Patent GB-644577-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to automatic justifying typographical machines
IPC: B41J5/38
Filed: 1946-12-05
Abstract: 644,577. Justifying mechanism for typewriters &c. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION. Dec. 5, 1946, No. 35999. Convention date, Dec. 21, 1945. [Classes 100 (iii) and 100 (iv)] A justifying typewriter or other typographical machine with variable spacing mechanism is controlled by a perforated tape having character designations sensed by one device and justification designations sensed by another device, the machine including a justifying computing mechanism set by the justification sensing device so as to effect the necessary line justification. The justification is effected by the automatic addition of one or more units of space to the word spaces starting from the first word space on the left and working along the line until the units of space are used up and the required justification is complete. For example, if there are 7 word spaces in a line and 17 units of space are to be added to justify the line, then three units is added to the first three word spaces and two units each to the remaining four word spaces. The machine includes a mechanism which responds to a code in the tape indicating that an error was made in the punching of the tape and arranges for that line section to pass through the typewriter without effecting any printing. The perforated tape, Fig. 13, which may be produced by the machine described in Specification 644,576, has a central row of holes for engagement with feeding sprockets 45, Fig. 3, coding holes which may appear in any of six transverse positions as shown to represent characters, case shift, word spaces, carriage return, &c., and justification coding comprising (1) a row of holes X in the tape line " 2 " corresponding to the number of spacing units by which the line of type would encroach into a justifying zone at the end of each line of coding holes and consisting of 21 units of space, the difference between 21 and the number of holes encroaching into the zone being the number of units to be spread among the word spaces, and (2) a line of holes Y in line " 5 " below those in line " 2 " representing the difference between the actual number of word spaces in the line and fifteen; fifteen words being the normal maximum of words to a line. The printing mechanism shown in Fig. 9, and which is similar to that described in Specification 504,774, has type keys 200 controlling the coupling to a power roller 202 of cam units 201 which through links 204-7 actuate type bars 203. Spacing between letters is controlled by a mechanism comprising three escapement wheels operated singly or in combination according to which character is to be typed. The operation of a character key 200 by a solenoid KSS brings an associated cam into contact with the roller 202 and thereby operates a lever 209 carrying one or more lugs 209a in various combinations which engage universal bails 211 to operate, via lever 212, the corresponding connecting bars 213 which operate appropriate escapement wheels in the mechamism C so as to give a carriage advance of two to nine units of spacing. Simultaneously with the operation of the key 200 a further cam is operated and, via linkage 204, 237, 239, 218 and 219, operates a slide 214 which releases one or more of the escapement wheels which cause the carriage to advance. Two space bars SB1, SB2, are provided. Bar SB1 is operated by a solenoid WSS2 (not shown) from a two-unit space code in the line " 6 " of the tape. If no justification has been set up, a 2 units space code will effect two units of space in the typing, but during automatic justifying space-bar SB1 operates the escapement rods 213 actuated by solenoids WS2, WS3 and WS4 to produce 2, 3 or 4 units of space respectively either singly or in combination in accordance with the circuits set up by justifying computing mechanism JR1, JR2. Space-bar SB2 is not linked up with the justifying mechanism and is operated by a solenoid WSS3 (not shown) which responds to a type code comprising a hole in line " 1 " and line " 2 " to effect 3 units of space, e.g. at the beginning of a line, by means of a separate slide 244, Fig. 11, actuating the three-unit escapement 247, the slide being moved by a linkage from a power-operated cam 231 associated with SB2. The tape T is fed from a coil through the two sensing mechanisms by toothed sprockets 45, Fig. 3, on shafts 46 each actuated by a pawl- and-ratchet mechanism. It passes through guides to the first sensing device where the sensing pins 75 and associated contacts JSC1-6 (JSC 1, 2, 3, 6 not shown on Fig. 3) firstly read the character codes and then the justification codes. The sensing of the character codes by this device has no effect but the reading of the justification code X, Y sets up the justification mechanism. The tape is looped between the two units so that the justification mechanism is completely set up before the second sensing device comprising sensing pins 76 and contacts CSC1-6 (CSC 1, 2, 3, 6 not shown in Fig. 3) commence to read the character designations which start the typing operations. For each hole in line X of the tape, an impulse is sent through contact JSC2 to a solenoid US1 causing a ratchet mechanism 106, 103, Fig. 6, of a shaft 102 to be rotated a number of steps corresponding to the number of holes. Similarly an adjacent shaft 101 is rotated by the operation of a solenoid SS1, a number of steps corresponding to the number of holes in the line Y. A series of 41 cams 121, Fig. 8, on the shaft 102 move the left-hand arms of one or more of 41 pairs of contacts C1-C41 of the justification computing relay JR1 and another series of cams 120 on a shaft 101 move one or more of the righthand arms of the contacts. The arrangement is such that both movements are necessary to close the contacts, the exceptions being contacts C1, C41 which are operated only by cam 121, and contacts C40 are operated by cam 120 only. In operation three main switches are closed by hand-energizing a typewriter motor, energizing a driving motor for the sensing units and supplying rectifiers. The first hole in the tape, a " carriage return " hole in line 4, reaches pairs 75 of the first sensing unit and is followed by spacing and character codes but no action results. The justification holes in the tapes are now sensed by the pins 75, closing contacts JSC 2 and 5 having contacts (JCSC, not shown) actuating the solenoids US1, SS1, and thereby closing the appropriate contacts C1-C41 of the justification mechanism. After the justification holes have passed the sensing pins 75 the first carriage return hole " 4 " has reached the second sensing device to complete the circuit of a carriage return solenoid. Another relay operates to change over circuit connections so that the succeeding line of holes sets up a second justification relay provided for alternate lines. Following the return of the carriage the characters, spaces, &c. are sensed by pins 76 to effect typing. When a character code is sensed, the pins 76 operate, in various combinations, a series of relays to operate appropriate solenoids KSS which operate the key levers so that the cam units engage the power roller 202 and thus effect typing. The space occupied by the letters is controlled by the lugs 209a as described above. When a word space is sensed its solenoid operates space bar 1 closing contacts SBC1, 2. Contacts SBC1 cause the operation of appropriate solenoids WS2 ... 4 to effect two to nine units of space in accordance with the contact arrangement set up on the justifying relays JR1 or 2. Contacts SBC2 step the units solenoid US forwardly one step at each word space until the cam 121 reaches homo or '' 0 " position indicating that full justification has been made. At each stop the justification relay closes contacts C1-C41 in prearranged manner so that circuits are made at each word space to operate the appropriate escapement solenoids WS2 ... 4. In the example given above WS2 and 3 are operated for the first three spaces and WS4 for the remaining four. Thus 3 units and 2 units are added as required. At the home position the contacts C41 open to prevent further rotation of the cam and contacts C1 close, which 'causes only the normal 2-unit spacing solenoid WS2 to operate. After the reading of the character and spacing codes, justification holes are sensed by pins 76 to return cam 120 to the home position and similarly the unit cam 121 if it has not already done so. Should a line produced on the tape contain an error code the line in the tape is completed with a series of " X's " and finishes with a delete code hole in line " 1 " which when sensed by the typewriter allows the entire line section of the tape to pass the sensing mechanism without printing. This is effected by disconnecting a common return wire in the printing and spacing solenoids and suppressing further printing until the delete or hole " 1 " is registered by CSC1 contact which operates a further relay which restores the common return. The machine may also be operated as a simple typewriter by opening a switch which controls the driving motor DM for the tape sensing mechanism. In this case the two unit space-bar SB1 is operated manually and solenoid WS2 is selected in the same manner as when the solenoid WSS2 is energized. The circuits may control typographical machines such as line-casting and type-setting machines, by the operation of the various solenoids automatically selected as above, which control devices that select type and spacing slugs.