US2287185A - Toy typewriter - Google Patents

Description

June 23, 1942. R. 'J. LOHR 2,287,185

TOY TYPEWRI'ITER I Original Filed April 6, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet l r V I c@ @1@@ @LQg C D w RAYMOND J. LOHR ATTORNEYS June 23, 1942. R. J. LOHR TOY TYPEWRITER Original Filed April 6, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR RAYMOND J. LOHR ATTORNEYS June 23, 1942.

R. J. LOHR TOY TYPEWRITER Original Filed April 6, 1939 SSheebs-Sheet 3 INVEN To R fiRAYMOND J. LOHR ATTORNEYS Patented June 23, 1942 TENT ice TOY TYPEWRIrE-a Raymond J. Lohr, Erie, Pa., assignor to Louis Marx & C mpany, Inc., New York, N. Y., acorporatien of New York 8 Claims This invention relates to toys, and more particularly to a toytypewriter.

The present application is a division of my parent application Ser. No. 266,315 filed April-6, 1939.

The primary object of the present invention is to generally improve toy typewriters, A more particular object is topreserve the simplicity of a machine using a rotatable type wheel, while at the same time obtaining the realism of actuating a simulated keyboard to print the desired character. For this purpose the type wheel is mounted on a rocker, and the simulated keyboard is movably mounted in the frame of the machine and so connected to the rocker that depression of thekeyboard moves the type wheel against the platen of the paper carriage, Another object ofthe present invention is to facilitat-e rapid selection of the character to be printed, and this is done, first, by bringing the selector to the very front of the machine, second, by using the same in cooperation with a large and well spread scale of characters, and third, by operating the same oscillatably about a pivot, so that its movement is smooth and easy.

Further objects of the invention center about the spacer means for moving the carriage, and one such obj art is to provide an elongated spacer bar which simulates the spacer bar of a real typewriter and which is similarly located at the front of the keyboard. Anotherobject is to obtain the desired step by step or spacing movement by means of the same mechanism regardless of whether or not characters are printed. For this purpose, the spacer bar is supported on arms which underlie the keyboard. Depression of the spacer bar alone causes a spacing movement of the carriage, and depression of the keyboard is accompanied by movement of the spacer bar, thus providing the normal spacing between printed characters. Another object is to simp ify the method of freeing the carriage for return 'movement, or for free adjustment, and for this purpose the spacer bar itself is so related to the feed dog and holding dog of the carriage that containued depression of the spacer bar retracts both dogs and thereby frees the carriage.

Further objects of the invention center about the ribbon feed mechanism. The ribbon is gradually moved by means of a reduction gear train, the first gear of which meshes with the teeth of the carriage. In accordance with a further feature and object of the present invention, the spacer bar is arranged when fully depressed, to disengage the gear train between the carriage teeth and the ribbon spool. This is do: sirable in order to prevent rapid unwinding of ribbon from the take-up spool during return movement of the carriage, or during free adjustment of the carriage on the machine.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing, and other more specific objects which will herein! after appear, my invention consists in the toy typewriter elements and-their relation one to the other, as hereinafter are more particularly de-. scribed in the specification and sought to be defined in the claims. The specification is accompanied by-drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a simulated portable typewriter embodying features of the present invention, with the cover of the typewriter case p n;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation to reduced scale show: ingthe cover in closed position;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section throughthe typewriter alone taken approximately in'the plane of the line 44 of- Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a section taken in elevation in the plane of theline 5-5 of Fig. 4;;

Fig. 6 is a section similar to Fig. 5, but with unnecessary parts omitted to better show ,how depressionof the keyboard produces a printing movement of the type wheel;

Fig. '7 is'a section similar to Fig. 5, but with unnecessary parts-omitted to better explain the operation of the spacer bar;

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section drawn to enlarged scale and taken approximately in the plane of the line 88 of Fig. '7, it being eX. planatory-of the carriage feed and ribbon feed mechanisms; and

