Improvements in Typewriting or like Machines, more Particularly for the Use of the Blind.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Nov., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Aug., 1897-Accepted, 4th Sept., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Typewriting or like Machines, more Particularly
for the Use of the Blind.
I, ERIK OLOF TAFLIN, of Karlavagen 20, Stockholm, Sweden, Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a cheap and reliable writing-machine
suitable for use by any person (blind or not) for writing either in common charac-
ters or in characters readable by blind persons (characters in relief on the writing-
paper) and the invention consists in the novel construction and combinations of
parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan-view of a writing-machine
according to this invention; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line x
in Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4 show details of the impression-mechanism which pro-
duces the relief; Figs. 5 and 6 show side and edge view of a detail of the feeding
mechanism; and Figs. 7 and 8 show side and vertical sectional view of a modifica-
tion of the same detail.
Referring to the drawings by numerals (like numerals referring to the same or
corresponding parts in all the figures) 1 represents the bedplate of the machine
which in the usual manner is provided with suitable legs. To the two ends of said
bedplate is fastened a bridge-like cross-piece or beam 2 in such manner that
except at the ends enough room is left between the same and the bedplate for the
paper or papers to pass. At the middle of the said bridge is fastened a tap or
axle 3 on which is journaled a typewheel 4. The said tap or axle 1 is inclined
towards the front of the bedplate and the rim of the said type-wheel 4 is corre-
spondingly bent inward so that the lowest part of the rim is axially parallel with
the plane of the bedplate. The wheel is journaled just so near the upper surface
of the bedplate that the paper or repers to be written en lave enough room to
pass between the rim of the type-wheel and the bedplate. Instead of the type-
wheel 4 shown, a type-disc of the corresponding form may, of course, be used.
The rim of the said-type-wheel or type-disc is, on the one half of the outside, pro-
vided with types for printing characters (letters, numerals, and signs) of the com-
mon kind, and on the diametrically opposite half provided with pins or depressions
(preferably the latter) corresponding to and representing characters (alphabetic,
numeral, and sign) for the blind. On the inside of the rim on each half are
provided two rows of characters one consisting of elevations corresponding to the
characters for the blind and the other of characters of the common kind.
making the impressions on or in the paper a hanimmer 5 is provided which is movab'e
in an opening in the bed-plate (opposite the place where the types come nearest
to it) to or from the rim of the type-wheel. For that purpose the said hammer
is pivoted at one end of a lever 6 which in its turn is pivoted
below the bedplate and extends outside the one end of the same where it
is provided with a suitable handle, button, or key. A guide 7 is pivoted below the
bedplate in such a manner that it normally guides the said impression hammer,
For

page_text: but may be swung away from it so that the hammer can be reversed. One end
of the said hammer is provided with depressions or pins (preferably the latter)
corresponding to any or all of the pins or depressions found in any of the characters
in the rim of the type-wheel and the other end is preferably provided with a
yielding surface. When the machine is to be used for writing characters for the
blind the paper is pressed against the types on the underside of the wheel by
means of the first mentioned end of the hammer and when used for writing com-
mon characters the hammer is turned so that the other end is used for making the
impressions. The said pins in the end of the hammer are not securely fixed but
are movable in and out of the hammer a little more than the depth of the
depressions in the characters for the blind and are pushed out by some yielding
material, such as springs 8 or the like, as shown in Fig. 3, in order that when there
is no corresponding depression in the wheel for some of the pins, the springs
permit of any of the pins being pressed back, while the others are pressed into
the paper. Instead of a reversible hammer there may be two hammers inter-
changeable so that, when changing from one kind of writing to the other, the
hammer first used is changed for the other, though this arrangement is less
practical than the first.
To ensure that the wheel shall be so turned each time that a character shall
always come exactly over the impression hammer the rim of the wheel is provided
with some well known catch-device, for instance depressions (one for each character)
in whih enters a pin, fastened to the bedplate and pressed by a spring against the
wheel so that it snaps into one of the depressions and tends to hold the wheel in
such position that the characters can only stop in their right place above the
hammer and not move from it less than the exact distance between two types.
