Improvements in Type writers.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 25th Jan., 1896
Improvements in Type writers.
A commnuication from abroad by Messrs. WYCKOFF, SEAMANS & BENEDICT,
of 327 Broadway, New York City, New York, United States of America,
a corporation organized under the Laws of the State of New York.
1, JOHN CORRY FELL, of the Firm of Fell & Wilding, of 1 Queen Victoria
Street, in the City of London, Chartered Patent Agent, 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 that class of type writing machines in which the
type-bars, levers or carriers are each provided with two or more types, and in
which the platen is capable of being shifted to enable the paper thereon to be
printed in a continuous line by either or any of said types on said bars, levers
or carriers, and has for its main object to provide a construction whereby the
paper-carriage and the platen-carrier are greatly simplified and reduced in
dimensions and weight, and by which the shifting of the platen from one printing
position to another, may be accomplished with less exertion than heretofore.
To these ends the invention consists in the features of construction and the
combinations of devices hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed
out in the appended claims.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 shows in ond elevation a type writing machine embodying. the
improvements, said view showing in vertical central section the top-plate or
type-ring, with type-bars or carriers, and the upper portion of the usually
employed platen-carrier shifting means.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the same, omitting the top-plate, but showing the
shift-rail, its bell-cranks and the stops therefor, and
Figure 3 is an elevation of one of the vibratory plates, brackets, or supports in
which the platen is mounted, with the feed-roller, hanger and spring added.
In the several views the same part will be found designated by the same numeral
of reference.
1 designates the top-plate or type-ring, around which, in a circle as heretofore,
are arranged a series of type-bars, levers or carriers 2, each said type-bar being
preferably pivoted at 3 in a hanger 4 secured by a screw 5 to the top-plate. The
type-bars may be actuated as customary by a key-lever (not shown) through an
intermediate connecting rod 6.
The main carriage is a non-shiftable or non-vibratory one and is preferably
composed of a back-bar 7, a front-bar 8, and side-bars 9, and it is provided at its
rear side with grooved rollers 10 which travel upon a hinge-and-guide-rail 11,
supported at each end by a standard 12 rising from the top-plate. The paper
carriage and its appendages may be moved or fed laterally for letter spacing by any
known means. We have shown, connected to the carriage, a hinged frame 13
provided with a feed-rack 14 which engages a pinion 15 on the inner end of a
shaft 16, which is provided at its outer end with a ratchet-wheel 17 adapted to
co-operate with spacing-dogs (not shown) in a manner well known, to effect a
step-by-step feed of the carriage under the influence of a spring drum or like
driving power (likewise not shown, but which may be of any known construction
and arrangement).

page_text: -
18 designates a platen whose shaft or axle 19 is connected at each end to a plate
or support 20, which at each side of the machine is pivoted at 21 in an upright or
stand 22, preferably formed integral with the side or end bar 9 of the main-
carriage. The axis of motion 21 of the plates or supports 20 and hence of the
platen is arranged eccentrically of the axis of the platen.
Each plate or support 20 is preferably provided with a forwardly-extending
arm 23, and these arms are connected together rigidly by a cross-bar 24. The
said plates or supports 20 are also preferably provided with rearwardly-extending
arms 25, to the extremity of each of which is pivoted at 26 a hanger 27 adapted
to receive and support one end of the shaft or axis 28 of a pressure or feed
roller 29, which is maintained in contact with the platen or with the paper thereon
by springs 30, which are connected at their forward ends to the supports or
plates 20, or to their rearwardly-extending arms 25, and which at their free ends
press against offsets or projections on the pivoted hangers 27 and below and in
front of the pivots of said hangers, so that by their tension they may operate to
swing the lower ends of the hangers and hence the feed or pressure roller 29
towards the platen.
Preferably about centrally of the cross-bar 24 is pivoted the lower end of a
link 31, to which at its upper end is pivoted as at 32 the rearwardly-extending
arm 33 of a yoke-block or bracket 34, provided preferably with an anti-friction
roller 35 adapted to ride upon a shift-rail 36, and support the front side of the
main-carriage. The yoke-block or bracket 34 is pivoted at 37 in lugs or ears 38
extending outwardly and upwardly from the front bar 8 of the main-carriage.
The shift-rail 36, as heretofore, is mounted near each end upon a bell-crank 39, on
a rock-shaft 40, which is bent to pass around the front series of connecting-rods 6.
The bell-cranks are actuated and the shift-rail moved in one direction by means
of a connecting-rod 41, which at its lower end may be connected to a key-lever of
the first order, and the bell-cranks and shift-rail may be actuated in the opposite
direction by a returning-spring (not shown), all as is very common in the Remington
machine.
