US3145921A

US3145921A - Tape perforator

Info

Publication number: US3145921A
Application number: US217458A
Authority: US
Inventors: Sim Gordon; Rolf A Thienemann
Original assignee: Teletype Corp
Current assignee: AT&T Teletype Corp
Priority date: 1962-08-16
Filing date: 1962-08-16
Publication date: 1964-08-25
Anticipated expiration: 1981-08-25
Also published as: BE636227A; GB1038516A; NL296758A; FR1373767A; DE1196235B; CH410045A

Description

Aug. 25, 1964 G. SIM ETAL TAPE PERFORATOR 5 She ets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 16, 1962 INVENTORS GORDON SIM ROLF A. THIENE ANN ATTORNEY Aug. 25, 1964 G. SIM ETAL TAPE PERFORATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 16, 1962 Q9 \\\\\\\\\\\\\KEN mm INVENTORS GORDON SIM ROLF A. THIENEMANN ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,145,921 TAPE PERFQRATOR Gordon Sim, Northbroolr, and Rolf A. Tliienemann, Chicage, lilL, assignors to Teletype Corporation, Skokie, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 217,458 6 Claims. (til. 234-102) This invention relates to a tape perforator and more particularly to a novel punch actuating and restoring mechanism.

The present tape perforator is an accessory to the telegraph page printer disclosed in a copending application of W. J. Zenner entitled Type Wheel Mechanism for Printing Telegraph Page Printer, Serial No. 159,330, filed December 14, 1961. In the page printer described in the aforementioned application, selectively settable code bars are positioned by a selector mechanism in response to either incoming telegraph signals or to telegraph signals generated by the local keyboard. The selectively settable code bars control the positioning of a rotatable type wheel to place the selected character face on the type wheel in proper position for printing. In the present invention, the selectively settable code bars of the telegraph page printer are attached to code bar extensions in the perforator that control the selection of punches which are then actuated by an extension of a power shaft of the page printer. The present invention relates to the novel punch actuating and restoring mechanism that is, in the present embodiment, controlled by code bars and driven by a power shaft of a page printer.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a new and inexpensive perforator attachment for a telegraph page printer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved punch actuating mechanism and punch pin returning mechanism for perforators.

A further object of the invention is to provide a punch actuating mechanism employing selectively latched power transmitting elements and a punch returning mechanism employing a normally ineffective power return means for the punches.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved punch actuating mechanism wherein normally ineffective latch pawls are selectively coupled to code bar sensing means for actuating punches to perforate a record medium.

Another object of the invention is to provide a supplemental returning means for punches that does not require additional elements therefor and that does not cause wear of the elements constituting the returning means until it is functioning to return a punch from its punching position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a normally effective impositive punch returning force to return punches from their punching position and a normally ineflfective positive punch returning force to return only those punches which do not return under the impositive punch returning force.

A further object of the invention is to bias punches to return from their punch position and to provide a normally ineffective positive power return mechanism for eifecting the return of the punch when it does not return under its biasing means.

Another object of the invention is to provide spring urged punch returning means for returning punches from their punching positions and to provide positive power returning means effective only when a punch is not returned under the influence of its spring means.

A feature of the invention is the provision of selectively settable code bar extensions for selectively blocking move- 3,145,921 Patented Aug. 25, 1964 ment of code bar sensing means from latching engagement with biased latch pawls whereby upon actuation of the code bar sensing means only those pawls not blocked from latching engagement with their associated code bar sensing means actuate their respective punches.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention permutative telegraph signals are received in the selector mechanism of the telegraph page printer to which the perforator is attached and cause the selective operation of code bars within the telegraph page printer. Code bar extensions attached to and selectively movable by the code bars of the telegraph printer furnish an encoded input to the perforator. A plurality of sensing levers are releasable for pivotal movement by upward movement of a bail and those of the sensing levers which are not blocked for movement by a tine on a code bar extension move into latching engagement with spring urged latch pawls associated therewith. When the bail moves downwardly, it rotates the sensing levers and drives those sensing levers latched to a pawl to pivot punch pin actuating levers that in turn reciprocate punches to perforate a recording medium. When the punches have reached the maximum extent of their reciprocation in one direction, the bail begins its return upward movement and a stripper bail becomes effective to strip the latched pawls from latching engagement with the sensing levers.

The punches and their actuating levers are normally spring biased to return from the punching position. However, if this biasing force and the force applied by the stripper bail is insufiicient to return a punch pin from its punching position, the bail on its return stroke engages a carnming surface on the latching pawl to positively drive the connected punch pin actuating lever and punch from the punching position.

A complete understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tape perforator shown attached to a printing telegraph page printer according to the preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational View of the tape perforator taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows, with a portion of the cover removed;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2, in the direction of the arrows, with the cover broken away;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a code bar and of code bar extensions taken substantially along line 5-'5 of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of knurled tape feeding rollers for advancing tape through the perforator;

FIG. 7 is a sectional View taken along the line 77 of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows showing the stripping bail and latch pawl in their latched position, and

FIG. 8 is a top View taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 3 to show the tape guide.

