US3662681A

US3662681A - Ticket printing and issuing machine with roller inker means

Info

Publication number: US3662681A
Application number: US23783A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert D Smith
Original assignee: Avery Products Corp
Current assignee: Avery Products Corp
Priority date: 1970-03-30
Filing date: 1970-03-30
Publication date: 1972-05-16
Anticipated expiration: 1989-05-16

Abstract

A ticket or label printing and issuing machine, including a pivotally mounted type-head having a plurality of type-wheel modules whose axes are parallel but spaced apart from one another so as to place their downwardly facing selected printing type elements into separate spaced-apart print-lines, each type-wheel having a set of printing type elements along one-half of its periphery and a corresponding set of indicator type elements along the other half of its periphery facing upwardly, each type module having a separate impression-adjusting means, the typehead being releasably locked in its operative position and being swingable to an open access position, and a print-impression and tape-feed head operatively disposed beneath the type-head and including a tape-supporting press-platen and tape-feed-bed and tape-feeder carried on pivoted arms and arranged to be oscillated up and down between an upper printing position and a lower retracted position, and a pivotally mounted inker arranged to be oscillated in a path transverse to the oscillating path of the print-impression and tape-feed head between an inking position and a retracted position, and eccentric means for oscillating the print-impression and tape-feed head between its upper and lower positions and for oscillating the inker between its inking and retracted positions in timed relation to each other so that the inker is moved through its inking and retracting motions while the print-impression and tape-feed head is retracted, and so that the latter is moved through its print-impression and retracting motions while the inker is retracted.

Description

United States Patent Smith 51 May 16,1972

[54] TICKET PRINTING AND ISSUING MACHINE WITH ROLLER INKER MEANS [72] Inventor: Robert D. Smith, Riehboro, Pa.

Avery Products Corporation, San Marino, Calif.

[22] Filed: Mar. 30, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 23,783

[73] Assignee:

3,096,712 7/1963 Fi1singer.... 101/288 3,331,315 7/1967 Henry ..101/68 3,417,689 12/1968 Breshen ..101/291 X Primary Examiner-William B. Penn Attorney-Leonard L. Kalish ABSTRACT A ticket or label printing and issuing machine, including a pivotally mounted type-head having a plurality of type-wheel modules whose axes are parallel but spaced apart from one another so as to place their downwardly facing selected printing type elements into separate spaced-apart print-lines, each type-wheel having a set of printing type elements along onehalf of its periphery and a corresponding set of indicator type elements along the other half ofits periphery facing upwardly, each type module having a separate impression-adjusting means, the type-head being releasably locked in its operative position and being swingable to an open access position, and a print-impression and tape-feed head opcrativcly disposed beneath the type-head and including a tape-supporting pressplaten and tapcfeed-bed and tape-feeder carried on pivoted arms and arranged to be oscillated up and down between an upper printing position and a lower retracted position, and a pivotally mounted inker arranged to be oscillated in a path transverse to the oscillating path of the print-impression and tape-feed head between an inking position and a retracted position, and eccentric means for oscillating the print-impression and tape-feed head between its upper and lower positions and for oscillating the inker between its inking and retracted positions in timed relation to each other so that the inker is moved through its inking and retracting motions while the print-impression and tape-feed head is retracted, and so that the latter is moved through its print-impression and retracting motions while the inker is retracted.

6 Claims, 27 Drawing Figures PATENTEIJm 16 m2 sum 01 [1F 16 ATTORNEY INVENTOR ROBERT D. SMITH ATTORN sum 02 or 16 PATENTED Y 16 I872 K. i ECLA PATENTEUM 16 m2 sum 03 or 16 INVENTOR ROBERT D. SMITH W (KW ATTORNEY PATENTEumwmz 3.662.681

