Improvements in Type-writing Machines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Jan., 1892-Accepted, 7th May, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Type-writing Machines.
We, FRANK BURNS, of 110 North Pearl Street, Mechanic and PASCAL PRATT
BEALS of 214 Delaware Avenue, Merchant, both of the City of Buffalo, County
of Erie and State of New York, United States of America, 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 :-
The invention relates to improvements in type-writing machines, and consists
in certain combinations and constructions hereinafter described and pointed out in
the claims.
In the drawings,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of our machine;
Fig. 2 is a vertical section,
Fig. 3 is a rear elevation, and
Fig. 4 is a top plan of the same, the top plate and mountings removed;
Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the cylinder carriage with the impression cylinder
in a raised and turned position to bring the writing to view;
Figs. 6 and 7 are views showing modified forms of mechanism for raising and
turning the impression cylinder;
Fig. 8 is a perspective of my compound key and type-bar levers;
Fig. 8 shows one end of a key lever;
Fig. 9 is a side view of the ribbon spool and its means of attachment with the
main frame;
Fig. 10 is a plan of segment of the paper carriage;
Fig. 11 is a section of the cylindrical platen ;
Fig. 12 is a plan of a type-centering or alignment plate;
Fig. 13 is a sectional detail of an improved coupling;
Fig. 14 is a sectional elevation of the alarm bell and its means of attachment
and operation;
Fig. 15 is a plan of the carriage motor spring;
Figs. 16 and 17 are side elevations of our improved paper carriage escapement
in its operative and disconnected positions respectively;
Figs. 18 and 19 are a side elevation and section, respectively, of our improved
automatic ribbon feed ;
Figs. 20 and 21 are end and side views respectively of the cylindrical platen and
paper guide, Figure 20, also showing the pawl releasing eccentric;
Fig. 22 is a view showing the arrangement of two scales on the paper carriage
and a pointer on the main frame, also the stop to limit the length of movement of
the carriage;
Fig. 23 is a view showing a means of numbering the graduations to make them
readily distinguishable to the eye of a beginner;
Fig. 24 is a front elevation of the top plate and front carriage track on a reduced
scale, and
Fig. 25 is an elevation of the line spacing regulator;
Fig. 26 is a section through a centering plate showing a type bar and type
socket or shank in elevation.
A is the main frame of the machine, preferably made in sections of cast metal
firmly bolted together, and A' is the top plate. A rail a having a longitudinal
slot through it and a groove or guide in its back side is connected with the top
plate by flange or pillars a¹ a¹.
B is the type-bar ring or cone mounted in the frame in the usual way, and is of
any approved construction. CC are the keys, DD key levers, D'D' type-bar

page_text: levers dd type-bars, and dd connecting-rods or wires for coupling the type-bar
levers and type-bars. E is the space-bar yoke pivoted to the frame at e and
having a projecting finger e'. F is a rock shaft for operating the paper carriage
escapement. This shaft is operated in one direction by a suitable spring, and in
the other through arm f by the finger e¹ attached to space-bar yoke, whenever
said yoke is moved by a key-operated lever. GG are combs or notched plates
which serve as guides and fulcra for the levers, and G' is a comb which serves
as a guide and limit for the movement of the secondary levers D'. HH are
spools for the ink ribbon mounted on shafts h which are movable endwise
to be alternately intergeared through bevel pinions h¹ h¹ with counter-shaft H¹.
The object of this is to reverse the movement of the ink ribbon when it has
been fed from one spool to the other by the counter-shaft H¹ which is operated
step by step in one direction by means of a worm 7, on shaft N, to be described.
For convenience in detaching and mounting the spools, each of the shafts his
made in two parts coupled together by a sleeve which is conveniently made in the
hub of pinion h¹, as shown. The spools are caused to turn with the shafts by
reason of spline or feather, as shown, but slide freely on said shafts so that they
and the ink ribbon may be adjusted laterally of the path of the ribbon to bring
a new part of said ribbon within the path of the type, as the ribbon is successively
fed across the machine. This lateral adjustment is automatically accomplished
in the operation of reversing the longitudinal feed of the ink ribbon by the
following mechanism.
