US322495A - Machine - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 5 6 Sh'eetsSheet 1.

G. SPIRG. h

TYPE WRITING MACHINE. No. 322,495. r Patented July 21, 1-885 (N0 Model.) SfShets-Sheet 2.

U. SPIRO.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

No. 322,495. Patented July 21, 1885.

iii/enter:

W, I j

N PETERS. PImIv-Lxlhowphen Washington. D C.

(No Model.) 6Sheets-Sheet 3.

O. SPIRO.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

No. 322,495. Patented July'Z1, 18-85.

Wfine/s s es Inven'lor;

(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 4.

. 0. SPIRO.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE. No. 322,495. Patnted July 21, 1885-.

N PETILRS. Phulmljlhngmplmn Wnslvingtnn. n. c.

(No Model.) 6, Sheets-Sheet 5.

0. SPIRO.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

No. 322,495. Patented July 21, 1885..

(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 6,

0. SPIRO. TYAPE WRITING MACHINE.

Patented July 21,1885.

l lzz'enhw x UNITED STATES:

PATENT Orricn.

CHARLES srrn'o, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

SPECIEFEOATZfiN fanning part of Letters Patent No. 322,495, dated July 21, 1885.

Application filed January 6, 1885.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it-known that 1, CHARLES SrIRo, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York, and State 7 of New York, have invented certain new and municated to the type-sleeve in order to bring. a printing character thereon corresponding with that of the key operated. to a common print-ingpoint, so that with suit-able mechanism for carrying the paper to be printed upon along, and by said common printing-point,

printed matter may be produced by the ma-.

chine.

Among the objects of my invention are to reduce the number of parts, the simplification of the individual parts and of the machine as an entirety, the compact arrangement of the several operative elements of the machine in order to reduce its size, the exposure of the letters andwords printed at the time of and after the printing of the same without moving any portion of the machine, the capability of the substitution of different styles or forms of printing'characters, the provision of vari" able spacing adapted to the requirements of any style of printing -characters, and means whereby complete words may be printed by the single operation of a single key, the operation of the paper -feeding devices by the gravity of the paper carriage, and the provision of such a construction as will permit the substitution of carriages of differing lengths, and the cooperation of the same with the rest of the machine, whereby it is adapted for use in printing matter desired to be expanded to any length 'of line.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear in the following description,

and the novel features thereof will be specitic (No model.)

' spective of a typewriting machine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same with the keys removed. Fig. 3 is a similarview with the keys, their levers and guiding and supporting mechanism removed. Fig. 4isa bottomview in plan of the machine. Fig. 5is a front elevation and Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the machine. Fig. '7 is a skeleton perspective of the operating-l ver and certain devices co-operating therewith. Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the feeding mechanism, portions being shown in section. Figs. 9, 10, 11. 12, and 13 are details, hereinafter described.

' Like letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

All of the operative parts of my machine are connected with or arranged upon or beneath a single base-plate or bed, A, which is supported by any suitable standards, as A. For the purpose of describing the construction of the machine herein illustrated as one embodiment of my invention, I designate as the front of the machine the side opposite that at which the carriage is placed, the front being the side toward the operator, the general height of the machine being such thatan unobstructed sight of thework produced upon thepaper while upon the carriage can be had at the time of and subsequently to the printing of the same.

Upon the base A, and near the corners thereof, are four posts or standards, A", which serve to support rods A*, on which the keylevers B are pivotally mounted. Between the posts A, and parallel with the rods mounted in them, are arranged two partitions, A which are slotted through and through, as at A, to permit of the passage therethrough of a portion of a key-lever nearest its pivoted end and grooved, as at A to receive the free end of the key-lever, which is pivoted on the bar at the opposite end of the machine from said groove. One-half of the levers are pivoted at one side of the machine, and the other half at the opposite side thereof, the levers crossing each other at about the center of the machine, their free ends riding in the grooves A in the innersurfaces of one of the partitions A".

suitable manner to the partitions, and project so as to bear against the under side or edge of Springs A are secured in "any'fl r5 either side of the machine, and extending each of the key-levers for the purpose of returning the same to a normal position after having been depressed.

At a suitable point along the upper edge of the projection is provided with an adjustingscrew, B, for a purpose hereinafter described. Pivotally connected to the standards A at completely along and beneath the entire series ofkeys pivoted at each end of the machine, are the bails B, which, by a spring hereinafter described, are normally maintained in an elevated positionthat is, hearing against the under edges of the key-levers B, so that as each key of each half of the series of levers is depressed one of said levers depresses the bail at that side of the machine at which one-half of the levers are pivoted.

