Patent GB-758842-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to numbering machines
IPC: B41K1/16
Filed: 1953-11-20
Abstract: 758,842. Number - printing apparatus. ENGLISH NUMBERING MACHINES, Ltd. (Gerard, E. P. N.). Feb. 16, 1955 [Nov. 20, 1953], No. 32248/53. Class 100(2). A number-printing machine of the kind adapted to print consecutive numbers once, twice or more times comprises a rotatable dial for setting the machine to a desired number of repeat prints and a member rectilinearly displaceable in dependence on the setting of the dial serving to control the change of the number to be printed. The machine comprises a casing 1, Fig. 1, in which is mounted, for vertical sliding movement, a carriage 2 carrying the number discs 6 on a horizontal spindle 7, Fig. 7. The carriage is connected to an operating knob 5 and spring-loaded to the upper position. An inking pad 8, Fig. 1, carried in a bracket 9 pivoted on a spindle 11 for movement into and out of contact with the number discs. The bracket is connected by two rotatable plates 13 mounted on the ends of spindle 7 so that as the carriage 2 descends the pad is displaced from contact with the numbering discs and swings down out of their path. As shown in Fig. 7 the inked numbers are exposed for printing through an aperture in the bottom plate of the housing. The number discs are normally advanced during the return upward movement of the carriage by an actuator 17 mounted on a cross-spindle 15 carried on an arcuate path about the spindle 7 by extensions of the plates 13. The actuator 17 may be lifted out of engagement with the toothed number forwarding discs 16, to prevent the number being changed, by a cam member 22 adapted to abut a projection 21 on the end of the actuator 17. The cam has a cut-away part 22a which allows the actuator to fall into engagement with the discs 16. The cam is rotatably mounted about the spindle 7 and is loaded by a spring 23, Fig. 7, in an anticlockwise direction. The cam is controlled by a pin 28 which is adapted to engage the edges 32, 33 of a plate 31. This plate is part of the rectilinearly displaceable member which is slidably mounted on a rod 11 and is guided by a pin 34 engaging a hole therein. A spring 36 urges the plate to the right in Fig. 1. When the pin 28 engages the plate 31 the cam 22 is held in the operative position so that the actuator 17 cannot engage the forwarding discs 16 as the carriage 2 rises. When the plate 31 is displaced to the left in Fig. 1 so that it clears pin 28, the cam is turned by spring 23 to the inoperative position so that the number to be printed is advanced after each printing operation. The position of the displaceable member 31 is controlled by a mechanism consisting of a ratchet wheel 41, Fig. 9, mounted on a plate 47 attached to the casing 1. A pin 42 on the ratchet wheel is adapted to abut a projection 43 on the member 31. The ratchet wheel is rotated as the carriage descends by a pawl 44 mounted thereon so as to slide down one edge of plate 47 and engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel. The ratchet wheel is spring-urged in an anticlockwise direction. The dial 53 overlies the ratchet wheel and is fixed to a shaft 52 carrying an adjusting knob. A pin 55 on the rearward side of the dial travels in an arcuate groove 56 in the ratchet wheel 41, the ratchet wheel being spring-loaded into the position shown in Fig. 9 where the pin 55 bears against the top right-hand end of the groove. Part of the circumference of the dial is formed with teeth 57 between which engages a resilient retaining detent 58. A spring-loaded lever 61 pivoted at 62 on the displaceable member 31 carries a retaining pawl 63 engaging with the teeth of the ratchet wheel and a stud 64 for engagement with another set of teeth formed on the dial. The numbers marked on the dial indicate the number of prints to be made from each setting of the numbering discs. Operation.-When the dial is set, as in Fig. 1, with number " 1 " uppermost the stud 64 bears against a portion of the circumference which has no teeth so that the pawl 63 is lifted out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 41 which is consequently turned by its spring into the position of Fig. 4. In this position the pin 42 is closely adjacent the projection 43 of the member 31 so that when the ratchet wheel is turned through one step by the downward movement of the carriage, the pin 42 displaces the member 31 and so releases the cam 22. On the upward stroke of the carriage, therefore, the actuator is enabled to advance the numbering mechanism. During the upward stroke the pawl 44 allows the ratchet wheel to return to the position of Fig. 4 and the member 31 returns to its initial position. Thus, when the dial is set in this position each number is printed once only. When the dial is set with " 2 " uppermost (as in Fig. 9) the ratchet wheel follows the rotation of the dial so that the end of the groove 56 still bears on the pin 55. The stud 64 can now engage between teeth on the dial and the retaining pawl is thereby allowed to engage and hold the ratchet wheel. The pin 42 is now farther away from projection 43 of member 31. During the first printing stroke the pawl 44 rotates the ratchet wheel by one step bringing the pin 42 closer to the projection 43 but still not engaging it. Therefore, during the return for stroke the cam 22 prevents the actuation becoming operative and the same number is printed on the next downward stroke. During this stroke the ratchet wheel 41 is turned to cause pin 42 to displace member 31. Since the retaining lever 61 is mounted on member 31 this displacement releases ratchet wheel 41 so that during'the upward stroke it can return to its initial position. The displacement of member 31 allows the actuator 17 to become operative during this upward stroke to advance the numbering discs. Thus, with this dial setting each number is printed twice and with further settings. of the dial each number can be printed more than twice, up to twelve times. In each setting position the number corresponds to the number of strokes necessary to turn the ratchet back into the zero position to cause displacement of member 31. When the dial is set to position " 0 " the retaining pawl 63 is held out of engagement with the ratchet by reason of a raised part 67 of the dial bearing under pin 64. In this case the ratchet after being displaced by pawl 44 merely returns under the action of its spring to the position in which the end of groove 56 bears on pin 55. Consequently the ratchet never rotates to the position where it displaces the member 31 and the same number is printed indefinitely.