Improvements in Numbering Machines.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Numbering Machines.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of 23 Southampton Buildings, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion, a communication to me from Edwin Granville Bates of 44 Broad Street,
in the City, County and State of New York, in the United States of America,
Manufacturer, and in what manner the same is be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being made
to the accompanying drawings and to the figures and letters marked thereon:-
The invention relates to machines for printing consecutive numbers, designed
particularly to be set up with type in a printer's form, as in printing checks,
bonds, &c., and to advance the number printed by it at each impression; and the
object of the present invention is generally to increase the effectiveness, simplicity
and compactness of machines of this general character.
More particularly the objects are to simplify and increase the efficiency of the
mechanism employed to rotate the type-wheels; to effect the locking of the type-
wheels from movement for a short space of time after the impression has been
made so that the impression will not be blurred; to provide mechanism whereby
the turning of the printing wheels is controlled so that they will not be brought by
the turning movement beyond their proper printing position.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Figure 1 is a top plan view or view of the printing face of the machine ;
Figure 2, a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 4 with the type-wheels omitted;
Figure 3, a bottom plan view;
Figure 4, a view on the line 4-4 of Figure 1, looking from the right;
Figure 5, a similar view on the line 5-5 of Figure 1, the casing of the machine
and plate being omitted;
Figure 6, a view on the line 6-6 of Figure 1, looking from the left;
Figure 7, a similar view on the line 7-7 of Figure 1;
Figure 8, a view of one side of the hub ;
Figure 9, a view of the opposite side of the hub, the type-wheels being shown
thereon in section;
Figure 10, a cross-section of the hub on the line 10-10 of Figure 8;
Figure 11, a cross-section of the hub with a type-wheel in elevation, showing the
position of the pawls and the drop-cipher when in position to print ;
Figure 12, a view of the pawl-shaft and shifting pawls;
Figure 13, an elevation of the locking lever and period-type;
Figure 14, a cross-section of the same ;
Figures 15, 16, 17 and 18 are views of the type-wheels looking from the right of
Figure 9 or the left of Figure 1;
Figures 15, 16, 174, and 184, are views of the opposite sides of the type-
wheels;
Figure 19 is a cross-section of two of the type-wheels showing the relative
position of the notches;
Figure 20 shows the two drop-ciphers of the machine and the tops of the hooks
with which they engage.
Figure 21 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of the numbering heads when
printing the numbers on checks ;
Figure 22 shows the units-wheels of the four machines developed to show the
arrangement of the numerals ;

page_text: Figure 23 is a side view of one of the units-wheels of Figure 22 showing the
notches for receiving the shifting pawls.
The operating mechanism is supported in a frame composed of bottom-plate A
and upright plate B, which comprise the main stationary parts of the machine, and
the side plates C, C1, C2 and C³. In the plates A and C is pivotted at a x the
lever a.
Resting upon this lever are the movable side plates 6 and b; the plate b resting
on the end a (Figure 6) and the plate resting on the other side of the lever
(Figures 2 and 3) the end of which passes up through the plate A, and terminates
in a hook to which is attached the spring a² which is fastened to the plate B.
Rigidly connected between the plates 6 and 6' is a hub c, carrying the type-
wheels d, d', d², and d³. The plates and have a reciprocating motion, the
inward movement being communicated to them by the platen striking the type-
wheels and forcing them down; and the upward movement being communicated by
means of the lever a when the pressure of the platen is removed.
The hub e as will be seen in Figures 9, 10 and 11, is recessed to receive the
shifting pawls. The hub is preferably recessed as shown, rather than cut entirely
through, since it insures against any tendency to bind by the spreading of the
opening which might occur if the hub was cut all through to the shaft passage.
The inward movement of the type-wheels and plates b, 'is a slight movement.
This movement is utilized to effect the oscillation of the operating pawls.
In order to give the pawls the required extent of oscillation mechanism is
employed for multiplying this movement, of which the following is a description.
