Patent GB-591424-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in chinese language typewriters and the like
IPC: B41J3/01
Filed: 1945-04-12
Abstract: 591,424. Typewriters. KAO, C. C. April 12, 1945, No. 9148. [Class 100 (iv)] Type-wheel actions; hammer impression arrangements; sheetclamping arrangements; line-spacing mechanism. In a keyboard-control-. led typewriter for printing characters such as Chinese ideographs, having a rotary type face carrier with type faces arranged in lines and rows and a keyboard with keys arranged in groups, a selecting mechanism is provided for controlling rotation of the carrier, and a second selecting mechanism for controlling longitudinal movement between the carrier and impression mechanism, each selecting mechanism having group and unit sections operated by respective groups of keys, mechanisms responsive to the combined operation of a key in each group associated with the first selecting mechanism for operating the group and unit sections to control the rotation of the carrier and with the second selecting mechanism to control the relative longitudinal movement, whereby a particular type face is selected, the total number of selective positions being equal to the product of the number of keys in all the groups. The machine shown is adapted to print 5,900 Chinese characters and 100 other characters such as English alphabet letters, a code number being assigned to each of the Chinese characters. Four banks of keys A, B, C, and D, Fig. 6, are provided, each row having ten keys, the first six keys in A being numbered 0-5 and those in B-D numbered 0-9. The code number is made up by pressing a key in each row in succession, the keys in A and B operating to adjust the position of a paper and printing-hammer carrying unit 5, 15 relatively to a type-carrying cylinder 3 which is rotated to move a selected type into printing position under the control of the keys in rows C and D. A key T is pressed to rock a printing-hammer 1 and unlock the depressed keys in A-D; S is a spacing bar. The member 5, which comprises a tubular holder 4 for paper 2 fed vertically for linespacing by feed rollers 6, 10, is slidably mounted on the carriage 15 which is moved to the selected position along guides 20, Fig. 14, by a pinion 29 rotated from a spring motor 28 through a clutch 30, a pawl 28a normally locking the motor being released and the clutch thrown in whenever a key B is depressed. The carriage 15 is arrested by a selected stop-pin 27, of which there are sixty mounted in a block 61, Fig. 10. On depressing a key A, a block 63 is lowered so that six pins 64 mounted therein are in line with the pins 27, and on depressing a key B, a lever 68 is actuated whereby one of ten horizontal bars 67 each carrying six pins is pushed forward, each pin engaging an arm 65 on a pin 64 but only that pin in the lowered block 63 being effective to project a pin 27. The cylinder 3, which is rotated by a chain 42, Fig. 6, from a shaft 44 driven from a spring motor 45 having release and clutch devices controlled from a key D, is arrested by a selected pin 27<1>, Fig. 10, engaging a helical cam 52 on the shaft 44, a row of pins being mounted in a block 61 and group selection of an operating-pin 64 being effected by movement of a block 63<1> from a key C and individual selection from a key D by actuation of a lever 68<1> as for keys A and B. A pawl which locks the carriage 15 in the selected position is released on the return movement of the key T, 'the carriages 5, 15 being returned by spring drums. Near the end of the movement, a pin 23a, Fig. 14, on the carriage 15 breaks a toggle 23d to lower a rack 17 from a pawl 16 on the carriage 5 which moves one tooth distance for letter spacing. The cylinder 3 has no normal position, or it rotates continuously. To ensure that the selected pin 27 is in position before the carriage 15 starts moving, the motor release and clutch mechanisms are operated from a key B through a lost motion device, or from the pin 27. In a modification, Figs. 25 and 26 (not shown) the paper carriage 5 is mounted independently of the carriage 15 and the cylinder 3 is moved longitudinally with the carriage 5. An electrically controlled machine is described-see Figs. 19-24 (not shown)-in which the keys A-D operate contacts to energize electromagnets adapted to move the members 63, 63<1>, 68 and 681 into operative position, the keys B operate additional contacts to throw in magnetic clutches of the slip-friction type to couple continuously-rotating motors to the pinion 29 and a shaft 40, carrying the drum 3, and the key T closes a switch to operate the hammer 1 electromagnetically and then opens the circuits to the magnets controlled by the other keys.