US628256A - Counter for type-writers. - Google Patents

Description

ATTORNEY,

Ptented July 4, I899.

S. W. VARNEY. COUNTER FOR TYPE WRITERS.

(Applicgfiion fllad Knv. 1, 1898.)

(No Model) WITNESSES 1n: mums vsrms o0. PHOYO-LITNOnWASHINDYON, 0.1:. v

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL XV. VARNEY, OF NORWICH, CONNECTICUT.

COUNTER FOR TYPE-WRITERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 628,256, dated July 4, 1899. Application filed November 1, 1898. Serial No. 695,204." (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL W. VA'RNEY, a' citizen of the United States, residing at Norwich, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Counters for Type- Writers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention is in counters for type-writing machines, and has for its object the production of a device for automatically counting the words of each line as they are written and for indicating when a given number of words have been written in the line.

A device of the kind under consideration is especially valuable for telegraphers use,because it enables the operator when taking on a type-writer to write a uniform number of words in each line, and thus it becomes an easy matter to compute the number written in several lines without the necessity of counting each word.

Briefly described, my newlyinvented device consists of mechanism inclosed in a suitable casing and properly secured to the frame of the typewriter, said mechanism being adapted to be operated by the spacing mechanism of the type-writer, with which it has suitable connection. The said spacing mech anism (operated usually after the writing of a word) sets in operation the counting mechanism, which latter embodies a bell-alarm arranged to strike when the spacing mechanism has been operated a given number of times, the spacing corresponding to the number of words written.

To assist in explaining my invention, Ihave provided the accompanying drawings, illustrating the same and those portions of a typewriter immediately connected therewith, as follows:

Figures 1 and 2 are respectively front and side elevations of a type-writer fitted up with my newly-invented counting device. Fig. 3 shows detached in front elevation, on a somewhat enlarged scale, my said newly-invented device, the front or cover plate of the casing being removed to expose the interior mechanism. Fig. 4: is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3 3' of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 shows detached and principally in elevation a certain element of the said counting mechanism, said view being broken away in part to more clearly explain its construction. Fig. 6 illustrates detached and in plan a certain detail of construction of the said mechanism. Fig. 7 illustrates a modification of my invention.

Referring to thedrawings, the letter Ct denotes the frame of a type-writer; b, the carriage thereof; 0, the space-bar, and c the space-bar lever, the latter being pivoted at c in the rear portion of the type-writer.

As already stated, the counting mechanism is inclosed in a suitable casing, which latter is denoted by the letter cl and is mounted upon the type-writer frame, as shown in the drawings. Projecting horizontally from the rear wall of casing cl is a stud 2, upon which is mounted a wheel, denoted as a whole by the letter f and forming one of the principal elements of the said counting mechanism. The wheel f for convenience in construction is made up preferably of three disks 9 h 75, as shown in Fig. 4c, the disks g and h being assembled adjacent to each other and the disks h and 7t having certain elements interposed between their confronting faces, as hereinafter explained. Located between the said disks h and 7c and projecting radially from the circumferential edge of the wheel f are anumber of teeth m, located equidistantly apart and extending about one-fourth the distance around the said circumferential edge. The teeth or are supported in the positions just mentioned by pins m, upon which their inner ends are pivotally mounted, the opposite ends of the pins being supported in the disks h and 7c.

Reference-letter n denotes a pawl located adjacent to the wheel f and adapted to coact with the teeth m. Pawl 'n has secured thereto an arm 91., extending obliquely and downwardly therefrom and having its lower end connected by a wire 0 (passing through the bottom wall of the casing d) with the spaceb'ar lever c. Pawl n is supported in part by a spring 07?, whose opposite ends are secured, respectively, to the said pawl and to the casing 01, as shown. To retain the pawl n in alinement with and adjacent to the teeth m, a bracket 19 is secured to the rear wall of the casing d, havingabifurcatedportion,between the members of which the arm n is received. The said bracket also provides a bearing for an adjusting-screw 19, whose inner end abuts the edge of the arm n and so that the pawl 12 may be adjusted to the proper position to coact with the teeth m by simply rotating the said screw.

It will now be readily understood from the drawings that when the space-bar c is pressed downward the arm n will be correspondingly moved, and because of its engagement with the screw 13 said arm will travel inward toward the wheelf, thereby causing the pawl n to engage the teeth m and effect a partial rotation of said wheel. In order to limit the rotation of the wheelf to one tooth at a time, I have secured to the arm 11' an arm 02 whose free end is adapted to engage notches g, that are cut in the circumferential edge of disk g and registering with the teeth m, such engagement occurring when the desired amount of rotation has been obtained and then serving as a stop to prevent further rotation, as is clearly shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. When a tooth m is engaged by the pawl 02 to effect the rotation of wheel f, as just explained, the lower side of said tooth engages a pin m that serves as a stop for the tooth. Upon the release of the space-bar c the spring a at once acts to draw the various elements connected therewith upward to their normal positions, the pawl 11 in its return movement rocking the next tooth m on its pivotal support m as it passes said tooth.

