US395799A - spiro - Google Patents

Description

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

G. SPIRO. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

No. 395,799. Patented Ja.I1.8, 1889.

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Patented Jan. 8, 1889.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.,

' C. SPIRO.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

No. 395.799. Patented Jan. 8, 1889.,

nirEn STATES PArENr @Erica cHAnLEs sPino, or NEw YORK, N. Y.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

SPECFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,799, dated January-8, 18189.

Application filed March 20, 1885. Serial No. 159,514. (No model.)

To all 107mm 'may concern.-

Be it known that l, CHARLES SPIRO, ot New York city, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tpye-'Writ--` ing Machin es, of wh ich the followi n is a specifcation.

My invention relates more especially lo that style of type-writer shown in my patents, No. 322,989, July 2S, lfif, and No. 335,318, liebruary 2, i386, in which a rotary and reciprocating type-wheel. is employed having a central twirling` handle mounted on the end of a depressibie lever which is pi voted above the sliding paper-cari.'lage, to which carriage a step-by-step feed motion is imparted at each depression of the type-wheel. lloretot'ore machines of thischaracter have been made with a single tvjfpe-wheel having but one style of letters or characters-nsti all y capital letterswhereas the chief object of my present invention is to construct machines of this style with two or more type-wheels each having types of different styles-for example, upper and lower case-so that more perfect and el aborate printing may be effected. ln appiyii'ig two typewheels to thiskiml of machine provision must he made for readily shifting one wheel or the other into action and for preventing the inactive wheel Yfrom making an impression on the paper when both wheels are depressed, and provision must also be made for altering the length of the feed-steps when the wheels are shifted-in order to corrt-isjiond tothe wide or narrow letters of each wheel. These conditions have formed the problems oiI my present invention which call for matfnial modiiications in my 'former machine and are effectually accomplished by my present improvenient. 1n my former machines the paperroller was'placed centrally under the typewheel and the paper passed in on the under side ofthe roller; thence partly around the same and ott' on the upper side of the roller, and the type-whei--l was depressed directly down on the paper on the roller, which thus supported the impression of the type. In my present invention, however, the roller is not placed directly under but a little to one side of the wheel and the blank paper is wound up spirally thereon and is led oti the top thereof under the type-wheels and over a narrow staftionary anvil or horn which rises up from the base oi' the machine directly under the center ol' the type-wheel, or in line with the printingpoint, upon which horn t-he pressure of the impression is received when the wheel is depressed. A cushion -strap exteiiding longitudinally on the carriage over the 'tip of the horn and under the paper sheet cushions the impression and prevents a harsh contact of the type `with the horn. Thetwotype-wheels are ii ved to the twirlingI handle, and. are capable of being shifted or slid a short distance in or out. on the depressible lever, so as to bring either wheel to the printing-plane, and in ord er to insure that only the wheel which is at the printi 11g-plane shall print when the wheels are depressed a small presser-foot or guardplate projects out over the paper under the wheels, which foot has a slot at the printingpoint through which the type of the active wheel will protrude to make its impression on. the paper below, whereas the type of the inactivo wheel will come down on the guardplate at one end of the slot, and thus be preventi-id from making any impression on the paper.

My invention therefore consists, mainly, in the featureshere outlined, and also iin certain details connected therewith, set vforth in full. hereinafter.

1n the drawings annexed, Figure l presents a longitudinal. front or side elevation of my improved type-writer shown in section at the type-wheels with the parts in normal Vor quiescent positions. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the machine with the type-wheel depressed and 'the parts in the printing position. Fig. is a cross-section on line a; :n of Fig. 1 in front of the type-wheels. Fig. 4. is an enlarged fragm eutary rear side view showing the position of parts when the lower-case wheel is printing, and Fig. is a similar viewto show the position of parts when the capital-wheel is printing. Fig. (i a cross-section through the guard-plate paper sh eet an d cushion-strap, taken on the line o 0 of Figs. fi. and 5.

Referring to Figs. l, 2, and 3, it will be noted that the general form. and appearance of the machine are substantially the same as that shown in my former applications referred to.

