US2623118A - Keyboard controlled telegraph apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Dec; 23, 1952 v R. D. SALMON KEYBOARD CONTROLLED TELEGRAPH APPARATUS Filed Sept. 27, 1949 INVENTOR PEGl/YAL D SALMON ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 23, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,623,118 KEYBOARD CONTROLLED TELEGRAPH APPARATUS Reginald Dennis Salmon, Cr'oyclon, England,- as

Signor to, Creed and Company Limited, Croydon, England, a British company Application September 27, 1949, Serial N 118,123

In Great Britain October 8, 1948 8 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to keyboard controlled telegraph apparatus.

In transmitters from which a characteristic signal combination is sent upon the depression of any key lever, it is clearly desirable to intro duce means to ensure that the transmission of each signal combination is completed before transmission of the next is commenced. I This may be achieved in known manner by locking the code bars in which the various signal combinations are set up for the period necessary for complete transmission of each signal combination. Since the speed of transmission of each signal combination is predetermined and since locking of the code bars prevents the operation of a sec ond key lever, the average speed at which such a transmitter can be operated is considerably lower than that to which a typist is accustomed.

In the invention to be described, upon the operation of any key lever, the code bars are locked only for a period of time suticient to allow the combination set thereon to be transferred to a plurality of storage members by which the ultimate transmission is controlled and the code bars are then free to take up another setting.

The introduction of storage means has previously been proposed for use in conjunction'with keyboard controlled telegraph transmitters having separate character keys for letters and figures and in which a case shift signal is transmitted automatically on change of case. In the specifications of British Patents Nos. 388,785 and 442,662 there were disclosed two such transmitters. In each of these, means is vprovided for transferring the elements of at least one signal combination from a plurality of code bars to" a plurality of storage members in order that the two signal combinations which are required to be transmitted for each single depression of a key. lever on change of case, may be transmitted consecutively by the same transmitting contacts. In each of these machines, two separate cam sleeves are provided. The first controls the means for elfecting the transfer of each combination-from thecode bars to the storage members. The. secend is brought into operation by means operable from the first and controls the reading of the combination set on the storage members and its subsequent transmission. Since the second cam sleeve does not begin to operate until after the first has started its rotation, an inevitable delay is introduced and it is clearly an advantage if the functions of storing, reading and transmitting can be under the control of a common cam sleeve.

According to one aspect of the present inventhan there is provided keyboard controlled telegraph apparatus comprising key levers, storage members and means under the control of a single cam sleeve for transferring any combination set on the said code bars to said storage members and for reading said storage members for subsequent utilisation of the stored combination.

According to another aspect of the present invention the said transfer takes place during the sending of the start element immediately preceding the sending of the elements of the stored combination.

Referring to the drawing, a key lever l, representing only one character of a keyboard (not shown), cooperates with five code bars, of which two only, 2 and 3 are shown, and a universal bar i. The code bars 2, 3 are moved to right or left in the drawing according to the particular character key lever depressed and remain in the positions into which they were last moved. The universal bar 4 is moved to the left in the drawing by whatever character key is depressed and on release of the key is moved into the position shown in the drawing by a spring 5.

The bar 4 is linked to a bell crank lever B pivoted on an axis 1 and linked with the end of one arm of bell crank lever 6 is an arm 8. Arm 8 is held by a spring 8 against a fixed stop (not shown). An arm 1 l pivoted on an axis I2 is provided with a turned over portionl0 and is pulled downwards by a spring 13 so that the turned over portion I0 is in a position to be acted upon by a shoulder M on the arm 8 when the latter is actuated. A lug I5 on arm H is situated below a lug IS on an arm I! pivoted on the axis I2. Arms H and H are urged towards one another by a spring 18. When a character key lever is depressed, the key' bar I moves the universal bar 4 to the left against spring 5 and bell crank lever 6' is rotated clockwise. Arm 8 is moved upwards and arm H is consequently rotated counterclockwise. Arm H is thus pushed counterclock wise about its axis l2.

A frame l9, pivoted on an axis 20 is urged clockwise by a spring 2| so that an abutment 22 thereon rests against an abutment 23 on the end of arm l1. When, therefore, the abutment 23 rises, the frame i9 is moved clockwise by a spring 2|, the abutment 22 moving under the abutment 23 and holding the arm I! out of normal position. An arm 24 is formed as an extension of frame [9, and when the frame 19 rotates, the end of arm 24 rotates a bell crank lever 25 on its. pivot 26 carried by a resilient mounting. Spring 39- returns the bell crank lever 25' to its original position by means of a;;detent 25a.-

Bcll crank lever 25 normally holds a pawl 21 out sponding member 33 counter-clockwise.

a well-known form of ratchet clutch. A more.

detailed explanation of a clutch mechanism utilized in the device may be seen in more detail in 14 of applicants copending application filed July 17, 1947, and bearing Serial No. 761,523.

