US1335956A - Typewriting-machine - Google Patents

Description

W. A. DOBSON.

TYPEWBlTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, lsfa.

1,335,95 I I Patented A r.6,1920.

a VSHEETSSHEET 1.

Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 nnrr s'rarns PATENT FFICE.

WILLIAM A. DOBSON, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD TYPE- WRITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

Application filed June 5, 1918.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. DonsoN, a citizen of the United States. residing in Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Typewriting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates mainly to the portable class of typewriting machines, which are small machines with compact parts stamped from sheet-metal. In such machines, it is extremely desirable that the parts be not only reliable, but light and cheaply made, and that proper adjustments can be readily effected to neutralize any irregularities resulting from the bending of metal in the stamping operations, or from denting of the parts arising from abuse in the course of long handling.

The present invention centers largely around a platen-shift mechanism of the double-shift type; that is to say, a 1nechanism which has both a normal position and two different shifted positions. As herein disclosed, the case-shift is effected by shifting not only the platen itself, but also the carriage on which the platen is mounted, the rails on which the carriage travels, and certain other connected parts. The platen it is desirable to shift in the same direction from normal, for each change of case. It is also desired to provide strong yet easily adjustable and otherwise manipulatable stops for properly locating the point at which the mechanism is arrested when the case is shifted.

I provide a simple locking mechanism for holding the mechanism in whatever place it is shifted, and this is preferably in the form of a normally-ineffective device which may be set to an ineffective position when a case is shifted, but is automatically released by any subsequent operation of the case-shift keys.

I make both stops and parts of the locks mainly out of inexpensive stamped parts, and I so shape these parts that the machine is extremely easy to assemble.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side view. largely in section, of a typewriting machine embodying my invention.

Specification of Letters Patent.

TYPEWRITINGr-MACHINE.

Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

Serial No. 238,284.

Fig. 2 is a perspective of the case-shift keys and certain coiiperating parts.

Fig. 3 is a side view, largely in section, of the parts seen in Fig. 2, with the single shift-key operated. I

Fig. 1 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the double shift-key operated.

Fig. 5 is a sectional front view of the parts seen in Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a skeleton plan View, showing most of the case-shift mechanism.

The machine herein illustrated is of the front-strike type and comprises character keys 10, which throw type-bars 11 upwardly and rearwardly against the front side of a platen 12, which is journaled in a sheetmetal carriage 13. This carriage travels to the left under the control of escapement mechanism (not shown) and is provided with roller-bearings 14- and 15 by which it travels on sheet-metal tracks 16 and 17. The tracks 16 and 17 form part of a shift frame which also includes a downwardly-extending member 18 and forwardly-extending members 19, the latter being provided with pivot screws 20 by which the shift frame is pivoted to upper long links 21, said links being in turn pivoted to the main frame 22 by pivots 23 nearly behind butsomewhat below the normal position of the pivots 20.

For guiding the shift frame, there is provided a second link or rock-arm 24 provided with a stub-shaft 25 on which rests a yoke 26 of the shift frame, said link 2% being fast at its rear end to a transversely-extending shaft 27, which is encircled by a spring 28. so tensioned as to assist in lifting the shift frame to upper case. It should be noted, that as seen in Fig. 6, there is a link 21 and a link 24: at each end of the typewriting machine, both links 24 being fast on the shaft 27, so that the shift frame is raised symmetrically whenever it is lifted.

For lifting the shift frame there is provided at one side of the keyboard a capital shift or single shift-key 29 and also a figure shift or a double shift-key 30, fulcrumed on the opposite ends of a short shaft 31 which passes through a standard 32 rising from the frame of the typewriter. The shaft is headed at one end and is held by a screw 32* passing into it, having a head outside the lever of the key 30. The shift-key-lever 29 is provided with a rearward extension 33 underlying the elbowed end 34 of a sheetmetal rock-arm 35 fast on the shaft 27, with the result that when the shift-key 29 is depressed, its rearward extension 33 lifts the rock-arm 3-5, thereby rocking the. rock-arms 2 f upward, so that the stub-shafts 25 on the latter will lift the shift. The shift-key 29 may be depressed until the shift frame is arrested by the inwardly-turned heel 36 thereon when said heel strikes a set screw 37 on the turned-over end 38 of the arm 39.

,There is aset screw 37 and a heel 36 at each side of the machine, as-shown in Fig. 6, and these set screws are adapted to be independently set and then locked by independent lock nuts 4-0, so that the point at which the shift frame is arrested on the two sides may be correctly adjusted identically. Vhen the shift frame is shifted to this p0- sition, the types 4:1 on the type-bar 11 are effective to print instead. of the types 42 which are normally effective to print.

