US1483914A - Typewriting machine - Google Patents

Description

'Feb 19 1924.

J. A. B. SMITH TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed May 18. 1920 3 Sheets- Sheet 2 /m/m/or.'

Feb. 19 1924.

J. A. B. SMITH TYPEWITING .MACHINEy 3 Sheets-Sheet Filed May 18 1920 Patentedlvreb. 19, 1924r JESSE-A. B. SMITH, OFSTAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIG-NOR T UNDERWOOD TYPE- WRITER COMPANY, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., .A CORPORATION y0F DELAWARE.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

Application led May 18, 1920. Serial No. 382,229.

To all whom 'it may concern.'l

-Be it known that I, JESSE A. B. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing in Stamford, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Typewriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

'This invention relates to typewriting machines, and is illustrated in connection with an Underwood standard typewriting machine. In attempting to use typewriting .machines for making o ut small bills, it is found that the manual, operations of inserting and line-spacing the bill-head usuallyinvolve so many motions that it is more economica-l to make out such bills with pen and ink. Devices have been made for typin such bills, but theyV have been either limite to'bills in which all the typing was to be done on a single line, or on a very few lines, or were limited to bills of a single size, with the result that the machine used for one size of bills could not well be used for another' An'object of the invention is to produce an improved device for use in typing these short bills and also useful when a large number of sheets, such as ledger-sheets, are to be reinscrted in the machine periodicallyy (for eX- ample, daily, monthly or quarterly) for thel typing of new items thereon, thus adapting themachine, by means of a single device, for a large variety of work which commonly, heretofore, has required separate devices, and a further object, inthis connection, is a widening of the range or capacities of the machine as to the classes of work handled,

- together with vincreased convenience and effectiveness. I e

According to the present invention, the typewriting machine may include devices for holding-a work-sheet, upon which one, two, or three lines are to be typed in its bottom margin, and may Vbe adapted to linespace the bill-o1' work-sheet independently of the line-spacing of the platen, and these holding devices may be so constructed that bills of any one of a number of sizes maybe insertable therein with substantially equal facility, and may be automatically gaged at their insertion. The machine may'also in- (lude the usual line-spacing devices which co-- operate with the platen, thus providing means for line-spacing ya ledger-sheet lnde-4 pendently of the line-spacing of any of the various sizes of bills that may be held by the first described devices.

The devices for line-spacing a bill may include a finger-piece which is adapted-to be pushed to the left when the typewriter carriage is to be returned to the rig'ht by the usual platen-line-spacing device, thus making the line-spacing operation involveA a natural combination of \movements. Ther finger-piece may b'e connected to the billhold-ing gage-plate or device bya cam or cams, to positively move it in each direction.

Also, according to the present invention, in cases in which, as above noted, a large number of sheets are to be re-inserted in the machine periodically, for the insertion of new items for each period,-the sheets may be automatically gaged at new master line-space positions corresponding to the different periods, and also may be independently lines'paced at each of saidpositions sothat each item may comprise more than one line.

To this end, a leading-edge gage or an aligning plate provided with a leadin -edge 'gage and lerected at the front of the platen above the printing line maybe settable by mechanically-determined master line-space stages or intervals to occupy a series of different master line-space positions corresponding to the respective minor business periods which make up or are comprised in a major business period. The minor business periods may be the` days of the month, the month'then being the major business period; or the minor business periods may be months, and the major business periods may then be a year; or such majorV and minor business periods may be arranged 1n any particular instance.

` According to the present invention as disclosed herein, an.- aligning plate provided with a leading-edge gage may be line-spaced upon a pair of mounts which are settableby master line-space stagesor intervals upon a 1n the manner which may be most convenient pairof plate-supporting uprights bars at the delivery side of the platen.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear. I

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front view of an Underwood typewriting machine, showe ing the presentinvention applied thereto,

` holding plate and when the bill-head being typed. ,y

Figure 2 is a sectional is being removed after plan view of the same. p j

Figure 3 1s a front v1ew similar to Figure 1, but showing the work-sheet inserted, and before it has been typed.

Figure 4 is a sectional side view of the parts seen in Figure .1.

