Patent GB-766482-A (GB)
Title: A printing machine for the simultaneous recording of laboratory data
Inventor: HUNT MAURICE DAVID
IPC: G01D15/20
Filed: 1954-09-03
Abstract: 766,482. Recording-apparatus; counting- apparatus. ARMSTRONG WHITWORTH AIRCRAFT, Ltd., Sir W. G. June 23, 1955 (Sept. 3, 1954], No. 25588/54. Classes 106 (1) and 106 (4). [Also in Group XVI] A printing-machine for simultaneously recording laboratory data registered by a number of instruments comprises a corresponding number of sets of counter wheels 62, Fig. 7, arranged coaxially across the machine, an end counter wheel of each set having a pinion 62a which is driven through one of a series of large coaxial idler gears 52 from another pinion 68 on a shaft 67 connected to a repeater motor 65 or 66, which is in turn electrically connected to a transmitter associated with one of the data registering instruments, the repeater motors being positioned at the ends of the series of large idler gears and their shafts being circumferentially spaced with respect to the idler gears (Fig. 4). The machine comprises a main housing, with end-plates 22, 22a, in which are mounted a driving motor 70 for the printing mechanism, the counter wheels and their drive means and means for feeding interleaved paper and carbon paper upwards along an inclined front face. The remainder of the paper feeding mechanism, the printing hammers and other auxiliary mechanisms are mounted in a detachable carriage with end face 28. The driving motor 70 is mounted on the end-plate 22a and its shaft 71 extends through a tube 45, on which the idler gears 52 are mounted, to drive a gear train 73-75 beyond the end-plate 22. Printing hammers 84 on a common axle 83 strike high relief type on the counter wheels 62 on shaft 60 when their tails slip, under spring action, into a gap 90 in a tubular cam 80 extending across the carriage and rotated through the gearing 73-75, continued rotation causing the tails to ride out of the gap and recock the hammers. Each hammer has a curved, pivoted head 85 and the actuation of any hammer may be inhibited by depressing a lever 98 acting through a link 100 to lock the hammer by the engagement of a pawl with a projection thereon. Paper feed. The gear fast with the tubular cam 80 through which it is driven also drives at one-fifth the speed, a gear 105, Fig. 9, adjustably secured to a cam 106 having four recesses 108, Fig. 11, and a deeper recess 108a, which, by their engagement with a pin 110 cause a disc 112 to oscillate, every fifth stroke being greater than the others. Thus a pawl 116, Figs. 9, 10, on the disc 112 engaging a ratchet-wheel 115 drives a tube 124 on which rubber paper-drive rollers 126 are mounted for co-action through slots in the inclined front face of the main housing with a spring-pressed roller. Through gear trains and clutches at its other end the tube 124 drives other rollers against which rods 164, Fig. 4, carried by arms 165 are spring-pressed by toggles mounted in the main housing, the coacting rods and rollers having intermeshed gears. Another gear train drives through a clutch a take-up roller 144 and incorporates a knurled flange for manual feeding. Interleaved paper and carbon paper is stored on a roller 170 and passes over a roller 171, past a plurality of styli t76 for ruling dividing lines, over drive-rollers 126, across the counter-wheels 62 with their high relief type and behind a roller 172, whence the top layer of paper and carbon paper pass over a roller 173 to be wound on the take-up roller 144, while the remaining layers are drawn up the inclined front face by further drive rollers, fall on to a surface 175 and slide into a receptacle. The disc 112 is formed with an extension 119 with flanged end 120 for manipulating the pin 110 above the centre of the cam 106 against the action of spring 113 when replacing the carriage after replenishing the paper supply roller or adjusting other mechanism. Indicating the number of prints taken and inhibiting printing after a predetermined number. A gear 187, Fig. 9, rotates with the cam 106 and meshes with a gear 188 on the spindle of a transmitter 189 which controls one set of counter wheels 62 for recording information regarding the number of prints taken. On each fifth stroke of the disc 112, when the pin 110 drops into the deep recess 108a of the cam 106, a nut 114, Figs. 9, 10, secured to the pin shaft on the other side of the disc 112 contacts an escapement lever 180 which acts on a ratchet 182 fast on a sleeve 183 carrying a wheel 185 having a scale 185a marked in series of five sets of prints. The wheel 185 carries a boss 190 which in zero position opens a micro-switch 191 in the supply circuit to the motor 70. Operation. After turning the wheel 185 to the number of sets of prints desired on a sheet, the readings of the various instruments registered by the counters are recorded by closing manually at any instant or by clockwork periodically an initiating switch in the motor circuit, which includes the winding of a solenoid. The solenoid withdraws a locking arm from a recess in a disc fast with the cam 80, the arm closes a switch, which holds the motor circuit closed for a complete revolution of the cam 80 whereupon the arm re-enters the recess and releases the switch. The motor stops unless the initiating switch is held closed for the cycle to be repeated in rapid succession. In each rotation of the cam 80 the printing hammers impress the readings of the counters on the record sheet and are recocked, after which the paper is fed, the feed being greater in each fifth rotation, thus spacing the lines of print in sets of five. After printing the predetermined number of sets, the micro-switch 191 opens the motor circuit until the wheel 185 is reset. The paper may be clamped and severed into sheets by sliding a cutting-wheel thereacross or if separation into sheets is not required, the micro-switch 191 may be short-circuited. Information may be fed to one of the counters manually by coupling one of the repeater motors to a hand wheel and providing an on-off switch and a brake to prevent accidental displacement.