Patent GB-1131904-A (GB)
Title: Tabulation apparatus
IPC: B41J25/18
Filed: 1966-06-02
Abstract: 1,131,904. Typewriters. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP. 2 June, 1966 [30 June, 1965], No. 24607/66. Heading B6F. Type-carriages; machines with types upon spherical heads; tabulating-mechanism; brake mechanism.-A typewriter having an interchangeable spherical type-head 11 (Fig. 1) pivotally mounted on a traversable carriage 15 is provided with a tabulating mechanism in which foi the purpose of speeding up the typing the carriage pawl 102, Fig. 6 engaging a lead screw 18 is disengaged from the lead screw to permit rapid movement of the carriage 15 to a distant, next tabulating stop 151 mounted rotatably on a rotatable tabulating rack, the disengagement being disabled when the next tabulating stop is closely adjacent to the preceding tabulating stop. Tabulating stop rack 150, Figs. 7 and 8, is provided with a plurality of ring-like tabulating stops 151 each provided with a setting lug 152 and a resetting lug 153 and mounted rotatably on the rack 150 and spaced in grooves at distances corresponding to the pitch of lead screw 18. In the next position stops 151 are retained by spring fingers 154 of a comb attached to the stop rack. To set the tabulating stops 151 a key 165 is rocked to a position in which it is arrested by an abutment 166 and toggle spring 167, the rocking of the key displacing a link 158 and lever 159 to bring the stop rack into an intermediate position in which both set and reset tabulating stops are in the path of a tabulating sensor member 140, which is displaced into an obturating position on depression of a tabulating key 118 (Fig. 1) repeated depression of which aligns the carriage with the selected tabulating stop. To set the tabulating stop 151 the tabulating setting and clearing key 155, Fig. 7, is rocked clockwise, whereby the link 158 and lever 159 rock the tabulating stop rack 150 in an anticlockwise direction and the radial edge of lug 152 engages the tabulating stop setting lug 162, Fig. 8, which sets the tabulating stop. Resetting is carried out in a similar manner in that the stop rack is rocked clockwise and the radial edge of lug 153 engages the tabulating stop resetting lug 163 integral with a bracket 161 which is mounted on the carriage 15. Tabulating operation is effected on depression of key 118 (Fig. 1) which pulls lever 119, Fig. 5, in direction of arrow 120 to rock lever 121 in an anticlockwise direction to actuate link 123 which in turn rotates torque bar 124 in an anticlockwise direction. Torque bar 124 pulls a link 125 downwardly, slidably engaging a groove 126, to rotate crank assembly 127 provided with a torsion spring 128, effective to rock in a clockwise direction an arm 129 whose end 130 is engaged in a slot 131 of a lever 132 on which is pivotally mounted a further lever 113 supporting rotatably the tabulating sensor member 140 whose lug 141 abuts lug 142 so that clockwise displacement of the lever 132, whose rear end is locked by upward pivotal movement of a locking lug 134, displaces the sensor member 140 into the path of set tabulating stops 151. Concomitantly with the rocking movement of arm 129, an arm 145 co-operating with an aperture 146 of the lever 132 is also rocked in a clockwise direction to pivot a lever 110 clockwise and cause recess 111 to engage a lug 100 on a carrier follower lever 94 to disengage the pawl 102 from the lead screw. Prior to the long tabulation operation which is about to take place a lever 196 having a serrated edge and articulated to lever 194 and spring 195 is brought into contact with a brake drum 175 to prevent movement of the carriage 15 until the lead screw has been displaced through a predetermined angular path in which the lug 102 will be in a position to engage the lead screw 18 following the completion of the tabulating movement of the carriage. Following positioning of the lead screw 18, lever 192 of the brake assembly which has been actuated by lug 190 of lever 121 and latched by lug 202 co-operating with a tab 203 on the lever 192, is released when rod 205 attached to lug 202 is pulled upwardly when lever 204 to which in turn the rod 205 is attached is rocked clockwise. Following brake release the carrier 15 is advanced rapidly in the tabulating direction at the end which the lever 110 slides off arm 144 whereby the lug 100 on the carrier follower lever 94 is disengaged and the pawl 102 is permitted to re-engage the lead screw. Short tabulating strokes which are carried out by the lead screw are brought about when the tabulating stops are closely adjacent and the sensor member 140 meets a set tabulating stop during operation of the tabulating key. The sensor member 140 is prevented from being displaced into the position in which lever 132 is latched by lug 134 and tabulation movement is carried out by the lead screw 18. Carriage return arrangements.-Depression of carriage return key 169 (Fig. 1) causes downward movement of a latch 222 (Fig. 11), which as in the tabulating operation is effective to actuate levers 121 and 204 to apply the brake assembly and release the mechanism for rotating the lead screw to a predetermined position in which the pawl 102 can re-engage the lead screw in proper alignment with the letter-spacing. Following alignment of lead screw and release of brake assembly a gear 178 (Fig. 10) on shaft 173 is rotated by an associated driven gear (not shown) to wind cable 180 about drum 176 and stress escapement spring 170. During carriage return pawl 102 (Fig. 13) is allowed to ride over the threads of the lead screw 18. Letter-spacing arrangements.-Escapement mechanism comprises a constant torque device 25 (Fig. 1), and associated driving means which rotate the lead screw 18 under the control of escapement control apparatus 26, Fig. 2, comprising a wheel 30 provided along its periphery with circumferentially spaced axial slots 33 in which are received elements 35 which are spaed at unit intervals four units defining the largest character spacing. Wheel 30 is also provided with a rectangular recess 52 over which is disposed a holding pawl 50 which is contiguous with an escapement pawl 43 whose lug 46 engages one of the set elements 35. Holding pawl 50 is disposed to be in engagement with elements 35, whether set or unset. Elements 35<SP>1</SP> . . . 35<SP>1111</SP> are set selectively in any combination of one to four element spaces by setting mechanism 70 operable to set or reset elements 35 by selective actuation of cables 66, 86, 77 which cause lugs such as 67, 74 to reset the elements and lugs such as 68 to set the pins. Letter-spacing is effected by pulling cable 49 which pivots lever 48 whereby escapement and holding pawls are pivoted out of engagement with their element 35 and the escapement pawl 43 is permitted immediately to pivot and slide into an engaging position with the next set element viz. 35111 which it engages when the wheel 30 has been rotated by the constant torque drive 25. The escapement pawl 43 is then forced back slidably along its slot 44 and the holding pawl 50 is permitted to engage the set element 35<SP>111</SP> when lug 53 of pawl 43 disengages bent lug 54 of pawl 50.