Patent GB-479223-A (GB)
Title: Means to prevent unauthorised manipulation or substitution of sheets in loose leaf systems
IPC: B42F13/00
Filed: 1936-11-09
Abstract: 479,223. Loose-leaf systems. FARNER, J. E., and MAJOR, R. F. Nov. 9, 1936, No. 30530. [Class 146 (i)] [Also in Groups XVI and XIX] A device for preventing unauthorized manipulation of loose-leaf systems comprises means for progressively impressing a continuous series of numbers on successive sheets of a series of sheets, a totalizer which indicates the sum of the impressed numbers, and means to impress any one of these numbers in another position on the corresponding sheet, and at the same time to operate the totalizer so that the sum it registers is decreased by this number. To print the number, date, and a serial number on a sheet it is inserted through a slot in a casing 23 into a guide plate 240. An external handle 36 is then turned from its normal position, Fig. 1, to its other extreme position so as to rotate a shaft 18 which sets the numberprinting devices and subsequently, through an arm 143, pin-and-slot connection 145, link 142, and lover 139, moves an impression member 138 upwards to effect the printing operation. The number - printing mechanism, which is adapted to print the same number during two consecutive operations of the handle 36 for the purpose of marking both sides of each sheet, comprises a number of type segments 27 independently rotatable on the shaft 18 and each provided with type faces corresponding to the numbers 0 ... 9. An arm 30 on each segment is connected by a spring 31 to an arm 32 fixed to the shaft 18 so that rotation of the shaft rotates the segments and moves the type over inking-rollers 133. The movement of the segments is limited by pins 62 thereon engaging stop-members 61 on movable bars 54. A spring 79 tends to move each bar 54 to the extreme left position, Fig. 1, and a pawl 68 engaging teeth 63 holds each bar against leftward movement and in its set position. On the underside of the first bar 54, which controls the units segment, is a rack 64 gearing with a pinion 91 engaging a disc 83 provided with six sets of two teeth. The disc shaft 84 is given one twelfth of a revolution with each operation of the shaft 18 by links 89, 90, 87 and a ratchet-and-pawl device 82, 88, so that after two operations of the shaft 18 to print the same number on both sides of a sheet, the pinion 91 is rotated by teeth on the disc 83 and moves the bar 54 one step to the right ; the stop 61 has now been set so as to position the corresponding segment 27 for printing the next number. After both sides of the ninth sheet have been printed, the movement of the bar 54 by the pinion 91 causes a pin 69 to engage an arm 67 and trip the pawl 68 so that the bar 54 moves to the left under the action of the spring 79 until a second pin 70 resets the pawl 68 so as to stop the bar 54 in its initial position. During this movement of the bar 54, a two-toothed rack 76 thereon moves the next bar 54 a distance corresponding to one unit through two coaxial gears 59 coupled by a one-way clutch, one gear being engaged by the teeth 76 and the other engaging a rack 75 on the next bar. A similar arrangement 59, 75, 76 operates the third bar when the second bar has completed one stroke, and so on for succeeding bars. For printing the date, serial number, and plus sign, type discs and setting bars similar to the members 27, 54 are provided, the bars, however, being set manually by members projecting from the casing and coupled to the setting bars by rack- and-pinion mechanism. When it is required to discontinue a particular sheet in an account book, the sheet is again imprinted with its number, the date, and serial number in another position and with a minus sign by inserting it in another slot and guide plate 240a in the casing 23. Before this printing can be carried out, the casing has to be unlocked by an authorized person. A lever 1 is then operated, and through links 13, 14, 15 moves a forked locking-device into engagement with the shaft 18, and at the same time moves a similar locking-device out of engagement with a shaft 19. On the shaft 19 are mounted a series of type segments 93 similar to the segments 27 and each is hand-set. For this purpose, corresponding to each segment there is a handle 118 rotatably mounted on the shaft 19 and carrying an extension 120 formed with a hooked end 122 which constitutes a stop for a positioning pin 125 on the segment, which is actuated by a spring 99 attached to an arm 100 on the shaft. The handles 118 are guided in toothed slots in a plate 127 which retain them in any position to which they are set. Operation of the shaft 19 by an external handle 36 moves the selected type faces into printing position and operates a platen in a manner similar to the operation of the type 27 and platen 138 by the shaft 18. The apparatus 183 which records the sum of the numbers on the sheets forming the loose-leaf system, is coupled to the mechanisms associated with the shafts 18 or 19 respectively according as sheets are being added to the system or are being withdrawn. The number-bearing discs 218 are each integral with a pinion 220 and are freely mounted on a shaft 196 supported in slots 198 in two links 12 attached by expansible couplings 186 to arms 10 fixed to the shaft 3 of the lever 1. Springs pull the shaft 196 towards the lower end of the slot 198. Movement of the handle 1 to unblock the. shaft 18 and lock the shaft 19 causes the shaft 196 to be moved downwardly. The pinions 220'which previously were gearing with nine-toothed racks 108 on the lower sides of horizontally movable bars 105 connected by links 102 to the numberprinting segments on the shaft 19, are now caused to engage similar racks 53 on the upper sides of horizontallymovable bars 45 connected bv links 38 to the number-printing segments 27. The bars 45, 105 are slotted to engage guide rods 47, 47<1> and 107, 107<1> respectively. On each bar 105 is pivoted at 109 a rod 110 provided with a tooth 111 and adapted to be held by a spring 113 in one of two positions so that either the tooth 111 is level with the teeth 108 or it is below their level as shown. Similar rods 49 each provided with a tooth 50 are mounted on the bars 5. A series of pinions 234, Fig. 6, each integral with a cam 237 is rotatably mounted on the guide rod 47<1>, each pinion being engaged at intervals by a short rack 222 on the corresponding disc 215. Similar pinions 181 and cams 231 are mounted on the guide rod 107<1>, the discs 218 being provided with additional short racks 222 suitably situated to engage the pinions 181. Also at each side of the machine and mounted on stub shafts 203 are cams 202, 209, one of which is in engagement with the .shaft 196, each adapted to be given a step-by-step movement by the shaft 18 or 19 respectively through links 200, 214 and ratchet devices 211, 213. As the first type-segment 27 when operated by the handle 36 moves into positions to print consecutive numbers on the sheets, e.g. 1, 2, 3, it causes the corresponding bar 45 to reciprocate through a distance corresponding to 1, 2, or 3 teeth of the rack 53 and to actuate the pinion 220 of the corresponding counter disc 218 accordingly. Since each number is printed twice, the shaft 196 of the adding-mechanism is lifted so as to move the pinion 220 out of engagement with the rack 53 during alternate strokes of the bar 45 by means of the cams 202. During the fourth and leftward movement the cam allows the shaft 196 to drop and the pinion 220 is turned a distance corresponding to the number printed. When the first disc 215 registers 9 the teeth 222 thereon engage the pinion 236 and rotate the cam 237 which pushes the rod 49 upwardly and raises the tooth 50 so that it engages the pinion 220 of the next number disc 215 and causes it to register the number 1. The rod 49 is returned to its normal lower position by a fixed cam 51 at the end of the leftward movement of the bar 45. The action of the racks 108 and teeth 111 on the device 183 is similar to the action of the racks 53 and teeth 50 except that they move the device 183 in the reverse direction to subtract from the recorded number a number corresponding to the number printed on a sheet by the type segments 93. Thus, the device records the sum of the numbers on the sheets actually constituting the loose-leaf system and prevents unauthorized removal or addition of sheets.