US215251A - Improvement in type-writing machines - Google Patents

Description

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Type-Writing Machine.A

No. 215,251. l Patented' May 13,1879.

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W. H. sLooUM. Type-Writing Machine. No. 215,251.

Patented May 13, 1879.

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Type-Writing Machine. No. 215,251. Patented May 13, 1879.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

WILLIAM H. SLOOUM, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN TYPE-WRITING MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 215,251, dated May 13, 1879; application iiled November 29, 1878. y

To all whom it may concern:

' Beit known that I, WILLIAM H. SLooUM, of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Type-VVriters, which improvements are fully set forth in the following v riage and mechanism for moving the papercarriage and adjusting its spacing movement for either capitals or small letters; also, the mechanism for raising the carriage and returning it to the starting-point and leaving it. Fig.

7 is a detached view of a part of the key-levers,

showing the arrangement of a part of the mechanism whereby the carriage is moved more or less, according to the space required for the letter to be printed, showing also a portion of the spacing-key. Fig. 8 represents an enlarged plan view of the type-wheel and a side elevation of the same; and Fig. 9 is a portion of the carriage, showin how the paper is held in place while being printed.

My invention relates to improvements in type-writing machines; and it consists, first, in a new and improved locking device for securely holding the type-wheel in position while printing; second, in mechanism for readily changing the position of the type-wheel for printing either capital or small letters 5 third, in the arrangement of the machinery for regulating the movement of the paper-carriage, whereby a greater space or movement is made for capitals than for small letters; fourth, in a typewriting machine, the mechanism hereinafter shown, or its equivalent, whereby a variable\- .l

intermittent movement of the paper-carriage is made, so as to correspond with the width of the letter to be printed, or so the spacing movements of the carriage `will vary as the width of the different letters, combinations of letters, and -characters vary, fifth, in theV arrangement and construction of the paper-carriage and the devices for holding the paper back from the type-wheel and ink until struck by the printing hammer or platen '5 also., in the construction of devices, to be more clearly hereinafter shown, whereby the paper-carriage is raised up sufficiently to disengage it from the gearing that gives the type-spacing movement and brought back to the starting-point, which movement winds up the mechanism for actuating the type-wheel, and causes the carriage to be lowered into position and give the necessary spacing movement to the paper for the lines of printing. i

In said drawings, A represents the frame o the machine; B, the paper-carriage. It is held to the top of the machine, by means of the rod B1, along which it slides easily. B2 is a rack attached to the lower front frame of the carriage, and is made to gear into the pinion B2. (See Fig. 6.) C C represent two paper-holding pulleys'or drums connected together by the shaft o, so as to turn easily in the frame O of the carriage. The paper is held in position by means of the pulleys O O O2 O2 and belts O3, as shown in Figs. 6 and 9.

The spacing movement of the carriage is given by means of the rack B2,pinion B3,.gear.. or ratchet wheels D Dl, and pawls D2 D2, D3` l being in dotted lines in Fig. 6. (See alsorFig. l in this connection.) The pawls are jointed to a bar, E. (See Figs. 1, 5, and 6.)

El represents an arm, of which there are two, connected together by a shaft and to each side of the frame of the machine at a point shown by the letter E2 in Fig. 5, so as to swing easily. Their opposite ends are rigidly fastened to a cross-bar, E2, and to one ofthe arms El is connected a spring, F, for holding them, upward. The bar E is jointed to one of the arms'El at F1. f

The type-levers F2 are held by arod, F2, as shown in Fig. 5, andare kept up by springs G, and toward the front end they rest on the cross-bar E3. .It is obvious that a pressure downward on the keys F4 of any of the typelevers` willcause a downward movement of the bar E, thereby moving the pawls D2 D3, i and through the rack and pinion hereinbefore described give aspacing movement to the carriage. p When using small letters the large ratchetwheel D and pawl D2 are used, the pawl D3 being out of gear when D2 operating. When it isnecessary to use capitals the smaller wheel Dl and its pawl D3 are thrown into gear by moving the lever G2 upward, which causes the lever G3 to move into the position shown in Fig. 1, (the dotted lines g g showing its position when small letters are used.) At the same time it shifts the type-wheel H vertically, s o as to bring the capital letters in position for printing, the small letters gl and capitals g2 being arranged as in the side elevation Fig. 8, or vice versa. the small letters are arranged above or below if the operating mechanism is made to correspond.

