Improvements in Type-writers.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 5th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 6th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 18th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Type-writers.
I JOHN JAMES ROWLEY of 12, Estcourt Road, Wandsworth Common, in the
County of London, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
This invention relates to improvements in type-writers, and comprises line-spacing
mechanism which can be adjusted so as to enable the machine to print lines of
various distances apart. For this purpose I fix upon one end of the printing
cylinder shaft a small toothed bevel wheel gearing into a second larger bevel wheel.
This latter wheel is fixed to a shaft carried in a bearing formed in one piece with,
or fixed to the travelling carriage and upon this shaft is likewise fixed a grooved
wheel. A lever is loosely mounted upon the said shaft and to the upper end of this
lever is pivoted a small cam formed with a bevelled edge to fit the groove in the
aforesaid wheel.
This cam is provided with a pin or projection which enters a slot formed in
another lever mounted loosely on the grooved wheel shaft, the upper end of this
lever forming a handle for pushing back the carriage to commence a fresh line.
The lower end of the first named lever is forked or formed with a slot into which
enters a pin or projection fixed to a horizontal bar capable of sliding in guides on
the carriage. This bar is provided with an adjustable stop fixed in any required
position thereon by a thumb-screw. By means of this stop the travel of the said
bar and consequently the movement of the line spacing mechanism may be regulated.
A spiral spring, regulated by means of a thumbscrew, may bear against one side of
the large toothed wheel so as to prevent the latter from turning except when
operated by the cam lever, and a knob is fixed to the other end of the cylinder
shaft in order to turn the cylinder without operating the spacing mechanism.
In the normal position of the mechanism the cam is out of contact with the
grooved wheel but when the carriage is forced back by means of the aforesaid
handle, the cam is brought into contact with the grooved wheel thereby locking the
first-named lever thereto and operating the before mentioned bevil gearing until the
adjustable stop comes into contact with a fixed portion of the carriage.
The continued pressure on the handle forces back the carriage to the end of its
travel, and upon the handle being released, the cam lever and bar are brought back
into their normal position by means of a spring. Instead of the said cam lever 1
may use an arm mounted loosely on the grooved wheel shaft, and having pivoted to
its lower extremity the aforesaid cam.
The before mentioned sliding bar is provided with a handle and two projections
one of which, when the bar is pushed one way, bears against the pin on the cam and
brings the latter into contact with the grooved wheel, thus locking the arm thereto,
whilst the other projection, when the bar is brought back by means of a spring,
bears against the other side of the said pin, thereby unlocking the
cam, and bringing
the arm back into its normal position.
The lower end of the said arm may be steadied by means of a curved guide fixed
to the travelling carriage.
A further modification consists in replacing the grooved wheel by a ratchet wheel
into which gears a spring pawl carried by the aforesaid arm. When the carriage
is pushed back for commencing a fresh line, a tail-piece or projection formed on the
pawl comes into contact with an adjustable stop carried by a horizontal bar fixed to
the frame of the machine, thus engaging the pawl with the said wheel and turning
the latter and the printing cylinder a distance regulated by the position of the said
stop. The said bar is marked in proportion to the pitch of the ratchet wheel teeth

page_text: whereby the adjustable stop may be so set that the spring pawl always engages
with one of the teeth of the ratchet wheel when the said arm is in position for
turning the printing cylinder, which position it attains by the tail-piece of the pawl
coming into contact with a stop adjustable on a fixed bar when the carriage is
brought to the end of its travel at the conclusion of each line. The adjustable stop
may be fixed in the required position by means of a thumb-screw or it may be
provided with a spring pawl engaging with ratchet teeth formed on the above
mentioned fixed bar.
Dated this 5th day of May 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Type-writers.
JOHN JAMES ROWLEY 12, Estcourt Road, Wandsworth Common Engineer
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 improvements in type-writers, and comprises line-spacing
mechanism which can be adjusted so as to enable the machine to print lines of
various distances apart.
Referring to the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1. represents a side elevation of my improved mechanism applied to the
printing cylinder of any ordinary type-writer, and Fig. 2 is an end view of the
same.
Fig. 3 shows the position the parts occupy when the cylinder is being pushed
back to commence a fresh line.
Figs. 4 to 8 are modifications of the mechanism as hereinafter described, and
Figs. 9 to 13 show modifications of the adjustable stop.
Like letters of reference represent corresponding parts throughout the figures.
According to my invention I fix upon one end of the printing cylinder shaft a,
a small toothed bevel wheel gearing into a second larger bevel wheel c.
This
latter wheel is fixed to a shaft d carried in a bearing e formed in one piece with, or
fixed to, the travelling carriage, and upon this shaft is likewise fixed a grooved
wheel. A lever is loosely mounted upon the said shaft d, and to the upper end
of this lever is pivoted a small cam h, formed with a bevelled edge to fit the groove
in the aforesaid wheel. This cam is provided with a pin or projection which
enters a slot k formed in another lever mounted loosely on the grooved wheel
shaft d, the upper end of this lever forming a handle m for pushing back the
carriage to commence a fresh line.
The lower end of the first named lever g is forked, or formed with a slot n into
which enters a pin or projection o fixed to a horizontal bar p capable of sliding in
guides g, on the carriage. This bar is provided with an adjustable stop capable
of sliding in a groove p¹ and fixed in any required position thereon by a thumb-
screws, or by any other suitable device. By means of this stop, the travel of the
said bar and consequently the movement of the line spacing mechanism may be
regulated.
A spiral spring t regulated by means of a thumbscrew u may bear against one
side of the large toothed wheel c so as to prevent the latter from turning except
when operated by the cam lever g, and a knob a' is fixed to the other end of the
cylinder shaft in order to turn the cylinder without operating the spacing mechanism.
In the normal position of the mechanism the cam is out of contact with the
grooved wheel, but when the carriage is forced back by means of the aforesaid
handle m the cam is brought into contact with the grooved wheel, thereby locking
the first-named lever g thereto, and operating the beforementioned bevil gearing b,.c
until the adjustable stop comes into contact with a fixed portion of the carriage.

