Improvements in Apparatus for use in the Production of Writings for the Blind.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 6th June, 1891-Accepted, 11th July, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for use in the Production of Writings
for the Blind.
I, ELIZABETH STHRESHLEY of 506, E. 19th Street, Austin, in the County of
Travis and State of Texas, United States of America, Teacher, State Institute
for the Blind, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an apparatus designed for use in the production of
writings for the blind under what is technically termed the "point system," and to
the end named the invention consists essentially of a platen formed with a series of
regularly arranged points or depressions, a carriage, levers carried by the carriage
and formed with points or depressions that are complementary to the points or
depressions of the platen, and a carriage-feeding mechanism arranged in connection
with the levers whereby after a lever has been depressed and the pressure applied
to the platen has been removed the carriage will be fed forward one step as herein-
after fully described.
The machine is mounted on a base plate having upwardly-extending flanges
formed with teeth. A frame is pivotally connected between the forward ends of
the flanges and this frame carries a swinging rack of which a cross-bar engages the
teeth to support the frame in position. This frame carries a horizontal rod or bar,
upon which the platen is adjustably mounted said platen being formed with two
rows of upwardly-extending projections. Just beneath the rod or bar there is a
shaft which carries a feeding roll which roll bears against a shield that is connected
to a shaft, the shield being provided with a catch which extends outward through
the forward part or wall of the frame and the wall being provided with a key-hole
slot through which the catch extends, while the catch is formed with an annular
groove which fits within the narrow section of the key hole slot when the shield is
pressed against the feeding roll. The frame carries a cylindrical rack which serves
to support the rear end of a carriage which is provided with sleeves that ride upon
the rack. The rack teeth are engaged by the teeth of a spring-actuated drum
carried by the carriage, the tendency of the spring being to turn the drum, which
is counteracted by a lever which holds the carriage against the tension of the
spring, said lever being pivotally connected to one side of the carriage and normally
held in position by a spring which bears against a pin carried by an auxiliary lever
which said auxiliary lever is pivotally connected to the first lever, the pin passing
through a slot that is formed in the latter lever. To the auxiliary lever is
connected a spring lever which overlaps the rack and, when the parts are in one
position, engages one of the rack teeth; if, however, the lever which controls the
drum be thrown downward the spring lever will be thrown from engagement with
the rack teeth and against a stop that is carried by the carriage the rising of the
rear end of the lever bringing the point of said lever into engagement with the rack
prior to the time when the spring lever is freed from engagement with the rack.
If, now, the pressure upon the lever be relaxed the spring will act to return said
lever to position and as the lever so returns the spring lever will be carried into
engagement with an advanced tooth of the rack and immediately after such engage-
ment has been brought about the point of the lever will move from engagement
with the rack and the carriage will be fed forward one step by the spring of the
drum, the tilting of the levers being brought about by the spring which, as before
stated, bears upon the pin carried by the auxiliary lever. In order that the
carriage may be moved backward against the tension of the spring, I provide the
lever with a thumb piece and I clamp a second thumb piece upon the auxiliary
lever, the arrangement being such that by grasping the two thumb pieces and

page_text: pressing them together, the levers will be moved so as to carry both levers from
engagement with the teeth of the rack and after the levers have been so moved the
carriage may be forcibly pushed backward against the tension of the spring
arranged within the drum and against a stop that is adjustably mounted upon a
rocking rod or bar that is arranged parallel with, and slightly to the rear and
above, the rack. The carriage carries two levers which are normally upheld by
springs and formed with downwardly-extending projections that are recessed to
receive the points on the platen, the recess of the one lever registering with the
upper series of points while the recess of the other lever registers with the lower
series of points. The frame carries a drum or shaft upon which there may be
wound a continuous web of paper which is carried forward over the peripheral face
of the roll and passing between said roll and the shield to be carried thence over
the platen.
The paper having been so adjusted, it will be seen that if either or
both of the levers on the carriage are depressed their recesses will be brought into
register with the points and the paper will be embossed and as the levers (either
one or both) are depressed the lever which controls the drum will be depressed and
when the pressure upon the levers is relaxed said lever will return to its normal
position and the carriage will be fed forward one step. To determine when the end
of the line has been reached, I provide the carriage with a projection which extends
into the path of an adjustably-mounted arm that is carried by the rod or bar
provided with a hammer which normally rests against the face of a bell or gong,
the rod or bar being held in position by a spring. In operation, the arm would be
adjusted to the required position and then when the carriage projection bore
against the arm the rod or bar would be moved and so held until the arm or
projection passed from engagement with the said arm after which the spring
would act to throw the bar back to its normal position, the hammer at this time
striking upon the gong and sounding an alarm. After a line has been produced,
the roll is fed forward, either by grasping and turning a milled disc that is
connected to one end thereof or by throwing up a lever which is normally held
depressed by a spring, this lever being formed with a tooth which engages a ratchet
when raised.
