US3331315A

US3331315A - Settable type-bar inking and printing means in ticket issuing machines

Info

Publication number: US3331315A
Application number: US305743A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walton M Henry
Original assignee: Soabar Co
Current assignee: Soabar Co
Priority date: 1963-08-30
Filing date: 1963-08-30
Publication date: 1967-07-18
Anticipated expiration: 1984-07-18
Also published as: NL6410056A; BE652315A; CH436806A

Description

July 18, 1967 w. M. HENRY 3,331,315

SETTABLE TYPE-BAR INKING AND PRINTING MEANS IN TICKET ISSUING MACHINES Filed Aug. 30, 1963 13 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN TOR. WALTON M. HENR).

w i/a/ ATTO N Y.

July 18, 1967 w. M. HENRY 3,331,315

SETTABLE TYPE-BAR INKING AND PRINTING MEANS IN TICKET ISSUING MACHINES Filed Aug. 30, 1963 15 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

WAL TON M. HENRY July 18, 1967 w. M. HENRY 3,331,315

SETTABLE TYPE'BAR INKING AND PRINTING MEANS IN TICKET ISSUING MACHINES Filed Aug. 30, 1963 13 Sheets-Sheet 3 UIIII INVENTOR. WAL T'O/V M. HENRY A r TOR/V75 Y.

EIY

July 18, 1967 w. M. HENRY 3,331,315

SETTABLE TYPE-BAR INKING AND PRINTING MEANS IN TICKET ISSUING MACHINES Filed Aug. 30, 1963 13 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

WA L TON M. HENR Y July 18, 1967 w. M. HENRY BAR INKING AND PRINTING MEANS SETTABLE TYPE TICKET ISSUING MACHINES l3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 30, 1963 INVENTOREA WAL TON M HENRY A TTORNE Y July 18, 1967 w. M. HENRY 3,331,315

SETTABLE TYPEBAR INKING AND PRINTING MEANS IN TICKET ISSUING MACHINES Flled Aug 50, 1965 13 Sheets-Sheet E INVENTOR. AL TON M. HE NR Y. %d A T TOR/V5 K July 18, 1967 w. M. HENRY SETTABLE TYPE-BAR INKING AND PRINTING MEANS TICKET ISSUING MACHINES 13 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Aug. 30, 1963 INVENTOR. WALTON M. HEN/P). Y

A r ran/v5 Y July 18, 1967 w. SETTABLE TYPE-BAR IN Filed Aug. 50, 1965 M HENRY KING AND PRINTING MEANS TICKET ISSUING' MACHINES l3 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVENTOR.

WALTON M. HENRY ATTORNEY.

July 18, 1967 w. M. HENRY 3,331,315

SETTABLE TYPE-BAR INKING AND PRINTING MEANS IN TICKET ISSUING MACHINES Filed Aug. 50, 1963 13 $heetsSheet 9 INVENTOR.

WALTON M. HENRY 42 BY O fi dv' W ATTORNE).

w. M. HENRY 3,33I,3 15 BAR INKING AND PRINTING MEANS IN July 18, 1967 SETTABLE TYPE TICKET ISSUING MACHINES Filed Aug. 30, 1963 13 Sheets-Sheet ll IN VEN TOR. WA L TON M.

HENRX AT EY.

July 18, 1967 w. HENRY 3,331,315

SETTABLE TYPEBAR ING AND NTING MEANS IN I TICKET ISSUING MAC ES Filed Aug. 50, 1965 13 Sheets-Sheet 12 F ig. l9

[L1] 1- v: M v

INVENTOR WALTON M. HENRY Fig.

13 Sheets-Sheet 15 Fig. 1 52 M HENRY SETTABLE TYPEBAR INKING AND PRINTING MEANS til L111:-

TICKET ISSUING MACHINES July 18, 1967 Filed Aug. 30

' Fig. 27

1% Fig.35 /43 )26 72 6. F lg. 34

ATTO EY United States Patent 3,331,315 SETTABLE TYPE-BAR INKING AND PRINTING MEANS IN TICKET ISSUING MACHINES Walton M. Henry, Rydal, Pa., assignor to Soabar Company, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Aug. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 305,743 11 Claims. (Cl. 10168) The present invention relates to new and useful label and ticket printing and dispensing apparatus for progressively or stepwise imprinting several lines of information on successive ticket or label length portions of a tape, as the tape is intermittently fed through the apparatus, automatically, in successive ticket or label length steps thereof.

An object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive, efiicient and reliable ticket or label printing and dispensing machine, for printing and dispensing merchandise-pricing tickets or labels and similar tickets or labels for other purposes, in a rapid and eflicient manner and with quick change of composition.

A further object of the present invention is to permit the rapid change of the composition of the several lines of printed matter, without the usual burdens of conventional type-setting.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear more fully from the following description and accompanying drawings, one aspect of the machine of the present invention is a plurality or sets of longitudinally shiftable type-bars, each set nested and slideably disposed within a channel representing one of the several printing positions corresponding to one of the several lines of information to be imprinted progressively or stepwise on each ticket or label, with each type-bar carrying longitudinally distributed downwardly-facing type-faces, and an upwardly and downwardly oscillatable tape-carrying and tape-feeding press-platen beneath and in operative juxtaposition to said type-bars.

Another aspect of the machine of the present invention is an inking-pad means oscillatable up and down and also forwardly and rearwardly, in operative juxtaposition to the type-bars and said press-platen and having its inking oscillations or strokes alternating with the printing strokes of said press-platen, so that while the press-platen is in the receded phase of its oscillatory cycle, the inking means will be in the ink-applying portion of its oscillatory cycle, and vice versa.

Another aspect or phase of the machine of the present invention is the automatic tape feeding means and label cut-off means carried by said press-platen and timing means therefor.

Still other novel aspects and features of the machine of the present invention will appear from the accompanying description and the appended claims and the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters indicate like parts,

FIGURE 1 represents a perspective view of a machine embodying the present invention, viewed from the front and right side of the machine.

