Patent GB-190312200-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Typewriting Machines.
Inventor: MARKS GEORGE CROYDON
Filed: 1903-05-28
Granted: 1904-08-27
Abstract: 12,200. Marks, G. C., [Smith, A. M.]. May 28. Type-writers. - Relates to electro - mechanical type-writers in which a number of moving printing-mechanisms are employed which come into operative position s u ccessively. Fig. 1 shows a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a front elevation, of a machine having two travelling printing - mechanisms which come intooperation alternately. Fig. 8 shows a section of the keyboard, omitted in Figs. 1 and 2, and a diagram of some of the wiring. The platen 2 is carried by arms 4 on a shaft 5. The arms 4 may b e depressed to move the platen opposite different horizontal rows of types on the typewheel 23, and they are raised by an arm 8 and spring 10. On one end of the platen is a ratchetwheel 11 adapted to be engaged, to feed the platen in either direction, by one of two pawls 12, 17 on an arm 13 pivoted to an arm 14. The two printing - carriages are exactly alike, and each comprises a base or frame 20 having four pairs of grooved wheels 21 running on endless rails or tracks 22. 0 each carriage is a type-wheel 23 on a shaft 24 in beari n g s attached to a Gramme ring 29 pivoted horizontally at 28 on the frame 20. When a type has been positioned, it is caused to strike the platen by a swinging movement of the ring 29 &c. about the pivots 28. The Gramme ring 29 is of usual construction, and operates to position the types during the operation of printing as the carriage moves step by step along the platen, and after the release of the carriage at the end of a line the ring 29 operates as a motor to drive the carriage onwards round the track and to the starting point for a fresh line. Thus, as soon as one carriage is released, the operation of the other commences. The carriage is fed step by step along the upper horizontal part of the tracks, when printing, by a pair of magnets on the carriage, one of which is shown at a, operating to move a lever in opposite directions. This lever operates a pawl arm carrying two pawls adapted to feed a ratchet - wheel in either direction according to which of the two magnets is energized. The shaft of the ratchet-wheel is journalled in the carriage, and carries a pinion gearing with an endless rack on one of the tracks 22. To effect a continuous and more rapid movement of the carriage, when it is released at the end of a line or when desired, a shaft 47 in the carriage is geared by wheels 52, 53, 55, &c. to an endless rack. A worm-wheel 60 loose on the shaft 47 is engaged by a worm on the lower end of the shaft 24. When the carriage is released, the shaft 24 is driven by the Gramme ring 29 as an electric motor and the velocity of rotation of the wheel 60 is sufficient to cause a ball-governed or other suitable clutch 56, 57 to connect the wheel to the shaft and rotate the latter, so as to drive the carriage round the track to the starting point. Supported on the parts 62, 621 of the fixed framing are a series of parallel feed-conductors 63, and parallel with these are two bar magnets 67, 68 forming elongated polepieces of electromagnets c, d respectively. In each carriage 20 is a transverse shaft 72 on which are fixed a series of flexible insulated conductors 76 each carrying a contact-shoe adapted to ride upon one of the conductors 63. The conductors 76 are connected with different parts of the Gramme ring 29, and, when a current is sent through certain of them, by the operation of the character keys, a certain polarity of the Gramme ring is established, and a wound armature fixed on the shaft 24 is attracted and the proper vertical row of types on the wheel 23 is brought opposite the printing point on the platen. On the shaft 72 is an arm having a pin engaged by a slotted arm 71 carrying two armatures 711, 712. During the operation of writing, the armature 712 is attracted by the magnet 68 and the conductors 76 are down in contact with the conductors 63, but when the carriage is released at the end of a line, or at any time, the magnet 67 is energized and the magnet 68 cut out. The armature 711. is thereupon attracted by the magnet 67, and all the conductors 76 are raised from the feed-conductors 63. Simultaneously with the raising of the conductors 76, three conductors 82 are moved down on to three feed-wires 63. The conductors 82 are connected with three contact-fingers 115, 116, 117 engaging insulated discs on the shaft 24. One of the discs is connected to the coil of the armature on the shaft 24, and the other two to brushes 109, 110 rotating with the shaft 24 and contacting with a commutator, the sections of which are connected with the various sections of the