In order that the blind writer may be able to ascertain that the character on
which he holds his finger is moved right over the impression hammer two feelers 9
are provided in the front of the wheel.
For holding the paper a sliding carriage 10 moves in a groove in the front part
of the machine, said carriage being provided with a preferably yielding cover 11
one end of which is hinged to the middle of the carriage and the other end
of which may be locked down to the right end of the carriage by means of a
suitable locking device, for instance a flat-headed bolt 12. Below the said cover
and close to the same is provided a roller 13, (preferably provided with a yielding
surface) the one end of which extends outside the said cover and is provided with
a handle 14 for the turning of the same, the object of said cover and roller being to
hold down and feed the paper forward.
When a paper is to be placed in the carriage the cover is lifted and the paper
laid on the top of the roller 13, the cover being thereafter laid down and locked,
by which the paper is held firmly against the roller so that when the same is
turned the paper is moved forward or backward as the case may be. In order to
get even distances between the lines of the writing the feeding roller 1 may be
provided with spring-catches as is common in writing-machines.
For moving the carriage along in its slide, a certain distance for every letter
written or space required, the left end of the carriage is provided with notches
the distance between which is equal to the distance that the carriage is required
to be moved for every letter or space. A catch 14 placed on a special spacing
lever 15 meshes with the said notches so as to move the carriage each time the
spacing lever is pressed down, said spacing lever being pivoted either to the bed-
plate or to the before-mentioned impression-lever and preferably placed between
the impression-lever and the carriage. The spacing-lever extends outside the
bedplate where it is provided with a suitable handle for pressing down the same.
Inasmuch as the carriage requires to be moved a longer distance when writing
characters for the blind than in common writing, it is necessary to arrange the
notches so that the distance between them is correspondingly different in the
different cases. For that purpose there is provided in the left side of the carriage
an axle or rod 16 journaled so as to be turned by means of a handle 17 at the

page_text: extreme left (outside) of the carriage. In this rod or axle the said notches are
formed by means of a number of pins or projections 18 placed at such distance
from each other, along one side of the rod, that the distances between
their centers is equal to the feeding distance required for common
characters and on the other side the rod or axle is provided with a similar row of
pins or projections 19 with a distance between their centers equal to the distance
required for characters for the blind. The handle 17 is provided with suitable
projections or the like by means of which the blind writer may be able to ascertain
whether the rod is turned for common characters or for characters for the blind,
and a suitable catch is provided for holding the rod so that the catch 14 will
always mesh with one of the rows of notches. The catch 14 is wedge-shaped and
pivoted to the spacing-lever 15 and the upper, thinner end of the catch is bent
into a hook placed in a small opening 20 in the spacing lever, whereby the
catch is allowed to oscillate a short distance to the right side only.
A suitable spring 21 tends to hold the hook against the right edge of the said
opening. The impression-lever is provided with a hook 22 which catches on the
top of the spacing lever 15 in such a manner that when the impression-lever is
pressed down it pulls the spacing-lever down. with it, while on the other hand
the spacing-lever may be pressed down independently.
The impression and spacing-levers are both held up by a flat spring 23 or the
like. When the spacing lever goes down either by being pressed down when an
empty space is required or when the impression-lever is pressed down in making
a print or impression, the upper end of the catch 14 will be moved forward by the
pin or projection at the back of the same until it snaps off and when the spacing-
lever moves upward the catch presses on the back of the same pin, thereby
pushing the carriage along one notch (equal to the distance between centers of
Dins).
The operation of the machine is as follows. The blind writer places the fingers
of his right hand on the rim of the type-wheel and turns the same until he feels
that the desired type is right over the impression-hammer, whereupon he presses
down the handle of the impression-lever so that the desired character is impressed
on or in the paper. The spacing-lever being pressed down by the impression-
lever, while both levers are again rising the catch in the former will engage with
the pins or projections in the rod and push the carriage along one notch. When
a space between the characters (words) is required the writer pushes down the
spacing-lever only, when the carriage will be moved along a notch without the
impression-hammer being pressed against the paper. When the machine is to be
used for writing common characters the operation is similar, with the exception
that the other half of the type-wheel and the other end of the impression-hammer
are used.
