US2178688A - Typewriting machine - Google Patents

Description

NOV. 7, 1939. w HELMQND v 2,178,688

TYPEWRITING MACHINE v I 4' Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 16, 1936 v- 1939. w. F. HELMOND TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed March 16, 1936 1 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 NOV. 7, 1939. w HELMQND 2,178,688

TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed March J5, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 76/2! 64. 9'9 5 j] m ni/ I INVENTOR, MW

Nov. 7, 1939.

w. F. HELMOND TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed March 16, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORY Patented Nov. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES ,PATENT OFFICE TYPEWRITING MACHINE William F. Helmond, West Hartford, Conn, as-, signor to Underwood Elliott Fisher Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application March 16, 1936, Serial No. 69,130

1i Claims.

bleeding.

Another cause of bleeding is the crinkling or lengthwise band of the ribbon in front of the.

printing position.

Another and related feature of the invention is the provision of predeterminately settable devices for cperatively connecting the ribbon-vibrating mechanism selectively with either one of the universal bars, and for operatively (115 m nesting said vibrating mechanism from both universal bars. In the disconnected position of said vibrating mechanism the typewriter may be used for stenciling.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of mechanism in a typewriter for moving the ribbon-vibrator upwardly concomitantly and synchronously with the movement of the keylevers throughout their down stroke. This mechanism may include a universal bar mounted in the frame of the typewriter under and across the key-levers and actuable directly by the keylevers, and also may include on the universal bar parts proportioned to the varying distance of the key-levers in the several banks from the universal bar, and under and engageable with each key-lever, each part being capable of a simple, facile, and accessible adjustment, whereby the movement of the ribbon-vibrator maybe adjusted for any or for all of the characters, lessening the extent ofmovement of the universal bars under the key-levers that carry the characters that cause the most trouble, and especially those having depending tails.

These adjustable parts, mounted on the universal bar, may be metal tongues of different lengths; the length being varied for key-levers in different key-banks, and each tongue being easily bent for facile adjustment with reference to the coengaging key-lever. I

Another feature of the invention is the easy 5 accessibility of the adjustments connected with the universal bar.

Another feature is the shortening of the letterspacebar shaft, whereby the shaft is stiffened assembled and adjusted.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of a new and improved ribbon-vibrator having a very thin upper transverse or horizontal retaining and guiding edge, whereby the initial normal position of the ribbon -guide is raised, and the amount of movement necessary to interpose the ribbon inthe printing position, or to remove it to the inoperative position, is lessened and reduced without impairingthe normal visibility of 2 the printing line on a work-sheet; This shortening of the total vibratory movement, in and of itself, obviates the liab'ility 'of bleeding on a work-sheet in using a bichrome-ribbon.

A feature. of the improved vibrator is two ver- 25 tical spaced-apart guides having thin topedges turned over horizontally, all formed from an integral piece of sheet-metal entirely free from cracks in the surface which may be liable to engage and tear threads in the ribbon. I j 30 Another feature of improvement pertains to mechanism for quietly arresting the escape and. the swing of the limber-dog of the letter-feed escapement, and for this purpose a novel reflexed sound-mufiling leaf-spring is provided, and said spring may moreover be adjustably secured to the dog-rocker by but one screw, inasmuch as it may be provided with an anchoring tongue spaced from said one screw and inserted in a kerf usually provided on the dog-rocker. This feature is also shown in my co-pending application Serial No. 3,037, filed January, 23, 1935 (now Patent No. 2,044,002, dated June 16, 1936) 7 Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear. v V

g In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away. a

Figure 2 is an elevation, partly in section and with parts broken away, of a cross-bar supporting a universal bar beneath the key-levers, and the letter-spacer mounting.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the improved ribbon-guide.

and made more rigid and less yieldable, and easily 10' Figure 4 is a plan view of the improved ribbonguide.