FIGURE 2 represents a rear-right perspective view of said machine.

FIGURE 3 represents a front elevational view of the machine.

FIGURE 4 represents a top plan view of the machine;

Patented July 18, 1967 viewed normal to the plane of the type-bar supporting bed thereof.

FIGURE 4A represents a section on line 4A4A of FIGURE 4. l i

FIGURE 5 represents a right side elevational view of said fachine, with the tape roll supporting means omitted and with the motor omitted and with the uppermost portion of the machine broken away; this view showing the machine with the tape-carrying press-platen thereof nearly in its lowermost position and with the inking pad nearly in its uppermost or ink-applying position. I

FIGURE 6 represents a left side elevational view of the machine in the same phase thereof.

FIGURE 7 represents a left side elevational view of the machine with the left frame plate omitted and shown in dotted lines, and showing the tape-carrying pressplaten in its uppermost or printing position and with the inking pad in its retracted position.

FIGURE 8 represents an elevational view of the inking pad adjust eccentric.

FIGURE 9 represents a top plan view of the printer arms and of the press-platen and tape-guide carried thereby and of the inker and the oscillating means therefor; with the press-platen shown in its upper or printing position and with the inker shown in its retracted position.

FIGURE 10 represents a top plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the tape-carrying press-platen, with the upper tape-guiding plate removed.

FIGURE 11 represents a front elevational view of the press-platen and of the tape feeding means, on the same scale as FIGURE 10, taken generally on lines 11-11 of FIGURE 7; with the press-platen shown in its retracted or lowermost position and with the tape feeding means shown at the end of its tape-advancing stroke.

FIGURE 12 represents a front elevational view of the same, with the press-platen in its uppermost or printing position and with the tape feeding means in its retracted position.

FIGURE 13 represents a rear elevational view of the press-platen and tape feeding means in the same phase as that shown in FIGURE 11, but including also the upper tape-guide plate.

FIGURE 14 represents a front perspective view of the press-platen and tape-feeding means, with the upper tapeguide plate omitted, with the press-platen shown in or near its lowermost position and with the tape-feeding means shown at or near the end of its tape-advancing stroke.

FIGURE 15 represents a perspective view of a fragmentary portion of the tape and of the tape-feeding finger member, showing their interlocking relationship during the tape-advancing stroke of the finger member.

FIGURE 16 represents a cross-sectional view of line 16-46 of FIGURE 13.

FIGURE 17 represents a side elevational view of the type bar actuating eccentric.

FIGURE 18 represents a front elevational view of the same, with the ball-bearing and strap thereof in crosssection, on line 18-18 of FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 19 represents a side elevational view of one of the narrow type bars having eleven type elements thereon from 1 to 0 and the period FIGURE 20 represents a bottom plan view of the same, showing the aforementioned type elements thereof, this showing of the type faces being that of their imprints; the type faces being mirror images of what is shown in FIGURE 20.

FIGURE 21 represents a side elevational view of another narrow type bar.

FIGURE 22 represents a bottom plan view of the same, showing type faces of abbreviations and symbols; the type faces shown in FIGURE 22 being likewise that of their imprints, and the actual type faces would be mirror images of those in FIGURE 22.

FIGURE 23 represents a side elevational view of the wide type bar.

FIGURE 24 represents a bottom plan view of the same, showing the type faces thereof comprising typical words which may be printed by such wide type bar.

FIGURE 25 represents a top plan view of the inker, with its cover partly broken away.

FIGURE 26 represents a side elevational view of the inker.

FIGURE 27 represents a bottom plan view of the inker.

FIGURE 28 represents a rear end elevational view of the inker.

FIGURE 29 represents a section on line 29-29 of FIGURE 25.

FIGURE 30 represents a section on line 30-30 of FIGURE 26.

FIGURE 31 represents a section on line 31-31 of FIGURE 26.

FIGURE 32 represents a section on line 3232. of FIGURE 26.

FIGURE 33 represents a top plan view of the ticketfeed member 93.

FIGURE 34 represents a front elevational view of the same.

FIGURE 35 represents an end elevational view of the same.

In the embodiment of the present invention shown in the drawings, the reference numerals 1 and 2 designate similar vertical side plates or frame members held in spaced relationship by the flanged front base plate or member 3 at the front of the basal portions thereof and by the similar flanged rear motor-mounting member or bracket 4; the corresponding marginal zones of the side plates 1 and 2 being secured to the flanges of the members 3 and 4 by screws or other suitable fastening means.

Similar inclined co-planar lower and upper or front and rear plates and 6 are disposed between the side frame members 1 and 2, with their inner facing ends 7 and 8 spaced from each other a suitable distance to provide a clearance through which the tape supporting and guiding press-platen 48 carried by the inner ends of a pair of oscillatory printer-

arms

38 and 39 is moved upwardly for pressing the three adjacent ticket-portions 110 of the tape 25 into printing engagement with the downwardly facing printing-faces 109 of the multi-face type-bars or type-bearing

members

14, 15 and 16 or of the vinyl printing plates or strips 19 secured to the lower edges or faces thereof, and also for permitting the entrance of the inking pads 26 during the inking strokes of the machine. The lower and upper type

bar supporting plates

5 and 6 constitute a bed upon which the type-

bars

14, 15 and 16 slideably rest, and said

plates

5 and 6 are rigidly secured between the side plates 1 and 2 in any suitable manner.

Separators 9 and are mounted on the

plates

5 and 6, parallel with the side plates 1 and 2, and in suitable spaced relation thereto and in relation to each other, so as to provide three type

bar receiving channels

11, 12 and 13, respectively, corresponding to the three printing positions at which the three lines of information are imprinted.

Within each of the channels 12 and 13 a plurality (as, for instance, seven) type-

bars

15 and 16, respectively, are slideably disposed and nested, 'with just enough sideclearance to permit the bars to be slid individually or collectively, without any appreciable side-play.