In order that the blind person may be able to place the paper squarely in the
carriage the bedplate may be provided with impressions 24 placed in one or more
rows. The paper is moved until the edge of the same is above all the said im-
pressions. To enable the writer to replace a paper in the machine the bedplate
may be provided with one or more rows of projections 25, against which the paper
When
is so pressed before being taken out that impressions are made in the same.
the paper is to be replaced in the carriage the paper and carriage are moved until
the said impressions are above and fit upon the said projections, whereupon the
writing may be continued as if the paper had not been taken out.
To provide ink for the types when common characters are to be printed a carbon
paper or the like may be placed on the top of the writing-paper between the type-
wheel and the impression-hammer or inking-rollers of the kind commonly used
on type-writer machines may be journaled in arms one on each side of the type-
wheel. Said arms may be fastened to the beam 2 in such manner that the inking
rollers may be swung under and in touch with the printing types of the wheel or
swung away from the same according to whether common characters are to be
printed or not, The inking-rollers and their arms are not shown in the drawings.

page_text: When the type-wheel is provided with elevations and the hammer with corre-
sponding depressions for making the relief, the carriage requires to be fed in a
direction opposite to that required for the common characters. In that case the
modification of the catch 14 shown in Figs. 7 and 8 may be used. The opening 20
in the spacing-lever 15 is formed here so that the catch 14 may oscillate either to
the right or the left side, according as common characters or characters for the
blind are to be produced. A spring 26 divides the said opening 20 into two parts,
in one of which the hook of the catch is placed when the carriage is to be fed one
way and when the direction of the feed is to be reversed the spring 26 is pushed
inward so that the said hook may pass over to the other part of the opening.
The yielding end-surface of the impression-hammer, that is to be used for com-
mon characters, may, in order to get more flexibility, be placed on the end of a
piston 27, Fig. 3, the other end of which rests upon and is pushed outward by a
spring 28. The piston is held in the hammer by means of a shoulder 29 and
cover 30 or the like.
The machine may be modified in many ways well understood by any person
skilled in the art, without departing from this invention. So may, for instance,
a bracket, fastened to one end of the bedplate only, be substituted for the bridge
or beam 2.
The tap or axle on which the type-wheel or type-disc is journaled may, of course,
be inclined 90 degrees to the bedplate, so that the wheel becomes vertical, provided
the rim of the wheel be bent in a corresponding degree, and free room be provided
on the rim for the characters.
The rim of the type-wheel may be provided on the upper side of that part which
is above the printing characters for the blind with some suitable projections or
marks by means of which the blind writer may feel that he is obtaining the
desired impressions.
Dated this 4th day of November
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
Chartered Patent Agents,
2 Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents for the Applicant
Improvements in Typewriting or like Machines, more Farticularly
for the Use of the Blind.
I, ERIK OLOF TAFLIN, of Karlavagen 20, Stockholm, Sweden, Manufacturer, 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 this invention is to provide a cheap and reliable writing-machine
suitable for use by any person (blind or not) for writing either in common charac-
ters or in characters readable by blind persons (characters in relief on the writing-
paper) and the invention consists in the novel construction and combinations of
parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.
In the drawings left with the Provisional Specification, Figure 1 is a plan-view
on a writing-machine according to this invention; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view
taken on line in Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4 show details of the impression-
mechanism which produces the relief; Figs. 5 and 6 show side and edge view of a
detail of the feeding mechanism; and Figs. 7 and 8 show side and vertical
sectional views of a modification of the same detail.