A indicates the base of the machine, in which are planed longitudinal dovetailed ways IOO in which the dovetailed base of the paper-carriage B is fitted, so that said carriage is free to slide back and forth therein, as usual. From one end of the base rises the upright frame C, terminating in the overhanging nose or arm d, which projects out, as usual,over the paper-carriage, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and

D is the depressible type-wheel lever, pivoted at one end in the frame C and guided near the other end in aforked guide, e, on the overhanging tip d of the frame. On the outer end of the lever D are fitted the two typewheels F F being separated a slight distance from each other, but secured firmly together at their hubs, as shown best in Fig. l, and in such positions that corresponding characters on both wheels are in the same radial position, as seen in Fig. 3. The inner wheel, F, preferably contains capitals, while the outer wheel, F', contains small letters, as shown in Fig. 2; but of course any other two distinct systems of characters may be employed, according to the special adaptation of the inachine. The hubs of the type-wheels, as may be seen in Fig. l, are not iitted directly onto the end of the depressible lever, but are slipped over the long sleeve or hub g of the usual toothed locking-wheel, h, which wheel 7L abuts up against a shoulder on the end of the lever D, while the sleeve g iits upon the tenen e' at the end of the lever, and is held in place by the stud k. rlhe locking-wheel 7L and its hubsleeve g are therefore free to turn on the end ofthe lever D, but are restrained from endwise motion. The type-wheels are rotatively engaged with the locking-wheel. 71y by a crankpin, h, which projects from the locking-wheel through holes in the type-wheels, as seen in Fig. l, and the locking-wheel is geared with the index-wheel j, whichl works the ind exiinger q on the dial q, so as to guide the operator in turning the wheels and show when the desired letter is at the printing-point in the usual manner.

A sleeve, Z, projects from the hub of the outer type-wheel and lits over the sleeve g of the locking-wheel, and a stud, 3,projects from the sleeve Zinto a groove, 5, in the sleeve g, so that hence the type-wheels are rotatively engaged with the locking-wheel, and at the same time capable of being slid in or out a limited distance on the sleeve g. The twirling handle o is frietionally socketed on the hub of the outer wheel over the sleeves g Z, and it will therefore be seen that by grasping' the handle with the fingers it maybe twirled to revolve the wheels to bring the desired letter to the printing-point, and may then be depressed to print the desired letter, at which point the teeth of the locking-wheel 71 will engage the iixed stop-tooth 7 to lock the wheels from rotating in the usual manner. Not only, however, may the wheels be revolved and depressed by operating the twirling-handie 0, vbut they may also be shifted in or out on the sleeve g to bring either wheel into action, as seen in Figs. 4 and 5 and in dotted lines in Fig. l, without altering the grasp of the fingers on the handle. It will therefore be seen, by referring to Figs. l, 2, and et, that when the wheels are slid inward, or in their normal position, the wheel F', containing the small letters,will be at the printing-point, and therefore ready for action, Ywhile if the wheels are slid outward the wheel F will be removed from the printing-plane and the capital-wheel F brought into the same position, as seen in Fig. 5, so that capitals will now be printed when the wheels are depressed, instead of small letters, as before.

In order to unconsciously hold the wheels in either of the positions described, a small spring-catch, my, on the sleeve, as seen in Fig. l, will automatically engage with either of two notchesm., in the sleeve y when the twirling handle, with its type-wheels, is slid in or out, as will be readily understood from Fig. l. Hence by the constructions described either wheel may be shifted instantly to the print- 'ing-point to print either capitals or small letters without loss of time, and the wheels will be retained firmly in. either of the desired positions so long as may be required without special thought or effort on the part of the operator.

Now, in order to prevent the wheel, which is shifted out of the printing-plan e, from making any impression when both wheels are depressed, the construction of the carriage f and the position of the paper-roller relatively to the type-wheels are materially changed and new features added, as shown best in Figs. f3, 1t, and 5. usual toothed rack, p, and paper-rollerr, having the usual individual construction and arrangement, as shown in Figs. 2 and il, except that the paper-roller is not placed centrally under the type-wheel, as heretofore, but at one side of the central point, as well shown in Fig. 3, so that the type-wheel is not depressed against the paper-roller, as heretofore, but against a narrow stationary anvil or horn-like pedestal, G, which rises from the middle of the base and projects up close to the carriage, directly under the center of the type-wheels or at the printing-point. The narrow top of said horn is level and of size sufficient to eireumscribe any type on the type-wheels, andthe paper sheet passes from The carriage is provided with the IOO the paper-roller between the type-'wheel and lel with the rack p, and passes snugly over the top of the horn, and as the carriage is moved step by step after each impression the strap K moves, of course, with it and slides over the tip of the horn, always keeping the tip of the horn cushioned for each impression. The paper-roller o' is embraced on each side by curved springs t t', as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3, which are turned or pressed against the roller in opposite directions, and which enable the paper to be guided in around the roller and hold the paper in place thereon.

