Patent GB-190902489-A (GB)
Title: An Improved Typewriting Machine.
Inventor: IMRAY OLIVER
Filed: 1909-02-02
Granted: 1909-09-02
Abstract: 2489. Imray, O., [International Typewriter Co.]. Feb. 2. Type-lever actions; types, securing on carriers.- Type-bars 270, Figs. 3 and 5, having adjustable heads 271 in the form of flattened blocks provided with three types and secured by screws on flattened portions of the type-bars, are pivotally and adjustably supported in a stepped framework 273, 274, a set being arranged at each side of the machine. Key-levers 276, removably pivoted at 285, are connected by links 292, levers 293, and detachable rods 295 with arms on the pivot rods 272. The type-heads 271 swing through equal arcs in the same horizontal plane. The type-bar retracting- springs 277 are all secured to two adjustable bars 402, by means of which their tension may be varied. Paper - supports ; sheet guiding and clamping arrangements.-The paper hangs down between a hollow cylinder 3, Figs. 3 and 5, supported on a base-plate 1, and a curved plate 4 secured to uprights 6, to which frame-bars 7, 8 are attached. The paper is secured to a sector-shaped holder 10 by means of three clamping-levers 243, 244, 245 which may be held out of action by a hook on a lever 255. Release of this lever allows pins on depending lugs on the clamping - levers to pass into holes in the holder 10. Several sheets held on the pins may be detached separately. The holder 10 is secured upon a rod 11 movable in a hollow slotted shaft 12 and also by a rod 16 to an arm 15 upon the rod 11. A member 26, secured to the line-spacing rack 25 and to a guide-rod 30, is provided with an adjustable screw 27, which serves to adjust the holder 10 in relation to the platen 17. A screw 28, supported by ball bearings in the screw 27, is attached to the rod 11. The rotatable flat-disk platen 17 is removably carried by a screw 18 upon an arm 19, adjustably secured to an arm 21 upon a shaft 22, which is mounted in the plate 9 and encloses the rack 25. Screws 405, Fig. 5, in the arm 21 bear against the guide 31, and serve to rotate the arm upon the shaft 22 for lateral adjustment of the platen. A guide for the left-hand edge of the sheet comprises a notch upon a plate 263 adjustably secured to an arm 262 upon a sleeve 261, Fig. 3, which embraces the rod 16 and is carried by an arm 260 on the shaft 12. An adjustable spring 266, carried by the arm 262, bears against the cylinder 3 in order to prevent vibration of the rotatable parts. Carriage-shift mechanism.-The holder 10 and the platen 17 are moved downwards for printing capitals and figures &c. by means of two key-levers 312, 313, Fig. 4, connected to levers 315, 316, which are adapted to act upon an arm 314 on the shaft 22. The lever 313 produces a greater depression than the lever 312 ; a stop limits the movement of the lever 315. Letter-spacing mechanism.-The rotation of the holder 10, Fig. 3, for letter-spacing is accomplished by a spring 13 connected to the shaft 12 and to a barrel 33, which is rotatable by a key and is engaged by an anchor detent. Secured to the lower end of the shaft 12 is a toothed segment 40, Figs. 3 and 4, meshing with a segment 41, upon which is a pawl 46 normally engaging a ratchet-wheel 45 secured to a gear-wheel 49. This wheel 49 meshes with a pinion 50, in connexion with which are two ratchetwheels 52, 53, Fig. 24, controlled by pivoted and fixed dogs 56, 55 on a rocker 60, secured to a shaft 54, which is rocked by arms 197 engaging beneath a space-key 195 or, at each key depression, by the action of levers 293 on pins 68 carried by the two vertical universal bars 67. Line-spacing mechanism; carriage releasing and returning mechanism.