Patent GB-728884-A (GB)
Title: Pin feed devices
IPC: B41L5/06
Filed: 1953-09-08
Abstract: 728,884. Autographic registers. WILLIAMS, W. P. (Metzner, A. W.). Sept. 8, 1953, No. 24872/53. Class 16. [Also in Group XVI] A pin feed device in or for a mechanism for advancing continuous strips of marginally perforated material, comprises a rotatable pin carrier, a plurality of feed pins separately carried by the pin carrier and means for maintaining all the feed pins in continuous approximately parallel relation one to another. The device is shown in use in an autographic register comprising a casing overlaid by a table 12 hinged at the rear to the casing and covered by a lid pivoted at the front of the casing. Record forms 15, having perforations 16 for engagement by the pin feed devices operated by a crank 17, are led over the table 12 under a window in the lid. The form advancement mechanism is carried by the underside of the table 12 and comprises a support bar 18, secured by screws 19 to the table, having at one end projecting studs 21 supporting an auxiliary bar 22 forming a continuation of bar 18, an adjustment screw 23 being in threaded engagement with the bar 22 and fixed in bar 18 so that the bar 22 can be laterally shifted with respect to the bar 18. Pin feed devices 24, 31 with pins 25, 32 are mounted on opposite sides of the register on the bar 22 and bar 18, the device 24 underlying a plate 26 secured to the support 22 and lying in a cut out opening 28 in the table 12, which plate 26 has slots 29 for the pins 25, similar slots being provided in the table 12 for the pins 32. The pin feed devices 24, 31 are substantially identical and comprise three or four pins 32 each cylindrical with a square base 74 and offset extension 75, pivot studs 76, 77 being mounted to protrude laterally from the base 74 and extension 75 in vertical alignment in the longitudinal axis of the pin and on opposite sides of the pin 32. The studs 76, 77 are received in longitudinal openings in discs 78, 79 respectively, with the pins equally spaced round the peripheries of the discs. Operation of the devices 24, 31 to feed the forms 15 is effected by the crank 17 which is fastened to a stub shaft 33, journaled in a plate 34 bolted to an arm 35 extending rearwardly from support bar 18, having a gear 36 meshing with a pinion 37 on a shaft 38 extending through an opening 39 in plate 34, through an aperture in arm 35, and mounted rotatably in a wall 41 also extending from the bar 18. A gear 42 on shaft 38, adjacent wall 41, meshes with a pinion 43 fast on a shaft 44 rotatably mounted in an extension 45 of wall 41 and in the auxiliary support bar 22, the shaft 44 incorporating an expansion joint 46 to allow the lateral adjustment of bar 22. The discs 78 carrying pins 32 and 25 are secured to the ends of shaft 44 while the discs 79 which are offset with respect to discs 78, have a central stub shaft 81 rotatably received in an opening 82 in the support arm 35 and in an extension of bar 18 at the opposite side of the machine, the discs 78 and 79 being mounted so that the pins 32 or 25 are vertical and rotation of shaft 44 causes each pin to move in an upright position through a rotary path of small radius. In place of gear 43, the disc, corresponding to disc 78, mounted on shaft 44 may be geared to be driven directly by gear 42. To positively define the extent of advancement of the forms 15, a latch mechanism is provided comprising a stud 47 set in gear 36 and a latch 48 having a cut-out opening 49 to receive the stud in which position the gear 36 cannot be turned by crank 17. The latch 48 has slots 51, 52 of the shape shown in Figs. 3, 7 receiving fixed studs 53 in an end wall 53 of the support bar 18 connected to wall 41 by a web 55 to give a limited sliding and tilting movement, and a spring 56 between a pin 57 on the latch and a post 58 on web 55 urges the latch to engage stud 47 in opening 49. To release the latch, a finger lever 63 is provided closely adjacent crank 17 for operation just prior to operation of the crank, the lever 63 being mounted on a shaft 62 rotating in the end wall 54 and having a finger 59 to engage an ear 61 on the upper edge of the latch 48. Operation of lever 63 moves the latch to the Fig. 3 position and as crank 17 is operated and lever 63 released, the latch 48 returns to latching position to intercept stud 47 and limit turning of the crank. As shown, a single stud 47 is used, allowing one complete turn of the crank 17 but additional studs may be installed to limit the turn to a fraction of a turn at each operation. To prevent motion of the gear train to the pin feed devices in the wrong direction, shaft 38 carries a roller 64 engaged by a serrated cam 65 eccentrically mounted on a stud 66 journalled in the support arm 35 and pressed into engagement by a spring detent 67, the rotation in a clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 7 being unopposed but rotation in the opposite direction bringing the high serrated part of the cam against the roller. A tear bar 68 is carried between arms 69 secured to opposite ends of a shaft 71 journalled between projections on the support bars 18 and 22 and is urged downwards to hold the forms 15 against the table 12 by springs 72. A coil spring 73 on shaft 71 maintains a pressure on the threads of the adjustment screw 23. Carbon paper 86 is interleaved with the forms 15 and owing to the relatively short longitudinal path of the pins 25, 32, can be brought close to the first perforation on a form.