Advance mechanism

An advance mechanism for perforated materials for advancing the material through a path of light comprising:

• a support structure adapted to be in line with a source of light so that light passes through an aperture in the support;
• material support and advance means for directing the perforated material along the pathway into and out of alignment with the aperture;
• a pawl mechanism including spring means on the support adjacent the aperture and normally positioned in normal retracted position in alignment with a slot adjacent to the aperture in the support;
• drive means for cooperating with the material advance means and for biasing the spring and directing the pawl mechanism through the slot into engagement with a perforation in the material and then along the slot a predetermined distance to advance the material and then releasing the pawl mechanism permitting this spring to return the pawl to the retracted position out of the slot;
• return means responsive to release of the pawl mechanism and retraction of the pawl through the slot to return the pawl to normal retracted position;
• limit means positioned on the support and on the pawl mechanism to restrict the distance of movement of the pawl mechanism along the length of the slot;
• the limit means including at least one enlarged receiving surface on the support and a corresponding enlarged bearing surface on the pawl mechanism whereby movement of the pawl mechanism along the slot a predetermined distance will bring the enlarged bearing surfaces into engagement and stop further movement of the advance mechanism with respect to the slot and with the engagement between the enlarged surfaces distributing the force applied in limiting the movement of the pawl mechanism;
• the pawl mechanism including an elongated leaf spring mounted on the support and having a downwardly extending pawl intermediate its ends in alignment with and in position for extension through the slot in the support;
• a drive projection extending from the side of the elongated leaf spring opposite to the pawl and in position for engagement by a portion of the drive means;
• the elongated leaf spring being slideably positioned on the support so that engagement of the drive means with the drive projection and application of a force thereto will bias the leaf spring until the pawl extends through the slot into engagement with a perforation in the perforated material and then the leaf spring will be slideably moved by the drive means and the perforated material accordingly advanced, and when the drive means is disengaged from the leaf spring, the leaf spring will return to its initial configuration with the pawl disengaged from the perforated material and withdrawn through the slot in the support whereupon the return means can return the leaf spring to the normal retracted position;
• the drive means including a cylinder rotatably mounted on the support and adapted to be connected to a drive source;
• the cylinder including at least one helical aperture therein in alignment with the aperture in the support and in position for location between a light source and the aperture;
• at least one drive cam extending from the outer cylindrical surface of the cylindrical member and in alignment with the drive projection on the surface of the leaf spring, whereupon the actuation of the drive means to rotate the cylindrical member will bring the cam into engagement with the drive projection and initially deflect the leaf spring member downward to engage with the perforated material and than continued rotation of the cylindrical member will slide the leaf spring with respect to the slot thereby advancing the perforated member until continued rotation of the cylindrical member brings the drive cam out of engagement with the leaf spring member.

An advance mechanism for perforated materials for advancing the material through a path of light comprising:

• a support structure adapted to be in line with a source of light so that light passes through an aperture in the support;
• material support and advance means for directing the perforated material along the pathway into and out of alignment with the aperture;
• a pawl mechanism including spring means on the support adjacent the aperture and normally positioned in normal retracted position in alignment with a slot adjacent to the aperture in the support;
• drive means for cooperating with the material advance means and for biasing the spring and directing the pawl mechanism through the slot into engagement with a perforation in the material and then along the slot a predetermined distance to advance the material and then releasing the pawl mechanism permitting this spring to return the pawl to the retracted position out of the slot;
• return means responsive to release of the pawl mechanism and retraction of the pawl through the slot to return the pawl to normal retracted position;
• limit means positioned on the support and on the pawl mechanism to restrict the distance of movement of the pawl mechanism along the length of the slot;
• the limit means including at least one enlarged receiving surface on the support and a corresponding enlarged bearing surface on the pawl mechanism whereby movement of the pawl mechanism along the slot a predetermined distance will bring the enlarged bearing surfaces into engagement and stop further movement of the advance mechanism with respect to the slot and with the engagement between the enlarged surfaces distributing the force applied in limiting the movement of the pawl mechanism;
• the pawl mechanism including an elongated leaf spring mounted on the support and having a downwardly extending pawl intermediate its ends in alignment with and in position for extension through the slot in the support;
• a drive projection extending from the side of the elongated leaf spring opposite to the pawl and in position for engagement by a portion of the drive means;
• the elongated leaf spring being slideably positioned on the support so that engagement of the drive means with the drive projection and application of a force thereto will bias the leaf spring until the pawl extends through the slot into engagement with a perforation in the perforated material and then the leaf spring will be slideably moved by the drive means and the perforated material accordingly advanced, and when the drive means is disengaged from the leaf spring, the leaf spring will return to its initial configuration with the pawl disengaged from the perforated material and withdrawn through the slot in the support whereupon the return means can return the leaf spring to the normal retracted position;
• the drive means including a cylinder rotatably mounted on the support and adapted to be connected to a drive source;
• the cylinder including at least one helical aperture therein in alignment with the aperture in the support and in position for location between a light source and the aperture;
• at least one drive cam extending from the outer cylindrical surface of the cylindrical member and in alignment with the drive projection on the surface of the leaf spring, whereupon the actuation of the drive means to rotate the cylindrical member will bring the cam into engagement with the drive projection and initially deflect the leaf spring member downward to engage with the perforated material and than continued rotation of the cylindrical member will slide the leaf spring with respect to the slot thereby advancing the perforated member until continued rotation of the cylindrical member brings the drive cam out of engagement with the leaf spring member;
• the drive means including the cylinder being hollow and having a cross bar on the interior surface thereof intermediate the ends;
• the cross bar adapted to receive one end of a coupling and the other end of the coupling adapted to be connected to the drive shaft of a motor and to prevent relative rotation of the cylinder with respect to the shaft of the motor and thereby prevent slippage between the cylinder and the drive shaft of the motor;
• the coupling including an end plug having a slot at one end for interengagement with the cross arm in the cylinder and having a cylindrical prong of smaller diameter extending from the other end;
• a helical spring having one end mounted on the prong;
• a cover tube over the helical spring and the other end over the helical spring adapted to receive the end of a shaft of the motor therein and engage therewith so as to restrict relative rotation between the shaft of the motor and the cylinder.

