Improvements in Type-writers.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Type-writers.
We, ALBERT OMER PETIT, of 14 Nelson Place, Newark, New Jersey, ADEMOR
NAPOLEON PETIT, of 69 West 99th Street, City and State of New York, and
SAMUEL WILBER ADAMS, of 315 6th Street, Brooklyn, New York, all in the
United States of America, Engineers, 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:―
The present invention relates to a typewriter having one principal key only,
called the "Petit Typewriter."
The main features of this apparatus are as follows
:-
An indicator or pointer mounted on a lever actuated by the finger is displaced
over a segment on which alphabetical characters, signs or letters in use are engraved
or painted and differently coloured in groups.
The displacement of the operating lever causes a type wheel to turn through a
certain angle, the rotary movement being positively dependent on the angular
movement of the operating lever, so that on the indicator covering any character
of the segment, the corresponding character of the type wheel is brought opposite.
a hammer or striker.
This hammer actuated under the impulse of the operating lever, presses the
paper against the type wheel, and prints the desired character.
In order to ensure that at the moment of the impression the letter printed by the
type wheel may be the same as that to which the indicator has been moved with a
certain error of position in relation to the centre of such letter, a toothed sector
compels the lever to occupy the correct position at the moment when the operating
key which causes the hammer or striker to operate is depressed.
After the impression of each character, the operating key rises under the action
of a spring, the carriage carrying the paper advances one step, and the inking
apparatus operates by the same movement. The spaces between the words are
obtained by depressing a special key. In order to reduce the angular travel of the
operating lever and the dimensions of the apparatus, the type wheel carries on its
circumference three rows of superposed signs.
We will now proceed to describe :-
1. The operating lever and the action of a pinion which in its movement carries
forward the type wheel and the segment bearing the characters.
2. The printing hammer or striker and its actuating mechanism.
3. The carriage carrying the paper, the operation of same, and the arrangement
for regulating the spaces between the lines.
4. The toothed sector for correcting the position of the operating lever.
5. The type wheel and the operation of the auxiliary keys which change its
vertical position.
6. The key for producing the spaces between the words.
7. The inking arrangement.
1. The operating lever.
This part consists of a piece 1, 2, 3 (Figs. 1 and 4), which is bent at a right
angle and fixed to a rod perpendicular to its plane, which can turn on a shaft
secured to the frame, one arm of such lever being in the form of a sector 5, which
actuates the pinion 6, not through teeth but by the employment of two metallic
bands of which one end is fixed to one extremity of the sector and to a point on the
pinion. These two bands which are shown in Fig. 2, one in full and the other in
broken lines, are fixed at their ends 7, 8, to two pins mounted on the pinion 6, and
at their other ends to the two ends of the are of the sector by screws 9, 10. The

page_text: two bands are arranged on the pinion. one above the other. The band shown in
full lines proceeds from pin 7, passes round three quarters of the circumference of
the pinion and one, half of the are, of the sector and terminates at screw 10. The
band shown in broken lines proceeds from pin 8 and terminates at screw 9. The
distance separating the pinion from the circumference of the sector is exaggerated
in Fig. 3 of the drawing in order to permit of the arrangement being better
followed. It results from the arrangement described that the angular displacement
of the sector corresponds to a constant angle of rotation of the pinion. The
transmission is similar to that of two pulleys actuated by a strap without, slip,, but
not endless.
The end 3 of the other arm of the lever is slotted so as to permit, a part 11, 12
(Figs. 1 and 4) pivotted to such arm to move in a vertical plane while, following
the angular displacement of such arm of the sector. This part, which, we call the
actuating key, at its end 12, carries a button 13 to receive the finger. A spring 14
fixed to arm 3 returns the key to its normal position after it, has been depressed.
An indicator or pointer. 15 fixed to the end of arm 3 travels over the segment 16,
Fig. 5, bearing on two concentric rows-1. Of alphabetical characters; 2. Figures,
and signs in use-which may be differently coloured in variable groups so that the
indicator 15 of the operating lever may be rapidly moved to any point on the
segment.
2. The printing hammer and its actuating mechanism.
When the indicator has, been moved over the letter it is desired to print, the
operating key is depressed, which causes a segmental lever 17 (Figs. 1 and 4) to
turn on its pivot 18. The end 19 of this sector through a heel piece 20 causes, the
hammer or striker to turn on the axis 22. The hammer or striker is pivotted at 21
perpendicularly to the plane of the fork and terminates at 23 in a small strip, of
india-rubber.
