US2665336A - Electrical keyboard - Google Patents

Description

9 J. J. SAYKAY 29 6 93 ELECTRICAL KEYBOARD Filed Aug. 8, 1950 e Sheets-Sheet i 92 [II II@ 64 INVENT .J SAY Y ATTORNEY J. J. SAYKAY ELECTRICAL KEYBOARD .6 Sheets$heet 3 Filed Aug. 8, 1950 INVENTOR J J. SAYKAY J. J. SAYKAY ELECTRICAL KEYBOARD Ammo F3 zpmsg w 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug.

If IIHIHI HI 4 5.2 as M (f2 38 w INVENTOR ATTORNEY Jan. 5, 195% J. J. SAYKAY 2,665,336

ELECTRICAL KEYBOARD Filed Aug. 8, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 5, 1954 ELECTRICAL KEYBOARD Joseph J. Saykay, Sea Cliff, N. Y. Application August 8, 1950, Serial No. 178,186

6 Claims.

This invention relates primarily to electrical keyboards, and more particularly .to a keyboard of the type generally employed in conjunction with automatic communication and similar equipment for generating, setting up, and/or transmitting electrical codes or groups of electrical impulses representing various ones of the keys included in the keyboard mechanism.

Keyboards of the above type in common use at the present time generally have a series of elongated key levers, one for each letter, which extend over a group of so-called code bars. The code bars, five or more in number, are normally slidably mounted and have in the upper edges thereof notches, so that on the depression of a key lever and its engagement with the code bars, the latter are variously positioned in different combinations depending on which one of the key levers is depressed. The code bars in turn control electrical contacts or other instrumentalities for the control and/or generation of signals or circuits to relays, or the perforation of a storage tape for the subsequent transmission of representative signals to a sending circuit. Keyboards of this type are expensive to manufacture, require considerable space, and require expert maintenance for their proper operation. Furthermore, keyboards of this type have a disadvantage in that the force required to depress a key and operate the key lever varies and is dependent upon the number of code bars moved for a particular operation. In some types of keyboards the number of code bars moved from one combination to an other is determined by the setting of the code bars prior to the operation of a key lever, which settin is dependent upon the previous key lever actuated. Sometimes all of the code bars change position when a key lever is depressed, and at other times a lesser number. Due to the usual construction of such prior art type of keyboards, the key levers must be depressed until they reach a definite stop when actuated for the proper operation of the mechanism, and this is tiring on theoperator.

In vi w of the above, one of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide an improved electrical keyboard unit which is light in weight, quiet in operation, requires little space inasmuch as the elongated key levers are not employed, requires no code bars, embodies a minimum of movable elements and one wherein only a few electrical connections are required between it and the apparatus such as a transmitting unit which it is adapted to control. 7

Another object of the present invention is the provision of resilient means in the keys which is employed in such a manner that the representative code group of signals is transmitted or set up before the key reaches a definite stop, whereby overtravel of the key is permitted.

Another object of the invention is to provide a keyboard mechanism wherein the keys need be spaced no further apart than those of the conventional typewriter.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a self-contained keyboard and one wherein the mechanically operated elements, such as the code bars employed in the conventional keyboard in the generation of the permuted electrical code groups of impulses, are replaced by electrical code signal generating elements. The above is accomplished by the employment of metallic contact electrical current rectifiers so arranged in electrical circuits, in conjunction with selective operative devices such as relays, that the selective operative devices are operated in various combinations dependent upon the particular keys operated.

In this connection a further object of the invention is to provide a novel system and arrangement of constructing and placing a series of rectifier elements wherein such elements are arranged in coded stacks, one stack for each key, and with the stacks arranged in so-called code strips, one strip for each transverse row of keys.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a code strip having a plurality of separate code stacks of rectifying elements wherein the stacks are interconnected by the elements included therein so that a single set of electrical connections to the strip provides electrical connections for all of the code stacks.

A further object of the invention is to provide a switch for each stack operated by the key and through which the current enters the stack and plurality of codes can be worked or generated by keyboard assembly wherein a 3 the same keyboard, such as for example, Cable Morse, Landline Morse, five-unit printer code, six-unit printer code, etc., with all the elements thereof built into one and the same code strip.

