Patent GB-798835-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to addressing machines
IPC: B41L45/00
Filed: 1955-04-01
Abstract: 798,835. Addressing-machines. ANDREX. April 1, 1955 [April 2, 1954, March 23, 1955], No. 9634/55. Class 100(2) and 100(4) An addressing-machine utilises printing plates having permanent matter such as addresses embossed thereon and a carrier such as a magnetic film on which temporary data such as numerical data can be recorded, means for picking up the data from the carrier and utilizing it to control printing means, and means for printing the data on a document ou which the permanent matter has been printed or is printed simultaneously from the plate. The data may be printed as it is or may be subjected to processes such as addition in a calculator. The machine shown in block diagram in Fig. 3, comprises data carriers 1<SP>1</SP>, 1<SP>2</SP>, 1<SP>3</SP> in the form of rectangular plates which are fed to successive stations where the data is recorded and read. The data is recorded by a magnetic recorder 2 which converts it into electric signals in a code which may consist of trains ol different frequencies, each corresponding to a character. At the same time a reference frequency is recorded by a recorder 3. The data and reference frequency are picked up by pick-ups 4, 5 and passed to recorders 6, 7 which record it on a magnetic tape 8 driven on rollers 9, 10 by a motor 15, the drive of the tape and feed of the carriers being synchronized by a mechanical coupling 27. A pick-up. 11 picks up the reference frequency from the tape and converts it to a voltage applied to an error detector 12, which also receives from a generator 13 oscillations of the correct reference frequency. The frequency picked up from the tape will depend on the speed of the tape, and a voltage resulting from the beating of the two frequencies received by the error detector is applied to a control device 14 for the motor 15 to control the speed of the tape so that the conditions under which the data is decoded will be the same as those under which it was coded. A magnetic pick-up 16 converts the magnetic variations on the tape into voltage variations, applied to a frequency selector 17, which diverts the oscillations of each frequency received and characteristics of the data to individual circuits in a translator member 19, which supplies D.C. voltages to control a positioncontrolling member 20 controlling a motor 21 for rotating a tape wheel 22 for printing the data on a card. The magnetic variations are also passed as voltage variations to a memory 18 which feeds a calculator 23 which performs the desired operations on the data and passes it at the desired time to a translator 24 similar to the translator 19 and thence as D.C. voltages to a position-controlling member 25 controlling a motor 29 for rotating a type wheel 26 for printing the data as modified by mathematical operations such as addition performed by the calculator on a card. A meter 28 records data from the pick-up 16 and from the calculator 23. The machine is shown schematically in more detail in Fig. 18. Carriers 1 are fed from a magazine 100 past pick-up heads 42, 45, type wheels 22, 26 and cards 95, 96 below platens 97, 98 to a collector 93. The tape 8 is fed past an eraser head 99, recording heads 40<SP>2</SP>, 43<SP>2</SP>, 40<SP>1</SP>, 43<SP>1</SP> and pick-up heads 46<SP>1</SP>, 11, 46<SP>2</SP>. The recorder 2 comprises two oscillations supplying frequencies as a function of the coded data, which are mixed in an electronic mixer and applied to the recording head, which also receives high-frequency polarization current from further oscillator which also feeds the eraser head and the recording head of the recorder 3, which latter head is also fed by a further crystalcontrolled oscillator. The data and frequency are picked up by the pick-up heads 42, 45 and passed through amplifiers 41, 44 to the two recording heads 40<SP>1</SP> and 40<SP>2</SP> for the data and the two recording heads 43' and 43<SP>2</SP> for the reference frequency, all the heads receiving high-frequency polariza, tion current from a common oscillator 46. The voltage applied to the error detector 12 by the oscillator 13 is also applied to an electronic peak detector 73 which applies a D.C. voltage as a function of the peak voltage of the reference frequency to an electronic summing amplifier 67. The A.C. current of the winding 68 of one of the phases of the biphase motor 15 is taken off at 69, amplified at 71, and applied to an electronic peak detector 72, which supplies a D.C. voltage which is a function of the peak value of said A.C. current to the summing amplifier 67 which applies a D.C. resulting from an algebraic summation of the voltages received from the detectors 73, 72 to a modulator 74. The modulator converts the current received from the amplifier 67 and the error detector 12 into impulses which are applied to a voltage amplifier 75 and a power amplifier 76, which feeds them as an A.C. current to the windings 70 of the other phase of the motor 15, to regulate the tape feed. The frequencies received by the pick-up 16 from the head 46<SP>1</SP> are selected by filters 50<SP>1</SP> to 50<SP>2</SP> of the frequency selector 17 and passed through amplifiers 51<SP>1</SP> to 51<SP>n</SP> to a relay mechanism 52 of the translator 19, which supplies a D.C. voltage as a function of the data to the position-controlling device 20. The device 20 comprises a voltage amplifier 55 and a power amplifier 56 which actuate a motor 21, the shaft of which rotates the type wheel 22 which prints on the card 95, and controls the slide contact 60 of a potentiometer 61. The voltage at the slide contact 60 is fed back by a conductor 62 to the amplifier 55. When the type wheel assumes its correct position, the voltages at 60, 55 become equal and the motor stops rotating. The frequencies received by the head 46<SP>2</SP> are applied tc the memory 18 comprising an electronic amplifier 620, which applies them to a delay line 63 which feeds them back as long as required through a datum-restoring amplifier 66 to the amplifier 620, and eventually also by means of an electronic switch 64 controlled by an oscillator or synchro-generator 65 to the calculator 23. The electronic calculator 23 comprises a member which converts the impulses into trains of electrical oscillations of different frequencies which are fed to the memory and to a verification member which transmits them to an electronic computer for carrying out the calculating operations. The computer transmits the resulting signals to .the memory which transmits them and the signals received from the converting member to the verification member which compares them with those it receives direct from the converting member, to obviate error. The results signals are transmitted by the. verification member to the meter 28 and to the translator 24 and position-controlling member 25 similar to 19 and 20, to control the motor 29 actuating the type wheel 26 to print on the card 96. An electronic electro-mechanical computer may be used comprising an amplifier which transmits the frequencies originating from the electronic switch 64 to a series of frequency selectors and emplifiers and thence to a translator similar to 19, which actuates one of a series of relays, the cores of which when actuated act as abutments to limit.the movement of a rack engaging a units wheel having a dog to operate a tens wheel and so on. The successive wheels are arranged co-axially and on their peripheries are provided with magnetic tapes comprising magnetic recordings of the numerals &c. A pick-up converts these into voltages which are amplified and converted into D.C. voltages by mechanism similar to 17 and 19, which voltages control the angle of rotation of the type wheel 26. Printing-surfaces. A metal address-plate bears on one side of the relief the inscription to be printed, and on the other side is stuck a small length of magnetic film on which data can be magnetically recorded. Selection devices such as slots to be sensed by feelers may be provided along one edge of the plate.