Patent GB-672066-A (GB)
Abstract: 672,066. Postal-franking machines; typewriters &c. PITNEY-BOWES, Inc. April 5, 1950, No. 8584/50. Classes 100 (ii) and 100 (iv). [Also in Group XIX] In a value printing device for a postage metering machine, in which one or more value printing wheels 11 are mounted in a printing drum 10 carried by a rotatable shaft 12, each printing wheel 11 is operatively connected with an associated rack bar 21 slidably mounted in a longitudinal recess 22 of the drum shaft 12, and the rack bar 21 is settable by a gear 34 meshing with a group of rack bar teeth 35, circumferential grooves 39 being provided on the drum shaft 12 to receive teeth of the gear 34 during rotation of the drum shaft and thereby maintain the setting of the gear during the printing operation. The type wheels 11 are mounted on a shaft within the drum 10 and each wheel is driven through suitable gearing from one of the rack bars 21. The value setting means comprises setting levers 28 pivotally mounted on a shaft 29. Two of the levers 28 are provided with externally toothed segments. 31 meshing with gears 32, 32a (Fig. 3) mounted on coaxial shafts 33, 33a respectively. These shafts carry at their opposite ends further gears 34, 34a each meshing with one of a pair of rack bars 21. The second pair of rack-bars 21 is mounted on the opposite side of the drum shaft 12 and these bars are similarly connected through gears 37, 37a, coaxial shafts 38, 38a, and gears 36, 36a with internally toothed segments 31a of corresponding levers 28. Manual adjustment of the levers 28 thus effects longitudinal adjustment of the rack bars 21 to effect setting of the type wheels 11 to the value it is desired to print. The register actuator mechanism includes a sleeve 41 fixed to the shaft 12, and an integral flange portion 40 having radial slots 42 therein to receive radially adjustable teeth 43. A disc 44 is mounted to rotate freely about the sleeve 41 and has a cam slot 46 therein to receive a pin 48 extending from each tooth 43. The cam slot 46 is so arranged that when the disc 44 is rotated, the number of teeth corresponding to the value to be printed will be extended to an operative position. The disc 44. is formed with an integral skew bevel gear 47 which can be rotated by a bevel pinion 49 mounted on a shaft 51 supported in bearings 52 extending from a flange 40 of an adjacent actuator. The shaft 51 of each actuator also carries a pinion 53 which meshes with a central group of teeth on its associated rack bar 21. The registering mechanism includes a group of numeral accumulator wheels 55 carried on a shaft 56 and driven through gears 57, 58, 59, 61 (Fig. 3). Thus when a chosen value is set up in the type wheels 11 by means of the setting levers 28, the corresponding number of teeth 43 are projected to a position in which they can engage with the gear 61, and a cycle of operation will cause the printing and registration of the set value. In order to maintain the tooth spaces of the rack teeth 35 in alignment with the grooves 39 in the shaft 12 to permit free rotation of the shaft 12, a pair of jaws 66, 66a are provided, to co-operate with a V-groove in the drum shaft and V-grooves 65 in the rack bars 21. The jaws 66, 66a have arms 67, 67a extending therefrom and are pivotally supported on studs 68, 68a. respectively (Fig. 6).' Each jaw has a semicircular mouth 69, 69a shaped in cross-section to fit within the V-grooves 65. The jaws are opened and closed by means of a rocker plate 71 pivoted at 72 and provided with cam slots 73, 73a which are engaged by pins 74, 74a respectively, projecting from the jaw arms 67, 67a. The rocker plate 71 is moved to and fro by means of a pair of disc cams 76, 79, which co-operate with pins 75, 82 projecting from the rocker plate.. Fig. 6 shows the jaws in closed position in which they remain until the shaft 12 and disc cams 76, 79 have made a complete anti-clockwise revolution, when a projection 81 on cam 79 engages with pin 82 to shift it to the right, the other pin 75 falling into a notched portion 78 of the cam 76.