US3504779A - Margin control in typing machine - Google Patents

Description

April 7, 1970 H. MARUM 3,504,779

MARGIN CONTROL IN TYPING MACHINE Filed Nov. 8, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 B E] l] E] E] E] E] E] E! E] [IE] QQ April 7, 1970 H. MARUM 3,504,779

MARGIN CONTROL IN TYPING MACHINE 7 Filed Nov. 8, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent US. Cl. 19763 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A margin positioner for a typewriting machine which has an escapement mechanism for spacing between irn pressions. The return movement of the carriage is to an overtravel position, and there is provided a sensing means which operates the escapement independently from impression typing to advance the carriage from its overtravel position to the desired margin position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The drawings illustrate the invention in the context of the well known Vari-Typer Composing machine produced and sold by Vari-Typer Corporation, N.J., USA, and is particularly suited for that machine. However, the principles of the invention and the results to be obtained, will apply equally to any precision type printing or writing machine wherein a paper carriage and a type font impression position are moved relative to one another.

In the usual situation, a typewriting device employs a movable carriage which is returned to the right to a margin stop in order that typing may begin on the left hand side of a sheet of paper and proceed across the page toward the right margin. Obviously, Hebrew and similar languages which read from right to left will employ adaptations in reverse. This invention will be described in the context of English language and a typing machine which operates to type from left to right across the page.

Typewriters, for many years, required the carriage to be returned manually by the operator. A single lever usually served the joint function of advancing the carriage roller to thread the paper to a subsequent line, and to return the carriage to begin a new line of type. The full return of the carriage to starting position at the left margin in such devices is dependent upon a stop which is selectively positionable and the careful return of the carriage to that stop.

Conventional typewriters use a spacing of equal amount between each letter regardless of letter width and height. Devices of the type illustrated in the drawings employ proportional spacing according to the particular letter being impressed. Accordingly, the escapement mechanism employed on such fine control machines is more precise and subject to improper marginal spacing than the standard ofiice machine.

The use of electrical power for operating typing machines has not altogether solved the problem of left margin error. -A fast return of a carriage to a margin stop can result in a malfunction of the escapement and catch mechanism permitting the margin overtravel or to fall away from the stop one or more increments. Such accidental mispositioning of the carriage from the left margin is troublesome in any situation, but becomes of considerably greater concern in the composition of proportionally spaced subject matter used for reproduction in the graphic arts. There is no room for error in such end use.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION An advantage of this invention is that the carriage is caused'to return to the desired stop position and then overtravel a limited amount, whereafter the escapement mechanism is operated increment by increment to return the carriage slowly to the exact marginal stop position.

This invention solves the problem of mispositioning from the usual fixed stop by bringing the carriage to a stop roughly in a position desired, but overtraveled from that position, and thereafter operating the normal escapement mechanism to bring the carriage to exact alignment at the stop position in relatively slow incremental stops.

Other objects in a fuller understanding of this invention will become apparent as the description of the preferred embodiment proceeds.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of an ofiice composing machine employing a precision margin control device embodying the principles of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a schematic illustration of the parts applied to the composing machine for precision margin control.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The FIGURE 1 of the drawings is provided in order to relate the parts shown in FIGURE 2 into an understandable, workable environment. Although the principles of this invention are applicable to various types of typewriting machines, a differential spacing typewriter 10 of the type internationally known by the trademark Vari- Typer is used as an illustration of the invention.

A carriage 12, which carries paper holding and advancing rollers 14 and 15, is mounted to shift laterally across the machine in order to carry paper relative to an impression station.

In order to illustrate the invention in a readily understandable view, FIGURE 2 is diagrammatic. End pieces 17 and 18 of the carriage as seen in FIGURE 1 are used as a frame of reference between the FIGURES 1 and 2. The operating mechanism in FIGURE 1, as normally viewed from any angle in the operative machine, substantially conceals a rack 26 which is an integral part of the carriage. Rack 26 is mounted in such a manner that it may be lifted and loweredfor some purposes. It is actually shiftable as much as one-half inch for line justification, but at the time of return of the carriage, the rack is locked in place, and in the function of this invention may be considered not shiftable with respect to the carriage to any appreciable degree, and hence moves longitudinally as a fixed part of the carriage. Rack 26 is shown only in fragmentary view in FIGURE 2 but is to be considered an integral longitudinally shiftable part of the carriage 12.

