US3792767A - Justifying typewriter with conjointly oppositely movable type head and platen - Google Patents

Abstract

A justifying typewriter of the class having a movable matrix type head which head advances relative to the platen wherein the justification takes place by incrementally moving the platen in a direction opposite to the movement of the matrix type head during spacing between words when the justified line is written.

Description

United States Patent [1 Marum Feb. 19, 1974 [54] JUSTIFYING TYPEWRITER WITH 3,353,646 11/1967 Young 197/16 CONJOINTLY-OPPOSITELY MOVABLE 3,572,489 3/1971 Schaefer... 197/82 875,239 12/1907 Briggs 197/60 TYPE HEAD AND PLATEN 1,932,914 10/1933 Shelton et al 197/82 X [75] Inventor: Helmut Marum, Dover, N.J. 3,578,131 5/1971 Heidt et a]. 197/82 [73] Assignee: Addressograph-Multigraph Corpcratmn Cleveland Ohm Primary ExaminerErnest T. Wright, Jr. [22] Fil d; M 17, 1972 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Ray S. Pyle [21] Appl. N0.: 235,586

Related 0.8. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Set, No. 65,565, Aug. 20, [57] ABSTRACT 1970, abandoned.

A justifying typewriter of the class, having a movable [52] US. Cl. 197/84'A, 197/60 matrix type head which head advances relative to the [51] Int. Cl B41j 19/58 platen wherein the justification takes place by incre- [58] Field of Search 197/16, 60, 82, 84, 84 A, 84 B mentally moving the platen in a direction opposite to the movement of the matrix type'head during spacing [56] References Cited between words when the justified line is written.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,465,657 3/1949 Norton 197/84 A 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures JUSTIFYING TYPEWRITER WITH CONJOINTLY OPPOSITELY MOVABLE TYPE HEAD AND PLATEN RELATED CASES This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 65,565, filed Aug. 20, 1970, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to justifying devices for typewriters, and more particularly to an improved justification device for typewriters of the movable matrix class.

Justifying typewriters are well known in the art. The original were mechanical, but electronic memory controls are now offered. Most type an initial line of unjustified characters, followed by a second typing of the line wherein the spacing is expanded to a selected right margin. Conventionally the justification in these typewriters has taken place by typing an unjustified line shorter than a preset line length and providing some type of measuring mechanism to measure the space available at the end of this unjustified line. Then the space is apportioned as increased space between the words when the line is retyped as a justified line. This requires the counting of the number of spaces between the words when the line is initially typed and then apportioning the measured space equally between the word spaces when the line is retyped.

.lustifying typewriters have generally taken two general forms; one is the more conventional stationary type bar class of typewriters wherein the platen is carried upon a movable carriage and moves the sheet past a relatively fixed typing station. The other is the more recent movable matrix class of typewriters wherein the type is carried on a movable member usually in the form of a sphere, and the platen is stationary. Here, the matrix moves relative to the platen to form a row of typed characters. In both of these classes of typewriters it has been conventional practice to superimpose the justifying mechanism movement onto the spacing movement to achieve justification; i.e., in the stationary type bar class of typewriter the justification is accomplished by moving the carriage an incrementally increased amount over its normal spacing movement and in the movable matrix class of typewriter the type carrying member is moved an additional increment over its normal spacing movement to achieve justification.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a justifying device for a movable matrix typewriter wherein during the typing of a non-justified line the number of word spaces are counted and the space remaining at the end of the line with respect to a desired line length is determined. Then, during the typing of the justified line, the space remaining is apportioned as incremental increases in spacing between the words by movement of the platen an apportioned incremental amount in the opposite direction from the movement of the type matrix.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a plan view somewhat schematic and diagrammatic showing a movable matrix typewriter incorporating the justifying device of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the platen and its associated parts;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the device of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic alternate embodiment incorporating a computer type distributor means.