II are racks connected with the spools by yoke engaging
a groove or shoulder
on the hubs of said spools. These racks engage with pinions ii on the counter-
shaft I which is loosely mounted in the frame. A horizontally-vibrating bar J is
pivoted to the frame of the machine at j and is connected with both shafts / by
means of yokes entering grooves in said shafts. The vibrating bar is also coupled
through projection 1, and link 2, with a block 3, which block carries a double
pawl 4. The block is hung loosely on the shaft I' and pawl 4 engages a ratchet 5
firmly secured to the said shaft. When the ink ribbon has been fed from one
spool to the other and it is desired to reverse the movement of the same, the
operator pulls or pushes one or the other of the shafts h and disengages the bevel
gears at one end of the machine and engages the bevel gears at the other end. At
the same time, the rocker bar J through link 2, block 3, and pawl 4, rotates shaft I'
and said shaft through pinions ii and racks II, moves the spools and ribbon
laterally of the path of the ribbon and brings a new zone of ink ribbon in the
range of the type. When the limit of the lateral movement has been reached in
one direction, the reversal of the. double pawl 4 serves to move the racks, spools
and ribbon in a reverse direction. For firmly holding the pinions in and out of
gear, I have provided a friction stop consisting of a corrugated stud 6, against
which the rocker bar bears with spring pressure.
The compound key and type-bar levers D and D' are preferably made of thin
plates, cut in substantially the form shown, that is to say, with a curved notch or
saddle to fit and vibrate over the edge of another plate or beam, as the bottom of
the notches in the comb support G. These bars are also by preference coupled
together by making the adjacent end of one or the other of the form shown in
Figure 8 by bending or by notching and banding the same. Furthermore, these
compound levers are so proportioned to each other that a given movement of a
key will give exactly the same movement or angle to the spacing and type-bar
levers and thus the touch of the keys will be absolutely uniform for all the
characters. The type-bar levers are held in normal position by springs kkmounted
on a notched and perforated plate or bar K.
Obviously, the connecting-rods may be arranged in a single line equidistant
from the fulcrum of the levers D', but in practice I find it advantageous to arrange
the lower ends of all the rods in front of a diametrical line through the type-bar
ring in one plane and all behind said line in another plane. This is to avoid giving
too great a bend to the connecting wires. In order to compensate for the greater

page_text: range of the rods d' which are in the outer plane, I regulate the length of the two
arms of the type-bars so that said bars will come into position against the platen
with the same movement of key as is the case with those in the inner plane.
The connecting-rods are cut to about the proper length, one end coupled with
the type-bars, and then the other is adjusted to the proper position by inserting
it into a fastening in the nature of a chuck, as shown in Figures 8 and 13.
The chuck or fastening may be straight and the nut screwed to the lower or inner
end and the wire made tapering to be clamped by screwing the nut outward as
shown in Figure 13 or the clamp part may be tapering and the wire end straight,
as shown in Figure 8.
This
L is the paper-carriage spring or motor mounted in a girder A of the main
frame, shown in Figure 15, and L' is a shaft driven by said spring or motor.
shaft carries a pinion 8 at its upper end which intergears with the rack on the
paper carriage and propels said carriage. The shaft also carries another pinion 9
which drives the bell-hammer operating cam 10 through crown gear 11. M is the
bell, and m the bell hammer. The cam 10 and crown gear 11 are both mounted on
a shaft 12 suitably supported in the frame and the shaft is movable endwise to dis-
engage the gear and pinion and set the cam at any desired position so as to ring
the bell when the paper carriage has arrived at any predetermined part of its
movement. To provide for this operation, the carriage is adjusted in the position
it is desired to have the bell ring, the gears are then unmeshed and the shaft 12
turned so as to cause the cam to lift the hammer and ring the bell. The gears are
then again interlocked. Under this arrangement, the bell will ring whenever the
carriage returns to the previously adjusted position.
N is a shaft loosely mounted in the main frame carrying a pinion 13 which
intergears with the rack of the paper carriage and is driven thereby. This shaft
carries a ratchet 14, and also carries a loose sleeve on which is the worm 7 and
and escapement wheel 15. A pawl 16, connected with the body of 15, operates to
drive the sleeve when the shaft is moved in one direction, while permitting the
shaft to rotate within the sleeve in the other direction or when the paper carriage
is drawn back. O is an escapement mounted to vibrate on the girder A². It
permits the paper carriage to be moved step by step by its motor whenever it is
vibrated through rock shaft F and its arm 17. As will be seen, the escapement
has a forked arm in the crotch of which the arm 17 vibrates, thus giving the
escapement the required movement to permit the paper carriage to move the distance
of a letter space.
