Improvements in Type-writing. Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Nov., 1893
Complete Specification Left; 7th Aug.; 1894-Accepted, 3rd Nov., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Type-writing. Machines.
I, MARSHALL ARthur Wier, of Elm Place, Kingston-on-Thames, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in pneumatically-operated type-writing
machines of the kind described in the Specifications of prior Letters Patent
No. 15,107 of A.D. 1891 and No. 22,319 of A.D. 1892 granted to me.
The object of my present invention is to simplify the construction. and improve
the working of such machines, firstly, by the employment of a single pneumatic
push or piston, to operate two or more types instead of for operating only one, as
heretofore; secondly, in causing each push or piston or a device in connection
therewith to actuate spacing-levers, instead of making the key-board or push board
movable for the purpose of effecting the spacing; thirdly, in the provision of
pneumatic spacing-devices; fourthly, in improvements relating to the carriage;
and fifthly, in an improved arrangement of parts for effecting the imprinting of the
characters on the paper; and sixthly in improvements relating to the inking-ribbon
and appurtenances.
In carrying the first part of my invention into practice I place the air-spaces of
each push or piston. in communication with the separate air-chambers of two or
more types so that when the push or piston is depressed the air therefrom tends to
operate the two or more types simultaneously. A suitable shutter adapted to be
operated by a shift-key is arranged to move in front of the type block or receiver
from which the whole of the types issue, and is caused by the shift key to move to
the proper position to hold back all but one of the types. tending to move as afore-
said. The normal position of the said shutter is that in which it keeps back the
types which are only occasionally required, so that those which are frequently, used
will issue at any time without the necessity for a preliminary movement. of the
shift-key..
Or, as an alternative. I connect the tubes from a series of pushes or pistons to a
flat or curved sliding or rotating plate; having passages therein for the passage
therethrough of air from each tube. I' place the said plate upon the rear face of
the type-block upon which it can be moved' by means of a shift-key so that the air
tube from each push or piston can be brought into communication with any one of
a certain series of type in the type-block by suitably adjusting the said plate. on
the rear face thereof. In this arrangement' the air is lod directly to the one type
which it is desired to operate, instead of to several types of which all but one are
held back. For the said plate I may substitute a sheet or piece of flexible material,
such as india-rubber and canvas, with sliort tubes moulded: thereon or otherwise
secured thereto, for connection to the tubes from the pushes or pistons... This may
be drawn across the end of the type-block by winding it on to one roller and
unwinding it from another.
As another alternative I connect the tubes leading from the rear end of each
type, to channels in the wall of a long box or shell within which is a core or plug
also provided with air channels therein, and I also connect, to other channels in
the said wall the tutes from the pushes or pistons. The core or plug is adapted to
be moved by means of the shift-key to place the tubes from the pushes or pistons
into communication with those leading to one or other of the series of types in the
tyne-block.

page_text: t
As a further alternative the plate or board carrying the pushes or pistons and
having an air-channel therethrough from each push or piston can be made to move
upon another plate or board having therein separate tubes leading to each type, so
as to bring the air channels from the pistons into communication with any of the
series of tubes leading to the different series of types.
Also, I may attain a like result by placing two, three, or more types on each
type-bar, and arranging the printing-roller or the type-block so that either can be
shifted up or down by means of a shift-key to bring the printing-point and any one
of the types opposite to each other.
In carrying the second part of my invention into practice I place a series of
levers below or otherwise in proximity to the pushes or pistons, and I arrange a
series of the said pushes or pistons so that each said member of the said series
when operated, will act upon the lever appropriated to that series, and the lever in
turn will operate the spacing-mechanism.
The pneumatic spacing-devices which form the third part of my invention
consist of flexible diaphragms forming part of the lower ends of the pushes afore-
said or provided upon other closed chambers; they are operated by air compressed
by the pushes or pistons and in turn act upon a movable plate or the like which
operates the spacing dogs.
The improvements relating to the carriage comprise a cylinder secured to the
frame of the machine having one end closed, and a piston secured to the carriage.
and closely fitting the interior of the said cylinder, which latter is closed at one end
so that when the piston is moved with the carriage so as to travel away from the
closed end of the cylinder, a partial vacuum is formed within the cylinder. This
causes the piston to be so acted upon by the external atmosphere as to tend always
to return the carriage to its starting-point; this device produces, very simply,
result similar to that which is obtained in ordinary type-writers by the use of a
carriage-returning spring.
B
The improved arrangement of parts for effecting the imprinting of the characters,
may, for example, consist of an inking-roller or ribbon placed in front of the
paper so that the type-rods, which, according to this portion of my invention, I
place at the rear thereof, impinge against the back of the paper and force it
against the inking-roller or ribbon. The type-rods and the type-block can be
as easily placed at the rear of the paper as at the front, in machines of this
class.