From each of the bails B there passes through the bed-plate A a rod, B, the lower end of which abuts against the upper surface of the rock-arms B projecting from a rockshaft, B, supported in brackets B, formed on or secured to the under surface of the bedplate. Projecting to the rear, and rigidly mounted on the rock-shaft B", is another rockarm, B, the extreme rear end of which is resilient or yielding. In this instance this characteristic of that portion of the rock-arm B issecured in the provision of a curved flat spring, B, attached by screws B (or it may be in any other manner which will suggest itself to any skilled mechanic) to the rigid portion 13 of the rock-arm. By reference to Fig. 4. it will be seen that in this instance brackets A are secured to the bed-plate and project therefrom in a plane substantially parallel,

with and lower than its main portion, and at the rear ends of these brackets are standards A By reference to Figs. 2, 3, and 6 it will be seen that the paper-roll and the carriage for the same are mounted in ways formed in a carriagesupporting part, A, which I shall for convenience designate as the platen-frame. At each end of the platen A, arms A are extended and pivoted in the standards A so that the platen-frame, the carriage, and the paper-roll thereof are adapted for a rising and falling motion.

From the center of the platen-frame, and projecting toward the front of the machine, is a lug, A, which is provided with an adjusting-screw, A, and set-nut A. Immediately over the lug A is a pivoted cheek-lever, pawl, or stop, A, provided with a similar adjusting-screw and nut, A. The stop A is mounted in a depending bracket or lug, A,

formed on or secured to the under surface of the bed-plate.

As thus far described it will be seen that when any one of the keys is depressed its lever is brought into contact with the upper surface of one or the other of the bails B, so that the movement of the key-lever is by said bail coinmunicated by means of the rods B to the rockarms B and B of the rock-shaft B depressing the arms B and elevating the free end of the arm B, the rigid portion of said arm acting directly to withdraw the stop A from contact with the upper surface of the lug A, which contact acts to retain the platen-frame A in a depressed position, resting upon the screw A, mounted in the bracket A while by reason of the curved surface A of said stop suitable movement of the rigid portion of the arm B is permitted before the stop is re leased from the lug. During this limited movement of the rigid portion of the arm B power is being stored in the spring B, or, in other words, thetension of said spring against the adjusting-screw 1 is being constantly increased, so that at the instant that the stop A is removed from contact with the lug A the power thus stored, or the tension of the spring thus increased, serves to suddenly lift the platen-frame with the carriage and paperroll thereon, and to force the paper-roll and the paper thereon quickly and firmly against the characters on that face of the type-sleeve which is presented toward the paper,.the recoil of the blow and the weight of the paperroll, the carriage, and the platen-frame all serving to bring it back to its normal position, the adjusting-screw A being set at such a point that the stop A shall by gravity resume its normal position above the lug A.

By the construction and operation thus far described each depression of each of the keys is utilized to give a necessary motion to a proper part of the machine to secure the in1- pression of a printing character upon the paper. It now remains to describe the devices and construction employed in this my invention for selecting the character to be printed,aud for feeding the carriage to present the proper surface of the paper to receive the character when printed.

The first principal element necessary to accomplish the purposes just stated is the typesleeve D, the construction, character, manner of mounting, and the devices employed for the operation of which will now be described.

The typesleeve is a square, or it may be a IIO polygonal tube, the inner bore of which may be either square, round, or polygonal, and is mounted upon a rotatable rod, D, adapted to the bore of the tube. In case a cylindrical rod, D, is employed a spline or fin, D is used to prevent the rotation of the sleeve upon the rod, and in case the rod D is square, polygonal, or triangular portions of its faces may be removed, as shown at D, to reduce the friction of the sleeve upon the rod and the extent of the surface which requires finishing to fit the bore of the sleeve. Thetype-strips D" may be soldered directly to the outer faces of the sleeve or may be otherwise secured there to; but for the purpose of making provision for the use of different styles of type I prefer to form in the outer surfaces of the sleeve longitudinal dovetail grooves D and to correspondingly shape the edges of the type-strips D*, as shown at D. One or more faces of the sleeve, or one or more removable type-strips, may be provided with complete words, as shown in Fig. 3, or two styles of type may be formed on a single strip, if desired; but I prefer to arrange in transverse lines upon the strip or the sleeve a printing character or characters and projections or depressions I) to determine the spacing required by said characters, as hereinafter described. The rod or shaft D is in this instance mounted in brackets D", extending rearwardly from the baseplate A, and in a bracket, D", arranged upon said plate. The rear end of the rod and a portion near its front end is adapted to be rorated in the brackets D D", while at its extreme front end it is provided with a thumbnut, D and a notched disk, D,into which the spring actuated detent D takes, the notches being so arranged on the disk with relation to the faces of the sleeve as to present one or the other of said faces toward the'carriage when the detent is in a notch. The pre sentation of desired faces of the type-sleeve for use is in this instance accomplished enbase A and connected by links E to a collar, E", formed in two parts, which are adapted to embrace a circular bearing, D formed in the sleeve D, the pivots E" of the links serving also to bind the two parts of the collar within the bearing D. From the frontend of the 1ype-sleeve,and secured to and formed as apart of, or it may be secured to the upper half of the collar E is projected a bracket, the endofwhich is turned vertically to form a stop, D.

The means for operating the levers .E'are clearlyshown in Fig. 1. Upon the rod A mounted in the standards A, which serves as the pivotal bearing for the key-levers B, is a bail, F, having a depending arm, F, which is adapted to be brought into contact with the shorter arms of the levers E. From the bail F there depends a spring-plate, F against which the adj Listing-screws B" of the k ey lcvers B abut when a key is depressed, so that motion is conveyed to the arm or rod F, and by it and its companion on the opposite side of the machine to the levers E, links E", collar E, and sleeve D, so as to project the sleeve along the rod D from front to rear. To determinethe extent of the reciprocation of the sleeve and movement of the lever E, each of the adjustingscrews 13* is so set as togive the required movement to the spring-plate F", bail F, and arm F.

Now,the arrangement of the charactersupon,

each face of the printing-sleeve is such that those most frequently used will be nearest to the printing-point when the sleeve is in its normal position, and the relative arrangement of the key-levers one with another is such that each shall, when depressed, form an obstacle to the further advaeement of the sleeve when it is reached by the key-lever in its downward 'movement. The function of the spring-plate F now becomes apparent, in that, by means of the adjusting-screws B, the pressure exerted upon the plate by the shorter arms of the keylevers is regulated, so that the movement of said arms of the levers occurringin bringing the lever into contact with the stop D, shall bejust sufficiently absorbed by the spring-plate to regulate the extent of the movement of the arm F against the lever E, so that the sleeve shall be reciprocated in proportion to the location of the type thereon. In other words, by means of a yielding connnecting element, and suitable adjusting devices be tween the pivots of the key-levers and those of the sleeve reciprocating levers, I am enabled to distribute the force exerted in depressing any single key of the entire series and its lever to the sleeve, so that the sleeve shall receive just a sufficient quantity of that force to carry it only to the lever which is depressed. i V

The single stop D upon the sleeve is sufficient for ordinary purposes; but in more rapid writing I prefer to employ two stops, as illus-I trated in Fig. 9, the rear'one, D"*, being lower than the front one, and the rearlower corner,

3*, of the lever B being beveled orremoved,

A coiled spring, E is connected with each of the levers E, for the'purpose of returning the sleeve to its normal position after having been once operated by the levers.

It now remains to describe the construction and operation of the carriage-feeding devices, and in this portion, of the machine other of the important novel features of my invention are embodied. As heretofore described, the carriage G is mounted forlongitudinal movement in or on the platen A, which is supported pivotally, so as to rise and fall during the operation of printing. The carriage is provided with the usual bearings for the paper-roll G, a thumb-nut, G", and a ratchet, G being pro.

vided,as usual, for the rotation of the paper-roll for line to line movement. Paper-retaining de.

IIO

vices G, of usual construction, are also provided. A rack-bar, G, is formed along the front side of the framework of the carriage, which framework or base is dovetailed into the platen, as clearly shown. In this instance the carriage, as described, is completely separable from the platen, so that without disconnecting any of the devices from the machine a carriage may be removed therefrom, and another carriage, adapted to fit the platen and of any desired length, may be inserted therein for use in connection with the printing devices. By reason of this construction and adaptation to put in and take out carriages of differing lengths, one machine may be employed for printing matter of usual or unusual length of line. A job partially done may be removed, and another carriage with a new job inserted without displacing the printing-point of the job removed, and so that work may be readily resumed thereon, as occasion may require.