Figure 5 is a rear view of the work-sheetits line-spacing device, in the osition shown in Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a view ,similar to Figure 5, but showing a modification.

lin the usual Underwood standard typewriting machine, there may be passed around the platen 10, journaled inthe ends 11 of a shift-frame, a ledger-sheet 12, having in frontofl it a carbon-sheet 13. T heselie upon the rear paper-table 14 and are held against the platen by rear feed-rolls 15- and front feed-rolls 16, and are carried up pastjthe printing line, shown diagrammatically by the type-head 17. The type-head 17 is on the end of a type-bar 18 pivoted on the segment 19 and strikingbetween the arms of a type-guide 20 on either side of which lies a wing-scale 21. The shift-frame 11 forms part of a carriage 22 which travels along upon the frame 23 in the usual manner. According to the present invention, the carriage may be brought to the right-hand limit of its travel as shown at Figure 1, so that a work-sheet or` bill-head 24 may be vinserted from the side behind the adjacent wingscale 21 and laid upon a gage-plate 25. rlhe bill 24 is adapted to be gaged against the turned-over upper edge 26 of and its turned-upfleft-hand edge 27. When the bill-head has been thus aged,`it is held upon the gage-plate y turned-over spring-fingers 28 which hold it in 'its gaged position and are adapted to move lit in the line-spacing operation when a line-space linger-piece 29 is actuated. For the purpose of line-spacing the ledger-sheet 12, the usual Underwood line-space mechanism may be used yincluding the line-space wheel 30, and the line-space pawl 31. Since, however, the bill-head 24 is not held. by the feed-rolls 15 or 16, but lies in front of them, having its lower end behind the wing-scale 21, as shown in Figure 4, the line-spacing of the ledger-sheet 1s without elect upon the billhead 24.

Urdinarily, the irst line upon the billhead 24 is typed without actuating the linespace finger-plece 29. When, however, the carriage -`s returned to write a second line upon the bill-head 24, the typist usually returns the carriage by the line-space handle, not shown, actuating the line-space wheel 30; and, in accordance wlth the present invention, mayfat the same time press the linthe gage plate,

Lenie ger-piece 29 tothe left, thus line-spacin the bill 24 at the same time that the le gersheet 12 in line-spaced.' The line-space connections between the finger-piece 29 and the gage-plate 25 include a cam-plate 32, of which the finger-piece 29 forms an extension, said plate 32 being guided by studs in the form of shouldered screws 33, which are threaded into lugs or mounts 34 and locked in`place by lock-nuts 35. rlhe cam-plate 32 slides upon the screws 33 because it is provided with horizontal slots 36 for this purpose. To enable the finger-piece 29 to cam up on the gage-plate 25, also provided with cam-slots 37, in which rrun posts or pins 38, which project from the aligning plate or gage-plate 25, the relationship being such, in Figures 1 .to 5, that pushing upon the the gage-plate 25 from its Figure 1 to its Figure 3 position. Later drawing the finger-piece 29 outwardly positively returns the gage-plate 25 to its lirst position.

ln order to detain the linger-plece 29 in,

either of its positions, there is provided ay flat detent-spring 39 having a projection adapted to seat itself in openings 40 or 41 of the cam-plate 32. To permit the gageplate 25 to be adjusted to suit various lengths of bill-heads, or for repositioning ledgerupon cross-rods 46 and 47 which extend across the shift-frame 11, being made'fast on upright brackets or plates 48,.'held by screws 49 to the ends of the shift-frame 11.

To give rigidity to the structure, the rods 46 and 47 may be held fast in one of the plates 48 by riveting, and may be connected to the yother plate 48 by nuts 50, which are threaded onto the extensions 51 of their respective rods, thus allowing the nuts to be screwed up tiglt after the brackets 48 have been placed in position and their sc ews 49 securely tightened. v

It has been found most satisfactory usually to have the openings 43 at double linespace distances from each other, thus giving greater rigidity abling 24 to be used, and also thereby providing the usually desired spacing between the successive items or a reinserted andA repositioned ledger-sheet which may lie upon the alignthe cam-plate is to the L-bars 42 and yet ena suiiiciently wide-variety of bill-heads ing plate 25 at the back of` the bill 24, or I mesme convenience, the numeral associated with the holes 43 may be considered as indicating the positions to be assumed by the mounts 34 to position the gage-plate 25 for different monthly entries on ledger-sheets. The L- bars 42 may be adjustably held by set-screws 53, threaded into collars 54, said collars embracingthe rods 46 and 47, respectively.

In order to guide the gage-plate vertically, the screws or studs 33 may have their heads 55 lying above it and running in countersunk portions 56, provided with transversely slotted openings 57. The openings 57 form straight guides which engage the screws 33.

