Patent GB-816824-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to facsimile apparatus
Inventor: HOER KENNETH GEORGE
IPC: B41L11/00
Filed: 1955-06-03
Abstract: 816,824. Copying-telegraphy. CREED & CO. Ltd. June 1, 1956 [June 3, 1955], No. 15970/55. Class 40 (3). In facsimile apparatus provided with a magazine for storing a plurality of message sheets preparatory to their transfer into a scanning position, the magazine comprises a plurality of separating members together with operating means for inserting into the magazine a plurality of message sheets in such a manner that the individual sheets are separated from each other by the respective ones of the separating members, and also includes mechanism for advancing the message sheets, one at a time, from the magazine into said scanning position. The sheets are loaded individually and placed against an inclined desk 1 with their lower ends resting on a curved support 2. The loading mechanism comprises a number of rods 4 mounted on the inclined surfaces of plates 3 and normally held by teeth 5a of a member 5 connected to a shaft 7 having an arm 8 engaged by a projection 9a with a frame 9 which is in its normal forward position. When the magazine is to be loaded, the frame 9 is rocked anticlockwise so that the frame 5 rotates under the action of a spring 10 and allows the rods to move so that the lowermost rod 4 is held by the teeth 5b. When the frame 9 is returned to its normal position the lowermost rod 4 is released by the teeth 5b and rolls down until it engages the teeth 6b of a pivoted frame 6, the remaining rods being held by the teeth 5a. The operation is repeated for each sheet until the magazine is loaded, with the rods 4 disposed between the lower portions of the sheets 12, as indicated in Fig. 5. The abstraction of the individual sheets 12 from the loaded magazine is effected by a control unit 15 which rocks a shaft 14 carrying the arms 6 provided with the escapement teeth 6a, 6b, 6c and an inclined cam surface 6d. When the frame 6 is rocked, the teeth 6b allow the lowermost rod 4 to move forward and to be forced forwardly by the cam portion 6d, taking with it the lower portion of the first sheet 12 whilst the teeth 6a retain the remaining rods 4. The rocking of the shaft 14 withdraws the projections 20<SP>1</SP> of a member 20 to allow the movement of the first sheet, and also operates a pivoted latch 19 so that a pressure roller 17, carried by a frame 18, brings the lower portion of the sheet 12 into driving engagement with a feed roller 21 driven from the control unit 15. Subsequently the shaft 14 is rocked in the reverse direction by the unit 15 so that the upward movement of the teeth 6c releases the first rod 4 and the next rod 4 is released by teeth 6a to be retained by the teeth 6b preparatory to the feeding of the second sheet 12 after the scanning operation of the first sheet has been completed. The control unit 15 also rocks the shaft 22 in the clockwise direction so that the frame 18 is retained by the latch 19. Transfer of sheet to scanning drum.-In the rest position a flexible wrapper 27 secured at one edge to the scanning drum 26 is held on this drum by the engagement of a rod 28 with spring-biased latches 29. At the commencement of the loading operation, a stripper drum 32 is rotated clockwise and pivoted claws 33 engaging the rod 28 transfer the wrapper to the drum 32 forming a pocket 27 to which the end of the sheet 12 is fed by the feed roller 21. At this stage the control unit reverses the rotation of the drum 26 which wraps the sheet 12 under the wrapper 27 which is stripped from the drum 32 until the rod 28 is re-engaged by the latch arms 29. When scanning has been completed, the scanning drum 26 is brought to rest with the member 28 directly between shafts 25, 37 and the stripper drum 32 is rotated clockwise so that at the end of its rotation the wrapper is on the drum 32 and the transmitted sheet falls freely from the scanning drum. The rotation of the drum 26 is then reversed so that the wrapper 27 is wound on the scanning drum 26. Driving arrangements.-The movement of a member 40 in the direction of the arrow moves a member 52 allowing an arm 56 to rock so that the shaft 25 of the scanning drum 26 is arrested by the arm 59 and an arm 60 moves a detent member 61 so that pivoted pawl 62 clutches arm 65 to the shaft 44, driving a shaft 64 carrying a cam 66 which through rod 68 returns the detent 61 to its latching position and the lever 56 to its latched position. The shaft 64, which makes one revolution, is linked by levers 70, 71, 72 to a toothed segment 73 which is rocked forwards and backwards through 60 degrees and through gear-wheel 74 rocks the wheel 69 correspondingly through one revolution. Normally, a cut-out portion 77 of gearwheel 69 is opposite gear-wheel 75 on the shaft 25, but the rotational control by the gear 69 overrides the action of the clutch 49 so that the scanning drum 26 and wrapping drum 32 are each given a revolution in opposite directions for the transfer of the wrapper to the stripper drum and the further opposite rotation for the wrapping of the sheet on the scanning drum. Circuit control arrangements.-When the pushbutton 86 is moved to its operated position as shown, its supporting arm 87 is latched by a spring-biased rod 97 and its connected arm 89 operates a pivoted lever 93 to close the contacts 96 of the motor circuit. The arm 87 has also rocked an arm 90 so that a lever 111 which is operated by a lever 108 controlled by a cam 102 on the shaft 64 and which controls contacts 105, 106 in the calling and phasing circuits can be latched by the lever 115. A control bar 78 is moved from a first position to a second position at the commencement of scanning and the contact members are in the position shown. At the end of scanning, the bar 78 is moved to a third position in which a projection 118 closes contacts 121 to generate a stop signal for the distant recorder and a member 120 actuates the latch 115 to release the arm 114 to open contacts 105, 106. A member 119 moves to the left an arm 123 on which are pivoted arms 125, 126. Initially, the arm 126 moves the arm 97 against its spring, but its lower end engages the end of the arm 87. When the lever 125 engages a stop 128, the arm 126 is rotated, but the arm 97 is latched by the arm 87 in its released position. Also the engagement of the member 41, Fig. 1, on the carriage 36 with the member 40 of the control unit 15 causes the transmitted message to be unloaded and a fresh sheet to be loaded. During this operation a rod 4 is forced under projection 129 of arm 91 and arm 89 re-engages arm 93 to hold contacts 96 closed. The contacts 96 are held closed by arm 130 of lever 132 until the carriage reaches its initial position, and if there is no further message sheet in the magazine, i.e. no rod 4 to actuate the arm 91, the motor circuit is opened. Driving arrangements.for scanning carriage.- The scanning carriage is moved at a faster rate during the return stroke and over those portions of the operative stroke which are not occupied by a message sheet of reduced width. The carriage 36 is attached by a link to a pin 140 on a belt 141 carried by a driving pulley 142 and an idler pulley 143. The pulley 142 is connected by a friction clutch 145 to a gear 147 which is driven at a fast rate from motor 148 by gears 150, 151, 155 and a dog clutch 153. For the slow or scanning-speed drive, the wheel 147 is driven by gear 160, friction clutch 158 and gears 150, 156. For the fast drive the dog clutch is engaged and the difference in speeds between the shafts 157, 159 is taken up by the slippage of the clutch 158. For the return stroke of the carriage the motor 148 is reversed and the dog clutch 153 is made operative. The pulley 142 and belt 141 may be arrested in a desired position by the engagement of a projection 162 with a latch arm 163 which can be operated by an electromagnet 165 and is normally held in its inoperative position by a spring 266. Width-sensing arrangement.-The width and position of the message sheet 12 on the drum 26 is determined by sensing members 167 extending across the width of the drum and controlling the dog clutch 153, Fig. 15, so that the slow drive of the scanning carriage is used solely over that portion of the drum 26, which is occupied by the message sheet. Before the sheet 12 is loaded on to the drum 26, the feelers 167 are all in a raised position through the action of a bar 168 pivotally connected at 171 to a rod 172 operated by a cam 173 on the shaft 66, and are held by a claw 176 on a lever 174 operated by a further cam 177 on the shaft 66. When the paper is in the loading position the cam 177 rocks the bar 168 so that the feelers are released and those not supported by the message sheet 12 drop. The bar 168 is then restored to hold the feelers in the raised or lowered positions and the cam 173 operates to lift the feeler assembly. A shoe 183 attached by arms 181, 182 to the scanning carriage 36 and biased clockwise against a stop face 185 traverses the upper surface of the feelers 167 and is actuated by the raised position corresponding to the feelers which were not allowed to drop to rock a bail arm 186 which through levers 187 ... 191 moves the member 161, Fig. 15, so that the dog clutch 153 is disengaged resulting in the slow feed of the scanning carriage. On the return movement of the carriage 36 a spring 184 yields when the shoe 183 encounters the raised members 167 and the arm 182 is not raised to inaugurate the slow feed of the scanning carriage. Circumferential paper-sensing mechanism.- The shaft 25 carries a ratchet-wheel 194 and a cam 192 operating contacts 193 and is connected via a slip clutch 197 to a shaft 196 carrying a cam 198 operating contacts 199. An arm 200 secured to shaft 196 has a horizontal extension 200<SP>1</SP> carrying a pawl 201 biased by a spring 202 into engagement with the ratchet 194. The pawl has an arm 203 engaged by an extension 204 of a lever 207 pivoted at 205 when the ends of its feeler arms 207, 208 engage the mess