US2596239A - Copyholder - Google Patents

Description

May 13, 1952 J. P. HALSTEAD COPYHOLDER 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed June 10, 1950 INVENTOR. (bk/2 1 flattecrd @04 M My y 13, 1952 J. P. HALSTEAD 2,596,239

COPYHOLDER Filed June 10, 1950 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Qfi Q16 INVENTOR.

BY a M, Ma A TTOfi/VHG Patented May 13, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COPYHOLDER 501111 P. Halstead, Bu'fiElDQN. Y.

Application June-19, 1950, Seria l No. 167,323

7 Claims. (Cl. 120-32) This invention relates to copy holders "for manuscripts or other copy, theco'py holder including means for progressively spacing the manuscript or copy to 'bringsuccessive lines thereof into position'forreading-or copying. The device is of specialoonvenience when used by typists or stenographers but may be used for many other purposes as convenience may dictate.

' Certain copy holders of this general class have been previously proposed wherein the device may'be ofconsidera'bly less width than the copy and still give adequate support thereto and present the same for ready viewing or reading. In these "devices the copy'is supported in scroll or roll form with the outer end of the roll or scroll comprising the top of the sheet and the progressive spacing 'of the sheet taking place by a progressive unrolling of the c ay. The present invention provides a copy holder of this general class wherein the construction is greatly simplified andimproved and wherein the-operation is likewise simplified and made more certain and facile.

In copy holders of this-class wherein the progressive-spacing is effected by a rotary unrolllng movement of the copy, the rotary means for producing the spacing have previously involved conventional ratchet wheels wherein the spacingis limited to definite'increments which represent multiples of the tooth pitch of the ratchet wheel. In such constructions the necessary adjustment of the copy at the beginning of a page, intermediate adjustment for accumulated variances, and other random spacing not conforming to the ratchet tooth pitch can only be effected manually and awkwardly by releasing the copy from the feeding means and adjusting it by hand.

In the present invention the rotary unrolling movement of the copy is effected by progressive rotarymovement of feed roll or wheel means provided with an intermittent drive mechanism which maybe gauged or indexed to produce line feeding movement to various predetermined increments which need notnecessarily be multiples of a base unit and which, further, may be employed tomove the copyunder the'direct control ofthe user in the same convenient manner at any increment not conforming to the gauge or index means. Thisis of particular importance in handling manuscript or copy which does not conform to standard typewriter spacing, either because the copy was made on non-standard typewriters or in reading from a stenographic notebook, a printed page, or a hand-written manuscript. In the latter case the line spac- 2 ing may vary from line to line, particularly when the handwriting is not on ruled pages.

The present invention provides a casing and supporting structure wherein the copy is read-*- ily arranged in roll or scroll form without necessitating the forming of sheet metal or like plates into replicas of such scroll form as has been the case in the prior art. According to the present invention there is no spirally coiled guide plate as in previouspropos'als, the sidewalls of the casing body being arranged to accoinplish the winding function in a very simple-manner.

In the device of the present invention the struction and alignment of the parts and even if the copy be folded or arranged in-such away as to be substantially thicker at one side than at' the other. Further, this copy engaging meansyacts as a brake on the copy feed rolls which, in the form of drive illustrated herein, are otherwise free to overrun the drive means in the feeding direction. Numerous other] objects and advantages of the device of the present invention will occur to those skilledinithis art from a consideration of the following specification and the accompanying, drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the specific form of the invention shown in the drawing and described in detail in the followin descr'iption is by way of example only, and that-the principles of theinvention are-not limited, excepting-as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal front-to-back crosssectional view taken approximately centrally of one form of the device of-the-present invention;

Fig. 2 is a general rtoplplan view thereof;

Fig. .3 is a cross-sectional view taken approx= imately on the line IIIIII of Fig, 1.; and

Figs. 4, 5', and 6. are similar fragmentary .el'e vational views, partially in cross se'ction,taken as indicated by the line Iv -IV orFi'g. 1, showing several positions of adjustment entire-l me space determining means.

