US1998498A - Typewriting machine - Google Patents

Description

AprilV 23, 1935. H. A. FooTHoRAP 1,998,498

\ TYPEWRITING MACHINE original Filednec. 51, 1925 '7 sheegssheet 1 awa/WB April 23,1935. n. A, FQOTHQRAP' 1,998,498"

TYPEWRITING MACIHINE Y Original Filed Dec. 31, 1925 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 VUM? 5 inw" gyn/vento@ April 23, 1935. I H, AI FOQTHORAP v 1,998,498

TYPEWRITING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 3l.. 1925 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 IlI IlIll|IlIIIHIIHllllllllllllllllllI April 23, 1935.

H. A. l-ooTHoRAP TYPEWRITING MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet. 4

Original Filed Dec, .31. 1925 pril 23, 1 935.

H. A. FooTHoRAP 4 TYPEWRI'TING MACHINE au; "n,

April 23, 1935. H. A, Foo'rHoRAP I TYPEWRITING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 3l. 1925 '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 April 23, A1935. H. A. FooTHoRAP 1,998,498y

. TYPEWRITING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 3l, 1925 '7 Sheets-Sheet '7 NZH! Patented Apr. 2s, 193s TlYlPElF/RHTING MACMNE lHarry Il. Footliorap, Harrisburg, lPa., assigner, by mesme assignments, to Underwood Elliott Fisher Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in typewriting machines, and more particularly to carriage retracting mechanisms and controlling 4means therefor.

The principal object of the invention, generally stated, is to provide a simple and elcient form of motor driven carriage retracting mechanism, controlled automatically by the typewriter carriage, in either of the two extreme positions there- 1o of, and controllable independently in intermediate positionsof the carriage.

Another object is to provide for locking the carriage feeding mechanism during operation of the carriage retracting mechanism.

Other objects will appear as the succeeding description is developed, and in this connection, it is to be noted that the particular embodiment of the invention disclosed herein is especially adapted for use in connection with a type of machine disclosed more in detail in my copending application, Serial No. 78,665, filed December 31, 1925, now Patent No. 1,909,148, issued May 16, 1933, of which the present application is a division.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation, with unimportant parts broken away, illustrating my invention in its preferred application, that is, tothe machine of the above noted patent,

Figure 2 is a view in rear elevation with parts broken away,

Figure 3 is a view in side-elevation,

Figure 4 isa plan view more particularly of the carriage retracting mechanism and carriage lock,

Figure 4a. is a detail section of a clutch mechanism forming part of the carriage retracting mechanism. J

Figure 5 is an elevation of the structure shown in plan in Figure 4,

Figure 6 is an elevation of the carriage lock,

Figure 'l is a plan'view of the same,

Figure 8 is a rear elevation of the carriage feeding mechanism and the associated carriage lock, and,

Figures 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 are related views of parts of the carriage lock.

Referring to the drawings, the machine to which my invention is shown as applied is, generally speaking, of the commercially known Elliott- 50 Fisher type, developed and equipped for posting telephone toll slips at high speed. The pedestal members l (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) support a frame 2, carried by brackets 3 extending inwardly from said members l, the frame 55 including side members 4 and 5 rigidly connected together in spaced apart relation, and to the brackets 3, by front and rear transverse bars 6 and l. The frame 2, in turn, supports the front and rear carriage guides 8 and 9, respectively, of an Elliott-Fisher typewriter carriage l0, the construction and equipment of which is well known and need not be entered into in detail. It is sufficient, for present purposes, to say that the carriage l0 is equipped with the usual recording mechanism, including a series of type arms l l and operating keys I2, by the manipulation of which, letters and numerals may be printed in the usual way.

. The carriage l0 is advanced by a spring drum i3 connected thereto by a tape lll, and this movement is controlled by the usual carriage feeding mechanism which includes a feed rack l5 carried by the rear carriage guide 9 and geared to the carriage l0 through the medium of a key-operated escapement mechanism, shown in Fig. 8, and fully described in United States Letters Patent No. 1,203,519. The carriage l0 is advanced and retracted over a combined form table and flat platen l@ (Fig. 1) supported by the transverse frame bar 6, and over which the forms or. slips are fed between edge guides il and i8. After the forms or slips are printed, they may be ejected from the table and platen l 3 into a receptacle l@ supported beneath the table by plates and 2l secured to the frame members il and 5.