A single type-bar 14 is disposed in the channel 11, having a lower type-bearing face which is the full width or nearly the full width of the channel. The channelwide type-bar 14 is preferably of-U-shaped cross-section having the lower type-bearing web 17 and having sideflanges 18 which nest between the side frame member 1 and the separator 9.

Printing plates or strips 19 are formed of vinyl or other suitable slightly deformable and form-retrieving plaster or elastomer material and having longitudinally spaced and distributed type-faces projecting downwardly therefrom are adhesively secured to the lower faces of the type-

bars

14, 15 and 16. These type-faces may be numbers from zero to nine on some of the type-

bars

15 and 16 and may be numerals as well as other symbols or indicia (such as for, by, etc.) or other typebars 15 and 16, and may be department designating words or abbreviations on type-bar 14, for price-marking and other-wise marking goods or merchandise, so that by properly shifting the seven type-bars in the two

channels

12 and 13, the product-code number and unitprice may be printed in two of the lines, while by shifting the type-bar 14, the department-designation may be printed in still another line.

Detnet-notches or position-notches 20 are formed in the upper edges of the type-bars of 15 and 16 and in the upper edges of the side-flanges 18 of the type-bar 14. On the intervening portions 21 of the upper surfaces of the type-

bars

15 and 16 and of the flanges 18 of the type-bar 14, readable counterparts of the type-faces therebeneath are provided as raised characters or are stamped into or otherwise applied so that the type-bars may readily be set to their desired positions for presenting the selected type-faces thereof in their respective printing positions of the

channels

11, 12 and 13.

An upper impression-support type-back-up member 23 is mounted between the side frame-plates 1 and 2, by means of the screws 24, for backing up the type-

bars

14, 15 and 16 against the upward pressure exerted against their type-faces when the tape 25 is pressed upwardly thereagainst for the printing impression and also when the inking pads 26 are pressed upwardly there-against during the alternate inking operations. To the forwardly extending stepped-down marginal portions of the support 23 the three comb-like spring-fingered type-bar-positioning members or detent combs 30 are secured by the screws 31. The individual spring-fingers 32 of the detentcombs are bent downwardly and rearwardly upon themselves, to form the downwardly projecting detent portions 33, which are adapted to engage in the notches 20 along the upper edges of the type-

bars

14, 15 and 16, thereby to position the type faces thereof in registration with the respective printing-positions (81, 82 and 83, in FIGURE 9) of the three

channels

11, 12 and 13. The clearance between the upper surfaces of the type-bar-supporting bed-

plates

5 and 6 and the lower surface of the typeback-up member 23 is generally equal to the vertical distance between the upper surface 21 of the typebars and the basal plane defined by the flat bottom surfaces of the terminal portions or

feet

78 and 79 thereof. This permits the type-

bars

14, 15 and 16 to slide back and forth between said

plates

5 and 6 and the member 23 with a neat sliding fit and without undue friction exerted thereon between said

plates

5 and 6 and said member 23, but without any appreciable or undue play between the type-

bars

14, 15 and 16 and the

plates

5 and 6, on the one hand, and the member 23, on the other hand. Hence when the aforementioned upward pressure is exerted on the type-bars by the alternate printing contacts and inking contacts with the type-faces thereof, the

type-bars will not be appreciably displaced in an upward direction but will be held firmly against such upward printing and inking pressures.

The printer-fulcrum 36 is extended through corresponding holes in the two side frame members 1 and 2, at the front of the machine, and is mounted stationarily therein. The front plate 5 may have its front end secured to and supported on the printer-fulcrum 36, by means of a screw or screws 37 extending through the plate 5 and threaded into the fulcrum member 36; whereby the fulcrum is also secured against turning.

On the laterally projecting free ends of the printerfulcrum 36, the printer-

arms

38 and 39 are pivotally mounted and held against axial displacement thereon by the

collars

40 and 41 secured to the fulcrum 36 by setscrews or other suitable means.

Each of the printer-

arms

38 and 39 is provided with a recess 42, in which the opposite ends of the printer drive shaft or bar 43 are nested (as indicated in FIGURES 7 and 9) and secured by the screws 44. Helical compression springs 45, surrounding the stems of the screws 44, are interposed between the ends of the printer drive 43 and the

printer arms

38 and 39, so that the ends of the printer drive shaft or bar 43 do not bottom in the recesses 42 but rest on the helical compression springs 45, whereby the screws 44 may be tightened or loosenedslightly, with the springs 45 taking up the variation of what otherwise would be a slack, thereby adjusting the height of the uppermost or printing position of the inner ends 46 and 47 of the

printer arms

38 and 39 and consequently adjusting the upper most or printing position of the press-platen 48 carried by said inner ends of the

arms

38 and 39. The lower ends of the springs 45 may be nested, loosely, in spring-chambers 49 formed in the

arms

38 and 39, so as to permit the use of springs 45 having a greater number of turns.

A drive shaft 50 is journaled in

bearings

51 and 52 mounted in the side frame members 1 and 2, as indicated in FIGURE 3. To the extending right hand end of the drive shaft 58, the hub 53 of the drive-wheel 54 is keyed or secured by set-screws 55 or the like.

An eccentric, designated generally by the numeral 56, is fixedly mounted on the drive-shaft 50 by having the hub 57 thereof keyed or pinned thereto or by being aflixed thereto by set screws or the like. A ring 58 is journaled on the eccentric 56 in any suitable manner as shown particularly in FIGURES 17 and 18.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the eccentric 56 is formed of two

identical halves

56a and 56b facing each other and have the inner race 56c of a ball-bearing clamped therebetween; the three

elements

56a, 56b and 560 being secured to each other by the screws 64 which draw the two

halves

56a and 56b toward each other. The outer race of such ball-bearing constituting the aforementioned ring 58.

