AN IMPROVED TYPE-WRITING MACHINE
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Emmett Densmore, of Meadville, Pennsylvania,
and Charies Haight Farnham, of Milton, New York, both in the
United States of America, now of Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Merchants, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED TYPE-WRITING
MACHINE."
Sealed the 19th August 1873, and dated the 22nd February 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Emmett Densmore and
Charles Haight Farnham at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 22nd February 1873.
We, EMMETT DENSMORE, of Meadville, Pennsylvania, and CHARLES
HAIGHT FARNHAM, of Milton, New York, both in the United States of
America, now of Fleet Street, in the City of London, Merchants, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED TYPE-
WRITING MACHINE," to be as follows:-
1
Our said Invention relates to a machine in which the types are
operated by finger keys, and produce their impression upon the surface
to be printed through carbonized paper or other similar material:

page_text: stops, thus allowing the said carriage to move through the space between
two letters. As this pawl leaves the ratchet tooth to engage with the
next one, the fixed pawl engages the tooth just released, and holds the
carriage while the type is striking the paper and the vibrating pawl is
advancing to take into the next tooth of the rack.
In another modification of our Invention we employ a series of
washers placed on a rod or bar with a capability of vertical motion
thereon. A shoulder is arranged on the aforesaid carriage in such a
position that as the washers are successively lifted the carriage moves
forward. The said washers are raised by a hooked arm on the rocking
shaft or by other suitable means; or we may employ two wheels with
teeth which act in combination with the aforesaid ratchet bar to impart
the required intermittent motion to the carriage, or a single toothed
wheel and two ratchet bars for the same purpose. For returning the
carriage to its first position after the production of cach line of writing
we employ a treadle from which a cord is passed over a pulley and
connected with the carriage. This cord is also connected with the lever
of a pawl which takes into a ratchet wheel at one end of the aforesaid
cylinder, and by this contrivance the said cylinder is turned on its axis
after the completion of each line of writing. The said lever is caused to
return to its place of rest by a spring. When the said lever is depressed
by the treadle cord the latter also releases the aforesaid ratchet bar from
the pawls, so that they may not prevent the return of the carriage.
When the return movement of the latter has been effected, the said
ratchet bar is again engaged by the pawl.
The type hammers are supported by a horizontal ring. Each of the
said type hammers has a shaft or stem provided with trunnions which
are supported in bearings in the said ring. These hammers and their
bearings are so arranged that their free ends whereon the types are fixed
will all come to the same point, which is the centre of the aforesaid ring.
The said hammers may be made to rest in slots formed in the said ring,
or may have centre points supported in suitable centre holes in the said
ring or in pieces attached to the same. We provide screws or other
suitable contrivances for adjusting these bearings. The said hammers
may all be arranged in one row or in two or more rows in the said ring;
or we may employ two or more rings of the same diameter placed one
below the other, or rings of different diameter. An inking tape or ribbon
is arranged to pass between the said ring and the cylinder in a direction

