US1215586A - Line-lock for type-writing machines. - Google Patents

Description

J. F. SMATHEH'S.

MNE LUCK FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES, APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28, 1915.

1,21 5,586. Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

WITNESSES."

3M {7%, JES/l mm. @Lflw UNIT D STATES PATENT QFFIOEPI nuns F. SMA'IHERS, or KANSAS CITY, Mrssoonr. i

LINE-LOCK FOB TYPE-WRITING llIIACHINES. I i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, James F. SMATHERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Line-Locks for TypeJVriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to line locks for typewriting machines and my object is to produce a device of this character which makes it impossible to print a line of greater than a predetermined length or to pile up two or more characters at the same point when the end of the line is reached,

\Vith this general object in view, the invention consists in. certain novel and peculiar features of construction and organization as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fullyunderstood reference isto be had to the accompanying drawing, in whichi Figure 1, is a vertical section of a part of a a typewriting machine taken on the line 25 I-I of Fig. .2.

Fig. 2, is a yertical section taken on the line 11-11 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3, is a fragmentary view showing the line lock device in normal position as distinguished from the showing of said device in Fig. 2 in which figure it is shown in operative position.

Fig. 4,-is a fragmentary view fied form of the line lock device.

In the said drawing, 1 indicates a part of the frame of a typewriting machine, 2 the levers thereof, 3 the pivotal point for said levers, and t the pivot carrying cross bar. In the construction shown. the key levers are equipped with depending projections or heels 5, all of said heels being transversely alined.

The line lock'ng device is constructed as follows:

of a modi- Specification of Letters Patent.

6 is a bar arranged transversely withinof fingers arranged in said at their lower ends which and erlie the shoul; der 9 and thus guard against upward bodily] Patented Fa =15. 13, 191,7. Applicationfi1ed June 2s,1915. Seria1No.36,877.

movement of the fingers wizhinthe kerf.

The parts are so proportionel that thefingers are free to swing tron, a pOintforward of the plane of the heels of their overlying or respective key 1ev rs toja, point vertically below' such heels, it being also noticed by reference to Fig. 2, that when a linger occupiesits rearward or operative position it will prevent dovnward 'movement of the key lever.

To hold the fingers pressed yieldingly rearward against the rear wall of the kerf, their normal position, I p1 for to employ individual springs 12, whith springs are preferably of right angle f)lll1 as shown, and all project from an integral lowerpr channel portion 13 embracing; the lower, end and front and rear sides of the bar-H6... 'A retractile spring 14L attached at one end: to the frame as at 15, is connected to a short crank arm 16 of a collar secured on one of the trunnion ends or pivots. and connected to a similar crank arm 17 is a rearwardly extending rod 18, adapted as the carriage reaches the end of each line, to be'moved rearward and swing the bar 6 from theposition shown in Fig. 3, to the position shown 111 Fig. 2, in which latter position thetfin s gers 10 are vertically below the heels 5yof all of the key levers whirh are in their elevated or normal positions the bar swung forward as explained, a lever is in a depressed position, its respective finger 10 will engage the front edge of the heel and as'a result said finger will If at the time y be relatively swung forw: rd against the front wall of the kerf 8, and its respective spring 12 will be pressed fcrward as shown in Fig. 2, but will immediately force the displaced finger back intc line with the other fingers as the saidiepressedkey is 1 returned to normal or elevated position; -It will thus be seen that a depressed key can not hold the line lock ban in inoperative position as is the case wiali that type of line lock. ,mechanism ,consi: ating' of a rigid or continuous bar incapable of being swung or moved to operative position below-Many of the key levers or heels th ereof, if a single Q key lever. happens to be: depressed, Be-.

cause of this fact ,linetlozks of thetyper described (10 not perform their prescribed function when the machine is being operwhich properly the said levers, andfingers not (two position, caused to take ated with considerable rapidity,

been reached if as a rapid operation results in downward movement of one key lever before the previously de-' pressed key lever reaches its normal or elevated position, In other words where a machine is operated rapidly there is always one or more keys in a depressed or partly depressed position and hence it is impossible for the line lock to perform its function when the predetermined end of the line has a single key lever is depressed. It is therefore obvious that letters may be printed beyond the point where the line should end or, if the carriage has ceased to move, that characters may be piled up at the end of the line, this piling up of characters ning occasional lines several characters beyond adjacent lines. With my line lock comprising a bar carrying individual fingers for the different key levers, it will be impossible to run a line too far or to pile up characters at the end of the line.