Figure 5 is a side elevation, partly in section.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the position of the bichrome-ribbon when the capital letter I is imprinted in red, and also the position of the key-lever extension in contact with the corresponding tongue on the universal bar, the arrow-heads indicating the directions of the operating movements.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view showing the position of the bichrome-ribbon when the capital letter G is imprinted in red, and also the position of the key-lever extension in its normal operative position above the corresponding downwardly-flexed tongue on the universal bar, the arrow-heads indicating the directions of the operating movements.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the improved silencer for the limber-dog of the escapementrocker.

Figure 9 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the operative position of the black band of a bichrome-ribbon while a small or lower-case type is in contact with the platen, the guide being raised by the usual type-bar-actuated segmental universal bar, some parts being shown only diagrammatically.

Figure 10 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the operative position of the red band of a bichrome-ribbon while a small or lower-case type is in contact with the platen, the guide being raised by the improved key-lever-actuated universal bar, some parts being shown only diagrammatically. i

Figure 11 is a side elevation, partly in section,

showing the operative position of the red band of a bichrome-ribbon while a capital or uppercase type is in contact with theplaten, the guide being raised by the improved key-lever-actuated universal bar, some parts being shown only diagrammatically.

Figure 12 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the neutral, or stenciling position of the ribbon, both the red'and the black ribbon-positioning mechanism being disconnected, some parts being shown only diagrammatically.

The usual typewriter-frame has a mask 2|, a front rail 22, and a rear rail 23, a carriage 24 being movably mounted on the rails. A platen 25 is rotatably mounted on the carriage ,24 by means of a shaft 26. Arearwardly-extending arm 21 is attached to the platen-carriage and supports a rack 28, which-overlies and engages a pinion 29 on an escapement-wheel 38.

A roller 3| is rotatably mounted on a depending arm 32, which is rotatably mounted on a rod 33 transversely mounted in the lower part of the carriage 24. A' shift-rail 34 for shifting the platen 25.to the upper-case position is engaged by the roller 3|, and ismounted on a shift-rail support 35.

A type-segment 35 supports type-bars 31, of a multiple system of type-operating trains. Each type-bar has a type-bar head 38 which, in the inoperative position, lies on a cushioned rest segment 39, as clearly shown inFigure 5. A typebar-supporting rod 42 passes through an arc of the segment andv supports each type-bar 31 rotatably. Each type-bar operating train may include a sub-lever 44 rotatably mounted on a supporting rod 45, having a pin-and-slot connection 43 with a type-barn." The sub-levers 44 are actuated, through key-levers 48 by pin-and-slot connections 46 at the depression ofthe associated keys 48 to raise the type-bars from inoperative position to the upright position clearly shown in Figure 9.

Referring to Figure 1 and to Figure 5, there are four rows or banks of typewriter-keys designated from top to bottom 48*, 48 48 and 48 At the rear of the frame a rod 49 engages a groove in each key-lever 41, the rear extremities of the key-levers lying in slots 58, which are cut in a bar 51. A- coil-spring 52 mounted on the frame 28 tensionally supports each key-lever.

The feed-rack 28 on the carriage, the pinion 29, escapement-Wheel 30 and dogs 6!), 6i co-operate to letter-feed the carriage upon actuation of a universal bar 54- by cams 53 on type-bars 31 carrying, heads having upper-case or capitalletter and lower-case or small-letter types 48 and 4!, respectively, the usual carriage-feeding spring-motor not being shown. The universal bar 54 has a supporting extension 55 pivoted to an arm 56 at H8, the arm 55 being rotatably mounted on a shaft 51. A spring (Figure 5) tends to return the universal bar to the initial position. The limber-dog 6! (Figure 8) of the escapement-device is mounted on a pivot-screw 64 in an escapement rocker-arm 63, which extends from the sides of the usual dog-rocker 59 upon which the dog 60 is fixed.

The universal bar 54 has a rearward extension which engages an adjustable screw-stud 58 on the dog-rocker to actuate the latter. For binding said screw-stud 58 in its adjusted position, the screw-hole in the dog-rocker 59 is centrally intercepted by a kerf 51. An adjustment screw 13 is carried by the lower end of the dog-rocker 59 and engages the rear wall of a square cross-piece 15 as a stop, and the head of a screw 14 secured in the cross-piece l5 limits the dog-rocker 59 in the opposite direction.

