US2059251A - Printing and paper feeding mechanism for adding machines or the like - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 3, 1936.

PRIN

w. w. LASKER 2,059,251

TING AND PAPER FEEDING MECHANISM FOR ADDING MACHINES OR THE LIKE Filed June 17 1929 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY v 5, 9 w. w. LASKER 2,059,251

PRINTING AND PAPER FEEDING MECHANISM FOR ADDING MACHINES OR THE LIKE Filed June 1'7, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 .JZJT1ITF EEQv U5KO5H NEE. d 251% R DUE DATE AMOUNT 2: CASH D156 fl6 n E}TNZTOEE(T J OSKOSHIVEB. 3? 041E W gg w WE M mo 121 e45 015; 3

JOHN DOE CO- O-5KD5H "55 I W f DuE DATE AMOUNT 2 E cps also """j5;- 5%2 7 \NVENTOR O5 O5 E ATE W7 55-1 {5m DUE DATE 4M0! 9 a: 42

BY QM 4mm- ATTORNEY Nov. 3, 1936. w. w. LASKER PRINTING AND PAPER FEEDING MECHANISM FOR ADDING MACHINES OR THE LIKE Filed June 1'7, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES PRINTING AND PAPER FEEDING MECHA- NISM FOR ADDING MACHINES OR THE LIKE William W. Lasker, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Remington Band 1110.,

ration of Delaware Buffalo, N. Y., a corpo- Application June 17, 1929, Serial No. 371,373

13 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in printing and paper feeding mechanisms for computing or like machines and is shown as applied to the well known Powers tabulator mechanism of the type shown in U. S. Letters Patent to Powers #1,236,481, August 14, 1917, and including an automatic total taking mechanism such'as disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent to Lasker #1,376,555, May 3, 1921. The novel features of the invention are not limited to embodiment in this type of machine or to the total taking-mechanism shown in these patents.

An object of this invention, generally stated, is the provision of automatic mechanism for feeding the paper variable distances after the total has been printed during a total taking operation, to present the first line of a new form or section of the paper to the printing line to receive the imprint of the first item of a new series of items, the mechanism operating to perform this function regardless of the number of items making up the total which are confined within the length of a single form or section.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for automatically effecting said variable feed of the paper in the event that the number of items on one form. exceed the length thereof and have to be carried over onto the next succeeding form.

Another object is the provision of adjustable or shiftable means for controlling the single or double line spacing of paper and for variably spacing the paper automatically after the impression during a total taking operation.

A still further object is the provision of variable paper feeding means which can be manually thrown out of operation for any desired period as in cases where the items are printed on a plain strip of paper.

Another object is the provision of variable line spacing mechanism under control of printing and non-printing mechanism so that in nonlisting operations the total alone will be printed on the paper or the individual forms or sections and the paper automatically advanced to position the next form to receive the next total impression.

With these, and other objects that will appear from the following description, the invention consists in the features of construction, arrangements of parts and combinations of devices set forth in the following description and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the various views,

Fig. 1 is a right-hand side elevation of the upper portion of a Powers tabulator showing the invention applied thereto and with the paper feed mechanism shown in the position it occupies at the end of an actuation,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, detail, fore and aft, vertical sectional view showing portions of an adding and printing section,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary face view of a portion of the paper strip,

Fig. 4 is a detail, vertical transverse sectional view of the variable spacing and single and double line spacing mechanisms drawn on a larger scale than Fig. 1, the section being taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 5 and looking in the direction of the arrows at said line,

Fig. 5 is a detail, fragmentary, side view of that portion of the spacing mechanisms shown in Fig. 4, the parts being shown in the same positions as in Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, detail front view of the means for controlling the hammer locking bail,

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, detail edge view of the mechanism for permitting line spacing and for throwing out the line spacing control to permit the variable feed mechanism to function, and

Fig. 8 is a side view of some of the mechanism shown in Fig. 7.

The tabulator to which the invention is shown applied is a well known form of Powers tabulator comprising a base in which the main operating shaft (not shown) is journaled. Fig. 1 shows the adding and printing head comprising the usual main adding rock shaft l driven by an arm II and a link I2 connecting the arm to a disk l3 mounted on a shaft I 4 driven by beveled gears (not shown) from a shaft I driven from the main shaft (not shown) in the base of the machine.

The shaft II] has its usual function of permitting the setting of adding racks I1 and type carriers 18 under the control of a pin box and of restoring the racks and carriers after the printing operation has been performed. This mechanism comprises a fan cam l9 (Fig. 2) on the rock shaft l0 connected by a link 20 to the usual restoring frame 2|.