To prevent the accidental backward rotation of the wheel f when the pawl n is out of engagement therewith, the following mechanism is provided:

"lhe reference-letter 5 denotes a ratchetsegment, located between the disks h and 70, having teeth 8 that form a continuation of the teeth on for a second quarter of the circumference of the wheel f. To coact with teeth 8, a pawl 25 is hung upon a stud 6, projecting from the rear wall of easing d. The pawl t forms the shorter arm of an an gle-lever, whose longer arm 25 extends through an opening in the upper wall of the casing d, and the free end of said arm lies in the path of a projection 19, secured to the carriage b.

The reference-letter t denotes a spring secured to the casing d and bearing on the pawl tto cause the latter to engage in turn each ratchet-tooth s as the wheel f revolves. Adjacent to the segment 5 is a weight it, that is secured between the said disks hand it, which weight seeks constantly to revolve the wheel in the reverse direction to that just described.

Ordinarily a type-writer carriage travels from the operators right to his lefthand when the machine is writing, and at the completion of its travel toward the left said carriage is drawn by hand to its right-hand or starting position in readiness to again travel toward the left. As the carriage 1) travels toward the left the wheel fis slowly rotated with a stepby-step motion caused by the manipulation of the spacing mechanism after the writing of each word. lVhen the spacing mechanism has been thus manipulated a given number of times and a corresponding number of words written, an alarm is sounded, as hereinafter explained. The carriageb is now drawn back to its starting or right-hand position, and just before reaching that position the projection Z) engages the upper end of arm 25', rocking the latter before it and correspondingly rocking the pawl t (against the force of spring 29) until said pawl is withdrawn from the teeth 3, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5. Meanwhile the weight a has been carried upward by the rotation of wheel f into the position shown in Fig. 5, and when the pawl tis released from the teeth 8 said weight at once acts to rotate the wheel f in the direction the reverse to that in which it has just been traveling, such reverse rotation continuing until a radially-projecting arm n engages a fixed projection d, located on the casing d, and stops the disks.

I will describe now the alarm mechanism for indicating when the spacing mechanism has been operated a given number of times.

The reference-letterw denotes a bell mounted, preferably, on the rear side of easing d and having a striker w, consisting of alever pivoted substantially midway its length to the said rear side of the casing cl. The outer end of lever 10 enters the bell w, while the inner end thereof passes downward into the said casing and lies adjacent to the circumferential edge of the wheel f, as shown. The disk g has a lever y pivotally secured at 1 one end of which lever projects beyond the circumferential edge of the wheel f, the weight of the said longerend being such that it holds the shorter end in close engagement with a pin 1 secured in the said disk, thus permitting the rocking of the lever in one direction only. When the wheel f is rotated, the outer end of the lever y engages the inner end of the bell-striker to just before said wheel has completed the desired amount of rotation. Continued revolution of the wheel f carries the striker w upward until the end of the lever passes beyond the striker, when the latter returns to its normal position, causing the inner end thereof to engage and strike the bell w. The carriage Z) is now drawn to the right and through the described mechanism the wheel f is permitted to revolve to its normal position, the lever meanwhile ridingidly past the striker-arm w.

The projecting arm '0 instead of being fixedly secured to the wheel f is preferably formed on a block 2;, located between the disks h and 7t and held in place by a pin 2, passing therethrough and through holes g in the said disks. A number of the said holes are provided in order to allow the position of block 41 and its projection 17 to be changed relatively to the pivoted teeth 072. By thus changing the position of the projection 'v the starting-point of the disk f may be correspondingly varied. For example, the pawl n instead of starting with the first tooth on may be caused to begin with the second, third, or any others of the series of teeth. Thus if the pawl begins with the second tooth the bell to will ring when nine Words have been written, or if the pawl begins with the third tooth the bell will ring when eight words have been written. It will thus be understood that by simply changing the position of the projection o any desired number of words per line may be counted within the scope of the teeth on.

If desired, instead of the peculiarly-constructed teeth m ordinary ratchet-teeth, like the teeth 5', may be employed, in which case a yielding pawlwould be used, like that shown in Fig. 7; but I preferably use the form of ratchet and teeth m shown and first described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In combination, in countingmechanism of the class referred to, a disk bearing radial teeth, a pawl adapted to engage said teeth, a weight acting with a constant tendency to return the said disk to its initial position, and a stop cl 1: to limit the said return movement; said stop being adjustable relatively to the said radial teeth, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination with the space-bar and carriage of a type-writer, counting mechanism embodying a toothed wheel having a stop to establish an initial or starting position, a bell, a lever carried by said wheel and adapted to engage the bell-clapper as set forth, a pawl adapted to coaot with the said toothed wheel and connected with the said space-bar, and a detent t having an arm located in the path of the said carriage, all substantially as t specified.

Signed at Norwich, Connecticut, this 29th day of October, 1898.

SAMUEL WV. VARNEY. Witnesses:

ALONZO M. LUTHER, FRANK H. ALLEN.

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