SHEET 0 OF 16 2; I mvszv'roa N ROBERT D. SMITH ATTORNEY PATENTmmHsmz 3.662.681

sum as or 16 INVENTOR ROBERT D. SMITH ATTORNEY PATENTEnmusmz 3.662.681

SHEET 08 0F 16 INVENTOR ROBERT 1). SMITH ATTORNEY PATENTEDIAY 16 mi sum 07 0F 16 INVENTOR ROBERT D. SMITH BY WW ATTO EY PATENTEDHAY 16 m SHEET 08 0F 16 Q INVENTOR ROBERT D. SMITH ATTOR Y PHENTED AY 16 m2 INVENTOR ROBERT D. SMITH sum 09 or 16 BY ATTORNE PATENTEnm 1s m:

sum 10 or 16V ATTORNEY PATENTEnnAHman 3.662.681

sum

11 or 16 INVENTOR ROBERT D. SMITH I ATTORNEY FIG.2I

SHEET 12 0F 16 PATENTEBMY 16 m2 ROBER D. SMITH BY Q2" ATTORNEY PATENTEMY 15 m2 SHEET 13 [1F 16 INVENTOR ROBERT D. Sm TH PATENIEDMY 16 In! sum 1a or 16 INVENTOR ROBERT D. SMITH ATTOR PAIENTEDMY 1 6 m2 sum 15 0F 16 PIC-3.26

' INVENTOR ROBERT D. SMITH ATTORNE PATENTEDMY 16 m2 3.662.681

SHEET 18 0F 16 ON MAIN sw. B

START SW.

COUNTER SWITCHES LITE lOAD UN STOP SW.

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COUNTER \OAD UNI mine! 4 GROUND INVENTOR ROBERT D. SMITH BY C iATTORNY TICKET PRINTING AND ISSUING MACHINE WITH ROLLER INKER MEANS THE FIELD, SUMMARY AND OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a machine of the general type disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,331,315, namely, a ticket and label printing and issuing machine for intermittently printing a ticket-length or label-length portion of a tape and for intermittently advancing the tape and issuing imprinted ticket-lengths or label-lengths thereof between successive printings thereof.

The machine of the present invention includes a normally stationary pivotally-mounted type-supporting head arranged stationarily to support type-bearing wheels during successive inkings thereof and during alternating printing impressions therefrom, and arranged to be swung upwardly about its pivot for access to the parts of the machine which normally lie therebeneath and for general maintenance purposes. The type-head includes one or more type-wheel modules. Each module comprises a hub flanked by two side-plates detachably secured thereto and a plurality (as, for instance eight) typewheels revolvably mounted on each hub, and resilient detent means on the inner peripheries of the type-wheels and along the outer periphery of the hub for separately retaining each wheel in any one of its printing settings. Each wheel has a set of printing type elements along approximately one-half of its periphery and a corresponding and operatively juxtaposed set of readable or indicating type elements along the other half of the periphery thereof and so arranged that by manually turning any type-wheel to any selected indicator-type-element, in relation to a suitable marker or index-element carried by one or both of the side-plates, the corresponding printing-type-element will be positioned in the print-line of the module. The several type-wheel modules are independently pivoted in relation to each other about the pivot common and together constitute the printing-head as a whole, and the modules have their opposite ends or free ends releasably locked in the operative or printing position of the type-head, with separate impression-adjusting means at such end of each type-wheel module for permitting the separate adjustment or variation of the printing impression made by the selected type faces of each module.

The selected printing-type-elements face downwardly in their printing positions, while the corresponding or complementary readable or indicating type elements face upwardly.

An upwardly facing press-platen and tape-feeder (whose frame or body portions are preferably integral with each other) is oscillatably carried by two printing arms which are also preferably integral therewith;the two printing-arms being pivotally mounted at their front ends. The press-platen and tape-feeder are oscillatable between an upper printing position in operative juxtaposition to the downwardly facing selected printing type elements and a lower retracted position in which the inker has clearance for its type-face-inking and retracting motions. The tape is guided across the upper face of the bed of the tape-feeder and the press-platen and is intermittently advanced therealong a ticket-length or label-length at a time by a tape-feed-finger moved though its tape-advancing motion during the retracting motion of the print-impression and tape-feeder head.

