Year: 1888

page_text: A communication from JAMES FRANCIS MCLAUGHLIN, of Philadelphia, in the State
of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Electrician.
1, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E. 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 electrical automatic line spacing device for type-writers ;
and has for its object :
To provide an electro-mechanical device which will automatically operate the platen
of the machine when the travelling carriage carrying said platen reaches the end of
the line, whereby the said platen is caused to revolve the desired distance upon its
axis for making a line space by means of a magnet, armature, battery and suitable
mechanical devices arranged to co-operate therewith and convey the electrical impulse
caused by the closing of the circuit to the roll.
With this end in view the invention consists in certain details of construction
arrangement and combination of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter.
Referring to the accompanying drawings
:-
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the sliding carriage the framework therefor, the
platen provided with certain devices hereinafter explained, and the magnet and
armature suitably arranged upon said framework.
Fig. 2 is a detail end elevation of the end of the platen.
Fig. 3 is a detail end elevation of the travelling carriage with platen removed,
showing the spring circuit controller, the battery, the electro-magnet, and the
electrical connections.
Like letters of reference mark the same parts in all the figures of the drawings.
Referring to the drawings by letters:-
A indicates the framework of the travelling carriage and B the framework of the
platform upon which said carriage runs.
C is the platen having short shafts a, a secured centrally in each end thereof, which
are each journalled suitably in the horizontal rods or arms b, b pivotted to the turrets
or pillars D, D of the carriage.
E is a toothed rack horizontally secured between the side bars F, F of framework A
and F is a longitudinal bar arranged above and parallel to said rack between the
pillars D, D the object of said rod being to give rigidity and support to the frame.
G, G, are two sleeves arranged back of the pillars D, D and serve both as guides
and fastenings for the carriage upon the longitudinal guide-rod H secured by small
screws in the sleeves G G at each end of the platform of framework B:

page_text: of
On the underside of the carriage on the bottom of each end of sill F is formed one
of two V-shaped guide-rest cc' which slido in angular surface recesses
the platform B.
The platen C previously described as mounted in the supporting rods or arms b, b
may be of any suitable material and is provided at the end I with the two ratchet
wheels J, Jrigidly keyed to the shaft a between the arm and the end of the platen.
These two ratchet wheels are of the same diameter but the teeth are arranged in
opposite directions as shown.
d is a semi-circular guide secured to arm b by a suitable screw or pin and is
formed at each end d', dil by an aperture through which is guided the upright rod e
having the pawl ƒ pivotted thereupon between the ends of said guide, which pawl
works in the teeth of the ratchet wheel J and has the spring secured to rode to
prevent said pawl from pulling out.
Near the forward end of arm is secured a downwardly projecting strip g to
which is pivotally secured the pawl-lever one end of which works in the teeth of
the ratchet wheel J and the other free end is limited in its vertical movement by the
pin projection g' on rod e.
The rod e is secured at its lower end to the rod or arm
secured thereto at outer end and said arm his pivotted at
bar F of the frame.
having the armature h¹
its inner end to the side
F designates a plate secured at right angles to and on the inside of pillar D
which carries the tension spring F secured at its lower end to the arm the object
of said spring being to bring the arm h back to its original position when "the
magnet K releases its armature h¹.
K designates a magnet suitably secured to the frame work B (see figure 3) of the
platform arranged under and in proximity to the armature and is connected to
springs K and K" and battery L respectively by wires i, and the wire leading
from the battery to spring K¹ and the wire leading from the magnet coil K. to
spring K
The springs K and K are secured upon the outer side of the sill F between the
pillars and the sleeve G, and k is a spring projection on spring K and engages with
post G¹ to press said spring inwardly.
The battery L is not designed to move with the carriage and in order to effect this
result suitable electrical connections are made between said battery and the
springs K, K by copper or other strips of metal (not shown) fastened to the
guiding bar or rod and connected to the battery and the uprighis K¹, K" are
connected with said rod H by a suitable travelling device for giving electrical contact
(not shown).
The operation of this invention may be briefly described as follows:-
When by manipulation of the keys of the instrument to which this invention may
be attached and the rack-har is actuated by the usual step-by-step motor the sliding
carriage reaches the end of the line the spring K' engages against the sleeve G₁ of
the platform B which causes the contact of the spring K' with K" thereby closing
the circuit between said springs, battery L, and magnet K, and causes the attraction
of armature to magnet K and the rode to which said armature is attached is pulled
downwardly being guided through the apertures d' of the semicircular guide d
said downward movement of the rod e causing the pawlf to rotato the ratchet wheel J
the distance of one of its teeth, and pin g on rod e engages one end of the pawl
lever g causing the other end to engage and hold in one of the teeth of wheel J thus
preventing pawlf from actuating the ratchet wheel more than one space or in other
words rotating the platen.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
as communicated to mo by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner the same
is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
1. In a type writer the combination with a travelling carriage and a rotatable
platen carried thereby of an electro-magnetic step by step paper feeding device`