Fig. 9 is a similar view showing the relation of theparts when the spacer bar is depressed to lowermost position.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, a typewriter generally designated T simulates a portable typewriter and is preferably housed Within a suitably dimensioned casing generally designated 0. The casing is made of sheet metal and comprises a periph erally flanged metal bottom 12 and a cover 14. The cover ispivoted to bottom l2 by means of eyelets or rivets 16 passing through suitable cars It! formed integrally with bottom l2. When cover 14 is closed, it may be latched by any suitable means, such as the tongue 25! which is received in a mating slot 22 cut through the front flange of the base '12. Cover I4 may also be provided with a handle 24, this hande in the present case being a U-shaped piece of rod or heavy wire, the ends of which are upset or riveted as at 26. The handle is preferably slidably received through holes in the front wall of the cover, so that it may be pulled out (see Fig. 2) when carrying the case and typewriter, but is readily pushed into the case (see Fig. 3) when storing the machine away.

The typewriter T is a complete machine which is independent of and may be removed from the casing C. It is preferably secured to the base I2 of the casing, as by means of mounting screws passing through base I2 and received in mating threaded parts in the typewriter frame. The cover I4 is so designed that it turns back completely out of the way, as shown in Fig. 2, and it is therefore unnecessary to remove the typewriter from the case, although it may be removed if desired.

The typewriter comprises a frame 38 on which a carriage 32 is slidably mounted. The carriage is provided with the usual rotatable platen 34 and this may be rotated by means of handles 36. The position of the paper is maintained by means of a spring detent 38 (Fig. 1) secured to handle 36 and cooperating with a ring of stationary teeth 48.

The printing is accomplished by means of a rotatable type Wheel 42 acting through an ink ribbon 44. The machine is provided with a simulated keyboard 46, and depression of the keyboard moves the type wheel 42 against platen 34. A spacer bar 48 is mounted in front of keyboard 46. Depression of the spacer bar alone moves the carriage 32 ahead for spacing between words, and depression of the keyboard 46 serves to also depress the spacer bar 48, thereby moving the carriage ahead for the normal spacing between characters. By depressing the spacer bar 48 extra far to its bottom-most position, the carriage 32 is freed for return movement, for free adjustment from side to side.

The character to be printed is selected by means of a selector 58 which is located at the very front of the machine and which is therefore readily accessible. The selector 58 is movable from side to side, say from the solid line position 58 to the broken line position 58, and it cooperates with a large, easily read scale 52. The change from small to capital letters, or vice versa, is obtained by means of a shift arm 54 located immediately at the type wheel 42.

Considering the selector mechanism in greater detail, and referring more particularly to Fig. 5 of the drawings, the type wheel 42 is fixedly mounted at the upper end of a shaft 56 which is rotatably carried in a type wheel bearing gen erally designated 58. At its lower end shaft 56 carries a type wheel gear 68. The complete selector comprises a selector gear sector 62 (Figs. 4 and 5) and a selector arm 64. Although these are joined at 66 for relative movement in a vertical direction, they are fixedly related in respect to horizontal movement, and may for the present purpose be considered as constituting a single selector lever. The selector lever is pivoted at the point 68 which is located as far as possible toward the back of the machine. In fact, in the present machine the frame of the typewriter is pressed outwardly somewhat at I8 to clear the pivot 68. Pivot 68 is carried by a selector pivot bearing I2 which in the present case is made up of a plate I4 overlying sector 62 and rigidly secured to type wheel bearing 58 as by means of the spacers I6. The selector pivot bearing 12 may be further stiffened by means of sloping support arms I8 extending from type wheel bearing 58 back toward pivot bearing 12.

The operation will be clear from inspection of Fig. 4. The gear sector 62 is curved about pivot 68 as a center and similarly the scale 52 is curved about pivot 88 as a center. When, as in the present case, the selector comes from the bottom of the machine and is bent upwardly around the front edge of the machine, the front edge 88 is curved about pivot 68 as a center. The movement of teeth in type wheel gear 68 is selected to correspond to the movement of characters about the periphery of the type wheel. The range of movement of selector 58 is made adequate to produce a full revolution of the type wheel. The spacing of the characters on scale 52 is made such that the movement of pointer 82 from one character to another on the scale moves the type wheel gear, and consequently the type wheel, a corresponding amount to properly change the character being printed.

