Patent GB-1260678-A (GB)
Title: Digital print-out device
Inventor: ABBIATI ERRORE
IPC: G06C15/06
Filed: 1969-06-11
Abstract: 1,260,678. Printing calculator. ING. C. OLIVETTI & C. S.p.A. 11 June, 1969 [28 June, 1968], No. 29594/69. Heading G4B. A digital print-out device for a calculating machine comprises a mechanical store having a plurality of memory elements in each order adapted to store the value of an order in a code comprising a plurality of digits, and a series of characters for printing out the different values of an order, the characters being so arranged that a selected character is brought to a printing position by moving the characters according to said plurality of code digits, each memory element being arranged to control movement of the characters along a corresponding coordinate. The print-out device is described in combination with a calculator according to patent Specifications 1,196,067 and 1,260,551 wherein an amount is coded in biquinary form and each order stored by two memory elements movable 2 and 5 steps, respectively. The print-out device comprises a series printer sensing each pair of memory elements in turn, the print characters 0-4 and 5-9 being arranged in two side-byside columns which are raised to a position according to the quinary part of the code and moved laterally to a print position by the binary part of the code. The print-out device may be operated by the input keys in which case the operands are taken from the input store and printed or by the total keys in which case an accumulated amount is taken from the total store. The operation is similar in both cases, the input and total keys controlling associated sensing means for the input and total stores. The quinary code bars 26, Fig. 10, have stepped profiles 31 sensed by a pivoted member 32 carrying a plate 118 connected to a vertically movable bar 103 by a pin-and-slot connection 101, 102. The bar 103 and a second vertically movable bar 120 are connected through pin-andslot connections 106, 107 and 123, 124 to a link 108 pivotally mounted on a member 110. In operation, member 110 is pivoted clockwise to raise bar 103 until member 32 engages a step 31 when the bar 120 is raised until stop 119 engages the profiled edge of plate 118. The bars 103, 120 position a pivoted toggle 127 according to the value stored in code bar 26, the toggle moving a slider 133. The latter carries a pair of opposed stepped profiles 221, 222, Fig. 4, pivoting a member 226 an appropriate amount when raised by a cam-controlled lever 259. The member 226 pivots jaws 242, 252 to move a setting bar 256 longitudinally and lift two print bars 327 a corresponding amount. The print bars are held in their selected position by a spring-loaded latch (337), (338), Fig. 2 (not shown), fast with shaft 324. A similar mechanism is provided for sensing the binary code bars, the setting bar controlling a latch plate movable to one of two positions. The latch plate controls the lateral position of the print head through a pin and cam slot connection. Simultaneously with the selection of a character the sensing and printing carriages are moved leftwards by one step under the control of an escapement mechanism comprising a rack 41 and independently movable pawls 54, 77, ready to sense the next pair of code bars. A cam-operated hammer mechanism engages a tail of the selected print bar to print a character.