US2053079A - Typewriting machine - Google Patents

Description

Sept. l, 1936. w. F. HELMOND 2,053,079

' TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Feb. l2, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NVENTOR;

MMM

v BY

ATTOR -Y.

Patented Sept. 1, 1936 PATENT orales TYPEWRITING MACHINE William F. Helmond, West Hartford, Conn., as-

signor to Underwood Elliott Fisher Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware v Application February 12, 1932, seria1N0.f592,454

` 2 claims. ((1197-70) This invention relatesmainly to key-'set tabulator--stop' mechanism for typewriting machines. There is used a rack'with'a key-set stop which is in the form of a square or rectangular metal tube,

5 havingA cross-slots for the stops cut in its top and bottom sides; each key-settable column-stop being insertableidown through the top and bottom slots; and a spring-detent being formed upon the front edge of each stop.

' The rack is mounted upon the rear of the papercarriage ofthe typewriter, and its path of travel overlies a set of decimal-stops. These decimalstops are in the form of upstanding blades, each having a key, whereby the stop may be thrust up into the path ofV a key-set column-stop.

Certain features of the invention, however, are not limited to the specific rack or the specific stop therein. Y

Said decimal-stops are mounted inra bracket which'stands in rear oflthe carriage-escapement mechanism 'of 'the typewriter; and in order to aiford accessibility to the carriage-escapement mechanism, for inspection, adjustment and repair, 'it is a feature of the'invention that the bracket and the set of decimal-stops are made detachable, together with the key-controlled mechanism which is used for setting the columnstops; a principal portion of 'said setting mechanism being mounted upon said detachable bracket, and forming a unit therewith, and extending up from the bracket in rear of the key-set stoprack, with the stop-setting arm projectingy over the top of'said rack. When the lower end of the bracket is detached from the base of the machineframe, said bracket may belifted back and olf from the machine, together with its decimal-stops and its 'key-controlled stop-setting mechanism, thus affording access to the carriagefeeding mechanism. s Y. 40 The stop-setting mechanism is entirely clear of the carriage, and therefore thel same unit may be used withcarriages and racks of all lengths. This mounting of the Vstop-setting mechanism is further advantageous inthatit is clear of the arms which support the stop-rack upon the carriage, including not only theY arms at the ends of the rack, but also a third arm which is provided to connect the midway portion of-a long rack with the carriage,to afford-adequate rack-sup- 50 port l l v Each of the two arms, which extend rearwardly from the carriage, is xed t'o the ends of the tubular rackfor supporting the same. Each arm has a tongue which is inserted within the end of the rack, and is secured thereto by a screw. The

shank of the lscrew passes through a slot which extends longitudinally of the rack, so as to permit endwise adjustment of the latter. Each tongue is joined to its arm by a reflex bend,

whichr serves to V'cover over the open end of the Y which overhangs the rear side of the rack, and

Said tongue is v serves as a stop to prevent excessive downward movement of the stop, and to prevent any stop from beingvthrust bodily into the tubular rack. These ears overhang the rear side of the rack; and the integral detents are formed upon the front edges of the stops.

Alongside of the set of decimal-stops there is placed an additionalblade, which may perform the function of a stop-blade, but which is also formed with a cam-shoulder. During the return of the carriage, this shoulder is struck by any key-set stop that is in depressed position. The stop rides up on the cam, and is thereby restored to normal idle position. This cam-blade may be operated by a stop-returning key at the end of the row of decimal-keys at the keyboard. Upon the other'side of the set of decimal-stop blades, there may be provided another extra blade, to be operated'by another key, and constituting a part lof the stop-setting mechanism.

In operating key-set tabulator-mechanism, there is liability that, after the operation of the stop-setting key, and whilesaid key is still held down, the paper-carriage may become released, and may be propelled'by Vits spring until it is arrested'by 'striking' the stop-setting' tooth. This is liable to bend the tooth, or to bend a stop, or to bend the stop-setting arm and bind the stop-setting mechanism,.or otherwise 'to injure the mechansm,`so that its parts will not become restored to normal position.

