IMPROVEMENTS IN TYPE-WRITERS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
I RAPHAEL HUNTER BRANDON of 114 Queen Victoria Street E.C. London and
1 rue Laffitte, Paris, France, Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TYPE-WRITERS," which inven-
tion has been communicated to me by Henry Bullard Richardson of Amherst,
County of Hampshire and State of Massachusetts, United States of America,
Gentleman, to be as follows:―
This invention relates to improvements in type-writers and consists mainly :—
First, in improved type-bearing devices;
Second, in means for bringing any type-letter at the will of the operator to such
a position that its impression shall be made upon the paper at the proper time and
in its proper place;
Third, in improved means for providing in one machine several forms of type,
either one of which may be employed continuously or alternately.
Fourth, in improved means for causing the paper to be so moved over the type
letters that the spaces provided for each letter shall be proportionate to the width
of the latter.
Fifth, in improved means to co-operate with said type-bearing and operating
devices, whereby the proper impress of the paper upon the type is effected when
the latter is brought into proper position. The objects are to greatly simplify the
construction of machines of this class, to provide improved means, whereby several
varieties of type-writing may be produced upon a single line or in a single word,
thereby affording improved facilities for emphasizing words.
First part. The printing characters, letters, figures, etc, are arranged upon the
sides of a typo-block, said sides thereof being curved convexly. The said block has
four sides, upon which printing characters aro arranged. The said block is pivoted
in the machine to be rotated on its central longitudinal line, whereby either of its
anid convexly curved sides is brought uppermost and the characters thereon into
proper position for printing. Said type-block is hung in a frame by pins or screws
which pass through uprights on said frame.
Second part. Below the aforesaid type-block is arranged a table or letter plate
into which are made a suitable number of conical openings, each of which is

page_text: designated by a letter or character, and the number of which corresponds to the
number of type-letters or characters on the type-block. Between the said type-
block and the said table or letter plate, is an arrangement of rods and bars hung
from the frame of the type-block; the lower end of one of the rods is connected to
a handle by a ball and socket joint. The handle can be moved and be brought, at
the will of the operator, into any one of the conical openings in the letter plate,
and by so doing, the type-block is accordingly displaced so as to disclose or present
to the paper upon which it is desired to write, such letter as corresponds to the
letter indicated by the conical opening.
Third part.―The said type-block is of sucli size as to receive several varieties of
type.
'
The paper to be written upon is carried on a roll and passes over the type-block.
Immediately above the paper and the typo-block is arranged a hammer, which, at
each impression, is caused to be brought down with a sharp blow upon the paper,
by means of an arrangement of levers operated from under and indirectly by the
aforesaid table or letter plate.
Fourth part. Under the aforesaid table or letter plate, is placed another table
which is connected to the hammer operating devices, and is depressed at each
movement of the handle, when working the machine.
The conical openings in the table or letter plate vary in size, according to the
broadness of the letter or character at each conical opening, thus enabling the
depression to be greater for a wider faced letter, such as W, M, and said greater
depressions are caused to effect such an amount of transverse movement of the
paper carrying device as will ensure the requisite room in the line for a wide-faced
letter.

page_text: I, RAPHAEL HUNTER BRANDON of 114a Queen Victoria Street, E.C. London
and 1 rue Laffitte Paris, France, engineer and patent agent, do hereby declare
the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TYPE-WRITERS & com-
munication to me by Henry Bullard Richardson of Amherst, County of Hampshiro
and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 improvements in type-writers, and consists in improved
type-bearing devices and means of bringing any type-letter at the will of the
operator to such a position that its impression shall be made upon the paper at the
proper time and in its proper place; and furthermore in improved means for
providing in one machine several forms of type, either one of which may be
employed continuously or alternately, and for causing the paper to be so moved
over the type-letters that the spaces provided for each letter shall be proportionate
to the width of the latter, and in improved means to co-operate with said type
bearing and operating devices, whereby the proper impress upon the paper upon
the type is effected when the latter is brought into proper position, the object being
to greatly simplify the construction of machines of this class, to provide improved
means whereby several varieties of type-writing may be produced upon a single
line or in a single word, thereby affording improved facilities for emphasizing
words.
