US2198139A - Recording apparatus - Google Patents

Description

April 23, 1940 E. s. svENssoN 2,198,139

RECORDING APPARATUS ATTORNEY April 23, 1940- E. s. svENssoN 2,198,139

RECORDING APPARATUS Filed June 6, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 mg. e

o 2 25 45 43 28 igea 26 44 INVENTOR gm 5, 5 BY l ATTORNEY April 23, 1940. E. s. svENssoN RECORDING APPARATUS Filed June 6, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY E. S. SVENSSON RECORDING APPARATUS ATTORNEY Filed June 6, 1936 April 23, 1940.

April 23, 1940 E. s. svr-:NssoN 2,198,139

RECORDING APPARATUS Filed June 6, 1936 5 SheelZS-Shee'll 5 INVENTOR BY I 2 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 1940 UNITED STATES RECORDING APPARATUS Ernst S. Svensson, Bridgeport, Conn., assigner to The Kron Company, Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application June 6, 1936, Serial No. 83,870

Claims.

This invention relates to recording apparatus of rugged nature suited to severe conditions of service such as the recording of weights measured by heavy industrial scales, and particularly to 5 parts of such apparatus comprising or closely associated with a self-reversing ribbon feed mechanism. Other portions of the recording apparatus are claimed in my co-pending applicationSerial No. 259,787, led March 4, 1939.

An important object of the improvements is to construct a ribbon feeding apparatus for this purpose whose operating parts are strong and perform substantial extents of movement thereby to eliminate requirements for extreme accuracy and iine dimensioning of the parts.

A further object is to provide a self-reversing ribbon feed mechanism which shall be more rugged and dependable in operation than are such mechanisms as commonly constructed and which shall be comprised of two distinct sets of parts for pulling the ribbon at diierent times in respectively opposite directions so that these separate parts may be widely spaced at opposite sides of a. common frame and so that there may be in terposed between the separated sets of parts a printing station of any desirable width and Aequipped with any desirable number of side-byside type set-up and registering devices.

A still further object is to employ novelly arranged ribbon feeding drive parts to be operated by a common oscillator and a flexible type of overcentering toggle mechanism automatically operative to reverse the direction of ribbon feed without possibility of bind or obstruction under any operating condition that can be assumed by the ribbon feeding parts. Other objects will appear from the description hereinafter. With reference to the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front View of the entire recording mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation looking from the left at Fig. 1 and further shows the portions of stepped members which may be employed to determine the value registering positions of the type segments, Fig. 2 being drawn on a smaller scale than Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary View taken in section on the plane 3 3 in` Fig. 2 lookingin the direction .of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a correspondingly enlarged fragmentary view taken in section on the plane 4 4 in Fig. 6 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the guard for the inking ribbon, the showing of which is omitted in Figs. 1 and 2.

(Cl. lol-336) Fig. 6 is a plan view of the upper portion of the mechanism in Fig. 1 and is drawn on a corresponding scale. Y

Fig. 'l is an enlarged sectional view taken on the plane 1-1 in Fig. 6 looking in the direction of the arrows. y

' Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the plane 8-8 in Fig. '7 Vlooking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 9 is an elevation similar to the upper portion of Fig. 2 `drawn on an enlarged scale and showing the control parts for the ribbon reversing drive mechanism differently positioned, a portion of the length of the inking ribbon being shown as broken away, and the outer guide disc for the rack bar omitted.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the plane Ill-I 0 in Fig. 9 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken in section on the plane II-II in Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary View taxen in section on the plane I2--I2 in Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 13 isvf a fragmentary View taken in section on the vertical plane I3--I3 in Fig. 9 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 14 is an elevation drawn on the same scale as Fig. 9 looking from the right at Fig. 1 and showing the parts positioned to accord with the position of parts in Fig. l.

The recording mechanism as a whole may be viewed as comprised of three main systems of parts which may respectively be termed the type registering mechanism, the self-reversing ribbon feed mechanism, and the power and printing hammer mechanism.

Type registering mechanism This mechanism is best shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 6. One or more horizontal feeler rods I0 are mounted for longitudinal sliding movement in apertures through the main Vertical frame plate II and in respectively aligned rectangular apertures through the offset bracket I2 shown mounted on the exterior surface of frame plate II in Figs. 2 and 6. Feeler rods I0 are equipped with any suitably thin edged feeler terminals I3 which are constantly urged toward steps on peripherally notched wheels I4, I5, etc., by individual light springs I6, each of which springs surrounds a rod I0 and is compressed between a collar I 'I carried thereby and the bracket I2. The stepped wheels I4 and I5 are representative of any adjustably positionable stops which may be located respectively in the paths' of the different feeler terminals I3. For an example of one possible purpose and function of such stepped wheels reference may be had to U. S. Patent No. 2,173,746 granted September 19, 1939, on an application of Glenn E. Weist, Serial No. 753,842, wherein similar discs are designed to be rotatively positioned in accordance with the weights of a load and by the automatic action of a weighing scale in order that the weights measured thereby may be recorded.

The stepped wheel peripheries preferably act to limit sliding of rods Il) to selected portions of their total permissible travel, which portions of travel accord respectively with the spacing of type characters I8 that project from the peripheral edge of a type segment I9 of which segment four are shown' pivotally mounted upon a common shaft 20 in Figs. l and 6. Shaft 26 is supported by and spans the space between the left and right sides of an upper frame casting 2| which is shown in Fig. 2 to 'be mounted at its rear end upon the main vertical frame plate II.