The keyboard mechanism may be described with particular reference to Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings. Before leaving Fig. 4, however, attention may be directed to the pivot rod 84 extending all the way from one side of the machine to the other, for the keyboard about to be described is pivotally mounted on this rod. Attention is also directed to the U-shaped member 86, the side walls 88 of which are oscillatable on pivot rod 84.

Referring now to Fig. 5, the keyboard 46 is pivoted on rod 84 by means of ears 98, and also by means of member 86, the sidewalls 88 of which are fixedly secured to keyboard 46, as by means of bent tongue connections 92. Member 86 is connected to bearing 58 by means of links 94, these being pivotally connected to member 86 at the pin 86.

The object of this arrangement is to produce a printing movement of type wheel 42 in response to depression of keyboard 46, as is clearly shown in Fig. 6. In the present case the movement of the type wheel is oscillatory rather than rectilinear. The pivot Wheel 42 oscillates about trunnions I88 as a center. The type wheel may be said to be carried by a rocker, said rocker comprising the type wheel shaft bearing 58, and further comprising the selector pivot bearing I2. The rocker extends sidewardly all the way from one side of the machine to the other, as is indicated at I82 in Fig. 4, and terminates in trunnions I88 which are received in bearing holes in the side walls of the typewriter frame 38. As a matter of constructional detail, it may be pointed out that the type wheel shaft bearing 58 is preferably a die casting in order that a single casting may include the upper bearing I84, the lower bearing I86, the connecting arm I88 extending therebetween, and the shift cam Il8 later described and, if desired, the sidewardly projecting extensions I82 leading to the trunnions I88. The selector pivot bearing I2 is preferably made of sheet metal parts, there being a plate 14 connected to bearing 58 by means of spacers I6, and stiffening arms I8 also connected to bearing 58, all as was previously described.

In Fig. 6, it will be seen how depression of the keyboard 46 about pivot pin 84 has moved the links 84 toward the right, and has thereby tilted the entire rocker assembly in a clockwise direction on trunnions I88 .until type wheel 42 engages the platen 34 through the interposed ribbon 44, Normally, a sheet of paper is carried on platen 34, but this has. been omitted in the drawing.

The reason for articulation of the selector, as at the point 56, will now be clear, for the gear section 62 is oscillated with the rocker assembly in order to keep it in close and accurate mesh with gear 56. The resulting rocking movement of gear sector 62 about the trunnions I06 as a center is accommodated by the joint at B6. In order to keep the gear sector in face to face relation with the plate I4 the latter is provided with a number of support lugs IIZ (Fig. 7) whichare bent downwardly from .plate I4 and around the toothed edge of gear sector 62 (but clearing the teeth of the gear sector). The type wheel and keyboard normally assume the position shown in Fig. 3 either by reason of the balance of the parts, or by using an appropriate restoring spring, or both.

The method of shifting from small letters to capitals, and vice versa, will be clear from inspection of Figs. 4, 5, and 6 of the drawings. The type wheel 42 is provided with a double row of letters. The type wheel shaft 55 is axially reciprocable. When the type wheel and shaft are in the elevated position shown in Fig. 6, the printing is done with the lower row of letters. The type wheel may be held in this position by cooperation between the shift arm 54 and cam. IID formed on top of bearing I94. In Figs. 4 and 5, it will be seen that shift arm 54 is rotatable about the type wheel shaft 55, and that it is provided with cam follower projections I54. These are rounded and ride smoothly on the top of cam IIG. lug I55 which cooperates with appropriate motion limiting stops H8. Cam H is so shaped that when the shift lever is moved to one extreme, the type wheel prints with one row of letters, and when the shift lever is moved to its other extreme position the type wheel prints with the other row of letters. The type wheel is normally urged downwardly by means of'compression spring I disposed between type wheel bearing 58 and gear 6!]. The teeth of gear 65 are made long enough in axial direction to accommodate the shifting of the type wheel without losing the desired mesh between the gear 65 and sector 62.

