Means for maintaining manifold forms in registration

Jan. 30, 1940. j. _{B FuLK} 2,188,347

MEANS FOR MAINTAINING MANIFOLD FORMS IN REGISTRATION

Filed Dec. 22, 1937

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Patentee! Jan. 30_s 1940

2,188,347

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,188,347 MEANS FOR MAINTAINING MANIFOLD FORMS IN REGISTRATION James B. Fulk, Norwalk, Ohio

Application December 22, 1937, Serial No. 181,064 , 4 Claims. (Cl. 197—133)

This invention relates to the apparatus for maintaining a plurality of forms in registration during their passage through a typewriting machine. The forms, as filled in on the machine, δ are intended to be separated for filing in different places, but for economy of manufacture, an effort has been made to supply them in. long continuous strips which are fed progressively into the typewriting machine and are then severed 10 at the completion of the writing operation.

Where the strips are used in connection with a flat bed writing machine, strips of transfer material may be interleaved between the form strips, and for this purpose, suitable rolls are 15 disposed on opposite sides of the machine, one of which comprises a supply roll and the other, a take-up roll. In this way, the forms, after the completion of the writing operation, may be severed and immediately allocated to their respec20 tive destinations. Inasmuch as the forms are disconnected at their edges, the practice of maintaining the strips in registration has been to utilize spaced openings in the strips with a retractable device which includes pins that enter 25 the openings and thus align the forms immediately prior to their entrance into the machine. This device, however, has necessitated careful manipulation of the forms by the operator and accordingly has slowed up the operation of the 30 machine and in addition has complicated the manipulation of the strips through the machine.

An object of my invention is to provide an apparatus by means of which long continuous forms may be accurately maintained in registra35 tion during their passage through the machine, and by means of which the forms may be handled in shipment without endangering the registration of them.

Referring now to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a top 40 plan view of a machine through which forms made in accordance with my invention are being fed: Fig. 2 is a perspective view of part of the mechanism, and Fig. 3 is a section taken on the plane indicated by the line 3—3 in Fig. 2, and Fig. 45 4 is an end view of a modified arrangement of forms.

The apparatus which I have devised for maintaining the forms in registration is adapted for use on various types of writing machines' al50 though I have illustrated it in connection with a flat bed machine which is indicated in general at 10. This machine has an extension 11 at the rear thereof which carries a table 12, tensioning rods 13 and a guide roll 14. The forms which are indicated in general at 15 are fed to the machine in long continuous strips preferably passing over the guide roll 14, thence between the tensioning bars 13, along the table 12, and thence under the writing machine, emerging finally from beneath a cut-off bar indicated at 16.

The forms as filled out on the typewriting machine are intended to be individual sheets which may be separately filed for reference purposes. They are supplied however according to my invention in long continuous strips which are 10 secured together, preferably by adhesive along a narrow strip 20 adjacent one of the longitudinal edges. A weakening line 21 extends along each strip and all of the weakening lines 21 are in registration so that all may be simultaneously 16 severed, thus enabling the connected portions of the forms to be removed whenever desired.

One form of removal is illustrated in Fig. 1 as occurring prior to the entrance of the forms beneath the writing machine, the removal being 20 accomplished by means of a cutter 25, which is fastened to the table 12. In this embodiment, the strip 20 is progressively severed as the forms are pulled through the machine by the operator. Suitable guide plates 26 and 27 are mounted on 25 the table and are adjustable laterally with respect thereto, as at 28 and 29 respectively, to guide the forms in their proper direction through the machine. The adjustable feature of the guide plates facilitates the use of forms of different SO width in the machine.

The guide plate 26 presents a uniformly flat surface to the forms, but the guide plate 27 has the outer corner 30 inclined downwardly so as to facilitate automatic removal of the strip 20 35 by the cutter. In this way, the severed strip may be collected as waste material in advance of the movement of the forms into the machine.

The forms with which I have illustrated my invention do not have the carbon strips inter- 40 posed between them, for the reason that the machine of Fig. 1 has provision for interposing transfer material between the manifold forms. This may be accomplished by means of a supply roll 35 which is positioned on one side of the 45 machine and a take-up roll 36 which is mounted on the opposite side of the machine. Strips of transfer material 37 may be thus threaded between the manifold forms in the usual way. If desired, however, transfer strips may be inter- 50 posed between the manifold forms in which case they are attached to the form strips along the removal portion 20.

In Fig. 4, for example, I have shown a pack of forms having interposed transfer strips in which 55

2,188,347 the forms are designated 40 and the transfer strips are designated 41. In this arrangement, the transfer strips may be narrower than the forms so as to leave a small margin at one edge 5 by means of which the transfer strips may be readily removed at the completion of the typing operation.

At; advantage of my invention is the fact that the forms may be kept in registration while they 10 are being transported to the place of use, and that they may be kept in registration while they are passing through the machine. The desired result may thus be readily accomplished without necessitating equipment that must register 15 with perforations in the sheets and that must have provision for manipulation to permit advancement of the sheets quickly through the machine.

My invention therefore may be readily adapted 20 for use on all kinds of writing machines without requiring expensive attachments which must be modified in accordance with the structural characteristics of each writing machine.