A roll of ticket tape or label tape is rotatably mounted and arranged to have the tape therefrom extend to and through tape guides on the tape feeder and on the press-platen.

An ink pad, in the form of a revolvably mounted roller having a suitable felt covering, is carried by two pivotally mounted inker-arms arranged to oscillate to and fro through an inking motion thereof in which it sweeps across in contact with the faces of the selected printing type elements (in the printing zone) and through a retracting motion thereof by which it is withdrawn to a position clear of the intersecting oscillating path of the press platen print-impression and tapefeeder head.

Means are operatively interposed between the print-impression and tape-feeder head 21 and the inker for generally simultaneously moving them to and'fro through their respective intersecting paths of travel, in such timed relation to each other as to cause each to clear the other. While the print-impression and tape-feeder head 21 moves upwardly the inker moves rearwardly, with the aforementioned clearance, and while the printimpression and tape-feeder head 21 moves downwardly the inker is moving forwardly, with the aforementioned clearance. The means efiecting such movements comprises two eccentrics affixed to the same shaft, a separately revolvable ring surrounding each eccentric, a printer-oscillating bar above the eccentrics secured to one of the two rings and an inker-oscillating bar below the eccentrics secured to the other of the two rings, and the printer-oscillating bar being directly connected with'the aforementioned printer-arms and the inker-oscillating bar being connected to linkages terminating in pivotally mounted inker-oscillating arms.

One of the objects of the present invention is a ticket or label printing and issuing machine so constructed and arranged as to permit the copy" of the printed matter to be changed quickly and to print the tickets or labels in rapid succession, and either to cut off a ticket or label at a time as it is issued, or, optionally to rewind the printed and issued tape, or simply to pay out the printed tape for subsequent manual tearoff of the individual tickets or labels along perforated or scored lines delineating the tickets or labels;and a machine of great general versatility.

A further object of the present invention is a machine of this type or character which is of simple and durable construction and reliable in operation and requiring a minimum of maintenance and permitting ease of maintenance when required, and a machine whose construction is relatively inexpensive considering its functions, operation, durability, and reliability and the minimization and ease of maintenance, so as to render it available to the largest number of potential users.

Another object of the present invention is to permit each of the type-modules constituting the type-head to have its printimpression adjusted separately and independently of the printimpression of the other type-modules, for optimum printing quality.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 represents a right side elevational view of the machine.

FIG. 2 represents a fragmentary cross-sectional view on line 2-2 of FIG. 1, on a larger scale.

FIG. 3 represents a top view of the machine.

FIG. 4 represents a cross-sectional view on line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 represents a left side elevational view of the machine.

FIG. 6 represents a front elevational view of the machine, but with the electrical control box and counter (shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5) being omitted from FIG. 6.

FIG. 7 represents a top view of the machine, but with the type-head omitted and with the counter and the electrical control box omitted.

FIG. 8 represents a rear elevational view of the machine, but with the type-head omitted.

FIG. 9 represents a side elevationalview of the eccentrics, and showing the shafts oscillated thereby.

FIG. 10 represents a cross-section on line l0 10 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 represents a top view of the print-impression and tape-feeder head.

FIG. 12 represents an end view of same on line 12-12 of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 represents a front view of same on line 13-13 of FIG. 11.

FIG. 14 represents a cross-sectional view on line 14-14 of FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 represents a bottom view of the print-impression and tape-feed head.

FIG. 1 represents a rear view of same on line 16-16 of FIG. 15.

FIG. 17 represents an end view of same on line 17--17 of FIG. 15.

FIG. 18 is an exploded view of the discharge end of the print-impression head and of the tape guides thereof.

FIG. 19 represents a perspective view of the type-head.

FIG. 20 represents an enlarged side view of the hub of one of the type-modules and of a type-ring thereon, and also showing the detent means for indexing the type wheel or ring.

FIG. 21 represents a cross-sectional view on line 21-21 of FIG. 20.

FIG. 22 represents an exploded view of the detent means indexing the type-wheels.

FIG. 23 represents a fragmentary side elevational view of the left side of the machine but with the tape-pay-out chute omitted and showing the tape-cut-off mechanism.

