US2616179A

US2616179A - Lettering device

Info

Publication number: US2616179A
Application number: US6576A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert W Anderson
Original assignee: Keuffel and Esser Co
Current assignee: Keuffel and Esser Co
Priority date: 1948-02-06
Filing date: 1948-02-06
Publication date: 1952-11-04
Anticipated expiration: 1969-11-04

Description

Nov. 4, 1952 R. W. ANDERSON LETTERING DEVICE H E m A vw WEI I l 1 I I I |L|||LL1JP||||u s Filed Feb. 6, 1948 INVENTOR. ROBERT W ANDERSON Nov. 4, 1952 R. w. ANDERSON LETTERING DEVICE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Feb. 6, 1948 INVENTOR. ROBERT W. ANDERSON Patented Nov. 4, 1952 E'FEQE LETTERING DEVICE Robert W. Anderson, Weehawken, N. J., assigncr to Keuffel & Esser Company, Hcboken, N. 3., a

corporation of New Jersey Application February 6, 1948, Serial No. 6,576

11 Claims.

This invention relates to lettering or scribing devices of the kind in which a writing instrument is carried by a scriber member and is directed over the surface to be written upon by a tracer pin moving in character grooves or the like formed in a template and by a tail pin movable in a groove or the like parallel with the line of lettering. The writing instrument carried by the scriber may be either a pen, pencil or ball point pen.

Devices of the character described, such as those shown in U. S. Patents 2,011,195, 2,050,057, 2,050,058, to A. W. Keufiel have heretofore had an inherent limitation in their construction, in that a straight line was not produced by the writing instrument when the tracer pin followed a straight line groove in the template. In characters of small size this distortion of a straight line may have been of barely noticeable or negligible magnitude. In a device used for larger characters, however, it was frequently necessary to distort the characters on the template so that the characters formed by the writing instrument would have no noticeable distortion. The distortion of characters became even more pronounced when using instruments provided with an adjustable arm for making inclined letters.

One object of the invention is to provide a lettering device in which the writing instrument travels in a straight line when the tracer pin P travels in a straight line.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lettering device with an adjustable arm capable of forming inclined letters of various slopes but in which the writing instrument travels in a straight line when the tracer pin travels in a straight line regardless of the slope of the lettermg.

Another object of the invention is to simplify the production of templates for lettering devices of the type described by providing a scriber which is capable of forming undistorted characters, from a template provided with undistorted characters.

Another object of the invention is to simplify the production of templates having more than one row of letters or characters on their faces by making it possible to incline several rows of letters backward at the same angle and still have the scriber produce undistorted vertical letters from each row.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simplified means for securing the writing instru ment to the scriber member.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lettering device capable of forming inclined letters of various slopes directly proportional to adjustment of the movable arm and having means for indicating the slope of the inclined letters clearly and simply.

These and other objects of the invention and the means for their attainment will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating two preferred embodiments of the invention and in which:

Figure I is a view in plan of an embodiment for drawing vertical letters or characters.

Figure II is a view in elevation of the embodiment shown in Figure I.

Figure III is a view in side elevation of the embodiment shown in Figure I.

Figure IV is a view in enlarged plan showing the details of the writing instrument holding means.

Figure V is a diagrammatic sketch showing the geometrical arrangement of the essential parts in Figure I.

Figure VI is a view in plan of an embodiment provided with adjustable means for drawing slanted letters or characters at various slopes.

Figure VII is a view in elevation of the embodiment shown in Figure VI.

Figure VIII is a view in side elevation of the embodiment shown in Figure VI.

Figure IX is a diagrammatic sketch showing the geometrical arrangement of the essential parts of the scriber and template shown in Figure VI.

Referring to Figures I, II, and III the template 2 is provided with a tail pin groove 4 and character grooves 6. The character grooves 6 are in the two rows of

characters

3 and 5. In the embodiment shown row 3 has the lower case or small letters and row 2 has the upper case or capital letters. The tail pin and character grooves may take a variety of forms or may even be raised lines providing a suitable follower is provided. No limitation is intended hereinafter by use of the term groove.