In
Preferably on each plate or support 20 is formed or provided a projection +2
adapted to contact with either a stop 43 or a stop 44 on opposite sides of said
projection. The stops 43 and 44 are preferably made in the form of screws, (to
obtain the desired adjustment) which extend horizontally in opposite directions
through depending lugs or supports 45 on the carriage end-bars 9. The projec-
tion 42 and stops 43 and 44 constitute means for limiting the vibration of the
plates 20 and the platen carried thereby. In the normal positions of the parts
shown in full lines at Figure 1, the projection 42 stands against the stop 43.
this position the shaft 19 or axis of the platen, the pivot 21, and one of the type 46,
are all in the same plane, as indicated by the dotted line 47. The type 46, is
preferably a small or lower case type. When the projection 42 is moved to contact
with the stop 44, the centre of the pivot 21 and the centers of the platen and
type 48 all align as indicated by the dotted line 49. The type 48 is preferably a
capital or upper case type. Thus normally, all of the lower case types 46 are
adapted to impress the paper in the plane or at the angle represented by the line 47.
In order that the capitals or upper case characters, numerals, and punctuation
marks, etc. may print upon the same line with the lower case letters, the platen is
shifted to an extent such that its center or axle is moved. from a position coincident
with the line 47 to one which is coincident with the line 49, as indicated by the
dotted lines at Figure 1. Of course, the type are so formed or arranged relatively
to the platen that when the latter is in its normal position only the lower case
letters or characters 46 will be able to make their impressions, while when the
platen is in its rearward or shifted position, only the upper case or analogous
type 48 can impress the paper. As will be observed, the type are arranged at an
angle to each other and are set radially of the axis of vibration of the platen, so
that in the normal position, the type 46 and in the shifted position the type 48,
will strike in line with said axis of vibration and the axis of the platen.
5

page_text: When it may be desired to shift the platen from lower to upper case position,
the shift-key-lever may be actuated to raise the connecting-rod 41, and through it
vibrate the bell-cranks and cause the shift-rail 36 to swing outwardly. In moving
in this direction said rail operates to vibrate the yoke-block or bracket 34 about
its pivot 37, thus causing the arm 33 to descend and with it the link 31, which in
moving down operates to rock or oscillate the plates or supports 20 about their
pivots 21 and cause the platen to vibrate or swing so that its lower portion where
the line of impressions is being made will be moved back from the plane represented
by the line 47 to that represented by the line 49. The extent of this movement
corresponds to the distance from center to center of the upper and lower case
type. When thus shifted if any of the type-levers be actuated, their upper
case characters will print upon the paper alongside of or in line with any lower case
characters which may have previously been printed. Upon releasing the shift
key-lever, the usually employed spring heretofore alluded to, may operate to return
the bell-cranks to their normal positions, and thus cause the platen and its con-
necting devices to all return to their initial positions represented by the full lines
at Figure 1. It will, of course, be understood that if the horizontal arms of the
bell-cranks were set to project forwardly instead of rearwardly, the shift-rail
would be adapted to move forwardly by a downward pull upon the connecting-
rod 41 instead of by an upward thrust or push, in which case the ordinary
Remington shift-key-lever of the second order would be employed.
The backward and forward movements of the vertical-members of the bell-cranks
may be limited by stops 50 as usual in the Remington machine.
Paper-guides 51 may be attached to the cross-bar 24 and extend under the platen
as shown, and these paper-guides, preferably one at each end of the platen, may be
connected at their rear ends by a paper-blade or scale-bar 52. We have shown the
platen provided with a ratchet wheel 53, which is adapted to be actuated by any
suitable line spacing devices to effect a step-by-step rotation of the platen. The
pivoted or vibratory plates or supports 20 in which the platen is mounted constitute
what we call the platen-carrier.
Numerous changes in form and detail of construction and arrangement may be
made without departing from the gist of the invention. The means for rocking or
oscillating the platen-carrier may be widely different from those shown, but we
prefer the construction and arrangement herein set forth.
Of course, where more than than two types on a bar are used, the platen must
be arranged to have a greater number of vibrations than shown and described
herein, and instead of printing on the underside of the platen, the parts may be
inverted so that the types may print on top.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a type writing machine, the combination with type-bars provided each with
a plurality of types, of a non-shifting paper-carriage, a platen pivotally mounted in
said paper-carriage to vibrate about an axis of motion eccentric of its axis or center
of rotation and carry the printing point or line in an arc from a position where the
type of one series strike to a position where the type of another series strike ;
substantially as set forth.