The improvements relating to the inking-rubber and its appurtenances comprise
a spool carrying a suitable dry ribbon, the free end of which is attached to the
carriage, and an inking pad over which the ribbon is drawn to be inked during the
movement of the carriage. A toothed wheel is maintained in engagement with.
the spool by means of a pawl which will slip under certain,circumstances hereinafter
referred to. A spring is provided upon a suitable support to engage with the
toothed. wheel and to maintain through the pawl a suitable amount of tension on
the ribbon during the unwinding thereof from the spool. This spring acts to
regulate the unwinding of the ribbon and to re-wind it on the spool when it is
Blackened back by the carriage. In order that the said spring may never be wound
up sufficiently far to exert an excessive tension upon the ribbon the aforesaid pawl
and the teeth of the wheel are arranged to allow the spool and toothed wheel to
slip, relatively to the spring, when the tension reaches a certain amount.
When the end of the ribbon becomes badly worn, it may be cut off and a fresh
length unwound from the spool and attached to the carriage for use.
Dated this 7th dow of Narambor 1002
'
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Type-writing Machines.
I, MARSHALL ARTHUR WIER, of Elm Place, Kingston-on-Thames, 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:-
My invention relates to further improvements in pneumatically operated type-
writing machines of the kind or class described in the Specifications of prior
Letters Patent No. 15107 of A.D. 1891 and No. 22319 of A.D. 1892 granted
to me.
The object of my present invention is to simplify the construction and improve
the working of such machines. Its most important feature is the provision of
means whereby a single pneumatic push or piston is made to operate two or
more types instead of one only as heretofore. My said invention however
comprises other improvements as will be hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure is a side elevation, partly in section, of my improved type-writing
machine.
Figure 2 is a rear elevation of a part of Figure 1.
Figure 3 illustrates in section a modified form of push hereinafter described.
Figure 4 is a view of a pneumatic device for returning the carriage to its
starting point.
Figures 5, 6 and 7 illustrate modifications of my invention hereinafter
described.
A is the paper-roller; B is the travelling carriage; C, C are the pneumatic
pushes; D, D are the tubes connecting said pushes to the battery E which
contains the types. F is the framework of the machine.
The tubes D are connected to perforated nipples a' formed on a plate a which
is placed against the rear face of the battery E of type-holders. The plate a
can slide upon said face of the battery and is adapted to be moved by means
of a shift-key b pivoted to the battery E, so that the air-tube from each push
can be brought iuto communication with more than one of the type-containing
tubes of the battery E by suitably adjusting the said plate a on the rear face
thereof. In the example illustrated, each air-tube D may be put into alignment
by suitably adjusting the plate a with either of a pair of the type-holders E,
but it is obvious that by suitably spacing the nipples and suitably adjusting the
plate on which they are carried, each air-tube could, for instance, be connected
to any one of three or more type-holders.
For the said flat plate a, shown in the drawings, I may substitute a curved
sliding plate, or a rotary plate, or a sheet or piece of flexible material such as
india-rubber and canvas with short tubes or nipples moulded thereon or otherwise
secured thereto for connection to the tubes D. The flexible sheet may be drawn
across the end of the type-block by winding it on to one roller and unwinding it
from another. In Figure 1 c is a ring, preferably elastic and preferably divided at
one side by which the cup of each push is retained securely in place in a flanged
receiver c, with which it makes a good joint. The cup can be quite easily put into
place by pushing the ring thereinto, well away from the edges, and, when these
edges have been placed in the receiver c', the ring can readily be pushed down inside
the cup, from the outside, into the position in which it is shown in the drawing.
Instead of applying the changing plate a to the rear face of the battery E, it is
obvious that I may apply it to the pushes C, or that I may introduce it at any
point intermediate of the pushes C and battery E.
I sometimes place the air-spaces of each push or piston'in communication with
the separate air-chambers of two or more types as shewn in Figure 5 so that when

page_text: the push or piston is depressed, the air therein tends to operate the two or more
types simultaneously. And to ensure that only one type shall issue, I provide as
follows, that is to say, I provide a suitable shutter K, to move in front of the
battery E from which the whole of the types issue. Said shutter is adapted to be
operated by a shift key L and can be adjusted by the shift-key to move to the
proper position to allow either or any one of the types controlled by one push to
move as aforesaid while preventing the other or others from issuing. The drawing
shows an instance where each push controls two types one in the upper half of the
battery and the other in the lower half. The shutter is normally in position to
prevent the exit of the types from the lower tubes while offering no obstruction to
the upper types.