In Fig. 4, a modified construction is shown, the same comprising an oscillatory bar 6"provided with spring fingers 19, any one of which will yield upon encountering the heel of its respective key lever, as the bar is rocked toward its operative position, the said finger springing under the heel of =its respective lever, immediately the latter is released and rises to normal position.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have produced a line lock which can be easily and cheaply secured to a typewriting machine, and which will perform its function efficiently and reliably as outlined in the statement of the object of the invention, and while I have illustrated and described a modified form as well as my preferred form, it is to be understood that reserve the right to any construction falls within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination in a typewritin machine, of the key levers, a movable bar below carried by said bar in the planes of movement of the respective levers, each finger being yieldingly controlled and whenthe bar is moved to operative position, caused to take a position elow its respective lever or to engage and yield to the resistance offered by its respective lever if the latter is in its depressed chine, of the key levers, a movable barbelowt he said levers, ngcrs carried'by said ar in' the planes of movement of the respective levers, each finger being yieldingly controlled and when the bar is moved to operaa position below 1ts respective lever or to engage and yield to the resistance offered by its respective 1ebeing as unsightly as runver if the latter is in its depressed position, and means'for returning the movable bar to its initial. or inoperative position.

3. The combination in a typewriting machine, of the key levers, a movable bar below the said levers, fingers carried by said bar in the planes of movement of the respective levers, each finger being yieldingly controlled and when the bar is moved to operative position, caused to take a position below its respective lever or to engage and yield to the resistance offered by its respective lever if the latter is in its depressed p0- sition, and a spring for returning the movable bar to its initial or inoperative position.

4. The combination in a type-writing machine, of the key'levers provided with depending heels, a suitably-journaled rock bar extending transversely of the machine, and provided with upwardly'projecting fingers, a spring normally holding said rock bar with its fingers forward of the heels of the key levers, yielding pressure on said fingers individually whereby any one of the fingers may yield upon encountering the heel of a' depressed key lever, and resume its position in line with the other fingers when its respective key lever is reelevated.

In a typewriting machine, a line lock bar pivoted to rock about its longitudinal axis and provided along its length with upwardly projecting yieldingly controlled fingers, all of which stand in the same radial plane with relation to the axis of said bar and are capable of being individually sprung back out of the plane of the remaining fingers and of springing forwardly into said plane.

6. A line lock bar provided with a longitudinal kerf or groove of V-shape in cross section and having a downwardly facing shoulder at the bottom of the groove or kerf, a series of fingers arranged side by side along the length of and within said kerf or groove and capable of swinging movement from one wall of the groove to the other, and provided with bent portions underlying said shoulder, and springs pressing against all of the fingers and holdin them normally against the same wall of the erf or groove.

7. A line lock bar provided with a longitudinal kerf or groove of V-shape in cross section and having a downwardly facing shoulder at the bottom of the kerf or groove, a series of fingers arranged side by side along-the length of and within said kcrf or groove and capable of swinging move- 'ment from one wall of the groove to the bracing the sides and lower edge of the bar,

and means for applying' and provided with a series of right angle shaped springs fitting against one side and upon the upper edge of the bar; each spring hearing against one of the said fingers and adapted to yield to permit the finger to be swung forward upon encountering an unyielding obstruction.

8. The combination with a series of key levers of a line lock device comprising a bar provided with a line of fingers for the respective key levers, means for adjusting said bar to shift said fingers from a position out ot' the path of operation of the key levers to position in the path of operation of said levers, each finger being yieldingly controlled and adapted to be sprung out of line by its respective key lever if tle same happens to be in its depressed position when the adjustment of said bar mums and to spring back to normal position immediatelyv said lever is released and return ad to normal position, and means to reverse the adjustment of said bar when the first-1 amed means is inoperative.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' JAMES F. SM. tTHERS.

Witnesses:

K. M. THOIHE,

G. Y. THORPE.

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