Patent GB-765990-A (GB)
Title: Document jacketing and encoding machine
IPC: G06K17/00
Filed: 1955-03-18
Abstract: 765,990. Records for statistical apparatus. STANDARD TELEPHONES & CABLES, Ltd. March 18, 1955 [March 24, 1954], No. 7949/55. Class 106 (1). Apparatus for inserting documents into jackets in preparation for mechanical processing of the information thereof comprises means for holding a stack of transparent jackets, a jacketloading position, means for feeding one jacket at a time to the loading position, means for feeding the documents one at a time to the loading position, means for inserting the document into the jacket, means for transporting the loaded document to an inspection position for displaying the jacketed document, means for applying coded indicia to the jacket to represent the information of the document and means for removing the loaded jacket from the inspection position. The jackets, Fig. 2, may be similar to those described in Specification 764,747 and comprise sheets of a transparent material, e.g. cellulose acetate spaced apart by bars 4, 5, 6 which form separate upper and lower envelopes. The document, e.g. a cheque, is inserted in the upper envelope and a paper record strip having perforations is inserted in the lower envelope. The document and record strip are engageable when in the jacket through slots 7, 8 and 9, 10 in the walls 2, 3. The outside of the machine is shown in Fig. 1. It has a base 15 and a casing 17 into which the cheques or other documents are inserted in a stack 25. The jackets are inserted in a magazine 27 at the rear of the casing. The controls comprise a " Clear " key 20, a " Perforate " key and coding keys 19 for setting up the coded information for the record strip. Windows 22, 23 show the reverse side and the face respectively of the document inserted in the jacket as described below. The documents stand on edge in the stack 25 and are kept compact by a presser plate 26, Fig. 4. Endless bands 48 passing over spindles 49, 50 run along one side of the stack 25 and the documents are pulled down on to the bands one at a time by a suction tube 61 controlled by a " pneumatic dispenser control " 62. Cleats 59 on bands 48 carry the documents in the direction of the arrow. A spindle 57 is geared to spindle 50 so that they act as forwarding rollers to advance the document into the jacket at the jacket loading position. The jackets 1 are arranged in a pile and are separated one at a time by cleats 46 on parallel endless bands 31 passing over rear spindle 32 and front spindle 35. A front stacking guide 28 holds all but the lowermost jacket which, upon movement of the bands is carried forward to the loading position in line with bands 48. The bands 31 are driven from the rear spindle 32 as shown in Fig. 5. The motor 30 drives a clutch 40 through bevel gears 44, 43 and ordinary gears 42, 41. The clutch 40 is electrically controlled so that the bands are driven when the " Clear " key 20 is pressed and stop when a switch is operated by a, cleat 46 on one of the bands 31. This brings the jacket to the loading position. Suction tubes 37, 38 on either side of the jacket grip the walls 2, 3 thereof and open the envelope ready to receive the document which is forwarded by the bands 48 and roller spindles 50, 57. The spindle 50 is driven from motor 30, as shown in Fig. 5, through electrically controlled clutch 56 and gears 53, 54. This clutch is energized to drive the bands 31 when the switch operated by cleats 46 is operated and is de-energized to stop the bands when a switch 65 is actuated by a cleat thereon. The document is positively inserted in the jacket by a friction wheel 50<SP>1</SP> adapted to engage the document through one of the slots 7, 8 in the jacket walls. The wheel is mounted on a shaft 51 having a geared connection with the shaft 55 and is controlled in position by an arcuate bracket 52<SP>1</SP>. When the shaft 51 is rotated it climbs up the bracket to engage the wheel 501 with the document. When the clutch 56 opens the shaft returns to the lower most position (as shown). The next operation of the " Clear " key causes the loaded jacket to be advanced on to parallel bands 69 on spindles 66, 67. These spindles are mounted in bearings which are slidable in the horizontal and vertical limbs respectively of brackets 68 and are spring- loaded to the position shown. One bearing has an arm 79 attached to it for co-operation with an arm 76 attached to the spindle 77 of a motor 78. When the motor is energized the front spindle 67 is caused to slide down the vertical limbs of the brackets 68 and the rear spindle 66 is accordingly constrained to move forwardly along the horizontal limbs. A gear on spindle 67 co-operates with a rack 81 so that as it is moved it rotates to advance the bands 69. A jacket on the band is thereby caused to be tipped down and to pass end-first through guides 89 into a channelled arm 84-87 of a rotary carrier 83. In this position the reverse side of the document is visible at window 22. The carrier 83 rotates on a shaft 88 driven from a motor 29 through gears and a clutch 91 which is electrically controlled to turn the carrier through a quarter turn during each operating cycle. The carrier starts rotating when the " Clear " key is depressed and is stopped by operation of switch 98 by one of the arms 84-87. When the jacket on the carrier 83 has been turned through 180 degrees it is displaced from the carrier arm by being slidden along edgewise into a fixed channelled holder 105. This is effected by an arm 106 rotating on a shaft 107 driven through clutch 109 energized when switch 98 is actuated by a carrier arm and deenergized by a switch 110 operated by a lug 111 on the shaft 107. When the jacket is in the holder 105 its face is exposed through the window 23 and the operator then sets up the desired coded information on keys 19. A web of paper 113 from a roll 112 is fed by rollers 114 between guide plates 115, 116. Rollers 114 are driven from shaft 88 through a shaft 120. The perforating pins 125 act through these plates and a knife edge 127 on plate 115 serves to sever the strip when the " Perforate " key is pressed. This energizes the magnets to draw the plates together to cause the pins 125 to perforate the strip and to sever the perforated portion. A small friction band 132 coacts with a pad 130 under the action of a magnet to grip the end of the perforated record strip 129 and feed it into the lower envelope of the jacket. The walls of the jacket are pulled apart for this purpose by suction tubes 145. The band 132 is driven by a spindle 133 through gears and clutch 138 by motor 29. Clutch 138 is energized when the " Perforate " key is pressed and released again, and de-energized when a photoelectric cell 141 detects that the strip has wholly passed into the jacket. A friction wheel, similar to wheel 50, may be provided to ensure that the record strip is fully inserted. A photoelectric reading mechanism at the left of the holder 105 reads off the perforated information as the strip is advanced into the jacket and displays its readings at windows 148 (Fig. 1) in the housing. The operator then checks these readings with the information exposed on the face of the document at window 23 and, if they agree, presses the " Clear " key again to move the jacket out of the holder and bring the next jacket into viewing position in the holder. The jacket is lifted out of the holder by bands 150 passing over spindles 151, 120, the bands being therefore driven simultaneously with shaft 88. The completed jacket is guided by guides 158 on to horizontal bands 156 which take it to a receptacle 159. Stacking guides 160 are provided to position the incoming jackets accurately in the receptacle. The several pneumatic controls, clutches and magnets are governed by relay circuits under the control of the " Clear " and " Perforate " keys and switches actuated by the movements of the mechanism as described.