RELATED PATENTS The teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 2,465,657 are specifically incorporated herein as if they were fully set out. The construction and operation of such line justification equipment is well known, and need not be illustrated and explained in detail. However, in order that the description of this invention may be readily related to the incorporated patent, the essential counterpart pieces are numbered with a first number series related to this specification, and corresponding numbers from the incorporated patent are shown in parentheses. A tabular chart is included at the end of this specification for reference.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing, a justifying typewriter is shown which includes a main frame designated generally at 10, and a keyboard 12 which controls the operation of a type matrix 14. The type matrix 14 is movably mounted on a bar 16 and is disposed to operate against a platen 18. Keyboard 12 is conventional and includes a plurality of character keys 13 selectively actuatable for causing a selected matrix type character on the matrix 14 to strike against the platen 18 to type a character on a sheet of paper interposed therebetween. Actuation of such a key 13 also. causes the matrix 14 to be displaced by one typing increment along a typing direction, from left to right as viewed in FIG. 1, along a type path which is parallel to the axis of platen 18. Also, as is conventional, keyboard 12 includes a spacer bar 15 which when actuated serves to impart movement to the matrix 14 by one increment in the typing direction and along the type path parallel to the axis of the platen 18 so as to define a word space. Character keys 13 and spacer bar 15 are connected in a conventional manner with a pulley mechanism, illustrated schematically as mechanism 17 in FIG. 1, for purposes of imparting the incrementive movement to matrix 14 for slidable movement along bar 16. These elements, together with necessary controls, are all conventional and do not per se form any part of the present invention. One suitable typewriter of this class including the foregoing keyboard and pulley mechanism controls is shown and described in United States Pat. No.

As can best be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the platen'18 is carried by a yoke 19 (carriage 16, FIG. 29) which yoke 19 is slidably mounted on bar pairs 20 and 21 carried at opposite sides of the frame 10 and biased toward the left, as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3 by means of springs 22. The yoke 19 is connected to a justifying mechanism, a portion of which is shown and is generally designated with reference numeral 24. This mechanism 24 is referred to in U.S. Pat. No. 2,465,657 as an expansion distributor 234, and includes a finger 225 to read the distributor 234 and transmit angular movement to a proportion bar, referred to herein as bar 26 (proportion bar 235). Any known justifying mechanisms may be employed, but for this illustration it may be assumed that the type shown and described in US. Pat. No. 2,465,657 is utilized as a mechanical distributor shown in FIGS. 1 -.3. An electronic justification computer and stopping motor are substituted in the FIG. 4.

The line justification device of US. Pat. No. 2,465,657 provides that when the preliminary line is written and it does not occupy the full allotted space, which is usually the case, the preliminary line is retyped in expanded form so that it occupies the full allotted space. To accomplish this expansion, the platen 18 is given a controlled incremental additional movement in the opposite direction to the movement of the type matrix 14 for each space that is to be expanded. This may be between every character, but more common practice is to expand the space between words.

When a preliminary unjustified line is written, the justifying mechanism 24 determines the total amount of expansion required to bring the line to standard length. This total amount of length is divided by the mechanism 24 into as many equal increments as there are spaces between the words for example, in the line. Then when the line is rewritten as a justified line, one of these equal increments is added to each space between the words by incremental movement of the yoke 19. The final result is a line of standard length.

In the present device, this movement is caused by rotary movement of bar 26 (235) about pivot 26a (228) on which space apportioning slide 28 (162) is mounted. A tie rod 30 (124) rides on a roller 31 (238) carried by slide 28 and is pivotally connected to bell cranks 32 which are slidably connected to yoke 19 by means of pins 25 on yoke 19 mounted within slots 23 in bell cranks 32. Downward movement of the bar 26 on which slide 28 is mounted will lower tie rod 30, which through bell cranks 32 (120;121) causes the yoke 19 to move to the left in FIG. 2, an amount proportional to the amount of drop of the bar 26.. The bar 26, slide 28, tie rod 30 and bell cranks 32 are all a part of the justifying mechanism shown and described in FIGS. 27 and 28 of U8. Pat. No. 2,465,657. See Columns l 18 of the incorporated patent, in particular. The justifying mechanism 24 will cause the total drop of the bar 26 to be representative of the unused space at the end of the preliminary line, and also will register the number of word spaces, and the bar 26 is moved an incremental amount each time the spacer bar is used during typing of the justified line.