A plural pinion 28 is used in the illustrative machine as a means to select a desired horizontal spacing. Rack 26 is liftable, and' pinion 28 shiftable to place. one of four in mesh with the rack. The Vari-Typer ofiice composing machine has a plurality of such pinions 28, in order to provide a selection of spacings between character imprints. However, regardless of whether one or a plurality of actual pinions are employed, the function of the selected pinion is the same, and that is to control the incremental release of the carriage as printing impressions are carried out.

The pinion 28 is fixed upon a shaft 30. It is desired that the rack 26 drive the pinion 28 during normal release between printing impressions. The carriage 12 is driven in a series of adjacent impression positions by a spring motor, as known to the typewriter art. This direction is indicated by the arrow and capital letter T shown in FIGURE 2, indicating movement during typing. Return movement is indicated by the arrow and the reference letter R.

An escapement mechanism 32 is represented in part by an escapement wheel 33 fixed to the shaft 30. In order for the carriage to move rack 26 in the typing release direction, the pinion 28 must be driven. A unidirectional clutch connects two separate sections which together compose the shaft 30. Such clutch is a commercially known device and therefore is represented in FIGURE 2 only by the block 31. The clutch 31 is arranged so that the wheel 33 must also be driven during typing release movement. Accordingly, movement of the carriage is controlled by incremental release of the wheel 33. Release is accomplished in the escapement mechanism by escapement pawls in the manner well known in the mechanical movement art. Only lever 34 of the escapement mechanism is illustrated in FIGURE 2, the balance of the complex escapement levers being omitted for clarity of illustration.

The escapement mechanism 32 is manually operable by linkage interconnected with each key and type bar of a keyboard 36. The linkage mechanism is not illustrated, being of known conventional construction, but is connected to drive a link 37 which in turn causes the escapement mechanism to release the wheel 33 one increment. Each time a proper key connected to the link 37 is depressed, the carriage will shift the amount determined by the pinion diameter and the coder, as known in the art.

Referring again to FIGURE 1, a motor 38 is shown at the rear of the machine to provide power for all of the driven functions. One such function is the power return of the carriage in the direction of the arrow R in FIG- URE 2. A spring clutch 39 is normally disconnected, and is actuated to drive a wire spool 40. Wire spool 40 carries a wire connected to the opposite end of the carriage. A return key 41 is connected, by means not shown, to actuate the clutch 39 and cause the wire spool 40 to drive the carriage from left to right in the FIGURE 1 view.

A rack 43, also a part of the carriage 12 and shiftable longitudinally therewith, is hidden below the superstructure of the carriage in FIGURE 1, and is accessible only from the front of the machine. The rack 43 is connected between the end pieces 17 and 18 as shown in FIGURE 2. Rack 43 is provided for determining the left hand margin to which the machine is designed to return upon actuation of the return key 41.

A catch 44 is longitudinally shiftable along the rack 43 to any relative position along the length thereof. The rack is inscribed with a series of measuring indicia, as shown in FIGURE 2. Setting of the catch position determines the left margin to which the machine will return each time the carriage return key 41 is depressed.

Catch 44 is composed generally of a saddle frame 45 which fits over the rack 43, and a spring retained pawl 46. Pawl 46 has top surfaces which lock into a toothed bottom edge of the rack 43, and provides a hook end on the lower side. By pressing a release lever on the top of the catch 44, the saddle may be slipped along the rack to any desired position, and release of the pawl will cause it to lock in that selected position.

This invention provides for a center slide 50 carried by the machine. The center slide is composed generally of a longitudinal frame 51 having elongated guide openings 52 at opposite ends thereof. The openings 52 are engaged over loosely fitted screws carried by the main frame of the machine in order that the frame 51 of the center slide 50 may shift longitudinally within the limits of the longitudinal dimension of the openings 52.

An abutment 53 is pivotally carried on the frame 51 by a pivotally mounted carriage 54. The abutment 53 is normally held in a position which is in the path of the pawl 46 carried by catch 44 and therefore will be engaged by the pawl 46 as the carriage is advanced to the right. The pivotally mounted carriage 54 is held in this engagement position by means of a spring 55 which urges the abutment 53 to an elevated condition. A rod 56 is provided to force the carriage 54 to rotate counterclockwise against the urge of the spring 55. counterclockwise rotation will lower the abutment 53 out of the path of the pawl 46. Rod 56 is connected to a margin release lever on the carriage.