It is a feature of the present improvements to provide means for preventing such accidents, and to this end the stop-setting tooth is mounted upon a special carrier, which is capable of limited bodily yielding movement in the direction of the carriage-travel. This'carrier may be in the form of a lever, which isv pulled down by the stop-setting key, thus causingV the tooth on the end of the lever to force a stop to descend. If now the car- Figure 2 is a sectional elevation, showing the` position of the parts when the carriage is letterspaced while the stop-setting finger is held depressed.

Figure 3 is a sectional side. elevation, showing the restoring slide and block. y

Figure 4 is a perspective View of the parts shown in Figure 3 before being assembled.

pFigure 5 is an enlarged plan,- showing the stopsetting arm and mounting, together with the retaining spring. y

Figure 6 is a sectional elevation, taken from front to rear, of the stop setting and restoring mechanism, and showing the stop-setting mechanism in operated position.

Figure '1 is a View similar to Figure 6, with parts omitted, and showing the stop-restoringfmechanism inoperative position.

Figure 8 is a sectional side elevation, taken about centrally of the machine, with parts omitted, and showing the present invention in normal position.

lThe depression of keys IB causes types Il to strike rearwardly against a revoluble platen I2 supported for case-shift movement in the platenframe I3 that has a carriage I4 supported for letter-feed movement on a front rail I5 and a rear rail I6.

The carriage is pulled in letter-feeding direction by means of the usual spring band -I1 and is fed at letter-space intervals, by operation of the keys I0 or space-bar I0a, through the usual escapement-mechanism that includes a loose dog .I8 and a fixed dog I8a meshing with an escapement-wheel I9 carrying a pinion I9a engaging `a carriage-letter-space rack 23.

Fixed at IBD to the ends of the carriage-frame I4 are brackets 2| which support a rack 22. This rack is made of a rectangular tube having lopen ends in whichflanges 23 forming the outer ends of thev brackets 2| are inserted and are fastened to the front or inner side 24 of the rack by means of screws and washers 25. The fianges 23 and the rear portion of the brackets are about the same length vas the distance between the top and the bottom sides of the rack, so that the anges just fit into the ends of the rack while the brackets 2l adjacent their flanges extend rearwardly and are bent at 26 to form -front vertical plates 21, which Aact as cover or end lplates to conceal the open ends of the tubular rack 22. v

v The rack 22 is made of different lengths to fit vario-us size carriages-and according vto its length may, be supported by oneV or `more intermediate brackets 28 xed by screws 29 to the carriageframe I4, and having flanges 30 at its outer end to which the rack 22 is rigidly attached by screws 3l'.

The tubular rack is of oblongrectangular crosssection and includes inner side 24 and 4opposite outer side 32, the tcp 33 and bottom 34. The top and bottom sides have thin slots 35, cuttherein at letter-space intervals. The slots 35 are directly in a line with the slots 36, so as to receive the column-stops 31 in the form of thin rectangular blades loosely fitting in said slots for an easy up-and-down movement when setting or restoring said stops. The width of the stops 31 is substantially the same as the width of the inner face ofthepfront and the rear sides 24 and 32 of the rack 22, so that these sides will act as guides for the stops during their up-and-down movements and will also prevent any excessive forward or rearward play of the stops in the rack 22.

Each stop 31 has a spring detent 38 formed by cutting a slit 39 near one side of the stop 31. The detent lies normally slightly to the front of the stop and has a pair of notches 40, 4I to enable the detent to co-operate with the edge of the upper slots 35 for holding the stops in their ineffective or effective positions.

The upward movement of a stop 31 is limited by the straight, horizontal edge 42 forming Vthe lower part of the notch 4I and catching on Vthe inner face of its upper slot 35 in the rack 22. The downward movement of a stop'31is limited by a rearward extension 43 at the. top of the stop 31. .This extension overlies the rear side 32 of the rack, so' that the depression of a stop 31 causes the lower edge of extension 43 to engage the top edge of the racks rear side 32. The stops, therefore,.if inadvertently given a. quick heavy blow, are positively prevented from being depressedY too far and from being thrust out of theirV upper slots 35.