'Ihe upper end of each type segment I9 is pivotally connected to a clevis 22 from which a connector 23 extends rearwardly and terminates in a similar clevis 24 pivotally connected to the forward end of a corresponding feeler rod Il 'Ihe effective length of any connector 23 may be adjusted finely by a threaded coupling 25 interposed between separate rod parts of the connector and having threaded engagement therewith and lockable in adjusted position by the end nuts 26 which also have threaded engagement with the rod parts.

In Figs. 1 and 6 the type segments I9 are seen to be axially spaced by suitable collars 21 which rying any desired'data, can be accommodated within the space between the sides of the frame casting 2|. Provision of this ample space is made possible by certain features of the self-reversing ribbon feed mechanism hereinafter to be described, The normal, or non-printing position of the type segments is as pictured in full lines in Figs. 2, 6 and 9 and this position is brought about through the action upon all of the rods I8 of an actuating -bail comprised of the transversely disposed rod 28 connecting and carried by the upper ends of two vertical bail arms. One seg, ment is indicated by broken lines in Fig. 9 las shifted to a printing position. The bail arm 29 swings at the left of the frame casting 2| and the bail arm 38 swings at the opposite or right side of the frame. Both as these bail arms swing in unison about a lower pivot point as will later be described,- and they carry the bail rod 28 in a path of travel corresponding with the travel of depending projections 3| respectively carried by the rods I0 (see Fig. 4). 'Ihus the bail rod 28 may act to force all of the rods I0 simultaneously toward the front against the opposition of their compression springs I6 or by movement toward the rear may release all of rods I0 to the individual action of such springs as individually and respectively limited by the notched wheels I4, I5, etc.

Self-reversing ribbon feed mechanism This mechanism is automatically motivated in lan intermittent manner by swinging strokes of one or the other'of the bail arms 28 and 38, which have been/described. and through the longitudinal movements of two rack bars, 40 at the left side of the -frame casting 2|, and 4| at'the right side of the frame casting. Rack bar 40 is pivoted at 42 to the left bail arm 28 and has a cut-out forming the bayonet slot 43, through which passes a fixed guide pin 44 which rigidly projects from the frame 2| and is threaded to receive two axially adjustable guide discs 45 and 46 on respectively opposite sides of rack bar 40 and suitably spaced to permit free sliding movement of the latter between them. Near its free end and on its bottom edge, rack bar 40 carries gear teeth 41, In similar manner rack bar 4I is pivoted at 46 to the right-bail arm 30 and has a cut-out forming a bayonet slot 49, through which passes a fixed guide pin 50 which rigidly projects from the right side of frame 2| and is threaded to receive two axially adjustable guide discs and 62 onrespectively opposite sides of rack bar 4I and suitably spaced to permit free sliding movement of the latter between them. Near'its free end and on its bottom edge, rack bar 4| carries the gear teeth 63.

As in the case of the rack bars 40 and 4I and their associated parts above described, the entire working mechanism for feeding the ribbon in one direction, as shown at the left of the upper frame casting 2| in Figs. l and 6, is substantially duplicated, part for part, by the working mechanism for feeding the ribbon in the opposite direction, which is shown at the right side of frame casting 2| in said figures. The minor exceptions to this will become plain as the description proceeds. The inking ribbon is designated as 54 in Figs. 1, 2, 6, 9, 1l, l2 and 13 of the drawings.

One end of ribbon 54 is wound upon a spool 86 whose manner of mounting `is most clearly shown in Fig. 11. The hub 6I of spool 6I) contains an axial hole which permits it to be mounted upon the spindle portion 62 of a feed shaft 63 which is equipped with the thrust flange 64 carrying a forwardly projecting pin 65 adapted to engage a recess in the spool hub 6| for rotatively impelling the spool while permitting its ready withdrawal fromv spindle 62 for changing the ribbon. 'I'he thumb nut 66 has threaded engagement with the spindle 62 as a readily removable means for securely holding the spool upon the spindle, 'I'he shaft 63 has a free bearing in a laterally extending portion of frame 2| and projects therethrough to carry fixedly the bevel gear 61 secured by the set screw 68, at the rear.

Bevel gear 61 meshes with a bevel pinion 10 whose associated parts are most clearly shown in Fig. 7 and include a one-way driveclutch for transmitting longitudinal movement of rack bar 40 to bevel pinion 10 and hence to bevel gear 61 and to the ribbon spool 60. Bevel pinion is pinned to the outer end of a stub shaft 1I which has bearing lengthwise of the boss 12 projecting from the frame casting 2|, and shaft 1I also projects inwardly of the same and carries at its innermost end the thrust collar 13 ilxed thereto in axially adjustable relationship by the set screw 14. The peripherally notched core of the oneway drive clutch is also pinned to shaft 1I in fixed spacing from the bevel pinion 10 `and adjacent the outer surface 68 of boss 12 and is yieldingly forced against this boss surface by the axially acting tension in the coiled spring 16 compressed between the thrust collar 13 and the inner end of boss 12 thereby to produce a frictional resistance to the turning of stub shaft 1 I and the parts core 15 as shown in Fig. 8, the clutch casing 11 together with the gear 18 is,freely rotatable in relation to the stub shaft 1| and to the clutch core 15 and bevel pinion 10 fixed thereon. In a well known manner, clockwise rotation of the clutch casing in Fig. 8 will wedge the balls 19 and drive theclutch core clockwise, whereas counterclockwise rotation of the clutch case will free the balls from wedging eiect and permit the clutch core 15 together with the stub shaft 1| to remain stationary as is its tendency due to the friction .occasioned by the spring 16 as described, The

clutch balls 19 and springs 80 if desired are retained in their respective cavities by the annular plate I secured to the clutch case by screws 82.

