Year: 1885

page_text: MICHAEL HEARN. 171 Breakspear Road Brockley S.E. Accountant, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of a machine or apparatus by which
impressed or printed surfaces can be produced in a more expeditious, simple and
economical manner than has hitherto been practicable, and refers more particularly
to a system of working the type bars and finger keys for Type Writing Machines.
To this end on a circular wire rod attached to supports I balance the type bars.
The bars being so arranged with relation to a certain point in the plane of the
circle that on being struck or depressed by the' finger keys-which are also
balanced-each bar will strike that point.
On a circular rod or rods placed bebind the type bars I balance the finger keys
at an angle opposed to the angle of the type bars so that a key on being struck or
depressed imparts a swift rotatory motion to the type bar causing the end to which
the type is attached to strike the point above mentioned. After each operation
the type bar & finger key return to their normal position by the force of their
own balance.
The oscillation of the type bars is prevented by means of a circular rod or narrow
band passing in front of their weighted ends in such a way that on returning
to their normal position the end strikes against it and so is prevented from
oscillating.
A circular rod similarly fixed prevents the oscillation of the finger keys.
When the type bars are at rest or in their normal position the longest portion of
the bar i.e. the part to which the type is attached is above the plane of the point
to be struck or impressed.
The paper carriage is worked in the following way :-
Immediately under the point to be impressed and at the same level with it is a
roller suspended by bearings attached to projections at each end of the roller on
metal rods running transversely with supports at the ends. To these bearings is
hinged a flat narrow piece of metal of the same length as the roller to which the
paper is attached indented with teeth on the lower side. In the centre of a rod
placed above one of the rods on which the roller or paper carriage travels a bar is
Price RdAI

page_text: fixed and so shaped as to allow a ratchet wheel to come under and engage with the
toothed plate above referred to.
The paper carriage is then caused to work in the following way :-
At each depression of the finger keys a circular wire rod or narrow band is also
depressed. This rod is laid across a balanced arm or lever supported above the
plane of the finger keys. To this arm is attached perpendicularly a wire rod
connected by means of a spring to another rod placed horizontally having a ratchet
or tooth at one end. At each depression this ratchet arm engaging with the ratchet
wheel before mentioned operates upon the indented tooth plate thereby moving it
a space corresponding to the width of the letter to be printed.
The action of these lever arms being in opposite direction it will be understood
that one ratchet arm acting on the ratchet wheel from below and one from above
will cause the ratchet wheel to revolve in the same direction at each step. On the
depression being removed the ratchet arms return to their normal position by the
lever falling downwards to its normal position & the action of the spring attached
to the ratchet arm.
The ratchet arms are supported by being passed through the eye of rods attached
to the upper bar of the paper carriage cradle. This lever is also made to rotate
the reels around which the inking ribbon is wound by ratchet arms engaging with
ratchet wheels attached to the reels.
In the case of an arrangement of the key board in semicircular form the wire
band or rod depressing the lever arm above mentioned, is divided into two parts,
in the case of the key board being circular into four parts.
The paper carriage is returned to position for a new line by means of a lever
arm which on being raised rotates the roller a space necessary for a fresh line and
on being drawn from left to right a spring acting on the hinged toothed plate
raises it so as to allow it to pass freely over the ratchet wheel above mentioned.
It will readily be seen that by this system of balanced type bars and finger keys
the bars may be operated on from below or at their weighted ends, the finger keys
being balanced longitudinally & on being depressed imparting a rotatory motion to
the type bars in the same way as those keys operating above the centre of balance,
and the bars may be arranged in a circle with space in the centre to allow the
paper carriage to move across, or they may be arranged in a semicircle with the
finger board nearest the operator by which each line as it is printed may be more
readily seen and the whole of the printed matter thrown off in front of the
operator. The keys may be arranged in rows one behind another The shafts
being lengthened proportionately as they recede from the centre of the circle. The
printing may also be made from below, the type bars being then balanced with the
ends bearing the type downwarda. This arrangement doing away with the
necessity of finger keys, the upper ends of the bars being used as finger keys as
will be readily understood, and the disposition of the type bars in rows one behind
another, to allow a sufficient space between the keys, being effected by increasing
the length of the shaft in proportion as the bar is placed further from the common
centre. The operations of these type bars on the levers to move the paper carriage
being with certain slight alterations the same as bereinbefore described.
To briefly describe the foregoing. On the finger key being depressed or struck
the type bar immediately impresses a character, the depression of the key causing
the paper carriage to move the width of one letter at the same time partially
rotating the ribbon reels. The finger keys, type bars and lever arms returning
automatically to their normal position by the principle of balance applied to type
bars operated on by finger keys or type bars alone as above described.

