US1488920A - Typewriting machine - Google Patents

Description

April I 1924. 1,488,920

E. B. HESS TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed-sept. 28. 1921 L Patented Apro 1, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD B. HESSJOF MANHATTAN BEACH, NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO ROYAL TYPEWRITER COMPANY, II\T(J., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

Application filed Septemben28, 1921.

To all whom it concern:

Be it known t at I, EDWARD B. Hess, a citizen of the United States, residing at Manhattan Beach, in the county of Kings, New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in 'lypewriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to type to actions for typewriting machines and especially to that class of type actions in which the type bars are actuated by the key levers through other levers interposed between the key levers and the type bars and operatively it connected therewith.

In myUnited States Patent No. 1,390,708,

of September 13, 1921, I have shown a type action in which the key levers are connected to the type bars by means of levers pivotally mounted in the front portion of the machine and which are connected with the key levers and the type bars by links in a novel way, whereby when a key is depressed to its full extent the associated type bar is moved to what is termed a toggle-locking or deadcenter position in front of the platen and at such a distance therefrom as to reduce noise during the further movement of the type bar about its pivot tothe platen, caused by the momentum of the type bar. In that patent I have claimed broadly connections between the key levers and thetype bars which so operate the type bars as to produce the results above specified.

According to my present invention 1 have embodied some of the broad features shown and claimed in said patentin a type action in which two-armed levers are interposed between the key levers and the type bars and are connected with the key levers and the t pe bars in a novel way and in such manner tliat when a key is depressed to its full extent an associated type bar is moved to a position in front of the platen and at such a distance therefrom as to reduce noise during the further movement of the type bar about its pivot to the platen. The key levers and the type bars are arranged horizontally and the two-armed levers, as before stated, are interposed between the key levers and the type bars, being normally arranged substantially horizontally and are adapted to be moved through an arc of' approximately 90. One arm of each lever is connected Serial N0. 503,852.

with a key lever, while the other arm of said lever is connected with an associated type bar. The link which connects the twoarmed lever with the type bar is pivotally connected with the two-armed lever and with the type bar below the pivot of the type bar and approximately in the same vertical plane therewith. The organization is such that when a key is depressed to its full extent the type bar is moved part-way to the printing point, its further movement being caused by its momentum. The pivotal point between the said link and the heel of the type bar moves during the operation from a position below the type bar pivot forwardly and upwardly, there being no movement of said connection substantially in rear of the plane of the type bar pivot. During the operation the opposite ends of the link which are pivoted to the heel of the type bar and to the two-armed lever are brought into a straight line with the pivot of the type bar with which it is connected, thus assuming a toggle-locking or dead-center position. After this there is no further downward movement of the key leverbut a slight upward or return movement is given thereto when the parts pass the dead-center position and during the momentum period as the type bar approaches the rinting point. Each twoarmed lever is link-connected with an associated key lever and during the operation the pivotal connections between the opposite ends of a link, a key lever and a twoarmed lever are brought into a straight line with the axis about which the two-armed lever moves, but during the momentum period this condition is changed and the pivot point of the link with the two-armed lever moves backwards to a slight extent and this is during the time that the dead-center condition of the link with the type bar isthe movement of the key levers the escapement mechanism is operated in the manner hereinafter more fully explained.

My improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a view, largely diagrammatic, of portions of a typewriting machine embodying my improvements, some parts being shown in side elevation and some in section and the position of some of the parts being exaggerated for purposes of illustration;

Figure 2 is a detail view showing particularly how the two-armed levers are mounter on a supporting rod.

Figure 3 is a detail view showing alternative universal bar and key lever relation.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings parts of a typewriter carriage are indicated at A and B indicates a platen. C indicates a type bar segment, D a type bar guide and E parts of a ribbon guide. Escapeinent mechanism is indicated at F. a key lever at G and a type bar at H. The type bars normally lie horizontally, their rear ends being pivoted to the segment at a and their. front ends being supported by a cushioned rest l. The rear ends of the key levers are pivoted at z' to a support J and the upward movement of the. front portions of the key levers is arrested by a cushioned stop K. Eachv type bar is returned to normal position by a spring L, attached at one end to the heel of the type bar and at its opposite end to a support L.

Interposed between the key levers and the type bars is a series of two-armed levers M, there being one sucht wo armed lever for each key lever and its associated type bar. These levers M are all mounted to turn independently on a horizontal rod N, suitably supported in the machine frame. The levers are held suitable distances apart by spacing rings 1, as shown in Fig. 2. Each lever M normally lies substantially horizontally, as indicated in Fig. 1, and. comprises a short arm m and a longer m. The shorter arm.

of each lever is connected by a link 0 with an adjacent key lever, while the longer arm m is connected by .a link P with the heel of an associated type bar. It will be observed that the pivotal connection m-of the link P with the type bar is below the type bar pivot in approximatelythe same vertical plane therewith and the arrangement is such that when a keyis depressed to its full extent the associated type bar will be movedpart-way to the printing point, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. When the type bar reaches this position the pivot point a: between the rear end of the link P and the heel of the type bar assumes a toggle-locking or deadcenter position'with the pivot point 0 of the type bar and the pivot point y where the link P is connected to the lever M. This condition is indicated by dotted lines in slight upward movement lines in Fig. 1. Normally, or when the parts i are at rest, the link 0 is inclined from its lower end upwardly and forwardly. When a key is depressed the shorter arm of the associated lever M is moved downward and rearward, as indicated, through an arc of about The longer arm of the lever is moved upward and forward to the position shown by dotted lines, where the ivot point 2 of the link 0 with the lever hf and the pivot oint g of the link 0 with the key lever are in a straight line with the axis about which the lever turns. When moving to this position the longer arm of the lever moves anti-clockwise and the point i does not move beyond the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. During the momentum period the point 3 has a slight return movement rearwards. The mechanism is such that the type bars are operated with ease and facility, they are given 'a quick upward movement to their dead-center position, and by momentum are carried to the printing point in such manner as to materially reduce noise when the type strikes the platen.

