Patent GB-651057-A (GB)
Title: Machines for composing text material into or onto a strip or tape record
IPC: B41B25/00
Filed: 1948-09-10
Abstract: 651,057. Type-making machines. ACKERMAN, H. B. Sept. 10, 1948, No. 23847. Convention date, Sept. 12, 1947. [Class 100 (iii)] A machine for producing a strip record of a justified line of text matter of predetermined length, on which the spaces and characters are represented by code signals, comprises keyactuated mechanism for successively measuring off on a bar or track the widths of the characters and spaces in the line, for separately measuring off on the same bar or track the widths of the spaces, and for dividing the total distance represented by the separately measured spaces and any additional space or lack of space in the measured line by the number of spaces to determine the width of the spaces for producing a justified line, and mechanism for recording the space width on the strip record in association with the code signals for the line. The tape may be of transparent paper or cellulose film and each code signal may consist of printed dots or perforations arranged in various combinations in a line transversely of the strip. General operation. When a character-key is struck, a code signal is printed on the strip 24, Fig. 1, by a certain combination of the five vertically-spaced spot signal printers 25, actuated by electromagnets 26, numbered 1 to 5, Figs. 1 and 10, the lowest printer actuated by magnet 6 being used for producing a cancellation signal. At the same time, a yoke 37 is moved to the right a distance corresponding to the width of the character, an indicator 105a, Fig. 7, moves over the face of the keyboard to register the amount of line which has been measured off and recorded, and a wheel 107 is rotated to display in a window slot 108 the character which has been recorded. The strip is then moved one step to the left by a ratchet 154. When the space-key is struck, the same operations are performed, and also a second yoke 38 is moved to the right a distance corresponding to a normal space width, that is the width of the capital " N." A plate 86 is also moved to the right so that it comes underneath one (or one more) of the justifying wedgemembers 75. The yokes 38, 37 are initially abutting respective stops 39a, 42, the latter being adjustable according to the desired length of line. The keyboard may also be provided with a signal bell to indicate the approach of the end of the line. Word-keys are provided for certain common words such as " and," which when struck cause the operations which would be performed by the separate characterkeys to take place automatically in succession. Keys are provided for " lower case," " capitals " and " numerals," also for " standard type " and " italics," which cause corresponding signals to be printed. A cancellation-key is provided, and when this is struck, and the key for the character or characters to be cancelled then struck while the cancellation-key is held down, the strip is moved to the right by a ratchet-wheel 179, a cancellation signal is printed by the printer actuated by magnet 6 below the signal to be cancelled, and the yoke 37 is moved to the left to subtract the width of the character. A justification key is provided, which when struck causes those of the wedges 75 under which the bar 86 has been moved to be raised to cause space-equalizer units 41 to be expanded to fill up the line length, and preferably a raising of the wedges by half the possible rise corresponds to resulting spaces of normal " N " width in the justified line. A rod 36 is raised the same amount as the wedges to raise a bar printer 84, and three bar printers 34, 29, 29<SP>1</SP> are caused to print bars on the strip to the left of the first code signal, the printer 34 printing a bar extending from the bottom of the strip. The lengths of the bars printed by the printers 34, 29, 291 represent respectively the length of the space to be used for justifying the composed line, the size of type, and the final desired length of justified line. The printers 29, 291 have previously been positioned by means of Selsyn motors 31, 33 actuated by hand-operated Selsyn generators 101, 102 respectively. A clearance key is provided, which causes the ratchets 154 to be disengaged and the strip to be moved to the left sufficiently to clear the composed line by a motor 91, and the yokes 37, 38, and the bar 86 to be moved back to their initial positions. The indicator 105a and wheels 107 are also returned to their initial positions. Character-key circuit. The mechanism is operated by D.C. electricity supplied to the wire 110. When a key such as " A " is pressed, current is supplied to an electromagnet 117 actuating a seven-switch relay 118, whereby current is supplied: (1) to magnets 26, members 4 and 5, to operate the corresponding printers; (2) to a rotary selector switch 109, which supplies positioning motors 52, 55, Fig. 2, to bring a particular pin 54, whose length corresponds to the width of the