winding of the Gramme ring. When these circuits are closed, the ring 29 and armature act as a motor to drive the carriage through the worm gear 60, clutch 57, and shaft 47, &c. The released carriage is stopped at the position for starting a new line by means of a sleeve 81 adjustably fixed on the bar magnet 67 by a screw 86. On the sleeve is pivoted a lever 88 provided with a detent, which is engaged by a downward projection 90 on the carriage, and to release the carriage from the detent an electromagnet e is provided, the circuit of which is automatically closed, when a carriage reaches the right-hand end or margin of a line, by means of a bell-crank lever 94, one arm of which is engaged by the projection 90 on the carriage. The other arm 96 closes a contact in a circuit which includes the magnets c, e and a line-spacing magnet. The magnet c releases the right-hand carriage by magnetizing the bar magnet 67. Means are provided for mechanically moving the conductors 76 down into contact with the feed-conductors 63, on the release of the carriage by the magnet e &c. When it is desired to write beyond the right-hand margin, a special key is operated, which closes the circuit through a magnet f, which attracts the arm 96 and prevents it from closing the circuit of the magnets c, e, &c. This circuit may be afterwards closed by operating a special key. On the base of each carriage is an electromagnet g, the circuit of which is closed at each depression of a character key. This magnet attracts an armature 101 on an arm 102 fixed on one of the bearings 25 of the shaft 24, and causes the impression of the positioned type on to the platen. As the armature 101 rises, a contact-pin 1071 thereon engages a contact 104, and closes a circuit through the spacing-magnet a. In the keyboard shown in Fig. 8, the first three rows of keys 120, 131, 132 close circuits for printing single characters, while the two last rows 133, 144 close several sets of circuits successively for printing several characters in succession, and are termed " word keys." The fourth row 145 contains the special keys. Each of the key stems of the first three rows carries two insulated contact-collars 123, 1231 which close two circuits through wires n, q, or t, u connected with the proper feed-wires 63. These key stems simultaneously engage a contact 128 which closes a circuit through the wire r and one of the feed-wires 63 including the winding of the armature on the type-wheel shaft 24. The key stem immediately afterwards engages a conductor 130 and closes a circuit through the impression magnet. The stems of the last two rows of keys 133, 144 each carry several pairs of insulated contact collars 134; 137, 138, &c., which, at each depression of a key, successively close circuitthrough the wires t, u or n, q and the corresponding conductors 63 &c. The contact-collars 140, 141, 142 close the circuit through the impression magnet immediately after each closing of the character circuits. The fourth row of keys 145 may contain special keys for (1) controlling the release of the carriage at any desired point, (2) stopping the movement of the released carriage at any desired point for tabulating &c., (3) effecting a backward step-by-step feed of the carriage, (4) writing beyond the right-hand margin, (5) closing the circuit of the line-spacing magnet, (6) moving the platen into its two lower positions, and (7) feeding the platen backwards. Line spacing may be effected, when desired, by a special key closing the circuit of the magnet h which attracts the armature 155 operating the arm 14. The pawl arm 13 is moved for back linespacing by a magnet i on the arm 4 attracting an armature 1581 on the lower branch 16 of the pawl arm. Two pairs of magnets j, 200, and k, 201, each pair in a circuit closed by a special key, are provided for shifting the platen downwards, by attracting armatures on arms fixed on the shaft 5. The space bar 168 is raised by a spring plunger 170, and, when depressed, closes a circuit through a wire &c. and through the forward-spacing magnet a. The types may be inked by a roller 175 in spring-pressed arms, moved at each impression to clear the type-wheel by the shaft 24. Or other means of inking, such as a ribbon, may be employed. Instead of shifting the platen for upper-case &c., the type-wheel 23 may be shifted. In an arrangement described, the type-wheel is movable along its shaft and is provided with a solenoid, in circuits controlled by special keys, the shaft constituting an iron core on which the solenoid moves against the pressure of a spring, when the circuit is closed. The circuits of the keyboard may be made interchangeable, to provide for any desired arrangement of the keys, by interposing a plug-apertured plate between the keyboard and the machine.