Improved Machine for Printing Numbers, Letters, or the like,
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
Improved Machine for Printing Numbers, Letters, or the like,
I, WILLIAM BROWN, Junior, of St. Leonard's House, Peterboro', in the County
of Northampton, Clothier, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My invention relates to printing machines and has for its object to construct
an improved machine which is adapted for printing numbers. It is desirable
for many purposes, particularly in the printing of tickets and such like, to have
one, two, or more series of numerals printed upon a single ticket of which one
or a few copies only is or are required; for example, in the case of tickets
attached to articles for sale in which the price, quality etc., are denoted by
numerals, it is often required to print a small number of tickets having similar
numerals thereon, or, in which the numerals differ slightly.
My improved machine is designed to print one or more lines of numerals
simultaneously upon a strip of paper, which can of course be afterwards divided
into separate tickets, and comprises a roller or the like round which the paper
is fitted and one, two, or more sets of chains or bands on which the types for
printing the numerals are arranged. Said bands pass round suitable rollers
having their axes parallel in a plane radial to the roller round which the paper
to be printed is passed, and means are provided so that the chains can be moved
in order to bring any desired numeral or row of numerals opposite the printing
roller for causing the paper to be printed after the numeral chains have been
adjusted the printing roller having the paper is caused to move towards the
chains and thereby the numbers opposite said roller will be imprinted on the
paper, such movement of the printing roller can be obtained by means of suit-
It is obvious that
able eccentrics or cams, or in any other suitable manner.
movement of the numeral chains and the rollers carrying the same may be used
instead of movement of the printing roller although the latter expedient is
simpler, and therefore preferable. The number of numerals in a row will vary
with the number of chains composing the series, and the number of rows printed
simultaneously will vary with the number of series of chains. Where this latter
number is considerable the diameter of the printing roller will of course be
proportionately increased.
The arrangements for feeding the paper and inking the types forms no part
of my invention and may be of any ordinary description.
It is obvious that in place of printing numerals my improved machine may
be used for printing letters or arbitrary signs.
1 T 1800

page_text: Improved Machine for Printing Numbers, Letters, or the like.
I, WILLIAM BROWN, Junior, of St. Leonard's House, Peterboro', in the County
of Northampton, Clothier, 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:-
My invention relates to printing machines, and has for its object to construct
an improved machine which is adapted for printing numbers.
It is desirable for many apparatuses particularly in the printing of tickets and
such like to have one, two or more series of numerals printed upon à single
ticket of which one or a few copies only is or are required. For example, in
the case of tickets attached to articles for sale in which the price, quality etc.,
are denoted by numerals it is often required to print a small number of tickets
having similar numerals thereon, or in which the numerals differ slightly. In
order that my invention may be the better understood I will now proceed to
describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my machine, partly in section.
Figure 2 is an end view of my machine merely shewing one series of chains
with the type attached, and the printing roller.
Figure-3-is-a-side elevation-of-my machine-shewing four series-of-chains,
and the printing roller.
Figure 4 shows a view of the inking device.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of the same.
My improved machine is designed to print one or more lines of numerals
simultaneously upon a strip of paper 1, which can of course be afterwards divided
into strip tickets, and comprises a roller 2 round which the paper is fitted, and
one, two or more sets of chains 3 or bands on which the types 4 for printing the
numerals are arranged. In Figure 1 four such sets or series of chains 3, 3, are
shewn. Said bands or chains pass round suitable rollers or wheels 5, 5, having
their axes arranged parallel to one another and to the axis of the printing
roller, and being arranged at substantially equal distances from the same. The
chains can be moved by hand in order to bring any desired numeral or row of
numerals opposite the printing roller 2. The chain wheels 5, 5 are carried by
sliding bars pivoted to bars 6, 6 as shown in Fig. 1. Said bars 6, 6 carry at
their lower ends pinions 7, 7, each having four teeth with which the chains
engage. The lower ends of the bars 6, 6 are pivoted to the fork or rack-piece 9
hereinafter described. Each pinion is under the control of a spring-pressed
foot 8 which normally maintains the pinion in one of four positions in either of
which the type from which it is desired to print is presented with its face parallel
to the surface of the printing roller. After an impression has been taken the
lever 11 is raised by hand, which causes the fork 9 to which the bars 6, 6 are
pivoted to rise. Said bars rise in their respective guiding slots which are cut
in the side plates of the machine. The said fork 9, is provided with teeth 12,
which engage with the teeth of a free-wheel 13 which is adapted to drive the
printing roller 2 through the pawl 14 which engages with the teeth 15 in rigid
connection with said printing roller. The printing roller is thus rotated and
the paper strip is fed forward, being unwound from the paper roll 16. At the
same time a small guillotine is caused to rise, said guillotine being adapted on
its subsequent descent to cut off each ticket after it has been printed. A roller 18
carrying the design of the ticket is placed at the side of the printing roller and
in contact therewith to print the design of the ticket on the strip of paper;

page_text: said roller 18 is inked by the rollers 19 and rotates with the roller 2. On the
descent of the lever 11, the fork 9, the bars 6, 6 and the whole series of chains
descend causing the required impression to be made on the paper strip. On
the descent of the fork 9 the printing roller does not, of course, rotate, the
pawl 14 merely sliding over the teeth 15 rigidly connected with said roller.
Spring pressed inking pads 20 one for each row of type are hinged (as shown
in Figures 4 and 5) to the side plates of the machine and normally lie in recesses
in the side plates in a line with the slots 10. Said pads are spring pressed by
springs 24 but are normally held in their respective recesses in the side plates
by backward extensions 25 of the bars that slide in the slots 10 or by other
suitable means. When the rows of type are raised from the printing roller as
hereinbefore described and as shown in dotted lines in Figure 4, the extensions
of the bars rise above the recesses in which the inking pads are placed and the
pads spring inwards (see dotted lines Figure 4) and ink the row of type, in
which position said pads are at right angles to the side plates of the machine.
On the descent of the type the pads are returned to their respective recesses.
The lever 11 may be power-driven by means of eccentrics, or any suitable mechan-
ism may be used to reciprocate the fork 9. It will be seen from Figure 2 that
the printing type is arranged on the cross links 23 of the chains. Said trans-
verse bars are of suitable shape to engage with the toothed rollers and pinions
before mentioned. The upper parts of the chains also carry numerals by which
the position of the type at the printing surface can be readily ascertained. It
is obvious that the movement of the printing roller may be used instead of the
movement of the rollers carrying the numeral chains for the purpose of pro-
ducing an impression after the desired rows have been brought opposite the
printing roller.
Further, it is obvious that in place of printing numerals my improved
machine may be used for printing letters or arbitrary signs.
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 machine for printing numbers, letters or the like, the arrangement
of a set of chains on which the types are arranged and which are adapted to
be moved by hand in order to bring any desired type opposite the printing sur-
face substantially as described.
2. In a machine for printing numbers, letters or the like, the combination of
a set of chains 3, 3, the cross links 23 which carry type and are arranged to
engage with the chain wheels 5, 5, and the pinions 7, 7, under the control of
the spring pressed feet 8. 8, whereby any desired type may be brought opposite
the printing surface, substantially as described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated the 9th day of March 1900
W. P. THOMPSON & Co..
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester, and Birmingham.