Improvements in Type-writers.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 22nd Mar., 1890
Date of Application, 13th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 22nd Mar., 1890
Improvements in Type-writers.
I, BYRON ALDEN BROOKS, Inventor, of 37, Madison Street in Brooklyn in the
county of Kings, and State of New York, United States of America, do hereby declare
the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to he performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference.
being had to the accompanying drawings making part of this specification, and to the
letters and figures of reference marked thereon:-
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of
drawings.
The object of my invention is to produce a simple, cheap and efficient type-writing
machine. My invention consists of certain novel parts, and combination of parts,
which will be specifically designated in the claims concluding this specification.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown a machine embodying all the novel
features of my present invention in the form in which I now prefer to embody them,
but my invention is not limited to the precise form of devices shown nor to the total
combination of devices shown. Various modifications may be made in the machine
without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of thio concluding
claims.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a top or plan view of the machine.
Figure 2 is an end view, partly in section, of the same,
and
Figure 3 is a detail view of the key lever for spacing between words.
I will now describe the machine illustrated in the accompanying drawings:
A is a type wheel carrying on its periphery a plurality of rows of type, 2, 3. This
type wheel is rigidly attached to a shaft M, by means of a set screw 4.
5 is
B is a wheel having V shaped teeth cut on its periphery. It is carried on the
shaft M, but is not rigidly attached to it. B has a downward projecting grooved
collar a cast integral therewith. A pin 12 attached to the frame of the machine takes
in said groove and prevents said wheel being raised when the shaft M is raised.
a pin attached to the wheel B, and projecting upward through the web of the type-
wheel, which is tapped to loosely fit said pin. By means of this pin, the wheel B is
caused to revolve with the type-wheel A, although permitting the shaft M and the
type-wheel to be raised while the wheel B remains stationary. The shaft M is carried
in the frame of the machine 6, 6, and is provided with a collar 7. G is a key lever
pivoted to the frame of the machine, one end of which takes under the collar 7, so that
when the key G is depressed, the shaft M is caused to slide in its bearings in the
direction of its axis, and the type-wheel attached thereto is raised so as to bring
another row of types (3) opposite the printing point. 8 is a set screw which determines
the position of greatest elevation of the key G and this set screw is so adjusted that
the upper row of types (2) on the type-wheel is normally opposite the printing point.
C is an oscillating arm, pivoted to the frame of the machine, carrying on one end a
key O and on the other end a gear segment H, which meshes with a small gear
wheel N attached to the wheel B. As the wheel B is connected with the type wheel A,
by means of the pin 5, which communicates all motions of revolution from the one to
the other, it is plain that as the toothed segment 8 oscillates thereby causing the
wheel N to revolve, more or less, such motion of revolution will be imparted to the
type-wheel A. 1. is a letter plate over which the arm Coscillates and the proportions
of the parts, and the arrangement of the letters are such that when the arm is over
a given character on the letter plate, the corresponding type on the type-wheel will
be opposite the printing point. I have shown but two rows of characters on the letter
plate, and but two rows of type on the type wheel, but, of course, more rows may be
amulavad

page_text: I is an inking roller which normaliy stands in the position illustrated in Figure 1;
that is between the type opposite the printing point on the platen. This inking roller
is carried on a bar y which is connected to a pivot rod 9. To this rod 9 is attached a
projection 10, which is connected with the vibrating platen carriage E (hereinafter.
described) by a link y, which is not in line with said link and acts something like a
bell-crank lever, so that as the platen carriage rocks forward the link is also thrown
forward and pushing against the pivot carried by the projection 10, causes the pivot
rod 9 to turn and throw the inking roller into the position illustrated by dotted lines
in Figure 1.
K is a rocking bar set upon the lugs J, J, attached to the base of the machine.
