US1182500A - Listing mechanism for type-writing machines. - Google Patents

Description

J. F. MAYS.

LISTING MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12. 1914.

1,182,500. Patented May 9, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

Eml-

J. F. MAYS.

LISTING MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES- APPI'TTION man NOV. I2, I914- 1,182 500. Patented May 9, 1916.

8 SHEETSSHEET 2.

3223117.} if if i J. F. MAYS.

LISTING MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12. I914.

1, 182,500. Patented May 9, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

I:EI;5 d9 66 64 5 12 UNITED SETA'IES FAIENT OFFICE.

JABIES F. IVZAYS, OF BIRDIINGHAM, ALABAIvIA, ASSIGNOR TO MAYS ACCOUNTING BIACHINE COMPANY, NEVADA.

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, A CORPORATION OF LISTING MECHANISM FOR- TYPEJVRITING MACHINES.

Application filed November 12, 1914.

To all "iv/m it may concern Be it known that I, Jnnns I Mars, a citizen of the United States, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Listing Mechanism for Type-\Vriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates primarily to improvements in that class of devices the ob ject of which is to insure with the least pos sible thought or effort on the part of the operator of a typewriter that a printing operation shall start at a given point on the paper, other than at the commencement of the normal carriage travel, such devices being chiefly useful in typewriting columns of figures, particularly columns of figures representing amounts of money where the starting of the printing operation with respect to the position of the decimal point is material as, for example, in listing the amounts of checks.

My invention in this connection embodies not only improved means for determining the starting point of the type printing or writing operation, but it also embodies in conjunction therewith mechanism for rotating the platen of the typewriter and shifting it laterally into the proper printing position, and so disposing the two such mechanism with relation to each other that the two may be simultaneously operated by one hand of an operator. This is particularly useful when the listing mechanism is used on a typewriter operated from a calculating machine placed alongside the typewriter, since the operator may then use one hand to operate the keys of the calculating machine and the other to manipulate the listing machine.

My invention embodies also mechanism for causing the typewriter to print a decimal point at the proper place automatically and as an independent operation. I am aware that it is old hzwe a decimal point cut on the same type with a digit and therefore when the digit is printed, the decimal point is printed also, but my invention provides mechanism for printing the decimal in a separate operation from that of printing the digit.

The mechanism here shown was devised especially for use on a typewriter operated from an adding or calculating machine Specification of Letters Patent.

in listing. machines to Patented May 9,1916. Serial No. 871,757.

placed alongside the typewriter, but it should be understood that I do not so limit its application, since it will be readily seen that it may be used on a typewriter whether the latter be. operated from a calculating machine or not.

In order to more fully describe my said invention, referencewill be had to the accompanying drawings which show a specific embodiment thereof, and, wherein- Figure 1, is a fragmentary top plan view of a typewriter equipped with my improved listing mechanism; Fig. 2, a sectional elevation showing the electromagnetically operated mechanism for the automatic operation of the typewriter for printing a decimal point; Fig. 3, a sectional elevation showing parts of my improved mechanism as viewed from the rear of the typewriter; Fig. 4, a fragmentary transverse sectional elevation of my said mechanism shown in connection with portions of the typewriter; Fig. 5, a detail section on line 5"-5" F ig. 4-; Fig. 6, a detail perspective view of a portion of the platen rotating mechanism; Fig. 7, a detail section on line 7"-7" Fig. 1; Fig. 8, a fragmentary detail section on line 8*'-8 Fig. 3; Fig. 9, a side elevation of one of the listing key levers removed from the other portions of the mechanism; Fig. 10, a front elevation of parts of my improved listing mechanism; Fig. 11, a detail section taken on line l1"11 Fig. 10, and Fig. 12, a detail section of the electrical contact mechanism taken on line 12"12 Fig. 10. In the accompanying drawings, I have shown my invention as applied to'an L. C. Smith typewriter, model No. 5, though I do not wish to be understood as limiting it to that or any other particular make of typewriter machine.

The machine to which I have here shown my invention applied employs the usual cylindrical platen I, mounted for rotation on its longitudinal axis in a carriage 2, adapted to travel horizontally back and forth past the printing point. Various parts of the typewriter, not immediately associated with my invention, are omitted for the sake of clearness and as being unnecessary to a clear understanding of my said invention.

