Improvements in Type-writing Machines.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Mar., 1887
Specification Accepted, 19th Apr., 1887.
Improvements in Type-writing Machines.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex 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 is an improvement on the type-writing machine described in the
specification of former Letters Patent dated May 18, 1886 and numbered 6655 to
which reference is made. The general operation of the machine is similar to that of
the machine described in said specification, the improvements being matters more or
less of detail described below.
In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicato
like parts
Figure 1 is a front elevation of a type-writer embodying my improvements.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the lower part of the machine, i.e. the machine with the
cover and the mechanism connected therewith removed.
Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse vertical central section of the machine.
Figure 5 is a detail in elevation of one end of the carriage.
Figure 6 is a similar detail of the opposite end of the carriage.
Figure 7 is a plan view of the under side of the cover.
Figure 8 is a detail in elevation of the variable feed mechanism.
Figure 9 is a section on line x Figure 5.
Figure 10 is a detail of the feed-pawl.

page_text: Figure 11 is a sectional detail showing the connection between the type-wheel and
crown-gear below described.
A is the base provided with the end brackets A¹, which form bearings for the
rods A2 A3 and As the rods A2 and A³ serving as the guides for the paper-carrier or
carriage B which is perforated to receive and slide on the same, the handle a being
provided for the purpose of sliding said carriage. B¹ is the printing-bar supported
in said carriage at its ends by means of brackets or hangers B2 attached to the inner
sides of the end-bars of said carriage, said printing bar being longitudinally grooved
on its upper side for the purpose of receiving a strip B³ of rubber, leather, or other
flexible material to receive the blow from the type. This flexible strip adds to the
quality of the impression and saves wear of the type.
a and are stops adjustable upon the rod A2 for regulating the extent of the
travel of the carriage, and are not new in this invention.
C is a guide plate secured to the carriage and corresponding with the guide plate b
on the front edge of the cover. The principle of these guide-plates is not new in this
invention and hence they need no further explanation, but in my improvement the
guide-plate is placed upon the front edge of the cover where it is readily seen
instead, of at the rear portion of the machine, and the guide-plate C is movable, being
supported by arms C³ pivotted at C² to the carriage B and held normally in a vertical
position by the spring C³, (see figure 5) so that when the operator desires to use the
guide-plate, he presses it down against the paper which lies on the carriage and then
releases it so that it assumes the vertical position shown in the drawings, out of
the way.
DD is an elbow-lever pivotted at 12 to one end of the carriage and D³ is an arm
pivotally secured to the opposite end of the carriage, said lever and arm supporting a
double rack, said double rack consisting of two parallel racks D₁ the spaces between
the teeth on one of which are smaller than the spaces between the teeth on the other.
This is for the purpose of allowing more or less open type-writing according to the
rack used by the feed-pawl. The rack is held in either of the two positions desired
by means of the friction-washer D³ (see figure 6).
E is a gear-wheel supported by the carriage, meshing into an intermediate gear-
wheel which is fast to the bearing of the lower feed-roll e supported in the
carriage, and said gear El engages the small gear-wheel E fast on the bearing of the
upper feed-roll c¹ supported by the arms I pivotted at 1¹ to the opposite ends of the
carriage (see figures 5 and 6).
The paper to be operated upon c², (see figure 4) passes between said feed-rolls.
E is a lever pivotally secured to the carriage and held in a vertical position by the
spring (see figures 5, 8, and 9). Extending upward from said lever is the
pointer forming an index to the guide-plate b. Pivotally secured to this lever is
a pawl F held upon the gear-wheel E by the spring F and when the operator has
finished one line, by depressing the lever E³, the pawl F rotates the gear-wheel E to
the extent of three teeth, causing the rolls c c to carry the paper up sufficiently to
allow a certain space between the lines.
His an arm pivotally secured at H to the inner side of one end-piece of the
carriage and swinging horizontally therein, said arm being provided with a
horizontal stop-pin H which lies in a perforation H³ in the carriage. By swinging
this arin so that the pin H2 is brought under the lever E³, the downward movement of
said lever is limited so that it can only swing down far enough to allow the pawl F to
rotate the gear-wheel E to the extent of two teeth, thus making the space between two
lines only two thirds of what it otherwise would be. The movement of the arm H is
limited by the pin H+ which strikes against a portion of the frame of the carriage.