A bushing 59 is journaled on the printer-shaft 43. contractable steel band or strap 60 is extended around the ring 58 and the bushing 59 and is then tightened by means of the screw 61 carried by the saddle 62 on one end of the strap 60, which screw engages the screw-slots 63 in the other end of the band 60, in the manner of a wormtightened hose-clamp. In this manner, the bushing 59 and the ring 58 are brought into contact with each other and held firmly secured to each other, as though they were integral with each other. By this means, the printer-

arms

38 and 39 are alternately swung up and down about the fulcrum 36, as the drive-shaft 50 is rotated by means of the drive-wheel 54. If desired, the bushing 59 and the ring 58 may be otherwise secured to each other, or may be made integral with each other.

The press-platen 48 is aflixed to the inner ends 46 and 47 of the printer-

arms

38 and 39, by means of screws or other suitable means or is formed integrally therewith.

Suitably raised flat-surfaced co-planar

elongated pads

66, 67 and 68 areformed on the upper surface 69 of the press-platen 48, as shown in FIGURE 14, and are preferably formed integrally with the press-platen or the platen 48 is relieved between said pads. Inclined tape-leading

ramps

70, 71 and 72 are provided immediately adjacent the tape-receiving ends of the

elongated pads

66, 67 and 68, so as to guide the leading edge of the tape 25 onto the pads 66, '67 and 68. A similarly inclined discharge ramp 73 is provided as the discharge end of the platen 48, extending thereacross from the pad 68 to the rear edge thereof and having its uppermost or discharge edge 74 at the same level as the surface of the pad 68.

The lengths of the

pads

66, 67 and 68 are generally equal to the widths of the

respective channels

13, 12 and 11 and their fore-and-aft width is slightly greater than the vertical height of the type-faces carried by the

typebars

16, 15 and 14. The press-

pads

66, 67 and 68 are offset laterally, in relation to each other, in columnar fashion, in vertical alignment with the

channels

13, 12 and 11, respectively, and with the type-bars within said channels, and are also offset in a fore-and-aft direction at a spacing corresponding to the vertical spacing of the three printed lines 75, 76 and 77 (FIGURE 9).

A tape or ticket guide is superimposed on the pressplaten 48, and comprises an upper plate 86, a front vertical flange 87 having a horizonal flange 88 extending forwardly therefrom, and a rear flange 89. The rear flange 89 is disposed suitably rearward of the rear vertical face 90 of the press-platen 48 to provide a string-clearance or pin-clearance 28, while the front vertical flange 87 is disposed adjacent the front

vertical faces

91 and 92 of the press-platen 48 (FIGURES l0 and 14), and also adjacent the front face of the laterally reciprocable tape-feed member 93, so as reciprocably to confine and to guide the tape-feed member 93 by the inner surface of the flange 87, as shown in FIGURE 16. The horizontal flange 88 is slidably nested and confined in the horizontal slots 95 provided in the inner

terminal portions

46 and 47 of the printer-

arms

38 and 39.

A spring-arm 102 extends downwardly from the rear vertical flange 89 of the ticket-guide 85 and has a vertical- 1y elongated latch-opening 103. A rearwardly extending vertically elongated locking or latching projection or detent 104 is carried by the rear surface of the terminal portion 46 of the printer-arm 38 (FIGURES 5, 13 and 16) in operative alignment with said vertically elongated latch-opening 183. By flexing the spring-arm 182 rearwardly, the lower end thereof may be moved rearwardly to clear the projection 104 so that the entire ticketguide 85 may-be slid laterally in a right-hand direction, as viewed from the front, in order to slide the guide 85 off the press-platen 48. To restore the guide 85, it is slid in a left-hand direction, with the

front flanges

87 and 88 thereof nested between the front guide-

surfaces

91 and 92 of the press-platen 48 and the slots 95, until it is in its operative position as shown in FIGURES 9 and 16, when the spring-arm 10 2 is released so as to snap into its latching position with the projection 104 in the opening 103.

The upper wall or plate 86 of the ticket-guide 85 is provided with three printing-windows 111, 112 and 113, corresponding to and in registration with and defining the three printing-

positions

81, 82 and 83 (FIGURE 9), through which printing-windows the selected type-faces of the aforementioned type-bars project when the pressplaten is raised into its printing position, thereby to imprint such type-faces on the corresponding three portions of three adjacent tickets which are disposed beneath the three

channels

11, 12 and 13.

In addition to the three printing-windows 111, 112 and 113, type-

clearance windows

115, 116 and 117 are provided in the upper plate 86 of the ticket-guide 85, and spaced from their ticket-windows in a fore-and-aft direction the same as the fore-and-aft spacing between adjacent type-faces on the aforementioned type-bars. These type-clearance windows permit the non-selected typefaces or type-elements of the type-bars adjacent the selected type-faces in a 'fore-and-aft direction and overlying or in registration with the upper plate 86 of the ticket-guide 85, to pass through or penetrate the plate 86, so as not to obstruct or bar the passage of the selected type-faces through the printing-windows or openings 111, 112 and 113 by contact with the upper surface of the plate 86.

A thin type-barring or print barring sheet 118 of steel, bronze, brass or other suitable material is disposed immediately beneath the upper plate 86 of the ticket-guide 85 and adjacent the inner surfaces of the

flanges

87 and 89 and is preferably adhesively secured thereto. The printbarring sheet 118 is provided with three printing-windows or openings 111a, 112a and 113a, in registration with the printing-windows 1'11, 112 and 113, but is otherwise solid or windowless, thereby preventing contact between the fore-and-aft adjacent non-selected type-faces and the ticket 110 beneath the ticket-guide plate 86, during the printing stroke of the press-platen 48. The print-barring sheet 118 is of a thickness of the order of five thousandths of an inch, more or less, and is sufficiently resilient so that when the non-selected type-faces bear thereagainst, they will yield sufficiently to permit the selected typefaces in the printing-windows 111, 112 and 113, to reach the ticket 110 therebeneath and to make an adequate printing impression thereon. The thickness of the upper guide-plate 86 of the ticket-guide 85 is slightly less than the vertical height of the type elements 109 of the type plates or strips 19.