As in the usual construction the movement of any type carrier I8 from its home position is effective through a cam thereon to coact with one arm of an associated bell crank 23 and shift the latter in a clockwise direction, as the parts appear Fig.2. Theotherarmofthisbeilerankunderthe free end of an associated releasing or aotliatingbarflpivotedatitaotherendtothe companion hammer releasing pawl II. The

I oloekwisemovementofthebellcrankllreferred .to above is effective therefore to elevate the free endofthecompanionbarflintothepathof movementofabailflwhichisactuatedina manner-tobepresentlydescribed. Thlsbailis am to coast with all of the bars 24 elevated into the path thereof and to simultaneously move them lengthwise and release the companion pawls ll, thereby permitting the corresponding hammersfltobelmpelledagainsttheselectedtypes in the paths of the hammers and eflect printing on a paper strip 3i (Fig. 8) carried by the platen 8!.

Thebailflisoperatedbyacrankarml'l fixedly mnnected therewith, and a link II is connected at one end to said crank arm and is connected at its other end to the restoring frame 2 I. The bail functions at the end of the forward stroke or rocking motion of the shaft II and after all of the type carriers have been set.

The adding and printing head usually comprises a number of adding and printing sections. For the purpose of non-listing added items, a bail II (Fig. 2) is provided which is carried on a shaft II and when set in the position shown in this figure blocks the firing action of all of the hammers, by engagement therewith of the shoulders on the hammers with which the release pawls ll normally cooperate.

I'br controlling the ball the left-hand end of the shaft 36 carries an arm ll secured thereto and provided with a pin it against which bears one end of a lever II. The free inner end of a sliding stem which carries a print push button 40 (Fig. l) bears against the lower end of the lever it and is adapted to actuate the latter by a rearward movement of said button ll. Said button and its carrying stem may be locked in the inward print position by any well known means. when the button it is moved to the inward position it moves the lever 30 to swing the ball 35 out of position to block the movement of the hammers 2|, the bail assuming the blocking position when the button is moved out to its outer non-print position. The lever II also is automatically controlled in a manner which will hereinafter appear.

As shown in the said patent to Lasker, a total control shaft ll (Figs. 1, 2, 6 and 7) is provided to control the machine to print a total by mechanism not herein disclosed. This shaft is operated by an arm 44 and link it (Fig. 1) running into the base of the machine as usual in the well known form of tabulator to which the invention is shown applied, and as shown in said patent to Lasker, to initiate a total taking operation. This shaft 48 carries an arm 4 at its left-hand end, and connected to said arm is a link 41 operating the zero stops (not shown) in total printing. Said link has an upstanding arm 48 (Figs. 1, 2 and 6) provided with a laterally extending portion it bearing against said lever 39 to move said lever counter-clockwise (Figs. 1 and 2) to lower the bail ll and permit the hammers to fire during total taking operations even when the push button ll is in its outer position to cause non-printing of items.

The paper is fed by the usual cylindrical platen II operating in conjunction with the usual feed rollers, not shown. The platen is mounted on a shaft '0 carrying a feeding or line spacing ratchet wheel II at its right-hand end. This linespacingwheel (Pig. 5) isoperatedbyaline spacingorfeedingpawlllspringpressedinto engagement with the wheel Ii and carried on one endofaleverllurgedclockwisebyaspringllto retract the pawl II. This clockwise movement is permitted upon lowering of a pin ll (Pig. 6) carried on a slide adjustably mounted on a link ll. The link I! (Fig. 1) is lowered by a three armed lever 51 to one arm of which it is connected, and which lever has a depending arm II bearingagainstarolliionanarmtlsecuredto the rock shaft ll. As the shaft II is rocked forward, or in a counter-clockwise direction as the parts appear in Fig. 1, the arm II is urged by a spring II to follow it and thereby lower the link it. When the rock shaft iii is returned, the arm I. rotates the lever 51 counter-clockwise and raises the link 6 thereby rocking the lever i8 counter-clockwise to carry the feeding pawl II in a feeding direction to single or double line space the platen and the paper controlled thereby, as will hereinafter more clearly appear.

