An Improved Type-writing Machine.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 6th July, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 8th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 17th May. 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Type-writing Machine.
We, CHARLES SCOTT SNELL, of Culver Park, Saltash, in the county of Cornwall,
and ALFRED THOMPSON of Connaught Mansions, Victoria Street, Westminster, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
The object of our invention is the production of a reliable and rapid type writing
machine at a comparatively low cost. We also set forth as a special advantage
possessed by the machine forming the subject of our invention, the extreme simplicity
thereof, and consequent freedom from derangement while in ordinary use.
In carrying our invention into effect, we mount the set of type, of any given
number of letters or points, upon a semicylindrical "printing piece," which may be
of wood or metal as may be desirable. Said set of type may be in the form of a
square pad when detached from the printing piece, if made of india rubber, or similar
resilient material. The length of the semicylindrical printing piece is equal to, and
not less than, the length of the pad or set of type above referred to, and the radius is
preferably arranged so that the breadth of said pad when attached does not cover more
than one third of the circumference, if this were complete.
Said "printing piece" is mounted upon a spindle, carried by suitable bearings in
or upon the frame so as to allow of free oscillatory movement being imparted thereto
by means of mechanism to be hereinafter described. I also provide means for moving
said printing piece along the spindle from end to end thereof. The result of the
combination of the oscillatory, or semicircular, and the lateral or horizontal move-
ments enables the operator to bring any desired letter or figure over a given spot
upon the paper or equivalent.
The spindle before mentioned, is attached to a frame, carrying a plate, whereon the
index is printed or marked, and pivotted at the opposite extremity in such a manner
that any vertical pressure upon the index plate," printing piece" or spindle in trans-
ferred to suitable pawls engaging with a ratchet rack, racks, or other device or
devices of a like nature, moving the frame to the right hand, or when said ratchet
rack or racks forms or form part of the paper carriage, the resulting movement is
toward the left hand, in either case producing the required spacing between the
letters or words.
The semi-cylindrical printing piece is actuated by a lever, pivotted or otherwise
attached at one end to said printing piece, and the opposite, or free end may touch
the index plate.
We
may, as a modification of the foregoing arrangement, provide a continuation,
or extension, upon said printing piece, and may attach said lever thereto, for the
purposes specified. Any movement of the lever toward, or away from, the printing
piece, produces a corresponding oscillation, or part revolution thereof, and in a similar
manner, any movement of said lever at right angles to the direction of that above
mentioned, causes said printing piece to be moved laterally upon the spindle, to right
or left according to the corresponding movement of said lever. In this manner, the
operator may touch any desired letter upon the index plate with the free end of the
lever, and cause the corresponding letter upon the printing piece to be moved so
as to be in the proper position for printing or marking the same upon the paper or
equivalent.
We provide a separate pawl or pawls, with a trigger, acting upon the ratchet rack
or racks, for the purpose of "spacing" between the words, paragraphs, quotations,
and the like, during the process of printing, or as an alternative device we may form
a blank, or otherwise denote a space upon the index plate, and arrange a blank upon
the corresponding portion of the surface of the "printing piece.”

page_text: "
In order to properly ink the surface of the type automatically, we may employ a
pad, charged with ink, and suitably curved to coincide with the surface of the
printing piece," an opening being formed to allow one letter at a time to protrude
and impress the paper, the rest of the type becoming inked by the same operation.
We may, however employ inking wheels, rollers, or the like, in lieu of the foregoing
device, in cases where such a procedure may be desirable.
We may also mount the "printing piece" rigidly upon the spindle, and provide
means for the lateral movement of said spindle within the bearings supporting it,
instead of the movement of the "printing piece" upon the spindle as before
described.
We may, in order to facilitate the operation of the type writing machine according
to our invention, form a depression, or notch in the index plate, corresponding to
each letter or figure upon the set of type, and the extremity of the lever may be
provided with a projection, fitting each or any of said depressions or notches, thus
locking the machine, and preventing accidental movement and disarrangement of the.
required order of printing or type writing.
