Patent GB-719371-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to apparatus for controlling sequences of operations by travelling record-bearing means for typographical composing, printing and like operations
IPC: B41B27/10
Filed: 1950-06-05
Abstract: 719,371. Photographic type-composing. CLOWES & SONS, Ltd., W., and CROUCHER, H. G. June, 4, 1951 [June 5, 1950], No. 13961/50. Class 98(1) [Also in Group XVI] Relates to mechanism for controlling the operation of an apparatus for typographical composing, or for producing printed impressions from a type plate analogous to the matrix-case of a single-type composing machine, to form spaced lines of characters or symbols. The control means comprises a plurality of travelling record-bearing means such as perforated strips, which actuate the apparatus through mechanical, pneumatic or electrical means. The various strips control various kinds of type, such as for text matter, chapter heads, and the like, while one strip controls corrections, i.e. the elimination of lines or heads which have been composed, and such operations as the repetition of composed lines and the insertion of a desired number of leads. The last said strip acts as a master strip, and effects the placing of the apparatus under the control of any desired strip for a required time. so as for example to compose a certain number of lines of text, and the return of the apparatus control at the end of said time to the master strip. The master strip also initiates the actuation of line or lead counting means, which record the number of lines or leads completed or deleted, so that' when the desired number have been completed or deleted, the counting means automatically returns the control of the apparatus to the master strip. Five paper towers 1-5, Fig. 1 are provided, for corrections, text notes, chapter heads, and page headlines respectively, each tower having fed therethrough a perforated strip, and the arrangement is such that the strips of towers 1 and 2 control the placing of any one of towers 2-5 in operation, tower 1 having an overriding control. The strips of towers 2-5 control the casting of lines of the kinds of type which they are associated with, while the strips of towers 1 and 2 also control the insertion and deletion of leads and deletion of lines, the stopping of the machine for changing, the die case, and the setting of a tower indicator. The paper strip of only one tower at a time is fed, according to the position of  a  tower engagement rod 12 set by a positioning rack 11 in one of seven positions, the remaining two positions being neutral with no paper feed, the rod 12 also preventing the pneumatic operation of any tower not operative by means or displaceable valve plates. The rack 11 is held by a pawl 81 in any of its positions, which are designated, from left to right, "Tower 1 neutral " Tower 1 ", " Tower 2 neutral", " Tower 2 ", " Tower 3 ", " Tower 4 ", " Tower 5 ". The rack is moved to the right to operate one of towers 2-5 by means of a rod 80 reciprocated from a continuously revolving machine drive shaft 14 provided one of four different sized gauge blocks 79 is raised into an operative position. It is also moved one step to the right from a neutral position to a tower (1 or 2) position by a control rod 154 and, it is moved to the left by a spring 193 when pawl 81 is released, coming to rest in tower 1, tower 2, or a neutral position according to the position of movable stops 194, 195. 196, which are spring-urged into stop position, 197 being a fixed stop. For line and lead counting and deletion, two counters R<SP>1</SP>, R<SP>2</SP> are provided, associated with towers 1 and 2 respectively, and each having one fixed pin and fourteen movable pins 116 which are pneumatically projected selectively under control of the record strips. The counters comprise ratchet wheels 122 and are intermittently rotated by pawls 124 or 126, whichever are in operative position, until a moving abutment hits a pin latched in operative position by a disc 118. When pawls 124 are in operation, for lines, rotation is effected from the rod 80, when a gauge block 178 is raised into operative position, through spring boxes DJ<SP>1</SP>. DJ<SP>2</SP>, for counters R\ R<SP>2</SP> respectively, and when a pin prevents further rotation, the spring boxes DJ<SP>1</SP>, DJ<SP>2</SP> are compressed and rotate bellcranks 101, 102 to alter the control, this being referred to as an " abnormal movement". When pawls 126 are in operation, for leads, movement is through similar spring-boxes L<SP>1</SP>, L<SP>2</SP>, abnormal movement of which rotates bell-cranks 205, 207. The various actions of the mechanism are controlled by pistons actuated ultimately by air passing through perforations in the second strip which is in operation. For all actions, 0005 air (i.e. air passing through perforation designated 0005) is necessary in combination with air from one other perforation or certain combinations of two other perforations. Thus " HD " air refers to a combination of air from perforations H and D. The operating