The arm G3 is jointed at g4, so as to vibrate, and is made of spring metal, or in any other equivalent way, so as to allow a vertical movement of the outer end, which is slotted, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. l, so as to move easily in the groove g3 in the hub of the typewheel. (See also Figs. 4 and 5.) II is an arm having the upper part bent, as shown in the detached View, Fig. 6,- so as to incline downward. As the arm G3 is moved, as before mentioned, it is raised or lowered over the inclined end of H', as shown by the dotted lines h 71.', thereby raising or lowering the typewheel.

The action of the type-wheel and its locking mechanism is as follows: In Fig. l I` have shown an arrangement of gearing, z' t', operated by the spring I, so as to turn the shaft Il, and by means of gearing I2 I3 (see Fig'. 5) turn the type-Wheel. When a type-key, F4, is forced down the rod J (of which there is one for each type-key) will cause the arm J1 to move, as shown by the dotted lines J2, so that its lower end comes forward and stops the arm J3, which has at the same time been released by the upward movement of the locking-wheel K, produced by the arms K4, cross-bar K2, arms K3, shaft 7c, and arm K4, the frame K5 and the locking-wheel being made to move vertically up and down the shaft L6. It will be seen that a pressure on any key (except the spacing-key, which will be hereinafter described) will move the cross-bar K2 and arms K1 down, and cause an upward movement of the locking-wheel by means of the arm K4, which connects with the frame K5, as shown. (See Fig. 5.) This releases the arm J3 by moving the teeth of the locking-wheel away from the pin L on said arm. When the type-keys are released they spring up, and the lockingwheel moves down again and locks the arml and type-wheel in another notch, corresponding with the key and letter last used.

If desired, the locking wheel may be arranged so as not to move vertically, and instead the arm K4 may be made so that its outer end will drop into a notch in the wheel at the proper time.

The locking-wheel pin L 011 arm J3 is beveled off on one side,y as shown in the enlarged view to the right of Fig. 3,- so as to allow the type-wheel arm J3 to pass just by the arm J1, at J2, last used, so that should it be necessary It will make no difference whether to use the same letter twice in succession the type-wheel will revolve and re-ink the letter.

It is well known that different letters require different lengths of spaces. An I or a J would not need as much space as an L or an M would. To accomplish this, I cut out the key-levers more or less at the bottom, as shown at L1 in the fragment of a lever in Fig. 7. All of said levers are forced up by a spring, G, to the same point against the stationary crossbar L2, (see Figs. 1 and 5,) so that the deeper the notch Ll the shorter will be the movement of the cross-bar E3, and, consequently, the spacing movement of the paper-carriage will be less.

I have shown larger teeth in the spacinggear D Dl than would be required in practice. The smaller the teeth are made and work well the better, and, if desired, a friction-wheel without teeth, combined with the usual gearing for such purposes, could be used, so that in the backward movement of the pawl the wheel would remain stationary, and in the forward movement gripe the wheel with sufficient force to move it and produce the proper space movement of the paper-carriage.

After the carriage has been moved a sufficent distance to print a line, and the springI has run down in proportion to the number of turns the type-wheel has made, and it becomes necessary to disengage the rack from the pinion B3 and return the paper-carriage tothe starting-point, and while doing so, rewind the spring I, remove the printing-hammer away from the paper, and give the spacing movement for the lines.

I employ an arm or lever, L2, by which I accomplish all these movements, by means of the cords L3 L4, or their equivalents, as follows: By moving L2 forward, the cord L3 draws the angular arm M, causing it to turn into the position shown by the dotted lines, and lifts the front `of the paper-carriage s0 as to disengage the rack, and then draws it to the starting-point, when the end of the lever M drops into the depression M2. (See Fig. 6, also Figs. 1 and 4.) As the carriage reaches the limit of its travel the ratchet-wheel T is brought with one of its teeth above the end Tl of the standard T2, and as the carriage drops, as before described, the said tooth, striking the end Tl, is turned, causing such a partial revolution of the paper-pulleys as will carry the paper to the position required for printing the next line. If desired, such movement may be made by clock-work, and the carriage may be made to return automatically.

