US1206462A - Automatic alarm for dictating-machines. - Google Patents

Description

S. C. NOTT. AUTOMATIC ALARM FOR DICTATING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC- 4,1915.

Patented. Nov. 28, 1916.

4 SH EETSSHEET I.

S. C. NOTT.

AUTOMATIC ALARM FOR DICTATING MACHINES. I

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4. 1915.

' 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Nov. '28, 1916.

S. C. NOTT.

AUTOMAHC ALARM FOR DICTATING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4. I915.

Patented; Nov. 28, 1916.

SYDNEY NOTT, OF LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC ALARM FOR DICTATING-MACI-IINES.

Specification 0 Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. as, rare.

Application filed December 4, 1915. Serial No. 64,988.

nois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Alarms for Dictatingt fachines, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

Dictating machines, that is machines for recording dictation on a cylinder of wax or other material for subsequent transcription, are so arranged that the user may stop his dictation and, going back, reproduce for himself any portion of the matter already dictated. It often happens that the operators attention is distracted from the machine so that his manipulation thereof is purely mechanical and he therefore begins to dictate-when the machine is not set properly. Thus it may happen that after a manipulation of the machine by which previously dictated matter was repeated, the operator forgets to shift the machine from a reproducing position to a dictating position and finds, after having dictated into the machine, that no record has been made. Again, intending to have repeated to him matter previously dictated, the operator, after moving thecarriage back, sets the machine in the dictating position instead of the reproducing position. The result is of course that the record previously made is obliterated or damaged. It is also evident that if the machine is set in the reproducing position while the operator is dictating or is set in the dictating position while the operator is attempting to reproduce, much of the value of a dictating machine may be lost because it Wastes the time of the operator, trieshis patience, and breaks up his train of thought by leaving out something or obliterating something which he may perhaps not later be able to recall in just the way that he dictated it.

The object of the present invention is to provide means for overcoming the aforesaid faults of dictating machines arising from wrong operation thereof.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its object and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

. Figure 1 is a top plan view of the upper part of a dictatingmachine arranged in accordance with my invention, the parts being.

illustrated. in a dictating position under conditions improper for the recording of dictation; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Fig; 1' in normal dictating position; Fig. 3 is a rear view of the upper part of the machine, with the parts in the same positions as in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a section taken approximately on line X-X of Fig. 2, the parts being in the same positions as in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. i with the controlling lever in the neutral position; Fig. 6 is a View similar to Figs. 4 and 5, the controlling lever being in the reproducing position; Fig. 7 is a View similar to Figs. A to 6, the parts being in the positions indicated in Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is an end View, looking toward the right at the left hand end of Fig. 2; Fig. 9 is a section taken approximately on line YY of Fig. 8, the parts being in the positions occupied when the machine is properly set for dictation; Fig. 10 is a View similar to Fig. 9, the parts being in the positions which they occupy under the conditions illustrated in Figs. 1 and 7, and also when the controlling lever is in the neutral position; and Fig. 11 is a view similar to Figs. 9 and 10, the parts occupying the positions which they assume when the carriage, in the reproducingposition, reaches the end of the dictation.

T have illustrated my invention as embodied in a mechanism which produces an alarm although it will of course be understood that the ultimate function of the mechanism is to prevent wrong operation of the machine regardless of whether this is done by sounding an alarm or otherwise, and I have illustrated my mechanism as adapted for and applied to that type of machine known as the Dictaphone although it will of course be understood that my invention is not confined to any particular type of dictating machine. I have confined the illustration of my invention to a single embodiment for the sake of brevity and clearness and, for the same reason, I shall confine the detailed description to this single embodiment.