' Near the end of its rearward stroke the universal bar 54 engages the screw 58 and rocks the dog-rocker 59 to the position shown in Figure 8, to'permit the escape of the limber-dog 6| preparatory to a carriage-feeding letter-space stop. A spring 62 has one end attached to the limberdog GI and another end to the frame of the escapement (not shown), as is well known in the art, and therefore holds the dog 6| under constant spring-tension both in the direction of the swing of the dog GI and towards ratchet-teeth 65. For quietly arresting the escape and the swing of the limber-dog 6|, a novel stop-silencer 58 is provided, which may be easily adjusted to regulate the extent of the swing of the limber-dog 6|. Said stop may be arranged as follows: The stop-silencer 66 of spring sheet-material has a dog-stopping extremity 80, which is a narrow strip and is rendered resilient, for sound-deadening purposes, by extending from a body-part 19 byway of reflex bends I8, 12, said body-part 19 being mounted against the rear face of the dogrocker 59. Means for adjustably securing the limber-dog silencer 56 to the dog-rocker 59 include only one binding screw 18, since the bodypart 19 of said stop-silencer 65 may have bent therefrom an anchoring tongue H, which, by its disposition within the upper dog-rocker kerf 51, co-operates with said binding screw 10 to hold said stopsilencer 66. Said tongue ll may be moved along said kerf 51 for vertical adjustment of the stop-silencer 55 in a direction which will be appropriate for effecting either an increase or decrease of the swing of the limber-dog 6| since a stop-face 11 of said limber-dog 6| is inclined to the dog-rocker 59 or to said kerf 81. Therefore, adjustment of the stop-silencerfifi up or down, as directed by said, kerf 61, will move its dog-stopping extremity toward or from,'respectively, said inclined stop-face TI. A screw hole 69, in the lower extremity 68 of the body-. part 19, for the binding. screw 19, is vertically elongated to permit such up-and-down adjustment of the stop-member, and the body-part 19 of the stop-silencer 66 may be arranged to space the binding screw Ill from the anchoring tongue H. Adjustment of the limber-dog stop BB involves loosening and tightening of only said single binding screw 19, and this screw 19 is facilely aecessible from the back of the machine. It is now clear that I have provided quiet operation for an escapement by combining with a dog-rocker and a spring-tensioned limber-dog pivoted thereon for idle escape and pivotal swinging under the urge of its spring'at operation of the dog-docker, a sound-mufiling resilient and adjustable stop for quietly arresting said limber-dog.

A bichrome-ribbon 8! has an upper lengthwise black band or field 82 and a lower red band 83. An index on the front of the typewriter, as shown in Figure 1, indicates the threesettings of the ribbonvibrator, namely, theneutral setting as in white which is also called the stenciling position, the red setting 85, and the black setting afi.

Thesetting of anoperating lever 87 proximate I any index position places the mechanism in operative position for the indicated condition.

A ribbon-vibrator 88 may include at the upper end a ribbon-guide 89, which may be formed from a single unitary thin piece of metal centrally bifurcated for the passage of the type-bar heads and formed into thin vertical'forks 99 at the left and 9| at the right, as clearly shown in Figure 3. Proceeding at right angles and, outwardly and forwardly from the fork 90 is an extension 92, and similarly on the fork 9|- is an extension 93 similar to extension 92, but symmetrically opposite thereto. Rising from the extremity of the extension 92: is a. leftvertical guide-post 94, and opposite and symmetrically thereto is a right vertical guide-post rising from the extremity or the guide-extension 93. The top of the left vertical fork 99 has a horizontally and forwardly and outwardly extending guide-piece 9B which overlies the extension 92, forming a stop and guide, which prevents the ribbon rising on the guide above and beyond the position of the guidepiece 96. A top of the fork 9i, opposite to and symmetrically positioned with reference to the guide-piece 96, has a similarguide-piece 9-7 overlying the extension 93 and 'similarlyacting on the right side of the ribbon-guide, in the mannerand for the purposes already set forth with reference to the piece 96.

