Abstract: A ribbon feed mechanism for the inked ribbon of a printing machine comprises two ribbon-carrying spools rotatably supported in a removable cartridge and two sensing levers which extend through a pair of apertures in the cartridge to sense the amount of inked ribbon on the spools. The sensing elements cooperate with corresponding latches for retaining a reversal member against the action of a reversal spring which biases the reversal member from a first position to a second position. The reversal member supports two freely rotatable pinions which are moved by the reversal member, as it moves into the first and second positions, into mesh respectively with corresponding spool gears coupled to the two spools and with two gears driven by a feed element in opposite directions. The spools are therefore alternately driven first in one direction and then the other direction respectively.

Abstract: An arrangement for transferring a ribbon from a feed spool to a take-up spool comprises a pair of electric motors each one connected to a corresponding spool for the rotation thereof. The motor connected to the take-up spool is supplied by a constant current generator so as to wind-up said ribbon with a minimum and substantially constant torque. The motor connected to the feed spool is supplied by a constant voltage generator so as to keep said ribbon constantly taut during the transferring thereof. A changeover device alternates the function of the two spools when the ribbon is fully wound on the take-up spool.

Abstract: An automatic passbook feeding device, suitable for an accounting machine, having a pair of parallel driving rollers rotating in synchronism a corresponding pair of pressure counter-rollers, for pressing the passbook against the driving rollers, and a movable stop adapted to assume selectively a first position for blocking the path of the passbook and a second working position for moving the passbook.

Abstract: An apparatus for lubricating the internal wall of moulds for blanks comprises a corona charger for charging electrically the lubricant which is then injected into the mould. This latter is maintained at an electric potential such as to attract the lubricant and cause it to be deposited on the inside walls of the mould.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for driving, stopping and line-spacing cards or separate forms, in an accounting machine. A plurality of rollers, actuated by a motor, moves the cards or the separate forms for a predetermined number of printing lines. A control unit selectively activates a coupling device for connecting the motor to the rollers. A counting device is connected to the rollers by a coupling commanded by the control unit.

Abstract: An improved device for fixing in position and covering original documents on the exposure plane of a reprographic machine which comprises a cover for fixing and covering the documents and an actuating arm for the cover, both movable between open and closed positions. The actuating arm is pivoted on the frame of the machine and is coupled by elastic means to the cover. The elastic means urges the cover towards its closed position and produces pressure by the cover on the original document when the arm is in its closed position. A latch mechanism is provided for holding the arm in its closed position and is releasable for allowing the arm and the cover to move from their closed to their open positions.

Abstract: An electrothermic printing unit for writing dot matrix characters on a printing line of a recording medium by means of an electrothermal printing head which is continuously movable along the printing line during the printing operation and having a column of resistive printing elements therein disposed transverse to the printing line and selectively electrically heatable in timed relation with the movement of the head characterized in that a thermosensitive inking element having a support of heat permeable material covered by a coating of material transferable for the combined action of head and pressure is interposed between the head and the recording medium, pressure means being provided for pressing said printing elements against said support and said coating against said recording medium during the movement of the head.

Abstract: A thermosensitive record medium comprising a base sheet coated with a thermosensitive mixture resulting by mixing together a crystal violet lactone and a phenolic compound in a binding and dispersing agent comprising at least 5% of nonionic cellulose ether. The use of this binder improves the stability of the mixture avoiding any unusual color reaction.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for debugging a utility program without material increase in the memory capacity required. Such apparatus performs the debugging functions by using only the input-output devices as the keyboard, the console, the display, the M.C. reader which normally equip the computer. Actuation of a correction key activates the debugging program and interrupts operation of the utility program. The debugging program may be stored in a reserved portion of a ROM, or transferred into a predetermined storage area from magnetic card storage. This area is predetermined not to hold information significant to resumption of the utility program under test. A search is then made of the utility program, e.g., by addresses of the individual instructions, for the erroneous instruction. Upon discovery thereof, a correct instruction is keyed in directly from the keyboard to replace the erroneous instruction.The debugging program records this correct instruction at the approriate addressed location in memory.

Abstract: Numerical control apparatus for a lathe which reads from an input medium data specifying the transverse and axial position of the cutting edge of a lathe tool with respect to the axis of the workpiece being machined, the cutting rate for the tool, and the rate of advance of the tool. The apparatus includes processing means responsive to the data for generating a continuous transverse position datum for the tool and computing means controlled by the cutting rate datum and the continuous transverse position datum for controlling the rotational speed of the mandrel of the lathe.

