Patent GB-877513-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to devices for restricting characters to predetermined number in facsimile apparatus
Filed: 1957-10-04
Abstract: 877,513. Facsimile printing apparatus. EASTMAN KODAK CO. Oct. 4, 1957 [Oct. 5, 1956], No. 31095/57. Class 40(3) The arrangement described in Specification 877,511 for reproducing address labels from a code-bearing medium, such as punched cards bearing character combinations of perforations, and in which a predetermined spacing is obtained between sections of the name or address appearing on a line on the label, irrespective of the spacing between the code groups appearing on the punched card or the like, and in which the length of the label can accommodate a fixed maximum of characters, including spaces between different portions of the name, is modified to abbreviate one of the sections of the name, e.g. the Christian name, if the total number of characters (including spaces) in the full name exceeds the capacity of a line of print on the label. As indicated by Fig. 10, twenty eight code positions are allotted on a punched card for the name of the addressee, are subdivided to allow four for the title, MR, REV, MISS, seven for a full Christian name, one (position 14) for the initial of a second Christian name, and a total of thirteen positions for the surname with three intervening spaces, indicated at positions 5, 13 and 15. With a total number of character and space positions on a label fixed at twenty four, the upper full name, indicated in Fig. 10, cannot be printed, and the arrangement operates to print solely the initial-G-of the first Christian name GEORGIA. The examination of the extent of the full name is effected when the corresponding six-unit signals derived from signals generated by scanning of the columns of the punched card are read into the solumns of memory means 121(1), 121(2) ... , Fig. 7, each column having an auxiliary memory device 130(0), 130(1)... associated with it and receiving a read-in pulse through its coil 132(0), 132(1), 132(2) . . . when the associated column does not have a character stored thereon. These read-in pulses are applied from the auxiliary memories 130 and a valve 202 to a counter 203 producing an output over conductor 204 to a flip-flop circuit 205 when four or more pulses have been counted. The circuit 205, normally conducting in its left-hand section, provides a negative bias to the grids of valves 139(7) ... 139(12), forming a continuation of the sequence 139(1), 139(2), 139(3) shown in Fig. 8, which are thereby prevented from being operated by synchronizing pulses over conductor 180, and effecting the switching-over of associated flip-flops, similar to 140(1), 140(2) . . ., controlling the reproduction of corresponding characters. For the upper name, four pulses will not have been passed to the counter 203, the flip-flop 205 is not switched, and during the read-out of the memories, those associated with the characters GEORGIA in positions seven to twelve will not be read, and solely the memory corresponding to the initial letter G will be read and printed. For the lower name, more than four pulses will be derived from the auxiliary memories 130, the counter 203 will be stepped to its final position, and provide a pulse over conductor 204 to change over flip-flop 205 so that its left-hand side is non-conducting to provide a positive bias for the valves 139(7) . . . 139(12) which are allowed to become conducting in succession in response to the synchronizing pulses over conductor 180 to switch the associated flip-flops 140 to effect read-out and reproduction of any characters which may appear in any or all of the positions seven to twelve of the punched card. If no character is included at position 14, corresponding to a second initial, two additional pulses are fed to the counter 203 since the omission of a second initial provides, in effect, two additional letter spaces in respect of the evaluation of the total length of the name of the addressee. A similar arrangement can be incorporated in connection with the further printed lines pertaining to the actual addressname of street, with number of house, and name of town in conjunction with state, &c. Specifications 711,497, 711,498, 792,861, 792,862 and 816,434 also are referred to.