To detain the capital shift-key depressed, a detent cam arm t3n'iay be swung forward (Fig. over a pin if on the sheet-metal lever 45 of the shift-key 29, by pressing rear wardly a finger piece 46 fast to an upwardly-extending arm -1J fast to the cam arm i3 (Figs. 2 and Said arm is fast on a short rock shaft 48 ournaled at its ends on short brackets li) extending inwardly from the frame of the typewriter. This shaft 48 forms the connection between the cam arm. and the upwardly-extending arm 47, and the finger-piece 46 projects through an opening 50 in-the framework of the typewriter. The lower end of the cam arm' iii is so formed that the lower face 51 thereof has just sufficient slope to enable the pin it to detain the cam arm in position against the tension of the fiat spring 52, which presses against .a pin on a second cam arm 54;, fast to the first cam arnri-Zl, and which nor mally tends to move the two arms rearwa rdly. The difference in height of the two ends of the slope 51 is sosmall that the-cam arn1-431nay bereleased by merely pressing down the shift-key a second time, thereby allowing the spring to become effective,- the amount of the second depression being a verysmall fraction of an inch, apparently almost entirely absorbed in the springiness of the key-lever, or other parts, such the rross-bar or girder 54s" supporting the standard 32,..and not being s1if'fhcinntv to visibly more theshift frame.

lit-hen it is desired to use the third types on..-the, type-bar 11. the figure shift-key .30 is depressed, thereby raising the rear end 56 of its sheet-metal key-lever. sothat said. rear end. .will lift the. turned-over end 3%, raising tie shift frame until it is arrested by set screws 5Tadjustable in brackets 58. There is oncofthesescrews, at each margin of the machine. on .a fiat crossbar 66. i The setscrews .57 may be. locked-in. place by. means of lock-nuts 6i, and they arrest the shift frame by striking the shelves 71 on the shift frame (described below) In order to permit this greater shifting by the shift-key 30, the set screws 37, which form stops when the shift-key 29 is operated, are automatically moved to ineffective position. To effect this, the arms 39, on which the set screws 37 are mounted, are

formed as the turned-up ends of a bail 62 which is pivoted at 63 onscrews Gthreaded in the outer upright sides of the type-writer frame. To this bail is connected a spring 65 which normally swings the ,arms 39 so that the set screws??? will be effective to arrest the shift frame.

To effect the automatic swinging of the bail 62, the bail has fast thereto, by means. of a screw 66, an upwardly-turned bracket 67 having a rearward extension 68 which overlies a struck-up shelf 69 projecting at .an angle approaching the horizontal from a downward extension of the arm 56, with the result that whenever the shift-key 3O lifts the arm 56, it rocks the bracket 67, thereby rapidly swinging theset screws 37out'of the path of the heels 36, to permit the shift frame to rise until arrested by the set screws 57. The shift frame may be detainedin this position by pressing rearwardly the .fingerpieced-6 which will cause the arm 54. teengage a pin 69, (Fig. i) on the lever of the shift-key 30, said pin corresponding to the pin 4 The shift-key 30 may be released precisely as the shift-key 29 is,-by depressing it slightly, thus allowing the spring 52 to swing the arm 5i toineffective position.

The shift frame normally rests on set screws 76,0f which there is one at each side of the typewriter frame, said set screws being threaded into the bases of the brackets 58 in such position that the turned-in edges 71 of the lower edge of the shift frame normallywrest thereon. Said screws 70, like the other set screws. above described, are provided with lock nuts 72 which prevent them from becoming loose.

In. order to hold the shift-key .29 in its normal position, it is drawn upwardly by a spring. 73 anchored in .a post 74 projecting inwardly from the front. For preventing the spring from drawing the key 29 too high, the extension of the l y-lever is provided with a downward projection .75 which is adapted to normally rest against the transverse plate or girder 54 extending transversely of the typewriter frame. The shiftkey 30 is providedwith a similar extension 77 also resting against the girdcrft which prrwents the spring 65 from drawing. it beyond. its normal position.

To remove the shift frame from the ma chine. it is. nly 'necessaryito remove the screws 26: then by lifting therear end of the shift frame it can be slid out fromunder the screws 57, since the only other supports of the shift frame are the points where it rests on the stub-shafts 25.

