Patent GB-328282-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to paper feed mechanism for tabulating or other printing machines
Filed: 1929-01-21
Abstract: 328,282. Accounting &. Tabulating Corporation of Great Britain, Ltd., Thomas, A., and English, F. G. S. Jan. 21, 1929. Web-feeding arrangernents; platen-rotation for blanking. - In tabulating and like machines, automatic blank-feeding mechanism preferably comprising a reciprocating gripper is independent of the line-spacing mechanism and co-operates with the web after it has passed the platen. The machine may be provided, in addition to the above-mentioned platen, with a second platen for another web which may for instance be employed for ledger entries, the platens being operated separately or as a unit. As applied to a record-card controlled machine of the kind described in Specification 26896/13, a web B, Fig. 1, consisting of a series of invoices, passes over a platen P, below spring-urged rollers 28, and through a gripper consisting of members 1, 9, the members 9 being secured to blocks 2a which can slide on rods 3, and the members 1 being secured to a rocking bar 2 mounted in the blocks. The rollers 28 may be mounted on a pivoted web-guiding plate 27 which can be latched in a forward position to permit threading of the web. An arm 4a on the bar 2 is connected by a link 4 to a rocking arm 6 having a slot 6<a> engaging a pin 10 on a disc 11 mounted loosely on the driving shaft 14. A spring pin 12 on the disc co-operates with a driving arm on the shaft, co-operation being controlled by an arm 16 pivoted on the disc and having a cam 15 engaging a lug on the spring pin. The arm 16 co-operates with an arm 20 pivoted on the framework and having a head 26 for engaging a pin 19 on a link 18 which is reciprocated during total-taking. Normally the arm 20 is in the path of the arm 16 and the spring pin is retracted when the driving-arm passes. When, however, the link 18 is operated, as an incident to totaltaking, the arm 20 is moved out of the path of the arm 16, the driving-arm engages the spring pin, and the disc makes one revolution. At each listing operation, the platen is line-spaced and slack is formed in the web between the platen and rollers 28. On operation of the link 18, the web is gripped and pulled upwards by the gripper, slack being taken up and the web being pulled over the platen until a new invoice is in printing position. For stopping the gripper, or for so adjusting the mechanism that the gripper is actuated at each revolution of the shaft to deal with a series of invoices that receive a total entry only, there is provided a finger-lever 23 having a pin 25 engaging the head 26, and a retaining-tooth 24 for engaging notches in a quadrant 22. On raising the finger-lever to the second notch, the projection 19 rides idly in a slot 26<a> in the head, and the arm 20 remains in the path of the arm 16 so that the operation of the gripper is stopped. On raising the fingerlever to the third notch, the arm 20 is moved out of the path of the arm 16 and the gripper is actuated at each revolution. To provide for adjusting the stroke of the gripper, the link 4 may be connected to a rocking arm which is connected to the arm 6 by a laterally adjustable link. For re-winding the web, a roller b may be, as described in Specification 328,414, connected to a spring pulley a, a tape a<1> for actuating the pulley being connected to the link 4. Paper - supports; line - spacing mechanism; platen-roller couplings. - The machine may be provided, in addition to the above-mentioned platen P, Fig. 1, for the web B, with a platen P<1> for another web which may be employed for instance for ledger entries, the platens being provided with variable line-spacing mechanism and couplings and being operated separately or as a unit. The platens are mounted on a shaft 30, Figs. 6 and 9, the platen P' being connected thereto by the coupling described below, and the platen P being loose on the shaft. Ratchetwheels 33, 32 on the shaft and a sleeve 31 on the platen P co-operate with line-spacing pawls 35, 34 carried by bell-cranks 40 having pin-andslot engagement with arms 40a on a shaft 41 which is rocked at each operation of the machine. Each pawl is associated with a line-space regulator consisting of an adjustable cam 36 which co-operates with a pin 39 on the pawl to determine the effective stroke of the pawl, the cam being adjusted by a finger-lever 37 which is set with reference to an indicator 38. Each pawl can be released by sliding member 45a which is actuated by an eccentric 47 on a finger-lever 48 and has a cam for engaging the pin 39. A detent engages the ratchet-wheel 33<a>, and a second detent 32b engages a ratchet-wheel 33<a> secured to-the ratchet-wheel 32. A coupling for the two platens consists of a loose collar 49 provided with a pin 49d and slots 49<a> for engaging a hole 33a in the ratchet-wheel 33 and pins 32d on the hub 32<c> of the ratchet-wheel 32a respectively. When the collar is in the position shown in Fig. 6 the platens are coupled together, but when the collar is moved to the right the pin 49d is removed from the hole 33<a> and the platens are disconnected. A spring 33<c> on the hub of the ratchet-wheel 33 co-operates with a recess 49<c> in the collar to hold it in the position shown in Fig. 6. The platen p<1> is connected to the shaft 30 by means of a coupling comprising a coiled spring 54, Fig. 6, which is loose at one end and is connected at the other end 51<a> to boss 52 secured to a sleeve 50 on the platen. The spring embraces loose segmental bushings 55 on the sleeve 50 and is arranged in a casing 56. A sleeve 57 secured to the shaft is provided with a knob 58 and with pins 59 arranged between the bushings 55. On operation of the ratchet-wheel 33 or on turning the knob 58 in line-spacing direction, the spring is tightened on the bushings and torque is transmitted by the spring to the platen. For fractional line-spacing, the platen is turned in a direction to slacken the spring by means of a knurled wheel 53 on the boss 52, and the platen is adjusted by means of the knob 58.