This has attached to it grooved projections 13, which form tracks for the sliding frame
or carriage E, carrying the platen I. P is a key lover attached to the rocking bar K,
by means of which said bar is caused to turn about its axis and as it turns to throw
the platen carriage E forward and the platen itself into contact with the type on the
type-wheel standing opposite the printing point. R is a spring set under the key
lever by means of which it is returned to its normal position after each printing
impulse.
14 is a hook attached to the frame of the machine.
15 is a slit cut longitudinally through the platen carriage frame E terminating near
one end of the platen. Through this slit the hook 14 projects and when the platen
has reached the end of a line of print the hook 14 has reached the end of the slit 15
and projects over the body of the frame E. When the hook and platen carriage stand
in this relation and the lever P has been depressed, it will be seen that the carriage is
prevented from moving forward far enough to press the platen against the face of the
printing type on the type wheel. This construction makes it impossible for the
operator to blur the last letter on a line by printing another letter over it.
The rocking bar K carries a projection 16 which is provided with a tooth Z provided
with a face cut in the shape of a letter V. At each printing impulse this projection Z
is thrown forward into one of the V shaped recesses of the wheel B.
As the V shaped
depressions on said wheel correspond with the number and position of the types on the
type wheel, the projection Z and the wheel B form a means for bringing each letter
directly opposite the printing point on the platen, so that the wheel will always present
a letter squarely to the approaching platen. With such or equivalent means a much
greater speed may be obtained in this class of machines, because it makes it unnecessary
to accurately bring the pointer on the oscillating arm C to a given position on the
letter plate before printing. As long as the pointer is brought nearer to the character
on the letter plate, corresponding with the letter or character which it is desired to
print, than any other character on the plate, the means just described will ensure the
proper ty po being brought exactly to the printing position.
Pivoted to the frame of the machine is a pawl F on the under side of which bears a
spring 11. Attached to the platen carriage is a ratchet bar 17, into the teeth of
which the said pawl F takes. When the platen carriage is thrown forward to print,
the forward end of said pawl will be, through the agency of the spring 11, pressed
forward until it drops into the next tooth. When the platen carriage is thrown away
from the type wheel it will be caused to advance the length of one tooth, because said
pawl is pivoted to the stationary frame of the machine, while the ratchet attached to
the platen is movable. In this way spacing between letters, after each printing impulse,
is accomplished. is a pin placed under the rear end of the pawl F to prevent its being
thrown by its own momentum out of engagement with rack 17 when the platen
carriage retreats from the type wheel, and 19 is a pin also attached to the frame of
the machine limiting the forward motion of the pawl, to prevent it moving forward
far enough to space more than one tooth at a time."
Figure 3 is a side view of the key lever S for spacing between words. This lever
is pivoted to the frame of the machine and has an elongated pivot hole which permits
the said lever to have a longitudinal motion with relation to said pivot, shown-in
dotted lines. On the rear end of said key lever is a cam surface 18, working in
connection with a projection 20, from the frame of the machine. W is a spring on

page_text: This
the under side of the said key lever to normally hold its front end in an elevated
position. T is a stop for limiting the downward motion of the lever S.
As the key
lever is depressed it slides forward longitudinally on its pivot with a rocking motion,
controlled by the shape of the cam surface 18. s is a projection from the rocking
frame K, extending under the key lever S. As said key lever is depressed, it
therefore depresses the projection and throws the platen carriage forward.
forward motion must be sufficient to cause the platen to space, but it must not be
sufficient to throw the platen in contact with the face of the printing types. The
stop T is placed so that it permits the key lever S to depress the projections far
enough to cause the platen carriage to space, but not far enough to throw it in contact
with the printing types. In this construction it is desirable to provide some means to
prevent the projection s¹ being thrown down by its momentum too far and cause the
platen to be pressed against a type, and to this end I have shown a hook U on the under
side of the key. lever S, which fits under the projection s¹. When the key lever S is
in its normal position this hook U is not under the projection s', and therefore the
platen carriage can be thrown forward far enough to have the paper carried on the
platen against the type by the operation of the key P. But when the said key lever S
is depressed it is, through the agency of the cam surface 1S above described, at the
same time throw forward, so that the book U takes under the projection s¹, and in
this position prevents the momentum of the parts carrying the platen carriage too far
forward.