.
In the drawing forming part of this specification Figure I is a front elevation
partly in section, without the paper-carriage. Fig II is a side elevation also partly
in section and without said paper-carriage. Fig V is a rear elevation combining
said paper-carriage and also partly in section, said three figures illustrating a type-
writing machine embodying my improvements. Figure III is a plan-view of the
table of the machine and certain detail parts; Figure IV is a side view of the
type-block; and Figure VI is a detail view of stop-devices for the paper-carriage.
In the drawing A, indicates the general frame of the machine; B fig. V are
paper-carriage-supports secured to said frame A. K, is a paper-carriage of ordinary
construction except the double serrated rack-bar 8, consisting of said rack and the
usual framework supported by parts 7, on suitable horizontal bars w, adapted to
carry the.
e.paper over the type-block, the whole being actuated to slide on said bars
by the weight t and cord y and having its movements governed by devices herein-
after described. The paper is carried on a roll 9 or other convenient device, or
may be held between ordinary compression rollers.
The printing characters in this machine, letters, figures etc, are arranged upon
the sides of a type-block h said sides thereof being curved convexly, as shown in
Figures I, II & IV. Said block h, as shown herein provides four sides upon which
printing characters are arranged. It is obvious that they may be arranged upon
one or more sides thereof.
Said block h, is pivoted in the machine to be rotated on its central longitudinal
line, whereby either of its said convexly curved sides is brought uppermost, and
the letters or characters thereon into proper position for printing.
Said type-block is hung in a frame known as a "gimbal-frame,” herein.
designated by the letter D, by pins or screws 6, which pass through uprights on
said frame and enter each end of said type-block far enough to sustain it. upon.
their points. A stop-pin 5 passes through one of said uprights, and is adapted to
enter any one of a series of holes in one end of said block h, to retain the latter
in said frame in such a way that which ever face is uppermost, it will so remain
until the block is turned on its pivots by the operator.

page_text: The said "gimbal-frame" D, is pivotally hung between two uprights of frame A
(see Figs I & II) and has a stylus-rod tube m, secured centrally thereto and
pending therefrom.
A stylus-rod o, is fitted to said tube m, so as to have a free reciprocating movo-
ment therein and, to its lower end is attached, by an ordinary ball-and-socket-joint,
the stylus &, of conical form, and provided with a suitable handle for convenient
manipulation.
Properly supported on frame A, under said stylus e, is the stylus-plate c, having
therein a series of perforations v of differing diameters or openings.
Directly under the aforesaid stylus-plate c, is located the letter plate d, which is
provided with the lever-posts e ce', pending from its under face. Said posts are
slotted as shown and to each of those lettered e, (located near the outer edges of
said letter-plate) are pivoted the ends of two parallel bars a, and the opposite ends
of said bars are pivoted in two posts f, at the rear side of the machine. Springs a²
are placed under the ends of said posts e, whereby said plate d is carried upward
against or towards said plate c. The aforesaid arrangement of the parallel bars a,
provides supports for sustaining the letter-plate d, under plate c, with its surface
in substantially the same plane with the latter, and allows said letter-plate to be.
deflected from said stylus-plate. Springs a², throwing the letter-plate up as
aforesaid.
A lever n³, having one end pivoted to frame A, at the front side of the machine
under said plates c and d, extends from thence through said slot in post c¹, on
plate d, in which post it is so pinned as not to interfere with the free vertical
movements of plate d, and terminates at the rear of the machine.
A hammer-post b, stands at the rear side of the machine to the upper end of
which is pivoted the bar n³, which carries on one end the hammer n, the latter
being held centrally over the curved upper face of the letter-block h.
The rear end of said bar n³, is hinged to the main part of the bar at 24, thus
permitting its extreme end to be turned upward, but to come to a fxed horizontal
position when swung down, as in figure II.