At the front side of the platen is a standard, H, to which is pivoted a bell-crank lever, H, the pivot being at H near the top of the standard H. That arm of the lever H which depends over the rack-bar (l is projected at each side, and provided at the front in the line of feed, during the process of printing, with a pivoted spring pressed feed-pawl, H the spring I of which is rigidly secured to the depending portion of the lever H. The rear projection of the lever H is provided with a detent, H. The pawl H is extended in rear 'of its pivot, as at H which extension is rounded on its upper surface. The free upper end of the lever H comes in contact with a relatively-fixed projection (in this instance a portion, J, of the spacing-lever J) when said le ver is in its normal position.

As hereinbefore more particularly set forth, the platen will be raised after the pivoted stop A has been removed from the upper surface of the lug A (formed on or secured to the platen) by means of the increased tension ,prodnced in the spring B. In the act of rising the platen elevates the standard H secured to it, and this in turn elevates the pivot H of the lever H, and if means are provided to retain the free end of said lever in contact with a relativelyfixed point, as J, the detent H will be raised from the rack G and the pawl H will be carried backward over the teeth of said rack, and over such anumber of the teeth as may be desired, by controlling the pawl against the resistance or pressure of the spring I for a greater or less length of time during its backward movement. Now, the means provided for retaining the free end of the le ver H in contact with the fixed point J may be an increased weight of that portion of the lever to counterbalance the other portions of the lever and its adjuncts at the other side of its pivot, or a coiled spring, as H, may be employed to keep the free end of the lever in contact with the point J of the spacing-lever J. The spring J 2 maintains the spacing-lever J in an elevated or normal position, and the standard J" carries a key, J", for said lever, which key may be arranged in any suitable convenient proximity to the system of keys employed in the machine.

To determine the number of teeth over which the feed-pawl shall pass in its backward movement when the platen is raised,and therefore to determine the distance that the carriage with the paper thereon shall be conveyed after each impression, and to do this automatieally,l provide a standard,K, mounted upon the bed of the machine, therefore in dependent of the platen and carriage, and pivot thereon a bell-crank lever, K, the pivot being shown at K One arm of this lever is provided with a pin or projection passing beneath the lever H, as at K which pin is connected with said lever by means of a spring, K, so that the tendency of said arm and pin shall be to remain in contact with the lever H. The other arm of said lever K is provided with an adjustingscrew,K ,whichis adapted to bear upon the spacing projections or depressions D of the type-sleeve, so that as these projections or depressions vary in height or depth the lever K shall be oscillated on its pivot, so that the pin or projection K shall be removed from the lever H and the portion bearing the adj ustingscrew K shall be oscillated more or less to the rearward in the line of feed. In order to utilize this variation in the oscillation of the lever K, (which variation it will be seenwill be in accordance with the spacing required to print any given character on the sleeve,) I secure to the lever a wire, K, (or, the lever itself may be so extended,) so shaped as to pass downwardly and around the standard H and lever H to and above the rearward projection, H of the feedpawl, as shown at K".

Now, it is apparent that at the time of the raising of the platen and the return of the lever H in the manner described, and of a simultaneous return of the lever K,as described, that the wire K will act to retain the pawl for a longer or a shorter time from returning to the rack G when a key and all of the connecting devices between it and the spring B, which holds the platen up, are released, and the consequent falling of the platen occurs. In this manner the spacing depressions or projections upon the type-sleeve determine the amount of feed required for the character or the word upon the sleeve adjacent to said projection or depression which is printed by the sleeve. The force exerted on a key accomplishes the following results in substantially the following order: A key-lever is depressed, the sleeve reciprocated to expose a certain character or word and its spacing projection or depression at the printing-point, thespacing-lever K is set for the required feed, and the platen is raised to give the impression.

The inking device employed in this instance comprises any ink absorbing or retaining roller, L, mounted upon the shaft L and removably retained thereon'by means of the nut L", said shaft being supported in a yielding hearing. or spring, L, secured to the under side of the bed A, so that as the sleeve is reprinting-point, with the roller L.

It is apparent that many of the minor details of my invention mayreadily be changed bypersons skilled in the art of manufacturing type-writers, and I therefore do not limit my invention to the exact details of construc tion herein shown anddescribed, but reserve my right to alter the same in any manner and to any extent within the skill of the class of persons mentioned.