The stops 31 when in projected or set position cooperate with a decimal-stop-selecting mechanisin that includes tabulating keys 44 forming thetop row in the keyboard. The depression of any one of these keys releases the carriage in any known manner (not shown), and raises its respective plunger 45 into the path of a projected stop 31 to arrest the released carriage in the selected position. The plungers 45 are'guidedin upper vplates V46 41 and in ,a lower wall 48 forming part of a frame 49 having a rear wall 50 and side walls 5I and 52. The frame is detachably mounted by four screws 53 on the rear plate of the machine-frame 54 and directly -in the rear of the escapement-mechanism.

To selectively set the Ystops 31A from the front of the machine, a. novel stop-setting mechanism is provided, and includes a key 55, positioned adjacent and at the right side of the tabulator-keys 44. The stop-setting key is fixed to the front end of a key-lever 56 pivotally supported on a shaft 51 carried by escapement-base plate 58 fixed to the machine-frame 54. The key-lever 56 is guided at its forward end in a slot in the upper portion ofthe usual key-lever comb-plate A59 and its rear end is guided in a slot in the wall 48 of the frame 49. Y

' -On top of the rearV portion of the key-lever 56 rests the lower end of a vertical link 60. This link is mounted insideV of the frame 49 and at the right side thereof'.V The lower end of said link is guided in the same slot in the wall 48 as the rear part of the key-lever 56. The upper end of said link extends to the rear at 6I and is bent over at right angles toform ange 62 to pivotally connect thelink 65 by means of a screw 63 to one end of a lever 64 lying in rear and out of the path of the plungers 45 and swingably mounted by screw 65on the rear wall 50 of the frame 49. The other end` of the lever 64 is connected by a link 61 to a stop-setting arm 66 supported on the outside yof the framex49 at the rear Iand above the rack 22.

rThe link 61 is pivotally connected at 68 to one endof the lever 64 and extends upwardly in rear ofthe rack 22 through a slot 69 in the plate 41 to `be loosely connected at 10 to the outer end ofthe arm oi-i'which is-rockable about a pivot-studi carried by -a vertical post 12 riveted on the right de of the plate l1 to form a Vertical extension of the frame i8 in rear of the rack 22.

i The post 12 has a slot 13 out in its upper end `through which the stud 1I extends. the arm 68 `lits into the slot 13 and is pivotally :mounted on the post by means of anop'en-end The end of slot-1l in the arm 58 straddling the stud 1 I. The other end of the arm 86 is bent over at right angles to form a tabulator-stop-setting nger normally overlying the stops 31 wherefit is supported by the link 61 and its fulcrum-pin 1l.

When a tabulator-stop 31 is to be set, the carriage is positioned to the desired printing point which places a corresponding stop 31 under the setting finger 15.: The stop-setting key 55 is then epressed to rock its key-lever 58 which raises the link 88 and rocks the lever 84 to'pull the link 61 downwardly, and thereby swings the arm 58 downwardly about its pvot 1 I to cause the linger '15 to engage and depress the underlying tabulafan ear'18 of the link 68, will return all the operated parts 15, 66, 61, B4, V88, 56 and 55 of the stopsetting'mechanism to their normal positions. The carriage may be then fed in letter-space direc- Ytion to a position Where it is desired to set another tabulator-stop. The stop corresponding to theV position of the carriage will be under the setting ngerr 15 and upon depression of the stopsetting key 55 the finger will be pulled down to set said stop.r The operation of positioning the Vcarriage and setting the stops may be repeated until all oi" the desired tabulatoro-stops are in their effective or set positions.

To restore any one of the stops thus set, there is provided a restoring mechanism that includes a stop-restoring key 19 positioned adjacent and at the left side of the tabulator-'keys 44 and Xed to the outer end of a key-lever 88 'swingably mounted on the left side of the shaft 51 and guided at the front end in the comb-plate 59 and at Vthe rearV top portion are beveled at 82, which bevels t into opposite notches 83 in the top guide-plates 48 and l1 and in which the slide 8| is free to move up and down.

