Patent GB-978677-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in document endorsers
IPC: B65H9/20
Filed: 1963-12-16
Abstract: 978,677. Printing processes; feeding sheets. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION. Dec. 16, 1963 [Dec. 17, 1962], No. 49594/63. Headings B6B and B6C. A machine for printing endorsements on cheques or other documents includes means for feeding the documents to the printing element, means for starting and stopping the movement of that element, a first means for sensing the position of the documents as they are fed to the element, and a second sensing means for detecting the position of the element with respect to its rest position, and circuit means operative to control the movement of the element and to detect and indicate incorrect relative positioning of a document and the element. As shown, cheques 12 received from a stack 14 are fed by rollers 11 between a platen roller 24 and a roller having a printing sector 18 thereon which is inked by a roller 22. The printing roller shaft 20 is connected to a motor M through an electromagnetic clutch 26 and an electrically - operated brake 28. Each cheque passes between a photo-cell PC4 and a reflecting mirror 35 to reduce the light of the incident beam, and the cell is connected to an amplifier 36 coupled through capacitors 38, 40 to transistor amplifiers 42, 44, respectively. The output of amplifier 42 is gated with an " on " signal at 88 in an AND circuit 46, and the output of the latter is applied to set a latch 50 which is connected to an AND circuit 52 connected with the amplifier 44. The circuit 52 is connected with an error latch 56 through an OR circuit 54. In the normal position of the sector 18, a polished section 34 of an otherwise non-reflecting timing segment 30 secured to the shaft 20, is opposite a photo-cell PC5 which receives reflected light from a lamp L2. The cell PC5 is connected to an amplifier 60 coupled through capacitors 62, 64 to transistor amplifiers 66, 68, respectively. The output of amplifier 66 is connected to reset the latch 50, while the amplifier 68 is connected to reset a latch 70 which is set by the output from the amplifier 66. The latch 70 is connected to an AND circuit 72, and through the OR circuit to the error latch 56. A reset line 73 is connected to the latches 50, 70, 56. The clutch 26 is controlled by the output signal from circuit 46, adjustable delay circuit 76, a single-pulse multivibrator 80 which provides a timed pulse. The brake 28 is controlled from the amplifier 68, a trigger 82 and OR circuit 84, and the time length of the signal is controlled by a single-pulse multivibrator 86 connected to the circuit 84. In operation, the photo-cell PC4 detects the leading edge of a cheque 12, and positive pulses are applied to amplifiers 42, 44, and a signal from 42, through circuit 46, sets the latch 50 and provides an output signal to circuit 52, and also causes the clutch 26 to start the printing roller. Thus the photo-cell PC5 no longer receives reflected light by the section 34, and amplifier 60 produces a positive-going signal which, through the amplifier 66, causes the latch 50 to be reset. When the cell PC4 detects the trailing edge of the cheque 12, the output of amplifier 36 falls, negative pulses are applied to 42, 44, and the latter applies a signal to the circuit 52. Since normally the latch 50 has been reset, there is no change, but if the trailing edge of a cheque 12 is detected before the latch is reset, the signal from 44 and the output of the latch 50 would be applied to circuit 52 to cause the error latch 56 to be operated and sound an alarm or shut down the machine. When the leading edge signal was applied by the cell PC5, the amplifier 66 also sets the latch 70; but if the leading edge of a second cheque be detected before the trailing edge signal has caused latch 70 to be reset, the error latch 56 will again be operated.