Improvements in Means for Preparing the Recording Ribbon or Sheet for use with Recording Instruments of Pressure Gauges and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Nov., 1897-Accepted, 26th Mar., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Preparing the Recording Ribbon or
Sheet for use with Recording Instruments of Pressure Gauges
and the like.
I, JARVIS BONESTEEL EDSON, of Shelter Island Heights, in the County of Suffolk,
State of New York, United States of America, Engineer, 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 :-
The present invention relates generally to means for preparing the recording ribbon
or sheet for use with recording instruments of pressure gages, to the end that the
accurate reading of the record may be facilitated, but the invention is also applicable
to other purposes.
The recording ribbon is provided with a plurality of longitudinal lines disposed at
different distances apart, the distance between the lines representing changes in
pressures to be recorded by the movement thereover of the recording stylus, the
distances between the several lines being necessarily suited to the action of the
As no two gages
particular pressure gage with which the recording ribbon is used.
act precisely alike it has long been a desideratum to provide means by which the
record hearing ribbons for any number of given gages may be conveniently, accurately
and readily formed without complication of mechanism and loss of time for needed
adjustments. So, too, in view of the slight range of movement of the recording stylus,
and to enable its registrations to be accurately determined, it is necessary that the
longitudinal lines shall be comparatively fine as well as perfectly distinct, the
necessary fineness of the lines and their accurate placing with respect to one another
not being possible with the ordinary ruling pens as constructed and in the manner
they are adjustably supported.
The present improvements provide a novel form of apparatus including in addition
to the line-forming devices means for printing the ribbon and for consecutively
numbering the same to represent successive days for any given period.
A detailed description of the invention will now be given, reference being had to
the accompanying drawings in which :-
Figure 1 is a side elevation with some parts in section of an apparatus embodying
the invention.
Figure 2 is a plan view thereof.
Figure 3 is a portion of the record ribbon or strip in its complete condition ready
for use.
Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section on the line 4, of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is an enlarged detail section of the numbering wheel and the means
for moving it longitudinally along its supporting shaft and transversely across the
machine.
Figure 6 is a detailed plan view of a portion of the apparatus showing particularly
the longitudinal line-producing devices, a portion of the record ribbon or strip being
also shown, and other parts being omitted.

page_text: Figure 7 is a longitudinal section of the same on line 7 of Figure 6.
Figure 8 is a sectional detail of a portion of one of the grooved wheels supporting
the threads for producing the longitudinal lines on the record ribbon.
The apparatus consists of a suitable base plate A, supported say from the ground
by pedestals A¹ and having vertical side frames A2 which provide bearings for the
longitudinal lines-producing devices B, the marking or printing device C and the
consecutive number device D.
The ribbon or paper strip e to be marked or otherwise prepared is carried in
the form of a roll E in bearings provided by a bracket a vertically adjustable on
one of the pedestals A¹, by means of a set screw a' or otherwise. The free end of
the ribbon è is carried upward and thence through a guide or guide-trough b and
under and over a number of straightening rods c therein, insuring the ribbon being
carried onward perfectly true and free from wrinkles or creases. From the trough
the ribbon passes over a leading roll d thence under a flanged roll f. toward the
printing and consecutive numbering devices.
The roll forms the impression device of the longitudinal lines-producing or
ruling device B, which in addition thereto and co-acting therewith has a plurality of
endless parallel threads 2 of the proper fineness and corresponding in number to the
.longitudinal lines to be produced in the ribbon, and adapted by contact with the
ribbon to impart their impression thereto. These endless threads (see Figs. 6 and 7)
are carried by a pair of finely grooved rolls 3, mounted a distance apart with the
threads taking into the grooves to be accurately positioned and guided in their con-
tinuous movement against the surface of the moving ribbon. A portion of the
grooved surface of these rolls is shown in Figure 8. The impression and ribbon
guiding roll is located about midway between the rolls 3 and depresses the active
portion of the endless marking threads 2, so that they will bear against the ribbon
on the roll with sufficient pressure to impart their impression thereto. Ink or other
impression producing substance may be applied to the threads by causing them to
pass through and in contact with an ink pad 4, arranged in the path of the return
portion of the threads and just in advance of one of the rolls 3.
f
In order to adjust the position of the endless marking threads 2 within the narrow
limits not possible in some cases by simply shifting the threads laterally in the
grooves of the rolls 3, there is provided a number of guide pins 1, adapted to holes in
a transverse support 4, supported directly beneath the threads and just in advance of
the impression roll f, so that the pins may be changed from hole to hole to bear any
one or more of the desired threads to one side or the other of their natural
position.
