US1434734A - bridges - Google Patents

Description

L. B. BRIDGES. FOLDING TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

APPIICATION FILED MAY 15, 1920.

Patented N ov. 7, 1922.

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L. B. BRIDGES. FOLDING TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

APPHCATION FILED MAY15. 1920.

Patented Nov. 7, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEE' '2.

IlIIII-IIIIIIII aan y LeWlb L. .-B. BRIDGES. y FOLDING TYFEWRITING MACHINE.

APPllcATlou man MAY 15. 1920. 1,434,734. Patented Nov. 7,1922'.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

L. B. BRIDGES.

FOLDING TYPEWRITING MACHINE. APPllc/TION FILED MAYrs. 1920.

1,484,734. PatentedNov. 7,1924A 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4,'

Patented Nov, 7, 19122.

www suus g y y 1,434,734 PMENTLOFFICB LEWIS B. BRIDGES, .oniiaooxnyigunw vorm,v AssIGNOn'TO CORONAv TYPEWRITER coivr- PANY; ING., 0F GROTON, Nnwyomen CORPORATION OF -NEW YORK. n

' nonnina 'i'.fYEWRIfrING MAOLIINE.

'original application aied Mai-eh io, isiaseriai No. zsigeai'. Divided and this f' 1920. seriaiNo. 381,707.

To all whom fit mayconcern: 'I s Be it knownv that I, Liiwi's B. BRIDGES, a citizen of the United States, aiidresident of the lborough (if-Brooklyn, in' the county' of Kings, city and Stateof N ew York, have invented cert-ain new and useful Improvementsl in Folding Tylfiewritin'g Machines,v of which the following is a specification.

' One of the objects of this inventionis to provide aj folding` typewriting inachiiiehaving thek appearance of'a large standard'mzb' chine when extended,` and so constructed that'y the cubical-dimensioiis thereof maybe reduced approximately the keyboard and' other parts being foldable Ato reduce the length of the machine from front 'to rear substantially 50% without increasing lthe K width or height of the machine and in such: l' manner as to maintain the type basket,y carriage, ribbon mechanism, escapenient mechanism, and universal bai' mechanism iii up.- right positions atfall times, thus adapting the folded machine to fit in an elongated rec` tangular case with the base, of the machine resting On the bottom of the case and per# inittiiig the machine toy be convenientlycarried in its case with the major potioiithereof'and the principal mechanismsin an upright position.

- Anotherobject ofthe 'invention is to'prov vide a type-bar action vfor 'compactible typewriting machines having key-supporting levers operatively connected to actuate the type bars and foldable bodily'in their entirety relatively to the type bais,lwithout breaking the mechanical connections between the levers and type bars, to a vertical position in front Of the type bars. y

Another object ofthe invention is to pro-y vide a. type-bai' actio'niii which key-supporting leversaieiemployed fory actuating the type bars so constructed that the. keys will y be supported in stepped rows or banks,'will be easy to operate, will have a uniform throw,` and may bey folded `bodily upward and 'rearward with their supporting'levers about an axis close to the base vof the machine and' adjacent the rear edge'of the keyboard.

` A furtherobject of the invention istofpi'ovidea 'folding type bar actioiifor compactibletypewritingv machines in which'vthe keys are supported by pivoted leversinechanically connected with the ktype bars'iat all times,

application led May 15 is to provide av type bar'action easy to operate, having a light and uniforinkey touch, l

and so` constructed that theA keyboard may bte folded'from its normal horizontal position to yvertical position with a portion of the keyboard forward of the typebar rest .and a portio-nof the keyboard below the rtype-bar rest, whereby the length of the niachine'froin frontto rear may be reduced to a miiiimuinwhen the machine is collapsed `without increasing' the height vof the ma` chine.

` Further highlyV iinportantfobjects of the invention areto provide a typewriting machine yhaving a foldabl'e type-bar action so constructed that the keyboard may befolded in compact relation with the type bars withoutincreasingthe height of. the machine and without thenecessity of providing sectional key levers,having parts foldable relatively to each otherv and withoutbreaking the Operating connections between the keys and type bars. v l

This applic-ation is l division of my copending application, Serial No. 281,631, filed March 10, 1919. I

' In the drawings, F ig.1 is a vertical sectionalview of the machine in its normal extended operative'positioii;

2 a similar View showing the machine compacted; v

Fig.v 8 a. 'fragmentary vertical transverse sectional view; 'i y Fig. 4a fragmentary plan view;

Fig. 5 a detail view showing part of the case shift mechanism;

Fig. 6 a. detail vertical ysection showing the space `bar mechanism; l

Fig. 7 a detail sidev elevation showing part of the case shift mechanism; and fFig. S a view showing the differentforms of 'printing key stems.

