US3001626A - Type action for electric typewriters and the like - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 26, 1961 K. R. FRECHETTE 3,

TYPE ACTION FOR ELECTRIC TYPEWRITERS AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 2, 1960 Sept. 2-6, 1961 K. R. FRECHETTE 3, 0 ,6 6

TYPE ACTION FOR ELECTRIC TYPEWRITERS AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 2, 1960 V 2 Sheets$heet 2 Fig.5

INVENTQR KENNETH R. REg-lgE 30 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,001,626 TYPE ACTION FOR ELECTRIC TYPEWRITERS AND THE LIKE Kenneth R. Frechette, Bristol, Conn., assignor to Royal McBee Corporation, Port Chester, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 2, 1960, Ser. No. 53,753 6 Claims. (Cl. 197-17) This invention relates to an improved type action for electric typewriters and the like, and more specifically relates to a reliable simple and inexpensive device for insuring that only a single typing action occurs for each depression of any of the respective keys of an electric typewriter.

Conventional type trip and by-pass arrangements are usually comprised of two, three or more elemental parts which are adapted to be initially operated by a key lever so as to cause a single cyclic engagement between a pawl or roll cam and the rotatably driven power roll. These elemental parts associated with each type action are usually pivotally mounted and spring biased in an appropriate manner in order to produce the desired results. Although such arrangements are in common use and produce the desired results they do not represent the most eflicient and simple way to obtain the needed trip and by-pass action. These several parts not only are more expensive because of the several required fabrication and assembly costs, but also may require adjustment, replacement or repair. Perhaps most significant here is that the added inertia which is inherently possessed by any such plural-part arrangement reduces the maximum potential rapidity and ease of the successive typing operations.

One object of the instant invention is to provide a novel type action having a simplified construction and a greater efiiciency in operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a simple reliable trip and by-pass arrangement for a type action whereby only one inexpensive part is required.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved low inertia trip and by-pass arrangement for each key action of an electric typewriter whereby a single looped flexible element is utilized to initiate a typing action as well as serving as a by-pass member.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel trip and by-pass arrangement whereby a column action on one portion of a laterally flexible member is used to provide a trip action and the lateral flexure of a greater portion of the said member is used to obtain a by-pass action.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view in partial section illustrating a typical type action incorporating the instant trip and by-pass arrangement.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURES 3, 4 and 5 are side elevational views showing active conditions of one portion of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1.

Referring to FIGURE 1 there is shown a typical type action which may be considered representative of the various other type actions in the typewriter. Unless otherwise stated it will be understood that the various parts shown are suitably supported by the machine side frames. Type bar which is conventionally mounted in a segment 11 is articulately connected by means of a "ice link 12 to a sub lever 13 the lower end of which is pivotally mounted on a cross shaft 14 and is disposed in a slot 15 formed in the frame cross member 16. Said sub-lever is biased to a normal counter clockwise position determined by engagement of the type bar 10 with the headrest 17 by means of a spring 18 which is anchored to the transversely extending adjustable manifold impression control bail 20. Rotatably mounted on sub-lever 13: by means of a pin 21 is a roll cam 22 having a roughened peripheral surface 23 which is eccentrically contoured with respect to the axis of pin 21. The roll cam is biased away from the power roll to a normal counter clockwise position in engagement with a bent-01f sub-lever ear 24 by means of a spring 25. The upwardly extending projection 26 formed on the roll cam is adapted to be moved downwardly against the action of spring 25 by means to be described whereby the eccentric roll cam periphery 23 engages the periphery of a continuously rotatably driven rubber coated cylindrical power roll 27 so that the sub-lever 13 and type bar 10 may be operatively displaced through a printing stroke. The general construction and operation of the above described apparatus is more or less conventional in nature and hence need not be further particularized here.

The means for initially rotatably displacing the roll cam 22 into engagement with the power roll comprises the usual key lever 30 which is pivotally mounted as at 31 and which is provided with an upwardly and rearwardly extending arm 32 that extends through and is movable in an elongated slot 33 formed in the transversely extending key lever guide member 34. Member 34 is secured to the machine frame by any suitable means such as one or more screws 35. The key lever 30 which has its upper and lower limits of movement determined by the transversely extending common stop members 36 and 37 respectively are biased to the normal upper position by a spring 40 which is anchored to a touch control bail 41 that is adjustably mounted in the machine frame by any suitable means.

A single transversely extending slotted comb-type member 42 is provided for the roll cam trip and by-pass arrangement for all of the various type actions, said member 42 being clamped to the machine frame by said screws 35. The member 42. is formed with a plurality of identical rearwardly extending flexible looped fingers such as at 43 each of which has a general inverted U- shaped configuration, there being one such finger associated with and substantially coplanar with respect to each of the respective type actions. The lower rearward or free end of the cantilever finger 43 shown is formed with a slot 44, FIGURE 2, and has a bent over pad 45 at the extreme end thereof which normally overlies the upper end of the said roll cam projection 26. The reduced end 46 of the rearwardly extending key lever arm 32 extends through the finger slot 44. The limit of forward movement of the said free end of finger 43 is defined by a shoulder 47, FIGURE 5, formed on the lower rearward edge of the key lever arm 32.

