Patent GB-1059625-A (GB)
Title: Automatic control for typewriter
IPC: B41J3/50
Filed: 1963-09-25
Abstract: 1,059,625. Printing and perforating machines. GREENE DATATAPE Inc. Sept. 25, 1963 [Sept. 28, 1962], No. 37683/63. Heading B6F. A typewriter which includes a tape punching apparatus 6, Fig. 1, arranged to be controlled selectively by the operation of typewriter keys and tape reading apparatus 5 arranged to subsequently control automatically the operation of the typewriter, comprises first and second sets of actuators or hinges 211, Fig. 9, and 44 . . . 52, Fig. 3, provided for controlling respectively the operation of the tape punching apparatus and the operation of the typewriter, each actuator consisting of two parts 81, 80, Fig. 4, joined by an expandable sealable enclosure 83 and being rendered effective only when the enclosure is sealed against the atmosphere. The sealing of the enclosures of the punching hinges is selectively effected by a set of selectors 230 . . . 237, Fig. 11, one for each hinge, controlled by the typewriter keys, whereas the sealing of the enclosures of the type selecting hinges is selectively effected by blanks in the punched tape or by vacuum switching deviees 102. . . 115, Fig. 5, and arrangements are provided for reciprocating the first part 81 of all the actuators of a set simultaneously, the second part 80 following the movement of the appropriate first parts to effect a mechanical operation only if the corresponding enclosures are sealed, the partial vacuum set up within sealed enclosures of certain of said second set of actuators also serving to exert a control on said vacuum switching devices. Type-head actions; type-head carriage; permutation bar arrangement; power actions; record controlled actions.-The typewriter has a spherical type head 3, Fig. 1, travelling on a carriage and having 4 rows of characters each selected by a combination of six selecting bails 11, Fig. 3. Two of the bails determine the row the character is in and remaining four determine which character in the row it is. For manual operation one of the keys 41 is depressed, which in turn depresses its own selecting bail comb 40, whose projections 42 cause. a forward motion of certain ones of the selecting bails 11 when a half-revolution clutch 43 is depressed and moves the depressed selecting bail comb 40 forward. All the hinges are pivoted at 53, Figs. 3 and 4, with the first sides 81 of each of the hinges 48 . . 49, 51 and 52 engaging with its respective selecting bail 11. The first side of hinge 50 engages a start bail 54 and the first sides of hinges 44 and 45 which are used in the operation control are attached to the typewriter frame. The second sides of all the hinges 44 . . . 52 are attached by pivots 55 to a reciprocating shaft 56, which is actuated by a cam follower bell-crank 61 following a reader cam 64, which in turn is rotated by a onerevolution clutch for each character or function code read from the perforated tape. Each of the hinges is provided with an expandable, sealable enclosure 83 formed by a flexible diaphragm 82 and the first side 81 the enclosure having a port 88 which is sealed when a blank in the tape at a sensing station 90 obturates the port 88, so that the slight vacuum, which develops as the enclosure 83 expands slightly when the first side 81 is pivoted by the reciprocating shaft, pivots the second side 80 along with the first side and the typewriter bail 11 is actuated. When the port 88 is open to atmosphere as a result of a perforation in the tape the first side 81 is pivoted without moving the associated second side 80. By applying the slight vacuum to the proper combination of hinges 46-52 any character or function, i.e. a command such as e.g. carriage return or tabulating is automatically typed or carried out as if one of the keys 41 had been struck. The tape has eight code perforations, the 7th and 8th rows being used for control of the typewriter operation, i.e. a blank reading in both the 7th and 8th rows means that the start bail 54 is actuated by the hinge 50 and a type selection results. A hole in the 7th row combined with a blank in the 8th powers a COMMAND control switch matrix. Fig. 5, including vacuum switching devices 106 . . . 115 and one of the functions or commands such as SPACE, BACKSPACE, STOP, CARRIAGE RETURN, LINE SPACING, UPPER CASE. LOWER CASE or TABULATE results. A hole in the 8th row, irrespective of the 7th row reading, results in a non-typewriter operation such as ERASE or FEED (perforated tape). The reading of the 7th and 8th rows is interpreted by vacuum switching devices 102 . . . 105, Fig. 5, comprising a housing 131 (Fig. 6, not shown) divided by a diaphragm 136, normally obturating an output port 130, adjacent to which is an input port 132 open to atmosphere, a control port 133 being provided axially with the input port 130, but on the opposite side of the diaphragm. In operation a negative pressure differential applied to control port 133 stretches the diaphragm and opens the switch by connecting the output port 130 with the input port 131. To perform a type impression, when the shaft reciprocates the hinges 44 . . . 