The parts above ydescribed for transmitting the lengthwise reciprocative movements of rack bar 4| to the ribbon spool 60 for intermittently rotating the latter in a ribbon winding direction, or counterclockwise in Fig. 1, are substantially duplicated in construction and function by a corresponding set of partsv onv the left side of the frame casting 2| for transmitting the movement of rack bar 40 to the ribbon spool 85 upon which is wound the other end of ribbon 54. It will therefore be necessary to mention only briefly the parts which transmit to spool 85 an inter-` mittent rotative movement in clockwise direction for winding the ribbon in the opposite direction of feed. Such of these parts as are shown at the left side of the frame in Fig. 6 and elsewhere, are given primed reference characters like their respective duplicate parts located at the right side of the frame and their construction and operation will correspondingly be understood.

Rack bar 40, when in mesh with gear 18' turns the clutch casing 11' in both directions of its travel but only clockwise rotation of the clutch casing is imparted to the bevel pinion 10', and hence, through bevel gear 61' and its stub shaft 1|' only clockwise rotation is imparted to ribbon spool 85 in Fig. 1.

Between the ribbon spools 60 and 85 the ribbon extends around a left guide pulley 02 and a right guide pulley 93, each of which pulleys is similarly mounted by a construction most clearly shown in Fig.` 12. The shoulder stud 94 retains and gives bearing to the guide pulley andpenetrates the `extremity of ahorn-like projection 95 of the frame casting. The rearwardly projecting end of stud 94 serves to mount a pressor bracket 96 which is rigidly retained thereon by the fastening nut 91. In Fig. 13 the pressor bracket 96 is most clearly shown to afford sliding support for the stem 99 of a pressor disc 99 which is constantly urged toward the right in Fig. 13 by the compression spring |00 so that pressor disc 99 yieldingly bears upon the inking ribbon 54\while the latter is in contact with its guide pulley 93. As a similar pressor disc or plunger is provided to co-act with both guide pulleys 92 and 93 as shown in Fig. l, the foregoing description of one will sufllce for both. y

Figs. 6, 9 and 12 show secured between th ausm , or sheet of paper between the guard |0I and the horizontal door plate |02, the guard is lipped upwardly at its forward edge.

Automatic reversing control Associated at each side oi the frame casting 2 I, with each of the duplicate mechanisms which transmit intermittent drive from the rack bars to the ribbon spools respectively, is a system of over centering, spring biased levers which serve to determine whether the right ribbon spool 60 shall be rotatively advanced counterclockwise or whether the left ribbon spool 85 shall be rotatively advanced clockwise by the simultaneous reciprocative movements of the rack bars 4I and 40, respectively, in Fig. 1.

This system of levers which coacts with the left rackvbar I0 is most clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 9 and derives its sole support from a long shaft |05 which extends transversely through both sides of the frame casting 2| and is free to turn therein. Nearest the frame, shaft |05 carries the hub |06 ofva shift arm |01' which is forked at its forward extremity to permit the ribbon 54 to pass through the narrow space thereby provided and the ribbon carries a protruding eyelet |08 which is too thick to pass between the arms of the fork whereby downward feed of the ribbon when it is nearly unwound from spool 85 impels the shift arm |01 toward position shown in Fig. 2. A stop I04 fast on shaft |05 engages frame pin |04' to prevent further downward swing of arm |01.

At its left extremity, the shaft |05 affords free pivotal support for a bell crank |09 whose turning movement relative to shaft |05 is limited by the engagement of a frame-carried pin I |0,which protrudes through an elongated hole in the bell crank. Near the top end of its vertical portion, bell crank |09 rigidly carries a long pin |I2 which extends toward the frame and is positioned to engage with the lower edge of rack bar 0.

Connection between the shift arm |01 and the bell crank |09 comprises a toggle link. I3 which is pivotally connected to the forward extremity of bell crank |09 at Ill and which is slidably and pivotally connected to shift arm |01 by the con struction most clearly shown in Fig. l0 wherein the shoulder screw I5 is seen to pass through the elongated slot ||6 in toggle lever I|3 and to be rigid with the shift arm |01, and to carry between the toggle lever and the shift arm, the spacer collar `I I1. This construction permits the toggle lever both to pivot about and `slide lengthwise in relation to theshoulcler screw II5 as the space between the head of the screw and the spacer collar II1 is suflicient to prevent bind. The long coiled spring |I8 constantly tends to pull toward eachother the spring stud I I9 carried by the toggle lever ||3 and the spring stud |20 carried by the bell crank |09 so that the parts tend to retain the position in which they are shown in Fig. 2 as determined by the combined action of stop means ||0 and |04'. Y

The system of levers which coacts with the right 4 rack bar 4| is mostclearly shown in Fig. i4 andv derives its sole support from a long shaft |25 which extends transversely through both sides oi the frame casting 2| and is free to turn therein. Fig. 6 most clearly shows that shafts |25 and v| are adjacent and parallel. At the left side of frame casting 2| shaft |05 carries a small gear |28 which is in mesh with a corresponding gear |21 on shaft |25, both of these gears being fixed tov their respective shafts whereby the shafts always turn simultaneously and in opposite directions through preferably the same angle of rotation. Similar gears accomplishing the same purpose are shown `at the right of the frame comprising the intermeshed gears |28 and |29 respectively iixed to shafts |05 and |25 to relieve the shafts of torsional strain.

