US2950347A - Storage, interpreting and printing machine - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 23, 1960 P. R. HOFFMAN STORAGE, INTERPRETING AND PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 29,'1958 17 Sheets-Sheet 1 v INVENTOR PAUL. R. HOFFMAN AGENT P. R. HOFFMAN STORAGE, INTERPRETING AND PRINTING MACHINE Aug. v.23, 1960 1T Sheets-Sheet. 2

Filed April 29, 1958 INVENTOR PAUL R. HOFFMAN AGENT HMA' I Aug. 23, 1960 P. R. HOFFMAN 2,950,347

v STORAGE, INTERPRETING AND PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 29, 195s A 17 sheets-sheet :s

INVENTOR PAUL R. HOFFMAN BY v WM ma;

AGENT Aug. 23, 1960 P. R. HOFFMAN STORAGE, INTERPRETING AND PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 29, 1958 17 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENIOR PAUL R. HOFFMAN SW1/MMM AGENT Aug. 23, 1960 P. R. HOFFMAN 2,950,347

STORAGE, INTERPRETING AND PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 29, 195s 17 sheets-Sheet 5 Y I A 4 2 i: |55 W ALS f |52 24 |55 a |57 5 8V "f no 8 l5 j 4 k m INVENTOR f l'g. 5 PAUL R. HOFFMAN AGENT Aug. 23, 1960 P. R. HOFFMAN` 2,950,347

STORAGE, INTERPRETING AND PRINTING MACHINE 17 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed April 29, 1958 INVENTOR PAUL R. HOFFMAN BY WM/140% AGENT Aug, 23, 1960 P. R. HOFFMAN 2,950,347

STORAGE, INTERPRETINQ AND PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 29, 1958 17 Sheets-Sheet 7 g F/'g.7/l

INVENTOR PAUL R. HOFFMAN u '8 @www MM v AGENT Aug. 23, 1960 P. R. HOFFMAN STORAGE, INTERPRETING AND PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 29, 1958 17 Sheets-Sheet 8 PAUL R. HOFFMAN BY/M l?. I/o

AGENT Aug. 23, 1960 P. R. HOFFMAN INTERPRETING AND PRINTING MACHINE STORAGE 17 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed April 29. 1958 Aug- 23, 1960 P. R. HOFFMAN 2,950,347

STORAGE, INTERPRETING AND PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 29, 1958 17 Sheets-Sheet 10 l MHZ I l L l l S as@ m i3 lo LO O) m l IIL.

1NVENTOR PAUL R. HOFFMAN AGENT Aug. 23, 1960 P. R. HOFFMAN 2,950,347

STORAGE, INTERPRETNG AND PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 29, 1958 17 Sheets-Sheet 1l AGENT Aug. 23, 1960 P. R. HOFFMAN STORAGE, INTERPRETING AND PRINTING MACHINE 1'? Sheets-Sheet 12 Filed April 29, 1958 PAUL R. HOFFMAN AGENT Aug. 23, 1960 P. R. HOFFMAN 2,950,347

STORAGE, INTERPRETING AND PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 29. 1958 v 17 sheets-sheet 1s LeHers A-J 409 405 INVENTOR PAUL R. HOFFMAN Aug. 23, 1960 P. R. HOFFMAN STORAGE, INTERPRETING AND PRINTING MACHINE 17 Sheets-Sheet 14 Filed April 29, 1958 INVENTOR PAUL R. HOFFMAN Aug. 23, 1960 y P. R. HOFFMAN STORAGE, INTERPRETING AND PRINTING MACHINE 17 Sheets-Sheet 15 Filed April 29, 1958 INVENTOR PAUL R. HOFFMAN Www/e, ma;

AGENT Aug. 23, 1960 P. R. HOFFMAN 2,950,347

STORAGE, INTERPRETING AND PRINTING MACHINE Filed. April 29,1958 17 sheets-sheep 1e INVENTOR PAUL R. HOFFMAN naam/140W AGENT Aug. 23, 1960 P. R. HOFFMAN 2,950,347