The proper position of the threads with respect to one another suited to the
particular gage with which the record ribbon is to be used should be determined in
each case by some pattern known to be suited to that gage; such pattern consisting,
for instance, of a short piece of the record ribbon itself. In the present instance there
is provided a pattern holder or support 5, preferably one located each side of the
impression roll, adapted to contain the pattern which will immediately underlie
the threads, and thus serve as a form or guide by which the marking threads may be
accurately located to produce a duplication of the desired record-ribbon.
The longitudinally ruled ribbon e passes from the impression roll f over a lead
roll 10, over another like roll 11 to the printing device C, passing under and partially
around its impression cylinder 12 and thence between said cylinder and the printing
or marking cylinder 13 to have impressed thereon the lower divisions and the short
transverse lines indicating said division as seen in Fig. 3. The cylinders 12 and 13
are mounted in suitable bearings in the side frames A2, one over the other, the
printing or form carrying cylinder 13 being inked in any suitable manner, as by an
inking roll 14 receiving ink from a roll 15 which in turn has ink deposited thereon
from one of a pair of rolls 16, 17. The several rolls may be adjustably mounted to
obtain even distribution of the ink and proper inking of the form. Thus the inking
roll 14 is carried at the end of a pair of adjustably mounted arms 18; and the ink
roll 15 is carried by arms 19 adjustably, carried by arms 18. The ink roll 16 is

page_text: carried at the end of vibrating arms 20 pivoted to the side frames and moved against
the tension of a spring 22 by a cam 21 secured to the shaft of the cylinder 12, so
that said roll 16 shall be moved intermittently to and from contact with the roll 15.
The other roll 17 is carried by arms 23 adjustably connected to the vibrating arms 20,
so as to move therewith. No ink fountain is shown, as such is well known and may
or may not be used; when not used a supply of ink may from time to time be
applied to either one of the rolls 17, 16, by a hand operated ink roll 24 shown
supported for convenient reach on the brackets a of the ribbon-web roll E.
The cylinder 13 will carry the proper form provided by any desired kind of
impression producing surface, as for instance an electrotype or rubber type secured
to its surface in any well known manner.
The longitudinally ruled and printed ribbon e passes from the printing device C
over a leading roll 25 to the consecutive numbering device D represented by a
number carrying cylinder or wheel 26 and a platen 27 by which the ribbon is
impressed at intervals with numbers g representing consecutive days of any given
period, say for instance a year of 365 days.
The number carrying cylinder or wheel 26 has its numerals extending in this
instance from 1 to 365 in consecutive order, arranged on the circumference thereof
in a continuous spiral, the cylinder having a corresponding spiral groove 6 located
between the lines of numerals with which co-acts a pair of flanges of an idler 28
rotating in fixed bearings formed on a bracket 51 adjustably secured to the side
frames, (see Fig. 5) so that the cylinder 26 is progressively moved laterally as it is
rotated. This numeral cylinder is mounted loosely on a cross shaft 29, supported in
bearings extending from the side frames (see Fig. 4) and is rotated step by step by
power applied to said shaft. For this purpose and yet permit a uniform and absolutely
steady lateral movement of the cylinder from one side to the other of its bearings,
the shaft 29 carries rigid therewith a U-shaped arm 30, a member of which extends
parallel with the shaft between flanged guide rolls 31 carried by the central web of
the cylinder. The cylinder is thus free to move laterally both on the shaft and the
U-shaped arm, and yet is so connected to the shaft by means of said arm as that it is
positively rotated therewith. A second U-shaped arm 30 and rolls 31 may be
provided if desired, as shown by dotted line Fig. 1. The step by step rotation of the
number carrying cylinder 26 is had by means of a ratchet wheel 32 fast to the end of
the shaft 29, with which engages at diametrically opposite points two pawls 33,
carried by independently vibrated arms 34 from any moving part of the machine, as
by means of a pair of eccentrics 35, on the shaft of the cylinder 12, one for each pawl
arm and connected with said arms by means of eccentric straps and connecting
rods 36, as seen in Fig. 2; one pawl serving to prevent backward rotation of cylinder D
when the other is rotating it forwardly.