The above and further objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from the following detailed description wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred embodiment of the invention in which the code strips are arranged for the generation of five-unit permuted code groups of impulses, and a modified embodiment wherein any one of three codes may be generated by a single key. Obviously, the code strips could be arranged to generate a plurality of code groups of a different number of impulses, such as six or seven, or those representing Morse signals composed of dots and dashes.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the keyboard of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the mechanism of the present invention, with the top plate removed;

Eig. 3 is a left hand elevational view of the keyboard; V

Fig. 4 is a right hand elevational view of the keyboard;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional View of the keyboard taken substantially on line 55 of Fig. i;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged front elcvational view showing the right hand end of the keyboard;

Fig. '7 is a detailed sectional view of some of the operating elements, taken substantially on line 'l- ..l of Fig. 4.;

Fig. 8 is an elevational View of one of the keys employed in the keyboard mechanism;

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional View of one of the keys taken substantially on line 99 of Fig. 8;

Figs. 10 and 11 are vertical sectional views through the code strips, taken substantially on lines i 6i?l and 21-41, respectively, of Fig. 5;

Fig. 12 is a circuit diagram illustrating the principles of the invention and the manner in which the various code stacks are arranged; and

Fig. 13 is a circuit diagram illustrating the manner in which a plurality of code stacks may be employed with a single key for enciphering purp es.-

The keyboard of the present invention shown int-he drawings and described herein is adapted to generate five-unit groups of permuted impulses, and as well known, there are thirty-two different permutations possible in a five-unit code. Accordingly, as is the general practice with codes of this type, two combinations are employed to generate what are termed. letters and figures, or shift and unshift code groups. These code groups when received on a receiving instrument such as a recording printer, condition the recorder to print either upper case or lower case. characters. Thus the actuation of a key causes the transmission of a code group and, depending upon the condition of the printer, either one of two characters will be recorded. For example, one key may cause the letter Q to be recorded when the printer is in the lower case or letters. condition, and the numeral 1 to be printed when the printer is in the figures or upper case position. In this manner the number of different characters which can be recorded by the printer is nearly double that which would otherwise be possible with a five-unit code.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the keyboard is shown for the purpose of illustration as being mounted ona rectangular base plate 2 i, while actually the keyboard would normally be mounted on an ex tension of or part of the conventional frame structure of a typewriter or printer. As best shown in Figs. 3 and e, the base 2! has attached to the upper side thereof adjacent its two ends a left hand bracket 22 and a right hand bracket 23. These brackets might also be extensions of or part of the frame structure of the machine with which the keyboard is associated. The upper surface of the brackets 22 and 23 are stepped with three steps each, such as 25!, and secured to these steps are three mounting bars 21. The bars 2;! extend substantially the full width of the keyboard and the hereinafter described keys are mounted at the top of the bars and the code strips to the undersides thereof.

As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, illustrating the arrangement of one of the keys, a sleeve 3| is secured in and extends upwardly from one of the mounting bars ll and supports the key and its associated elements. The keys, represented by reference numeral 32, are substantially square with the upper surfaces thereof slightly hollow and with the upper corners rounded. An inner sleeve 33 is forced into the underside of the key 32 and slides in the sleeve 3! extendin upwardly from the mounting bar 2'1. A slot 34 formed along a part of the length of the inner sleeve 33 is adapted to receive an indentation 35 from the sleeve 3! so that the sleeve 33 and its attached key 32 is prevented from rotating within the sleeve 3!. The indentation 38 engaging the lower end of the slot 3'5 also prevents the sleeve 33 and attached key from being removed from the sleeve 3i and thus acts as a limiting stop for the upward movement of the key.