An advance mechanism for perforated materials for advancing the material through a path of light comprising:

• a support structure adapted to be in line with a source of light so that light passes through an aperture in the support;
• material support and advance means for directing the perforated material along the pathway into and out of alignment with the aperture;
• a pawl mechanism including spring means on the support adjacent to the aperture and normally positioned in a normally retracted position in alignment with a slot adjacent to the aperture in the support;
• drive means for cooperating with the material advance means and for biasing the spring and directing the pawl mechanism through the slot into engagement with a perforation in the material and then along the slot a predetermined distance to advance the material and then releasing the pawl mechanism permitting this spring to return the pawl to the retracted position out of the slot;
• return means responsive to release of the pawl mechanism and retraction of the pawl through the slot to return the pawl to a normally retracted position;
• limit means positioned on the support and on the pawl mechanism to restrict the distance of movement of the pawl mechanism along the length of the slot;
• the drive means including a rotatable drive cylinder on the support and having means thereon to receive one end of a coupling and the other end of the coupling adapted to be connected directly to the drive shaft of a motor and to prevent relative rotation of the cylinder with respect to the shaft of the motor and thereby prevent slippage between the cylinder and the drive shaft of the motor;
• the coupling including an end plug having a slot at one end for interengagement with a corresponding surface in the cylinder and having a cylindrical prong of a smaller diameter extending from the other end;
• a helical spring having one end mounted on the prong;
• a cover tube over the helical spring and the other end over the helical spring adapted to receive the end of the shaft of the motor therein and engage therewith so as to restrict relative rotation between the shaft of the motor and the cylinder.

An advance mechanism for perforated materials for advancing the material through a path of light comprising:

• a support structure adapted to be in line with a source of light so that light passes through an aperture in the support;
• material support and advance means for directing the perforated material along the pathway into and out of alignment with the aperture;
• a pawl mechanism including spring means on the support adjacent the aperture and normally positioned in a normal retracted position in alignment with a slot adjacent to the aperture in the support;
• drive means for cooperating with the material advance means and for biasing the spring and directing the pawl mechanism through the slot into engagement with a perforation in the material and then along the slot a predetermined distance to advance the material and then releasing the pawl mechanism permitting this spring to return the pawl to the retracted position out of the slot;
• return means responsive to release of the pawl mechanism and retraction of the pawl through the slot to return the pawl to normal retracted position;
• limit means positioned on the support and on the pawl mechanism to restrict the distance of movement of the pawl mechanism along the length of the slot;
• the drive means including a rotatable drive cylinder on the support and having means thereon to receive one end of a coupling and the other end of the coupling adapted to be connected directly to the drive shaft of a motor and to prevent relative rotation of the cylinder with respect to the shaft of the motor and thereby prevent slippage between the cylinder and the drive shaft of the motor;
• and
• the coupling being a member of material of limited flexability with surfaces at one end for engagement with the cylinder to prevent relative rotation therebetween and at the other end for engagement with a motor shaft to prevent relative rotation therebetween so as to couple the cylinder with the motor shaft and prevent relative rotation between the cylinder, the coupling and the motor shaft while permitting compensation for misalignment.