US833284A - Type-writer platen-shifting mechanism. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED OOT.16, 1906.

, J. ALEXANDER. I TYPE WRITER PLATEN SHIFTING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 9, 1903.

2 SHEBTSSHEBT 1.

N0. 833 ,284. PATENTED 0GT.16, 1906.

' Y J. ALEXANDER. I

TYPE WRITER PLATEN SHIFTING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED MAB.9, 19.03.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

NITED STATES PATEN oEEIoE.

JESSE ALEXANDER, or BROOKLYN; NEw YORK, AssIeNon-BY MEsNE ASSIGNM s, To LEE ALEXANDER, KITTIE ALEXANDER, JR, JESSE ALEXANDER, Ja, D 'rYvE ALEXANDER.

TYPE-WRITER PLATEN- SHIFTING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 16, 1906.

Original application filed June 2, 1902, Serial No. 109,925. Divided and this application filed March 9,1903. Serial No; 146,898-

- New York, have invented certaln new and useful Improvements in Type-Writer Platen- Shifting Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in type-writers, and particularly to the mechanism for effecting theshifting of the platen in that class of machines known as the shift type, other details of construction of which aremore fully set forth in the a plication filed by me June 2, 1902, Serial NE). 109,925, from which this is a divisional application. v

The object of this invention is to construct keyoperated mechanism for shifting the platen from the lower tothe upper case osition in a sim 1e and easy manner and w ich will be durab le.

.The object is also to provide a means for automatically locking the carriage or platen in the upper-case position when raised by means of one key-bar and of releasing it by the operation of another key-bar.

It will be found to consist in the improvemeiits more fully set forth in the accompanying drawings and the specification hereinafter. p

Figure 1 is a cross-section and side elevation of the parts of a type-writer embodying the improvements of my invention, showing the platen raised to the upper-case-position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, slightly enlarged, of the shifting mechanism. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a fragment of the frame of the machine with the carriage in place, the platen being omitted. Fig. 4 is a side view of the same with the platen in place. and showing a ty e-bar dotted in the printing position.

T e reference-figures are substantially the same as those used in the original application.

'2' is a revoluble platencarried by the side plates 7.

, 22 is a side frame which constitutes a part pivotally con- 221- is a bar which connects the two side frames" 22. 23is a guide-sleeve secured to i this bar 221, which is adapted to slide on the track-bar 24.

222 is a front track carried by the side frames 22, which has bearings in a stationary support 224, carried by the frame of the machme.

131 is an auxiliary rail carried by the side plates 7 and with which the platen-shifting roller 91 cooperatesp The carriage is, as usual in all machines of this character, adapted to be moved'from side to side of the machine and is governed by a suitable feed mechanismas, for instance, a longitudinal rack 26, the gear 27 in engagementtherewith, a shaft 28 carrying this gear 27, and a ratchet 29, a dog 30 and the' universal .mechanism, bar 31, arm 32, shaft 33, and lever 34, link 35, and spring 36. The tension of the spring, and consequently the touch of the machine, may be adjusted by means of the screw- 361 and fixed-by the set-nut 362 a ainst the frame 363.

81 is oneof the intermediate levers of thekey and type-bar mechanism, which coopbars 84 and 85 are provided.- These are ivoted at the rear of the machine on the and right hand sides, respectively.

In Fig. 1 the section of the machine is taken so that the mechanism connected with the eft left-hand key-bar 84 is shown in full and that connected with the right-hand key-bar is position. The key-bar 84 at the rear has connected to it an arm 86, which stands in a substantially vertical position and is connected at the top with a thrust-rod 87. This rod 87 is slotted at the outer end and adapted to. engage with the pin 881, carried by the arm 88. This ,arm 88 is secured at the left endof therod 880, which is pivoted in the frame of the machine. Near the longitudinal center of the machine is situated the arm 89, which is carried by the shaft 880, This arm 89 is pivoted to ayoke 90, carrying a shive or roller 91, upon which the auxiliary rail 131' is adapted to rest. I When the keybar 84 is depressed,-as shown in Fig.1, the

' arm 86 in moving forward thrusts the rod 87' forward, and thus by engaging the pin 881 shifts the roller 91, and consequently the plate-n frames 7 and the platen 2 by means and serves to operate the notched plate 99,-

which is adapted to engage with one end of the in 881.

hen the parts arein their normal posi- I tion, the pin 881 rests in the lower notch in the plate 99. When the key-bar 84 is .depressed, the plate 99 moves and releases the pin 881, so that the arm 87 may move the pin forward, and consequently lift the platen through the medium of the roller 91. Upon release of the' key-bar 84 the pfrts return immediately to their original lower-case'po sition.

'On the right-hand side of the machine is a construction for operating the shifting device similar to that on the left-hand side, already described. It differs from it in this, however, that there is no locking-plate 99 and operating part. Consequently when the key-bar 85 is depressed the arm 86 moves forward and thrusts the rod 87 so as to en'- gage the pin 881, and thus rotate the shaft 880. By this operation, the shaft 880 being rocked, the pin 881, carried by the arm 88, moves correspondin l-y, so as to raise the platen as before. he pin 881, however, which is in engagement, with the notched plate 99,-de-presses the plate slightly, slips out of the lower notch and into the upper notch, where it is held by the tension of the parts. The platen and other parts will be held in the upper case position for writing a line of upper-case characters 'until released by the depressio'nof the left hand key-bar 84. The release will be clearly understood, but, briefly, is performed by depressing the left hand keybar 84, so as to release the plate '99 and perwit the pin 881 to become free. The weight (if the carriage parts and the platen will then return the construction to the lower case position. Both of the thrust rods 87 and 87 have slots in the front ends similar to the slots 870, so that the pins 881 and 881 may be moved independently by the tempora? or line shift-key bars.