In carrying out my invention as here shown, I employ mechanism for stopping the travel of the typewriter carriage and therefore the lateral travel of the platen at predetermined points, which mechanism comprises, among other parts, a series of key levers 3 pivotally mounted upon spindle or stud l secured to a bracket .3, which is in turn secured to the lower side of a stationary bar 0. lhe bar (3 on the model of typewriter above referred to. constitutes the stationary talnilating bar of that machine, and, l'i' "ier than l'orming a convenient support for my attachun-nt. is in no way related to my invention. the bar ti constitutes a iixed portion ol t'he machine and is rigidly mounted upon uprights T and forming extensions of brackets i) and 10 fixed to the top of the typewriter frame ll. hack of the platen carriage.

Each key lever 3 is provided with an up ward extension or key stem 12, upon the upper end of which is rigidly mounted a plate 13 upon which the finger of the operator is adapted to restin operating a given key lever. lllaeh of these plates 13 has an upward extension it on its left side, viewing the typewriter from the front, the function of which extensions will hereinafter more fullyappear. These key levers are all mounted side by side and'move in parallel vertical planes, and their key stems 12 are located at. such distances respectively from the pivot support 4 as to be located in a row. the said stems being bent transversely as shown most clearly in Fig. l, sothat the linger tips of the key levers will all be in alinement. Each key stem 19. of said key levers extends through an individual slot in a casing 15 which incloscs all of said levers, said casing being provided with a movable section 16 to permit it to he slipped over the levers. Each key lever 3 is also provided with a downward extension or lug 17, and these lugs are located respectively such distances from the point. of pivotal support 4 as to be staggered with relation to each other, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3. The function ol these lever extensions is to individually engage and operate a series of hell crank levers 18, pivotally supported upon a spindle 19 mounted in two uprights 20 and 21 of the bracket 22, last to the back of the top frame piece. 11 of the typewriter. The hell crank levers 18 are located in close proximity side by side, and move in parallel vertical planes between the uprights 2t) and 21.

for the vertical movement of key levers 5', and for this purpose each such key lever moves vertically in an individual slot in said extension. The lugs 17 of the key le- .ers rest respectively upon the horizontal arms J'l ol' the hell crank levers 1.8, said arm of each such hell crank lever being held against its. corrcspoinling lug 17, under the tension ol' spring 217 (see. Fig. 1.1).

licll crank levers l\' are located side by The upright Al is provided with an extension 23, wlnch constitutes av guide side in a row, so that each a dillerent distance from the central point of the typewriter earriage travel. the said distances varying uniformly and being engaged by the thicknes of the bell crank lever. The. depending arm '36 of each of these bell crank levers constitutes a stop adapted to be projected into the path of some portion of the tvpewriter carriage 2, or body attached thereto. to limit the. movement of said carriage in one direction so as to stop it. at a given point.

ln the machine to which l have here. shown my invention applied. there is a bar 27 which is located on the rear of the typewriter carriage and on top of the machine. said bar being rigidly secured to the said carriage and therefore movable therewith. Further, than constituting a stop to limit the carriage travel in one direction. this bar torms no part of my invention. In other words, it is immaterial so tar as my inveir tion is concerned, what other function this bar may perform in the normal operationot the typewriter. it being sullicient to say that it forms a rigid part of the ty mwriter carriage.

()n the finger platiiot each key lever 33 is placed the character designating the position in which the carriage will he stopped,

it' a given key is operated. \'hen the attaclnnent is used for listing or tahulating numbers. with respect to a decimal point. the preferred designation of the respective keys will he by the characters ".00, 1". 2. 1, 4 and 53, as shown in Fig. 10.

If any of the keys indicated .00, l, 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively be. do.- pressed. the extension 17 ol' the particular key lever operatial will force the depending arm it? of its corresponding hell crank lever into the path ol" the adjacent end of bar 27. 'lherel'ore, it the typewriter carriage lie caused to travel from lcl't. to right the required distance, said bill will engage. said lever arm and be stopped at that point. \Vlu-n the key indicated .00 is depressed, the carriage will be stopped in a. position to print ligures on the right of the decimal point; it the key indicated 1 be depressed, the carriage will be stopped in position to print a numeral in the. units position on the left of the decimal point, and. likewise, the carriage. will be stopped in positions to start the printing of numbers in the tens, hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands, positions respectively, according to which ol? the keys 2, I}, 4; or 5, is depressed. For example, suppose we are tahulating or listing amounts in a column, and the first amount is .35. in such case the listing key indicated .00 would be depressed and the carriage moved along until bar 27 strikes the lever projected into its path by the operation of said key. The typewriter keys are then struck to print the amount .35. Then suppose the next amount is 125. in this case, listing key 3 would be depressed and the typewriter carriage moved to the right until it is stopped by the lever projected by the operation of key 3. Then, if the keys of the typewriter be struck to print 125.45, the printing will commence in the third decimal place to the left of the decimal point. The bell crank levers 13 are all located so far to the right as regards the carriage travel not to interfere with the travel of the carriage in performing its normal operation. It will be noted that in performing this listing operation, it is neces sary to move the typewriter carriage, each time a listing key is operated, to the right to bring it into proper position to start the printing operation, and, obviously. each time a new number is to be printed, it is necessary to rotate the platen cylinder in order to space the paper up to a new position.