2. In a type writing machine, the combination with a non-shifting paper-carriage,
of a platen-carrier pivotally hung in said paper-carriage, a platen axially mounted
in said platen-carrier beneath its pivots, and a series of type-bars provided each
with a plurality of types which are arranged radially of the axis of motion about
which said platen and platen-carrier are arranged to vibrate; substantially as set
forth.
3. In a type writing machine, the combination with a non-shifting paper-carriage,
of a platen-carrier pivoted to said paper-carriage, a platen mounted to rotate in said
carrier and also to swing therewith independently of said paper-carriage, means for

page_text: limiting the swing of said platen-carrier, and a series of type-bars provided each
with a plurality of types; substantially as set forth.
4. In a type writing machine, the combination of a paper-carriage, a rotatory
platen, a platen-carrier pivoted eccentrically of the axis of rotation of said platen
to carry the printing point or line in an arc from ore printing position to another
printing position, means for vibrating said platen-carrier, means for limiting the
extent of vibration of said carrier, and a series of type-bars provided each with a
plurality of types which are arranged radially of the axis of vibration of the platen-
carrier; substantially as set forth.
5. In a type writing machine, the combination of a paper-carriage provided with
uprights or standards, a pair of plates or supports pivoted to said uprights or
standards, a platen journaled at its ends in said plates or supports, and adapted to
be swung about said pivots to carry the printing point or line from one printing
position to another printing position, and a series of type bars provided each with a
plurality of types which are arranged radially of the pivots of the plates or supports ;
substantially as set forth.
6. In a type writing machine, the combination with a paper-carriage having
uprights or standards, of a pair of plates or supports pivoted thereto and provided
each with a forwardly-extending arm, which arms are connected by a cross-bar, a
platen mounted to rotate in said pivoted plates, means for vibrating said plates or
supports, about their pivots to carry the printing point or line from one printing
position to another printing position, and a series of type-bars provided each with a
plurality of types which are arranged radially of the pivots of the plates or supports ;
substantially as set forth.
7. In a type writing machine, the combination with a paper-carriage provided
with uprights or standards, of a pair of plates or supports pivoted thereto and
provided each with a forwardly and a rearwardly-extending arm, a cross-bar
connecting the forward arms, a pivoted spring-pressed hanger depending from each
rearward arm, a pressure-roller mounted at its ends in said hangers, a platen
mounted to rotate in said pivoted plates or supports, means for vibrating the latter,
and a series of type-bars each provided with a plurality of types; substantially as
set forth.
8. In a type writing machine, the combination with a non-shifting paper-carriage
provided with stops, of a platen, a platen-carrier provided with a projection,
means for vibrating said platen-carrier independently of said paper-carriage, and
a series of type-bars provided each with a plurality of types; substantially as
set forth.
9. In a type writing machine, the combination with a paper-carriage, of a platen,
a platen-carrier pivoted eccentrically of the axis of rotation of said platen, a series
of type-bars provided each with a plurality of types, a vibratory shift-rail, and a
pivoted yoke-block or bracket connected to said platen-carrier; substantially as
set forth.
10. In a type writing machine, the combination with a paper-carriage, of a pair
of pivoted plates or supports connected together by a cross-bar, a platen, a
vibratory shift-rail, a pivoted yoke-block or bracket provided with an anti-friction
roller and with a rearwardly-extending arm, a link connected at one end to said arm
and at the other end to said cross-bar, means for limiting the vibration of said pivoted
plates or supports, and a series of type-bars provided each with a plurality of types;
substantially as set forth.
11. In a type writing machine, the combination of a guide-rail or track, a paper-
carriage, a platen-carrier pivotally hung therein, a platen mounted to rotate in said
platen-carrier, a shift-rail adapted to swing said platen-carrier, and also to support
one side of the paper-carriage, and a series of type-bars provided each with a
plurality of types; substantially as set forth.
12. In a type writing machine, the combination of a non-shifting paper-carriage
composed of side and end bars, a platen-carrier pivotally hung in said paper-
carriage, a platen rotatably mounted in said platen-carrier and adapted to be swing

page_text: from one printing position to another printing position, a shift-rail adapted to
support one side of the paper-carriage, and means attached to said paper-carriage
and connected to said shift-rail, and also to said platen-carrier, for swinging said
platen-carrier independently of the paper-carriage when the shift-rail is actuated
and without at the same time disturbing the support afforded by said shift-rail to--
the paper-carriage-substantially as set forth.
Dated this 24th day of December 1895.
FELL & WILDING,
1 Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant..