US2052583A - Automatic manifolding collator and carbon assembly - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 1, 1936. J. Q. SHERMAN AUTOMATIC EVIANIFOLDING COLLATOR AND CARBON ASSEMBLY Fil ed Sept. 2 8, 1931 e Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 1, 1936. J, Q SHERMAN 2,052,583

AUTOMATIC MANIFOLDING COLLATOR AND CARBON ASSEMBLY Filed Sept 28, 1931 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 a; I/LE1!!! I III.

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Sept- 6- J. Q. SHERMAN 2, 8

AUTOMATIC MANIFOLDING COLLATOR AND CA BON ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 28, 1931 6 Sheets-Sheq 3 Sept- 1936 J. Q. SHERMAN 2,052,583

AUTOMATIC MANIFOLDING COLLATOR AND CARBON ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 28, 1931 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Sept. 1, 1936. .1. Q. SHERMAN AUTOMATIC MANIFOLDING COLL-ATOR AND CARBON ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 28, 1951 6 Sheets-Shemv 6 ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 1, 1936 PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC MANIFOLDING COLLATOB AND CARBON ASSEMBLY John Q. Sherman, Dayton, Ohio Application September 28, 1931, Serial No. 565,591

.11 Claims.

This invention relates to manifolding apparatus and material for use therein, and particularly to means and a method for repetitiously employing short length carbon or transfer sheets with continuous multi-form or series connected stationery.

It has heretofore been quite common practice to interleave continuous strips of multiple forms with like strips of one-time" transfer or carbon material ordinarily of quite inferior quality, which after being once used is discarded. While such method effects great saving of time, it is expensive and involves a great waste of material and economic loss. As a substitute thereforjit has been proposed to employ packets of transfer material supported upon holders of various forms, between which the record strips are threaded and which must be manually retracted and re-ad justed between succeeding writing operations. Although aifording fairly satisfactory results, such transfer packets have been found expensive to manufacture and difficult to use, necessitating considerable 10s of time and requiring skill and excessive manual effort by the operator.

The present invention provides an inexpensive method for overcoming the difiiculties of prior methods by employing either separate transfer sheets or a group of sheets interconnected into unitary assembly, preferably at a lower corner only, which being initially interleaved between the superposed record strips in proper registry with the terminal printed forms or sheet sections to be inscribed, are automatically fed through the writing machine in unison with the advance of the strips and upon completion of the writing operation are held stationarily while the written portions of the strips are advanced therebeyond to the tear-off position to be detached from the supply strips. Such advance movement of the strips independently of the stationarilv held transfer material automatically positions the sueceeding set of multi-forms or record sheets in registry with the transfer material. The transfer sheets being then released, the retractive movement of the advanced record strips to writing position will automatically retract the transfer sheets in unison therewith preparatory to succeeding writing operation. Thus after the transfer sheets have been initially positioned relative to the superposed record strips, with a reasonable amount of care upon the part of the operator in advancing the strips independently of the transfer sheets to tear-off" position, the registry of the transfer sheets with succeeding sets of forms or record sheets will be automaticalLv maintained.

The object of the invention is to simplify the construction as well as the means and mode of operation of manifolding apparatus and the material for use therein whereby they will not only be cheapened in construction, but will be more eflicient in use, automatic in action, accurate and 5 uniform in operation, and unlikely to get out of order.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of manifolding material which will be of low cost, capable of use separately or in unit assembly and operable with either friction feed apparatus or pin type feeding devices.

A further object of the invention is to provide such transfer sheet assembly wherein the interposed record strips will be easily and readily 2.0- cessible for correction.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved method of operation wherein the transfer and record material is mechanically shifted relative to each other after each writing operation to present such transfer material in registry with the succeeding sets of multi-forms or record sheets, whereby registry of the transfer material with succeeding forms to be inscribed is automatically maintained. 2

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive writing machine attachment for intermittently holding the transfer material during relative movement of the record strips and thereafter releasing the transfer me.- terial for unison movement with such strips.

