Patent GB-630191-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in a duplicating machine
IPC: B41L11/00
Filed: 1945-08-09
Abstract: 630,191. Rotary duplicators. GRETCHIKHINE, N. Aug. 9, 1945, No. 20479. Convention date, Sept. 29, 1941. [Class 100 (ii)] A duplicating-machine for line - by - line reproduction comprises a movable member shown as a rack 21, Fig. 1, which is displaced from an inoperative position in which it locks a printing-cylinder 2, through a distance proportional to the number of lines to be printed, and is driven back to the inoperative position by mechanism eonnected with a drive for the cylinder, which is again locked against rotation. The printing-cylinder 2, which carries stereotypes or a document to be duplicated, is rotated step-by-step under the control of the rack 21 which is normally held in the position shown in Fig. 2 by a pawl 25, and, on release of the pawl, moves a distance corresponding to the number of lines. On depressing one of a number of keys 36, a corresponding key-lever 32 raises a piston 30 which raises a stop 27 into the path of the rack 21: at the same time, levers 38 connected to a rod 37 situated under the key-levers, are rocked about a pivot 39, so as to raise a bar 40 adapted to trip the pawl 25, whereupon a spring 24 pulls the rack 21 to the right up to the stop. Release of the pawl 25 is facilitated by releasing pressure of the rack against the pawl, by means of a lever 43 rocked about a pivot 44 by the levers 38, whereby a pin 45 on the end of the lever 43 acts on a bell-crank 20 normally pressed against the end of the rack. On release of the key and return of the lever 43 &c., the crank 20 swings anticlockwise, releasing an arm 17 adapted to throw in a motor switch, starting being then effected by a hand switch. A main shaft 9 rotated from the motor carries a disc 8, Fig. 1, on which is a roller 7 adapted to rock an arm 5 about a pivot 6, the arm being connected to a carriage 3 in which the cylinder 2 is mounted so that the latter is lowered into printing position against the action of springs 4 where it co-operates with an impression roller r. The cylinder 2 is held in operative position by a spring-pressed bolt 52 released by movement of an arm 50 fixed on a shaft 18, the bolt being first pressed to one side and then engaging over a ledge 3a on the carriage. To return the rack 21 step-bystep to normal position where it engages the bell-crank 20 and stops the machine, a cam 54 on the shaft 9 engages a tooth 56a on a slide 56, Fig. 2, to reciprocate the slide, a pawl 58 thereon engaging the rack teeth; also, a pin 62 on the disc 8 engages a lever 63 pivoted to an arm 64 pressed to the right by a spring 65 whereby a pin 66 on the lever rides on a guide 67, the arm 64 carrying a pawl 64<SP>2</SP> engaging teeth 68 on the cylinder 2 which is rotated intermittently one line-space at a time. When the last line has been printed, the rack 21 engages the bell-crank 20 which turns the arm 17 whereby the motor is switched off, the bolt 52 is withdrawn, and the carriage 3 is released and rises to an inoperative position; the ledge 3a is slightly below the bolt when the lever 5 is in its lowest position whereby the bolt can easily be withdrawn. On the final movement of the arm 64, the cylinder 2 being out of reach of the pawl 64<SP>2</SP>, a second pawl 64<SP>1</SP> engages the ratchet 68 and advances the cylinder the last space. A special key 70 is provided for returning the rack 21 by hand when a key 36 of too high a denomination has been depressed, a lug 72 on the key rocking a bell-crank 73, 75 connected to the slide 56 by a link 76. The Specification as open to inspection under Sect. 91 describes sheet clamping and feeding mechanism which now forms the subjectmatter of Specification 615,529, and mechanism for checking that book-keeping entries have been extracted, now forming the subjectmatter of Specification 630,192. The Specification as open also describes the following subject-matter: (1) a special key 100, Fig. 13 (Cancelled), is provided which, when depressed, causes the depression of a key 36 corresponding to the highest number on the keyboard, the two keys being released when the number of lines remaining to be printed is equal to that highest number. Printing is then effected from every line on the cylinder 2, which remains in the lowered position until the last line is printed. The key 100 carries a bracket 103 engaging a shoulder on the stem 35 of the key 36 and is