclosed a machine wherein the printing elements of a print head are selectively controlled in various combinations to form different characters and in which the printing of any character by a selected combination of said elements results from the advancement thereof from a non-print to a print position.

In accordance with the present invention, it is proposed to accomplish the printing` of a character by the selection and subsequent withdrawal of a combination of printing elements from print to non-print position maining elements to stay in print position to form the character to be printed.

The inventive idea involved is capable of receiving a variety of expressions one of which. for purposes of illustration, is shown in the accompanying drawings; but it is to be expressly understood that said drawings are employed merely to facilitate the description of the invention asa ywhole and not to define the limits thereof, reference being had to the appended claims for this purpose.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view, partly broken away, of a printing machine constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, partially illustrating one of the print sections which includes two print heads arranged alongside one another and that combine with the print heads of the other sections to form a single row of heads;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of one of the print heads with the various printing elements thereof indicated by numerals;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a print head illustrating all of the printing elements in a projected or printing position which they assume prior to the selection and withdrawal of certain of them to non-print position to form a character by means of those that remain in print position;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing cerwhile permitting the re'-l 2 tain of the printing elements Withdrawn to form the letter I; and

Figs. 6 and '7, when combined, illustrate diagrammatically the control circuits for one'of the print heads by which selection of the printing elements thereof to form any particular character is accomplished in accordance with the analysis of a punched card or similar statistical record.

Structurally, the machine of the present invention is shown in Figs. 1 to `5 as comprising a plurality of individual print sections, generally indicated at I8, in the form of substantially rectangular and narrow panels which are vertically arranged in abutting relation and supported between suitable side frame plates I5 secured together on opposite sides of the machine by the tie rods I1. The front of each panel is constituted by a block I9 of any suitable synthetic resin capable of being molded and having its top and bottom edges converging forwardly so as to impart a generally tapered formation to said block with its forward extremity terminating in a rectangular end portion 2U which, along with similar portions of the other blocks of the various panels, is freely mounted in a support 2l extending across the front of the machine and attached to the frame plate I5 thereof in any suitable manner. Brackets 23 secure the rear portion of each block I9 to the recessed heads 24 at the upper and lower front corners of the main section of each panel i8, and upper and lower angle straps 25 secured to the plates l5 and extending across the front of the machine are engaged by the heads 24 of all the panels to thereby' assist in retaining the latter in operative position.

As shown in Fig. 1, the end portion 20 of each block I5 contains two print heads 29 arranged alongside each other so that the heads of the various blocks I9 combine to provide for one line of printing. Each head29 consists of a group of thirty-five printing elements 30, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. [3 to 5, and each group is indicated in the block I9 (Fig. 2) by two dotted lines] Each element 30 is in the form of a wire of very small cross sectional area and extends through a guide tube 3| molded in the block I9 so that the wire will have slight reciprocating movement therein, and said tube has its rear projecting end fixed in a mounting plate 32 extending between the upper and lower heads 24 and to which plate the block i9 is also secured by brackets 35.

Said tubes, and consequently the wires 30, converge forwardly into the end portion 20 of the block I9 where the wires of each group combine vto form one of the print heads 29. At the start of a print cycle, all thirty-five wires of a head ently appear.

are projected therefrom to print position, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4. and said wires are selectively controlled in accordance with the analysis of a record, such as atabulating card. to form any particular character by retracting certain of said wires to non-print position (Fig. and leaving those wires which are to identify and form said character in print position. `As the selected wires are being withdrawn, a print hammer, generally indicated at 22, and individual to each head is released, in a manner to later appear, to advance in a rearward direction to operative position where it will strike a sheet Il between which and the wires in print vposition is interposed a carbon strip Il which then causes said wires to impress the desired character upon said sheet which is fed past the print heads by any well known means. Fig. 5 illustrates the letter I as being formed and, by reference to Fig. 3, it will be seen that in order to form said letter all wires 30 are withdrawn except those numbered 2, 3, 4, 8, i3, 18, 23, 28, 32, 33 and 34.