page_text: The said tape or ribbon is wound
receives at cach movement of the
parallel with the axis of the latter.
from one spool upon another, and
carriage a slight motion to bring a fresh portion of it over the type.
For this purpose we connect the said spools through a belt and pulleys
with a wheel which receives an intermittent motion through a ratchet
and pawl from the spring or weight that moves the aforesaid carriage.
A stop pawl prevents the turning back of the said wheel.
To diminish the friction of the carriage upon its supports we employ a
spring. The said spring is secured by one end to the carriage frame, and
its otlier end is provided with a wheel which sustains a part of the
weight of the said carriage..
The finger keys whereby the type hammers are actuated are pivotted
"to move freely at their inner ends, and they are provided with springs to
return them to their place after their depression. They have at their
outer ends buttons or knobs, cach of which bears a letter or character
corresponding to that of the type to be actuated by the key. Between
the button and the pivot each key is connected by a wire rod or other
means to the corresponding type hammer at the end opposite to that
carrying the type. These rods may be so connected to the hammers as
to permit them to fall independently of the finger keys. The trunnions
of these hammers are between their two ends, therefore the depression
of the outer end necessitates the rising of the inner end and the action
of the type upon the inking ribbon. The finger keys cause the endwise
movement of the carriage through the medium of a bar which extends
across the whole of the said keys, and is connected to a rocking shaft.
In addition to the aforesaid finger keys we use a spacing key which
rotates the said rocking shaft, and moves the carriage without actuating
the types.
We attach a combined movable cam and stopper to the carriage, and
ratchet bar to regulate the movement of the carriage to suit different
widths of paper and to act on a bell or other signal at or near the com
pletion of each line of writing.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Emmett Densmore and Charles Haight Farnham
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd August 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EMMETT
DENSMORE, of Meadville, Pennsylvania, and CHARLES HAIGHT FARNHAM,
of Milton, New York, both in the United States of America, now of
Fleet Street, in the City of London, Merchants, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of February, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three,
in the thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said Emmett Densmore and
Charles Haight Farnham, Her special licence that we, the said Emmett
Densmore and Charles Haight Farnham, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Emmett Densmore and
Charles Haight Farnham, our executors, administrators, and assigns,"
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Islo
of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED TYPE-WRITING MACHINE,” upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Emmett Densmore and Charles
Haight Farnham, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Emmett Densmore and Charles
Haight Farnham, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the accompanying Drawing forming a part of this Speci-
fication:-
Our said Invention relates to a machine in which the types are
operated by finger keys, and produce their impression upon the surface
to be printed through carbonized paper or other similar material.

page_text: Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Figure 2 a front elevation of our
improved machine. The remaining Figures show details of the said
machine, and are hercin-after described. It is constructed with a frame
or stand A. of cast iron or other suitable material, which carries the
mechanism in such manner that the whole may be enclosed in a neat
wooden or iron case to be placed upon and secured to a suitable stand
or table. At the top of the frame A. is carried a plate a constituting a
convenient table for the sliding paper carriage B to travel upon. At the
centre of this plate a is placed a ring ', shown detached in the plan,
Figure 3; this ring carries the type hammers c; the latter have firmly
attached to them by brazing or otherwise the trunnions c¹. These
trunnions have their bearings in radial jaws c* cast on the said disc, and
their lower or free ends rest on the conical interior surface of the annular
rest ring c², which is fixed a little below and attached to the slotted and
grooved annular ring b', and is lined with felt or other suitable substance
preventing noise from the falling of the type hammers c when writing.
At their extreme upper ends the said type hammers are provided with
lugs having eyes therein, through which are hooked the wires d, as seen
most clearly in the detached view, Figure 4. The said wires d are
connected at their outer ends to the key levers D by means of the
eyes d', which are screwed into or otherwise fastened to the said key
levers; the latter are pivoted on the pin E situate at the back of the
machine, and are held in a horizontal position by the adjustable india-
rubber springs e. At the front of the machine their upper sides are by
the action of the said springs e caused to bear against the top bar of a
reed F. A similar reed F2 is placed at the back of the machine. These
reeds are similar to the reed of a hand weaver's loom, and are composed
of two horizontal bars fand f¹ connected by the perpendicular wires ƒ³
placed far enough apart to allow each key lever to vibrate casily and
without friction. The said key levers are enclosed by a "space key
frame" consisting of two levers D, D', similar to the key levers D, one
one each side of the machine, and between the key levers and the side
plates of the main frame A, and a cross bar D° is rigidly attached to the
front end of each, and lying flatwise across the keys, as shown. This
space key frame" combined with the series of key levers D make the
key board of the machine.

