US1463478A - Multicopy writer - Google Patents

Description

, mv ENTOR {ERNEST \Mms E MAUVAES MULTICOPY WRITER Filed May 6. 1.922

w H Um 3 li atented July Bl, 11923..

UNHTE TATES CORPORATION, LTD, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, A CORPORATION OF WASH- INGTON.

MULTICOPY WRITER.

Application filed may 6, 1922. Serial No. 558,958.

same time the original is produced, and

without the use of carbon paper; and the objects of my invention are, to provide a device, easily attachable to the carriage of a standard typewriter, carrying a semi-inked typewriter ribbon or a plurality of them, adapted to be instantly adjusted between sheets of paper located in the machine, and

opposite the printingpoint thereof, so that each duplicate is made by a typewriter ribbon; and, to provide effective means for makin erasures and correcting mistakes in the original typewriting and a duplicate thereof, without off-setting or making necessary the removal of said sheets from the machine, or the placing of additional sheets of paper therebetween.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective, showing a portion of a typewriter with the device complete, as mounted on the carriage thereof.

Fig. 2, a cross-section drawn on the line 2-2, of Fig. 6.

Fig. 3, a vertical sectional view, on the line 33, of Fig. 6.

Fig. 4, a cross-section of a ribbon cl1p, enlar ed and enclosing a section of typewriter rib on, drawn on the line 4-4, ofFlg. 5.

Fig. 5, an elevation of one end post of the device, part1 in plan, showing one of the racks extending below the post and outwardly curved, designed to exert tens1on on the ribbon, a section of which 15 attached thereto by said clip.

Fig. 6, an end elevation of the device, without its supporting bracket, a section of the post and the gear casing being partly broken away, to show one of the racks and its gear wheel meshing therewith, and includmg a lower guide bracket for the racks.

Referring more particularly to the drawings; the end posts 1, connected by the transverse piece 2 comprise the frame. 3 and 4 denote gear cases attached thereto, and 5 a shaft journaled in the oppositely located supports 6. In the present embodiment of the invention these supports are shown attached to the carriage of the typewriter by screws, and not only serve as bearings for said shaft but support the device in operative posltion on the machine. A lug 7, carrying the screw 8, provides, in connection with one of said supports as shown in Fig. 1,. an adjustment whereby the mechanism can be tilted slightly to the required position for operation. d

A gear wheel 10, Fig. 3, is fixedly attached to said shaft and is provided with a handle 11 which projects through a slot 12 in the gear casing 3. A second gear wheel 13 is fixedly attached to a sleeve 14 mounted on the shaft 5, and carries a handle 15 which projects through and/operates in a semiclrcular slot 16 in the gear wheel 10 and the complementary slot 17 in said gear casing. 18 denotes a thirdgear wheel, likewise attached to a sleeve 19 mounted on the sleeve 14, provided with a handle 20 which projects through semi-circular slots 21 and 22 in gear wheels 10 and 13 and through the slot 23 in the gear casing 3. The gear casing 4, located oppositely of the gear casing 3, encloses three gear wheels each of which is mounted as just described, to the end that a rotation of one of the first mentioned gears by its handle will likewise efi'ect a rotation of a similar gear at the opposite side. The second set of gears are not equipped with handles, and obviously no slots in the gears or said second casing are necessary.

'A rack 30 is provided for each gear wheel, adapted to mesh therewith and to slide vertically in a grooved section 31- of the posts 1. In Fig. 5 one of said racks is shown as projecting below the 0st in which it is mounted. As it will e noted, the lower terminal of the rack is slightly curved outwardly. The racks of one series are thus curved, and the racks of the other series are provided with reversely curved terminals, and as they are all made of material possess- 1n of oppositely located and complementary racks when extended below the respective posts in which they operate will each exert a tension outwardly and hold taut a semiinked typewriter ribbon designed to be mounted between their terminals. While a certain amount of resiliency, a pair the tension is sufficient to subserve the purpose mentioned, it still permits a free vertical movement of the rack within said grooved portion of the post. Said ribbon, and connecting clips to be hereafter described, are designed to be of a length short enough to take up the curvatures of the respective racks, and thereby receive a tension that will keep the ribbon taut and operative at all times.

31 denotes a lower guide bracket located adjacent either post and the racks, adapted to assist in maintaining the racks in operative position within the posts. 32 is a slot form in Fig. 4:, preferably of malleable ma terial, is rovided at its looped end with a slotdl, adhpted to receive a typewriter ribbon 4:2. The free'ends of the clip terminate, as indicated, in right angular portions 43, and in its medial section it is provided with a reentrant portion 44 and an oppositely located recess 45, complementary thereto. An end of the ribbon is fastened in the clip as shown in F'i 4, and the sides of the clip clamped an flattened together, thus securel holdin the ribbon. The other end of the ri bon is ll kewise provided with a clip. A semi-inked ribbon having a clip at either end as described is mounted in the lower terminals of a pair of racks, by insertin a clip in the slot 32 of a rack, as shown in ig. 5, said angular ends holding the clip and attached ribbon against longitudinal movement, and the projections 33, between which the clip is placed, limiting its up and downmovement. The other end of the ribbon is mounted in the opposite and complementary rack in the same way, the resiliency of the racks facilitating the placing of the ribbon, and the curvatures thereof imparting the required tension to the ribbon, as heretofore described.