The lower end of theslide 8! is guided in the same slot in wall 48 of the frame iii as the stop-- releasing lever 88 and rests upon the rear end of Vsaid lever 88 to be loosely connected to the operating key 19. v

To restore a set stop 31 the carriage is tabulated into position by depressing theextreme left or decimal-point key which releases the carriagerack from its escapement-mechanism and permits the band I1 to pull the carriage to the left. The depression of the decimal-point tabulatorkey also simultaneously raises the extreme left plunger e5 to engage a side of the set'tabulatorstop that is to be restored. Although this plunger is located one space to the right of the restoring restoring slide 8 I.

feeding of the carriage to the left after the deciing the set stop over and slightly in rear of the This eXtra feeding isl due to the plunger disengaging the tabulator-stop in returning to normal position while the .carriagerack re-engages the escapement-meohanism, at which time thespringband I1 will feed the carriage one letter-space distance in taking up the Vfree motion of the loose dog I 8.

lfixed at one end to the bracket 'i'iand at its other end to an ear 85 on the slide 8l, returns the operated stop-restoring train 18, 88 and 8l to its normal positionv upon the release of the depressed stop-restoring key.

To assure the slide 8I engaging the set stop, said. slicle is provided at its 'upper endwith an oiset portion or extension 86 forming part of a This block is narrower than the slide V8| and ts between the guide- plates 48, 51. The block has a slot 88 cut upwardly from its lower side to receiveY the slide SI 'which has a cutout 98 to form a pair of side ngers 8l, between Which the blo-ck 81 is set to pr-event any possible rotation and to securely mount the block 81 on the slide 8l, which block and slide are rigidly xed together by a rivet 89. It will be noted that since the tabu-lating plunger engages the side face of a set sto-p., the extra space movement upon release of said plunger brings the stop just yat the right side of the slide 8l but directly under the extension 88 which will engage and restore the stop by depression of the key 18 raising the slide 8l; f

When. it is desired to restore all of the depressed stops, the carriage is irst fed to the left tobri'ng all of the stops to the left of the restoring slide 8i. The operator then depresses. the restoring-key 19 and holds it depressed to retain the slide 8I together with the block 81 in raised position Ywhile the carriage is suitably returned.

This return movement of the carriage causes all of the depressed stops to pass over the block 81 and thereby be "returned to their normal ineffective positions. This is accomplished by inclining the top portion of the block 81 at the left side of the slide 8i This inclined portion forms a cam 92 on the block 81 that is engaged by all of the set stops duringthe return movement of the carriage, and as a stop rides up on the cam it is forced upwardly to ineiective position in its carrying rack 22 when its detent 38 will be effectve to hold the stop in its restored position.

' The stop-setting key55 is depressed toswing the finger 15 down about its fulcrum 1l and depress the underlying stop 31. curs that while the nger 'l5-is in its lowered position, a space-key or any other carriage-feeding'key might inadvertently be operated, thereby causing the carriage to escape and bring the top portion of the adjacent unset stop against a setting nger 15.` Heretofore such a feeding movement ofthe carriage would jam the adjacent stop against the setting member and under the strong tension -of the carriage-feeding spring I1 the setting member would be prevented from returning from normal position afterits operating key had been released, and the carriagewould be jammed until the operator moved it in the opposite direction to move the stop away from the setting Y member and permit said member to return to its normal position.

According to the present invention, the above trouble is eliminated by slidably mounting the stop-setting linger on its support. If the carriage is fed while the nger 1,5 is held depressed, the adjacent stop will abut against the nger, but, since the latter, together with its arm 66, is slidably mounted on the fulcrum 1| through the slot 14, the nger will merely move along With ,the carriage for the letter-space distance. If the operator now lets go of the stop-setting key 55, the finger will be released from the adjacent stop in the usual manner, namely, through the spring 19 restoring the operated stop-setting train to normal position. The slot 69 through which the link 61 extends is made long enough to permit said link to swing forwardly together with the arm 9 when the carriage is fed while the nger 15 is Vheld depressed. According to the present construction, the pull of the carriage-spring drum on the stop which is contacting with the depressed finger 15 (Figure 2) actually aids in returning said nger to its normal position, since the nger is swingably mounted around the pin 1| and said pin is positioned above the stops 31 so that when said nger returns to normal position, it is swung upwardly and forwardly away from the stop 31, in which direction the stop t-ends to push the finger 15. Y

