Patent GB-1069428-A (GB)
Title: High speed serial printing device
IPC: H04L17/24
Filed: 1963-12-16
Abstract: 1,069,428. Selective-printing apparatus. ING. C. OLIVETTI & C., S.p.A. Dec. 16, 1963 [Dec. 17, 1962], No. 49515/63. Heading B6F. Type-selecting.-A high-speed printing device for typewriters, teleprinters or data processing equipment comprises a type carrier selectively positioned according to the character to be printed by apparatus controlled by binary code signals, the apparatus including selecting members 24, Fig. 6, each of which occupies one of two positions according to the polarity of a signal controlling it, and the aggregate of the movements of which is communicated to a rack 99 effecting the positioning of the type member, the members 24 being moved according to the polarity of the signals by one of two actuator plates 43, 44 which are positively reciprocated in opposite directions by a cyclically operating mechanism. As shown in Fig. 1, a type cylinder 96 is axially slidable on a shaft 97 which has a pinion 98 engaging the rack 99 whereby the shaft is rotated to position an axial line of type containing the required character opposite to an impression hammer 116. The type cylinder 96 is mounted in a carrier 100 slidable on a shaft 108 so that rotation of the shaft 108 causes axial movement of the cylinder 96 along the shaft 97 to position the required character opposite to the hammer 116. The required rotation of the shaft 108 is effected by a rack 111 engaging a pinion 109 on the shaft, the rack 111 being actuated by apparatus identical with that for actuating the rack 99. The rack 99 is pivoted to one end of a lever 12 forming one of a set of three identical levers 12 . . . 14 connected together by links 16 and each pivoted about a pin 19 slidable in a vertical slot 21 in a fixed plate 22. Each pin 19 is engaged by a cam slot 23 in one of the selecting levers 24, and the positioning of the levers 24 either against a right-hand stop 30 or a left-hand stop 31 causes positioning of the pins 19 and movement of the levers 12 . . . 14, the aggregate movement of the latter being imparted to the rack 99. Each lever 24 is pivoted on a hollow hub 29, Fig. 5, through which passes a rod 34 forming the common armature of two electromagnets 35, 36. According to which of the electromagnets 35, 36 is energized, i.e. whether a pulse received is negative or positive, the rod 34 moves in one direction or the other and through a lever 38 moves a pin 42 axially. Two actuator plates 43, 44 are situated horizontally one at each side of the levers 24 and have slots 47, 48 which are entered by projecting pins 42. The plates 43, 44 are reciprocated in opposite directions by a linkage 49, 51, 52. 54, 56 and a shaft 58, the latter turning through 180 degrees at each cycle of the machine. According to a three-unit binary code signal received and the polarity of the units, the pins 42 engage slots 47 or 48 and cause the levers 24 and thus the pins 19 and the rack 99 to be set to rotate the shaft 98. In a modified arrangement, Figs. 7, 8 (not shown), each actuator plate 43, 44 moves in one direction during one cycle and in the opposite direction during a succeeding cycle, and the polarity of the incoming signals are reversed after each cycle, so that a setting is effected during each movement of the actuators in one direction: The type cylinder 96 is mounted between two arms 103 of a block 102 slidable on a rod 101 fixed to the carrier 100. The block 102 has a threaded part 113 engaging a threaded part 112 on a sleeve 107 slidable on but rotatable with the shaft 108. Another threaded part 106 on the sleeve 107 engages a threaded bush 104 attached to the carrier 100. Rotation of the shaft 108 causes an axial movement of the type cylinder which is the sum of the displacement of sleeve 107 relative to the bush 104 and the displacement of the block 102 relative to the sleeve 107, whereby the rotation of the shaft 108 necessary to produce a required axial displacement of the cylinder 96 is reduced. Letter-spacing.-The machine is operated from a continuously-rotating main shaft 123, Fig. 1, half a revolution of which corresponds to a printing cycle which is conditioned by a recordcontrolled transmitter or by an electronic calculating apparatus. A lever 142 is oscillated once per cycle. At the same time as the printing hammer 116 is operated, an electromagnet 148 is energized, causing a latch 147 to engage the lever 142 so as to throw in a clutch 153 between the shaft 123 and a shaft 154 to effect a cyclic rotation of 90 degrees of the shaft 154. The shaft 154 is coupled by a shaft 158 and worm-and-wormwheel gearing 156, 157, 159, 161 to a shaft 162 carrying a ratchet-wheel 163 engaged by a tooth 165 pivoted on a pulley 167. The pulley 167 is fixed to a shaft 168 and has one end of a cable 169 wound thereon, the cable being attached to a plate 117 carrying the hammer 122 and its other end being wound on a pulley 177 fixed to a shaft]172 urged to pull the cable leftwards by a spiral spring 173. Another cable 174 passing over pulleys 176, 177 fixed respectively to the shafts 168, 172 is attached to the type-cylinder carrier 100. When the electromagnet 148 is energized near the end of a cycle, the shaft 154 is rotated and through the shaft 162, ratchet-wheel 163 and tooth 165 imparts a rotary movement to the shaft 168 to effect letter-spacing of the hammer plate 117 and the carrier 100. Carriage return.-The plate 117 is slidable on a rod 198 movable axially and carrying margin stops 199, 120. Engagement of the plate 117 with the stop 199 at the end of a line moves the rod 198 rightwardly and with it a slotted plate 187. A member 182 is slidable lengthwise on a pin 183, and the rightward movement of the plate 187 causes the end of the member 182 to be positioned in the path of a lever 188 cyclically oscillated from the shaft 154, in which position the member 182 is held by a latch 194. The member 182 when moved by the lever 188 turns a lever 179 which moves axially a pin 178 slidable in the interior of the shaft 162. The other end of the pin engages and releases the tooth 165 so that the carriage 100 and plate 117 move leftwards under the action of the spiral spring 173 until the plate 117 engages the stop 200 and restores the rod 198 and associated parts to their initial position. Carriage-return can be effected at any position of the carriage 100 and plate 117 through a code combination which causes energization of an electromagnet 197 the armature of which is connected to the slotted plate 187. Hammer-impression mechanism; checking correctness of setting. The hammer 116 is spring- retracted and is moved for impression by the armature 121 of an electromagnet 122. After the type cylinder 96 has been set, photodiodes sense code notches in discs 136, 137 attached to the shafts 97, 108, and an electric circuit compares the sensed code combination with that which controlled the rotation of the shafts. If the two code combinations are the same; the electromagnet 122 is energized to effect a printing operation. Type aligning.-After the shafts 97, 108 have been set to select a particular type, knife members 131, 132 on a shaft 129 geared to the main shaft 123 are moved into engagement with toothed wheels 133, 134 fixed to the shafts 97, 108, respectively.