The aforementioned printing-windows 111, 112 and 113 are directly over and in registration with the

printingpads

66, 67 and 68 and are slightly larger than said pads and the printing-windows 111a, [112a and 113a in the type-barring sheet 118 are slightly larger than the printing-windows 111, 1-12 and 113 in the plate 86. The tickettape 25 is disposed between the press-pads and the lower surface of the type-barring sheet 118.

A tape-checking leaf-spring 119, of a thickness substantially less than the vertical height of the

pads

66, 67 and 68, is secured to the top of the press-platen 48, by having its stationary end suitably anchored in an appropriate recess or slot in or through the press-platen 48, and is extended in the direction of the travel of the tape, which is from the right to the left in FIGURES 10, 11, 12 and 14.

When the ticket-guide 85 is operatively assembled to the press-platen 48, the spring 119 is depressed from its position as shown in FIGURES 11, 12 and 14, and consequently its free end exerts an upward force and hence resiliently engages the underside of the ticket or tape and presses it upwardly against the membrane 118 in the zone indicated by the numeral 120 (FIGURE 9) where the membrane is backed up by the solid portion of the plate 86 intervening the two clearance-windows 117. By this means, a suitable frictional resistance or grip is imposed upon the tape against any retrogressive motion thereof. A plurality of small downwardly projecting dimples or ribs are pressed into the thin print-barring sheet 118 along horizontal lines between and flanking the print-areas of the tape, so that the contact between the tape and the membrane will be confined to these dimples or ribs whereby the swearing of the theretofore imprinted ink will be prevented when the tape is advanced successive ticket-lengths.

A feed-guide bar or rod .121 is mounted between the two

terminal portions

46 and 47 of the printer-arms, by having its ends mounted and secured in corresponding openings therein, as indicated in FIGURES 7 and 9 to 14, inclusive. A ticket-feed slider 122 is slidably mounted on the guide-rod or bar 121, and a feed-plate 123 is secured to its upwardly extending body portion by the screw 124 or by any other suitable means; the plate 123 having a flange 125 extending rearwardly from one edge thereof and flanking the corresponding vertical edge of the body ortion of the slider 122, so as to keep the plate 123 from rotating about the screw 124. The tape-feed member 93 is generally channel-shaped or has a cross-section which is an inverted U-shape, providing a generally horizontal and upwardly extending channel 126 therein which fits over the upper marginal zone or portion of the plate 123, as indicated in FIGURE 14. A vertical slot 127 is provided in the plate 123, and a pin or web 128 is extended through or across the slot 126 of the feed-finger 93. As the feed-finger 93 is placed over the upper end of the plate 123, the pin or web 128 thereof engages in the slot 127 of the plate 123, thereby forming a driving interconnection between the plate 123 and the feed-member 93. A helical torsion spring 129 is disposed about the head of the screw 124, and has the end 130 thereof anchored in a hole in the plate 123, while the free end 131 thereof is suitably bent either to extend into and be vertically movable within the channel 126 and to bear upwardly against the lower edges or faces 132 of the slot 26 of the feed-member 93; thereby resiliently to urge said feedmember 93 in an upward direction against the lower surface of the membrane 118 beneath the plate 86 which also functions as the upper guide for said tape-feed member 93.

The tape-feed member 93 is provided with a pair of ticket-feeding

fingers

134 and 135 having generally vertical feeding faces 136, and having their horizontal terminal edges 137 disposed at generally the same angle as that of the edges 138 of the V-shaped notches 139 along the opposite marginal edges of the tape 25; the facing apices of which notches delineate the boundary-lines 140 between succesive ticket-portions 110, and along which lines the tape is cut, by the cutters 188 and 191 described hereinafter, as each successive ticket-portion 110 is paid out on the left side of the press-platen 48 during successive downward motions of the printer-arms. As will be seen from FIGURES l4 and 15, the tape-feed member 93 underlies the front marginal portion of the ticket-tape 25 which is below the lowermost print-line 77 and printingwindow 113 and press-pad 66. Along this lower marginal zone the ticket-tape is supported or backed up "by the thin resilient membrane 118 (FIGURE 9) and the upper plate 86 of the ticket-guide 85. The distance between the two

fingers

134 and 135 is the same as the distance between successive notches 139, as shown in FIGURE 15. As the ticket-feed member 93 is horizontally reciprocated to and fro, parallel with the front surface 94 of the press-platen 48 and parallel with the lower surface of the membrane 118 beneath the plate 86, and through a travel-path slightly greater than the distance between successive notches 139, the

fingers

134 and 135 thereof will engage the edges 138 of pairs of notches 139 and will thus interlock therewith and advance the ticket-tape 25 a distance equal to one ticket-length 110 with each leftward stroke of the feed-member 93. Upon the rightward stroke of the feedmember 93, the spring 129 will yield and permit the feedmember 93- to be depressed downwardly sufficiently to permit

fingers

134 and 135 thereof to ride beneath and in contact with the lower surface of the ticket-tape, intermediate the notches 139 thereof.

A driving slider 141 is slidably mounted on the rod 121, to the left of the slider 122, and a helical tension spring 142 is operatively interposed between the

sliders

122 and 141, by having its opposite ends secured to suitable anchorage means on said sliders, so that the driving slider 141 will pull the slider 122 after it when moved in a leftward or tape-advancing direction and so that it will move the slider 122 in a rightward or finger-retracting direction by direct contact therewith as indicated in FIGURE 14. By means of this spring or resilient tapeadvancing connection between the

sliders

122 and 141, the latter is enabled to travel a short distance in a leftward direction beyond the left end of the travel-path of the slider 122, so that when the left end 143 of the feedmember 93 is brought up against the stop-surface 144, by

9 which the limit of its ticket-advancing travel is fixed, the driving slider 141 may still move a slight additional distance in a leftward direction; thereby assuring the full feeding stroke of the feeding-member 93.

