Improvements in Type Writing Machines.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 24th Apr., 1889-Accepted, 6th July, 1889
Improvements in Type Writing Machines.
MICHAEL HEARN 17 Nassington Road Hampstead Accountant MORGAN DONNE
6 Birchin Lane E.C. Watchmaker do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
:-
These improvements relate to a patent granted to us for improvements in Type
writing machines and has reference among other details of improvements to a device
for producing a better alignment of the type levers and to a method of preventing the
overdriving of the paper carriage.
In order to obtain a true alignment of the type levers we may use a plate, herein-
after called an alignment plate, having a bevelled hole either square or round. The
said plate will be suitably fitted over the common printing point and through this
hole the type levers will strike in order to make the impression required. It will be
understood that the type pieces will be bevelled to fit into the said hole and by this
means any swerving of the type levers from the center, will be connected-A bevelled
headed screw may also be used for the same purpose-The said screw being fitted
into the backs of the type-levers and working within the bearings of the said type
levers Any wear being caught up by adjusting the screws in the said bearings. The
alignment plate may be made adjustable by means of set screws.
The overdriving of the paper carriage may be prevented by the use of a lever
having a tooth attached thereto working between the teeth of two racks placed one
above the other So that by one motion of the spacing lover the said tooth engages
with one rack and by the other motion with the other rack-Or in other words at
one up and down movement of the spacing lever the racks are released the space of
one tooth It will be understood that the paper carriage is driven by a rod attached
to a spring drum. We may also use a type lever operated by a finger key, the said
type lever being entirely disconnected from the finger key but the said type lever
having no counterbalance. The type levers would be fitted in guide plates similar to
those described in the patent No. 16068 December 1886 but the printing would be
performed from below, the type levers striking upwards & returning to position by
the force of their own weight.
We may also use a finger key differently shaped to that described in the foregoing
patent and having a curved end, so that the type levers may be struck as close to the
point of their axes as possible.
It should be pointed out that the novelty of the method in regard to the working
of the type-levers and the finger keys consists as shown in Patents No. 13,976, 1885
and No. 16068, 1886 in the disconnection of the finger keys from the type-levers, and
as this method may be used with type levers having no counterbalance, but falling by
their own weight, we think it advisable to show how this may be done as explained
above.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Type Writing, Machines.
MICHAEL, HEARN 17 Nassington road. Hampstead N.W. Accountant, MORGAN
DONNE 6 Birchin Lane E.C. Watchmaker. do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
These improvements relate to patents granted to M. Hearn for improvements in
Type Writing Machines Nos. 13,976-1885 and 16,068-1886 & have reference
among other details to a device for producing a better alignment of the type levers,
and improvements in the type levers & key levers.
Fig. 1 is a section of the alignment plate A with the type piece fitting in it, as in
the act of printing.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the alignment plate.
Fig. 6 is a side view of the improved type lever and key lever.
The other figures are hereinafter described.
The alignment plate A having a bevelled hole B Figs. 1 & 2 is fitted as shown
over the common printing point, its ends being secured at a, b, to the plate C.
Through this hole B the type pieces D Figs. 1, 4, 5, also bevelled strike in order to
make the impression.
By this means a better alignment is produced and any swerving of the type levers
from the common center is corrected.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan of the bevelled type piece D and Fig. 5 an enlarged
plan of the type piece when it is made out of metal of a larger gauge than Fig. 4.
It will also be understood that the alignment plate may be differently shaped and
secured to the bracket E or guide plate in any other suitable way and that it may
be made adjustable with reference to the common printing point.
Fig. 3 is an alternative method of fitting the type piece D to the type lever.
The key lever F Kig. 6 is curved at that end where it operates the type lever G,
so as to strike the type lever as close to the center of its axis as possible, by which
a very quick action of the type lever is obtained as will be readily understood.
Fig. 8 represents the other end of the key lever F and its position with relation to
the spacing lever H and the frame of the.machine I.
Fig. 7 is an end view of the type lever G. This lever is made of one piece of
metal as shown. An end view of the key lever F is not shown as it is constructed
of one thickness of material and may be the width of the counterweighted end of the
type lever or slightly exceed that width.
In order to further preserve a true alignment of the type levers a bevelled headed
screw d may be fitted into the back of the type lever O as shown in Fig. 9 and the
upper guide plate J may be circular at that part marked e Fig. 9. Any wear on the
type levers about the part of their bearings being caught up by turning the screw d
further down in the radial slots between which the type levers O oscillate as described
in detail in Patent No. 16,068-1886.
Fig. 10 is a side view of two plates to support the key levers one of the said
plates L having a groove as shown at ƒ Fig. 10 and the elevation Fig. 12:
The said plates have radial slots g, g Fig. 12 and plan view Fig. 11, with the.
groove f intersecting said radial slots gg. The said plates are held' together. by a
screw hat each end and are fixed to the frame of the machine by screws passing
through the flange i Figs. 10 & 11.