Referring to the' drawings, 1 represents the carriage of the machine, movable along a stationary tubular support or shaft, 2, within which is arranged a suitable driving worm or shaft, 3, for the carriage. On the carriage is a lever, 4, having the three posi tions indicated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6: the first being the dictating position; the second being the neutral position in which the carriage is left free to be moved back and forth along its support; and the third being the reproducing position. By means of the lever the machine is adjusted into the three positions necessary in all machines of. this general type and it is my purpose to utilize these three positions in conjunction with a position of the carriage along its support, to control the means by which improper operation of the machine is prevented. Machines of this general type are disclosed in Patents 527,755 of October 16, 1894, 569,290 of October 13, 1896 and 874,973 of December 31, 1907.

In the arrangement illustrated I have provided at the back of the machine a rod, 5, mounted in suitable stationary bearings, 6 and 7, so as to lie parallel with the shaft 3 and be rotatable and at the same time movable lengthwise relatively to the stationary parts of the machine. A spring, 8, acting both as a compression spring and as a torsion spring, tends to hold the rod, 5, at one limit of its longitudinal movement and at one limit of its angular movement. Fixed to the rod, 5, is a blade or vane, 9, extending upwardly, and of a length at least equal to the distance through which the carriage may travel. On the upper edge of the member 9 are teeth, 10, preferably ratchet teeth. On the lever, 4, is a laterally projecting arm, 11, provided at the rear edge with a cam, 12. The parts are so proportioned that when the lever is in the reproducing position the cam, 12, presses the blade or vane, 9, outwardly against the tension of the spring, while in its other two positions it permits the blade or vane to be swung inwardly. On the guide, 2, in advance of the carriage, is a collar, 13, slidable and rotatable on the guide. The collar is provided witha cam,

14, which, in one angular position of the collar, bears againstthe blade or vane, 9, and presses it outwardly in the same way that this is done by the cam on the lever when the latter is in its reproducing position. The collar is also provided with a tooth or pawl, 15, above the cam, 14, and in position to drop down into engagement with the teeth 10 in a second angular position of the collar. Suitable means are provided which tend yieldingly to hold the collar in such angular position that the tooth, 15, engages with the teeth on the vane or blade. In the arrangement illustrated, this means consists of a leaf spring, 16, secured at one end to the periphery of the collar and extending upwardly past the scale bar, 17, at the front of the machine; the spring, 16, being initially under such tension that in tending to straighten itself it turns the collar in the clockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 4 to 7, throwing the cam, 14, down out of engagement with the blade or vane and bringing the tooth, 15, into engagement with the teeth 10. At the top of the collar is a radially projecting pin, 18. On the arm, 11, which is carried by the controlling lever, is a finger, 19, which, under certain conditions, is adapted to be thrust behind the pin 18 and, upon operation of the lever 4, turn the collar against the tension of the spring 16 so as to lift the tooth, 15, clear of the ratchet teeth. The parts are so proportioned that when the collar and the carriage are brought together while the lever is in either the neutral or the reproducing position, the finger, 19, moves into operative relation to the pin 18 so that upon swinging the lever 4 to the dictating position the collar is turned in the direction to carry the teeth or pawl, 15,

away from and bring the cam, 14, into engagement with the vane or blade. It will thus be seen that when the collar lies beside the carriage with the pin, 18, in front of the finger, 19, and the lever, 4, in the dictating position, the vane or blade is swung back to the rearward limit of its movement as shown in Fig. 4. A similar situation is produced whenever the lever, 4, is in its reproducing position as indicated in Fig. 6. On the other hand, whenever the lever 4 is in its neutral position as shown in Fig. 5, regardless of whether or not the collar and the carriage are in proximity to each other, and whenever the lever 4 is in the dictating position without having the carriage and the collar lying close together, with the finger, 19, behind the pin 18, as indicated in Fig. 7, the blade or "ane lies at the forward limit of its turning movement. Furthermore, when the lever 4 is in the reproducing position as shown in Fig. 6, as when the operator has set the carriage back to repeat what he has previously dictated, and the machine is run 1,2oeaea m until the carriage reaches the end of the dictated matter, the carriage strikes the collar and moves it along the guide or support and, through the engagement of the tooth, 15, with the vane or blade, causes the vane or blade to be shifted in the direction of its length. In other words, Whenever the ma chine is set for a normal operation and is operating normally, the blade or vane is back in what may be called its normal position while at other times, when the machine is improperly set for normal operation or is being wrongly operated, the vane 1s in what may be termed an abnormal position; it being understood that for normal opera tion the collar is placed just beside the carriage when the carriage is at the starting point, the finger, 19, being behind the pin 18 so that when the lever is moved to the dictating position it rotates the collar against the tension of its spring, and the collar being simply forced along the guide ahead of the carriage as the dictation proceeds and remaining at whatever point it may be when the carriage is temporarily shifted back for the purpose of repeating matter previously dictated. I therefore em ploy the blade or vane as a controller for a suitable alarm signal or other means for preventing improper operation.

