Improvements in Ticket Printing Machines and in the Means employed therewith.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 19th June,
1000
Complete Specification Left, 17th Apr., 1900-Accepted, 9th June, 1900
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Complete Specification Left, 17th Apr., 1900-Accepted, 9th June, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ticket Printing Machines and in the Means
employed therewith.
I, JOHN MELTON BLACK, of 56, Tabernacle Street, London, Gentleman, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to platen ticket printing machines such as are generally
used for printing railway tickets and the like.
This type of machine consists of a vertical supply hopper placed at one side
of the machine to contain the blank tickets to be printed and into which the blank
tickets are placed by hand from time to time as the consumption of the tickets
from below proceeds.
These tickets are removed singly from below by mechanical action and passing
along a metal channel to guide them the bottom or top of which forms the platen
are first printed on one side and then by suitable mechanism are either turned
over printed numbered and perforated on the other side or impressed without
being turned over and then collected in a vertical hopper into which the tickets
may be either forced up or down according as to whether the delivery hopper is
placed above or below the line of platen. This hopper which is generally con-
structed to hold about 500 tickets is then removed emptied and replaced if the
hopper is placed below the line of platen or if placed above that line the tickets
are generally removed by hand from time to time to prevent overflow as the tickets
are forced upwards by the action of the machine.
In the former case the machine must be stopped during the emptying and
replacing of the hopper and in the latter there is liability to error in the con-
secutive order of the tickets by the repeated removal of the same from the
hopper as well as the risk of the overflow from the hopper through inattention.
To render this class of machine much more productive than heretofore and to
cause the supply of blank tickets to the feed end of the machine to be maintained
by automatic means and to enable the tickets when printed to be delivered by
automatic means at a table or the like where the hands could be employed in
tying them into bundles are the objects of this invention.
For these purposes I propose that each machine shall be so constructed as to
print two tickets at each depression of the type or platen in place of one ticket
as heretofore and for this object I may employ two lines of platen type boxes
figures perforators turn over wheels and the like in place of one as now used and
actuate these from one shaft and driving wheel or I may so construct the machine
as to actuate three or more lines of tickets by the same means.
I may employ in this multiple machine or in a single line machine the feed
hopper as now used but prefer to remove the hopper and substitute therefor the
appliance as hereunder described or I may employ the vertical hopper for the
delivery end of the machine as now used but prefer to remove this hopper and
substitute therefor the appliance as hereunder described.
To supply the tickets at the feed side of the machine I may remove the feed

page_text: hopper altogether and substitute therefor a means of supplying the tickets direct
from the reel in which case I should mount upon suitable supports a reel of card-
board of the width of the ticket and from which the tickets are to be cut off in
definite lengths.
At the feed side of the machine I should erect a cutting appliance consisting of
a fixed under blade and a rising and falling knife placed at such an angle as to
give it a shearing action or I may pivot the knife to the extended portion of the
lower blade so as to act like a pair of scissors. The knive would be actuated by
suitable means to cut the same number of tickets as required by the action of
the machine. The web of cardboard would be conveyed from the reel along a
channel passage by means of delivery rollers and as the knife rises the cardboard
would be pushed forward to a stop to ensure the equal length of each ticket when
the knife would descend and cut from the web a length equal to the length of the
ticket required. A pusher would then descend and place the ticket on the line
of the platen which would be at once seized by a hooked finger or the like and
drawn along the platen channel to a position suitable to be printed upon when the
next ticket is delivered and placed in the same position. In place of using
delivery rollers to bring forward the web of cardboard I may adopt a grip action
or the like by which the web is moved a certain distance forward and then
retained during the brief interval of the knife cutting the web.
I may employ a hopper and supply the tickets in the hopper by the means
above mentioned and expel the tickets from the hopper by the slide knife as now
adopted or I may employ a cylinder having a periphery equal to the length of
say ten tickets or more and which cylinder mount upon a spindle and actuate the
same by suitable gearing. Between each length of ticket on the periphery, grooves
are made and on the sides of which are fitted adjustable steel knives. On the
inner side of the cylinder I mount a series of pivotted knives and rollers the latter
of which revolving on a cam on the frame so act as to cause each of these knives
to rise and fall in a line with the knives on the cylinder and cut the cardboard
into the definite length of a ticket at each revolution of the cylinder I should so
arrange that these tickets should either fall direct in the hopper or are conveyed
thither or direct on the line of the platen by means of finger hooks or the like.