The body member 8 is made up of a knob l0 fastened as by screws M to the scriber plate 12. The scriber plate I2 has three arms, the tail pin arm IS, the tracer pin arm I8 and'the writing instrument arm 20, which in this embodiment are integral therewith. The tail pin arm I6 carries the tail pin 22 which operates in the tail pin groove 4 of the template 2. The tracer pin arm l8 carries the tracer pin 24 which operates in the character grooves 6. The writing instrument 3 arm carries the writing instrument which in this embodiment is the pen 26.

The pen 26 is removable and is held in position by the clamp screw 28 on the writing instrument arm 29. The clamp slot 3t from the edge of the arm extends substantially parallel to the upper edge of the writing instrument arm 20 into the hole 3| which receives the pen 26 forming a clamp strap 32 which is an integral part of the writing instrument arm 25 and the scriber plate I2. When the clamp screw 28 is tightened, it wraps the clamp strap 32 around the pen 26 holding it firmly in place.

Referring to Figure V, the-body member 8 (not shown) is formed sothat'the'tail pin 22,

tracer pin 24, and writing instrument 2B are the vertices of a right triangle, the side 24-25 being perpendicular to the side 2fl'22, and the angle a between side 22-24 and side 2226 being of a predetermined value. The tail pin groove 4 is :shown containing the tail pin. 22 as usual.. To illustrate the geometrical relationships the tracer .pin.2d is .also shownin the-tailpin groove 4 because the character groove T is assumed to continue until it intersects the .tail pin groove 4. The. straight character groove 1 which would be thecharacter groove forthe vertical part of the icapital letter I or the numeral 1.. or the ver- '.tical line. in any letter is formed in the templatev so that the angle a', between the character groove 1 and the vertical lin'e34 isof the samepredetermined value as anglera. "The vertical. line 34 which is the pathiollowedby the writing instrumenti' ZS when the tracer. pin follows .the

straight character groove ,1 as. described is pera pendicular to the tail pin groove 4. If the device is made according to .the geovmetric arrangementshownin Figure V and described above, when the tracer, plaza .moves along the charactergroove 1 or along any portion of the groove 1 within the limits permitted by the device and'the tail pin 22 moves along the 'tail'pin groove 4, the writing instrument will move along the vertical line 34. If the character groove 1 is a straight line'the line drawn by the drawing'instrument'willlalso be a straight line. It-is immaterial how'iar. fromjthe' tail ipin groove 4"the'tracing'pin24' moves along the straight line 1, the writing "instrument'flfi will always-follow the verticaliline34. Therefore'the line 1 could includevertical portionsof charaetersin both rows sand 5," for-example the -vertical sides-'ofithezletters D and d'couldbe produced by the writing instrument arm along the line 34. of. Figure V. Furthermore it is :not necessary that the vertical parts of' the'letters from -both r0ws-lie' on the same straight 'line, 'they may lie inany-line parallel to'the line 1 Which" will be-inclined at an angle; equal'to V angles a -and a from 'the vertical. Similarly if the tracer pin- 24-follows a groove representing a-character suchas a -letter O in either row but which is back-wardly inclined byan angleequal to the-angles a and a' the writing instrumentwill trace the character or -letter O'inan-undistorted vertical position.

% In Figure VI a template 2 is again shown provided witha 'tail-pin"gr00ve 4 and character grooves 6. fT-he scriber member38in'this emb'odiment is made upor three-mainparts, the -k-nob 40,- the scriber plate 42 and-the-adiustable writing-instrument arm 50; Theiknob w is'securely fastened to the scriber plate '42 as by the :"screws 44. The adjustable writing instrument armififl is rotatable below the-knob';4fl about. the

pin 45 which is secured to the scriber plate 42.

The scriber plate 42 is provided with two arms, the tail pin arm 46, and the tracer pin arm 48. The tail pin arm 46 carries the tail pin 52 which is slidable in the tail pin groove 4. A weight not shown may be provided on the tail pin arm 46 in order to hold the tail pin 52 in the tail pin groove 4. The tracer pin arm= 81carries the tracer. pin- 54 which operates in; the character grooves 6. The adjustable writing instrument arm 50 carries the writing instrument which as shown in this embodiment is a pen 56. The pen '56 is'removable and is held in position on the adjustable writing instrument arm 58 by the clamp screw 58, as in the Figure I embodiment.

