Patent GB-397889-A (GB)
Abstract: 397,889. Ticket marking and issuing machines. HARRIS, W. P., 52, Hornchurch Road, Romford, Essex, and DAVIES, D. T., 14, Strathray Gardens, Hampstead, London. Feb. 29, 1932, No. 6067. [Class 106 (iii).] A ticket printing and issuing machine for vehicles and other purposes, in which the tickets are printed and then severed from a roll of paper, is provided with a reciprocating carriage which carries a pressure element co-operating with adjustable rotary printing dies projecting through openings in a fixed plate, the ticket being printed during travel in one direction and ejected and severed during the return movement. The tickets are formed from a roll of paper 8, Fig. 1, carried in a magazine below the base 57 of the casing, the paper being led over a guide 205 and then horizontally underneath an inked ribbon 25 to the outlet 31. Above the ribbon and paper are disposed a number of circular adjustable printing elements 20..23 which project through openings in a plate 24 and are mounted on a shaft 19, shown also in Fig. 4, arranged lengthwise of the paper strip, the ticket being printed by upward pressure exerted by the pressure roller 28 when the carriage 29 carrying the roller is moved to the left by the handle 6. On the return movement of the carriage 29, the paper is fed forward by grippers 30 and then severed by the guillotine 190. The tickets may be counted and serially numbered and the fares totalised. Fare values, setting.-Figs. 1, 3, 4, 8, 10. The circular printing wheel 20 is set by depressing one or more of the value keys 9, 12, through the medium of the shaft 19 to which the element 20 is fixed and on which the feed disc 42 is loosely mounted. The fingers 33 .. 36 on the lower ends of the keys, when depressed, engage pins 41 and thereby rotate the feed disc 42 from zero position through a corresponding angle against the pull of the tension spring 71. The extent of the downward movement of any one finger is limited so as to give the correct angle of rotation to the feed disc. The feed disc carries, on an arm 47, a pawl 48, which engages a ratchet wheel 49 fixed on the shaft 19, whereby the printing wheel 20 is rotated through the same angle as the disc. A non-return pawl 52 engages the ratchet wheel 50 which is rigid with the ratchet wheel 49 and cam 51. When the keys are released, the spring 71 returns the feed disc 42 to zero position, the arm 43 then engaging stop 44; the printing element 20 and ratchet wheels 49, 50 remain set. The non-return pawl 52 is carried by an arm on a tubular spindle 53 from which depends an arm 54 connected by a lever 56 to a stud 58 engaged by an arm on the carriage during the issue stroke so as to lift the pawls 48, 52 and allow the ratchet wheels and printing wheel 20 to return to zero position. Should an incorrect value be set up and the error discovered before the carriage is moved, the printing wheel 20 may be zeroised by the handle 122 connected to the error key 63 which engages the arm 62 carried by the tubular spindle 53 and thereby lifts the pawls 48, 52 and allows the tension spring 71 to rotate the spindle 19. The cam 51 and a groove 70 in the feed disc 42 co-operate with levers 65a, 66, carried by the shaft 64, to prevent unlocking of the carriage 29 until the printing wheel 20 has been set and the feed disc 42 returned to zero position. The end of the lever 66 engages a recess in the carriage at the end of the issue stroke. To prevent overrunning of the ratchet wheels 49, 50 due to rapid operation of the fare value keys 9 .. 12 operating the feed disc 42, centrifugal apparatus locks the ratchet wheels to the feed disc and unlocks them when the disc is stopped. Class selecting.-Figs. 1, 3, 5, 11, 12. The class indication is printed by the rotary element 21 which is fixed to one end of a sleeve 79, to the other end of which is also fixed a pinion 78 gearing with a toothed sector 77 forming part of the lever 13 which is locked to give any required indication by the pawl 72 engaging the notched sector 15. A pointer 76 connected to the lever moves over an indicator 16. Stage printing.-Figs. 1, 3, 5, 11, 12. The stage printing wheel 22 is fixed to a sleeve 80 carrying also a ratchet wheel 81 which is moved one stage at a time by one of the pawls 82, 83, when the setting lever 17 is depressed. The lever 17 may be set by horizontal adjustment in either of two positions, according to whether the vehicle is travelling on the outward or return journey, so as to rotate the ratchet wheel 81 in the appropriate direction. With this object, either one or the other of the pawl pivots 90, 91 is held in a slot in the slidable bracket 85 carrying the setting lever 17 so that the other pawl can then operate. The lever 17 and the pawls are raised by a spring. When the lever 17 is set, the printing member 98 is also adjusted so as to print on the ticket an indication as to whether the vehicle is on the outward or return journey, the setting being shown through a window 18. Dating.