To collect the tickets when the printing is completed I should dispense with the
vertical hopper as now adopted and collect each ticket as it is ejected from the
line of the platen in a box so constructed that the ticket is brought to a semi
vertical position preferably by a down pusher which depresses the lower side of
the ticket at the time of its emission. This ticket is then brought to a vertical
position by a horizontal pusher actuated preferably from the same movement
which removes the blank ticket from the supply hopper. The ticket thus brought
to a vertical position in the box is then thrust forward between two light spring
plates or the like at the sides of the box and into a guide way behind which
receives the tickets as they are pushed forward from time to time. The vertical
and horizontal pushers are withdrawn during the period of the issue of the next
ticket when the same downward and forward movement takes place. The guide
way is extended to the table where the hands would be engaged in tying up the
tickets. To maintain the tickets in the guideway in a vertical position a wood
block or the like with or without side springs placed at the rear of the side
springs and as the ticket is pushed past these the wood block is pushed forward a
similar distance at each thrust.
I may adopt as another means a hopper placed under the line of the platen and
having a vertical depth of a few inches and then curved so as to reach the table for
tying up the tickets. At the head of this hopper I may place on the sides two
light metal plates acted upon by weak springs and as each ticket is emitted it
fals upon these plates the down pusher then pushes it past these plates on to a
spring moveable platform in the guideway which is depressed at each stroke of
the pusher a distance equal to the thickness of a ticket and until it reaches the
table for the collection of the tickets or I may use side springs in the guideway.
'

page_text: If two or more lines of platen are included in the machine then the same action
would take place as in the machine with a single line of platen that is each line
of platen would have its own means for the supply and delivery of the tickets.
The machine when constructed for printing more than one line of tickets would
have by preference the type, figures and the like mounted on a bar rising and
falling by slides running in parallel guides at the sides of the machine and driven
by eccentric action from the driving shaft under the table of the machine. I may
employ other means than those described herein to carry out the objects of this
invention.
Improvements in Ticket Printing Machines and in the Means
employed therewith.
I, JOHN MELTON BLACK, of 56, Tabernacle Street in the County of London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
This invention relates to platen ticket-printing machines such as are generally
used for printing railway tickets and the like.
In machines of this class a vertical supply hopper is generally used arranged at
one side of the machine into which hopper the blank tickets are placed by hand
from time to time, and removed singly from below by mechanical action and
passed along a guide channel, the bottom or top of which forms the platen. The
tickets are first printed on one side and then by suitable mechanism are turned
over and printed on the other side and numbered and perforated. Or they are
imprinted without being turned over and collected in a hopper placed above or
below the line of the platen. This hopper which is generally constructed to hold
about 500 tickets is then removed, emptied and replaced if the hopper is placed
below the line of platen, or if placed above that line, the tickets are generally
removed by hand from time to time as they are forced upwards by the action of
the machine. In the former case the machine must be stopped during the empty-
ing and replacing of the hopper and in the latter there is a liability to disturb the
numerical order of the tickets by the repeated removal of the same from the hopper
as well as the risk of the overflow of the tickets from the hopper through in-
attention.
Now the chief object of my invention is to provide means whereby the tickets
when printed etc., will be collected and delivered in a horizontal column on to a
table or the like in position to be tied into bundles and whereby, if desired, a
practically continuous supply of tickets will be insured without the necessity for
intermittently introducing blank tickets into a hopper.
In carrying out my invention when a continuous supply of tickets is to be.
provided for I employ a reel mounted upon a suitable support and carrying a
coiled strip of cardboard of the width of the ticket required from which strip the
tickets are to be cut off in definite lengths. The strip of cardboard is unwound
from the reel and delivered to a suitable cutting mechanism along a guide channel
by means of rollers, the said cutting mechanism advantageously comprising two
knife blades hinged together, the one being fixed while the other is movable to

page_text: cut the strip of cardboard at the required moment to produce the length of the
ticket required, the said movable knife blade being operated from the mechanism
which actuates the platen.