Nearest the frame, shaft |25 carries'the hub |30 of a shift arm |3| which is forked at its for- Ward extremity to permit the ribbon 54 to pass through the narrow space thereby provided and near its end which is wound upon spool 60 the ribbon carries another protruding eyelet |32 which is too thickto pass between the arms of this fork whereby downward feed of the ribbon when it is nearly unwound from spool 50 will impel the shift arm |9| from its position shown in Fig. 14 downward. A stop |45 fast on shaft |25 engages frame boss |45'y to limit downward swing of arm |3| in its position shown in Fig. 9.

At its right extremity, the shaft |25 .affords free pivotal support for a bell 'crank |33 whose turning movement relative to shaft |25 is limited by the engagement of a frame-carried pin |34 which protrudes through an elongated hole |35 in the bell crank. Near the top end of its vertical portion, bell crank |33 rigidly carries a long pin |38 which extends toward the frame and is positioned to engage with the lower edge of rack bar 4 I.

Connection between the shift arm |3| and the bell crank |33 comprises a toggle link |31 which is pivotally connected to the forward extremity of bell crank |33at |38 and which is slidably and pivotally connected to shift arm |3| by a construction analogous to that shown in Fig. wherein the shoulder screw |39 passes through elongated slot |40 in toggle link |31 and is rigid with the shift arm |3| and carries the spacer collar |4|. The long coiled spring |42 is under tension between the spring stud |43 carried by the toggle link |31 and the spring stud |44 carried by bell crank |33 so that the parts tend to retain their position as shown in Fig. 14 by the combined action of parts including stops |34 and |45'.

Power and printing hammer mechanism 'I'his mechanism is located completely below the oor plate |02 which at its rear end is supported upon the bracket |50 and at its forward end is supported upon the upstanding portion of the lower frame casting |5|. Most of the power and printing hammer mechanism is supported between the two sides of frame casting |5| which itself derives support from the main frame plate to which it is bolted at the rear end.

Any suitable electric motor |52 may be separately mounted upon the main frame plate and the motor shown has its shaft equipped with a drive worm |53. The worm wheel |54 is in mesh with worm |53 and rotates the shaft |55 to which it is ilxed. Shaft |55 has bearing at each oi' its ends in the frame casting |5| and also carries fixed thereto the pinion |58. Pinion |55 is in mesh with the large gear |51 which is nxedly carried4 by the cam shaft |58. Cam shaft |59 also spans and has bearings in the two sides of frame casting 5| and ixedly carries between the frame `sides a cam |59 for controlling the printing hammer. Outside the left bearing in theframe casting shaft |58 carries a cam |50 for controlling the bail arm 29 and thereby the type registering and ribbon feed mechanisms. At its left extremity in Fig. 1 cam shaft |58 also rotates an electric switch operating cam |8| thereby to interrupt automatically the circuit to the electric motor 52 when a cycle of recording action has been completed.

Th printing hammer comprises a strip of suitable platen material |52 securely mounted on the top surface of a hammer block |83 which at both ends is guided for vertical sliding movement in the framel casting 5|. Block |83 canies the horizontal rod |84 which pivotally supports two depending links |55 and |65. 'I'he lower ends of these links are pivotally engaged by a similar horizontal rod |81 which is swingingly supported by and connectsthe free ends of two forwardly projecting arms |68 and |59 which arms are flxedly mounted upon shaft |10 in spaced relatin. The ends of shaft |10 have bearings in the frame casting |5|. At a central portion, shaft |10 flxedly carries the hub |1| of the cam follower arm |12 whose rearwardly extending end is equipped with a roller |13 riding in contact with the periphery of cam |59. At the right side of the frame casting, shaft |10 xedly carries the stub arm |14 with which is connected the hammer actuating spring whose rear end is anchored to a bracket |15 mounted on the main frame plate l 'Ille outer left surface of the frame casting |5| is equipped with two bearing lugs |11 and |18 which guide a longitudinally sliding plunger device consisting of a rod |19 rigidly carrying the clevis |80 at its rear end and thereby pivotally connected to the lower extremity of the bail arm 2 9. Both this bail arm and the corresponding bail arm 30 at the right side of the frame casting are rigidly mounted on the opposite extremities respectively of a pivot shaft |8| which extends through and has bearings in both sides of the frame casting. f

The rod |19 of the plunger device may have a sufficiently loose fit in the bearing lug |11 to permit the pivot pin |82 in clevis |80 to follow the arc of swing of the lower extremity of bail arm 29 but rod |19 is made rigid with a sliding bar |83 at its forward end which is preferably of rectangular cross section and a good sliding fit within a corresponding aperture through the bearing lug |18. A roller |84 is pivotally carried at the'forked extremity of bar |83 and is constantly pressed against the periphery of cam |50 by the compression spring |85 loosely surrounding rod 19 and bearing against the lug |11 at its rear end while its forward end bears against a thrust washer |86, fast to bore |83.

|81 represents a current supply wire running directly to the windings of the electric motor |52. Another supply wire |88 electrically connects one switch contact |89 to the source of current supply. 'I'he other switch contact |90 is connected to the motor by a wire |9| so that making and breaking electrical contact between parts |89 and |90 will respectively start and stop the motor. A conductive switch plug |92 is adapted electrically to bridge contacts |89 and |90 when moved to the left in Fig. 2 and is carried in insulated relation at the rear extremity of a horizontal bar |93 which has sliding bearing in a stationary bracket |94' and is limited in its movement toward the front by the engagement with said bracket of a cross pin |95. 'I'he forward end of bar |93 is slidingly supported in a downwardly and laterally extending portion of the frame casting and is equipped with a manual operating handle |96. A dog |91 is pivoted at |98 to the bar |93 and straddles this bar in a bifurcated lower portion |99 as shown in Fig. 3 and projects upwardly for engagement by the cam |6l.

