US557619A - Type-writing machine - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

Z. G. SHOLBS.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

Patented Apr. 7, 1896.'Y

NTTED STATES PATENT FFICE.

ZALMON G. SIIOLES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE REMINGTON- SIIOLES TYPEIVRITER COMPANY, OF ILLINOIS.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 557,619, dated April '7, 1896.

Application filed May 29, 1893.

To all whom it may conoc-11,:

Be it known that I, ZALMON G. SHOLEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type -IVriting Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates particularly to typewriters in which the type-bars each bear two types and are mounted upon a stationary support, while provision is made for shifting the platen back and forth at right angles to its axis in order to bring it into such position as to allow iirst one and then the other of said types to come into Contact with the platen, the platen standing normally at one limit of such transverse movement and being moved to the other limit by the operation of a key.

The object of the invention is to automatically lock the platen in the normal position and have it remain so until released manuallywhen it is to be moved from the normal position. The construction herein shown embodies a carriage arranged to move on ways parallel to the platen, and the platen-supporting frame supported by said carriage is adapted to be reciprocated upon said carriage in a direction at right 'angles to the axis of the platen. The locking mechanism is so applied as to prevent the reciprocation of said platensupporting frame upon the carriage, excepting when it is desired to move the platen from its normal position.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a Vertical section from the front to the rear of the machine near the left-hand end. Fig. 2 is a plan of the machine.

A is the frame of the machine.

A is the top plate. This has at its center the usual opening A2, through which the types are raised by the type-bars. As the construction and arrangement of these type-bars are well known, it is not deemed necessary to illustrate the same in this application.

A: is a rod supported upon the frame A,

Serial No. 475,921. (No model.)

parallel to the top plate and the front of the machine and at the rear of the opening A2.

B is the carriage. This is an elongated and substantially rectangular frame having its rear side hinged to and arranged to slide upon the rod A3 and extended forward over the opening A2 and having at its front a wheel B on an axis, which is horizontal and at right angles to the rod A2. Said wheel rests upon the front portion of the top plate A and forms the front support of said carriage.

C O C is the platen-frame. The parts C C of said frame rest loosely upon the end pieces of the carriage B, so that said frame may slide back and forth upon said carriage at right angles to the front of the machine.

D is the platen. This is of the well-known form and is supported at its ends in bearings D' on the parts C@ E is a rock-shaft supported horizontally below the front of the top plate A. From said rock-shaft one or more rigid arms E rise through opening or openings ein the top plate. At the upper end a horizontal rod F is supported by the upper end of said arm or arms in a direction parallel to the front of the machine and parallel to the platen. From said shaft E a rigid arm E2 extends rearward a short distance.

An ordinary linger-key G is hinged at G at the rear of the frame A and extends thence to the front of the machine. Any suitable form of spring S may be applied to said key to keep .it normally in the elevated position. A link G2 is hinged by one end to the free end of the arm E2 and by the other end to the key G, one of said hinges being a sliding hingethat is to say, a slot g in lieu of a circular opening is formed in one of the members, and a cylindrical pin g' is extended through said slot. By this arrangement the key G will have to be depressed a short distance before engaging the link G2 and drawing the latter downward. It Will be understood that by depressing the key G to a sufficient extent the link G2 will draw the arm E2 and rotate the rock-shaft E and move the arm or arms E and the shaft F rearward. An arm EB is supported by and extended forward of the shaft E, and a spring S is secured by one end to said arm and by the other end to some stationary part of the frame A, as s. The action IOO of this spring is to normally hold the Vrockshaft in such position as to place the arm or arms E and the rod F at their forward limit. IVhen the key G is depressed to throw the rod F rearward, the resistance of the spring S', as well as the spring S, must be overcome. From the frame C C C an arm C2 extends forward over the shaft F and has at its front two depending lugs C3, which extend at opposite sides of the rod F and engage said rod7 so that when the latter is reciprocated the frame C C C is reciprocated upon the carriage B. The distance from the lugs C3 to the platen is such as to bring the platen over the forward printing-center when the rod F is in its forward or normal position. Thus the forward position becomes the normal position of the platen I3 and the platen-frame C C' C.