A lever e, fulcrummed at e¹ on the plate B, is connected by the pin f with the
plate b', so that the inward motion of the said plate will be communicated to the
lever. To the free end of said lever is pivotted a lever g, the other end of
which is pivotted to the segmental rack h, the inner end of which is pivotted to the
plate B as shown in Figure 4. This rack engages with a pinion or toothed segment i,
rigidly secured to shaft k shown in Figures 2 and 12, which shaft carries arms k¹,
rigidly secured thereto, in which the oscillating pawl k² is hung. A spring 1,
secured to the underside of the lever e, has its free end resting on the pin 1³,
projecting from the plate B, so that the tendency of said spring is to force the
lever e outward. In operation the platen forces the type-wheels downward with
the said plates b and b, carrying the lever e, thereby forcing the rack downward,
and moving the pinion i, so as to carry the arms around and thus oscillate the
pawls. When the platen is removed spring acts in conjunction with the spring a?
to throw the lever upward and the rack and pinion are returned in the opposite
direction thus turning the arms k¹ with the pawls to their first position. By this
operation the simple downward movement given to the type-wheels is converted
into a multiplied movement for the pawls, and the type-wheels are rotated by the
pawls the required distance, the downward movement of the type-wheels bringing
the pawls into position to engage a new notch in the type wheels, and the upward
movement of the type-wheels forcing the pawls to revolve the type-wheel or type-
wheels the space of one printing character to the position shown in Figure 11.
The unit-wheel is provided with ten projections, m, one for each, printing
character, projecting at right angles from the side thereof nearest the plate b.
Pivotted on the face of the plate 6 opposite pins m, is a lever n, which is shouldered
at n', as shown in Figures 13 and 14, and provided with a stop n² projecting from
said plate, and a spring n³, the tendency of which is to maintain said lever in the
position shown in Figure 13. A section o, carrying the period or dot, is mounted
on the plate b so as to have an in-and-out movement in relation thereto, suitable
provision being made to prevent said section from dropping out. Pins o¹ projecting
from the underside of said section enter suitable holes in the top of said plate b
and serve to guide said section. A flange of said section projects over the top of
lever n.
In operation the platen striking the dot or period on section o, which is
in an advanced position with relation to the type-wheels and remainder of the
machine, forces said section inward, and thereby carries with it the lever n, the

page_text: shoulder of which is brought opposite one of the pins m on the units-wheel, thereby
locking said wheel and consequently the rest of the wheels from further movement
in one direction. As the platen leaves the numbering machine the spring n³ will
force the lever n and section o outward after it, and the type-wheels will be locked
from movement until the shoulder at n¹ is altogether out of the way of the pins m
of the units-wheel. By this arrangement the blurring of the impression is avoided,
as the type-wheels are held stationary for a certain space of time before the
impression is taken, while the impression is being taken, and after the impression
has been taken.
The oscillating pawl k² is provided with a tooth for each printing wheel, the
largest tooth p being inside the units-wheel, the next in depth, p', being inside the
tens-wheel, the next p², inside the hundreds-wheel, and the smallest tooth p³, being
inside the thousands-wheel. A springy is arranged as shown between one of the
arms k¹ and the pawl k², the tendency of which is to throw the pawl with its teeth
always outward.
d is the units-wheel; is the tens-wheel; d is the hundreds-wheel; d³ is the
thousands-wheel. The opposite sides of these wheels are shown respectively by
Figures 15, 164, 17 and 184. Each of these wheels, except the thousands-wheel,
is provided with nine shallow notches and one deep notch s. The thousands-wheel
has ten uniform notches r. The notches r and 's are the ones with which the
teeth p, p, p² and på engage for the purpose of effecting the rotation of the type-
wheels in consecutive order.
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In addition to the notches and s, ten other notches t, are provided on one side
of each type-wheel. As shown in Figure 19 the notches r and t descend in
opposite directions. The notches t are provided in the type-wheels for the purpose
of locking them in the positions into which they are moved by the pawl, so that
they will not be carried by the momentum which they attain further than their
proper positions.