pistons are as follows, with the air or combinations of air which actuate them shown in brackets: -D<SP>2</SP> (D or HD); E<SP>2</SP>(E or HE); F<SP>2</SP>(F or HF); G<SP>2</SP>(G or HG); H<SP>2</SP>, H<SP>3</SP>, H<SP>4</SP>, H<SP>5</SP> H<SP>6</SP> H<SP>7</SP> H<SP>8</SP> (H); M<SP>2</SP>, M<SP>3</SP>, M<SP>4</SP> M<SP>5</SP> (M, MD, ME. MF, or MG); HD<SP>1</SP> HD<SP>2</SP> (HD); HE<SP>1</SP>, HE<SP>2</SP> , HE<SP>3</SP> (HE, HF, or HG); PE<SP>1</SP> (FE); GE<SP>1</SP> (GE); MD<SP>1</SP> (MD); ME<SP>1</SP>(ME); MF<SP>1</SP>(MF); MG<SP>1</SP>(MG); MH (MH); 0075<SP>1</SP> (0075). In addition, piston 210 is controlled by piston H<SP>7</SP>, and piston H<SP>8</SP> by piston H<SP>7</SP>, while piston 201<SP>1</SP> is controlled mechanically. Piston 137b in the casting machine causes the insertion of leads, while rod 182 is connected to the metal pump for casting. There is also provided a leading control wheel 8, a stop control wheel 9, a leading cut-out wheel 10, a visual tower indicator 16 comprising a revolving disc to indicate, when the machine is stopped, which tower is next coming into operation, and having a flag 151 to indicate that the machine can be re-started. The indicator is operated when a lever 148 and one of the gauge blocks 161, 162, 163 or 164 are raised into operative position. There is also provided a manual valve MM and a three-position valve 137. Pawls 124, 126 are controlled by cams 166, 167, 168, 169 on rack 11, pawls 126 also by a plate 128, and pawl 124 of counter R<SP>1</SP> by piston HE<SP>2</SP>. Driving pawl 132 for leading, control wheel 8 is also controlled by place 128. Driving pawls 143, 208 for wheels 9, 10 are reciprocated constantly from rod 80 over blank portions 9a, 10a of the wheels, so that the wheels are only actuated after being given an initial movement by pawls 9b, 10b. The strip perforations are produced under the control of a keyboard, and a double justification (DJ) signal, occurring after each line cast, produces perforations 0075 and 0005 to control the line counting and deleting mechanism. A single justification (SJ) signal (0005 only) does not have any controlling action. Air from perforations 1-14 acts directly on the corresponding pin of the counters R<SP>1</SP>, R<SP>2</SP>, and air from the various perforations also acts directly on the casting-machine in the normal manner, to move the die-case and set the justifying wedges. Tower control. The tower engagement rod is moved to the right to cause feeding of the record strip selectively in towers 2, 3, 4 or 5 by means of raising the corresponding block 79 by piston D<SP>2</SP>, E<SP>2</SP>, F<SP>2</SP> or G<SP>2</SP> respectively, the rod being held by pawl 81, when a desired number of lines will be cast, or in the case of tower 2 a control signal may alter the control for a special operation. The rod is moved to the left to tower 1 position when pawl 81 and stops 194, 195 are removed by an abnormal movement of DJ<SP>1</SP> acting on bell-crank 101. It is moved to tower 2 position when pawl 81 alone is removed by an abnormal movement of DJ<SP>2</SP> acting on bell-crank 102. This movement takes place when the desired number of lines has been cast. The rod thus returns to the tower from which it moved to the right. When leading or stopping the machine, piston H<SP>4</SP> or M<SP>4</SP> respectively removes pawl 81 and stops 194, 196, so that the rod moves to one of the neutral positions, either from tower 2 to tower 2 neutral, being held by stop 195, or from tower 1, (the position as shown, with stop 195 held out of action), to tower 1 neutral, against stop 197. The rod 12 is returned from a neutral position to the corresponding tower by control rod 154, actuated by abnormal movement of L<SP>1</SP> or L<SP>2</SP> or by lever 153 actuated by stop wheel 9. Line counting. In combination with the tower engagement signal, a numerical signal is given which projects a selected pin 116 in counters R<SP>1</SP>, R<SP>2</SP>. One or both pins are latched in position through links 78a, 78b operated respectively by piston D<SP>2</SP> or piston E<SP>2</SP>, F<SP>2</SP> or G<SP>2</SP>, a latch 180 also being withdrawn to allow block 178 to be raised. At the end of each line, a DJ signal raises block 178 and counters are rotated one step. However, cams 166-169 hold R<SP>1</SP> pawl 124 released in tower 1 and tower 1 neutral position, and R<SP>3</SP> pawl released at tower 1 or tower 2. When the desired number of lines have been counted, the rotation of either or both of the counters is stopped by the latched pin or pins, according to which tower is in operation, to cause an abnormal movement of either or both DJ<SP>1</SP>, DJ<SP>3</SP>. An abnormal movement of DJ<SP>1</SP> causes removal of stops 194, 195 and pawl 81, so that rod 12 returns to tower 1, removal of a latch 181 so that latch 180 returns to operative position, removal of a latch 199 to allow unlatching of R' pin 116, and removal of R<SP>1</SP> locking pawl 131 to allow R<SP>1</SP> to return to zero position. An abnormal movement of DJ<SP>2</SP> causes removal of pa