It will be noted that the cam arms 43 and -1 are cut away, as seen at 78, above the cams engaged by the pins 44 and 69, to permit the linger-piece 46 to be operated no matter which of the shift-keys 29 or is de pressed. The surface 78 is formed as a camsnrface with the result that when either shift-key is locked down by its cam arm, a

i depression of the other shift-key will cause its pin to be effective on the cam-surface 78, with the result that the cam arms a?) and 5st will be rocked rearwardly, thereby freeing both of the shift-keys.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a case-shift mechanism adapted to normally occupy one position, of a key for shifting said case-shift mechanism, a lever for said ey, a pin on said lever, an arm adapted to be swung over said pin when the lever is depressed, including a cam surface adapted to cooperate with said pin to hold the arm effective, a spring normally tending to make said arm ineifective, so that if the key is depressed, when the arm is effective, the spring will make the arm inef'ective, a second key-lever adapted to differently shift said case-shift mechanism, a pin on said second key-lever, a rock-she ft to which said arm is fast, and a second arm fast to said shaft adapted to cooperate with said second pin, to hold second key-lever effective and to be released by actuation of the second key-lever.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a sheet-metal shift-frame and links on which it is shiftable, of a turnedover ed 'e of the sheet-metal, an adjustable stop against which said turned-over edge is adapted to bear, forming a normal rest for the shift-frame, a second adjustable stop adapted to limit the throw of said shiftframe by engaging with said turned-over edge, a second turned-over edge, a third adjustable stop adapted to arrest said shiftframe by said second turned-over edge, a spring normally holding said last-named stop effective a shift-key-lever adapted to shift the shift-frame from the stop against which it normally rests to the last-named stop, and a second shift-key-lever adapted to shift the shift-frame to the second-named stop, said last-named shift-key-lever comprising a member adapted to swing the third stop to ineffective position when swinging the shift-frame.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a sheet-metal shift-frame and links on which it is shiftable, of a turnedover edge of the sheet-metal, an adjustable stop against which said turned-over edge is adapted to bear, forming a normal rest for the shift-frame, a second adjustable stop adapted to limit the throw of said shiftframe by engaging with said turned-over edge, a second turned-over edge, a third adjustable stop adapted to arrest said shiftframe by said second turned-over edge, a pivoted bail on which said third stop is mounted, a spring normally drawing said bail to hold said third stop in effective po sition, a shift-key adapted to shift said shiftframe until it strikes against said third stop, and a second shift-ley adapted to give a further shift to said shift-frai'ne and adapted, when shifting the shift-frame, to swing said bail to carry said third stop to ineffective position.

a. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a sheet-metal shift-frame and links on which it is shiftable, of a turned-over edge of the sheet1netal, an adjustable stop against which said turned-over edge is adapted to bear, forming a normal rest for the shift-frame, a second adjustable stop adapted to limit the throw of said shift frame by engaging with said turned-over edge, a second turned-over edge, a third adjustable stop adapted to arrest said shiftframe by said second turned-over edge, a spring normally holding said last-named stop effective, a shift-key-lever adapted to shift the shiftframe from the stop against which it normally rests to the last-named stop, a second shift-key-lever adapted to shift the shift-frame to the second-named stop. said last-named shift-key-lever comprising a member adapted to swing the third step to ineffective position when swinging the shift-frame, a single bracket on which said first and second stops are mounted, and screws holding said bracket in place, butremovable to enable the shift-frame to be lifted from the machine.

5. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a case-shift mechanism adapted to normally occupy one position, of a pair of keys for shifting said case-shift mechanism to either one of two shifted positions, a key-lever for each key, a pin on each lever, an arm for each. pin adapted to be swung thereover to hold its key down and comprising a cam by which the pin prevents the arm from slipping back, a spring normally tending to make said arms ineffective, and a second cam on each arm adapted to he struck by the pin if the undepressed key is depressed so that that key being depressed will cam the arms to ineffective position.

6. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a sheet-metal shift-frame adapted to normally occupy one position, of a key for shifting said sheet-metal shiftframe, a

lever for said key, a pin on said lever, an arm including a cam adapted to be swung over said pin when the lever is depressed to be held by the pin and hold the lever depressed, a spring normally tending to make said arm ineffective, a second shift-key comprising a lever to give a different shift to said shift-frame, a second pinon said second lever, a second arm fast to said first arm adapted to be effective on the second pin to hold the second key eilectivc, a turned-over edge of the sheet-metal, an adjustable stop against which said turned-over edge is adapted to bear forming a normal rest for the shiftframe, a second adjustable stop adapted to limit the throw of said shift-frame by engaging with the turned-over edge, a second turned over edge, a third adjustable stop adapted to arr-est said shift-frame by said second turned-over edge, a pivoted bail on which said third stop is mounted, a spring normally drawing said bail to hold said third stop in effective position, and a connection whereby one of said shift-keys swings said bail to make the third stop ineffective.

WlLLIAM A. DOBSON.

Witnesses GEORGE V. CAMPBELL, MORTON S. EAKIN.

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