page_text: Referring to the drawings by numerals (like numerals referring to the same or
corresponding parts in all the figure.) 1 represents the bedplate of the machine
which in the usual manner is provided with suitable legs. To the two ends of said
bedplate is fastened a bridge-like cross-piece or beam 2 in such manner that except
at the ends enough room is left between the same and the bedplate for the paper or
papers to pass. At the middle of the said bridge is fastened a tap or axle 3 on
which is journaled a typewheel 4. The said tap or axle 1 is inclined towards the
front of the bedplate and the rim of the said type-wheel 4 is correspondingly
bent inward so that the lowest part of the rim is axially parallel with the plane of the
bedplate. The wheel is journaled just so near the upper surface of the bedplate
that the paper or papers to be written on have enough room to pass between the
rim of the type-wheel and the bedplate. Instead of the type-wheel 4 shown, a
type-disc of the corresponding form may, of course, be used. The rim of the said
type-wheel or type-disc is, on the one half of the outside, provided with types for
printing characters (letters, numerals, and signs) of the common kind, and on the
diametrically opposite half provided with pins or depressions (preferably the
latter) corresponding to and representing characters (alphabetic, numeral, and
sign for the blind. On the inside of the rim on each half are provided two rows of
characters one consisting of elevations corresponding to the characters for the blind
and the other of characters of the common kind. For making the impressions on
or in the paper a hammer 5 is provided which is movable in an opening in the
bedplate (opposite the place where the types come nearest to it) to or from the rim
of the type-wheel. For that purpose the said hammer is pivoted at one end of a
lever 6 which in its turn is pivoted below the bedplate and extends outside the
one end of the same where it is provided with a suitable handle, button, or key.
A guide 7 is pivoted below the bedplate in such a manner that it normally guides
the said impression hammer, but may be swung away from it so that the hammer
can be reversed. One end of the said hammer is provided with depressions or
pins (preferably the latter) corresponding to any or all of the pins or depressions
found in any of the characters in the rim of the type-wheel and the other end is
preferably provided with a yielding surface. When the machine is to be used for
writing characters for the blind the paper is pressed against the types on the under-
side of the wheel by means of the first mentioned end of the hammer and when
used for writing common characters the hammer is turned so that the other end
is used for making the impressions. The said pins in the end of the hammer are
not securely fixed but are movable in and out of the hammer a little more than
the depth of the depressions in the characters for the blind and are pushed out by
some yielding material, such as springs 8 or the like, as shown in Fig. 3, in order
that when there is no corresponding depression in the wheel for some of the pins,
the springs permit of any of the pin's being pressed back, while the others are
pressed into the paper. Instead of a reversible hammer there may be two hammers
interchangeable so that, when changing from one kind of writing to the other,
the hammer first used is changed for the other, though this arrangement is less
practical than the first mentioned.
To ensure that the wheel shall be so turned each time that a character shall
always come exactly over the impression-hammer the rim of the wheel is provided
with some well known catch-device, for instance depressions (one for each
character) in which enters a pin, fastened to the bedplate, and pressed By a spring
against the wheel so that it snaps into one of the depressions and tends to hold the
wheel in such position that the characters can only stop in their right place above
the hammer and not move from it less than the exact distance between two types.
In order that the 'blind writer may be able to ascertain that the character on
which he holds his finger is moved right over the impression hammer two feelers 9
are provided in the front of the wheel.
For holding paper a sliding carriage 10 moves in a groove in the front part
of the mache, raid carriage being provided with a preferably yielding cover 11,
one end of which is hinged to the middle of the carriage and the other end of

page_text: which may be locked down to the right end of the carriage by means of a suitable
locking device, for instance a fiat-headed bolt 12. Below the said cover and
close to the same is provided a roller 13 (preferably provided with a yielding
surface) the one end of which extends outside the said cover and is provided with
a handle 14 for the turning of the same, the object of said cover and roller being
to hold down and feed the paper forward.
When a paper is to be placed in the carriage the cover is lifted and the paper
laid on the top of the roller 13, the cover being thereafter laid down and locked,
by which the paper is held firmly against the roller so that when the same is
turned the paper is moved forward or backward as the case may be. In order to
get even distances between the lines of the writing the feeding roller 13 may be
provided with spring-catches as is common in writing-machines.
