Patent GB-143603-A (GB)
Abstract: 143,603. Haddan, A. J. H., (National Cash Register Co.). Feb. 21, 1919. Tickets, issuing; printing-arrangements.-A railway &c. ticket printing, issuing and valuetotalizing machine comprises means for validating " coupon " tickets which consist of a first portion retained by the passenger throughout the journey and a set of detachable coupons or tickets available between certain stations along the route and valid between certain dates. The validation is effected by printing from one set of type on the back of the passenger's portion the initial of the issuing-clerk or ticket-seller and the value of the ticket, and from a second set on the back of each coupon the dates between which the ticket is available. Three sets of keys are provided in the machine viz. validating keys for determining the number of times the valid dates are printed, amount keys for the value of the tickets issued and the clerk's initial keys. The machine may be employed in conjunction with the local ticket printer described in Specification 143,281, the value totalizers, which are of known kind and serve to give the clerks' totals and a grand total, being controlled either by the depressed amount keys or by the inserted destination device described in the above Specification. In validating a coupon ticket a printed form is placed on a table in the machine, the required validating key is depressed, then the amount keys corresponding to the value of the ticket, and finally the clerk's initial key which closes the clutches of the electric driving mechanism described in Specification 143,826 to actuate the differential mechanism of the totalizers and operate the printing mechanisms. Two printing mechanisms are provided, the first being operated once only to print the clerk's initial and the value, as determined by the amount keys depressed or by an inserted destination device, on the back of the first portion of the ticket and on a record strip, the second printing mechanism serving to print the valid dates on the back of the coupons a number of times corresponding to the validating key depressed. Differential mechanism. The differential mechanism for the value totalizers is controlled either by the depressed amount keys or by an inserted destination device and comprises a series of differentially moving actuators 404, Fig. 4, one for each bank of amount keys, provided with racks 405, 408 for actuating the main totalizer 407 and the clerk's totalizers 410 respectively. Movement is imparted to the actuators 404 by driving segments 401, Fig. 5, which are given first a clockwise movement of about 90‹ followed by a similar counterclockwise movement by cams 392, 393 through three-armed levers 395 pivoted to the framing at 3394 and connected by links 402 to the driving segments. Connexion between the actuators and the segments is effected by latches 416 engaging shoulders 417 on the segments and supported by pivoted arms 414 and bell-crank levers 413. The latch connexion is broken when the nose of the bell-crank lever is struck by a depressed key. Return movement of the actuators is produced by the engagement of the driving segments with studs 423, Fig. 5, on the actuators. The differential mechanisms for the clerk's and validating keys are similar except that the differentially moved members 442, Fig. 14, carry no actuating racks. Setting value printing and clerk's initial type. Mounted on the innermost of a set of nested sleeves 437, Figs. 4a and 15, is a type wheel 441, Fig. 2, adapted to print the clerk's initial and on the remainder are type wheels 438 adapted to print the value of the tickets issued. The outermost sleeves are set to correspond with the depressed amount keys from the actuators 404 through levers 426, Fig. 5, pivoted on the shaft 394 and to the actuators, links 427, nested sleeves 429, links 434 and toothed sectors 436, carried by sleeves 437. Similar connexions 605, 606 are provided for the innermost sleeve 437 from the differentially moving members 442 controlled by the clerk's keys. Control of differential mechanism by inserted destination device. Reciprocated by the sectors 436 are rack-bearing members 444, Fig. 4a, connected by springs 4499 and stops 4488 to bars 447 bearing fingers 475 which enter value indicating holes of differential depth on the destination devices as described in Specification 143,821. Relative movement of the members 444, 447 due to the contact of the fingers 475 with the bottom of the holes, rocks, through levers 449 and links 455, a series of nested sleeves 459 bearing projections 462, Fig. 4. Pivoted on the shaft 394 are plates 418 formed with internal teeth 421 and provided with slotted arms 422 engaging pins 424 on the bell-crank levers 413. Movement of the sleeves 459 causes the projections 462 thereon to rock, through levers 464 and links 466, levers 468 bearing pins 470 which are thrust into the path of the teeth 421 thus rocking the bell crank-levers 