The: motion-0f the adjustable writing instrument arm 50 is limited by the stop pin 10 carried "by-the scriber plate 42 acting in the arcuate slot -72 provided in the adjustable writing instruwhich pass through iti The lower .end. of the stop pin'lB is threaded to receive the. threaded tightening lever. 80. .The threaded tightening lever.';80 clamps the adjustable .writinginstrument arm 50, between thescriber plate '42and the clampplatejlS to hold.theradjustablewriting instrumentarm" in adjusted position. .The

:upperside' of the clamp plate 79 may .be. provided with a roughenedsurface toincrease. friction and more securely hold the adjustablewriting instrument arm5ll.

The scriber plate'2 is provided with an angular scale 82.""The adjustable writing instrument arm '50 is :providediwith an index mark 8!! adjacenttothe 'angulariscal 82$ .In' this embodiment :the index .mark' is apin shaped to. a. V

sectionuviththe"vertexadjacent to the sc'ale'SZ. Alternatively;the scale 82 may be provided on a-cylindrical edge of:the scriber platetZ and the index'markmay be aline .on'the edge iof/rthe movablewritinginstrument arm 50. Many' other arrangements-of scale "and index marks'arej pos- --sible.' The angular scale"8'2. isicalibrate'd to indicate the forward slope of'jthe characters produced withthe 'device in. the "adjusted position of the' adjustable writing instrument armil'iThe calibrations are" in angles which may be Lnumberedtoone half the actual angular rotation of the --movable writing instrument'arm'fid .in. a manner and for reasons which will subsequently be described. Referring-toFigureFIXthe tail 'pin"52,'tracer pin 55, and writinginstrument' are shown as --the-vertices of aright-triangle equivalentto that --s-hown'in"Figure V. The;side"5 i;56 is'perpen- 'dicu-larto the side 5$'52 and the sidei521T-54 forms an angle. a of predetermined valuefwith side'53 55: The. tail pin groove 4 isshown as a line containing *the tail pin""52. A character "groove 7 is shown. containingthe tracerpir'rfid -and'making an angle a. otthe. samepredetermined value as. angle a with the .verticalline 34 'which is perpendicular to the tail pin groove :3.

video with straight undistorted characters which may be in more than one row on the template but must be backwardly inclined an amount equal to the angle a.

In the embodiment shown in Figure VI and diagrammatically in Figure IX a pivot pin d5 is provided which is at the center or point of bisection of the line 5652. By turning the adjustable writing instrument arm about the pin 45 through an angle 2) the writing instrument or pen 56 is brought to an adjustedposition 56. The

points

56 and 58 in Figure IX are equally distant from the point 45.

If the device is made according to the described geometric arrangement, the pen in its adjusted position 5% will move along a straight line 64% inclined forward from the vertical line as by an angle equal to /2 b, when the tracer pin follows the straight line 1 and the tail pin 52 follows the straight line t. Therefore, such a device with the adjustable writing instrument arm 58 in adjusted position having been turned thru an angle 2) so that the writing instrument 5'3 is in adjusted position 55' will draw straight undistorted characters forwardly inclined by an angle b from a template provided with straight undistorted characters which may lie in more than one row on the template but must be backwardly inclined an amount equal to the angle a.

In agreement with the geometric facts illustrated in Figure IX, the angular scale 82 shown in Figure VI should be calibrated to read one half the angle through which the adjustable writing instrument arm is actually turned.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. In a scriber for drawing characters from a template having character grooves and a tail pin groove, the combination of a tail pin, a tracer pin, and means for holding a, writing instrument, each substantially at the vertices of a right triangle, said tracer pin being located at the right angle vertex.

2. In an adjustable scriber for drawing characters from a template having character grooves and a tail pin groove, the combination of a tail pin, a tracer pin, and means for holding a writing instrument, each substantially at the vertices of a right triangle when the scriber is adjusted for drawing erect characters, said tracer pin being located at the right angle vertex, a scriber body member having said tail pin and tracer pin secured thereto, an adjustable member carrying said means for holding a writing instrument, and pivot means placed at the midpoint of the hypotenuse of said right triangle about which said adjustable member may be rotated, and means to hold said adjustable member in an adjusted position.