The tape perforator hereinafter described is primarily adapted for use with the page printer described in the copending application of W. J. Zenner, Serial No. 159,330 filed December 14, 1961. However, the perforator could readily be adapted for independent use as will be brought out hereinafter. As shown in FIG. 1 the tape perforator 1i and its cover 11 (FIG. 3) extend outwardly of the left side wall of the page printer shown in the aforementioned copending application of W. I. Zenner. A roll of recording medium 12, preferably, paper tape, is carried in the rear portion of the tape perforator 10 and has its leading edge threaded through the perforating mechanism and outwardly to a tape reader 13 attached to the front left side of the page printer.

The tape perforator is of cantilever construction in that it is constructed for attachment to the side of the page printer. As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of posts 14 and 15 are secured to the left side wall and frame member 18 of the page printer 16 and support a main cast frame member 17 of the perforator at their outer ends. The frame member 17 of the perforator is a one-piece casting on which are journalled or secured all of the main supporting posts for the various parts of the perforating mecha nism as will be brought out more fully hereinafter.

The tape perforator is a readily attachable and detachable unit or accessory to the page printer inasmuch as only code bar extensions 20 (FIG. 5) and a main power shaft 21 (FIG. 3) need be interconnected to the operating mechanism of the page printer. More specifically, the code bar extensions 20 have pins 22 at their outer extremities which snap into forks 23, which have been formed on the left ends of the code bars 137, shown in FIG. of the aforementioned copending application of W. J. Zenner. The main power shaft 21 is secured by suitable means (not shown) to the function shaft 325 (shown in said application) of the page printer and rotates with the function shaft 325 so as to provide the proper timing relationship between the selective actuation of the code bar extensions and the driving of the perforating mechanism by the power shaft 21.

In the aforementioned copending application, operation of the keyboard 32 of the page printer closes electrical contacts which furnish electrical signal inputs to a selector mechanism 31 that controls the printing mechanism 34. Also, incoming telegraph signals that are generated at a remote station furnish electrical signal inputs to the selector mechanism 31 to control the printing mechanism 34 in the page printer 16. Since the selector mechanism 31 in the page printer 16 operates its code bars 137 to position the printing mechanism 34 in response to both local operation from the keyboard 32 and remote operation from incoming telegraph signals, the tape perforator 10, of this application which receives its input from the code bars 137 by way of code bar extensions 20, also can be operated in response to either operation of the local keyboard 32 of the page printer 16 or in response to remotely generated telegraph signals.

Returning now to FIG. 5, the code bars 137 of the telegraph page printer are articulated by forks 23 to the pins 22 on the code bar extensions 20 which extensions are biased to the right by contractile springs 24. As shown in FIG. 15 of the aforementioned copending application, the code bars 137 are spring urged in the same direction as are the code bar extensions 20 in FIG. 5 of this disclosure and are permutatively released for movement in this direction by code transfer arms 117.

As seen in FIG. 5 of this application the code bar extensions 20 are supported for slidable movement by an upstanding guide 25 having a slot therein for each of the code bar extensions 20 and a central bar 26 for supporting and guiding fingers 27 formed on the left portions of the code bar extensions 20. The upstanding guide 26 is attached by a suitable fastening element to the frame member 17. As viewed in FIG. 5 the right ends 28 of the code bar extensions 20 are forked and are guided in a' bracket 29 that is secured to a post 30 as shown in FIG. 2. A laterally extending portion 40 of the bracket 29 has grooves therein to which one end of each of the contractile springs 24 is hooked. As clearly shown in FIG. 3, eight code bar extensions 20 are provided for the presently used eight level code, there being one code bar normally for each level of the code, and hence eight contractile springs 24 are attached to the laterally extending portion 40 of bracket 29.

. While the code bar extensions 20 have been shown as being selectively movable by the code bars 137 of the page printer, it should be recognized that alternative control means could be used to move the code bar extensions 20, e.g., a magnet controlled mechanism for each code bar extension 20 or a single magnet selector mechanism such as shown in the page printer of the cited Zenner application. Also, a separate motor and clutch could be provided to operate the main power shaft 21. The perforator could be thus adapted to function as an independent unit exclusive of a page printer.

Each of the code bar extensions 20 has a single downwardly extending tine 41 permutatively located thereon for selectively blocking or selectively releasing a single associated code bar sensing lever 42. That is, each code bar sensing lever 42 is associated with one of the code bar extensions 20 and each of the code bar extensions 20 has only one tine 41 thereon for engaging an upwardly extending tine 43 on its associated code bar sensing lever 42. The tines 41 on the code bar extensions 20 are so arranged that when all of the code bar extensions 20 are in their non-released position, shown in FIG. 5, they are matched with the upward time 43 of their associated code sensing levers 42. Conversely, upon movement of a code bar extension 20 to the right in FIG. 5, its associated code bar sensing lever 42, that was formerly blocked by a tine 41, is no longer blocked by that tine 41.