The pair of upright bars 42 having therein the holes 43 spaced at double-line distances apart for receiving the screws 44 of the mounts 34 provide means whereby the aligning plate 25 and leading-edge gage 26 are settable by mechanically-determined master line-space stages or intervals to oceupy line-space positions relatively to the printing line on the platen corresponding to the respective hereinbefore-mentioned minor business periods to provide for the typing ot an entry of one or more lines at each master line-space position for. each of the series of separately inserted work-sheets, and in the drawings these screw-receiving holes 43 are shown as provided with indices and as numberedto represent the respective business days of a month.

ln using the device 'in this way the worksheet, whichmay be a ledger-sheet,'may be inserted in the machine from the rear around beneath the platen 10, and gaged at its leadin'g edge against the leading-edge gage 26 and held in place on the aligning plate 25 by means of the sheet-holding clips 28 in any one of the proper line-space positions indicated by the numbered indices for the corresponding day of a month. The

first line of an entry for this date may nowbe written. If another line is required to complete the item or entry, finger-piece 29 may be actuated, as hereinbefore described, to linespace the aligning plate 25 and the work; s eet held thereon to an intermediate posi'- tion between the above-described master linespaced positions. However, it will of course be necessary for line-spacing the aligning plate 25 first either to line-space the platen 10 or to cast oil' platen feed-rolls 15 and 16. After corresponding entries have thus been 'made upon all of the series of Sheets for one line of an item to an` intermediate position.

between the" master line-space or double line-space positions. In using the device above mentioned in this way the usual outer bill-sheet or invoice will be inserted around the platen, in order to provide for conveniently adjusting it relatively to the ledgersheet held upon the platen, and held on the aligning plate 25 so ras to be line-spaced thereby.

The device shown in Figures 1 to 5 usually provides only for a single line-spacing operation, or two line-space positions of the aligning plate 25 and leading-edge` gage 26, thus providing for the writing of only two lines upon a bill-head 24,- or other worl'r sheet. lt is found that, in the usual Underwood standard typewriting machine,

'the three lines to be typed, the modified form of device shown in Figure 6 may be utilized, in which the pins 38 run in the special cam-slots 58, provided' with a central dwell 59, at which the finger-piece 29 .l

6 has a spring-detent 39 like the device' shown in Figure 5, but is provided with three depressions 61 instead of the two de- -pressions shown in Figure 5, owing to the difference in the number of lines to be typed. The datent-spring 39v in each case ma be held by screws 62 threaded into one o the lugs 34. Since the bill-heads are somewhat sti, 'the lingers 28 may be easily dexed and the bill-heads easily slipped under .their turned-up ends.

Variatlons 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. ln a typewriting machine, the combination with a carriage having a carriagereturn finger-piece thereon and a platen mounted therein, of a gage-plate upon the carriage, a clip upon the plate to hold a work-sheet thereon, and a fingersplece to line-space the plate and sheet thereon, the line-spacing finger-piece being located adjacent the carriage-return finger-piece, so that they may be grasped at the same time and the line-spacing finger-piece pressed towards the carriage-return finger-piece t o line-Space the gage-plate as the carriage 1s being returned to the right by the carriage-return finger-piece.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen-frame and a platen journaled therein, of a pair of. uprights in said frame, a gageplate, an adlustable support for said plate oni sald uprights, means for holding a Work-sheet on the gage-plate,

' and a line-spacing device for moving said sheet held on the plate with reference to said support to linespace the Work-,sheet held thereupon.

3. ln a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen-frame and a platen j ournaled therein, of uprights in said frame, a gage-plate, an adjustable support for said plate onsaid uprights, a cam-plate slidable on said support, and a finger-piece adapted to shift the cam-plate to line-space 4a workgage-plate. l

4. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a, carriage and a platen therein, of a gage-plate adjustable to ydiii'erent heights upon the carriage, a clip upon said plate, a line-spacing finger-piece, a pin-andcam connection between the finger-piece and the lgage-plate, and a dwell in the cam at each line-space position of the linger-piece to hold the plate in position.

