Patent GB-402432-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to portable machines for recording numbers and the like
IPC: B41K3/48
Filed: 1932-03-04
Abstract: 402,432. Recording - apparatus. BARKER, C. E. S., The Cloisters, Bickley, Kent, and SUTTON, G. J., 14, Victoria Street, London. March 4, 1932, No. 6607. [Class 106 (iv). In a portable recording-machine of the kind comprising a casing formed with an opening through which type separate from the machine may extend into a printing position within the machine, an inking-ribbon or the like at the printing position, pressure-applying means for pressing a sheet or sheets of paper and the ribbon against the type, paper-feeding mechanism, and a manual operating-device for operating the pressure-applying means and the paper-feeding mechanism so as to line-space the paper at each printing operation, an auxiliary means is provided for feeding the paper sheet or sheets to an extent greater than the usual line-spacing movement so that blank heading-spaces may be provided at intervals on the sheet or sheets. The casing comprises two side walls 20, an integral bottom wall 21, a door 22 for the top and back pivoted at 23, and a door 24 for the front pivoted at 25. A handle 26 is pivoted at 27 on the door 24, and the casing is completely closed by a pin 28 which passes through lugs on the door 22 and through the handle. The machine co-operates with type slugs each mounted on a base having an upstanding ear at each end. The base is secured to the side or top of an article such as a cask or case, and the slug carries the serial number of that article. Locating-lugs are provided on the door 24 to register the position of the base and slug in relation to a window 30 in the door 24. Another window 31 in the door 24 enables the user to write further particulars on the sheets. A framework comprising two side frames 39, 40 connected by cross members supports the mechanism of the machine. Three rolls of paper, the upper one of plain paper and the two lower ones of carbonbacked paper, are supported by spring supports 46 on the back door 22 of the casing. The webs are provided with sets of perforations in a certain relation to pre-printed matter which is to form headings for sheets cut from the webs, and pins carried by a spring plate on the rear door 22 engage a set of perforations to register the webs when these are first threaded through the machine ; on closing the front door 24 a cam member lifts up and retains the pins from the webs. The webs, with the plain web positioned on the inside, pass over a guideplate 53, past the window 30, in front of a plate 41 which acts as a backing for the window 31, and are guided between a set of feed rolls 54, 61, and pass down a curved guide-shoot 56 and out through a gap 57 between the rear door and bottom wall 21 of the casing. The feed rolls 54, 61 are geared together, and the latter is carried in spring-pressed bearings supported on the front door 22. The feed roll 54 is geared to a master-shaft 67 to which is secured a pair of ratchet-wheels 68 one at each end, a ratchet-wheel 69, and a non-return ratchet-wheel 70. A main operating-handle 72 is connected to an eccentric 74 which is adapted to actuate through an eccentric strap and link an arm 76 secured to a shaft 77, which is under the action of a coil spring so that one complete rotation of the handle 72 will rock the shaft 77 backward and forward. An arm 79 secured to the shaft 77 co-operates with an arm 80 pivoted on the plate 41. The pivot of the arm 80 also carries a pair of resilient blades 82 which carry a roller 83. When the shaft 77 is rocked the roller 83 is swung across the window 30 to press the webs against the type slug projecting through the window so that an impression is made on each of the two innermost of the three webs each time the main handle 72 is rotated. An arm 85 is secured to the end of the shaft 77 and has a spring- retained pawl 86, provided with a projection 89, pivoted on its end adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 69 mounted on the mastershaft 67. When the shaft 77 is oscillated the pawl 86 is retracted and the projection 89 thereon rides up an abutment 90 positioned so that although the pawl is retracted more than one tooth space the ratchet-wheel 69 will only be fed forward one tooth space to drive the rolls 54, 61 to feed the paper forward one line space. The ratchet-wheel 69 is provided with teeth 88 corresponding in number to the number of impressions to be made on each sheet to be cut from the webs. When the last but one impression has been taken the parts will be in the position shown in Fig. 9, and on rotation of the handle 72 the pawl 86 will be moved upwardly but on returning it will move into the cut-away part of the wheel to disengage the projection 89 from the abutment 90. Any further attempt to operate the machine by the main handle 72 will result in the projection 89 on the pawl abutting the lower surface of the abutment 90. Further operation of the machine is effected by an auxiliary handle 73 connected to an eccentric 93 which actuates through an eccentric strap and link a lever 95 secured on a shaft 96. A link 98 is pivoted to the free end of the lever 95 and is urged downwardly by a spring. A similar link 98 is situated at the opposite end of the machine. Each link is provided with a tooth 101 co-operating under the action of a leaf-spring 99 with one of the ratchet-wheels 68. Each ratchet-wheel is provided with one special tooth 103 which is higher than the rest. When the auxiliary handle 73 is rotated once the links 98 are lifted to rotate the master-shaft 67 to feed the paper strips through a number of line-spaces. When, on further rotations of the handle 73, the special teeth 103 are brought into alignment with the teeth 101 the downward movement of the links will not be sufficient to allow the teeth 101 to snap over the teeth 103 on account of the length of the latter, and no further rotation of the master-shaft can take place by the auxiliary handle 73. When this occurs, however, the paper strips are cut into sheets by means of a knife. Also at this point the pawl 86 has been brought into working position by a cam surface 104 on the ratchet wheel 69, and the paper strips can be fed by means of the main handle 72. The shearing-device comprises a saw-edged knife 105 adapted to be moved upwardly towards a fixed blade 112. A pawl 113 is pivoted at the lower end of each link 98 and is spring-pressed against a stop 114. Lugs 110 on supporting-plates for the knife 105 extend so that they can be engaged by the pawls 113 and moved upwardly when the special teeth 103 on the ratchet-wheels 69 are in alignment with the teeth 101 on the links 98. When it is desired to record a number of impressions which is less than the number of teeth on the ratchetwheel 69, the main handle 72 is rotated the requisite number of times and then the auxiliary handle is operated. According to the Provisional Specification instead of employing carbon-backed webs of paper, inking-ribbons may be attached to the side frames 39, 40 to extend transversely between the webs.