US1202414A - Numbering-head. - Google Patents

Description

Z3 za /f/ L 73 76@ 7,2 77 70076 Z if 1f W. OLSON.

NUMBERING HEAD.

APPLscATloN FILED SEPT. l. 1914.

LQ. Patented Oct. 24, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W. OLSON.

NUMBERING HEAD.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I. I9I4.

LQQAM. Patented 001;. 24, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

"if f/ l? a 3 j? ini CII

WILLIAM etsen, or NEW vonk, iv. Y.

'ivUiuBnnmo-i-inan. 4

necesaria Specication of Letters Patent. I

appucauoaaiea september i., 1914... serial ivqfeaaeii.

To alla-'7mm t may concern.'

Re it known that I, VILLIAM-Onsoma citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York, in the borough of Bronx and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Numberingleads, of which the following is a full., clear, and exact description,

This invention relates to a numbering head or machine and has special application to devices of this character which are adapted to be inset in a type form; the numbering disks carry printing characters on their peripheries and are actuated progressively each time the type form is brought into contact with the platen, to thereby successively number the sheets, tickets or other matter, as they are printed.

Devices operating on this general principle have heretofore been used, and it is the object of the present invention to improve the structural features to provide a device which isl o-f an extremely simple and compact construction, positive in operation, and in which the actuating mechanism is entirely inclosed so that there is practically little, if any, danger of it becoming clogged or otherwise getting out of order.

With these objects in view, one of the important features of the invention resides in the provision of an internal pawl which is arranged within the supper-tine` shaft upon which the numbering disks are freely mounted, which pawl is adapted t0 engage with notches in the inner peripheries of the disks to progressively actuate them when an oscillatory movement is imparted to the pawl.

Another important feature of the invention relates to the construction of the casing which is provided with two separate compartments in one of whichthe driving member is positioned. while the disks are accurately and snugly fitted into the other, so that any lateral movement of the disks is prevented..

Other important features of the invention reside in the specific construction of the radiallv movable tvpe block which carries one of the printing` characters: and the particular form of driving mechanism shown which is entirely positive in its operation,"c`ons isting ofa reciprocatory block carrying a rack which is adapted to engage a mutilated pinion upon a shaft which carries the pawl for progressively moving the vnu.rjrilier-ng disl .the numbering Still. other-features the. inventioniwill Y' `i raient-ea' oet. saisie. j

be apparent to those skilled inthe art, from I the detailed description hereinafter to follow, and. will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawinejs: Figure l shows aplan of a numbering head embodying the features of the present invention; Fig 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the head, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a transverse section of Fig. 2, taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2: Fig. d isa transverse section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the pawl in the position it assumes when the'reciprocatory. block or driving member is in contactwith theplaten: Fie'. 6 is a detail view of Fig. 5, showing the pawl in the position it assumes when the driving memberis released; Fig. 7 is a detail view of the second numberina disk from the right. as shown in Fig. 2: Fig., S is a detail view of the pawl; Fig. 9 is a transverse section of Fig. 8. showing the inner peripheries of the numherinQ disks in dotted lines: Fig. 10 is a plan of the casing with all of the parts removed, ex-

cept the retaining' pawls; Fig. 11 is a deail showing' the driving mechanism for the shaft, which. carries the actuating nawl; and Fig. l2 is a detail view of a modified means for holding the actuating shaft in place.

The numbering disks and driving mechanism are mounted in a substantially boxlike casing' l, open at the top, which is of a suitable sizeto be inset in the type fori-n, the casing being shownin svbstantially its actual size in l. This casino' is. divided by a vertical transverse partition 2 into two separate rectangularlvshaped compartments. Circula1 apertures are provided in the end wall of the lare'er of thesq compa rtments and in the partition cconstituting bearings fora stationarv 'shaft 3, which extends the length of the larger coiiirartment only. The stationary shaft is held in the eX- act position in which it is shown in Fig. 4, bv means of a set screw 4, the shaft being' preferably spotted or countersunk at the point on which the end of the set scew hears to prevent its inadvertent rotation.

