Automatic feeding printing mechanism for time card
United States Patent [191 Sato [ AUTOMATIC FEEDING PRINTING MECHANISM FOR TIME CARD [75] Inventor: Reiji Sato, Yokohama, Japan [73] Assignee: Amano Corporation, Yokohama,  
 Japan [22] Filed: Dec. 28, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 429,405  
 [52] US. Cl 346/82; 346/87 [51] Int. Cl G076 1/06 [58] Field of Search 346/82, 83, 86, I34  
 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,286,902 6/1942 Deane et al 346/86 Apr. 15, 1975 Davis et al. 346/134 X Coliz et al 346/86 Primary E.raminer.ioseph W. Hartary Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Han&#39;s Berman [57] ABSTRACT A recording time clock in which a partly inserted time card strikes a microswitch starting an automatic cycle in which the card is moved inward by a driven roll into a printing position and automatically returned to the initial position. The printing position is shifted stepwise by a timing device.  
 4 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures PATENTED 1 9 5 SHUZI 1 IF 5 AUTOMATIC FEEDING PRINTING .\IECI-IANISI\I FOR TIME CARD BACKGROUND OF THE IN\&#39;ENTI()N This invention relates to recording time clocks. and particularly to a card feeding mechanism for a recording time clock.  
  lnconventional time clocks. time cards are inserted manually into a printing position. whereby a printing mechanism is actuated. Manual insertion may cause inaccurate positioning of the card. the card may have to be inserted deeply in the recorder if III&#39;IIIII&#39;IPIIIII is to be made on a top portion ofthe card. and the imprint may be blurred if the card is withdrawn prematurely while the imprint is being made.  
  It is an object ofthis invention to overcome these and other shortcomings of known recording time clocks. It is a more specific object to provide a recording time clock in which a time card need be inserted by hand only partly. the card thereafter being fed automatically to the proper printing position and thereafter returned to a position from which it may be withdrawn by hand.  
 &#39;SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention. in its more specific aspects. resides in a card processing mechanism for a recording time clock in which a guide channel is provided with a drive mechanism for moving a time card partly inserted into the channel inward and outward of the channel. A first actuating element in the channel responds to engagement by the partly inserted card for actuating the drive mechanism and for thereby moving the card inward of the channel. A reversing arrangement responds to disengagement of the card from the first actuating element during the inward card movement for reversing the drive mechanism and for thereby moving the card outward of the channel. A second actuating element in the channel is spaced from the first element in the direction of inward card movement for engagement by the card during its inward movement and for disengagement from the card during its outward movement. The second actuating element responds to being disengaged from the outwardly moving card by actuating a printing mechanism which produces an imprint on a portion of the card in the guide channel.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 shows a recording clock provided with a mechanism according to the invention in a perspective view:  
  FIG. 2 shows the mechanism in the recorder of FIG. I in front elevation;  
  FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the mechanism of FIG. 2 in rear elevation and side elevation respectively:  
  FIG. 5 shows elements of the same mechanism and associated devices in a perspective view:  
  FIG. 6 shows a portion of a timing device in the recorder of FIG. 1 in front elevation:  
  FIG. 7A illustrates the device of FIG. 6 in sideelevational section:  
  FIG. 7B shows another portion of the timing device in side elevation;  
 FIG. 7C is a schematic of the timing device:  
  FIG. 8 is an electric .circuit diagram of the mechanism of FIGS. 1 to 5: and  
 FIG. 9 is a timing chart of the circuit of FIG. 8.  
 housing R from a horizontal rod I and may be shifted along the rod 1&#39; by a non-illustrated cam arrangement in daily steps. and returned to the starting position once a week.  
  The narrow channel in the sheat l is dimensioned to receive a time card A whose bottom portion is provided with perforations A. The space above the perforations is divided into seven columns corresponding to the days of the week and into sixteen lines. the spacing of the columns corresponding to the steps in the movement of the sheath 1 on the rod 1.  
  A large opening la through the sheath 1 exposes a time card introduced into the duct of the sheath through the funnel 2. Two microswitches MSu and MS]; are arranged on an outer face of the sheath near the lower end of the opening Ia. and their respective actuating members 3. 6 extend into the channel of the sheath for sequential engagement by an inserted time card A. As will be described later in more detail. the microswitches control an electric motor 4 mounted on the sheath and connected to a driven roll 5 by speed reducing gearing 4a. The roll 5 projects into the channel of the sheath 1 for engagement with a time card backed by a pressure roll 5a mounted on the opposite face of the sheath 1.  
  A slide 7 is mounted on the sheath 1 by means oftwo upright guide rods 8. The slide carries yet another microswitch MSc whose actuating member 9 projects into the channel of the sheath 1 through an upright slot 9a.  
  The slide 7 also carries an upright rack 10 attached to the slide by a fitting 10a. The rack meshes with sixteen axially elongated teeth arranged on the circumference of a drum II which also has a toothless portion 11&#39;. The drum 1] is fixedly mounted on a shaft Ila.  
  The microswitch MSc energizes the non-illustrated magnet which causes a hammer 12 to strike a card exposed in the opening la and cooperating with a printing wheel 14 backing the card through the opening Ia from the opposite side of the sheath 1.  
  A safety bar 13 at the bottom of the sheath 1 prevents an inserted card A from dropping out of range of the drive roll 5. Sensing devices 15 near the lower end of the sheath 1 read the perforations in an inserted card to a non-illustrated computer. A plate 16 of spring metal partly covers the opening In to assist in guiding a time card A manually inserted into the sheath 1.  
  As is shown in FIG. 5. the shaft lla rotatably supports the two legs of a U-shaped support 17. The armature of a solenoid 18 is hingedly fastened to the support 17 by a link 17a. A pawl 19 is pivotally mounted between-the legs of the support 17 on a shaft 20 and biased by a spring 200 toward engagement with a ratchet wheel 21 fixedly mounted on the shaft llu. A spring 22 yieldably maintains the illustrated angular position of the support 17 on the shaft Ila. When the solenoid 18 is energized. the pawl 19 is shifted by one tooth on the ratchet wheel 21. and the spring 22 moves the pawl back to the illustrated position. and thereby turns the wheel 21 by one tooth spacing. when the solenoid is deenergized. The rack 10 is raised in corresponding steps of one tooth by the drum 11, and the microswitch MSc moves with the rack 10. until th&#39;e&#39; rack is returned to its lowermost position by gravity when the r&#39;ack&#39; l is faced by the toothless portion 11&#39; of the drum.  
  The timing device which energizes the solenoid is shown in FIGS. 6. 7A. 7B. and 7C and includes a relatively large wheel 23 mounted in the housing R on a shaft 24 in a manner not explicitly shown. The shaft 24 is turned one revolution per day by the clock mechanism in the housing R partly shown in FIG. 1. Axial openings 23a uniformly spaced along a circle in the periphery of the wheel 23 mayreceive pins 25 for engaging the actuating member 26a of a stationary microswitch 26 during rotation of the wheel 23. the spacing of the openings 23:: corresponding to an interval of five minutes between successive engagements of the member 26a. The shaft 24 is journaledin a support 27 to which the microswitch 26 is fastened by a bracket 27a.  
  A radial cam 28 whose face carries twelve radial projections 28a in uniformly spaced relationship is fixedly mounted on a shaft 29 which also carries the printing wheel l4 and :revolves once per hour. The projections 28a actuate a microswitch 30 once every minutes for one minutc.  
  The normally open switches 26 and 30 are series connected in the energizing circuit of the solenoid 18. The switch 30 is closed by each pin for approximately three minutes. and the switch selects a precisely timed one-minute period out of the three minutes during which the switch 26 is closed. For handling the cards A which have sixteen lines. sixteen pins 25 are inserted in openings 23a for energizing the solenoid 18 at lo convenient times each day.  
