US518499A - Half to walter w - Google Patents

Description

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E. GRFPIN. WRITING MACHINE.

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E. GRIFFIN.

WRITING MACHINE.

110,518,499. Patented Apr. 17, 1894.

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B. G MFPIN. WRITING MACHINE.

No. 518,499 Patented Apr. 17, 1894.

4 sheets-sheet 4.

(No Model.)

E GRIFFIN WRITING MACHINE.

Patented Apr. 17, 1894.

HmMMnNI j ing-Machines; and I do hereby declare that` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELLSWORTH GRIFFIN, OF MILWAUKEE, VISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE I-IALF TO WALTER W. POLLOOK, OF SAME PLACE.

WRITING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 518,499, dated April 17, 1894.

l Application filed February 12| 1392 Serial No. 421,273. (N0 mel.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Fe it known that I, ELLswoRTH GRIFFIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee, and in the State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Writtion thereof.

My invention has for its primary object to facilitate the making out of bank-checks, or analogous orders, as well as to guard against the raising of such orders; and to this end the s aid invention consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts to be hereinafter described with reference to the accom panyin gdrawings and subsequently claimed.

In the drawings: Figure l representsa vertical longitudinal section of a machine constructed according to my invention, certain o f the parts being in elevation; Fig. 2, a vertical transverse section of the machine with certain of the parts in elevation; Fig. 3, a plan view of a portion of said machine; Fig. 4, a perspective view illustrating a spacing and printing mechanism forming part of my Iinvention; Figs. 5 and 6 detail elevations illustrating certain parts ot' the spacing mechanism Fig. 7, a detail horizontal section taken on line 7--7 of"` Fig. 1. Figs. 8 and 8a, are diagrams illustrating the scheme and operation of the printing characters employed in the machine illustrated by the preceding figures, and Figs. 9 to 1l inclusive are views that respectively represent a face, back, and section of a bank-check filled out on the aforesaid machine.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A represents the base of my machine and fast on this base are suitable standardsBthat serveas sup-` ports for a circular track C, the latterbeing rigidly secured to the standards by any suitable in eans. The base A is also shown as provided with a center-post D havingascrew-threaded lower end l? run down through a correspondingly threaded nipple c, on said base, to engage a set-nut d, whereby an annular shoulder or ange e, on the post is brought and held against the upper side of the aforesaid the following is a full, clear, and exact descripbase, but any other suitable means may be employed to rigidly secure said post in place.

`The upper end of the center-post D is shown in the form of a conical bearingf for engagement with a socket g that depends from the center of a circular shell E, and in order to compensate for wear, said bearing may coustitute a vertically adjustable section of said post.

By dotted lines in Fig. 1, I have shown the upper, or conical,section f of the post as having a screwthreaded socket-connection with the adjacent section, and in this instance a set-screw h is employed to retain the first of these post-sections in the position to which it may be vertically adjusted, but I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact construction shown and described, as means for compensating for wear on certain parts of the machine.

The shell E is shown as provided with a circumferential right-angle ange fi, and the lower edge of the vertical portion of this flange engages a corresponding groove in the circular track C, above described, the engaging fiange-edge and track-groovebeing preferably V-shaped in cross-section to increase the bearing surface between the two. The tiange c' of the shell E is provided with a series of guides jarranged at suitable intervals apart, and loose in these guides are a corre sponding series of pins F having shouldered lower ends in the form of knobs k for individual engagement with a single corresponding recess m in the circular` track C to hold said shell against rotation on its bearing. Each of the stoppins F is provided with a `flange n adjacent to its upper end, and aspiral spring p is interposed between this fiange and the guide for said pin. By the expansive force of the springs p the stop-pins F are automatically held up in their guides j clear of the circular track C, the upward movement of` said pins being limited by their shouldered lower ends coming into contact with the under side of the shell-flange'i'above described.

Arranged within the shell E are upper and lower guides r for a series of vertical bars Gr that form the shanks of a corresponding series of dieblocks H, each of the latter being ICO y relative to one of the former.

faced with a design representing an arbitra-` rily selected number, letter, syllable or word, and for the sake of convenience in description the bars and die-blocksvare sometimes taken collectively and included under the genera term type bars. Stops s are arranged on the type-bars between the guides for the same, and these stops are of variable length for the purpose hereinafter described. Each type-bar has its upper end provided with a head t and this head opposes a spiralspring I supported on the upper one of the guides for said type-bar, the latter being limited as to movement, in either direction, by means of its stops s coming into contact with one or the other of said guides. The typebars correspond in number to the pins F, above described, and eachof the latter is Each of the pins F is designated by a representation of the number, letter, syllable or word on its relative type-bar, and these arbitrary designations are preferably indexed on the shell E, as clearly illustrated in ig. 3. The recess rm in the circular track C is arranged to come immediately in front of the operator ofthe machine, and to-bring any one of the type bars in line therewith, the relative one of the pins F is pressed upon and the shell E swung around until automatically stopped by the drop of said pin, under pressure, into said recess, whereby said type-bar is positioned over a platen J and under an impact device in the form of a lever K that is provided with a fulcrum-pin U arranged in bearings on an arm L, the latter being sleeved onto the post D and made fast thereto by a set-screw o or other suitable means. The platen J is preferably a polygonal block trunnioned in standards tu on the base A, and I prefer to cover said platen with an inkingribbon for the purpose hereinafter described. The platen is positioned so as to have any one of its faces register witha slot in a paper-support M that is mounted on the base A and said platen is turned on its trunnions from time to time to bring a new portion of the ribbon uppermost.

