Patent GB-793990-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to printing machines
IPC: B41L45/00
Filed: 1956-02-15
Abstract: 793.990. Addressing-machines; printing- machines; feeding and delivery sheets. ADDRESSOGRAPH-MULTIGRAPH CORPORATION. Feb. 15. 1956 [Feb. 28. 1955], No. 4734/56. Classes 100(1) and 100(2) A printing machine for producing business instruments of different orders includes a receiving station having different stackers corresponding to the orders, a guideway through the receiving station and feed means for advancing instruments towards the stackers, at least one deflector associated with a first one of the stackers and having a normal released position enabling an instrument of a first order to be fed past said first stacker to a second stacker, means to actuate and lock in actuated position said deflector in advance of an instrument of a second order so as to direct said instrument into said first stacker, and means incidental to the second ordered instrument passing to said first stacker to release said deflector. Two or three cards are printed on their lower faces with a name and address and other data from each printing plate in an addressing- machine, the first or first two cards to be retained for ledger entry and the second or last card to be mailed. Cards fed in succession to a receiving-station are collected in separate stackers according to their above-mentioned categories, being passed along a guideway and directed by deflectors into the correct stacker. Before the last (mailing) stacker, there may be provided supplementary printing means for printing a signature on the lower face of each card to be mailed, or a date on the upper face. Where a date is to be printed, reversing means is provided before the printing means to turn the cards over. Sheet delivery-mechanism. The receiving-station, Fig. 4, includes guide plates 41, 40, six pairs of co-operating feed rollers 45L, 45U, 85L, 85U, 100L, 100U, of which the lower rollers are driven and the upper ones are mounted on shafts carried at one end on arms pivoted to the side plate 36 to allow vertical play to accommodate the thickness of a card and at the other end in suitable bearings in the opposite side plates, and hoppers 61, 60 comprising inclined spring-loaded stackers 71, 70 including end stop plates 74. The cards are fed from the addressing-machine to the rollers 45, and thereafter each set of rollers grips the leading edge before the trailing edge is released by the previous rollers. As a card which is to be retained approaches the rollers 45 a solenoid 130 is energized under the control of the addressing-machine to raise a deflector 80 above the path of the card, the deflector being locked in its upper position. The card is thereby directed to the stacker 71, and as it enters the bite of the rollers, the upper roller is raised and thereby releases the lock, and the deflector 80 returns to lower, horizontal position, to direct the next card to the guide plate 41, and thence to the rollers 85, guide plate 40, rollers 100, a curved shoot 120, feed rollers 126L, 126U, and thence to the stacker 70 upside-down so that the printed matter can be checked. In a second form, not shown, three hoppers are provided, two for cards to be retained being adjacent each other, and having in association with it a deflector, the two deflectors being actuated together by the same solenoid to upper position, and locked therein, and each lock being separately released as the card enters the corresponding rollers, so that the cards pass to the first, second and third stackers in order. The cards are delivered into the third stacker without being turned over by a downwardly sloping guide plate. A printing mechanism inserted between the second and third stackers is the same as that used in a third form, Fig. 15. In the form shown in Fig. 15, the second hopper is detachable and mav be omitted, the station RS being bridged by a guide bar 330. The first station is similar to that of Fig. 4, including deflectors 321 actuated by a solenoid 328. If a second hopper is used, similar deflectors are actuated by the same solenoid. Delivery to the last hopper is the same as in the second form. If the second hopper is not used, a card turn-over mechanism may be attached, the bar 330 being removed. A printing station is provided between the station RS and the last hopper. Feeding sheets. Cards are delivered from an addressing-machine as described above, and each card which is to be mailed is first fed to a supplementary printing means to print a signature on the lower face or a date on the upper face, in which latter case the card is first turned over by a mechanism attached below the station RS, Fig. 15. Cards are fed by rollers 300, 309, of which the lower pairs are driven while the upper pairs are mounted so as to be allowed vertical play to accommodate the thickness of the card. As each card passes between rollers 309L, 309U, Fig. 19, it is directed by further rollers 520 and an eccentrically mounted pressure member 516 on to a guide plate 525, until its leading edge abuts a plate 528. When the card is so positioned, a solenoid 550 controlled by a cam in the addressing-machine energized to operate a rack and rotate a shaft 538 carrying a pair of supporting fingers 531, and also carrying two arms 536 on the ends of which are mounted flipper rollers 530, the axle of one of which passes through an arcuate slot 540 in a mounting plate 512. The rollers 530 are thereby swung counterclockwise about the shaft 538, so turning over the card and bringing its upper face on to a pair of continuously driven feed belts 545, which feed it to rollers 333L, 333U operated in the same way as the rollers 309. Thus cards to be mailed are fed either direct or turned over to rollers 333, Figs. 15, 16 and 19, for passing to the printing mechanism. The leading edge of each card engages a sensing finger 472, thereby closing a switch SW to energize a solenoid to lift a control arm and allow a one-revolution clutch 370 to close, whereupin a cam 395 is rotated and acts on a roller 510 to swing a stop finger 490 downwards and temporarily stop the card feed, at the same time releasing the tension of the rollers 333U, so that the rear of the card is no longer fed. A stripper 509 rising on the card prevents buckling thereof, and also co-operates with the finger 490 to release the card when the cam 395 allows the finger 490 to rise, so that the card is fed to printing position by the again effective rollers 333. In another form of stripper, Fig. 27, the stripper 509A has secured thereto a leaf spring 595 which holds in retracted position in a slot 590 a stop finger 591. which is positively lowered by a screw 596 on an arm 597 actuated from the cam roller 510. Rotary printing-machines. A multilateral printing roller 360, Fig. 16, carries interchangeable printing-plates according as a signature or a date is to be printed, and is carried on a shaft 361 carrying a dog 364, a handle 375 and a bearing 376 forming a unitary structure that can be removably secured to the mounting plate 295, Fig. 15, with the dog 364 engaging a dog 365 on the driven shaft 366 of the one-revolution clutch 370. When the clutch is closed as a result of a card engaging the securing finger 472, the printing roller is rotated for one revolution in contact with a platen roller 398 to print on the card, at the same time securing ink from an inking-roller 378 supplied from a pan 383 by means of a ductor roller 385 oscillated by the cam 395 acting on a follower 391.