The control devices by which this end is attained are shown and described in detail in Pat. No. 2,465,657 and function as follows:

Means are provided to position the character from matrix 14 at a first position for typing an unjustified line and a second position for typing a justified line. The carriage of such a typewriter is of sufficient width that two separate columns may be typed side by side. The first position is that column width used for typing an unjustified line. The matrix 14 is moved to that area and types an unjustified line in that first position column area. Then, the matrix 14 is moved to a second position which is normally a column spaced a distance to the right of the first column. The line is then retyped in the second position column and expanded to a justified width. There-after the matrix 14 is returned again to the first position and the process is repeated. line for line until the properly justified column is finished.

A measuring means is disposed to measure the unused space between the end of an unjustified line typed in the first position area and the desired line length.

A distributor means including selecting finger 225, expansion distributor 234, finger 246 and spring 247 is described in US. Pat. No. 2,465,657 and is disposed to count the number of spaces in the line typed in the space at the first position responsive to the typing function, and to apportion the measured distance among the number of counted spaces.

Then, according to this invention, while the matrix 14 is moving in an incremental uniform advancement, the distributor means moves the platen 18 the apportioned distance in a direction opposite the movement of the matrix 14 responsive to each space where justification is desired. As the distributor means is so constructed, the space can be inserted between each typed character, but the usual distributor means operates responsively to the operation of the spacer bar 15 and causes space expansion only between words.

According to this invention justification is therefore accomplished by moving the platen 18 in a direction opposite to the regular incremental direction of the matrix 14. The matrix 14 is moved only in uniform escapement as described in United States Patent No. 3,353,646, and the platen 18 is moved only a justifica tion distance, not an escapement distance plus a justification amount, as in US. Pat. No. 2,465,657.

In the mechanical version illustrated in the FIGS. 1 through 3, the construction involves the utilization of a paper carriage yoke 19 of sufficient width to permit the use of a relatively wide sheet of paper. In operation, preliminary unjustified or uneven length lines are written in a column at the left of the paper, and a justified line is then written in a column on the right, after the operation of the tabulator key 11. When the end of a preliminary line is being approached, the machine rings a bell, or establishes some other signal, and the operator may then type a few more characters before the ultimate limit is reached. This signal is the marginal signal of the ordinary typewriter and is not illustrated in the drawing. The operator having finished writing the preliminary line, depresses a tabulator key 11 which automatically releases the matrix 14 so that it may move to the left hand margin of a new or second column, referred to above as a second position, at the right side of the paper. The operator then writes the same line over in this second column, and the machine automatically justifies this rewritten line so that it occupies a standard length. This result is obtained accurately and automatically by the action of the machine, which distributes the required extra spacing only between the words of the line, leaving the spacing between the letters unchanged.

After the warning signal the typist continues typing a few more characters. When the matrix 14 comes in contact with the dog 33 the bar 34 (142), which is slidably mounted for left'right movement relative to yoke 19 by means of pins 36 on yoke 19 and slots 37 in bar 34, is moved to the right a distance determined by the spacing allotted to the additional characters typed after dog 33 has been contacted by the matrix 14. Operating bar 34 is connected by a link 38 (142a, 151, which is connected by another arm 40 (161) to a slide 28 (162) on bar 26 (235). See FIG. 30 in the incorporated patent. Slide 28 (162) carries a roller 31 (238) and it may be moved from a position a distance from the pivot 26a (228) as shown in FIG. 3, to a posi tion in which the roller 31 (238) is coaxial with the pivot 26a (228), which is the pivot about which the proportion bar 26 may oscillate.

During the typing of the few additional characters, as hereinbefore described, slide 28 (162) will occupy a position on bar 26 (235) ranging from the position in FIG. 3 to a point where the axis of roller 31 (238) is coaxial with the pivot 26a (228); for if in the typing of the preliminary line the completed line should happen to be of the exact length desired for the justified lines, bar 34 would have moved its full distance to the right, thereby moving, through the link 38 and arm 40 the roller 3 1 (238) to its position coaxial with the pivot 26a (228). In such position of roller 31 (238) no extension of the rewritten justified line would occur; but if the preliminary line should extend beyond the point of signal but less than the full length, the position of the roller 31 (238) on bar 26 (235) would determine the exact extension required to justify the line. This operational description is paraphrased, substantially verbatum, from columns and 16 of US. Pat. No. 2,465,657.