retained in the depressed position by a pivoted arm 106 which rises on to the top of a cone 104 fixed to the stem 101 of the key 100. A bolt 52 for holding the printing-roller carriage 3 in the lowered position is released when the key 100 is depressed, by means of a cam 114 rocked anticlockwise so as to disengage an arm 116 from a lug 52a on the bolt 52, by a rod 113 operated from the key 100. So long as the key 36 remains depressed, a pawl 25 is held off a rack 21 which reciprocates with a slide 56. When the number of lines remaining to be printed corresponds-to the number represented by the key 36, a stud 109 on the cylinder 2 engages a boss 106a on the lever 106 whereby the keys are released and the rack 21 commences a step-by-step movement to stopping position; (2) the first line of the set to be printed is selected by means of a keyboard 201, Fig. 27 (Cancelled), provided with keys representing tens and units. Each key acts through a lever 202 and link 203 to raise a stop 204 into the path of a shoulder 205 on a rack 206 locked in the inoperative position by a pawl 208 carried by a lever 210 fixed to a shaft 211 rocked by the member 204, whereby the rack is released and is pulled up to the stop by a spring 207. On depressing a tens key, the rack moves up to the corresponding stop and is locked by the pawl 208. The units key to complete a double figure number is then depressed whereupon a stop rises into the path of a shoulder 205 to the left of that encountered by the tens stop, resulting in a further movement of the rack. A drum 217 carrying pins 218 arranged in a helix is then rotated until a pin 218 encounters a stop-lever 215 carried by the rack, the printing-cylinder being rotated by gearing from the drum until the required line arrives in printing position; the movement of the lever 215 releases an arm which swings a pawl on to a ratchet on the cylinder to lock the latter in adjusted position; (3) a motor 11, Fig. 20 (Cancelled), for driving the machine, is controlled by two switches in series, comprising a switch 12, 13 closed whenever a key 36 is depressed and a switch 12<SP>1</SP>, 131, which is opened when the key has returned to normal position. The key 36 rocks a lever 35 about a pivot 33, and the lever 32 engages a rod 37 carried by pivoted arms 38 to allow the switch 121, 131 to open and to rock a lever 147 acting through an arm 149 fixed to a shaft 151 acting through an arm 150, link 170 and lever 172 to pull a stirrup 174 to the right, whereby an arm 177 pivoted thereto releases the terminal 13 so that the switch closes: an abutment on the stirrup holds the switch closed. On release of the key 36, return, of a rod 40 to normal position lifts the arms 38 and the switch 121, 13<SP>1</SP> closes. The switch 12, 13 is opened following the return of the rack 21 to inoperative position, the stirrup 174 being rocked about a pivot 175 by an arm 16 to release the abutment holding the terminal 13, whereupon the arm 172 is moved to the left by a spring. The arm 16 is slotted to receive a pin 185 on the stirrup and is first moved into the path of a pin 182 on an arm 183 fixed to a main shaft 9, by means of an arm 180 fixed to a shaft 18 rocked clockwise by' a bell-crank 20 when rocked by the rack 21 on its return to inoperative position, .and is then rocked about a pivot 184. The mechanism for rotating the printing-cylinder line-by-line may be disconnected to allow a line to be repeated, by raising a handle 152, Fig. 22 (Cancelled), into the position shown, whereby a rod 159 rocks a lever 160, engaging an arm 164 which pivots about 165 and, by engaging a pin 166 on the pawl-arm 64 trips the pawl 64<SP>1</SP>. To preclude selection by the operator of a line while the printing-cylinder is uncoupled for repair &c., a shutter 401, Fig. 43 (Can,celled), is provided which moves into a position where it covers a gate normally exposing a number on an indicator-strip on the cylinder. The shutter 401 which has an extension overlying the strip is held in normal position by a latch 404, which is released to allow a spring 402 to pull the shutter down by dropping the handle 152, a pin 154 on which engages teeth on a lever 156 which rocks about a pivot 157 engaging the latch. The shutter is returned to normal position on descent of the cylinder to printing position by a lever connected to a rod 413 having a lug 412 lying in the path of a pin 411 on the carriage 3. This subject-matter does not appear in the Specification as accepted.