-Fig. 1. The several dating wheels 23, are set by hand each day. Serial numbering.-Figs. 1, 16. The serial number printing wheels 111 are disposed within a housing 120, and are changed by a rocking movement imparted to the lever 109 when the carriage reaches the end of its return stroke. Ribbon feed.-Figs. 1, 16. The inking ribbon 25 is led from the spool 26, under the printing plate 24 and on to the spool 27 which is fed forward at the end of each issue stroke of the carriage by the lever 106 and ratchet-and-pawl mechanism. The ribbon may be re-wound on to the spool 26 by hand. Registering.-Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 16. The cover 161, having observation openings, is secured on the side of the main casing and encloses a total cash counter 2, an unpaid or exchange value counter 3, a counter 4 for the total number of tickets issued and a counter 5 for the number of exchange tickets issued. The value counters 2, 3 are driven from the spindle 19 through gear wheels 115, 124, 125, the last mentioned being connected to the spindle 126 at the end of each printing stroke by a slidable clutch member 146 having projecting pins 130 engaging a notched disc 131 fast with the gear wheel. The clutch member 146 is held in engagement against the pull' of a spring by a catch 132 until the setting of the fare values rotates the wheel 125 so that a pin 215 engages a pin on a lever 149 and disengages the catch. The cash and exchange value counters 2, 3 are mounted on a plate 136 which is guided vertically by rollers 137, 138 so that the gear wheels 140, 147 on the spindle of the counters 2, 3 respectively, may be driven alternatively from the wheel 127 on the spindle 126. The plate 136 is adjusted vertically by arms 145 on a shaft 144 having also an arm 143 with a pin 142 which bears against either of two arcs of different radius on the sector 77 operated by the class selecting lever 13. The arc of smaller radius corresponds to the exchange ticket position, so that the plate 136 is then raised and the exchange counter 3 driven. The plate is raised by a spring 139 and lowered by the arms 145. The spindle 152 of the serial number printing wheels 111 is extended outside the casing and operates the total ticket counter 4 through ratchet-and-pawl mechanism 154, 155 and bevel gearing, when the carriage 19 is reciprocated. The exchange or no cash counter 5 is worked by an arm 158 operated by the return movement of the carriage only when the plate 136 is in the raised position. Printing wheel locking.-Fig. 18. During the printing stroke of the carriage 29, the fare or value printing wheel 20, the class printing wheel 21 and the stage printing wheel 22 are locked in position by a sliding plate 163 with lateral fingers 165 which engage circular series of perforations in the wheels. The plate 163 is held in the engaged position by a lever and spring and is disengaged by the carriage when the latter is in its rest position so that the printing wheels can then be re-set. Operating.-Figs. 1, 4, 5, 13, 14, 15. The carriage 29 is reciprocated between guides 68 on the base by the handle 6 having a limited pivotal movement relatively to the carriage. Two pawls 171 pivoted on the underside of the carriage, co-operate alternately with ratchet wheel 172 on the supports 68 to ensure that, once the carriage has commenced to move, the full outward and return movements must be completed. The pawls are engaged alternatively by movement transversely of the carriage of a stud 174 on the short arm of the lever carrying the handle 6. The stud can only move from one side to the other at the ends of the movement of the carriage when it is clear of the central rib 173. The stud 174 also carries a collar 177 which engages a cam 178 on a number 179 mounted by a pin 180 on the carriage. The member 179 carries the pressure roller 28 which is thus raised by a spring 182 on the printing stroke and lowered by the cam 178 during the issuing or return stroke. The member also carries the movable jaws of the grippers 30 by which the ticket is fed outwards on the issuing stroke. Ticket severing.-Figs. 1, 19. The ticket emerges through the opening 31, and, at the end of the issuing stroke, is severed by the guillotine 190 which slides vertically between guide rollers 191. The guillotine is raised during the printing stroke by a bent link 195, the lower end of which is engaged by the end of the short arm of the lever 196. The long arm of the lever is engaged by a roller on the carriage against the action of the spring 197. The raising of the guillotine compresses springs 192, and it is held in the raised position by a spring-controlled pivoted catch 198 engaging the lower end of the link 195, until the carriage reaches the end of its return stroke and releases the catch so that the guillotine is depressed sharply. Repeat mechanism.-Fig. 21. The machine may be fitted with a repeat key, which renders unnecessary repeated operation of the fare value keys when a number of