Throughout the several figures of the drawsarily be unitary as shown, but may be built up from variously fabricated components.

The casing or body if] includes generally side walls H and 12, a rear wall 13, and a combined curving top and front wall 14, the several wall portions merging smoothly to form a single continuous housing for all of the operating mechanism. The rear wall l3 curves forwardly at its upper edge and terminates in an inclined paper table formation l5 as shown in Fig. 1. The combined front and top wall 14 extends rearwardly and downwardly from its highest portion so that, in the form illustrated, it extends toward the paper table substantially perpendic ularly and about mid-way of the vertical extent of the latter. extensions of the wall M comprisabifurcations which are designated 11 and I8 in Fig. 2 and terminate short of paper table I5 a distance which is at least greater than the thickest batch of manuscript or copy which the device is to receive' As viewed in Fig. 1, the side walls i I and [2 are provided withrconcentric, generally circular openings 20 and 2 I, respectively. The bifurcated rearwardly and downwardly extended portions 11 and I8 terminate in generally vertical wall formations designated 22 in Fig. 1, such wall formations cooperating with the paper table formation 15 to provide in effect a V-shaped or funnel-like gap which extends downwardly and merges with the circular openings and 2| of the side Wall portions H and [2.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 3, side walls H and 12 are provided with inwardly directed bearing formations and 26, respectively, which are located beneath the forward extension of rear wall I3 and behind paper table i5. Bearings 25 and 26 give rotatable support to a feed roll designated generally 21 and supported for rotation relative to bearings 25 and 26 by means of a pair of supporting pins 28 and 29. In the illustrated instance feed roll 21 comprises a pair of telescoping sleeves and 3!, which include end flanges designated 32 and 33, respectively, each of which is preferably provided with a rubber or similar friction ring or tire part, designated 35 and 36, respectively, for frictional engagement with the rear face of the copy.

For holding the copy in frictional engagement with rings 35 and 36 of feed roll 21 a transverse bar 38, which, in the illustrated instance is of angular cross-section, is provided. Bar 33 has a central mounting portion 39 which lies in the bifurcation between the extensions l1 and I8 of the casing and includes a pair of lateral bearing formations or downward extensions 40 and 4|.

In the illustrated instance the combined front and top wall portion M of the casing or body member 10 is provided with integral internal rib formations 43 and 44, which, as viewed in Fig. 1, are generally cO-extensive or coincident with the circular openings 28' and 2| in the side walls H and I2 from the entrance to the circular openings upwardly about the peripheries of the openings to substantially their forward extremities, where the ribs terminate in portions designated 45 and The bearing formations 4i] and GI of bar 33 lie between the rear portions of ribs 33 and M and are pivoted thereto with play pivotal connections as shown at 48 in Fig. 1. These play connections permit rocking movement of bar 38, as indicated by the dash lines and the dot-and-dash lines in Fig. ;2. A bowed leaf spring 52 is anchored These rearward and downward 4 at one end to an offset extension 53 of the top and front wall formation l4 and extends rearwardly with its free end engaged in the crotch formed by angle bar 38. Spring 52 is longitudinally compressed and thus urges the bar in a counterclockwise direction about pivots 48 and thus presses the rear face of bar 38 against or toward the rings 35 and 36. 7

Since the spring 52 exerts its force against bar 33 centrally thereof the pressure against rings 35 and 3B is self-equalizing. The front upper surface of the central mounting portion 39 of bar 38 comprises a very convenient manipulating portion which may simply be manually depressed against the resistance of spring 52 to pivot bar 38 away from rings 35 and 36 and thus free the manuscript or copy for insertion or withdrawal;

The means for rotating spool 21 to feed manuscript or copy, either at various predetermined increments or at any increment which the operator immediately desires, will now be described. In the fabrication of spool 21 by assembly of the telescoping sleeves 39 and SI a collar 60 is assembled between the sleeve elements in such a way that it is free to rotate relative to the sleeve elements and collar 60 has a peripheral enlargement 6| which provides a chamber for receiving a clutch ball or roller 62.