The carriage feed mechanism is next described with reference to Figs. 4, '7, and 8 of the drawin s. Referring first to Fig. 4, the spacer bar is carried on an arm or plate I 22 having upwardly bent side walls I24 which are oscillatable on the pivot rod 84. nected to pusher fingers I 26 and I28. The pusher finger .123 has to do with the ribbon feed mechanism, and may be disregarded at the moment. The pusher finger I26 pushes against an angle lever i353 pivoted at I32, and thereby actuates the carriage feed dog I34. Referring now to Fig. '7, when the spacer bar is depressed from the broken line position 48' to the solid line position 423, the arm I22, I24 oscillates about pivot rod 85 and moves the pusher finger I25 to the right, the finger being pivotally connected thereto at I36.

The effect of this will be clear from inspection of Fig. 8 in which the toothed strip I38 represents a continuous series of teeth along the carriage. The strip depends from the lower front edge of the carriage, as shown in Fig, '7. The strip may be sheet metal, in which case the teeth may be formed by incising the strip vertically, and slightly twisting the metal between the Shift arm 54 also has a stop Side walls I24 are conincisions. The teeth have been shown solid in Fig. 8 because that makes their function clearer. Pusher finger "I25 b ars against angle lever I32) and turns the same in a clockwise direction, thereby retracting the feed dog I34. In Fig. 8 the feed dog has been moved only partly back. The feeddog is normally pulled toward the left by means-of a pull spring Hi0, and this is preferably connected at a point I42 outside of pivot I44, so that the spring also urges the teeth of the dog toward the carriage teeth I38. When the spacer bar is released it is raised by tension spring hi6 pulling on the finger I26, and the feed dog I35 is pulled toward the left by its spring Mil in order to move the carriage ahead one step.

The machine further includes a holding dog I ia (Figs. '7 and 8), said holding dog being slidable toward and away from the teeth I38 of the carriage. The holding dog M8 is normally pulled into engagement with teeth I 38 by means of a spring I'Eil. The teeth I33 and the teeth of holding do I48 are so faced as to permit forward movement of the carriage, but to prevent backward or return movement of the same. Thus the holding dog I48 may remain in engagement with the teeth I 38 during repeated step by step operation of the feed dog I34.

As so far described, it will be appreciated that a space between words is readily obtained by simply depressing the spacer bar 48 from the broken line position -48 of Fig. 7 to the solid line position 48. 'The same feed mechanism is also used to feed the carriage during printing of letters, that is, for the normal spacing between successive letters in a word. The manner in which this is done will be clear from inspection of Fig. 6 in which it will be seen that depression of the keyboard 46 is accompanied by depression of the spacer bar 48, because the support or arm I22 of spacer bar-48 is disposed immediately beneath the keyboard 46. This will also be clear from Fig. 5 which shows the parts in normal or elevated position. The elevated position is indicated in broken lines in Fig. 6, and it will be understoodthat depression of the keyboard from the position 46 to the position 26 is invariably accompanied by depression of the spacer bar from theposition 48' to the position 48.