In the main portion of each panel Il, as shown in Fig. 2, each of the two groups of wires Il has a supporting unit forming a part of said panel and consisting of upper and lower pairs of spaced supporting bars 36, the inner opposed edges of which converge rearwardly so as to present inclined surfaces for a purpose to pres- `Joining said bars 36 of each supporting unit are equi-distantly spaced guide plates 31 through which extend the rear portions of the printing elements, which portions are in the form of rods 4I. 'I'he forward ends of said rods Il are slidable in the guide plates 42 and are affixed to the rear ends of the wires lll that project from the guides Il where the latter are secured in the plate I2, and thus said rods Il become part of the printing elements. At the junction of the rods 4| with their wires 30, they are provided with enlargements Il the purpose of which will later appear. Rearwardly of the plate 42, each rod 4I is further provided with a stop collar 5U between which and said plate is interposed a spring M which forms part of a mechanism for cyclically controlling the reciprocating movement of the printing element between print and non-print positions, and which acts to constantly urge said element toward its non-print position when the spring is under compression.

As in the aforementioned co-pending application, the rear portions 4| of the printing elements are oi diierent lengths as indicated by the stepped formation of the upper and lower dot and dash lines in each group. Also, the elements in each group are arranged in three vertical rows, the two outer ones containing twelve elements each and the third or intermediate row containing eleven elements, thus making thirtyfive elements in all with the center one in the intermediate row being of greatest length and positioned coincidentally with the center line of the supporting unit, as described in said application. The four elements shown in full lines in Fig, 2 are the uppermost in the two outer columns referred to, the two shortest elements having their rear ends terminating `at I9 just rearwardly of the front guide plate 31 and the other two elements directly in back of the rst two having their rear ends terminating at lil just to the rear of the second guide plate 31.

Thel reciprocatory printing elementsis controlled by an electromagnetic device 38 mounted upon the inclined tially the width thereof movement of each of the surface of one of the two pairs of bars Il and between two adjacent guide plates 31 as shown in the lower portion of Fig. 2, those devices Il in the upper portion being omitted to avoid duplication of illustration. By having the surfaces of the bars Il inclined it will be apparent that as the printing elements progressively increase in length to the right and approach the center line of the supporting Il will also be positioned so approach said center line and thus be brought into cooperative relation with their respective rods Il. As shown in Fig. 2, the two upper and lower devices Il to the left are associated respectively with the rods 4| forming a part of the upper and lowermost printing elements in one o! the outer vertical columns, while the two devices Il to the right are likewise assocciated with the rods Il of the upper and lowermost -printing elements in the other outer vertical column oi printing elements which are directly behind the tlrst named elements. Also, the upper left hand and lower right hand devices Il are shown in their energized condition which will permit their respective printing elements to be retracted to non-print position under the control of the springs M, while the other two devices Il are shown de-energized so as to prevent rearward movement of their respective printing elements and therefore retain them in print position. To thus control the printing elements, each device n has a spring controlled armature Il which constitutes a latch for its associated printing element. When a device Il is de-energized a shoulder 4l formed on the amature latch 41 engages behind the stop collar ill on its associated rod 4i so as to retain the printing element in print position, and when said device is energized said shoulder is' disengaged from its collar to permit the spring Il to urge the printing element rearwardly to non-print position, this latter movement being limited by engagement of the enlargement Il with the restoring bail 53 shown in Fig. 2 in its rear or dwell position. Said bail assumes this dwell position at the beginning of a print cycle when all of the devices 38 in the various panels are de-energized to maintain the printing elements of the various heads in their print position. After selective and simultaneous energization of devices Il in all of the print sections, which permits their respective printing elements to be retracted from print position, and the concomitant operation of the print hammers 22 to effect printing, the bail 53 in each print section is advanced so as to restore to print position those printing elements which have been retracted, this restoration being accomplished by engagement of the bail with the enlargements Il of the various retracted printing elements. Immediately thereafter, the bail 53 is restored to its dwell position. In this manner the bail 5I cooperates with the springs 44 to provide the means for controlling the cyclic operation of the printing elements. Each bail Il extends between the heads 2l of its associated panel and is substanand the slight reciprocating movement to be imparted to the bail between the plates I2 and 4I is accomplished by providing the upper and lower ends of said bail with recessed blocks 54 slidable in the heads 2l. Each block I4 receives in its recess one end of a bell crank Il rockingly supported in the head 24, and these bell cranks for the bails 5I of the various print sections of the machine are unit, the devices as to progressively simultaneously operated to reciprocate said balls by means of any desired mechanism common to the bell cranks, such as the cam operated mechanism disclosed in the aforesaid co-pending application.

The mechanism by which the print hammers 2! are controlled so as to operate in time relation to the formation of characters by the withdrawal of selected elements to non-print position, is mounted in front of the row of print heads 28 and comprises a supporting frame 56 carrying a guide casing 51 in which the ham' mers 22, one for each print head, are slidably disposed and held in alignment with their respective heads by the combs 58 arranged along the front and rear edges of said casing. A removable top plate 59 encloses the coil springs 68 which engage abutments 6I on the hammers 22 so as to project them rearwardly to print position when selected printing elements start their movements toward non-print position. At the end of each print hammer remote from the abutment 6|, the same is provided on its upper edge with two spaced abutments 62 and 63 and in its lower edge with a recess 6I. The, hammers 22l are alternately controlled from above and below by the armature latches 65 of the magnets 66 supported in the frame 56. Thus, the hammer shown in Fig. 2, and partly broken away to show the next adjacent hammer, is controlled by the latch 65 of the lower magnetjn cooperation with the recess 6I in the lower edge of the hammer, while said next adjacent hammer is similarly controlled by the latch 65 of the upper magnet in cooperation with the abutment 62 of the latter hammer. When the magnets B6 are deenergized, their latches assume the position shown, but if and when said magnets are energized their armature latches will be disengaged from the hammers which will then be impelled reawardly to print position by the springs 60. Immediately upon completing the printing operation by the engagement of the hammers with the sheet 33, said hammers are returned to their latched positions by a common restoring bail 61 pivotally mounted in the frame 56 so that when actuated it will engage the abutments 63 of all the operated hammers and restore them to the position shown. Any suitable means such as a rotating cam 68 may be utilized to control the f bail 61 and said cam may be operated by the same drive, shown in said co-pending application, which simultaneously actuates the bails 53 of the various print sections.

Reference is now had t'o Figs. 6 and '7 which illustrate the circuits that selectively control the thirty-five electromagnetic devices 38 allotted to the printing elements of one print head, the circuits for the remaining print heads being duplicates of those shown. The withdrawal from print position of selected groups ofv printing elements so as to form various characters by those elements remaining in print position, is effected by the selective energization of devices 38 in various combinations and in accordance with any desired code such .as a well known twohole combinational code wherein twelve index point positions are provided in each column of a card. The first three of said positions to be sensed in a column for an alphabetical character are usually designated at #12, #11 and #l0 and are the zoning points assigned, respectively, to the letters A-I, J-R and S-Z, each of said letters having further assigned thereto in its column one of the other numerical index points 1 to 9.

In this code and in the system herein shown, the character 0, where it is is employed to designate the letter or a zero. is formed by the energization of the same group of devices 38 but, as will be seen in the course of description, the selection of said group for the printing of a zero is accomplished differently for the latter. The coils of said devices each have one terminal thereof joined to a common'bus bar 63 connected to a conductor 10, and the other terminal thereorto an individual conductor 1|, and said conductor 10 is connected toa bus 12 to which all similar conductors of the various print heads are joined.

A record card feed mechanism (not shown) of any desired construction successively feeds cards to a sensing device comprising a contact roll 13 and a series of brushes 14, one for each card columnwhich progressively sense punched index points in the card columns as the card is fed between the roll and brushes, and a distributor 15 operates 1n synchronisrn with the feed of the cards so that the wiper thereof will successively engage its twelve contacts simultaneously with the sensing ofv the corresponding index points in the 4card columns, all the contacts of said distributor being multiplied to the other y print heads.

Assigned to the index point positions #12, #ll and #0 in each column of a record card are the three zoning Thyratrons 16, 11 'and 18 of standard construction which have the characteristics of remaining conductive. once they are fired, until the voltage is removed from the plate elements thereof. The plate elements of said tubes are connected to associated zoning relays 19, and 8|, and the firing of any one of said tubes by the sensing of a hole at a zoning index point position in the card simultaneosuly with the engagement of the wiper of the distributor 15 with a contact corresponding to said point, determines the zone of the alphabetical character to be printed. Thus, when the tube 16 is made conductive through the brush 14 and the distributor 15, its relay 19 will be energized and remain so as long as the tube is conductive. In energizing, the relay 19 closes its nine contacts designated A to I (Fig. 6) thereby determining that the character to be printed is contained within this group. In the same manner, energization of relays 88 or 8| establishes that the character to be printed is in the J to R or the Sto'Z groups. The contacts A to Z of the `various zones are connected to different groups of the conductors 1I leading to the electromagnetic devices 38 so that when final selection of any contact in any one of said zones is made by the sensing of the second hole in a card column, as will later appear, the devices 38 assigned to said contact will Abe energized and their respective printing elements will be retracted to non-print position, leaving those elements in print position which are to form the desired character. The fourth zoning relay 82 is assigned to the printing of the numerals l to 9, but if either one of the tubes 16, 11 or 18 is ired, a relay 83 multipled to the cathode elements of said tubes is energized and, by opening its back contact 84, will disconnect relay 82 from the power supply 85 (Fig. 6). On the other hand, if no zoning tube is fired to effect the printing of an alphabetical character due to the failure of the sensing brush 14 to sense a hole at any one of the zoning index points, relay 82 will be energized to close its group of contacts 1 to 9 shown at the right of Fig. 7 to await the sensing aan? of a hole in a card column designating the particular numeral to be printed.