The recess in enlargement 6| has an inclined face 63 and roller 62 normally rests, by gravity, in the position illustrated in Fig. 1 where it is in tangential engagement with inclined face 63 and a peripheral portion of sleeve 39. When collar Bil is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, the tendency is to clamp or wedge roller 62 between these two points of tangential engagement and thus lock collar 61 to sleeve element 30 of spool 21 for joint rotation for the full angular amount of any rotative force applied to collar 6|.

On the other hand, clockwise rotation of collar 61 immediately frees roller 62 from this gripping or clamping engagement, and collar 6| rotates freely in a clockwise direction independently of sleeve 21. This provides a rotary unidirectional drive between collar 60 and spool 21 which im-.

parts to the sleeve 21 a degree of angular rotation which is infinitely variable and directly proportional to the angular degree of rotation of collar 56. This freedom of the spool 21 to overrun the collar 60 is normally prevented by the frictional restraint imposed by the resilient pressure of bar 38 against the'copy.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 3, a roll feed operating lever 65 of plate-like formation is provided with bearing formations 66 and 61, and the opposite side walls I! and 12 of easing Ill are likewise provided with bearing formations 68 and 69 to which plate 65 is pivoted as by the pivot pins 19 and II. 7

An extension coil spring 13 is anchored at one end to casing 15 and at its other end to a rear lug 15 formed on lever 65 so that it urges lever 55 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. l, and the'forward end of lever 65 comprises la manipulating portion 16 which extends through an opening 11 in the front wall 14 of easing H1 and is normally urged to the dot-and-dash line position of Fig. 1 by spring 13. The rear end of lever 65 is connected to collar 59 by means of a link 18, which is pivoted at its opposite ends to lever 65and collar 60, respectively.

It will thus be seen that manual depression of the manipulatin portion 16 to any desired degree from the dot-and-dash line position shown in Fig. 1 will impart to the collar 63 and thus to H area-sac:

spooli'l a degree of rotation directly proportional to the degree-of depression ofportion 16 of lever 65*fand that release of the manipulating portion willcause it to automatically return to" the dotand dash line position by the action of spring 16 without rotatively affecting spoolffl. 4

Referring particularly to Figs; 1:. 4, 5, and 6, a cam element Gills-fixed toa shaft 8| which is rotatively mounted in the lower front wall 14 of easing l 9 and is also 'journaled in an auxiliary wall portion 83rwhich may be'fixed to the lower forwardextremitiesof ribs Hand 44, either by being integrally molded therewith or by other means of securement. A collar designated 85 in Fig. 1 is merely a spacing collar. Manipulating portion 16 of lever 65 includes 9. depending lug 88 which engages the periphery of cam 80, and it will be noted that the periphery of cam 80 has three operating levels designated 99, 9|, and 92, as is best shown in Fig. 6. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 show the successive operating levels of cam 80 in position to be engaged by lug 88 to gauge the paper feed means for triple, double, and single typewriter spacing, respectively.

It will be noted that when the cam 80 is set so that the surface 90 is upwardly, as in Fig. 4, the triple spacing provided for when lever 65 is depressed until lug 88 strikes the surface 99 is merely permissive and that in such position of adjustment the manipulating portion 16 of lever 65 may be depressed any desired distance within the maximum limit of the triple space setting so that any amount of rotative movement of spool 21 and consequently the degree of feeding of the copy may be effected within the predetermined maximum.

Cam 80 has a coaxial detent block 95 adjacent and fixed thereto, in the present instance by being made integrally therewith. Detent block 95 has three flat surfaces designated 96, 91, and 98, corresponding, respectively, to the cam levels 99, SI, and 92. A detent leaf spring I90 is anchored at one end to a block Ill I, which is rigidly fixed to rib 43. The manner in which leaf spring I09 and the flat faces of detent block 95 cooperate to retain the cam 89 in its various operating positions is believed to appear clearly from Figs. 4, 5, and 6 Without further description. Shaft 8| of cam 80 extends forwardly of the casing II], where it is provided with a manipulating knob I05 for setting cam 90.