There is an automatic form feeding mechanism in this machine operated by the carriage, which need only be described briefly in passing, to impart a full understanding of the general organization of the machine. "This feeding mechanism includes a set of feed rolls 22 (Fig. l) mounted upon a feed roll shaft 23, journaled in the plates 20 and 2l at the rear of the combined table and platen i6. A presser roll 2li, mounted in a frame 26, swinging on the shaft 2l, Fig. 3, istensioned by a suitably connected spring 28, Fig. 2, to clamp the form or slip against the feed rolls 22. A one Way clutch 29 (Fig. l) on the feed roll shaft 23 is connected by a depending arm 30 (Fig. 2) and draw rod 3l, toone arm of la lever 32 fulcrumed at 33, the remaining arm of which is suitably connected at 34 with a bail 35 (Figs. 2 and 5) mounted to swing against the tension of a spring 36. When the carriage is retracted to begin a new line, a projection 31 thereon engages a cam 38 on the bail 35 and swings the latter, whereupon the feed roll shaft 23 is rocked, through the described connecting devices, suliiciently to feed the form or slip one line space.

An ejector key 39, (Figs. 1 and 3) and a release key 40, operate the feed rolls 22 and presser roll 24, respectively, to effect release of the form by said rolls, and to eject the form from the combined platen and table I6 into the receptacle I9. The ejector key 39 is operatively connected to a one way clutch 4| on the feed roll shaft 23 by suitable connections designated as a whole by the numeral 42. The release key 40 operates connections designated by the numeral 43, to rock the shaft 21 to lift the presser roll 24 and release the work. 'I'he numerals 44 and 45 (Fig. 2) designate automatic skip space mechanism, and 46, 41 and 48 indicate tabulator stops and a tabulator key, respectively, all of which units are merely noted 1n passing and form, per se, no part ofthe present invention. The foregoing statement is likewise true of the tax meter 49 (Fig. 1,) and its operating keys 50 and 5| with which' this machine is equipped.

Coming now to the carriage retracting mechanism, a motor 52, (Figs. 1, 2 and 3), preferably electric, is supported in the rear of the machine by a drop bracket 53 and is connected by a belt 54 to a drive wheel 55 journaled on a shaft 56 afforded suitable bearings on the left hand frame member 4 (see Fig. 3). The front end of the hub 51 of the wheel 55 constitutes the loose member 58 of a clutch 59 whose fixed member 60 is fast to the shaft 56. Engagement and disengagement of the clutch 59 controlsthe driving of the shaft 5B by the motor 52 which is preferably continuously operating under the 'control of a switch 6| (Fig. 3) mounted on the pedestal I. i When the clutch is disengaged, the wheel 55 rotates idly on the shaft 56, but upon the engagement of the clutch, the shaft will be rotated to drive the carriage retracting pinion 62 (Figs. 4 and 5) keyed to the front end of the shaft 56 and engaging a carriage retracting rack 63 fixed tothe traveling carriage I0.

It is intended that the carriage I0, upon reaching its forward limit of movement, will automatically cause the engagement of the clutch 59 and thus initiate the retraction of said carriage I 0, by the mototr l52, and automatically disengage said clutch 59 when the limit of the retractile movement of the carriage is reached. To this end, a clutch operating lever 64, of bell crank form, is

`f fulcrumed at 64a on a bracket 65 extended from the frame member 4, and is provided with a stud 66 (Figs. 4 and 4a) engaging an annular groove 61 in the hub 51 of which the loose member 58 of` "the clutch is a part. A spring 68 attached to one shown inthe position it assumes immediately prior to reaching the' limit of the printing movement of the carriage I0. In this position, it will be seen that a tappet on the carriage, in the form of an adjustable screw 1| carried by the rack 63, is engaged with the short front end 1|a of the latch lever 69 so that upon the next forward movement of the carriage I0 in letter spacing direction, the tappet 1I will contact the forward arm 1|a of the latch lever 69 and swing said latcht lever against the resistance of the spring 68 to release the clutch-operating lever 64 and enable 1,998,498 the spring 68 to rock the lever and engage the clutch.