Each of the code bars such as 2 and 3 is linked with a corresponding bell-crank lever 3 I, all these levers being pivotally mounted on a common axis 32. Each bell-crank lever is linked with a corresponding member 33. All the members 33 are pivotally mounted on a common axis 34. Each member, 33 is formed with two upward projections and with a horizontal projection 33 ter- =minating in a knife edge. Fixed to bottom of .frame [9 is a horizontal projection 3'! terminating 4 position shown in the drawing the left hand extension 35 engages the left hand arm of the member 4| and this latter member is rotated clockwise and rotates the corresponding storage member 33, with which it is linked, a counterclockwise direction through a small are. If, on the other hand, a member 33 has been rotated counter-clockwise the right hand extension 35 engages the right hand arm of member 4| this in a knife edge which cooperates with the knife edges of the projections 36 on the members 33.

' If a code bar such as 2 or 3 is moved to the right; its corresponding bell-crank lever 3| is rotated counter-clockwise and rotates its corresponding member 33 clockwise. If a code bar is moved to the left its corresponding bell-crank lever3l is rotated clockwise and rotates corre- It is to benoted that the members 33 are rotated, by movement of their corresponding code bars, simultaneously with the lifting of arm I! to release the frame l9 so that when the frame 19 rotates "clockwise under the influence of its spring 2| the projection 31 enters between those projections 36. that have rotated in the different directions and the members 33 are thus locked in the positions they have taken up. The code bars 2, 3 are thus also looked in displaced position and whilst they are thus locked no other key bar can be .fully actuated or have any effect on them.

The cam sleeve 30 is driven through the ratchet clutch engaged as above described and the first operation carried out during the rotation of the cam sleeve is to transfer the setting of the five members 33 to five corresponding storage members'38.

These storage members 38 are pivotally mounted'ln such manner that, while free to be rotated through a limited arc, they will be frictionally held in the respective positions into which they have been moved. Each member 38 is provided with a downward extending slot to receive the upper end of an inverted T-member 41 (two only of which are shown). The T-members 4! are pivotally mounted on a rod 42, carried in frame in a manner permitting each to be given a pivotal movement independent of the others. The frame .40 is pivotally mounted on axis l2 and is provided with a rearward extension 43 which is linked to one end of a spring 44. Spring 44 urges frame 40 in a counterclockwise direction about axis l2 and so holds a cam follower 45 mounted on an upward extension 46 of frame 40, against a cam 41 on cam sleeve 30.

As cam sleeve 30 rotates, cam 4'! thereon moves frame 40 in a clockwise direction against spring 44 and brings members 4| against members 33.

One or other of the arms on each inverted T- member 4| is brought against an upward projection 35 of the corresponding member 33. If a member 33 has been rotated clockwise-from the member is rotated counter-clockwise and the corresponding member 38 is rotated clockwise through a small arc.

After members 38 have been thus set, the cam follower 45 comes on to a lower part of the cam 41 and frame 43 is raised by a spring 44 acting on extension 43. At the same time cam 48 on cam sleeve 30 acts through the medium of a bell crank lever 49, pivoted at 50 to rotate arm 8 clockwise clear of the portion 13 of lever ll. Lever I I is rotated clockwise by the spring [3 until it again rests on its fixed stop, and when the hump of the cam 43 has passed the end of the bell crank lever 49, arm 8 is rotated counterclockwise by spring 9. If the key that has been actuated has been released and universal bar 4 has been drawn back to normal position by spring 5, the arm 8 has been lowered, permitting spring 13 to return the arm II to its stop, and bringing the shoulder [4 on arm 8 below the turned-over portion Hi again. The spring 9 will then urge arm 8 counter-clockwise on to its fixed stop. Should the key not have been released, the arm II when released from the shoulder l4 rotates clockwise under the influence of spring l3, the turned over portion l0 now coming below the shoulder on the still uplifted arm 8, which comes to rest against turned over portion I!) as the hump on the cam passes the end of the bell crank 49. It will thus be seen that arm [0 will be lowered whether the key be released or not.

After cam 48 has performed this operation it acts on an arm 5! which is normally held by spring 52 in position to be acted on by the cam. Arm 5i is pivoted on axis 20 and one end abuts against a turned over portion 53 on frame 19.

Frame [9 is thus rotated in a counterclockwise direction about axis 20 against spring 2| and its upper extension arm 24 moves away from bell crank lever 25 thus allowing the latter to be restored by its spring (not shown) into the path of the pawl 21 so as to remove the pawl from engagement with the ratchet wheel 28 on the completion of one revolution. This movement of the frame l9 unlocks the members 33, and, consequently. code bars 2 and 3. The code bars are thus free to take up another setting. i

As soon as frame l9 has made this counterclockwise movement, arm is free to move towards arm ll under the action of spring l8.

Thus, when the crest of cam 48 has passed the crest of the associated projection on arm 5| and frame I9 is urged to rotate in a clockwise direction by spring 2| the frame 19 is prevented from doing so by the abutment 22 coming into contact with the abutment 23 on arm H which is now in its normal position. As has beenpreviously pointed out, arm II has ben lowered,

allowed to be moved to the right by spring 5 and lever 8 is thus drawn downwards until shoulder I4 is once more under turned-over portion it of lever H. It will thus be seen that continued depression of one key lever will not have any further effect.

The keyboard is now free for operation of a second key lever. If this occurs, arms H and H are operated as previously described and frame leis. moved in a clockwise direction and re-locks membersv 33 in their new setting and through them combination bars 2 and 3. At the same time, the upward extension 24 of frame l9 acts to Withdraw bell crank lever 25 from the path of the pawl 21.

Qo-operating with the five storage members 36 are f ve cranked levers, two only, of which, 54 and 55 are shown. Each of these levers has three limbs an upper, 56 and 51, a lower 58 and 59 and a horizontal BB and El for levers 54 and 55 respectively. These levers are pivoted on an axis 52' at the origin of the three limbs of each lever.

A spring- 63 acting on lower limb 58 of lever 54 tends to make lever 54 turn in a clockwise direction about axis 62 and urges a projection on horizontal limb 60 to follow the contour of a cam 54 on cam sleeve 31]. A similar spring 65 acts on lower limb 59 of lever 55 and urges a projection on horizontal limb 8| of lever 55 to follow the contour of another earn 6 s 0 cam sleeve 3a. The other lev rs not Sh wn. are controlled in like manner, by corresponding cams and the five cams are cut in such a way as to allow the five levers to fall and rise a ain in a regular sequence once for every revolution of cam sleeve 30. The horizontal limbs 60 and 61 project beyond earns 64 and E5 sufficiently for each of them to rest upon the upper extremity of one of the storage members 38 if that particular storage member has been moved to the left by the setting of its corresponding code bar. In this event. the lever concerned is prevented from following the contour of its respective cam. Thus, in the drawing, each lever will only move. if its associated code bar is moved initially toward the cam-shaft. In addition tov the live cranked levers such as 54 and 55 cooperating with storage meme bers 3.8 and operated according to the five elements of a code combination, a similar cranked lever 67 is mounted on axis 62 and urged by a spring 68 to follow cam 6.9 on cam sleeve in similar manner to the other save that there is nothing to. prevent it following the. contours of cam 69. This cam 69 turns lever 61 in a counter-v clockwise direction as soon as cam sleeve 30 begins to rotate and keeps it there until, the end of a revolution. This lever 61 controls the sending of start" and stop signals as will be described later.

The upper limbs such as 55 and '5'! of all six cranked levers cooperate with a bus bar Ill provided with brackets H and 12 at each end which allow it to swing radially about an axis 13 parallel to its length. It is urged in a counter-clockwise, direction by a spring 14. An upward extension of bracket 12 carries a leaf T5 pivoted on an axis '16. The other end of leaf 15 is bent upwards and formed into a knife edge 11. At the same end, leaf 14 is slidably mounted between two turned-over portions 18 and 19 of a frame 80 mounted on axis 13. The framev 85 carries two rearward projecting limbs 8| and 82. The shorter of these BI is urged by a spring 83 to rotate the frame 80in a counter-clockwise direction about axi T s ke ps h nd of the longer limb 82 against a cam 84 mounted on cam sleeve 30 and provided with seven projections. As cam 34 rotates, it turns frame 88 about axis 13 in a clockwise direction seven times in a revolution releasing it sharply each time. The end of leaf 15 which carries the knife edge 11 is thus pulled down and back seven times in a revolution by the turned over portions 18 and 19 of frame 80. Each time one of the levers 54, 55 or 61 is rotated clockwise by its respective cam, it acts upon bus bar Hi to turn it clockwise about axis 13. This moves leaf (5 horizontally so that knife edge PE is moved to the right or the left according to the action of each of the six levers. An inverted knife edge is formed at the bottom of the contact lever 86 whose upper extremity 81 can make contact with either of two fixed contact members 88 and 89. In the drawing contact 88 is the spacing contact and contact 89 is the marking contact. The inverted knife edge has a limited arc of movement between the two positions that knife edge H can take up. A jockey roller 90 mounted on a leaf 5| is pressed against the lower extremity of contact lever 86 by a spring 92 and ensures that the contact lever 16 makes a positive movement in one direction or the other.