FIG. 24 represents a fragmentary perspective view of the right side of the machine, showing the two alternative holders for rolls of tape to be fed to the print-impression and tape-feed head (namely, the holders for holding the roll of plain tape and pivotally mounted hub and spokes for mounting a roll of string-tickets to be fed through the tape-feed head.

FIG. 25 represents a perspective view of the tape-rewind on the left side of the machine.

FIG. 26 represents an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the drive-coupling of the tape-rewind, taken in the vertical plane in which the axis of the main shaft of the machine lies.

FIG. 27 is a diagram of the electrical components of the machine.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the machine includes a generally U-shaped frame, preferably formed of sheet steel or sheet aluminum of suitable thickness for the requisite rigidity, and includes the bottom horizontal web or base portion' I, a left vertical flange 2 and a right vertical flange 3 extending upwardly therefrom and parallel with each other. The frame-

flanges

2 and 3 are secured to each other through the front spacer-bar 22 and the rear spacer-block 14 by means of headed screws 200, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3-8.

An electric motor 4, having a gear-reduction assembly 5 at its front end, is mounted on the rear of the base 1. The transverse output-shaft 6 of the gear-reduction assembly 5 extends through a suitable opening in the vertical frame-flange 2 and has a flanged sprocket-wheel 7 secured to its outer end (FIGS. 6 and 7).

A main-shaft 8 is journalled in suitable anti-friction bearings 9 mounted in the frame-flanges 2' and 3 and has flanged sprocket-wheel l0 affixed to its left end in alignment with the sprocket-wheel 7. A cleated timer-belt 11 extends over the sprocket-

wheels

7 and 10, between the flanges thereof, with its cleats intermeshing with the teeth of the sprocket-wheels, thereby to drive the main-shaft 8 without slippage.

A type-head, designated generally by the numeral 12, nests between the frame-flanges l and 2 and has its front end pivotally mounted to the frame-

flanges

1 and 2, about a pivot 13 which passes through aligned pivot-holes in the front ends of the eight side-plates l7 mentioned below. The rear end of the type-head 12 rests on the anchorage or supporting block 14 which is disposed between the frame-flanges l and 2 and secured thereto;the rear end of the type-head 12 being releasably secured to the block 14 in the manner hereinafter described. (FIGS. 1, 3-6 and 19-21) The type-head 12 is composed of four type-modules generally designated as A, B, C and D, respectively. Each type-module comprises eight independently revolvable typewheels 15 mounted on a common hub l6;the axes of the four hubs being parallel with each other but spaced apart from each other a distance equal to the spacings between the centers of the print-lines. Each hub 16 is supported between a pair of side-plates 17;the eight side-plates and the four hubs and the type-wheels thereon constituting the type-head l2 pivoted in the manner mentioned above. The details of the hubs and the detent means thereof and the details of the type-wheels and the impression-adjusting means of each type module will be described more fully hereinafter. (FIGS. 19-22) A tape-supporting press-platen l8 and an aligned tapefeeder-bed 19 are carried by a pair of oscillatable printer-arms 20. The press-platen I8 and the tape-feeder-bed l9 and the printer-arms 20 are preferably all formed integral with each other and are preferably formed of aluminum or an alloy casting to minimize their weight and thereby to reduce the inertial effect thereof for their rapid to and from oscillations. For convenience of reference, the integral unit comprised of the press-platen 18 of the tape-feeder-bed l9 and the printer-arms 20 is hereinafter collectively referred to as the print-impression and feeder-head 21. (FIGS. 11-17) The print-impression and tape-feeder head 21 is pivotally mounted upon the pivot 13 extending through and pivotally supported by the two frame-

flanges

1 and 2 and is free to be oscillated up and down between its upper print-impression position and its lower retracted position.