With any one of the tubes 19 to 19 rendered conductive and its corresponding set of alphabetical contacts closed, the second hole oi the two-ho1e combination in' a card column is then sensed by its brush 14 and, through the distributor 15, this results in the ring of one of the nine Thyratrons 99 to 94 identied by the sensed hole, and the establishment of circuits through one oi saidsets of alphabetical contacts in theselected zone to the group oi devices 99 which are to control the withdrawal from print position of those printing elements not to be utilized in the printing of the desired alphabetical character.

As one specific example, it will be assumed that the letter I is to be printed. The corresponding contact for this letter is in the first zone controlled by the zoning Thyratron 16 and relay 19, and the conductors 95 leading from the contact I are connected, through a group of conductors 1I. to twenty-four devices 39 indicated in Figs. 3 and `7 by the numerals l, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31 and 35 so that said devices will be energized to eil'ect withdrawal of their respective printing elements and leave in print position the eleven remaining elements which will form the letter I. Rectiilers 95 are interlected in all the circuit groups leading from the various alphabetical and numerical contacts controlled by the relays 19, 99 `and 9| so as to prevent any possible shunting effector unrelated circuit groups which may have multiple connections to various conductors 1|. In a similar manner, the conductors leading from the thirty-jive [thirty-four other] alphabetical and numerical contacts are variously connected through groups of conductors 1I to the devices 39 which will control the withdrawal of all the necessary printing elements to form the characters individual to said contacts.

The cycle of operation for printing various characters will now be described speciilcally in connection with the printing of the letter I which involves the successive sensing, by the brush 14,

of the punched index points #12 and #9 in the card column assigned to said brush, which sensing results in the ilring of the Thyratrons 19 and 94. Immediately upon entry of the leading edge of the card between the roll 13 and brush 14, the code holding cam cl (Fig. 7) closes its contact and remains inA this condition throughout the entire operating cycle including ,the printing oi the selected character. At the beginning of the cycle, the three zoning 'I hyratrons 16 to 19 and the nine numeric Thyratrons 96 te 94 are not conductive due to the application of a negative bias from the power source 95 through the bridge network of each tube to the grid thereof and, upon closure of the contact of holding cam cl, positive voltage is applied to the plate elements of the tubes 19 to 19 from the source 95 and over the conductor 91, through the contact oi' said cam, and the conductor 99 connected to the bus 99 common to all the print heads. The brush 14 now starts to successively sense the index point positions #12, #11 and #0 and, simultaneously therewith, the wiper of the distributor 15 successively engages icontacts corresponding to said points. Since the index point #l2 is punched for the letter I, contact by brush 14 will be made with the roll 13 as the hole is sensed and, with the distributor of wiper simultaneously engaging its contact #12, zero potential from the intermediate terminal ot the source 95 will be applied 8 through the conductor |99. the #12 contact oi' said distributor.- and the conductor |9| to one midpoint of the bridge network connected to the grid element oi' the zoning tube 19 and, at the same time, said potential is connected by the conductor |99 to the other midpoint o! said network to roll 13, brush 14, and conductor |95. 'I'he grid voltage of the tube 16 is thereby raised to zero, causing said tube to nre, whereupon current will ilow i'rom the positive terminal of the source 95 over the conductor 91, through the cam ci, the conductor 99, the windings of relays 19 and 93 connected, respectively, to the plate and cath, ode elements of tube 19, and then over the conductor |99 to the intermediate terminal ot the source 95. Said relays 19 and 99 will be energized in this circuit and held so by the cam cl. Energization of relay 93 opens its back contact 94'to thereby disconnect the positive terminal of the vances those printing source from the winding ot the numerical zoning relay 92 and thus prevents the latter from closing its contacts 1 to 9. Energization o1 relay 19 closes its group of contacts A-I4 and the vzone in which appears the character to be printed is now selected.