The universal bar comprises a rod R horizontally arranged below the key levers and connected by arms 1' to the support J. The arms 1 are pivotally mounted in the support and one of these arms is connected with an upwardly extending or vertical arm 7*, the upper end of which is connected by a link S with a lever T, pivoted at w to the rockerplate W of the escapement mechanism. This lever T has an arm t, which is normally disposed some distance in front of the rocker-plate as shown. When a key is de pressed the universal bar mechanism with which it is connected is also depressed and through the connections shown operates the lever T, but at first the operation is such as to turn the lever T about its pivot w without moving the rocker-plate, but as soon as the arm t comes in contact with the lug w. of the rocker-plate the lever cannot move further about its pivot and therefore the rocker-plate is properly moved to disengage the pawls and the escapement is properly operated. It will'be observed that b the mechanism shown and above describe the escapement is operated during the latter lid part of the movement of the type bars. The escapement mechanism shown, except in the particulars above described, is similar to that used in the Royal standard machine. The links S may be adjusted by the devices .5' to properly operate the mechanism and it will be observed, by reference to Fig. 1, that the link S is inclined from its front end rearwardly, its connection at s with the lower end of the lever T being somewhat lower than the connection of the link with the upper end of the arm 7'. In this way the carriage with the escapement mechanism may be raised and lowered for case printing without disturbing the relation of the parts.

A spring V connects the arm 1* with the frame part V. The springs L, which return the type bars to normal position, hold them at rest and prevent them from vibrating, are somewhat stronger than the spring V. The construction shown affords a rapid disengagement of the escapement pawls by comparatively small movement of the universal bar. The relation of each key lever with the universal bar mechanism and escapement mechanism is such that the depression of a key operates the cscapement mechanism during the latter part of the movement of the key. When a key rises to normal position the escapcment operating mechanism assumes a normal position ready for the next operation. By employing springs I1 of greatertension than the spring V, the type action is restored promptly to normal position, these springs being strong enough to move the two-armed lovers from their dead-center position at each operatlon.

In Figure 3 I have shown a modification in which the lever T, shown in Figure 1, is omitted. In this way, the lost motion between the arm t of the lever T and the car '21) of the rocker is transferred to a. space between the universal bar R and the key levers. In this way noise is somewhat reduced. In Figure 3, the link S instead of being connected to a lever is connected directly to the rocker plate.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a typewriting machine, the combination with key levers and type bars, of connections between each key lever and its associated type bar comprising a two-armed lever operatively connected to both the key lever and type bar so that a full depression of the keylpver produces a dead center relation of parts in two separate portions of said connections, with the type bar at a distance-from the laten from which position it completes 1ts travel by momentum alone, thus reducing noise.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination with key levers and type bars, of connections between each key lever and its associated type bar comprising an intermediate lever operatively connected to both the key lever and the type bar so that a 'full depression of the key level-produces a dead center relation of parts'in a plurality of places in said connections, with the type bar at a distance from the platen from which position it completes its travel by momentum alone, thus reducing noise.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combination with key levers and type bars, of connections between each key lever and its associated type bar comprising a lever having unequal arms, a link connecting the longer arm to the type bar, and a link connecting the shorter arm to the key lever, a full depression of the key lever moving each link to a dead center or toggle locking position with the type bar at a distancefrom the platen, from which position it completes its travel by momentum alone, thus reducing noise.

4. lin a t pewriting machine, the combination with toy levers and type bars, of connections between each key lever and its associated type bar comprising a lever, a link connecting the lever to the type bar, and a link connecting the lever to the key lever, a full depression of the key lever moving each link to a dead center or toggle locking position with the type bar at a distance from the platen, from which position it completes its travel by momentum alone, thus reducing noise.

5. In a typewriting machine, the combina= tion with key levers and type bars, of connections between each key lever and its associated type bar comprising a lever, a link connecting the lever and the ty 0 bar, and a link connecting the lever and t e keylever, a full depression of the key lever moving the first hnk to a position where its ends lie in a straight line with the pivot of the type bar, and the second link to a position where its ends lie in a straight line with the pivot of the lever itself, the ty e bar at this time being at a distance from t e platen and completing its travel by momentum alone, thus reducing noise.

6. In a typewriting machine, the combination with key levers and type bars, of connections between each key lever and its associated t pe bar comprising a pluralit of links, eac of which is moved by a full depression of a key lever to a toggle locking position with the type bar at a dlstance from the platen, from which position it completes its travel by momentum alone, thus reducing noise.

7. In a typewriting machine the combination with the key levers of esea ement mechanism comprising a rocker-p ate a lever pivotally mounted on the rocker-plate and having an arm ada ted to engage-the rocker-plate, a universe bar operated by the key levers, and connections between the universal bar and the lever carried by the roekenplate.

8. In a typewriting machine, the combination With a universal bar, of escapement mechanism comprising a rocker plate, a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on the rocker plate and havin one end in position to engage the rocker p ate after a predetermined movement, and connections eeeee between the other end of the lever and the 10 universal bar, whereby the movement of the universal bar first moves the lever independently of the rocker plate and then moves the lever and the rocker plate.

7 In testimony whereof I have hereunto 15 subscribed my name.

EDWARD B. HESS.

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