Improvements in Typewriting Machines.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 1st May, 1888
Specification Accepted, 1st June, 1888
Improvements in Typewriting Machines.
I BERNARD GRANVILLE of Chicago in the State of Illinois, one of the United
States of America, manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my inven-
tion for IMPROVEMENTS IN TYPE WRITING MACHINES, 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 Type Writing Machines in which the type are supported on
the ends of convergent type-bars, or rods, and it consists in the arrangement of
such type-bars substantially horizontal in the machine and in connecting them by
bell-crank levers with the Key-levers placed at the rear of the type-bars so that the
depression of the respective Keys shall project the respective type-bars forward
end wise and cause them to strike a platen arranged opposite to and facing the type on
their ends. The platen or paper holder is arranged to hold the paper, at the point
where the printing is done thereon, substantially vertical. The type-bars, Key-levers,
and platen or paper holder, being thus positioned in the machine, enable the operator,
when the machine is placed on a stand before him, to look upon the paper placed in
the machine at and to the left of the printing point and see the print while operating
the Keys. The carriage for moving the paper laterally during the operation may be
of any ordinary construction, the connection of the Key-levers therewith being such
as to move the same the distance of the space between letters by the return of the
Key to normal position.
'
Fig. 1 of the drawings represents a plan view of my machine some of the
multiplied parts and the paper holder being omitted. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical
section on line x x of Fig. 1 the platen and paper holder being included.
A is the frame of the machine. B designates cross-bars of the frame and C. the
Key-levers. D designates the bell-crank levers. To the frame two plates or rests a a¹
are attached. These plates are provided with square or angular holes wherein the
type-bars 6 are supported. These holes in the plates are arranged in such position
with reference to each other that the type-bars therein are all convergent, and when
separately thrust forward will slide in said holes and all strike the same point on the
platen. The Key-levers Care each pivoted to a stud projecting upward from the
rear end of a plate c placed on the cross-bars B under each of the levers. These

page_text: plates are preferably secured to the cross-bars by means of screws c¹ which pass
through slots in the plate and cross-bar, and are tightened therein by nuts on the
lower ends, as by this means the position of the plates on the cross-bars may be
adjusted. The said plates at their forward ends each have a downwardly projecting
stud and to these the bell-crank levers D are pivoted. The rear end of each of the
type-bars is enlarged and provided with an elongated slot. The extreme ends of the
Key-levers are connected by links to the short arms of the bell-crank levers, the long
arms thereof having their lower ends hung loosely in the slots in the rear ends of the
type-bars, so that a depression of any Key will cause the particular type-bar to which
it is attached to be thrown forward ond wise against the platen. A springs is placed
under each of the Key-levers so as to be compressed by the depression of the Key
and to cause the lever and its type-bars to be returned to their normal position when
the Key is released after having been depressed.
The type are placed on the end faces of the type-bars so as to strike the platen E
when said bars are projected forward in the manner described.
The platen is placed at the point where the converging lines of the type-bars meet
so that each letter will be printed at the same point. The platen, which may consist
of a plate curved in the form shown or of a cylindrical roller, is supported on a
carriage F provided with trucks or rollers G which run upon rails H attached to the
main frame so that the platen may move laterally back and forth in the usual manner
to print words and lines by the successive printing of the individual character which
form the same.
This movement of the carriage may be secured by various well
known methods for forming the connection between the carriage and the Key-levers
in type-writing machines. The method shown here consists in providing a rock-
shaft I, properly, journaled in the frame of the machine and provided with laterally-
extended arms (not shown in the drawings). Under each row of the Key-levers is
placed a vibrating frame J pivoted to the frame of the machine so as to allow the
cross-bar thereof to come against the under side of the Key-levers, in such manner
as to be depressed by each of said levers as the Key thereof is struck to print a letter.
Each of these frames J has a link K which extends down to and rides on one of the
laterally extended arins of the rock-shaft I so that the depression of any Key will
rock said shaft. The lower end of each of these links is bifurcated or otherwise
extended across the laterally extended arms of said rock-shaft so as to insure certain
contact there with which will rock said rock-shaft by the depression of any Key.
