Improvements in Type-writing Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Aug., 1894-Accepted, 4th May, 1895
Improvements in Type-writing Machines.
1, RICHARD TOEPPER, of Naumburg a/S., in the German Empire, Merchant,
lo 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 :-
This invention has for object the production of a type writing machine by means
of which, as distinguished from those hitherto known, not only is the operator
enabled to form syllables and words by putting together single letters, but also to
write upon paper whole syllables and words from types containing them, by a
single pressing of the corresponding key. This of course involves a considerable
increase in the number of keys. These include not only as hitherto, the small and
capital letters of the alphabet, the numbers 1 to 10 and the signs of punctuation
but also the syllables, words and abbreviations used in correspondence. To the
objection that this increase is effected at the cost of facility of observation of the
keys it may be replied that the keys are arranged in rows according to the number of
letters upon the same and in these several rows there is a systematic classification.
By reason of the feasibility of writing whole syllables or words with a single
pressure of the finger the speed of writing by the machine of this invention, as
coptrasted with the machines hitherto in use, is incomparably greater, a speed
which with some practice on the part of the operator does not fall anything short
of that of stenography.
The above objects are attained by the construction shewn in the drawings in
which
Fig. 1 is a sectional side view of a type writing machine with my improvements
applied thereto.
Fig. 2 a back view of the rear part of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 a front view of the device for continuously indicating the amount of the
lateral displacement of the paper roller and therewith also the number of letters
at any moment written in a line.
Fig. 4 relates to details of the mechanism for turning the paper roller round on
its axis.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of the machine and
Fig. 6 is a diagram shewing the action of a portion of the mechanism for the
variable travel of the paper roller.
j
a are the side frames of the machine between and on which frames the whole
of the mechanism is carried. bare keys arranged in six rows of thirteen keys
each and in such a way that the several keys of rows I and II impress only one
letter of row III two letters; of row IV three letters; of row V four letters
and of row VI five letters. Each key is in connection with one of the levers h¹
through a rod and a joint . As there are seventy eight keys and one lever b'
These are mounted to turn
for each key so there are also seventy eight levers b¹.
on bolt or rod & which connects the two sides of the frame. For the purpose of
clearness the bolt 6 and the levers b' are shewn as lines diagrammatically only
in Fig. 5. To each lever b' is jointed at 6 a rod c which at its other end is in
Jointed connection at with a lever c¹ turning on a bolt or pin c³. c are type
rods each firmly fixed at one end to a lever c¹ and at the other end having type c³
fixed to it. Upon pressing down any one key b the corresponding lever c will be
DO. 1

page_text: of the machine (Fig. 5).
This
drawn downwards on c³ so as to swing the type rod cupwards and press the type c
against the paper roller f. Each bolt cs is carried in an U shaped metal bracket d
(shewn in section in Fig. 1) fixed by a screw d' on the angle iron type ring d².
The two sides of the bracket dare connected together by a bolt d³ which at the
same time serves to limit the oscillation of lever c¹. For the purpose of clearness
only the type ring d2 with the screws d' are fully shewn in Fig. 5, the type rods c*
being represented diagrammatically by lines c¹. At their lower ends the type
rods lie within a metal ring d located underneath the type ring d³, said metal
ring being lined inside with felt d' so as to render noiseless the striking of the
type rods.
The type ring itself is mounted on a frame e fixed across the side frames
By a controlled displacement of the paper roller from left to right the letters
may be impressed next to one another as required in writing and the displacement
must vary according to the number of letters impressed by a key pressure, for
instance, when a key of row VI has been pressed down to impress five letters the
paper roller must be displaced laterally to the extent of this number of letters,
in order that there may be vacant space for the next following letter.
variable displacement of the paper roller is accomplished by the following
means: Each lever b' is provided on its under side with an extension g (Fig. 1).
All the extensions g appertaining to a particular row of keys are of like length,
those of row VI being the longest and those of rows 1 and II being of the same
and shortest length. On each side of the machine just within the side frames a
there is a lever h. These levers are connected together by six cross strips h¹
which come immediately underneath the extensions 9 so that upon any one key
being pressed down the corresponding extension g will be brought to strike against
the cross strip underneath it and thus cause the descent from the oscillating
point of the levers h. These are by means of screws (Fig. 1) rigidly fixed to
two short arms 2 of an angle iron part i to the ends of which are attached circular
bolt parts and these latter mounted in the side frames so as to turn therein.
In Fig. 5 the connection of one of the two like arms with one of the levers / is
shewn in dotted lines on the left hand side of the machine these parts being
covered by the overlying side frames. The angle iron i at the middle of its length
is formed with or has attached to it an arm k terminating at the top in two arms k¹.
To these by means of screws ³ is fixed a rectangular frame & in recesses in the
upper forked end of which are carried two pawls 12 so as to turn on pins . The
two pawls each engage by a projecting pin in two ratchet wheels m, mounted
with a spur wheel firmly fixed between them, on shaft m' and this latter in
bearings in the standard or standards m³ firmly fixed by screws m³ to the support m*
which in turn is secured by screws m³ to the type ring d. The two sides of the
frame are at the top connected together by a bolt . In Fig. 5 the wheels m, n,
and frame k are shewn in section. n¹ is a spur pinion fixed on an internally
threaded sleeve n³ and in gear with spur wheel n. The sleeve n is not laterally
displaceable but may turn on the screw spindle n³ so as to displace the same and
with it the paper roller f laterally. The ratchet wheels m are operated from the
keys through levers h and arm k which form a bell crank lever. It is clear that
the keys nearest the pivots A will, when pressed down, operate the longest stroke
of the lever h, k. Besides the varying distance of the rows of keys from h³ the
varying length of the extensions 9 also operate to bring about a more largely
varying length of stroke of the lever h, k. The ratchet wheels m have forty teeth
and the stroke of the lever h, k is so measured that upon a key of row VI being
pressed down the pawls are moved back to the extent of ten teeth; of row V
eight teeth; of row IV six teeth; of row III four teeth and of rows II and I
two teeth. This operation is shewn in Fig. 6. At o the arın k is in a state of
rest, in returning to which after performing a stroke, the pawls will be caused to
turn round the ratchet wheels m to the extent of the number of teeth they had
previously passed over. 1 indicates the stroke for impressing one letter; 2 for