The sensing levers 42 have their right ends bifurcated to form spring fingers 44 (FIG. 3) for encircling and for pivotal attachment to a shaft 45 secured to the frame member 17. The opposite ends of the code bar sensing levers 42 have upturned members 46 formed on them for guidance within a reduced portion formed by annular grooves in a post 47. The annular grooves in the lateral post 47 provide guiding shoulders to prevent movement of the code bar sensing levers 42 as they pivot about their supporting shaft 45. Each of the code bar sensing levers 42 is urged upwardly by a contractile spring 48 individual to it and secured between a book 49 on a core bar sensing lever and a hook 50 carried on a dependent arm 51 of a punch actuating lever 55. A driving bail 56 is positioned for engagement with upstanding driving lugs 57 on each of the code bar sensing levers 42 and retains the code bar sensing levers 42 in their normal inactive positions against the upward and clockwise bias of their respective contractile springs 48 as seen in FIG. 3. The driving bail 56 is carried by a pair of spaced bail arms 58 and 59 secured to a rotatable shaft 60 journaled in frame member 17.

As best seen in FIG. 4, bail arm 59 has secured at its upper extremity a driving pin 61 which is encircled in driving engagement by an open fork 62 on the end of a driving link 63. A spring 64 normally urges the open fork 62 into driving engagement with the driving pin 61 whereby the oscillatory movement of the main power shaft 21 is transmitted by a driving arm 65 on shaft 21 to driving link 63 and in turn to the driving pin 61.

During a clockwise oscillation of the main power shaft 21 and driving arm 65 as seen in FIG. 4, link 63 moves to the right and rotates the bail arms 58 and 59 and the driving bail 56 carried therebetween in a clockwise direction. As seen in FIG. 4, a clockwise rotation of the driving bail 56 will move the driving bail 56 upwardly from engagement with the driving lugs 57 on the code bar sensing levers 42 and thus permit the code bar sensing levers 42 to rotate counterclockwise (FIG. 4) under the urging of their respective contractile springs 48. Those of the code bar sensing levers 42 that have not been selected will rotate only slightly in the counterclockwise direction before their upstanding tines 43 will engage a downwardly extending tine 41 carried by a code bar extension 20. However, those code bar sensing levers 42 associated with code bar extensions 20 that do not have a tine 43 matched with a tine 41 will be permitted to rotate further in a counterclockwise direction.

Each of the code bar sensing levers 42 has an upwardly directed member having a vertical face 71 in engagement with an opposed vertical face 72 on a depending latch pawl 73. A latch pawl 73 is associated with each of the code bar sensing levers 42 and, upon suflicient upward movement of a sensing lever 42, a horizontal latching surface '74 (FIG. 4) on the associated latching pawl 73 is adapted to snap under a horizontal latching shoulder 75 on the vertical member 7d of a code bar sensing lever 42. The vertical face 72 of the latch pawl 73 is biased into sliding engagement with the vertical face 71 on its code bar sensing lever t2 by a contractile spring 76 hooked to the middle of the latching pawl 73 and tending to rotate the latching pawl 73 in a clockwise direction about its articulate connection 77 with a punch pin actuating lever 55.

After the horizontal latching surface 74 has engaged the horizontal latching shoulder 75 on the code bar sensing lever 42, the driving bail 56 will reverse its direction of movement and begin its downward driving movement (in the counterclockwise direction in PEG. 4) and will engage the driving lugs 57 on the selected code bar sensing levers 42 and drive them downwardly along with their latched pawls 7S. Downward movement of a latch pawl 73, as shown in FIG. 4, will pivot its associated punch pin actuating lever 55 clockwise about its pivot supporting post 89 and cause forward end 81 of the punch pin actuating lever 55 to move upward which, in turn, will drive an attached punch pin 82 upwardly to perforate the record medium. The punch pins 82 are guided for reciprocation at their upper and lower ends by guiding

holes

83 and 84 in a punch block 83 and when they perforate the record medium extend into an upper die block 85. Attached to the die block 85 and is a chad or chip disposal collecting trough 86 (FIG. 3) for collecting and conveying chad through a chute 87 outwardly of the cover 11 of the tape perforator.

After perforating the record medium, the driving bail 56 arrives at its most downward position, hereinafter called its driving position, and will move upward immediately thereafter as the driving shaft 21 changes its direction of rotation from counterclockwise to clockwise rotation as seen in FIG. 4. Coaxial with the driving pin 61 and mounted on the bail arms 58 and 59 is an upper supporting shaft 99, KG. 7, upon which is rotatably mounted a pair of spaced stripper bail arms 91 and 93 between which arms extends a stripper bail 97;. A contractile spring 99 is attached to stripper bail arm 93 and a spring hanger 195 and biases the stripper bail 92 upwardly as seen in FIG. 3 (clockwise as seen in FIG. 7). The stripper bail arms 91 and 93 extend downwardly at an oblique angle and the stripper bail 9?. is disposed for movement either into the large notched area 97 on the latch pawls 73 during its initial movement and for movement into engagement with stripping notches 95 on the latch pawls 73 during its stripping movement. As the main power shaft 21 reverses its direction of rotation and moves the driving bail d upwardly, the stripper bail arms 91 and 93, which are pivotally attached to a shaft 9% on the driving bail arms 58 and 59, also move upwardly to present the stripper bail 92 for stripping engagement with notches 95 on the latch pawls 73. The stripping bail 92 functions to both unlatch the latching surfaces 74 of the laething pawls 73 from latching engagement with latching shoulders 75 on code bars 42 and to exert an upward force on latch pawls 73 tending to return the punch pins 32. That is, because of the generally circular movement of stripping bail 92 about the shaft 69, the stripping bail 92 applies a force having a horizontal cam to the latching pawls 73 for moving the latching surfaces 74 of latching pawls 73 from latching engagement with the latching shoulders 75 on the code bar sensing bails 42 and having a vertical component for lifting the latch pawls 73 upwardly and thereby rotating punch pin actuating levers 55 about shaft 89.

