Patent GB-1050650-A (GB)
IPC: G06C11/00
Abstract: 1,050,650. Selective printing. NATIONAL CASH REGISTER CO. Dec. 21, 1964 [Jan. 30, 1964], No. 51794/64. Heading B6F. In apparatus for printing on a record card in predetermined columnar fields, electromagnets are operated to lower stops into the forward transport path of the card to arrest the card in positions where printing is to occur. The electromagnets are energized via a manual switch and held over a cam controlled switch. Operation of a second switch by contact of the card with the stop enables a second cam controlled switch which after printing takes place would normally reverse the direction of transport of the card to feed it to an exit. If however there is a further electromagnet operated indicating that a further stop is down, i.e. that a further printing operation in another field is to take place a switch controlled by this magnet disables the second cam controlled switch whereby transport of the card takes place in the same direction as before. The apparatus is also provided with further selectively operable devices operable concommitantly with certain of the the stops to cause a shifting device to shift the second media in a direction transverse to the direction of feed whereby printing at a different level may take place in selected columnar fields. The invention is described in relation to a machine designed to print magnetic records on punched cards of various types, where it is sometimes necessary to print below the " nines " level of the punched positions to avoid mutilation of the magnetic characters by the punched holes. Provision is also made, for use with certain types of card, to shift certain printing fields laterally to avoid over-printing of existing recordings, or mutilation by notches in the side of the card. Feeding documents to printer, Fig. 5.-Documents inserted into the mouth 92 are engaged, by pressure rollers 111 which press the document into engagement with off-set rollers 87 to move the document backwardly towards a back rail 128 and therealong to the printing mechanism. Pressure between the rollers 111, 87 is normally maintained by spring 272 operating on lever 270 and disengagement is effected by operation of " eject " solenoid 97, Fig. 4, which rotates shaft 102 which rotates arm 273 anticlockwise to engage lever 270 and rock the roller 111 out of engagement with its associated drive roller. A second set of pressure rollers 111 is located adjacent the printing mechanism and are controlled by a further " eject " solenoid 98, Fig. 20, which causes a raised portion 127 of a slide to engage a stud 124 to rock arm 122 to raise the roller 111 out of engagement with its drive roller. Printing assembly.-This comprises four document stop assemblies 129 ... 132 corresponding to the various printing fields. Energization of solenoid 135, Figs. 6, 7 withdraws plunger 137 to rock arm 145 counterclockwise to disengage a stud 150 from the member 151 enabling stop 133 to be lowered to stop the document. Stem 155 of the stop lever engages the lower end of lever 149. Stud 156 rotates lever 148 to cause a stud 158 to be disengaged from lever 149 to leave the latter under control of the stop member. Lever 148 also operates, via stud 159, a switch providing a locking circuit for the solenoid 135. When the document contacts the stop 133, member 155 disengages from the lever 149 to allow switch 147 to operate and initiate the printing operation, by actuation of a clutch 160 (Fig. 3). Document delivery.-After the printing operation is complete, " eject " solenoids 97 and 98 are energized to rock pressure rollers 95 into engagement with drive rollers 95 which return the document along its original path to a storage bin to the left of Fig. 3. E.g. in the case of Fig. 20 operation of solenoid 98 rotates lever 122 to rock roller 95 downwards. Vertical Displacement of printing field, Figs. 3, 4.-Rotation of the cam 188 causes a follower 187 to reciprocate a member 182 having a hooked portion 189. When movement of the field is desired a " drop print " solenoid 179 is engaged to pull in the plunger 181 thereby moving the member 182 to the left so that it hooks over the stud 203. During the downward portion of the reciprocating stroke lever 190 is thereby rotated clockwise, so that the link 198 rotates a bell-crank 201 counterclockwise, so that its lower end engages the document and moves it towards the front of the machine to produce the required shift of printing field. Horizontal displacement of printing field, Figs. 7, 8.-The stop assemblies 129 ... 132, Fig. 3, are mounted on base-plates 136. The printing fields associated with the outermost base-plates may require shifting to the left, i.e. the base-plates require shifting to the right. This is achieved by operation of solenoid 163 which actuates a lever 177 to move stop 175 fastened to the right-hand base-plate 136. This plate is moved to the right by an amount determined by a slot 176 in support member 164 through which the stud 175 passes. A link 169 moves with the right-hand base-plate to move the left-hand plate 136 which carries a stud 171 in a slot 170 in the link thereby introducing some lost motion which reduces the amount of movement of this plate. Control circuits.-A control panel contains inter alia the following switches. For each printing field a " momentary " on and off switch and a " field memory " switch. Switches for enabling the various types of document to be catered for are also provided. The operator operates " momentary " switches corresponding to the fields to be printed in. This energizes the appropriate stop solenoids which then lock over contacts 146 described above. The operator then feeds the relevant information via a keyboard into the computer and when it has been processed the operator inserts the document which is carried to the first stop (i.e. for " amount " printing) to operate switch 147 which leaves the stop solenoid dependent on a first cam operated switch. Switch 147 operates a solenoid which initiates printing and operates a clutch controlling the cam shaft. Later in the cam cycle said first cam operated switch opens the circuit for the stop solenoid to withdraw the stop and allow the document to proceed to the next printing field, and so on. A relay (214) is normally operated when any switch 146 is operated. When the printing is complete and all stop solenoids are de-energized relay 214 is released so removing an inhibition on a circuit controlled by a further cam switch to operate the " eject " solenoids to cause transport of the document to the storage bins. An " exit " switch momentarily operated by the document causes all stop solenoids corresponding to the operated field memory switches to reoperate in preparation for the next document. The " momentary " switch can be used to vary the programme on the field memory switches by switching in or out the various stop solenoids. A manually operated " short card " (Fig. 18) switch causes the operation of a relay which when the card reaches a stop associated with a printing field required to be displaced vertically allows a cam operated switch to energize the " drop print " solenoid. A " standard punched card " switch completes circuits for a further relay which energizes the drop print solenoid for all fields except the amount field. A " continuous form punched card " switch operates a further relay which in addition to causing the drop print solenoid to operate as required also operates the lateral print shift solenoid when appropriate stop solenoids are also operated.