Dog |91 is constantly urged counter clockwise in Fig. 2 by springs 200 and'20l, being normally disposed in upstanding position as shown in Fig. 2 by the engagement of the rear edge of its bifurcation with the top edge of bar |93 whereas the higher disposition of its front bifurcated edge i permits at times relative swinging of the top of dog |91 toward the right in Fig. 2 by overpowering of the tension in springs 200 and 20|. This tension, however, is sufficiently strong to enable counter clockwise rotation of cam |6| in Fig. 2 to pick up and impel the bar |93 to its position shown in Fig. 2 by engagement With dog |91 for the purpose of opening th'e switch..

Operation of type registering and printing mechanism Omitting reference to the self-reversing ribbon feed mechanism, the power operated type registering and printing mechanism is shown in Figs. l and 2 as its parts are positioned when the electric motor |52 has been cut out of circuit automatically at the end of a cycle of recording action. During a single cycle of such action, the cam shaft |58 performs a half turn counter clockwise in Fig. 2. The cycleA 1s initiated by manually pushing the switch knob |96 as far as it will go toward the left in Fig. 2. In this movement the dog |91 will tip toward the right as permitted by the yielding of spring 200 and will slip under the lower end of cam |6| (at that time stationary) and spring erect into its perpendicular relation to bar |93 after it has passed the end of cam |6|. The switch plug |92 then completes circuit between the switch contacts |89 and |90 causing motor |52 to start running thus rotating worm |53, worm wheel |54, shaft |55, pinion |56, gear |51, and thereby the cam shaft |58 together with the three cams |59, |60 and I6| xed thereto, in a counter clockwise direction in Fig. 2.

A very small amount of rotation of cam |60 will permit roller |84 which rides in contact therewith, to move suddenly toward the right under the power of the spring |85 and the consequent pulling of the lower end of bail arm 29 toward the right about its pivot I8! will throw the upper portions of bail arms 29 and 30 toward the left in unison together with their carried bail rod 28. By thus moving away from the projections 3| .on all of the feeler rods |0 simultaneously, each of these rods is released or delivered to the thrust of its individual spring I6 which. will carry each feeler terminal I3 toward the left in Fig. 2 until it is intercepted or blocked in its movement.

While many devices are known in the art of registering mechanisms for blocking the spring urged advance movement of type positioning feeler elements for conditioning the type to print some recordable value, any of which devices may be used for that purpose with my improved recording mechanism, there is herein illustrated for that purpose the diierently notched peripheries of respectively separate wheels Ml and l5 of which there may be one foreach diiererit ieeler terminal i3 and which may be rotatively positioned by the automatic action of a weighing scale.

As each of rods l0 moves toward the left in Fig. 2 a distance determined by the notched wheels iii and I5, it will, through its connection to a corresponding type segment i9, swing that segment counter clockwise in Figs. 2 and 9 a corresponding degree of travel about the pivot shaft so that the proper one of type characters I9 will be positioned in printing position vertically beneath the segment pivot. Fig. 9 represents one of the type segments I9 by broken lines as having been swung to a suitable printing position.

When the proper positioning of all type segments i9 has been thus accomplished cam |59 will have rotated far enoughin Fig. 2 to discharge the roller |13 from its highest peripheral point to its lowest peripheral point whereupon under the power in spring H5, the follower arm |12 will abruptly swing downwardly in Fig. 2 causing counter clockwise rotation of shaft |10 and by means of arms |68 and |99 causing the connecting rod pivots |61 to be abruptly elevated. By this action the hammer block |63 is caused to deliver a smart blow upwardly through the action of the connecting links |65 and |66 so that the platen |62 momentarily presses upwardly against the type characters which are in its path on all of the segments I9, a rectangular aperture |03 in the iloor plate |02 accommodating this action.

Thus by means of the inked ribbon 54 which is stretched laterally slightly above the floor plate |02 in alignment with the platen |62, a record will be printed from all of the type segments which have been moved to printing position, upon any piece of paper or cardboard which may be interposed between the ribbon and the top surface of the floor plate |02. The ribbon guard |0| shown in Figs. 5, 6, 9 and 12 facilitates the insertion of the paper on which a record is to be printed and protects the ribbon from damage thereby.

The cam shaft |59 continues to travel after the record has been struck and in doing so proceeds to restore both the bail arm 29 and hammer block |63 to their starting positions shown in Fig. 2 whereby all of the type segments I9 and feeler rods i0 are correspondingly restored. When the follower rollers |13 and |89 have thus arrived at the diametrically opposite high points on the peripheries of their respective cams, the top end of cam |6| will have rotated to a position before completing its half turn in which it will engage and force to the right the top end of dog |91 in Fig. 2. Springs 200 and 20| are sufciently strong to pull the switch block |92 out from between contacts |89 and |90 without permitting the dog |91 to swing upon its pivot |98 so that all of the parts become restored to their positions in Fig. 2 except that the three cams |59, |60, and |6| are diametrically reversed. These cams, however, are symmetrical with respect to any diameter through their axis so that a subsequently repeated half turn of cam shaft |59 will precisely repeat the cycle of recording operation which has been described. After current has been cut oi from motor |52, there may be slight variation in the amount of overrunof the parts which are rotated thereby due to inertia, but

6 arcaico a check' on-thisinertia effect will be exerted by dog 91 after bar |93 has been positively stopped by the pin |95 engaging bracket |94 owing to the tension` in spring 2 99.