A rod n, is pivotally attached to the end of said lever n³ and is supported in a
vertical position by passing through an arin on the hammer-post b.
The upper end of said rod n is provided with a hook 25, to engage with the
end of said bar n².
Thus it will be seen that if the letter-plate d, be depressed rod n' is drawn
downward, causing hammer n to be lifted, hook 25 finally slipping off from the
end of bar n³ and letting said hammer fall against the letter-block h. When
springs a², throw plate d upward again, hook 25 strikes said hinged end of bar n³
turning it up, and in its return movement engaging with it as before.
The above-described letter-plate d, bears upon its surface, at exposed points
thereon which can be seen through the openings v, in the stylus-plate c, letters
corresponding to those on the faces of the letter-block h, and said openings v, are
made of greater diameter when they are to show broad-faced letters a W, M etc,
than when exposing letters a, b etc.
The stylus, as hereinafter described is pressed upon plate d, in operating the
machine to write, and since said openings v, of larger diameter permit the stylus
to penetrate farther through them, it is obvious that in the latter case the plate d
is depressed to a greater degree than when said stylus is operated through the
smaller openings in the stylus-plate, and said greater depression of said letter-plate
are caused to effect such an amount of transverse movement of the paper-carriage K
as will insure the requisite room in the line for a wide-faced letter, in the following
manner.
A lever 26, is hung in a horizontal position under the post e¹ (Fig. V) having
under it a spring 27 to hold it up to the position shown.
Said lever 26, is provided with a series of off sets 28, (for which an incline may
be substituted). A rack-dog 20 whose upper end is adapted to engage with the
teeth on the under edge of rack 8, is hung in frame 4 and is capable of a downward

page_text: movement through its connection with lever n³, by rod 23 and a return movement
against said rack by spring 22; said dog has on it a horizontal arm 21.
A vibratory lever 15, is pivoted to frame A. The upper end of said lever swings
against a stop 29, on said frame, actuated by a spring 30 attached to it near its
lower end and the latter reaches nearly down to said lever 20.
On the side of said lever 15 at its upper end, is arranged a sliding bar 16, having
an arm 17 thereon, and pin 19, therethrough, the latter being adapted to engage
with the teeth on the upper edge of rack 8, and the former with said arm 21, on
the dog 20. A spring 18, draws bar 16, downward and keeps arm or pin 19 in
engagement with the upper edge of said rack when sail bar is undisturbed.
As above-described weight t, tends to draw carriage K, with rack 8, to the right
(Fig. V).
The dog 20 holds said rack from moving until the letter-plate d, is depressed by
the stylus . The downward movement of said plate when the stylus is operated
over letters of ordinary width, does not bring the end of post el against lever 26,
with force enough to move the latter, but said movement swings down lever n³, and
draws dog 20 away from rack s, and lets bar 16 slide on lever 15, to bring pin 19
into engagement with said rack, and the latter and carriage K, with the paper 10
now slide along to the right until the lower end of lever 15 strikes the vertical side.
of the first off set on lever 26, when the motion of the said carriage is arrested.
The upward movement of plate d, allows dog 20 to engago again with racks and
lifts pin 19, above the latter.
When the stylus 2, is operated over wide-faced letters, plate d, is so much farther
depressed as to cause post e' to strike lever 26 carrying it down so far as to permit
the lower end of lever 15, to swing to the left against the vertical face of the second
or third offset on lever 26 and permit a corresponding increased movement of
carriage K, as required by the width of the face of the letter over which said stylus
was operated.
The inking devices in this machine consist of the ordinary ink-ribbons and they
are mounted on rollers 13, on each side of the letter-block h, said rollers being
supported on shafts 14, which latter may be supported in any convenient manner.
from the frame A of the machine. Said ribbons consist of three or less, whereby
one or more colors of ink are provided for use with the machine, and consist of
endless bands passing over said rollers and across the upper face of the type-block
and back under the latter.
