Patent GB-1058128-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to address-plate embossing machines
Inventor: TERZARIOL RENE EDGARD
IPC: B41J3/38
Filed: 1963-10-29
Abstract: 1,058,128. Selective printing; embossing. L'ADDRESSOPRESSE SOC. ANONYME DES ANCIENS ETABLISSEMENTS KLENE & CIE. Oct. 29, 1963, No. 42667/63. Heading B6F. Type - case machines ; mmhines for embossing metal, paper etc.; sliding members operated to select type face; power assisted type actions; keys operating electric contacts.-A method of embossing alpha-numerical characters on an addressing plate comprises the steps of selectively actuating a plurality of type-carriers 4, Fig. 2, mounted in two facing carrier - holder boxes 1, 2 from which they can be displaced towards the address plate (not shown) mounted on a frame 3 by common impression jaws 9 and determining the particular type-carrier 4 to be actuated by interposing a slidably mounted ball 7 between the jaws 9 and type-carriers 4. In operation depression of a key T (Fig. 9, not shown), closes a pair of contacts T10, T11, which energize appropriate electrical circuits whereby the frame 3 is displaced both in a vertical and horizontal direction in the guideway between the character boxes 1 and 2, to position the address plate opposite the selected type-carrier 4. Vertical displacement of the frame is effected by energization of the appropriate coils H 1 . . . H 13 whereupon the associated horizontal locks 11 are retracted longitudinally from the slots 12 in a casing 8 and the frame 3 is then lowered by the energized cores 15, 16 of electromagnets RH, RK, Fig. 1, until lugs 22, 23 come to rest on the uppermost horizontal lock 11. Simultaneously a character selection lock 34, corresponding to the column in which the selected character is positioned, is raised, the appropriate electromagnet RG, RF energized and the frame 3 displaced horizontally until one of the clicks 32, 33 engages the raised lock 34. The engagement of the clicks 32, 33 with the lock 34 completes a further electrical circuit enabling an electromagnetically operated impression mechanism. Hammer-impression arrangements.-To effect impression of the selected slides 4, Fig. 2, arranged in five rows and nine columns, an appropriate yoke 5 is raised by its associated coil L 1 . . . L 9 (Fig. 3, not shown), and arrested by a catch 10 on the yoke 5 when the catch abuts one of the lower horizontal locks 11, slidable horizontally when actuated by coils H 1 . . H 13 . The displaced yoke 5 positions a pair of interposers 7 against the pair of slides 4 so that when a pair of caliper jaws 9, common to all slides 4 in a row, is pivoted by electromagnets RD, RE (Fig. 4, not shown), only the selected slides are displaced for embossing of the address plate. At the end of the embossing stroke the electromagnets RD, RE are de-energized and the jaws 9 open by spring means (not shown). Letter-spacing arrangements; counting apparatus.-The letter-spacing mechanism comprises a frame-restraining block 35, Fig. 1, which is movably mounted on a slideway 36 and moved by a counting electromagnet 37 against a return spring 38. The block is provided with a series of tens-counting locks 39 which are successively retractable and co-operate with a row 40 of nine units-counting locks 40, which are likewise successively retractable and are supported in a fixed block 41. The first tens-counting lock 39 bears successively on the unit locks before being retracted to leave room for the second tens-lock, and so on, and the block 35 is displaced in successive letter space widths until the end of the line is reached. Line-spacing arrangements.-The frame 3 is moved in line-spacing direction by means of the plunger 14, 15, Fig. 1, of the electromagnets RH, RK, and arrested by lugs 22, 23 which come to rest on one of the horizontal locks 11. The latter are common to vertical character selection and line spacing and an electrical selector switch arrangement S 1  . . . S 9  (Fig. 6, not shown) is provided to energize coils H 1  . . . H 13  in accordance with the position of lines embossed. Alarms, margin and carriage stops, and locking devices.-The restraining block 35 and counting locks 41, Fig. 1, are also used for margin setting. The margin may be preselected by presetting the positions of two selectors S8 and S9 (Fig. 6, not shown), whereby an appropriate coil C1 . . . C9 will cause its associated counting lock 41 to rise, the remainder being retracted, and said raised lock is then ready to receive the first tens-lock 39a, which is fixed abutment of the lock 39a against, e.g., the seventh lock 41 giving a preset margin of seven letter spaces. The margin setting may be varied without disturbing the preset margin by inserting a stylus 76 (Fig. 6, not shown) into one of sockets 77, 78 corresponding to conductors for the coils of units-counting and tens-counting locks 41, 39, respectively, whereby the letter space count starts at a corresponding position on the addressplate differing from the preset margin. At the end of a line which is fifty letter spaces long the penultimate letter space is associated with a pulse which energizes the coil C50 (Fig. 5, not shown) of the last tens-counting lock 39 which cuts off the supply to thereby prevent operation of the embossing jaws 9 so as to warn the operator that the end of the line has been reached. Input arrangements other than keys..-The key actions may be replaced by control means associated with a remotely located tape-reader.