US527083A - Type-writing machine - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheet-Shet 1. J. P. SMITH.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

No. 527,083. Patented 001;. 9, 1894 Whefi'kyf fa: norms min 00., Pumuma. msnmmm n. a

J. P. SMITH.

TYPE WRITING MAGHINE. 4

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

bro/527,083.

Patented Oct. 9, 1894.

UNITED" STATES "JOHN P. SMlTH, 0F CLEVELAND, onto.

PATENT ()FFIcE;

TYPE-WRITING MACHl N E.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No; 527,033, dated October '9, 1894'.

Application filed Pebrnary'lQ; 894; "SarialNo. 500.762. (No as.)

ter on the same type, and are adapted to be struck against the platen after the latter has been shifted for the purpose to a second type center. The mechanical expedients by which these movements are accomplished vary-somewhat in detail in the several machines in use,

but they consist essentially in an aggregation of compound levers manipulated at the keyboard in the manner familiar to those versed in the .art, and a carriage bearing the platen, adapted to travel longitudinally. above one type-center when in its normal position, but to be shifted transversely to above the sec- 0nd type-center whenever a shifting lever is depressed for the purpose, and, in turn, to automatically resume its said normal position whenever pressure upon the said shifting 1 e-' ver is relaxed. The said shifting lever, by

which the aforesaid transverse movement of the carriage is effected, is usually provided with a thin bar like arm which projects forwardly into the keyboard in close juxtaposition to a similar arm of the spacing lever and parallel with and slightly above the upper edge of the same. As will be recognized by those acquainted with the class of machines referred to, the operativepossibilitiesof the same-'unless provided with special attachments for the purpose-are restricted to printing letters or symbols along thecommon base linealone. This for the reason thatuntil such special provision is madethere will be no intermediate stations between the normal place of the platen and its place when moved backwardly toabove the second,- or upper case, type-center. Under these conditions the transverse movement of the platen is limited to that required to gain the latter pointand to spring back therefrom when released-and thereby regain its original or lower case position. Devices have heretofore been made having'for their operative object to arrest the said transversemovement of the platen at predetermined points intermediate between the extreme points above referred None of these devices, however, have rendered it'possible to print a second letter or' symbol within the letter-space-area allotted to the elevated ch'aracter-andin consequencefo r -instanceto print numerators directly over their denominators, or abbreviation marks, or chemical symbols, in the .same space as the letter to which they relate,

whether their relative positionsbe above or below such letter, as, for instance, inxprinting the abbreviation EsqFl, or, the chemical H." "1 notations S, T, or M. I

The chief purpose and object of my present invention may therefore be said to be "to enable an, operator of a machine of the above class to not vonly forcethe platen to a ,station on its transverse routemidway to the said limit, and to thereby print 'a character in elevation in respect" to its position when :printed at the limit of the said travel; but

also toenable theoperator at the same time to retain the said platen against longitudinal movement until other and additional type characters are struck on the paper immediately below the character so printed in elevation,-and within the same superficial type area or letter-space. I accomplish the said purposes by the specific device and-attachment hereinafter particularly described, and illustrated by the several drawings accompanying, and made a part of this application.

In the said drawings Figure 1 is a super ficial View of a portion of a keyboard containing my said device looking downwardly upon the same. Fig. 2 is a side and Fig. 3 an end view of the same in partial cross-section. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the stopkey constituting the principal element of the specific-device or apparatus described.

In each of the said figures similar parts are denoted by similar letters.

In the several drawings H represents a secto-'and-'-by this means-to'enable a type i111? pression to be struck at an elevation from the base line.

tion-alpart of the frame of a keyboard in a typewriting machine of the' character universally known.

A is the wooden space key, and a, one of the usual space-levers or arms that are actuated thereby, and which themselves actuate the pawl and rack movement by which the longitudinal travel of the carriage is alternately checked and released, in" the manner well known to those familiar with the art. In close juxtaposition thereto, as usually constructed, and with its upper edge slightly above the upper edge of the said space-lever or arm a, is the shifting-arm, or lever b, by means of which the platen is thrown backwardly across its longitudinal route-as hereinbefore referred to; The said lever, or arm b, is manipulated by depressing the key thereon denoted by B in the figures. The relative normal position of theupper edgeof thebarlike arms, or levers, a and 1), appears in Figs. 2 and 3.

O O are, severally, someof the usual letter keys on the board.

