Patent GB-396305-A (GB)
Abstract: 396,305. Printing and checking tickets &c. CALMES, E. M., 168, Boulevard St. Germain, Paris. Feb. 3, 1933, Nos. 3357 and 3358. Convention dates, Feb. 3, 1932 and Sept. 15, 1932. [Classes 100 (i) and 100 (ii).] Rotary machines; counting and numbering apparatus.-A machine for checking and printing coupons, tickets, labels, sheets or bands of paper, &c., comprises a sheet-separating mechanism for feeding the sheets from a pile 1, an inspection window 46 to enable the operator to examine the sheets in succession as they are fed past the same by a band 47 to distributing rollers 50 .. 55 which are driven by gears 60, 61, 62 so arranged so that the successive rollers are driven at higher speeds so as to space out the sheets &c. The sheets then pass to a printing-roller 69 which is driven by a onerevolution clutch controlled by an electromagnet operated by a feeler which is engaged by the advancing sheet. The roller 69 prints each sheet with the desired matter and with a number which may be changed by the handoperation of a rod 72, Fig. 2, or by operation of the rod 72 by a cam and a lever formed with a jointed part which can be moved aside out of contact with the rod 72. Finally the sheets pass to a stacking device comprising a rotary S-fly 117 on a shaft 115, and a counting or numbering device is operated from the shaft 115, and this device may include a totalizator for recording the total of sheets &c. dealt with in a day and individual counters put into operation manually for indicating the number of a particular kind of coupon which is dealt with. The counting device may be arranged to stop the machine after a certain number of sheets have passed through the machine, and the machine may be driven by an electric motor 149 through variable gearing, or the machine may be operated by a crank which when brought into driving engagement with an extension 168, Fig. 2, of the driving-shaft 59 operates a switch which opens the circuit of the motor 149, so as to throw-out the electric drive. Sheet separators and forwarders ; pile supports. -The pile 1 is supported on a plate 2, is placed between adjustable side guides 7, 8, and is advanced against an apertured stop plate 3 by means of a sliding plate 4 controlled by a weighted cord passing over a pulley 5. The guide 8 can be moved about a binge to facilitate the insertion of a new pile, and the separation of the sheets is effected by a rubber covered friction roller 11 arranged tangential to the plate 3, and a lower roller 13 which is mounted in a pivoted frame 14 which is in a plane offset with respect to the plane of the pile as shown in Fig. 2. The roller 13 is pressed towards the roller 11 by means of an adjustable counterweight 20, and the pressure exerted by the roller 13 on the roller 11 is varied periodically by releasing the pressure of a spring, which normally assists to raise the roller 13, by means of lever mechanism operated by a cam on the shaft 11. The roller 13 is geared to a wheel 24 placed between friction discs 25 which exert an adjustable braking action on the roller with the aid of outer members adjustable by means of a screw 22. The separation of the sheets is assisted bv a roller 44 with bosses 45 which engage the top sheet through an aperture in the plate 3 and displace the top sheet slightly. In a modification of the sheet-feeding device, the roller 13 is mounted in a lever arm the shaft of which is fitted with a counterweight and also with an arm acted on by an adjustable spring, and an arm which is acted on by a spring the tension of which is varied periodically by means of a cam on the shaft of the roller 11. The pile 1 may be arranged in an inclined manner on a horizontal feed plate and the pile is advanced by a wedge-shaped follower acted on by a spring. The side plates 7, 8 may be mounted on parallel links adjustable by means of a cam to suit sheets of different widths. A scraper 48 prevents the separated sheet from passing around the roller 11, and a roller 49 assists its passage through the inspection aperture. Spring-mounted rollers 63 co-operate with the variably driven feed rollers 50, 51 .. , and these rollers are driven by free-wheel drives in order to permit overrunning of a roller when the sheet engages also a faster moving roller. Tripping-arrangements. -- A one-revolution clutch, Figs. 11 and 12, is thrown into operation by the passage of the sheet under the roller 55 which is grooved as shown in Fig. 9, and permits a lever 55b to rise when a sheet is not passing. The sheet 1a depresses the lever 55b and operates contacts 55d to close the circuit of an electromagnet the energization of which moves a rod 95 to the left, in Fig. 11, and rotates a stop lever 92 clockwise thereby releasing thin stop discs 84, 85 which normally hold a driving-pawl 81 out of engagement of a ratchet wheel 74 which is constantly driven and is freely mounted on the shaft 78 of the printing -roller. The pawl 81 is pivoted to a disc 80 fixed on the shaft 78, and the disc 85 is formed with a cam surface which normally prevents engagement of the pawl 81 with its ratchet. The disc 84 is thin and is released immediately the stop lever 92 is operated and it prevents the stop lever 92 from coming into action after release before the disc 85, which is connected by a spring to disc 84, acts to permit engagement of the pawl 81 and rotation of the printing-roller 69. For printing on short sheets the stop lever returns in time to throw-out the clutch after one complete revolution of roller 69. When dealing with long sheets or bands, the clutch is thrown out by a branch 103 of lever 92 which acts to stop the discs 84, 85 if the operating electro-magnet is not de-energized in time for the lever 92 to effect the stoppage. A locking-catch 104 which acts on a projection on the disc 80 ensures stoppage of the roller 69 in the correct position at the end of each rotation. Delivery apparatus.-The printed sheets are delivered by a drum 108 formed of curved plates 117 secured to a fixed disc 114 on a driven shaft 115, and freely mounted guide discs 116 and an upper roller 58 assist in the delivery. The sheets are piled on a delivery plate between adjustable guides 109, 110, and a yielding push plate 112 maintains the pile in contact with the delivery drum 108. The shaft 115 is driven by a clutch similar to the one which drives the printing-roller 69. This clutch is thrown in by releasing a stop lever 124, Fig. 19, by a projection on the disc 81, and the clutch is thrown-out automatically after half a revolution of the shaft 115, and is fitted with a check-brake operated by a cam on shaft 115. For dealing with long sheets the delivery-apparatus may be put out of action by rotating the shaft 117 through a quarter of a revolution to a position in which the sheet passes over the plates 117, and the clutch for driving the shaft 115 is put out of action by a locking pawl 127, Fig. 2, actuated by a lever 128. The printed bands are received by an operator. In a modification of the S-fly delivery device, Fig. 40, the delivery drum 237 is formed of a single piece and curved members 238, 239 attached to the drum ccoperate with grooves in an upper feed roller 241 fitted with a stripper 243. The receiving plate 244 is grooved for the passage of a pivoted spring-controlled plate 247 which presses the pile against the drum 237. The plate 244 may be provided with side extensions for dealing with wide sheets.