The tickets are then intermittently pushed one behind the other, edge to edge,
along the guide channel in connection with the printing and perforating
mechanism by the usual slide knife or pushed into position to be printed upon,
perforated etc., and are finally delivered to mechanism which arranges them one
behind the other with their faces in contact and delivers them in a horizontal
column on to a table. Suitable mechanism for effecting this arrangement and
delivery comprises a box or trough in which each ticket falls by gravity to a
semi-vertical or oblique position or is moved to this position by a down pusher.
The ticket is then moved to a vertical position by a horizontal pusher between
spring plates or the like at the sides of the box or trough, the said pusher being
operated from the mechanism actuating the knife-slide hereinbefore described.
The said box or trough is extended to a table for the reception of the tickets. To
maintain the tickets in the trough in a vertical position a wood block or the like
with or without side springs is placed at the rear of the spring plates herein before
described and as each ticket is pushed past these plates the said block is pushed
forward a distance corresponding to the thickness of a ticket.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-
:-
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a platen ticket printing machine of the kind
herein before described having my improvements applied thereto, the platen and
perforating mechanism not being shewn:
Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same drawn to a larger scale, the
section being on the line 2-2 Figure 1:
Figure 3 is a section on the line 3—3 Figure 1, drawn to the same scale as
Figure 2; and,
Figure 4 is a plan of the same:
Figure 5 is an elevation of the cutting mechanism and feed rollers for the same,
drawn to a larger scale than Figures 3 and 4; and,
Figure 6 is a plan thereof:
Figures 7 and 8 are respectively sections on the lines 7-7 and 8-8, Figure 5:
Figure 9 is a sectional view of a detail:
Figure 10 is an elevation of the mechanism for collecting the tickets when
printed, perforated, etc., drawn to the same scale as Figures 5 to 9:
Figure 11 is a plan; and
Figure 12 an end view thereof:
Figure 13 is a longitudinal section of the same with the parts in a different
position to that shewn in Figure 10; and
Figure 14 a horizontal section on the line 14-14 Figure 10.
A is the frame of the machine, B the driving shaft, C the guide channel for the
tickets while being printed, perforated, etc., 1) the slide knife or pusher carried by
the slide E and serving for propelling the tickets along the said guide channel
and operated from the shaft B by the eccentric F, rod G and lever H and I a rod
carrying a platen (not shewn) connected by levers JJ to shafts K, K¹ and operated
from the shaft B by the crank L, rod M, slide N, rod O and lever P, all of which
parts are of known construction.
a, Figure 1, is the reel carrying the coiled strip of cardboard b from which the
tickets are to be formed, the said reel being pivoted on the pin c carried by the
bracket d projecting from the frame A. The reel comprises two sides a¹, a³, the
side a being removable to allow the coiled strip of cardboard to be placed in
position on the pin c and retained on the latter when replaced by a nut a³ engaging
a screw thread on the said pin c.
e, f, Figures 1, 3 and 4, are the rollers for unwinding the strip from the
reel a, the roller e which is preferably flanged to guide the strip b being fixed to
a shaft e¹ carried in a bearing 2 on the bracket & and rotated from the shaft B

page_text: through the medium of the gear wheels e³, et, e, 6, shafts e, bevel wheels es, e³,
shaft eo and bevel wheels eu, 2, the latter being fixed to the shaft e¹.
The roller is mounted loosely on a shaft f' carried in a bearing on the
bracket and rotated from the shaft e¹ through the medium of the gear
wheels f, f. In order that the rollers e, f shall tightly grip the strip 6 I arrange
the roller so that it can be moved relatively with the roller e. This is advan-
tageously effected by forming the portion of the shaft f¹ carrying the roller f
eccentric relatively with the portion carried in the bearing f so that by rotating
the shaft in the said bearing by a handle fo the roller f will be caused to bear
upon the strip b passing between the rollers, a nut f engaging a screw thread on
the said shaft serving to lock the latter when rotated. This mechanism also allows
of the roller being lifted clear of the roller e so that the strip 6 can be passed
edgewise between the rollers when placing a coiled strip b in the reel a. The
roller e is advantageously roughened to firmly grip the strip b.
g is a guide way for the passage of the strip 6 to the rollers e, f.