Dated this 6th day of July 1888.
FREDK. WALKER & HYDE,
4, Little Moorfields, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Type-writing Machine.
We, CHARLES SCOTT SNELL, of Culver Park, Saltash, in the County of Cornwall,
and ALFRED THOMPSON of Connaught Mansions, Victoria Street, Westminster in the
County of Middlesex, 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 object of our invention is the production of a reliable and rapid type writing
machine at a comparatively low cost. We also set forth as a special advantage
possessed by the machine forming the subject of our invention; the extreme simplicity
thereof, and consequent freedom from derangement while in ordinary use.
In order that our invention may be better understood, we have appended the
accompanying sheet of drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a front elevation of the
improved type writing machine, and Figure 2 a plan of the same. Figure 3 is an
elevational view of an alternative device, and Figure 4 is a plan of the same.
Figures 5 and 6, 7 and 8 are details, hereinafter to be fully described.
In carrying our invention into effect, we mount the set of type, consisting of any
number of letters or points, upon a semicylindrical printing piece A which may be
of wood or metal as may be desirable. Said set of type may be in the form of a
square pad when detached from the printing piece A, if made of india-rubber or other
resilient material, or said type may be of metal, cast upon, or attached to the printing
piece A as shewn by Figures 3 and 4. The length of the printing piece A is pre-
ferably equal to, and not less than the length of the pad, or set of type as above
referred to, and the radius of the cylindrical portion of A is proportioned so that the
type does not cover more than one third of the circumference, if the circle was com-
pleted. Said printing piece A is freely mounted upon a spindle a, fitted in suitable
bearings, or otherwise rigidly attached to the hinged frame B, which also carries a
plate furnished with an index exactly corresponding to the letters or points of
the type upon the printing piece A.
The frame B, hinged at 6 to the guide frame or carrier D, is kept up by the
tension of a piece of india rubber or other spring c, against a screwed pin d by
means of which the tension may be regulated. A downward pressure upon the index
plate C, thus causes the pawls e which are pivotted to it, to engage with the
rack E, and thus cause the carrier D to move, along the bed of the machine, at; a
rate of one tooth for each depression, and, at the same time the printing-piece A

page_text: is caused to descend, being carried by the frame B, and a letter or figure of the
set of type is caused to protrude through an aperture in the guard plate f, and so
mark the paper.
The printing piece A, being free to oscillate upon the spindle a and also to move
transversely along it from side to side, is operated by means of a lever F, pivotted
at and provided with a knob or other device g to serve as a handle, and a second
knob or point to act as a pointer. The letters and figures upon the index plate C
are preferably each countersunk, so that the knob h may be placed directly upon
any letter or point on the surface of C, and the arrangement of said letters or
points is such that when the knob is placed upon any particular point, and the
lever F and index plate C is depressed by the knob g, spacing is effected by the
pawls e and at the same time the letter upon the type fixed upon A that corresponds
to that indicated on C by h is imprinted upon the paper, and the combined oscillatory
and rotary movement of A upon the spindle a enables any letter or figure indicated
by on to be similarly imprinted, with a proper space between each letter or figure.
When the carrier D has been thus fed by the operation of spacing to the extreme end
of the working bed of the machine formed by the racks E, a projecting spring of
sheet metal strikes the edge of the gong G, and so warns the operator.
Referring now to Figures 3 and 4 which are elevational and plan views.
respectively of a slight modification of the foregoing arrangement in which metal
type is attached to A. An inked, or transfer ribbon k passes across the face of the
type, under the guard plate f, which is here shewn removed for the sake of clearness.
Said ribbon is wound upon two rollers one upon each side of the bed, said
rollers being supported by spindles m, and are furnished with small ratchet
wheels n.
g
A cross bar p, shewn more particularly on a larger scale by Figure 7, is pivotted
at to the carrier. frame D, so that one of the suspended pawls o may engage
with the teeth of the ratchet wheel n that is nearest to it, while the opposite
pawl is out of range. Thus the depression of the hinged frame B in printing
each letter, depresses the rollers and causes one of the ratchet wheels n to
engage with the pawl o and be rotated one tooth. By moving the cross bar
upon the centre g in either direction, the ribbon may thus be wound upon either
of the rollers that is desirable.