Additionally, springs 48 and 76 are stretched and are exerting a force on punching pin actuating levers 55 urging them to rotate in the counterclockwise direction. Accordingly, as soon as the latching connections are broken, the latching pawls 73 will move upward because of the upward forces directed upon them by the stripping bail 92 and the

contractile springs

48 and 76. So long as the latch connections are still effective, upward acceleration of the latch pawls 73 under these combined forces is not possible and the latch pawls 73 rate of movement is limited to the rate of upward movement of the drive bail 56, but once the latch pawls 73 are unlatched from their associated code bar sensing levers 42, they are no longer restricted to moving upward at the same rate as the driving bail 56. Hence, upon the breaking of the latching engagement of a pawl 73 and an associated code bar sensing lever 42, contractile spring 48 causes latching lever 73 to move rapidly upwardly. During this upward movement, contractile springs 76 urge the vertical faces 72 of the latching pawls 73 into sliding engagement with the vertical faces 71 on the upstanding members 70 of code bar sensing levers 42.

The stripping bail 92 is not fixedly secured to the shaft 96 but is rotatably'mounted on the shaft 99 and is biased by a spring 99 into engagement with the notches on the latch pawls 73.

As the stripping bail 92 moves into the stop position, it engages a camming shoe bracket 94 and its continued generally circular movement about shaft 69 is prevented by the camming shoe bracket 94. While the stripping bail 92 is in engagement with the camming shoe bracket 94, its movement is substantially horizontal and within an open slot area 97 on latch pawls 73 and it stretches its spring as it moves horizontally. The punch pins 82 should normally return under the combined forces of the stripper bail 92, and

contractile springs

48 and 76 acting on the punch pin actuating levers 55. However, if the punch pin 82 has not returned under these combined impositive forces, the driving bail 56 will become effective to engage a sloping cam surface 96 on the latch pawl 73 associated with the stuck punch pin 82. That is, as the driving bail 56 moves in the counterclockwise direction as seen in FIG. 3, from its lowermost driving position to its normal stop position, it will engage the sloping cam surface 96 of those latch pawls 73 connected to punch pins 82 which were not retracted by the impositive spring forces and will force these latch pawls 73 upwardly thereby pivoting the attached punch pin actuating levers 55 to positively return the sticking punch pins 82 from the punching position. It should be noted that the driving bail 56 will engage sloping cam surface 96 of a latch pawl 73 only when a punch pin is not returned under the combined impositive forces of the

springs

76 and 43, and hence no wear occurs on any cam surface 96 unless a punch pin associated with a latch pawl 73 is sticking and is being returned by the bail 56.

The tape feeding operation occurs before the punching operation and, in fact, takes place as the latch pawls 73 are being selectively latched during the clockwise rotation (FIG. 3) of the driving bail 56 and hail arms 58 and 59 from their stop positions. The tape is fed through the tape perforator 10 by rotating a lower tape feeding wheel 1% (FIG. 6) fixedly secured on a rotatable shaft 103 journaled in frame member 17. Feed wheel 1% rotates conjointly with a ratchet wheel 161 secured to the extremity of shaft 103.

A feed pawl 192 (FIG. 3) is pivotally mounted on bail arm 53 by an adjustable pivot pin 104 and is biased upwardly by a spring 199 attached to the midpoint of feed pawl 102 and attached to a spring hanger 105 that is secured by a fastener to a post attached to frame member 17. Spring 199 biases a sloping cam surface 98 on pawl 192 into sliding contact with pivot shaft 80 and biases the pawl 192 to present its raked tooth 196 for driving engagement with the teeth on ratchet wheel 101.

A detent roller 197 (FIG. 4) is carried on an arm of a bell crank lever 198 pivoted on shaft 39 and is biased into engagement with the teeth of ratchet wheel 101 for yieldingly holding the ratchet wheel 101 against movement when the feed pawl 102 is disengaged from the teeth on the ratchet wheel 101. That is, the bell crank lever 108 is pivoted in the clockwise direction (FIG. 4) against the urging of its spring 110 by the teeth of the ratchet wheel 101 during a tape feeding operation.

As best seen in FIG. 6, the ratchet wheel 101 drives the lower feed roller 100 that cooperates with an upper pressure roller 112 having a central knurled surface 113 for pressing the tape into knurled teeth 114 formed in the center of feed roller 100. The knurled teeth 114 of the lower feed wheel 100 are approximately fifteen thousandths of an inch in width and the knurled teeth 113 of pressure roller 112 are approximately thirty to fifty thousandths of an inch in width.

