US918722A - Tabulating-stop for type-writers. - Google Patents

Description

J F.- ALLARD, TABULATING STOP FOB TYPE WRITERS.

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Patented Apr. 20, 1909.

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J I'. ALLARD. TABULATING STOP ron TYPEWBITEBS.

APPLICATION FILE) MAR. 3, 1899.

Patented Apr. 20, 1909.

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.I FRANK ALLARD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO UNDERWOOD TYPEWRITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

TABULATING-STOP FOR TYPE-WRITERS.

Patented April 2o, 190e.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, J FRANK ALLARD, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new -and useful Improvements in Tabulatinging the shifting and stopping the carriage of a typewriter' at any predetermined point for securing exact vertical ahneinent of figures or words, as 1s necessary in the writing of tables, bills, and other kinds of schedule work.

The invention has for its main object the provision of a single key which may be readily and quickly operated to effect a release or shift the carriage and stopit at any point or denomination in a column of figures, without using the space bar or regular carriage-releasing means, and without being under the necessity of observing anything else than the movement of the said single tabulating key.

To these ends the invention consists broadly of a depressible and laterally-movable tabulating key lever which operates to shift and adjust the rocking and laterallymovable tabulating stop-rod so as to bring the stops to any desired point and also to release the carriage so that it may be stopped by an adjusted stop on the rod or by other means, all as I will now proceed to describe in detail and subsequently point out with particularity in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the annexed drawings and to the^letters marked thereon forming a part of this specification, the saine letters designating the same parts or features, as the case may be, wherever they occur.

Of the drawings-Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention and parts with which it is immediately connected and operates, portions being shown as broken away in order to more clearly show articular parts and features. Fig. 2 is a p an view of the saine, portions being shown in section. Fig. 3 is an end view of the same. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the column stop forming part of the'mechanism and Fig. 5 is an end view of said stop with parts broken away.

In the drawings-a designates the machine frame.

l) is the stop-rod or bar provided with holes c formed longitudinally therein from' its ends into which journal pins d d extend from the frame, so that the said bar b may be both rocked and moved longitudinallyon said journals.

At one end (the right-hand end, as the invention is herein represented) the stop bar and ournal pin are surrounded by a sleeve e, and a helical springf connected at one end to the frame a and at the other to the stop-bar surrounds the said sleeve and bar and operates to return the latter device to normal position when rocked and shifted longitudinally by the tabulating lever, as will be presently explained. The sleeve is provided at its outer end with a flange through which it is secured to the frame by means of screws g.

Supported by the up er ends of brackets 7L h connected at their ower ends with the stop-rod is a bar t having a scale inscribed thereon corresponding to the cylinder scale (not shown) in front of the machine so that stops y' on the stop-bar b may be set thereon with certainty with respect to the cylinder scale, a pointer le extending u from the stop to and over the scale-bar t to indicate the position of the stop relatively to the cylinder scale. The stops are maintained in set position on the stop-bar b by teeth thereof engaging width the teeth formed on said bar.

Z designates a short bar secured to the frame a and provided in its upper side with teeth adapted to be engaged by a linger m, projecting forward from a bracket h, when the stop-bar and its equipments are rocked forward, as will be hereinafter explained.

a designates another finger connected with the stop-bar which extends forward over the free end of a lever o, which, when depressed as it will be by the finger n when the stop-bar is rocked forward, will operate the dogs so as to allow the carriage to shift or be shifted.

p is the tabulating key-lever which at its front end extends through the front plate of the machine and is provided with a key g, and at its rear end has a loose connection with a finger r projecting from the stop-bar.

lAt an intermediate point the lever p is vertically and horizontally pivoted upon a bracket s or other part of the frame so that the key end of the said lever can be depressed and moved horizontally, operating the rear end of the level' in the same manner, and through its connections with the stop-bar rocking it on its journal pins and moving it longitudinally.

t is a plate adapted to be secured to the front plate of the machine, and having a scale u inscribed thereon, which scale cordinates, so far as it goes, with the cylinder scale. The forward end of the tabulating key-lever p projects through the scale plate t, and is provided with a pointer o projecting in close proximity to the scale.

The tabulating key-lever p is shown as bent or crooked, but the form shown is given to it merely to kee it out-of the way of other parts of a mac iine to which is may be ap lied. lt would perform its functions as wel if it were made straight or of other shape than that shown.