With the above primary and other incidental objects in view, as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention consists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation, or their equivalents, as hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein is shown the preferred, but obviously not necessarily the only form of the embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a typical form of manifolding writing machine, in this instance a conventional form of typewriter having pin type feeding devices and a traveling supply carrier for manifolding material, to which the present invention has been applied. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the writing machine carriage and the attachment mechanism, for carrying out the present method, mounted thereon. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional elevation. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modification of which Fig. 5 is an end elevation. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the gripper or holder operating means employed in Figs. 4 and 5, and Fig. '7 is a detail 55 side elevation of the actuating'means therefor.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a writing machine with an auxiliary strip actuating means mounted thereon. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of .the strip actuating means. Fig. 10 illustrates the preferred form' of transfer sheet assembly, which may, however, be formed either without or with the marginally punched holes for engagement of pin type feeding devices. Fig. 11 is a similar view illustrating margin holes of larger size than those ordinarily employed in the record strips to facilitate registry and also 'illustratingthe provision of additional holes for engagement with arrester stops for automatically arresting the transfer material at the completion of the writing operation and holding the same during the advance of the strips to the tear-off position which also effects automatically the registry of the transfer sheets with the succeeding multi-form sets. Fig. 12 is a detail view illustrating the automatic stop device. Fig. 13 is a further modification of the transfer sheets showing one end thereof 'reinforced by being reversely folded. Figs. 14 to 16 illustrate modifications. Figs. 1'7 and 18 illustrate two mechanisms for temporarily effecting reverse feeding of the strips under tension. Fig. 19 is a perspective view of a supply packet of reversely folded material. Figs. 20 and 21 are a perspective view and side elevation of a modification of the carbon gripping means.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

While the present invention is applicable to manifolding apparatus of various forms including typewriters, billing machines, autographic registers and other forms of recording devices, for illustrative purposes, but with no intent to limit the invention or its application, it has been shown applied to a conventional form of typewriter I, the platen roll 2 of which has been provided with feed pins 3 for uniform feeding of marginally punched stationery in continuous strip form, supplied from a traveling carrier 4, operatively coupled to and reciprocating in unison with the typewriter platen carriage 5. Such traveling carriage provides a convenient storage place for' superfolded forms to prevent their disarrangement or mutilation as is likely to occur when placed loosely upon a table or desk. The pin type feeding devices for the strip material and the traveling supply carriage therefor form no part per se of the present invention, but are fully described and claimed in co-pending applications for Letters Patent.

The record material comprises successions of forms or record sheets interconnected end to end into continuous strip formation as at 6, the strips being superposed one upon another with succeeding forms or record sheets in registry with those of contiguous strips, the several superposed strips being transversely scored or perforated at spaced intervals for division into separate sheets or sections and preferably super-folded reversely in proximate relation with the transverse score lines into zig-zag formation forming a supply packet 1 to be located in the traveling carriage 4.

The transfer or carbon material for use with such continuous interconnected stationery strips 6 comprises a plurality of sheets of approximately the length of the succeeding forms or record sheets comprising the continuous strips 6, but of somewhat greater width than such strips whereby the transfer sheets 9 project marginally benecessarily, truncated or beveled at their lower corners as at ill to facilitate the to and fro move ment of the protruding ends of the sheets past contiguous portions of the writing machine structure. The transfer sheets 9 may be employed in the present system separately or independently of each other, being interleaved between the superposed record strips in proper registry with I unitary assembly is preferably, though not necessarily, effected at a lower corner only thus permitting the transfer sheets 9 to be separated throughout substantially their full length or longitudinally of the strips to enable correction of mistakes on the typed forms.

It is not necessary nor essential that the present material or method of operation be employed in conjunction with pin wheel feed devices. The method and material are operable equally well with friction feed means as with pin wheel feed devices. In the event it is to be used with pin wheel feed mechanism,' the transfer sheets 9 are marginally punched as at 12 for engagement over the pins of the feeding device. Such punched feeding holes l2 necessarily register with like holes in other sheets of the assembly. For convenience and rapidity of registry and to afford a wider operating latitude thereby avoiding necessity for accurate adjustment preparatory to each writing operation, the marginally punched holes l2 may be somewhat larger size than the feeding pins and of larger size than the corresporlding holes inthe record strips 6 as is illustrated at l2a. This enables the feeding pins to extend through the holes In in the transfer sheets and operatively engage the marginal punched holes in the record strips 6 without necessity for exact concentric registration. This facilitates and increases the rapidity of operation and increases the life of the transfer sheets by permitting them to be shifted to slightly different positions relative to the writing lines. The interconnection of the transfer sheets 9 into unitary assembly by sewing or stapling as at H keeps the carbon or transfer sheets from shifting out of registry with each other and makes the assembly quickly available for replacement when the sheets have become worn. While such unitary assembly is quite convenient, it is not a necessity, and as before mentioned loose carbon or transfer sheets may be used advantageously and with equal facility. The truncated or beveled corners of the material tend to lead the protruding margins of the transfer sheets in their passage about the typewriter platen and insure freedom of movement without interference with parts of the writing machine structure.