The mainor relatively stationary frame part is formed with side walls 1 and a rear wall 2*,the side and rear wallsbeing cut away as shown, and the front of said frame part beinev open. The higher parts of the side wallsl at the front of themachine are conne ted by a top or finishing plate 3, and said side walls are also connected adjacent their lower edges by a. transverse plate or bar 4f.

An upwardly and rearwardly foldable keyboard frame rpart 5, substantially U- shaped in plan view. is pivotally held to the side walls 1 by bolts 6 which pass through the` side walls 1 at points closely adjacent the bottoni of the machine frame. Clamping orthumb nuts T are threaded on the outer ends of bolts and serve when tightened to lock the keyboardk frame part 5 in either its normal horizontal position or its folded vertical position. The relatively stationary main frame part is preferably provided with rubber feet 8 at each corner thereof. The keyboard ffame part is preferably provided with ,two rubber feet 9 at the front cornersthereof,and the side walls of the keyboard frame part are preferably formed with lugs 5 adapted to engage pla-te et when the keyboard frame part is folded, to arrest lsaid frame part in the position shown in Fier. 2. i

The printing keys 10 are arranged in three rows or banks and are supported on thev upper ends of three rows of key stems 11, 12 and 13. The lower portions of the key stems of all three rows are arranged in lalignment transversely of the keyboard frame part and extend vertically. The upper portion of each key stem 11 extends upwardlyand rearwardly, the upper portion of each key1 `stem 12 extends vertically and is offset slightly forwardly of the lower por i rtion thereof and the upper portion of each key stem l13 extends forwardly and upwardly from the lower vertically disposedy portion thereof. The key stems are supported on the forward ends of two series of superposed parallel rows of levers extending' fore and attof the keyboard frame part. The levers 14 of one row are pivotally supported intermediate their ends on a common fulcrum rod or wire 15 and extend through kerfs in a bar 16 held to'the keyboard frame part. The levers 17 of the lower row extend through kerfs in bar 16 and are pivotally supported on a common fulcrum wire or rod 18. The vertical portion of each key stem is connected by pivot pins 19 and 2O with the forward ends of two superposedlevers 14 and 17 and the rear ends of each pair of superposed levers 14 and 17 are co-nnected by one of aseries of vertical links 21 arranged in alignment transversely of the keyboard frame part. A series of coil springs 22, held to the front cross-bar of t-he keyboard frame part at their forward ends and held to lugs 23 on levers 17 at their rear ends, serve to return the key stems to their normal positions after each depression of Va key, the upper edges of the forward portions of levers 17y normally enA the bottoms of the kerfs in bar 16 at. the forward edge of the under side of each bar, and the upper edges ofthe rear portions of said levers being normally spaced from the bottoms of the kerts, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Each link 21 is formed with a rearwardly projecting` lug 2-1 adjacent its lower end, to which the forward end of one of a series of links 25 is connected. The points of connect-ion of all of the links 25 with lugs 2L on links 21 are in alignment transversely of the machine and coincident with the point of fold of the keyboard frame part about the pivot bolts G, the springs 22 servingl to normally maintain said points of connection in alignment with bolts 6 or the pivotal axis of the keyboard frame part. The rear ends of links 25 are connected with the lower ends of a series of depending` levers 26 pivotally held at their upper ends to a common fulcrum rod 2T which is secured at its ends to the side walls 1 of the mainframe part. Each lever 26 is connected by a link 2S with one of a series of levers 29 pivotally held at their lower ends to a common fulcrum rod 30 which is secured at its ends to the side walls 1 of the stationary frame part. The levers 29 increase in length from the center toward either side of the machine, and each of said levers is connected at its upper endby a link 31 with a downwardly and. rearwardly extending lug,` 32"L formed on itsassociated type-bar 32. v

The type-bars are pivotally held at their rear ends in a type segment 33 by a common pivot wire 3e, and the forward ends of said type bars are normally supported on a type rest 35 held to the. type segment by a pair of rods or bars 36. The type segment is formed with end portions 37 extending; tlnough and slidable vertically in slots 38 formed in two brackets 39 which are held to the inner side of the rear wall 2 of the main frame part. The slots 38 are closed at the top and bottom to limit the up-anddown movement of the segment, and the lower edges of the end portions 37 of the segment normally rest at the bottoms of the slots and support the segment in its normal lowercase position. At the outer sides of brackets 89 the end portions 37 are formed with stub shafts Lit) on each of which is mounted a roller 41.