A pair of inker-arms 23 are pivotally mounted to the

frameflanges

1 and 2 about pivots 24, so as to be free to oscillate forwardly through an inking motion and rearwardly through a retracting motion. Inker-carrying or inker pressure levers 25 are pivoted to the inker-arms 23, by pivots 26. The rear ends of the inker pressure levers 25 have a spring-anchorage rod 27 therebetween and secured thereto, while the front ends thereof have vertical pivot-receiving slots 28 therein for snugly receiving the flattened ends 29 of the inker-shaft 30 on which the inker-bearing bushing 31 is revolvably mounted. A cylindrical inking-pad 32 (formed of axially compressed felt washers or the like) surrounds and is firmly mounted on the bearing bushing 31. A lower spring-anchorage rod 33 extends between the inker-arms 23 and is secured thereto. One or more helical tension springs 34 have their opposite ends anchored to the anchorage-

rods

27 and 33, thereby urging the revolvably-mounted cylindrical inking-pad 32 upwardly. Inker-retainer arms 35, having in-turned upper shaft-retaining flanges 36 in operative juxtaposition to the flattened ends 29 of the inker-shaft 30, are secured to the inker-arms 23 by means of the pivot-screws 26 and the retainer-securing screws 37.

By manually deflecting the inker-pressure levers 25 in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed from the right side of the machine (FIG. 1), the front ends of the levers 25 are deflected downwardly, away from and clear of the in-turned flanges 36 of the roller-retainers 35, and in this condition the shaft 30 and the inking-roller 32 thereon may be removed from the levers 25.

A printer-arm oscillating bar 38 extends between and is secured to two printer-arms 20, by screws 39, at a suitable distance rearwardly of the pivot 13 of said arms. A flanged bushing 40 is oscillatably disposed on the outer cylindrical surface of the bar 38, for receiving the connector-strap 50.

A pair of identical driven eccentric members 42 are mounted on the main shaft 8 of the machine, and are pinned or otherwise affixed to the shaft by set screws or other suitable means. The eccentric members 42 have facing bearing-entering-and-supporting hubs 43. The axis of the shaft-receiving holes 44 of the eccentric members 42 are spaced approximately three-eighths inch from the centers of the hubs 43. Two identical (or similar) ball-bearings (or other suitable radial type anti-friction bearings) 45 and 46 are mounted between the two eccentric members 42, with the hub 43 of one eccentric member snugly fitting into the bore of the inner race of the bearing 45 and with the hub 43 of the other eccentric member snugly fitting into the bore of the inner race of the bearing 46. A spacer 47 is disposed between the facing annular planar end-surfaces of the two inner races. (FIGS. 6, 7, 9 and 10) A pair of headed screws48 extend through diametrically opposite holes in the two hubs 43 of the eccentric members 42, and a nut 49 threaded onto the free ends thereof secures the two eccentric members 42 and the inner races of the

bearings

45 and 46 in firmly fixed assembled relation to each other, with the outer races of the bearings being free independently to revolve about the inner races thereof on the anti-friction elements therebetween. (FIGS. 9 and A steel connecting-band or strap 50 extends around the outer race 52 of the bearing 45 and around the flanged bushing 40 on the printer-oscillating bar 38, with the flanges of the bushing 40 neatly flanking the sides of the outer race, thereby firmly clamping the bushing 40 to the outer race 52 of the bearing 45. By this means, the print-impression and tapefeeder head 21 is oscillated up and down (about its pivot 13) with each revolution of the main shaft 8.

Thus, the printer-arm-oscillating bar 38 moves between upper and lower positions which are approximately threefourths inch apart, while print-impression and tape-feeder head 21 moves up and down between the upper and lower positions which are apart from each other a distance equal to three-fourths -inch multiplied by the ratio of the distance from the press platen 18 to the pivot 13 and the distance between the bar 38 and the pivot 13.

In its upper position, the press-platen 18 presses the tickettape 54 resting thereon against the faces of the selected printing type-elements 167 of one or more or all of the printing modules A, B, C and D, while in its lower positions the printing-platen 18 is below and clear of the travel-path of the inker element 32 so as to permit the inking roller 32 to sweep across in inking engagement with such type faces and to permit the retraction of the inker element 32.