It has already been shown that knife edge 1'! on leaf 15 will occupy one or other of two positions, each O the seven times it is allowed to rise in a revolution according to whether a mark or a space is intended and knife edge ll will act on knife edge 35 to move contact lever 35 in the direction necessary to make the mark or space as appropriate.

When camshaft 35 is stationary, a projection on lever 61 rests in the hollow of cam 69 and the upper limb of lever 61 acts on bus bar 10 to turn it clockwise about axis 13 thus keeping the knife edge Tl on lea-f '15 to the right of knife edge 85 on contact lever 85. In this position the upper extremity 8'! of contact lever 86 is held in contact. with fixed contact member 89 and a continuous marking signal is transmitted, i. e. the stop signal. .As soon as camshaft 30 begins to rotate, arm. 6'! is rotated counterclockwise by cam 59 thus allowing bus bar 10 to turn counterclockwise under the action of spring 74, and to draw knife edge 11 on leaf 75 to the left. At the same time knife edge TI is drawn downwards by the action of the first projection on cam 84 acting on lever 82, to, pass under knife edge 85. Knife edge. 1! is then brought sharply upwards as lever 82 falls into the first depression on cam 84 and the reaction between the two knife edges 71 and 85 is such as to bring the upper extremity 8 of contact lever 86 into contact with fixed contact member 88 and thus to. transmit a spacing signal i. e. the start signal. The next five projections on cam 84 hold knife edge 11 clear of knife edge 85 for a sufficient length of time to allow it to take up a position either to the right or the left of knife edge 85 depending on whether each successive code element is a marking; or a spacing element. When all five elements have been, transmitted, cam 84 acts once more to allow knife edge TI to take up a position to the right of knife edge 85 as cam 69. completes a revolution and a stop signal is sent as before.

If no further key lever has been operated, bell crank lever 25 is in the path of the pawl 21, and the cam sleeve 30, is arrested atthe end of the revolution, a stop condition continuing to be sent whilst the cam sleeve remains at rest.

If a second key lever has been operated during the above-described revolution of cam sleeve 39, the bell crank lever will have been removed from the path of pawl 21 as described above and the cam sleeve will continue to rotate. The code bars 2 and 3 will not be unlocked until the new setting has been transferred to storage members 38 and thus a third key lever I cannot be operated until this transfer has been effected but after that, a third key lever can be operated during the second revolution of the cam sleeve.

In order to ensure that the abutments 22 and 23 on frame [9 and arm I! respectively make sufficient contact with each other to hold frame 19 in the unlocking position after the operation of cam 48, it is essential that arm l1 shall drop to its full extent before frame l9 can return under the influence of spring 21. This is only possible if arm [I has also dropped to its full extent. If the arms H and I! be formed as a unitary member, when cam 48 acts upon bell crank lever 49, this member will not be able to be drawn down immediately since time is required to swing frame 19 through a small are before this can happen. Now if the key is not released or is being so slowly released that the arm 8 is still in raised position when bell crank lever 49 moves arm 8 clockwise and then allows it to return, there is a danger that arm 8 may return before this unitary member can fall. In such a case, when the unitary member is free to fall, it would still be held up by the shoulder M on arm 8 and it has been found that in such circumstances it is possible that arm I! does not fall sufficiently to cause abutments 22 and 23 to meet squarely, but the abutment 22 may ride under abutment 23. Thus arm l9 would be free to rotate clockwise again and relock the code bars. At the same time the detent 25a on bell crank lever 25 would be moved out of the path of the pawl 21 and the cam sleeve would fail to be arrested at the end of a revolution. This risk has been obviated by the use of the two arms II and Il connected by spring [8 as shown and operating as previously described.