When feeding a recording medium for a perforating mechanism, it is necessary to provide accurate increments of feeding so that the successive characters perforated in a tape are accurately spaced from each other in order that they can be properly read by another machine. Therefore, it is necessary to eliminate any slippage between the feeding wheel 100 and the pressure roller 112 during a feeding operation. Since the

knurled teeth

113 and 114 are of such small dimensions, the force needed to be applied to upper pressure roller 112 can be greatly reduced from that which would be necessary if the teeth were of larger dimension.

As shown in FIG. 4 a small spring 115 supplies the spring force necessary to urge a record guide 124 about a supporting shaft 118 therefore journaled in frame member 17. Record guide 124 has a pair of spaced guide members 117 between which is journaled a supporting shaft 119 for pressure roller 112. The spring 115 exerts suliicient force through record guide 124 to cause the knurled teeth 113 of the pressure roller to slightly pierce and indent the recording medium as it presses the recording medium downwardly into the knurled teeth 114 of the feed wheel 100.

As seen in FIG. 4 the record medium is guided to the feed and pressure rollers by means of a rotatable guiding roller 120 mounted between the pair of spaced record guiding members 117 and a fiat lower tape guide 121 that is loosely held by tabs sliding in slots (not shown) in the lower portions of the record guiding members 117. The side edges of the recording medium are guided by the spaced guiding members 117. The record guide 124 is slidably mounted on shaft 118 for axial sliding movement as well as for rotational movement, and is urged by a compression spring 125 (FIG. 8) against a stop 123 on the shaft 118. With the record guide 124 against the stop 123, the record guide 124 is aligned with the tape opening between the punch block 88 and die block 85.

The tape guide 121 has a slot 122 (FIGS. 4 and 8) through which can project a record medium engaging shoe 126 on a tape nudge lever 127 pivoted on a shaft 127-A. The tape nudger lever 127 has a cam follower pin 128 in engagement with a cam slot 129. The function of the tape nudger lever 127 is to pull a loop of tape from the roll of tape 12 so that the tape feed wheel 100 need only exert sufficient force on the tape to reduce the loop of tape formed by the tape nudger lever 127 and need not exert a pull on the tape sutficient to pull an increment of tape from the roll of tape 12.

The tape nudger lever 127 pulls an increment of tape from a roll of tape once in each cycle during the feed hole punching operation. The timing is such that the selected punch pins 82 and the feed hole punch pin 82, which punches every cycle, extend through the record medium and into the die block 85 at the time that the tape nudger lever 127 is looping the tape. Since a feed hole punch pin is invariably actuated during each cycle of the perforator and hence will be extending through the tape and since the feed roller 100 is stationary, the forward end of the record medium will be held stationary and the rearward portion of the record medium must move and draw the necessary length of the record medium from the roll 12.

The cam slot 129, is in an extension 130 of bail arm 59 and hence the extension 130 partakes of the same oscillatory movement as the bail arm 59. The cam slot 129 is so constituted that the tape nudger lever 127 is rotated to bring its shoe 126 up through the slot 122 in tape guide 121 when the punch pins 82 are in the tape and the driving bail 59 is in its downward driving position. Return movement of the bail arm 59 and drive bail 56 is accompanied by the cam slot 129 rotating the nudger lever 127 to remove the shoe 126 downwardly through the slot 122 in the tape guide 121.

In normal practice, the operator will want to pull an additional length of tape through the punch and die blocks when the operator is removing a perforated mes sage tape from the perforator 10, particularly since the last character perforated is still within the perforator cover 11 and since the operator normally tears the tape so as to leave an unperforated trailing end on a message tape.

Accordingly, when an operator desires to remove a length of tape that is within the perforator, the operator need only depress a push button 131 (FIG. 3) extending through the cover 11 and simultaneously pull the tape forward through the perforator 10. Depression of the push button 131 will separate pressure roller 112 from feed roller 100 and thus remove this resistance to movement of tape through the perforator 10. The push button 131 is carried on a bracket 132. The bracket 132 is secured by a fastener 133 to a boss 137 on the cover 11 and has apertures therein for guiding the lower portion of a push button plunger 134. A compression spring 135 encircles the lower portion of the push button plunger 134 and is spaced between a collar 136 on the push button and bracket 132. As seen in FIG. 3 the lower end of the plunger 134 of push button 131 is held spaced from a horizontal tab 138 secured on an upward projection on record guiding member 117. The plunger 134 is operable upon the depression of push button 131 to engage tab 138 and pivot the record guide 124 about its pivot shaft 118 thereby raising the pressure roller 112 from engagement with the tape. The tape is now free to be pulled through the perforator. After the push button 131 is released, spring 115 (FIG. 4) will pivot the record guide 124 and the pressure roller 112 carried therewith in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 4, to press the knurled teeth 114 of the pressure roller 112 into the record medium and between the opposite teeth 114 on the feed wheel 100.

