Patent GB-779437-A (GB)
Abstract: 779,437. Franking machines. ANKERWERKE AKT.-GES. Dec. 1, 1955 [March 19, 1955], No. 34422/55. Class 100(2) A franking machine of the type controlled by a check card representing a certain value and adapted to be locked against further franking when a total reached by an adding mechanism exceeds the value of the check card, has a driven shaft and printing of the total reached by the adding mechanism before the locking of the machine is effected by engagement, under the control of the adding mechanism, of a drive for the printing mechanism for printing the total with the driven shaft. When the amount shown by a value card 160 inserted in a holder 50 fixed to a transverse shaft 11 is exceeded a spindle 14 associated with the adding mechanism is rotated so as to move a ratchet wheel 110 one division so that a locking member 98 is swung anti-clockwise by pawl 111. A pin 101 on the member 98 is then moved out of engagement with an extension 102 of a pawl 78 so that the latter is moved anti-clockwise by a spring 97 and, by its extension 102 holds the member 98 in its locking position. As the shaft 4, carrying a printing cylinder completes its final revolution a pawl 82 drops into a recess 126 in a disc 125, fast on the shaft 4, under the influence of a spring 86. Rotation of the pawl 82 also causes rotation of a lever 80 connected to it and which releases a locking wheel 39 and a draw-bar 90 which, by means of a control shaft 9 moves a control arm 93 out of reach of a stop 96 so that a coupling 28 allows transmission of the machine drive from a gear wheel 22 to a shaft 8 which is geared to an eccentric shaft 7 on which is mounted the wheel 39. At the same time the pawl 82 acts on a connecting lever 114 for moving a rocker 113 anti-clockwise so that, by means of a square pin 118 which engages one of the recesses 161 of the transport roller coupling 117 interrupts the drive of the transport rollers. The rocker is left in locking position by engagement of a detent 124.with a recess 120 in the rocker. As the eccentric shaft 7 rotates the value card slide 50 is swung upwardly about its pivot 11 and pressed against the types 169 of the adding mechanism 54 so that the amount stored in the adding mechanism is printed on the value card 160. A trip cam 40 fixed to the eccentric shaft 7 swings the nose 62 of a contact member 57 and the arm 165 of the pawl 78 about their pivot 11 in a clockwise direction. The pawl 78 thus releases the locking member 98 so that it can resume its normal position and. by means of pin 88 restores the levers 80 and 82 to their initial positions, thus preventing further rotation of the shaft 7. At the same time the member 57 is swung against rotation of a spring 68 so that a bent up part 56, which normally engages a slot 55 in the slide 50, releases the slide 50 so that the latter, under action of a spring 61 is moved to the right as viewed in Fig. 1, and breaks a circuit to a drive motor. The value card may then be removed from the slide. To restore the machine a new value card is 'inserted into the slide which is pushed to the left as viewed in Fig. 1 until the part 56 of the member 57 under the action of the spring 68 engages the slot 55 in the slide 50 and thus returns to its original position. By means of a pawl 71, which under the influence of a spring, bears with its nose 138 against the edge 137 of a pawl 129, the latter is turned anticlockwise against the action of a spring 128. At the same time an arm 134 of the pawl 129 acts on the pin 135 of the rocker 113 and returns the latter to its original position so that the transport rollers are again rendered operative, the detent 124 engaging the recess 119 As the member 57 moves to its operative position the arm 77 of the pawl 71 engages a pin 74 so that the nose 138 of the pawl 71 is swung out of contact of the edge 137 of the pawl 129, the latter returning to its original position under the action of the spring 128.