US2098285A - Typewriting machine - Google Patents

Description

Patented Nov. 9, 1937 V I V UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFECE TYPEWRITING MACHINE Carl Gabrielson and Edson George Moshier, Syracuse, N. Y., assignors to L C Smith & Corona Typewriters Inc., Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of New York' Application August so, 1935, Serial No. 38.520 9 Claims. (01. 197-33) The invention relates to improvements in typelevers l1 are fulcrumed on a pivot member I8 writing machines and more particularly to means carried by a support l9 fixed to the main frame for regulating or adjusting the touch on the finger of the machine. Each sub-lever is connected to keys of the type actions of the machine. its associated key lever by a pull link 20. Each The invention makes provision for simultatype action is returned, after depression of its 5 neously and uniformly adjusting or varying the key, by a helical contractile type action return touch of all of the type action keys and also spring 2!, there being one of the springs 2| for makes provision for adjusting or varying the each type action, and said springs normally holdtouch of each of the type action keys independing the front portions of the key levers engaged l0 ently of the others. under a suitable stop bar 22 held to the machine 10 The invention provides simple, eflicient and frame. Each spring 2! extends upwardly from its easily operable means readily accessible to the associated key lever, the lower end of the spring typist for simultaneously and uniformly adjustbeing hooked in a suitable aperture near the rear ing or varying the normal tension of all of the end of the key lever forward of the fulcrum of the type action return springs, and means for limitkey lever. The springs 2! are arranged in a 15 ing the range of adjustment of the tension of the .straight line or row transversely of the machine. return springs. The improved means whereby the normal ten- I To the foregoing and other ends which will sion of the springs may be adjusted or varied to appear the invention consists in the features of vary or regulate the touch of the type action construction, arrangements of parts'and combikeys will now be described. Each of the springs 20 nations of elements set forth in the following de- 2| is in ua y edlllstably anchored t its pscription of preferred illustrative embodiments of per end to an anchor device or touch regulating the invention and particularly pointed out in the device in the form of a composite or two-part appended claims. plate which extends transversely of the machine In the accompanying drawing, a above the rear portions of the key levers and 5 Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a which is rockable up and down to simultaneously typewriting machine with certain parts broken and uniformly vary the normal tension of all of away to better illustrate the improvements, only the p e an dev c 15 reguso much of the machine being shown as is neceslating dev as S p es a fr0nt bar 23 sary for a clear understanding of the invention; arranged in partly overlapped relation with a Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view on the line rear bar 24, the overlapping portions of said two 2-2 of Fig, 3; bars being rigidly held together by a plurality of Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on the line 33 WS 25 to form a eemposite -p P of Fig. 2; The rear bar 24 is journalled at its ends adjacent Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view on the line 44 its rear edge on t e i e nds of tWO bea 35 of Fi 1; d screws 26 (Fig. 4) tapped into opposite sides of the Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the main frame of the machine, the composite plate machine, with certain parts broken away, and or anchor device being thus supported to rock up showing modified t ti and down in the main frame about a horizontal The drawing shows the invention embodied in a aXi-S eXtending transversely of the machine. 40 known typewriting machine, namely the L C A series of return-spring tension adjusting Smith machine, but may be embodied in various screws 2 one f r each k y l v t nd ely other kinds of typewriting machines to which the down through apertures (Fign t e front improvements are applicable. bar 23 of the anchor device, said apertures being In the construction shown each type action arranged in a single OW sv y of e ma- 45 comprises a key lever l0 provided at its forward 7 e. e heads o Screws rest on the upper end with a finger key I l and fulcrumed at its face of bar 23 and the threaded shanks of the rear end on a fulcrum bar l2 which is rigidly held screws are screwed into the upper end portionsof ,to'the main frame l3 of the machine. Each key the helical return sp 2| t0 encher the Springs lever actuates its associated one of the type at their upper ends to therockable anchor device 50' bars M, the type bars being pivotally mounted in 2324 adjac nt e on d e of the anchor dethe known manner on a suitable type bar segvice. By screwin a One Of t e Screws 2'! more ment l5 mounted in the machine frame. Each or less within the upper end of its companion type bar is connected by a pull link I6 to the upspring 2|, the tension of that spring may be vaf5 per end of an associated sub-lever H. The subried independently of all the other return springs. 5'

return springs will be simultaneously and uniformly decreased.

