Patent GB-676556-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to machines for printing and issuing postal orders and like forms
IPC: B41K3/00
Filed: 1950-02-14
Abstract: 676,556. Hand-set printing apparatus. BELL PUNCH CO., Ltd., and SPARROW, V. W. Feb. 14, 1950, No. 3797/50. Class 100 (iv). [Also in Group XIX] A machine for printing and issuing forms relating to money transactions has two separate series of type relating to money values, one of which varies in dependence on the other but in a non- proportionate manner, the setting of the type for one series being by a hand operation being accompanied by automatic setting of the other series. In the embodiment described Postal Orders are printed with their exchange and poundage values together with fixed printing matter e.g. date, postal district of the issuing office and code letter of the operator. The machine comprises an upper unit, Figs. 1 and 3, containing the two series of type and which is detachably mounted above a lower unit, Figs. 15, 19, supporting thereon a carriage reciprocating front to back below the upper unit and comprising paper feed rollers, inking rollers and impression rollers. Within the lower unit is housed a driving motor or a turning handle and a pack of zig-zag forms and at the side is slidingly mounted a manual machine operating control bar which initiates a cycle of operation of the driving motor and effects printing. Index-setting arrangements.-One series of type comprise type drums 18, 20, 21 and 23, Figs. 1, 3, which respectively print the shillings figure on the counterfoil, the shillings value in letters, the word " shilling " or " shillings," and the shillings value in figures, are coupled together by gearing and are set by a hand-wheel 34 on a shaft 13. Type drums 19, 22 and 24 which print the pence figure on the counterfoil, the pence value in letters and pence value in figures are mounted on a shaft 15 set by a right hand-wheel 35. Attached to the pence shaft 15 is a cam 46, Fig. 9, having a recessed portion 75 corresponding to settings between 0-5 pence; a shilling cam 45 fast with shaft 13 has a recessed portion 76 corresponding to settings between 0-1 shillings, a less deeply recessed portion 78 corresponding to settings between 2-5 shillings while the remaining portion 79 corresponds to settings between 6-21 shillings. Cooperating with both these cams 45, 46 is a double-limbed feeler 47, 48; a second feeler 62 co-operates with cam 46 only. These feelers are urged towards the cams and are mounted on arms 50, 51 of a swinging structure which is reciprocated once in each machine cycle by the operating control bar 54, Fig. 16, which in its leftward movement operates a spring return stirrup 56 engaging a third arm 52 of the swing- ing structure. The return movement of the swinging structure, clockwise, Fig. 9, is limited by the engagement of the feelers with the cams and, by means of teeth 73 at the end of arm 51 sets the second series of type comprising a poundage drum 40 to align type words " penny," " threehalfpence " or " two pence " corresponding to the settings of the exchange value type drums. The type on a flat portion 41 on the drum 40 prints a blank marking representing maximum swing of the structure. Between the value settings six pence and eleven pence, the limb 48 engages the portion 77 of cam 46 and drum 40 is rotated to flat portion 42, carrying type " one penny." At the shilling setting the feeler 62 is rendered operative by means of a pip 67 on a cam fast with the shillings shaft and which engages a pin 70 on a lever 65 transmitting its motion through a pin 71 to an arm 72 coupled to the feeler 62 by a bar 63. The feeler 62 now engages portion 75 of cam 46 for settings up to 1/5d and still restricts the drum 40 to the "penny" setting. At the 1/6d setting, feeler 62 engages portion 77 of pence cam 46 so that flat portion 43, carrying type " three-halfpence," is in printing position. Feeler 62 remains in contact with portion 77 up to the 1/11d setting whereafter it is made inoperative, limb 47 now engaging the portion 78 of cam 45 to permit the swinging structure to effect the same rotation of drum 40 with each setting up to values of 5/11d. At the 6/- setting, limb 47 engages the outermost portion 79 and drum 40 is rotated to the flat portion 44 carrying the type " two pence." Totalizing.-Each cycle of operations reciprocates a plunger 81, Fig. 3, a constant amount into engagement with a stirrup 82 adjustably and resiliently mounted on three levers 84 (Fig. 3), 85 (Fig. 4), 86 (not shown), connected respectively to three vertically movable racks 88, 89, 90, Figs. 1, 3, 4, which operate totalizing mechanism associated with poundage totalizing, shillings portion of exchange value and pence portion of exchange value respectively. The lever 84 moves its rack 88 downwardly until a pin 107 thereon engages with one of a series of notches or ledges 103-106 on the arm 51 according to the swing permitted by the cams 45, 46. This stops movement of rack 88 but the plunger 81 completes its upward stroke by means of the resilient lost-motion stirrup 82. The lever 85, Fig. 4, moves clockwise until it engages a step cam 108 arranged so that the return movement of the lever 85 corresponds to the amount of shillings set on the type drums and accordingly totalizing is effected by a rack 89 connected to lever 85 by a lever 101. A similar arrangement totalizes the pence exchange values. Fixed printing matter.-A dating device comprising manually settable type drums 119, Fig. 1, is coaxial with the poundage drum 40, and a type block 120, Fig. 3, for printing the office of issue is fixed in the unit. A further type block 121 for printing the code of the operator is carried on a bar 122, Fig. 16, and is inserted in the machine individually. Unless this type block is in place a locking plate 124 engages in a notch 126 of the control bar 54 and prevents operation. Line ruling.-A device, for printing a horizontal line in red or other distinguishing colour is effective as the Postal Order is being delivered to a tear-off position and comprises a marking roller 113 and an inking roller 115 carried on a swinging bracket 114 which has a follower coacting with the shillings drums so that it can e.g. be made effective for certain values of Postal Orders. A locking device (see below) prevents movement of the roller 113 into operative position until the strip of Postal Orders has commenced its travel to the tear off position. Roller inking-arrangements.-All the type elements are inked by a roller 171, Fig. 15, in pressure contact and geared with an ink charged roller 172 rotated by gearing from a fixed rack so that as the carriage is reciprocated backwards and forwards across the machine by a crank mechanism 147-155, Fig. 19, the roller 171 rolls across the type. Roller impression-arrangements; platen construction.-Impression is effected by a pair of rollers 180, 181, Fig. 19, reciprocated transversely on the carriage by an oscillatory lever mechanism 182, 183, Fig. 15. In the leftward direction of travel, the rollers are raised to operative position by guide rails 184, 185, 186 rigidly connected together and pivotally connected at the two ends of the structure to a pair of downwardly directed levers 187, 188, Fig. 19, pivoted on the carriage framework at 189, 190 so as to be swingable to raise and lower the structure. The structure is moved by a pressure roller 192 on a lever 191 rocked once per machine cycle by the driving motor. The levers 182 and 191 reciprocate with the carriage, their lower ends being keyed to the driving mechanism. The roller 180 is peripherally grooved so that the printed characters comprise a number of parallel lines. Strip - feeding arrangements.-The Postal Orders are arranged in a zig-zag pile in a container 142, Fig. 16, and led over a curved plate 161, Fig. 15, and supporting plate 164, Fig. 19, and between guides 162, 163, to a pair of feed wheels 156, 157 which advance the strip one order length each cycle. The strip is maintained in proper contact with the guide surfaces by a series of flexible wipers 165 carried on a spindle 166. Locking devices, aligning for impression.-The control bar 54 is prevented from movement if the type elements are not in alignment, indicated by a lever 130, Fig. 16, pivoted at 28 and carrying a stirrup 131 adapted to enter spaces 132 between the type elements. If the type elements are in alignment a cam 135 on a bracket 59 attached to the bar 54 moves a follower 137 supported on the lever 130 which moves the stirrup 131 into the spaces 132 and the control bar makes a complete rightward movement initiating an operative machine cycle. If the type elements are not aligned the rightward movement of bar 54 is limited since the stirrup cannot be moved clockwise and the cam is pivoted anticlockwise by the follower 137 against a spring 138 an amount limited by stops 139, 140 and prevents rightward movement of bar 54. The line ruling roller 113 is prevented from engaging the strip until after the feed wheels 156, 157 have commenced rotation by means of a cam 196, Fig. 19, which allows a follower 193 associated with bracket 114 to lower the roller 113 into marking position thus ensuring that the line is restricted to a particular postal order. The roller 113 is also raised to inoperative position when the carriage is moved away from the printing position by an abutment on the lower unit which engages a cam plate attached to the bracket 114. A further locking device prevents operation of the machine if the supply of strip becomes exhausted.