' he ribbon-guiding mechanism is operated with the platen-shifting mechanism, so as to bring the ribbon into a position suitable for the operation of the type in both case positions. This construction is more completely set forth and claimed in my application, Serial No. 109,925, filed June 2, 1902. It

consists, briefly, however, in the lifter-rod 92,

which is attached to the yoke '90 and guided by the stationary arm 93 and the U-shaped lever 94, pivoted to the rod 92 and in its turn pivoted to the ribboivguidin rod 95 and guided by the arm 32. When the platen is shifted by the movement of the yoke and shive 91, the rod 92 is raised, carrying with it the lever 94, and consequently the ribbonguide 95. The operation of the universal bar 31 will therefore tilt the lever 94 about its movable axis, guided by the arm 32, whether the parts are in the'upper or lower case position. Of course when the platen is locked in the upper-case position the operatin center of the lever 94 is correspondingly held in its upper position.

The temporary shift key-bar 84 is the 'one used for shifting the platen temporarily for single-characterprinting. The line shift keybar 85 shifts the platen for printing a line or number of characters in the upper. case.

The advantages of this construction in permitting the carriage to be shifted for the purpose of operating the type in the upper-case position, either singly or in a series, and of releasing the structure will be obvious. The structure is such that the parts are subject to but little wear and are so positioned --in relation to the other parts of the mechanism -as not to interfere with the operationof the machine. What I claim ise 1. In a type-writing machine, a platenshifting mechanism including an auxiliary uide-rail, a roller coacting therewith, means or raising one of said parts comprising a rock-shaft, an arm carried-thereby for con necting with one of saidfirst-mentioned-parts, a second and a third arm carried by said shaft one at each end, a horizontally-positioned thrust-rod adapted to engage each of said second and third arms forindependently operating the same, two shift-key bars and upright arms from said shift-key bars pivoted to said thrustbars for the purpose specified.

2. In a type-writing machine, the (zombi nation of carriage side frames, platemcartying frames carried thereby, a platen mounted in said latter frames, front and rear guide l bars or tracks 'for said carriage-frarries, an auxiliary bar or track for the front ofisaid platen-carrying frames, all .of said bars or tracks being located back of the front of, the platen, and key-controlled means for lifting said platen from lower to an up er case position, coacting with said auxi'iary bar or track. i

In a type-writing machine, a carriagebody having side frames and a platen-carrying frame plvoted thereto, a front and rear guide for said carriage, an auxiliary guiderail at the front of said platen-frame, a liftin roller having a frame,

tr guide-roller for said auxiliary rail saidmeans for moving said for said auxiliary rail, said ro ler having a frame, means for moving said frame comprising a shift-key bar,a slotted cross-bar controlled thereby, and a bellcrank lever,

one of the arms of said lever engaging said slotted cross-bar and the other arm of said lever connectin to said roller-frame, said roller-frame having a downwardly-projecting slotted arm, a stationary arm carrying a pin to engage in the slot of said slotted arm to guide the movements of said roller.

5. In a type-writing machine, a carriagebody having side frames and a platen-carrying frame pivoted thereto, a front and rear guide for said carriage, an auxiliary uiderail at the front of said platen-frame, a ifting guide-roller for saidauxiliary rail, said roller having a frame, means for moving said frame comprising a shift-key bar, a slotted crossbar controlled thereby, and a bell-crank lever, one of the arms of said lever engaging said slotted cross-bar and the other arm of said lever connecting to said roller-frame, said roller-frame having a downwardly-projecting slotted arm, a stationary arm carrymg a pinto engage in the slot of said slotted arm to guide the movements of said roller, the lower end of said slotted'arm being piv oted to a lever which in turn has a pivot, and a universal shaft having a slotted levercooperating with the pivot-pin in said lever to guide the same.

6. In a type-Writing machine, a verticallymovable platen, side plates. carrying said platen, a main rear guide bar or track 6X,

tending. from side to side of the machine at the rear of said platen, a guide member connected to said plates and located substantially midway between the same, for coacting with said main guide bar or track, a bar connecting the front ends of said plates below said platen and back of the printing position, and .key-controlled means for lifting said platen through the medium of said bar or track.

7. In a type-writing machine, carriage side plates, bars connecting the front and rear thereof, guides for said bars, platen side carrying-plates sup orted by said carriage side plates, an auxi iary" bar connecting the front ends of said platenecarrying plates all of said bars being to the rear of the printing position, key-controlled mechanism cooper'ating through the medium of such auxiliary bar for lifting said platen, and means carried by said carriage side plates and said platen-carrying side plates for mutual co operation to limit the u Ward and downward movement of said p aten.

. JESSE ALEXANDER. Witnesses:

ROBT. S. ALLYN,

L. VREELAND.

Images