Patent GB-662160-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to printing apparatus
Filed: 1949-02-15
Abstract: 662,160. Record - card controlled printing apparatus. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE. CO., Ltd. Feb. 15, 1949 [Feb. 17, 1948], No. 4114/49. Class 100 (iv). A printing-machine in which the type are carried on a spherical surface 75, Fig. 3, comprises means under control of record cards for tilting the type carrier about its spheric centre and means for moving the carrier with respect to the platen 15 to effect impression. The platen 15. is formed as a disc journalled at 16 to an upper member 14 of the machine framework which also carries strip feeding rollers supplying paper 'strip between the platen 15 and an ink ribbon 17 fed by rollers. 22, Fig. 1, also mounted on the member 14. The rollers 22 are driven continuously by gearing 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 from a motor driven shaft 34. Shaft 34 has a number of cams, two of which at half cycle intervals,'close contacts 47, Fig. 9, to operate a magnet 50 causing actuation of the type carrier 75 to effect impression by means of a bell crank arm 53, Fig. 1, now released by the end 56 of the armature of magnet 50 so that the arm 53 under pressure of a spring 55 follows a cam 52. Arm 53 draws downwardly a link 7, Fig. 53, connected to one end of a hammer 58 which pivots on a shaft 59. The other operating end of the hammer engages a vertical lever 61 pivotally carrying in its upper forked arms, shafts 63 of a cage 62 which moves the spherical type carrier 75 to effect impression. The cage 62 carries a vertical rod 69 supporting a stem 70 upon the end of which the type carrying surface 75 is mounted so that the cage 62 and the shafts 63 and rod 69 form a universal joint permitting the type carrier to be moved in either of two directions. The type selecting movement of the carrier is effected by two cables 67, 72, cable 67 being connected to a segment 64 fixed to shaft 63 to effect a vertical displacement of the carrier and cable 72 connected to an extension of the stem 70 to effect a horizontal displacement of the carrier. The amount of vertical and horizontal movement is determined by the actuation of levers 81, 87, 85 and levers 81a, 87a, 85a respectively operated in response to codes punched into record cards 39, Fig. 9, advanced by rollers 38 by gearing from the shaft 34. The code is formed from six rows of holes in the record card, three rows of which effect a vertical displacement of the carrier by -2, -1 or +4 letter spaces and three rows of which effect a similar horizontal displacement. In various combinations magnets 45 are operated in response to codes in the card and operate associated. levers 100 each of which move their coacting hooks 95 and 96 into motion receiving position above slides 95S and 96S which are alternately reciprocated by two cams 95C, 96C on the shaft 34. The movement of either slide 95S or 96S engages, by means of teeth 95T, 96T, the ends of the actuated levers 95, 96 which are thus moved to the right, Fig. 1, pivoting in various combinations the levers 81, 87, 85, 81a, 87a, 85a. The levers 81, 85 carry pulley wheels 80, 84 and lever 87 anchors the end of the cable 67. Pulley 80 in moving with lever 81 pulls on the cable and moves the carrier two spaces negatively, pulley 84 effects a release of cable 67 four spaces positively and lever 87 effects a pull of one space negatively. A similar arrangement occurs with pulleys 80a, 84a and lever 87a to effect horizontal displacement of the carrier. The gearing between the shaft 34 and the card feeding rollers 38 is such that the card is advanced one column each ¢ revolution of the shaft 34, and the cams 52, 95c, 96c thereon are arranged so that printing takes place on one column at the moment the following column is being sensed. In order to prevent the type carrier from returning to zero after each sensing each of the six levers 81-85a has a third hook 97 which engages teeth 108 of a stationary bar 106. If the second of two codes contains a similar perforation in the card the lever 100 is again operated and depresses its hook 97 thus holding its lever 81 &c. to the right although the slide 95S or 96S will at this time be returning to the left.