Format control tape cartridge and mounting assembly therefore

Claim 2

Apparatus for advancing material through a work area according to information on a selective endless control tape comprising, in combination: a housing forming a protective enclosure for a control tape introduced thereinto and including a sprocket wheel therein for drivingly engaging a portion of such an introduced tape, said housing having a first aperture in one wall through which a projection of the rotative axis of the sprocket wheel extends and a second aperture in said wall thereof intersecting a section of the path of travel of an endless control tape drivingly enGaged by the sprocket wheel, means for loosely supporting the sprocket wheel for limited bodily movement within the housing and with the axis of the sprocket wheel in alignment with said first aperture, a mounting plate assembly for the housing having means detachably securing the housing thereto with the apertured wall thereof in close proximity to the mounting assembly and means for disconnectibly coupling the sprocket wheel to a rotative power shaft acting through said first aperture and further means dimensioned to enter the second aperture and read the control tape drivingly engaged by the sprocket wheel, and said disconnectibly coupling means including means for keying the sprocket wheel to the power shaft for joint rotation therewith and further means for releasably holding the sprocket wheel against axial movement when keyed to the shaft.

Claim 3

The invention defined in claim 1 characterized in that said first aperture is circular in formation and in that the sprocket wheel has a hub extension slightly undersize the first aperture for providing a loose fit therein.

Claim 4

The invention defined in claim 2 characterized in that the housing has oppositely disposed front and rear walls of which said one wall is the rear wall, that the front wall is similarly provided with a circular aperture coaxial with the first mentioned aperture of the rear wall, and that the sprocket wheel has a second hub extension slightly undersize the aperture in the front wall and providing a loose fit of the second hub extension therein.

Claim 5

The invention defined in claim 3 characterized in that said mounting plate assembly includes at least one protruding aligning pin extending parallel to the driving shaft and slidably fitting a hole in the housing.

Claim 6

The invention defined in claim 3 characterized in that the mounting plate assembly further includes a provision for adjusting the position of the tape reading device relative to the plate of the assembly and while the housing is detachably secured thereto.

Claim 7

Apparatus for advancing an elongated paper web or the like through a printing machine to receive printing impressions thereon including, in combination: a cartridge forming a protective enclosure for a control tape introduced thereinto and including a sprocket wheel journallingly supported in the interior thereof for drivingly engaging a portion of such an introduced control tape, said cartridge having a rear wall provided with a first aperture thereof registering with the rotative axis of the sprocket wheel and further provided with a second aperture in said wall thereof aligning with a section of the path of travel of the control tape drivingly engaged by the sprocket wheel, a supporting plate having means detachably mounting the cartridge thereon with the apertured rear wall thereof in substantially abutting relationship to the plate, a driving shaft projecting from the plate and entering said first aperture and drivingly engaging the sprocket wheel, a tape reading assembly projecting from the plate and entering said second aperture for reading the control tape drivingly engaged by the sprocket wheel, and said cartridge having a front wall oppositely disposed with respect to the rear wall, said front wall being provided with an aperture coaxial with said first mentioned aperture of the rear wall, and said sprocket wheel having oppositely extending hubs slightly undersize said coaxially aligned apertures and loosely fitting the same.

Claim 8

Apparatus for advancing an elongated paper web or the like through a printing machine to receive printing impressions thereon including, in combination: a cartridge forming a protective enclosure for a control tape introduced thereinto and including a sprocket wheel journallingly supported in the interior thereof for drivingly engaging a portion of such an introduced control tape, said cartridge having a rear wall provided with a first aperture thereof registering with the rotative axis of the sprocket wheel and further provided with a second aperture in said wall thereof aligning with a section of the path of travel of the control tape drivingly engaged by the sprocket wheel, a supporting plate having means detachably mounting the cartridge thereon with the apertured rear wall thereof in substantially abutting relationship to the plate, a driving shaft projecting from the plate and entering said first aperture and drivingly engaging the sprocket wheel, a tape reading assembly projecting from the plate and entering said second aperture for reading the control tape drivingly engaged by the sprocket wheel, and said cartridge having a front wall oppositely disposed with respect to the rear wall, said front wall being provided with an aperture coaxial with said first mentioned aperture of the rear wall, and said sprocket wheel having oppositely extending hubs slightly undersize said coaxially aligned apertures and loosely fitting the same.

Claim 9

The apparatus defined in claim 6 characterized in that the sprocket wheel is provided with an axial bore which is shaped to slidably receive the end of the driving shaft and releasably lock the sprocket wheel to the shaft for joint rotation.

Claim 10

The apparatus defined in claim 7 characterized in that the end of the driving shaft is provided with resilient means for releasably retaining the sprocket wheel thereon against axial movement.

Claim 11

Appparatus for advancing an elongated paper web or thE like through a printing machine to receive printing impressions thereon and whose movement is controlled by a selected endless control tape which comprises, in combination: a supporting plate adapted to form part of the printing machine and protruding outwardly therefrom are a driving shaft and a tape reading assembly, a cartridge having a front, a rear and connecting side walls and forming a protective enclosure for an endless control tape introduced thereinto, said cartridge enclosing a sprocket wheel therewithin for toothedly engaging a portion of such an introduced tape for driving the same and further having a first aperture in the rear wall thereof registering with the rotative axis of the sprocket wheel and a second aperture in the rear wall registering with a section of the path of travel of the tape drivingly engaged by the sprocket wheel, means for detachably securing the cartridge to the supporting plate with the rear wall thereof substantially abutting the plate and so that the protruding driving shaft extends through the first aperture for driving connection to the sprocket wheel and so that the protruding reading assembly extends through the second aperture to read the tape drivingly engaged by the sprocket wheel, and said front wall of the cartridge also being provided with an aperture registering with said first aperture in the rear wall of the cartridge, and said sprocket wheel being provided with oppositely extending hubs entering the two registering apertures and dimensioned so as to have a loose fit therein.

Claim 12

Appparatus for advancing an elongated paper web or thE like through a printing machine to receive printing impressions thereon and whose movement is controlled by a selected endless control tape which comprises, in combination: a supporting plate adapted to form part of the printing machine and protruding outwardly therefrom are a driving shaft and a tape reading assembly, a cartridge having a front, a rear and connecting side walls and forming a protective enclosure for an endless control tape introduced thereinto, said cartridge enclosing a sprocket wheel therewithin for toothedly engaging a portion of such an introduced tape for driving the same and further having a first aperture in the rear wall thereof registering with the rotative axis of the sprocket wheel and a second aperture in the rear wall registering with a section of the path of travel of the tape drivingly engaged by the sprocket wheel, means for detachably securing the cartridge to the supporting plate with the rear wall thereof substantially abutting the plate and so that the protruding driving shaft extends through the first aperture for driving connection to the sprocket wheel and so that the protruding reading assembly extends through the second aperture to read the tape drivingly engaged by the sprocket wheel, and said front wall of the cartridge also being provided with an aperture registering with said first aperture in the rear wall of the cartridge, and said sprocket wheel being provided with oppositely extending hubs entering the two registering apertures and dimensioned so as to have a loose fit therein.

Claim 13

The apparatus defined in claim 9 characterized in that means is provided for adjusting the protruding tape reading assembly relative to the supporting plate and in the direction parallel to the path of travel of that section of the tape which it reads.

Claim 16

The device defined in claim 11 characterized in that the driving connection for disconnectibly coupling the sprocket wheel to a source of rotative power is constituted by a drive shaft of polygonal cross-section which slidably fits into a similarly cross-sectioned bore in the sprocket wheel and includes resilient means for releasably retaining the sprocket wheel on the shaft.