Patent GB-688221-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to series printing machines
IPC: B41L47/58
Filed: 1950-02-23
Abstract: 688,221. Addressing-machines. ADDRESSOGRAPH-MULTIGRAPH CORPORATION. Feb. 23, 1950 [Feb. 24, 1949], No. 4661/50. Classes 100 (i) and 100 (ii). [Also in Group XIX] In a series printing-machine, wherein printing and control devices are fed in succession along a guideway to sensing and printing stations, there is a settable variable printer provided with a number of settable slides each for a different numerical order and adapted to set printing elements, a variable settable punching unit including selective punching elements each for a different numerical order and settable by slides, these slides being mounted for movement parallel to the settable slides of the variable printer, and gearing means operatively connecting each slide of the variable printer with the appropriate punch-selecting slide. General. Card cheques S, Fig. 1, bearing both printed data and perforations corresponding to numerical data are produced under the control of printing and control devices D, Fig. 2, and proof sheets or lists are also printed and cut off from webs, bearing the changeable data and money amounts included in the cheques. The sensing operations in respect of each printing device D is accomplished in the same cycle in which the first printing is to take place from a particular device D. The machine comprises two main units 201, 202, which can be readily separated and rejoined. Fig. 141 shows a diagrammatic arrangement of the driving mechanism in the two units. A constantly-driven motor 375 drives a main shaft 380 in the unit 201 which is coupled releasably to a shaft 383 in the unit 202. In the unit 201 there is included a main gear box 390 for actuating a main stamper platen P-3, a printing-plate feed, a stop finger means at a main printing station 210, and a feed belt for the cheques, and a second gear box 392 actuating a roller platen P-2. There are three solenoid-operated one-revolution clutches in the gear box 390; a main one 401, and two secondary ones 403, 415 on a lay shaft 396. A shaft 425, driven through change-speed gearing from the shaft 396, drives the cheque feed belt &c. In the unit 202 there is a high-speed shaft 620 driving a main cam shaft 645 for a variable printing unit VP-1 and punching unit P.U. The units 201, 202 on their opposed joining faces have provision for connecting up Bowden cables and transmission shafts which pass from one to the other. The transmission shafts are provided with universal joints to enable the unit 202 to be raised during the final connection of the Bowden cables. Cheque feeding arrangement. Each cheque S, Fig. 1, is fed by friction from the bottom of a magazine CM, through a gate and into a guideway SG1, by a pivoted rocking arm having a cheque-engaging slide thereon, this arm being operated through a resilient overload connection. The cheque is then advanced intermittently by a number of pairs of feed rolls along the guideway which has ledges which hold the cheque downwardly on a table top T1. At a printing and punching station 205 the cheque is stopped by a pivoted cam-controlled stop finger. A sensing arm adjacent to the stop finger is adapted to actuate an electric switch to stop the machine in the absence of a cheque; a similar sensing device is arranged to verify that the cheque has been fed from the station 205. In all feed roll couples the top roll is driven, and in some the bottom roll is also driven. When a cheque is at the station 205, the rolls are separated under cam action. The cheque now enters a guideway SG2 in the unit 201 where it is fed by a driven belt upon which the cheque is pressed by angularly disposed skid rolls. These skid rolls are mounted resiliently on a common rail which can be swung away from the' guideway to facilitate access to the cheques. At a station 210 to which the printing plates D are fed transversely of the guideway SG2 as described below, there is a cam shaft 960, Fig. 65, adjacent a platen P-3 adapted to actuate a pivoted block 965 carrying a stop finger 966 for the cheque S. A pivoted sensing lever 975, Fig. 70 (not shown), is depressed to pass through an opening in the table top, in the absence of a cheque at the station 210, to operate a stop switch. To detect whether a cheque has been discharged from the station 210, a sensing roller operated from the cam shaft 960 passes through a slot in the table to operate the same switch if a cheque is absent. Feeding printing and control devices. The printing plates D, Fig. 2, are fed in known manner to a magazine M, Fig. 33, from which they are fed transversely to the guideway SG2 along rails in a guideway by bars 705, 706 (not shown) operated through a rack, pinion, gear sector 713, rod 716, and cam-operated rocker 471. The bars 705, 706, have carrier pawls at spaced intervals to engage the rear edges of the printing plates D, these pawls being spring- urged beyond the top edges of the bars