In the arrangement illustrated, I have mounted on the end of the frame, 20, of the machine a U-shaped dog, 21, hinged at one end as at 22 so as to be capable of swinging about an axis at right angles to the rod, 5. On the free end of the dog is a pin, 23. The pin, 23. is adapted to swing into and out of an opening, 24, in a face plate, 25, forming with other parts of the frame a housing for the gear train, 26, between the shaft on which the record cylinder .is mounted and the screw shaft, 3, by means of which the carriage is driven. One member of the gear train, 26, is provided with one or more openings, 27, adapted, as the train operates, to pass in front of the opening 24, in the face plate. The walls of the opening or openings, 27, Or the end of tlTe pin, 23, or both, may be beveled so that when the dog hangs in a position in which the pin projects through the hole, 24, and the machine is operated, the dog is oscillated, the end or shoulder at the base of the pin striking against the face plate whenever the holes 27 or one of them comes opposite the hole 24 and thus producing a series of clicking sounds while the machine continues to operate. The end of the rod, 5, is continued beyond the end of the machine at which the dog is located, and it is there provided with a projecting arm, 28, which projects forwardly between the arms of the dog.

When the vane or blade is in its normal position, as heretofore explained, the arm,

28, is in the position indicated in Fig. 9, the upper member of the dog resting upon the arm and the dog being held in an idle position; this position indicating normal operating conditions. When the vane or blade is allowed to assume the first of its abnormal positions, indicating an abnormal operating condition, the arm, 28, assumes the position illustrated inFig. 10, allowing the dog to swing down with the pin, 23, projecting through the opening, 24. If now the machine is set in operation the clicking signal will be given. If the controlling vane or blade is shifted to its second abnormal position, by being shifted lengthwise against the tension of its spring, the parts assume the positions indicated in Fig. 11; the dog being allowed to drop into a signaling position by a lateral instead of a rotary movement of the arm.

The conditions indicated in Fig. 10 are brought about, as heretofore explained, and therefore the alarm will be sounded: when it is attempted to operate the machine with the lever in its neutral position; when the operator happens to place the lever in the dictating position with the carriage shifted back from the point of farthest advance; and when the operator starts at the beginning of a new cylinder without bringing the collar or marker for the point of farthest advance of the carriage back to the starting point. The conditions indicated in Fig. 11 are brought about and therefore the alarm -will be sounded if the operator, after setting the carriage back to reproduce previously dictated matter, fails to shift the controlling lever into the dictating position when he reaches the point where the previous dictation stopped. and attempts to continue his dictation under conditions which would fail to leave a record on the cylinder.

It will thus be seen that by means of my device, without any other effort on the part of the operator than that required to shift the collar manually from one end of the guide to the other whenever he removes a cylinder and replaces it with a new one, he may be certain that the machine is always operating properly when it is operating at all and that his record cylinder will not contain blank or damaged areas wherexit should contain a clear record.

As I have heretofore explalned, my lnvention is not confined to a signal or alarm but may take any form which will in any manner prevent improper operation, and I there fore use the term warning device in this broad sense. Furthermore, while the collar illustrated is probably the most practical device for performing its functions, it will of 1 course be understood that any other kind of farthest-advance marking device may be employed.