Attached to the arm L is a support- N for another ribbon P, arranged above the platen J, and the lever K fulcrumed to said arm is connected, by means of a link Q, with a handlever R, the fulcrum for the latter being a supporting device y on the base A of the machine. The block J, when covered with the ribbon becomes an inking platen, while at the same time this platen and the inking ribbon P constitute what is hereinafter termed a duplex inking mechanism. A fiat-spring S opposed to the hand-lever R, acts to automatically return the same toits normal position, and pivotally connected to the link Q is one end of another lever T that is fulcrumed in a support z on the machine-baseA the other end of this lever being slotted or forked, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, to engage a lug c extended laterally from an arm V loose on a shaft V, the latter being arranged in bearings d on said base.

Pivotally connected to the loose arm V 1s a gravity pawl W that engages a ratchet Wheel X fast on the shaft V, and apreferably corrugated roller Z is also fast on said shaft in opposition to a spring-controlled pressureroller A loose in a frame e that forms part of one of the bearings for the aforesaid shaft. A spring-controlled detent b employed to lock the ratchet-wheel against reverse movement is best illustrated in Fig. 6.

Movable on the paper-support M in rear of the platen is a gage B having a slotted rightangle shank f adjustable on the base A, a set-screw g being employed to hold said gageshank in its adjusted position. The gage being adjusted to stand the proper distance from the platen the bank-checks or other money orders .are successively laid upon the support to extend between the rollers A', Z, and have the line or space on which the amounts are written come immediately over the platen of the machine.

By a suitable scheme of printingcharacters, the machine may be organized to print the designations of any amount from one upward, the machine shown being organized to print amounts in numerals and letters from one to nine hundred ninety ninethousand nine hundred ninety nine inclusive, the type scheme consisting of representations of the Arabic notation 1 to O inclusive, the words one,two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, syllables thir, for, tif, teen, twen, ty, hund,red, thous, and, eigh, and the character /00, the last two type being shown in the diagram view, Fig. 8.

If numerals designating the amount of a check or order are to be printed, the gage B is set so that, as a blank form is positioned on the machine, the space for said numerals will come immediately over the platen, to receive the impact of the type representing said numerals. However in practice, it may be preferable to write the numerals, as a guide for the operator of the machine in filling out the body of the check or order with the amount expressed in words.

To express the amount of a check or order -in printed words, the gage B is adjusted to permit the proper line or space on said check or order to align over the platen. A blank IOO IIO

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form being positioned on the support M, the V operator swings the shell E on its pivot, as above described, to bring the desired typebars into successive register with the platen, and as eachof these type-bars is brought over the printing point the hand-lever R is actuated to cause an upward movement of the link Q and consequent push of the lever K upon said type-bar, thereby causing an impact of the same against said platen, interposed ribbons and blank-form. The impact of the type-bar and the arrangement of the on both sides of the form at the same time rollers A', Z, for lthe blank forms.

` and this form is embossed to a greater or less extent as may be desired, according to the force with which said type-bar is impacted. The printing and embossing are clearly illustratedin Figs. 9 to 1l inclusive, and by printing on both sides of the form and embossing the latter, I guard against raising ofthe denominations thereon.

As previously stated, the stops s on the type-bars are variable as to length, and the length ot each is such that its movement in either direction is proportionate to the surface length of its printing face,.whereby I provide for correct spacing, through the medium of the pawl-and-ratchet mechanism above described in connection with the feed For instance, the word Twelve has astop of such length as will permit of a movement proportionate to the total of eight spaces, ot equal arbitrary length, as indicated by dotted lines in the diagram Fig. 8, two spaces being allowed for the capital letter beginning the word, five for the remaining letters in said word and one for the distance designed to come between the word and its predecessor, or successor. The matter ot' provision for spacing before or after a word is one of preference in the organization of the machine, but the type representing sufiix syllables are always so cnt as to join iiush with a preceding word or syllable. When a type-bar is impacted, the lever T is tilted on its fulcrum in a direction to permit of the pawl W slipping past as many of the teeth on the ratchetwheel X as correspond to the number of spaces occupied by the numeral, letter, syllable or word to be printed, the distance between each two of said teeth being equal to that included in one of said arbitrary spaces. The printing, by a type-bar having been effected, the hand-lever, R, is released, and automatically returned to its normal position, by the power of its spring. By this return movement ot' the hand-lever, the lever T is actuated to cause the pawl W to operate the ratchet-wheel X, whereby the roller Z is partially rotated and the form on support M automatically moved a distance equal to the total of the spaces corresponding in numberl to that of the teeth, on said ratchet-wheel, over which said pawl has previously slipped, and thus said form is positioned for the impact of another type-bar. In the meantime the Iirst type-bar is returned to its normal position by the expansion ot the surrounding spring I, the latter having been previously compressed by the downward movement of said type-bar.