during the forward feeding movement to feed the plates over an anvil 726 at a sensing station 212, but are depressed during the return movement. Other pawls convey the plates D from the station 212 to a station 214, and then to the station 210, but these pawls are not depressed on their return movement. The printing plates are then fed down a throat 741 and collected as described below. The plates are registered and held on the anvils at each station by the engagement in the notches 234, Fig. 2, therein of fingers on spring-urged . plates 748, 749, 750, which are mounted on a shaft 745 adapted to be rocked by a link 747 and cam-operated rocker 745. The plate 748 has a microswitch thereon which controls a selector mechanism when a printing plate is present at the sensing station 212, or disables the variable printer VP-1 and other mechanism if a printing plate is not present. The supply of plates D in the magazine M is checked in each operation of the carrier bars 705, 706 by a sensing pawl 773 adapted to operate a switch to stop the machine, when the magazine is empty. The printing plates D are passed into the throat 741, Fig. 33, and through a shoot 754 into a tray 755 where they are packed by an arm 756 oscillated by the rocker 471. They are withdrawn from the tray 755 by means of a slidable rod 761 provided with a handle 762, the rod in its home position closing a switch 765 in the machine control circuit. The printing plates.are retained in upright position near the rear end of the tray 755 by a series of spring-pressed jaws 770 in a block at one side of the tray. Sensing printing and control devices:- A sensing head S.H., Figs. 33 and 83, at station 212 has pins 786 co-operating with perforations 231, formed in a card 232 on the printing plate D, Fig. 2, and pins 810 co-operating with tabs 236 mounted removably on the plate as described in Specifications 489,390 and 560,570. The head is mounted between spaced arms 776 which can be adjusted longitudinally and transversely, and which are reciprocated vertically during the sensing. The sensing pins 786 are in sets of five mounted in plates 787, 788 and pressed downwardly by springs to engage the printing plate, or pass through perforations 231 in the card 232 therein, when the head S.H. is in the lower position. Pins which pass through the perforations depress pins 796, which engage contacts 805 to establish electric circuits which control the setting-up of the variable printer VP-1 in the unit 202 as described below. The sensing pins 810 are, for example, in two rows of twenty-four openings in the plates 787, 788, and their lower ends either engage tabs 236 on the printing plates or pass into grooves 811 when the head S.H. is lowered. If a pin 810 engages a tab, however, the upper end of the pin swings an upper head 785 about a pivot 785B, and an arm on the head operates a link 819B, Fig. 126, which causes a selector shaft 1540 carrying control discs to be rocked as described below. The length of the pins 810 may vary to vary the rocking of the shaft 1540 as described in Specification 560,570. The upper head 785 is in two adjustable parts clamped by a handle and screw arrangement 818, 819C. Platen mechanisms:- The platen mechanisms, except P-1, are mounted on transverse bars 830- 832, Fig. 49 (not shown), extending between vertical arms or plates 825, 826, arranged over the guideway for the plates D. (1) The roller platen P-2, which' presses the cheque S on to the printing plate D at the station 214, has a simple movement in a horizontal plane, and the roller has no upward or withdrawing movements at the end of its printing operation. A carriage C, Figs. 52 and 57, is provided with rollers 848, 849, 850, 'engaging tracks on rails 843, 844, and is reciprocated by links 880 and arms 883 secured to a shaft which is geared to a shaft 888 rocked by a link 575. A pair of plates 851 centrally support links 854 for a platen roller P.R., and the ends of the links are pivoted to vertical links 857 carried on a vertically adjustable cross shaft 860 whereby the platen roller may be adjusted for printing pressure. Each shaft 860 can be adjusted and levelled by a pair of nuts 861, and a gearing arrangement operated by a screw 863 enables both nuts to be operated in unison. The platen roller is driven positively by gearing from a rack 875 when the carriage C is reciprocated. In the extreme positions a cut-away portion of the platen roller faces the platen 734. The above arrangement is duplicated at the right hand of the carriage in case a right hand platen roller P.R. is to be used. (2) The main stamper platen P-3 at station 210, to which the printing plate D now passes, is driven from a vertical shaft 407, Fig. 141. The platen is supported by adjusting screws 900, Fig. 65, beneath a plate 901 formed on a yoke 902 which is extended to overlie an operating shaft 905 driven from the shaft 407. A pair of spaced cams 908 engage rollers on the plate 901 to depress the yoke and platen against spring action. A parallelog