A pivot-supporting member 145 is pivotally mounted to the right frame member 1, by means of the shouldered pivot-screw 146 whose larger-diametered journal portion extends through the pivot-opening 147 and whose smallerdiametered threaded portion 148 extends through the frame plate 1 and is secured thereto by the nut 149. By this means, the pivot-carrying or pivot-supporting member 145 is journaled about a fixed axis at a right angle to the vertical frame plate 1. A feed-link 150 is operatively interposed between the pivot-carrying member 145 and the driving slider 141, the latter is moved leftwardly each by suitable shouldered pivot-

screws

151 and 152, as indicated in FIGURES 7 and 13. By means of this interlinking between the pivot-supporting member 145 and the driving slider 141 the latter is moved leftwardly through its ticket-advancing stroke during the downward motion of the printer-

arms

38 and 39 and of the pressplaten 48, and is moved in its rightward retracting direction during the upward or printing stroke of said printer-arms and press-platen; thereby to advance the tickettape 25 the length of one ticket-portion 110 during each retracting or downward swing of the printer-arm's.

The inker designated generally by the numeral 155 comprises a lower bed-plate 156 whose forward portion 157 is at a suitable angle in relation to its rearward portion and carries the downwardly-extending pivot-flanges or pivot-portions 158, preferably formed integral there with. The front edge of the portion 157 of the inker is offset in three steps (as indicated in FIGURE 9) corresponding to the offsetting of the three

printing positions

81, 82 and 83 and the similar offsetting of the selected type-faces in the three

channels

11, 12 and 13. The lower inker plate 156 has upwardly extending marginal flanges 160 along outer periphery thereof. Along its front edges these flanges are of a height slightly less than the height of the

inking pads

26a, 26b and 260. The front portions of the flanges 160 confine the inking pads 26 horizontally and yet permitting them to be pressed upwardly against the selected type-faces of the aforementioned type-bars when the inker is in its inking position, without interference from said flanges 160.

The inker 155 further includes an upper cover-plate 166, which is generally parallel with the lower plate 156, has has its front edges offset similar to the front edges of the lower plate 156, but is shorter than the latter by an amount approximately equal to the fore-and-aft dimension of the inking pads 26; whose fore-and-aft dimension is just sufficiently greater than the fore-and-aft dimension of the type-faces to assure adequate type coverage.

The upper cover-plate 166 resets on (or between) the upturned marginal flanges 160 of the lower plate 156, and may have a rear flange 167 bent downwardly and forwardly so as to engage beneath the rear end of the lower plate 156, as indicated in FIGURE 7. Ink-supply holes 168 are provided in the upper cover-plate 166. Inkconducting wicks 169 are disposed between the lower and

upper plates

156 and 166 and extend from the holes 169 to the pads 26. The pads 26 may rest on the front ends of or abut the wicks 169. Longitudinally extending riblike partitions or separators 165 are provided between the wicks, so as to keep the ink contents thereof from mixing.

The lower ends of similar inker-suspension links 170 are pivoted to the pivot flanges or members 158 of the inker 155, by means of the opposite ends of the pivot-rod 171 which extends through the pivot-flanges 158 and on the ends of which the links 170 are retained by split retainer-rings mounted in ring-receiving grooves in the ends of said pivot-rod, as indicated in FIGURES 5, 6, 7 and 9. The upper ends of the inker-suspension links 170 are 10 pivoted to the vertical side-frame plates shouldered pivot-screws 172.

The rear end of the inker rests on the inker rollershaft or pivot-rod 175 or on a spacer-tube 174 on sur rounding such pivot-rod 175, as indicated in FIGURES 6, 7 and 9, or the pivot-rod 1 75 may extend through eyelets or pivot-holes 161 in the lower flanges 162 of the inker 155, as indicated in FIGURES 25 to 32. Camrollers 176 are rotatably mounted on the rod 175 and ride in the cam-slots 178 in the vertical side-frame plates 1 and 2, as indicated in FIGURE-

S

5 and 6. The lower inkerplate 156 may be provided with a downwardly bent flat spring-finger 180, having a slight forward bend, which is adapted resiliently to interlock with spacer-tube 174- on the inker-roller shaft 175, so as to keep the rear end of the inker 155 against said spacer-tube 174, or the pivotrod 175 passes through holes in the downwardly extending flanges of the inker.

The rear ends of similar inker-driving links 182 are pivoted on the opposite ends of the inker-roller shaft 175, adjacent the opposite sides of the inker 155 and adjacent the cam-rollers 176, as indicated in FIGURES 7 and 9. The front-ends of the inker-driving links 182 are pivoted on similar eccentrics 184 carried by similar inker-adjustment levers 185 which are rigidly but adjustably secured to the rear ends of the printer-

arms

38 and 39 by means of set-screws 186 which pass through clearance-holes in the eccentric-and-

lever members

184 and 185 and are screw-threaded into the rear ends of the printer-

arms

38 and 39 so that by loosening the screws 186 the eccentrics 184 may be rotated so as to dispose their centers in the desired position of adjustment which will bring the inking pads 26 into appropriate contact with the selected type-faces of the type-bars; whereupon the screws 186 may be tightened so as to fix the eccentrics 184 in their so adjusted positions.

By means of this interlinking of the pivot-shaft 175 (carrying the cam-follower rollers 176) and the rear ends of the printer-

arms

38 and 39, the inker 155 is moved rearwardly as the printer-arms are swung upwardly, so that the inking pads 26 are swung downwardly and rearwardly, out of the path and clear of the press-platen 48, and so that upon the downward swinging of the printerarms the inker 155 is moved forwardly so that the inking pads 26 thereof will be swung forwardly and upwardly into inking contact with the selected type-faces in the three printing positions in the

channels

11, 12 and 13, as such selected type-faces are exposed through the gap between the facing ends 7 and 8 of the type-bar bed-

plates

5 and 6. a

The cam-slots 178 are so shaped as to cause the rear end of the inker 155 to travel in a path which will bring the inking pads 26 parallel with the type-bars as the inking 1 and 2 by the pads come into close proximity of the type-faces thereof and so as to cause the inking pads to move in a path generally normal to the type-bars during the terminal portion of their inking stroke.