The normal condition of the above described apparatus is shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. When the key lever 30 is depressed the reduced end 46 of the key lever arm 32 will move downwardly thereby correspondingly displacing the lower free end of the flexible finger 43 along a normal downward path of movement so that the finger pad 45 engages the upper edge of the roll cam projection 26 as illustrated in FIGURE '3. Continued depression of the key lever will then cause the roll cam 22 to be pivoted into engagement with the power roll 27 as illustrated in FIGURE 4 so as to initiate the usual above described printing stroke of the type bar. If the key lever is restored to its normal position prior to the time that the printing and return strokes of the type bar are completed FIGURES 1 and positions.

3 then at the end of the cyclic operation all the parts will be immediately restored to their respective normal FIG- URE 1 positions. However if the key lever 36 is held depressed then a repeat typing action will not occur b cause the rearward edge 50 of the roll camprojection 26 in moving counter clockwise from its FIGURE 4 to its normal FIGURE 1 position during the latter part of the cyclic typing operation will engage the forward face of the now lowered free end of the finger 43 and will rea'rwardlydeflect the latter, as illustrated in FIGURE 7 5, laterally or rearwardly of its said normal path as said roll cam projection 26 approaches and reaches its normal This rearward deflection of finger 43 is never great enough however to cause disengagement of the key lever arm end 46 and the walls 'of the finger slot 44. Under these conditions the roll cam 22 cannot be pivotally displaced into operative engagement with the power roll 27 until the key'lever is first restored to an upper posit-ion so as to elevate the free end of finger 43 and thus permit the finger pad 45 to snap forwardly into its normal operative overlying position with respect to the upper edgeof the roll cam projection 26 as illustrated in FIGURE 1. When this has been accomplished the type action will then be ready for another cyclic operation.

It will be seen that the roll cam trip action is accomplished by the ability of that portion of the finger 43 between slot 44 and the bent over pad 45 to accommodate a key lever imposed column action that is suificient to rotatably displace the roll cam 22 against the action of the roll cam spring 25. During this trip action the upper portions of the finger 43 are subjected only to very slight bending or flexure stresses.' It will also be noted that the lower free end of finger 43 cannot resist a rearward deflection as illustrated in FIGURE 5 and the entire length of finger 43 is subjected to a slight flexing stress which affords the by-pass feature of the instant arrangement. The forces involved in the various flexures of the finger 43 are extremely light and are not transmitted to or felt by operators fingers thus giving a particularly desirable touch to the machine keyboard.

The single member 42 which is formed with the various flexible fingers such as 43 is simple in construction, inexpensive to fabricate and install, and has been found to be very reliable and eflicient' in operation.

While there is in this application sepecifically described one form which the invention'may assume in practice,

it will be understood that this form of the same is shown for purposes of illustration only and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms 'without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

7 action to produce engagement of said drive means with said power roll and a greater length of said finger being adapted to be flexed so as to provide a by-pass action.

2. In a typewriter; a type action comprising a type bar, a rotatably driven power roll operatively mounted in the machine frame, drive means engageable with said power roll for power actuating said type bar, means for controlling the engagement of said drive means with said power roll, said control means including a flexible finger V the free other end of said finger is disposed adjacent a mounted on the machine frame, and a key lever adapted to operate said finger, said finger being adapted to be subjected by said key lever to a column action to produce engagement of said drive meanswith said power roll and to be flexed by said drive means to provide a by-pass action.

3. In a typewriter; a type action comprising a type bar, a rotatably driven power roll operatively mounted in the machine frame,'drive means engageable with said power roll for power actuating said type bar, means for controlling the engagement of said drivemeans with said power roll, said control means including a flexible cantilever finger, and a key lever having an arm engageable with an intermediate 'portion of said finger so as to subject the free end of said finger to a column action which serves to engage said drive means and displace the latter into operative engagement with said power roll, said finger being adapted to be subsequently laterally flexed by said drive means to provide a by-pass action.

4. In a typewriter; a type action comprising a type bar, a rotatably driven powerr'ollo'peratively mounted in the machine frame, drive means engageable with said power roll for power actuating said type bar, means for controlling the engagement of said drive means with said power roll, said control means including a flexible finger having an inverted generally U-shaped configuration, one end of said-finger being mounted on said frame while the free end of said finger is disposed adjacent a portion of said drive means, and a key lever having a rearwardly extending arm which is engageable with the free end of said finger so as to displace the latter by a column action whereby said drive means is engaged with said power roll, said drive means being subsequently engageable with defines one finger of a slotted comb type member which is mounted on the machine frame, said member providing a plurality of similar cantilevered fingers for the various respective type actions of the machine.

6. In a typewriter; a type action comprising a type bar,

' a rotatably driven power roll operatively mounted in the machine frame, drive means engageable with said power roll for power actuating said type bar, means for controlling the engagement of said drive means with said power roll, said control means including a flexible finger having an inverted generally U-shaped configuration, one end of said finger being mounted on said frame while portion of said drive means, and a key lever having a rearwardly extending arm which is engageable with a slot formed adjacent the free end of said finger whereby depression of said key subjects the free end portion of said finger to a column action so as to engage and displace said drive means into operative engagement with said 'power roll, said drive means in being restored to its normal position being engageable wiht the free end of said finger so as to laterally deflect the latter rearwardly from its normal path of movement when said key lever is held in its depressed position thereby preventing the initiation of another typing action until the key lever is elevated to its normal upper position wherein said free end of the flexible finger may return to a normal operative position with respect to said drive means.

No references cited.

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