Patent GB-953229-A (GB)
Title: Embossing machines
IPC: B41J3/38
Filed: 1961-05-01
Abstract: 953,229. Selective embossing machines. ADDRESSOGRAPH-MULTIGRAPH CORPORATION. May 1, 1961 [June 27, 1960], No. 15672/61. Heading B6F. In a machine having a rotatable head carrying punches and dies for embossing character- &c. on plates P, Fig. 11, and which can be keys operated or controlled for all operations, including feeding and delivering the plates, by perforated tape the punches and dies are certain circumferential positions are formed to emboss a stylized numeral NC and a corresponding code marking CR, whilst others emboss a normal character AC, ON, and the machine is provided with means whereby when the carriage is positioned for embossing the line containing normal characters, operation of the stylized and code punches and dies is prevented. The plates P are intended to be used for printing on record sheets, tabulating cards &c., which are to be scanned for accounting purposes, the code marking being printed in an magnetic ink. The punch and die 27B, 28B, Fig. 8, for each numeral NC and code marking CR is a single element, and such elements are spaced around the periphery of the head with groups of the punches and dies 27A, 28A for the normal in characters between them. The positioning of the head for embossing particular markings is effected by stops 50 connected to key bars 51. Certain of the normal character dies, however, carry shift characters, i.e. numerals or lower case characters, and to position these deis, an additional movement of the head corresponding to the circumferential distance between two normal dies is effected as follows:-the head has two teeth 45T at its lower face engaging two inclined slots 42R in a collar 42 splined to the driving shaft 40, and raised or lowered into one of two positions by an arm 70 attached to a rockshaft 73. The lower position shown in Fig. 8 is the shift position wherein a stop 50 will select a shift character, but if the collar 42 is raised, the head is given the additional movement mentioned, and a stop 50 will select a non-shift character or a stylized numeral. The carriage 65, Fig. 11, has jaws 66 holding the plate P, and is line-spaced by a rack-and-pinion mechanism 90, 92. When the card is positioned for the embossing of the " line " of numeral and code markings NC, CR, a cam member 94 on the shaft 93 operates a two-way switch 100 to energize an electromagnet 81, Fig. 9, which causes a lever 88 to move clockwise, this preventing any shaft movement as described later. When the carriage 65 moves to position the plate for embossing of the line of normal characters AC, ON, the switch 100 opens to de-energize the electromagnet 81 and closes to energize an electromagnet 105, Fig. 10, which operates to prevent operation of any of the stylized and code dies at this position. To this end, those links 106 associated with the key bars 51 of such dies have slots 132 receiving a bail bar 130 connected to the armature of the magnet 105. Normal operation of a link 106 is effected as described in Specification 688,532 by a lever 110 having a pin 115 engaging the closed end of a slot 107 and the link 106. Energization of the magnet 105 causes movement of the slotted links 106 to the right so that vertical slots 133 are aligned with the pins 115 which can move idly therein without operating the link. Shift is effected when an electromagnet 80, Fig. 9, is energized to cause links 75, 76 to rotate the shaft 73 and thus move the collar 42 to its lower position, and a latch 87 on the lever 88 is effective to hold the parts of this position. Energization of the electromagnet renders the latch 87 inoperative and 81 thus prevents shift taking place. The letter-spacing between the coded characters NC, CR is greater than that between the normal characters NO and to effect this two character spacing racks 140-141, 140-142, Fig. 12, are provided one or other of which is engaged with the usual escapement pawl 142. The racks are carried by a plunger 145 urged to the left by a spring 146 and abutting a leg of a U-shaped bracket 150 whose other leg 151 abuts against a spring-pressed plunger 152 carried by an arm 154 depending from the carriage 65. When the carriage moves to the left from the position in which the code characters are embossed and the rack 140-141 is operative, the plunger 145 is permitted to move to the left to bring the rack 140-142 into operative position so that a closer character-spacing is obtained. The raised surfaces of the embossed characters may be distinctively coloured by passing the plates to a position where a film bearing a pigment is pressed against the embossed characters by a heated platen. Specification 688,532 and U.S.A. Specification 2,115,456 are referred to.