Patent GB-478669-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to addressing and like series printing machines
IPC: B41L47/58
Filed: 1936-07-23
Abstract: 478,669. Addressing and like machines; stopping and tripping arrangements; feeding webs. ADDRESSOGRAPH-MULTIGRAPH CORPORATION. July 23, 1936, No. 20425. Convention date, Aug. 12, 1935. [Classes 100 (i) and 100 (ii)] An addressing or like series-printing machine comprises normally-inactive mechanisms for feeding address-plates and control devices to identifying positions, normally-active operating-mechanisms for the feeding-mechanisms, and mechanism' co-operating with tabs or perforations on the address-plates to cause operation of the machine consequent on the simultaneous presence in identifying positions of corresponding plates and control devices. The latter may comprise master cards and related subordinate cards in the same stack, an address-plate being provided for each master card only. (1) Address-plates are fed from a magazine 40, Figs. 7 and 9, by fingers 44a on a chain 44 intermittently advanced by a pawl 46 carried by an oscillating bell-crank 47 and normally retained in an inoperative position by a lever 61 adapted to be withdrawn by a solenoid 57 ; by actuating a hand-lever 63, the lever 61 may be held in the withdrawn position to allow continuous feed of plates. The plates move into identifying, selecting, and printing positions F-H respectively, in succession. The solenoid 57 is energized whenever a feeler passes through a special perforation in a control card in selecting position. (2) Printing is effected through an ink-ribbon by a platen P carried by an arm 70, Figs. 7 and 9, oscillated about a pivot 48 by cams 74, 75 fixed to a sleeve 76 mounted on a main driving-shaft 32, the sleeve being rotated whenever a solenoid 77 is energized and draws down a lever 79 so as to release a detent 82 from a cam 84 which then moves to the right and withdraws an arm 86 normally preventing movement of a coupling- lever 88 into operative position. (3) Control cards adapted to control a tabulating machine are fed from a magazine 301, Fig. 12, by a pusher 304, then past feelers 308 in an identifying position F<1> by a pusher 307, and past feelers 318 in a selecting position G<1> by a pusher 317. The pusher 304 is reciprocated by a pivoted lover 332 actuated by a cam 325 which is coupled to a rotary driving-disc 387 by a claw 385 whenever a solenoid 377 is energized so as to release a lever 383 normally disengaging the claw. The cards may be in groups comprising a number of subsidiary cards followed by a master-card, each card being compared with the corresponding addressplate. (4) Switches 120, Fig. 9, corresponding to the tab positions on the address-plates are mounted in a block 121 rocked about a pivot 122, any one switch being operated whenever a corresponding lever 124 encounters a tab. Each address-plate is mounted in a holder having tabs to represent a four-figure number ; in the case of the tabs representing units, tens, and hundreds, certain figures require an additional tab, the control cards having perforations, and certain figures requiring an additional perforation. The feelers 308 passing through perforations in the cards close parallel primary circuits acting as relays to close switches in circuits containing the switches affected by the tabs, these circuits being in series. When the card and the plate correspond, a circuit is established through the card perforation in the thousands column to the switch operated by the tab in the thousands column, then through the hundreds perforation to the hundreds tab, and so on. If the perforations and tabs do not correspond, the circuit is not completed. (5) The circuit established by the identifying-units energizes a solenoid inititating the card-feed; also, the solenoid opens a switch in a circuit to a solenoid controlling a clutch which would otherwise be operated to stop the machine. The various circuits include switches operated by timing cams on the main shaft 32. Where some of the address-plates are to be skipped, a supplementary circuit is used under the control of perforations in the master-cards. Also, the machine may be set for repeat impressions in which case cams on a half-speed shaft interrupt the automatic stop, card-feed, and plate-feed circuits during the cycle when the second impression is printed. (6) A mechanical selector is provided for use when the machine is used for addressing only. Selector pins 95, Fig. 9, are mounted in an arm 96 pivoted at 105 to an arm 97 oscillated from the shaft 48. When tabs are encountered, the arm swings anticlockwise and pulls on a rod 81 to cause actuation of the coupling-lever 88. (7) When used for printing invoices, sheets separated from a stack by suction are fed through the machine by conveyer bands. Each sheet is arrested in two consecutive positions to receive two impressions from the same address-plate by stop-arms lowered in succession into the path of the sheets. The sheet-feed is actuated only when a printing operation takes place. (8) The machine may print simultaneously on two webs W<1>, W<2>, Fig. 2, unwinding from rolls 183 and passing over guide rollers 190 to feed rollers 194, thence in superposed relationship over a printing table 147 and thence to take-up rollers 186. The rollers 194, 186 are rotated from bell-cranks 217, 202 which rock segmental gears 216, 207 to rotate the rollers through ratchet mechanism, a spring being interposed so that the feed is not excessive. To align the address with matter printed by the tabulator, spring detector fingers passing through perforations in the webs contact with conductors to energize solenoids which actuate claws moved to engage ratchet discs to stop the feed rollers in correct positions. The machine is stopped if a web breaks or ends, by energization of a solenoid by a feeler normally resting on the web and adapted to make contact with a conductor under the web. Specification 317,490, [Class 100 (ii)], is referred to.