5. ln a typewriting machine, the combination with aV platen-frame and a platen journaled therein, of uprights in said frame, a gage-plate, an adjustable support for said plate on said uprights, a pair of pin-andcam connections on the support to move the gage-plate, and a. finger-piecer for operating said connections to line-space a work-sheet held on the gage-plate. p

6. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a platen-frame and a platen journaled therein, of uprights in said frame, a gage-plate, an adjustable support for said plate on said uprights, a cam-plate slidable on said support, afinger-piece adapted to shift the cam-plate to line-space a Worksheet held on the gage-plate, and screws in said support upon which the gage-plate slides and adapted to guide lthe cam-plate.

7. In av typewriting machine, the combination with a platen-frame and a platen j ournaled therein, of uprights in said frame, a gage-plate, an adjustablev support for said plate onsaid uprights, means for holding a Work-sheet on the gage-plate, aline-spacing device for moving said plate to line-space the Work-sheet held thereupon, and a thumbscrew for .each upright adapted to enter aligned openings to hold the support in po sition.

8. In a typewriting machine, the combination witha platen-frame and a platen journaled therein, of u'prights in said frame,y a gage-plate having one side gage and a leading-edge gage, so that a work-sheet'y can be inserted from the side, clips 'to support the i sheet adapted to receive it when pushed side- Wise and upwardly, a support for said gageplate adjustable on said uprights, and a finger-piece for moving the plate relatively to said support to line-space the Work-sheet held thereon. i

9. In a front-strike typew'riting machine, the combination with a segment and a travelingcarriage,` of uprights on they carriage, a mount upon each upright, a thumb-screw for each -mount so that Athe screws enter aligned openings in the uprights, a stud on each mount, a gage-plate comprising opencain-'plate comprising openings sliding on the studs, and a pair of cams on said cam-plate adapted to positively move the gage-plate up and down to line-space a Work-sheet thereon behind the platen.

10. In a typewriting machine, the combisliding, a

v ings to tit the studs and guide it when" nation with a platen-frame and a platen a j ournaled therein, of uprights in said frame,

a gage-plate, an adjustable support for saidy on said support, a finger-piece adapted to shift the cam-plate to line-space a i worksheet held on the gage-plate, and a separate line-spacing device for the platen.

12. ln a front-strike typewriting machine,

the combination with a cylindrical platen, of a lleading-edge gageat the delivery-side of the platen, a mount for said gage, adjusting means for detaining said mount at a' plurality of positions at dierent distances from the printing line, each position of the mount correspondlng to the depth of the heading above the first Writing line of each of a plurality of Work-sheets to be insertedin succession and gaged, by said leadingedge gage, means for detaining against said gage a Work-sheet gaged thereby, and line-spacing means for advancing said leading-edge gage from its normal position on said mount to advance thel work-sheet detained there-y against to another linespace position Without change in theposition of said mount.

. 13. In a front-striketypewriting machine, the combination vwith a cylindrical platen, of a gaging-device-carrying mount, means for locating and detaining said mount at any one ofa series of mechanically-determined equally-spaced"positions to vary/the distance of said mount from the printing hne, a gaging devlce o n sald mount, and means for locatlngand detalning sald gagingdevice on said mount at any. one of a series of mechanically-determined equallyspaced positions, so that the position of the gaging device may be variedwithout change in the position of said mount..

14. In a front-strike,typewriting machine, the combination with a platen, lof a pair of gage-supporting upright bars at the delivery side of the platen, a gage-carrying mount upon each of the bars and movable thereon relatively to the printing line, means to detain said mounts in adjusted position on said bars, a leading-edge gage on said mounts, and means to locate and detain said gage at any one of a series of different mechanically-determined spaced positions to vary the position of said gage relatively to the printing line.

15. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a platen, of an aligning plate erected at the front of the platen and provided with a leading-edge gage, a mount on which said plate is shiftable, a support on Which said mount is yshiftable, means for locating and detaining said plate at mechanically-determined positions at different distances from the printing line, and means for line-spacing said aligning plate.

16. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a platen, of an upright plate-support at the introductory side of the platen, an aligning plate movable up and down along said support, means for detaining said aligning plate in adjusted positions corresponding to different successive business periods, means for holding a Worksheet on said plate, and aline-spacing device for moving said plate to line-space the Work-sheet irrespective of the position ofthe aligning plate as adjusted for one of said business periods.

