Improvements in or connected with Typewriting Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: . PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Typewriting Machines.
I, BERNHARD: HOFFMANN of 16 Rie Monthyon, Paris, France Contractor for
Public Works, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an apparatus in which there is combined with a type
writing machine a bobbin or device for holding and giving off a tape band or strip
of paper or other material and means operated electrically from the type keys for
moving the said tape band or strip between the types or characters and a suitable
support for the tape; my object being to obtain with this machine characters
printed or impressed' upon the tape, band or strip; this may be subsequently used
if there is occasion; for the transmission of despatches to a distance; the combined
apparatus is specially adapted for journalists and authors who can by its use
rapidly produce their " copy "for the printer upon a tape or band. in place of the
ordinary manuscript.
The apparatus which may appropriately be called a Velowriter is fixed. in the
position and place corresponding with those of the carriage of the type writer and
comprises the following parts :-A wheel or bobbiu on which is wound the paper
which is to receive the impressions, a roller covered with rubber to act as a support
to the paper during the impressions and mechanism for drawing off the tape worked
by an electro magnet; itself actuated simultaneously with the impression of each
letter or character and also whenever it is desired to produce a space between two
words.
When a key of the type writer is pressed the corresponding letter is printed or
impressed upon the tape at the point where it is supported by the rubber roller;
at the same time the circuit of the electro magnet is closed and a pawl carried by
the armature of the latter engages in the succeeding tooth of a ratchet wheel
carried by the arbor of one of the wheels that draw off the tape.
1
On releasing the key; the corresponding hammer drops the electro.magnet, frees
its armature and the latter, drawn back by a spring acts upon the corresponding
pawl causing the ratchet wheel and the draw off wheel to turn one tooth, the tape
advancing one space which admits of the impression of a new character.
I will now proceed to describe one way of carrying out my invention:-
The mechanism may be enclosed in a metallic box the sides of which are supported
by bolts. The tape is carried on a bobbin the axis of the bobbin being placed at
the end of a fixed' bar on the exterior of the box.
From the bobbin, the tape passes on to a guide roller which stands out at the
front of the box; this guide roller being furnished with two cheeks capable of
receding from or of approaching one another so as to adapt its width to that, of
the tape used.
From the guide roller the tape passes to a roller covered with rubber then
to a second guide roller and thence enters the cylinders of the drawing off
apparatus.
The object of the rubber covered roller is to support the tape at the moment it
receives the impression. With this view its spindle is mounted on an arm.centred
on a pin which traverses a groove in the front of the box. "The pin is threaded
and terminates in a head placed in the interior of the box against the side; a nut
being placed outside so as to tighten the side of the box between itself and the
head in such a way as to maintain the pin and consequently the roller at a
suitable height. By these means it is a simple matter to adjust the position of
the roller.

page_text: The draw off apparatus may be composed of two rollers or cylinders between
which the tape passes. The higher roller is loose on its axis and its position with
reference to the lower roller can be varied as occasion requires by means of a
lever the upper end of which works against an arın carrying the upper roller.
The upper roller tends to approach the lower roller under the action of a suitably
placed spring.
The lower roller is fixed at the end of a spindle which is carried by a support
and by the two sides of the box. On this last mentioned spindle there is in
addition mounted a pinion gearing with a toothed wheel keyed ou a spindle which
carries a ratchet wheel capable of moving in one direction and actuated by a
pawl.
This pawl is carried by a rod connected with the armature of an electro
magnet and capable of moving about its axis. A spring is suitably placed (the
tension of which can be regulated by a screw) tending to draw the pawl upwards
the extent being regulated by an adjustable stop. When a current passes through
the electro magnet the armature is attracted and drawn down the pawl by means
of the rod the ratchet wheel maintaining its position by means of a stop pawl.
Immediately the current is cut off the spring draws the pawl upwards, which
causes the ratchet wheel to turn, the ratchet wheel moving the toothed wheel
which likewise turns the pinion and consequently the draw off roller so as to cause
the tape to advance.
The
The closing and opening of the circuit through the electro magnet is effected
by a commutator composed of two contacts separated by a non-conductor.
two contacts touch one another every time the operator presses on the type key
and they separate every time that the key is allowed to rise. In order to carry
this into effect the apparatus is so arranged that one of the contacts is in con-
nection with some piece of the type writing machine which is displaced every
time that the key is pressed such for example as the escape rack in a Remington
machine.