STORAGE, INTERPRETING AND PRINTING MACHINE INVENTOR PAUL R. HOFFMAN AGENT United States Patent dice Patented Ang.. 23, 196i) STORAGE, INTERPRETING AND PRINTING MACHINE Paul R. Hoffman, Woodlyn, Pa., assignor to Burroughs Corporation', Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Apr. 29, 1958, Ser. No. 731,714

23 Claims. (Cl. 1178-23) This invention relates to automatically controlled machines which include a novel system combining storage, interpreting and printing operations, and more particularly to a machine of that general organization Jror printing indicia on a record medium which corresponds to information received by the machine in coded form.

In present day business it has been found convenient to employ coding techniques for representing information. One widely used coding technique is the binary system Iwhich in various forms thereof is adapted to be handled by business machines. It is sometimes desirable to reproduce the characters corresponding to such code in readable form upon a record medium to permit a person to read the same. Accordingly, some apparatus is required to store, interpret and print this information for visual recognition.

An object therefore of the present invention is to provide a novel system for converting information from a rst form to a second form.

Another object is to provide a novel system, comprising apparatus which upon receiving coded information in `a rst form, stores, interprets and records the information in a second form upon a record medium.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel device for 'actuating 4a rotary drum printer in response to an information source, for printing that information on a record medium more rapidly `and economically than heretofore possible.

A still further object of this invention kis to provide ya novel optical time delay shift register and decoder.

In accordance with the yabove yobjects the illustrated embodiment of the p-resentinvention incorporates apparatus which `includes a rotary drum type carrier, ya plurality of type hammers, a time delay `and interpreting device comprising a plurality of rotating disc assemblies `driven in synchronism with the type drum for storing and ltranslating coded information received by the dev ice for initiating appropriate movement of the type harnmers so that they will print selected indicia on a record medium positioned between the type drum and Ahammers.

Further details and iother objects of the invention will be more apparent fro-m the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of the printing device;

Fig. 2 `is a partial front elevational view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. l, showing the left portion of the printing device;

Fig. 2A is a partial `front elevation view showing a frame plate connected to the left side plate of the carriage;

Fig. 2B is a section of view taken along the line .2B- 2B of Fig. 2A showing the relationship between the type drum bar and the frame plate;

Fig. 2C is a fragmentary plan View illustrating the end -connection between the type drum bar and the frame plate;

Figs. 2D and 2E are successive sectional views taken along lines 2D-2D and 2E-2E of Fig. 2Afto further illustrate details of the type drum shaft;

Fig. 3 is a' partial elevational view of .the device taken along the line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the vertical gear-train hinge which permits opening and closing of the carriage;

Fig. 5 V(on sheet with Fig. 11), is a sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1 and shows a horizontal hinge which permits opening of the carriage;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6--6 of Fig. 1 and shows the portion of the clutch for retraction of the rack about which the type drum is driven, and yfurther shows the sliding bearing support for the left portion'of the carriage;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view through the type drum and `hammer carriage taken along the line 7--7 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7A is a view taken along line 7A-'7A of Fig. 7 to illustrate the driver gear;

Fig. 8 is a view taken along the line 8 8 of Fig. 7 and with parts removed to further illustrate the hammer carriage;

Fig. 9 is a View taken along the line 9--9 of Fig. 7 to `illustrate one position of the mechanism for advancing the type drum laterally yalong its axis;

Fig. 10' is a view similar to Fig. 9 but showing another position of .the mechanism;

Fig. l1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner by which the hammer carriage is moved synchronously with the type drum;

Figs. 12, 13 and 14 are views showing the successive stages of action by which the hammer is impelled to accomplish a printing operation;

'F.ig. 15 is a schematic endwise View of the type drum illustrating the disposition of the type characters about the periphery of the type drum; 4 g