The carbon sheet assembly whether interconnected or separate sheets, is disposed in interleaved relation with the continuous record strips 6 and in registry with the terminal forms or sheets to be inscribed, and in such relation is fedthrough the writing machine and around the platen roll 2 in the ordinary manner. Mounted upon the traveling carriage 5 of the typewriter an upwardly and rearwardly extending guide plate H which may'also be employed as a gage for determiningthe length of strip material to I be advanced; at each operation and also as a 7 the traveling carriage by means of supporting Normally the rocking cams I brackets 15 and receives and supports the inscribed portions of the record strips 6 as they are progressively advanced by the feeding movement'of the platen roll 2. Located at each side of the'guide platev l4 and beyond the margins of the record strips 6 are grippers or clamps it which may be of any. suitable type, but for convenience and economy of manufacture have been illustrated as comprising a well known and common form of spring, 0 type stationary clip. The under jaws of the grippers l6 are fixedly secured upon the guide plate l4 while the upper jaws overhang the protruding margins of the transfer sheets 9. The grippers iii are provided with outwardly extending operating arms I! which, in the form of embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, are operatively engaged by rocking cams I8 fast upon a rock shaft l9 extending transversely of the apparatus and Journaled in the supporting brackets l5a at opposite sides of the guide plate I l. The rock shaft I9 is provided at one end with a knob or a handle 20 by which the shaft maybe manually rocked to rotate the cams I8 into and out of engagement with the arms 11 of the grip rs or holders l6. hold the arms ll depressed and thereby maintain the grippers or holders'in their open position and the protruding margins of the transfer sheets are free to travel relative thereto in unison with the advance movement of the record strips 6. This advance movement is effected solely by the platen roll or other feeding devices of the writing machine which may be-of any suitable type. The interleaved sheets 9 of transfer material will be carried forwardly in unison with 'thesadvance movement of the record strips 6 by interleaved contact therewith regardless of whether the strips are fed by pin wheel feed devices or by frictional means as in theordinary typewriter. As the writing operation is completed the interleaved sheets of transfer material are carried beyond the feeding pins or slightly beyond the platen roll. The guide plate l4 may be'proportioned, or if desired maybe adjustably mounted upon the brackets 15 in such position, that at completion of the writing operation the ends of the record strips 6 will coincide with the top margin of the guide plate l4 which may thus be used as a gage.

In this position the rock shaft 19 is given a partial rotation either manually or by suitable mechanical means operated from the writing machine mechanism, whereby the cams 18 are disengaged from the arms I! ofthe grippers or holders I6, allowing the latter to close upon and stationarily hold the protruding margins of the transfer sheets 9. By manipulation of the platen roll 2 or other strip feeding mechanism of whatever jcharacter employedfthe strips 6 are then advanced independently of the interleaved transfer sheets 9 stationarily held by the grippers [6 until the inscribed portion is projected beyond the upper margins of the .transfer sheets and preferably though, not'necessarilybeyond the upper marginal edge of the guide plate I4, whereupon the inscribed, portionsof the-strips 'tions of the strips.