Within the sleeve 33 is a circular plunger indicated generally by reference numeral 31, the major or central portion of which is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the sleeve 33 so that the plunger is freely movable within the sleeve. The plunger 3! has at its lower end an extension 38 which extends through a clearance hole in the mounting bar 21 to a slight distance below the bar. In a manner hereinafter pointed out, the tip of the extension 38 rests upon and engages a spring contact element 82 whereby the plunger is held in its upper position. A projection 39 on the upper end of the plunger 31 has an expanded spring 4| coiled thereabout, the upper end of which exerts a pressure against the key 32 and thereby holds the key and sleeve 34 in their uppermost position, such as that shown in Fig. 9.

When a key is operated, the extension 38 moves downward to operate or flex the contact element 82 which offers somewhat less resistance to the movement of the plunger than that required toovercome the spring 41. Subsequently the contact element 82 operated by the extension 38 reaches a definite stop and further movement of the key 32 in a downward direction compresses thespring 4|, at which time the plunger 31 remains stationary. With this construction there is no definite or positive stop in the downward movement of the key when its effective function of closing the contacts of element, 82 is accomplished, and thus there is in effect a cushion including the spring 45 provided for each key. This absence of a definite stop in the DEEP-.- ation of the keys is a definite advantage in keyboards, and is considerably less tiring on an operator than is the case where the keys reach a definite stop at the time of affecting their ..as-.. signed operations.

Each of the, various keys 32, with the exception of the space bar 43, Fig. l, is constructed in the manner shown in Figs. 8 and 9, and they are mounted on the upper surfaces of the three mounting bars 2?.

Secured adjacent the ends of the two outside mounting bars 27 are a set of four angle brackets as. The tops of these brackets, best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, slope downwardly toward the front of the keyboard, and secured thereto by screws 4? is a top plate 18 having rectangular holes 49 therein in alignment with and through which the keys 32 extend. Pivotally mounted on shoulder screws 53 in the rear brackets 4:3 is a U- shaped member 5i which carries the space bar 43. A spring 52 coiled about one of the shoulder screws 59 tends to elevate the U-shaped memher 5! and space bar 43, and holds rubber bumpers 53 on the former against the underside of the top plate 58.

As shown in Fig. '7, the U-shaped member 5| has extending from one of the legs thereof a pin 56 with an insulated sleeve 51 thereon adapted to operate one of the elements 58 of a toggle-like contact assembly indicated generally by reference numeral 59. The contact 59 is mounted on a piece of insulating material 6| and has a pair of fixed contact elements 52 and i3 and a movable contact element or tongue 6:3. Normally the movable element 64 engages the lowermost fixed element 53 and when the space bar is depressed, the sleeve 5? on the pin 55 engages and depresses the element 58 whereupon the movable element Ed engages the uppermost fixed element 62. When the space bar is released, the return of the element 58 to its normal position permits the tongue of the contact 59 to return to its lowermost position where it engages the fixed element 63. Normally the space bar would have associated therewith a contact element similar to the elements 82 associated with the keys and each would be adapted to control an individual code stack of the type hereinafter described.

In the preferred embodiment of the inven ion there are three transverse rows of keys 32 and for each row of keys there is provided an associated so-called code strip. The code strips have a so-called code stack for each key which is located directly below its associated key 32, and

one of the strips may have a code stack for the F space bar 33. The code stacks are represented generally by reference numeral 56, Fig. 6, and the vertical sectional views of a code strip, Figs. 10 and 11, disclose the manner in which they are constructed.

Each code stack 68 in the embodiment disclosed has a total of five so-called code positions, and the presence or absence of a rectifier element in these code positions determines the code generated when the key associated with a particular code stack is depressed. In order to keep the physical dimensions of the code stacks the same and to facilitate the assembly of a code strip, a code stack 65 having less than five rectifier elements will have an insulating element such as a piece of Bakelite in the place or places of the missing rectifier elements. In other words, each code stack has a total of five rectifier and insulating elements, with the insulating elements of the same thickness and shape preferably as those of the rectifier elements.

some of the elements of the individual stacks, such as certain of the conductor strips as well as various insulating strips, are common to all of the code stacks in a strip. This facilitates the assembly of the code strip and in addition provides the desired rigidity.