The motor 52, operating through the belt 54, pulley 55, clutch 59, shaft 56, pinion 62 and rack 63, will now return the carriage |0 to the left in Fig. 4. When the limit of the retractile movement is approached, a tappet 12 (Figs. 4 and 5) on the carriage I0 will engage an adjustable contact, as a screw 13 carried by the front end of the clutch lever 64 and the final retractile movement of the carriage will swing the clutch lever 64 against Athe resistance of the spring 66, to disengage the clutch 59 and enable the latch lever 69 to reengage the projection 10 and hold said clutch disengaged.

It is sometimes desirable to shorten the travel of the carriage, and to bring the carriage retracting mechanism into operation before the carriage has reached the limit of its normal travel in letter spacing direction and effected its automatic return. I, therefore, provide a hand control for the clutch 59, in the form of a-carriage return lever 14 (Figs. 2, 3 and' 5) fulcrumed at 14a on a bracket 15, and having its lower end 16 disposed to engage the end 1Ia of the latch lever 69 for the purpose of moving thelatter to its idle position to release the clutch lever 64 when the upstanding portion of the lever 14 is grasped by the operator and swung in opposition to the spring 11 (Fig..5). The movement of the lever 14 is limited by a stop 18.

It isdesirable to lock the feeding mechanism of the carriage I0 against any attempt to operate it during carriage retraction.` I, therefore, pro- .vide a carriage feed lock in the form of a lever.`

19, Figs. 6 to 14, fulcrumed bn the back of the carriage at 80, with its rear end disposed to engage an abutment or trip 8| carried by the fixed part of the structure in such position that the nal advance movement of the carriage in letter spacing direction will bring the rear end of the lock` lever 19 into engagement with the trip 8| andcause the lever to be swung from its normal position, shown in Fig. 4, and in full lines in Fig. '1, to its operative position, indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 7.' There is a second abutment or trip 82 similar to the trip 8 which is engaged by the lever419 upon retract on lof the carriage I0 contact with which shifts the lever to its inoperative position. In its operative or locking position, the lever- 19 obstructs the operative movement of the escapement designateci\83 (Fig. 8). For this reason, the lever 19 is so mounted that when swung to its operative position, it will lie over and in obstructingrelation to a set collar 64 xed to the draw rod 85 of the spacing dog 86 of the carriage escapement to prevent longitudinal movement of the draw rod, and hence, preventing the release of the escapementunder the'actlon of the keys or spacing key. The escapement locking lever 19 is yieldingly retained in its two4 positions by a spring catch 81 (Fig. 10)

The carriage feed lock is thus latched by the catch 81 in its ineffective position during the advance of the carriage, but is automatically brought into action to lock the carriage feeding mechanism against operation as soon as the forward movement of the carriage is completed, and holds the feeding mechanism locked against inadvertent operation until automatically released at the limit of the return movement of the carriage.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a travelling carriage provided with a rack, of a carriage retracting m'otor, driving and driven clutch members, a pinion movable with the driven clutch member and engaging the rack, and means controlling the engagement and disengagement of the clutch members, said means including, clutch control members projecting into the vertical plane of the rack, and members movable with the rack to engage said clutch control members and cause the engagement of the clutch members at one limit of the rack movement and the disengagement of said clutch members at the opposite limit of the rack movement.

