US3750796A - Self-interlocking keyboard - Google Patents

Self-interlocking keyboard Download PDF

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Publication number
US3750796A
US3750796A US00113430A US3750796DA US3750796A US 3750796 A US3750796 A US 3750796A US 00113430 A US00113430 A US 00113430A US 3750796D A US3750796D A US 3750796DA US 3750796 A US3750796 A US 3750796A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
bail
key
racks
assemblies
shafts
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US00113430A
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English (en)
Inventor
P Degraff
J Lee
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
NCR Voyix Corp
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NCR Corp
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Filing date
Publication date
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Publication of US3750796A publication Critical patent/US3750796A/en
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
    • G06C—DIGITAL COMPUTERS IN WHICH ALL THE COMPUTATION IS EFFECTED MECHANICALLY
    • G06C7/00—Input mechanisms
    • G06C7/02—Keyboards

Definitions

  • Such interlocking mechanisms commonly known as being of the entering type", generally ex-, .hibit an interactive disadvantage wherein by reason of pressure upon a non-depressed key, a depressed key tends to be locked, thereby likewise'tending to inhibit release of the depressed key.
  • the entering type of interlock may have a tendency to restrict the operating speed capability and additionally have a higher noise level because of the relative closeness of parts and of the materials used. It is by reason of such complaints that improved designs are being sought to gain advantages over the prior-art keyboards.
  • U.S. Pat. No. 2,383,260 issued Aug. 21, I945, on th application of John Joseph Kittel, discloses one example of prior art interlock mechanism for preventing operative depression of more than one key lever at the same time.
  • the key lever blocking device is a pivoted line lock plate engageable by the heel of an abutment on the key lever, the plate being rocked 'rearwardly to be disposed directly under the toes of other key lever abutments.
  • SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION ing structure which is self-operating upon depression of a key without added mechanism of any sort beyond that required to obtain the coded output, such structure being capable of efficient operation withthe contact switches.
  • the coded output information derived from depression of the keys is obtained through the normally opened reed switches which are closed, or biased to an on condition, by a proximally located fixed magnet.
  • an interposer of ferrous material and supported from a pair of spaced shafts operable in rotary fashion about a common center, the interposer being.
  • each switch is held open, or of bymeans of its respective interposer being spring-biased into the space between the magnet'and the switch, and actuation of a key will remove, by means of later-described mechanism, the appropriate interposers to cause their corresponding switches to close, whereby an electrical binary output, unique to that key, is generated.
  • each interposer Control of each interposer is provided by transverse bail assemblies .within the keyboard frame :behind the keystem area and above. theswitchmagnet area.
  • Each bail assembly comprises. the pair of shafts disposed about a center of rotation, and mounted on and suspended from each shaft pairis the interposer, which is laterally positioned, so as to align with a respective switch-magnet assembly, there being a plurality of interposer-shaft pair assemblies for actuation of each of the magnetic reed switches. interspersed and arranged among the several bail assemblies and running perpendicular to and between each shaft pair are toothed racks, one per keyboard key.
  • each rack is arranged to bear upon either the upper or the lower shaft of each bail assembly, so as to provide, upon movement of the rack, positioning of :each bail and interposer to either the switch on or the switch .oft position.
  • each rack is connected to a bellcrank, which intum is driven by depression'of the key.
  • depression of a key transfers motion, through the bellcrank and toward the front of the keyboard, of the particular rack associated with t the key, so that the rack teeth cause actuation of the bails and the interposers to condition'the reed switches to the output code selected, by means of the appropriate rack teeth locations for thatparticular key.
  • the electrical binary coded output comprises six binary bits derived for each key by the arrangement of the teeth on the. associated rack.