In order to move the carriage backward, or in order to freely move the same from side to side, it is necessary to retract both the feed do I34 and the holding dog M3. In the present machine this is done by depressing the spacer bar 6-8 an abnormal amount to its lowermost limit of movement. Referring to Fig. 7 the carriage is released by depressing the spacer bar all the way from normal position 48' to bottommost position 48". The manner in which this excess movement of the spacer bar retracts both dogs be explained with reference to Fig. 9. The additional forward movement of pusher finger 26 oscillates angle lever I30 further in a clockwise direction, and this moves the feed dog 34 further toward the right. A downwardly bent flange 52 at the right hand end of the feed dog then comes into camming engagement with a stationary cam surface I54 on the machine frame. This camming surface oscillates the feed dog I34 in a counter-clockwise direction, thereby causing a flanged part I56 thereof to bear against a sideward projection I58 on holding dog I48. The feed dog thus moves the holding dog out of engagement with the carriage teeth I88, and both dogs are held in disengaged position so long as the spacer bar is depressed to its bottom-most position. This action may be compared with that shown in Fig. 8, for during the normal feed movement of feed dog I34 the flange I56 does not engage the sideward projection I58 of the holding dog and the flange I52 does not engage the camming surface I54 (or may engage it but not enough to release the holding dog I48) Referring to Fig. 1, the ribbon 44 is fed from a spool I60 through a guide I62 to another guide I64, and then on to a take-up spool I66. A spaced pair of thin spring fingers I68 may be provided to prevent interference by the ribbon with the insertion of sheets of paper around the platen 34. The spools I60 and IE6 are releasably secured in position as by means of wing nuts I10. The spool I60 is freely rotatable, except for a slight frictional resistance produced, for example, by way of an axial compression spring such as the spring I12, best shown in Fig. 2. The spool I66 is moved with a very slow gradual movement in order to present a fresh portion of the inked ribbon to the type wheel.

The mechanism for this purpose may be described with reference to Fig. 8 of the drawings. The spool is mounted on a shaft I14. It is driven from the carriage teeth I38 as by means of a train of speed reduction gearing comprising a gear I16 adapted to engage teeth I38, and itself secured to a pinion I18 which in turn meshes with a gear I80 mounted on spool shaft I14. It will be evident that with gear I16 in mesh with the carriage teeth I38, the spool shaft I14 is given a minute step by step movement as the carriage is moved along with its step by step movement, and despite the slope of teeth I36.

The rotation of the ribbon take-up spool I66 should be at all times in one direction, for if turned in the opposite direction a loop of slack would immediately form between the spools. It is, therefore, necessary to make the ribbon feed mechanism inoperative during backward or return movement of the carriage. For this purpose a part of the gear train may be disengaged, and in the present case, the initial gear I16 is physically disengaged from the carriage teeth I38, as is clearly shown in Fig. 9. It was previously mentioned that the spacer bar 48 is connected not only to pusher finger I26 but also to a second and generally similar pusher finger I28. Pusher finger I28 bears against an arm I82 extending sidewardly from a plate I84, which plate carries the ribbon feed gearing. Plate I84 is oscillatable about shaft I14 as an axis. The gearing is normally moved into engagement with the carriage teeth by means of a pull spring I86. Forward movement of pusher finger I28, however, oscillates the plate in a counter-clockwise direction and disengages the gearing from the carriage teeth. This disengagement need not take place for normal spacing, and need only take place when the carriage is freed for return movement. In other words, it need only take place when the parts are in the relation shown in Fig. 9. From another viewpoint, it may be said that the gearing need only be disengaged when the holding dog I48 is retracted. In the present case, it will be seen that gear I16 is almost disengaged (Fig. 8) from teeth I38 during partial depression of the spacer bar for ordinary step by step movement of the feed carriage. This is not at all essential, and is readily eliminated by slightly shortening the pusher finger I28 in order to provide a slight lost motion between the pusher finger and the arm I02. However, no harm results if gear I16 is moved slightly away from teeth I38 during normal spacing movement, the reason for this being that downward movement of the spacer bar produces only a preparatory or retractive movement of the carriage feed dog I34. The actual feed movement of the carriage takes place when the spacer bar is released, and at that time the ribbon feed gear I16 again moves back into engagement with the carriage teeth I38.

The machine further comprises a bell I90 (Fig. 1) mounted beneath the cover plate I92 and adapted to be struck by a bell clapper I94 under the influence of a spring I96 whenever the projecting end I98 of the bell clapper arm is moved slightly to the left and released. This is done by a cooperating projection on the typewriter carriage, said projection not being visible in the drawing because it is located substantially at the type wheel when the carriage is in the mid position shown. This projection reaches and trips the arm I98 when the carriage reaches or nears the end of its useful range of movement.