FIG. 4 represents an alternate construction wherein the line remainder is measured and the number of character spaces transmitted to a justification computer 51. A keyboard space bar 62 sends information to count the number of word spaces in the type line. This information is also placed in the justification computer 51. The computer 51 is programmed to divide the total line remainder spaces by the number of word spaces and provide an output 53 control representing the entire line remainder in the measured number of word spaces.

Specifically, in the FIG. 4 the alternate construction is built upon a carriage 50 having a carriage rack 52. A stepping motor 54 is equipped with a drive gear 56 engaged with the rack 52. As shown in FIG. 4 counterclockwise rotation of gear 56 causes rack 52 to move from right to left.

The justification computer 51 can be a low cost computer, the programming of which is well known and understood in the electronics art. The line remainder is recorded together with the number of word spaces and a controlled output 53 is then connected to the stepping motor 54 to move platen 18 a standard space plus the aliquot portion of the line remainder each time keyboard space bar 62 is actuated.

A keyboard 12 has a space bar 62 and a control key 64. During the typing of an unjustified line, the control key 64 allows the keyboard 12 to transmit a pulse to the computer 51 each time it is actuated in order to provide word space information. In those keyboards having more than one space bar for proportional spacing, the individual space bars each provide a coded signal indicative of the amount of spacing.

Whenever the justified line is to be typed, the matrix 14 and paper are properly placed with respect to one another and the control key 64 is switched to signal the output 53 of the computer 51 rather than the input 55. Then, as the typist proceeds with retyping of the copy line, each time the space bar 62 is actuated, a signal is sent to the computer 51 to provide an output 53 to the stepping motor 54 equivalent to a standard increment plus the aliquot portion of the remainder assigned to the particular number of word spaces in the line. The

result is a perfectly uniform line of predetermined standard length.

Rather than a motor 54, of course, an escapement release can be used.

COMPARISON CHART Norton Patent 2,465,657 This Specification FIG. 27 & 28 Control Bar 124 FIG. 3 Tie Rod 30 FIG. 28 Arm 120, 121 FIG. 3 Bell Crank 32 FIG. 29 Carriage 16 FIG. 3 Yoke 19 FIG. 25, 27, 30 Link 161 FIG. 3 Arm 40 FIG. 29 Link 142a FIG. 3 Link 38 Arm 151, Extension 160 FIG. 27 30 Slider 162 FIG. 3 Slide 28 FIG. 30 Roller 238 FIG. 3 Roller 31 FIG. 30 Shaft 228 FIG. 3 Pivot 26a FIG. 30 Proportion FIG. 3 Proportion Bar 26 Bar 235 FIG. 28 Arms 120, 121 FIG. 3 Bell Crank 32 FIG. 29 Stop FIG. 3 Dog 33 FIG. 25, 29 Operating Bar 142 FIG. 3 Operating Bar 34 What is claimed is: 1. A typewriter with a platen having an axis for carrying a type receiving sheet;

means mounting said platen for movement parallel to its axis;

a character impression type matrix;

means for moving said type matrix in a path paralleling the axis of said platen;

means for selecting a matrix type character position and striking said type matrix against said type receiving sheet for printing a type character;

distributor means for sensing the number of space units used responsive to a first typing of a line of type characters and registering the space units remaining after said first typing with respect to a desired line length; and

means responsive under the control of said distributor means for moving said platen, during a second typing of said line of type characters, in aliquot portions of said remaining space units in a direction opposite the direction of matrix movement during said first typing-of said line of type characters until said remaining space units are equally distributed throughout the line in spaces among said line of type characters.