The impression of the numerals of the cylinder 26 on the record ribbon e is had by
the timely impulse or movement of the co-acting platen 27. This platen 27 is of
hammer form carried at one end of a vertically vibrating lever 37, pivoted between
its ends to one of the side frames and held in its idle position, or with its platen away
from cylinder 26, by means of a spring 37' engaging the under side of said lever at
that side of its pivot opposite to the platen 27.
The impression impulse of the platen 27 is given by a retractile spring 38, which is
connected at its upper end to that end of lever 37 opposite the platen and at its lower
end secured to the frame; the lever 37 being operated against the action of the
spring 38 and then released by a suitable trip mechanism.
The trip mechanism consists in the present instance of a suitably shaped cam 39
fast on the shaft of the printing cylinder 13, which cam acts to depress the fore end
of a vertically vibrating lever 40, which is connected at its opposite end by a vertical
link 41 to a hook end lever 42, pivoted to the lower end of an arm 43, rigidly
secured at its upper end to the platen carrying lever 37 between its axis and the
'spring 38.
The hook end of lever 42 is held down upon a shouldered cam 8 fast on the shaft
of leading roll 11, by means of a spring 44 and the shoulder of this cam 8 draws the

page_text: lever 42 suddenly to the left and thereby, through arm 43, rocks the platen carrying
lever 37 against the action of spring 38 to retract the platen 27.
Immediately thereafter the high part of cam 39 depresses the fore end of lever 40
and raises the hooked lever 42 out of engagement with the shoulder of cam 8,
whereupon the platen 27 is projected upwardly against cylinder 26 by the contraction
of spring 38.
The spring 371 will then restore the platen to its inactive position shown in Fig. 1,
though the weight of the platen alone may serve to do this, as the spring 38 will no
longer be under tension.
The cain 8 retracts and the cam 39 releases the platen 27 twice at every revolution,
and hence the two eccentrics 35 are employed to give a corresponding movement to
the cylinder.
An inked impression in contradistinction to an embossed one may be had by
providing an ordinary ink ribbon 50 suitably supported and operated as in
typewriters, and which is led between the indicator ribbone and the numeral
cylinder 26.
The now completed indicator ribbon may be directed from the machine and taken
care of in any suitable manner as by leading it over a flanged feed roller 52 where it
is fed onward by an endless tape 53 passing around the feed roll and thence under a
gravitating tension roll 54.
Suitable motion is imparted to the various parts of the mechanism by a belt 55
passing around a driving pulley 56 mounted loosely on the shaft 57 carrying the
roll 11 and platen tripping cam 8, said pulley being connected to the shaft by a
suitable clutch device 58 when the two members of which are moved into clutching
position for the purpose. The opposite end of the shaft 57 carries a pulley 59
around which is stretched a belt 60 for driving a pulley 61 fast to the shaft of one of
the marking thread rolls 3. The shaft 57 also carries another pulley 62 adjacent the
driving pulley 56 and carrying a belt 63 for driving a pulley 64 fast to the shaft of
the flanged roller 52.
The printing device C is likewise rotated from said shaft 57 by a pinion 65 fast
thereto and in mesh with a toothed wheel 66 of the impression cylinder 12 which
wheel in turn meshes with a similar wheel 67 fast to the printing cylinder 13, and
the latter wheel in turn meshing with a pinion 68 of the inking roll 14 for properly
rotating the latter.
It will be understood that the mechanism described is in the main illustrative of a
practical embodiment of the invention, and hence modifications thereof may be made
therein without necessarily departing from the scope thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what inanner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a ruling device the combination with the platen of grooved rolls at opposite
sides of the platen, endless parallel marking threads spaced apart by said rolls and
co-acting with the platen with their upper runs, and means for rotating one of said
grooved rolls, substantially as described.
1
2. The combination with the platen of grooved rolls at opposite sides thereof,
endless marking threads passed around said rolls and co-acting with the platen with
their upper runs, and a support for a pattern within the space between the two runs of
the threads, substantially as described.
3. In a ruling device, the combination of an impression device for the material to
be ruled, a plurality of suitably supported parallel marking threads co-acting with
the impression device, and a support for a pattern arranged adjacent the threads to
act as a guide for the proper location of said threads, as described.
.
4. In a ruling device, the combination with the impression roll for the material to
be ruled, parallel endless marking threads co-acting at their upper runs with said
'impression roll, and a pair of grooved rolls around which said threads are stretched, of

page_text: an auxiliary means of adjustment for said threads, and a pattern holder in the space
between the two runs of the threads, substantially as described.