In this modification the hinged frame B consists of a central arm, carrying the
spindle a which projects upon each side.
Figure 8 illustrates the method adopted by us of holding and feeding the paper,
and represents a cross section of the racks E, forming the working bed of the machine,
and also the feeding roller H, the paper I being held firmly so as to present a smooth
surface at to receive the printing. In order to place the paper in position when
commencing, we provide. means for lowering the roller H, shewn more particularly
by Figures 5 and 6, representing an end and part side elevation of the machine
respectively. The spindle of the roller H is provided with a milled head t to facilitate
feeding, and said spindle passes through a slot L shaped as shewn, and formed in
each end plate of the machine. The roller H may be pressed down at each end
against the tension of springs K, and retained by being moved laterally so that the
spindle engages with the recess formed at the bottom of each slot. The roller is
shewn thus depressed in Figures 5 and 6, the dotted lines, however, shewing the
position of the spring K and the spindle when the roller H is holding the paper
tightly between the racks E. In Figure 1, spiral springs K are shewn in lieu of
the plate springs K, Figures 5 and 6. A ratchet wheels, properly spaced, engages
with a pawl M when the roller H is placed so as to grip the paper. This arrangement
admits of the distance between the lines of printing to be regularly and accurately
spaced by moving the milled head t so as to feed the paper between the racks E and
over the roller H. The racks E are preferably semicircular in cross section, as shown
by Figure 8, so as to facilitate the feed of the paper, and are fitted into slots.J,
Figure 5, formed in each of the end plates.
In the modification of the improved type writing machine according to our

page_text: invention shewn by Figures 3 and 4, we have described the use of an inked, or
transfer ribbon for inking or marking, but we may instead employ a pad, attached to
the upper surface of the guard plate f Figure 1, with an aperture to coincide with that
of the guard plate, so that in the various movements of the printing piece A, all the
type becomes inked when the pad is properly charged.
Instead of employing either of the herein described methods of inking we may
adopt any other suitable device, in combination with the other parts of the apparatus
which constitute the salient points of our said invention.
We may use two or more ratchets s, Figure 5, differently spaced, and may cause
the clicking pawl M to engage with either of them, pressing it outwards or inwards
according to the degree of spacing between the lines of printing that is required.
As an alternative arrangement we may extend the spindle a of the printing piece A
as shewn by the dotted lines on the plan view Figure 2. and in this case the printing.
piece A is firmly attached to the spindle a which moves freely in suitable bearings
provided for that purpose in the frame B.
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 ;-
First. In a type writing machine the arrangement and combination of the several
parts substantially as and for the purposes herein described, with reference to, and as
shewn in the appended drawings.
Second. In a type writing machine the combination of a sliding and oscillating.
printing piece A, with metallic or other type attached thereto, or formed thereon, and
with a pre-arranged index plate C, and pointer h substantially as and for the purposes
herein described with reference the drawings.
Third. In a type writing machine the arrangement and construction of the frame, end
plates F in combination with racks E, and adjustable roller H, and spacing
device M, s, s, substantially as and for the purposes herein described, with reference
to the accompanying drawings.
Fourth. In a type writing machine the construction and application of the ribbon
feeding device, consisting of the rollers / spindles m ratchet wheels n, cross bar P and
pawls o substantially as and for the purposes described with reference to Figures 3, 4,
and 7 of the accompanying drawings.
Fifth. In a type writing machine the employment of a spring striker j in com-
bination with a gong G substantially as and for the purposes herein described, with
reference to Figure 1 of the appended drawings.
Dated this 5th day of April 1890.
FREDK. WALKER & HYDE,
4, Moorfields, Fore Street, London, E.C., Agents for Applicants.