Patent GB-673462-A (GB)
Abstract: 673,462. Ticket-issuing machines. LANGENBUCH, F. Sept. 25, 1946 [Oct. 2, 1945], No. 28674/46. Class 106 (iii). A ticket-printing machine for use in railway stations in which a first printing mechanism prints the date, the fare and the class on a ticket which is thereby validated and a second printing mechanism prints the fare on a recording strip has means for printing on the ticket and strip a symbol indicative of the operator, said means being set by the insertion in the machine of a key. The machine is keyboard operated, having sets of " fare " keys 2, Fig. 2, "class"  keys 4 and two starting keys 6, 6<SP>1</SP>. Depression of a key 2, Fig. 3, positions a stop 7 which co-operates with a corresponding rack-bar 8 as described later. A rod 20 on a shaft driven by the operating motor rotates a cam 14 which through a slot 16 engaging a pin 17 on a link 12 and a link 11 reciprocates a cross-bar 10. A spring 9 urges the rack-bars 8 into abutting engagement with the cross-bar 10 but when a key 2 is depressed the corresponding bar 8 is only allowed to move as far as determined by the depressed stop 7. The rack-bars 8 mesh with gear-wheels 22 which transmit the movement of the rack-bars 8 to the type carriers 23 which serve to print the fare on a check strip 25. The rack-bars 8 abut and transmit movement to rack-bars 30, Figs. 2 and 3, which through gear-wheels 33, shafts 34, gear-wheels 35, transmit movement to rack-bars 36 which cooperate with toothed segments 37, Fig. 5, which set the type-wheels 39 of the ticket printing mechanism. The segments 37 are correctly aligned during printing by a projection on a lever 42 which is rocked by a lever 43 through a spring 44. Above the type-wheels 39 are fare type-wheels 45 which are set from keys 4, Figs. 2 and 8, through wedge cams 46, 47, 48, 49 on on the respective key stems which co-operate with corresponding rollers 50, 51, 52 on a rack 53 to differentially move said rack-bar 53 when a key 4 is depressed and through gear-wheels 54, 55, 56 set type wheels 45. The stems of keys 4 have notches 57 engageable by a retaining bar 59. The rack-bar 53 is returned to its initial position by a forked spring 63, 64 mounted on a fixed pin 62 and co-operating with a pin on the rack-bar 53. Above the wheels 45 are date printing wheels settable by a hand wheel 69, Fig. 1, and slug wheel 71. Ink ribbons 72, 74, Fig. 5, co-operate with the wheels 39, 45. Behind the wheels 39, 45 and the date wheels is a guide-member 75, Fig. 7, in which two guide-rods 76 are carried, the free ends of which are held in a yoke 77 and which carry an impression hammer 78 normally urged by springs 79 towards the member 75 but held therefrom by a pawl 85 engaging a tooth 84 on the hammer 78. Upon rotation of a shaft 80 an eccentric 81 thereon forces a lever 82 against a lug 83 on the member 75 to press said member against a ticket which has been inserted in the slot 26, Fig. 5 and is resting on the plate 27. The hammer 78, however, is held back by the pawl 85 and consequently the springs 79 are more heavily stressed. When a set-screw 86 meets the pawl 85 at the end of the forward motion of the yoke 77 the pawl 85 releases the hammer 78 which is impulsed towards the printing wheels so printing a ticket. A spring 88 causes re-engagement of the pawl 85 with the hammer 78 when the shaft 80 completes a revolution. At the start of his shift the operator inserts his key in a lock comprising fixed cylinder 89 and rotatable cylinder 90 and rotates it through 180 degrees. The inner end of the key strikes on an arm 105, Fig. 4, on a slide 108 which is thus moved rearwardly. A stepped cam 109 on the slide 108 bears against a key 110 mounted on a lever 112 on a fixed shaft 111 carrying a second stepped cam 113 which engages a stop 115 on a rack-bar 116 which is moved in similar fashion to the rack bars 8 to transmit motion to a gear-wheel 117, Fig. 3, to set a type carrier 118 which carries symbols by which the operator is known. The motion of the rack bar 116 is also transmitted to printing means for printing the symbol on the ticket. Upon rotation of the operator's key in the lock the cylinder is rotated and because of the cams 89<SP>1</SP>, 90<SP>1</SP> is also moved longitudinally so closing an electric switch in the circuit of the driving motor. A driving-shaft 99, Fig. 4, coaxial to the shaft 80, is normally coupled thereto by the engagement of a cam 98 on a lever 97 on the shaft 80 in a recess 104 on a tappet 101 mounted on the shaft 99 and urged into engagement with a roller 103 on an arm 96. When the cylinder 90 is moved longitudinally the main slide 91 moves the bar 93 which through the pin 94, arm 96, roller 103, causes the tappet 101 to disengage cam 98 from the recess 104 to uncouple shaft 99 from shaft 80 allowing a total to be taken from the fare totalizer 23a, Fig. 3. An additional record strip may receive the " fare and " route number " by transfer from each ticket.