I have illustrated a bank-check calling for one hundred and twenty five dollars, and to print the words representingthis amount, the type-bars for one, hund red and twen ty tive would be successively ing of the type-written matter thereon.

brought to the printing point by the proper adjustment of the rotative shell E, the handlever R being operated to cause an impact of said type-bars and automatic movement of the check-form necessary to the proper spaz the check is to call for the fraction of a dollar and the form is provided with a Tm mark, as is sometimes the case, the hand lever R is actuated to operate the pawl-and-ratchet spacing-mechanism untilsad mark isbrought to the printing point, after which the typebars corresponding to the numerator of the fraction are brought to said printing point and impacted as above described, the numeral type in the present machine being so positioned as to print a certain space above the line for the amount expressed by words. It the check form be not provided with the W mark I employ the type-bar designed to print the character /00 this type-bar being impacted after those necessary to express the numerator of the fraction.

By the employment of a machine such asl have described,the making out of bank-checks and other money-orders in large numbers for various amounts is materially facilitated inasmuch as the designating of said amounts is purely mechanical and very rapilyperformed in comparison to the doing of the same work by pen and ink, orby type-writing machines of the ordinary construction. Having now fullydescribed my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A writing-machine having movable type of different reading lengths, suitable means for impacting the type at a common printing point, other suitable means for regulating the travel of each type in proportion to its reading length, a paper support, and a variable spacing-mechanism cooperative with the type, substantially as set forth.

2. A writing-machine having movable type of different reading lengths, suitable means tor regulating the travel of each type in proportion to its reading length, a paper support and feed-rollers, a pawl-and-ratchet mechanism governing the movement of the feedrollers, a platen, an impact device for the type at a common printing point, and alevermechanism controlling the pawl-and-ratchet mechanism and impact device, substantially as set forth. K

3. Awriting-maehine having movable type certain of which express an assemblage of letters forming syllables and words, suitable means for impacting` the type at a common printing point, stops arranged to regulate the travel of each type in proportion to its reading length, a variable spacing mechanism co- IOO operative with the type, a paper support, and

a platen, substantially as set forth.

4. A writingmachine havinga pivotal shell, a series of type that are movable on the shell and having different reading lengths, suitable means for regulating the travel of each type in proportion to its reading length, an impacting-mechanism for the type, a variable spacingmechanism cooperative With said type,a paper support, and a platen, substantially as set forth.

5. A writing-machine having a horizontal circular track recessed at a certain point, a vertical center post provided With an adjustable section in the form of a bearing, a rotative shell supported on the bearing and provided With a liange movable on the track, spring-controlled stop-pins carried on the iiange, a series of type-bars loose on the shell, an impacting-mechanism for the type-bars, suitable mechanism for automatically returning said type-bars to their normal position after impact, a paper support, and a platen, substantially as set forth.

6. A Writing-machine havinga center-post Yprovided with an arm,a shell having pivotal connection with the post and carrying vertically reciprocative type-bars, an impact-.lever fulcrumed on the post-arm and positioned to come over any type-bar brought to the printing point, a hand-lever linked to the impactlever, a pair of feed-rollers one of which is provided with a ratchet, another lever controlled by thelink connecting those aforesaid,

and a pawl connected to the' latter lever and A positioned to engage said ratchet, a paper support, and a platen, substantially as set forth.

7. A writing machine for designating on bank-checks or analogous orders in numerals and letters any amount from one to nine hundred ninety nine thousand nine hundred ninety nine inclusive, the same comprising a series of movable type-embraced ina scheme that essentially consists of the ten characters of the arabic notation, words one,tWo, three, four, tive, siX, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve; syllables thir, for, tif, teen, tWen, hund, ty, red, thous, eigh, and the character /Oogsuitablc means for impacting the type at a common printing point, other suitable means for regulating the travel of each type in proportion to its reading length, a papersupport, and a variable spacing mechanism co-operative with the type, substantially as set forth.

ln testimony that I claim theforegoing l have hereunto set my hand, at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, in thepresence of two Witnesses.

s ELLSWORTH GRIFFIN.

Vitnesses:

' N. E. OLIPHANT, JOHN E. WILEs.

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