For moving the carriage along in its slide a certain distance for every letter
written or space required, the left end of the carriage is provided with notches
the distance between which is equal to the distance that the carriage is required
to be moved for every letter or space. A catch 14 placed on a special spacing-
lever 15 meshes with the said notches so as to move the carriage each time the
spacing-lever is pressed down, said spacing-lever being pivoted either to the bed-
plate or to the before-mentioned impression-lever and preferably placed hetween
the impression-lever and the carriage. The spacing-lever extends outside the bed-
plate where it is provided with a suitable handle for pressing down the same.
Inasmuch as the carriage requires to be moved a longer distance when writing
characters for the blind than in common writing, it is necessary to arrange the
notches so that the distance between them is correspondingly different in the
different cases. For that purposes there is provided in the left side of the carriage
an axle or rod 16 journaled so as to be turned by means of a handle 17 at the
extreme left (outside) of the carriage. In this rod or axle the said notches are
formed by means of a number of pins or projections 18 placed at such a distance
from each other, along one side of the rod, that the distances between their centres
is equal to the feeding distance required for common characters and on the other
side the rod or axle is provided with a similar row of pins or projections 19
with a distance between their centres equal to the distance required for characters
for the blind. The handle 17 is provided with suitable projections or the like by
means of which the blind writer may be able to ascertain whether the rod is
turned for common characters or for characters for the blind, and a suitable catch
is provided for holding the rod so that the catch 14 will always mesh with one of
the rows of notches. The catch 14 is wedge-shaped and pivoted to the spacing-
lever 15 and the upper, thinner end of the catch is bent into a hook placed in a
small opening 20 in the spacing lever, whereby the catch is allowed to oscillate a
short distance to the right side only. A suitable spring 21 tends to hold the hook
against the right edge of the said opening. The impression-lever is provided with
a hook 22 which catches on the top of the spacing-lever 15 in such a manner that
when the impression-lever is pressed down it pulls the spacing-lever down with
it, while on the other hand the spacing lever may be pressed down independently.
The impression and spacing-levers are both held un by a flat spring 23 or the
like. When the spacing-lever goes down either by being pressed' down when an
empty space is required or when the impression lever is pressed down in making
a print or impression, the upper end of the catch 14 will he moved forward by the
pin or projection at the back of the same until it snaps off and when the spacing-
lever moves upward the catch presses on the back of the same pin, thereby pushing
the carriage along one notch (equal to the distance between centers of pins).
The operation of the machine is as follows. The blind writer places the fingers
of his right hand on the rim of the type-wheel and turns the same until he feels
that the desired type is right over the impression-hammer, whereupon he presses
down the handle of the impression-lever so that the desired character is impressed
on or in the paper. The spacing-lever being pressed down by the impression-
lever, while both levers are again rising the catch in the former will engage with

page_text: the pins or projections in the rod and push the carriage along one notch. When
a space between the characters (words) is required the writer pushes down the
spacing-lever only, when the carriage will be moved along a notch without the
pression-hammer being pressed against the paper. When the machine is to
be used for writing common characters the operation is similar, with the exception
that the other half of the type-wheel and the other end of the impression-hammer
are used.
In order that the blind person may be able to place the paper squarely in the
carriage the bedplate may be provided with impressions 24 placed in one or more
rows. The paper is moved until the edge of the same is above all the said im-
pressions. To enable the writer to replace a paper in the machine the bedplate
may be provided with one or more rows of projections 25, against which the paper
is so pressed before being taken out that impressions are made in the same. When
the paper is to be replaced in the carriage the paper and carriage are moved until
the said impressions are above and fit upon the said projections, whereupon the
writing may be continued as if the paper had not been taken out.
To provide ink for the types when common characters are to be printed a
carbon paper or the like may be placed on the top of the writing-paper
between the type-wheel and the impression-hammer or inking-rollers of the kind
commonly used on type-writer machines may be journaled in arms one on each
side of the type-wheel. Said arms may be fastened to the beam 2 in such manner
that the inking rollers may be swung under and in touch with the printing types
of the wheel or swung away from the same according to whether common characters
are to be printed or not. The inking-rollers and their arms are not shown in the
drawings.