-A
The position of the commutator is regulated in the following manner :-
spindle allows of the rotation of an arm which carries it in a vertical plane and it
is fixed by the aid of a suitable button; a rod sliding in a support can be stopped
by a wringed nut at any suitable height; finally a screw sliding in the side of the
box when it is kept in place by a groove acting as a guide allows the commutator
to advance or recede by means of a nut kept in place by a ring fixed by screws;
by turning the nut in one direction or the other the commutator carrier is made to
advance or recede.
Electrical communication is established as follows:-
One of the ends of the wire of the electro magnet is connected with the body
of the apparatus the other with a binding screw. The commutator key is con-
nected with the body of the apparatus and one of its contacts with a binding
screw, and the two poles of the battery are connected with these two binding
screws.
According to another way of carrying out my invention the draw off apparatus
enclosed in a special box may be supported on a stand placed on the table
preferably to the left of the type writer; the guide rollers are mounted on the
two extremities of the frame by means of clamps or in any other convenient
manner; the wheel or bobbin carrying the tape is placed at the right of the
machine on the same table while the commutator is placed in same position so as
to be opposite some movable piece which is actuated each time that a key is
lowered, so as to close and open the circuit which controls the draw off mechanism,
at each manipulation.
Dated this 10th day of December 1801
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.

page_text: Improvements in or connected with Typewriting Machines.
I, BERNHARD HOFFMANN of 16 Rue Monthyon, Paris, France, Contractor for
Public Works, 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 the apparatus which constitutes the subject of the present
invention is to utilize the typewriting machine for the purpose of printing upon a
continuous band or ribbon of paper. With this object I replace the carriage of
the typewriting machine by mechanism which allows of the intermittent automatic
unrolling of the paper ribbon every time one of the keys of the keyboard is
operated. The apparatus which may appropriately be called a Velowriter, is
specially adapted for journalists and authors who can by its use rapidly produce
their «
copy "for the printer upon a tape or band in place of the ordinary
manuscript.
The drawing mechanism is governed by an electro-magnet acting upon a pawl
which pawl engages with a ratchet wheel whose axis is geared with the axis of
one of the rollers between which the ribbon of paper passes. Every time a key is
depressed an electric current traverses the electro-magnet, which attracts its
armature at the same time moving back the pawl; when the pressure is removed
from the key the electric current is interrupted and the pawl by the action
of a spring is returned to position and effects the rotation of the ratchet wheel
to the extent of one tooth producing a corresponding advance or feed of the ribbon
of paper.
The electric contact is obtained by the aid of two spring plates to one of which
pressure is applied by a suitable part of the typewriting machine, for example,
the escapement rack by which the motion of the paper towards the left is effected
to produce the necessary spaces in the typewriting machines actually in use. As is
well known this escapement rack receives a motion from front to back and from
back to front when a key or bar of the machine is operated.
The paper passes over a small rubber covered pulley placed at the printing point
that is to say the point at which all the type characters of the machine strike the
paper; this pulley serves as a support for the paper during the impression.
Further this pulley is capable of displacement on its spindle so as to allow of the
impression of the second series of characters carried by the type hammers,-for
example for capitals; this movement is produced in the same manner as that of the
carriage of ordinary typewriting machines and by the same mechanism.
Finally in order that the ratchet wheel shall not be liable to be rotated more
than one tooth by reason of too rapid or forcible a return of the armature of the
electro-magnet to its first position and thus effect an excessive displacement of the
ribbon of paper I arrange upon the same axis a second ratchet wheel the teeth of
which are set in the opposite direction to those of the first ratchet wheel; a
retaining pawl engages with the teeth of this second ratchet wheel, the retaining
pawl being actuated by the first or drawing pawl. Every time that the drawing
pawl recedes under the action of the electric current it acts upon the other pawl to
effect the disengagement of the latter from the corresponding ratchet wheel;
when the drawing pawl returns to its first position it allows the retaining pawl to
fall into gear with the next tooth of its ratchet wheel.
The accompanying drawings represent my invention applied to a machine of the
Remington type.
Figure 1 is a front elevation, Figure 2 a plan, and Figure 3 a trausverse
section. Figure 4 is an interior view of the mechanism.