The left vertical guide-post 94 at the top has a short forwardly-extending horizontal piece 99 which acts also as a stop and a guide for the top edge of the bichrome-ribbon 8]. The right vertical post 95 also has a similar forwardly-extending small piece 99. which also acts as a guide and stop for the top edge of the ribbon-8i. By referring to Figure 4, it is clear that the guide-pieces 96 and 9'! are spaced from the extensions 98 and 9-9, so that, by turning a ribbon in a vertical position crosswise to the normal direction of travel through the guide 89, the ribbon is easily inserted through the guide 99 on "movement of the lever NH.

ner well known to those familiar with the art of typewriters. As clearly shown in Figure 3, this improved operative position between'a type and a worksheet. The fact that the ribbon-guide is made throughout of very thin metal conduces to decrease the amount of superstructure for the ribbon-guide, so as to lessen=the amount of -movement of the vibrator without decreasing the vi'si-' bility of the line of printing. Another utility de rived from the unitary construction is the freedom from irregularities in the surface or cracksin the construction, which would make a liability to tear any of thethreads ,of the typewriter-ribbon.

A lever Hll for vibrating the ribbon (see Figure 5) has a pivotal open-slot connection i 92 with the thin metal ribbon-vibrator 88 on the top of which the guide 89 is mounted. A pivoted pin l'93'se' cures the arm It]! on a supporting arm iM depending downwardly and rearwardly from the back of the shift-rail 94. A tension spring I95 pinned on the lever lul at l96'is also pinned to the shift-rail 34 at I91. A stop-arm M8 is also mounted 'on the shift-rail '3dl for limiting the As shown in Figure 9, a pin 99 projects from the upper end of the lever I91 and normally engagesyiii the operative position, a vertical slot H9 formed in a shift or coupler slide I l l, which has a rear depending wall H2 engaging a vertical plate llslfixed on the construction permits a design of typewriter with the ribbon-guide 89 approximately at the bottom ated by the heels 53 of the type-bars ill during the later part of each type-train actuation and that the ribbon-vibrator 88 will be moved to present the nearest ribbon-field in front of the printing point if the coupler IH' is'in a leftward position.

. As clearly shown in Figure 1, a bent'link HT connects the shift slide HI and a horizontal lever H8, whichis mounted on a vertical pivot screw ward end of the lever! I8 is turnedupwardly and rearwardly into a rearward extension H9, which is provided with a lengthwise slot l2! (see Figure '5), permitting the lever B! to be pushed from the Referring to Figure 1;there are threehotches I24, which yieldably secure the lever 91in any of the index positions, it being shown at red posi-' tion 85 in this figure, and a recess !25 in back of the notches permits the rearward and sidewise movement of the lever 81.

The ribbon-vibrating mechanism, which has just been described and which'is operated by the escapement universal bar 54, controls the shifting of the ribbon when the upper half or black band 82 is used 'A separate and distinctive mechanism for shifting the lower half ofthe ribbon or of the red band 83will now be described. A roller-pin I26 is mounted horizontally on the left side of the vibrating lever II! I. A forwardly-inclined ver- IIS on the frame 20 of the typewriter. The for-.

ing on a horizontally-projecting screwfI 30 mounted on a bracket I'3I, as clearly'shown in Figure 5, which may be secured at the rear on the crosspiece of the typewriter-frameby a screw I33.

A forwardly and upwardly extending arm I32 connects the control-piece I28 by means of a'pin' I34 with a lever I35, which is fulcrumed on-a horizontal rod I36 securedin the lower part of the frame of the machine by set-screw. collars I31. A depending coupler-link I 38 is horizontally pivoted on a lower forwardly-extending end of the lever-arm I at I39, so that the link I38 is permitted to oscillate forwardly and rearwardlyon its pivot I39. Arm I40 is pivotally connected to the link I38 by a pin I46, andat the rear is fas-' tened by a-pin I M to a vertical upright end I42 of a lever I43, which is horizontally pivoted for forward and rearward swinging motion on a screw I44, which is fixed on a depending bracket I45, whichis in turn suitably secured by screws, or in any other desired manner, to a rear crosspiece of the frame 20.