Vith this description of the construction and arrangement of the invention and parts with which it is related, a brief description of the mode of operation will be given: The stops j on the stop-bar when brought within the path of travel of an abutment or projection w of the carriage will arrest the travel or shifting movement of the carriage. Hence, if columns of figures of a table are to be written, the stop will be set on the line where, say, the period dividing the cents from the dollars will occur; Under this arrangement the entire extent to which the sto s may be shifted or adjusted may be uti ized for Writing iigures designating dollars, and inserting commas dividing the hundreds from the thousands and the latter from the millions. lf the smallest amount is to be written (say, cents only,) the stopley will be simply depressed which will not shift or adjust the stop-bar, but release the carriage and allow it to run forward until it is arrested by the stop in normal position, which will be on the line of the periods, as before stated. lf the largest amount to be written is ten million, as indicated in the drawings, the operator by shifting the lrey g to the left will move the stop-b ar to adjust the stop so that it will arrest the carriage ten points in advance of the point upon which it would normally be arrested, or at exactly the point where the writing of ten million should begin. Supposing again the maximum amount in a table to be 10,000,000, as is inscribed on the scale a, and that in one line it is proposed to write 10,000the operator by shifting the lrey q and moving it and the outer end of the lever p to the left six degrees of the scale a, will shift the stop-bar l) and stop correspondingly, causing the shifting movement of the carriage to be arrested exactly on the line where the writing of ten thousand is to be begun. The finger m having engaged the teeth of the rack-bar Z will assist in supporting the stop-bar b against the slamming action of the carriage on being arrested in its'shifting movement by the stop.

It will be seen that with this invention, the stop j will be set to arrest the carriage in its shifting movement at that line in the column where the period dividing the cents from the dollars is to be written, by depressing the tabulating key g. By shifting this lrey to the left, the lever y) will be operated to adjust the stop y' on the stop bar l) to the right so as to stop the carriage at any desired point from the period to the ten million line. Of course, as indicated in Fig. l of the drawings, more than one step may be employed on the stop bar to arrest the shifting traverse of the carriage at different points when more than one table or other column of work. is to be written, just as has been done heretofore in tabulating devices.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the stop bar constitutes a movable carrier upon which the adjustable stop or stops are mounted and that a movement of the stop bar or carrier in the line of the movement of the carriage will determine the point or points at which the carriage is to be stopped and that this movement of the stop or stops with the carrier in no way affects the adjustment of the stop or stops with respect to the carrier.

By the use of my invention much time and trouble is saved in shifting the carriage for the reason that the carriage is stopped with certainty at exactly the point at which the writing is to begin without jumping the carriage forward. from the extreme limit to the said point. Moreover, the operator is not obliged to make special observation of the position of the carriage with respect to the cylinder scale.

The special and important feature of my invention is the stop key lever which is cngaged with and shifts or adjusts the stop bar and stops for the purpose explained whatever may be the form or arrangement of the parts mentioned.

It will be apparent that the key lever y), when depressed by the operator will cause the stop-carrying bar to be turned so as to bring the finger m into engagement with the rack l; the finger and rack by their engagement are adapted to receive the impact which is transmitted to the bar l) when the abutment stop w collides with the column stop j upon the release of the carriage, and thus a longitudinal displacement of the bar b and of the carriage, after the two stops have come into engagement, is positively prevented., and the stop is held immovable in the position to which it has been adjusted by the lateral movement of the key y. The same function of holding the stop j nd the carriage, when it jumps into contact with .llO

said stop) against longitudinal movement, is also etiected by the engagement of the key lever p between two ot the teeth shown at the lower portion of the plate t. r.there is thus a double security against the longitudinal movement of the bar t under the impact ofthe carriage, and these two holding or retaining means are connected with the bar b at opposite sides et the point of impact (the stop j), so that the structure is exceedingly rigid. The key lever p, therefore, not only serves to adjust the stop but also, by cooperating with the teeth on the plate t, as described, assists f ing the bar l) and the stop in the adjusted position as long as the operator holds the key g down. At the same time, the lever y) in connection with the bar t, the 'linger n and the lever o forms means for actuating the release mechanism of the carriage. Further, the sides of the recess in the upper pori on oi" the plate z5 serve to mechanically limit the adjustment or thr iv of the lever p and consequently of the stop also. Finally, it will be understood that the stop is held on the bar l) by means of a toothed spring-pressed finger j, Which forms an independent y mounted spring-pressed device for locking the stop in position on the bar.