To prevent a backward throw of the type-wheels there is provided for each
wheel a detent u, pivotted in the recesses in the hub c, as shown at Figures 8 and 10,
each of said detents being provided with a spring u', a recess being formed in the
underside of said detent to receive said spring, and the tendency of which spring is
to throw the detent outward as shown in said Figure 10. It will be seen that by
providing one of these detents for each wheel the movement of that wheel is
permitted in the increasing direction, but its movement in a backward direction is
prevented. Pivotted in other recesses in the hub c are detents v each provided
with a tooth. A hair-spring r¹ arranged as shown in Figures 10 and 11 tends to
throw said detent inward as shown in Figure 10. One of these detents is provided
between the units and tens-wheel, and another between the hundreds and thousands-
wheel. Their outward movement to lock the two wheels between which they are
located is effected by the downward movement of the pawl, which, coming in
contact with the free ends of said detents as shown in Figure 11 forces them
outward into the notches t on the type-wheels, two of which notches will be in the
position shown in Figure 19, so that the tooth on the detent can enter the notches
on the two adjacent wheels and lock both wheels for the time, from further forward
movement.
It will be seen from this description that when the platen of the machine is away
from the type-wheels the detents u and v are both in position so that no movement
of the type-wheels can take place, the detent u being in engagement with a notch r,
and the detent v with a notch t.
The type-wheels are held from any tendency to rotate while the platen is upon
them, the pins m and lever n holding the wheels from turning while the impression
is being taken.
The loose cipher-sections w and w', with which the tens and hundreds-wheels are
provided, are shaped in cross-section, the said wheels being cut away to about
half their thickness to receive said sections, as shown at w³, Figures 9, 164 and 17.

page_text: The horizontal arm of the L-shaped sections carries the printing character, and
the vertical arm is recessed at one side at w³, a pin y, Figures 164 and 17, projecting
from the mortise in the type-wheels, enters this recess ³, and prevents the cipher-
section from dropping out altogether. The vertical arm of the cipher-section is
also provided with the longitudinal recess w¹.
On the hub c, Figures 8, 9 and 10, are carried wipers yl one for each type-
section.
In operation, as the type-wheels bearing this loose section are turned, the rounded
corner of the drop-section will be brought in contact with the bevelled edge of the
wiper and forced outward to the printing position.
وسم
When it is desired to set the machine however to begin printing at 1, the type-
wheels are first pressed to their extreme inward position, in which position they are
locked by pressing the hook z into the notch z¹ (Figures 1 and 4) in lever then
the type-wheels bearing the drop-sections are turned until they are forced outward
by the wiper y'. They are then turned until the drop-section is beyond a wiper y
whereupon the drop-sections can be forced into their lowermost positions, and by
turning back the type-wheel a flange or projection of the wiper will enter the
recess and hold the same below the printing surface or out of printing position.
As shown in Figures 1, 18 and 184 the thousands wheel has no numeral O or drop-
cipher, there being blank space instead, as the highest number a machine having
only four wheels as shown in the drawings, can print is 9,999. In a machine having
five wheels, the thousands-wheel would have a drop-cipher, or in other words all
the wheels except the units-wheel and the last wheel have drop-ciphers.
When it is desired to number checks &c., at the same time that they are printed
in sheets as shown in Figure 21, the units-wheel of each numbering machine must
have the numerals specially arranged.
The diagram Figure 21 illustrates a printer's form for printing four checks and
their stubs on one sheet, the position of the numbering machines being indicated
by the dotted lines. In Figure 22, D illustrates the arrangement of the numerals
upon the units-wheels of the numbering heads D and D'; E2 the units-wheels
of E and E; F2 the units-wheels of F and F¹, and G2 the units-wheels of G
and G. Figure 23 shows the arrangement of shallow and deep notches for these
units-wheels; the remaining wheels of each of the machines having their deep and
shallow notches arranged as before described. To begin printing, the units-wheels
of the machines D and D' are set with their numerals 1 in position, the tens and
hundreds wheels having the drop-ciphers held out of the printing position, and
thousands wheel presenting its blank space. The machines E, E, F, F', and G G¹
will have the numerals 2, 3 and 4 respectively, in printing position, the other
wheels being set the same as the wheels of D and D'. The deep notches on these
units-wheels occur when the next change of the unit-wheel will be to a lower
numeral for instance, the wheel D2 begins with the numeral 1 for the first sheet ;
the wheel is then rotated one notch and the numeral 5 will be in position to print
on the second sheet, and for the next print the numeral 9 will be in position. Now
for the next sheet we must have the numeral 1 of the tens-wheel and 3 of the units
wheel. In order to allow the tooth pl to engage the tens wheel the tooth
P must
enter a deep notch. A deep notch is therefore placed relative to the numeral 9 so
that in changing to the next number which would be 13, the tooth can engage
with a notch on the tens-wheel to bring the numeral 1 around with the numeral 3.