page_text: The keys D3 of the key board may be arranged in rows as may be
desired, but it is found that four rows, as shown, will put the keys more
under the hand than any other practicable arrangement. Each key has
on it a letter or other character corresponding with the type which it
operates. The front ends of the key levers are of as many different
lengths as there are rows of keys, and they are arranged in steps, so that
the outer or front row of keys shall be the lowest, as shown.
In the rear side frames of the machine and near the upper part
thereof is placed a rocking shaft G having its bearings in each of the
said side frames and vibrating between the same; arms 9 are firmly and
rigidly attached to each end of the said rocking shaft G, and extend
forward in a horizontal line nearly to the front of the machine, where
they are connected by the vertical wires g¹ to a cross bar H extending
across the machine near the bottom of the same and under the key
board.
A spring I fastened to the under side of the top plate a is connected
to the vibrating arms g by the link i. The aforesaid cross bar H is
arranged to touch and support the space keys D' and the key levers D.
The aforesaid spring I is arranged to hold the cross bar H up against
the key levers D; thus whenever a key is touched and its key lever
thereby pressed down the universal or cross bar H is necessarily thrust
down and pulls with it the vibrating arms 9, and so causes the shaft G
to rock.
A pawl is rigidly attached to the rocking shaft G, and projects up
through a slot cut for that purpose in the back part of the top plate a.
is a loose pawl pivoted to the rigid pawl g² so as to vibrate with and
in the same direction as the said rigid pawl g³ whenever the rocking
shaft G is rocked, but this loose pawl may be vibrated independently on
its pivot g' in a direction at a right angle to the direction of the vibration
of the rigid pawl g, as shown in the detached views, Figures 5 and 6.
A spring g³ is so attached to these pawls that when there is nothing to
counteract the force thereof the loose pawl 7 is vibrated laterally
forward a given distance, as indicated by the dotted lines, Figure 5.
A plate rigidly attached to the inner side of the rigid pawl g², forms
a brace plate for supporting the said rigid pawl firmly. The said plate
has a curved slot g, through which is passed a set screw 78 which holds
a stop g, and the stops and " can thereby be adjusted to vary the

page_text: independent vibrations of the loose pawl ³, and the inner edges of the
said stops g' and go will be parallel with the sides of the loose pawl g³,
as shown.
"
"
A fixed smooth rod J supported in lugs ; extends across the back of
the top plate a, and is embraced by the back ends of the side frames
of the sliding carriage B in such a manner that the latter is hinged upon
it, and is free to slide in a transverse direction; b' is a space bow
formed in two pieces bent at right angles at their ends and jointed at
or near their centre. In each end is a hole, which fits loosely but
accurately on and over the ends of the side frames 6 of the paper
carriage B. The said "space bow or angle bar frame b' is supported on
the hubs of the paper carriage B, which fits on the cross rod J; there-
fore the paper carriage frame and the angle bar frame, though combined,
are yet capable of turning independently on their hinges, but they are so
attaclied to cach other that when the one is caused to slide the other
is carried with it.
A ratchet bark of the form shown in the detached view, Figure 7, is
formed or fastened on the back of the space bow b', the number of
notches in this bar is governed by the length of the lines to be written,
and the distance of one notch from another is governed by the space
required for each letter of the writing. The pawls g³, g³, take into the
notches of the said ratchet bar k, as shown in Figure 1; k¹ is an
adjustable stop arranged to slide on the space bow b', and depending
over the ratchet bar k. It is adjusted by the set screw k²; the said
stop has hinged to it a trip which is free to vibrate in the direction
of the length of the ratchet bar k. It has a shoulder k* on one side
against which the said trip will lie when perpendicular, and beyond
which position its vibration is prevented in the opposite direction. On the
end of an arm L bolted to the side frame of the machine is carried a
pulley rigidly attached to the pin ; a coiled spring & has one end
attached to one side of the said pulley 1, and the other end sccured to
the pivot pin A. A cord or chain is fastened to the pulley / at one
end and to the carriage frame B at the other end. A pawl is attached
to the pulley 1, and takes into the ratchet wheel of the axle or pivot
pin upon the latter is carried the driving pulley 7, as above set forth
and shown in Figures 1 and 2. L' is a pulley attached to and revolving
in bearings in the top plate a directly over the driving pulley 7, and in