A similarly constructed backspace push button 141 is positioned next to the push button 131 and has a plunger 134 for movement into engagement with a horizontal tab 142 carried on a back spacing lever 143 which is pivoted on a pin 144 and biased about pin 144 in a clockwise direction by a spring 145 that is secured between a hook on the backspace lever 143 and a hook 146 on spring hanger 105. Pin 144 is carried on an arm 147 of a bell crank lever 148 pivotally mounted on shaft 103.

Backspace lever 143 has an interior cam surface 149 that engages an outward extension of the stationary shaft 118. Interior cam surface 149 controls the path of movement of backspace lever 143 as it slides along shaft 118. As may be seen by reference to FIG. 3, the path of backspace lever 143 is generally in a downward direction and thus causes bell crank 148 to be rotated in a counterclockwise (FIG. 3) direction whereupon arm 150 of the bell crank 148 brings its turned extremity 151 into engagement with a finger 152 on the feed pawl 102.

As the backspace lever 143 moves downwardly and the turned extremity 151 of the bell crank arm 150 moves the tooth 106 on pawl 102 from engagement with the teeth of feed wheel 100, a downward extension 153 of the backspace lever 143 moves a foot 154 into engagement with the top of one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel 101. The interior cam surface 149 is so curved that further downward movement of the backspace lever 143 permits a slight counterclockwise rotation of the backspace lever 143 about pin 144, during which rotation, the foot 154 cams ratchet wheel 100 one tooth in the counterclockwise direction and detent roller 107 snaps into engagement a different tooth. Thus, for each depression and release of push button 141 one step of movement is imparted to the tape in the reverse direction.

Referring now to FIG. 4 there is shown a pair of push buttons 16% and 161 that control the operation of the tape perforator 10. The push button 160 is the perforator ON button since depression thereof results in the coupling of the power drive to the punch actuating mechanisms, and push button 161 is the perforator OFF button since depression thereof results in the disabling of the power operation of the punch actuating mechanism. Push

buttons

160 and 161 extend through the cover 11 next to push

buttons

131 and 141 and are of similar construction.

Situated beneath the

push buttons

160 and 161 are

arms

163 and 162 respectively of a lever 164 pivotally supported on a shaft 165 secured to the main frame 17. Downward movement of the push button 166 will engage its plunger with the arm 163 of the lever 164 and will pivot lever 164 in a clockwise direction about shaft 165 and arm 163 in turn will push a link 166 attached thereto in a downward direction. Attached to the opposite end of the link 166 is a locking lever 167 pivotally supported on a post 168. As seen in FIG. 4, the downward movement of the link 166 moves locking lever 167 to bring a slot 169 in it, into encircling engagement with driving pin 61 on the bail arm 59. Simultaneously with the positioning of the slot 169 over the driving pin 61, a roller 176 on the opposite extremity of locking lever 167 engages and moves driving link 63 against the bias of spring 64 to disengage the open fork 62 from driving pin 61. Thus, it should be apparent, that even though the page printer is oscillating the main power shaft 21 and attached driving arm 65 and drive link 63 are oscillating therewith, no motion will be imparted to the bail arm 59 or driving bail 56 since the driving link 63 and the driving pin 61 are disconnected.

As should be readily apparent from the foregoing downward movement of the OFF push button 161 will engage its plunger with the arm 162 of lever 164 and cause the lever 164- to rotate about shaft 165 and thereby raise link 166 which in turn lifts the slot 169 of the locking lever 167 from the driving pin 61 and simultaneously therewith permits the open fork 62 of the driving link 63 to move into encircling engagement with the driving pin 61. Thereafter, oscillations of the main driving shaft 21, driving arm 65 and driving link 63 are effective to actuate the driving pin 61 and attached bail arm 59 thereby actuating the selected punch pin actuating mechanisms.

The operation of the perforating mechanism will be briefly described to aid in the understanding of the invention.

With the record medium in the machine, depression of the start button 161 pivots the lever 164 to raise its arm 163 and attached link 166 in an upward direction and simultaneously lifts the slot 169 of the locking lever 167 from engagement with driving pin 61 and permits the open fork 62 of the driving link 63 to move into contact with the driving pin 61. The oscillatory movement of main drive shaft 21 will then be transmitted through arm 65 and driving link 63 to the driving bail arm 59.

As the selector mechanism in the page printer receives electrical signals and converts them into mechanical movements of the code bars 137 selected ones of the code bars 137 will be moved and the code bar extensions 20 will be moved from one position to another position. The sliding movement of code bar extensions 26 repositions their downwardly extending tines 41 so that selected ones of the code bar sensing levers 42 will no longer have their upwardly extending tines 43 situated for engagement with the downwardly extending tines 41 of the code bar extensions 26. The shaft 325 in the page printer of the copending application operates in timed relationship to the movement of the code bars 137 of the page printer and hence the main power shaft 21 attached to the power shaft 325 of the page printer operates in timed relationship to the operation of the code bar extensions 26.

After movement of the selected code bar extensions 20 to their selected positions, the main power shaft 21 oscillates in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 3 and through drive link 63, driving pin 61 and hail arm 59 rotates driving bail 56 counterclockwise. The counterclockwise movement of the driving bail 56, which is in engagement with the driving lugs 57 of the code bar sensing levers 42, permits code bar sensing levers 42 to move in a clockwise direction about their pivot shaft 45 under the urging of their springs 48.