Fig. 16 is a developed view of the type drum shown in Fig. 15 illustrating the disposition of the groups of type thereon, and their positions relative to the hammers;

Fig. 17 is a view showing a source of information which can be `read into the shift register and decoder in the form of electrical pulses, and which takes the form of a tape read-ing device;

Fig. 18 is a lschematic view showing the mechanicaloptical shift register and decoder with electrical read-in from the tape-reading device of Fig. 17 and electrical read-out of signals to the printer; l

Fig. 19 (on sheet with Fig. 23) illustrates a form of binary coded tape which may be used by the tape-reading device;

Fig. 20 is a yfront elevational view of the mechanicaloptical shift register and decoder;

Fig. 21 is a sectional view of the decoder taken along section line 21-21 of Fig. 20;

Fig. 22 is a perspective view of'intermittently driven gearing associated with the apparatus of Fig. 20;

Fig. 23 is an exploded perspective view of the light source, lenses and photo cell pick-up units of the shift register and decoder;

Fig. 24 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of a typical llight shutter assembly -andassociated reset means;

Fig. 25 is a fragmentary view which illustrates the reset operation of the light shutter assembly;

Fig. 26 4is a view similar to Fig. 25 but showing the tripped condition of the llight shutter;

Fig. 27 (on sheet with Fig. 2l) is an enlarged crosssectional View of a typical prism carried by a decoding disc;

Fig. 28 is a view illustrating another form of operation of the decoder in which the centnal storage discs and the scanning decoding discs are in constant motion;

Fig. 29 is a View showing a greatly enlarged portion of Fig. 28 and `illustrating successive reading positions of theintersecting discs; and A Y Fig. 30 is aY sectional View taken along the line 3il-30 of Fig. 21 and illustrates the path of a light beam through the stonage discs and associated scanning discs and the pick-up of the bearnjby a photo-cell unit. .,.Thepsubjectmatter of this invention 'relates to apparatus of the type described and claimed in the copending applications for patents of McDonald et al.,"entitled Automatic Printer, Serial No. 660,318, led May 20, 1957, and I-Ioirnan` et al., entitled Printing Mechanism, Serial No. 724,655, tiled March 28, 1958 and both assigned to thersarne assignee as the present application. While the printing apparatus is ydescribed and claimed in the above mentioned Hoffman'et al. case this description is repeated in the present applicationto facilitate a clear understanding of the instant invention.

Referring now to the'various gures of the drawings ffor `t'he detailed description of the illustrated embodiment of the invention, and first to Figs. l and 3 thereof, it will be seen that power for performing'the various functions and operations ofthe printer is supplied to pulley 1l) by means of belt 11, the latter being connected to a-motor, not` shown, but which is continuously rotating when the mechanism is operating. Pulley is fixed to shaftY 12 which. is journalled for rotation adjacent its ends in standards 13, 13a and 14, which are mounted vertically upon a plate 1S. The shaft has lan intermediate portion which is fluted or toothed as seen at 16 (see also Fig. 7), and operates to impel printing hammers 17 toward a type drum 18, as seen in Figs. l2 through 14, and in a manner to be later described;

The type drum 18 '(Figs. l, 2 and 3) is mounted for to-and-fro lateral movement on round bar 19, which is parallel to shaft 12. The type drum and round bar are further mounted for movement together in a direction perpendicular to the uted shaft 12. The latter movement is for the purpose of readily permitting the insertion and removal ofthe/'printing record medium, shown land identied as paper in Fig. 14. The type drum 18 and round =bar or rod 19`a-re mounted in a carriage 20 (Fig. 1)', which includesv a pair of upright side plates 21 and 22 maintained 4in spaced parallel relation by :a bar 23.V and a transverse carriage frame plate 24extending across the machine The frame plate `24lies beneath rod 19 in Fig. l, and the type drum `as `seen in Figs. 2 and 3. Y