52, a blank in the 7th row sends a vacuum signal to the control port of switch 102 by hinge 50, which opens the switch to expose the output port of hinge 44 to atmosphere to disable the switches 106, 111 of the COMMAND control switch matrix. Simultaneously the second side of the hinge 50 is pivoted along with its first side to actuate the typewriter start bail 54 causing an impression of a character in accordance with the perforations in rows 1 to 6 of the tape. To effect an action other than a type action (referred to as a COMMAND) a perforation in the 7th row exposes the port of hinge 50 to atmosphere and the short bail 54 is not actuated as the second side of the hinge 50 is not pivoted by the first side. Moreover, switch 102 remains closed and hinge 44 sends a vacuum signal to output ports of master switches 106 and 111 of the COMMAND control switch matrix which ports are connected to the ports of hinges 47 and 49 and to the 5th and 3rd row reading ports of the tape reader 90, Fig. 4, respectively. If the command is SPACE a blank appears in row 1 and hinge 52 sends a vacuum signal to the control ports of command switches 107 and 112 simultaneously, opening these switches. No vacuum, however, is applied to the output port of switch 112 because the master command switch 111 is closed owing to a hole in row 3. The output of open switch 107 receives, however, a vacuum signal from open master command control switch 106 and a SPACE-actuating servo-mechanism connected to the input of switch 107 is activated and the typewriter spaces. The remaining COMMANDS are signalled in similar manner in accordance with the arrangement of holes in rows 1-6 in the tape. In another embodiment (Fig. 7, not shown) constrictions 150, 151 are replaced by an additional vacuum signal transmitting hinge 152. In a further embodiment (Fig. 8, not shown) the operation control switches 102 . . . 105 may be replaced by a rocker arm structure controlled by a cam 15, while the hinges 44 . . . 52 are controlled by a cam 14. Key actions.-The typewriter is provided with " read " and " punch " buttons 23 and 24, Fig. 2, which when not depressed allow the typewriter to operate in a normal manner. When the " punch " button 23 is depressed a tape 200 is code punched by the punch apparatus 6, Fig. 1, which code corresponds to the TYPE OR COMMAND operations of the typewriter. Depression of the " read " button 24 renders the typewriter completely automatic the operations being controlled by punches in the tape passing through the reader 5. A tape reader stop button 22, is linked to a key 262, Fig. 13, which when the button is depressed moves to the left, moving a crank 261, which has ends 263 beneath springs 264 of punch-selecting switches 231 and 232, Fig. 11, so that the command for READER STOP is punched. Depression of a tape feed key 21 causes repeated punching of a hole in the 8th row which when read by the reader will advance the tape without causing a typewriter operation. Line-spacing, space bar, carriage return and back-spacing key actions.-Depression of either the space bar, back-space key, carriage return or line-spacing key causes the port of a punchselecting switch 244 to be opened to place a blank in row 5 of the tape. Similarly servomechanisms connected directly to the respective keys open the ports of corresponding punch selecting switches 241, 242, 243 and 245 to cause blanks in the appropriate rows of the tape. Tabulating, upper and lower case shift key actions.-A tabulation key (not shown) has an associated crank 261, Fig. 13, which has ends 263 beneath the springs 264 of punch selecting switches 232, 233, Fig. 11, which when the key is depressed are opened and blanks are placed in row 3 and 4 of the tape. When a shift key is either depressed or released a lockout mechanism (not shown) within the typewriter prevents the type head 3, Fig. 1, from impression until it is set for the proper case. During the operation of the lockout mechanism a cycle of punching occurs to designate the case, during which irrespective of whether the shift key was depressed or released, the port of punch-selecting switch 232 is opened by a servomechanism which moves the crank 261 associated with that switch to place a blank in row 3 required for both UPPER CASE and LOWER CASE, Fig. 5. If the key was depressed then a servo-mechanism connected to punch-selecting switch 241 opens the port of the switch to put a blank in row 1 for UPPER CASE code and when the key is released a servo-mechanism connected to switch 245 opens the port of that switch to place a blank in row 6 required for the LOWER CASE code. Error Correction.-When an error is made an ERASE key 21 is depressed, Fig. 2, which opens the punch-selecting switch 237 to put a hole in the 8th row as the tape feed reverse lever 225 causes the tape to back-space. Simultan