Patent GB-629421-A (GB)
Abstract: 629,421. Accounting-machines. NATIONAL CASH REGISTER CO. July 9, 1947, No. 18107. Convention date, March 6, 1941. [Class 100 (iv)] [Also in Group XIX] In an accounting or similar calculating-machine including devices for printing on record material bearing spaces, each comprising the same number of printing lines, the paperfeeding means can be manuallyoperated to cause the record material to be line-spaced backwardly and forwardly to select a printing line and is automatically operated to feed the material from any line on which a print was last made to the first printing line of the next space. As applied to a machine of the general type described in Specification 447,481, the feeding means comprise rollers 242, Fig. 7, mounted on a driven shaft 373 and coacting with spring- pressed rollers 241. The manual-control means consist of a hand-lever 354 connected by links 368, 370, 371 to a lever 372 freely mounted on the shaft 373 and carrying two integral pawls 374,375 adapted to engage ratchet-wheels 385, 410 respectively for forward or back spacing. The pawls are normally held away from the wheels by a pin 376, Fig. 8, thereon held between two projections 379, 380 on arms 381, 382 connected by a spring 383 and engaging a fixed rod 384. Upon movement of the lever 354 to the right, the lever 372 moves clockwise and the pawl 374, through the action of parts 376, 380 is moved into engagement with the ratchet 385 to line-space the record material forwardly. Reverse movement of the lever. 354, causes the pawl 375 to engage the ratchet 410 and backspacing occurs. The lever 354 is retained in its neutral position by means of plates 358, 359 slotted to engage guide pins 365, 366 and connected by a spring 360, the pin 366 being attached to the lever 354. A retaining pawl 386 engages a serrated disc 387 fixed to the shaft 373, the pawl being lifted during automatic operation of the feed mechanism by link mechanism 390 ... 393 operated from a cam 394 on the printing-shaft 395. The automatic feeding-mechanism, which operates after the printing of a total, is as shown adapted to deal with record material wherein each space consists of three printing lines. It includes a ratchet-wheel 411, Fig. 9, fixed to the shaft and having tooth spaces equivalent to three of the tooth spaces of the ratchet-wheels 385, 410. Normal operation of the wheel 411 by its pawl 414 will feed the material three line spaces, but if the wheels 385, 410 have already been operated, the wheel 411 will have moved relatively to its pawl a corresponding amount and thus operation of the pawl will take account of this, and will always bring the material to the first line of the next space. The pawl 414 is carried by a lever 412 free on the shaft and is normally held away from the wheel 411 by the engagement of an arm 416 thereon with a recess in an arm 418 free on the shaft 373 and held by a spring 419 against a fixed rod 384. A spring-controlled lever 420 is notched to engage a pin 421 on the lever 412 and at its lower end carries a pin 422 engaging a slot 423 in a link 424 reciprocated by cams 428, 429 on the shaft 395 so as to oscillate the arm 412 and cause the pawl 414 to engage and actuate the ratchet-wheel 411. To render the automatic feed inoperative when certain control keys are depressed, the link 424 is moved to disengage the notch 423 from the pin 422. For this purpose, three control discs 457, 458 and 459 are carried on a shaft 460 and are set circumferentially by gearing according to the key depressed. Each disc has notches which co-operate with four feelers, of which two, 461, 462, are shown, secured together and pivoted on a stud 465 secured to one arm of a lever 466 pivoted on a shaft 467. Attached to the shaft 467 and connected by a spring 469 to the lever 466 is an arm 470. The lever 466 is connected to the link 424 by a link 468. Immediately after the discs 457 ... 459 are set by their keys, the shaft 467 and arm 470 are oscillated, tending to move the lever 466 therewith to release the link 424 from the lever 420. If, however, the notches in the discs are so set as to block movement of the feelers, the lever 466 will remain stationary and the automatic feed will operate. Overthrow movement of the ratchet 411 is prevented by a pawl 431 normally held inoperative by the engagement of a stud 432 on the lever 420 with a tail 433 on the pawl. The top feed-roller 241, Fig. 12, is lifted and a front stop 243 moved into the path of feed when a control lever 237 is moved from " off " to " on position. Movement of the lever 237 causes, through gearing as described in Specification 280,828, [Class 100 (iv)], rotary movement of a cam 257 acting on an arm 259 attached to a shaft 260 to cause anticlockwise movement of the shaft. Arms 265, Fig. 13, attached to the shaft engage 'stops 266 on spring-pressed arms 262 carrying the rollers 241, and during the movement of the shaft 260 allow the rollers 241 to engage the rollers 242. The stops 243 are carried on levers 276 pivoted on a shaft 277 and are normally held in operative position by springs 283. Arms 284 fixed to the shaft 277 normally limit the anticlockwise movement of the levers 276. Also fixed to the shaft 277 is an arm 280 having a pin-and-slot connection 281, 282 with a lever 278 fixed to the shaft 260. When the shaft is rotated as described above, the stops 243 are lowered through the intermediate linkage. In the " on " position a notch 244 in a disc 238 to which the lever 237 is attached, is engaged by an aligning pin 245 on a spring-pressed lever 246 connected by linkages 249 ... 253, Fig. 10, to a latch normally engaging a release lever on the release shaft of the machine but released when the lever is moved to the " on " position. The link 253 is connected by lever mechanism 307 ... 312 to a lever 305 so as to allow an aligning pin 304 on the lever to engage notches 303 in a disc 296 rotated by a finger-piece 295 to cause through mechanism as described in Specification 280,828, symbol-printing wheels 229 to be set. The wheels 229 are restored by a cam 333 acting through levers 331, 329 and a link 328 on a gear segment 325 meshing with a gear 298 of the setting mechanism. The shaft 334 of the cam 333 is in axial alignment with the main drive shaft 72 from which it is driven by a clutch comprising a drive pawl 336 and a retaining pawl 337 on a disc 335 secured to the shaft, and a collar 339 secured to the shaft 334 and having a lug 338 engaged by the pawls. Movement of the finger-piece 295 to a symbol-printing position, causes the lever 331 to be rocked so that a roller 332 thereon is positioned in the path of the cam 333, this being effected through the mechanism 298, 325, &c. During a sub-total or total operation when the shaft 72 makes two revolutions, the clutch is disconnected during the first revolution by an arm 341 actuated in known manner to engage and throw out the driving pawl 336. During restoration of the wheels 229, the pin 304 is raised from the aligning notches by a cam 316 acting on a lever 314 connected by a link 313 to the mechanism 310 ... 312. A line indicating wheel geared to the shaft of the feed-roller 242 has repeated circumferential markings of the figures 1, 2, 3 one of which is visible through an aperture to indicate the line of the record material in printing position.