413 to break the connexion between the driving segments 401 and the differentially moving actuators 404. Keyboard mechanism. Four banks of amount keys 55, Fig. 1, and single banks of clerks keys 54 and validating keys 56 are provided, interlocking mechanism being employed to prevent the depression of an amount key before a validating key, these two sets of keys being locked on the depression of a clerk's key which serves to close the clutches of the driving mechanism described in Specification 143,826. The amount and validating keys are carried in key frames 480, Fig. 4, from which are supported spring-retracted detent plates 478 provided with pins 484 to engage shoulders on the depressed keys. No detent plate is provided for the clerks' keys, the locking being effected by other means described later.. All the banks are provided with spring depressed zero stop pawls 487, the function of which is to withdraw the clutches 416 from the driving segments when a local ticket is being printed, the pawl 487 of the amount keys being however retained in the non-operative position to allow the amount differential mechanism to be controlled by an inserted destination device until released by the depression of a validating key. Depression of a key in any bank disables, by means of its detent plate, the particular zero stop pawl co-operating therewith. Depression of a clerk's key 54 moves, through pins 514, Fig. 10, and cam slots 524, a plate 523 which rocks a bell-crank lever 5061 to remove its other arm 5061<a> from a stop 5062 carried by an arm 5063, thus allowing a shaft 186 to be rocked by a compression spring to move the stop below the bell-crank lever and lock the clerks' keys through the plate 523. This movement of the shaft serves to move detent plates 510, Fig. 4, into position to lock the validating and amount keys in the raised or lowered position. The rocking spring for the shaft 186 is carried by a slotted link which is reciprocated near the end of each operation to rock the shaft 186 to free the detent plate 523, the amount and validating keys being similarly released by arms on the shaft 186. Means are provided to prevent a second operation of the machine by the retention of a clerk's key in the depressed condition. The shaft 186 is rocked at every operation of the machine whether a local or a coupon ticket is issued and the means which prevent the lowering of the amount detent plates 478 before the depression of a validating key are disabled when a local ticket is being issued. Totalizing mechanism; clerks' totalizers. The clerks totalizers 410, Figs. 4 and 6, corresponding in number with the clerks' keys, comprise a number of groups of pinions loosely mounted between spacing collars on a tube 548 fixed in frames 549, 550 moving longitudinally by means of rollers on a rod 552, pinions of like denomination being grouped together. Arms 553 on the rod 552 carry rollers 554 moving in cam slots 555 in fixed plates 556, Figs. 6 and 14, the ends of the rod being supported in slots 557 in the plates 556. The means for raising the totalizer pinions into engagement with the actuators 404 comprise cams 573, 574 on the cam shaft 348 which rock a lever 567 pivoted at 568 to the framing and at 566 to a member 564 having a central opening 565 through which the stud shaft 394 projects. A notch 569 in the part 564 is engaged during a totalizing operation by a pin 570 on a plate 561 mounted on the stud 391 and provided with a hook 563 engaging a pin 560 on a link connected at 558 to one of the side arms 553. During the rotation of the shaft 348 the cams 573, 574 rock the plate 561 clockwise through the lever 567 and member 565 after the driving segments 401 have reached the limit of their clockwise movement and before the return movement is begun, the link 559 being raised and the selected clerk's totalizer thrown into engagement with the actuating racks 408 so that they will be driven on the return movement. Lateral selective movement of the totalizer frame is effected by the engagement of a roller 600, Fig. 6, with a spiral cam which is connected to the innermost sleeve 429, Fig. 4, bearing the differentially-set clerks' initial type disk 441. Grand totalizer. - The grand totalizer, comprising pinions 407, Fig. 4, is similarly mounted in plates 579, Fig. 14, and is rocked into engagement with the actuating racks 405 by a hook 584, on the member 561 engaging a roller 5833 on a link 583 connected to the supporting frame, the grand totalizer being thus always in engagement when a clerk is totalizer is in operation. Operation of the totalizers is controlled by a handle 57, Fig. 1, situated at the exterior of the device. Printing. Two printing mechanisms are provided, one operated once only for printing, as determined by amount keys or inserted destination device, the value and the clerk's initial on the back of the portion of the ticket retained by the passenger, and the other for printing the available dates on t