A spring 58 urges frame 51 toward a position of early engagement with the pawl 46, and thus the frame will move for a distance with the catch 44 after the pawl 46 first makes engagement with abutment 53. Spring 58' urges the frame to the left in FIGURE 2, and therefore provides maximum juxtaposition movement. The movement of the catch 44 to the abutment 53, and the advance of the entire carriage thereafter, is employed as a drive control means for starting and stopping a drive means which advances the carriage along its path by individual increments in the typing direction. The drive control means is in a neutral condition whenever the activator catch 44 is separated from the drive control center slide 50. Because the drive control slide 50 lies in the fixed path of the actuator catch 44, the catch will approach the abutment 53 in a direction which is the opposite of the first typing direction to a point of first engagement.

The typing direction is referred to as a first direction, and the carriage return, which carries the catch 44, as a second direction. The point of first engagement of catch to abutment, is a juxtaposition of the activator and control means. In the preferred embodiment of the mechanical device, this juxtaposition is a point of first contact. It might be likened to the movement of a light beam to a first position upon a light sensitive device. Thereafter, because the catch continues to move and carries the abutment and its slide frame therealong, the slide is sometimes referred to as a drag link. There is an overtravel of the activator and the drive control means while they remain in the juxtaposition. Thus, because the activator catch has moved the center slide out of its normal rest position where it is urged by the spring 58, the associated control transfer structure is used to bring the drive control means to an active condition.

The associated control transfer structure begins with a rod 60 mounted for rotation around its longitudinal axis. A crank arm 62 and link 64 connects the rod 60 to the center slide and therefore will cause rotation of this rod 60 through a limited rotary arc in compliance with the longitudinal shifting of the center slide 50.

A rod having a loop end 68 is mounted over the drive stud of banking lever crank arm 70. Arm 70 rotates around the longitudinal axis of the shaft 60 and is driven thereby. However, the loop end construction 68 on rod 66 provides for a degree of slack such that the center slide must move and drive the rod 60 through a few degrees of rotation prior to actuation of the rod 66. Therefore, the movement of rod 66 is delayed in its motion after first contact of pawl 46 with abutment 53. This delay in movement is a lost motion mechanism designed to overtravel a limited distance before bringing into operation a system for returning the carriage increment by increment to a preselected margin position.

Referring to FIGURE 1, a shaft 72 is employed to drive the wire spool 40. Shaft 72 is driven continuously by the motor 38 and power for operation of spool 40 is tapped only when the clutch 39 is activated. Adjacent to the shaft 72 is a rocker arm 74 carried by pivot support 75. A spring 76 urges the rocker arm 74 to rotate around the pivot 75. An eccentric wheel 78 is carried on one end of the rocker arm 74. A rubber drive wheel 79 is carried on the shaft 72. Wheel 79 is not shown in the top view of FIGURE 1, because of the reduced scale of FIGURE 1, however, it is a continuously rotating drive wheel and is carried on shaft 72 adjacent to the spring clutch 39. Whenever the rocker arm 74 is released to rotate under the urge of spring 76, the eccentric wheel 78 will pivot into contact with the surface of the drive wheel 79 and receive drive force therefrom. Because the wheel 78 is eccentric, such drive of wheel 78 will cause the rocker arm 74 to rock through a limited rotational movement around the shaft 75. The rocker arm 74 appears to dance up and down and hence becomes an oscillating drive arm whenever it is free to operate.

A bracket 81, pivotally mounted on a pivot shaft 82, is connected to the rod '66 and is positionable by the rod. Bracket 81 carries a latch arm 84. Arm 84 has a locking position as shown in FIGURE 2, under the end of rocker arm 74. A tab formation of bracket 81 is designed to disengage the spring clutch 39 as shown in FIGURE 1. In the locking position, arm 84 holds the rocker arm elevated to withdraw the eccentric wheel 78 from the drive wheel 79. Whenever the rod 66 is pulled by the rotation of rod 60, as described, the tab formation of bracket 81 disengages the spring clutch 39, thus stopping carriage movement. Arm 84 is pulled out of the locking position, and arm 74 is released. The spring 76 will then draw the wheel 78 into operative position and the rocker arm 74 will begin to oscillate under the drive of eccentric wheel 78. The oscillating motion of rocker arm 74 is translated into escapement release movement through the media of a rod 86, crank arm 88, and shaft 90. The rod 86 is attached to the rocker arm 74 at one end and to the crank 88 at the other end. Crank 88 is non-rotatively secured to the shaft 90. When the rocker arm 74 oscillates, the rod 90 will be oscillated about its own longitudinal axis. The degree of rotation may be selected according to need, by lengthening or shortening of the crank 88 and location of the connection of the rod 86 on the rocker arm 74.

