US751579A - Platen-locking mechanism for type-writers or other machines - Google Patents

Description

No. 751,579. PATENTED FEB. 9, 1904 F. x. WAGNER.

PLATEN LOOKING MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITERS OR OTHER MACHINES.

i APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7, 1902.

30 MODEL.

WITNESSES: !NVENTOR ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES Patented February 9, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANZ X. WAGNER, OF NE'W YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO UNDERIVOOD TYPEWVRITER COMPANY, OF NEl/V YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PLATEN-LOCKING MECHANISM FOR TYPE-WRITERS OR OTHER MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Pa.tent No. 751,57 9, dated February 9, 1904.

Application filed November 7,1902. Serial No. 130,376. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANZ X. WVAGNER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State 5 of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Platen Locking Mechanism for Type-\Vriters or other Machines, of which the following is a specification.

I My invention relates to the platens for typewriters and other machines, and has for its object to provide mechanism whereby such platen may be either locked, so that it can stop only at predetermined points corresponding I to the intervals between lines, or released entirely, so that it may be stopped at any point desired.

A specific embodiment of my invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings; and the novel features of the invention will then be pointed out in the appended claims.

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a platen provided with my improvements with parts in sec- 2 5 tion. Fig. 2 is a detail view from which I have omitted all parts of mechanism except those that are immediately related to my invention. Fig. 3 is a partial plan. Fig. 4: is a detail elevation of the controlling-lever. Fig.

3 5 shows the brake-lever, and Fig. 6 the locking-lever.

In the drawings I have illustrated a platen and platen-feed or line-spacing mechanism of a character commonly employed in the Underwood type-writer. I desire it to be understood, however, that any other suitable mechanism may be employed.

A is a frame in which the shaft B of the platen is journaled, said shaft having the cus- 4 tomary milled head B for turning the platen by hand.

O is the line-spacing lever, pivoted at O and imparting motion to the slide D, to which the feed-pawl E is pivoted at E. The slide and the pawl are spring-pressed in the usual manner, and the pawl cooperates with a ratchetwhcel B on the platen-shaft B. Adjacent to this ratchet-wheel B are pivoted, as at F, the

brake-lever G and the locking-lever H. These levers are pressed inward that is, toward the 5 ratchet-wheel B as by means of a spring I, coiled around the pivot F and having its ends engaged with the levers G H, as shown best in Fig. 2. The ends I I of the spring project beyond the levers and are adapted to be engaged by the controlling-lever J, fulcrumed upon the frame at J. This lever has ahandle J and two operating portions J J, adapted to cooperate with the spring ends I I respectively.

In the position illustrated by Fig. 1 the spring end I is lifted by the operating portion J 4 away from the locking-lever H. The latter therefore is no longer under the influence of the spring I and moves away by gravity 5 from the ratchet-wheel B or, at least, does not exert any pressure thereon. At its free end the lever H preferably has a roller H, which normally acts'to stop the ratchet-wheel exactly between two teeth and to lock the 7 ratchet wheel and the platen against accidental movement. It will be understood, however, that when the controlling-lever J is in the position illustrated by Fig. 1 the lockinglever H is inactive and the platen will stop in whatever position it may be. Fig. 1 also shows the brake-lever G in engagement with the ratchet-wheel B as it is pressed inward by the upper end of the spring I. This brakelever is provided for the purpose of exerting 30 sufficient friction to hold the platen in position after it has been adjusted by turning the head B. When it is desired to have the platen-locking mechanism operate in the usual way, so as to hold the platen exactly at the 5 positions corresponding to line-spaces, the controlling-lever J is shifted into the position shown in Fig. 2. This raises the spring end I by the action of the operating portion J so that no spring-pressure is exerted on the brake- 9 lever G. At the same time the spring end I is allowed to throw the locking-lever H inward into engagement with the ratchet-wheel B The device then acts to stop the platen at intervals which correspond exactly to the spaces between the teeth of the ratchet-wheel B or a multiple of such spaces. The spring ends I I not only act to throw the levers G H inward, but also to retain the controllinglever J in either of its extreme positions. Thus in Fig. 1 the spring end I rests in the operating portion J which is formed as a recess, and thus holds the controlling-lever J against accidental movement.

In Fig. 2 accidental movement of the controlling-lever is prevented by both spring ends, as movement of the controlling-lever in either direction would put one spring end or the other under further tension. I

Various modifications may be made without departing from the nature of my invention.

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a type-writing or other machine, the combination with the platen-shaft having a ratchet-wheel, of a brake-lever and a lockinglever arranged to engage said ratchet-wheel, a spring, the ends of which engage the brakelever' and the locking-lever respectively, to throw them against the ratchet-wheel, and a controlling-lever arranged to act on the ends of the spring so as to release either the locking-lever or the brake-lever from the action of the spring.

2. In a type-writing or other machine, the combination with the platen-shaft having a ratchet-wheel, of a locking-lever arranged to engage said ratchet-Wheel, a spring for throwscribing witnesses.

ing said locking-lever into engagement with the ratchet-wheel, and a controlling-lever arranged to exert an outward pressure directly upon the spring to release the locking-lever from the action of the spring.

3. In a type-Writing or other machine the combination of the platen shaft having a ratchet-wheel, of a brake-lever arranged to engage said ratchet-wheel, a spring for throwing said brake-leveryinward, and a controlling-lever for moving 'the spring away from said brake-lever.

4. In a type-writing or other machine, the combination with the platen-shaft having a ratchet-wheel, of a locking-lever and a brakelever arranged to engage said ratchet-Wheel, spring members for throwing said levers inward, and. a controlling-lever having two operating portions arranged to engage said spring members and to temporarily render them inactive so far as the brake-lever or lookinglever is concerned, one of said operating portions being shaped with a recess so that the spring members will also act to hold the controlling-lever in either one of its positions.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to th1s specification in the presence of two sub- FRANZ X. WAGNER.

WVitnesses:

JOHN LOTKA, Orro v.- SGHRENK.

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