Freely mounted upon the shaft 3 `are a plurality ofnumbering disks, each carrying the raised characters froin zero to 9 onA its periphery.

head illustrated',

In -the specific embodiment of five 'such 1in,

,or otherwise secured thereto, the disks and ratchet wheels being accurately machined so that when they'are assembled in place in the larger compartment, they will entirely fill the space between the partition and the end wall of the casing which will prevent any inadvertenty lateral movement of the disks along their supporting shaft. The middle Vor the bottom of the larger compartment is ypreferablyfcut away, while the interiorlower corners of this compartment are filled with triangular shaped blocks 11 and 12 preferably yintegral with the casing. The block 11 has a plurality of vertically disposed slots 13 thereinV corresponding to the number of vthe numbering disks used, lwhich slots are positioned directly beneath theV respective ratchet' wheels 10 carried by these disks. A longitudinal semi-circular recess 14C is provided in the block 11, into which is fitted a stationary shaft 15, supported at its ends in the end walls of the compartment.Y This shaft carries a plurality of pawls 16, the ends of which extend out bevond their pivotal point and are positioned in the slots 18. An eoual number of slots 17 are arranged in the triangular block 12, which are arranged in transverse alinement to the slots 13 and are adapted to receive the free ends of the pawls 16` whereby the pawls are prevented from any lateral movement or from any tendency to tilt along their longitudinal axes and are always maintained in a position to engage the teeth of the corresponding ratchet wheels in a direction normal to their coactingsurfaces. Cylindrical recesses are provided in the block 12. which recesses cut the slots 17 and form chambers into which are inserted coiled springs 18, the end of the pawls 16 resting upon these springs, which, bv theirtension hold the pawls in engagement with the ratchet wheels 10. As will be clear from Fig. 2, the ratchet wheel and pawl coperati'ng with the numbering disk 5 carrying the digits are preferably made heavier thanV the others, since this disk is actuated most frequently, and will occasion a greater wear upon these parts.

Positioned in the smaller of the two compartments in the casing is a reciprocatory block or driving member 19, which is substantially rectangular in shape, but has its upper surface curved, which surface is adapted to be engaged bv the platen as the numbering head` tcgether with the type form, is brought into contact therewith. lf desired, printing characters may also .be

placed upon this surface, as for example, theV maintained in extended position bv two helically coiled springs 20 (see Fig. 10), which fit yfor the major portion of their length into cylindrical chambers in the block which prevents any lateral distortion of the spring. Cylindrical recesses 20 are also provided in the bottom of the compartment in which the ends of the springs rest for the same purpose.

Centrally disposed in the block 19 is an elongated slot 21, the ends of which. are preferably semi-circular. as will be later referred to.V ln one side wall of this slot are formed a plurality of notches 22, forming a rack having a single tooth. An oscillatory shaft 23 extends the entire length of the casing" and is mounted for a. portion of its length in a. cylindrically-formed recess 21 in the stationary shaft 3,' while its other end is supported in a suitable bearing 23 formed in the end walls of the smaller compartment. The recess 24 is eccentric to the axis of the stationary shaft 3 and its periphery cuts the outer periphery of the stationarjy shaft to provide a. longitudinal opening` through which the pawl carried by the shaft engages with the inner periphery of the numbering disks as will be later referred to.

The shaft 23 is provided with teeth 25 adjacent one end thereof forming a mutilated pinion, adapted to engage the notches 22 so that the reciprocatory movement of the block is changed into oscillatory movement of this shaft, the semi-circular wall at the lower end of the elongated slot 21 forming a stop to limit the movement of the block in its upward direction. The teeth 25 of the mutilated pinion are of a length sufficient to lit snugly against the side walls of the smaller compartment and will, for this reason. prevent any lateral movement of the shaft. The bearing 23 in the end of the casing adjacent the smaller compartment is provided with notches 24 of a shape and size to permit the teeth of the mutilated pinion to pass through the same, so that the shaft may be correctly positioned within the casing, these notches being so arranged that they will permit the teeth 25 to be passed laterally into the notches 22, when the block 19 is in the position it assumes when the driving member is in contact with the platen. Instead of formingnotches 24 in the bearing or Aopening 23, this opening may be made of sufficient diameter to permit the teeth 25 to freely pass therethrough. A collar 25 is then fitted on the end of the shaft which is of the same thickness as the casing walls and it is held in place in the opening 23 by a set screw 26 passing down through the casing wall. This modified con struction is shown in Fig. 12 and permits a more rapidly assembling of the parts as it is then not necessary to bring the notches momia,

in therack carried by the driving member into alinement with the notches in the casing.

A segmental-shaped recess 26 is cut in the shaft 23 opposite thenuinbering disks, which recess is of sufficient depth to receive an actuating pawl 27, which is suitably pivoted in the recess upon` a pin 28. The pawl 27 is freely mounted upon this pin and has a portion of its surface intermediate its ends and surrounding the pin cut awav as at 29,Y to providea recess in which a coiled spring 30, which is mounted on the pin Q8 is adapted to lit. One end of this spring engages the shaft, while the other end engages the pawl in such a manner as to rotate the pawl in a counter-clockwise direction, as shown in F ig. 3. The pawl 27 consists of an L- shaped bar of sufficient length to snugly t between the side walls of the recess 2G, so that the pawl will have no lateral movement relative to the shaft 23. rlhe outstanding leg of the pawl has formed thereon stepped teeth which have been designated 3l, 32, 33, 34 and 35, tive teeth being provided of a width to correspond to the five numbering disks, the teeth beingof varying lengths, with the tooth 3l which engages with the disk 5 the longest and the other teeth gradually decreasing` in length as they approach the other end of the pawl.