A run-out key 93 is provided to allow the transmission of a previous signal combination to be repeated as many times as required. When key 93 is depressed it moves its associated bar 94 to the left against the pull of a spring 95 and rotates a bell crank lever 96 in a clockwise direction about axis 1. The other end of bell crank lever 95 raises an arm 91 and a shoulder 98 on arm 91 raises the turned-over end 19 of lever II. This starts the rotation of cam sleeve '30 as before and whatever has been set on storage members 38 will be re-transmitted. It will be noted that run out key 93 does not operate the code combination bars 2 and 3 nor the universal bar 4. Moreover, lever 91 is not affected by cam 48 so that arm II is held in actuated position so long as key 93 is kept depressed and the cam sleeve is not stopped at the end of one revolution but continues to rotate.

In the embodiment illustrated, a five-unit code was employed, but it is intended that any other code may be utilised, the code bars of the storage members being increased or decreased in number to correspond to the number of code elements to be utilised in the selected code.

While the principles of the invention have been described above in connection with specific embodiments and particular modifications thereof, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and notes a limitation on the scope of the invention.-

What is claimed is:

1. Keyboard controlled telegraph apparatus comprising a plurality of key levers representing the characters to be transmitted, a plurality of code bars, one for each element of a code, said bars adapted to be set under control of a first of said levers, a plurality of storage members, one for each element of a code, a continuously rotating shaft, a single cam sleeve, clutch means adapted to couple said sleeve to said shaft, a locking member, means operable directly by any one of said key levers to move said locking member in one direction to effect the locking of said code bars and to directly control said clutch means, means operable by said cam sleeve to transfer to said storage members any combination set on said code bars, means operable by said cam sleeve to move said locking member in the opposite direction to unlock said code bars after said transfer, means operable by said cam sleeve to position a detent to arrest said cam sleeve after a predetermined degree of revolution, means for reading the combination stored by said storage members, and utilization means coupled to said last named means for utilizing the stored combination.

2. Keyboard controlled telegraph apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means for transferring any combination on said bars operates during the sending of the start element immediately preceding the sending of the elements of the stored code combination.

3. Keyboard controlled telegraph apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of linking members, each adapted to be movably linked between corresponding of said code bars and said locking member, said linking members having a knife-edge, said locking member having a knife edge adapted to cooperate with the respective knife edges of said linking members, the knife edges of said linking members arranged to selectively engage one side or the other of the knife edge of said locking member when said locking member is moved in a first direction, such alternate engagement under control of said code bars, said locking member locking the position of said linking members and said code bars when said locking member is moved in said first direction.

4. Keyboard controlled telegraph apparatus according to claim 1, comprising means allowing the movement of said locking member in said first mentioned direction by the operation of a second of said key levers during the reading of said storage members, whereby the code bars are re-locked and said cam sleeve is allowed to perform a second revolution to transfer a sec-- ond setting of said code bars to said storage members.

5. Keyboard controlled telegraph apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a universal bar adapted to be actuated by any of said key levers, two latch members, the first of said latch members being so placed as to hold said locking member in unlocking position and said secondlatch member being interposed between said universal bar actuated by any of said key levers and said first latch member, means for moving said second latch member on depression of a key lever to allow said locking member to move in said first mentioned direction, a cam on said cam sleeve for releasing said first latch member from said second latch member and for moving said locking member in the second -mentioned direction and spring 9 means for returning said first latch member into its original position.

5. Keyboard controlled telegraph apparatus according to claim, 5 in which said second latch member is formed with a shoulder normally engaging said first latch member so as to move the latter with movement in one direction of the former, spring means urging said second latch member into engagement with said first latch member whereby after momentary disengagement of said latch members by said cam, said first latch member can move beyond said shoulder so as to be unaffected by said second latch member until the latter is restored to normal position.

7. Keyboard controlled telegraph apparatus according to claim 6 in which said first latch member is formed as two spring coupled levers having abutting portions, one of said levers cooperating with said second latch member and the other of said levers co-operating with said locking member, whereby the first mentioned lever is free to move on disengagement from said second latch member and said second mentioned lever is urged to follow on disengagement from said locking member.

10 8. Keyboard controlled telegraph apparatus according to claim 7 comprising an additional key lever, a bar actuated solely by said key lever,-

REGINALD DENNIS SALE/ION.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,902,943 Bancroft Mar. 23, 1933 1,953,066 Griffith Apr. 3, 1934 2,110,506 Griffith Mar. 8, 1938 2,352,031 Stiener June 20, 1944 2,355,657

Lake Aug. 14, 1944

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