page_text: MICHAEL HEARN 10 Gayton Road Hampstead -N.W. Accountant, 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:
This invention relates to the construction of apparatus by means of which
impressed or printed surfaces can be produced in a more simple & economical
manner than has hitherto been practicable by machines commonly know as type
writers operated by finger keys.
And in order that the nature of my present invention and the manner of
carrying it into practical effect may be fully understood I proceed to describe the
same by reference to the accompanying sheets of drawings.
Fig. 1 is a plan or top view of so much of a machine according to my invention
as is necessary to illustrate the same.
Fig. 2 is a side view partly in section.
Fig. 4 is a view at right angles to Fig. 2 also partly in section.
Fig. 9 is a plan or top view necessary to illustrate the arrangement of finger
keys, type bars and position of spacer.
The remaining figures are detail views and are hereinafter described.
A is a perfectly circular plate or frame supported on three circular posts B which
are fixed into the table or base board O resting on legs y. This circular plate has
six arms D, D, D, D D and E secured to it Figs. 1 & 2 with slots cut at 1 & 2
Figs. 1 & 2 with the exception of arm E which has a hole bored through it at its
lower end to receive the ring F. The ring F is passed through or fitted into these
slots and secured by two nuts 3 & 4 to the arm E. That part of the ring being
threaded. Instead of slats holes may be bored through these arms and the ring F
may be passed through these holes. The ring G is also passed through or fitted
into slots 1 cut in the upper part of the four arms D and the arms D¹ & E
and secured by screws 5 & 6 passing through plates 7 & 8 which-are screwed on
the top of the arm E and one arm D as shewn in Fig. 1. Similar plates may be
fixed to all the other arms. Both these rings F and G must be true circles and
may be made with divisions.
According to my present invention on these rings are strung or pivotted the
finger keys and type arms or levers carrying type pieces or type. The finger keys
being strung on the upper ring G and the type levers on the lower ring F.
H Fig. 2 is the type bar or lever carrying a type piece j and having a weighted
or blanced end. This bar is pivotted on the ring F and operated in one direction
as shewn by the dotted line qq by the finger key I and in the opposite direction
by the force of its weighted end. The finger key I is in like manner pivotted on
the ring G 10 Fig. 2 and is operated in one direction as shewn by the dotted line rr
and in the opposite direction by the action of the lever arm L as it returns to
position when the finger key is not depressed and which is hereinafter more fully
described. The said type bars or levers as will be understood from Fig. 9 are

page_text: preferably arranged in a circle & as shown are so placed and arranged that each
type bar when it is operated by the finger key immediately bebind it shall strike
at the same point. In order to prevent confusion and to clearly indicate the
construction and arrangement only one of the type arms is shewn Fig. 2 H. Each
and all the other type bars being similarly arranged, the type bars resting as shewn
against the finger key immediately behind it.
L & M are circular lever arms pivotted on supports 11, 12, 13 & 14 and operated
in one direction as shewn by the dotted lines 88 & tt and in the opposite direction
by the action of the spring Q to which they are connected. Flat pieces Figs. 1
15 & 16 are secured to these lever arms L & M with holes through which hooks
17 & 18 partly threaded are passed and the said hooks are held in position by
nuts 19 & 20. These hooks are connected with the driving lever N by pieces
of wire 21 & 22 Fig. 4 with hooked ends passing through an eye 23 attached to
the lever N. These hooks 17 & 18 being screwed up or down serve to give the
necessary tension in adjusting the circular lever arms L & M for driving the rack O
which is attached to the paper carriage P. The curved pieces of wire 39 & 40
Fig. 2 prevent the lever arms L & M from rising above their level line as they
return to their normal position. 41 and a piece similarly fixed under the curved
wire 40 are pieces of india rubber to deaden the sound as the lever arms strike
against the wires before mentioned. The driving lever N is pivotted at 24 on a
pivot fixed to a post 25. The post 25 being secured to the base board or table by
a plate 27 through which two screws are passed. The driving lever N is made with
an arm 28 which is attached to the spring Q. This spring Q is attached by its
other end to, a bar Figs. 1 & 4 which passes through two supports gg. fixed under
the base board as shown. A piece being cut out of the board to allow the spring
being passed through as shewn in Fig. 4. At the other end of the lever arm N is
hinged at z the driving tooth 29 cut as shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7 & 8.
Fig. 5 represents a view of the tooth with a slope cut into it. Fig. 6 a view on
the opposite side of Fig. 5 shewing the driving lever resting on the shoulder 30.
Fig. 7 is a plan or top view & Fig. 8 a view partly in section shewing the position
of the lever arm N when the lever is at rest. This tooth is cut with a shoulder 30
Figa 7 & 8 in order to rest against the lever N Figs. 6 & 8 so as to offer the
necessary resistance to the said lever N when it is operated to drive the paper
rack O. The slope 31 is required to allow the tooth giving in the operation of
driving & being hinged permits it to return easily to its normal position when
the lever N is drawn down by the action of the spring Q, as will be readily under-
stood. At the extreme end of the lever N is fixed a screw 32 which passes through
the lever arm, hereinafter described as the spacing screw. The object of this screw
is to regulate the spacing and it may be adjusted to the space required by being
screwed closer to or further from the paper rack O. The closer the adjustment to
the paper rack the shorter will be the space and vice versa. The operation of the
spacing screw 32 Fig. 4 is as follows:-
When the lever arm N'is operated by the levers L or M the paper rack O is
moved by the tooth 29. But it is moved at unequal spaces according to the force
with which the finger keys are operated. This movement is however checked and
the rack is made to move at equal spaces at each depression of a finger key by the
spacing screw coming down on the rack with a regular motion and so preventing
the paper carriage from being driven beyond a certain fixed space each time. As
before stated it will be easily understood that the space will be longer or shorter
according to the adjustment of the spacing screw 82. To the circular lever arms
L & M are hinged two levers 33 & 34. These operate two ratchet wheels 35 and 36
which with the other wheels 37 & 38 and the hollow cylinders T, U which connect
them form the reels on which the inking ribbon is wound. These reels T, U rotate
on the ring G.. While in operation only one of these levers 34 or 35 is connected
with its ratchet wheel which causes the ribbon to be wound on to the reel to which
it is attached. By this arrangement the inking ribbon may be wound from one

