Patent GB-640671-A (GB)
Abstract: 640,671. Ticket-issuing machines ; counting-apparatus; statistical apparatus. HELSEL, R. H. Nov. 26, 1947, No. 31364. Convention date, July 3. [Classes 106 (i) and 106 (iii)] [Also in Group XVI] A ticket-issuing machine comprises means for intermittently advancing a ticket strip, means for receiving a slug having a plurality of printing faces thereon, means for effecting a plurality of printing operations by the slug between advances of the ticket strip, and means for intermittently moving the slug between printing operations so that successive coupon areas of the ticket strip are printed by successive printing faces of the slug. A general view of the machine described is given in Fig. 38 and the type of ticket issued is shown in Fig. 35. Generally the ticket comprises a plurality of coupons, the variable data on each being printed in successive machine cycles from a series of type faces 93 on a slug 80, Fig. 17. During the first machine cycle, however, a printing is made on record strips from type members settable under the control of a pattern of data-representing projections on the slug ; also a counter 740 incorporated in the slug is actuated. The arrangement of the ticket strip S, record strips R, and carbon strips C and D in relation to an inserted slug 80, is shown in Fig. 32. There are two record strips R, R<SP>1</SP>, one adapted to be torn off by the operator at the end of his period of duty and the other to be retained in the machine for accounting purposes. The carbon strips are fed by pawl-and-ratchet mechanism and pass out of apertures in the machine casing to be discarded after use. Recording cycle. A selected slug is inserted into a guideway 82, Fig. 38, to initiate operation of the machine. When a shoulder 194, Fig. 23, on the slug engages the nose 78 of a lever 74 this lever is rocked clockwise and causes counterclockwise movement of a spring-pressed lever 62 thereby engaging its nose 64 in a notch 106 of the slug. The further insertion of the slug carries the lever 62 with it and disengages a latch 56 from a projection 52 on a lever 46, Fig. 15, allowing spring-actuated movement of the latter. The lever 46 is linked to a lever 38 to which it gives a clockwise motion releasing a pin 24 on a spring-urged gear sector 26 forming part of a clutch. A depending arm 110 of the lever 38 engages the bevelled end of a spring-urged lever 112, Fig. 3, and through a long link 122 closes contacts 128 to complete the circuit of the driving motor which, through bevel gears, drives a shaft 12, Fig. 15, pinion 14 and gears 32, 34 on shafts 30, 36. Cams 230, 232, Fig. 12, on the shaft 36 rock follower arms 238, 240 which, through links 246, 246<SP>1</SP> rock a pair of plates 250, 250<SP>1</SP> joined by a rod 260, about a shaft 252. Pivoted freely on the shaft 252 a series of type carrying members 254 are individually connected to the rod 260 by springs 258, and to each member 254 is pivoted a sensing member 276 having a point 282 which passes over an area 90 (see also Fig. 23) of the slug provided with projections 290 spaced to represent data to be recorded. When the point 282 is lifted by a projection 290 an upper point 284 engages between fixed teeth 288 whereby the corresponding type member 274 is arrested. After the setting of the members 274 a roller 292 rocks a pawl 264 carrying a spring-urged plate 268 which enters between teeth of the members 274 to correctly position them during printing on the record tape which is effected by a hammer 342, Fig. 5. A link 300 connects the bell crank 240 to a transverse rod 301 joining side plates 302, 304 of a rocking frame pivoting about a shaft 306.. A ratchet wheel 312 is stepped on at each rocking movement by a pawl 314 to feed the record tape and carbon paper. The printing hammer 342 is pivoted about a shaft 343 and carries a pair of pins 346, 348 which bear on a lever 352 urged by a spring 356 which is tensioned during rocking of the frame until a spring-urged lever 358 engaging the pin 346 is rocked clear by a pin 366 engaging its opposite end. The declutching of the drive from the pinion 14, Fig. 15, to the recording mechanism is caused when a pin 113 on the gear 34 engages the lever 38 rocking it clockwise to bring its arm 40 into a position to cam the pin 24 on the clutch element 26 towards the shaft 30. Just before this happens, however, the ticket printing mechanism is brought into operation. Ticket printing is initiated by the engagement of a pin 400, Fig. 5, on the gear-wheel 32, with a lever 396. Downward movement of this lever depresses a bar 402 which has just been unlatched by engagement of a pin 427, Fig. 12, with the upper end of a lever 420. The downward movement of the bar 402, Fig. 10, releases it from latching engagement with a fixed plate 413 and allows it to be moved longitudinally by a spring 411, rocking a member 407 which releases a clutch segment on a gear 458 for engagement with a driving pinion 460. The member 407 also rocks a lever 466 to keep closed the contacts 124 and so maintain the circuit of the driving motor during ticket printing. During movement of the bar 402 a lever 486 whose upper end bears against the member 407 is turned clockwise by a spring- urged lever 476 which engages a pin 484 on the lower end of the lever 486. A tooth 492 on the lever 476 then enters between the teeth 430 of the disc 428 which has been positioned according to the length of the slug. The actual ticket printing operation is caused by a cam 534, Fig. 11, acting on a roller 536 to press the platen upwards against the ticket strip, carbon paper and type, thus printing all the data on one coupon simultaneously. The ticket strip is then advanced by a pinwheel 530 and Geneva mechanism 524, 526. Also the carbon paper strip is stepped on by a roller 606, Fig. 10, actuated by a pawl and ratchet device. During the insertion of the slug into the machine its end 226, Fig. 23, engages a shoulder 222 on a lever 218, Fig. 24, rocking the lever against a spring 219 so that its tail 224 enters a notch 228 in the slug and its nose 220 clears a flange 214 to allow movement of a slide 210 together with the lever 218 and the slug to which it is now locked. Linked to the slide 210 an arm 203, Fig. 3, disc 428, and sector 432 are also moved. A roller 436 on the disc 428 is forced out of a socket in the end of a lever 438 which then rides above the roller, and its spring 442 may be sufficiently strong to pull the slug to its final position in the machine without further action by the operator. The final position is reached when the projection 52, Fig. 23, enters a notch 108 in the slug. Thus the arm 203, Fig.. 10, linked to the slide 210 is moved a distance depending on the longitudinal distance between the notches 108 and 228 in the slug, and serves to position the sector 432 accordingly. This distance determines the number of ticket-printing steps which are to take place. The step-by-step return of the sector 432 to its initial position is performed by an arm 498 mounted as an eccentric on the shaft 462. During each ticket printing cycle the arm 498 is advanced longitudinally by its eccentric and by means of a lever 504 controlled by a cam 508 and linked to the arm 498, a pin 500 in the end of the arm is introduced between the next pair of teeth 434 of the sector 432. A cam 480, by engagement with a roller 478 then rocks the lever 476 to withdraw the projection 492 from engagement with the teeth 430, and the pin 500, acting on the teeth 434 of the sector 432, advances the assembly including the disc 428, thus moving the slug to bring the next type face into printing position. Similar printing cycles ensue until, towards the end of the last cycle, a pin 444 on the disc 428 engages and rocks the member 407 clockwise causing withdrawal of the projection 492 from the teeth 430 and longitudinal movement of the bar 402 into latching engagement with the fixed plate 413. Cutting off. A shaft 564, Fig. 11, carries a follower arm 566 co-operating with a cam 574 and also an arm 570 with a follower roller 572 co-operating with another cam 576, whereby positive movements in both directions are imposed on a link 580 engaging in an opening 586 of a slide 584 which carries the knife 590. The link 580 is disengaged from the slide until the final machine cycle by the movement of a plate 596 which engages a pin 594 on the link. The plate 596, Fig. 10, carries a conical pin 600 adapted to enter an opening 602 in the disc 428 during the final printing cycle when the link 580 can be pulled into engagement with the slide 584 by a spring 582 to complete the linkage for severing the ticket. Slug counter. During the setting of the record type members 254, Fig. 12, the rocking of the plates 250, 250<SP>1</SP> moves a link 261 which rocks a lever 267, Fig. 21, having a hooked end 271 adapted to enter an opening in the edge of the slug to actuate the slug counter by rocking a bell-crank 738. Pivoted to the opposite arm of the bell crank is a spring-urged arm 720 having a series of teeth 730, 732, 734, 736 of successively decreasing lengths for moving the counter wheels 698, 700, 702, 704. Each wheel comprises ten ratchet teeth, with a deep notch between the " 9 " and " 0 " teeth to provide for transfer. The arm 720 is given a longitudinal movement when the lever 267 rocks the bell-crank, thus stepping on the units wheel only until the arrival of the deep notch allows the second tooth 732 to step on the tens wheel and so on. Manual type-selecting means 656, Fig. 38, for the class of ticket are provided which adjusts type in the recording and ticket printing sections simultaneously. Serial number printing wheels in each section are stepped on at each ticket-issuing cycle of the machine. Locking devices. An operator's key 132, Fig. 30, must be correctly inserted before the machine is free to operate. It carries type 146, identifying the operator, which prints on the record