The paper carriage, in addition to the platen 34 previously referred to, also comprises a back plate 200, this plate being carried on end pieces 202. The preferred curved shape of back plate 200 will be clear from inspection of Fig. 7. Reverting to Figs. 1 and 2 the end plates 202 preferably carry rods or spindles 204 and 206. The spindle 296 has rubber wheels 200 mounted thereon, these wheels bearing directly against the platen 34 through a window cut through a part of the back plate, as is best shown in Fig. '1. The wheels 208 provide a frictional grip between the paper and platen 34 so that movement of the platen feeds the paper. The spindle 204 carries rubber wheels 2I0. These also increase the friction between the paper and the platen, but that is not their primary function. The main reason for using the front or top wheels 2I0 is to keep the sheet of paper in a dropped or rearward position as it leaves the platen, this being schematically indicated by the broken line 2I2 in Fig. 7. In order to help guide the paper to the front rollers 2I0, the machine is preferably provided with stationary guides 2I4, the location of which is best shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but the function of which will be clear from inspection of Fig. '1.

The frame of the typewriter probably requires no detailed description, but it may be mentioned that it comprises side plates 220 (Figs. 2 and '1), these side plates being inwardly flanged at the top, as is indicated at 222 in Fig. 1. The forward ends of the side plates are connected by the front member 224 having a curved, downwardly bent front edge and a straight rear edge 226. The top and rear edges of the side plates 220 are connected by means of a single plate, the configuration of which is best shown in Fig. 7. It comprises a forward top portion 228 and a rearward top portion 230 connected by a downward- 1y bent or channel portion 232. The rear plate 234 is formed integrally with the top members and encloses the rear of the typewriter frame. A forward portion 236 is also formed integrally with the top portions and acts as a spacer between the side plates and stifiens the typewriter frame. This front portion 236 is cut away at appropriate points to form apertures through which keyboard and spacer bar linkage extends.

The carriage is guided in its movement by a stationary track 238 secured on top of the rear portion 230 previously referred to. This track is most clearly shown in Fig. 6. The typewriter carriage includes a channeled member which encompasses the edges of track 238, as is best shown in Fig. 7. For the sake of appearance the forward top portion of the frame is enclosed by means of a smoothly curved shield or cover I92, this being best shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The top of the cover is cut away on the curved line 240 in order to clear the shift arm 54 and the ribbon spools I60 and I66, and it is for this reason that the cover has very little surface when viewed on the center section of Figs. and 6.

The keyboard 46 is preferably formed from a single piece of sheet metal. This piece of sheet metal is stepped in order to simulate the conventional banks of keys, and the front and side edges of the keyboard are preferably flanged in order to rigidify the same. The keyboard is further stiffened by the parts attached thereto as previously explained. The top surface of the keyboard is preferably embossed to provide raised rings 242 with the sunken circular depressions 244 therewithin, as is best shown in Fig. 1. These simulate individual keys. The sunken parts 244 may be colored and provided with characters thereon all in contrast with the main stepped surface of the keyboard plate 45, thereby increasing the resemblance to a real typewriter.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the selector 5!! has been shown in mid-position and the particular handle here shown projects somewhat beyond the edge of the outer casing. This is of no consequence, because the selector 5!] is readily moved to one side or the other a small amount, whereupon it no longer interferes with closing of the outer case. In Fig. 1, it may be noted that the top surface of the type wheel is provided with a series of characters corresponding to the raised characters on the periphery of the wheel. These character designations on the top of the wheel are not at all essential and they may be omitted for purposes of economy. In Fig. 1, it will be noted that the selector 50 points at the letter O and that the type wheel 42 similarly has the letter 0 adjacent the platen in printing position. However, only one point of registration is needed when assembling the parts of the typewriter, and the top of the type wheel 42 may be given a single arbitrary line or pointer to facilitate the desired registration of the parts when assembling the machine.