For additional assurance against too4 much overrun travel of cam shaft |59 after the motor is de-energized, the bump |49 may be formed on the peripheryof cam |59 which. upon engaging with roller |13 will augment the yielding resistance to continued rotation of the cam shaft |53 before the cam |99 shall have coasted far enough counterclockwise to recede from the path of roller |94.

Operation of self-reversing ribbon drive mecanism ends of bail arms 29 and 39 causes a lengthwise reclprocation of some pushing and/or pulling ``members or devices herein illustrated as rack bars 49 and 4| respectively and simultaneously,`

but the movement of-only one of these devices or rack bars is, at a given time, transmitted to cause feeding movement of the ribbon. Whenever so transmitted, the action of one device or rack bar is to feed the ribbon in a direction opposite to that in which it is fed by movement of the other device or rack bar.

Each backward stroke of rack bar 49 results only in an idle counterclockwise rotation of gear 18 in Fig. 9 if the rack teeth 41 be in mesh with that gear because of the free slippage in that direction of rotation permitted by the one way clutch within the clutch casing 11. Bevel pinion 19' is held stationarylby the friction between the hub of its clutch core 15' and the frame boss 12' occasioned by the spring 16. Each forward stroke of rack bar 49 rotates the pinion 119 clockwise in Fig. 9 through the one way drive clutch inside of casing 11 and overcomes this friction, thereby turning bevel gear 61 an increment of movement which advances the ribbon spool clockwise in Fig. 1 to feed ribbon 54 a short distance from right to left in Figs. 1 and 6. During this action of rack bar 49 for feeding the ribbon it will be clear from reference to Fig. 14 that rack bar 4| reciprocates idly, being held out of mesh with gear 11 by pin |35.

Also during this feeding movement of the ribbon, the ribbon is held taut in all portions of its length through the friction applied by the pressure of presser disc 99 against it at the guide pulley 92 and through the friction applied by the pressure of presser disc 99 against it at guide pulley 93 and through the resistance offered to the take off rotation of spool 59 by the friction between clutch core 15 and the frame boss 12 in Fig. 7.

Upon the meshing of rack bar 4| with gear 18 accompanied by the disengagement of rack bar 49 from gear 18', similar back-and-forth movements of rack bar 4| will operate intermittently to feed ribbon 54" from left to right in Figs. 1, and 6 against the slack preventing resistances of the two plunger discs 99 and of the clutch core 15' against the frame boss 121 in the following manner.

Each backward stroke of rack bar 4| results only in an idle clocifgwise rotation of -gear 19 in Fig. 14 because of the free slippage in that direction of rotation permitted by the one way clutch within the clutch casing 11. Bevel pinion 19 is held stationary by the friction between the hub of its clutch core 15 and the frame boss 12 occasioned'by the spring 1 9. Each forward stroke of rack'bar rotates the pinion 19 counterclockwise in Fig. 14 through the one way drive clutch inside of casing 11 and overcomes this friction thereby turning bevel gear 31 an increment of movement which advances the ribbon spool 99 counterclockwise in Fig. 1 to feed ribbon 54 a short distance from left to right in Figs. l and 6. During this action of rack bar 4| for feeding the ribbon it will be clear from the description to follow that rack bar 49 or whatever 1 other form of pushing or pulling device may perform a corresponding function reciprocates idly, being held in its broken line position in Fig. 9 and lout of mesh with gear 19'.

There remains to be described the working of 1 the parts which insure that only one of the rack bars 49 and. shall be effective at any given time to cause feeding of the ribbon and that the function of feeding shall be shifted at the proper time from one rack bar to the other and vice versa to 2 control the direction of feed. 'I'he feed shifting levers are thrown simultaneously in opposite directions by a force applied to either one of them because the shaft on which lever |91 is fixed is geared to the shaft |25 on which lever |3| is 2 fixed. The downward throw of shift lever |91 is limited by stops |94 and |94' and the downward thrown of shift lever |3| is limited by stops |45 and |45. The frame carried stop pin ||9 limits the ability of bell crank |99 to swing counter- 31 clockwise about its pivot |95 in Fig. 2 and the frame carried stop pin 59 limits the ability of bell crank |33 to swing counter clockwise about its pivot |25 in Fig. 14.

The taggle acting links I|3 and |31 of the 3l shift levers |91 and |3| respectively, coupled with the movement hunting action of stop pins ||9 and |34 resiliently establishes the equilibrium of the parts in their positions shown in Figs. 2 and 14 while leaving either shift lever movable in a 44 direction to reverse its relationship with respect to the other shift lever.