The paper sheet S, as seen in Fig. is not simply passed partly around the roller, as heretofore, but is wound up spirally thereon, one end being' first passed under the spring t, and thence about the roller under the springt', and thence wound spirally until the full sheet is wound up, except the starting-edge, which is finally passed over the strap K and out under the rack p, as shown best in Fig. lVhen the carriage moves step by step after each imprint, the paper sheet and the strap of course slide lengthwise over thehorn G, which latter of course always remains at the printing-point to support the pressure of the imprint, as will be understood. When one line is printed, the paper-roller is then partly revolved to unwind part of the blank paper s, the printed part being then fed out over the strap K and under the rack p, as will be understood from Fig. Y

New, by referring to Figs. e and 5, in connection with Figs. 3, 2, and l, the means for preventing the idle-wheel from printing on the paper whenv both wheels are depressed will be readily7 understood.

N indicates a guard-plate or presser-foot, preferablyof thin iiexible metal, attached to and projecting out 'from the overhanging arm d of the 'frame and lying over the st ap K, under the type\\'l1eels, and above the horn G, the paper sheet s being passed between this guard-plate and the strap, as fully shown in Figs. et, 5, and 6. A slot, u, is formedthrough the guard-plate just over the horn G and in line with the acting-wheel, which is in the printing-plane, said slot being amply large to allow the type of either wheel, when shifted into the printing-plane, to project through the guard-plate and make its impression on the paper below, as shown in Figs. 4; and 5. It will therefore be now understood by referring to Fig. -l that when the type-wheels are slid into their normal positions, the lower-ease wheel F being at the printing-plane, when the wheels are depressed the type of the wheel F'will come down idly on the guard-plate at one side of the slot, and thus fail to make any impression on the paper. On the other hand, when the capital-wheel is slid into the printing-plane, as seen in Fig. 5, and the wheels depressed, the type of the capital-wheel will make its impression on the paper through the slot in the guard-plate, while the type of the other wheel will come down on the end of the guard-plate on the front side of the slot, as seen in Fig. 5, and make no impression on the paper. In either case it will also be seen that the contacts of the idle type with the guardplate will be elastic, and therefore not injurious to the type, as the springy nature of the guard-plate and strap K will allow the said parts to yield and bend slightly under the pressure ofthe type on either side of the horn, as shown clearly in Figs. 4t and 5.

By referring to the arrow in Figs. 4 and 5 it will be seen that after each successive impression of the type-wheels the carriage, with the strap K and paper sheet s, is fed to the right; hence the freshly-printed part of the paper will pass under the middle part of the guard-plate, against which the type-wheel F is depressed, as seen in Fig. l. In order, therefore, to prevent the Afreshly-printed letter from becoming blurred by contact with or rubbing against the plate, the under side of the plate is provided with two short feet, e, as seen best in Figs. l and (i, which are disposed in a position on each side of the printed. line and directly under the position of the type-wheel F. Hence these feet r support the guard-plate slightly above the paper where the letters are freshly printed, and prevent the plate from being forced down against the fresh print when the wheel F is depressed against the plate, as will be readily understood from Figs. -l and 6.

The devices for feedingl the paper-carriage step by step. and for regulating the length of the feed steps to correspond to the width of y letter printed are substantially the same as shown in my former patents. The device for inking the type-wheel is also similar to my former device.

