Patent GB-505184-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to printing mechanism or adding and printing machines
IPC: B41L47/58
Filed: 1937-11-04
Abstract: 505,184. Statistical machines; type writers &c. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd. Nov. 4, 1937, No. 30290. Convention date. Nov. 5, 1936. [Class 106 (i)] [Also in Group XVI] Printing mechanism, particularly for a record-card-controlled machine comprises a type wheel 313, Fig. 16, rotatable from a predetermined starting point to bring any one of a set of type to a printing position, a clutch 214, 218, Fig. 18 (controlled by an adding magnet 224, Fig. 16) of which the driven member 218 drives the type wheel 313 and is automatically disengaged after a constant' angle equivalent to the full rotation of the type wheel, means (cams 193, 208 and shaft 213, Fig. 3) operable in each cycle to rotate the driving member 214 of the clutch through a constant angle that is not less than twice the aforesaid angle and to bring the driving member to a rest during a constant portion of each cycle, means (adding magnet 224, Fig. 16) for differentially engaging the clutch during the firstmentioned angle, and means for printing during the rest portion of the cycle. A motor-driven main shaft 18, Fig. 3, drives a shaft 29, Fig. 4 (not shown), intermittently through a roller drive and two Geneva mechanisms so that the shaft 29 accelerates from rest and decelerates to rest with a period of uniform rotation in between. This shaft drives the card-feeding mechanism through, a clutch controlled by a magnet 60, Fig. 2. The cards are fed from magazine 76, Fig. 13, by a picker 83 to rollers 95 and 99, 100 and 101, 107 and 108 to discharge box 117. The rollers are all driven by intermeshing gears and the upper rollers with their pinions are mounted in the upper portion 151 of the card feeding unit which is hinged at'the right-hand end, Fig. 13, to the lower portion for inspection and cleaning purposes. When the upper part is lifted, contacts 123, Fig. 2, are opened to prevent card feeding. A rubber covered roller 146 carries the card against the plate 150. Between the rollers the cards pass first and second brushes 115, 116 which coact with contact rollers 169, 170. The latter are rotated to keep their surfaces clean. The above intermittent feed so acts that during one cycle a card leaves box 76 and is arrested with its leading edge just short of brushes 115. In the next cycle the card passes brushes 115 and is arrested with its leading edge just short of brushes 116. In the third cycle the card passes to box 117. Two successive cards pass brushes 115 and 116 synchronously with each other. During the second cycle a card rocks card lever 136 to close contacts 138, Fig. 2. When the start key 122, Fig. 2, is closed, card feed clutch magnet 60 is energized over contacts 125a from A.C. lines 118, 119. A second closure is necessary and then contacts 138 energize a relay 140 which closes contacts 140a to energize the clutch magnet over contacts F1. Card-feeding then proceeds until contacts 125a or 138 open The " F " contacts operate in card-feed cycles only. Totalizers and their operating mechanism. The machine has four totalizers each with ten denominations. Each totalizer comprises a rocking frame 176, 177 fixed to a shaft 178, Figs. 3 and 16, and having cross-rods 179a, 181, 182, 183 and a shaft 180, upon which the totalizer wheels 191 are loosely supported. The shaft 178 is rocked by a cam 187, Fig. 4 (not shown) which is rotated through the card feed clutch mechanism and is thus included in the accelerated and decelerated motion abovereferred to. This rocking during the first part of a cycle, brings the wheels 191 into mesh with wheels 192 loose upon a fixed tube 482. A box cam 193 on shaft 18, Fig. 3, through groove 205 and pin 204 then raises a bifurcated member 194 having two racks 196, 197 coacting with a pinion 198 on shaft 199. A slot 200 in member 194 engages a pin 201 on a yoke 202 pivoted about a rod 203 by means of arm 206, pin 207 and cam slot 208 on main shaft 18. The-shaft 199 has also wheels 209, 210 meshing with wheels 211, 212 on a drive shaft 213. At the beginning of each cycle, cam 193 holds member 194 stationary and cam 208 rocks yoke 202 to mesh the rack 196 with the pinion 198. Cam 193 then raises the slide 194 which drives shafts 199 and 213. The latter is thus rotated one revolution in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 3 while the " 9 " to " 0 " hole positions in a card are passing the brushes 116, Fig. 13. Cam 193 then holds slide 194 stationary again, cam 208 rocks yoke 202 to mesh the rack 197 with pinion 198 and cam 193 restores the slide 194 downwards, again turning shaft 213 through one revolution in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 3. Cam slot 205 is so shaped that shaft 213 turns at a uniform speed during the major part of each revolution but is brought to rest and accelerated from rest gradually and without shock. A clutch 214, 218, Figs. 16 and 18, for each wheel 191 controlled by