are detached upon the transverse division lines, which at such time are preferably coincident with the marginal edge of the guide plate It which may be used as a straight edge or tear bar to facilitate the detachment of the inscribed porthe record strips 6 necessary to project the written portions thereof beyond the transfer sheets 9 and beyond the supporting plate It, that is into the tear-off" position, has simultaneously and automatically advanced the succeeding "form set or set of registeringrecord sheets" into registry with the interleaved transfer sheets which, during this time, have been held stationarily by the grippers Hi. In the case of marginally punched stationary for use with pin wheel feed devices, it is quite an easy matter The advance movement of by looking through the marginal perforations to the underlying guide plate It especially if the latter be of a distinctively different color, to determine whether or not the transfer sheets and the superposed record forms or sheets are in prop- 7 er registry and if necessary make the proper adjustment by slight manipulation of the platen roll or feeding devices. The rock shaft I9 is then adjusted manually by means of the lever 2D, or if desired by suitable mechanical means v movement the carbon or transfer sheets 9 will be uniformly retracted in unison with the retraction of the. record strips by their interleaved contact therewith, which movement is, of course, insured by the engagement of the feeding pins 3 through the registering holes l2 or l2a in the event a pin wheel feed mechanism is employed.

Thus the registry of the manifolding material with succeeding form sets is'automatically maintained'strictly by mechanical manipulation with out the necessity of touching or adjusting the carbon sheets with the fingers. While the stripping or holding devices It may be of a length suflicient to engage the protruding margins of the transfer sheets throughout their entire length they are preferably comparatively short and engage such transfer sheets 9 only adjacent to their lower corners when the sheets and superposed forms have been advanced to the final position after completion of the writing operation. The engagement of the grippers or clamps holds the carbon or transfer sheets 9 stationary and tightly therebetween which facilitates the-forward feeding of the record strips relative thereto;

While it is not practically feasible to employ friction feed devices simultaneously with pin feed devices, such simultaneous operation may, however, be efiected for relatively short feeding movement. It may sometimes'be found, especially when the record strips 6 comprise relatively stiff material, that the kink or fold of the superfolded or zigzag material will retard or resist retracti've movement of the strips about the platen roll preparatory to the next writing operation when such strips are fed by a loose feeding engagement of pin wheel feed devices or other mechanical means. In which case it may be deplained.

or'kink of the paper about the platen.

sirable, although not necessary or essential, to momentarily apply the friction feed roll which is ordinarilyi found on typewriter and writing machine mechanism to assist in passing the fold This is likely to occur only with alternate folds or kinks of the paper, the succeeding folds being in reverse'direction. As this fold passes under the platen once during the; return of one full set of forms, the friction roller control lever is momentarily snapped on while the formsare turned back an inch or two and then the friction. roller lever is immediately released. This dual feed is not sufflciently long to cause. any conflict. However in the event of any interference or resistance due to the fold or kink in the record strips the same result may be achieved by a slight pulling 'eii'ort' upon the form strips. at the rear of the platen, that is between the platen and storage compartment. Such contingency, however, is one which does not necessarily arise and may occur only when record material of a particular characterv is employed.

In Figs. 4 to 8 inclusive there has been shown v a modification wherein in lieu of the rock shaft I9 and operating cams l8, there is provided a rock shaft 2| positioned behind the-guide plate M and carrying thereon eccentrics 22 around which are positioned rings 23 having stems 24 extending through suitable openings in the guide plate l4 and having operative engagement with the operating arms ll of the grippers or holders "5. The rock shaft 2| is manually actuated by a terminal knob 25 to retract the stems 24 and thereby'osclllate the arms ll to release .the grippers or holders. The grippers l6 are of the spring type before described and the operation and result of the same as has heretofore been ex- In. lieu of marginally gripping or clamping the protruding edges of the transfer sheets 9, such sheets 9 may be provided with auxiliary holes 26 adjacent to their lower corners vand within the protruding marginal portion. The guide plate I4 in such case is provided with inclined stop fingers 21 positioned in the path of travel of the holes-26 as the transfer sheets 9 move over the guide plate l4. As the transfer sheets 9 approach their final position in overlapping relation with the guide plate It, the stop fingers 21. enterthe holes 26 in the sheets 9,. such holes being in registry with each other, and the sheets 9 are thereby; arrested and held in such position while the continued operation of the strip feeding mechanism, whether the platen .roll, pin feeding devices or other means, operates to advance the record strips 6 relative to the arrested transfer sheets, thus carrying the inscribed portions beyond the transfer sheetsinto the tear-off" position. By this means no manual operation of the holding or gripping means is required. The transfer sheets are automatically arrested by the stop fingers 21 when the sheets have reached their final position and upon re.-.

tractive movement of the record stripspreparatory to the next writing operation,. the transfer sheets are disengaged from the arresting hooks "Tor fingers 21 by their contact engagement with the record strips and are automatically returned therewith in registry .with the terminal forms or 7 sheets of the strips. It may be desirable; especially in the event of the stop fingers 21 are employ d. to reinforce the final or lower margins of the transfer sheets by reversely folding such sheets upon themselves and preferably gluing shown at 28 in Fig. 13.