The card being analyzed now passes to #11 and #0 index points under the brush 14 but.

i since no hole is punched at either of said points. the 'tubes 11 and 19 are not iredv and, consequently, the other two sets of alphabetical zone contacts of relays 99 and 9| remain open. Immediately upon completion of the sensing of the three zoning points on the card. the numeric holding cam c2 is operated to close its contact to thereby prepare a holding circuit for any one of the subsequently fired numerical tubes 96 to 94, said circuit extending from the positive terminal of source 95 over the conductor 91, through the contact of cam c2, and the conductor |95 connected to the bus |91 to which all similar conductors of the circuits for the remaining print heads are lJoined, said conductor |96 being connected through a resistance to the plate element of each of said numeric tubes. Said cam c2 maintains its contact closed throughout the sensing of al1 nine numerical index points, and opens said contact directly after the restoring bail 53 adelements which have been retracted by the energization of their respective devices 39.

Immediately upon conclusion of the sensing of the zoning index points and before the brush 14 starts to sense the numerical index points, the numeric zone holding cam ci (Fig. 6) closes its contact and holds it closed, for a purpose which will later appear, until the printing operation is completed. The brush 14 now senses the hole punched in the #9 index point which completes the combinational code for the letter I. When hole #9 is sensed in the card, the wiper of the distributor 15 also engages its #9 contact, thereby connecting zero potential from the source 95 over' the conductor |99, the wiper of said distributor and its #9 contact, conductor |99 to one midpoint ol' the bridge network of the tube 94, while the other midpoint of said network is connected to said potential over the conductor |99. the roll 13 and brush 14, and the conductors |95 and |99. thus raising the grid voltage of said tube to zero and causingthe same to nre. The tube is maintained conductive from the intermediate terminal of source 95 through the winding of relay ||9, tube 94 and its holding resistor, the common conductor |95, andthe contact oi cam c2 to the naar? positive terminal or said source 85. Relay ||8 is energized by the current iiowing from the plate of said tube 94 and its energization is utilized in connection with the elimination of zeros to the left of a significant iigure, as described in said co-pending app1ication.

Upon completion of the sensing of the hole at h the #9 index point position, the print cam c4 closes to establish circuits from the positive terminal of the source 85 for the energization of the twenty-four previously mentioned electromagnetic devices 38 whose associated printing elements are to be retracted while the remaining eleven printing elements whose devices 38 are not energized are maintained in their print positions to form the letter I. Said circuits for energizing the devices 38 extend from the positive terminal oi' source 85 over the conductor 81, the contact of cam c4, conductor 10 and bus 89, the windings of the twenty-tour devices 38, the conductors 1| connected to said windings, the conductors 35. the contact I of the zoning relay 18, tube 34 and through the winding of relay to the intermediate terminal of the source 85. All of said devices 38 are now energized to attract their armature latches 41 to thus remove the shoulders thereof from the path of the collar 58 of their respective printing elements to thereby permit the springs 44 engaging said collars to expand and thus retract twenty-four printing elements to their non-print positions, The armature latches of the eleven devices 38 which form the' letter I remain in their de-energized positions so as to prevent retraction of the associated printing elements and the foregoing operation takes place while the bail 53 is in its rearward or dwell position shown in Fig. 2. At the same instant that the above described circuits through the contact I, tube 84 and relay |||i are closed, a parallel circuit from said contact is closed over the common conductor |22 through winding of the print hammer magnet 88 and the conductor |23 to the intermediate terminal of the source 85. As previously described, energization oi' said magnet releases the associated print hammer so that it will be projected to print the letter I on the sheet 33, the slight interval of time consumed in this movement of the hammer being sumcient for the twenty-four printing elements to be retracted enough so that they will not interfere with the proper printing of the character by those elements which remain in print position.

Upon restoration of the print hammer following its printing operation, the bail 53 then advances to restore the retracted printing elements to print position preparatory to another selection in the next operating cycle. It will be obvious that if no hole is sensed in a card column, the print hammer magnet will not be energized to release its hammer and therefore no printing will occur.