  When&#39;a card A is inserted into the time clock. it sequentially strikes the actuating members 3. 6 of the microswitches MSu. MSb. whereby the motor 4 is energized.and the driven roll 5 pulls the card A into the sheath l. After the card strikes the actuating member MSc and reaches its lowermost position. in which it releases the actuating member 3. the motor 4 is reversed and the hammer 12 is driven against the line of the card appearing in the opening lu whereby an imprint is formed on the card. the line receiving the imprint being determined by the position of the microswitch M50 and of the slide 7.  
  The circuitry bringing about this mode of operation is shown in FIG. 8, and its working is further illustrated by the timing chart of FIG. 9.  
  When the microswitch MSu is shifted from the illustrated rest position by a time card A entering the sheath Lit energizes a relay AR which closes its three. normally open contacts ARs including a holding contact. One of these contacts is located in the energizing circuit of the motor 4, and the motor is started at time T in a direction further to pull the card into the sheath 1 by means of the roll 5. lmmediately thereafter. at time 1,. the microswitch MS!) is closed to prepare a relay CR for operation. When the descending card A closes the microswiteh MSz&#39; at the time 1 the relay CR is energized and closes its two contacts (Rs of which one is a holding contact in series arrangement with the switch M512. and the other prepares the motor 4 for reversal of its direction.  
  When the card A reaches its lowest position in the sheath 1, its trailing edge releases the actuating element 3 of the switch M511. and the switch reverts to its rest position at time I thereby energizing the relay BR which shifts its contacts BRs. including a holding contact. thereby reversing the motor 4. One of the contacts BRs prepares a relay DR for operation.  
  After the upwardly moving card A again engages the actuating member 3 of the switch MSa and thereafter releases the actuating member 9 of the switch MSC at the time 1 the relay DR is energized to close the circuit of the non-illustrated actuator of the printing hammer [2.  
  As the upwardly moving card is released from the driven roll 5. it clears the actuating member 6 of the switch MSh at time 1 whereby the relay CR is deenergized. and the motor 4 is stopped.  
  However. the switch MSu keeps the relays AR. BR. and DR energized as long as the card A is not pulled entirely from the sheath 1. If the card. instead of being pulled out after completion of its printing cycle. should be pushed in again to close the switch MSh. the motor 4 cannot be started. A new cycle can only begin after the printed card is withdrawn at time T&#39;. whereby the actuating member 3 of the switch MSu is released. and the relays AR. BR and DR are deenergized.  
 What is claimed is: y  
  l. A card processing mechanism for a recording time clock comprising:  
 a. means defining a guide channel:  
 b. drive means in said channel for moving a time card partly inserted into said channel inward and outward of said channel:  
 c. first actuating means in said channel responsive to engagement by said partly inserted card for actuating said drive means and for thereby moving said card inward of said channel; i  
 d. reversing means responsive to disengagement of said card from said first actuating means during said inward moving for reversing said drive means and for thereby moving said card outward of said channel:  
 e. printing means for producing an imprint on a portion of said card in said channel;  
 f. second actuating means in said channel and spaced from said first actuating means in the direction of said inward moving for engagement by said card during said inward moving and for being disengaged from said card during said outward moving.  
 3. A mechanism as set forth in claim 2. wherein said.  
 means defining a guide channel include a channel member. and said first and second actuating means include respective engagement members. the engagement member of said first actuating means being secured on said channel member against movement in the direction of said inward and outward moving of said card.  
  4. A mechanism as set forth in claim 2. wherein said means defining a guide channel include a channel member. and said first actuating means include an engagement member secured on said channel member against movement in the direction of said inward and outward moving of said card. said reversing means responding to disengagement of said&#39;card from the engagement member of said first actuating means for reversing said drive means. whereby the length of said inward movement is independent of the shifting of said second actuating means.