Patent GB-445414-A (GB)
Abstract: 445,414. Postal franking and like machines; feeding sheets. NATIONAL POSTAL METER CO., 1425, South Flower Street, Los Angeles, U.S.A. Sept. 7, 1934, No. 25814. Convention date, April 30. [Classes 100 (i) and 100 (ii)] A postal franking or like machine is provided with a conveyer for feeding the letters or other matter successively to a franking or like mechanism detachably mounted in the machine, and a truck normally held in co-operation with the conveyer for holding the letters &c. thereon. The machine is mounted on a base 27, Fig. 3, and, with the exception of the franking or like mechanism 21 and the article-feeding mechanism, is completely enclosed by a cover 30 locked on to side walls 28, 32, 33, 35 and screwed to the base. The mechanisms are all driven from a motor 37, Fig. 7, which drives a main shaft 40 adapted to drive a shaft 44 carrying, outside the wall 33, a clutch element 47 to which the shaft of the printing-attachment 21 is connected. The attachment, which is mounted on a raised portion 31 of the base carries printing-elements for printing postage indicia and a counting-mechanism which acts to lock the machine after a predetermined number of operations. The letters &c. to be printed are stored in a hopper 22, Fig. 2, mounted between the side wall 35 and a bracket 66, and provided with an opening in the base through which projects a portion of the feed conveyer. The first part of the conveyer consists of corrugated rubber belts 70 passing round pulleys on shafts 61, 65, the shaft 61 being driven intermittently from the shaft 40 and acting to drive the shaft 65. A pulley on the shaft 61 supports a belt 74 forming the second part of the conveyer and passing round a pulley 75 near the discharge end of the machine beyond the attachment 21. The belt is prevented from sagging by a pulley 78 on a shaft 77, and the shafts 61, 77 also carry rubber-tyred wheels which act to facilitate the feeding of the articles. Above the conveyer 74 is a conveyer truck consisting of two parts 81, 82 hinged together for relative movement to permit the passage of articles of varying thicknesses. The part 81 is provided with a shaft carrying two rubber-tyred wheels 8( running on parts of the conveyer 70. The part 82 is of L-shape, and the base of the L is provided with two wheels running on the pulley on the shaft 77, while two other wheels running on the belt 74 are provided. The truck is removably held in place against longitudinal movement by a bar 99 having flanged ends engaging semicircular brackets on the truck and carried by levers 96, 97 pivoted on a shaft 98, Fig. 3, supported on the inner side of the wall 35, adjustable springs 104 acting to hold the bar 99 down on the truck. When the bar 99 is raised to release the truck, a pin on a link 230 attached to a connecting member 229 between the levers 96, 97 beyond the shaft 98 is engaged by an overhanging lip 235 in a cam slot 233 in a plate 232 secured to the base, the bar 99 being thus held in raised position. To return the bar, it is first raised so that the pin is directed by a part 240 of the cam slot to be released from the lip 235. The shaft 40 is connected to the shaft 61 by a friction wheel 62, Fig. 5, suspended by links 212 from a lever 205 pivoted on a shaft 182 to which is secured a lever 204 having an aperture for the passage of a pin 206 secured to the lever 205, the two levers being held resiliently together by a spring 209. The shaft 182 is rocked by a lever 180, Fig. 7, from a cam 184 on the shaft 44, and thus moves the wheel 62 into or out of contact with the wheels 59, 60 on the shafts 40, 61 respectively. The lever 204 controls, bv means of a set-screw 218, a brake shoe 215 acting on the wheel 60, the brake being applied when the wheel 62 is lowered. The envelopes are fed from the hopper over a flap-moistening device comprising a capillary tube 120, Fig. 3, having a handle 122 by which it can be turned into inoperative position if sealed envelopes or postcards are being treated. A trough 123 receives any overflow liquid which is discharged into a receptacle 126 mounted on the wall 35. This receptacle is closed by a cover 128, Fig. 2, a capillary brush extending through an aperture in the cover for use in moistening the flaps of envelopes dealt with manually.. After passing the moistener, the envelopes