2 Sheets—Sheet 1
NOV. 20 1934. J. A. SPENCER
RECORD STRIP FEEDING MEANS
Filed July 15 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2

INVENTOR
Names #146'perzcer.
BY~n
E. C sgwM vg-ATTORNEY
Patented Nov. 209 1934
REISSUED JAN 14 1941

UNITED STATES• PATENT. OFFICE

RECORD STRIP FEEDING MEANS
James A. Spencer Teaneck N. J. assignor to New York Quotation Company New York N. Y. a corporation of New York
Application July 15 1933 Serial No. 680 545
17 Claims. (CI. 1'78—42)

This invention relates to means for controlling the feeding of a record strip. The invention provides a novel and effective mechanism especially adapted for controlling feeding of the tapes of standard stock tickers or printing telegraphs. In the tickers heretofore employed for receiving quotations or other data from a distant point and printing them upon a tape or record strip inconvenience and annoyance result from the fact that the character last printed is not promptly fed into the field of vision. The present invention provides for- feeding the last printed character into readily visible position immediately following printing thereof and for arresting it at that point until the ticker or printer resumes operation. Thus the data or transaction last printed may be projected upon a screen timed with an automatic stamp or otherwise utilized promptly following the printing thereof on the tape. The invention further enables the tape to be fed continuously throughout a succession of printing operations occurring within predetermined time intervals while at the same time assuring undelayed feeding of the last printed character into the field of vision whether or not the next printing operation occurs within a'given time. The invention further presents the advantage of providing a continuous movement of the tape free from shock or vibration without the aid of shock absorbing devices. A further feature of the invention comprises a feeding means attaining the results above outlined and applicable to standard stock tickers without material alteration of the latter. All of the foregoing advantages are moreover obtained without the necessity of carrying electrical circuits into or near the ticker or printer. Further features of the invention will be hereinafter described or claimed.
In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation illustrating an embodiment of my invention in conjunction with a stock' quotation ticker of conventional type.
Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a portion of the feeding devices on an enlarged scale.
Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale on line 3—3 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a view in elevation on an enlarged scale showing the parts within the casing containing the feed control unit and their connection to the ticker certain parts being shown in vertical section.
Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line 5—5 of Fig. 4.
Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on line 6-6 of Fig. 4.
Referring to the drawings there is shown at 1 a ticker of conventional type for printing stock quotations or other data upon a movable tape or record strip 2. The ticker includes the customary type wheel 3 and inking roller 4 together 60 with the usual means (not shown) for setting the wheel to bring the desired character thereon into printing position and thereafter forcing said record strip momentarily against the type-wheel. The usual platen 3' underlies 'said tape adjacent 65 the printing wheel. Also the ticker comprises the well-known bail 5 which is moved upwardly from its normal lowered position and then re-turned downwardly thereto in each cycle of operation of the printing mechanism. In the cus- 70 tomary practice this bail carries a pawl for operating a wheel to feed the tape forwardly one increment in each printing cycle; the character last printed however remaining obscured from view by the type wheel until the tape is moved for- 75 ward either by hand or in subsequent printing operations a distance corresponding to several of such increments.
In carrying out my invention I utilize a continuously running motor 6 which may be any 80 suitable or conventional electric motor and pro-vide connections between said motor and the tape 2 whereby the motor constantly - tends to feed said tape. In the embodiment shown the shaft 7 of the motor armature has secured thereto a worm 8 which meshes with a worm wheel 9 loosely mounted on the shaft 10. Friction means is provided for clutching said worm wheel to the shaft 10; said means comprising a disk 11 fastened to said shaft and provided with friction material 12 engaging one face of said worm wheel 9 and a disk 13 slidable on shaft 10 and having similar friction material 12 engaging the opposite face of said wheel 9. A spring 14 bearing at one end against a suitable collar or other abutment 15 on shaft 10 and at its other end against the disk 13 maintains firm frictional engagement betweefi the worm wheel 9 and the disks 11 and 13. To one end of said shaft 10 there is secured the sheave or pulley 16 around which the tape is passed. Specifically the tape may as shown be passed over a roller 17 pulley 16 and roller 18 and thence to the take-up or storage reel 19. An arm 20 pivotally mounted at 21 carries a roller 22 and is urged by its spring 23 so that through said roller 22 the tape is pressed against the pulley 16 and is fed by the latter to the reel 19. The latter is secured to a shaft 24 having a pulley 25 thereon connected by a friction belt or cord 26 to pulley 27 fixed to shaft 10.