page_text: controlling the rotation of said platen; an electric circuit including the actuating
magnet of said step by step device; and a circuit controller for said electric circuit
operated by the travelling carriage when the latter arrives at a predetermined point
in its line of travel; substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In a type writer the combination with a travelling carriage carrying a rotatable
platen; of a step by step paper feeding mechanism for said platen comprising
ratchet discs actuating and check pawls for said ratchet discs and an armature for
said pawl-and-ratchet-mechanism; an electro-magnet controlling the movement of
said armature and included in an electric circuit: an electric circuit; and a circuit
controller for said circuit operated by the travelling carriage when the latter arrives
at a predetermined point in the line of its travel.
3. In a travelling carriage for a type writer the combination with a rotatable
platen of a pawl-and-ratchet-mechanism for actuating said platen in a step by step
manner an armature attached to the actuating pawl of said pawl-and-ratchet-
mechanism; a retractile spring for said armature, and electro-magnet controlling
the movement of said armature and included in an electric circuit; an electric
circuit; and a circuit-controller for said circuit operated periodically by the
movement of the travelling carriage.
4. In a travelling carriage of a type-writer line-spacing mechanism for making
required spaces between type written lines comprising a rotatable platen an electro-
magnetic step by step paper feeding mechanism substantially as described, for said
platen, and included in an electric circuit; an electric circuit; and a spring circuit
controller for said circuit aciuated periodically by the travelling carriage.
5. In a type writer the combination with a travelling carriage carrying a
rotatable platen provided with a step by step paper feeding device; and an electro-
magnet and armature for operating said step by step device of an electric circuit
including said electro-magnet; a circuit controller for said circuit also carried by
the travelling carriage; and a stationary source of electricity feeding said circuit
and normally in circuit with said travelling circuit controller.
6. In a type writer the combination with a travelling carriage; of a motor for
advancing same; a platen mounted on the said carriage; a step by step device
for operating said roll; an electro-magnet controlling said step by step device; a
spring circuit closer in circuit with said magnet; and a fixed construction in the
path of the circuit closer for the purpose of engaging and operating the same;
substantially as specified.
7. In a type writer the combination with a travelling carriage provided with an
electro-magnetic step by step paper feeding device, substantially as described; of
an electric circuit including said electro-magnetic step by step device; a circuit
controller for said circuit also carried by said carriage and a fixed contact arranged
to operate said circuit controller when the latter arrives at a predetermined position
in the line of its travel.
8. The combination with the platen of the ratchet wheels J and J1 having
oppositely inclined teeth; the spring actuated pawl; the check pawlg; the
reciprocating rod e; the pin gl thereon; the arm h; the armature ; the electro-
magnet K for controlling said armature; and an electric circuit for energizing
and de-energizing the said magnet; substantially as specified.
Daiad this 13th day of March 1888
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents.