GB1098433A - Apparatus for printing a recorded message - Google Patents

Abstract

1,098,433. Printing from tapes. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION. May 28, 1965 [June 25, 1964], No. 22664/65. Heading G4H. In the apparatus described, information from one of two tapes may be automatically printed or transferred to the second tape with simultaneous printing, the line length on the printer being selectable, and information typed on the printer may be entered onto either of the tapes. Recording on to a tape.-A mode selector knob 29 on the tape unit 1 (Fig. 3, not shown, Fig. 49) is set to indicate recording on the right or left tape, lights (24, 25 or 20, 22 Fig. 3, not shown) being lit when the tape is loaded and ready. When a character is typed on keyboard 5, selected ones of contacts (68, 69, Fig. 5, not shown) are operated which results in some of the thyratrons 150-156 being conditioned to energize the appropriate relays R37-59. Clock pulses from pulse emitter 90 are gated by the relay contacts so that a magnetic emitter selection unit 211 sends pulses to a magnetic head reciprocating transversely over the tape synchronously with the clock pulses. The tape is advanced one step for each complete stroke of the head. Characters from the tape unit control panel 4 similarly condition the thyratrons. After recording, the parity of the bits on the tape is scanned, a thyratron being set to light lamps (21, 23, Fig. 3, not shown) if an error is detected. Search for information.-A search is initiated either by a search code on the tape or by depression of a search key to look for the portion of the tape indicated in a box (28, Fig. 3, not shown) and set up on switches (2, 3, Fig. 42, not shown). The state of the switches is compared with the count in counter network 207, output on one of three leads indicating that the counter is ahead of the required position, in the correct position or registering less than the required number. Each block of information on the tape is preceded by a reference code used for high speed searching, a sequence identifier recognizing a block of search codes in the reference code as the tape is scanned. Printing from the tape.-The mode selector knob 29 is moved to its playback position for the appropriate tape so that pulses from the magnetic head are read by a trigger 226 and under the control of clock pulses gating " AND " circuit 228 are passed to energize appropriate ones of relays 37-59 and hence control magnets (70, 71, Fig. 5, not shown) to operate the printer. As before, the parity of the bits of the printed character is checked. Correcting information.-To correct a misspelt word, a knob 26 is moved first to its line position to stop the tape at the beginning of the line in which amendment is necessary and then to its word position. When the relevant word is reached, the knob 26 is put into its character position so that the tape stops after printing each character and at the point needing correction the equipment is put into its Record position, the rest of the line being typed correctly, manually. Transfer from first tape to second tape.-With the knob 29 in its " transfer type " position, transfer of information with simultaneously printing is effected, the bits being fed to a delay trigger in addition to trigger 226 to control a driver 182 of the second tape. Information may be transferred from one tape to the other without alteration whilst the printing is carried out with altered margin positions. When the printer moves into its " end zone " i.e. the right hand margin region (indicated by the closure of a switch) a space code on the tape will result in the printer carrying out a " carriage return " operation. When the switch is not closed " carriage return " codes on the tape result in the printing of a space unless followed by a second (indicating a new paragraph for example). Hyphens in such words as " mother-in-law " are differentiated from hyphens splitting words at the end of a line by the latter being indicated on the tape by the code " Backspace, space hyphen." Hyphens of the latter type are ignored by the printer unless it is in its " end zone ". When extra longwords are encountered in the " end zone", a switch, closed when the extreme end of the right hand margin is reached, energizes a stop relay so that a hyphen may be manually inserted.