For rocking the anchor device up and down and holding it in desired adjustably rocked position the following means are provided. An upwardly extending rock arm 23 is fixed at its lower end to the right hand end of bar 24 and is preferably provided at its upper end with an anti-friction roller 33 journalled on a pivot stud 3| carried by the rock arm, said pivot stud extending horizontally transversely of the machine. A horizontal shaft 32 extending transversely of the machine is journailed in the main frame l3 above the anchor device at the right hand side of the machine, said shaft extending through a standard forming part of the right hand side of the'machine frame. Fixed on the inner end of shaft 32 is a cam 33 having a spiral periphery 33 to which the roller 3|] on arm 29 is held by the pull of the return springs 2|. A finger wheel 34, preferably having a scalloped periphery as shown, is fixed on the outer end of shaft 32, where it is conveniently accessible to the typist for turning the plate cam 33 in either direction to cause the cam follower rock arm 29 to swing forward or rearward as desired to rock the anchor device 232 3. Preferably the cam operating finger wheel 34 is provided with indicating numerals such as 0 to 9 on its outer face and a suitable indicator or pointer 35 is fixed on the right hand side of the frame at the outer side of the frame adjacent said wheel for cooperation with the numbered face of the wheel.

The follower roller 33 on follower rock arm 29 contacts the cam preferably in rear of the cam, and also moves in and out substantially radially of the cam axis so that the arm 29 will remain in any adjusted position to which it is shifted by rotation of cam 33. Preferably also cam 33 is provided with an outward extension or lobe 33 between the low and high ends of its spiral rollerengaging peripheral surface 33 the opposite sides of which lobe 33 preferably are flared or curved outwardly away from each other to provide hooklike surfaces 33 at the high and low ends of surface 33 engageable with roller 33 to positively arrest rotation of the cam and positively limit rotation of the cam to less than one revolution. The cam is thus oscillatable between fixed limits to rock the anchor device between predetermined fixed limits.

To decrease the effort required to actuate the cam and rock the anchor device, and to reduce wear of the cam, means, preferably in the form of a pair of counterbalancing springs 36, are provided for counterbalancing or counteracting the pull upon the anchor device 23-24 of the series of return springs 2!. In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the two contractile helical springs 36 are anchored at their lower ends to opposite ends of bar 23 at the front corners of anchor device 23-24 and are anchored at their upper ends to the main frame l3 of the machine by hooking their upper ends through apertures in the frame. The pull of the pair of springs 36 does not exceed, and preferably is less than, the opposing pull of the series of return springs 2i In the construction shown in Fig. 5 provision is made for adjusting the pull of springs 36 by anchoring the upper ends of the springs 36 to the lower ends of a pair of substantially vertically extending and adjustable spring anchor screws 3'! extending loosely through apertures 38 in fixed parts of the main frame l3. As shown in Fig. 5, the upper ends of springs 36 are hooked through apertures in the lower ends of screws 31. Each screw 31 has threaded thereon an adjusting nut 39. Said nuts 39 are held down against the frame by the pull of springs 36. By holding the screws '31 against rotation and screwing the nuts 39 up and down the normal tension of the springs 36 may be varied as desired. Except as just above described, the modified construction shown in Fig. 5 corresponds with the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

What we claim is:

1. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a main frame, type actions supported in the main frame and each including a key lever fulcrumed in the main frame and a contractile helical return spring anchored at one end thereof to the key lever, an anchor device having a series of spring anchor screws extending therethrough and each threaded into the other end of a different one of the return springs, said anchor device extending transversely of the main frame and being supported therein for rocking of the anchor device about a horizontal axis extending transversely of the machine to vary the normal stress of the return springs, a cam follower rock arm fixed -to said anchor device, a

plate cam with the periphery of which said rock I arm coacts, a horizontal shaft journalled in the main frame and extending transversely thereof, said cam being fixed on said shaft and said shaft extending outwardly from said cam to one side of the frame and having a finger Wheel fixed on its outer end.

2. A typewriting machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cam has a spiral peripheral surface coactive with the rock arm to rock the arm and has between the high and low ends of said spiral surface a lobe'extending outwardly relatively to the'axis of the cam, said lobe being coactive with the rock arm to positively limit the extent of rotation of the cam in both directions.

3. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a main frame, key-operated type actions supported in the main frame, an anchor device, contractile type action return springs all connected at one end with said anchor device and each connected at the other end with a different one of the type actions, said anchor device being pivotally supported in the main frame for rocking thereof about a horizontal axis extending transversely of the frame to vary the normal stress of the springs, a rock arm fixed at one end to the anchor device, a shaft journalled in the frame and extending parallel to the pivotal axis of the anchor device, a finger wheel fixed on said shaft, and a plate cam fixed on said shaft and coactive with the rock. arm to rock said arm.

4. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a main frame, key-operated type actions supported in the main frame, an anchor device, contractile type action return springs all connected at one end with said anchor device and each connected at the other end with a different one of the type actions, said anchor device being pivotally supported in the main frame. for rocking thereof about a horizontal axis extending transversely of the frame to vary the normal stress of the springs, a rock arm fixed at one end to the anchor device, a shaft journalled in the frame and extending parallel to the pivotal axis of the anchor device, a finger wheel fixed on said shaft, and a plate cam fixed on said shaft and coactive with the rock arm to rock said arm, and contractile spring means connected with the frame and anchor device to oppose the pull of the type action return springs on the anchor device.

5. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a set of type actions having operating keys, a set of contractile return springs for said actions, a shiftable device to which and to said actions the opposite ends of said set of springs are connected and which device is supported for shifting movement thereof which will simultaneously and uniformly vary the lengths of the springs, a member supported to turn in contactive engagement with said device about a fixed axis and in a fixed plane, the contactive parts of said member and device being effective to hold said device in different shifted positions varied by the turning of said member and to positively limit turning of said member in both directions about its axis, and a handle connected with said member for turning of the latter in opposite directions by the handle.

6. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a set of type actions having operating keys, a set of contractile return springs for said actions, a shiftable device to which and to said actions the opposite ends of said set of springs are connected and which device is supported for shifting movement thereof which will simultaneously and uniformly vary the lengths of the springs, a cam supported to turn in opposite directions about a fixed axis and in a fixed plane and engaged with a part of said shiftable device to shift the latter into and hold it indifferent ones of its spring-length-varying positions against the pull of the return springs, said cam having means automatically engageable with said part of said shiftable device to positively limit rotation of the cam in both directions about the cam axis, and a handle connected with said cam for turning of the cam in opposite directions by the handle.

'7. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a set of type actions having operating keys, a set of contractile return springs for said actions, a shiftable device to which and to said actions the opposite ends of said set of springs are connected and which device is supported for shifting movement thereof which will simultaneously and uniformly vary the lengths of the springs, a key-touch control handle mounted for turning thereof in opposite directions in a fixed plane about a fixed axis, and means oppositely rotative by said handle in contact with said device and effective on the device to positively limit turning of the handle in both directions about its axis and to hold said shiftable device stationary against the pull of the springs in different ones of the spring-length varying positions of said device.

8. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a set of type actions having operating keys, a set of contractile return springs for the type actions, a shiftable device with which and the type actions the opposite ends of the return springs are connected and which device is supported for shifting movement thereof which will simultaneously and uniformly vary the lengths of the return springs, a thrust member supported to turn in a fixed plane about a fixed axis and against which said device is constantly yieldably held abutted by the pull of the return springs, spring means constantly effective on said device to oppose the pull of the return springs on the device without causing separation of said device and thrust member, and a handle connected with the thrust member for turning of said member in opposite directions about its. axis, said thrust member being effective on said device to hold the latter stationary against the pull of the return springs in different spring length varying positions varied by turning of the thrust member by the handle.

9. A typewriting machine having, in combination, a set of type actions having operating keys,

a set of contractile return springs for the type actions, a shiftable device with which and the type actions the opposite ends of the return springs are connected and which device is supported for shifting movement thereof which will simultaneously and uniformly vary the lengths of the return springs, a thrust member supported to turn in a fixed plane about a fixed axis and against which said device is constantly yieldably held abutted by the pull of the return springs, spring means constantly effective on said device to oppose the pull of the return springs on the device without causing separation of said device and thrust member, said thrust member being effective on said device to hold the device in different spring length varying positions varied by turning of the thrust member about its axis, said device being effective on the thrust member to positively lirnit turning of the thrust member in both directions about the axis of said member, and an operating handle connected with the thrust member for turning of the member in opposite directions about its axis by opposite turnings of the handle.

CARL GABRIELSON. EDSON GEORGE. MOSHIER.

Images