Those of the code bar sensing levers 42 that have tines 43 permutatively coded so that they engage a downwardly coded tine 41 of a code bar extension 20 are blocked from further upward movement by their springs 48. However, those of the code bar sensing levers 42 which have tines 4,3 that are not blocked by downwardly extending tines 41 of their code bar extensions 20 move farther upwardly until their horizontal latching shoulders 75 are above the horizontal latching surfaces 74 on their associated latch pawls 73. Springs 76 move their latch pawls 73 clockwise (FIG. 4) to snap their horizontal latching surfaces 74 under the latching shoulders 75 of the selected code bar sensing levers 42 as the levers 42 move upwardly. Since stripping bail 92 is in engagement with camming shoe bracket 94, the stripper bail 92 moves horizontally within the open slot area 97 of the latch pawls 73 as the stripper bail 92 moves with the bail arms 53 and 59 in counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 3.

During this counterclockwise movement (FIG. 3) of the bail arm 58, the feed pawl 102 pivoted thereon also moves counterclockwise and its rake tooth 106 rotates the ratchet wheel one tooth and detent 167 snaps over a tooth and into detenting relationship with a following tooth on ratchet wheel 161.

By the time that the main power shaft 21 and driving bail 56 have reached their optimum rotation in the counterclockwise direction as seen in FIG. 3, those of the code bar sensing levers 42 that have been selected have latched their respective latch pawls 73 and the tape will have been fed forward one increment.

The main power shaft 21 and driving bail 56 now begin to oscillate in the clockwise direction, as seen in FIG. 3, and the driving bail 56 engages the driving lugs 57 of those of the code bar sensing levers 42, that have been selected and latched, and drives these selected code bar sensing levers 42 downwardly in the counterclockwise direction about their pivot shaft 45. Downward movement of those of the pawls 73 that are latched to the code bar sensing levers 42 cause the counterclockwise rotation of their attached punch pin actuating levers 55 about supporting shaft 841 and the ends 81 of punch pin actuating levers 55 force the punch pins 82 upwardly through the record medium and into the die block 85.

As the driving bail 56 is moving downwardly to this maximum clockwise position, i.e., the driving position, and as the punch pins 82 are being reciprocated upwardly through the tape, feed pawl 162 moves upwardly and leftwardly (FIG. 4) as its cam surface 162 slides along post 86; and the shoe 126 of the tape nudging lever 127 engages the record medium and forms a loop in the tape as it pulls an increment of tape from the reel.

After the punching operation, main power shaft 21 reverses its direction of rotation and hail 56 moves upwardly in the counterclockwise direction (FIG. 3). At this time, the stripping bail 92 moves into engagement with the notched surfaces 95 on the latch pawls 73 and rotates the latch pawls 73 about their articulate connections 77 with the punch pin actuating levers 55 so that their horizontal latching surfaces 74 disengage from the horizontal latching shoulders '75 of the code bar sensing levers 42. The latch pawls 73 move rapidly upward under the combined influence of

springs

76 and 48 acting through punch pin actuating levers 55 and stripping bail 92.

During the stripping of the latch pawls 73 from the code bar sensing levers 42, the feed pawl 102 moves rightwardly into position immediately behind the next tooth on the ratchet wheel 16]. which tooth the pawl 102 will engage on its next feeding stroke.

As the main driving bail 55 reaches its stop position, it comes to rest and awaits receipt of the next character. The driving lugs 57 are again in engagement with driving bail 56 and the vertical surfaces 71 of the code bar sensing levers 42 are again urged into engagement with the vertical surfaces 72 of the latch pawls 73. All of the code bar extensions 20 are returned to their non-released positions and are awaiting the next character selection.

If one of the punch pins 82 is sticking in its upward position and does not accelerate rapidly downward when the stripping bail 92 unlatches its associated latch pawl 73 from the latching shoulder 75 on its associated code bar sensing lever 42, the stripper bail 92 will nonetheless have moved it sufficiently leftward in FIG. 3 to place it in the path of immediate engagement with driving ball 56. Whereupon, the driving bail 56 will engage the camming surface 96 on the latch pawl '73 and will positively drive it upwardly and rightwardly (FIG. 3) during further movement of the driving bail 56. This upward movement of the latch pawl 73 rotates its articulated punch pin actuating lever clockwise (FIG. 3) and pulls the sticking punch pin 82 downwardly.

From the foregoing it should be apparent that normally ineffective latch pawls 73 provide a novel selective power transmitting means and that the inclined camming surfaces 6 on these latch pawls constitute a normally nonengaged surface capable of being engaged by the driving bail 56 for returning punch pins 82 that fail to return under spring urging forces.

Although only one embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings and described in the foregoing specification, it will be understood that invention is not limited to the specific embodiment described but is capable of modification and rearrangement and substitution of parts and elements without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a record perforating mechanism, a cylindrically operable power means, a plurality of elements permutatively movable and providing input information, a plurality of sensing means individual to said elements for positive actuation by said power means in one portion of its cycle and releasable by said power means in another portion of its cycle to sense the position of an associated element, a latching surface on each of said sensing means, a plurality of reciprocable punch pins for punching a recording medium, and a plurality of latch pawls for latching engagement with said latching surfaces on said sensing means, each of said latch pawls connected to a punch pin and each imparting a force to its punch pin when latched to the latching surface on said sensing means.