These movements of the carriage further cause the connecting arm M3 to move the curved arm 0, so that its lower end will force the println g-hammer P back away from the paper. (See Figs. 4 and 6.) At the same time the cord L4 (see Fig. 2) draws the arm P4 forward, so as to wind up the spring I, which has partly run down by operating the typewheel while printing a line.

The pawl P2 is formed so that its lower end,

R represents a spacing-lever. (See Figs. 1

i and 7.) It has an opening at the bottom R2,

so that when operating it will not move the cross-bar K2, and consequently will operate the spacing mechanism without printing.

S represents a small frame supported by a standard, S', for the purpose of keeping the paper away from the type-wheel until struck by the printing-hammer.

It will be seen that the action of the spacing mechanism in moving the carriage will turn the angular arm back again into its proper position.

The machinery for operating the printinghammer P is shown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 4.

U is an angular arm jointed to E at U1, and to the frame at U2.

U3 is an arm rigidly fastened to the printing-hammer rod V, the outer end of which is jointed at V to the arm U.

` X is spring for forcing the feeding-hammer against the paper.

The vertical movement of E imparts a vibrating movement to the arm U, (see Fig. 2,) which moves the arm U3 and the printinghammer.

It -will be seen that when any one of the printing-keys is forced down the printinghammer is forced away from the paper and springs against it when the pressure is withdrawn; butthe mechanism for this purpose Y may be made so that their action will be reversed.

Y represents a small bell rigidly fastened to the frame of the machine for the purpose of giving an alarm when the paper-carriage has reached the end of its movement, or nearly so.

Y1 is the bell-hammer, (see Fig. 2,) fastened to a swinging bar, Y2, which is jointed to the frame at Y3. Z is a spring for forcing it forward when striking an alarm.

Its operation is as follows: When the carriagc reaches the end of its movement, the projection Z1 on the bottom of G1 has forced the point Z2 of the bell-hammer lever backward and has passed by said point, thereby allowing the hammer to spring forward and strike the bell. The position of the point of the pin Z1 being changed by the front of the paper-carriage being raised allows it to pass freely on the `return movement.

Some of the advantages of this invention are as follows: The printing is in front, so as to be plainly seen. Type-wheels of different styles of type may be furnished at small eX- pense. It prints distinct as ordinary printing from inked type, and each letter occupies its proper space, the same as in `common printing.

I claim as my invention- 1. A' locking-wheel, K, having a device, substantially as described, for changing its position on the shaft L5, in combination with a type-wheel, an arm, J3, provided with a pin, L, and a spring or other equivalent means for operating the shaft L5, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination, with the carriage B, of

the angular arm M, cord L3, lever L2, and

platform having a depression, M2, for lifting the front of the carriage out ot' the spacinggearing, as specified, returning it to the starting-point, and dropping it into position, as described.

3. The paper-carriage, angular arm M, cord L3, and lever L2, in combination with the connecting-rod M3 and curved arm 0, for the purpose of holding the printing-hammerI away from the paper while the carriage is returning (aftera line has been printed) to the startingpoint.

4. The paper-carriage provided with the angular arm M, in combinationl with the platform having a depression, M2, standard T2 T1, and ratchet-wheel T, for the purpose of moving the paper for spacing the lines for printing, as described.

5. The combination of the carriage provided with a rack, B2, and with paper-carriers, the driving-pinion B3, mechanism, substantially as described, for tilting the carriage and throwing the rack and pinion in and out of gear, the ratchet wheel T, and stationary standard T2, having an arm, T1, the whole constructed and arranged to move the paper when the carriage drops at the end of its lateral movement, as set forth.

6. In a type-writing machine, the spring I and a suitable gearing, substantially as speciiied, in combination with the shaft I1, gearing I2 I3, shaft L5, arm J3, having a pin, L, and the locking-wheel K, provided with a releasing mechanism, substantially as and for the purposes described.

' WILLIAM H. SLOCUM. Witnesses:

SIDNEY B. KING, DANI.. H. Bnn'rrs.

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