3. In an adjustable scriber for drawing characters from a template having character grooves and a tail pin groove, the combination of a tail pin, a tracer pin, and means for holding a writing instrument, each substantially at the vertices of a right triangle when the scriber is adjusted for drawing erect characters, said tracer pin being located at the right angle vertex, a scriber body member having said tail pin and tracer pin secured thereto, an adjustable member carrying said means for holding a writing instrument, and pivot means placed at the midpoint of the hypotenuse of said right triangle about which said adjustable member may be rotated, means to hold said adjustable member in an adjusted position, and a scale to show the position of said adjustable member.

4. A scribing device comprising a template having character grooves and a tail pin groove, and a scriber having the combination of a tail pin, a tracer pin and means for holding a writing instrument, each substantially at the vertices of a right triangle, said tracer being located at the right angle vertex.

5. A scribing device comprising a template having character grooves inclined backwardly at a predetermined angle from a vertical position and a tail pin groove, and a scriber having the combination of a tail pin, a tracer pin and means for holding a writing instrument, each substantially at the vertices of a right triangle,- said tracer pin being located at the right angle vertex and the angle at the tail pin vertex being substantially equal to said predetermined angle.

6. An adjustable scribing device comprising a template having character grooves and a tail pin groove, and a scriber having the combination of a tail pin, a tracer pin, and means for holding a writing instrument, each substantially at the vertices of a right triangle when the scriber is adjusted for drawing erect characters, said tracer pin being located at the right angle vertex, a scriber body member having said tail pin and tracer pin secured thereto, an adjustable member carrying said means for holding a writing instrument, and pivot means placed at the midpoint of the hypotenuse of said right triangle about which said adjustable member may be rotated, and means to hold said adjustable member in adjusted position,

7. An adjustable scribing device comprising a template having character grooves and a tail pin groove, and a scriber having the combination of a tail pin, a tracer pin, and means for holding a writing instrument, each substantially at the vertices of a right triangle when the scriber is adjusted for drawing erect characters, said tracer pin being located at the right angle vertex, a scriber body member having said tail pin and tracer pin secured thereto, an adjustable member carrying said means for holding a writing instrument, and pivot means placed at the midpoint of the hypotenuse of said right triangle about which said adjustable member may be rotated, means to hold said adjustable member in adjusted position, and a scale to show the position of said adjustable member.

8. An adjustable scribing device comprising a template having character grooves inclined backwardly at a predetermined angle from a vertical position and a tail pin groove, and a scriber having the combination of a tail pin, a tracer pin, and means for holding a writing instrument, each substantially at the vertices of a right triangle when the scriber is adjusted for drawing erect characters, said tracer pin being located at the right angle vertex, a scriber body member having said tail pin and tracer pin secured thereto, an adjustable member carrying said means for holding a writing instrument, and pivot means placed at the midpoint of the hypotenuse of said right triangle about which said adjustable member may be rotated, and means to hold said adjustable member in adjusted position and the angle at the tail pin vertex being substantially equal to said predetermined angle.

9. In a scriber for drawing characters from a template having character grooves and a tail pin groove, the combination of a knob and a scriber plate secured thereto and carrying a tail pin, a,

:wri-ting instrument"comprising a; hole for re-.

" oeiving'ithe writing-instrument a" slot extending from said: hole toanedge "of said soriber forming a istraplike' memberlandflclamp .meansl acting to Wrap said straplike member around said'jwriting instrument and hold: it in place.

310-32111 a template iforv :use with a scriberifor drawing characters'itherefrom and h'aving a; tail =pin,='atraceripin, andlmeans-for holding a writsing instrument-, eaoh substantially: atz-th'eLvertices r of a right triangle; i the tracer 'pin: being vlocated l :at the :right angle vertex, and the-angle at the tail in r -vertex being iof. alpredetermined value, the combination of ahorizontal tailipin groove and character: igroove's forming characters 1 a "ipluralityof horizontal rowssaidacharacters in all lro'ws being inclined backwardly from the 'vertical 'at 'an angleof the samelpredetermined-.value.

' 111;"In an adjustable'scriber for drawing char- .iacters' from a template :ha;vin'glcharactei'" grooves anda ta'il pin groove the IOmbiHai-imfi of atail pinga; tracer pmana -means holdi-nga writing elements of f the combinatiori being adgj-fistable i away from a lvertex of a said I right-' -tria'ngle -for drawing inclined. I characters and means to: hold said adjustable element in adiusted position.

ROBERT ANDERSON.

5 UNITED STATES PATENTS