The arms I, which are pivotally secured to the carriage and support the bearings of
the upper roll, are integral with a swinging auxiliary frame I held normally down
by a spiral spring 13³ (see figure 4) and adapted to be lifted by a lever J which under-
laps the same, said lever being pivotted at J¹ between the parallel arms J2 extending
from the horizontal bar K.

page_text: KK are braces extending diagonally forward from the central portions of the
bar K to the end pieces of the carriage. Secured to the under side of one of these
braces is a gong-bell d not new in this invention, which by means of ordinary
intermediate trip-mechanism d¹ strikes a lip a³ on the stop a' for the purpose of
warning the operator when the end of a line is approached. The rolls can be
reversed if desired by lifting the pawl F and turning the hand-wheel d².
Lis the cover, hinged at L' on the rod A. Rigidity is imparted to this cover by
means of the long metallic brace L' near the front edge thereof and extending the
greater portion of its length. N is a frame provided with the curved ledge N¹ and
curved index-plate N2, (not new in this invention) said frame being pivotted on the
rod A and attached to the cover by means of bolts or screws №3 passing from its
outer portions through said cover and provided with nuts N on the under side
thereof. Spiral springs e encircle said bolts, and the frame is adapted to be pressed
down upon said springs until the cross-piece n strikes the screw Lt projecting
upward from the centre of the brace L², by means of which the type is prevented
from making too hard an impression on the paper.
O is the type-lever pivotted at O' to the rear end of the sector P which swings
horizontally on the rear portion of the frame N which is supported by a post f pivotted
upon the rod A. The general operation of the frame N with its ledge N¹ and curved
index-plate N2, the type-lever O and sector P is substantially the same as described in
the letters patent above referred to. The sector engages the crown-gear P₁ (see
figures 4 and 11) on the axle P. On this same axle is loosely placed the type-wheel R.
This type-wheel is provided on its periphery with two rows of type, the front row
consisting of small letters and the rear row consisting of capitals and other characters.
A guide-pin» extends from the block integral with the crown gear P' into the block
integral with the hub R of the type-wheel, (sec figure 11) and a lever S pivotted at St
to the frame N, extends into an annular groove R2 on the hub R' and holds the type-
wheel normally back against the crown-gear by means of a spring S³ (see Figures 11
and 2). By operating this lever the type-wheel may be moved forward, sliding on
said pin so that the rear row of type may be used, and by releasing it the type-wheel
slides back again bringing the front row into position for use, are two parallel
upright ears extending from the frame of the sector between which plays a tongue g
extending downward from the type-lever O. The object of this is to prevent back-
lash or play and to ensure accuracy of movement.
The inking ribbon his stretched from spool h¹ constructed in the ordinary manner
and supported in a frame extending down through and secured to the underside of
the cover, (see Figure 7) and said ribbon passes through loops and under the front
row of type on the type-wheel. To this frame is adjustably secured a guard T provided
with a small opening T by means of which all the inking ribbon is kept off the paper
to be operated upon except that at the exact point of the type. The spools A con-
taining the inking ribbon are provided with serrated rims so that they may be operated
by the hangers capable of being held up when not in use by the springs ³, such
operation however not being new in this invention.
U is a pawl bevelled to correspond with the bevels on the teeth of the rack D', and
extending downward from the bifurcated holder U slotted at U so as to be adjustable,
said pawl extending up through-the slot t in the cover L and straddling the bolt U³ on
the frame N. (see Figures 4, 7 and 10). V is a pawl suitably bevelled, placed by the
side of the pawl U, and secured to the end of the curved lever V₁ pivotted at V² in
the slot t, the opposite end of said lever being pivottally secured at V³ to the lower end
of the post V. This post passes through the frame N and a plate y on the table, and
is provided with a nut W and a head or thumb-piece W1, also with a spiral spring W
which lies between said nut W and said plate y. In operation, when the frame N
is pressed down by the operator pressing upon the type-lever O to print a letter on the
paper, the pawl which is rigidly connected with said frame, strikes one of the
bevelled teeth in the rack D' and moves it along. When the type-lever is released and
the frame rises through the action of the springs e, the pawl V, which rose relatively

page_text: when the other pawl dropped by the action of the lever V₁, drops and striking a
bevelled tooth in the rack I completes the movement of said rack. Thus it will be
seen, the pawls work upon the rack alternately. The effect of this mechanism
operating two feed-pawls is to prevent blurring, and produce even spacing. The
extent of the throw of the pawl V may be regulated by means of the nut W.