engage a finger 160 freely pivotable in a vertical plane, but transmitting its movement in a horizontal plane to a spindle 159 carried in a bracket 162 on a swing frame 163, the frame being pivoted on a stud 164 with sufficient friction to cause it to be retained in adjusted position. The finger 160 moves in a slot in a plate 166 secured to the frame 163, the slot being so shaped as to cause the depression, against the action of a spring, of the finger 160 out of the path of the envelope while it is swung with the spindle 159, and as soon as the envelope has passed, the finger is returned to normal position by a spring 169. The spindle carries a projection 175, Figs. 7 and 9, which engages a hook 172 pivoted at 173 on a lever 144 which is resiliently pivoted to the wall 33 and is normally held by a spring 156 against an adjustable fibre disc 154. Rocking of the spindle 159 causes the rocking of the lever 144, the upper end of which lies in the path of rotation of a lever 53 controlling the clutch 51 on the driving-shaft 44 of the attachment 21. The cam 184 on the shaft 44 permits the lever 180 to be moved by the spring 185 to lower the wheel 62 and disconnect the conveyer ; a link 177, connected to the hook 172, is also raised out of the path of movement of the projection 175, so that even though the finger 160 be retained in its actuated position, the connection with the lever 144 is broken and the shaft 44 is prevented from making more than one rotation. As soon as the hook is raised,. the spring 156 rocks the lever 144 into position to engage the lever 53 and disconnect the clutch. The locking-device in the attachment, which acts after a predetermined number of operations, releases a pin 191 projecting through the part 31 of the base when the attachment is locked, the pin being raised by a spring 193 acting on a crank 188 carrying a finger 186 underlying a pin 187 on the hook 172. The hook is thus raised and any movement of the finger 160 is therefore not transmitted to the lever 144. A lever 194 also underlies the pin 187, the lever being connected to a sleeve 195 journalled on the shaft of the crank 188. The sleeve carries a lever held by a spring 199 in contact with a cam surface 197 on a reciprocatory bar 198 connected to a handle 137 which controls the movement of a member 135 adapted to engage under headed pins 132 projecting from the base of the attachment through apertures in the part 31 for the purpose of securing the attachment in position. If the attachment is not properly secured in place, the cam surface 197 raises the lever 194 and prevents actuation of the lever 144. The bar 198 is formed with a second cam surface 202 for the purpose of depressing the pin 191 when the member 135 is unfastened. In case it is necessary to run the matter through the machine twice to print higher postage values, the frame 163 is provided with two adjustable stops 256, 257 adapted to engage opposite sides of the part 31 .of the base, a handle 259 being provided for adjustment purposes. When printing two franks, the date stamp is thrown out of action on the first operation of the machine by means of a handle 141, Figs. 2 and 3. A sight opening may be formed in the side of the meter to enable the franks to be correctly spaced. When hand feeding is employed, the handle 99 is raised to disconnect the truck 81, 82, and a projection 244, Figs. 3 and 5, on the handle depresses the lever 205 and prevents the raising of the wheel 62. The connecting- member 229 carries a link 252 which, when the handle 99 is raised, rocks a bell-crank lever 248 to retract a pin 246, Figs. 3 and 7, from the path of movement of a link 220, the link being prevented from free movement when the truck is in operative position. The link 220 is pivoted to a lever 223 secured to a shaft 226 on the outer end of which is mounted a handle 26. The link 220 is formed with a projection 225 adapted to actuate the projection 175 to throw the clutch 51 into operation, the movement of the handle 26 to effect this action being only possible when the pin 246 is retracted by disconnecting the truck. When it is necessary to adjust the machine for sealing envelopes without actuating the attachment 21, the finger 160 is retracted by means of a lever 261, Fig. 2, adapted to be held in either of two positions by means of a friction washer on its pivot 262.