page_text: ULA DATA
chain 13.
The coiled spring & has any desired tension given it by turning the
driving pulley axle ", and holding it in place by the pawl P and ratchet
wheel, and in a state of rest the ratchet bar of the angle bar frame
or space bow b¹ falls upon the loose pawl g³ of the rocking shaft G. The
tension of the driving spring 1 tends constantly to revolve the driving
pulley 1, and thus pull the paper carriage B along the cross rod J towards
the cord pulley L. But this action is prevented by the engagement of
the pawl with the ratchet bar ; the former is pivoted, and is drawn
to a perpendicular position when its end comes in contact with the
forward stop g' on the rocking shaft G, as shown in Figure 5. This
stop is so set that when the lower end of the loose pawl g³ comes
against it, the said stop and the rigid pawl g² will be exactly in line with
one another, and at a right angle to the line of vibration of the rocking
shaft G. When a key lever D is depressed by striking a key the
rocking shaft G vibrates forward, the loose pawl is thereby disen-
gaged from the teeth of the ratchet bar k, and the rigid pawl gå engages
in the vacated notch, the paper carriage then remaining stationary, but
when the pressure is taken from the key lever D, and the latter resumes
its normal position, and the rocking shaft G is drawn back, the loose
pawl g³ having been thrown forward the length of one notch by the
action of the spring g', as shown in dotted lines, Figure 5, will enter the
next notch of the ratchet bar k forward of the one previously occupied
by it, and while the rigid pawl g² is resuming its original place the
driving spring and pulley pull the loose pawl g'again in line with the
rigid pawl. At every stroke of a key lever D the paper carriage is
moved forward on the cross rod J in the direction indicated by the
arrow I in Figure 2 the space of one notch of the ratchet bar k. The
paper carriage B is not moved when the key is struck and the key lever
depressed, but only when the key lever and rocking shaft resume their
places of rest.
At the front part of the carriage frame is placed an antifriction roller
or wheel adapted to roll forth and back on one side of a brass
strip fastened to the top plate a of the machine. The other side of
the said brass strip has a graduated scale engraved on its outer face as
shown in Figure 2. Secured to the front of the carriage frame and
jecting over the top of the said scale is an indicator 6* for registering the
pro-

page_text: number of letters or other characters and spaces in the lines of writing.
A spring is attached to a transverse bar of the paper carriage, nearly
midway between the side frames b, and extends over the cross rod J.
The free end of this spring has a journal on which another travelling
wheel is pivoted. The tension of the spring can be regulated by a
set screw or equivalent device to lift the back end of the paper
carriage B, so that it will be borne on the cross rod J by the travelling
wheel instead of by the lugs j. These travelling wheels 62 and 2³ assist
the moving of the carriage laterally over the top plate a of the machine,
the front wheel 6 travelling on the brass picce 6, and the back wheel
on the cross rod. J.
M is the roller or cylinder platen under which the paper to be written
on is supported and moved forward. The said roller revolves on journals
working in each of the stiles or side frames b. At one end the said
roller M is provided with a ratchet wheel m equal in diameter to the
roller, and the number of whose notches is governed by the width of
space desired between the lines of writing. At the back of the roller M
and adapted to swing and be held against the same is a roller M² carried
in bearings formed in hangers m² at each side of the carriage. A lever n
having for its fulcrum the shaft n¹ of the roller M is placed between the
roller, ratchet wheel m, and the stile b, and extends in a horizontal
direction on both sides of its fulcrum, its back end being projected
upwardly, and its front end n* is bent to one side as shown in Figure 2.
At the back end of the said lever n is formed a lip n³ extending in the
opposite direction to the bent end n*. In this lip n³ is engaged one end 2
of a link n³, whose other end is connected to a coiled spring n³ fixed to
the stile or side frame b. A second lever m³ is pivoted on the same
centre n between the first lever n and the stile b.
An arm or latch o is rigidly attached to the second lever m³ behind
the roller M, and projects laterally inward in a direction opposite to the g
bent end of the first lever n. A pawl o is pivoted to the first lever n,
and takes into the roller ratchet wheel m. This pawl o' is provided with
an arm o², and has also a thumb piece o³ rigidly attached to it extending
outward laterally to reach over and beyond the stile b. The said pawl
has also a second arm or catch o* extending backward under the arm o 3
of the lever m³ which falls on the said catch; the lever m³ vibrates
downward.