Feed-rolls 31, may be adapted to move said ribbons by hand or automatically
over said type-block. The rollers 13 are adjustable on said shafts 14 to bring
either of the ribbons 12 centrally over said type or letter-block h.
The operation of this machine is as follows:
The gimbal-frame D in which the letter-block h is supported provides for a free
movement of the latter when the stylus z, is seized by the operator and swung to
different positions over the stylus-plate c. The ball-and-socket-joint connection of
the stylus with the lower end of the rod o, permits the operator to press said stylus
vertically through the openings vin said stylus-plate and against the letter-plate,
when said rod o, stands at an angle or incline over said plates, and since the rod o
is capable of a free movement within tube m, of the gimbal-frame provision is made
whereby said stylus may be carried from opening to opening over the letter-plate,
centrally located or otherwise, and be pressed against plate d as above set forth.
The arrangement of the letters on block h is such that when the stylus is
carried over a certain letter on the plate d, a corresponding letter on said block is
brought directly under the hammer n, and the same letters on different faces of
the letter-block occupy a corresponding position on all, so that when writing, if it
be desirable to interpose italics in a line with other letters, it can be done by
turning said block to bring its italic-lettered face under the hammer and su on in
respect to any other changes within the limits of the variety of letters borne upon
the several faces of said letter-block.

page_text: Thus the paper 10 is placed under the hammer n, and allowed to lie upon the
inking-ribbon thereunder, carriage K being moved to the left so that the line of
writing will be commenced at the border of the paper as usual. The stylus being
grasped by the operator is pressed upon letter after letter upon plate & the lateral
movements of said stylus being followed by the letter-block as above-described, to
bring each letter under the hammer. As plate d is deflected by the stylus, hammer n
is lifted and dropped upon the paper, driving it with such a quick, sharp blow,
upon the inking-ribbon 12 and the letter thereunder as to produce the impression
of said letter clearly upon the paper.
The above-described movement of plate d. whereby the hammer was operated 1
was sufficiently preceeded by the movement of carriage K, operated as before-
described, to bring the paper to a proper position over the letter on block h.
Where it becomes desirable to operate one of these machines on a greater variety
of type forms than can be embodied in one letter-block, several of the latter may
be provided for use with a machine all being adapted to operate with the other
parts thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1 In a type-writing-machine a gimbal-frame, pivotally supported therein, a s
letter-block hung in said frame and bearing a series of printing-characters upon one
or more surfaces thereof and adapted to be rotated on its bearings, a hammer to
strike upon said block and operating mechanism, a movable letter-plate bearing a
series of letters and characters upon its surface, the stylus 2, and appliances
substantially as described connecting said gimbal-frame and stylus, whereby the
latter is permitted to be moved to different positions over the surface of said letter-
plate and to be pressed thereupon and moved downward with the latter combined
and operating substantially as set forth.
2 The stylus of conical form, a movable letter-plate and a stylus plate
located over said letter-plate and provided with dissimilar perforations, combined
and operating, substantially as set forth.
3: In combination, the movable letter-plate d, the perforated stylus-plate c the
gimbal-frame D having the tube m, thereon, the rod o and the stylus substantially
as set forth.
4: The pivoted bar n bearing hammer n on one end thereof, the movable
letter-plate d, lever n³, rod n' and the stylus z, capable by means substantially as
described of lateral and vertical novement and adapted to be pressed upon various
parts of said letter-plate and combined and operating substantially as set forth.
5 In combination, the letter-plate d having the slotted posts ee thereon, the
parallel bara a, and the springs a substantially as set forth.
6 The pivoted barn bearing hammer n on one end thereof, the movable letter-
plato d lever n³, rod nt, and the stylus capable by means substantially as described
of lateral and vertical movements and adapted to be pressed upon various parts of
said letter-plate, combined and operating substantially as set forth.
7: The combination with the movable tablo d, and lever n³ and with the rack s
of the lever 26, the lever 15, the sliding bar 16, provided with pin 19, the dog 20
adapted to engage with said bar and springs 18, 22 & 30 substantially as set
forth.