A cutter blade 188 is secured to the left end-face of the press-platen 48, with its cutting-edge 189 generally at the level of the press-pads 68, by means of the screws 190. A stationary cutter blade or member 191 is adjustably secured to the left vertical frame plate 2, by the screw 192, in operative juxtaposition to the lower cutter blade 188 (as indicated in FIGURE 6), so that as the press-platen 48 reaches its uppermost or printing position, the juxtaposed cutting edges of the two cutters 188 and 191 will have passed each other just sufliciently to cut off the terminal ticket-portion 110 which projects outwardly beyond the press-platen as a result of the last previous ticket-advancement effected by the ticket-feeding member 93 during the last previous downward motion of the printer-

arms

38 and 39, in the manner hereinabove indicated.

Any suitable counter 194, having a trip-lever 195, may be mounted on the side frame plate 1, as indicated in FIGURES 5 and 9, by means of any suitable supporting bracket 196, with its trip-lever 195 in operative alignment with the inker-roller-shaft 175 or an extension thereof, so that with each upward printing stroke of the printer-arms and the consequent rearward travel of the inking-rollershaft 175, the latter will engage and move the trip-lever 195 rearwardly and thus cause the counter to advance its counting wheels by one.

The motor 198, suitably mounted upon the rear bracket 4, has a pulley 199 in operative alignment with the beltreceiving or pulley portion 200 of the drive wheel 54. A belt 201, which may be of round cross-section or of any other suitable cross-section, extends over the driving pulley 199 of the motor and over the pulley portion 200 of the drive wheel 54, and may be tensioned by an idler pulley 202 suitably mounted in alignment with the

pulleys

199 and 200.

The tape-roll bracket 203 is detachably secured to the right vertical frame plate 1, and has a base portion or foot 204 adapted to rest on the table or other supporting surface upon which the machine is rested, and also has an inclined roll-mounting plate 205 carrying a pivot 206 upon which a roll-spindle 207 is rotatably mounted. The tape-roll is placed over the spindle 207.

Having shown and described an embodiment of my invention I claim the following:

1. A ticket printing and dispensing machine for alternately printing a ticket-length portion of a tape and advancing the tape to deliver an imprinted ticket-length thereof, including (a) a stationary type-support arranged stationarily to support type-bearing members during successive inkings thereof and during printing impressions therefrom,

(b) a plurality of multi-face type-bearing members stationarily supported by said type-support for the successive inkings thereof and printing impressions therefrom, and said type-bearing members being movable in relation to said type-support to permit the selected one of the type-faces thereof to be presented facing downwardly in the printing zone of the machine while the other type-faces thereof are out of such printing zone,

(-c) an upwardly-facing oscillatably mounted pressplaten in operative juxtaposition to the selected typefaces of said type-bearing members in the printing zone, said press-platen being arranged to oscillate to and fro between an upper printing position thereof in which it presses the below-mentioned tape against the selected type-faces of said type-bearing members and a lower retracted position in which the pressplaten is withdrawn from such tape-pressing position thereof,

((1) a tape-guide for guiding tape across said pressplaten and arranged to oscillate to and fro in unison therewith,

(e) a support for rotatably supporting a roll of tickettape about a stationary axis of rotation and arranged to have the tape from such roll extend to and through the oscillatable tape-guide,

(f) a tape-feeder in operative juxtaposition to said press-platen and tape-guide and arranged to oscillate to and fro in unison therewith, said tape-feeder being arranged intermittently to advance the tape through said tape-guide by a ticket-length during the re tracting motion of the press-platen and simultaneously to move a ticket-length of the tape into a ticket-dispensing position beyond the press-platen,

(g) an oscillatably mounted inker having an ink-pad and arranged to oscillate to and fro between an inking position thereof in which the ink-pad thereof in contact with the type-faces in the printing zone and a retracted position thereof in which the ink-pad is withdrawn from such inking position to a position clear of the oscillating path of the press-platen.

(b) means operatively interposed between the pressplaten and the inker for causing the latter to oscillate in timed relation to the oscillations of the pressplaten so that the inker will be in its retracted position when the press-platen is in its printing position and vice versa.

2. A machine according to claim 1 including a link having one end thereof pivoted about a stationary pivotaxis and having the other end thereof pivoted to one end of the inker and arranged to support and guide said end of the inker, and including a stationary cam, and including a cam-follower carried by the other end of said inker and disposed in operative juxaposition to said cam, said cam and cam-follower being arranged to support and guide the last-mentioned end of said inker.

3. A machine according to claim 1 including a pressplaten-arm pivoted about a stationary axis of pivotation and carrying the press-platen at an end thereof, a driveshaft, an arm-oscillator operated by said drive-shaft and connected with said press-platen-arm and arranged to oscillate the latter to and fro about its aforementioned axis of pivotation with each revolution of the drive-shaft, and an inker-oscillator operatively connected with the press-platen-arrn and with the inker for operatively oscillating the latter in synchronism with the former and arranged to oscillate the inker through its inking motion during the retracting motion of the press-platen-arm and to oscillate the inker through its retracting motion during the printing motion of the press-platen-arm.

4. A machine according to claim 1 including a stationary cutter, and movable cutter in the operative juxtaposition thereto, and means for moving the latter through its cutting motion during the terminal portion of the printing motion of the press-platen.

5. A machine according to claim 1 in which the pressplaten and the inker are pivotally mounted.

6. A machine according to claim 1, in which the motion of the ink-pad portion of the inker is generally normal to the plane of the type-faces in the printing zone when the ink-pad contacts said type-faces.

7. A machine according to claim 1, in which the stationary type-support includes channels and in which the type-bearing members are bars slidably mounted in said channels for changing the type-faces thereof presented in the printing-zone.

8. A machine according to claim 1, in which the tapeguide comprises a fenestrated panel spaced from the pressplaten in close proximity to the face thereof, with a clearance therebetween for the passage of the tape between the face of the platen to the tape-guide panel, and in which a thin print-barring sheet is disposed between said tape-guide panel and the platen-face.