In the construction as shown in the present instance the maximum movement of the line spacing pawl 52 is limited to two line spaces which is determined by engagement of a projection I on the lever 53 with a fixed portion or stop it in the return movement of said lever to normal position, as will be understood from an inspection of Fig. 5 which shows the parts including the line spacing pawl 52 in the actuated position. The forward lower side of the lever 53 is provided with a short arm 61 (Fig. 5) for engagement with a projection 68 on a bar 69 to limit the return movement of the lever 53 and thus determine the extent of the throw of the pawl 52 to feed the platen and paper a single line space only. The bar I may be operatively connected by a set screw 1| (Fig. l) to an arm 1| pivoted on a stud, said bar being normally maintained either in its functioning position as shown, where it controls the pawl II for single line spacing, or in a non-functioning position, as permitted by the slot I2 in the bar. It may be explained at this time that when properly adjusted the bar G9 is automatically controlled in its movement into and out of functioning position as will presently appear. In the non-functioning position of this bar, the pawl 52 is controlled by the projection 65 and stop plate 66 to effect double line spacing of the paper. The actual contact edge of the plate ii with which the projection I coacts is to the left of and back of the projection on which the spring for the part OI is attached, as the parts appear in Fig. 5, so that the requisite extent of throw of the member II for double line spacing is provided for.

The arm II is adjustably connected by a clamping screw 13 to a coaxially pivoted arm ll, the stem of the screw passing through a slot in the arm I4 and received at its threaded end in a tapped opening in the arm II. The arm It is connected to a link II (Figs. 1, 7 and 8) which at its lower forwardly extending end is connected with a stud 16 on a slide II to be hereinafter described, and said stud is actuated by an arm II on the total control shaft 43. The link I! has been omitted in mg. 7 to avoid confmion in the showing of the other parts. By this train of mechanism, the bar it when set for single line spacing control, as in Figs. 1 and 5, will be moved to the left from the position shown in these figures, to withdraw the stop 68 and permit the pawl 52 to double line space after the total has been printed.

The line spacing mechanism is disabled when the hammer lock 35 is set to prevent printing. In the present instance this is done by blocking means comprising a lateral flange or stop 80 (Figs. 1, 7 and 8) on a slide 8| connected by a link 82 with an arm 83 on the right-hand end of the shaft 36 carrying the non-print ball 35 hereinbefore described. When the bail is in the non-print posi* tion shown in Fig. 2, the flange 86'will block the movement of a lever 84 connected by link 85 to the three armed lever 5! and thereby prevent retractlng movement of the feed pawl 52 from its actuated position, but this block will be removed and the paper feed mechanism rendered operative whenever the hammer lock is set to allow printing.

when thevpush button 46 is moved inward, it positions the ball 35 as hereinbefore described to permit item printing and by the actuation of the shaft 36, crank arm 83 and link 82, lowers the flange 86 out of the path of the lever 84, permitting this lever to rock against a stop 81 on a slide 88 which permits the three armed lever 51 to rock sumciently far to retract the pawl 52 for double line spacing movement. The slide 88 has the stud 16 before referred to connected thereto so that this slide will be lowered by the arm TI to move the stop 81 out of the path of the lever 84 whenever the total control shaft 43 is rocked clockwise from the position shown in Fig. 8. This is for the purpose of permitting the three armed lever 51 to lower the link 56 a distance sufficient to bring about a feed of the paper through a maximum distance. Such maximum distance is equal to the length of a-form, but the actual extent of the feed is a variable distance depending on the number of lines written, and is for the purpose of bringing the first line of a succeeding form in printing position after a variable number of items and their otal have been printed as will now be explained.

The variable feeding mechanism by which the above mentioned result is attained comprises the link 56 connected to an arm 9| pivoted on a stud 92 on which are mounted a gear wheel 93 and ratchet disk 94 connected together for movement in unison. The ratchet disk 94 is adapted to be operated by a pawl 95 carried by the arm 9| and held in cooperation with the toothed edge of the disk 94 by a spring. Movement is communicated from the gear wheel 93 to the platen shaft 50 by an intermeshing pinion 96 secured to said shaft and on which the ratchet wheel 5| and an aliner disk 91 are mounted, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The aliner disk 91 is provided with studs on which the usual hand feed knob (not shown) is mounted and by which the platen may be turned at will. Cooperating with the teeth of the disk 91 is the usual detent roller carried by a spring-drawn retaining or roller-detent-carrying lever 98.

It will be understood that the two ratchets 5| and 94 are geared together by pinion 96 and gear 93, so that an advance of either of them advances the other also. Pinion 96' is of much smaller diameter than ratchet 5|, and, therefore, when the platen is turned a single line space distance the periphery of ratchet 94 moves a less distance than that of ratchet 5|.