So far we will have printed with the machines D and D' the numbers 1—5—9—13,
and the next print will be 17. For the next print, which will be 21, we must again
rotate the tens-wheel and to do this we must have another deep notch. The deep
notch therefore will be placed relative to the numeral 7, as the next numeral on
that wheel will be a lower one, in order to print the number 2, and so on for the
remaining numerals of the wheel. The deep notches on the units-wheels of the
other machines are to be arranged in the same manner.
It will be understood that when printing a less number of checks, &c., in a sheet

page_text: the arrangement of the numerals of the units-wheels will be different. For
instance, in printing three checks and their stubs; the first machine will have a
units-wheel with the numerals arranged thus, 1--4-7-0-3-6-9-2-5-8; the
second machine, 2-5-8-1-4-7-0-3-6-9; the third machine, 3-6-9-
2-5-8-1-4-7-0.
From the foregoing it will readily be seen that the numerals on each units-wheel
vary in accordance with the number of checks being printed, that is to say,
beginning with the numeral 1, the next numeral will be that number plus the
number of checks being printed, if four, the numeral will be 5, if three, the
numeral will be 4, and so on.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a numbering machine, the combination of a hub secured to plates sliding in
a stationary frame, a spring actuated lever pivotted in said stationary frame and
acting upon said hub to give it a reciprocating movement, levers pivotted upon the
stationary frame actuated by the reciprocating movement of the hub and engaging
with a shaft passing through the hub carrying pawls for engaging with the type-
wheels to rotate the same, and detents u for preventing backward movement of the
type-wheels, substantially as set forth.
2. In a numbering machine, the combination of a hub secured to plates sliding in
a stationary frame, a spring actuated lever pivotted in said stationary frame and
acting upon said hub to give it a reciprocating movement, levers pirotted upon
the stationary frame actuated by the reciprocating movement of the hub and
engaging with a shaft passing through the hub carrying pawls for engaging with
the type-wheels to rotate the same, pins m on one of the type-wheels, lever n
pivotted upon one of the sliding plates in proximity to said pins, and detents u for
preventing backward movement of the type-wheels, substantially as set forth.
3. In a numbering machine, the combination of a hub secured to plates sliding in
a stationary frame, a spring actuated lever pivotted in said stationary frame and
acting upon said hub to give it a reciprocating movement, levers pivotted upon the
stationary frame actuated by the reciprocating movement of the hub and engaging
with a shaft passing through the hub carrying pawls for engaging with the type-
wheels to rotate the same, detents u for preventing backward movement of the
type-wheels, and the detent v for checking the momentum of the type-wheels,
substantially as set forth.
4. In a numbering machine, the combination of a hub secured to plates sliding in
a stationary frame, a spring actuated lever pivotted in said stationary frame and
acting upon said hub to give it a reciprocating movement, levers pivotted upon the
stationary frame actuated by the reciprocating movement of the hub and engaging
with a shaft passing through the hub carrying pawls for engaging with the type-
wheels to rotate the same, pins m upon one of the type-wheels, lever n pivott.ed
upon one of said sliding plates and engaging with said pins m, the detents u
for preventing backward movement of the type-wheels, and the detent v for
checking the momentum of the type-wheels, substantially as set forth.
5. In a numbering machine, the combination of type-wheels d, d', d² and d³
mounted upon a stationary hub, and having a series of notches r, a series of
notches t, notches s on the wheels d', d', teeth p, p, p², p³, and detents u and v for
engaging with the notches, substantially as set forth.
6. In a numbering machine of the character hereinbefore described, the
combination of the type-wheels, pawls for operating said type-wheels, detent u for
preventing backward movement of the type-wheels, detent v for checking the
momentum of the type-wheels, and means for holding said detents and pawls
out of operating position to allow the type wheels to be set, substantially as set
forth.

page_text: 7. The hereinbefore described method of numbering checks, bonds, &c. in
sheets.
ليمي
1003
533
B. J. B. MILLS,
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.