2. In a perforating mechanism, a plurality of settable elements selectively settable to either one of two positions, a cyclically operable power bail, a plurality of sensing means released by said power bail for movement in one direction and driven by said power bail in the opposite direction, each of said sensing means associated with a settable element and releasable during part of the cycle of said power bail to move from an ineffective to an effective position when an associated settable element is set in one of said two conditions, a latching surface on each of said sensing means, a plurality of resiliently biased latching pawls, each of said latching pawls associated with a sensing means and biased into latching engagement with the latching surface on an associated sensing means When said sensing means is in its effective position, and a plurality of punches, each of said punches connected to one of said biased latching pawls and reciprocable to punch a recording medium when its latching pawl and sensing means are driven by said power bail.

3. The perforating mechanism according to claim 2 wherein there is provided a biasing means for normally biasing a latch pawl and its connected punch from its record punching position, a normally ineffective camrn ng surface on each of said latch pawls for engagement with said power bail on its return movement positively to drive the latching pawl and connected punch when a latching pawl has not returned from the punching position under the bias of said biasing means.

4. In a record punching machine, reciprocable punch pins selectively operable to perforate a record medium to record information, punch pin actuating mechanisms operable to reciprocate said punch pins to perforate the record medium, power driving means for selectively driving said punch pin actuating mechanisms and their punch pins to perforate the record medium, means urging said selected punch pin actuating mechanisms and punch pins to return from the record perforating position to which said punch pin mechanism and said pins are driven by said power driving means, and means on said punch pin actuating mechanisms engageable by said power driving means to return said punch pin actuating mechanisms and said punch pins from their record perforating positions when said urging means is ineffective to return said punch pin actuating means and said punch pins from their record perforating positions.

5. In a perforating mechanism,

(a) a plurality of settable elements selectively settable to either one of two positions representative of marking and spacing inputs, respectively,

(b) an oscillatable power bail,

(c) a plurality of sensing levers disposed at right angles to said settable elements and spring urged into engagement with said settable elements to sense the position of said settable elements, said sensing means being held from engagement with said settable elements by said power bail and released by said power bail for movement into sensing engagement with said settable elements as said power bail moves in one direction and being driven by said power bail as it oscillates in the opposite direction,

(d) a vertical guiding surface on each of said sensing levers,

(e) a latching shoulder disposed on each of said sensing levers,

(f) a plurality of resiliently biased latching pawls, each of said latching pawls being associated with a sensing lever and resiliently biased to present a surface thereon against the guiding surface on its associated sensing lever,

(g) a latching shoulder on each of said pawls for engagement with the latching shoulder on an associated sensing lever when said lever senses its associated settable element in said one position,

(It) a plurality of actuating levers each articulated to a latching pawl, and

(i) a plurality of punches, each of said punches being connected to an actuating lever and reciprocated by its actuating lever to perforate a recording medium when its associated latch pawl and sensing lever are latched and are actuated by said power bail.

6. The perforating mechanism of claim 5, wherein said actuating levers and said latching pawls are spring biased to return to the position from which they are moved by said sensing levers and power bails and a normally inelfective camming surface on each of said latch pawls for engagement with said power bail to positively return the latch pawl, actuating lever and punch when said latch pawl, punch and actuating lever have References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Arko et al Sept. 6, 1960 Perez Aug. 22, 1961 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERHHCATE @F CORRECTION Patent No Q 3 ,l45 921 August 25, 1964 Gordon Sim et ale It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

a Column line 38, for "core" read code column 5, line 32, strike out "and"; column 11, line 56, for "cylindrie cally" read cyclically o Signed and sealed this 21st day of December 19655 (SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER Attesting Officer EDWARD J. BRENNER Commissioner of Patents

Claims

1. IN A RECORD PERFORATING MECHANISM, A CYLINDRICALLY OPERABLE POWER MEANS, A PLURALITY OF ELEMENTS PERMUTATIVELY MOVABLE AND PROVIDING INPUT INFORMATION, A PLURALITY OF SENSING MEANS INDIVIDUAL TO SAID ELEMENTS FOR POSITIVE ACTUATION BY SAID POWER MEANS IN ONE PORTION OF ITS CYCLE AND RELEASABLE BY SAID POWER MEANS IN ANOTHER PORTION OF ITS CYCLE OF SENSE THE POSITION OF AN ASSOCIATED ELEMENT, A LATCHING SURFACE ON EACH OF SAID SENSING MEANS, A PLURALITY OF RECIPROCABLE PUNCH PINS FOR PUNCHING A RECORDING MEDIUM, AND A PLURALITY OF LATCH PAWLS FOR LATCHING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID LATCHING SURFACES ON SAID SENSING MEANS, EACH OF SAID LATCH PAWLS CONNECTED TO A PUNCH PIN AND EACH IMPARTING A FORCE TO ITS PUNCH PIN