The arrangement by which a code strip is mounted to the underside of one of the bars 27 is shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 11, and includes a mounting screw 70 witha sleeve l5 thereon eX- tending through a stacked arrangement of conductor strips, insulating blocks, and insulating strips. The strips are spaced from the bars 2! by circular spacing discs 65.

As shown in Fig. 10, each code stack 65 includes an assembly bolt 68 with a head 69 at the top end thereof and a nut H threaded on the lower end. Beginning at the top of the stack, just under the head 69 of the bolt, is an insulating washer i2, then a so-called contact strip 73, which is continuous and extends to all the code stacks in the strip. Next is a continuous strip it of insulation beneath which is the top fold Ma of a zigzag folded shorting strip Hi. Directly beneath the top fold of the shorting strip is the uppermost code element, represented by reference numeral 'iiia, which is square or round and individual to the particular code stack. The code element lea in the preferred embodiment is preferably of selenium and inasmuch as a code element of selenium is in the uppermost code position of the particular stack, the No. 1 impulse generated by this stack will be marking, whereas if the code element 76a was replaced by a similarly shaped insulating element, no signal would be generated in this position and the No. 1 signal would be spacing. Directly beneath the code element lea is a conducting strip Tia which extends transversely through all the code stacks in a strip and which rests upon'a thin strip of insulating material Mia. The insulating material Vila is also common to all the stacks in a strip and rests upon the second fold Nb of the shorting strip it, below which is located the second code element rec. The second code element l'Eb rests upon another continuous conducting strip Til) just above another continuous insulating strip 'lSb. The insulating strip 18b is above the third fold 'i'c of the shorting strip M below which is the third code element 760 followed by another conducting strip lie and an insulating strip 280. The fourth and fifth folds Md and 14c of the shorting strip ill have similar code elements 76d and ice therebelow, together with associated conducting strips l'ld and We as well as insulating strips 78d and ice. Below the lowermost fold l ly of the shorting zigzag folded strip M is a metal washer IQ which bears against the nut ll, and the whole assembly on the bolt is is insulated therefrom by an insulating bushing at. The nut ll threaded on the bolt 53 clamps the entire stack assembly together.

In the code stack shown in Fig. 10 the code elements 56a, fill), 56d and l'fie are of selenium, and the code elements 'lfic of insulating material such as Bakelite. Accordingly, for this particular combination erate a code with the first, second, fourth and fifth impulses thereof marking and the third spacing, it being obvious that the replacement of the rectifier elements by other insulating sections would adapt the code stack for the generation of a different combination.

Thus a unitary structure code stack is provided with certain elements thereof, such as the contact strips it, the conducting strips Tl, and the insulating strips 78 common to adjacent code stacks, and wherein provision is made forarrangthe code stack is adapted to gen- I ing each of'th e code positions tlierebi' incbnducting or non-conducting condition. v v

As best shownin Figs. and6, thecohta''ct strip I3 extends throughout the entire length of the strip and has a lanced hole therein foreach of the associated codestacks, The tabs '82 of the lanced holes are bent upward at an angle and then horizontally with the ends thereof extending over the head 69 of the associated code stack assembly bolt 68. The contact strip isof spring material, such as beryllium copper, andithe' tabs 82 thereof, together with the heads of the bolts, serve as contacting elements. The tabs 82 are positioned directly below the extensions "38 of associated keys and normally are out 'of engagement with the heads of the associated bolts. Accordingly, as the key is depressed, the tabs 82 are flexed until they contact associated bdlts,and further downward movement of thekey results in the compression of spring 81 as hereinbef'or e set forth.

The contact strip 13 is connected to positive potential and when a key is operated to press the tab 82 of a stack into contactwith the head of its associated bolt, this potential is applied down through the bolt and. to the shorting strip '14. The shorting strip 14 overlies each code element 18 and, depending upon whether a's'eleniu'm block or a Bakelite block is 'in the code position,

the positive potential is conducted too'ne or more of the conductor strips 11. Inthe' embodiment shown in Fig. 10, the conducting strips 17a, 11b, 11d and He will accordingly have positive potential applied thereto when the associated key is depressed.