A rearwardly apertured hook I41 is formed at the bottom of the depending coupler-link I38 which may engage ahorizontal pin I48 mounted on a depending bracket I49, the bracket being fast on a cross-bar or universal bar I50. The-universal bar I50 has two forwardly-extending arms I5I terminating in square sockets which are mounted on a square .cross-bar I52, which in turn is secured at either end with adjustable pivot-screws I53, as shown in Figure 2, which are,

mounted on arms I54, these arms I54 being rotatably mounted on stub-shafts I55, I56, respectively, both shafts being secured in the sides of the frame 20 by countersunk screws I51.

Pins I58 on the inner ends of the stub-shafts I55, I56 provide a bearing for a rock-shaft I59, the left'end of which carries a hollow slidable cap I60 adjustable on the left end of the shaft to increase or decrease the length of the shaft, and secured thereto in a fixed position by a set-screw IBI. Arms I62 fixed on the shaft I59 extend'to the front of the typewriter and support a usual spacer-bar I63, which, when depressedfrocks shaft I forwardly, and so, in turn, actuates a letter-spacer finger I64 centered on shaft I59. A screw-and-slot adjustment I65 is provided in thelever I35.

It is clear from the description above given of the cross-bar construction that I provide a shorter shaft I59, which, by reason of its shortness, remains stiffer and more rigid, and thereby pre-' vents any variation in the precision of the opera tion of the mechanism. Moreover, on the left end of the shaft the adjustable cap permits an easy assembly of the shaft in the machine, and also enables a precise adjustment of thejshaft with reference to its mounting.

The universal bar I50 is supported by a spring I69 tied to the arm I5I and suspended from the frame 20, and therefore'the tongues 'I68'are resiliently held in their uppermost position. The universal-bar I50 is therefore operated by the key-levers 41-during substantially the full operating movements of the various type-operating trains. K 9

Referring to Figure 5 and other figures of the drawings, a lug I66 depends'from each key-lever 41; Inasmuch as the key-levers are set in four;

rows or banks I61, it is obvious that the downward movement of one row varies from that of another row, so that equal and'uniform motion- 0f the universa1' b'arI50 is attained onl'yvby com: pensating for the difference in the angular down} ward stroke of thekey-levers 41 in. rows representing the higher-banks of keys. This-compen-l sating effect is hadlby arranging the lugs I66on the key-levers, atvarious distances from the pivots 49 thereof, in accordance with the different lengths of the key-levers. The universal barI50 presents a susbtantially flat surface for engage ment by the various lugs I66 which, being at dif ferent locationsonthe levers and therefore at various distances from the universal-bar pivot, actuate'the universal bar a substantially uniform angular distance, notwithstanding the different key-lever lengths and strokes. I

I provide a flexible tongue I68 extending rear wardly and upwardly from the universal bar b'eneath'each key-lever, the tongues being of four lengths corresponding to the four rows of keylevers, the higher tongues engaging lugs' I56, which depend from levers connected with the upper row of keys 48 the next shorter row of tongues connecting with the levers which carry the row of keys 48 the third row of tongues corresponding with the levers carrying the row of keys 48, and the last or shortest row contacting lugs which correspond with the lowest row of keys 48 4 At the front ofthe machine a transverse"cushion stop I 13 of felt, rubber, or elastic materiaL' or the like, cushions the upperedge of the key-lever 41 therebycausing, whenthe depending I38 is in engaged position with the 'pin I48 on the bracket I49, the'ribbon-guide 89 to vibrate 'a uniform'predetermined distance to present the lower or red band 83 of the ribbon 8 I between a type M and the platen 25in the lower-case position (see Figure '9), or between a type 40 andthe platen 25in the upper-case 'position, according to' the setting of the platen-shaft (see Figure l1), for which condition the control-lever 81' is at the extreme left notch I24 by the red index 85, as shown in Figure 1. If the lever 81 is movedto the right to the white or the neutral index 84,the ribbon-vibrator is disconnected from both universal bars and the typewriter is prepared for' stenciling, and when the lever 81 is moved-tothe right notch I24 adjacent the black index 86 the shift slide I II moveslintoeng'agement with the 'oin'l09 mounted on the lever IOI so that the uni-f versal bar 54 is operatively connected to actuate the ribbon-guide 89 to interpose the black band 82 of the ribbon between either type M or type 40 and the printing lin'e' I00 on the platen 25.