Referring' to Figs. l, 2, and 3, lO is the inking-disk, which is a iiat disk revoluble in a horizontal plane against t-herim of the typewheels and pivoted on a pendnlous radial arm, l L, which is hung loosely on the lever D behind the locking-wheel h, and has a cranked arm, b2, which engages a fixed pin, l2, in the guides e. It hence follows from this arrangement that the inking device normally gravitates into the position shown in Figs. l and 2, where the pendnlous arm b L hangs straight down and the ink disk l0 rests against the under or printing side of the wheel; but when the wheels are depressed the pendulous arm and its disk are swung around the wheel to one side, as shown in Fig. 2, the disk revolving against the types, and th us inking the same while the disk is removed from under the printing-point of the wheels to allow them to make the impression, as will be readily understood :from Fig. 2, which inking device is substantially the same as shown in my former application. It will be seen, however, that in my present machine, where the two type-wheels are employed, the inkingdisk 10 revolves in a plane slightly inclined to the horizontal, as seen in Fig. l, so as to contact one side only with the type-wheel which is at the printing-line, the other wheel bein g practically out of contact with the disk. The pendulous arm is also made in two parts, h b', the

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part b', which carries the disk, being inserted into a tubular socket in the part Z9, and held by a set-screw, 7 5, so that by this means the disk and its arm b may be easily removed for reinking and as easily replaced, and the joint in the pendulous arm b b', with its setescrew 75, enables the disk to be set or adjusted up to the type-wheel with the desired pressure for effective inking, as will be readily comprehended from Fig. l.

Referring to Figs. 2, S, and l, R indicates the feed-lever, which is of elbow form, as usual, pivoted on the overhanging arm d, and having one arm provided with t-he fingerknob l5, and the other arm provided with the pawl y, which is pivoted thereto, and whose point tends constantly to engage the teeth of the ratchet-rack p by the action of the pawlspring y. A pin, 16, projects from the lever R over the spring-tongue l7 and under the depressible lever D, so that hence every time the lever D and its typenwheels are depressed to print the feed-lever R is likewise swayed, the spring l7 flexed, and the pawl yy moved back over the teeth of the rack p. At the return motion the spring 1S raises the lever D with the type-wheels until stopped by the pin 19, and as the spring 17 returns the feed-lever R the pawl 1/ now engages the rack p and feeds the carriage forward one step. The active stroke of the pawl or the length of the feed-step varies, however, according to the width of the letter printed, according to the principle shown in my former machine-that is, by referring to Figs. 2 and itwillbe seen that the pawl y is formed with a long slender tail, ac, which projects back toward the typewheels and under and crosswise of the rim of the same, and is adapted to enter one of the recesses in the rim between the types (see Figs. 3 and 2) when the wheel is depressed. Now the recesses are of varying depth according to the width of the letter which they represent, the widest letter-such as VST-having the deepest recess, and the narrowest lettersuch as l-the shallowest recess; hence every time the wheel is depressed to print the desired letter, as seen in Fig. 2, the pawl 1/ will be slipped back over the rack and its tail x' will enter the recess corresponding to said letter, so that the pawl having clicked over a number of teeth will be finally tilted by contact with the bottom of the recess, and thus raised out of engagement with the rack, as seen in Fig. 2. On the return motion the pawl will of course be held out of engagement with the rack until it arrives at the tooth from which it was raised, when it will fallinto engagement, and thus feed the rack forward during the remainder of its stroke; hence if the letter printed is a narrow one the recess which the tail of the pawl will encounter will be a shallow one and the pawl will be raised out of engagement early in its backward stroke, and will be let fall into the rack late in its advance stroke, and thus impart but a small motion to the paper-carriage suited to the narrow letter, whereas if the letter printed is a wideone the recess encountered by the tail of the pawl will be a deep one, so that the pawl will be raised outeof the rack only at the end of the back-stroke and will be let fall into the rack at the beginning of its advance stroke, and thus impart a larger motion to the carriage, according to the particular width of the letter, thereby regulating the length of the feed-steps proportionately to the letter, and thus accomplishing a perfectly-spaced printing. Y

It will be readily seen by referrin g' to Figs. 2, 4, and G that the tail of the pawl will engage only with the type-wheel which is at the printing-line, as the tail terminates at the printing-line, and it has a gap, cut in it to allow the capital-wheel F when shifted out of action to pass the pawl without contacting therewith. Now as each of the wheels F F will have recesses of a depth corresponding to its own types, the capital-wheel F having of course recesses of the greatest depth, it will therefore be seen that when either wheel is shifted into action it will engage the pawl in precisely the same way, and the feed motions produced will be exactly proportioned to the style of type which is printed without requiring any thought or attention on the part of the operator, thus automatically regulating the feed motions, whether wide or narrow or small or capital letters are printed.