By reason of the pressure of the spring f the key g Will normally remain in the eX- treme right hand position in the recess in the plate t, which position is indicated the decimal point on the scale a, With which the plate t is provided. The key q is provided With a pointer o, and this pointer o in connection With the scale a may be.

termed a selecting device, because by its aid the operator is enabled to select the proper column in which to Write the irst igure of the desired number. The lower part of the recess in the plate t, as above stated, is provided With a series of teeth so placed that the spaces or notches between them come directly under the divisions of the scale a. In order to adjust the position of the column stop the key q is first moved horizontally to the left until the pointer o cooperating With the scale 'a indicates the column in Which the first iigure of the desired number is to be written. rlhis movement produces a corresponding movement of the stop bar t, and of the stop upon it. The key g is then depressed for the purpose of moving the column stop into the path of the stop w upon the carriage, which stop fw is termed the denomination stop. Upon depressing the key g, it Will enter the space between the teeth on the plate t corresponding to the division on the scale u indicated by the pointer o, and Will be thereby detained or prevented from moving side- Wise, and with 1t also the stop bar b and the column stop y', as long as the key q is depressed. At the same time, the linger 4or detent m will engage with one of the teeth of the rack Z and detain the stop 7' in a similar manner and thus cooperate with the key g, when in engagement with one of the notches of the plate t, in withstanding the impact of the moving denomination stop w. The carriage will thereby be arrested in the desired Working position, and the cariage spring will keep the denomination stop w in contact with the stop y' and in the Working position, until the key g is released. Upon depressing the key g the escapement will be released automatically from the carriage, and on releasing the key q, the escapement Will again engage and retain the carriage in the desired Working position. The tabulating mechanism will then disengago from the carriage and return automatically to its initial position.

Since the adjustable bar of my device is entirely free from and independent of the carriage, it is obvious that my attachment can be applied to any of the leading types of machines, Whether they have a hinged carriage or Whether, as in the case of the Smith Premier machine, the sliding carriage has no hinged movement.

Having described my invention, what l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with the carriage and the release mechanism therefor, of a vertically and laterally movable stop key lever and a bar equipped With a column stop and connected with said stop-key lever, said bar being adapted to be moved longitudinally as the stop key lever is moved laterally and to be rocked as the said stop-key lever is moved vertically so that said lever will operate to both set the stop at any predetermined position and to swing the bar to release the carriage.

2. The combination, with the longitudinally adjustable stop bar, of a single stop key lever for moving the stop bar in two directions and into operative position to arrest the carriage, and means for returning the stop bar to its normal position when the stop-key lever is released, substantially as described.

3. A tabulating device for a typewriter comprising a longitudinally adjustable stop bar mounted to move on stationary bearings secured to the frame of the machine and provided With means for engaging a stop on the carriage to arrest the movement oi the carriage, and lever carried by the framing of the machine for shifting the stop bar longitudinally and to bring it into operative position in order to stop the carriage at any predetermined point, substantially as described.

4. The combination ct an adjustable stop bar mounted in bearings on the frame of the machine and provided With a stop adapted to engage a corresponding stop on the carriage, a lever for actuating said stopbar, a toothed bar losl secured to the frame, and a linger projecting from the stop bar so as to engage said toothed bar when the stopl bar is in operative posi# tion, thus holding the stop bar iirmly against the Aimpact of the carriage, substantially as described.

5. A tabulating attachment for a typewriter comprising a stop-bar having a longitudinal and a rocking movement on its bearings, a stop secured to said stop bar and adapted to engage a stop on the carriage, a lever having operative engagement with said stop bar and serving both to move the bar longitudinally and to rocl the same, and a ringer secured to the stop bar and adapted to be moved into engageinent with a toothed bar on the frame when the stop bar is rocked into operative position.

6. in a tabulating device for a typewriter the combination of the longitudinally adjustable stop bar adapted to be rocked on its bearings, a stop secured to said bar and adapted to engage a corresponding stop on the carriage, and a lever for actuating the stop bar, said lever operating to simultaneously release the carriage and move the stop bar into operative position to arrest the movement of the carriage at a predetermined point, substantially as described.

7. ln a tabulating device for types-writing machines, the combination olE a movable carrier, an adjustable stop carried thereby, a second stop cojferating there;` ith to limit the movement of the carriage and a single hand-operated liey for moving the movable carrier in the line of the feed of the carriage without changing the adjustment ol said yadjustable stop v, ith respect to its carrier and for moving the adjustable stop into position to arrest the carriage, whereby an opt-nation of the single hand operated key may eliect the arrest el' the carriage at a point determined by the positioning of the movable carrier in the line ol the feed of the carriage.