Figure 9. shows the lower-case type 4I mengagement with the black band '82 against the printing line on the platen 25. The pin I09 is" engaging the slot-"H0. Figure 10 shows the lower-case type '4I "in'engagement with the red band 83'against the printin'g'lin'e on' the platen,

As shown in Figure 6 diagrammatically when an upper-case type 40, in this case the capital letter I, intercepts the red band 83 of the ribbon 8| it intercepts the red band symmetrically with reference to a central line (1-2), but in the case of type-bars having certain type thereon, especially those which in the lower-case form have depending tails, such as g, j, p, q, y and z, a different condition exists. As shown in Figure 7, the capital letter G would be in the same position normally with reference to the red band 83 as the capital letter-I, as shown in Figure 6. But in the lower-case position, shown in outline in Figure 7, the small letter g would not be centered symmetrically because of its depending tail, so that the lower end of the tail, if the lowercase type 4! is a character having a tail, would be very near the lower edge of the red band, if the ribbon were to remain in the normal position,

as shown in Figure 6. By bending down or fiexing the tongues I68, as shown in Figure 7, beneath the type-characters i i, having depending tails, it is obvious that while the lug I56 on a key-lever 4'! is traveling downwardly a part of its movement is merely lost-motion, and therefore the universal bar [5% is pushed down under these keys only a part of a normal movement for the red-band position, and consequently, therefore, the ribbonvibrator operates only a part of the full normal lifting stroke, so that at the printing line the ribbon has been raised only to the position shown in Figure 7, or is lower than the line (1-1) in Figure 6 by a space equal to the difference in the elevation of this line and the line 13-11 in Figure 7. This shorter vibration of the ribbon leaves a wider margin beneath the tail of lower-case characters 4! having depending tails, thereby eliminating the liability of failure to clearly and fully imprint the characters in red on a worksheet, because of crinkling or folding at the lower edge of the ribbon when vibrated.

A pin-and-slot connection ll'fi (see Figure l) at the right end of the lever I43 ties up to the right-angled bottom bend of a vertical lever-arm I15, which is mounted on a horizontal stub-shaft H5 carried at the upper end of a vertical bracket l'l'i fixed on the machine-frame 20. The leverarm I75 is pivotally connected at its upper end to the inner end of a link I78, the link being connected by a loose pin-mounting H9 with the depending ear of a leftwardly-extending arm I80 integral with the lever H8. It is now obvious that when the lever Slis moved to the left in the notch I25 proximate the index 85, the hook I4! is pushed into engagement with the pin I 48, so that the key-levers 47 actuate the ribbon-vibrator 88 to interpose the red band 83 of the ribbon at the printing position.

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, I claim:

1. A typewriter, having in combination, types, multiple mechanisms individually operable to selectively move the said types to the printing point, a ribbon-vibrator for normally holding a multiple-color-field ribbon removed from the printing point, and means to vibrate the said ribbon-vibrator at each operation of any of said mechanisms to move the desired ribbon-field in front of the printing point, including, a universal member operable by the said mechanisms to move the said ribbon-vibrator to one ribbonfield position, a universal memberoperable by said mechanisms to move the said'ribbon vibrator to another ribbon-field position, and means to predetermine which of the universal members is to be effective to move the said ribbon-vibrator at each operation of any of the said multiple mechanisms. 1

2. A typewriter, having in combination, types, type-operating trains individually operable to selectively move the said types to the printing point including each a lever; a ribbon-vibrator for normally holding a two-color-field ribbon removed from the printing point, and means to vibrate the said ribbon-vibrator at each operation of any of said trains to move the desired ribbon-field in front of the printing point, including, a universal member operable by the said trains tomove the said ribbon vibrator to present one ribbon-field in front of the printing point, another universal bar operable by the said levers to move the ribbon vibrator to present the other ribbon-field in front of the printing point, and means to operatively connect the said ribbon-vibrator to either one of said universal members for operation thereby to the desired ribbon-field position at each operation of any of the said trains.

