US2689405A - Roller ratchet assembly for straight edges - Google Patents

Description

p 1, 1954 E. c. NORMAN 2,689,405

ROLLER RATCHET ASSEMBLY FOR STRAIGHT EDGES Filed March 27, 1952 Fig. I.

Eugene 0. Norman INVENTOR. BY fiaudofi'n ($1 8M Patented Sept. 21, 1954 ROLLER. RATCHET ASSEMBLY FOR STRAIGHT EDGES Eugene 0. Norman, Santa Barbara, Calif., as-

signor to Pettersen Manufacturing Company, Inc., Santa Barbara, Calif.

Application March 27, 1952, Serial No. 278,797

3 Claims.

in my co-pending application Serial No. 236,546

for Pointer Attachments for Straight Edge and Roller Assemblies, filed July 13, 1951.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a straight edge device having means effecting movement of the straight edge over a surface such as a drafting board or sheets of printed matter to constitute a guide for typists and the like, and wherein the straight edge will be maintained in parallelism to itself during such movement.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an attachment in conformity with the preceding object'wherein small and uniform increments of movement may be imparted to the straight edge.

A still further objector the inventionis to provide a straight edge device as set forth in the foregoing objects wherein the increments of movement imparted to the straight edge may be regulated with precision and celerity.

These, together with various ancillary features and objects of the invention, which will later become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by the present invention, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated, by way of example only, on the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view, parts being broken away, of a straight edge device incorporating therein the principles of this invention;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view taken on the left of Figure 1;

a Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional detail view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional detail view taken upon an enlarged scale substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 4-4 of Figure 1, different positions of the device during operation being indicated in dotted lines therein.

Referring now more specifically to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views,

it will be seen that the device in accordance with this invention includes a convential form of straight edge or ruler indicated by the numeral I0 and upon which is secured a pair of support arms l2 as by screws I4. The arms 12 are preferably secured to the'top surface of the straight edge adjacent the ends of the latter and extend rearwardly therefrom, these arms terminating in cylindrical bosses It and by means of these bosses the arms are journaled rotatably upon a tubular shaft l8. Upon the ends of the shaft l8 are suitably fixed a pair of knurled supporting rollers 20 of any suitable material and conventional design, and it will be appreciated that the shaft 68 has its axis disposed in a parallel relation to the beveled forward edge 22 of the straight edge.

As so far described, it will be apparent that the straight edge may be placed upon a drafting board or a sheet of printed material and may be moved therealong to parallel positions to assist the draftsman or to aid the typist or copyist or proofreader as a guide.

Between its ends, shaft I8 is provided with a pair of intermediate knurled rollers 24 and between these rollers is fixed a central portion of a lever arm 26. One end of this lever arm is bifurcated as at 28 and is provided with a set screw 30 extending transversely thereof. Through the bifurcated portion of the lever arm is a screw threaded bore 32, see Figure 4, in which is screw-threadedly engaged the upper externally threaded shank portion 34 having a headed lower end 36 adapted to bear downwardly upon and engage the uppersurface of the straight edge It. A knurled finger grip knob 38 is fixedly secured to the shank adjacent the headed portion 36 and constitutes a means whereby the shank may be rotated and adjusted towards and from the straight edge.

At its other end, the lever is provided with a finger grip portion 49 and in its hub portion 26 is provided with a bore 42 in which is disposed a ball-type of clutch or ratchet grip 44, urged downwardly as by a compression spring 48 into contact with the shaft I8. A threaded plug 48 is received in the enlarged upper end of the bore 42 to retain the compression spring and the clutch or ratchet member in position therein.

The arrangement is such that when the lever 42 is pressed downwardly as shown by the arrow 56 in Figure 4, the ratchet ball will lock upon the shaft 18 and cause the latter to pivot in a clockwise direction, thereby moving the rollers 20 from the full line to the dotted line position shown in Figure 4, carrying with the rollers and shaft l8 the straight edge through the linear travel indicated by the numeral 52.

Upon release of the lever handle 40, the weight of the other end of the lever 26 will cause a counter-clockwise rotation of the safe from the dotted line to the full line position shown in Figure 4, thereby causing the straight edge to remain downwardly upon the surface over which it travels.

The amount of movement of the lever 26 is regulated by the adjusting screw member 35, 38, this member, being in abutting engagement with the upper side of the straight edge l0, limiting the counter-clockwise movement of the lever (see Figure 4) and consequently of the lever finger grip portion 40. As the lever is rocked clockwise, the rollers 20, 24 which support the device rotate through a corresponding are and cause a proportionate travel of the straight edge. This travel is very accurately adjustable by the screw member, which adjustably limits the upward movement of the portion 40 and hence the travel of the device.

The apparatus is readily adjustable to cause travel of the same over printed matter in line by line sequence as the portion 40 is intermittently depressed, greatly facilitating the work of typists, copyists and proofreaders. Similarly, the straight edge can be accurately manipulated to facilitate such work of the draftsman as crosshatching or the like.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the foregoing specification and accompanying drawings, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, but all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A ratchet lining device comprising, a straight edge, an axle having supporting rollers at its oposite ends, means journaling the straight edge upon the axle for free pivotal movement thereon,

a lever journaled on said axle, a ratchet mechanism carried by said lever and engaging said axle for imparting a step by step rotation to the axle, means for adjusting the stroke of said lever and the extent of rotation of said axle, said last means comprising a member operatively interposed between said lever and straight edge, said lever having its center of gravity between said axle and said straight edge.

2. A ratchet lining device comprising a straight edge, an axle having supporting rollers, means journaling the straight edge upon the axle in fixed relation, a lever journaled on said axle, a ratchet mechanism carried by said lever and engaging said axle for imparting a step by step rotation to the axle, means for adjusting the stroke of said lever and the extent of rotation of said axle, said last means comprising a member operatively interposed between said lever and straight edge, and a pair of supporting rollers on said axle on opposite sides of said lever.

3. A ratchet lining device comprising a straight edge, a pair of supporting rollers, an axle rigidly connected to said rollers and extending therebetween, means journaling said straight edge upon said axle for free pivoting movement thereabout whereby both said rollers and said straight edge may continuously rest upon a supporting surface, a lever pivotally mounted upon said axle between said rollers, a ratchet mechanism carried by said lever and directly engaging said axle for imparting a step by step rotation thereto upon pivotal oscillation of said lever upon said axle, said lever having a 'journal bearing receiving said axle therein and a clutch bore in said lever intersecting said bearing, a clutch member in said bore engaging the portion of said axle which is journaled in said bearing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS France June 28, 1950

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