Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Dec., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 30th Sept., 1898-Accepted, 26th Nov., 1898
I, JOHN EDWARD BOOTH, of No. 8, Piccadilly, in the City of Bradford, Solicitor,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the construction and application of a spacing
mechanisin for typewriting machines, in such a manner as to attain the following.
advantages, namely:-
:―
1. Increased firmness or steadiness of the platen when struck by the type thereby
effecting great improvement in the quality of the work.
2. Improvement in the manifolding capacity of the machine by imparting clear-
ness and sharpness to the definition of the type.
3. Greater facility for attaining a high rate of speed in working or operating the
machine,
4. Diminution in the force of the blow required to work the machine with
efficiency.
5. Diminished wear and toar attending the working of the machine.
In typewriting machines as commonly constructed and operated, the strain or
tension required to move the carriage which supports the platen, is derived by means
of a spring or equivalent mechanism, fixed to the machine at the opposite extremnity
from the one where the line commences; attached to the spring or its equivalent is
a cord, chain, strap or the like, the other end of which is attached to the carriage at
a point sufficiently remote to cause the carriage to travel to the full extent of the
line. By this method of spacing or imparting movement to the carriage, it, namely
the carriage, is subjected to a continual strain and is apt to vibrate or move forward
at the moment when the type strikes the paper borne by the carriage, thus causing
thick or blurred work, at times even leading to double printing or a repetition of
the letter or character. The carriage being under the stress of the spring welcomes
the slightest opportunity for movement, and this is frequently afforded by the
oscillation of the spacing dogs on the depression of a key.
This tendency to vibration or movement has also a marked effect upon duplicates
or manifolds obtained by the introduction of carbon paper; the more remote the
manifold is from the top copy or face of the work, the greater becomes the effect
of the vibration or movement, thus reducing the number of useful manifolds
obtainable.
The speed capacity of the machine, as at present constructed, is influenced by
the length of time occupied by the spacing dogs in traversing the teeth of the
spacing rack, and is further regulated by the tension of the spring by which the
carriage is drawn. This tension or strain also calls for a corresponding strength of
spring to return the keys after depression, and necessitates the use of sufficient
force on depressing a key, to overcome the resistance of the spring, thereby limiting
the speed at which the machine can be worked.
The wear and tear consequent upon the force required to operate the machine as
hitherto usually constructed, is considerable, owing, first, to the friction of the
spacing dogs in the teeth of the traversing rack, and secondly to the shock caused

page_text: by the flight of the carriage under the strain or tension of the operating spring,
and its sudden arrest by the returning dogs, thus causing great vibration.
My invention consists in the provision and application of the force required to
move the carriage, by means independent of the carriage itself, with the effect of
relieving it of the strain or tension above referred to. I accomplish this object by
attaching to the machine in a convenient position a casing containing a spring capable
of being coiled. Outside this casing is fixed a collar or wheel studded with steel
pins, blades or the like, between which the spacing dogs traverse. I also fix out-
side the casing a spur wheel with teeth corresponding in number to the pins or
blades before mentioned. Upon the carriage I fix a toothed rack of convenient
length into which the spur wheel is geared. The spring inside the casing having
been coiled or wound up to the required degree of tension, the spacing dogs are
caused to travel to and fro between the before mentioned pins or blades in the
manner hitherto adopted in the case of the spacing rack. The return of the carriage
to the commencement of a new line as now adopted, suffices to keep the spring
wound up to the desired degree of tension.
The result of operating the machine in accordance with my invention, is to release
what I may term the pin wheel, one pin or tooth at a time. This in turn causes the
spur wheel to revolve to a corresponding extent, whilst the teeth of the spur wheel
gearing with the teeth of the rack impel it forward the required distance.
In place of operating or regulating the spacing of the machine in the manner before
described by a spring inside a casing, the necessary motive force for causing the
before mentioned pin wheel to revolve, may be imparted to the same and to the
before mentioned spur wheel by any well known method of obtaining rotary
motion.
Dated this 28th day of December 1897
JOHN WAUGH,
Agent.
Improvements in the Spacing Mechanism of Typewriting Machines.
I, JOHN EDWARD BOOTH, of No. 8, Piccadilly, in the City of Bradford, Solicitor,
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 :-
This invention has for its object the construction and application of a spacing
mechanism for typewriting machines in such a manner as to attain the following
advantages, namely,―
1. Increased firmness or steadiness of the platen when struck by the type thereby
effecting great improvement in the quality of the work.
2. Improvement in the manifolding capacity of the machine by imparting
clearness and sharpness to the definition of the type.
3. Greater facility for attaining a high rate of speed in working or operating the
machine.
4. Diminution in the force of the blow required to work the machine with
efficiency.
5. Diminished wear and tear attending the working of the machine.
In typewriting machines as commonly constructed and operated the strain or
tension required to move the carriage which supports the platen is derived by means
of a spring or equivalent mechanism fixed to the machine at the opposite extremity
from the one where the line commences; attached to the spring or its equivalent is
a cord, chain, strap or the like the other end of which is attached to the carriage at
a point sufficiently remote to cause the carriage to travel to the full extent of the