A plate somewhat similar to the above has also been described, in patent
No. 16068--1886.
Fig. 14 is a plan of a cap or case for the machine & PP Fig. 6 a section of the
same showing a cushion against which, the type levers rest. Fig. 13 is a combina-
tion of type lever M and key lever N by which a result similar but inferior to that
obtained by the combination of a key lever & counterbalanced type lever may be
obtained. The type lever M being pivotted at j in a plate somewhat similar to that

page_text: hereinbefore described & returning to its normal position by its own weight; the
finger key N for operating the said type lever being pivotted at. k. The type lever-M
printing. from. beneath instead of above the paper roller, and the action of the key
lever N being the same as that of the key lever F Fig. 6 hereinbefore described...
Eig. 15 is a perspective view showing the escapement device attached to the paper
carriage. The upper palet Q is secured to the rod m, the said rod being pivotted in,
the carriage support S at one end, the other end being pivotted in the support R. The
lower palet T is adjustably secured by screws passing through the oval holes 5, 6 to the
support S. The upper palet Q may also be made adjustable by allowing it to rest on
an eccentric headed screw instead of a round headed one as shown in Fig. 15, 7.
Fig. 16 shows the rack U in its normal position between the palets Q&T and
engaged with the palet Q. The rack U is attached to the spacing lever H as shown,
the said lever being semicircular in form as described in former specifications. On
the spacing lever being depressed the rack U engages with the lower palet T and in
returning to its normal position engages with the palet Q thus allowing the carriage to
travel the space of one tooth as will be easily understood. To release the palet Q
from the rack U. the lever o Fig. 15 is turned back.... The spring Sserves to keep
the palet in position.
Fig. 17 is a side view of a combination of alignment plate with bracket for ribbon
spools, and Fig. 18 is a plan of same.
The bracket V is secured to the frame of the machine P by a screwy and a pin r.
To this bracket are secured the ribbon spools WX Fig. 18. The alignment plate Y
is fitted to the bracket V as shown in Figs. 17, 18. The said plate Y having a
bevelled hole S with two projecting arms t, u and a. screw u over which the ribbon
passes from reel to reel as shown by the dotted lines, Fig. 18. The ribbon spools are
operated by a spring w Figs. 17 & 19 which is. pivotted on an arm z' attached to the
rack U. The said spring w engaging with either ratchet wheel x, y as it is pushed
to and fro in the slots as shown in the front view of the bracket Fig. 19. The
slot Z Fig. 18 permits the spring w to pass through the alignment plate.
It will therefore be seen that the alignment plate and bracket may be easily
removed from the machine by unfastening the screw ? Fig. 17.
Fig. 20 Sheet 1 represents an alternative device for preserving the alignment of
the typo levers, showing a type lever in the act of printing.
.The circular piece l is fitted to an arm 2 by a pin 3 and a bevelled headed screw 4
and being similar to a pair of pincers it may be adjusted by the screw 4 to the
required width as will easily be understood by reference to the perspective drawing
Fig. 20.
-
With reference to this alignment regulator we do not bind ourselves to this
particular shape, but may alter it, if desirable and also arrange the adjustment
differently (for instance by passing a screw horizontally through both arms, on which
we may place small thumb nuts, so that the adjustment may act equally on both arms
of the regulator) without departing from the principle involved.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The combination of an alignment plate having a bevelled hole square or round
with type levers carrying bevelled type pieces substantially as set forth in Figs. 1 & 2.
2. The combination of a key lever pivotted so as to leave both ends free with a
type lever having one end counterbalanced, the said type lever being entirely dis-
connected from the key lever and being impelled to the printing point by the
momentum imparted to it by the action of the key lever substantially as set forth in
Figs. 6 and 8.
3. A type lever of which the counterbalance is an irremovable part, the bar and
counterbalance being constructed of one and the same piece substantially as set forth.
4. The combination of two plates substantially as set forth in Figs. 10, 11 & 12.

page_text: 5. The combination of a type lever M with a key lever N substantially as set forth
in Fig. 13, with spacing mechanism as set forth in Figs. 15 & 16.
6. The combination of two adjustable palets Q, T with the spring S¹,
and the rack U substantially as set forth in Figs. 15 & 16.
.
rod
.733,
lever O
7. The combination of a bracket V with ribbons spools X, W and an alignment
plate Y substantially as set forth in Figs. 17 & 18.
8. The combination of a spring w with the rack U and the ratchet wheels y, x
substantially as set forth in Figs. 17 18 & 19.
9. The combination of a type lever with a bevelled beaded screw and guide plates
substantially as set forth in Fig. 9.
=
10. An alignment regulator substantially as set forth in Fig. 20.
Dated this 18th day of April 1889.
M. HEARN.
M. DONNE.