For certain conditions of operation it may be desirable to have strip tensioning means for pulling and guiding the free end of the record strips, either as they are advanced dining the writing operation or subsequently thereto during the advance of. the strips to the tear-off position and the reregistering of the forms with the interleaved carbon or transfersheets.

\ To this end there is shown in Figs. 8 and 9 auxiliary device comprising a guide 30 which may be formed integral withthe guide plate M or may be utilized in lieu of the guide plate II and which comprises a channel shaped bar within which is mounted for reciprocatory movement a weight 32 connected by a flexible cord or cable 33 passing over a guide or sheave at the upper end of such channel member, with a reciprocatory gripper 34 mounted exteriorly of the guide and sliding thereon. In the drawings this guide channel has been shown supported upon the inclined guide plate It secured to the typewriter carriage with the guide channel 30 projecting upwardly and rearwardly therefrom forming the support for the guide plate M. The spring clip 34 is drawn downward upon-such guide member and engaged with the ends of the strips 6 whereupon the weight 32 which has been elevated by the retractive movement of the spring clip 34 and cord 33, operated by gravity to place tension upon the record strips 6 tending to pull such strips upward as they are progressively advanced by the operation of the platen roll or other feeding device.

To provide for feeding of separate letter sheets in association with the superposed strips from which the inscribed matter is to be transferred to the underlying strips, the manifolding assembly, illustrated in Fig. 14, is provided with a marginal fiap or flaps 36 at either one end or on one or both lateral margins, which flap or flaps are secured to the assembly and extend inwardly between the feeding holes in the event pin feed devices are employed. One or more margins of a letter sheet may be inserted beneath thefiaps to hold the sheet in position and afford sumcient v,

feeding traction. As the sheet passes about the platen roll it will be securely bound beneath the flaps against displacement and will travel in unison with the strips past writing position. By

this means separate letter heads may be employed without the necessity of assembling manifolding material therewith for each writing. The duplicate copy material and transfer sheets remain in the writing machine and it is only necessary to. I

place in position the letter head or other sheet for an original copy. The duplicate copies may be torn off after each writing or the strips may be preserved intact and with the copies incontinuous interconnected series. The flap, may be attached to the uppermost transfer sheet on a 1 and punched for engagement with the pin wheel feed devices. In such arrangement, the succeeding sections of material will necessarily be coated alternately on opposite sides andreversely folded traveling carriage.

in "zig-zag" formation at intervals sufiiciently spaced that the folds and marginal edges along which may be disposed spaced feeding holes will project on opposite sides of the strips for engagement of the grippers l6.

While the invention has been described in association with a pin wheel feed device, it is not necessary that the material be punched, nor that a pin type feed member be employed. In Fig. 16 there is shown an assembly of superposed strips and plain sheets 9a of transfer material interposed therebetween, the margins of which extend beyond those of the strips for engagement of the grippers l6.

Errors upon the written forms may be conveniently corrected by holding the transfer sheets and feeding the strips relative thereto until the area to be corrected is advanced beyond the transfer sheets whereupon the transfer sheets and registering portion of the strips are retracted around the platen by reverse feeding until.the portions containing the error to be corrected overlie the plate l4 beyond the platen, without interleaved carbon sheets, in position easily accessible for making corrections. After completion of correction the strips and transfer sheets are advanced in unison until the transfer material is positioned beyond the platen, where the transfer sheets are held stationarily while the form strips are retracted to bring the corrected set of forms into registry with the transfer assembly, when upon release of the transfer material both the form strips and the transfer assembly are retracted in unison into writing position.

In lieu of interconnection of the transfer sheets at the corner only, such assembly may be sewed, glued or otherwise marginally attached throughout either one or both sides, or the transfer sheets may be entirely separate from each other.