-(1) The holder 10 is lifted for line-spacing by means of a pawl 85, Fig. 9, which is adapted to engage a rack 25, slidable in the upwardly spring-pressed shaft 22; the pawl-rod 86 is operated from a key-lever 125, Fig. 4, which bears upon a subjacent lever 110 actuating leverarms 91, 93, and lifts the rack a tooth at a time. (2) Air-cushioning in the shaft 22 prevents any jar from occurring through the fall of the papercarriage. The carriage may be lowered a line at a time by means of a key-lever 130, which actuates the lever 103 to disengage the pawl 94, and the keylever 110 to move the pawl 85 into a position to engage a tooth of the falling rack 25. (3) A spring-pressed pawl 94 prevents the rack from falling, but may be withdrawn from engagement therewith by means of an arm on a shaft 99, rotatable by a linkage 101, 102 and a lever 103 by depression of a key-lever 105. (4) Means is provided for swinging back the holder 10 for the commencement of a fresh line of writing, and simultaneously lifting it for line-spacing. Depression of a key-lever 80 operates a linkage 78, 75, 74 to swing an arm 72, a tooth 73 upon which actuates segment gearing 69, 70 to rotate the segmeut 41 and the holder 10. The key-lever 80 also operates a linkage 115, 114 to rotate a shaft 111 carrying a tubular arm 116 in which is provided a rod 117 bearing at one end upon the lever 110 of the line-spacing mechanism. The rod 117 is adjustable endways so as to provide a variable leverage upon the lever 110 and thus enable the paper-holder to be moved automatically through one, two, or three line-spaces. Back-spacing mechanism.-A pawl 198, Fig. 4, is operable to rotate the segment 41 by the action of an arm 199, or by a key-lever 202, having a limited movement, engaging the arm 199. Alarms; margin mechanism; line-locking devices. -An arm 212 upon a vertical shaft 43, to which the segment 41 is secured, may be moved by hand under a scale 214 carried by the frame 5 ; the arm moves to the right during the letter-spacing movement of the holder 10 and operates a bell-hammer 219. The bell-mechanism is laterally adjustable by a scale-and-pointer device upon the frame 5. During the upward movement of the paper-carriage, a stop 188 engages and lifts an adjustable stop 186 on a rod 185 thereby allowing levers 189, 190 to rock, and prevent the depression of the key-lever 80 that controls the backward swing of the holder 10 and the automatic line-space movement ; a fresh sheet must then be inserted. Means for obtaining a variable left-hand margin for the sheet comprises a pawl 208, Fig. 4, which is adjustable by an arm 207 and engages the ratchet-wheel 45. During the backward swing of the holder 10, the pawl 46 is tripped by the pawl 208 out of mesh with the ratchet-wheel 45, and the escapement control of the holder during its forward movement is regained only when the pawl 46 returns into action. Tabulating-mechanism.-The movements of the holder 10 for tabulating are controlled by an arm 42 on the segment 41 and a series of stops 232, Fig. 3, movable into the path of this arm by key-levers 235. The key-levers all operate a rod 240, to swing a pivoted bar 241 rearwards and disengage the pawl 46 from the ratchet-wheel 45, thus releasing the holder 10 from its escapement control. Ink-ribbon mechanism ; printing-point indicators. -(1) The inking-ribbon is fed from a spool 331, Fig. 5, to a spool 330 upon a shaft 332 geared to a hollow shaft embraced by a spring which tends to rotate the spool. One end of the spring is attached to a shaft, located within the hollow shaft, which may be turned to tension the spring. The shaft 333 of the spool 331 is normally geared to the gear-wheel 49 of the letter - spacing mechanism ; this connexion may be released, and the shaft put into gear with a hand-crank, by means of which the ribbon can be wound hack on to the spool 331. The spools are detachably secured to their shafts by spring feathers. A detent is arranged to engage automatically a ratchet-wheel on the shaft of the spool 330, when this spool is removed from the machine, in order that the winding-spring may be held in tension. (2) A slotted shield 328 of metal, celluloid, &c for preventing soiling of the paper is lightly pressed by a spring against the paper, and is carried by a rod on an arm at the lower end of the shaft 22 so as to be movable vertically with the paper-carriage. A notch in the slot of the shield serves as a printing-point indicator. Knee-attachments.-The backward movement of the holder 10 and its movement for change of case may be accomplished by means of the knees. A knee-lever 379, 380, Fig. 3, when pressed to the left rocks a lever 374, the upper arm 372 of which acts upon a lug 373, Fig. 4, on the link 74 of the means for rotating the holder 10 back to its starting-position. Two levers, provided with adjustable knee-plates 386 and adjustable screws 388, actuate levers 384, 385, which move the levers 315, 316 to depress the shaft 22.