The manner in which 'the'variou s'code stacks are associated together and each permits the selective operation of a gro'up'o'f electrical 'responsive elements such'as relays, is illustrated in Fig. 12. Here a battery 84 supplies positive potential to a conductor 86 which corresponds to the contact strip '13 forming one of the terminals of a series of contacts 81. The contacts 87 correspond to the lanced tabs 82 and the heads '69 of bolt 68 with the vertical conductors 88, Fig. 12, representing and corresponding to the zigzag folded shorting strip 14. The five horizontal conductors 89 represent the five conducting strips H which are connected through the coils of in'di-- vidually associated relays 9| to negative potential. The small solid triangles 92- represent the rectifier elements in a code position The rectifier elements 92 ofier a high resistance path to the flow of current in one direction and a low resistance path to the flow of current in the opposite direction,and for the purpose of illustration it is assumed that the low resistance path for positive potential is from the elements 92 to the conductors 8'9, and the high resistance path in the opposite direction. Accordingly, the closure'of a set of contacts such as 8fl a sso'ciated with the left hand vertical row of rectifier, 'ele'fments 92, which incidentally represents and is in accordance with the code of thestack lififshown in Fig. 10, applies positive potential to thefirst. second, fourth and fifth conductors 89 from the top, Fig. 12, to operate the first, 'second iourth' and fifth relays 9|. Since the other rectifier elements 92 offer a high resistance path to the flow of current up through the same, there will not be sufiicient current pass through these rect'i fier elements and not" through the element's associated with the-thir ""nducto'r 89 to spams the third relay ar.

, V thpne a i i fil any one of the otlier contacts 8! permits only the ope t'ibn 6f "relays 9| corresponding to representative rectifier elements in the associated vertical raw.

The relays '9l are merely'shown for the purpose of illustrating electro-responsive units which may be operated in various combinations depending upon the particular key actuated and these relays in turn may control a transmitting device for transmitting corresponding code groups of impulses to a sending circuit or to a reperforator for perforating a tape. The relays 9| may also be employed "to control various other types of signal responsive equipment such as electric typewriters, typeseting machines, calculating machines, switcl'iboards, semaphores, antenna arrays, etc., by any number'of simultaneous or sequential iinpulseswith an unlimited number of combinations.

'The five conducting strips 11 of each code strip, of which there are three such code strips in the disclosed embodiment of the invention, are elec trically'connected to'corresponding strips by wires such as '93 and terminate in a jack 9 adapted to receive a plug 96 having an electrical cable 91 by which the keyboard is-connected to the apparatus it is to control. 7

Fig. 13'discloses anadaptation of the principles of the invention as they may be employed in cryptography. Here a key lever is arranged to generate three different codes and this may be accomplished by providing a stack in each key position having three superimposed code arrangements. In Fig. 13 there is disclosed an arrangement for generating three different codes by the operation of contacts 98, namely, codes 1, 2 and '3, each of which have a different arra'ngement of rectifier elements 92a associated therewith. The conductors 89a representing the conducting strips of the code stacks, of which there will be three groups for each key, terminate at "various points of a multilevel switch 99. The wipers of switch 8?: are connected through the coils "of relays 91a to negative potential. Thus, depending upon the position of the switch 99, codes represented by either code 1, 2 or 3 will be effective to operate the relays Sla in corresponding combinations. It will be noted that the code 3 ea six-element code and accordingly, with the switch in code 3 position, the six relays 91a are operated in various combinations, whereas with the switch in code positions 1 and 2, only the first five relays 91a are selectively operated. As is wellknow m the' keys to any secret code are the letter frequency, the group sequence, and the doubles. The code strips shown and described hereinmay be so assembled that one and the same letter can have as many code symbols as- 'tl i'e total number of letters used in any particular alphabet. Consequently very long sewasta e: letters would show no repetitions because by each depressionoi any key a different code symbol can be generated automatically. Such an; arrangement would provide a relatively simple coding: device as compared to present day complicated mechanical methods of coding or decoding which are very elaborate and time consuming Furthermore, an electrical V keyboard consisting, orany number of code strips is more versatile, faster, and is of greatly reduced physical dim'ensions,