"The roll of paper A is carried by and unwinds from a bobbin or roller B

page_text: mounted upon the arm C. The paper passes over guides D D', then over the
rubber covered pulley E, then to the guide D2 and passes between the two grooved
rollers F F one of which F is carried by the spindle O of the mechanism and the
other by an arm G jointed to one of the plates forming the casing which encloses
the mechanism. A spring H the tension of which is capable of regulation by
means of the-screw I allows of regulating the pressure of the rollers F F upon
the paper.
The spindle O of the roller F carries a toothed pinion K which gears with a
wheel L mounted upon the spindle M of the ratchet wheel N. A pawl P secured
on the armature R of the electro-magnet S and kept pressed constantly towards
the left (Figure 4) by a spring T the tension of which is capable of regulation
causes the rotation of the ratchet wheel N to the extent of one tooth every time
that the electric current through the electro-magnet S is interrupted.
The transmission of the current through the electro-magnet is effected in the
following manner :-Two flat springs a insulated from one another are fixed to a
block at the back of the apparatus; two biuding screws de are connected, the
one with the electro-magnet, and the other to the flat spring a, both being
connected respectively with the two poles of the source of électricity.
9
The escapement rack f which exists in all machines of this type and operated by
the pieces these being actuated by the transverse bar (Figure 5) every time one
of the keys of the machine is depressed, carries au insulating block i which presses
upon the spring a when the rack f is displaced and brings the spring plates a and b
into contact, thus closing the circuit through the electro-magnet S. The armature R
is consequently attracted and the pawl Precedes ready to again engage with the
next tooth of the ratchet wheel N. When the contact between the two springs a
and b ceases the circuit is broken and the pawl P returns to its first position under
the action of the spring T, causing the rotation of the ratchet wheel and
consequently of the roller F, thus effecting the advance of the paper.
A second ratchet wheel N¹ toothed in the reverse direction to the ratchet
wheel N is fixed upon the same spindle, a retaining pawl Pprevents the com-
bination of the two ratchet wheels from turning to the extent of more than one
tooth after the receding action of the pawl P. With this object the pawl P
carries two lateral pins between which the paw! P¹ works (see the detail views
Figures 6 and 7). The two pawls therefore move in unison and when the one
causes the rotation of the corresponding ratchet wheel it allows the other to fall
into gear with the second ratchet wheel, thus ensuring the proper action.
The rubber covered pulley E is disposed in such manner that its lower generatrix
is situated at the point under which the type hammers strike the inking ribbon;
this pulley which runs freely upon its spindle is fitted between two cheeks z which
can be displaced transversely along the spindle when necessary by means of the
link k fixed to the arm / carried by the rod m.
This rod m is that which displace the paper carriage in actual typewriting
machines when it is necessary to print for example a capital letter, or any figure or
sign forming the second series of characters carried by the type hammers; it is
operated in the same manner.
The apparatus is applied, as I have explained, in the place of the ordinary
carriage; its position is regulated by screws v.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed; I declare that what I
claim in respect of typewriting machines is::-
1. The combination with a typewriting machine of a bobbin or device for holding
and giving off a tape or ribbon of paper and means operated .electrically from the
type keys for moving the said tape or ribbon between the types or characters and a
support for the tape, substantially as herein before described.
2. The arrangement of the mechanism for drawing forward the paper ribbon by
means of a ratchet device worked by an electro magnet which receives the current

page_text: every time that a key of the keyboard is depressed with the aid of a contact
actuated by the escapement rack, the drawing of the ribbon being effected only at
the time of the return of the pawl to its position of rest that is to say when a
character has been impressed, substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The arrangement of the double ratchet device comprising a retaining ratchet
wheel with its teeth set the reverse of those of the drawing ratchet wheel the pawl
of the latter, carried by the armature of the electro-magnet, having two lateral
pins between which is situated the pawl of the second ratchet wheel in such
manner as to move this latter at the time of the receding of the motor pawl in
order to disengage the retaining ratchet wheel and allow of the passage of only
one tooth with the object of preventing too great an advance of the ribbon by a
strong or sudden impulse imparted to the armature, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
4. The arrangement for the transverse displacement of the roller which supports
the ribbon against the blow of the hammers this displacement being operated by
the rod which controls the displacement of the carriage in ordinary typewriting
machines, in order to change one for another, in case of need, the characters or
signs that the hammers bear substantially as herein before described.
Dated this 12th day of August 1895.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.