The object of the improvements above detailed is in general to prevent blurring, to
produce even spacing between letters, and variable spacing between lines, to add to
the number of characters to be used, to render the different parts of the machine
adjustable, and to facilitate the production of good work at as low a cost as possible.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. In a type-writer, the printing bar B' longitudinally grooved and provided in
said groove with a strip or bed of flexible material B³, said printing-bar being supported
by a carriage and adapted to be moved under the type-wheel, substantially as, and for
the purpose, set forth.
Second. In a type-writer, a guide-plate, held normally in a raised position from the
carriage by means of supporting-arms pivotally secured to said carriage, said guide
plate being adapted to be swung down upon the paper to be operated upon near the
printing bar, substantially as, and for the purpose, described.
Third. The combination of the guide plate C, pivotal supporting arms C¹ spring 0³,
carriage B, lever E³ provided with the index-finger E and guide-plate bon the front
edge of the cover L, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Fourth. In a type-writer, a carriage for supporting the paper to be operated upon,
provided with two racks, the teeth in one of which are at a greater distance apart than
the teeth in the other, in combination with a pawl for actuating said racks, substantially
as, and for the purpose, described.
Fifth. The carriage provided with arms or levers pivotally secured thereto, said arms
or levers supporting two racks, in combination with a pawl for actuating said racks,
substantially as, and for the purpose set forth.
Sixth. In a type-writer, the two feed rolls c c in combination with variable gear
whereby said rolls are enabled to feed the paper for two different distances whereby
variable spacing is secured between the lines, substantially as, and for the purpose,
described.
Seventh. The combination of the carriage B, gear-wheel E, lever E³, pawl F, feed-
rolls ce', provided respectively with the gear-wheels EE, and the lever H pivotally
secured to the carriage and provided with the pin H2, substantially as, and for the
purpose, set forth.
Eighth. In a type-writer, the combination with the carriage B of the frame I pro-
vided with the spring I³, said frame being further provided with the arms I supporting
the roll c¹ and pivotally secured to the carriage, and with the lever J pivotally secured
to the frame of said carriage, substantially as, and for the purpose described.
Ninth. In a type-writer, the cover provided longitudinally with the stiffening
brace L, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Tenth. In a type writer, a type-wheel provided with two rows of type, substantially
as, and for the purpose, described.
Eleventh. In a type-writer, a type-wheel provided with two rows of type and
adapted to be moved laterally upon its axle, substantially as, and for the purpose, set
forth.
Twelfth. In a type-writer, the combination of the frame N, lever S, type-wheel R
provided with the grooved hub, R, axle or shaft P³, crown-gear P¹ provided with

page_text: the pin and means for rotating the same, substantially as, and for the purpose,
described.
Thirteenth. In a type-writer, the combination of the type-lever O provided with the
tongue and the sector P provided with the cars gg, said sector operating the printing
mechanism, substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
Fourteenth. In a type-writer, the combination with the inking ribbon of the frame
and guard T provided with the opening T¹ next the type to be used, substantially as,
and for the purpose, described.
Fifteenth. In a type-writer, the combination with the bevelled toothed rack D' on
the carriage of double bevelled pawls UV for actuating said rack, substantially as,
and for the purpose, set forth.
Sixteenth. In a type-writer, the combination of the bevelled toothed rack on the
carriage, the pawl U adjustably supported by the frame N, the pawl V, lever VI, and
adjustable spring-bolt V4, substantially as, and for the purpose, hereinbefore described.
Dated this 5th day of March 1887
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.