Referring to Fig. 2, z indicates a detenttooth on the prolonged extremity of the feedlever R, which catches in the rack at the end of'the forward or return motion, as seen in Figs. 3 and l, so as to hold the carriage firmly and prevent the momentum of the feedfimpulse or other cause from carrying the carriage beyond its proper point.

To produce the spacing-feed between words or sentences, the knob l5 is depressed one or more times, as usual. Them however, the knob is fully depressed, the pawl will be brought firmly against a Xed stoppin, 20, project-ing from the arm d, and the point of the pawl will be thus raised out of the rack, as seenin Fig. 2, thereby allowing thecar riage to be slid back or forth freely to any point, after which the knob may be released and the feed devices will return to their normal positions, ready for further action.

Referring to Figs. l and 2, it may be seen that the cushion-strap K hooks at each end over hooked studs a on each end of the carriage, and may therefore be readily removed when worn out and replaced by a new strap.

lVhat l claim as my invention isl. In a type-writer, two rotatable type-wheels iiXed to a common twirling handle and mount- IOO IIO

ed on a depressible support and capable of being shifted longitudinally to and fro, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. ln a type-writer, the combination, with a fixed support for the paper or printed sheet, of two distinctrotary and reciprocating typewheels arranged to reciprocate to and from said support and fastened together' and to a common twirling handle, and capable of being shifted longitudinally to bring either wheel in the printing-plane, substantially as herein set forth.

3. In a type-writer of substantially the class described, a slotted guard-plate interposed between the shiftable type-wheels and the paper sheet and provided with feet to hold the plate out of cont-act with the freshlyprinted character, substantially as herein Y shown and described.

JC. In a type-writer substantially such as set forth, the combination, with the type wheel or wheels, and fixed anvil G, of the intermittentlydnoving paper-carriage provided with the cushion-strap K, moving over said anvil, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The con'ibination, with the typewheels F F and anvil G, of the .intermittently-inoving carriage having the cushion-strap K, with the guard-plate N, interposed between the wheels and strap, arranged and operating substantially as shown and described.

6. In a type-writer, the combination, with the two shiftable rotatable and reciprocating type-wheels F F, having recesses or stops of varying depth on their rims, of the reciproeating feed-pawl y, with its tail 0c, arranged in the specified relation to the type-wheels, and with the rack p, and an intermittent papercarriage to which said rack is. lixed, substantially as and for thc purpose set forth.

7. The combination., with two rotatable and reciprocating type-wheels fastened together, provided with a common twirling handle and mounted ou'a depressiliile support and shiftable longitudinally, of a yielding or snapping spring-catch arranged to engage the support at each end of the longitudinal motion to hold the wheels 'in either position.

S. In a typewriter, the combination, with the depressible lever D, of the two rotatable and reciprocating type-wheels F F and co1nmon twirling handle o, shiftalole longitudinally on the end of the lever D, with the spring-catch m, and engaging recesses a n, arranged and operating substanti ally as and for the purpose set forth.

9. The combination, with the depressible lever D, locking-wheel 71., crank-pin h', and sleeve g, of the type-wheels F F and twirling handle o, common to both wheels and shiftable on the sleeve g, substantially as set forth.

l0. The cmnbination, with the two rotatablc reciprocating and shiftable type-wheels mounted on a depressible support, of the inking-disk. l0, revolving in a plane inclined to the wheels, whereby the disk makes effective contact only with lthe active wheel, substantially as shown and described.

ll. The combination of the two rotatable reciprocating and shiftable type-wheels F F, pendulous inlrer-arm l), and inclined rotary ink-disk 10,'bearing upon one of the wheels, substantially as shown and described.

l2. In a type-writer, the combination, with a type-wheel and an hiking-disk revolving against the typed rim of the wheel, of the radial or pendulous arm supporting the inl@ disk and made in two adjustable telescopic sections, h Z1 with a fastening device, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

13. The combination, with the shiftable type-wheels' F F' and intermittent paper-car riage, oi. the reciprocating feed-pawl y, arranged to operate the carriage, with its tail a' proj ecting in the path of the type-wheels, and provided with the gap to permit the free passage of one of the wheels, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

CHARLES SlIRO. Witnesses:

W. H. BRACY, J. FREUDENTHAL.

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