My invention embodies, in addition to the mechanism for stopping'the typewriter carriage at the proper point, mechanism for simultaneously moving the typewriter carriage laterally to bring it into the proper printing position and rotating the platen to feed up the paper, the two mechanisms being so relatively situated that a person may operate the two simultaneously with one hand. This mechanism for moving the typewriter carriage and simultaneously rotating the platen comprises in the case here shown, among other parts, a lever 28 angu- -larly movable on the spindle or shaft 29 of the platen 1, and carrying a pivoted pawl 30 adapted to engage with the teeth of the regular platen rotating ratchet 31. The angular movement of lever 28 is limited by a pin 32, thereon, engaging with shoulders at opposite ends of a peripheral slot #3 in the plate 34 mounted alongside lever 28, and held in a fixed position by pins 35 and 36 fast to said plate and the frame of the typewriter carriage. Lever 28 terminates at'its upper end in a thumb-piece 37, so shaped as to lit the thumb snugly and to form a convenient bearing against which the thumb may be pressed to rotate the lever 28, as well as to push the platen carriage to the right' Lever 28 is rotated in the directionabove stated. against the tension of a spring 38 which returns it to its normal position when released by the operator.

For the purpose of releasing pawl 30 from ratchet 31 when it is desired to render the lever inoperative to rotate the platen, there is pivotally mounted on said lever a small bell crank lever 39 having a finger piece 10 for operating it, and a lip 41 adapted to engage a pin 42 on pawl 30, and thereby lift said pawl from ratchet 31.

It is not necessary to alter, or omit any of the parts f the typewriter, hereinbcfore mentioned, in equipping the same with my invention. As regards to the lever 28, and its associated parts, there is just suiiicient spare between ratchet 31 andthe portion of the carriage forming a bearing for the spindle 29 of the platen to accommodate lever and stop plate One of the distinct advantages of my invcntion, as thus far described, is that the the operator free to retain the fingers of that hand in position on the calculating machine keyboard. There is a distinct advantage in being able to keep the right hand upon the keyboard of the calculating machine, in such a case, in preparation for the next stroke while making the carriage shift with the left hand alone. if the right hand is taken from the said keyboard after each stroke, it requires an extra interval of time to select and strike the proper keys for adding the succeeding item. that when the love 28 is pre scd upward to rotate the platen, it is positively stopped at the end of its movement and forms a rigid handle, as it were, by which the carriage may be pushed to the right in bringing it into the proper stopping position. At the same time that the lever 28 thus operated by the thumb, the forefinger of the same hand is placed upon the desired stop key 13, and the hand is given a twist in an anti-clock wise direction, at the same time pressing the selected key down with the forefinger. it is in this operation that the upturned portions 14 of the stop keys serve their purpo" Sucl'i upturned portions constitute a re. ance or bearing surface against which the forefinger presses when the hand executes the twisting movement to push the carriage to the right. In actual practice, it has been demonstrated that the movement of the forefinger and thumb in this operation is almost, if not quite, as easy the more pressing of a key by the forefinger alone. It has also been demonstrated that the hand does not tire with the movement, as it does where the hand is employed to grasp and vwork back and forth a lever against several pounds of resistance, as is required in the operation of a common form of combined listing and adding machine.

The movement of the hand. in executing the above described operation in connection with my improved mechanism, is very it should also be noted.

lit)

short and may be per t't irined so rapidly that there is quite a saving (it time o\er the method ot' manipulating a lever. as ahove set l'orth. .\s the range of movement f the carriage in tahulating: column ol' tigures with this mechani m is small. key 13 and lever I)? are always during such operation in reach simultaneously liy one hand ol' the operator. ln oth r nerds. there i no net-essity to cause the arriage to travel so tax to the left that an operator with hi thumb on lever ET c uld n t reach with a linger ot' the same and. the keys 13.

ll hould also lie noted that in aliove de cril ed mechani m is all located on top ol' the typewriter. and at the right hand side ot th same. lt is a distinct advantage to ha e the stop key lo att-d in this position. over having them located lower down on the trout ot' the machine. as is done in some typewriter ll llllf attachments. When at the top ol the machine. the indicating" ligttres on the stop lteys stand out plainly liet'ore the eye ot' the operator and are suhstantially in line with the printing position. so that the operator does not have to shil't the eye hut ver little in glancing from the printed figures to the l(e Mort-over. hy plaein; the top ltey as in my de\ire. th linger movement ol' the hand to grasp the carriage to shil't tllt' same is utilized in reaching the stop keys.