Cut in the inner periphery of each of the numbering disks to 9, inclusive, are a plurality of equally spaced notches or ratchet f teeth which are ten in number corres )onding to the characters from O to 9, which are formed on the periphery of each of the disks. Nine of the notches in each disk, which have been designated 36, are of uniform depth, while one deep notch 37 is provided on each of the disks with the exception of the disk 9 which need not have such a notch, but the same may be provided if it is desired to make all of the wheels uniform, since it will not prevent the progressive actuation of the disks. The notches 37 in each of the wheels aie of uniform depth.

lnset in each of the disks 6. 7 and 8 is a radially movable type block which is adapted to be retracted to a non-printing position, the block in the disk 6 being designated 38, which will alone be described, the other being identical in construction. This block is substantially rectangular in shape and is set in a similarly shaped recess in the disk, the ratchet wheel 1() which is secured to one of the end faces of the disk holding it against lateral displacement. The head of the block is preferably enlarged providing a shoulder 39 which slides in a slot 40 on the face of the disk. This head carries the raised character Zero. Depending from the inner end of the block is an angularly-disposed shoulder 41, which is adapted to abut y`against the side wallof an angularlwdsposed V-shaped recess or groove'lQ cut in the top peripherial surface of the stationary shaft 3, as will be clear from Fig. 7, which will lock the movable type block in its retracted position while the numbering disk remains in its initial position. An

kit

arcuately shaped groove all is cut in the f face of the numbering disk 6,'in which recess is placed a similarly shaped spring` 45, which is held in place in the groove by the ratchet wheel l0. One end of this is adapted to rest in a transverse groove 46 cut in the type block. This spring is so arranged, that it will tend to throw the movable type block into printing` position, or to a position where its raised character is in circumferential al'inenient with the other characters on the numbering` disk. The spring also serves as a stop to limit the outward movement of the type block when it reaches this position, since the walls of the groove in the disk and block will both abut against the spring. Then the numbering disk is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction (see Fig. 7) the angularly-disposed shoulder will be carried out of locking engagement with the upper wall of the groove 42 and the shoulder 4l will then coact with the other wall of the groove, to aid the spring in throwing the type block to its outer position.

The operation of the numbering head is as follows: Referring first to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, in which the parts are shown in their initial position.` the raised characters at the top of each of the wheels is zero, and it may be here stated. that the zero space on the numbering disk 9 is left blank and cut away so to be below the plane of the other zero characters, since it is never necessary to print zero with this disk. The radially movable type blocks which carry the zeros for the intermediate wheels, are, when the parts are assembled, arranged so that they will be in their retracted position in which they are locked by the shoulder 41, as has been described. lt will also be seen from Figs.- 3 and e, that in the initial position of the numbering head each of the deep notches in the wheels 5 to 8 inclusive, are in aline ment and so arranged that the teeth 3l to inclusive, of the pawl 27, lie in the same, the tooth 35 engaging a notch 36 in the periphery of the numbering disk 9. lf the numbering head is then brought into engagement with the platen, the zero on the digit wheel will alone print. The block 19 is also caused to move downwardly from the position shown in Fig. 3, to the -position shown in Fig. 5, and through the rack and pinion connection, the shaft 23 will be roics' iio`