9. A machine according to claim 1, in which the tapefeeder is carried by the press-platen and oscillates to and fro therewith, and including linkage having one end thereof stationarily supported and the other end thereof connected to said tape-feeder and arranged to oscillate said tape-feeder in synchronism with the oscillation of the press-platen.

10. A machine according to claim 1, in which the tapeguide includes a plate having a plurality of printing windows and plurality of type-clearance windows, and including a print-barring sheet adjacent the inner face of said tape-guide plate having printing windows in registration with the printing windows of the tape-guide plate and being imperforate in the areas thereof in registration with the type-clearance windows of said tape-guide plate.

11. A machine according to claim 1, including a stationary tape-cutter, a movable tape-cutter carried by the press-platen in operative juxtaposition to said stationary tape-cutter, said cutters being disposed in operative juxtaposition to the tape-dispensing position and arranged to cut from the tape the ticket-length thereof which is in the ticket-dispensing position beyond the press-platen.

(References on following page) References Cited 2,271,840 2/1942 Kohnle 101-292 2,402,651 6/1946 Manwaring 101-368 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,438,118 3/1948 Flood 101-288 11/1915 Jacobus 101-293 2,553,709 5/1951 Henry 101-288 5/1920 Davis 101-288. 5 2,708,873 5/1955 Braun 101-19 10/1926 Baillie 101-19 2,890,650 6/1959 Bone et a1. 101-19 2/1933 Laencher 101-292 3,096,712 7/ 963 Filsinger 101-288 7/1933 Hoffman 101-109 3,151,544 10/1964 Taylor et a1. 101-288 4/1934 Fassmann 101-288 6/ 1938 Flood 101-288 10 WILLIAM B. PENN, Primary Examiner.

8/1939 Paris 101-368

Claims

1. A TICKET PRINTING AND DISPENSING MACHINE FOR ALTERNATELY PRINTING A TICKET-LENGTH PORTION OF A TAPE AND ADVANCING THE TAPE TO DELIVER AN IMPRINTED TICKET-LENGTH THEREOF, INCLUDING (A) A STATIONARY TYPE-SUPPORT ARRANGED STATIONARILY TO SUPPORT TYPE-BEARING MEMBERS DURING SUCCESSIVE INKINGS THEREOF AND DURING PRINTING IMPRESSIONS THEREFROM, (B) A PLURALITY OF MULTI-FACE TYPE-BEARING MEMBERS STATIONARILY SUPPORTED BY SAID TYPE-SUPPORT FOR THE SUCCESSIVE INKINGS THEREOF AND PRINTING IMPRESSIONS THEREFROM, AND SAID TYPE-BEARING MEMBERS BEING MOVABLE IN RELATION TO SAID TYPE-SUPPORT TO PERMIT THE SELECTED ONE OF THE TYPE-FACES THEREOF TO BE PRESENTED FACING DOWNWARDLY IN THE PRINTING ZONE OF THE MACHINE WHILE THE OTHER TYPE-FACES THEREOF ARE OUT OF SUCH PRINTING ZONE, (C) AN UPWARDLY-FACING OSCILLATABLY MOUNTED PRESSPLATEN IN OPERATIVE JUXTAPOSITION TO THE SELECTED TYPEFACES OF SAID TYPE-BEARING MEMBERS IN THE PRINTING ZONE, SAID PRESS-PLATEN BEING ARRANGED TO OSCILLATE TO AND FRO BETWEEN AN UPPER PRINTING POSITION THEREOF IN WHICH IT PRESSES THE BELOW-MENTIONED TAPE AGAINST THE SELECTED TYPE-FACES OF SAID TYPE-BEARING MEMBERS AND A LOWER RETRACTED POSITION IN WHICH THE PRESSPLATEN IS WITHDRAWN FROM SUCH TAPE-PRESSING POSITION THEREOF, (D) A TAPE-GUIDE FOR GUIDING TAPE ACROSS SAID PRESSPLATEN AND ARRANGED TO OSCILLATE TO AND FRO IN UNISON THEREWITH, (E) A SUPPORT FOR ROTATABLY SUPPORTING A ROLL OF TICKETTAPE ABOUT A STATIONARY AXIS OF ROTATION AND ARRANGED TO HAVE THE TAPE FROM SUCH ROLL EXTENDED TO AND THROUGH THE OSCILLATABLE TAPE-GUIDE (F) A TAPE-FEEDER IN OPERATIVE JUXTAPOSITION TO SAID PRESS-PLATEN AND TAPE-GUIDE AND ARRANGED TO OSCILLATE TO AND FRO IN UNISON THEREWITH, SAID TAPE-FEEDER BEING ARRANGED INTERMETTENTLY TO ADVANCE THE TAPE THROUGH SAID TAPE-GUIDE BY A TICKET-LENGTH DURING THE RETRACTING MOTION OF THE PRESS-PLATEN AND SIMULTANEOUSLY TO MOVE A TICKET-LENGTH OF THE TAPE INTO A TICKET-DISPENSING POSITION BEYOND THE PRESS-PLATEN, (G) AN OSCILLATABLY MOUNTED INKER HAVING AN INK-PAD AND ARRANGED TO OSCILLATE TO AND FRO BETWEEN AN INKING POSITION THEREOF IN WHICH THE INK-PAD THEREOF IN CONTACT WITH THE TYPE-FACES IN THE PRINTING ZONE AND A RETRACTED POSITION THEREOF IN WHICH THE INK-PAD IS WITHDRAWN FROM SUCH POSITION TO A POSITION CLEAR OF THE OSCILLATING PATH OF THE PRESS-PLATEN. (H) MEANS OPERATIVELY INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE PRESSPLATEN AND THE INKER FOR CAUSING THE LATTER TO OSCILLATE IN TIMED RELATION TO THE OSCILLATIONS OF THE PRESSPLATEN SO THAT THE INKER WILL BE IN ITS RETRACTED POSITION WHEN THE PRESS-PLATEN IS IN ITS PRINTING POSITION AND VICE VERSA.