The guide plate 14 may be mounted upon the paper carrier 4 independently of the writing machine for unison travel with the platen carriage upon which the-grippers are carried, or if desired the guide plate may be omitted. As a further modification, which is so obvious as not to require special illustration, such plate I4 may be stationarily mounted upon the writing machine frame and be of sufiicient width to accommodate the. manifolding material in all positions of adjustment to which it is slidingly moved by the The grippers moving with the writing machine carriage enable the gripping of the transfer material in any position.

In Figs. 20 and 21 there is shown a modification of the gripper devices, wherein the guide plate l4 carries pivoted gripper fingers 40 adjacent to its opposite sides, which fingers are lmurled or corrugated on their engaging faces for co-operation with similar roughened surfaces 4| upon the plate M. The gripper fingers are actuated into engaging position by spring 42, against the tension of which they are held retracted by rocking earns 43 upon a transverse shaft 44, which is operated by a finger lever 45. Being normally held in elevated or open position against the tension of the spring, a mere touch upon the finger lever 45 will move the cams 43 past dead center relation whereupon the grippers will be snapped onto the margins of the interposed transfer sheets by the reaction of the spring. A reverse manual adjustment of the finger lever 45 rocks the cams 43 to open the grippers. The plate I4 is provided with adjustable lateral guides 39 by which lateral adjustment of the transfer material with the strips is insured at each operation. The initial ends of the guide bars are rounded to afford a deflecting or camming engagement with the margins of the transfer material by which it may be laterally shifted into proper relation with the strips. The guide bars are adjustable on the plate l4 to accommodate carbon sheets of different width and to aline the transfer material with the writing position. The rear extremities of the bars 39 are inturned to form limiting stops for ar resting the transfer material in position to be engaged by the grippers. The gripping surfaces 4|, being elevated slightly above the surface of the plate, relieve the frictional pressure on the record strips when the transfer material is grasped.

In Fig. 17 there is shown a temporary tensioning means for the manifolding strips during their retraction into writing position. Interconnected with the platen roll 2 of the writing machine is a guide roller 46 over which the supply strips of manifolding material pass to the machine. The guide roll is connected with the platen by intermediate gear driving mechanism for unison rotation. The driving gears may be proportioned to give to the guide roll 45 a slightly different rate of rotation, or the roll may be of slightly different size than the platen roll to afford a tightening or pulling effect upon the strips when being retracted, but which would otherwise be ineffective during the normal feeding operation.

Associated with the guide roller 46 is a segmental friction roller 41 pivoted on an oscillatory arm 48 of a finger lever 49. The frictional roller 41 consists of a cylindrical roller flattened on one side, and hence unbalanced, whereby when freefor swinging motion will automatically assume a position with its cylindrical surface downwardly in position to contact the guide roller 46 under influence of the retracting spring 50 attached to the mounting arm 48-. The movement of the arm 48 under influence of the spring is limited by a stop 5| engaging beneath the plate l4.

By operating the finger lever to lift the roller 41, preparatory to retraction of the strips, the roller is permitted to swing to operative position and upon release of the lever the cylindrical side of the roller engages the strips upon the guide roller under tension of the spring. Upon reverse movement of the guide roller under driving influence of the platen, the friction roller 41 will roll thereon and frictionally retract the strips until the fiat side of the roller 41 reaches contacting position whereupon the strips are automatically released. In the meantime the fold 52' ,by a link'rod 55. The finger lever 54 is pivoted at 56 and carries a pivoted segment cam or roller 51 shaped like the roller 41 but in this case comparatively thin, and having engagement with a shoulder or hub 58 on the platen roll to afi'ord a limiting stop for the friction roller control lever 54. The latter being oscillated to bring the friction feed rollers into operative relation with the platen roller 2, the segment 51 swings by gravity 75 into position with its circular face contiguous to the hub or shoulder 58 upon which it engages with rolling contact upon release of the lever. It thus holds the friction feed rollers in operative relation with the platen roll during the retractive adjustment of the strips. As the contact point of the segment passes beyond the oil'- cular face and the flat side approaches the hub 58, the finger lever 54 and connected friction feed devices are released and return to normal position.