A pair of similar L shaped rocker-arms 55 are pivotally mounted to the opposite vertical frame-

flanges

2 and 3 by pivot members 56. Between the ends of the forwardly extending arms 57 of the rocker-arms 55, an inker-operator bar 58 is pivotally secured by means of suitable C" type and type retainer-rings 59 mounted in the ring-receiving grooves in the ends of the bar 58;the bar 58 being free to rotate in the barreceiving holes in the arms 57 of the rocker arms 55.

A flanged bearing bushing 41, similar to the bearing bushing 40 described above, is oscillatably mounted on the inkeroperator bar 58, and a steel connector-band or strap 51 (similar to the strap 50) surrounds the outer race 53 of the bearing 46 and the bushing 41, and clamps the two firmly to each other in a manner similar to the clamping of the bushing 40 to the outer race 52 of bearing 45.

The overlapping ends of the

straps

50 and 51 are secured to each other and the straps are tightened by a worm-screw revolvably mounted on one end of the strap and worm-engaged slots in the other end of the strap, in the manner illustrated, for instance, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,386,629 and 2,395,273.

By this means, forward extensions 57 of the rocker-arms 55 are oscillated up and down with each revolution of the mainshaft 8, out of phase with the oscillations of the printer arms 20.

To clear the upper and lower positions of the inker-operating bar 58, %-inch clearance holes 60 are provided in the frame-

flanges

2 and 3.

To the generally upright extensions 61 of the rocker-arms 55, the front ends of the links 62 and 63 are pivotally secured by pivot screws 64. (FIGS. 1 and 5) The rear ends of said links 62 and 63 are pivotally secured to the pair of like inker-arms 23 by pivot-screws 65 (the inkerarms 23 being pivoted to the frame-

flanges

2 and 3, at their lower ends, by means of the pivot-screws 24).

Through the eccentrically mounted outer race 53 of the bearing 46 and the inker-operating bar 58 strapped thereto (through the bushing 41) and through the rocker-arms 55 and links 62 and 63 and inker-arms 23, the linking pad or roller 32 is oscillated forwardly and rearwardly (and is so moved across the faces of the selected printing type-elements of the several type-modules) during the inking cycle of the machine, while the print-impression and tape-feeder head 21 is oscillated upwardly and downwardly through its printing and retracting cycle while the inker-arms 23 and the inking element 32 carried thereby are retracted rearwardly.

Referring to FIGS. 13 to 18, the press-platen 18 has a raised tape-receiving terminal portion 66 at its right-hand end, and has a raised tape-pay-out terminal portion 67 at its left-hand end, whose upper surfaces are about one-eighth inch above the main upper surface of the platen 18 on which the ri: thick impression-pad is supported, and the

surfaces

66 and 67 are hence at the same level as that at which the impressionpad 70 supports the tape to be imprinted. The raised

terminal portions

66 and 67 have inclined

portions

68 and 69 facing the direction from which the tape approaches them.

Between the raised label-receiving and pay-out

portions

66 and 67, the impression-pad 70 of rubber or other suitable resilient material (of suitable firmness) is nested and held in place by two split-tubular dowel-like members 71 mounted in holes in the platen 18 and extending upwardly into corresponding holes in the impression-pad 70 in areas other than the areas in which the printing takes place.

A 76-inch high raised rib 72 is provided on the tape-feedermounting member 19. The upper surface of the rib 72 is at the same level of the upper surfaces of the raised tape-receiving and pay-out ends 66 and 67 of the platen 18;and rib 72 rising above the upper surface of the rest of the member 19. A -inch wide and z s-inch high steel plate 73 is secured to the tape-feed-mounting member 19 by a pair of flat-headed and counter-sunk screws 74, whereby the upper surface of the plate 73 is at the same level as the upper flat surface of the rib 72, and together therewith form a tape-bed upon which the tape rests and on which the tape is intermittently advanced one ticket-length at a time, towards the tape-receiving terminal portion 66 and the pay-out portion 67 of the printerplaten 18.

