US1087102A - Straight-line time-stamp. - Google Patents

Description

A. BEYER.

STRAIGHT LINE TIME STAMP.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23, 1911.

n m i W a M A O 5 m w 8 a 1W A. BEYER.

STRAIGHT LINE TIME STAMP.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23,1911.

Patented Feb. 17,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED s'r rns PATENT OFFICE.

ALOIS BEYER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STRAIGHT-LINE TIME-STAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Arms BEYER, .a citizen of. the United States residing at Chicago, in the county of dock and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Straight-Llne Time- Stamps, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates in general to the stamps adapted to simultaneously print the year, month, day, hour and minute, and aims to produce a device of this character in which the hour and minute printing wheels will be automatically controlled by a clock mechanism and in which all of the impressions will be stamped 0r impressed upon the paper or other material employed, in a straight line.

in devices of this general character which have been employed prior to my invention, it often happens that the hour is not printed in alinement with the impressions of the other wheels and also that sometimes a par-v tial impression of two adjacent hour characters are made on each side of the line of the other impressions.

One of the objects of the present invention is to obviate inaccuracies of this character by providing mechanism whereby the hour wheel will be rectified at each printing operation so that the printing character will be brought into alinement with the characters on the other printing wheels and the impressions produced by all of the wheels will be in a straight line.

Another object of the invention is the pro vision of a safety device which cooperates with the rectifying device and prevents over running of the hour wheel at the end of the hour which might result in printing the wrong hour character if this device were not employed.

Still another object is the provision of an improved device for yieldingly locking the manually controlled printing wheels in printing position so that the proper pr nting character will be presented at each printing operation.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent as it is better understood by reference to the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating one preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings-Figure 1 is a my invention, certain parts being shown in section; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional longitudinal view of the mechanism carried in the main frame, the clock proper being shown in elevation; Fig. 3 is a side elevatlon of the exterior of the device. Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are sectional elevations taken on the lines 44; 55; 6-6 and 77, respec tively, of Fig. 2; and Fig. 8 is a face elevation of the printing wheels and driving mechanism therefor, the frame being shown in sections.

On the drawings, 10 designates the main frame of the stamp upon which is mounted a small clock 11 of ordinary construction. The frame is provided on its front and rear faces with guideways or sockets 12 adapted to receive the studs 13 secured to, and proecting upwardly from the base 1 1 which is fastened to the frame on either side thereof by screws 15 threaded into the frame and passing through elongated slots 16 in the upturned sides of the frame, whereby rimited reciprocatory movement of the frame on the base is permitted. Coil expansion springs 17 are disposed in the hollow guideways between the inner ends of the studs j 13 and the bottom of the sockets to normally and yieldingly support the frame in elevated position as shown in Fig. 1. The rear wall of the frame 10 projects upwardly to form a support to which the clock is secured by bolts or screws 18 and the forward face of this rear wall is'preferably recessed to accommodate a spur wheel 19 fixed on the main shaft 20 of the clock and the gear wheel 21 rotatabl mounted on the stub shaft 22. A smal er gear wheel 23 is also mounted on the stub shaft 22 coaxially with the gear 21, as shown in Fig. 2.

A stub shaft 24k is fixedly secured by a nut 25 to the front wall of the frame 10 and projects inwardly therefrom partially across the chamber or compartment formed by the frame beneath the clock. The inner end of the shaft is recessed to form a bearing for the inner end of the shaft 26 which is journaled at its outer end in the rear wall of the frame. Upon the shaft 26 near its outer end is fixed a gear wheel 27 meshing with and adapted to be driven by the gear wheel 21 and upon the inner end of the shaft there isfixed the minute printing wheel 28 provided with printing characters as indicated in Fig. 8. A collar 29 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 26 intermediate the gear 27 and the minute wheel 28 and upon the outer end of this collar is secured a disk 30 provided with an inwardly projecting pin '31 which passes through a gear wheel 32 adapt printing characters. as shown in Fig. 8.

' Upon the outer end of the hub of the printing wheel there is secured a notched disk 34 provided on its periphery with notches, as shown in Fig. 5, corresponding in number to the printing characters on the hour Wheel 33. A pin 35 projects laterally from the outer face of the disk 34 and a split-ring spring member 36 surrounding the collar 29 has its ends projecting radially of the collar and embracing the pins 31 and 35-,to yieldingly connect the hour wheel with the gear wheel 32. It will be manifest that the hour wheel and the notched disk which is rigidly connected therewith will be normally revolved at a constant speed by the gear wheel 32 to which they are fixedly connected, by means of the split-ring spring and that this yielding connection will permit limited movement of the hour wheel independently of the gear if sufficient force be applied to the wheel to overcome the resiliency of the spring connection.

