Improvements in Typewriters.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Apr., 1892-Accepted, 7th May, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Typewriters.
I MOSES JAMES ADAMS of Peasholme Green York Sanitary Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention consists in improvements to typewriters whilst in the typewriters
now in use the striking of a key acts upon a lever which lever is so arranged that
it brings the type to the paper on which it is desired to leave the impress or it so
releases other levers or catches that the same result is obtained in my apparatus I
dispense with these levers and in place thereof arrange my keys so that a plate or
stop revolving or oscillating upon its centre or otherwise moving is directly checked
in its motion by the keys which are brought into contact with it when desired
according to the letter it is desired to print.
I provide a type plate circular by preference but not of necessity which moves
in unison with this revolving or oscillating plate or stop and is correspondingly
checked in its movement as the keys check the revolving or oscillating plate or
stop. This type plate may be upon the same shaft as the plate or stop or it may
itself form the plate or stop or it may be coupled through the medium of cogs or
bevel wheels or other contrivances.
In my drawings I show the plate or stop and the type plate coupled by cog
wheels. I impart motion to this plate or stop by means of a spring as shewn on my
drawings or by suitable gear in connection with the keys or by a special key or
lever or otherwise one form of gear I also show by dotted lines. My plate or stop
being set in motion and my type plate moving in unison therewith it will be seen
that according to the movement of the type plate so the different letters which are
attached to its underside will travel over the roller on which the paper to be
printed is placed, now by pressing a key it will check the movement of the plate or
stop and correspondingly the movement of the type plate which plate if brought
down upon the paper will imprint on the paper the particular letter which was over
it at the time my key was depressed; this type plate moves slightly above the level
of the paper so that when brought into contact only it leaves its impress. In
my drawings I show a cam on a shaft which acts upon the plate and brings the
letter on to the paper. The type plate may be fixed vertically if desired or the
type may be used round a vertical rim on such a plate as I show placed horizontally
or otherwise according to circumstances. I provide an inking pad or roller in
contact with the type.
The roller on which the paper is carried I cause to move after each letter is
struck just so far as may be required to keep the different letters printed at a
suitable distance one from another. My central key or a key acting on my central
shaft I use as a change key which when pressed down or otherwise moved imparts
movement to my stop slightly altering its position of contact with the stop keys and
by this arrangement each stop key governs a second position and can be made to
print two letters or signs.
Upon reference to my drawings Figs. 1 and 2 being a general view and a section
of my typewriter it will be seen that each are lettered to correspond.
Z is the machine base Y Y are plates having holes through which my keys A A
are inserted these keys being held up by spiral springs.
X is the moving plate or stop which is checked in its motion when A is pushed
through the plate Y it is attached on a shaft W which shaft also is connected by
cog wheel D or otherwise with the spring H and cog wheel G through the cog
wheel D 2 or with the arrangement M and N shewn by dotted lines as a substitute

page_text: for the spring where desirable K is the roller for paper J the cam which acts
upon the type plate V drawing it to the paper at the moment of printing T is the
inking pad or roller L the rack giving motion to the paper roller S the lever
and catch working in connection with the rack L in the roller movement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1st. The use of a set of direct acting keys in a typewriter in combination with a
stop or plate to which motion is imparted, the said keys to act upon the stop or
plate without the intervention of levers or other gear, this action being my definition
of the term direct as used above.
2nd. The use of direct stops or keys to arrest or release the motion of a rotary
or oscillating plate or stop in a typewriter without the intervention of levers or
gear.
3rd. The use of a set of keys acting directly as stops without levers or cranks on
a moving plate or stop, the plate or stop being carried on an axis, and the keys
being placed over and arranged around this axis.
4th. The arrangement of plates Y Y and stop or plate X and shaft W in
combination with a set of keys A A in a typewriter.
5th. The general arrangement of a horizontal revolving axis with stops which
stops are arrested by the action of keys depressed in a typewriter as herein
described in combination with a rotary or oscillating type wheel or their equivalent
though differing in conformity, substantially the same.
Dated this 31st day of March 1892.