One arm of the escapement has a pivoted spring pawl 18 which
swings out of the range of one tooth of the ratchet when released by the
vibrating yoke part. The sleeve and the pawl 16 are conveniently raised to
uncouple the latter from the ratchet 14 by means of lever 19, yoke 20, arm 21,
When this
shaft 22 and yoke 23 which engages shoulders on the sleeve, as shown.
is done, the paper carriage may be freely moved back and forth.
In order that the pawl 16 and ratchet 14 may be conveniently disconnected or
thrown out of operative position with each other and be returned to operative
position, I arrange a disc 24 adjacent to the ratchet and bevel the edge of the pawl,
as shown at 25, or I bevel the edge of the disc or of both pawl and disc so that
upon raising the sleeve and the ratchet 14 the pawl will ride over the edge of the
disc and be held out of engagement with its ratchet until again lowered to normal
position.
Upon the depression of a key, the lever D tilts lever D', and lever D¹ operates
a type-bar to bring it into position against the platen, and at the same time vibrates
the spacing yoke E, which, through finger el and arm operates rock-shaft F,
and rock shaft through arm 17 vibrates the escapement when motor spring
through shaft L' impels the paper carriage forward, and its rack through pinion 13
impels shaft N, and said shaft through ratchet 14 and pawl 16 impels the sleeve
carrying escapement wheel 15 and worm 7, and said worm through pinion on
shaft H operates the spool driving pinions and they operate the ribbon spools and
ribbons,

page_text: P is the paper carriage mounted above the top plate of the machine, the rear
side having bearings on grooved rollers 26 and a projection from the front side
having its bearing in the grooved way 27 of the rail a. The rear of the carriage is
held to its rollers by spring-pressed rolls 28. These rolls may be mounted and
supported in any convenient way. As herein shown, they are mounted on arms
laterally projecting from vertical rods 29.
M' is the impression cylinder or platen having its journals or arbors hung in
movable boxes m' m' normally fitting and resting in the neck or narrow part of
keyhole slots. These boxes are segments of discs whose ends fit and turn
in the circular part of the slots. A yoke N' is pivoted to risers from the carriage
and is connected by links n n with the lower ends of the boxes m³ m¹. By this
combination, and upon the depression of the yoke or lever N', the cylinder and its
attachments are first raised and then rotated to the position shown in Figure 5, so
that the operator may inspect the work. The paper pressure roller of the paper
holder being normally at the rear lower side of the cylinder makes it necessary to
elevate the cylinder before it can be rotated to expose the writing, but this elevation
brings the work to a better position for inspection and makes the location
of an error or omission through the use of two similar parallel scales more
convenient, than would be the case were the cylinder merely rotated without being
raised.
R is the spacing lever pivoted to the paper carriage at and provided with a
slot. This lever is held in normal position by a strong spring R¹ and carries a
pawl 30 for moving the platen a line space. This pawl is held to its work by a
light spring and it is provided with a cam or inclined surface 31 so that it is held
out of engagement with its ratchet by the stud 32 fixed to the paper carriage
when the lever R is in its normal position, but upon operating said lever the pawl
promptly comes into range with the ratchet and operates the same and through it
the platen, and feeds the paper a line space. By reason of this operation, the
platen may at all times be turned by hand in either direction. In our machine in
which this platen is raised to bring the work to view, this is of especial importance.
The range of the lever R is gauged or regulated to give single or double line space
by means of a sleeve 33 arranged to slide in or out on a stud on the end of the
machine so as to be brought within or without the plaue of movement of the lever.
When the sleeve is in the plane of the lever, its range will be limited to give an
ordinary line space, and when it is out of the plane of movement the lever will be
limited by the stud only and will give the greatest line space possible with the
given machine. S is an eccentric pawl lifter loosely mounted on the frame and is
designed to raise the ordinary friction stop or pawl S₁ so that the platen may be
freely moved while feeding paper into the machine.
Our paper guide, shown in Figures 2, 20 and 21, is mounted on the rod T
and is arranged to vibrate so as to throw the toe or lower end away from the cylinder
for catching the paper as it is fed to the machine and when released to swing
back near to or against the platen cylinder. A stud or pin 34 is connected with
the rod T to limit the inward vibration of the guide. When this guide is to
be used also for a paper feed and presses against the cylinder the stud 34 is not
necessary.
V, Figure 12, is a centering plate or guide consisting of a ring plate provided
with perforations corresponding in number with that of the type-bars. This plate
is supported around the center of the type-bar ring or cone in any suitable way, as
by an arm V attached to the main frame and the perforations serve as guides to
co-operate with studs on the type-bars to cause the type to be uniformly
brought to a central or fixed point and thus insure perfect alignment in the
printing operation. The studs are tapering or conical so as to allow for slight
imperfections in the machine, as looseness at the axis of the type-bars, and yet
bring the type to the exact position desired. Figure 26 shows a preferred means
for centering or bringing the type to the exact position. The means consist of a
plate V2 having a single cylindrical perforation arranged in the center of the cone

page_text: and through which every type must pass to come in contact with the paper over
the platen. Each type-bar is provided with a type having a pyramidal or conoidal
shank, that is, a shank having tapering sides merging into parallel sides at the base.
The shank just fits the guide hole in plate V. In operation, the tapering shank
passes freely into the guide hole and its inclined sides bring its axis or center to
exactly the same point at all times without any tendency to bruise or upset the
printing surface of the type as is liable when a tapering centering hole is used with
type having shanks with parallel sides.
In the slot and grooved way in the rail a, we arrange an adjustable stop =
consisting of a screw-bolt and handle. By the use of this stop the range of the
paper carriage may be conveniently regulated at will.
In setting up or assembling the parts of our machine, the key stems 34 having
forked ends are set astride the key levers and then the branches of the fork are
clamped and bent together around the ends of the levers thereby effectually
securing the parts together.
In our machine, we mount two scales or dials on the paper carriage under a
parallel arrangement, as shown at Fig. 19, one, 35, upon the paper carriage, and
the other 36, upon the yoke or frame of the cylindrical platen and in close proximity
to said platen. Under this arrangement, when the platen is thrown up, as in
Fig. 22, the index finger 37 points to both scales and said scales being parallel and
corresponding in other respects with each other, the position of an error or omission
can he more readily observed, and the adjustment of this carriage for the
correction of such error can be more readily accomplished than by the ordinary
arrangement of reversed scales, one stationary on the main frame and the other
movable on the paper carriage. To enable the eye to more readily observe and
the memory to retain the exact point on the scale, I designate each graduation or
each alternate graduation with its appropriate number as shown in Figure 23 where
alternative ways of numbering the graduations are illustrated. This is of especial
importance to beginners and others of imperfect vision.
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 a series of keys, a series of type-bars and a series of
compound levers of the first order, of varying lengths, having the fulcra of
corresponding members in line with each other, the connected arms of the
members being proportioned as described so that a given length of movement of
the key will impart a uniform or constant angular movement to the type-bar
member, whereby a uniformity of touch and movement of the keys is secured.
2. The combination of a series of keys, a series of compound levers consisting
of levers of varying lengths having the fulcra of corresponding members in line
with each other, the connected arms of the members of the compound levers being
proportioned as described, a series of type-bars connected with their levers at one
distance from the fulcrum and another series of type-bars connected with their
levers at a different distance from the fulcrum, the arms of the two series of type-
bars being proportioned as described to cause them to bring the type to position
against the platen with a uniform stroke or movement of the keys, substantially as
described.
3. The combination of a series of keys, a series of compound levers consisting
of thin plate, levers of varying lengths having fulcrum notches and a fulcrum bar
for each series of the respective members of the compound levers, substantially as
described.
4. The combination of ribbon spools, two-part shafts for supporting and
operating said spools, means for coupling the spool and shaft so that they will
rotate together and a device for coupling the parts of the shaft together, substan-
tially as described.
5. The combination of ribbon spools mounted to reciprocate with or upon their

page_text: supports, and mechanism consisting of racks, shaft and pinions for moving said
spools together in either direction, substantially as described.