In order that there may be no variation in the angular relation of the hour wheel to the clock mechanism, I have provided improved means for preventing backlash between the driving gear 23 and the driven gear 32. This mechanism, as shown in Figs.

- 2 and 4, comprises a gear wheel or disk 36 of the same size and provided with the same number of teeth as the gear 32 and loosely mounted upon an outwardly projecting shoulder of the-gear 32, as shown in Fig. 2. The gear 32 and the auxiliary gear 36"are provided with slots 37 and 38, respectively, adapted to overlap each other and in each of these pairs of slots there is arranged a contraction spring 39 attached at one end to the gear 32 and at the other end to the auxiliary gear 36, as shown in Fig. 4. It

- will be evident that these springs will tend to rotate the auxiliary gear in a clockwise direction, viewing Fig. 4, relatively to the gear 32 and, that if the auxiliary gear be given a partial turn to place the springs 39 under tension before these gears are placed in mesh with the driving gear 23, the tendency of the springs to rotate one of these gears relatively to the other, will cause the teeth of the driving gear 23 to be firmly gripped on each side by the teeth of the driven gear 32 and the auxiliary gear 36, so

of speed as the minute'hand on the clock,

while the hour wheel rotates at one-half the speed of the hour hand so that it will make one complete revolution in twenty-four hours. The minute wheel is provided with v sixty printin characters and they are located so close y to each other on the periphery of the wheel and the wheel revolves so rapidly and the characters change position so quickly, that one printing character will always be in approximate alinement with the printing characters on the other printing wheels and no rectifying device is consequently necessary to insure the proper position of the minute wheel at the time of the printing operation. The hour wheel, however, rotates at a much lower speed and the printing characters thereon are spaced much farther apart, consequently it is desirable to rectify the position of this wheel at each printing operation to insure that the proper hour is printed and that it is printed in alinement with the impressions made by the other printing wheels. In order to accomplish this result I have provided uponthe base 14, a rectifying device 40 (Figs. 2 and 5), which is made in the form of a stationary finger provided with a beveled or sharpened upper end. rectifying device is located directly beneath the notched disk 34 so that when the main frame isdepressed relatively to the base to effect an impression on the paper beneath the base by the printing wheels, the device will engage in one of the notches on the disk and impart a slight angular adjusting movement to the hour wheel. The disk 34 and the hour wheel are so disposed relatively to each other that the base or bottom of each of the notches on the disk is alined with a printing character on the hour wheel, consequently when'the rectifying device 40 turns the disk by reason of the engagement of its beveled end with the lowermost notch in the disk, the hour wheel is correspondingly turned or rectified to bring the proper printing character into lowered or printing position. This slight angular adjustment of the hour wheel is permitted by the yielding connection between the disk 34 and the gear 32, as has been previously explained and when the disk is raised out of engagement with the rectifying device 40 the spring connection will immediately return the hour wheel to its normal position and the various parts are so timed that the point or outer end of each notch reaches its lowest 1 position just after the printing character 59 on the minute wheel has passed rinting position. It will be obvious that by this construction the hour wheel is given a partial turn in one direction'or the other at each printing operation, while the minute wheel is making one revolution and, that after the minute wheel starts upon a new revolution the next notch in'the disk is disposed over the rectifying device and during the following hour the next higher printing character on the hour wheel will be automati'cally alinedat each printing operation. When the frame is raised relativelyto the base after its printing operation to release the notched disk from the rectifying device the hour wheel willbe returned to its normal position by the spring connection between the disk 34 and the gear 32. If the mechanism is accurately constructed and adjusted with precision the operation wheel has completed its revolution by reason of the point of the notch having passed slightly beyond the point of the rectifying device so that the stamp would print 11:59,

' for instance, instead of 10:59, I have pro disk 44 fixed to the hub of the hour wheel 33 and corresponding in size and the number of notches to the disk 34. From the outer face of the minute wheel 28 there projects a pin 45 adapted upon each revolution of the minute wheel to engage with the long arm 46 of the bell-crank lever 42 and tilt the lever to bring the end of the arm 43 into engagement with one of the notches as shown. The pin 45 is so positioned 011 the minute wheel that it will actuate the bell crank lever and elevate the arm 43 into ens gagement with the notched disk 44 about 10 minutes before the end of the hour and I this lever will hold the disk 44, the hour wheel and the disk 33 against further rotation until the pin 45. has traveled out from under the long arm 46 after printing Upon the fixed stud or stub shaft 24 there i is loosely mountedthe year wheel 47, the

day wheel 48 and the month wheel 49.