What is claimed is:

1. In a copy holder, a paper passage and a pair of coaxial laterally spaced feed rolls mounted with peripheral portions of the rolls in said paper passage, means for yieldably holding copy against such peripheral portions of the feed rolls, said means comprising a laterally extending bar having a substantially central play connection mounting, spring means engaging against said bar substantially midway between said rolls whereby the pressure thereof is equally divided between the feed rolls, an operating member, and transmission means connecting the operating member to the feed rolls to rotate the latter.

2. In a copy holder, a paper passage and a pair of coaxial laterally spaced feed rolls mounted with peripheral portions of the rolls in said paper passage, means for yieldably holding copy against such peripheral portions of the feed rolls, said means comprising a laterally extending bar having a substantially central play connection mounting, spring means engaging against said bar substantially midway between said rolls whereby the pressurer thereof is equally divid'e'dbetween-the feedrolls, a dri've 'memben coaxial with the feed rolls and meansacting betweenthe drive member and the feed rails "for causing -thedrive member and the-feed rollsto rotatejointly in onedirectionbf rotation" onlypan operating member, and meansconnecting the operating member to the drive member whereby manipulation of the operating member to and fro oscillates the drive member to advance the feed rolls directly proportionately to the degree ofimanipu lation of theioperating member.

3. In a copy holder, a paper passage and a pair of a coaxial laterallyspaced feed srr'olls mounted" withperipheral portionsof the-rolls in said paper passage, means for yieldably hold-Q ing copy against such peripheral portions of the feed rolls, said means comprising a laterally extending bar having a substantially central play connection mounting, spring means engaging against said bar substantially midway between said rolls whereby the pressure thereof is equally divided between the feed rolls, and manual drive means for the feed rolls.

4. In a copy holder, a unitary casing comprising top, side, and end walls, generally circular concentric openings in the opposite side walls of said casing, a continuous tranverse opening extending entirely across the top wall of the casing and downwardly along the side walls and merging tangently with said circular openings whereby copy moved edgewise downwardly into said transverse opening is rolled in scroll form by engagement with the edges of said generally circular side wall openings.

5. In a copy holder, a unitary casing comprising an inverted box-like structure having top. side, and end walls, generally circular concentric openings in the opposite side walls of said casing, a continuous transverse opening extending entirely across the top wall of the casing and downwardly along the side walls and merging tangently with said circular openings whereby copy moved edgewise downwardly into said transverse opening is rolled in scroll form by engagement with the edges of said generally circular side wall openings.

6. In a copy holder, a housing comprising top, side, and end walls, generally circular concentric openings in the opposite side walls of said casing, a continuous transverse opening extending entirely across the top wall of the casing and downwardly along the side walls and merging tangently with said circular openings whereby copy moved edgewise downwardly into said transverse opening is rolled in scroll form by engagement with the edges of said generally circular side wall openings.

'7. In a copy holder, a paper passage and a pair of coaxial laterally spaced feed rolls mounted with peripheral portions of the rolls in said paper passage, means for yieldably holding copy against such peripheral portions of the feed rolls, said means comprising a laterally extending bar having a substantially central play connection mounting, spring means engaging against said bar substantially midway between said rolls whereby the pressure thereof is equally divided between the feed rolls, a drive member coaxial with the feed rolls and means acting between the drive member and the feed rolls for causing the drive member and the feed rolls to rotate jointly in one direction of rotation only, an operating member, and means connecting the operating member to the drive member whereby 7, manipulation of the operating member to and fro oscillates the drive member to advance the feed rolls directly proportionately to the degree of manipulationof the operating member, said laterally extending bar serving to prevent the feed rolls from overrumiing the drive member.

JOHN P. HALSTEAD.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Fensky Apr. 25, 1933 Number Number 10 Number Name Date Streeter July 2, 1935 Talley Jan. 26, 1937 Dodds June 20, 1939 Dodds Feb. 24, 1942 Kobler Feb. 13, 1945 Holton' Jan. 10, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Oct. 27, 1942 France Jan. 6, 1943

Images