character " A ". on the pin-wheel 53, into alignment with the head 51a of a lever 51; (3) to the wheels 107, which are Selsyn motors. When the yoke 37 moves, a rack 44 actuates a Selsyn generator 45 which operates a Selsyn motor 104, Fig. 7, which operates the indicator 105a and at the same time connects a grounded rack 105 successively to fixed contacts wired to the respective wheels 107, so that the requisite wheel (the next in order) is moved to show the character " A " in the window 108; (4) to the left side of a polarized relay 123 to close a switch 124; (5) to a wire 7a for use in the cancellation process. On release of the key, current is supplied : (6) through the switch 124 to a clutch 56, Fig. 2, which is thereby coupled to a continuously-running motor 57, so as to rotate an arm 58 and move the lever 51 into contact with the selected pin 54, and also to open a switch 61 and close a switch 60; (7) through the switch 60 to the right side of the relay 123 to open switch 124 and close switch 127, whereby current is supplied through a switch 129 to clutch 50 associated with a brake drum 48, Fig. 1, on the shaft of a worm 40 actuating the yoke 37. The opening of switch 124 disengages clutch 56, a spring retracts arm 58 to close switch 61 and energize a magnet 62 to move lever 51 to the left against a stop 63 and move the yoke 37 through clutch 50. The closing of switch 61 also energizes a magnet 156 to operate ratchet 154 and move strip 24 one step to the left. Word-key circuit. When a word-key such as " and " is pressed, a magnet 158 pulls an arm 159 to the left on to a contact leading to the "A" magnet 117, and on release of the key current passes through the wire 160 and causes all the operations of the " A " key to be effected. At the same time, the arm 159, released by the magnet 158, moves to the right under spring- action, slowly under the control of a dashpot 161, over two further contacts, whereby the operations of the "A," " N " and " D " keys are effected in succession. Space-key circuit. When the space-key is pressed a magnet 138 actuates a nine-switch relay 139, whereby: (1) the operations (1), (2), (3), (4) described above with reference to the character-key " A " are performed, a different pin 54 being selected, however, and a different combination of printers being actuated, namely those actuated by magnets 2, 3 and 4, and the wheel 107 exhibiting a blank or space; (2) current is supplied to the left side of a polarized relay 150 to close a switch 151 and actuate a clutch 67, Figs. 1 and 9; (3) current is supplied to a magnet 88, Figs. 1 and 10, to operate a ratchet 148 and thereby move the plate 86 one step to the right, under a (or an additional) wedge-member 75. On release of the key: (4) the operations (6), (7) described above with reference to the character-key " A " are performed; (5) current is supplied through the switch 124 to a magnet 73, Figs. 1, 9 and 10, whereby an arm 70 is pulled down against a stop 71 and through the clutch 67 rotates a brake drum 66 on the shaft of a worm 39, so as to move the yoke 38 to the right. Lower-case-key circuit. When the key is pressed, current is supplied to a magnet 112 to open switch 113, to a magnet 115 so as to operate printers actuated by magnets 2, 4 and 5 and print a " lower-case " signal, and to the selector switch to set it so that when a character-key is actuated, the pin 54 for the lower-case character will be selected. On release of the key, the switch 113 is closed, and the magnet 156 energized to move the tape one step to the right. Caps-key and Nluneral-key circuits. The operations are similar to those of the lower-casekey. Italics-key and Standard-type-key circuits. The operations are similar to those of the lowercase-key, the selector switch being set to measure type in italics or standard type. Cancellation-key circuit. If, for example, the " A " key has been pressed in error, and it is now desired to cancel the error, the cancellationkey is now pressed, whereupon: (1) current is supplied to a magnet 173 to open switch 131 and release the bar 155 of ratchet 154; (2) current is supplied to a magnet 172 to actuate a five-switch relay, whereby switch 129 is opened to disengage clutch 50, to connect wire 7a to wire 141, and to connect wire 122 to the left side of a polarized relay 174. While the cancellation-key is held down, the character-key " A " is pressed, whereupon: (3) current is supplied to the left side of the polarized relay 123 to close switch 124; (4) current is supplied by wire 122 to the left side of the polarized relay 174 to close switch 175 and engage clutch 50; (5) current is supplied through the switches 175, 131 to a magnet 177 which operates the ratchet-wheel 179 to move the strip back one step to the right. The bar 178 actuating the ratchet-wheel 179 also closes a switch 180, whereby printer actuated by magnet number 6 is operated to print a cancellation signal on the strip below the " A " signal to be cancelled; (6) current is supplied through the switches