Each type bar 32 is preferably provided with three characters, as shown, and the segment 33 is adapted to be shifted upwardlyy relatively different distances to middle (or cap) case position and upper (or case position. The middle-case shift key 42 is mounted on a keystem 43 similar to the key ste1ns13,y and the upper-case shift key 44 is mounted on a key` stem45 similar to the key stems 12.` Thek key ystems 43 and 45 are each supported' on the for? ward ends of pairs of superposed levers 14a and 17a similar/to levers 14 and 17, said levers being fulcrumed on rods y15 and 18 and the rear ends thereofbeing connected by vertical linksv21fL similar to the links 21. The links 21%are formed *with lugs similar to lugs 24 on links-21 to which the forward' ends of` two links 46L and 47` are connected at points in alignment `with the points of connection of links 25 with theA lugs 24. Link 47 is pivotallyconnected with the lower endof a rock arm 48 fixed yon a rock shaft 49 which is journalled at its ends in the side walls 1 of the stationary frame part. Link 46 is pivotally connectedr with the lower end 0f a rock arm 50lixed' bars 32v and `the platen 54, and that wheny shift key 44 is `depressed, they segment will be moved upwardly a greater distance than that imparted through the instrumentality of the key 42y and the cams 53actuated thereby. A suitable spring-(not shown) is provided to assist in returning .thesegment to its normal position. I .y y c The platen 54 ismounted on a. carriage 55 traveling on a carriage bed .56.' Thebed 56 is rigidly held at its endsto the rear ends of a pair of forwardly extending bars58. The bed and bars form a substantially U- shaped frame for supportingthe carriage andl associated devices, andl saidv bedk and bars are preferably ,formed integrally, the bed being formed with depending portions 57 at its ends connected with the innerfaces of the bars. The ends of the carriage bed 5.6 are parallelwith `and preferably alittle inside the vertical ,plane of the innerfaces.

of bars 58. Bars 58 are slidably supported and guided in ways59l which may be formed byv off-,setting portions vof the sidey walls 1, as shown, or in any othersuitable manner. The U-shaped frame formed by bed56 and bars 58 is normally heldin La rearwardly extended position` as shown in Figs. ,-1 and 4, to support theplaten at the rear and above the main frame part in cooperative relation yindependently with the type bars 32, and is adapted to be locked in this position by clamping bolts 60,which extend through apertures 1n the side walls 3 and through elongated horizontalrslots 6l in the bars 58. Suitable thumb nuts 62 are threaded on the outer ends of the clamping bolts 60. i

Adjacent their forward ends bars 58 are each formed with a lateral extension or inwardly projecting bracket 63, on which brackets the spindlesor shafts 64 of ribbonspools 65 are mounted. An rescapement wheel 66 is journaled on a bracket 67 extending up,- wardly at the rear of the platen and held at its forward end to the under side of the carriage bed 56. A universal bar 68 curved to conform with the arc of the segment 33 is j rigidly heldto the forward ends of a pair of bars 69. The bars 69, carrying the universal bar 68 are supported to move forwardly and rearwardly by two pairs of rock arms 70 and 71 whose upper ends are rigidly held to rock shafts 7 0fa and 71EL journaled in suitable bearings formed on the brackets 67. rThe universal bar 63 is normally held in the forwardly .extended po*- sition shown in Fig. 1 by means of a suitable spring, and is adapted to be engaged and moved rearwardly by the type bars 32 when the type bars are moved upwardly and rearwardly to the printing point. Suitable -mechanism, such as shown in the patent to Latta, No. 1,222,550, dated April v10, 1917, may be provided for operating the` carriage escapement and for feeding and vibrating the ribbon, such mechanism being mounted on the U-shaped frame part and operatively connected with thexuniversal bar 68.