In the event that no one of the three zoning tubes 18 to 18 is fired due to the failure of the brush 14 to sense a hole in the three zoning points on a card, indicating that a numerical character is to be printed, it will be apparent from` the foregoing that relay 83 connected to the cathode elements of said tubes will not be energized and therefore its back contact 84 will remain closed. Hence, as soon as the cams cl and c3 close their contacts, an energizing circuit for the numerical zoning relay 82 will be established extending from the source 85 through the conductor 91, the contact of cam cl, conductor 38. winding of relay 82, back contact 84 of relay 83, the conductor |83, and the contact of cam c3 to the intermediate terminal or source 85. Upon energization of relay 82 in this circuit, its group of numerical contacts 1 to 9 are closed and await the sensing of the hole punched in one of the numerical index points in the card column. When this occurs, zero potential will be applied to the grid of one of the tubes 86 to 84, depending upon which hole is sensed, through the brush 14 and distributor 15 in a manner which will now be understood. Said tube will thenl iire and remain conductive through the contact oi' cam c2 and conductor |86. as previously described. Upon closure of the print cam c4 at the conclu` sion of the sensing ofthe last index point posi- -.tion of a card, energizing circuits will be established for the electromagnetic devices 38 which are to be retracted to non-print position so that those'printing elements remaining in print position will form the desired numerical character. Said circuits extend, as previously described, through said cam c4. the windings of the devices 38 whichare to be energized and over the conductors 1| connected to the numerical contact o! relay 82 that extends to the plate elements of the iired tube, and from thence the circuit extends through the winding oi.' relay ||0 to the intermediate terminal of the source 85. As previously described, energization of 'the selected group of devices 38 permits retraction of their respective printing elements to non-print position, whereupon the print hammer is advanced to print the numeral formed by those printing elements which remain in print position.

With respect to the character 0, it has been previously mentioned that the same is formed by the energization of the same group of electromagnetic devices 38 whether said character is to indicate a letter or a zero, but that the selection of said group to print the letter is accomplished differently than when a zero is to be printed. This difference originates in the code punched in a card column and the consequent nring of different Thyratrons during the lcourse of the analysis of said column. The letter is formed by punching the index points #11 and #6, while for a zero, only the zoning index point #0 is punched. From the foregoing description it will now be understood that the group of conductors connected to the contact D controlled by the zoning relay and selected for the energization of the devices 38 which control the printing of the letter O, is accomplished by the firing of the zoning tube 11 and the numerical tube 9 When only the #0 index point position is punched in the card column, indicating that a zero is to be printed, only the zoning tube 18 is fired and, at the conclusion of the sensing of said column, the zero print cam c5 (Fig. 6) is closed. Firing of the tube 18 energizes the zoning relay 8| in series therewith, closing its contacts S to Z, but this will have no effect since none of the numerical tubes 86 to 84 is fired to extend the circuits for the devices 38 through any one of the latter tubes. However, the closure of the additional contact (Fig. 6) of relay 8| will connect the conductor y| |2 leading from said contact to the conductor to which the Il contact of said relay is joined, and this Will extend the circuits for the energization of the devices 3 8, which are to be retracted to form the character 0, from the conductor I through the back contact ||3 of relay ||8 which is not energized at this time due to the non-conductive condition of all the tubes 86 to 94, and thence over the conductor ||4, plug nasa? H in the full line position of Fig. 6, and the contact of the zero print cam c5 to the intermediate terminal of the source Il, whereupon the selected devices JI to be withdrawn from print position will be energized. At the conclusion of any printing operation and when the bail I3 has been advanced to return the retracted printing elements to print position and immediately thereafter restored to its dwell position, all five of the control cams heretofore described open their contacts to de-energize all devicesv 3B and relays in the various circuits, and again render all Thyratrons non-conductive preparatory to the next card analysis.

What is claimed is:

l. In a printing machine, a plurality of printing elements having print'and non-print positions, said elements being grouped to form different characters and selectively controlled in various combinations each capable of printing one of said characters, means to move said printinglelements from print to non-print position, a latch device cooperating with each printing element to prevent movement thereof from print position, means to select a combination of said printing elements vfor movement to non-print position, means responsive to the last named means to render ineffective the latch devices associated with the printing elements of said combination to thereby transfer control of the latter elements to said moving means, and means thereafter operable to print a character represented by the printing elements which remain in print position.