The mechanism tor automatically print ing the decimal point comprises eleetromagnetic means for operating the period ltey ot the typewriter. and a special t-ontaet device for automatically controlling this operation. The immediate ltey operating mechanism tttltl|ll'l, ta magnet t-l t'ast to a luaeltet 'll secured in any snitalile way to the lower portion of th typewriter frame. and havint a plunger armature l3. preterahly hollow to secure lightness. pivotally attached to the typewriter ltey lever H; which operates the period type har. The enent'izin g circuit of this magnet lllt'llltles a hattery l? or other suitahle source of electric current. the l'rame ot' the t pewriter. an insulated contact l and a contact li in permanent electrical co etion with the frame of the machine. the eireuit heing normally lirolten at contacts l5 and t (ontaet In is formed on one end of a screw 5t). mounted in an insulated hushing Til. carried liy an aim 5;, pivotally mounted upon screw .32, secured to hraeltet extension 23. Screw Fit) is provided with a milled nut D-l, aml also constitutes a binding post. The angular movement ot' arm 5; on its pivot is limited by a pin 55 fast to liracltet 21$. engaging with the walls of a slot 5t; formed in an upward extension 57 of arm 5?, said arm heing under the tension of a spring 58 tendin to rotate the same in an anti-clocluv1se direction, Fig. 10.

Contact lit is formed on one end of a metal arm 5 pivotally mounted as at tit) on arm 52 and in permanent electrical connection therewith. (ontaet li is normally 'l'oreed away tl'ont contact l under the tension of a spring t' l fast to arm (M, the move ment of the latter lit-in limited in a direction away lrom contact li hv a pin U2. Formed on arm Iiw is a beveled ram or tooth t'iii which is lot'ated in the path of an oppositely directed heveled cam til. mounted on liar 27.

When the typewriter carriage is moved to the ria'ht (Fig. ttt) to hring the end of bar LT zl} ":lll\ t one of the stop le\ers t8. the l eveled face of ram t will engage the beveled l'ace ol' cam t hut will n t" force c0n taets t and i into engagement with each other. owin; to the hat that arm 5; will yield upward carrying with it lioth said t't ntaet \Yhen. however. the carriage travels l'rom right to lel't. as it will do when the keys ol' the typewriter are struck to print the numerals. the \ertieal face of can't til will engage the vertical tare of cam (53 and thereliy rotate arm oi on its pivot. which w ill tort-e eontatt li into engagement with contact to. 'lhe continued movement. however. of eam il in said direction will t'orre arm 5; upward and permit said cam to pass cam H When contacts lb and -19 are tlllls' hroueht into engagement with each other. this t'tnnpletes the energized circuit et magnet l-l. therehy causing the Same to attract its armature 4.3 to operate the period ltey lever to ot" the typewriter. The tooth or rain oz: is so loeatetl that its operation by eam tit will always occur at the proper time to cause the printing of the period between the units position and the tirst decimal position on the right thereot'. Since this printing operation is entirely automatic. the operator does not have to pay the slightest attention to the printing ot the decimal point. For example. it he desires to print l'illfl. hav in pressed the 3" stop key and shil'ted the typewriter earri ,ie to the stopping position. he merely strites the typewriter keys 1. J. 5. l and 5 in succession, and the decimal point will appear in the proper position. without his having to strike the period ltey ol' the typewriter. This is a very great practical advantage. particu arly in operating a typewriter from the keys of a calculating machine placed alongside the typewriter. since such calculating machines are not equipped with keys for printing decimal points. {I

(am (it. may 1 autrularly adjusted on a pivotal support 05 in order to throw it down out of the path of cam (33, in case it is not desired to utilize it. and in such case said cam may he provided with extensions or arms ('10 and (37 adapted to engage with bar 97 to limit its angular movement, extension 67 being useful in setting cam 6 in tho propev operatmg pzssxtmn.

1f de wed. there nun he :xttauhed to the zdnijuunw part of the n anning: gm QXUWIHUH :uluptem to N3 opm-nie nu imlhid'unl 02w of mid px-ujw-i, (hum iuh the with, M :2 K aid (um-lugs?)minim 4 mi thm fingvr carried by max nmchine rmu'wuniiy of tin; path 01? tinge 1m W3.