The variable feeding mechanism may be disabled by throwing the pawl 95 (Fig. 5) to the right against a stud 99 on the arm 9|, thus holding the pawl out of cooperative relation with the ratchet wheel 94. The effect of thus shifting the pawl 95 to and maintaining it in ineffective position is to render the variable feed mechanism inoperative without, however, interfering with the operation of the link 56, and the line spacing lever 53 controlled thereby, for effecting single and double line spacing, as hereinbefore described. A manipulative three arm lever pivoted at (Fig. 4) is provided to engage a stud ||l| on along perforated lines I as indicated. The

paper is inserted and adjusted to the first line space of the first form. Various information may be printed under headings as indicated. Following each listing operation the paper is fed a single line space or a double line space accordingly as it is controlled by the position of the bar 69. The items are listed in succession and the maximum number of items on a form may vary in accordance with the predetermined construction of the variable line spacing mechanism and the length of the forms. After any variable number of items have been listed, a total card follows a space card, or the well known total designation control mechanism (not shown), initiates a total taking operation. This results in rocking the total shaft 43 clockwise from the position shown in Fig. 1. It may be remarked at this point that when a space card is reached the machine is caused to cycle, without however eifecting a computing or printing operation other than to reset the carrying devices in the computing mechanism where these have been operated. The operation of the machine thus brought about by the space card results in cycling the disk l3 and effecting an operation of the pawl 52 to advance the platen a blank line space. When now a total card follows the space card as indicated above, the total will therefore be written a double line space from the last written item, as shown in each instance in Fig. 3. Every actuation of the total shaft 43, initiated by the total card mentioned above, results in drawing the bar 69 forward so that the pawl 52 is moved far enough to effect a double line space movement of the platen, and in the case where the pawl 95 has been thrown out of use the next item after the total will therefore be printed a double line space distance from the total as indicated below:

49 62 item 713 24 item 762 86 total 246 41 item This character of double spacing after the printing of a total is particularly useful when straight listing on a continuous unprinted sheet is effected.

When the pawl 95 is in operation advancing the paper to the head of the next form the pawl 52 makes its motion of a double line space, but inefiectively, because the platen is then turned by the pawl 95 which, acting through the pinion 96 of relatively small diameter, causes the ratchet wheel 5| to move forward more rapidly than the pawl 52. In that use of the machine, which is the use illustrated in Fig. 3, the variable line space pawl 95 is retracted a distance slightly greater than the length of a ratchet tooth on the ratchet disk 94, such retraction being permitted by the withdrawal of the limiting stop 81. On the return stroke of the shaft ID on the total printing cycle, the pawl It is advanced and picks up the ratchet tooth over which it has been retracted and moves it into the position shown in Fig. 5, thereby feeding the work sheet to brins the first line of the next form into printing position.

It will be understood that the pawl 95 is given a predetermined uniform feeding stroke at each total printing operation, sufficient to advance the paper a distance equal to the length of a form. Howey during listing operations the ratchet wheel M has been advanced step by step relatively to the pawl Ii by the pawl 52 through the gears 93. I. a distance depending upon the number of items listed. Then when the pawl 95 is given its operating stroke after the total printing operation, a portion of the predetermined movement of the ratchet 84 has already occurred and the pawl II will pick up the corresponding ratchet tooth where it finds it and will complete the advance of the ratchet to the position shown in Fig. 5, thus moving the paper through a distance which, with the distance the paper has been moved during listing, will complete the predetermined total distance necessary to bring the first line of the succeeding form into printing position to receive the first item of the new series. During listing operations the pawl 95 is arrested by stop I! and therefore does not retract sufilciently to be operative upon the ratchet wheel, except as now to be described.

Thus in the event of there being more items to be entered before taking a total than is provided for by the length of a single bill form, the additional entries will be automatically carried over onto the next bill form, the operation in this connection being as follows:

During listing operations, the link 56 reciprocates at each printing cycle a distance limited by the stop ll. Each such reciprocation produces a reciprocation of each of the pawls 52 and Ii, the former line spacing the platen and paper as above described. This limited reciprocation of the pawl i is ordinarily an idle one, because the pawl is not drawn back far enough to snap in behind a new tooth of the ratchet 94, but only rubs back and forth a certain distance on the inclined side of the tooth. However, each step imparted to the platen by the pawl 82 turns the ratchet ll forward, so that as a column of figures is printed, the next tooth of ratchet 94 gradually creeps toward the front of the machine. By the time an item has been printed on the last line of a form, this on-coming tooth will have reached a position so near to the normal position of pawl 95 that when said pawl is drawn back to its usual limited distance, the pawl will drop in behind said tooth, and when the pawl is then advanced on the return stroke of main shaft ll, said pawl will advance said on-coming tooth to the position shown in Fig. 5, which brings to printing position the first line of the next form, skipping the spaces containing the heading of such next form. It will be understood that even this limited movement of the pawl 95 turns the platen much further than pawl if can turn it, due chiefily to the fact that it acts through pinion I! which is of much smaller diameter than ratchet II. The next item will therefore be printed in the first writing line position of said next form. Successive items may continue to be entered on the second form until a total card (following a space card) is reached. This will result in printing the total two spaces from the last entered item as in the instance previously described. on the return motion of the rock shaft II the pawl 05 will be given a full feed motion, due to the fact that the stop II has (been withdrawn by the rocking of the total taking shaft 43 as hereinbefore described, and will result in turning the platen an extent sufficient to bring the next bill form to a position where the next item may be entered in the first line thereof, and so on the operation may be repeated as hereinbefore described. In the instance just described, one list of items occupies two forms. It will be noted that this involves an operation of the pawl 95 on the ratchet 84 without a total taking operation.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a machine of the class described, in combination with mechanism for listing or non-listing items and automatically printing the total thereof, paper feeding mechanism, means for operating said paper feeding mechanism, means for blocking said operating means during nonlisting operations, means for withdrawing said blocking means for listing operations, a second blocking means for limiting said operating means during listing operations, a total taking initiating mechanism, and means operated by said total taking initiating means for withdrawing said second blocking means.

2. In a machine of the class described, in combination with mechanism for listing items and printing totals thereof and a platen for positioning record receiving paper, of means for automatically line spacing the paper during listing operations, means for variably spacing the paper during total printing operations, a common operator for said two feeding means, and means for increasing the movement of the operator during total printing to permit of variable spacing during such operations.

3. In a machine of the class described for listing items and printing totals thereof, the combination of a paper feeding platen, a ratchet and feed pawl construction for line spacing the paper during listing operations, a second ratchet and pawl for spacing the paper incidental to total printing, a common link for operating said pawls, and means for automatically controlling the movement of said link in listing and total printing operations.

4. In a machine of the class described, in combination with mechanism for listing items and printing totals thereof, paper feeding means, means for limiting the extent of actuation of said feeding means to a single line spacing during listing operations, means for automatically withdrawing said limiting means during total taking operations to permit said feeding means to feed the paper a double line space, a second paper feeding means for feeding said paper after total printing operations variable distances depending upon the number of items listed and capable of being thrown out of operation, the construction being such that when said second feeding means is disabled said first paper feeding means will double line space the paper after a total taking operation has been initiated.

5. The combination of printing mechanism for listing various items computed, computing mechanism including total taking mechanism having means for controlling the printing of totals of items listed, line spacing mechanism for advancing the paper line by line as the items are listed, differential paper feeding means for feeding the paper variable distances depending on the number of items printed in order to advance the paper from the last written line position on one form thereon to the first writing line position on the next succeeding form, and automatically operating means controlled by the operation of said total taking mechanism for bringing about an operation of said differential paper feeding means in timed relation with and after the total has been printed, whereby after a total has been printed the paper is automatically advanced from the last written line on one form to a position for writing the first line on the next succeeding form, said variable spacing means being also printed form is reached, whereby when an end of a form is reached without taking the total the paper is advanced to bring the next form to a position where writing on the first line thereof may be effected.

6. The combination of printing mechanism, computing mechanism including total taking mechanism having means for bringing about a printing of the total from said printing mechanism, line spacing mechanism for advancing the paper a. line at a time after each item has been listed, differential paper feeding means for feeding the paper variable distances depending on the number of items printed, automatically operating means controlled by the operation of total taking mechanism for automatically bringing said differential paper feeding means into operation in timed relation with and after the total has been printed by said printing mechanism, non-print mechanism for preventing said printing mechanism from printing the items without interfering with its printing totals, and means under control of said printing and non-print mechanisms for rendering said differential feed mechanism effective when said non-printing mechanism is effective, whereby in non-listing operations the total alone will be printed on, the individual forms and the paper automatically advanced to position the next form to receive the imprint of the next total.