page_text: line. By this method of spacing or imparting movement to the carriage it, namely
the carriage, is subject to a continual strain and is apt to vibrate or move forward
at the moment when the type strikes the paper borne by the carriage, thus causing
thick or blurred work, at times even leading to double printing or a repetition of
the letter or character. The carriage being under the stress of the spring welcomes
the slightest opportunity for movement, and this is frequently afforded by the
oscillation of the spacing dogs on the depression of a key.
This tendency to vibration or movement has also a marked effect upon duplicates
or manifolds obtained by the introduction of carbon paper; the more remote the
manifold is from the top copy or face of the work, the greater becomes the effect
of the vibration or movement thus reducing the number of useful manifolds
obtainable.
The speed capacity of the machine, as at present constructed, is influenced by
the length of time occupied by the spacing dogs in traversing the teeth of the
spacing rack, and is further regulated by the tension of the spring by which the
carriage is drawn. This tension or strain also calls for a corresponding strength of
spring to return the keys after depression, and necessitates the use of sufficient
force on depressing a key to overcome the resistance of the spring thereby limiting
the speed at which the machine can be worked.
The wear and tear consequent upon the force required to operate the machine as
hitherto usually constructed, is considerable, owing, first, to the friction of the
spacing dogs in the teeth of the traversing rack, and secondly to the shock caused
by the flight of the carriage under the strain or tension of the operating spring, and
its sudden arrest by the returning dog, thus causing great vibration.
In describing my invention in detail, reference is made to the accompanying
drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a back elevation of a typewriting machine
fitted with my improved spacing mechanism.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same.
Fig. 3 represents a side elevation partly in section to more clearly show the
interior.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged detached detail view showing a side elevation of the spacing
mechanism.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged detached detail view showing a back elevation of the
spacing mechanism, and
Figs. 6 and 7 are elevations of the spacing dogs.
In the drawings some of the parts of the machine which are ordinary and not
required for explaining my invention are omitted, and in all the figures similar
letters indicate similar parts where they appear.
The machine shown is of a well known type, but my invention is applicable to
other typewriting machines, and it consists in the provision and application of the
force required to move the carriage A by means independent of the carriage
itself, with the effect of relieving it of the strain or tension before referred to.
I accomplish this object by attaching to the machine in any convenient position
a casing B mounted upon a spindle Č and containing a spring capable of being
coiled, one end of the spring is attached to the spindle Cand the other to the internal
circumference of the casing B in the well known manner, the position of the
axle C when the spring within the casing is coiled, is maintained by the pawl D and
ratchet wheel E secured on the said axle.
Upon the shaft F clear of the casing B is fixed a wheel G between the teeth of
which the spacing dogs H and J traverse. I also fix upon the said shaft a fusee K
and a spur wheel L, the latter provided with teeth which may correspond in number
with the teeth in the wheel G, the fusee is connected to the circumference of the
casing B by a cord or the like M.
Upon the carriage A is fixed a toothed rack N of convenient length, into which
the spur wheel L is geared, so that on causing the spacing dogs H and J to travel
to and fro between the teeth of the wheel G in the manner as hereinafter described,

page_text: the carriage A is operated on the release of each key K¹ after depression, at a time
when the letters or other type characters are clear of the paper on the platen O.
On depressing one of the keys K' as shown by a series of circles in Fig. 2, the
ring Presting upon the projections of the upright bars Q is tilted, causing
the upright spindle R and cap S secured to the top thereof to be raised.
To the cap S is secured a bar T which is brought into contact with a bar U
attached to the plate V on which the spacing, dogs H and J are mounted. The
plate Vis supported at each end upon the points of screws W and by the operation
of the cap S, the plate V oscillates upon the said screws, bringing the respective
dogs H and J in and out of gear with the wheel G.
When one of the keys K¹ is depressed, the plate V is moved in such a direction
that the fast dog H is made to engage with the teeth of the wheel G, holding the
motive force stationary until the impression has been made. On the liberation of
the key, the cap S, bars T and U and the plate V return to their original
position, and on so doing the hinged dog J engages with a tooth in-wheel G and by
the dog J being loose, it allows the spring in the casing B to uncoil to some
extent, thus causing the shaft F fusee K and wheels G and L to move the distance
equal to one tooth in wheel G, and the carriage A to be propelled the distance
required for spacing between one letter and another at a time when the type
is clear of the paper on the platen O, and by means external to the carriage
itself.
When the carriago. A has travelled to the end of a line, it is moved back to its
original position, the wheel I remaining in gear with the rack N by which the
rotation of the wheels L and G are reversed and the spring in the casing B again
wound up to the desired degree of tension.
The result of operating the machine in accordance with my invention, is to
release the wheel G one tooth at a time, this in turn causes the fusee K, casing B
and spur wheel L to revolve to a corresponding extent, whilst the teeth of the
spur wheel L gearing with the teeth of the rack N impel it and carriage A forward
the required distance. Greater ease of working and increased speed are attained
by the diminution in the friction attending the movement of the dogs back and
forth through the teeth of the wheel G as compared with the motion hitherto
adopted.
In place of operating or regulating the spacing of the machine in the manner
before described by a coiled spring inside casing B, the necessary motive force for
causing the before mentioned wheel G to revolve, may be imparted to the same and
to the before mentioned spur wheel I by wrapping a cord or the like around the
casing B and suspending a weight to the other end of the cord or the like, or by
any well known means of obtaining rotary motion.
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. The movement of the carriage (A) of a typewriting machine by means
of a motive force external to the machine itself, substantially in the manner
set forth.
2. A typewriting machine with which are combined oscillating dogs of
ordinary construction, with a motive force independent of the carriage A, thereby
imparting increased firmness or steadiness to the platen when struck by the
type, substantially in the manner and for the purpose as herein before set
forth.
Dated this 90th day of Santambar 1808