page_text: two letters; 3 for three letters; 4 for four letters and 5 for five letters. Thus
the pressing down of a key of row VI causes the ratchet wheels to turn round to
the largest extent, riz., one fourth of a revolution or ten teeth, the spur wheel n
to the same extent and the pinion n' in gear with the latter and in the proportion
of 1 to 4, one complete revolution. At the same time the screwed sleeve n² also
performs one complete revolution and thereby laterally displaces the screw
spindle within the same to the extent of the pitch of the screw thread which
therefore is equal to the space taken up by five juxtaposed letters. The sleeve n
is held in position by two angle iron plates o+ fixed to a support o' which is located
bridge like across the type ring. The screw spindle is in connection with the
paper roller in the following way :-The screw spindle is carried at each end in
an angular bracket p (Fig. 5) provided at the opposite extremity with a collar p
for sliding along the guide rod q which is carried right across the machine and
held by its two ends in brackets screwed on to the machine frame by screws q'.
Underneath in the same brackets is also held a second guide rod 93 serving as a
guide for the arm på which has for object to steady the movement of the screw
spindle and transmit the pressure coming upon the support o' to rod q³. Between
the collars p² there are two collars which are respectively in one piece with the
collars held in position on the frame f' by the fixed collars. The connection
of the frame f' with the paper roller f is through the T piece f³, into which the
axial rod f, of the roller is screwed. On the front part of the frame is
fastened by screw s¹ the blocks which carries the friction roller to run on the
The
cross bar and insure a steady bearing of the paper roller at the front side.
blocks has fixed to it a pointer t so as always to indicate upon the scale or
divisions provided upon the bar & the position of the muddle of the paper roller
and the number of words already written in a line. Fig. 3 is a part front view of
this arrangement. For turning round the paper roller the distance of one line
from another, there is attached to the right hand end of the same a ratchet
wheel (Figs. 4, 5) in which engages the spring pawl u' fixed on frame fl.
Engaging in the same ratchet wheel u there is further a second pawl u³ which
being actuated by the hand of the writer through lever u turns round the ratchet
wheel to the extent of one tooth, whilst the spring pawl u' has only for object to
prevent any undesired turning of the paper roller.
Upon commencing a line the roller is slid with its frame over to the right
hand and then during the writing process gradually slides over to the left hand.
Upon the completion of the line, the pawls are released, the roller moved back
by hand and the place for the next line brought over the types by turning
round the roller through lever u³, in the manner described. The sheet metal
curved plate serves for entering the paper on to the roller (Fig. 1).
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A type writing machine for writing single letters, whole syllables, or words,
by a single key pressure, in which the keys are so arranged in rows that those of
each row correspond to a like number of letters, and the respective rows placed
the nearer to the turning point of the lever h, k, the larger the number of letters
they represent, substantially as described and shewn.
2. In a type writing machine an arrangement for effecting the variable lateral
displacement of the paper roller corresponding to the number of letters written
at a time by the pressing of a key, consisting of an angle lever h, k, carrying on its
upper forked end two pawls which engaging in ratchet wheels m operate to
turn a spur wheel n so much of a revolution as corresponds to the stroke of the
lever h, k, said movement being transmitted to a crewed sleeve n² so as to laterally
displace a screw spindle n³ and therewith also the paper roller, the stroke of said
lever h, k, being made variable and according to the desired lateral displacement

page_text: of the paper roller by providing the levers b₁ of the several rows of keys,
arranged as described, with extensions g for striking against the cross strips h¹,
substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this 29th day of August 1894.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.