Patent GB-897108-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to printing apparatus
IPC: B41L47/42
Filed: 1958-06-17
Abstract: 897,108. Addressing machines. FABBRICA ITALIANA MACCHINE AZIENDALI. June 17, 1958 [July 24, 1957], No. 19366/58. Class 100(2) A machine for printing data of a permanent nature and data of a variable nature, the permanent data being contained on metallic printing plates fed to the machine and the variable data being expressed by perforated cards also fed to the machine, has means whereby each perforated card controls the positioning of type wheels adjacent to the printing position to which the printing plates are fed so that data contained on one of the plates is printed simultaneously and on the same paper or other matter as the data contained on a corresponding card. Printing surfaces. Each printing plate 91, Fig. 10, has the permanent data embossed thereon (shown in heavy type) and has a perforated card 90, which supplies the variable data, detachably secured thereto by the operator before being fed into the machine. The plate also carries selection marks 93 and a tab 92 which can be sensed by a device on the machine whereby no printing is effected by unwanted plates if the machine is set to print from selected plates only. Addressing machines. The plates 91 are stacked in a magazine 3, Figs. 2, 4, mounted on a plane working-surface 1 of the machine and are fed successively along a plate guide 6, through a position 7 to a position 8 where the selecting marks 93 and tab 94 are detected by feelers 34, a position 9 where the data on the card 90 is read by a reading head 5, an intermediate position 10 and a printing position 11. The plates are ultimately discharged, at a position 14, into a collecting box 15. The paper upon which printing is to be effected is fed from a roll 19 transversely across the top of the working-surface 1 so as to overlie both the position 11 of the plate guide 6 and an adjacent position 12 at which there is situated an "under bench printing system", for printing by means of type wheels, of the kind described in Specification 885,648. An inking tape 16 carried by reels 17, 18 is interposed between the paper and the surface 1. An arm 4 supports a vertically movable impression member 39 above the paper and above the positions 11, 12. Feeding of the plates along the guide 6 is effected by the device described in Specification 897,107 comprising reciprocating bars 59, 66 disposed at the edges of the guide and carrying upstanding teeth 67-69, 76-79, 81, 82 which engage the trailing edges of the plates. The drive to the bars 59, 66 is such that one bar advances the plates while the other returns to its rearmost position; thus in Fig. 4 the bar 59 is in its retracted position and the bar 66 is in its advanced position, having just moved plates from the magazine 3 to the position 7, from position 7 to position 8, from position 8 to position 9, from position 9 to position 10 and from position 11 to position 12, position 11 being left empty. As the bar 59 advances from the Fig. 4 position it moves a plate from the position 10 to the position 11, from position 12 to a position 13 and from position 13 to the discharge position 14, positions 10 and 12 being left empty. During the first half-cycle of the machine the plate at the position 9 has its attached card 91 read by the reading head 5 and is moved to position 10; during the second half-cycle the plate is moved from position 10 to position 11, by which time the type-wheels of the "under bench printing system" at position 12 have been set in accordance with the reading taken by the head 5 from the card 91, and the impression member 39 is lowered so as to transfer an impression from the plate and from the type wheels simultaneously through the inking tape 16 to the paper. The printing effected by the type wheels may be of a numerical nature as shown in Fig. 10, in which case after a number of plates has been fed through the machine a "total" plate may be sent along the guide 6. This plate carries marks which are detected at the position 8. The feelers 34 cause the total(s) of the numbers printed in response to the preceding cards 90 to be indicated by the type wheels of the "under bench printing unit", the totals having been calculated by an accumulator of the type described in Specification 836,818 which is coupled to the machine, and also energize a solenoid mounted on the impression member 39. On energization of the solenoid the portion of the impression surface overlying the position 11 is raised slightly above the level of the corresponding portion overlying the position 12. Thus when the "total" plate reaches position 11 and the impression member is lowered an impression is taken from the type wheels only.