US1601534A - Typewriting machine - Google Patents

Description

Sept. '28; 1926. I 1.601.534

' A. G. KUPETZ TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Oct 20, 1922 Patented Sept. 28, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADOLPH G. KUPETZ, OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 UNDERWOOD TYPE- WRITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TYPEWRITING IVIACHINE.

Application filed October 20, 1922. Serial No. 595,766.

This invention relates to typewriting machines, and more particularly to typewriting machines especially adapted for the writing of bills for telephone service, in which operation it is required to type separately the amounts of United States taxes. The invention, however, is useful with or without modifications for other purposes.

It is desired not only to type the tax, items separately, but also to ascertain the total of the tax items for a day or other period, In machines designed for this urpose, there are provided, in addition to t e usual number-keys, a special key to type the number 5 and another special key to type the number 10. These two special keys areused for no other purpose, and each is operatively connected to a register, such as the well-known Veeder cyclometer. These registers count the operations of their respective keys, and thus enable the operator to determine the total of the tax items by a very simple calculation.

A feature of the invention is the ro ision of improved means for attaching t 1e register mechanism and its operating connections to a standard typewriter without drilling holes or making any other alterations whatever in the machine frame.

In my application No. 592,682, filed October 6, 1922, now Patent No. 1,559,- 889, dated November 3, 1925, I have dis closed registers for the purpose above indicated, wherein registenoperating arms are yieldingly operated and are maintained at the ends of their 0 crating strokes by springs, and are move preparatory to their operation by the springs by operating conneotions between them and the special keys.

By this arrangement, the danger of damage to the register mechanism is obviated, lostmotion is provided between the numberkeys and the register mechanism in the last portions of the downward movements of the number-keys, and the number'wheels of the registers are normally maintained in a locked condition to prevent persons from carelessly or ignorantly turning the clearing shaft, and thereby altering the positions of the wheels. The present invention aims to preserve these desirable features, while simplifying the connections whereby they are achieved, and adapting said connections for attachment to a standard machine without alteration thereof.

In my application No. 592,682, previously referred to, the registering elements are positively connected to the keylever, and a quick return movement of the key-lever must necessarily force the driving and carry-over elements of the register to perform their several functions during an interval of time that is almost instantaneous, with the result that errors may develop because of defective co-operation between the registering parts, due to the speed of operation. I11 my present organization it will be particularly noted that the numeral-key has no positive connection to the register. The numeral-key overlies a register-actuating arm in such a manner that the down-stroke of the key will vibrate the actuator in unison to the end of the keys down-stroke, to condition the register-driving elements, and upon the release of the key by the finger the key-lever is free to return independently of the register-actuating arm. This enables the key-lever to be restored under its normal predetermined spring-tension, free of any extra register-operating burden that might tend to slow down or impede the return movement of its associated type-bar.

It also enables the actuating spring of the register that becomes active upon the release of the key-lever to be tensioned very lightly for the light duty it performs, makes the restoring interval for the actuator arm of longer duration, effectively removes any possibility of injurious strain to the light toothed elements of the register, and incidentally prevents errors during the registering movements. The numeral registering keys are never struck twice in succession, hence the slower returning movement of the register actuator will not delay or retard the typing operations immediately following a registering movement. I

As in the. application referred to above, it is desirable to arrest the rotation of the clearing shaft with the numberwheels standing at 9, in order that the adding in of a unit, which necessarily folrestore all the number-wheels to 0. A

feature of the present invention is the provision of improved means for clearing the register, comprising a stop for positively arresting the rotation oi the shaft with the wheels standing at 9.

Other features and advantages will hereinai'ter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a front ele ation, partly in section, of the right end of a typewriting machine, with the improvements oi the present invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a side eleiation of the mechanism shown in Figure 1, with the registerclearing handle in its normal position.

Figure 3 is a vertical section of the register on the li e 3;3 of Fif ire 1.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the register on the line a -lof F' ire 1.

Figure 5 is a view snnilar to Figure 2, showing the clearing handle in the position to which it is moved to bring the numberwheels to 9.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view of the register, showing the clearin handle in normal position, and a spring or returning i to normal position.

The ypewriting machine comprises the usual keys 11, which, through connections to type-bars 12, cause them to strike rearwardiy against a platen mounted upon a carriage (not shown). In addition to the usual number-k ys and the usual alpliabet keys, there is provided one or more special number-keys Only one such key and only one register 13 are shown, but it. will be readily apparent, o1 course, that. the principle of the invention is not confined to the provision of single special key and register.

The machine frame 14, as usual, has a triangular opening 15 at the right end of its keyboard extension. A bracket 16 and a clamping plate 17 lie on the opposite sides of the trame and are connected to each other by three binding screws 18, which screws are received in holes in the bracket and clamping plate, so arranged that the screws 18 will lie adjacent the vertices of the triangular opening 15 in the machine frame 11 and cause the bracket 16 and clamping plate 17 to clamp the frame firmly The clamping plate may be positioned by engagement of its upper edge 21 with a shoulder 22 on the machine "frame. The lower portion of the set screw 26 The upper end of the arm 26 has a slot 29 which receives a pin 30 on an operating arm 31 ot the register 13. The register 13 is mounted on a shelf portion 32 of the bracket 16. The forward end of the operating arm 31 is normally maintained in an elevated position by a tension spring 33 connected to the tail 31 of the operating arm 31 and to the bracket 16. Depression of the special key 5 rocks the operating arm 31, by means of the described connections, from the position of Figure 2 to the position of Figure 5.

The operating arm 31 is connected to and oscillates a yoke 35, upon which is pivotally mounted a series of pawls 36, which pawls are pressed toward number-wheels oi the register by a spring 38 and co-opcrate with ratchet teeth 39 and intervening shallow and deep notches l0 and 11 on the number-wheels. The hub portion 12 of the yoke is connected through gear teeth to a segment 13, which it oscillates to carry stops llinto and out of the path of the ratchet teeth 39 on the number-wheels 37. Return locking pawls l5 preventretrograde movement of the number-wheels. 1L register-clearing shaft 16 has a series of onetoothed disks 1? keyed to it, one for each number-wheel oi the register, and each number-wheel is provided with a pawl -18 and a spring 19 for pressing the pawl into engagement with its disk d7. \Vhen the clearing shaft 16 is rotated clockwise, as seen in liigure 3, the disk-teeth pick up the numher-wheel pawls 4-8 in the positions to which they hare been moved by the operating pawls 36 and turn the number-wheels forward. The register mechanism described is the usual mechanism of the Veeder cyclometer.

The number-wheekoperating mechanism, however, is normally maintained in the p0sition shown in Figure 3, that is, in-the position occupied at the conclusion of the advance or operating stroke of the registeroperating arm 31. It will be noticed that the inimber-wheels are locked against advance in Figure 3 by the stops 11. In order to permit turning of the wheels by the clearing shaft 46, therefore, it is necessary for the operating arm 31 of the register to be depr sed. which, of course, will result in a unit being run into the number-wheels of the register upon the restoration of the operating arm to normal position immediately after the operation of the register-clearing shaft has been completed. A register-clearing handle 51 is rotatably mounted on the register-clearing shaft 46 and carries a pawl which is spring-pressed into engagement with a toothed wheel 53 fixed to the shaft, whereby a one-way driving connection is established between the handle and shaft.

justably fixed on the shaft 21 by means of a A stop 51 is mounted to lie in the path of the clearing handle and positively arrest turning of the handle 51 with the numberwheels standing at 9. A spring 55 returns the handle independently of the clearing shaft to itsnormal position, which is the position occupied by it in Figure 2. The stop 54 also limits this return movement of the handle. The operating arm 31 of the register is then permitted to rise, which runs in a unit and thereby turns all the wheels to 0.

The clearing shaft 46 is turned through only nine-tenths of a revolution by the clearing handle 51. In order to bring the tooth 56 on the wheel 53 again into operative relationship to the pawl, the revolution of the shaft 46 must be completed. A cam 57 having an inclined surface 58' thereon, which terminates in a deep notch 59, is keyed to the clearing shaft 16, and a detent 60 is pressed by a spring 61 against said cam 57. When the Wheels 37 are brought to the 9 position by the clearing shaft, the detent 60 presses against the inclined surface 58 of the cam 57 on the clearing shaft. The pressure of the spring 61 is not suflicient to cause rotation of the clearing shaft 46 so long as the number-wheels remain in driven relationship thereto, but as soon as the number-wheels have been turned to 0 by the running in of a unit, the spring 61 is effective through pressure of the detent 60 upon the inclined surface 58 of the cam 57 to rotate the clearing shaft forward and thereby bring the tooth 56 on the Wheel 53 into position to be engaged and driven by the pawl 52 on the register-clearing handle.