As seen in FIGURE 2, oscillation of shaft 90 operates to translate the movement back to reciprocal movement in the link 37, and link 37 operates the escapement mechanism, the part of which is shown as lever 34 As a consequence of driving the center slide 50 sufficiently far to cause rod 66 to pull lever 84 into a release condition, the rocker arm 74 is caused to oscillate and in turn operate the release escapement mechanism for release of the wheel 33 by increments. Then, the rotation of the wheel 33, operating through pinion 28 and rack 26, will advance the carriage 12 from right to left, as viewed by an operator when seated at the keyboard.

Advancement of the carriage in this manner carries the catch 44 in a reverse direction, and will allow spring 58 to draw the frame 51 toward its normal rest position. Return of frame 51 will cause the crank arm 70 to move to the limit of the loop end 68 on drive rod 66. Rod 66 is driven to force lever 84 back under the end of the rocker arm 74. The oscillating movement of the rocker arm 74 is thus halted and the escapement movement is halted. Cessation of escapement movement will bring the carriage movement to a halt.

The operation is therefore one of causing the catch to reach a juxtaposition with a central slide, but having no reaction begin until the central slide is shifted from its normal position. Such provision enables the return drive movement to take place by restoring the parts to their normal latched condition only after the leeway provided in the apparatus has been taken up.

The mechanical structure illustrated, being the preferred embodiment for illustrating the inventive principle, provides in a typing machine, the overtravel of the return carriage to an approximate stopping position which is not critical, whereafter the carriage is returned by exact increments until the sensing mechanism establishes the position of. the carriage in the precise margin position desired for beginning of a typed line.

Whereas the present invention has been shown and described herein in what is conceived to he the best mode contemplated, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention which is, therefore, not to be limited to the details disclosed herein, but is to be afforded the full scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A typewriting machine having a paper holding carriage, a spring drive device urging said carriage in a first direction, an escapement device holding said carriage against the urge of said spring drive device, and means for selecting and driving a type font against a sheet carried by said carriage and thereafter releasing said escapement by an increment to allow carriage advance under the urge of said spring drive device to reposition the sheet for a succeeding font impression, and a carriage return means to return said carriage in a second direction and position it a desired margin position to being a new line of printing wherein the machine is improved by:

a power drive operating said escapement device to produce a continuous series of incremental release movements of said carriage in response to return of said carriage in said second direction beyond said desired margin position;

an actuator to turn said power drive on and 013?;

a slide link carried by means allowing shifting movement of said link between first and second limits;

means urging said link to said first limit position;

a catch driven by said carriage to engage and drive said link away from the first limit position during a carriage return operation against said urging means, said catch positioned to engage said link at said first limit position when the carriage reaches the desired margin position; and

lost motion means interconnecting said link and said actuator for providing overtravel of said carriage beyond said desired margin position before power drive to the escapement device is initiated to provide said continuous series of incremental release movements, said link and actuator returning to said first limit position as a function of carriage advance under urge of the spring device as the carriage is released in said continuous series of incremental release movements by said power operated escapement device to turn off the said power drive upon carriage return to said desired margin position from a position beyond said desired margin position;

whereby, the carriage will move to the desired margin position, overtravel beyond said desired margin position and be gently returned exactly to the proper margin position by said escapement device providing said continuous series of incremental release movements.

2. A typewriter machine according to claim 1, wherein said catch is carried by said carriage and is operator positionable in its relative position thereon to establish the return margin position.

3. A typewriter machine according to claim 1, wherein said link having a catch surface to engage with said catch member, and means to move said catch surface out of engageable position in order that the carriage may be released to move beyond the margin position without activating said power drive of the escapement device.

(References on following page) 7 8 Refel ences Cited 3,292,530 12/1966 Martin -2 101-93 UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,306,416 2/1967 Dahlm et a1. 1976.6

2,232,114 2/ 1941 Khalil 19794 EDGAR S. BURR, Primary Examiner 2,258,116 10/1941 Khalil 197-66 Us cl XR 2,797,789 7/1957 Yaeger 197-66 5 19766 2,897,942 8/1959 Keene 197-63

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