Since little force is required to reverse the shift levers, the necessary force can be applied by an obstruction such as the eyelet |98 carried by the 4l ribbon and shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to have engaged the shift lever |91 and carried it downwardly to the position shown in those figures. 'I'his action of the ribbon carried eyelet |99 thus brought about a reversal in the direction of the feeding 5t of the ribbon in a manner which will become clear from Fig. 9 wherein it is assumed that the subsequent feeding of the ribbon from right to left in Figs. 1 and 6 has finally caused another eyelet |32 carried by the ribbon near its opposite 55 end to bear down upon shift lever |3| during the progress of the feeding movement of the ribbon. To illustrate the flexibility of the mechanism, let it be assumed that a single full forward stroke of rack bar 49 advances the eyelet |32 down- 60 wardly a sufficient distance to depress shift lever I 3| from its position shown in Fig. 2 to its position in Fig. 9. Because of gears |25 and |21 shift lever |91 becomes simultaneously elevated from its position shown in Fig. 2 to its position in Fig. 65

9, but during this elevation of shift lever |91 no movement of bell crank |99 clockwise about its pivot |95 has been possible owing to the constraining engagement of guide pin 44 in the bayonet slot 43 of rack bar 49, the lower edge of 70 which bar maintains the bell crank pin I2 in its lowest position. However, the pivot stud ||5 which is fixed in shift lever |91 has been swung -upwardly to a position which causes the spring .I |9 to overcenter with relation to the pivotal con- 15 sacarse nection ||4 of the toggle lever H3 to the bell crank |09 so that the action of spring ||8 in tending to pull together the spring studs ||9 and |20 has been converted into a force which tends to keep shift lever |01 in its elevated position and which stands'ready to swing the bell crank carried pin ||2 upwardly when this may become possible,

It is obvious from Fig. 9 that the bell crank carried pin I2 will be enabledto move upwardly, as the bell crank |09 swings about its pivot |05, when a subsequent stroke of the bail arm 29 to the left for registering the type segments in a printing position, has drawn the rack bar 40 so far back that the edge opening into bayonet slot 43 registers with the guide pin 44. At this moment the bell crank |09, toggle lever ||3, and their connecting spring |`|8 abruptly shift from their full line positions in Fig. 9 to their broken line positions in that figure with the consequent elevation of rack bar 40 to its broken line position where it will be maintained so that its subsequent forward stroke comprises an advance of its forward toothed end to the position 40'. Until the shift arms |01 and |3| are again reversed by the eyelet |08 due to repeated feeding of the ribbon from left to right in Figs. l and 6, rack bar 40 will continue to reciprocate with each cycle of recording movement of cam shaft |58 as an idling motion with its teeth 41 out `of mesh with the gear 18 and with its lower edge riding above the guide pin 44. When relieved of the uplift of the bell crank pin ||2, the next movement of rack bar 40 to its broken line position 40 in Fig. 9 will permit re-engagement of guide pin 44 by the bayonet slot 43 and restore the rack bar to its ribbon feeding mesh with gear 18'.

As the before described performance of the self-reversing ribbon feed mechanism is the same in the case of the parts at the right of the machine shown in Fig.`14 it will not be necessary to repeat a detailed description of the operation of the latter.

If desired, the increment of feeding movement imparted to ribbon 54 at each stroke of the rack bar 40 or 4| may be such that two, three or more strokes are necessary to advance either the eyelet |08 or the eyelet |32 a distance equal to the full permissible throw of shifter arms |01 or |3|. It is not necessary that shifter arms |01, |3I, be carried the full distance to their respective lowest positions by the ribbon eyelets because when these arms have been carried downwardly far enough to cause overceritering of the link I|3 or |31, the spring ||8 or |42 will automatically complete the throw of either shifter arm to its lowermost position.

For brevity in the appended claims, the two bail arms 29 and 30 and their connecting structure are termed an impeller or an oscillator it being i clear that all power for motivating the parts of the type registering and ribbon feeding mechanism is transmitted therethrough and requires only to be disconnected from the parts 28 or 40 to operatively disassociate the lower power mechanism from the upper printing mechanism. In fact, only disengagement of rack bars 40 and 4| from their guide pins 44 and 50 is necessary to permit removal and replacement of the type registering and ribbon feeding mechanism as a unit without disconnecting the bail 29, 30 from any of its associated parts.

The advantages of these improvements may be obtained by the use of parts differing widely from the exact shape and arrangements herein disclosed to illustrate the invention, and the following claims will be understood to include by their terms all equivalents for the particular construction shown which would be suggested to one skilled in the art by the disclosure hereof.

I claim:

1. Control apparatus for shifting the direction of feeding movement imparted to an inking ribbon, embodying in combination with the ribbon, drive members reciprocating in unison for feeding said ribbon in opposite directions at respectively different times, separate pulling devices impellable by said drive members and acting respectively on opposite ends of said ribbon, and separate sets of rigid toggle jointed elements constructed and arranged by overcentering in opposite directions of relative movement to effect respectively the operative engagement and disengagement of each of said drive members with respectively different ones of said ribbon pulling devices. i

2. Control apparatus for shifting the direction of feeding movementimparted to an 'inking ribbon, embodying in combination with the ribbon, drive members reciprocating in unison for feeding said ribbon in opposite directions at respectively diiferent times, separate pulling devices acting respectively on opposite ends of said ribbon, and feed reversing mechanism including two levers intergeared to swing simultaneously in respectively opposite directions and connected in a manner to govern thereby the operative engagement of each of said drive members with respectively different ones of said pulling devices, together with spring means constantly biasing said levers to-ward one or the other of their extreme limits of relative swinging movement.

3. In combination with control apparatus as described in claim 2, an element projecting from the said ribbon and carried thereby in a path operatively to engage with and move one of said levers against the resistance of the said spring means.

