Patent GB-204676-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to printing mechanism, particularly applicable to tabulating machines or like record-cardcontrolled machines
Filed: 1923-05-18
Abstract: 204,676. British Tabulating Machine Co., Ltd., (Assignees of Carroll, F. M.). Sept. 30, 1922, [Convention date]. Type-wheel machines; recordcontrolled electric driving- mechanism. - Selective printing mechanism of the kind described in Specifications 16720/90. 10324/92, 17853/93, and 17991/96, and applicable to tabulating and other machines controlled by record-cards, comprises typemembers pivoted on a rotary carrier, and having the type-faces radial to the pivots of the typemembers, selection being effected by moving abutments into the path of the type-members. The printing-mechanism shown in Figs. ti and 9 is controlled by perforated record-cards R, Fig. 21, which are fed between brushes 35 and contacts 36 in circuit with magnets 102, described below, rotary contact-breakers 105 preventing sparking at the brushes. Type-members 91 are pivoted on wires 90 mounted on and preferably parallel to the axis of a rotary drum 51, the inner ends of the type-members co-operating with cams 85 secured to shaits 84 which are mounted on the drum and are provided with pinions 83 engaging pinions 82 mounted on the end of the drum and engaging a stationary pinion 81. For tabulating- machines controlled by record-cards R having forty-five columns of index-points representing the numerals 0 - - 9, the drum is provided with four hundred and fifty type-members, there being ten wires 90, each supporting forty-five typemembers. The drum is geared to a shaft 45, Fig. 2, driven by a motor M, Fig. 21. The drum performs one revolution as each card passes the brushes and the parts are so timed that when a row of index-points is at the brushes, the typemembers for printing the numeral corresponding to those index-points are at the printing line, means, comprising hooks 111 being provided for swinging the type-members corresponding to perforations in the record-card. The hooks are operated by rods 108 urged upwards by spring- latches 107 which are locked by the armatures 106 of the magnets 102. When perforations are presented, the corresponding magnets 102 release the latches, and the rods move the hooks into the path of lugs 112 on the type-members which thereupon swing for impression. Before impression occurs, the hooks are released by means of a rotary cam-bar 116 co-operating with the ends of the rods. The rods and latches are restored to the normal position by means of a rocking bail 121 engaging projections 109 on the rods. The type-members are normally locked by engagement of depressions 291 therein with the cams 85, recesses 120 in the cams permitting the type-members to swing when at the printing line. Shoulders 85a on the cams restore the typemembers to the normal position. To prevent violent impact of the type-members, they are arranged to swing in direction opposite to that of the drum, the resultant movement being thereby reduced. The impression-surface, which may be a platen roller 115, is preferably arranged substantially radially to the axis of the drum, and facing in the direction of rotation of the drum. The feed-rollers for the record-cards are driven from a shaft 46, Fig. 11, which is in alignment with the shaft 45 and can be coupled thereto by means of a clutch 47 controlled by a projection 47<a> on the armature 60<a> of a magnet 60, the clutch being thrown out when the magnet is deenergized. The controlling-circuits include a starting-key 55, operating a lever 56, Fig. 21, adapted to close contacts 57, in circuit with magnets 59, 60 and contacts 62, 64. On depressing the key, the magnet 59 closes a branch circuit 67 and the key can then be released. When the contacts 39 arc closed by the record-cards, the branch circuit 57 is cut out. A stop-key 70 operating the lever 56 is adapted to open contacts 62, 72, and thereby arrest the machine. A latch 71 retains the lever. The contacts 72 are in circuit with contacts 40, 41 operated by a lever 37 controlled by the record-cards. Line-spacing mechanism; platen rotation for blanking.-After each printing operation, the platen roller 115 receives line spacing movement from a pawl 124, Fig. 2, which co-operates with a ratchet-wheel 123 and is mounted on a lever 125 engaging a cam 126 turning with the drum 51. The lever is held in engagement by means of a link 129 connected to an arm on a shaft 130 supporting the armature of a magnet 77, Fig. 21. When the magnet is de-energized, a spring 132 moves the iever out of contact with the cam, and the line-spacing mechanism is disabled. To separate entries for successive groups of recordcards, a blanking feed initiated by the passage of a stop-card can be imparted to the platen roller, by means of the device shown in Fig. 11. Contacts 64, in circuit with the magnet 60, are normally closed by a cam 139, Fig. 11, secured to a mutilated ratchet-wheel 137, co-operating with a pawl 133 mounted on the shaft 130, and a pawl 135 pivoted on the armature 60<a>, both pawls being normally disengaged. When the circuit of the magnet 60 is broken momentarily by the passage of a stop-card over a lever 38, Fig. 21, controlling contacts 39, the card-feeding shaft 46 is arrested and the pawl 135 is raised by the armature spring 66, and is moved into engagement with the ratchet-wheel by means of a lever 158 operated by the armature 151 of a magnet 75. The pawl 135 turns the ratchet-wheel and cam slightly, the contacts 64 thereby being opened, and the top teeth of the ratchet-wheel being brought into the path of the pawl 133. Thereafter, the cam 126 operates the line-spacing mechanism, the card-feeding mechanism being arrested, and at each operation the pawl 133 advances the ratchet-wheel, the movement continuing until a pin on the ratchet-wheel engages a rocking plate 165 and causes a pin 266 thereon to release a detent 163. A spring then restores the ratchet-wheel and cam to the normal position, and the contacts 64 are closed, thereby restarting the card-feeding shaft. By holding down the key 55, an initial blanking-feed can be imparted to the platen roller, the key being arranged to close contacts 78 in circuit with the magnet 77.