h, i, Figures 1, 5 and 7 are the rollers for feeding the strip 6 to the cutting
mechanism, the roiler h being fixed upon a shaft carried in bearings h2, h3 on
a guide-way fixed to the frame A and rotated intermittently from the slide E
through the medium of the rod h³, lever h*, shaft h³, toothed sector h, pinion h7 con-
nected to a disc 8 loose on the shaft h¹, pawl h pivoted to the said disc and ratchet
wheel 10 fixed to the said shaft h¹. The roller i is fixed to a shaft 20 carried in
movable bearings sliding in brackets and connected to screws engaging
screw threads in the upper part of the said brackets. By rotating the said screws
the roller is caused to move towards the roller whereby the strip b is tightly
gripped between them. The roller is rotated from the roller h by the gear
wheels, is a detent shewn clearly in Figure 9 and advantageously in the
form of a friction brake consisting of a forked piece of metal attached to the
guide-way by a screw and embracing the boss of the gear wheel so that the
roller will be held against rotation when the pawl he is moving backwards over
the teeth of the ratchet wheel h¹º. is a screw for varying the degree of pressure
of the brake k upon the boss of the gear wheel **. The roller his advantageously
provided with flanges for guiding the strip band is also roughened similarly to
the roller e.
I is a
guide-way for the passage of the strip 6 to the rollers h, i, and is a
pivoted flap therein to prevent the strip rising out of the guide-way.
m, m³, Figures 1, 5, 6 and 8 are the knife blades of the cutting mechanism, the
blade m being fixed to the guide-way j, while the blade m¹ is hinged to the
blade mas indicated at m². The knife is operated to cut each ticket from the
strip from the shaft K' through the medium of the lever m³ and rod m. In
order to ensure that each ticket as cut off shall fall flat on to the frame A in front
of the guide channel C I advantageously provide the knife with a projection m³
which comes into contact with the ticket as the knife severs it from the strip b
and forces it down. m is a bridge piece the sides of which form a guide for the
severed ticket to the guide channel C.
, Figures 1, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, the box or trough into which the tickets n'
when printed, perforated, etc., are delivered one by one by the slide knife or
pusher D. As shewn clearly in Figure 13, the bottom of the box n is arranged
below the level of the guide channel C the movement of the ticket being such that
it will tend to fall by gravity at one end only, the other end being prevented from
falling by a plate o so that the ticket assumes an oblique position as clearly seen
in the said figure. In order, however, to insure that the ticket shall fall into
this position and not stick in a horizontal position or thereabouts between the
sides of the box n which is of the same width as the ticket, I provide the down
pusher carried by arms pl pivoted to the sides of the box n at p², p² and caused
to oscillate by means of the reciprocating cams 9, 9, and the springs q', q' which
engage anti-friction rollers p³, p³ on the arms p', p. The cams q, q are carried
on rods r, r sliding in guides 5, s at one end of the box n and at the other end

page_text: connected to a crosshead t attached to the plate o and sliding in slots u, u formed
in the said box n. The cams, and crosshead t are caused to reciprocate by
the slide E through the medium of the links , r, levers ¹, e, shaft, lever
and rod. The reciprocation of the lever in one direction causes the cams qg, I
to lower the down-pusher p and insures the ticket delivered from the guide
channel C falling into the oblique position as shewn in Figure 13, while the
movement of the said lever in the opposite direction moves the plate which
forms a horizontal pusher and pushes the ticket into a vertical position as shewn
in Figure 10. w, w are the spring plates, shewn clearly in Figure 14, behind the
free ends of which each ticket, as it is moved out of the oblique position, into
the vertical position, engages, the said plates being provided with inclined
enlargements w₁, w at their ends which allow of the movement of the ticket
past them, the springs yielding to allow of this, but prevent it returning, thus
preventing the ticket falling forward when the plate moves back into position
for the next ticket. is the block fitting the trough and placed behind the
tickets to maintain them in a vertical position, the said block being gradually
moved along the trough as the tickets are each moved into the vertical position.