an adding magnet 224, energized over circuit 116, 225, 224, Fig. 2, from the card hole read, controls the differentially timed engagement of each wheel 191 with the shaft 213. A ratchet wheel 214 on the shaft 213 coacts with a dog 218 pivoted at 217 to a disc 216 which is attached to a pinion 215. The latter is loose on shaft 213 and meshes with the wheel 192 operating the counter wheel 191. When a magnet 224 is energized it pulls its rod 222 to withdraw a latch 220 from dog 218. The magnet 224 is energised during the first rotation of the shaft 213 in a cycle at a differential time and couples ratchet 214 to wheel 215 until shaft 213 has completed its first rotation. During this rotation the wheels 191 and 192 are in mesh. During the rest portion before the second rotation of shaft 213, the cam 187, Fig. 4 (not shown) rocks the totalizer frames to. disengage wheels 191 and 192 so that the differential amounts are left on the wheels 191. The second revolution of shaft 213 is used to restore the type wheels to normal, after printing. Transfer mechanism.-A lug 242 on a disc 241, Fig. 19, rigid with each totaliser wheel 191 coacts with a lug 243 on an arm 244 pivoted at 181 and having a part 247 co-operating with a lever 245. When the wheel 191 turns counterclockwise to zero, lever 245 is rocked clockwise against its spring 246 so that its-lower end 248 rocks a latch 249 counterclockwise about its pivot 250 which is on plate 251. Compression spring 253 thereupon rocks a second latch 254 clockwise about its pivot 255 so that its projection 259, now freed, engages over the shoulder 257 of latch 249. Lug 260 is now under a lug 261 on a plate 256 loosely mounted on rod 252. The pivot 255 of the second latch is on plate 256 so that plates 256 and 251 are now latched together. This position is maintained when the totalizer wheel 191 is taken out of mesh with its operating wheel 192. An extension 262 on each plate 256 coacts with a related one of helically arranged cams 263. Pivoted at 267 to each plate 251 is a carry rack 268 the bifurcation 269 of which receives a bail 270 on an arm 271 ; the latter is loose on a rod 272 and has a lug 286 coacting with a cam 288 on shaft 264. When the wheels 191 are unmeshed from wheels 192, they mesh with the carry racks 268. - At transfer, when a cam 263 meets its related projection 262 it rocks plate 256 clockwise carrying with it the plate 251 and rack 268 to rotate the next higher wheel 191 one tooth. During the carry, the bail 270, guiding the rack 268, is held steady since its lug 286 runs on the concentric part 287 of the cam 288. After the carry, a second cam 284, Fig. 20 (not shown) acts through bar 278 to.rock the bail 270 to the left and withdraw all the racks 268. Relay type-wheel actions.-Each operating wheel 192, Fig. 16, for a totalizer wheel 191, Fig. 19, is normally in mesh with a printing gear wheel or type wheel 313 rotatable on a stud 314 on a lever 315 pivoted at 316. A flat spring 317 presses lever 315 down. When the wheel 192 is rotated a differential amount, as above described, for adding the wheel 313 is. also set. If a list key 318 (one for each totalizer) has been depressed its shoulder 321 has latched under the edge of plate 322 and its pin 324 rocks a lever 325 about pivot 326 so that shoulder 327 is in the path of a listing control finger 328. The fingers 328 are operated by a cam 333, Fig. 21 (not shown) to set the ends 343 of a bail 341 over a rod 332 at the beginning of a cycle. Subsequently, after the differential setting of the type wheels, rod 332 is lifted to raise the bail 341 and a bail 329 pivoted to it at 342. The bail 329 for each totalizer has a striking finger 330 for each printing wheel 313. For each type wheel which has been set as above, its finger 330 enters an interdental space and raises the wheel 313 towards, but not against, the platen 331. A cam-actuated bail 353 is then moved to the right, Fig. 16, to meet the bevelled edges 352 of all raised levers 315 carrying the wheels 313 and to complete the upward movement of the latter to effect printing. The shaft 213 then commences its second revolution of the cycle ; at this time the counter wheels 191 are out of mesh and the card feed is inoperative. The clutches 214, 218, Fig. 18, engaged for the differential adding and printing being still in, the shaft 213 rotates the wheels 215 and 192 and the latter rotate each printing wheel 313 until the related dog 218 meets the arm 220 and is rocked away from the ratchet wheel 214. The corresponding pinion 215 and wheel 313 will then have rotated one revolution and be back in initial position. Controlling recording of zeroes.-Each type wheel 313, Fig. 16, has a slot 357 into which the above-mentioned finger 330 passes when the wheel 313 is at "O," and the. bail 353 enters a slot 358 in the unmoved lever 315. This prevents printing of " O "s to the left of the highest significant figure. To print " O "s to the right, however, a coupling lever 359 pivoted at 360 to each lever 315 has a lug 361 which, when the lever is raised for printin