I have described my instrument as one arranged to operate from a continuous
roll of paper, but I desire it to be distinctly understood that the apparatus might
be arranged to operate upon detached sheets of paper; and I also desire it to be
understood that instead of forming the platen with projections it might be formed
with indentations in which case the levers would be formed with projections and
the carriage would be mounted to move from right to left instead of from left to
right; and I also desire it to be understood that the carriage might be arranged
to move toward and from the apparatus instead of transversely in front of it.
If found desirable, a third printing key and a third series of platen projections
may be employed, and I therefore do not limit myself to the employment of the
two printing keys and two series of platen projections described.
Dated this 30th day of December 1900
ELIZABETH STHRESHLEY.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for use in the Production of Writings
for the Blind.
I, ELIZABETH STHRESHLEY, of 506, E 19th Street, Austin, in the County of 5
Travis, and State of Texas, United States of America, Teacher State Institute for
the Blind, 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 an apparatus designed for use in the production of 5

page_text: writings for the blind, under what is technically termed the "point system"; and,
to the end named, the invention consists essentially of a platen formed with a series
of regularly arranged points or depressions, a carriage, levers carried by the
carriage and formed with points or depressions that are complementary to the points
or depressions of the platen, and a carriage-feeding mechanism arranged in connec-
tion with the levers whereby, after a lever has been depressed and the pressure
applied to the platen has been removed, the carriage will be fed forward one
step, all' as will be hereinafter fully described and specifically pointed out in
the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, in which
Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine embodying my invention.
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation on line -, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a detail view of the under side of the carriage, the carriage being
represented as it appears when turned upward upon its cylindrical rack.
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view, on line y-y Figure 1, the parts, however,
being represented as they appear when the main frame is raised.
Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional detail view, on line - Figure 2, the operating
levers being shewn as they appear when depressed to the platen.
Figure 6 is a view illustrating the character of the work produced on the
machine.
Figure 7 is a sectional detail view, on line w, w, Figure 1, the parts being shewn
in the position they assume when "points" are being formed; and
Figure 8 is a detail view on line, Figure 2.
ご
Similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the
views.
In the drawings, 10 represents a base plate to which plate there are secured
upwardly-extending flanges 11 having teeth 12. A frame 13 is pivotally connected
between the forward ends of the flanges 11, and this frame carries a swinging
rack 14 of which the cross-bar 15 is arranged to engage the teeth 12 so that the
frame 13 may be supported in the position in which it is shewn in the drawings.
The frame 13 carries a horizontal rod or bar 16 upon which there is adjustably
mounted a platen 17 formed with two rows of upwardly-extending projections 18
and just beneath the rod or bar 16 is mounted a shaft 19 which carries a feeding
roll 20 such roll bearing against a shield 21 that is connected to a shaft 22 the
shield being provided with a catch 24 which extends outward through the forward
part or wall a of the frame 13, such wall being provided with a key-hole slot
through which the catch extends and the catch being formed with an annular
groove which fits within the narrow section of the key-hole slot when the shield is
pressed against the roll 20. The frame 13 carries a cylindrical rack 30 which
serves as the support for the rear end of a carriage 31 said carriage being provided
with sleeves 32 that ride upon the rack, the rack teeth being engaged by the
teeth of a spring-actuated drum 33 that is carried by the carriage, the tendency
of the spring arranged in connection with the drum being to turn the drum in the
direction of the arrow shewn in connection therewith in Figure 1, but in order that
the carriage may be held against the tension of the spring I provide a lever 34
that is pivotally connected to one side of the carriage and normally held in the
position in which it is shewn in the drawings by a spring 35 said spring bearing
against a spring 36 carried by an auxiliary lever 37 which said auxiliary lever is
pivotally connected to the lever 34 by a pivot pin or screw 38, the pin 36 passing
through a slot that is formed in the lever 34. To the auxiliary lever 37 is
connected a spring lever 39 which overlaps the rack 30 and, when the parts are in the
position in which they are shewn in the drawings, engages one of the rack teeth. If,
however, the lever 34 be thrown downward in the direction of the arrow shewn in con-
nection therewith in Figure 4, the spring lever 39 will be thrown from engagement
with the rack teeth and against a stop 40 that is carried by the carriage, the rising of
the rear end of the lever 34 bringing the point c of said lever into engagement

page_text: with the rack prior to the time when the spring lever 39 is freed from engagement
with the rack. If, now, the pressure upon the lever 34 be relaxed the spring 35
will act to return said lever to the position in which it is shewn in Figure 4 and as
the lever so returns the spring lever 39 will be carried into engagement with an
advanced tooth of the rack and immediately after such engagement has been
brought about, the point c of the lever 34 will move from engagement with the rack
and the carriage will be fed forward one step by the spring of the drum 33, the
tilting of the levers 37 and 39 being brought about by the spring 35 which, as before
stated, bears upon the pin 36 carried by the lever 37.