2. The combination with a carriage movable back and forth, and provided with a rack, and a continuously running motor, of operating connections between the carriage and motor, including a clutch, a tensioned clutch-shifting lever moving in one direction to shift the clutch, a clutch latch, and Ameans mounted upon the carriage rack forengaging the clutch latch and subsequently moving the tensioned clutch lever in the opposite direction.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a carriage adapted for advance and retraction, a carriage-retracting motor, and driving connections between the motor and the carriage, including a clutch; of clutchcontrol mechanism, including clutch-shifting and clutch-latching levers, respectively, the clutchshifting lever being movable to engage and disengage the clutch, respectively, and the clutchlatching lever being movable into interlocking engagement with said shifting lever to retain the latter in clutch-disengaging position, a single tensioning device urging said latching lever to- Ward interlocking position, and said shiftingrlever toward clutch-engaging position, and means to alternately move the latching lever from interlocking engagement and the shifting lever to clutch-disengaging position by advance and retraction of the carriage, respectively, and includ, ing tappets on the carriage directly engaging said levers.

4. The combination with a frame, a carriage adapted for advance and retraction thereon, and escapement mechanism on 'the carriage, including a draw rod, of motor-operated carriageretracting mechanism, and carriage-operated mechanism for locking the escapement while said carriage is under the control of the motor, including a locking member on the carriage movable to engage and disengage said draw rod, and

abutment members on the frame `directly contacting said locking member to move the latter to engaging and disengaging positions at the limits of advance and retraction of the carriage, respectively.

5. The combination with a frame, a carriage adapted for advance and retraction thereon, and escapement mechanism on the carriage, includving a draw rod, of motor-oper-ated carriageand carriage-operated retracting mechanism, mechanism for locking4 the escapement while said carriage is under control of the motor, in-

. cluding a locking member on the carriage movable to engage and disengage the draw rod, abutment members on theframe directly contacting said locking member to move the latter to engaging and disengaging positions at the limits of advance and retraction of the carriage, respectively, and cooperating means on said carriage and locking member to yieldingly retain the locking member in either of its positions.

6. The combination with a frame, a carriage adapted for advance and retraction thereon, and escapement mechanism on the carriage, a carriage-retracting motor, driving connections kbetween the motor .and the carriage including a clutch; of clutch control mechanism, including a single pair of clutch-disengaging and clutchlatching levers, respectively, means for operating said levers alternately to unlatch and disengage said clutch by advance and retraction of the carriage, respectively, including tappets on said carriage directly engaging said levers, an escapement locking member on the carriage movable to locking and unlocking positions, and abutments on the frame directly contacting said locking member during travel of the carriage to move said member to locking and unlocking positions in timed relation to unlatching and disengagement of said clutch, respectively.

7. The combination with a travelling carriage; a retracting motor therefor; and connections between the motor and carriage, including a clutch; of a clutch-operating lever, one arm of which engages one member of the clutch, and another arm of which projects into the path of travel of the carriage for operation thereby; and a latch also extending vinto the path of travel o the carriage for direct operation thereby, and normally adapted to maintain the clutch-operating lever in one of its adjusted positions.

8. The combination with a travelling carriage; of amotor drive for the carriage, including a clutch; a clutch-control lever directly connected to the clutch; a latch normally engaging the clutch-control lever; and operating devices for the lever and the latch, the operating devices wholly mounted on, and travelling with, the carriage, and adapted to directly contact the lever and the latch, respectively, during the carriage travel.

9; The combination with atravelling carriage; a carriage return motor; and driving connections between the motor and carriage, Vincluding fast and loose clutch members; of clutch-shifting mechanism, including separate clutch-control levers, one such lever being connected to the loose clutch member, andanother of the controll levers normally eective to retain the loose clutch member against movement in one direction; and tappets on the carriage to directly contact the respective clutch control levers for alternate operation during the travel of the carriage.

l0. The combination with a travelling carriage; escapement Amechanism to control movement of the carriage in one direction, including a pawl and a draft member connected thereto to trip the latter; a motor and connections between the motor and the carriage to return the carriage to the beginning of a line: of carriageoperated means to lock the escapement during the return travel of the carriage, including a normally idle locking member adapted to engage and disengage the draft member; and means between which and the locking member there is relative movement, to directly contact with the locking member and shift the latter into and out of effective position in timed. relation with the carriage movement.

HARRY- A. FOOTHORAP.

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