Variations maybe restored to Within the scope of the invention, and portions of the im rovements may be used Without others.

Iaving thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a typewriting machine including a full complement of alphabet and numeral keys for typing, an extra key, a register for counting the operations of the extra key, manually operable register-clearing means to partially clear the register, and means released by the extra key to complete the register-clearing operation.

2. In a typewriting machine including a full complement of alphabet and numeral keys for typing, an extra key, a register for counting the operations of the extra key, manually-operable register-clearing means rotatable between fixed stops to partially clear the register, and means released by the extra key to complete the register-clearing operation.

3. In a typewriting machine including a full complement of alphabet and numeral keys for typing, an extra key, a register for counting the operations of the extra key, a manually-operable self-restoring crankarm rotatable between fixed stops to partially clearthe register, and means released by the extra key to complete the registerclearing operation.

' 4. In a typewriting machine including a full complement of alphabet and numeral keys for typing, an extra key, a register for counting the operations of the extra key, and register-clearing means including a manual means to initially condition the register for a final clearing movement by means released by the extra key.

5. In a typevvriting machine, a numberkey, and a register for counting the opera tions of the number-key, comprising number-Wheels, means for advancing the number-wheels in counting, a clearing shaft, means mounted on the clearing shaft for turning the clearing shaft, a stop for positively arresting the rotation of the turning means before it has made a complete revolution, a spring for returning the turning means to initial position independently of the shaft, and meansfor further turning the shaft to complete a revolution thereof and thereby restore it to its operative relation with its turning means.

6. In a typewriting machine, a numberkey, counting mechanism comprising number-wheels, an operating arm, means controlled by the number-key for oscillating said arm to operate the counting mechanism, comprising a spring for moving the arm in its operative direction and maintaining it normally at the end of its operating stroke, locking means controlled by the operating arm for normally locking the counting mechanism and arranged to unlock the counting mechanism when the operating arm is moved in an idle direction to prepare the counting mechanism for counting, a clearing shaft for turning the number-wheels, means for turning the shaft, a stop for positively arresting the shaft-turning means With the number-wheels standing at 9, a spring for returning the shaftturning means to initial position, and means for further advancing the clearing shaft upon the return of the operating arm to normal position.

7. In a register, a set of number-Wheels, a clearing shaft for turning the numberwheels, a toothed wheel fixed to the clearing shaft and having a tooth thereon, a handle, a pawl carrier by the handle in engagement with the tooth of the wheel for turning the clearing shaft, a stop for positively arresting the handle with the number-wheels standing at 9, means for returning the handle to initial position independently of the shaft, means for advancing the number-wheels in unison to 0, and means for advancing the clearing shaft to turn the tooth on the toothed wheel into operative relationship to the pawl on the handle when the number-Wheels are turned to O.

8. In a register, a set of number-wheels,

a clearing shaft for turning the number- Wheels, means for turning the shaft in clearing the register, a stop for positively arresting the turning of the shaft-turning means with the number-Wheels standing at 9, and means for restoring the shaft and shaftturning means to their initial positions in co-operative relationship to each other by rotation in opposite directions.

9. In a register. a set of number-Wheels, a clearing shaft for turning the number- Wheels through part of a revolution. means for turning the clearing shaft, a stop for positively arresting the turning means when a revolution ha been partially completed, means for returning the shattturning means to initial position, and means for causing the 11un'iher\vheels and the clearing shaft to complete a rerolution.

10. In a register, a set of number-Wheels, a clearing shaft for turning the number- Wheels through part of a revolution, means for turning the clearing shaft, a stop for positively arresting the turning means with the number-Wheels standing at 9, means for returning the shaft-turning means to initial position, a lock for normally locking the number-Wheels against turning movement by the shaft, an arm mo "able to an abnormal position to unlock the numberivheels and effective in its return to normal position to cause a unit to be run into the number-Wheels and means for causing the clearing shaft to complete a revolution.

ll. In a register, a set of number-wheels, an operating arm for operating the numberu'heels to count, normally maintained at the end of its operating stroke and etl'ective in that position to lock the register, said operating arm being movable to an abnormal position to unlock the register, means for turning the number-Wheels in clearing the register, means for positively arresting the movement-0t the turning means with the number-wheels standing at 9, and a spring for automatically returning the operating arm to normal position to cause the nun'il'ier-wheels to be advanced to 0.

ADOLPH o. KUPETZ.

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