2. A typewriter with a platen having an axis for carrying a type receiving sheet;

means mounting said platen for movement parallel to its axis;

a character impression type matrix;

means for moving said type matrix in a path paralleling the axis of said platen;

means for selecting a matrix type character position and striking said matrix against said type receiving sheet for printing a type character;

justifying means including means for counting the number of word spaces between words typed during the typing of a non-justified line and for sensing the space remaining at the end of the non-justified line with respect to a desired line length, said justifying means including means for apportioning said space remaining as incremental increases in spacing between the words during a second typing of the same line; and

means controlled by said justifying means for moving said platen, during said second typing, by said incremental increases in a direction opposite the di rection of movement of said matrix during typing of said non-justified line, whereby said incremental increases are apportioned between said words during said second typing.

3. A typewriter comprising:

an elongated platen for carrying a type receiving sheet;

matrix typing means for typing characters on said sheet;

means for mounting said matrix typing means for movement along said platen in a typing path;

keyboard means for controlling movement of said on said sheet and including means for moving said platen axially in a direction opposite to said typing direction when a force in said opposite direction is imparted to said platen;

justifying means including means for counting the number of said word type spaces occurring during typing of an unjustified line of type along said typing path and for determining the remaining line space from the end of said typing path relative to a desired length and for apportioning the remaining line space among said word type spaces in a subsequent typing of the same line of type to obtain a justified line of type; and

means controlled by said justifying means for imparting force to said platen for moving said platen in said opposite direction by an amount apportioned by said justifying means when said word spacer means is actuated during a subsequent typing of the same line of type so as to obtain said justified line of type.

Claims (3)

1. A typewriter with a platen having an axis for carrying a type receiving sheet; means mounting said platen for movement parallel to its axis; a character impression type matrix; means for moving said type matrix in a path paralleling the axis of said platen; means for selecting a matrix type character position and striking said type matrix against said type receiving sheet for printing a type character; distributor means for sensing the number of space units used responsive to a first typing of a line of type characters and registering the space units remaining after said first typing with respect to a desired line length; and means responsive under the control of said distributor means for moving said platen, during a second typing of said line of type characters, in aliquot portions of said remaining space units in a direction opposite the direction of matrix movement during said first typing of said line of type characters until said remaining space units are equally distributed throughout the line in spaces among said line of type characters.

2. A typewriter with a platen having an axis for carrying a type receiving sheet; means mouNting said platen for movement parallel to its axis; a character impression type matrix; means for moving said type matrix in a path paralleling the axis of said platen; means for selecting a matrix type character position and striking said matrix against said type receiving sheet for printing a type character; justifying means including means for counting the number of word spaces between words typed during the typing of a non-justified line and for sensing the space remaining at the end of the non-justified line with respect to a desired line length, said justifying means including means for apportioning said space remaining as incremental increases in spacing between the words during a second typing of the same line; and means controlled by said justifying means for moving said platen, during said second typing, by said incremental increases in a direction opposite the direction of movement of said matrix during typing of said non-justified line, whereby said incremental increases are apportioned between said words during said second typing.

3. A typewriter comprising: an elongated platen for carrying a type receiving sheet; matrix typing means for typing characters on said sheet; means for mounting said matrix typing means for movement along said platen in a typing path; keyboard means for controlling movement of said matrix typing means including means for selectively actuating said matrix typing means to strike a matrix type character against said sheet and moving said matrix typing means in a typing direction by one increment along said typing path and word spacer means for moving said matrix typing means in said typing direction by one increment along said typing path to define a word type space; means for mounting said platen so as to be stationary while said matrix typing means is incrementally moved along said typing path for typing characters on said sheet and including means for moving said platen axially in a direction opposite to said typing direction when a force in said opposite direction is imparted to said platen; justifying means including means for counting the number of said word type spaces occurring during typing of an unjustified line of type along said typing path and for determining the remaining line space from the end of said typing path relative to a desired length and for apportioning the remaining line space among said word type spaces in a subsequent typing of the same line of type to obtain a justified line of type; and means controlled by said justifying means for imparting force to said platen for moving said platen in said opposite direction by an amount apportioned by said justifying means when said word spacer means is actuated during a subsequent typing of the same line of type so as to obtain said justified line of type.

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