This spring 93 is mounted at one end onV an extension of the fulcrum-pin 1| (Figure 5) that is rigidly carried by the post i2. The pin has a groove 94 to permit the end of the spring 93 to it therein and prevent the possibility of the spring slipping off of the pin. The other end of the spring is secured to a pin 95 rigidly mounted on the arm 69. This pin 95 is utilized for loosely connecting the link 61 to the arm 66. The pin extends through a hole in the link 61, and said link is retained on said pin by means of the spring 93 fitting in a groove 99 in the pin 95, thereby preventing the spring 93 or the link 61 from slipping off of the pin 95. In this manner the spring 93 acts to return the arm 66 and finger 'i5 to normal position when they are inadvertently pulled to the left and also to retain the connection between the link 61 and the arm 66.

To prevent the arm E@ from being accidentally disconnected from its fulcrum-stud 1|, the slot 99 in the plate 41 is shorter than the slot 14 in the arm 55, so that the movement of the arm in letter-feeding direction is limited by the link 61 abutting the end of its slot 69.

The stop setting and restoring mechanisms with the exception of the key-levers 56 and 8U are entirely mounted in the rear frame 49. When it is desired to gain access to the inside of the machine from the rear, such as for adjusting or otherwise fixing the escapement-mechanism, the four screws 53 are removed to permit the frame 49 together with the present stop setting and restoring mechanisms to be entirely removed from the machine. The parts are held in proper psition within the frame 49 by a Vrod 91 threaded through slots 98 in the link 69 and slide 8 which rod also acts at all times to hold al1 of the parts Within the frame in their aligned normal positions. vThe slots 91 are of sufficient length to permit, the desired vertical movement of their respective parts when operated by their respective key-levers.

The stop-setting finger 15, the stop-restoring slide 8|, 86 and an intermediate stop 31 are all in an aligned vertical position. This is advantageous as it often occursthat an operator sets a 'stop and then notices that the carriage is not in the proper position and the stop should not have been set. With the construction of the present invention it is a. simple matter to rectify this mistake by merely operating the stop-restoring key to operate the restoring slide and reset the stop having just been set by the setting nger. The operator may now space the carriage to the proper position and operate the stop-setting finger to set the correct stop.

The present stop vsetting and restoring mecha- Vnisms being entirelyrseparate and in the rear of the machine and out of the path of the carriage permit the latter toy be readily removed from the machine which'is often desired for shipping or repair purposes.

The upward movement of the keys 55 and 19 is limited by a'plate 99 fixedby screws |00 to the frame 49 and underlying the rear ends of the levers 56 and 80.

The rack 22 carrying the stops 31 is adjustably mounted lengthwise Von the carriage |4, to align the stops 31 in proper position with respect to the tabulator-plungers 45, the stop-setting finger 15 and the stop-restoring slide 8|, 86, by providing slots |0| near the ends of the rack 22, and through which the screws 25 extend into the flanges 23 of the brackets 2|. The center bracket 28 has slots |82 through which the screws 29 extend, so that by loosening the screws 25, 29, the rack 22 may be given a fine endwise adjustment by means of an adjustment screw |03 mounted in the plate 21 of the bracket 2|. After the desired adjustment has been made, the rack is rigidly attached to the carriage i4 by tightening the screws 25 and 29 while the adjustment screw is locked in position on the plate 21 by a locking nut Variations 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, Iclaim:

1. The combination with a tabulating carriage and a tubular tabulating rack having open ends, of supporting means for said rack applicable to the ends thereof, said supporting means including a carriage-supported bracket having a tongue or flange for insertion .into and attachment to an open end of said tube, and also having a reex curved or U-shaped portion extending transversely from said flange to form a closure for said open end.

2. The combination with a tabulating carriage and a tubular tabulating rack having open ends,

-of supporting means for said rack applicable to the ends thereof, said supporting means including a carriage-supported bracket having a tongue or flange forY insertion into and attachment to an open end of said tube, and also having a reflex curved or U-shaped portion extending transversely from said flange to form a closure for said open end, and adjusting means on the outer leg of said reex or U-shaped portion to engage the end of said tubular rack for lengthwise adjustment thereof.

` WILLIAM F. HELMOND.

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