page_text: +
The arrangement of levers n and m³, ratchet wheel m, and pawl o¹ is
such that when the thumb piece o³ is pressed backward and downward
the pawl o' will move in a circle, and when the second lever m³ is
pressed backward and downward the arm o will press on the catch of
the pawl o, and move the latter in a circle; and when the pawl o¹ is
thus acted upon its tooth will engage in a notch of the ratchet wheel m,
and so cause the latter and the roller M to revolve the extent of one
notch. The pawl o' is pressed firmly between the teeth of the ratchet
wheel m by the arm o, and thereby holds the roller M and prevents its
turning by its momentum beyond the desired distance. The pressure
being removed the coiled spring n will restore the mechanism to its
normal position. To the stile is attached a spring P whose free end
terminates in a loop p whose lower side is notched as shown. An
arm P¹ fastened to the inner side of the stile is also provided with
notches on its front edge, and has an arm at its upper end bent at a
right angle, passed through the loop of the spring P, and adapted to fit
in the said notches. The bent end of the lever n engages in the teeth
or notches of the arm P¹, and when the bent end of the said arm is in
the extreme forward notch of the loop p of the spring P, the bent end of
the lever n catches in the upper notch of the arm P¹, as shewn, and so
prevents the return of the pawl o' for more than one notch of the
ratchet wheel m after having been pressed down. When the bent end
of the arm P¹ is in the second notch from the front of the loop p, the
bent end of the lever n will catch in the second upper notch of the
arm P¹, and allow the pawl o' to come back to the extent of two notches
of the said ratchet wheel m. This mechanism governs the distance
which the roller M turns at any one depression of the pawl o'.
.
At the upper side on the right hand of the machine is carried a cone
pulley U as nearly in a line with the cross rod J'as practicable. Around
the small shive of the said cone pulley U is secured a cord u whose
other extremity is attached to a treadle pivoted between the front legs
of the table upon which the machine stands. Another cord ¹ has one
of its ends attached to the large shive of the said pulley, and its other
end to the back end of the lever m³, and passes under a small pulley u³
5 placed for that purpose on the under side of the stile b.
When the paper carriage B has arrived at the lateral side of the top
plate a opposite to the side on which the cone pulley U is placed, or any-
where between the two extremitics, by pressing down the treadle by the

page_text: the small roller M³ hard against the large roller M, they also assist in
moving the paper as the rollers revolve.
The action of the driving pulley 7 and connections is as follows:-
is a ratchet wheel which is so acted upon by the pawl that it
turns with the pulley in the direction indicated by the arrow Q.
A second ratchet wheel attached to the first ratchet wheel is held
by the pawl so that when the said driving wheel turns backward the
ratchet wheels will not turn with it; these parts are shewn somewhat
modified in the detached view, Figure 8. A band or cord passes over a
) pulley 13 attached to the ratchet wheels and thence over a pulley R
firmly secured on the shaft R'. The said shaft R¹ has another pulley R²
which is connected by a cord or band to the pulley R fixed
on the spool shaft whose bearings depend from the top plate a,
as shewn. Upon this shaft ¹ and upon a corresponding shaft 8¹
5 situate at the opposite side of the machine, and carried in similar
bearings 8, are carried the spools and ³, upon one of which 73 is
wound and secured the ribbon S saturated with prepared ink, and
secured at its other end to the spool ³, when a key is struck and
a type is thrown up against the inking ribbon S, the latter is
) carried with it into contact with the paper passing under, the roller M,
a letter is thus impressed on the paper. As the type hammer falls
the paper carriage B is moved forward the space of one letter and
the paper is ready to receive the impression of another. Simul-
taneously with the lateral movement of the carriage by the driving
5 pulley and coiled spring 13, the latter move the inking ribbon S
so that a fresh place on the ribbon is presented to each type at every
stroke of a type key. The inking ribbon S having thus been unwound
from the spool upon the spool &³ the band or cord connecting the
pulley R with the pulley & is transferred to the pulley and the
writing recommenced.
A rocking yoke T is placed across the front of the lower part of the
machine, and extends upwards to act on the spools 7 and 8³ by means
of the set screw t to regulate the positions of the spools. A spring

page_text: in levers, provided with springs or weights to keep the said belt or apron
tight, as herein set forth and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Emmett Densmore, for myself
and on behalf of the said Charles Haight Farnham, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Twenty-second day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.