&

I claim:

1. In a dictating machine, traveling mechanism having a dictating position and other positions, a farthest-advance marker, a warning device, and means for causing said device to act when it is attemptedto carry the said mechanism in any other position than the dictating position past the point corresponding to the position of the marker.

2. In a dictating machine, mechanism for recording and reproducing dictation having a neutral position and working positions, a warning device, and means causing said device to act when the machine is operatedwhile said mechanism is in the neutral position.

3. In a dictating machine, traveling mechanism having a dictating position and a reproducing position; a farthest advance marker, a warning device; and means for causing said device to act when it is attempted to advance the said mechanism, while in the dictating position, from a point remote from that corresponding to the posi tion of the marker.

4. In a dictating machine, a traveling dictating and reproducing mechanism having a dictating position and a second position, a farthest-advance marker, and means for causing a continuing warning to be made when said mechanism while occupying said second position reaches the point indicated by said farthest-advance marker.

' 5. In a dictating machine, traveling mechanism for recording and reproducing dictation having a plurality of positions, a farthest-advance marker for said mechanism, and means controlled jointlyby said marker and said mechanism for causing a warning to be given when said mechanism approaches the point indicated by said' marker while occupying one of its said positions-and for permitting it to pass said point without causing a warning while occupying another of said positions.

6. In a dictating machine, the combination with a part having a dictating position and a reproducing position, of a warning device, a farthest-advance marker, and means governed by the position of said part and also by said marker for controlling said device.

7. In a dictating machine, mechanism for recording and reproducing dictation having a. neutral position and working positions, a warning device, and means associated with said mechanism for acting on said device and causing it to give a warning when the machine is operated with said mechanism in the neutral position.

8. In a dictating machine; traveling mechanism for recording and reproducing dictation having a plurality of working positions and adapted to be moved while in any one of said working positions; and warning mechanism including a part adapted to be moved in one direction, only, by said mechanism.

9. In a dictating machine, traveling dictating and reproducing mechanism, and warning means including a part adapted to be pushed ahead of said mechanism and to remain stationary when said mechanism is moved backward.

10. In a dictating machine, mechanism for recording and reproducing dictation having neutral and working positions, a warning device, and means for causing said device to act when the machine is operated While said mechanism is in the neutral position.

11. In a dictating machine, the combination with a part having a neutral position and a reproducing position, of a warning device, a farthest-advance marker, and means controlled by said part and also by said marker for causing said warning device to sound a warning when the machine is operated while in the neutral position.

12. In a dictating machine, the combination with a part having a neutral position and a dictating position, of a warning device, a farthest-advance marker, and means controlled by said part and also by said marker for causing said warning device to sound a warning when the machine is operated while in the neutral position.

13. In a dictating machine, traveling dictating and reproducing mechanism, and warning means including a part adapted to be moved by said mechanism when the latter travels in one direction and remain stationary when said mechanism travels in the other direction.

14:. In a dictating machine, traveling dictating and reproducing mechanism, and warning means including a part adapted to be engaged by said mechanism and be caused to travel therewith when said mechanism moves in one direction and remain stationary when said mechanism is moved in the opposite direction.

15. In a dictating machine, traveling dictating and reproducing mechanism, actuating means therefor, a signal operated by said actuating means, and means controlled by said mechanism for permitting the signal to be operated when it is attempted to cause said mechanism to travel ahead while in a neutral position and also when it is attempted to cause such mechanism to move in a reproducing position past the end of previously dictated matter.

16. In a dictating machine, mechanism for recording and reproducing dictation hav ing a neutral and a working position, and means for sounding a continuing alarm when the machine is operated With said mechanism in the neutral position.

17. In :1 dictating machine, traveling dictating and reproducing mechanism having a dictating position and a reproducing position. a device for indicating the farthest point to which said mechanism has advanced during dictation, and means controlled by said device for producing a continuing Warning when said mechanism reaches the aforesaid point While in the reproducing position.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

SYDNEY C. NOTT.

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