Patent GB-166252-A (GB)
Title: Improved method of and means for producing or reproducing designs, letter press, numerals and other forms, and for the manufacture, if desired, of corresponding records for subsequent reproduction
IPC: B44B3/00
Filed: 1919-09-09
Abstract: 166,252. Wilkins, W. Sept. 9, 1919. Engraving; stencils; printing- surfaces; transferring designs. - An apparatus for drawing, engrav. ing, copying, or reproducing designs, letterpress, numerals, &c., of the kind in which a moving perforated band controls the actuation of a drawing, engraving, or like instrument in relatively iuclined directions to produce a resultant curved nr inclined motion, is constructed so that the perforations select electric circuits in which intermittent currents of predetermined frequencies are produced by the rotation of wheels fitted with circumferential rows of varying numbers of studs which make and break the currents in coaction with fixed contacts. These intermittent currents energize electromagnets which control the actuation of separate escapement wheels, each of which controls the rotation of a lead screw to give to an instrument carriage the desired components of motion in the two selected directions, which are generally at right-angles. The invention is applicable for producing lithographic posters, enamelled sheet iron plates, stencils, sign plates, fretwork, or the like, and designs may be reproduced on varying scales. Punches may be added to the apparatus, and the device worked backwards and otherwise modified to produce the perforated bands from which a number of copies of a design &c. can be reproduced. The action of the device is shown by the diagrammatic view in Fig. 1, in which an instrument carriage A provided with a pen B is mounted to be moved in the direction of the arrow C by the rotation of a lead screw 292, which is itself carried by nuts operated by screws 288, geared together and to an escapement-wheel F. The screw 292 is driven by bevel gearing from the shaft of an escapement wheel G, and the direction of the line E is determined by the motions of the wheels F, G, determined by escapements H oscillated by electromagnets K. The electromagnets K each receive intermittent current impulses from one of a series of rotating studs on a wheel L, which is referred to as a " ratio-wheel," the circuits to the electromagnets K being determined by means of a switch N, or " direction-wheel," which is rotated by electromagnets R controlled by one row of perforations in the record band S. The escapement wheels F, G each comprise a series of wheels of different sizes, which permits designs to be reproduced on different scales. The motors for driving the escapement wheels are similarly arranged, and each comprises a spring 30 wound up from a shaft 14 by means of a pawl 27, Figs. 4 and 9, pivoted to a ratchet disc 29 and normally in engagement with a ratchet disc 25 on the shaft 14, which normally drives the ratchet disc 29, to which one end of the spring 30 is attached, the other end being attached to a freely-mounted gear wheel 32 integral with a second wheel 34. The pawl 27 is thrown out of engagement with ratchet 25 when the spring is fully wound up, but siips into action again when the spring has been unwound by driving the escapement wheels through gearing in connection with the wheels 32 or 34. One or other of these wheels is geared to a shaft 40 directly or through an intermediate gear 46, by means of a clutch 87 which thus determines the direction of rotation transmitted, the clutch 87 being operated by a bell-crank lever 90, leaf spring 92, and rod 94. There are two rods 94 corresponding to the two escapement wheels, and these act upon similar clutches 87 which control the two lead screws. The rods 94 are each connected by a direct bell-crank to rods 105, 106. Fig. 2, and also by means of a link, and a bell-crank to another pair of rods 105, 106. The direction wheel N by means of a cam disc 176 acting indirectly on pivoted members (not shown) bring the ends of the rods 105 or 106, which are hooked, into engagement with the ratchet teeth of a rotating wheel 130, which thus actuates the clutches 87 to reverse the motions of the lead screws. The escapement wheels are fitted with fifteen sets of wheels, and the escapement levers and pawls can be adjusted longitudinally of a support 53, Fig. 4, to coact with the desired wheel, and by this means designs can be reproduced in various scales. Variations in the scale can also be obtained by changegears in the driving-mechanism of the lead screws. The teeth of the wheels are V-shaped and they are released by a pair of pawls 57, 58 pivoted to the sliding carriage 65 and controlled by a pivoted lever 49 actuated in its adjusted positions by a long U-shaped controller 63 oscillated by link and lever mechanism from the pivoted armature of a magnet K, the armature being arranged to have a distant fulcrum so that the escapement pawls respond readily to the current impulses. The direction wheel N is rotated clockwise by one magnet R, and in the reverse direction by the other