An operative form of a stop-key device specifically adapted for usein a typewriting ma-. chine constructed in the manner illustrated by the drawings is shown, detached, in Fig. 4. It consists of the pad, or top D, and the projection or stem d, beneath thesame; The upper portion of the said stem (1, is preferably th'readed, and *is provided with a limiting nut or stop G for the purpose that will hereinafter more fully appear. At predetermined points upon opposite sides (of the said stem (1 are lugs, or hearing projectionsE, E". F isa bracket projecting from the frame Hand overhanging the intervening space between the arms or leversa and b. It is perforated at about the middle point. of said space. in-order to admit thestem d to be inserted,and to allow the stem to. be recipror. cated vertically therethroiigh. Thesaid perforation may be oblong rather thancircular particularly available for the rapid and ac curate printing of common fractions. well known the recurrence of these characin form, in orderto correspond with a desirable form of the stem d, and thereby maintain the saidstem, and the said lugs E E, in

the same relative position with respect to the said bracket F. It is obvious that the precise character of the said bracket, its mode of attachment or the special detail by which its functions in the connection are insured, are.

not essential to my invention, which on the contrary covers any means of obtaining the requisite support and bearing for the parts D and d, that is substantially equivalent to that shown in the drawings.

Having shown and described the several parts of my said device,tits mode of attach: ment and operation are easily apparent. The part D may be made detachable fromits stem d, as well as the limiting nut or stop G, and, having been first detached accordingly, the said stem at is inserted upwardly through the bracket F until the lugs E E respectively rest upon and ride the upper edges of the levers CL and b when the latter are in their normal position. The limiting nut G isnext screwed upon. the stem cl, and then the top, or key-plate D. The said nut G, and thelugs E E, should be located upon the stem (1, at such points respectively that when the nut G is forced downwardly into bearing with the bracket F, the lug E will have meanwhile engaged with and depressed the spacing'arm," or lever at, until the carriage is securely locked against longitudinal travel.

Such locked condition-by reason of depressing thespacingarm or levera, is etfectedin consequence of the usnal connection of said lover a, with a ratchet, or pawl that is movably fixedto the frame of the machine in such manner that whensaid lever is depressed as above described, the said ratchet will be correspondingly deflected-in opposition to a. spring action-into engagement with the teeth ofarack on the carriage, and thereby check or look the latteragai'nst further travel until such pressure on the lever a, is withdrawn. The

pressure upon the same, bythe operations-is 1 still retained at the degree of depression to which it was carried by the said stopt-keythe carriage. will instantly regain its normal position over a typecentenbut will remain. locked against forward travel or spacing, when, by reason of this condition, it isevi- .dent, a lower case type may now be struck and printed below the said elevated letter, and within the area of its space.

The mode of operation just described is As is ters in documents likeubills of materials of constructions, inventories and invoices of every sort, is frequent and under conditions. where it is important to economizespacer When printed by machines without facilities for varying the type align ment.-as above do;

scribed-numerators anddenominators must necessarily occupy distinct spaces and ap pear upon thesame base line not only with one another but with the integral to. which they belong. In suchicases, in spite of the intervention of the upward diagonal line, the numerators are liable to be confused with their whole numbers, and the fractions themselves are not readily distinguishable. By employing my said device however, and'first printing the numerator in the upper part. of the space area, and, thereafter allowing the platen to present the lower part of said area for the denominator, as I have already described, it is evident that a fraction will.be

distinctly denoted and in the conventional form.

In making use of the said device to print.

certain abbreviations or symbols that require an additlonal letter in elevation only, suchas M, MK, 0 or the various chemical notations,

the only movements necessary are to depress the stop-key D and to release the same as soon as the elevated character is struck.

I do not intend to limit my invention, as aforesaid, to a devicethat is affixed and supported in the precise manner illustrated herein. Nor is it my intention to confine the same to theparticular apparatus as shown in other regards. Nor is it essential to my invention, in its broader scope, that it should be operated with or attached to a machine constructedprecisely as that 'hereinbefore generally indicated. The location of the spacing, or shifting lever, or both may likethem to be simultaneously actuated to the degree required to accomplish the motion described, will still be within the spirit and meaning of my present invention.

' by Letters Patent,-is-.

"In a typewriting machine, provided with spacing and shifting levers, a stop-key adapted to be reciprocated through a predetermined range and'to engage with and simultaneously actuate the said spacing and shifting levers, substantially as shown and described. v r J OHN. P. SMITH.

Witnesses:

GEORGE O. WING,

M. MILLARD.

wise be in an entirely different part of the -key-board, and a stop-key that will'enable- What 1 claim as new, and desire to secure I

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