. From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to, structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprises the preferred form of several modes of putting the invention into effect, and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a typewriter, non-friction aligning means for feeding continuous form stationery and short carbon sheets interleaved therebetween past a writing point, and frictional feeding means adapted to operate in conjunction with the aligning means for a short distance only to feed the forms reversely past a given point into the typewriter, said frictional feeding means being adapted to become automatically non-operable within a limited feeding distance.

2. In a typewriter, non-friction aligning means for feeding continuous form stationery and short carbon sheets interleaved therebetween past a writing point, and frictional feeding means located between the non-frictional aligning feeding means and the point of paper supply operating in conjunction with the aligning means to feed the forms reversely past a given point into the-typewriter, said frictional feeding means being adapted to become automatically non-operable within a limited feeding distance.

3. The combination with a writing machine having strip feeding means utilizing continuous superposed record strips and transfer material interleaved therebetween and projecting laterally therebeyond, said strip feeding means being adapted to alternately advance the record strips in unison withthe transfer material and independently thereof, and arresting means limiting the unison advance movement of the transfer material, a supporting plate adapted to co-operate with said arresting means, and means adapted to hold the transfer material from a binding position on said plate.

4. The combination with a writing machine,

including reversible feeding means for superposed continuous record strips and interleaved transfer sheets, a plate extending beyond the writing position, transfer material engaging means forholding the transfer sheets immovable relative to said "plate during a portion of the advance movement of the strips, means on the plate adapted to hold the transfer sheets out of binding contact with said plate, means for disengaging the transfer material holding means to permit unison return movement of the strips and transfer material to writing position upon reversal of the strip feeding operation.

5. The combination with a writing machine, including pin wheel feeding means for superposed record strips and loosely interleaved transfer' sheets, the margins of which protrude beyond the margins of the record strips, of gripper means for the transfer sheets, guide means for the same and limiting stops for arresting the advance of the transfer sheets in predetermined relation with the gripper means.

6. The combination with av writing machine, including feeding means for superposed record strips and loosely interleaved transfer sheets, the margins of which protrude beyond the margins of the record strips, of stop means for limiting the advance movement of the transfer sheets independently of the continued advance movement of the strips, and means for holding the transfer sheets in such arrested position during subsequent retractive movement of the strips.

7. In a typewriter, positive feeding and aligning means for continuous length stationery provided with weakened tear lines between form lengths, along which tear lines the strips are folded into a zig-zag pack and short carbon sheets interleaved therebetween, a friction feeding means adapted to operate in conjunction with the aligned feeding means for a short distance only to feed the forms reversely past a given point into the typewriter, said friction feeding means being located in advance of the positive feeding means so as to straighten the kink in the record.

material caused by folding the same into the zigzag pack.

8. In a typewriter, non-friction aligning means for feeding continuous length strips of stationery provided with weakened tear lines between form lengths, said strips being folded into a zig-zag pack and short carbon sheets interleaved therebetween, and auxiliary means located in advance of said non-friction feeding means adapted to operate in conjunction with the non-friction feeding means for a short distance only to straighten the kink in the record material caused by the same being folded into the zig-zag pack, said auxiliary means being adapted to become automatically non-operable within a limited feeding distance.

9. In a typewriter, positive feeding and aligning means for use with continuous length strips of stationery folded into a zig-zag pack and auxiliary means associated with said feeding means adapted to operate in conjunction therewith to feed the forms when the kink in the record material caused by the same being folded into a zig-zag pack is in proximity to the positive feeding means, said auxiliary feeding means being adapted to become automatically non-operable withina limited feeding distance.

'10. The combination with a writing machine including a reversible positive feeding means for feeding superposed continuous length record strips folded into zig-zag formation and interleaved transfer sheets, a plate extending beyond the writing position, transfer material engaging means for holding the transfer sheets immovable relative to said plate during a portion of the advance movement of the strips, means on the plate adapted to hold the transfer sheets out of binding contact therewith, auxiliary feed means for straightening the kink in the record matezag packs and interleaved transfer sheets, a plate extending beyond the writing position, transfer material engaging means for holding the transfer sheets immovable relative to said plate during a portion of the advance movement of the strips and auxiliary feeding means for assisting said reversible feeding means to retract the record material, said auxiliary means being operable for a short distance only to straighten the kink in the record material.

JOHN Q. SHERMAN.

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