Abstract: A typing device comprises a character-bearing disc having a central part for being fixed on a selector shaft and a peripheral rim with a plurality of selectable flexible laminae. Each lamina carries a particular character and striking means flexes the selected lamina to strike against a typing point of a sheet carrying platen for typing. A positioning element, for angular positioning the characters with respect to the typing point, comprises a recess cooperating with a wedge-shaped profile of each one of the selected laminae when the character strikes on said platen. The laminae carry alphabetic and numerical characters and a gap on periphery of the disc enables the last typed characters of a typing line to be seen and read. Further a hooked element cooperates with an elastic means of a flange integral with the selector shaft to removably fix the character bearing disc to the selector shaft.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling jumps in microprograms in a microprogrammable electronic computer. The apparatus comprises a plurality of bistable circuits. Selected words are transferrable into the bistable circuits in response to the execution of microprograms by the computer and at least one bistable circuit can be set to a state determined by whether a logical condition specified by a microinstruction is or is not met. In response to the state of a selected one of the bistable circuits, a jump in a microprogram may alternatively be or not be effected. The jump is dependent upon the state of the selected bistable circuit and independent of whether this state has been established by a transferred selected word or as a result of a logical condition.

Abstract: A keyboard and circuitry for recording the key on the keyboard that is depressed. The recorded information is then supplied to a computer which acts in accordance with the information associated with the depressed key. The keyboard is arranged in a matrix of rows and columns. The recording circuitry comprises a shift register having two groups of cells, the first group receptive of an information bit from the column of the depressed key and the record group receptive of an information bit from the row of the depressed key. The shift register are then shifted and the information stored therein is utilized by the computer. The encoding and the storage of the information entered on the keyboard are effected by the central unit carrying out the commands in a control store under the control of a microprogram.

Abstract: A loading device for reels of paper tape wound on a central spool is provided with an automatic device for ejecting the empty spools, by introducing a new full reel.

Abstract: In an electronic computer, a magnetic card is recorded along two tracks for storing information. The relative delay between the sequential records on the tracks is controlled by two reference bits simultaneously written on the tracks of the card. During the reading, the first sensed reference bit starts a count which is stopped upon sensing the second reference bit. All data bits following the anticipated bits are transferred to the internal memory only after a delay proportional to the count.

Abstract: An automatic sheet changing system for a reprographic machine comprising a cyclically movable, sheet transporting member having gripping elements for retaining a sheet thereon, a support band wound from a feed reel to a take-up reel and carrying thereon sheets spaced along and interwound with the band, recovery means operative in a sheet changing cycle to remove a used sheet from the sheet-transporting member, feed means operable in the sheet changing cycle to wind a length of the band off the feed reel on to the take-up reel, means operative to separate a fresh sheet from the band advancing between the reels and to guide the sheet to the gripping elements, and means for actuating the gripping elements to grip the fresh sheet.

Abstract: An electronic keyboard comprises a plurality of depressable keys each one of which comprises a stem normally movable and connected through a spring to a metallic actuator. Each actuator is lodged in a supporting element jutting out from the stem and cooperates with a permanent magnet which retains it in a rest position. Upon the depression of a key, the corresponding spring is loaded and after a predetermined displacement of the key a shoulder of the supporting element cooperates directly with the corresponding actuator disengaging it from the permanent magnet. The actuator is then pushed by the action of the spring to a movable contact of an electronic switch which generates an electrical signal.

Abstract: The invention concerns a form handling device for an accounting machine wherein a continuous form, a journal form and an accounting card are independently supplied on the printing platen.

Abstract: A removably mountable electrothermal print head for writing dots-matrix characters while moving along a thermosensitive recording medium and a mounting for the hand or a movable carriage of a printer, the head comprises a plurality of electrically energizable resistive printing elements coated on a support; the outer surface of said elements is partly cylindrical with the generatrices in parallel relation with a common direction which is transversal with respect to the printing line of the recording medium. The print head is positioned with respect to the recording medium with the part-cylindrical outer surface of the resistive printing elements in tangential relation with the recording medium. The printing head is positioned on and removably fixed to the carriage by a manually actuatable latch.