page_text: The continued pressure on the handle m forces back the carriage to the end of
its travel, and upon the handle being released, the cam lever g and bar p are
brought back into their normal position by means of a spring v.
Instead of the said cam lever I may use an arm g¹ Fig. 4, mounted loosely on
the grooved wheel shaft d and having pivoted to its lower extremity, the aforesaid
cam h.
The before mentioned sliding bar p is provided with a handle m' and two pro-
jections, m³, m³, one of which, m² when the bar is pushed one way, bears against
the pin on the cam, and brings the latter into contact with the grooved wheel f
as shown in Fig. 6, thus locking the arm g' thereto, whilst the other projection m³
when the bar is brought back by means of the spring v-bears against the other
side of the said pin, thereby unlocking the cam, and bringing the arm back into
its normal position.
The lower end of the said arm g' may be steadied by means of a curved guide w,
Fig. 7, fixed to the travelling carriage.
A further modification consists in replacing the grooved wheel ƒ by a ratchet
wheel (see Fig. 8) into which gears a spring pawl f", carried by the aforesaid
arm g. When the carriage is pushed back for commencing a fresh line, a tail-
piece or projection f* formed on the pawl, comes into contact with an adjustable
stop carried by a horizontal bar p' fixed to the frame of the machine thus
engaging the pawl with the said wheel, and turning the latter and the printing
cylinder a distance regulated by the position of the said stop. The said bar p' is
marked in proportion to the pitch of the ratchet wheel teeth, whereby the adjustable
stop may be so set that the spring pawl f' always engages with one of the teeth
of the ratchet wheel when the said arm g' is in position for turning the printing
cylinder, which position it attains by the tail-piece of the pawl coming into contact
with the adjustable stop when the carriage is brought to the end of its travel at
the conclusion of each line. The adjustable stop may be fixed in the required
position by means of a thumb-screw, or it may be provided with a spring-pawl
engaging with ratchet teeth formed on the above mentioned fixed bar.
By means of my invention any ordinary ruled paper may be used, the machine
being easily set to print upon lines of different distances apart. It is also specially
applicable to machines in which the printing cylinder may be changed or removed
in order to replace or make use of another one, this being easily accomplished
without shifting the line-spacing mechanism, thereby dispensing with a separate
mechanism for each cylinder as is necessary in machines hitherto constructed.
The adjustable stop r may be fixed to the bar p by means of a spring catch ³,
Figs. 9. and 10. engaging with teeth formed on the said bar, or it may consist of a
pin fitting into holes y Figs. 11. and 12; arranged as shown on the bar P, the
pin being secured to the guide q by a chain ¹. Fig. 13. also shows another
method of operating the adjustable stop. In this case the stop r forms a part of a
nut fitted so as to slide in the groove and through which passes a screw carried
by the bar p. The screw is operated by the handle p' so that as the latter is
turned, the stop may be adjusted with great nicety to any position on the bar p.
Instead of the spring bearing against the wheel c, a spiral or flat spring,
regulated by a screw may be placed between the end of the cylinder and its support
for preventing the cylinder from turning when it is raised or shifted.
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 is :-
1. In type-writing machines the combination with the printing cylinder of
operating mechanism, comprising the gear wheels b and c, operated by means of the
levers and l, the cam h and the grooved wheel substantially as and for the
purposes described.
2. The combination with the above claimed operating mechanism of regulating

page_text: mechanism comprising the sliding bar p, the adjustable stop and the spring v
substantially as described and shown.
3. The modifications of the line spacing mechanism shown in and described with
reference respectively to Figs. 4. 5. and 6, Fig. 7. and Fig. 8. of the accompanying
drawings.
4. The modifications of the adjustable stop shown in and described with reference
to Figs. 9. and 10. to Figs. 11. and 12, and Fig. 13, of the accompanying drawings.
5. The improved line-spacing mechanism for type-writing and other similar
machines substantially as described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 5th day of February 1893.
JOHN J. ROWLEY.