page_text: .
reel on to the other and vice versa as will be easily understood. These levers
33 & 34 are operated by the lever arms L & M. Beneath the reel T and revolving
on a bar secured transversely to the arms D & E Fig. 1 is placed the inking
roller R. The ribbon is wound over this roller R and the reels T, U as shewn in
Fig. 4 by the line a a and is made to travel over R by the revolution of the reels
before mentioned. The inking roller R is supplied with ink whenever necessary
with which it inks the ribbon as it travels over it. The inking roller may be fixed
to the opposite arms D D if preferred.
.
Having described the operation of the several parts of my present invention
the operation of the apparatus above described is as follows:-
T
Supposing the carriage P carrying a sheet of paper or other material to be printed
to be in the position shewn in Fig. 4 or that in which a line of 'words is about to
be printed, then upon depressing a finger key I a type arm or bar Fig. 2 H carrying
a type piece is immediately moved downwards to the common central point
causing an impression to be made through the ink ribbon on the paper or material
attached to the roller S. This depression of the finger key also depresses lever
arm L & partially depresses lever M causing the upward action on the other side
of their pivotted ends 11 & 14 to draw up the end of the driving lever N to which
they are attached as before described. This motion further causes the hinged
tooth 29 to engage with the paper carriage rack O imparting a movement to it
which is regulated by the spacing screw 32 herein before described. Upon the
pressure being removed from the finger key I the type arm returns to its normal
position by the force of balance given in its weighted end and the finger key is
returned to its normal position by the return motion of the lever arms L or M.
The weight of the type bar also pressing against the finger key serves in case of
any tendency to a fall back movement in the finger keys J & K to keep them in
the upright position as shown in Fig. 2. The circular lever arms L or M at the
same time work the ratchet wheels 35 or 36 by means of the hinged levers 33 & 34
as herein before described and thereby causing the ribbon to travel which imparts a
rotatory motion to the inking roller R.
It will be easily understood as pointed out in my provisional specification that
this principle & combination of working the type bars and finger keys will admit
of a different arrangement. As for instance the type bars may be arranged in a
semicircle & operated at their weighted ends by finger keys resting on a circular
lever arm and striking the type bars from underneath and operating the paper
carriage rack, ribbon reels and ink roller in a similar way.
The finger keys and type bars are arranged as shewn in Fig. 9 and within that
part of the circle described by the dotted line b b on the one side and c c on the
other. The object of so placing the finger key d with relation to support 11 being
to allow of an easy working of the lever arm L. The finger keys, type bars and
ribbon reels are held in position on the rings F & G at l, m, n, o, p & p¹ Figs. 1
& 9 by a slotted piece Figs. 10 & 11 which fits over the ring and is then secured
to it by a screw; or any other suitable means may be used.
It will be observed Figs. 2 & 9 that there are three differently shaped_finger
keys I, J & K Fig. 2. The shape of the upper sides of the finger keys J & K
being shewn by the dotted line u, u, for key, J and u, u, v for key K. And in
every case that side of the finger key presented to the type bar corresponds exactly
with the width of the type bar at its weighted end as will be seen from Fig. 9
J & H. The sloped side of all the finger keys shewn by the line K K is determined
by a line drawn from the center of G 10 to the upper part of the lever arm, in this
case L & this sloped side must be sufficiently long measured from the point where
it it rests on or touches the lever arm downwards to allow the finger key to act
freely while operating the lever arms L or M. For a more satisfactory working it
is better that the key should be so sloped as not to rest on the lever arms above-
mentioned but rise above them by about a th of an inch. The finger keys are
also so cut at 41 Fig. 2 to steady them against the circular frame A of the machine
:

page_text: and check any tendency to a fall forward movement when the lever arms L or M
in its return motion strikes against them. For lightness and preferably these keys
are made of wood and small pieces of ivory or bone 42 with the characters and
letters engraved thereon are fastened on the tops of the keys as shewn in Figs. 2
& 9. Fig. 12 is an alternative shape for finger key I. .
On the circular lever arm M is fixed a spacer W to give the necessary distance
whenever a space or spaces are required. The spacer is depressed every time a
space is required and its operation from the foregoing description of the operation
of the lever arms L & M will be so easily understood that it is obvious no further
explanation is necessary.
The paper roller S Fig. 3 is pivotted at 43 in supports 44 & 45 fixed to the paper
carriage P and may have a casing of india rubber with platens. Running the
whole length of the roller and fixed in the supports 46 & 47 is a flat piece of tin V
which acts as a guide to the paper as it is rolled out so as to keep it well under
the type bars as it is thrown out on the board C in the direction of the dotted
line e.
To one of the pivots of the paper roller is attached a ratchet wheel 48 cut
with teeth corresponding in width to the distance apart of the lines on the paper to
be printed. It is regulated by a spring 49 secured to the support 44 which checks
its revolution to the distance required. The wheel is operated by the fingers of
the operator. The paper is held on the roller by two springs 50 & 51 fixed to the
paper carriage P. The roller S paper carriage P and supports 44 & 45 are shown
as made out of wood. The groove in which the paper carriage P and rack O which
is attached to the paper carriage slide is cut into the table or board C, Figs. 1 & 2
and the said groove runs the whole length of the board as shewn h, h, i, i, Fig. 1.
Flat pieces of metal 52, 53, 54 are fastened to the board and project sufficiently
over the grooved part to prevent any upward movement of the paper carriage as
it is drawn backwards or forwards in the groove abovementioned. If desired a
metal slide of similar construction may be used or one side of the paper carriage P
may be bevelled to run in a groove similarly bevelled. The paper carriage may
also run upon small rollers fixed at the ends and one in the center. A wire rod
passing through holes in the lower part of the supports may be used as an
alternative arrangement for guiding the paper and curved pieces may be fixed
under this rod in the supports to receive the paper and guide it on to the base
board as already described.
Figs. 13 & 14 are alternative shapes for type levers. On both sides of Fig. 13
a circular piece tapering in cone like form A¹ is cut out into which an embossed or
raised piece as shewn in the other type lever Fig. 14 A' fits and revolves. The
object of this being to prevent any tendency to wobbling in the said type levers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The use in combination for producing impressed or printed surfaces of type
or type pieces; carried in arms or levers H weighted or balanced at one end
finger keys I. J. K levers L & M arranged and operating substantially as described.
2. The use in combination for producing impressed or printed surfaces of type
or type pieces j carried in arms or levers H weighted or balanced at one end finger
keys I. J. K levers L & M operating a lever arm N attached to a spring Q the said
lever arm N having a tooth 29 cut as shewn hinged to it for driving the paper
rack O attached to the paper carriage P, with an adjustable spacing screw 32 also
attached to the lever arm N for checking the movement of the paper carriage
rack O causing it to move by a step by step movement at each depression of a
finger key thereby causing the material to be impressed or printed to be moved
into the right position to receive an impression substantially as hereinbefore
described.
3. The use in combination for producing impressed or printed surfaces of type
or type pieces carried in balanced levers operated by finger keys and levers

page_text: operating lever arms 33 & 34 attached to them thereby causing ratchet wheels 35
& 36 to rotate by which arrangement a ribbon is wound from one reel on to
another and vice versa and a rotatory motion is imparted to a roller R which inks
the ribbon as it travels over its surface substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. The combination of parts constituting the improved machine for producing
impressed or printed surfaces constructed arranged and operating substantially as
herein before described with reference to the drawings Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,
10, 11, 12, 13 & 14.