Patent GB-676515-A (GB)
Abstract: 676,515. Ticket printing and issuing machines. SETRIGHT REGISTERS, Ltd., and ADSHEAD, C. W. Oct. 13, 1949 [Oct. 18, 1948], No. 27058/48. Class 106 (iii). A ticket printing and issuing machine comprises two or more independently operable printing and feeding mechanisms, means for selecting any of the printing and feeding mechanisms for operation and means for causing automatic operation of said selected printing and feeding mechanisms one or more times. The invention as described is applied to a machine for issuing one to four of six different classes of tickets and includes four number push-buttons 202, Fig. 1, and six value push-buttons 201. Each of the six ticket printing and feeding mechanisms includes a fixed printing block 203 and a reciprocable platen 204, Fig. 3, having a stem 208 supported by a guide member 209 and normally held away from the block against the pressure of a coiled spring 207 by a pivoted bell-crank lever 210 normally latched by a pivoted rocker 220 controlled by a bar 328 attached to the associated button 201 and reciprocable thereby between rollers 329, 330. The arrangement is such that when a push-button 201 is depressed the associated bell-crank lever 210 is unlatched so that the platen 204 may be moved against the block 203 under the control of a cam 214 on the main shaft 215 rotated by an electric motor as described later. Each bell-crank 210 actuates a lever 218 which actuates a counter 219. Mounted below each platen on a shaft 232 is a feed roller 225 with which co-operates an idler spring-pressed roller 226 which is moved into engagement with the strip 205 upon inward movement of the bar 328. The shaft 232 is intermittently driven from the shaft 215 by Geneva mechanism, Figs. 13 and 14, not shown. Crowding locks and a laterally-slidable latch-bar are provided for the bars 328. The printing blocks 203, Fig. 18, and the ink tape reels 248, 249 are readily removable as a unit from the machine and the blocks are arranged in duplicate to print the " value " and " date " at each end of each ticket, Fig. 24, by type which is manually adjustable when the unit is removed and also the " hour " by typewheels settable by rotation of a knurled wheel 246 accessible at the top of the machine, Fig. 1. Spring detents retain the type wheels in their set position. The ink tape 206 is wound from the reel 248 on to the reel 249 which is slowly rotated during the machine operation. For this purpose the shank 252 of the reel 249 is fixed to a shaft 272 driven through a friction clutch 274 from a shaft 271 driven through two worms and worm-wheels 265, 268 (268 not shown), and 266, 269 from a shaft 260 rotated by the abovementioned Geneva mechanism. Each printing block has a guillotine in a pivoted housing 280, Figs. 3 and 23, and comprising a slide 282 reciprocated by the platen 204 and having a knife edge 283 which cooperates with a fixed knife edge 287 of an adjustable spring - pressed blade 289. The severed ticket is guided from the machine by a guide 297, 298 and a plunger 299 prevents its return. A gear 308, Fig. 3, on a shaft 309, driven as described later, meshes with a gear 306 on a shaft 307 which through friction clutches; Fig. 4, not shown, drives six discs 310, respectively associated with each printing mechanism. Each disc 310 has a notch 313 into which moves a pawl 314 carried by one arm of a pivoted bell-crank 315 when a roller 319 carried by the other arm of the lever 315 is no longer supported by the ticket strip 205, whereupon contacts 320 in a control circuit of the driving motor are opened. A second pair of contacts 324 in the same control circuit are closed by a lever 322 upon movement of the associated bar 328 and button 201. The machine is driven by an electric motor 342, Fig. 5, energized upon depression of a number button 202 to drive through a worm and worm-wheel 343 and a dog clutch comprising a pawl 349 and a ratchet 346, the main shaft 215. Each of the buttons 202 is secured to a bar 362 reciprocable between rollers 363, 364. Each bar 362 has a pin 366 by which it moves an associated arm 368 which is pivoted on a shaft 351 and which carries a pawl 370 which engages a ratchet-wheel 371 integral with a gear 352 meshing with a gear 353 on the shaft 309. The shaft 309 carries four control cam discs 355, each having three equally-spaced projections 354 which co-operate with a roller 356 on one end of an arm 357, the other end of which effects disengagement of the pawl 349 from the ratchet 346. The arrangement is such that the initial setting movement imparted to the shaft 309 varies from 24, 48, 72 and 96 degrees in accordance with which of the " 1," " 2," " 3," or " 4 " ticket buttons 202 is depressed. When the motor 342 starts, the shaft 215 drives the shaft 309 through the gear train illustrated in Fig. 7 (not shown) until the succeeding projection 354 moves the lever 357 to disengage the dog clutch 349, 346, whereupon the shaft 215, Fig. 10, is arrested by the engagement of a recess 415 of a lever 406 which is controlled by a cam 411 on the shaft 309 with a pin 413 of am arm 416 resiliently mounted on the shaft 215. Each bar 362 carries a pin 376 which through an arm 377 effects rotation of a shaft 365 whereupon a bellcrank 393, 394, Fig. 8, is freed from a latch 384 to allow closure of a switch 382 to start the motor 342 if one pair of the previously-mentioned switches 320, 324 are closed. The shaft 215 rotates for as many revolutions as tickets are desired. The latch arm 384, Fig. 8, carries a bar 389 which carries four slides 390 which engage in either of the slots 392, Fig. 5, of the associated bar 362 and thereby retain the depressed button 202 depressed and prevent depression of another. A disc 387, Fig. 8, rotates with the shaft 309, and carries three pins 388 which in turn reset the latch arm 384 to its initial position. The depressed button 202 is returned to its initial position by a corresponding spring 378, Fig. 5, which acts on the associated arm 377. Each rotation of the shaft 215 is registered upon a counter 401. In the embodiment described in the Provisional Specification each printing mechanism comprises a fixed printing block 3, Fig. 2 (Prov. drawings), and a reciprocable platen 4 controlled by a cam 14 on the main shaft 15. A bell-crank 10 controlled by a button 1 is normally latched to hold the platen 4 away from the block 3. Feed rollers 25, 26 and a strip feeler 29 which controls a switch 30 are provided. The rollers 25 are on a shaft 32 which is driven from the shaft 15 through a Geneva mechanism. Each button 1 is secured to a slide-bar 70, inward movement of which releases the corresponding bell-crank 10 to the control of the associated cam 14. Crowding locks prevent depression of more than one button 1 and the depressed button is locked by a latch. As before, the machine is driven by an electric motor energized upon depression of one of the quantity selection buttons 2, Fig. 3 (Provisional), to drive, through a worm and worm-wheel and a dog clutch comprising a pawl 102 and a ratchet 103, the main shaft 15. Each button 2 is secured to a bar 130 which has rack teeth 131 which engage a pinion 132 integral with a gear 131a. Each gear 131a meshes with a gear rotatable on the shaft 105 and drivingly-connected thereto by a dog clutch so that differential movements are imparted to the shaft 105 upon depression of one of the buttons 2. Each bar 130 carries a pin 140 which effects movement of an arm 143 to close a motor control switch. The arm 143 is then latched by a pivoted lever 144 which is connected to a latch bar 152 which engages the rods 130 and locks the buttons. Crowding locks for the push-buttons 2 are also provided. Upon operation of the machine the shaft 15 rotates the shaft 105 step-by-step back to its initial position, the number of steps corresponding to the number of tickets required. A cam disc 106 on the shaft 105 then moves a block 107 to disengage the pawl 102 from the ratchet 103 to stop the drive.