The leftA portion 25.0f the frame plate 24 is shown fastened (Figs. 2A` and 2B) to carriage plate 211 by screws V25a. The left end portion of rod 19 has its end slotted Vat 19a Vand is suitably pinned `or-otherw-ise fastened to plate portion 25 '(Fig. 2B) by pin 1911. Theopposite, or

right end portion 26 offrame plate Z4 is fastened to carriage side plate 22 in a manner similar to that` shown in Figs. 2A, 2B and 2C Vand the right end portion of rod 19 is fastened to portion 26 Yof plate `24 inc-the sameV V29, 30. An elongated bushing 31 containing bearings l31a vsuitably mounted to carriage side plate. 21 permits the left end of thercarriage to slide on the guide 28. The

lrigh-t hand carriage plate 22 is provided with a pair of rollers 32 and 33 which engage and ride on a'guide 34.

The latter maybe in rectangular-'bar form and suitably Ifixed to base plate 15.` By'means, later to' be described,

vthe typedrumzcarriage may be moved towardY andV away from the printing hammers; i

Type drum 1S is mounted for rotation about rod y19,

see Figs. 9 andv l0, #also Figs. 2D and 2E. The diameter off the bar 19 is substantially the same as the diameter of the bore of the type drum.Y whichris internally threaded as indicated at 38. The underside of rod 19 includes a keyway, or slot 439, which extends the length of the bar. A transverse rack 40 is positioned in the keyway .and is mounted for l-imited movement radially of the rod. The lower edge of the rack includes teeth `411 which mesh with the internal threads 38 of the type drum when the rack 40 is in its lowered position, as seen in Fig. 9.

Rotation of the type drum when so engaged with the rack will cause the drum to advance across the machine from left to right, as seen in this ligure. When, however, as seen in Fig. 10 the rack is raised to its retracted position inside of rod 19, thus disengaging the rack teeth l41 from drum teeth 38, the drum is free to be quickly returned to its initial starting position for printing a new tion.

line of copy, as hereinafter described.

Still referring to Figs. 9 and 10, it will be seen that a parallelogram linkage 42 is provided for effecting the aforementioned radial movement of rack 40 relative to rjod 19, Two pairs of riser links 43 rand 44 are pivotally secured at their toe portions by pivots 45 and 46 to the , aforementioned portions 25 and 26a respectively of transverse frame carriage plate 24. The pairs of riser links v43 and 44 are additionally pivoted vas at 52 yand 53 to downwardly projecting ears 54 and 5S of transverse rack 40. The links pass through pairs of elongated slots 56 and 57 cut through type drum shaft 19, see Figs. 2A, 2D, and are of sufficient length to permit pivotal movement of the links. A -top crossbar 58, disposed in parallel relation to a line containing pivots 52 and '53 is poyotally connected at each of its ends to the top eX- `tremities of links 43 and 44, as at 59 and 60 respectively.

end by pin 67 to a connecting rod 66, the other end ci which is pivotally connected by pin 68 to the pair of links al3-ben=eath pin 59. It can thus be seen in Fig. 9 that when the cam is rotated so that roller 63 is urged into engagementwith its low side, as by spring 63a, the `riser links are pivoted by the aforedescribed linkage in -a `clockwise directionto lower the rack into engagement with the internal threads of the type drum. Upon rotation of cam 61 to the position shown in Fig. li) the high `side of the cam is presented land a counterclockwise rotation is'imparted to the riser links withdrawing the threads `on the rack from engagement with the internal threads yof the type drum.

As seen in Fig. 2E a slot 69 is cut into the top portion of the transverse type drum shaft 19, and provides a ykeyway for receiving a key 70, the center portion of which is encircled by the type drum. Enlarged end portions of the key have mounted thereon short posts 71 and '72, to which rare tied or otherwise fixed the ends of a tape 73, the Vreason for which is explained hereinafter. A roller 74 mounted upon a post 75 also secured to the right hand end of key 70 engages the right side face of the type drum and eliminates excessive frictional contact of the type drum with key 70 as the type drum moves to the rightwhen rotating.