The space bar 72 is supported on the forward ends of three angle arms 73, the vertically extending rear portions 73 of which are each pivotally held to the forward ends of a pair of superposed parallel levers 74 and 75 similarto levers 14 and 17 ysupporting the key stems. The levers 74 and 75 of each ypair are connected at their rear ends by a vertical link 76 Asimilar to links 21. The link 76 connecting the rear ends of the cenv tral pair of superposed levers 74 and k75 is formed with an ear or lug 77 similar to lugs 24 on links 21, and the forward end of a link 78 similar to links 25 is pivotally connected with said lug 77 in alignment with the points of connection of the forward ends of links 25 with lugs 24, and in alignment with the pivotal axis of the key-board frame part The link 78 is connected at its rear type bar will be moved upwardly and rearwardly and will actuate the universal bar to letter-space the carriage withoutprintng.

- The pivoted keyboard frame part 5 is operatively connected with the U-shaped horizontally slidable frame part which supports the carriage, platen, universal bar, ribbon mechanism and escapement mechanism. to move the slidable trame along the guideways 5S) when the keyboard trame part is shifted, The keyboard traine and the U- yshapedy frame are movable simultaneously toward and from each other to and from their compacted or folded positions through the medium of a pair ot' links 8O and a pair of levers 81.. The levers Si are pivotally held intermediate their ends to the side walls '1V of the stationary main traine part. The upper ends ol said levers have pin-and-slot connections 8?) with the forward ends ot the bars 58, and the lower ends of the levers are pivotally connected at 84 with the rear ends ot the links 80. The forward ends ot links S() are pivotally connected at S5 with the side walls of the keyboard frame part 5 at a point above the pivot point S-'L and above 'he pivot bolts 6 ot the key-board trame part,

lt will be obvious that the keyboard frame part may be folded upwardly and rearwardly about pivots 6 trom its normal Jforwardly extended horizontal position to a compact vertical position within the forward part of the main trame without any portion of the keyboard frame. projecting above the main trame` and that when the keyboard trame is folded the bars 58 will be moved horizontallyT forward along theways 59 by links 8O and levers 81, thus moving the carriage, platen, universal bar, ribbon mechanism and escapement mechanism forwardly from their normal positions to more compact positions over the type bars and closer to the keyboard. 1t will be observed also that the ribbon spools move to a compact position below the top plate 3 of the main trameand above the plane of 'the type basket, into close relation with the lowest part of the keyboard, that the lower part of the keyboard is moved to a compact position in front of the ribbon spools and type-bar rest` while the higher part is moved to a compact position below the type-bar rest, and that all ot theparts mounted on the i horizontally slidable trame part and the upwardly swinging frame part are brought within the vertical planes of the front and rear ends of the main frame part without increasing the height of the machine when folded. The various paits ot the machine are thus folded into very compact relation and in such a way that the machine when 'folded assumes an elongated rectangular torm, with the more delicate parts, such as the carriage, ribbon mechanism, esca-pement mechanism, universal bar and type basket, in

the same planes as they occupy when in their normal extended operative positions. By this arrangement the cubical dimensions of the machine may be reduced approximately 50% and the folded machine may be carried in a conveniently portable, elongated, rectangular case with the base of the main frame part resting on the bottom of the case, and with the delicate mechanisms above specilied in their normal planes, thus avoiding any tendency to strain or disarra-nge parts of 'said mechanisms when the machine .is carried in its enclosing case.

Any suitable or known means, such, for example. as integral hubs on the levers or separate spacing sleeves on the fulcrum rods` may be employed for spacing the levers 26 and 2S) on their ulcrum rods 2T and 30. `It will bevobvious also that the locking,- bolts GO and slots 61 may be omitted it desired.

Tilhat I claim is: i

1. A oldable key action for compactible typewriting machines comprising a type-bar` a keyboard support movable from a normal substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position closer to and wholly in front ot said type-bar, a relatively short lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends on said support and movable bodily as an entirety to an upright position therewith, a key operatively connected with the :forward end ot said lever for rocking the same, and means forming a constantly maintained Inechanical operating connection between said lever and the type-bar foldable at a point in the rear of the fulcrum of said lever.