It is believed that the construction and operation, as well the many advantages of the present improved toy typewriter will be clear from the foregoing detailed description thereof. The letters to be printed are selected by sliding the selector at the front of the machine to the proper letter on the enlarged scale. To change to capital letters (or the inner row of characters on the scale), the shift arm at the type wheel is moved toward the left. To print the letters it is merely necessary to depress the stepped keyboard, the fingers being placed anywhere on the keyboard, but preferably on the lower two rows, as this provides greater leverage. Spacing between lettersis automatically provided. Spacing between words is accomplished by depressing the elongated spacer bar in front of the keyboard. Spacing between lines is obtained by turning either of the knobs at the ends of the carriage or platen. To move the carriage toward the right or to freely adjust it back and forth the spacer bar ismoved all the way down. The typewriter ribbon is moved automatically but must be rewound manually. To do this, it is simply-necessary to press the spacer bar all'the way down and to thenturn the right handspool until the ribbon is wound up thereon. To insert a new ribbon the spools may be removed, and pieces of standard typewriter ribbon may be used On the spools supplied with the present machine.

It will be apparent that while the invention has been shown and described in apreferred form, many changes and modifications may be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention defined in the following claims; Certain features disclosed but not claimed herein are claimed inmy copending parent application Serial Number 266,315, filed April 6, 1939, and entitled Toy typewriter, from whichthe present application has been divided.

I claim:

l. A toy typewriter comprising aframe, a car,- riage slidable on said frame, a printingwheel, a simulated keyboard depressibly mounted to actuate the printing wheel, a feed dog normally engaging said carriage for causing step by step forward movement of the carriage, an elongated spacer bar in front of the simulated keyboard near the front of the frame, said spacer bar being depressed by said keyboard when the keyboard is depressed, and also being independently depressible, linkage between said spacer bar and said feed dog for causing movement of the feed dog in response to normal movement of the spacer bar, and additional means whereby increased movement of the spacer bar greater than the normal movement operates to free the carriage and the feed dog from one another in order to afford free movement of the carriage in either direction.

2. Atoy typewriter comprising a frame, a carriage slidable on said frame, a printing wheel, a simulated keyboard depressibly mounted to actuate the printing WheeL'teeth on said carriage, a holding dog normally engaging said teeth but movable toward or away from the carriage, a feed dog for engaging said teeth and causing step by step forward movementof the carriage, an elongated spacer bar in front of the simulated keyboard near the front of the frame, said spacer bar being. depressed by said keyboard when the keyboard is depressed, and-also being independently depressible, linkage between said spacer bar and said feed dog for causing movement of the feed dog in response to normal partial depression of the spacer bar, and additional means whereby increased full depression of the spacer bar operates to simultaneously retract both the feed dog and the holding dog from the carriage in order to permit free movement of the carriage in either direction.

3. A toy typewriter comprising a frame, a carriage slidable on said frame, teeth on said carriage, a holding dog normally engaging said teeth but movable toward or away from said teeth, the teeth being so faced as to permit forward movement but to prevent return movement of the carriage, a retractable feed dog for engaging the teeth onthe carriage and causing step by step forward movement of the carriage, a spacer bar, linkage between said spacer bar and said feed dog for causing retraction of the feed dog in response to normal downward movement of the spacer bar, cammin-g means cooperating with the feed dog in such a manner that increased downward movement of the spacer bar operates to retract the feed dog more than normal, and means on said feed dog for then hearing against a part of and thereby retracting the holding dog in order to permit free movement of the carriage in either direction.

4. A toy typewriter comprising a frame, a carriage slidable on said frame, a single line of teeth on said carriage, a holding dog normally engaging said teeth but movable toward or away from the carriage teeth, the teeth being so faced as to permit forward movement but to prevent return movement of the carriage, means to retract the holding dog from the carriage teeth for return movement of the carriage, ribbon feed means including a ribbon spool shaft and a driving gear in mesh with the aforesaid teeth on the carriage, whereby normal forward movement of the carriage is accompanied by a slight movement of the ribbon, and means controlled by said retracting means to make the ribbon feed means inoperative when the holding dog is disengaged, whereby the ribbon is not moved when the carriage is being returned.