  • a complete key-to-key mechanical interlock is generated within and is an inherent by-product of the instant encoding mechanism in the, above-described rack-bail mechanism by virtue of the facts that (d) teeth are provided on each rack so that each and every bail-interposer assembly ispositively actuated toward the appropriate reed switch on" or off” condition for a given key and (b) no two keys derive thereby the same electrical output code, so that, as any two keys are depressed, they will be in mechanical conflict as to the on or off" positioning of at least one bail, and the complete depression of either key or both keys is '5 the outputcode selected; by means of the appropriate rack teeth 50, 51 locations, for that key 12.
  • a complete key.-tokey mechanical interlockg is provided within the above-described rack-bail mechanism by reason that (a) teeth 50, 51 are pr oyi'de d on each rack 14 so that each bail-interposer assembly is positively positioned with respect to the appropriate reed switch on" or of condition for a given key 12 and that (b) no two keys 12 derive thereby the same output code, because, as any two keys 12 are depressed at the same time, they will conflict as to the on" or off" positioning of at least one bail, and the complete depression of either key 12 or both keys 12 is blocked.
  • the nature of the particular construction and the interlocking action is that of a non-entering" type of interlock whereby, with one key 12 held depressed, pressure on another key 12 tends to restore the first-mentioned'key 12 rather than tending to lock down the firstmentioned key 12.
  • the 1 key 12 is shown in a depressed position, with its rack 14 actuated toward the front of the keyboard, and the 3 key 12 is shown in an undepressed position, with its rack 14 in the home position.
  • a lock-up feature as shown in FIG. 2, the concept and arrangement being employed during machine operationnWith; the 8" key 12 depressed against the action of a rack restore spring 65 connected between a frame member (not shown) and a finger 66 of the bellcrank 55, a tooth 50 onthe rack 14 engages with the upper shaft 37 of the bail assembly 16 as the rack 14 is being moved to the right, or to the forward part of the keyboard.
  • Each of the racks 14 has a finger portion 67 projecting downwardly at the rear thereof for engaging a blade portion 68 of a lockout slide assembly 69 slidably mounted within the framework of the machine (notshown) and movable up and down by means of bellcrank assemblies 70, which assemblies 70 are actuated through a drive arm 71 connected to a lockout solenoid 72.
  • bellcrank assemblies 70 which assemblies 70 are actuated through a drive arm 71 connected to a lockout solenoid 72.
  • a characteristic of the glassenclosed reed switch 25 which is of primary importance to the design of any mechanismusing it, is the differential" of the switch 25.
  • the differential of a switch is defined as'the difference between the level of actuating force or influence required to activate the switch and the level of reduced actuating force or influence at which the switch is deactivated.
  • the above-mentioned differential resolves to a distance of physical movement of the magnet 26 with respect to the reed switch 25 or of an interposer 35 with respect to the reed-magnet assembly.
  • the total magnet or interposer movement, with respect'to the reed switch or reed-magnet assembly has been equal to or less than the total movement of the actuating key.
  • the total interposer movement with respect to the reed-magnet assembly is nearly four times the total movement of the actuating key.
  • the extent of the reed switch differential as regards its proportion of total key travel in prior art devices has been from 25 to percent of the key travel, depending upon the exact reed-actuating technique employed.
  • a direct resultof solarge a porportion of key travel in the differential range to total key travel is the need for precise, critical, and expensive adjustment procedures during manufacturing processes to avoid improper code emissions from the keyboard.
  • a keyboard comprising a plurality of data keys, a i plurality of code rack members each movable to an actuated position in response to the movement of a corresponding data key, a plurality of code bail assemblies, each assembly comprising a pair of spaced apart connected shafts symmetrically disposed about a center of rotation and transversely mounted adjacent said rack members andeach bail assemblybeing rotatable between a first and a second control position,
  • the interlock comprising a plurality of rotatably mounted bail assemblies posi-.
  • each of said bail assemblies including a first shaft disposed over said racks and a second shaft spaced from and connected to said first shaft and disposed under said racks,

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Computing Systems (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Input From Keyboards Or The Like (AREA)
  • Push-Button Switches (AREA)
US00113430A 1971-02-08 1971-02-08 Self-interlocking keyboard Expired - Lifetime US3750796A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US11343071A 1971-02-08 1971-02-08

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3750796A true US3750796A (en) 1973-08-07

Family

ID=22349363

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00113430A Expired - Lifetime US3750796A (en) 1971-02-08 1971-02-08 Self-interlocking keyboard