In order that the carriage may be moved backward against the tension of the
spring of the drum 33, I provide the lever 34 with a thumb piece 41 and I clamp
a second thumb piece 42 upon the lever 37, the arrangement being such that, by
grasping the two thumb pieces and pressing them together, the levers 34 and 37
will be moved so as to carry both levers 34 and 37 from engagement with the
teeth of the rack and after the levers 34 and 37 have been so moved from engage-
ment with the rack, the carriage may be forcibly pushed backward against the
tension of the spring arranged within the drum 33 and against a stop 43 that is
adjustably mounted upon a rocking rod or bar 44 that is arranged parallel with
and slightly to the rear and above, the rack 30. The carriage 31 carries two
levers 45 and 45", said levers being normally upheld by springs 46. The levers 45
and 45° are formed with downwardly-extending projections 47 that are recessed as
shewn at d to receive the points 18 of the platen 17, the recess of the lever 45
registering with the upper series of points while the recess of the lever 45 registers
with the lower series of points.
The frame 13 carries a drum or shaft 50 upon which there may be wound a
continuous web of paper which said paper is carried forward over the peripheral
face of the roll 20, passing between said roll and the shield 21 to be carried thence
over the strip or platen 17. The paper having been so adjusted, it will be seen
that if either or both of the levers 45 and 45" are depressed, their recesses will
be brought into register with the points 18 and the paper will be embossed and
as the levers 45 and 45ª (either one or both) are depressed, the lever 34 will be
depressed and when the pressure upon the levers 45 and 45ª is relaxed, the
lever 34 will return to its normal position and the carriage will be fed forward
one step.
To determine when the end of the line has been reached, I provide the carriage
with a projection 51 which extends into the path of an adjustably-mounted arm 52
that is carried by the rod or bar 44 and this rod or bar 44 is provided with a
hammer 53 which normally rests against the face of a bell or gong 54, the rod or
bar 44 being held in the position in which it is shewn in the drawings, by a
spring 55. In operation, the arm 52 would be adjusted to the required position
and then when the carriage projection 51 bore against the arm, the rod or bar 44
would be moved in the direction of the arrow shewn in connection therewith in
Figure 4, and so held until the arm or projection 51 passed from engagement with
the said arm 52 after which the spring 55 would act to throw the bar 44 back to its
normal position, the hammer 53 at this time striking upon the gong 54 and sounding
an alarm. After a line has been produced the roll 20 is fed forward, either by
grasping and turning a milled disc 56 that is connected to one end thereof, or by
throwing up a lever 57 which is normally held depressed by a spring 58, this lever
being formed with a tooth which engages the ratchet 59 when raised, as will be
readily understood from an inspection of Figure 8.
I have described my instrument as one arranged to operate from a continuous
roll of paper, but I desire it to be distinctly understood that the apparatus might
be arranged to operate upon detached sheets of paper and I also desire it to be
understood that instead of forming the platen 17 with projections said platen might
be formed with indentations, in which case the levers 45 and 45ª would be formed
with projections and the carriage would be mounted to move from right to left
instead of from left to right; and I also desire it to be understood that the carriage

page_text: might be arranged to move toward and from the apparatus, instead of transversely
in front of it.
In Figure 6 I illustrate a view of the grouping of points employed to designate
the several letters of the alphabet under the "point system," as used in all of
the systems for the blind in the United States.
If found desirable, a third printing key and a third series of platen projections
may be employed; I, therefore, do not limit myself to the employment of the two
printing keys and two series of platen projections shewn and described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The combination, with a platen, formed with projections, of a carriage, levers
carried thereby and formed with recesses which register with the platen projections,
and a carriage-feeding mechanism, substantially as described.
2. The combination, with a platen, formed with two series of projections, of a
carriage, a carriage-feeding mechanism, and levers formed with recesses which
register with the platen projections, substantially as described.
3. The combination, with a paper-feeding roll, of a platen, formed with points or
projections, a carriage, a carriage-feeding mechanism, and spring-pressed levers
carried by the carriage and formed with recesses arranged to register with the
platen projections, substantially as described.
4. The combination, with a platen, of a carriage, character-forming levers carried
thereby, and means, substantially as described, whereby, upon the relaxation of
the power employed to depress said levers, the carriage will be fed forward, as
herein set forth.
5. The combination, with an adjustably-mounted platen, formed with series of
points or projections, of a carriage, a carriage-feeding mechanism, and levers
formed with recesses which register with the platen projections, substantially as
described.
6. The combination, with the platen, having one or more series of points, the
cylindrical rack 30, the carriage pivoted and travelling upon the latter, the spring-
actuated drum 33, pivoted in said carriage and having teeth that engage the rack
for feeding the carriage, of the pivoted, spacing, spring-pressed lever 34, and the
locking, spring-pressed levers 37 and 39 arranged alongside and connected with said
spacing lever, as specified, the embossing levers 45 and 45ª pivoted upon the
carriage at right angles to, and extending over, the said spacing lever, and springs 46
for holding said embossing levers normally elevated, as shewn and described, to
operate as specified.
Dated this 6th day of June 1891
ELIZABETH STHRESHLEY.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.