The type `drum is rotated by a gear 76 rigidly lixcd to the right handside of the drum and a driver gear 80 mounted on (a drive shaft 81, suitably journalled for rotation in side plates 21 and 22 of lcarriage 20, seeFigs. l and' 2. Driver gear 8f' is keyed to shaft 81 by means ,of'key 82 received in keyway 83 of the shaft, see Figs. 7 and 7A, whereby the driver `gear may slide along its shaft yet remain in mesh with gear 76 fixed to the type drum, as the :latter moves along its shaft in either direc- Referi'ing lto Figs. l and 4, rotation' of shaft 81 is obtained bymeans of the gear train 96. Gear 87, pinned, or otherwise ixed to actuator shaft 12, meshes with and 'drives gear' 88 similarly fastened to idler shaft 89 which is journalled for free rotation in standard 13. Gear 90 fixed to the opposite end of the idler shaft meshes with and transmits power to idler gear 91 mounted on shaft 12. Idler `gear 91 is mounted on shaft 12 so that it can rotate freely about the shaft, and drives gears 92 and 93 rotatably mounted between a pair of links 94 suitably maintained in spaced parallel relationship and constituting a iirst gear train linkage 95. Power from linkage 95 is transmitted to a second gear train linkage 96, hinged to train 95 about the axis of rotation of gear 93, and includes a second pair of :links 97 between which gears 93, 98 and 99 are rotatably mounted. Gear 99 is affixed to and drives shaft 81 thus effecting rotation of driver gear 80 and type drum 18, Fig. 1. It can readily be appreciated that 'when the type drum carriage is moved to its open position the pairs of links 94 and 97, embracing gear trains 95 and 96, will pivot relative to each other without disengagement of the gears.

Associated with the type drum is a hammer carriage '105 (Figs. 7 and 8) which includes top and bottom identical elongated members or castings 106, angleshaped in cross-section. A pair of spaced rollers 107 (Pig. 8) are mounted on one arm of the angle and a single roller 108 on the other arm intermediate rollers 107. lhe rollers are seen in Fig. 7 in engagement with the upper and lower V-faced ways 109 and 110. The roller carrying members 106 are carried by a pair of side plates 111, 112, to which they are suitably secured as by tongues 113, thus to maintain members 106 in spaced vertical arrangement for rolling engagement along the V-faced Iways 109 and 110. As seen in Fig. 7 the plates are suitably cut away to partially surround the actuator shaft 16. A back plate 114, Fig. 7, is fastened by flanges 115 to the side plates 111 and 112. By means of brackets 116, a plurality of magnets 117, corresponding in number, in this instance 4, to the number printing hammers I17, are mounted in `spaced relationship to the back plate 114. The hammers 1'7 are mounted for `straight line sliding movement toward and away from type drum 18 by means of comb- like blocks 118 and 119, the latter being suitably fastened between the side plates K111 and `112. As seen in Fig. 8, the blocks are slotted as at 120 and serve to guide the hammers in spaced parallel motion. A cover plate 121 is secured to the top portion of block 118 to keep the hammers in slots 120. The plate also serves to anchor one end of each of a plurality of springs 122, the other end of each spring being connected to an ear 123 of a printing hammer. Suitably secured across the top of the other block 119 is a plate i124 which cooperates with plate 121 to maintain the movement of the hammers in a straight line.

A shroud 125 is xed between and over the outer ends of side plates 111 and 112, as seen in Fig. 7 to protect the ends of the hammers from foreign matter. When the hammers are actuated they are projected through apertures 125a in the outer vertical surface of the shroud. As seen in Figs. 12, 13 and 14 the record medium i-s fed through lthe space between the hammer ends and the type drum and the shroud 125 (Fig. 7) and guides the paper and ribbon between the hammer carriage and the type drum. The aforementioned brackets 116 also sen/e as pivotal mountings for clappers 126 of solenoids 117 as seen at 127. A spring 128 is attached at one end to each clapper 126 and at `its other end to -a xed bracket 129. The spring force normally urges one end of each clapper into engagement with a notch 130 on its associated type hammer 17, thus to lock the hammers in their retracted or inoperative positions. Transverse pins 131 which extend between plates 111 and 112 limit the pivotal movement of the clappers to their hammer latching position which position provides the correct gap or spacing between the clappers and their associated magnets.