The said block may be provided with a spring as shewn in Figures 11 and 13
to ensure sufficient friction between the block and the trough to maintain the
tickets in close contact. This block, however, I employ only when the trough n
is empty at starting the machine as when the trough has a large number of tickets
in it the block is no longer required. In the latter case I provide for keeping the
tickets in close contact by providing frictional resistance to their passage in the
trough by means of a spring strip y as shewn in Figures 10, 11 and 13. The
trough n is extended to a table (not shown) for the reception of the tickets.
The operation of the machine is as follows, that is to say, assume the parts of
the machine to be in the position shewn in Figures 1, 2 and 10 and with a coiled
strip of cardboard arranged on the reel a and passing between the rollers e, f
and h, and along the guide-way j with the end in line with the cutting edges
of the knife blades m, m' sufficient slack being left between the said rollers e, f
and h, as shewn, so that the latter experience practically no resistance in feeding
the strip to the knife blades. If, now, the machine be started, the rollers e, f
will be revolved to unwind the strip from the reel and the rollers h, i will be
rotated by the movement of the slide E in the direction of the arrow 1, Figures 1
and 5 and feed just sufficient of the strip past the cutting edge of the knife blades
to form a ticket. At the termination of the movement of the slide E and con-
sequently of that of the feed rollers h, i the knife blade m' will then cut off the
length of ticket protruding between the knives which will be caused to fall on to
the part of the frame A beneath the guide me and in front of the slide knife or
pusher D, this movement of the knife blade m¹ taking place during the movement
of the slide E in the direction of the arrow 2, Figures 1 and 5. The next move-
ment of the slide E that is in the direction of the arrow 1, will cause the pusher 1)
to push the ticket just cut off into the guide channel C and at the same time
another length of the strip will be fed between the knife blades m, m¹ by the
roners h, which during the next two reciprocations of the slide E will first be
cut off by the knife blade m' and then pushed forward by the pusher D at the
same time pushing forward the first ticket in front of it. These operations con-
tinuing, a series of tickets will be cut off from the strip band be propelled one
behind the other along the guide channel to the collecting mechanism at the
other end thereof, the tickets in turn being printed and perforated &c., by the
printing and perforating mechanism (not shewn). Each ticket as it is propelled
into the box n falls or is moved into the oblique position by the down-pusher p
during the movement of the slide E in the direction of the arrow 1 and raised into
the vertical position behind the ends of the spring plates w, w during the move-
ment of the said slide in the direction of the arrow 2.
By this construction it will thus be seen that the supply of tickets to be printed

page_text: is quite automatic and that they are delivered in such a way that they can easily
be manipulated for tying into bundles.
Although I have described mechanism for the automatic supply of tickets to
a ticket printing machine in combination with means for collecting and delivering
them in horizontal column, I, in some cases, may use them singly instead of in
combination.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In a platen ticket printing machine the combination of mechanism for
feeding the tickets successively beneath the platen and of means whereby the said
tickets are turned on edge and deliverd in a horizontal column, substantially as
described.
2. In a platen ticket printing machine, means for collecting and delivering the
tickets in a horizontal column comprising a box or trough for the reception of the
tickets, a pivoted down-pusher for ensuring the downward movement of one end
of each ticket, a horizontally moving plate for supporting the other end of the
ticket and moving it into a vertical position and spring plates for preventing the
forward movement of the tickets from the vertical position, substantially as
described.
3. In a platen ticket printing machine the combination of means for carrying
a coiled strip or roll of cardboard, means for unrolling the said strip and delivering
it on to a guide way, means for cutting the said strip into definite lengths, means
for feeding the cut off lengths beneath the printing platen and means whereby
the said tickets after being printed are turned on edge and delivered in a hori-
zontal column, substantially as described.
4. In a platen ticket printing machine the provision of means whereby the
tickets to be printed are cut off from a coiled strip or roll of cardboard and
delivered successively beneath the printing platen, substantially as described.
5. In a platen ticket printing machine wherein the tickets are cut off from a
coiled strip or roll of cardboard, the combination with the mechanism for feeding
the strip to the cutting off mechanism of auxiliary feed mechanism for obviating
any undue strain upon the strip as it passes to the main feed mechanism, sub-
stantially as described.
6. In a platen ticket printing machine the construction, arrangement and com-
bination of parts whereby the tickets are cut off from a roll or strip and delivered
in a horizontal column, substantially as herein before described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 17th day of Anvil 1000.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.