5. In a ruling device, the combination with the impression roll for the ribbon or
strip to be ruled, grooved rolls at opposite sides thereof, means for rotating one of said
grooved rolls, endless parallel marking threads spaced apart by said rolls and co-acting
at their upper runs with said impression roll, of auxiliary adjusting devices for
adjusting the upper runs of the threads independent of the grooved rolls, substantially
as described.
6. In a ruling device, the combination of the impression roll for the ribbon or strip
to be ruled, a plurality of parallel endless marking threads co-acting with said
impression roll, a pair of grooved rolls around which said threads are stretched, a
support for a pattern arranged adjacent each roll, and a plurality of removable pins
for transversely adjusting the positions of the threads, as set forth.
7. The herein described ruling mechanism, comprising the parallel grooved rolls,
one of which is driven, the endless marking threads passing around said drums and
spaced by the grooves thereof, a roller platen journaled over the upper run of the
threads, a guide and leading roll for guiding the strip to be ruled under said platen,
and a pattern holder or support between the two runs of the threads, substantially as
described.
8. The combination with the endless travelling ruling threads and the platen over
the upper runs thereof, of an inking device for the threads, an apertured plate under
the upper runs of the threads at one side of the platen and removable pins in said
apertures for properly spacing the threads, substantially as described.
9. The herein described ruling mechanism, comprising a suitable frame, a bracket
for supporting the roll of paper to be printed, a guide trough above the bracket and
having rods for straightening the strip, a leading roll at the forward end of the
trough, a platen roll under which the strip passes from the leading roll, parallel
grooved rolls at opposite sides of the platen and the endless ruling or marking threads
passed around said grooved rolls, substantially as set forth.
10. The combination with the frame, and the mechanism for ruling the strip
longitudinally, of an impression cylinder around which the strip or ribbon passes from
the ruling mechanism, a printing cylinder over the impression cylinder and provided
with devices for printing the transverse graduations at the opposite edges of the strip,
a consecutive numbering cylinder above the line ruling mechanism and under which
the strip of ribbon passes from the printing cylinder, a platen movable towards and
from the said numbering cylinder, and an operating mechanism for actuating the
numbering cylinder a single character at predetermined intervals, substantially as
described.
11. The combination with the impression cylinder and the printing cylinder
co-acting therewith, of an intermittently actuated rotary numbering cylinder having
a spirally arranged series of consecutive numbers and having a sliding movement, a
spring projected platen for the numbering cylinder, mechanism for retracting the
platen at regular intervals, mechanism actuated from the axis of the printing cylinder
to release the platen, and mechanism actuated from the shaft of the impression
cylinder for operating the numbering cylinder, the space of a single number for every
time its platen is released, substantially as described.
12. The combination with the printing cylinder having a cam on its axis, and
an impression cylinder provided with eccentrics, of a rotary numbering cylinder
having a rotary shaft on which it slides, and with which it turns, said cylinder
having a spirally arranged series of consecutive numbers, and an external spiral
groove, a flange entering said groove, a ratchet wheel on the shaft of the numbering
wheel, levers having each a pawl engaging said ratchet wheel, and rods each being
connected at one end to one of the eccentrics and at its opposite end engaging one
of the said pawl levers, a lever pivoted below the printing cylinder, and provided at
one end with a platen to co-operate with the numbering cylinder, a spring for
projecting the platen towards said cylinder, a hooked lever for rocking the platen
lever against the action of its spring, a cam having a shoulder to engage and

page_text: operate said hooked lever, and a trip lever connected with the hooked lever and
actuated from the cam on the axis of the printing cylinder, substantially as
described.
13. The combination with the rotary, non-slidable shaft and means for rotating it
intermittently, of a cylinder sliding on and turning with said shaft, and having
a series of numbers arranged spirally around its exterior, a spiral groove being
forned between the lines of numerals, and an idler rotating in fixed bearings and
provided with flanges engaging the groove at opposite sides of the line of numerals,
substantially as described.
14. The combination with the numeral carrying cylinder having an external
spiral groove, and a flanged idler engaging the groove to cause the cylinder to move
endwise when rotated, of rotary non-sliding shaft extending through the cylinder and
provided with a parallel arm also passing freely through the cylinder, the said
cylinder having anti-friction wheels between which said arm passes, substantially as
described.