53. In t y mvlfitlns run-$115M having a lab s-mliy mm wi 11mm, i k; printing phmn and carriage m .wnn wn-ting Lhc same, 111mm, for rolui'iiig finial pimxis. and shifting said carriage, in i-umbinni'iun wit-l; :1 series. of keys nuuum'fl Hymn 11 ixmi pna'i (if the machine mri s iwui-vd on the my 0:? the machine that and and platen and cmriage operating nwnm: may rvmriwd and simidfnnoausly para lien! I y une Emmi! Hf the nperniflr, and means ujlnl'tiiinfby h 1$ keys; To stop the travel of m d (rantings atn prndetcrrl"ined 1 iy ruavr i'niii mmmizav having :1. iatnmble pz'mz 51 g platen and rfing the me, means includam :qm'iudl extending arm 5mm" in rn we said platen "WIT" E wim'i: an. mm.-

vs bf 55:?) s an L :ntied that hum" may I ad by a; UEHHIITQI'? 1311M Ilkitflzm npfll'ik in 5:10p tin: travel (if said ictwmimw l point. vpm'yiting mine 1110 having a latmf'mg pinten and Filg'fihifiiillg" the Same, means 1115.: mid, whim n11 it;-: said ;1X1.,, said mwm; imhhimg: 2! lens? fulurumed US said uwi gum" Wit-n an. upwardly mm. mung t-nmnb p we for I aid law-xto rotate; $21M platen w 301 shili'iingmid czn'liragx, in comws of keys s0 lncatcd. on i110 that they and said mulled and 11 My one hand 01 the "why, each of San? keys havi a finger wing pzwviaiu! wltia. uptm'ned extensiuu in farm :1 .fujmrum Tim the hand of the operator In operating him hum piece of said piatm; 21ml (*urrimra moving: ievcr, and mans: ugmmiiva by s amp the W20 u? earrings 2%; a; pi'udetu'mincd paint.

(3. A tyfivwriting machine having: in cm- H3516 huh tmvejfs Mummers: ,y 121201-901, mnzmzfiy wpmnivi sfi'nzctim 211051115 t0 limit i-im mownmn 0f said 1." cringe in (me direc- Linn f its trawl printing mama (-zu'rmgc m h'znmmg '1 in u"? =Et $121M]: in wmuwl fin: npvmi'lwn of 5 ml pmver mvnm; t" mum 61w autvnmiic npm'zztimx of sui i printdxgl' .inmrilinc at a prcdsiermined mint.

T. in

transw; t0 elfcat 1310 Printin 1 iypmuifing hine having a My zmwulfle carnage, mechanism sf 3 decimal mark at a predetermined point. comprising an electro-magnet. operatiw connection between said magnet and the type which prints said mark. electric contacts. an electric circuit in luding the winding of said magrnet and said contacts, and automatic means wperated by the movement ot' said arriage to close said contacts at a 1n'edetermined point.

8. In a typenritingr machine having a transversely nmvable carriage. manually operable key levers. and printing means operable by said hey le ers. mechanism to etl'ectthe printing ot a decimal mark at a predetermined point. comprising an electromagnet, operal'ne connection between said magnet and one oi said hey levers. electric contacts, an electric cir uit including the winding of said magnet and said contacts, and automatic means operated by the move ment ot said carriage to close said contacts at a predetermined point.

9.111 a ty 'ienriting machine having a transversely movable carriage. manually operable ltey levers. and printing means operable by said hey lcwrs, mechanism to etlect the printing of a decimal mark at a preder termined point, comprising an electro-magnet. operative connection between said mag} net and one of said hey levers, electric contacts, an electric circuit including the winding of said magnet; and said contacts, and automatic means comprising a tripping, device attached to said carriage and arranged to close said contacts at a predetern'iined point in the travel of said carriage in on direction only.

10. In a typewriting machine having an element which travels step-by-step transversely thereof, electrically operated printing: means. and means operated by said ele ment to control the operation of said printin; means. comprising an electric contact, a yieldable arm on \\hi(:li said contact is mounted a. supporting member yieldably mounted on said arm. an electric contact carried by said supporting member, and tripping means carried by said raveling element of the typewriter. said tripping means adapted to operate upon said supporting member to close said contacts when traveling in one ilirection only.

In testimony whereof I allix my signa ture in presence of two witnesses.

'itnesses:

l nimeis H. Mxouinr. l). G. Mansnivrn.

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