Country Status (11)

Country Link
US (1) US3750796A (https=)
JP (1) JPS5228396B1 (https=)
AU (1) AU449697B2 (https=)
BE (1) BE779028A (https=)
CA (1) CA945530A (https=)
CH (1) CH529380A (https=)
DE (1) DE2205056A1 (https=)
FR (1) FR2126732A5 (https=)
GB (1) GB1350733A (https=)
IT (1) IT947362B (https=)
ZA (1) ZA72294B (https=)

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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2020039411A2 (en) 2019-09-28 2020-02-27 Famatek Gmbh Capsule comprising a main and a supplemental precursor ingredient, method for production of said capsule and method for preparing a beverage

Citations (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US26954A (en) * 1860-01-24 James w
US2110506A (en) * 1934-11-12 1938-03-08 Griffith Ronald George Start-stop telegraph
US2383260A (en) * 1943-07-03 1945-08-21 Royal Typewriter Co Inc Typewriting machine
US2720961A (en) * 1954-03-31 1955-10-18 Ibm Key latching and release mechanism
US2835369A (en) * 1956-11-02 1958-05-20 Underwood Corp Key interlock
US3128563A (en) * 1962-04-06 1964-04-14 Mc Graw Edison Co Decode-encode system for teaching machines
US3189153A (en) * 1962-07-03 1965-06-15 Ibm Keyboard
US3270853A (en) * 1964-06-24 1966-09-06 Olympia Werke Ag Keyboard apparatus having means to control duration of actuation of circuit
US3306417A (en) * 1964-05-04 1967-02-28 Olivetti & Co Spa Keyboard mechanism for generating code with selectable code member sets
US3493092A (en) * 1966-07-22 1970-02-03 Intercontinental Systems Inc Tabulation index control means for printer
US3495236A (en) * 1969-04-16 1970-02-10 Burroughs Corp Transducer
US3592313A (en) * 1968-07-15 1971-07-13 Ibm Encoding keyboard having dual-output shift key
US3610389A (en) * 1967-09-16 1971-10-05 Olivetti & Co Spa Keyboard machine with sequentially responsive printing means

Patent Citations (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US26954A (en) * 1860-01-24 James w
US2110506A (en) * 1934-11-12 1938-03-08 Griffith Ronald George Start-stop telegraph
US2383260A (en) * 1943-07-03 1945-08-21 Royal Typewriter Co Inc Typewriting machine
US2720961A (en) * 1954-03-31 1955-10-18 Ibm Key latching and release mechanism
US2835369A (en) * 1956-11-02 1958-05-20 Underwood Corp Key interlock
US3128563A (en) * 1962-04-06 1964-04-14 Mc Graw Edison Co Decode-encode system for teaching machines
US3189153A (en) * 1962-07-03 1965-06-15 Ibm Keyboard
US3306417A (en) * 1964-05-04 1967-02-28 Olivetti & Co Spa Keyboard mechanism for generating code with selectable code member sets
US3270853A (en) * 1964-06-24 1966-09-06 Olympia Werke Ag Keyboard apparatus having means to control duration of actuation of circuit
US3493092A (en) * 1966-07-22 1970-02-03 Intercontinental Systems Inc Tabulation index control means for printer
US3610389A (en) * 1967-09-16 1971-10-05 Olivetti & Co Spa Keyboard machine with sequentially responsive printing means
US3592313A (en) * 1968-07-15 1971-07-13 Ibm Encoding keyboard having dual-output shift key
US3495236A (en) * 1969-04-16 1970-02-10 Burroughs Corp Transducer

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPS5228396B1 (https=) 1977-07-26
ZA72294B (en) 1972-09-27
AU3804472A (en) 1973-07-26
CH529380A (de) 1972-10-15
DE2205056A1 (de) 1972-08-24
CA945530A (en) 1974-04-16
BE779028A (fr) 1972-05-30
GB1350733A (en) 1974-04-24
AU449697B2 (en) 1974-06-20
FR2126732A5 (https=) 1972-10-06
IT947362B (it) 1973-05-21

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