S. ln a tall-ulating device for typewriting machines, the combination of a niovable carrier, an adjustable stop carried thereby, a second stop cooperating theres ith to limit the movement of the carriage, a single hand operated lever for moving the movable carrier in the line of the feed of the carriage uithout changing the adjustment of said adjustable stop with respect to its carrier and for moving the adjustable stop into position to arrest the carriage, uhereby an operation of the single hand-operated lever may eiiect the arrest of the carriage at a point determined by the positioning of the movable carrier in the line of the feed ol" the carriage, and means controlled by said single lever for automatically releasing the carriage alien the tabulating device is operated.

9. ln a tabulating device for typewriting machines, the combination of a movable car rier, an adjustable stop carried thereby, a

second stop coperating therewith to limit the movement ol: the carriage, means for moving the movable carrier in the line of the feed of the carriage `without changing the adjustment of said adjustable stop with respect to its carrier and for moving the adjustable stop into position to arrest the car riage, `laliereby `when the movable carrier is operated, the carriage will be arrested at a point determined by the positioning of the movable carrier, means for releasing the carriage when the said carrier is operated and means for preventing displacement of the movable carrier in the direction of the feed ol" the carriage when the adjustable stop has been iinoved to arrest the carriage.

l0. ln a tabulating attachment for typev riting machines ol the traveling paper car riage class, the combination of a toothed stop bar movable in one direction and adjustable in another direction, a paper car riage stop upon said toothed stop bar, a single key operated mechanism which serves lor adjusting the toothed stop bar as well as lor moving it v. ith the stop, and an abutment carried by the paper carriage and so placed as to malte contact with the paper carriage stop when the paper carriage is lineally advanced by means other than its normal step by step feed mechanism.

ll. ln a tabulating attachment for typevfriting machines of the traveling paper carriage class, the combination ol: a toothed stop bar adjustable longitudinally, a paper carriage stop upon said toothed stop bar, the toothed stop bar and stop being further mov` able in unison so as to throw the stop transversely, a single key operated mechanism for adjusting the toothed stop bar and for moving it so as to tlirowthe stop transversely, and an abutment carried by the paper carriage and so placed as to make contact with the paper carriage stop when the paper carriage is lineally advanced by means other than its normal step by step feed mechanism.

12. in a tabulating attachment for type `writing machines, a stop device having means for arresting the carriage at variable points, an operating lever or handle having an operative connection with said stop device, and two devices rigidly connected with each other and cach operative While the said operating lever is depressed, the one to hold the stop device against lateral movement and the other to actuate the carriage-releasing mechanism.

13. ln a tabulating attachment for typewriting machines, a stop device having means for arresting the carriage at variable points, operating means for said stop device, a 'linger rigidly connected with the stop de vice and arranged for locking engagement with a stationary part when the said operating means is actuated, and a device for actuating the carriage-release mechanism, said device being also rigidly connected with the 1 nected to said column stop bar and said restop device.

14. In a tabulating attachment for type- Writing machines, an adjustable stop device for arresting the carriage at did-ferent distances from a predetermined point, carriage-release mechanism directly connected with said stop device, mechanism also positively connected with said stop device for preventing a change Vot adjustment of the stop device While the same is held in its Working position, and a single operating meansior actuating said stop device and for bringing the carriage release mechanism and the means for preventing change of adjustment of the stop device into action simultaneously with the movement of the stop device into its Working position.

15. ln a typewriting and tabulating mechanism, the combination of a carriage, a series oi independently adjustable column stops, said stops being also movable transversely to be brought into and out of the path of a part on the carriage, a lever connected to said stops to adjust them simultaneously to diiierent denominational positions independently of the carriage and to move them transversely, and means for mechanically limiting the extent of' adjustmentof said lever and said stops.

'16. In a typewriting and tabulating mechanism, the combination of the carriage, an abutment, a series oi column stops arranged to move transversely to cooperate With said abutment, the column stops being also adjustable in the direction of the carriagefeed, a single key for ,adjusting the column stops and for moving them transversely, and a device operating as long as the key is depressed to hold said column stops against movement in the line of the carriage-feed.