2. In a printing machine, a plurality of printing elements having print and non-print positions, said elements being grouped to form different characters and selectively controlled in various combinations geh capable of printing one of said characters, me'ans to move said printing elements from print to non-print position, a latch device cooperating with each printing element to prevent movement thereof from print position, means to select a combination of said printing elements for movement to non-print position, means responsive to the last named means to render ineffective the latch devices associated with the printing elements of said combination to thereby transfer control of the latter elements to said moving means, and a print hammer cooperating with the printing elements remaining in print position to print a character subsequent to the movement of said selected combination of printing elements to non-print position.

3. In a printing machine, a plurality of printing elements having print and non-print positions, said elements being grouped to form different characters and selectively controlled in various combinations each capable of printing one of said characters, means to move said printing elements from print to non-print position, a latch device cooperating with each printing element to prevent movement thereof from print position, means to select a combination of said printing elements for movement to non-print position, means responsive to the last named means to render ineffective the latch devices associated with the printing elements of said combination to thereby transfer control of the latter elements to said moving means, a print hammer cooperating with -the printing elements remaining in print position to print a character subsequent to the movement of said selected combination of printing elements to non-print poerated to return said movable, said elements being grouped to form l different characters and selectively controlled in various combinations each capable ofA printing one of said characters, record sensing means, an electromagnetic device for each printing element and having means cooperating with its element for releasably maintaining the same against movement from print to non-print position, a circuit energized in response to the sensing of data in a record to actuate certain of said magnetic devices so that said cooperating means will release their printing elements for movement to non-print position, means to move the last named elements to non-print position, and means cooperating with the printing elements remaining in print position to print a character identified by the latter elements.

5. In a printing machine, a print head including a plurality of printing elements having print and non-print positions between which they are movable, said elements being selectively operable in combination with others to form diierent groups of said elements each identifying one of a plurality of different characters by a movement of the selected elements from print to non- -switch for each group of printing elements so formed, a circuit foreach of said switches energized in response to said sensing means for cl0s`- ing said switch to thereby select'a group of said elements for movement to non-print position, means controlled by the closure of said switch to release the retaining means of the selected group of elements, means to then move said group from print to non-print position, and means cooperating With the remainder of said plurality of elements to print a character formed thereby.

6. In a printing machine, a print head including a plurality of printing elements having print and non-print positions between which they are movable, said elements being each selectively` al1 of said elements in print position before selection of a combination thereof, record sensing means, a switch for each group of printing elements so formed, a circuit for each of said switches energized in response to said sensing means for closing said switch to thereby select a group of said elements for movement to nonprint position, means controlled by the closure of said switch to release the retaining means of the selected group of elements, means to move said group from print to non-print position, a print hammer cooperating with the remainder of said plurality of elements to print a character formed by the remaining elements, means to operate said hammer, and electromagnetic means in said circuit energized when said switch is closed to render effective the operating means for said print hammer. v

7. In a printing machine, a print head including a plurality of printing devices having a normal print position and each selectively operable in combination with others in said head to form having means to retain said printing element in .1, its normal position, means to selectively energize a group of said devices to disable their retaining means, means thereupon operable to move the printing elements individual to the energized devices from their print position to a non-print position, and means cooperating with those printing elements remaining in print position to print a character formed thereby.

8. In a printing machine, a plura'lity of movable printing elements having a normal print p0- sltion and each selectively operable in combination with others to form from the remainder thereof any one of a plurality of complete and different characters during a single movement of said selectively operable elements, means to simultaneously move said operable elements from their normal position to a non-print position, normally operative latching devices for said printing elements rendering said moving means ineffective, means to selectively actuate a group of said latching devices to release a corresponding group of printing elements for simultaneous movement to non-print position under control of said moving means, and means then operable to print .the character identified by the printing elements whose latching devices remain in operative position.

References Cited in the file of this patent or the original patent UNITED STATES PATENTS l Number Name Date 1,028,037 Lilleberg May 28, 1912 1,489,015 Sherman Apr. 1, 1924 1,853,443 Maul Apr. 12. 1932 2,129,065 I oop Sept. 6, 1938 2,248,522 Conrad July 8, 1941 2,334,534 Ballweg NOV. 16, 1943 2,353,083 Roth July 4, 1944 2,486,985 Ruderfer Nov. 1, 1949 2,524,127 Johnson Oct. 3, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 523,698 Germany Aug. 21, 1933

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