Referring now to Fig. 8, a pair of clevis elements 135 are shown adjustably attached to side plates 111 and 112 of the hammer carriage by means of nuts 136. By varying the position of the nuts on the threaded portion of the clevis, the position of the hammer carriage may be adjusted relative to the type drum, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

Referring now to Figs. 8 and 1l, a flexible steel tape 137 is shown connected at its ends to opposite sides of the aforementioned hammer carriage 105 from which it extends around pulleys 138 and 139. The previously mentioned tape 73, connected at its ends to posts 71 and 72 on key 70, see Fig. 9, extends around pulleys 140i, l141, 142, 143, 144 and 145. Both tapes 137 and 73 are soldered or suitably joined at a fixed point as indicated at 146. A -third tape y'147 of similar construction has one end connected at 146 to the other tapes and extends around pulleys 139, 148 to terminate on a retractable spring driven pulley 149. All of the tapes are of a exible material and readily conform to the peripheries of the aforementioned pulleys. The retractable pulley 149 is in the nature of a `spring drum which tends to wind the tape 147 thereabout, and accordingly resiliently bias both the type hammer carriage and the type drum to their left hand positions. The pulley 149 is effective simultaneously to return the hammer carriage and the type drum to their leftmost positions for the beginning of a new Iline of printing Whenever the type drum has been disengaged by the aforementioned retractable rack 40, Fig. 10. The advancement of the type drum from its left hand position to the right is accomplished as before mentioned by power supplied to the rotating gear '76 on the type drum. Because the hammer and type drum are interconnected by means of the ` flexible tapes 73 and 137 they -advance to the right concomitantly through each printing or word space signal. For reasons of clarity, the tapes have not been shown on certain of the other figures, such as Figs. l, 2 and 3, where they would normally appear.

As viewed in Figs. 1, 5 and 11, pulleys 139 and l143 are mounted in stationary standard 13, pulleys 139 and 143 being mounted for rotation about pins 150 and 151 respectively. A Second pin l152 is in alignment with pin 151 and together they serve to mount a U-shaped hinge element 153 for rotation 4relative to standard 13. Pivotally connected lat `one end to hinge element 153 by pin 158 and tongue portion `154 Iis the mating hinge element 155,which is pivotally connected by pin 159 to a U-shaped block 157 fixed to carriage .frame plate 24. Pulley 144 is also mounted on pivot pin 158 at its outer end.

Pin 159 also serves to support pulley 145 for its rotational movement. A supplementary tension pulley 160 -is mounted in hinge element by means of pin 161, and may be suitably adjusted to vary the tension of resilient tape 73 in a manner not shown herein.

With reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that pulleys 140, 141 and 142, as well as pulley 138, is mounted by a similar hinge structure as that shown in Fig. 5, but extending in the opposite direction. As viewed in Fig. 11 the hinge structure, as described, permits the configuration of resilient tape 73 to assume that which is shown in phantom line position. In this, latter position it is apparent that the type drum, by Virtue of its mounting in the type drum carriage 20 can be moved away from the hammer carriage to permit insertion in the machine of a record medium. It should be further apparent that the relationship, and more particularly the lateral position and rotation ofthe type drum on its shaft, is in no way affected when the type drum carriage is in its open or closed position.V Thus the phasing of the type drum relative to the hammer carriage cannot be affected by the hinge mechanism hereinbefore described.

It will be recalled, with reference to the above descriptions of Figs. 9 and l0, that operation of type drum 18 upon its shaft 19 is controlled by rotation of cam 61.

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