It will be obvious that various other modifications of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit or essential attributes therjeof an'd it is desiredtherefore that only such limitationsbejp d thereon as are imposed by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a series of electro-responsive devices, a plurality of keys, a code stack individual to each of said keys, each of said stacks having a plurality of the same number of code positions therein, each of said code positions having either a rectifying or an insulating element therein, a series of substantially straight conducting strips extending through and electrically interconnecting the corresponding code positions of a plurality of said code stacks, means operative on the actuation of one of said keys to apply electrical potential to its associated code stack, and means including said conducting strips for conducting potential from said code stack to said electro-responsive devices to selectively operate the same in accordance with the location of the rectifying elements in the stack of the actuated key.

2. In a code signal generating mechanism, a plurality of keys, a code stack individual to each key, each of said stacks having a like number of code determining positions therein, said code positions being in superimposed relation and each containing a rectifier element or an insulating element, a zig-zag folded electrical shorting strip interconnecting all of the code positions of a stack, a substantially straight separate conducting strip extending through each of said code positions and common to corresponding code positions of adjacent stacks, means operated by each key for applyng an electrical potential to said shorting strip, and means including the presence of a rectifying element in a code position for applying said potential to associated ones of said conducting strips.

3. In a permutation code signal generating mechanism, a plurality of code stacks each having a common plurality of stacked superimposed code determining positions therein, each of said code positions including either an individual rectifier element or an individual insulating element, a zig-zag folded electrical shorting strip individual to each of said code stacks interconnecting and extending through all of said code positions and contacting one side of each rectifier or insulating element, a plurality of separate conducting strips common to a plurality of said stacks, one for each code position and extending therethrough to contact the other sides of said rectifier or insulating elements, means for selectively applying an electrical potential to the shorting strip of said code stacks, and means including the presence of a rectifying element in a code position for continuing said potential to associated ones of said conducting strips.

4. In a permutation code signal generating mechanism, a plurality of code stacks each having a common plurality of stacked superimposed code determining positions therein, each of said code positions including either a rectifier element or an insulating element, a zig-zag folded electrical shorting strip extending through all of said code positions, a separate substantially straight and fiat conducting strip also extending through each of said code positions and corre sponding code positions of adjacent code stacks, means to selectively apply electrical potential through the shorting strip of the associated code stack to each code position thereof, and means dependent upon the presence of a rectifying element in one or more of said code positions to continue said potential to associated ones of said conducting strips.

5. In a permutation code signal generating mechanism, a plurality of code stacks each having a like number of electrically separate code positions therein, a first conducting strip individual to each code stack and common to all the code positions therein, a plurality of second conducting strips each being common to a corresponding code position of each code stack, means to selectively apply electrical potential individual to the said first conducting strips of associated stacks, and means including individual rectifying elements or insulating elements separating the first conducting strip from the second conducting strips for determining which ones of said second conducting strips have potential applied thereto to represent permuted code signals.

6. In a code signal device, a plurality of normally open pairs of contacts, one contact of which is connected to a source of potential, an individual code stack for each pair of contacts, said stacks each having a like number of electrically separate code positions therein, a first conducting strip for each stack and common to all the code positions therein electrically connected to the other contacts of said pairs of contacts, a plurality of fiat elongated second con ducting strips with each one being common to a corresponding code position of each stack, means including said pairs of contacts for applying electrical potential to the associated code stack, a plurality of rectifier elements and a plurality of insulating elements for separating the conducting strips in each code position, and means dependent upon the selective positioning of a rectifier element or an insulating element in said code positions for determining to which ones of said second conducting strips the electrical potential is applied on the closing of a pair of contacts.

JOSEPH J. SAYKAY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,249,122 Edwards July 15, 1941 2,262,321 Gundlfinger et al. Nov. 11, 1941 2,424,481 McCoy July 22, 1947 2,473,419 Fletcher June 14, 1949 2,476,066 Rochester July 12, 1949 2,489,576 Henry Nov. 29, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 499,900 Great Britain Jan. 31, 1939

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