The plate 73 is spaced from the rib 72 so as to provide a channel 75 therebetween for one of the two tape-engaging prongs 1 19 ofthe feeder-finger 77.

Posts

78 and 79 are formed integrally with the platen 18 and extend upwardly therefrom, about five-sixteenths inch rearwardly of the raised

terminal portions

66 and 67 thereof, respectively. The

posts

78 and 79 have like channels 80 therein, at a right angle to the travel-path of the tape, and the raised

terminal portions

66 and 67 of the platen 18 have short registering notches 81 therein, in alignment with the channels 80. Similar adjustable rear tape-edge-guides 82 are slidably nested in the channels 80 and notches 81, and bridge the 5/16- inch gaps or channels 83 therebetween, and are adjustably secured in said channels 80 and notches 81, in any desired adjusted position corresponding to the width of the tape (within the range of adjustability provided), by means of the lockscrews 84 which pass through adjustment slots 85 in the tapeedge-guides 82 and are threaded into tapped holes in the

posts

78 and 79.

In front of the tape-receiving end 66 and pay-out end 67 of the platen 18, a pair of fixed tape-edge guides 86 are removably mounted (but without adjustability) by being nested in recesses 87 in the rear ends of the printer-arms 20 and held in place by the screws 88.

The rear tape-edge-guides 82 and the front tape-edgeguides 86 have raised end portions or projections 89 at their inner ends, facing each other and facing the edges of the tape to be guided thereby. The raised projection 89 serve to interlock the tape-edge-

guides

82 and 86 with rear and front tapehold-

downs

90 and 91 and to prevent the edges of the tape from getting between the tape-edge-guides and the tape-holddowns. (FIG. 18)

The tape-edge-

guides

82 and 86 are formed of any suitable form-retaining plastic material which will minimize friction with the edges of the tape, for instance, nylon or Delrin or the like.

The rear tape-hold-down 90 (of a strip of spring-steel or the like), overlies the two rear guides 82 and has rearwardly extending anchorage tabs 92 having slots 93 therein registering

Claims

1. A ticket and label printing and issuing machine, including a type-head having a plurality of side-by-side type-wheel modules, each including a plurality of co-axial type-wheels, the axes of the type-wheel modules being parallel but spaced apart from one another so as to place their selected printing type elements into separate spaced-apart print-lines, each type-wheel having a set of printing type-elements along approximately one-half of its periphery aNd a corresponding set of type-indicator elements along approximately the other half of its periphery facing upwardly, means for holding said type-head stationarily in its operative position throughout the operation of the machine and capable of releasing said type-head from its operative position for access and maintenance, a print-impression and tape-feed head in operative juxtaposition to said type-head and arranged to be oscillated between a printing position and a retracted position, said print-impression and tape-feed head including a tapesupporting press-platen and a tape-feed-bed and a tape-feeder, a pivotally mounted inker arranged to be oscillated in a path transverse to the oscillating path of the print-impression and tape-feed head, between an inking position and a retracted position thereof, eccentric means for oscillating the printimpression and tape-feed head between its printing and retracted positions and for oscillating the inker between its inking and retracted positions in timed relation to each other so that the inker is moved through its inking and retracting motions while the print-impression and tape-feed head is retracted from the path of the inker and so that the print-impression and tape-feed head is moved through its print-impression and retracting motions while the inker is retracted from its path.

2. A ticket and label printing and issuing machine, including a pivotally mounted type-head having a plurality of type-wheel modules whose axes are parallel but spaced apart from one another so as to place their downwardly facing selected printing type elements into separate spaced-apart print-lines, each type-wheel having a set of printing type elements along approximately one-half of its periphery and a corresponding set of type-indicator elements along approximately the other half of its periphery facing upwardly, each type module having a separate impression-adjusting means, the type-head being releasably locked in its operative position and being swingable to an open access position when unlocked, a print-impression and tape-feed head carried on pivoted printer-arms beneath and in operative juxtaposition to said type-head and arranged to be oscillated up and down between an upper printing position and a lower retracted position, said print-impression and tape-feed head including a tape-supporting press-platen and a tape-feed-bed and a tape-feeder, a pivotally mounted inker arranged to be oscillated in a path transverse to the oscillating path of the print-impression and tape-feed head, between an inking position and a retracted position thereof, eccentric means for oscillating the print-impression and tape-feed head between its upper and lower positions and for oscillating the inker between its inking and retracted positions in timed relation to each other so that the inker is moved through its inking and retracting motions while the print-impression and tape-feed head is retracted and so that the latter is moved through its print-impression and retracting motions while the inker is retracted.