It will now be understood that there can be no rearward and-forward movement of the platen so long as the rod F is held immovably; but heretofore only the spring S' has been used to keep said rod at the forward position. As this spring is free to yield to the greater strains applied in the operation of the machine, it follows that the rod F is also free to yield in a similar manner. Hence there is more or less vibration in the rod F, the frame C C C', and the platen D. If there is a vibration of the platen, the position of the paper with reference to the front of the machine and the forward printing-center must vary more or less.

By means of my improvement the rod F is normally and positively locked in the forward position.

I-I is a lug extending from the arm E horizontally and parallel to the rod F and preferably below the top plate A. H is a lever pivoted between its ends at z. to the top plate and extending at one end to the rear of and substantially in contact with the lug Il. From the rear of said lever H a link H2 extends to the key G and is hinged to said key and said arm. Both of these hinges are nonsliding or without slack. Hence upon the depression of the keyG the link II2 is at once drawn downward, and the latter draws the rear end of the lever H downward and tilts said lever upon its hinge, so that the front end is raised above and out of engagement with the lug lfI. The relative dimensions of these parts and the distance of the hinges from each other are such as to provide for the freeing of the lever H and lug H from each other by that portion of the descent of the key G which precedes the engagement of the key G and the link G2 through the parts intervening between said rod and key. Cn releasing the key G the springs S and S will coperate in returning all the parts to their normal positions until all said parts have been so far shifted as to break the engagement between the key G and the rod F. At

this time the link G2, arms E2 and E', and the rod F, frame C C C', and the platen D are already at their forward limit. `Thereafter the spring S will continue to elevate the key G and link H2 and tilt the lever Il', so that the front end of the latter can descend into engagement with the lug II.

I claim as my inventionl. In a type-writing machine, the combination with the main frame of the machine, of a platen, a suitable platen-support shiftable at right angles to the axis of said platen, a spring for holding said platen-support in its normal position, a suitable locking device to prevent the movement of the platen-support against the stress of the spring, a platenshifting key, suitable shifting connections between the platen-support and the key, and tripping connections between the shiftingkey and the locking mechanism whereby the shifting-key iirst releases the locking mechanism and then shifts the platen in opposition to the stress of the platen-holding spring, substantially as described.

In a type-writer, the combination with the frame of the machine, of a carriage supported upon ways parallel to the axis of the platen, a platen-frame supported by said carriage and reciprocable upon the latter at right angles to said ways, spring mechanism for moving said frame to one limit of its path, automatic non-yielding mechanism for locking said frame at suchV limit, and a key for iirst unlocking said locking mechanism and then shifting said frame from such position, substantially as described.

3. In a type-writenthe combination with the frame of the machine, of a platen, a platen-support shiftable at right angles to the axis of said platen, a rod, F, engaging said support, a rocking support for said rod, a spring for normally drawing said rod and platen-support to one limit, a lever, II', adapted to lock said rod, F, when the latter is at said limit, a key-lever, a link joining said keylever and said lever, II', and a sliding connection between said key-lever and the support of said rod, F.

4. In a type-writer, the combination with the frame of the machine, of a platen, a support for said platen shiftable at right angles to the axis of said platen, a spring for normally moving said support to one limit, a

rock-shaft, E, arms, E', and rod, F, engaging said platen-support, pivoted lever, H', adapted to engage the part supported by one of the arms, E,when said platen-support is at its normal position, a key-lever, G, a suitable connection between said key-lever and said lever, H', a sliding connection between said key-lever and said rod, F, substantially as dcscribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 23d day of May, in the year 1893.

ZALMON G. SHOLES.

IVitnesses z CYRUs KEER, AnBRosE RIsDoN.

ICO

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