3. A typewriter, having in combination, typebars, individual type-bar operating trains, a ribbon-vibrator for normally supporting a twocolor-field ribbon removed from the printing point, and means to vibrate the said ribbonvibrator at each operation of any type-bar to move the desired ribbon-field in front of the printing point, including, a universal-bar operable by the said type-bars for moving the ribbon-vibrator toone field-position, a universalbar operable by the said type-bar operating trains for moving the said vibrator to the other ribbon-field position, and means to predetermine which of the universal bars is to be eifective to move the said ribbon-vibrator at each operation of any of the said trains. I

4. A typewriter, having in combination, types, multiple trains individually operable to selectively move the said types to'the printing point, a ribbon-vibrator for normally holding a twocolor-field ribbon removed from the printing point, and means to vibrate the ribbon-vibrator at each operation of any of said trains to move the desired ribbon-field in front of the printing point, including, a universal member operable by the said trains to move said ribbon-vibrator to one field-position, another universal member operable by the said trains to move the said ribbon-vibrator to the other ribbon-field position, and settable means to operatively connect one or the other universal members to the said vibrator or to operatively disconnect both said universal members therefrom.

5. A typewriter, having in combination, typebars, type-bar operating key-levers, a ribbonvibrator for normally supporting a two-colorfield ribbon removed from the printing point, and means to vibrate the said ribbon-vibrator at each operation of any key-lever to move the desired ribbon-field in front of the printing point, including, a universal member operable by the said type-bars for moving the ribbonvibrator to one ribbon-field position, a universal-member mounted adjacent to the said key-levers and operable thereby for moving the said ribbon-vibrator to the other field-position, and means to predetermine which of the universal-members is to be effective to move the said ribbon-vibrator at each operation of any key-lever.

6. In' a typewriter, having in combination, types, multiple trains individually operable to selectively move the said types to the printing point, a ribbon-vibrator for normally holding a multiple-color-field ribbon below the printing point, and means to vibrate the said ribbonvibrator at each operation of any of said trains to move the desired ribbon-field in front of the printing point, including, a universal-bar operable by said trains to vibrate the said vibrator to one ribbon-field position, a universal bar operable by the said trains during the later part of each type-bar operating movement to vibrate the said vibrator to the other ribbon-field position, and means to predetermine which of the universal bars is to be effective to operate the said ribbon-vibrator at each train-operation of any of the said multiple trains.

v 7. In a typewriter, having in combination, types, multiple trains individually operable to selectively move the said types to the printing point, a ribbon-vibrator for normallyholding a multiple-color-field ribbon below the printing point, and means to vibrate the said ribbon-vibrator at each operation of any of the said trains to move the desired ribbon-field in front of the printing point, including, a universal bar operable substantially by the full movements of the said trains to vibrate the said vibrator to one ribbon-field position, a universal bar operable by the said trains during the later part of their actuations to vibrate the said vibrator to the other ribbon-field position, and means to predetermine which of the universal bars is to be effective to operate the said vibrator at each operation of any of the said multiple trains.

8. In a typewriter, having in combination, a carriage, a carriage-feed device, type-bars, individual type-bar actuating trains, a universal bar operated during the last part actuation of said trains by the said bars, said universal bar being connected to operate the said feed-device, a ribbon-vibrator for normally holding a twocolor-field ribbon removed from the printing point, means operable by the said universal bar to move the said ribbon-vibrator to present the nearest ribbon-field in front of the printing point, another universal baroperable by the said trains substantially throughout their full actuations to move the said ribbon-vibrator to present the other ribbon-field in front of the printing point, and settable means to operatively connect either of said universal bars to the said vibrator.