These wheels are provided with suitable printing characters and are adjusted manually to bring the proper printing character into-position, In order to lock these wheels against rotation I. have fixed upon the stub shaft 24,adjacent each Wheel, a notched disk 50 which is held against rotation on the shaft by a key 51. Each of these disks is provided on its periphery with notches corresponding to the printing characters on the face of its particular wheel and the wheelsand disks are spaced apart by washers 52 of suitable thickness. Upon the face of each of the wheels adjacent the disks 50 I have fixedly mounted a spring 53, the free end of which is provided with a V-shaped bend adapted to be engaged in the notches of the disk and yieldingly lock the wheel against rotation. This yielding lock is sufliciently strong to prevent accidental rotation of the wheel but will permit the wheels to be rotated when grasped by. the fingers and turned to adjust the position of. th'e printing characters. The. base 14, as shown best in Figs. 2 and 6, is cut away at 55 to permit the periphery of the printing wheels to pass therethrough and engage the paper disposed beneath the-base to effect the impression thereon. Any well known or preferred type of inking mechanism may be employed in connection, with the printing wheels shown and described.

It is believed that the construction, operation and many advantages of my invention will be apparent from the foregoing without further description and it will be obvious that the minute and hour wheels are automatically operated and regulated so that the proper printing characters will be presented at each printing operation and also that the year, month and day wheels can be readily adjusted by hand and will be automatically locked in adjusted position" until further regulation is required.

The device is simple in construction and efficient in its operation, and, while I have shown and described a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be obvious that various changes in the size, shape, proportion and construction of the various parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the material advantages of the invention.

Ielaim:

1. In a time stamp, the combination of a plurality of concentrically mounted printing wheels, continuously operating means for driving said wheels, a yielding connection between said means and one of said wheels, and means operated from the other wheel for retarding the rotation of said yieldingly connected wheel relatively to the driving means to insure proper printing position of said Wheel.

2. In a time stamp, the combination of a base, a fraire yieldingly mounted thereon, a

minute printing wheel and an hour printing Wheel rotatably mounted in said frame, means for rotating said wheels at different speeds, a yielding driving connection between the hour wheel and its rotating means, means for controlling the movement of the hour wheel from the minute wheel, and means operating upon the hour Wheel to insure the proper position of the printing character on the hour wheel at each printing operation.

3. In a time stamp, the combination of a frame, a minute wheel rotat-ably mounted therein, an hour wheel mounted therein and normally rotatable independently of the minute wheel, driving niechanisrn for said hour and minute wheels, yielding connections between said drivingmechanism and the hour wheel, and a safety device adapted to be actuated by the minute wheel near the end of each hour for retarding the movement of the hour wheel.

4. In a time stamp, the combination of a minute wheel, an hour wheel, a clock mechanism for driving said wheels at a proper relative speed, and a safety device adapted to be actuated by said minute wheel to insure the proper position of the hour wheel near the end of the hour whereby the proper hour is printed by the hour wheel.

5. In a time stamp, the combination of a frame, a minute wheel and an hour wheel rotatably mounted therein, clock mechanism for driving said minute and hour wheels at the proper relative speeds, means for rectifying the position of the hour wheel at each printing operation, and a safety device adapted to'be actuated near the end of the 6. In a time stamp, the combination of a base, a frame yieldingly mounted thereon, a minute wheel and an hour wheel rotatably mounted on said frame, clock mechanism for driving said Wheels, a yielding connection between said clock mechanism and the hour wheel, a rectifying device mounted on the base to rectify the position of the hour wheel in its printing operation, and a safety device mounted on the frame to retard the operation of the hour wheel at each revolution of the minute wheel whereby the proper printing character on the hour wheel will be presented at the printing operation.

7. In a time stamp, the combination of a printing wheel, continuously operated driving means yieldingly connected therewith, and means for automatically retarding the movement of said wheel relatively to said driving means at predetermined intervals during its rotation.

8. In a time stamp, the combination of a printing wheel, continuously operated driving means yieldingly connected therewith, and means for automatically causing relative angular movement between said Wheel and the driving means at predeter- 'mined intervals during each rotation of said wheel to insure the printing of the required impression by said wheel.

9. In a printing device, the combination of a fraire, a fixed shaft mounted therein, a rotatable shaft mounted coaxially with said fixed shaft, a plurality of printing wheels ro-tat-ably mounted on said fixed shaft, yielding locks for independently locking each of said wheels to said shaft, a minute wheel fixed to said rotatable shaft, an hour wheel loosely mounted on said shaft, clock driven means for normally rotating said minute and hour wheels, a rectifying device for rectifying the position of the hour wheel at each printing operation, and a safety device for insuring the printing of a proper character by the hour wheel at the end of each hour.

ALOIS BEYER. Witnesses:

IRA J. WVILsoN, M. ROBERTSON.

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