Sect-ions of semi-inked ribbons having been thus attached to the terminals of the racks, and the device mounted on the carward to the limit of its slot 12. This movement set in motion the gear wheel 10 to which said handle is attached, the shaft 5,

neeaare the rotation of the same in a forward direction will lower the ribbon 50, Fig. 1, carried by said racks. The semi-circular slots 12, 17 and 23 are each of a length to bring a ribbon to approximately the printing point when the respective handles are brought forward to the upper limit of the slots. However, shouldother adjustment be necessary to bring the ribbons, or any of them, in operative position, this can be eifected by tilting the frame slightly up or down, through the screw adjustment 8. For purposes of clear illustration, the ribbon of the typewriter is not shown in Fig. 1, but the lowered ribbon 50 indicates its location approximately andis designed to align therewith. The paper fingers of the typewriter are also removed for the same purpose. In using the device, said paper fingers are thrown back, as can be conveniently done on many typewriters of standard make. 51 designates a pair of ribbons attached to the remainin pair of racks, and indicate in Fig. 1 their location when in raised position, and'not in use.

To make, for instance, a single duplicate copy, the ribbons of the device should at first occupy their normal raised position, as shown at 51. A couple of sheets of paper are then inserted in the typewriter until their parallel top edges extend to the front and slightly above the platen. Said edges are then spread-by inserting the forefinger of the left hand between them, the ribbon 50 being then lowered in the position shown in Fig. l by bringing the handle 11 forward to the limit of its slot as indicated. The ribbon then occupies a position on the second sheet opposite the printing point of the typewriter, practically parallel with the ribbon of the typewriter, and will make a duplicate copy as the original is made. The spacing of the paper as each line is written will not eflect the position of the ribbon, it remaining at all times in its proper place as described. Should it be desired to make two or more duplicate copies, additional ribbons are lowered between the several sheets in the same manner through actuation of the respective gears and connections.

An important feature of this device is the facility it afi'ords for making corrections in typewriting, As is well known, to make erasures, w on using carbon paper for duplicate copies, it is necessary to place separate sheets of paper between each sheet of carbon to prevent ofisetting from the carbon, or to remove the work from the machine. Either method is slow and laborious. Under the first, if the operator forgets to remove the extra sheets trombetween the carbon aeaave paperthe typewriting is practically ruined. The latter method is unsatisfactory on account of the difficulty in so adjusting the sheets of paper, when replaced in the typewriter, as to bring the carbon insertions in propelalignment with the balance of the typewriting. With this device erasures are made by simply turnin the sheets forward a few notches of the p aten ratchet to get the work to be corrected away from the ribbons and in a convenient place for erasures adjacent the upper portion of the cylinder. Erasures 0n the original and any duplicate can then be made easily, the cylinder of the typewriter affording a smooth surface for such purpose, with nothing intervenin to make a smudge on the sheets of paper. hen

' insertions are to be made, the paper is turned back to the printing point, and as is evident,

said insertions will be in perfect alignment,

the paper feed and the ratchet end of the cylinder maintaining the several sheets in their original positions.

In the present embodiment of the invention, mechanism is provided for making three'duplicate copies. The device is operative with but a single ribbon to make one duplicate copy, and with parts necessary to efiect this result. As is evident,'by adding similar parts to those already shown, duplicate copies in excess of three can be made at a single writing, if so desired. Preferably, ribbons inked on one side only are used'for making said duplicates, to avoid offsetting on the back of preceding sheets, however, sections of the usual typewriter ribbon can be utilized by placing a strip of thin, uninked protecting cloth over the outer face of each ribbon as assembled in the destructure set forth.

I claim:

1. A device of the class described, comprising a frame attachable to the carriage of a typewriter, a pair of oppositely disposed racks mounted in the frame and slidable vertically therein, a gear wheel adapted to mesh with each rack, a shaft connecting the gear wheels, a second pair of oppositely disposed racks mounted 111 the frame and slidable vertically therein, a gear wheel adapted to mesh with each of the second racks, a sleeve mounted on the shaft and connecting the second gear wheels, a typewriter ribbon disposed between the lower ends of each pair of said racks, and means for imparting a rotary movement to said wheels, shaft and sleeve and a vertical movement to said racks, whereby each ribbon may be lowered to the printing point of the typewriter or raised therefrom independently of the other ribbon.

2. In a device of the class described, a-

ERNEST UVAIS.

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