When the type-wheel is provided with elevations and the hammer with corre-
sponding depressions for making the relief, the carriage requires to be fed in a
direction opposite to that required for the common characters. In that case the
modification of the catch 14 shown in Figs. 7 and 8 may be used. The opening 20
in the spacing-lever 15 is formed here so that the catch 14 may oscillate either to
the right or the left side, according as common characters or characters for the
blind are to be produced. A spring 26 divides the said opening 20 into two parts,
in one of which the hook of the catch is placed when the carriage is to be fed one
way, and when the direction of the feed is to be reversed the spring 26 is pushed
inward so...at the said hook may pass over to the other part of the opening.
The yielding end-surface of the impression-hammer, that is to be used for
common characters, may, in order to get more flexibility, be placed on the end of
a piston 27, Fig. 3, the other end of which rests upon and is pushed outward by a
spring 28. The piston is held in the hammer by means of a shoulder 29 and
cover 30 or the like..
The machine may be modified in many ways well understood by any person
skilled in the art, without departing from this invention. So may, for instance,
a bracket, fastened to one end of the bedplate only, be substituted for the bridge
or beam 2.
The tap or axle on which the type-wheel or type-disc is journaled may, of course,
be inclined 90 degrees to the bedplate, so that the whee! becomes vertical, provided
the rim of the wheel be bent in a corresponding degree, and free room be provided
on the rim for the characters.
The rim of the type-wheel may be provided on the upper side of that part which
bove the printing characters for the blind with some suitable projections or
marks by means of which the blind writer may feel that he is obtaining the
desired impressions.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of this said invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:
1. In a writing machine a type-wheel or type-dise journaled in an inclined
position against the bedplate, and on the outside of the rim provided with suitable

page_text: types for making impressions on and in the paper and on the inside of the rim
provided with corresponding characters substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
2. In a writing machine the combination with the bedplate of a bracket or
bridge fastened at one or both ends to the bedplate so as to allow the paper to
pass ander the same, a type-wheel or type-disc journaled in the said bracket or
bridge with its axle inclined to the front of the bedplate, means for pressing the
paper against the types of the wheel and means for holding and feeding the paper,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. In a writing machine a type-wheel or disc provided on the one half of the
outside of the rim with types for printing common characters and provided on
the other diametrically opposite half of the outside of the rim with types for
characters for the blind, and on the inside of the rim provided on each of said
halves with a row of common characters and a row of characters for the blind,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth..
4. In a writing machine for the blind a type-wheel or disc provided with
depression corresponding to the characters for the blind, and a hammer for
pressing the paper into said depressions provided with pins corresponding and
fitting into all the said depressions but pressed so much out of the hammer by
means of springs or the like that when there is no corresponding depression in a
character for one or more of the said pins, the same may be able to stay back,
while the others press into the paper, as and for the purpose set forth.
5. In a writing machine a reversible impression-hammer provided on one end
with elevations or depressions suitable for making impressions in the paper for
the blind and on the other end provided with a yielding surface, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
G. In a writing machine a mechanism for moving the paper carriage consisting
of a rod or shaft journaied in the carriage and provided with two or more rows of
notches, a spacing-lever or the like which is so connected to the impression
mechanism that it will be moved by the latter but also be operated independently,
and a catch on said spacing-lever which will engage with the notches in the said
rod or axle so as to move the carriage a step each time the spacing lever is
operated, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
7. In a writing machine for the blind one or more rows of depressions on the
hedplate, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
8. In a writing machine one or more rows of elevations on the bedplate,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
9. In a writing machine an impression-hammer provided with a piston which
is movably held in the hammer and pushed outward by a spring or the like,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
10. The combination with a writing machine for the blind, having a type-wheel
or type-disc, of one or two feelers fastened on the side of the type-wheel, as and
for the purpose set forth.
11. In a writing machine for writing common characters and characters for
the blind, a reversible catch for moving the paper carriage, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
Dated this and dose of Amount 1007
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
Chartered Patent Agents,
62 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents for the Applicant.