An Improvement in Type Writers.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Oct., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 11th July, 1894-Accepted, 18th Aug.,
1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Type Writers.
1, ALFRED ASHBY, of Ashdene, Argyll Road, Reading, in the County of Berks,
Bachelor of Medicine, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to an appliance to a type writer which gives the operator
notice when the end of the paper is nearly reached. For this purpose I fix round
the main paper roller a strip of metal foil. I also fix a similar strip facing the
former on the subsidiary pressing roller, and, over the former strip, I provide a
metal finger which is rocked so as to touch the strip every time the paper feeding
pawl makes its stroke. I connect the strip on the pressing roller and the rocking
finger to the respective terminals of an electric circuit including a battery and bell
or other alarm. While there is paper between the metal strips on the rollers the
circuit is open, but when there is no paper, the metal strips being then in contact
with each other, on the rocking finger touching the strip on the main roller the
circuit is closed and alarm is given apprising the operator that the end of the paper
has passed from hetween the rollers.
According to a modification, I dispense with the strip on the pressing roller, and
provide a second finger rocking with the former but insulated from it and connected
to the circuit as the strip on the pressing roller was connected. While there is
paper passing under the fingers the circuit is open, but when the end of the paper
has passed from under them, they both, when they rock, make contact with the
strip, the circuit being thus closed and the alarm given. The two fingers may be
adjusted into various positions so as to determine a greater or less width of margin
at the bottom of the paper.
Dated this 19th day of October 1893.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in Type Writers.
i
I, ALFRED ASHBY, of Ashdene, Argyll Road, Reading, in the County of Berks,
Bachelor of Medicine, 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 an appliance to a typewriter which gives the operator
notice when the end of the paper sheet on which he is printing is nearly reached.
I shall describe arrangements which I adopt for this purpose referring to the
accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is an end view and Fig. 2 is a plan of part of a typewriter with apparatus
according to my invention applied thereto.
Fig. 3 is a front view of the said apparatus.
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are corresponding views of a modified arrangement.
Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, A. is the paper roller with its ratchet.
A' is the pressing roller, B is the ordinary lever with pawl 6 for advancing the
paper line by line by turning the roller A step by step.

page_text: -
On a convenient part of the framing but insulated from it I fix a standard C,
which may form part of the typewriter as manufactured, or may, as shewn in the
drawings, be clamped on the framing of an existing typewriter.
On this standard C I fix a yoke D in which I mount a rocking spindle E and
also a lever F one end of which engages as a tooth in the notch of an arm e
projecting from the spindle E.
The other end of the lever F has a stud f of ivory or other suitable insulating
material projecting in the path of the pawl b.
A spring strains the lever F to take the position shewn in Fig. 1, in which
position it is held by the engagement of a setting screw e¹in a slot of e allowing a
limited rocking movement of e. On the spindle E is fixed adjustably by a setting
screw a spring arm K preferably tipped at its end with platinum.
Part a of the upper roller A is covered with tin foil or other conducting material,
and a corresponding part a' of the pressing roller A' is also covered with conducting
material which is in electrical connection with the framing of the machine. This
framing, or some part of the machine in metallic contact with it, and the standard C
are connected by conductors L L' to an electric circuit including a battery and a
bell or other alarm or signal. Whenever the lever B is moved to advance the
upper roller A one step, the pawl b striking f moves the lever F and this movement
causes the spindle E to turn partly round so as to bring the spring K against the
conducting material a on the roller A. So long as the conducting parts a and a¹
have the paper sheet interposed between them, the electric circuit is kept open, and
no effect is produced, but when the paper passes beyond the line of contact of the
rollers A A then, when the spring K is brought against the conducting part a of
the roller A, the electric circuit through L, the framing, the roller A', part a', the
part a of the roller A, the spring K, the conductor L' and the battery and alarm
or signal is closed, and the alarm or signal is given apprising the operator that the
edge of the paper sheet has passed from between the rollers A and A¹, and,
therefore, that the last line printed by him is at a short distance from the edge of
the paper.
As the spring K meets a only when the pawl b strikes the stud f the electric
circuit is not closed, even when there is no paper between the rollers A A¹ except
only when 6 strikes f,
In Figs. 4, 5 and 6, shewing a modified arrangement of the conductors, the parts
corresponding with those in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are denoted by like letters.
On the standard C (which in this case need not be insulated) I fix a yoke D in
which I mount a spindle E arranged as before, but the spindle E is in this case
tubular and through it passes a smaller spindle H which is insulated from E by
being enclosed in a tube of insulating material and an insulating washer h¹. On
the spindle H is fixed adjustably by a setting screw a spring arm K, and on the
spindle E is also fixed adjustably another spring arm K', both these arms being
preferably tipped at their ends with platinum. The arm K' is fixed to a slotted
piece which can be adjusted and fixed, by a setting screw or otherwise, higher or
lower upon the spindle E. Part a of the paper roller A is covered with tinfoil or
other conducting material; the insulated spindle H and the standard C are
connected to an electric circuit including a battery and a bell or other alarm or
signal.
Whenever the lever B is moved to advance the paper roller A one step, the
pawl b striking moves the lever F and this movement causes the spindle E and
the closed spindle H to turn partly round, so as to bring both the springs K and K₁
against the roller A.
So long as the conducting part a is covered by the paper sheet, interposed
between the spring arms K and K' and the roller A, no effect is produced, but
when the paper passes beyond the ends of both K and K' then, when they are
brought against the conducting part a of the roller, the electric circuit of which
they form part is closed and the alarm or signal is given, apprising the operator
that the edge of the paper sheet has passed the ends of K and K', and therefore

page_text: that the last line printed by him is at a short distance from the edge of the
paper.
This distance may be lessened by adjusting K₁ farther down, as the circuit is not
closed until the paper passes beyond K' as well as beyond K.
In covering the parts a and a' of the rollers with conducting material, care
should be taken not to make the parts so covered larger in diameter than the rest
of the rollers, otherwise the paper might be fed faster at the one side than at the
other. Instead of part, the whole of the roller in each case night be covered with
conducting foil electrically discontinuous with the parts facing the springs.
Although I have shewn one form of the apparatus including the clamp and
standard for mounting it on existing type writers of a particular kind, obviously
the forms and positions of the parts may be varied to suit different typewriters, so
long as the purpose and operation remain the same as described above.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An appliance for a typewriter wherein a conducting spring electrically
connected to a battery and alarm or signal is mechanically connected to a lever
presenting a stud in the path of the pawl which advances the paper roller step by
step, the said paper roller having part of its length facing the spring covered with
conducting material, and the pressing roller having a corresponding covering in
electrical connection with the battery and alarm or signal, substantially as and for
the purpose herein set forth.
2. The modified appliance wherein two conducting springs connected in circuit
with a battery and alarm or signal are mounted in connection with a lever
presenting a stud in the path of the pawl which advances the paper roller step by
step, the said paper roller being covered with conducting material over the part of
its length which faces the said couducting springs, substantially as and for the
purpose herein set forth.
1
c 1..1 1004
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.