3. A ticket and label printing and issuing machine, including a type-head having a plurality of side-by-side type-elements each including a plurality of optionally selectable type-faces adapted to be selectively placed into a printing-line, means for holding said type-head stationarily in its operative position throughout the operation of the machine and capable of releasing said type-head from its operative position for access and maintenance, a print-impression and tape-feed head in operative juxtaposition to said type-head and including a tape-supporting press-platen and a tape-feed-bed and a tape-feeder, said print-impression and tape-feed head being arranged to be oscillated between a printing position and a retracted position, a pair of pivotally-mounted inker-arms, roller-carrying ink-pressure-levers pivoted to said inker-arms, an inker-roller revolvably carried by the ends of said levers, resilient means yieldably urging said levers about their pivoTs so as to yieldably urge said inker-roller in the direction of the selected type-faces of said type-head, said inker-arms being arranged to be oscillated in a path transverse to the oscillating path of the print-impression and tape-feed head, between an inking position and a retracted position thereof, eccentric means for oscillating the print-impression and tape-feed head between its printing and retracted positions and for oscillating the inker-arms between their inking and retracted positions in timed relation to each other so that the inker-roller is moved through its inking and retracting motions while the print-impression and tape-feed head is retracted from the path of the inker-roller and so that the said print-impression and tape-feed head is moved through its print-impression and retracting motions while the inker is retracted from its path;-said inking-roller sweeping across the selected type-faces during the inking motion of the inker-arms and being yieldably pressed against said type faces.

4. A ticket and label printing and issuing machine according to claim 2, in which the type-head and the print-impression and tape-feed head are pivoted about the same axis of pivotation.

5. A ticket and label printing and issuing machine according to claim 1, in which the inker comprises a pair of pivotally-mounted oscillatable inker-arms, roller-carrying levers pivoted to said inker-arms, an inker-roller revolvably carried by the ends of said levers, and resilient means yieldably urging said levers about their pivots so as yieldably to urge said inker-roller in the direction of said type-head.

6. A ticket and label printing and issuing machine, including a downwardly facing type-head having a plurality of side-by-side type-element modules, each module including a plurality of side-by-side type-elements having printing type-faces thereon and having corresponding oppositely-facing and operatively juxtaposed readable characters thereon, said modules being parallel with each other and being successively offset in relation to each other by a distance equal to the spacing between the lines to be printed, so as to place the selected printing type-faces of the successive modules into separate successive spaced-apart print-lines, means for locking said type-head stationarily in its operative position and capable of being unlocked so as to permit the type-head to be moved into an open and inoperative access-and-maintenance position, a print-impression and tape-feed head in operative juxtaposition to said type-head and arranged to be moved to-and-fro between a printing position and a retracted position, said print-impression and tape-feed head including a tape-supporting press-platen and a tape-feed-bed and a tape-feeder, separate impression-adjusting means associated with each module, said separate impression-adjusting means being arranged to retain their respective adjustments notwithstanding the unlocking and re-locking of said type-head-locking means, an inker arranged to be moved to and fro in a path transverse to the to-and-fro path of the print-impression and tape-feed head, between an inking position and a retracted position thereof, means for moving the print-impression and tape-feed head to and fro between its printing and retracted positions and for moving the inker to and fro between its inking and retracted positions in timed relation to each other so that the inker is moved through its inking and retracting motions while the print-impression and tape-feed head is retracted from the path of the inker and so that the print-impression and tape-feed head is moved through its print-impression and retracting motions while the inker is retracted from its path.