iis

tated a partial revolution in aclockwise dicient` distance -tol permit-the toothy 31 .te ene-1- gage a notch 36 in the digit wheel 5. During this rotation of the shaft the numbering disks are prevented from being carried therewith, by the pawls 16 which are in engagement with the teeth in the ratchet wheels 10, each of the pawls being held in correct position by the springs 18 and the slots in the casing, as has been described. Vihen the pawl has reached the position shown in Fig. 5, itwill be seen that since the tooth 31 is in engagement with one of the notches 36' in the digit wheel 5, the teeth 82, 33, 34 and 35 which are of less length, are not ina position to engage the notches 36 in the other numbering disks. As the bed of the press moves away from the platen the block 19 is returned to its original lposition'by'the springs 20, which will again rotate the pawl in the opposite direction to its normal position. or to the position of the pawl shown in Fig. 6. The tooth 31 which is in engagement with the notch 36 in the digit wheel 5 will therefore carry this wheel one step forwardly to bring the raised character 1 at the top of the periphery of the digit wheel so that upon a second movement of the bed, the character 1 Will be printed instead of Zero. The actuation of the numbering head for the next eight oscillations ofthe pawl will be the same., the characters 2 to 9 inclusive, being broughtto printing position by a step-by-step movement of the disk 5. Upon the neXt oscillation of the shaft and pawl the deep notch 87 in the digit wheel will bein a position to be engaged by the pawl when. the block is moved downwardly, or in other words, the deep notch in the digit wheel will be in a position to be engaged by the pawl when in the position shown in Fig. 5. This will'permit the second tooth 32 to engage one of the uniformly cut notches 36 in the numbering disk 6, which carries the tens characters, so that when the reciprocating block resumes its p0- sition under the intiuence under the springs 20, both wheels 5 and 6 will be rotated, bringing the character 1 on the tens wheel and the character zero' on the digit wheel in a position to print. The rotation of the numbering disk 6 in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 7, will, as has been described, throw the angularly-disposed shoulder 41 out of locking engagement with the walls on' the groove 42 in thestationary shaft, and the spring 45 will then force this block radially outwardly until the character carried thereby is brought into a printing position. As has been described, the angularly-disposed shoulder coaeting with the other wall of the groove will serve as a cam to throw this type block outwardly. On the eleventh `oscillation of the pawl the digit' disk will again alone be actuated, since the deep notch in the digit wheel has been mailed .one step, .fronntlie Ppstea .in ,ivllch iA the deep notch can be engaged by the tooth 31. Operation will then be continued, the digit wheel completing a second revolution by 'a step-by-step movement until the deep notch 37 is again brought into a position to be engaged by the tooth 81, which will permit a second step-by-step movement of the disk 6 to bring the character 2 into printing position. The operation for the hundreds disk 7, thousands disk 8, and tens' of thousands disk 9, is similar, the hundreds disk 7 being actuated after the numbering disk G has made a complete revolution, and the deep notch therein has been brought into alineinent with' the deep notchuin the disk 5, which will permit the tooth 33 to engage a notch 36 on the periphery of the disk 7. The operation vof the remaining wheels is similar and need not further be described.

ViThile l have shown a numbering head whicli-is especially adapted for use in printing presses, it is not my intention to limit the invention to this particular use, as it is obvious that the important features of the invention; the internal pawl and its associated parts, the construction of the casing` and pawls mounted therein are capable of being used with any forni of numberinghead and machine which it is desired to progressively actuate a plurality of numbering disks.

.I claiin2- 1. In a numbering machine, a casing open 'at the top and Vdivided into separate compartments, a plurality of numbering` disks mounted for independent rotation in one of said compartments and completely filling the same, a driving` block snugly fitted into the other of said compartments. a shaft passing through both said blocks and disks, means associated with said driving block and shaft for oscillating the latter and means including a part mounted on said shaft engaging the interior of said disks for progressively actuating them.

2. In a numbering machine, a box-like casing open at the top and divided into sepaiate compartments,v a plurality of numberling disks mounted for independent rotation s in one of sald compartments and completely freely-anointed, saldar-.hait .hariasfsa essen trically disposed recess therein cutting its peripheral surface, a second shaft eccentric to the first named shaft and positioned in the recess in said first named shaft and a stepped paWl carried in a recess in said second named shaft engaging` the inner peripheries of said disks to progressively actuate them.

4f. in a numbering machine, a plurality of disks, a stationary shaft upon which said disks are freely mounted, ratchet Wheels and paWls for preventing movement of said disks in one direction, said shaft having an -eccentrically disposed recess therein cutting` its peripheral surface, a second shaft eccentric to said first named shaft and positioned in the recess therein, said second named shaft having a recess therein, a stepped pavvl mounted in said recess, a plurality of notches in the inner periphery of each of said disks,

said pawl engaging said notches to progres sively actuate said disk upon an oscillatory movement imparted to said shaft and means for oscillating` said shaft.

5. in a numbering machine, a casing, a plurality of numbering disks, a stationary shaft upon which said disks are freely mounted, said shaft having,` a recess therein cutting' its peripheral surface, an oscillatory shaft in said recess, a stepped pawl in said recess connected to said second named shaft, said stepped pawl and connections to said second named shaft being positioned entirely Within said recess.

in Witness whereof, I subscribe my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses.

WLLIAM OLSON.

Witnesses:

GEO. C. CHENEY, HENRY MOUPLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, ID. C.

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