5. A toy typewriter comprising a frame, a carriage slidable on said frame, a single line of teeth on said carriage, a feed dog for engaging said teeth and causing step by step forward movement of the carriage, a spacer bar, linkage between said spacer bar and said feed dog for causing movement of the feed dog in response to normal movement of the spacer bar, additional means whereby increased movement of the spacer bar greater than the normal movement operates to free the carriage and the feed dog from one another in order to afford free movement of the carriage in either direction, ribbon feed means including a ribbon spool shaft and a driving gear in mesh with the aforesaid teeth on the carriage, whereby normal forward movement of the carriage is accompanied by a slight movement of the ribbon, means to make said ribbon feed means inoperative, and linkage connecting said spacer bar to said means in order to make the ribbon feed means inoperative when the spacer bar is fully depressed, whereby the ribbon is not moved when the carriage is being freely adjusted.

6. A toy typewriter comprising a frame, a carriage slidable on said frame, a single line of teeth on said carriage, a holding dog normally engaging said teeth but movable toward or away from said teeth, the teeth being so faced as to permit forward movement but to prevent return movement of the carriage, a feed dog for engaging said carriage teeth and causing step by step forward movement of the carriage, a spacer bar, linkage between said spacer bar and said feed dog for causing movement of the feed dog in response to normal movement of the spacer bar, additional means whereby increased movement of the spacer bar greater than the normal movement operates to retract both the feed dog and the holding dog in order to permit free movement of the carriage in either direction, ribbon feed means including a ribbon spool shaft, a gear train including a gear for engaging the carriage teeth and additional reduction gearing between said gear and said ribbon spool shaft,

whereby normal forward movement of the carriage is accompanied by a slight movement of the ribbon, at least a part of said gear train being movab-ly mounted for disengagement, and linkage so connecting said spacer bar to said movable part of said gear train as to make the gear train inoperative when the holding and feed dogs are disengaged, whereby the ribbon is not moved when the carriage is being freely adjusted.

'7. A toy typewriter comprising a frame, a carriage slidable on said frame, teeth on said carriage, a holding dog normally engaging said teeth but mounted for movement toward or away from said teeth, the teeth being so faced as to permit forward movement but to prevent return movement of the carriage, a pivoted feed dog mounted for movement in a direction parallel to the direction of movement of said carriage for engaging the teeth on the carriage and causing step by step forward movement of the carriage, a spacer bar, a spacer bar linkage between said spacer bar and said feed dog for causing movement of the feed dog in response to normal partial depression of the spacer bar, a stationary camming means disposed on said frame in such position as to cooperate with the feed dog when the spacer bar is depressed a maximum amount in order to move the feed dog an amount greater than normal, said camming means then functioning to oscillate the feed dog away from the carriage teeth, and means on said feed dog bearing against a part of the holding dog when the feed dog is moved more than normal as aforesaid and functioning to move the holding dog together with the feed dog away from the carriage teeth, in order to permit free movement of the carriage in either direction.

8. A toy typewriter comprising a frame, a car-' riage slidable on said frame, a single line of teeth on said carriage, a holding dog normally engaging said teeth but movable toward or away from said teeth, the teeth being so faced as to permit forward movement but to prevent return movement of the carriage, a feed dog for engaging said carriage teeth and causing step by step forward movement of the carriage, a spacer bar, a spacer bar linkage between said spaced bar and said feed dog for causing movement of the feed dog in response to normal movement of the spacer bar, additional means whereby increased movement of the spacer bar greater than the normal movement operates to retract both the feed dog and the holding dog in order to permit free movement of the carriage in either direction, ribbon feed means including a ribbon spool shaft, a gear for engaging the carriage teeth, a train of reduction gearing between said gear and said ribbon spool shaft whereby normal forward movement of the carriage is accompanied by a slight movement of the ribbon, said gear being oscillatably mounted about the ribbon spool shaft so that it may be disengaged from the carriage teeth, and linkage so connecting said spacer bar to the oscillatable gear as to disengage the gear from the carriage teeth when the holding dog and feed dog are disengaged, so that the ribbon is not moved when the carriage is being freely adjusted.

RAYMOND J. LOHR.

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