3. The carriage carrying the paper, the operation of same, and the, arrangement.
for regulating the spaces between the lines.
One arm 24 (Fig. 6) of the lever 17 can raise the end of a second lever 25
pivotted at 26 and carrying a. pawl 28, acted upon by a spring 29. A stop 30
(Figs. 4 and 6) limits the travel of the lever 25 to. a certain. distance when the
stop is placed beneath it.
When, the button 13 is depressed the end 24 of lever 17 raises lever 25 which
disengages, the pawl from the teeth of the ratchet bar 31, fixed, to the carriage.
The spring 29 causes the pawl to pass under the next tooth to the left.. When the;
key 13 is released the spring 32 carries lever 25 back to its former position, and
pawl 28 acting against the tooth of the bar 31 causes, the latter and the carriage to
advance a certain constant distance, because the other end of lever 25 engaging, a.
tooth of bar 31 acts like an anchor escapement and limits the movement of this
bar.
The frame of the machine is in the form of two sectors opening out in, opposite.
directions, and it is provided with two parts 33 which are planed and polished, and
constitute a track. The carriage carrying the paper is formed of two, rods
connected together by-cross ties provided with polished bearers which rest, on the
rails or track 33, and carrying an, india-rubber sheet of the same length, as the
carriage, but which is twisted in a spiral a, b, c, d, e, against the surface of which
the paper is regularly wound, first passing between two india-rubber rollers 36
forced together by springs 37 fixed, to the ends of their axes. One of them
terminates in a milled head 38 (Fig. 8) on which is mounted a quadrangular, cam 39.
on the flat surfaces of which bears. a spring 40. By turning the milled head in, one
or other direction the paper gripped between the rollers unwinds, outwards, passing,
between the type wheel and the end of the printing hammer or striker,, or it, is
wound up in the curved space of the spiral. The size of the india, rubber, feeding;
rollers is such that by turning the milled head a, quarter of a turn, that is to, say
from one of the sides of, the cam to the next, the paper advances the necessary
distance between two lines. In Fig. 7 the broken line shows the method of winding

page_text: the paper.
A rod 41 having a double bend at right angles terminates at 42 in an
eccentric which engages between the axes of the rollers and separates them to
permit the passage of the paper when being introduced into its receptacle. When
this rod resumes its position it supports the paper which unwinds outwardly. The
under side of the carriage is provided with the rack 31.
4. The toothed sector for correcting the position of the operating lever.
As the position of any one of the characters which is brought opposite the
hammer or striker must always be the same, and this position depending on that
which the indicator of the operating lever occupies on the segment bearing the
characters, it is indispensable that if the indicator is not exactly in the centre of
the engraved character, that means be provided to carry it there automatically at
the moment, the operating key causes the hammer or striker to operate. To obtain
this result we employ a sector with pointed vertical teeth 43, 44, with which the
operating key engages exactly when depressed. The space between the teeth is
the same as that covered by one character on the segment placed beneath the
toothed sector, and on the other hand the width of the tooth at its other end is so
small that even when the operating key, in consequence of the indicator being
badly placed, comes in contact when it is depressed with a point very near this end,
the key slides against the tapering side and engages exactly the space between two
teeth, above which is the character it is required to print.
5. The type wheel and the operation of the auxiliary keys which change its
position in different planes.
The type wheel consists of a disc 45 on the circumference of which three rows
of characters are engraved-the ordinary letters, capital letters, figures and
punctuation marks. This wheel turns smoothly on a shaft 46 (Fig. 9), and rests
on a shoulder 47 of such shaft, which also carries a collar 48 by means of which it
is supported on a table or platform 49. The pinion 6 turns freely on this shaft
and its movement carries the type wheel forward by means of a bar 50 fixed to the
pinion 6 and passing freely into disc 45. The shaft 46 may be raised to two
different heights by means of the ends 52, 53 (Fig. 9) of the keys 54, 55. A
spring 56 carries it back to its position. In this movement the type wheel is raised
but the pinion although it is not raised with it still drives same, for a collar 47
permits it to turn without allowing it to be raised at the same time as the type
wheel.
The result of this arrannement is that with the same angular displacement of the
operating lever three different kinds of type may be printed which would otherwise
necessitate a much longer segment.