7. The combination of printing mechanism, computing mechanism including total taking mechanism having means for bringing about a printing of the total from said printing mechanism, line spacing mechanism for advancing the paper a line at a time after each item has been listed, differential paper feeding means for feeding the paper variable distances depending on the number of items printed, automatically operating means controlled by the operation of said total taking mechanism for automatically bringing said differential paper feeding means into operation in timed relation with and after the total has been printed by said printing mechanism, and means operating automatically on the operation of said total taking mechanism for causing said line spacing mechanism to advance the paper a double line space after the total has been taken, the combination including means shiftable to render said double line space means and said differential feeding means efi'ective alternatively. V

8. The combination of printing mechanism for listing items computed and printing totals, computing mechanism including total taking mecha nism for controlling the printing of totals of the items listed, line spacing mechanism for advancing the paper line by line as the items are listed, differential paper feeding means for feeding the paper variable distances depending on operable independently of the control of said total taking mechanism when the end of a.

the number of items printed in order to advance the paper from the last written line position on one form thereon to the first writing line position on the next succeeding form and including means shiftable at will for rendering said differential feeding means effective or ineffective, means operating automatically when the difi'erential feeding means are effective and controlled by the operation of said total taking mechanism for bringing about an operation of said differential paper feeding means in timed relation with and after the total has been printed, whereby after a total has been printed while the differential feeding means are effective the paper is automatically advanced from the last written line on one form to a position for writing the first line on the next succeeding form, and means operating automatically when the differential feeding means are ineffective and dependent on the operation of said total taking mechanism for causing said line spacing mechanism to advance the paper a double line space after the total has been taken. a

9. The combination of printing mechanism for listing items computed, computing mechanism including total taking mechanism having means for controlling the printing of totals of the items listed, line spacing mechanism for advancing the paper line by line as the items are listed, differential paper feeding means for feeding the paper variable distances depending on the number of items printed in order to advance the paper from the last written line position on one form thereon to the first writing line position on the next succeeding form and including a pawl shiftable at will into and out of effective position for rendering said differential feeding mechanism effective or ineffective, means operating automatically when the differential feeding means areeffective and controlled bythe operation of-said total taking mechanism for bringing about an operation of said differential paper feeding means in timed relation with and after the total has been printed, whereby after a total has been printed while the differential feeding means are effective the paper is automatically advanced from the last written line on one form to a. position for writing the first line on the next succeeding form, and means operating automatically when the differential feeding means are ineffective and dependent on the operation of said total taking mechanism for causing said line spacing mechanism to advance the paper a double line space after the total has been taken.

10, The combination of printing mechanism for listing items computed, computing mechanism including total taking mechanism having means for controlling the printing of totals of the items listed, line spacing mechanism for advancing the paper line by line, as the items are listed, differential paper feeding means for feeding the paper variable distances depending on the number of items printed in order to advance the paper from the last written line position on one form thereon to the first writing line position on the next succeeding form and including means operable at will for rendering said diflerential feeding mechanism effective or ineffective, means operating automatically when the differential feeding means are effective and controlled by the operation of said total taking mechanism for bringing about an operation of said differential paper feeding means in timed relation with and after the total has been printed, whereby after a total has been printed and the differential and pawl, said second pawl and ratchet arranged sothatanadvanceofsaidratchetadistance of one tooth advances the paper a predetermined distance which is greater than ordinary line spacing, and means limiting the reciprocation of saidsecondpawltolessthanatoothspaceof said ratchet, the construction being such that after the paper has been fed a certain distance by the first recited pawl, the ratchet will have been advanced for enough to be engaged by said second pawl which will then advancethepaperapluralityoflinespacedis tances, and means operating on occasion to cause said second pawl to reciprocate a distance appropriate to a full tooth-space of said ratchet, whereby the paper may be advanced at one step through whatever remains of a full operation of said swond ratchet after one or more operations of the first recited pawL 13.1namachineof the classand including computing mechanism, item and total printing total-taking means for bringing about a total printing operation, and means for line-spacing the paper, the combination which includes means controlled by said total-taking means for causing said line spacing means to impart a definite extra extent of feed to the paper following a total-taking operation, and a second paper feeding means controlled by said total-taking means and acting after the printing of a total to feed the paper forward to a variable extent depending on the number of items printed before the total, the combination including a device settable optionally to render said extra-spacing means and said variable-feed means operative alternatively, whereby in one setting of the machine successive lists and their totals may be printed and separated one from another by an extra space and in another setting of the machine the paper may be fed forward after printing a total to bring to printing position the first line of another bill form.

WILLIAM W. LASKER.

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