By means of. the key J" and the spacinglever J, upon which it is mounted, independent spacing or feeding of the carriage may be accomplished, as desired, the point J of the spacing-lever being lowered in order that the.

spring H of the feed-pawl lever may lower the free end of said lever and carry the pawl backward on the rack The spring-plate F permits the completion of the downstroke of the keylevers after they have come in contact with the stop D, which limits the forward reciprocation of the type-sleeve D. Thekey-lever during thelatter part of its downward motion, acting upon the bails l3 and rods B, serves to operate the rigid and yielding portions of the rock-arm,which liberates and elevates the platen to take an impression. WVithout the yielding element between the ends of the key-levers and the sleevereciprocating levers, the contact of the stop of the type sleeve with the key-lever would be so positive and forcible as to occasion a rebound in the type-sleeve, which would result in blurred impressions, as well as subjecting the machine to severe wear in operation.

Having described my invention and its operation, what I claim as new is 1. In a type-writingmachine, the combination,witl'1 a reciprocating type-sleeve having a stop of a system of key-levers arranged across the path of the same, and connections, substantially as described, for operating the sleeve.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination,with a reciprocating type-sleeve having a stop and with type-sleeve reciprocating levers, of a system of key-levers arranged across the path of the sleeve, each of which levers is provided with a key bearing an indication of the type or character which is brought to the printing-point when said lever is depressed, and a connecting device which is partly rigid and partly resilient, substantially as specified.

3. In a type-writing machine, the combination,with a reciprocating type-sleeve having a stop, of a system of key-levers, a portion of which are pivoted at each side of the sleeve and connected with duplicate type-sleeve operating-levers, substantially as specified.

4. In a type-writing machine, the combination, with a type-sleeve having a stop, of a series of key-levers arranged across the path ofthe sleeve, a bail arranged beneath the levers and connected with a rock-shaft, an arm of which is partly rigid and partly resilient, a pivoted platen connected with the yielding portion of said arm, a pivoted locking-pawl connected with the rigid portion of said arm, and a carriage mounted upon the platen, substantially as specified.

5. In a type-writing machine, the means shown and described for taking an impression from the printing-characters thereof, said means consisting of a pivoted or movable platen-frame, a carriage or paper-carrier, a lever operated by means of printing-character selecting-keys, and having a rigid and a resilient portion, the former connected with a stop for temporarily retaining the platen from rising to take the impression, substantially as specified. i

6. In a type-writing machine, the combination, with platen-frame and paper-carrier, of

alever having rigid and resilient portions,- a movable stop, and devices, substantially as described, for operating the lever, substantially as specified.

7. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a reciprocating type-sleeve and typesleeve operating-levers with a system of keylevers having adj usting-serews, a bail having a spring-plate, and a type-sleeve lever-operating rod, substantially as specified.

8. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a pivoted platen-frame having a feed pawl carrying standard, a paper-carrier provided with a rack, a feed-pawl lever having a bearing at itsfree end upon afixed portion of the machine, and devices, substantially as described, for raising the platenframe, substantially as specified, whereby the platen-frame in the act of falling operates the feed-pawl.

9. In a type-writing machine, a carriage and feed-rack, a rising and falling platen- IIO' frame provided with a feed-pawl and standard, A

a feed-pawl lever pivoted to the standard and.

projecting over a fixed part of the machine, in combination with adjustable devices, substantially as specified, for regulating the spacing.

10. In a type-writing machine, the combination, with a reciprocating type-sleeve having a front and rear stop, thelatter being lower than the former, of a key-lever arranged across the path of the sleeve and constructed to enter and fill the space between the stops thereon,

and connections for operating the sleeve, substantially as specified.

11. A type-sleeve for a type-writing machine provided with printing-characters and spacing-proj ections,substantiall y as specified.

12. A type-strip for a type-writing machine provided with printing-characters and spacing-projections arranged in transverse lines upon the same, substantially as specified.

13. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a reciprocating type-sleeve, its opcrating-levers, a rising and falling platen-frame and a paper-carrier thereon, feeding devices mounted upon the platen-frame, and devices substantially as described, for varying the extent of the feed, mounted independently ofthe platen-frame, substantially as specified.

14. In a type-writing machine, a rising and falling platen-frame, a paper-carrier mounted thereon and provided with a rack, feed devices inountedon the platen-frame, and an independent lever mounted on the fixed part of the machine for independent operation of the feed devices, substantially as specified.

15. In a type-writing machine, the con1bination, with a carriage, a rising and falling platenframe having arack, and the i'eedpawl, of a variable spacing-lever and devices, substantially as described, for regulating the action of the lever upon the pawl, substantially as specified. W

16. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a feed-pawl'pivotally mounted on a CHARLES SPIRO.

' WVitnesses:

WM. S. DUVALL, E. B. STOCKING.

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