The type wheel may be replaced by a wheel of larger diameter bearing larger
characters. The travel of the pawl which advances the paper carriage would then
be increased by shifting the stop which regulates this movement.
6. The key for producing the spaces between the words.
This key is shown at 57 (Fig. 4). Each time that the finger is caused to bear
on any point of segment 57 the end 58 of the lever to which it is fixed raises the
lever 25 (Fig. 6). This produces at each impulse of the finger an advance of the
paper carriage, and hence a space.
7. The inking arrangement.
Against one side of the paper carriage a rack 59 is arranged laterally, and drives
a pinion 60 gearing with a second pinion 61 fixed to a shaft carrying at its end a
roller of spongy material compressed between two discs, one of which the upper
disc can be unscrewed to allow the roller to be inked. In a symmetrical position
and in the same plane is fixed a second roller which is movable on its axis, same
being similarly arranged; then two other smaller tension rollers. An endless silk
band bears tangentially on the surface of the four rollers. In Fig. 10 it is of the
form of a trapezium.
The forward movement of the paper carriage causing the pinions to turn, all
parts of the band will be successively impregnated with ink and the band moving
in the space between the hammer or striker and the type wheel, the characters

page_text: will be printed on the paper each time that the hammer or striker applies the band
thereto.
In order to prevent the paper being soiled with ink by contact with the silk band,
a small blade or shield 22* pierced with a hole in its centre of which the width is
equal to that of the largest characters separates the paper from the inked band.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A typewriter having a movable sector on a vertical shaft actuating a wheel
on the circumference of which are engraved the letters, figures and punctuation
marks in use, the movement of the sector being positively dependent on the angular
motion of the type wheel by the employment of two metallic and flexible bands
oppositely wound one above the other on a pinion fixed on the shaft of the type
wheel, and on the circumference of the sector, so that to a certain given angular
motion of any point of the arc of the sector a constant angular motion of any
point of the type wheel always corresponds.
2. A. typewriter having a movable sector on a vertical shaft provided with an
arm to which a key (called an operating key) is articulated, this key moving in a
vertical plane while it is displaced horizontally with the arm of the sector below the
segment on which the letters, figures and punctuation marks are arranged; the
arm of the sector being provided with a pointer or indicator.
.
3. A typewriter having a single principal operating key to bring any type of
the type wheel into suitable position, to print same, and move the carriage forward
the space necessary for the printing of the following type or character.
4. In the machine described a toothed sector placed under the operating key in
order to correct the position of the key before each impression.
5. In a typewriter having a single operating key the oscillating lever which
comes in contact with the hammer or striker and is actuated by the operating key
when its position has been corrected by the toothed sector.
6. Actuating the printing hammer or striker by the operating key in order that
the operator may be able to exert a variable pressure on the hammer to facilitate
manifolding.
7. In the typewriter described, the arrangement under the carriage for carrying
the paper of a toothed rack with which engages a pawl articulated to a lever, one
extremity of which is raised on each impression by the operating key, or by the
spacing key independently of the operating key.
8. In a typewriter, effecting the inking by a tangential endless band bearing
against the external surface of four vertical rollers fixed around the type wheel in
the same horizontal plane, two of these rollers being formed of a spongy material
absorbing the ink, and the other two serving as guide rollers for the band, and the
two inking rollers being fixed to shafts, one of which by the intermediary of two
pinions gearing with a rack fixed to the paper carriage, by the motion of such
carriage imparts rotation to the four rollers and a travel to the tangential band
whereby all points of the latter seccessively are inked by contact with the inking
rollers.
9. The combination with the inking device described, of a shield perforated in the
centre with an opening equal to the surface of one character in order to partially
separate the paper which is not in contact with the hammer or striker.
10. In the machine described, the arrangement of two auxiliary keys to raise the
shaft carrying the type wheel, in order to bring before the hammer or striker the
type of the lower rows, and of a collar allowing the shaft to be raised without
turning with the type wheel, and the pinion driven by the sector to turn without
moving vertically.
11. In the machine described, a stop lever which by its position under the lever
carrying the pawl which actuates the carriage, limits the motion of the latter to
one tooth at each depression of the spacing key or of the operating key, the

page_text: carriage advancing to the extent of two teeth when the stop lever does not limit its
stroke, such arrangement allowing the spacing between the characters to be
changed.
Dhinach .. of Cantambar 1900
HERBERT J. ALLISON,
Agent for the Applicants.