85 90 95 100 105 110
2
Any suitable means may be provided for facili- the engagement of finger 48 with the stud 60
tating winding of the tape upon the reel 19 de- mounted in the partition 51. When the ticker
spite the increasing accumulation of the tape on commences to operate the bail 5 rises carrying
said reel while the rate at which the feed pulley upwardly the rod 52. During the upward move-
16 rotates remains constant. Such means is here ment of said rod one of the washers 57 engages 80
shown as of a well-known type comprising a disk the top plate 61 of casing 53 raising the latter
28 splined to but slidable upon the shaft 24 and and through the engagement of bottom plate 54
maintained in frictional engagement with pulley of said casing with collar 55 lifting the shaft
25 by spring 29. Provision for slippage is thus 45 thereby disengaging clutch member 44 from
10 effected between said pulley and shaft whereby the cooperating member 43. The tape feeding 85
compensation is made for the increasing diameter shaft 10 is now freed and immediately starts ro-
of the tape on the reel during the uniform feed- tating. Rotation of shaft 10 and feeding of the
ing of the tape to said reel by the aforesaid pul- tape continue as long as clutch members 43 and
ley 16. 44 are disengaged and finger 48 is out of engage-
15 From the foregoing description it will be seen ment with stud 60. At the end of each cycle 90
that so long as the shaft 10 is free to be rotated of operation of the ticker the bail 5 is in its nor-
by the motor 6 the tape 2 will be fed from the mal downward position; said bail as hereinbefore noted making one complete oscillation in each printing cycle. Clutch members 43 44 are thus again interengaged but the tape feeding shaft is free to continue rotating until finger 48 is moved from stud 50' into engagement with stud 60. If before finger 48 reaches stud 60 the bail 5 rises and disengages clutch member 44 from member 43 the spring 49 return; finger 48 into 100 engagement with stud 50'; so that rotation of shaft 10 and feeding of the tape continue uninterruptedly throughout the ensuing cycle of operation of the printing mechanism and until such further time as finger 48 engages stud 60. In 105 short the tape feeding mechanism when brought into action by the rising of bail 5 continues in action without interruption throughout a series of cycles of operation of the printing mechanism so long as each succeeding cycle of the series 110 follows the preceding one within a predetermined time interval corresponding to the time required for the moving of finger 48 from stud 50' to stud 60. At the same time even though a succeeding cycle does not commence until after the finger 48 115 has been engaged with stud 60 the feeding of the tape to bring the character Iast printed into visible position is assured the distance traversed by finger 48 between the studs 50' and 60 being such that the corresponding operation of the tape 120 feeding mechanism will position said character clearly within the field of vision. The feed of the tape during the travel of finger 48 between said studs may be such as to bring the character last printed into the region between points A and B 125 in Fig. 1 the characters in which region may be thrown upon a screen by suitable projecting apparatus. If desired the last printed character may be fed into position adjacent an automatic time stamp whereby said character may be timed 130 promptly following the printing thereof. In any event it will be apparent that my invention provides for the immediate and undelayed feeding of
45 through means including a rod 52 pivoted to the last character printed into a position where-
ec in it is plainly visible and may be utilized in any 130 said bail and depending therefrom into a casing manner desired.
53. Shaft 45 extends upwardly through an open- The stud 60 is shown as removable and may be ing in the bottom plate 54 of said casing and is inserted in any of a series of holes 62 in the provided with collars 55 56 secured to said shaft partition 51 whereby the extent of travel of the
Gc and lying respectively above and below said cas- finger 48 into contact with said stud and thus 140 ing. Positioned within casing 53 and threadedly the distance of feed of the tape in the lowered engaged with shaft 52 are washers 57. A spring position of bail 5 may be varied. If desired stud 58 bears at one end on a partition 59 in said cas- . 60 may be removed entirely in which case the ing and at its other against one of the washers 57. extent of feed of the tape in the lowered posi
ie In the normal position of the parts shown in tion of the bail 5 will be limited by the engage-Fig. 4 the bail 5 is in its lowermost position and ment of finger 48 with the side of stud 50' oppoclutch members 43 and 44 are engaged with each site to that shown engaged by said finger when other. The motor 6 tends to turn the shaft 45 in the dotted line position in Fig. 5.
in the direction opposite to that indicated by the The play provided between shafts 52 and 45
'45 arrow in Fig. 5 but such rotation is blocked by through the spacing of washer 57 from casing 114
supply reel 30 and onto the storage reel 19. The drive connections between the motor 6 and shaft
20 10 may as shown be enclosed in a suitable casing 31. The speed of rotation of pulleys 17 and 27 may be maintained substantially constant by any suit-able means such as the governor 32 (Fig. 1) of conventional design.
25 The rotation of shaft 10 by motor 6 and consequent feeding of the tape 2 is controlled by means coordinated with the ticker and which may be constructed as follows:
Secured to shaft 10 is a worm 33 (Fig. 3) mesh-
30 ing with a worm wheel 34 fast to a shaft 35. The latter may be connected through the flexible coupling 36 (Fig. 1) of well known type to a shaft 37 which extends into bearings 38 38 in a casing 39 (Fig. 4). Fastened on shaft 37 is a worm 40
35 which engages a worm gear. 41 on a vertical shaft 42 rotatable in suitable bearings 42' 42' in said casing. To the upper end of said shaft 42 is se-cured a toothed clutch member 43. A similar toothed clutch member 44 adapted to engage said
40 member 43 is secured to the lower end of a vertical shaft 45 rotatable in bearings 46 46 and also vertically movable therein. Shaft 45 has secured thereto a disk 47 provided with a radially projecting finger 48. A spring 49 secured at one end
`=5 to a stud 50 and at the other end.to shaft 45 constantly urges said shaft to turn in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 5 and to bring said finger 48 into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5 in which position said finger engages
''o stud 50' blocking further rotation of shaft 45 in said direction. Studs 50 and 50' may as shown in Fig. 4 be formed as one element and mounted in partition 51 of the casing 39.
The vertical position of the shaft 45 is con-trolled by the previously-mentioned bail 5; for which purpose the pawl previously referred to as mounted on said bail for cooperation with a feed wheel is omitted and the bail connected to shaft
95
1 981 378 3
a printing operation an amount sufficient to bring the character last printed into the field of vision whenever a succeeding printing operation fails to take place within a predetermined time said control means comprising a member shiftable into position for operation by said motor at the end of a printing cycle.
4. In combination means for printing upon a record strip a continuously running motor an element movable in each cycle of operation of the printing means and control means correlated with said element for causing said motor to feed the record strip continuously throughout a succession of printing operations the time intervals between which are less than a given duration and for insuring feeding of said strip by said motor a predetermined distance after completion of a printing operation during a time of greater duration wherein no subsequent operation occurs said control means comprising a member operable by said motor and a stop element limiting the extent of movement of said member.
5. In combination means for printing upon a record strip means for feeding said record strip a continuously running motor cooperating there- 100 with and means correlated with said printing means and comprising an element shiftable into and out of position for operation by said feeding means for causing said feeding means to feed said strip continuously throughout a succession 105 of printing operations the time intervals between which are less than'a given duration and to feed said strip a sufficient distance following the last of said succession of operations to bring the mat-ter last printed into visible position. 110
6. In combination means for printing upon a record strip an element movable in each cycle of operation of said printing means strip feeding means control means responsive to movement of said element in a printing cycle for bringing said 115 feeding means into action and for insuring continuation of the feeding means sufficiently to feed the strip a predetermined distance following completion of said printing cycle said control means comprising a member movable by said ele- 120 ment into and out of position for operation by said feeding means in each printing cycle.
7. In combination means for printing upon a record strip an element movable away from and back to its normal position in each cycle of opera- 125 tion of said printing means strip feeding means a continuously running motor and control means responsive to movement of said element from normal position for causing said motor to operate said feeding means and to continue feeding said 130 strip a predetermined distance after the return of said element to its normal position said control means comprising a member movable by said motor and a stop element preventing movement of said member beyond a predetermined extent. 135
8. In combination a ticker adapted to print characters successively on a record strip in successive cycles of operation record strip feeding means and control means correlated with said 55 second named means from normal position and ticker for controlling said feeding means to cause 3
for causing said feeding means to feed the record said record strip to be fed continuously through
strip through a predetermined extent following a series of cycles of operation of said ticker
the return of said second named means to normal wherein characters constituting a complete
position during a time of greater than a given quotation are printed and for insuring feeding
duration wherein no subsequent printing opera- of said strip an extent sufficient to bring the last
non occurs. character of said quotation into visible position
3. In combination means for printing upon a immediately following the printing thereof said
record strip a continuously running motor and control means comprising a member shiftable into control means correlated with said printing means and out of position for operation by said feeding
for causing said motor to feed said strip following means and a stop element preventing movement
plate 61 and the spacing of plate 54 from washer 55 facilitates complete engagement of the teeth of clutch member 44 with the recesses between the teeth of member 43 even though during the de-
5 scent of shaft 45 the teeth of member 44 may first engage the extreme upper portions of the teeth of member 43. Spring 58 assists in this action.
In the conventional ticker to which the inven-
10 tion is shown applied each printing cycle accomplishes the printing of a single character of the quotation or other data; and it will be apparent that by positioning the stud 60 an appropriate distance from stud 50' the feeding of the tape
15 may be effected continuously throughout a series of cycles corresponding to the printing of the characters of a quotation and the last character of the latter fed into visible position; the feeding being then interrupted if the ticker does
20 not resume operation within a predetermined time for printing the next quotation and said feeding if so interrupted being automatically resumed upon said resumption of operation of the ticker.
25 The invention is especially advantageous in conjunction with a standard stock ticker wherein the time intervals between the printing of the successive characters of a quotation are uniform. Its utility is however manifestly not restricted to any particular printing device. It will be noted that the application of the invention to a conventional ticker involves no change in the latter other than the removal of the customary feed pawl from the bail 5 and the attachment of the
35 rod 52 to said bail. The same bearing screw 64 that serves as the pivot for the said feed pawl may be employed for pivotally mounting the rod 52 on said bail.
The terms and expressions which I have em-
40 ployed are used as terms of description and not of limitation and I have no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof but recognize that various modi-
45 fications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.
I claim:
1. In combination means for printing upon a record strip means operable in each cycle of
50 operation of said printing means a continuously running motor and mechanical means controlled by the second mentioned means for causing said motor to feed said strip following a printing operation a distance sufficient to bring the char-
55 acter last printed into the field of vision during a time of greater than a given duration wherein no subsequent printing operation occurs.
2. In combination means for printing upon a record strip a continuously running motor means
50 operable from and to normal position in each cycle of operation of said printing means means for feeding said record strip and mechanical means for causing said motor to operate said feeding means in response to operation of the
80 85 90 95
4
of said member beyond a predetermined extent.
9. In combination means for printing upon a record strip means for feeding said record strip means constantly tending to operate said feeding
5 means a member shiftable into and out of operative relation to said feeding means and means correlated- with said printing means for control-ling said member and a stop element so related to said member as to be engaged thereby after
10 movement thereof with said feeding means through a predetermined extent.
10. In combination means for printing upon a record strip means for feeding said record strip means constantly tending to operate said feeding
15 means an element operatively connectable to said feeding means means correlated with said printing means for establishing operative relation between said element and said feeding means at the end of a printing cycle and means con-
20 trolled by said element for blocking operation of said feeding means beyond a predetermined ex-tent while said element is in operative relation to said feeding means.
11. In combination means for printing upon
25 a record strip means for feeding said record strip a member driven by said feeding means an element connectable to said member means correlated with said printing means for connecting said element with said member at the end of a print-
30 ing cycle a projection carried by said element a stop member engageable by said projection upon operation of said element a predetermined extent by the first mentioned member for blocking operation of said feeding means and spring means
35 for returning said projection into a predetermined spaced relation from said stop member upon disengagement of said element from the first mentioned member.
12. In combination means for printing upon
40 a record strip means for feeding said record strip means constantly tending to operate said feeding means a member driven by said feeding means a shaft connectable to said member a projection rotatable with said shaft a stop en-
45 gaged by said projection upon rotation of said shaft by said member through a predetermined extent means correlated with said printing means for connecting said shaft to said member and spring means connected to said shaft for rotating
50 the latter to bring said projection into a predetermined relation to said stop when said shaft is disconnected from said member.
13. In combination means for printing upon a record strip means for feeding said record strip
b5 means constantly tending to operate said feeding means a rotatable shaft connectable to said feeding means means correlated with said printing means for disconnecting said shaft from said feeding means at the beginning of a printing cycle
means at the end of said cycle a projection movable concurrently with rotation of said shaft a stop engageable by said projection for blocking rotation of said shaft by said feeding means and means responsive to disconnection of said shaft 80 from said feeding means for rotating said shaft in the direction opposite to that in which it is rotated by said feeding means.
14. In combination a ticker for printing characters upon a record strip in successive cycles of 85 operation said ticker comprising an element reciprocable to and from normal position in each printing cycle and control means connected to said element for causing feeding of said strip continuously throughout a series of cycles sep- 90 arated by less than a predetermined time relation and for bringing the last printed character of the series into visible position immediately following printing thereof irrespective of the time of a succeeding cycle said control means compris- 95 ing a member shiftable by said element into and out of a position for actuation with said feeding means and a stop member disposed at a predetermined distance from the first mentioned member. 100
15. In combination a ticker for printing characters upon a record strip in successive cycles of operation said ticker comprising an element movable to and from normal position in each printing operation means for feeding said record strip 105 means constantly tending to operate said feeding means a member rotatable with said feeding means a shaft connected with said member when said element is in its normal position and disconnected from said member upon movement of 110 said element out of normal position a projection movable with said shaft a stop engaged by said projection upon rotation of said shaft in .one direction a predetermined extent by said feeding means for blocking further operation of said 115 feeding means and means for returning said projection into a predetermined relation to said stop upon disconnection of said shaft from said member.
16. In the combination defined by claim 15 120 means enabling the relation between the projection and stop to be varied to predetermine the extent of rotation of the shaft requisite to blocking of operation of the feeding means.
17. In combination means for printing upon a 125 record strip means for feeding said record strip an element movable in each cycle of operation of said printing means a slidable and rotatable member connected to said element means responsive to sliding movement of said member in one 130 direction for bringing said feeding means into action and means responsive to rotation of said member in a given direction for throwing said feeding means out of action.
80 and for connecting said shaft to said feeding JAMES A. SPENCER. 13S
65 140
70 145
75 1150.
DISCLAIMER
1 951 376.--James A. Spencer Teaneck N. J. RECORD STRIP FEEDING MEANS.
Patent dated November 20 1934. Disclaimer filed April 24 1937 by the assignee Trans-Lux Movie Ticker Corporation.
Hereby enters the following disclaimer as to claims 2 4 6 7 9 and 11 of said Letters Patent.
The invention set forth in claims 2 4 6 and 7 except when in the recited combination the means for feeding the record strip operate to feed it into the field of vision of an adjacent projecting apparatus and when the predetermined extent of the feed specified in the claims shall be of such predetermined extent at least as is necessary to bring the character last printed upon the record strip into the said field of vision;
The invention as set forth in claim 9 except when in the recited combination the shiftable member is rotatable and is shiftable into and out of rotative relation with the feeding means; and
The invention as set forth in claim 11 except when in the recited combination the member which is driven by the feeding means is a rotatable member and the element connectable to said member is a rotative element.
[Official Gazette May 25 1937.]