2. A toldable type bar action for a compactible typewriting 'machine comprising a relatively stationary support, a type bar fulcrumed on said support to move upwardly and rearwardly to the printing point, a keyboard support fold-able upwardly and rearwardly to a vertical position in front of the type bar, a relatively short lever tulcrumedv intermediate its ends on. said keyboard support, a key connected with the toi-wardV end ot said lever for rocking'the same, a link having a foldable operating connection with said lever at a point in rear ot the fulcrum of the lever and coincident with the point ot fold ot' the keyboard support, a second lever pivotally supported at its upper end on the stationary support and having its lower end connected with said link, a third lever lpivotally supported at its lower end on the stationary support and extending parallel with said second lever, a link connecting the second and third levers intermediate their ends, anda link connecting the upper end of the third lever with the rear end of the type bar at a point below the fulcrum of' the type bar.

3. In a compactible typewriting machine, the combination of a key-controlled part, an operating key therefor Lt'oldable relatively to said part, akey stem supporting said key, a pair of superposed levers extending longitudinally of the machine and pivotally connected at their forward ends with the key stem, a link connecting the rear endscof said levers, a support on which said levers are 'fulcrunied intermediate their ends oldable upwardly andrearwardly about a pivotal axis close. to the 'base or' the machine toward the keycontrolled part to thereby carry said superposed levers 'bodily to ank upright position wholly in ront'of the type bars, and a ioldahleoperating connectlon between said link and the key-controlled part.

4. The combination of a series vo typer bars pivoted on a curvedy line,a series of upwardly extending levers increasing in length from the center to the sides oi the system and pivoted on a straight line at their lower ends, a. series oit' links connecting` the upper ends oi said levers'with the type bars, a second series of levers of equal length piv-v oted at'their upperends on a straight line, a series of links connectingl the two series of levers intermediate their lends, aseries of keysupporting levers ulcrumed intermediate their ends, a series of keys sup ported by said key-supporting levers, and a series oi links connectingr the rear ends oi' the key-suppertinglevers with the lower ends oi' said second series of levers.y

In a typewriting machine, the' coinbination oit a main iframe part, type bars mounted on the main. frame part fore and aft of the inacline, akeyboard 'frame part pivotally connected adjacent its rear end with the fm'ward end of the main frame part adjacentvthe base ot' the machine andk :t'oldable to an upstanding position closev to the type-bars, key-operated levers pivotally supported on the keyboard frame part `fore and aft of the machine with their rear ends adjacent the pivotal axis of the keyboard iframe part, said key-operated levers 'being movable bod ly with the keys to a the combination of type bars, a keyboard support folda-ble upwardly and rearwardly to an upstanding-position infront of and close to the type bars, keys, short individual rocking` key supports lying wholly below the keys and extending fore and aft of the machineand fulcrumed intermediate their ends on the keyboard support to move up and down uniform distances and be carried over bodily to an upright position when the keyboardis folded to non-use position, and iindividual operating connections between the key supports and their associated type bars pivotally held at they forward ends thereof to the rear ends of the key supports in alignment with the pivotal axis of the ioldable keyboard support.

7; In a foinpactible-typewriting machine,

thecombinat'on of a main frame part, type lbars mounted on the main frame part, a

keyboard frame part hinged to the main traine part adjacent the base of the machine to ytold upwardly and adapted to come to rest in an upstanding position wholly in :front of the type'bars, keys, rocking devices fulcrurned on the keyboard frame part supporting the keys in' stepped rows to move np and down uniform distances without tilting', said rocking devices being movable in their entirety with the keyboard frame part to upright positions in front of the typebars when. the keyboard is raised to non-use position, and oldable constantly maintained *operating connections between the rocking devices and type bars. K

' 8; In a compactible typewritlng machine.

the combination of type bars, key-operated .le-vers extending fore and ait ofthe Inachine locatedwholly forward of the typebars and of less length. than the height of the machine, constantly maintained operatig ing connections between -the key-operated levers and their associated type bars oldable attransversely aligned points adjacent'the rear ends oi' the key-operated levers and the base of the machine, and a support for the key-operated levers foldable upwardly and rearwardly to f an upstanding position wholly in front of the type-bars.

'In testimony whereof I hereunto atiix my signature.

` L EVVIS B. BRIDGES.

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