17. ln a typewriting and tabulating mechanism, the combination of a power-driven carriage, escapement devices, carriage releasing mechanism, an abutment, a series of column stops constructed to move transversely for engaging said abutment, means for moving said column stops transversely and simultaneously operating said carriage-releasing mechanism, and means operatively connected with the first-named means -ior holding the said column stops and said carriagereleasing mechanism against movement in the line of the carriage-feed as long as the operator actuates said iirst-narned means.

18. In a typewriting and tabulating mechanism, the combination of a power-driven carriage, escapement devices, a carriage-releasing mechanism, a bar mounted to move parallel with said carriage and carrying a series of independently adjustable column stops, devices operated by a single key and mounted upon the frame-Work of the maleasing-mechanism, and means operative asf long as the key is depressed for holding said column stop bar and said releasing-mechanism against movement in the line of the carriage-feed.

19. In a typewriting and tabulating mechanisni, the combination of the carriage, an abutment, a series of column stops, adjustable lengthwise and movable transversely, a single key for moving the column stops transversely to engage the abutment and for adjusting them lengthwise, and devices operatingwvhen said key is depressed to hold said column stops against movement in the line of the carriage-feed and to allow said stops to return to their normal position upon the release of said key.

20. In a typewriting and tabulating mechanism, the combination of a power-driven carriage, escapement devices, carriage-releasing mechanism, an abutment and a column stop, one of the two last named elements being adjustable lengthwise in unison with the carriage release mechanism and movable transversely to a position for engagement With the other element, a single key for adjusting said element and for moving it transversely and for simultaneously operating the carriage-releasing mechanism, and means operated by the depression and subsequent release of said key to first hold the said movable element and the carriagerelease mechanism against movement in the line of the carriage feed, and then to enable the said parts to return to their normal position.

21. Tie combination of the carriage, a longitudinally adjustable bar, a sto carried by said bar and movable transverse y of the carriage path, means for adjusting the bar endvvise in a direction parallel with the run of the carriage an d for moving the stop transversely, and means operating upon the actuation of the irst-named means for reventing a change of adjustment ofthe sait bar.

22. The combination of a carriage, a bar adjustable endwise, a stop carried by said bar and movable transversely, a key for moving said bar endwise in a direction parallel With the run of the carriage and for moving the stop transversely, mechanism brought into action by the depression of said key, for holding said bar against endwise movement, and means operating automatically upon the release of the key, to free the said bar from the control of said mechanism.

23. In a typevvriting and tabulating mechanism, the combination With a longitudinally adjustable bar, a column stop carried by and adjustable along said bar, said stop being also movable transversely of the carchine, said devices being operatively conl riage path, and a key for adjusting the bar and moving the stop transversely, of an independently mounted spring pressed device or locking said stop in position upon said 24. The combination of the carriage, a bar movable lengthwise, a stop carried by said bar and movable transversely of the carriage path, two devices for preventing the lengthwise movement of said bar when the stop has been moved transversely to its working position, said devices being located at opposite sides of the stop, and means for actuating said stop.

25. The combination with the frame and the carriage of two racks arranged at the front portion and at the rear portion of the frame respectively, a tabulating key located adjacent to the front rack and movable both lengthwise and transversely thereof, to engage it at different oints, and a tabulating stop, for arresting t e carriage, operatively connected with said key and connected with a projection movable both lengthwise and transversely of the rear rack to engage the same.

j 26. The combination with the frame and carriage, of two racks arranged at the front portion and at the rear portion of the frame respectively, a tabulating key located adjacent to the front rack and movable both lengthwise and transversely thereof, to engage it at diilerent oints, and a tabulating stop, for arresting ghe carriage, operatively connected with said key to move lengthwise in the op osite direction to said key and transverse y in the same direction as the key,

said tabulating stop being connected with a forward of the rear rack and rearward of the front rack, the front portion of the key moving adjacent to the front rack and being adapted to engage it at different points, and a tabulating stop, for arresting the carriage, operatively connected with the rear portion of the key and connected with a projection movable both lengthwise and transversely of the rear rack to engage the same at different points.

28. The combination, with the frame and the carriage, of a tabulating stop movable transversely ofthe carriage path to arrest the same, and also movable lengthwise of the carriage path to diiii'erent positions, means for operating said stop, and a stationary rack arranged lengthwise of the carriage path and adapted to be engaged at diii'erent points by a projection connected with the stop to brace said stop against the impact of the carriage.

ln testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 17th day of February A. D. 1899.

J FRANK ALLARD.

/Y'Jitnesses:

ARTHUR W. CRossLm', ANNiE J. BAILEY.

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