The lower ends of said links should not have such a positive connection with said
laterally extended arms as would pull them downward by the rocking of the said
shaft.
At its forward end said rock-shaft has an arm i extending upward to and above the
carriage frame and to the upper end of this frame is pivoted a pawl ¹ (Fig. 1)
which engages a ratchet-bar L of the carriage. Said rock-shaft also has a collar or
sleeve e (Fig. 2) secured to the end thereof by a set-screw and to this collar one end
of a torsional spring S₁ is attached the other end of said spring being attached to a
stationary post e¹ in which said rock-shaft is journaled. As said shaft is rocked by
the depression of a Key-lever through the instrumentality before described, it over-
comes the force of the spring and when the Key is released the spring returns the
rock-shaft to its normal position. When said shaft is rocked to the right the vertical
arm is thereby inclined to the right and carries the pawl over one notch of the
ratchet-bar so that the return of said rock-shaft under, the action of spring S¹ will
move the carriage and platen to the left through the space between letters. This
action takes place simultaneously with the return of the Key-levers and type-bars to
normal.
The space-bar M is pivoted to the frame of the machine at the end of its side-
bars m and connected to another laterally extended arm of the rock-shaft by means
of a link K¹ in the same manner as the vibrating frames J are, so that the
between words is produced by depressing the space-bar which operates the spacing.
mechanism without effecting any movement of the type-bars.
space
The paper. holder .N is of ordinary construction. and it consists of a curved plate

page_text: extended under the platen or roller, there being sufficient space between to allow one
or more sheets of paper to pass between, and come up over the platen so as to face
the type and receive the impressions thereof when operated.
In this instance the ink-ribbon O is in the form of a disk and is secured between
clamps o which are attached to a shaft journaled in a post and provided with a
ratchet wheel Q which is operated by a spring pawl R attached to and operated by a
short laterally extended arm 7 (Fig. 1) on the rock-shaft I. This pawl is lowered
past one notch of the ratchet wheel at each rocking of said shaft and by the return
movement said pawl turns the ratchet wheel and through it the disk a short distance
so that after each stroke of a type-bar the ribbon is moved sufficiently to present a
different portion of its surface to be struck by the next operation. The portion of
the ribbon near the periphery of the disk covers the printing point so that as soon as
a letter is printed the return of the rock-shaft to normal carries it to the left sufficiently
to be seen by the operator. For the purpose of raising the pawl I to allow the
carriage to be returned to the opposite side of the machine after having printed a line,
I employ a lever T which has a vertical arm t provided with a pin at the top which
projects under the pawl so that by depressing the opposite end of said lever by means
of a Key T' attached thereto said pawl is raised sufficiently to free it from connection
with the ratchet-bar L of the carriage and the carriage can then be moved to the
side of the machine required to begin a line.
Mechanism for spacing between lines is not involved and is therefore not described
or shown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is
1. In a type-writer, and in combination, pivoted Key-levers substantially hori-
zontal in the machine, sliding and converging type-bars also substantially horizontal,
having type on their end faces, intermediate connections between the Key-levers and
type-bars, a laterally moving carriage, and a platen opposite to and facing the ends of
the type-bars substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. In a type-writer and in combination, pivoted Key-levers, substantially horizontal
in the machine, sliding and converging type-bars also substantially horizontal, having
type on their end faces, and intermediate connections between the Key-levers and the
type-bars, a laterally moving carriage and a platen opposite to and facing the ends of
the type-bars, and an inking mechanism substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. In a type-writer, and in combination, pivoted Key-levers substantially horizontal
in the machine sliding and converging type-bars also substantially horizontal, having
type on their end faces, and intermediate connections between the Key-levers and the
type-bars, laterally moving paper carriage and platen opposite to and facing the ends
of the type-bars, and a vertically arranged and rotating ink disk substantially as and
for the purpose described.
Dated this 19th day of April 1888