4. Ribbon reversingmechanism embodying in combination, ribbon feeding gears, two rack bars carrying gear teeth and arranged to reciprocatel longitudinally while said teeth are in either meshed or unmeshed relationship to said gears respectively, a stationary guide for each of said rack bars positively constraining the bar to reciprocate in a path in which its teeth are in meshed relation to its corresponding gear, and means for at different times removing each of said rack bars from said constraint by its stationary guide, thereby to permit either rack bar to reciprocate longitudinally in unmeshed relation to its corresponding gear.

5. Ribbon reversing mechanism embodying in combination, ribbon feeding gears, two rack bars carrying gear teeth and arranged to reciprocate longitudinally in unison, a stationary guide for each of said rack bars normally constraining the bar to reciprocate in a path in which its teeth are in meshed relation to its corresponding gear, and two interconnected and simultaneously shiftable feed reversing devices cooperatively related respectively to said rack bars in a manner to release only one of said bars at a time from the constraint of its stationary guide and constructed and arranged constantly to hold the released bar in unmeshed relationship to its corresponding gear while both of said bars reciprocate longitudinally in unison.

6. Ribbon reversing mechanism as described in claim 5 in which the said feed reversing devices are intergeared in a manner to shift simultaneously in respectively opposite directions.

7. Ribbon controlled devices for effecting the delayed automatic disconnecting of a ribbon feeding drive, including in combination with an inking ribbon, a ribbon feeding reciprocator, a one way clutch arranged to transmit at times feeding movement to said ribbon from an advance stroke of said reciprocator and to transmit no movement to said ribbon from a reverse stroke of said reciprocator, resilient mechanism constructed and arranged to be actuated by feeding movement of said ribbon in a manner to store up power in said mechanism tending to shift said reciprocator out of operative association with said clutch, and detent means constructed and arranged to resist said stored up power in a manner to defeat automatic shifting of the reciprocator by said resilient mechanism until said reciprocator performs its reverse stroke and then to release said power for shifting said reciprocator.

8. In spring biased mechanism for reversing the direction of feed of an inking ribbon, in combination, a ribbon feeding drive member mounted to reciprocate in a feeding path of travel and in a non-feeding path of travel at respectively different times, a shifter device operative to displace said drive member from :its feeding path of travel and to constrain said member to reciprocate in its non-feeding path of travel, a swingable arm for actuating the shifter lever, a toggle link connected in swingable relation both to said shifter device and to said actuator arm, and a toggle action spring connecting said shifter device to said link in a manner to oppose over-centering relative movement therebetween.

9. In ribbon feeding mechanism for recording apparatus, a ribbon feedingrack, a ribbon feeding gear, a lengthwise reciprocative bar adapted to operate said rack and having a lengthwise bayonet slot opening through one edge thereof, a frame pin engageable with said bayonet slot to permit lengthwise reciprocation of the rack and to hold the rack in mesh with said gear, and means to displace said bar from engagement with the frame carried pin when the edgewise opening of the bayonet slot registers with the latter, thereby to unmesh said rack from said gear.

10. In ribbon feeding mechanism for recording apparatus, in combination, two ribbon spools supporting opposite ends of the ribbon respectively, two guide pulleys engaging with said ribbon at spaced points along its length separated from said spools, a presser foot constantly and resiliently urged against said ribbon at each of its points of engagement with said guide pulleys thereby to prevent slack from occurring in the stretch of the ribbon between said guide pulleys in both directions of feeding travel of the ribbon.

11. In apparatus including an inklng ribbon supported to traverse a printing station between spools located at opposite sides of said station and upon which spools respectively opposite ends of said ribbon are wound, reversibly acting ribbon feeding mechanism including in combination a stationary pivot supporting each of said spools for rotary movement, toothed wheels mounted to rotate on stationary axes and connected to turn respectively with said spools, reciprocative bars each having a toothed edge and arranged to be reciprocated in unison and lengthwise with their said edges controllably positioned either ingor out of driving engagement respectively with said wheels, and means constructed and arranged to be moved while the said pivots and the said wheel axes remain stationary in a manner to shift either of said bars edgewlse toward and into driving engagement with one of said wheels and simultaneously to shift the other of said bars edgewise ,away from and out of driving engagement with the other of said wheels.

12. In apparatus as defined in claim 1l, the combination with ribbon feeding mechanism as defined in said claim, of one-way drive clutches constructed and arranged to transmit movement from each of the said toothed wheels respectively to each of the said spools.

13. In apparatus as defined in claim 11, the combination with ribbon feeding mechanism as defined in said claim, of one-Way drive clutches constructed and arranged to transmit movement from each of the said toothed wheels respectively to each of the said spools and means to hold each of the said bars away from and out of engagement with its associated toothed wheel while the other of said bars is in driving engagement with the other of said toothed wheels and while the said spool pivots remain in unchanged positional relation to each other.

14. In apparatus as defined in claim 11, ribbon feeding mechanism as defined ln said claim in which the said means to shift the said bars includes separate sets of toggle jointed members constructed and arranged by overcentering in one direction of relative movement to shift one of the said bars for driving engagement with one of the said toothed wheels and by overcentering in the other direction of relative movement to shift the other of said bars for driving engagement with the other of said toothed wheels.

15. In apparatus as defined in claim 11, inl

combination with ribbon feeding mechanism as defined in said claim, an element projecting from said ribbon and carried thereby in a path of travel to engage with the said shifter means and actuate the latter in a manner to reverse the operative disposition of said bars with respect to driving engagement with their respective toothed wheels.

' ERNST S. SVENSSON.

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