When the shift-key is depressed the shutter is raised to close the
exits from the upper tubes while opening those from the lower tubes. The normal
position of the said shutter is that in which it keeps back the types which are only
occasionally required, so that those which are frequently used will issue at any time
without the necessity for a preliminary movement of the shift-key.
As another alternative I sometimes connect the tubes leading from the rear end
of each type to channels in the wall of a long box or shell within which is a core or
plug also provided with air channels therein, and I also connect, to other channels
in the said wall, the tubes from the pushes or pistons. The core or plug is adapted
to be moved by means of the shift-key to place the tubes from the pushes or pistons
into communication with those leading to one or other of the series of types in the
type-block. This device is practically a long plug tap having several transverse
thoroughfares through it. By turning the plug the thoroughfares therein can be
placed in communication with either of two sets of thoroughfares in the casing on
the outlet side while remaining in communication with the thoroughfares on the
inlet side of the casing.
As a further alternative, the plate or board M Figure 6 carrying the pushes or
pistons and having an air-channel therethrough from each push or piston can be
made to move upon another. plate or board N having therein separate tubes leading
to each type, so as to bring each of the air channels from the pistons into communi-
cation with either of say two tubes leading to different types.
I cause each push or piston or a device in connection therewith to actuate spacing-
levers, instead of making the key-board or push board movable for the purpose of
effecting the spacing. In carrying out this part of my invention I place a series of
levers & below or otherwise in proximity to the pushes or pistons, and I arrange
the pushes in series so that each member of each series when operated, will act upon
the lever appropriated to that series, and the lever in turn will operate the spacing-
mechanism. Each cup c' and its stem are made to slide in guides and are forced
downward and caused to strike the spacing lever immediately beneath when the
push is depressed. The cup is returned by a spring when the push is released.
Pneumatic spacing-devices form a further part of my invention and consist of
flexible diaphragms H Figure 3 forming part of the lower ends of the pushes afore-
said or provided upon other closed chambers. The tubes D are connected to said
diaphragms. When the push is operated, the air compressed therein depresses the
diaphragm and causes the same to operate the spacing lever G which is immediately
under the push. This lever in turn acts upon the movable plate or the like which
operates the spacing dogs. In this modification the pushes are not made to slide in
guides.
For moving the carriage B, I provide as follows: that is to say, J Figure 4 is a
cylinder secured to the frame of the machine and having one end closed; J is a
long piston closely fitting the interior of the said cylinder, and the rod of which is
secured to the carriage. When the piston is moved with the carriage it travels
away from the closed end of the cylinder, and a partial vacuum is thereby formed
within the cylinder. This causes the piston to be so acted upon by the external
atmosphere as to tend always to return the carriage to its starting point. The
device produces, very simply, a result similar to that which is obtained in ordinary
type-writers by the use of a carriage-returning spring.

page_text: The cylinder is preferably furnished at its closed end with a valve J2 opening
outwards to prevent the possibility of accumulation of pressure in the cylinder when
the piston moves inward.
Another improved arrangement of parts for effecting the imprinting of the
characters, may, for example, consist of an inking-roller or ribbon P Figure 7
placed in front of the paper so that the type-rods, which, according to this portion
of my invention, I place at the rear thereof, impinge against the back of the paper
and force it against the inking-roller or ribbon. The type-rods and the type-
block can be as easily placed at the rear of the paper as at the front in machines of
this class.
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 a pneumatic type-writer, the combination, with the battery of tubes E, of
a movable or adjustable plate a to which the tubes D are connected and by which
each of said tubes D can be made to serve two or more types.
2. The method of securing the pushes C to the receivers c¹ by means of the split
elastic ring c, substantially as described.
3. The apparatus described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 operating as, and
for the purpose, specified.
4. The modification of my invention wherein I place the air-space of each push
or piston in communication with the air-chambers of two or more types and employ
a restraining shutter at the front of the mouths of the battery of tubes, said shutter
being controlled by a shift-key, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.
5. The modification of my invention wherein the plate or board carrying the
pusbes is movable upon another plate or board having therein separate tubes leading
to each type, substantially as herein before described, for the purpose specified.
6. Pneumatic spacing-devices consisting of diaphragms H operated by air
compressed by the pushes substantially as hereinbefore described, for the purposes
specified.
7. The means for returning the carriage consisting of the vacuum cylinder J and
piston J, substantially as hereinbefore described.
8. The arrangement of mechanism whereby the type-rods are caused to imprint
a character by forcing the paper, from the rear, towards an inking ribbon in front
thereof, substantially as herein before described.
Dated this 7th day of August 1894.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.