Patent GB-961318-A (GB)
Abstract: 961,318. Ticket printing machines. LICENTIA PATENT-VERWALTUNGS-G.m.b.H. Feb. 8, 1961 [Feb. 23, 1960; Feb. 24, 1960; March 24, 1960], No.4683/61. Addition to 857,502. Heading G4T. [Also in Division B6] A ticket printer in which a number of printing plates are linked together to form a band as described in the parent Specification, is characterised in that a reciprocating head, carrying fare and adding mechanisms, is mounted above the selection position of the printing plates and contains movable racks controlled by a pin panel for setting the fare and adding mechanisms, and in that a printing carriage acting as an inserter printing bed and ejector for the ticket blank, is movable transversely so as to travel under the printing plate band. Tickets are printed from selectable plates, Fig. 5, hinged together to form a band 35, Fig. 1. Each plate comprises cut-out portion 62 for the passage of fare-printing wheels &c. Perforations 63 operate special counters, and further perforations 64 represent code numbers for controlling punching of a record strip. An additional fare plate 22, facilitating modifications when fares are changed, controls fare-printing wheels for the ticket and record strip. The band 35 of printing plates 21 is wound by a crank handle 37, acting through a coupling wheel 38 and shaft 58, until the desired printing plate is in position as indicated by a counter 80 driven via a flexible shaft 73 by a toothed wheel 71 engaging teeth 72 on the printing plates. When a blank ticket 9 is placed on a seating 26 of the printing carriage 25 a light beam from a lamp 39 is interrupted causing a photo-electric device 40 to energize a relay 41 which attracts an armature 43, disengaging the coupling wheel 38 from driving shaft 58 and engaging it with a gear wheel 45 controlling the printing cycle. Movement of the crank handle 37 now operates the main drive shaft 48 through a gear chain 47. At the beginning of the printing cycle a cam gear 49 coacts with upright guides 24 to lower a printing head 4 and adding mechanism 5 so that a fare print mechanism 13 and serial numbering mechanisms 7, 10 pass through apertures in the printing plate 21 and become level with a season ticket stamp 12. Perforations in the fare plate 22, adjoining the printing plate 21, allow resilient pins from pin panels 14, 15 to pass through, whilst the absence of a hole pushes a pin upwards, the raised pins from panel 15 passing through a slot 84 in a perforated plate 83 and directly piercing a record strip 74. A cam 52 acting through linkage 54, 53, 57 then allows racks 17, corresponding to the number of digits in the fare, to be displaced by associated springs 55 until they are arrested by the raised pins from panel 14. The racks engage the toothed wheels of the adding mechanism 5 and cause the corresponding fare to be entered therein. Additional teeth on the racks set the fare mechanism 13 for the printing of ticket 9 and a book-keeping strip 11. A cam 50 operating through links 51 then slides the printing carriage 25 carrying the inserted ticket, on rollers 28 in guide rails 29, into the machine beneath the printing plate 21, a resilient inking mechanism 34 simultaneously inking the printing plate, fare and numbering wheels. The head is then moved a small amount vertically downwards by the cam means 49 so that printing takes place. During the last part of the working cycle the printing head 4 rises, advancing the serial numbering wheels 7, 10 and book-keeping strip 11 by one step, and the printed ticket is returned to an accessible portion at the front of the machine.