9. In a typewriter having a carriage, in combination, types, multiple trains individually operable to selectively move the said types to the printing point, a carriage-feed device, including a universal bar operable by the said trains; a ribbon-vibrator for normally holding a multiplecolor-field ribbon removed from the printing point, means operable by the said carriage-feed universal bar to move the said ribbon-vibrator to present one color-field in front of the printing point, another universal bar operable by the said trains to move the said ribbon-vibrator to present the other color-field in front of the printing point, and settable means to operatively connect said vibrator to either said universal bars.

10. In a typewriter having a carriage, types, multiple trains individually operable to selectively move the said types to the printing point, in combination, a carriage-feed device, including a universal bar operable by the said trains; a ribbonvibrator for normally holding a multiple-colorfield ribbon removed from the printing point, a pivoted lever connected to the said vibrator, means, including a coupler, whereby the said vibrator may be moved at each operation of any of the said trains by the said carriage-feed universal bar to move one color-field in front of the printing point, another universal bar operable by the said trains, means, including another coupler, whereby the said vibrator may be moved by the said other universal bar to move another color-field in front of the printing point, and means to set said couplers to effect operation of said lever by one or the other of said universal bars when said trains are being operated.

11. A typewriter, having in combination, typebars, individual type-bar operating trains, a ribbon-vibrator for normally supporting a twocolor-field ribbon removed from the printing point, and means to vibrate the said ribbon-vibrator at each operation of any type-bar to move the desired ribbon-field in front of the printing point, including, a universal-bar operable by the said type-bars for moving the ribbon-vibrator to one field-position, a universal-bar operable by the said type-bar operating trains for moving the said vibrator to the other ribbon-field position, and means, including a single hand-control, to predetermine which of the universal bars is to be effective to move the said ribbon-vibrator at each operation of any of the said trains.

12. A typewriter, having in combination, typebars, type-bar operating key-levers, a ribbonvibrator for normally supporting a two-colorfield ribbon removed from the printing point, and means to vibrate the said ribbon-vibrator at each type-bar operation to move the desired ribbonfield in front of the printing point, including, a universal-bar operable by the said type-bars for moving the ribbon-vibrator to one field-position, a universal-bar operable by said levers for moving the said vibrator to the other field position, arranged underneath the said key-levers and having an adjustable part associated with each key-lever, and means to predetermine which of the universal-bars is to be effective to move the said ribbon-vibrator at the operation of any typebar.

13. A typewriter, having in combination, types, type-operating trains, including, levers having different angular travel to move the said types selectively to the printing point; a ribbon-vibrator for normally holding a two-color-field ribbon removed from the printing point, and means to vibrate the said vibrator at each operation of any of said trains to move the desired ribbon-field in front of the printing point, including, a universal bar operable by the said trains for moving the said vibrator to one ribbon-field position, another universal bar operable by the said levers for moving the said vibrator to the other ribbon-field position, and means to predetermine which of the universal bars is to be effective to move the said vibrator at each operation of any of the said trains, said other universal bar being operable by said levers through lugs provided at proportionate distances from the lever-pivots to compensate for the said different angular travels of the levers.

14. A typewriter, having in combination, types, individual type-operating trains including levers having different angular travel individually operable to selectively move the said types to the printing point, a ribbon-vibrator for normally holding a two-color-field ribbon removed from the printing point, and. means to vibrate the said vibrator at each train-operation to move the desired ribbon-field in front of the printing point, including, a universal bar operable at each operation of any of the said trains to move the said ribbon-vibrator to one ribbon-field position, another universal bar operable by the said levers to move the said ribbon-vibrator to the other ribbon-field position, and means to predetermine which of the universal bars is to be effective to move the said vibrator at each operation of any of the said trains, said other universal bar having individual tongues cooperating with the said levers at proportionate distances from the leverpivots for receiving substantially uniform motion from all the said levers, irrespective of their differing angular type-operating travels, said tongues being bendable for individually adjusting the motion that can be imparted to the said other universal bar by the operation of the individual levers.

WILLIAM F. HELMOND.

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