magnet. The armatures of the magnets R actuate a toothed wheel 135 on wheel N by means of pawls carried by levers 144 and fitted with controlling stops and springs. The armatures also actuate stop levers which prevent the wheel from moving more than one tooth at a time, and a spring catch holds the wheel in its adjusted position. The wheel 135 carries two pairs of contacts at right-angles to each other which move over insulatedly-mounted radial contacts connected to the different ratio wheels L, Fig. 1, and each pair of contacts connects to an inner contact which moves over inner insulated rings on the shaft of wheel N. The radial contacts are connected to different sections of the ratio wheels L, and the position of the wheel N determines the ratio of the impulses given to the magnets K, and in consequence determines the direction of motion of the carriage A. The ratio wheels L are formed of a number of rings 184, Fig. 24, each formed with a different number of projections or teeth 185, the rings being secured by screws 186 to a shell which is secured by screws 188 to a drum mounted on a shaft 189 driven from an auxiliary shaft 131 by gearing comprising one wheel 193 which is connected by a spring to its shaft and also a fly wheel. The current is made and broken by adjustable slotted contacts 195 carried by angular metal brackets 199 adjustably secured by screws 202, 203 to an insulating member 200 carried by a bracket 208, which is pivotally mounted and held in operative position by a screw 213, and is provided with a handle 211, by which the contacts may be moved out of operative position to allow access to the drum. The studs 185 are kept clean by a pivoted scraper 204 which is limited in its movement by a stop 207 and is fitted with an insulated upper part 206 which limits the motion of the contacts 195 towards the drum, and thus ensure a clean break of the circuit. The contacts 195 are connected to leads 215, and the circuit is completed through a lead connected to a wiper in contact with the drum 187. The perforated record band S, or a number of such bands, is driven by a winding drum actuated by change-speed gear from the main shaft. The band S passes from a roller 218, Fig. 28, over rolls 219, 220, and is wound up on a roller 221, which is put into action when desired by a clutch lever 247, which actuates a clutch comprising a radial arm which is moved axially into and out of engagement with a pin on the roller 221. The roller 218 is mounted at one end on a spindle which is held in a slot 255 in an end bearing by means of a lever 256, and the other end of the roller 218 may be put in driving connection with a shaft 253 when the band is to be re-wound. This reversal of the winding is effected by moving over the clutch lever 247 to inoperative position and throwing in a clutch to drive a pulley 266 which by means of a belt 265 drives the roller 218. The drum 220 is of metal and is insulatedly mounted. A spring-contact 271 connected to a lead 272 contacts with the drum, and circuits are connected from this to leads 276<a> through the drum when perforations in the band permit wipers 273, 273a, 273<b> to contact with the drum. The wipers are carried insulatedly by a slide 274 fitted with a roller 277 which presses on the band. The slide 274 can be adjusted laterally so as to engage with different sets of perforations in order to reproduce different letters or numerals, and the slide is held in adjusted position by a catch 280 engaging notches 281. A spring 285 maintains the slide 274 in operative or inoperative position, and the slide is raised to inoperative position by the clutch lever 247 when this is moved to throw out the drive to the winding roller 222. The motions of the screws 288, 292, Figs. 1 and 2, are transmitted to the instrument carriage B, Fig. 34, which is mounted in a frame 310 adapted to be moved along a bar 296 by the engagement of shaft 292 with a partial threaded surface 313 carried by the bracket 310. The screws 288 engage with spring-mounted segmental nuts on a member which supports the bar 296. The pen is revolubly mounted, and is also lifted from the work by an electromagnetically-operated pawl 345 at the completion of a letter, this pawl also allowing the pen to return to operative position in a manner which prevents blotting of the paper or stone. The pen comprises a tube 319 mounted between rings 315, 315<a>, and fitted with a gear wheel 322 bf means of which it is rotated. This wheel 322 is in gear with a wheel which is operated from the direction wheel by a flexible transmission system comprising a vertical upright shaft 364, Fig. 2, geared to a horizontal arm 369 geared to a second vertical arm 370 in gear with wheel 322, the arrangement being such that the drive is transmitted independently of the position of the carriage B. The pen can be filled from a receptacle carried by a bracket near the pen, and from this receptacle a supply is taken as desired by a pneumatic filling tube and dropped into a funnel 325 leading to the pen as shown in Figs. 34 and 36. The lower part of the pen is s