The following is a description of the manner in which the machine above described
operates:
The oscillating arm C is brought directly over the character on the letter plate L
which is to be printed. While this arm is held in said position the operator, with the
left hand, depresses the key lever P, and throws the platen carriage forward against
the face of the type standing at the printing point. As the platon carriage comes
forward the inking roller 1 is withdrawn out of the path of the approaching platen
and into the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1. At the same time the
spacing pawl F falls into a new tooth on the ratchet bar 17, and as the platen retreats
from the type wheel, it is caused to advance and space between letters. By depressing
the key lover the type wheel is raised so as to bring the lower row of types
opposite the printing point. When it is desired to space between words the lever S
is depressed, which causes the platen to advance toward, but not to come in contact
with, the type wheel, and thus to space without printing. When the end of a line is
reached, the hook 14 takes over the end of the slot 15 and prevents further printing on
the same line. To draw the platen carriage back, the lever S is depressed which
throws the platen carriage forward far enough to disengage the pawl F from the
rack 17, but not far enough to print, in which position the platen carriage may be
drawn back to begin a new line of print.
I have above particularly described the construction and mode of operation of the
machine illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but I desire it to be distinctly
understood that my invention is not limited to the precise devices or combination of
devices there shown, as various modifications may be made, and equivalent structures
employed, without departing from either the spirit of my invention or the scope of
the concluding claims.
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 type-writing machine a type-wheel provided with letters on the periphery,
a letier plate, an index pointer provided with a hand-piece for indicating the desired
character and an independent means for pressing the paper against the types,
substantially as described.
2. A type-wheel, an index plate, an oscillating arm provided with a hand-piece for
revolving said type-wheel, a vibrating platen and independent key lever for causing
said platen to vibrate, substantially as described.

page_text: 3. A type-wheel, a vibrating and longitudinally travelling platen, a fixed pawl,
a rack attached to the platen carriage, a spring and key lever, all coacting as
described.
4. In a type-writing machine, a type-wheel, a letter plate, an index pointer
provided with a hand-piece, a vibrating and longitudinally travelling platen, an
independent printing key lever and a spacing key lever, substantially as described.
5. In a type-writing machine, a type-wheel provided with a plurality of rows of
type, a shifting key lever, an oscillating arm provided with a hand-piece for
rotating said type-wheel, and an independent printing, key lever, substantially as
described.
6. In a type writing machine, a type-wheel, a notched wheel attached to the shaft
of said wheel, a vibrating bar carrying the platen, and a projection attached to the
said bar which enters the notches upon said wheel when said bar is vibrated to print,
substantially as described.
7. A type-wheel, an index plate, an oscillating arm provided with a band-piece
for revolving said wheel, and intervening gearing, substantially as described, for
causing revolution of the type-wheel, substantially as set forth.
8. A type-wheel shaft having longitudinal movement with a type-wheel attached
thereto, a pinion wheel for revolving said shaft and means for moving said shaft
longitudinally and for retaining said pinion in position, substantially as described.
9. A longitudinally travelling and vibrating platen, a key lever for causing it to
vibrate to print, an independent lever for causing it to space between words, and stops
for arresting its vibration, substantially as described.
10. In a type-writing machine, the combination of a type-wheel, a vibrating platen,
and inking pad suspended between said platen and type-wheel and attached to a
vibrating arm, and a connection between said platon and arm to cause the pad
to swing out of the path of the platen when vibrated to print, substantially as
described.
11. In a type-writing machine, a vibrating and longitudinally travelling platen,
and a pin or book projecting into the path of said platen to arrest its vibration when
it reaches the limit of its longitudinal movement, substantially as described.
.
Dated this Twelfth day of August 1889.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.