Patent GB-111239-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Multiplex Writing Machines.
Inventor: MILLS CLAUDE KENNEDY
IPC: B41J11/48
Filed: 1917-04-26
Abstract: 111,239. Mills, C. K., (Signature Co.). April 26, 1917. Manifold writing-machines.-Machines of the general type described in Specifications 28343/06 and 30237/10 are provided with improved means for feeding and delivering the documents, including an arrangement whereby the documents may be fed in from either side of the machine and out at the opposite side. Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the machine, which comprises a writing-table 3 on a bed 2 on supports 1, the multiple writing elements being of usual form and manipulated by the handle 9, and two feed-tables 4, 5, one on each side of the machine, from either of which the document may be fed. The sheets or documents are held by clamps on a bar the ends of which are engaged by posts 22 carried by endless chains or belts 21 extending along all the tables 3, 4, 5 at the front and rear of the machine, on sprocket wheels 10, 11. The chains are tensioned by take-up pulleys 14 on levers 17 pivoted at 18 and adjusted by screws and slots 20. The chains may be driven by the left hand of the operator, as he stands at the arm rest 32 operating the pen handle 9 with his right hand, turning a crank-handle 30 on a shaft 28 geared by a chain 26 to the shaft 11. As shown, the machine is arranged for feeding the documents from the right-hand table 4 and delivering them, after signature, over the table 5 to the delivery table 74. The chains may be driven by an attendant at the rear of the machine by crank-handles on the rear ends of the shafts 10 and 11, and in order to vary the angular position of the driving crankhandle in relation to the shafts, it is removably clamped to a disk on either shaft 10, 11, such disk having a series of open slots round its periphery for the clamping-device. As the documents pass on to the writing-table 3, they are guided by inclined fingers 65 and pass under sets of clamping or holding arms 62, Fig. 6, carried by shafts 60 at each side of the table 3, and having overlapping ends 63. These fingers engage the documents at 64 and 63, and the ends 63 of the fingere on the feeding-in side are placed under those of the other fingers. The table 74 is removably attached to pivoted arms 69 at either end of the machine, those out of use being folded down as shown. The arms 69 are held in raised position by engagement with lugs 73, slots 70 in the arms permitting of engagement and disengagement. The documents are delivered from the chains over projecting strips 76 for stacking on the table 74 by kick-off arms 44, Fig. 9, engaging the document-clamping bar. Thesd arms are on shafts 43 and are operated by cams 50 on the shafts 10 and 11 engaging levers 48 pivoted at 47 and connected by slotted links 52 to pins 54 on arms 55 of the shafts 43. As shown in Fig. 9, the arms 44 are in operative position, and to throw them out, the links 52 are disengaged from the pins 54, and the arms 44 turned downwards until pins 58 thereon engage the slots in the links 52. Pile-gauges 80 are carried by outwardly extending strips 79 movably held in sockets 77 by springs 78. A side gauge 81 is secured at 82 to either of the outer gauge strips 79.