17. In a front-strike typewritin machine, the combination with a platen, o an aligning plate erected at the front of the platen above the printing line and provided with a leading-edge gage, means for adjusting said aligning plate and leading-edge gage relatively to the printing line to occupy dilierent positions corresponding respectively to different successive business periods, and means for setting said plate and gage to d'il ferent mechanicallydetermined line-space positions irrespective of the business period positions thereof. l

18. In a front-strike typewritin machine, the combination with a platen, o an aligningplate erected at the front of the platen above the printing line, means for adjusting said plate relatively to the printing line to occupy different positions. corresponding respectively to different successive business periods, means for detaining aiwork-sheet on said plate, and a line-spacing device for moving said plate to line-space the worksheet held thereon irrespective of the adjustment of Asaid plate for any one of said-y business periods.

19. In a front-strike typewritingmmachine, the combination with a platen, of an aligning plate erected at the front of the platen above the rinting line, a pair. of mounts upon Whic said plate is movable for line-spacing, a line-spacing device for moving said plate on said mounts to linespace a Work-sheet held` upon the plate, a pair of upright bars upon which said mounts are shiftable,'means for locating and detaining said mounts at mechanically-determined master line-space stages or intervals relatively to the printing line to occupy a vseries of different master line-space positions corresponding to the respective minor business periods comprised in a major business period, for thereby correspondingly setting said plate independently of saidline-spacing movement thereof, means tol detain the Work-sheet on said plate to move therewith, and means for line-spacing saidplate relatively to said mounts. f

:sol

20. In front-strike typewriting machine,

the combination with a platen, of an aligning plate erected at the front of the platen above the printing line, a mount on which said plate is movable to vary its distance from the printing line, aline-space device for moving said plate on said mount to linespace a Work-sheet held uponthe plate, means for holding the Work-sheet on said plate, and adjusting meansfor locating and detaining the plate-carryingmount .in different positions correspondlng respectively to ditl'erent successive business periods.

21. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a platen, of a leadingedge gage at the front of the platen above ,the rinting line, means forv locating and detalning said gage at mechanically-determined master line-space stages or intervals relatively to the printin line to occupy a series of dii'erent masterIi corresponding respectively to di'erent successive business periods, a line-spacing device for line-spaclng said gage independently of said locating `and detainingmeans to line-space a work-sheet held against said ne-space positions gage, and means for detaining the work- A of the work-sheet` by the line-spacing movement of said gage.

l 22. In a front-strike typewritin machine, 4

the combination with ha platen, o an aligning plate erected at the front of the laten above the printing line and provide with a leading-edge gage, a mount upon which sa1d alignin plate is movable for linespaclng, a ne-spacing device `for movmg sa1d plate on said mount to linesp'ace a work-sheet-lleld on said plate and against said ga e, a support upon which said mount is s iftable, means for locatingv and detaining said mount` on said support at mechanically-determined master line-space stages or intervals relatively tov the `printing lineV to occupy. a series of different master-line-space 'posltlons vcorresponding to successlve buslness periods,A

and means for detaining the -Work-sheeton said plate and against said gage irrespective of the positions of the latter to effect linespacing of the Work-sheet by the line-space movement of said plate.

23. In a front-strike typewriting machine, the combination with a platen, of an aligning plate erected at the front of the platen above the printing line, a pair of mounts upon Which said plate is movable for linespacing, a line-spacing device for moving said plates on said mounts to line-space a Work-sheet held upon the plate, a pair ofupright bars upon which said mounts are shiftable, means for locating and detaining said mounts at mechanically-determined master line-space ystages or intervals relatively to the printing line to -occupy a series of diii'erent master line-space positions corresponding to the respective minor business periods comprised inra major business period for thereby correspondingly setting said Aplate independently ,of said line-spacing movement thereof, and means for holding the Work-sheet on said plate to effect linespacing of the Work-sheet when said plate is line-spaced. y

24:. lin a typewriting machine, a cyliniaeaeia return linger-piece on the carriage, a gageplate at the delivery side of the platen, and gage-plate-line-spacing means including a `drical platen, a carriage therefor, a carriagefinger-piece operable to the left and so lo- 4 cated on thecarriage that it and the carriagef return finger-piece may( be engaged at the same time by one hand ot' the operator and operated concomitantly.

25. In a typewriting machine, a cylindrical platen, a gage-plate at the delivery.

26. lin a typewriting machine, a platen,-

lWork-sheet-gripping means, a finger-piece,

and a inger-piece-actuated pin-and-cam-slot connection to act on said gripping means to line-space a Work-sheet gripped thereby.

JESSE A.. B. SMITH.

Witnesses: e .v

CATHERINE A. NEWELL, EDITH B. Linear.

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