Patent GB-375113-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to addressing or like series printing machines
IPC: B62D7/00
Filed: 1931-07-30
Abstract: 375,113. Addressing-machines. ADDRESSOGRAPH CO., 901, West Van Buren Street, Chicago, U.S.A. July 30, 1931, No. 21815. Convention date, Jan. 28. [Class 100 (ii).] In an addressing or like series printing- machine of the kind embodying selecting- mechanism co-operating' with characteristic features associated with printing-devices sequentially fed through the machine to control the impression or other mechanism of the machine, the selection is determined by automatic and bodily movement of detecting means into cooperation with characteristic features associated with the printing-devices and by subsequent movement into engagement with the detecting means of an interchangeable control member bearing characteristics in accordance with the desired selection. Fast to the main driving shaft 37, Fig. 1, is a track cam 83 in which engages a roller 82 secured to a rocker 80. The rocker 80 is freely mounted on a shaft 77 and is provided with a ledge 81 which co-operates with a ledge 84 on a member secured to the shaft 77. The platen arm 79 is fixed to the shaft 77 and supports an arm 87 carrying a platen head embodying tracks 98 on which rollers in a bracket 97 travel, this bracket carrying the platen roller P which makes impressions -from printing-devices positioned below through an ink ribbon. The arm 99 of the bracket 97 is pivotally connected to an arm 100 mounted on a shaft 104, and a rearward movement is imparted to the platen roller against the action of a spring 101 by means of an arm 105 fast to the shaft 104. When the track cam 83 moves the ledge 81 away from the ledge 84, the platen arm 79, during a printing operation, swings in a counterclockwise direction to move the platen roller P towards the table-top 103. During this movement of the arm 79 the hook portion 89 on the bell crank 88 pivotally mounted on an arm fixed to the shaft 77 disengages a stop 90, and the shoulder 92 on the bell crank is urged to engage an abutment 93 on the rocker 80 by a spring 91, which engagement enables a printing pressure to be imparted to the platen roller. Simultaneously with the application of pressure to the platen the arm 105 is actuated to move the platen roller. Printing- devices D, Fig. 5, are moved through the machine intermittently along guideways by means which includes carrying bars 136 having spaced recesses 144 for the devices and movable in substantially rectangular paths. The printing-devices are held during certain portions of the movement of the carrying-bars in recesses 145 in locking-bars 137 which are movable vertically. The characteristics on the printing-devices D may be removable tabs L, and each tab may have sections cut away to provide additional identifying means. Detecting or feeling fingers 14 having detecting portions 15 and tails 21 are mounted in slots in a block 10 supported by a bracket 11, which has pads 12 secured to the vertically movable locking-bars 137. Pins 18, 19 extend across the slots in the block 10 and are embraced by slots 16, 17 in the fingers 14. Leaf springs 20 on the block 10 act on the underside of the fingers 14 to urge them upwardly against the pin 18 and to pivot about the pin 19. When a printing-device D is brought into selecting position, the locking-bars 137, together with the fingers 14, are moved upwardly, and those fingers which engage tabs L will be held against further movement and pivot about a pin 19, and consequently their tails 21 will be lower than the other tails, and this different positioning is utilized to determine selection. The tabs are supported against upward movement when engaged by the fingers by means of a strip 22 secured to the frame and provided with slotted depending portions. Arms 25 of the bracket 11 support a shaft 26 on which is pivotally mounted an arm 27 having a head 28. The face of the head 28 is provided with two transverse grooves 29, 30, and lips are provided to receive a removable registration or control plate 31 having a slotted grip portion at the top and two transverse rows of openings aligned with each other and with the grooves 29, 30. The openings in the upper row of the plate 31 are for co-operation with the tails 21 of the fingers 14 not engaged by the tabs L of the printing-device D, and the openings in the lower row are for co-operation with the fingers 14 depressed by the tabs. A pin 34 is supported in lugs on the head 23 and extends transversely across the plate 31 between the two rows of openings to ensure proper disposition of the tails 21. A casting 38<1> has a portion which is interfitted with a bifurcated portion of an arm 38, which is pivoted either on the shaft 26 or, as shown, on a shaft 39 adjacent to the shaft 26. A lobe 40<1> on the casting 38<1> has an adjusting screw 41<1> mounted therein, against which a pin 42<1> connected to the arm 38 bears, this pin being held in this position by a spring 43<1> extended between the arm 38 and the casting 38<1>; therefore the arm and casting act as a unit. A set-screw 41 which engages in a hole in the registration or control plate 31 is carried by the casting 38<1>, and is kept in engagement by means of a spring 40 acting on the arm 38. The provision of handles 44, 45 on the casting 38<1> and head 28 respectively enables the screw 41 to be withdrawn from the plate 31 when the handles are gripped together against the action of a spring 37<1>, which normally-urges the head 28 towards the fingers 14, and the spring 40. When the locking-bars 137 move upwardly, carrying the block 10 and the head 28, the spring 37<1> normally urges the head 28 towards the tails 21. An adjustable rod 46 is adapted to engage an extension 47 of the arm 27 which carries the head 28 to move the head away from the tails 21 during the positioning of the fingers 14 by the tabs L. The rod 46 extends along the frame and its end is engageable by a rocker arm actuated from a cam on a shaft which operates the carrying-bars 136 and locking-bars 137, so that each time the locking- bars are moved upwardly the rod 46 will move the head 28 away from the tails 21. When the tails are positioned by the tabs L the head 28 moves forward into a position governed by the co-operation of the tails 21 with the openings in the control plate 31. Any desired selection may be brought about by closing certain openings in the plate 31, and the different positioning of the head 28, according as the tails 21 enter corresponding openings or engage stops of different thicknesses in the openings, is utilized to control the machine. A spring-retained arm 54 secured to a shaft 248<1>, Fig. 2, is provided with plates 56, 57, 58, which are notched for co-operation with a plate 53 secured to the arm 38. This shaft 248<1> carries a rocker 226, Fig. 2, having a spring-pressed plunger 225 engaging an arm 224 on a bell-crank lever 218 secured to the shaft 218. When the arm 54 is moved downwardlv by the plate 53 the spring-pressed plunger 225 moves the arm 224 and the shaft 248 to move a crank lever 247, Fig. 1, provided with a hook 246 into engagement with a notch 245 on the bearing of the platen arm 79 ; this engagement prevents the platen arm 79 from moving downwardly when the notch 81 moves away from the notch 84 under the action of the cam 83, and no impression is made from a printing- device. If the tails 21 of the fingers 14 abut the face of the plate 31 the plate 53 will be positioned in alignment with the plate 57, and on the downward movement of the locking- bars 137 the lever 54 will be depressed and the platen roller P will be prevented from descending. The device is arranged to be reversible to allow printing from the printing-devices which were skipped. This is obtained by using a fresh control plate 31 or by providing another hole in the plate 31 to be engaged by the adjusting screw 41, so that the arm 38 and the plate 53 will be moved back a corresponding distance to co-operate with the plates 56, 58 which are arranged on the other side of the lever 54. The. plate 58 is so positioned that when the tails 21 pass into the grooves 29, 30 the plate 53 will contact therewith and the arm 54 will be moved, and when the tails 21 abut the plate 31 the plate 53 will not engage the plate 58. A signal, such as a bell, to warn the - operator is actuated from the selecting- mechanism by providing plugs of different heights in the openings of-the plate 31. When one of the tails 21 engages a long bell plug the plate 53 is arranged to miss the plates on the arm 54, but when a tail engages a short bell plug the plate 53 engages the plate 56 to prevent a printing operation. To ring the bell a foot member 61 provided on the arm 38 is adapted to engage a block 66 secured to an arm 65 which is secured to a shaft 64. Fast on the shaft 64, Figs. 2 and 5, is an arm 67 having a notch 68 normally engaging under spring action the ledge 69 in a bell-crank lever 70, which is provided with a knocker 74. When the shaft 64 is rotated bv the foot member 61 on the arm 38, the notch 68 is disengaged from the ledge 69 and a spring on the bellcrank lever 70 swings the latter to strike a bell 75. After the signal the foot member 61 moves upwardly, and a collar 76 fast on the driving-shaft 37 carrying a pin 177 moves an arm 178 of the bell-crank lever 70 to reposition the parts. The selecting-mechanism may also be used to render a numbering-device inoperative when a printing-device is skipped. A numbering-device is operable from a shaft 213, Fig. 2, having a shouldered dog 214 engaging one end of a reciprocating link 217. A bifurcated boss 221 carried by the arm 220 of the bell-crank lever 218 is pinned in a slot 222 in the link 217, so that when the spring- pressed plunger 225 is actuated to prevent -he platen arm 79 from descending, movement is imparted to the-bell-crank lever 218 whereby the boss 221 is moved upwardly to disengage the end of the link 217 from the shouldered dog 214, so that the numbering-device will not be actuated