Patent GB-889504-A (GB)
Title: Signal recording apparatus
IPC: H04L17/20
Filed: 1960-04-28
Abstract: 889,504. Printing-telegraph recording apparatus. TELETYPE CORPORATION. April 28, 1960 [May 7, 1959], No. 14876/60. Class 40(3). In signal recording apparatus comprising a plurality of recording elements selectively controlled by successive received signals to perforate or print a record of the signals on a record support which is advanced past the recording elements, these elements are attached to flexible elongated supporting members which in the absence of received signals are held in a laterally flexed position with their attached recording elements out of contact with the record support, but which supporting members are selectively, released from and returned to the laterally flexed position under the control of the received signals so as to execute single lateral vibrations during which the corresponding recording elements are brought into momentary operative contact with the record support to provide the perforated or printed record of the received signals The apparatus is capable of recording successive signals received at any rate up to a maxium rate at which the frequency at which the received signals succeed one another is substanially equal to the natural lateral vibration frequency of the supporting members and attached recording elements. In the arrangement shown for perforating a strip in accordance with the received signals, the apparatus is described in connection with the perforation of a tape according to an 8-unit code with the invariable punching of a feed perforation. Nine punch pins 14 guided in a punch block 16 are connected to links 31 ... 39 with short members 31, 32, 35, 36, 39 operated by reeds 41, 42, 45, 46, 49 controlled by magnets 70 disposed at a lower level relative to four magnets 70 at a higher level operating reeds 43, 44 and two further reeds associated with four longer links 33 34, 37, 38. The received signals are fed to a distributer which operates so that the normally energized magnets 70 are released for the marking elements, and the corresponding reeds, normally held under stress, are released to excite a lateral vibration during which they move the associated punch pins 14 downwardly to perforate the tape 15 fed through a slot 18 between a die-plate 19 and a punch guide-plate 20. The magnet 70 operating the reed 46 and link 36 to punch the feed perforation is invariably released for each received signal combination. The link 36 connected to the feed punch pin 14 is connected to a pivoted lever 109 operating an escapement formed by levers 112, 119 in conjunction with teeth 121 on a feed-wheel 117, mounted on a shaft 130, Fig. 4, driven through a spring 156 connected to a drum 157 intermittently driven from a motor 135 to tension the spring. A gear wheel 155 mounted on the drum 157 meshes with an idler gear 138 driven from a gear 137 on the shaft 136 of the motor 135. The gear 138 is mounted on a platform 139 adjustably biased upwardly by a compression spring 140 and carrying a contact member 144 associated with a fixed contact 145 in the motor circuit. When the spring 156 has been considerably compressed, the idler gear 138 together with its platform 139 moves downwardly to separate contacts 144, 145 so that the circuit of the motor 135 is opened. The shaft 136 of the motor 135 carries a friction disc moved into engagement with a fixed disc when the contacts 144, 145 open so that the spring 140 is unable to effect reverse rotation of the shaft 136 and raise the idler gear 138 to reclose the contacts 144, 145 until the tension of the spring 156 has been considerably reduced. In the position shown in Fig. 1, with the link 36 in its released position, the pawl 119 is in engagement with a tooth 121 of the feed wheel 117. When the associated magnet 70 is energized, the lever 119 is moved away from a tooth 121, the lever 112 is moved down to engage between the teeth 121 and the wheel 117 is moved forward by the spring 156 connected to shaft 130 until the lever 112 engages the fixed stop 116, to provide the feed movement of the punched tape. The unpunched tape 15 is fed to the punch block 16 by means of a roller 91 driven from a motor (not shown) and a gripping roller 93 mounted on a spring-biased arm 95, and a loop of the tape passes over a pin 106 on a lever 105 mounted on a rotatable shaft 104 and biased by a spring 105a. The shaft 104 carries a cam 103 associated with an arm 101 carrying a contact 99 which can be brought into engagement with a fixed contact 100. When the loop in the tape 15 fed to the punch block 16 becomes taut, the cam 105 is rotated to close contacts 99, 100 in the operating circuit of the motor (not shown), driving the roller 91 to feed unpunched tape and restore the loop. The punch pins 14 may be replaced by members which print selective combinations of dots or similar marks on a tape.