6. The combination of ribbon spools, racks, shaft pinions, ratchets and pawls,
vibrating bar and reciprocating shafts for automatically moving the spools
laterally in one direction to their limit of movement and then laterally moving
them in the other direction by reversal of the pawls, substantially as described.
7. The combination with the bell and bell hammer and with the travelling
carriage, of a revolvable shaft geared with a rack on the carriage and a revolvable
cam actuated by said shaft and adapted to be adjusted angularly to trip the bell
hammer when the carriage reaches any predetermined point in its travel, sub-
stantially as shown and described.
8. The combination of a bell hammer, a revolving cam for operating said
hammer, a movable part of the machine carrying gear and a reciprocating shaft
carrying the cam and a member to co-operate with the gear, whereby the cam and
gear may be adjusted to ring the bell when the carriage arrives at any pre-
determined position, substantially as described.
9. The combination of the bell-hammer, a revolving reciprocating shaft carrying
a cam and gear, and the motor shaft carrying pinion, substantially as described.
10. The combination with the carriage, of a shaft in gear with a rack thereon, a
ratchet on said shaft, and a disk adjacent to the ratchet, a pawl for dogging the
ratchet pivoted to a support movable in the direction of the axis of the shaft, the
said pawl and disk operating together by a cam action to lift and hold the pawl out
of engagement with the ratchet by the movement of its support, substantially as
described.
11. The combination of a shaft, a ratchet secured to said shaft, a sleeve
mounted on said shaft, a pawl for interlocking the sleeve and shaft, an escapement
ratchet and a worm connected with the sleeve, an escapement, means for imparting
motion to the shaft and ribbon moving mechanisin operated by the worm,
substantially as described.
12. The combination of a shaft, a ratchet, a disk adjacent to the ratchet, a pawl
adjacent to the disk, the disk and pawl having their contiguous surfaces inclined to
each other, and a reciprocating part to which the pawl or the ratchet is connected,
whereby the pawl may be disengaged and held from engagement with its ratchet,
substantially as described.
13. The combination of a shaft, a ratchet secured to the same, a sleeve mounted
on said shaft, a pawl for interlocking the sleeve and shaft, a lever pivoted to the
paper carriage and intermediate connections between the lever and sleeve for
raising the sleeve and through it disengaging the pawl from the ratchet, substan-
tially as described.
14. The combination of a main frame, a movable carriage mounted on said
frame, one side of the carriage being supported and guided by a side grooved
guide rail on the main frame, and the opposite side by vertical grooved guide, and
a spring-pressed holding device to prevent the carriage from lifting, substantially
as described.
15. The combination of a main frame, a paper carriage mounted on said frame
and spring-pressed rollers for holding the carriage in position on the main frame,
substantially as described.
16. The combination of a spacing lever, a pawl pivoted to said lever, a
projection from the paper carriage and an inclined or cam surface on the pawl,
whereby the pawl is normally held out of range with its ratchet, as set forth.
17. The combination of a spacing lever, a stud projecting from the paper
carriage in the path of said lever and a sleeve laterally adjustable on said stud,
substantially as described.
18. The combination with the platen frame, of a paper guide pivoted to the
front bar of said frame and provided with an arm by which it may be operated to
throw its toe or lower end outward to catch the paper as it is being fed to the
machine, substantially as described.

page_text: 19. The combination, in a type-writing machine, of a perforated centering plate
and type-bars having tapering or conical guide projections to bring the type to
exact position, substantially as shown and described.
20. The combination with the paper carriage, of a supporting rail slotted longi-
tudinally and horizontally and a stop for the carriage adjustable in said slot,
substantially as described.
21. The combination of supports provided with key-hole slots, movable boxes
mounted in said slots, a platen or impression cylinder journaled in said boxes and
two similar parallel correction scales, substantially as described.
22. The combination of a platen or impression cylinder, means for lifting and
for rotating said cylinder to expose the work to view and two similar parallel
correction scales, substantially as described.
23. In a type-writing machine, the combination with the paper carriage, of a
graduated scale thereon, an index finger on the main frame, and a second scale on.
the under side of the platen frame in close proximity to the platen and arranged to
be brought into view when the platen frame is turned back, substantially as
described.
T
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.