Improvements relating to Means for Automatically Actuating Type-composing and other Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 9th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 9th Jan., 1897
.
TROY INTO
Improvements relating to Means for Automatically Actuating
Type-composing and other Machines.
I CHARLES MERAY-HORVATH, of 10 Hochsteingasse, Graz, in the Empire of
Austria, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to composing machines and comprises an improved
apparatus for the automatic depression of the keys.
It is well known that most composing machines have a keyboard actuated by
hand for producing the desired composition.
The apparatus forming the subject of my invention possesses considerable
advantages as compared with the means heretofore used.
In the first place the work once executed is preserved so that it may be
automatically performed again, and a provision is made for the possibility of
producing the work on the key-board independently of the composing machine,
and for effecting the depression of the keys from a distant point.
This invention consists substantially in causing movable bolts by definitely
combined movements of a small number of bars or stopping devices extending
over all the bolts or moving devices, to shoot forward singly and transmit their
movement to the keys of the composing machine. The arrangement is such that
for instance for thirty one bolts only five bars or stopping devices are used which
appropriately constitute racks, and that such racks receive their movement by
the action, due to definite combinations, of electromagnets corresponding in number
to the said racks.
The excitement of the electromagnets is controlled in a precise manner by a
contact strip provided with conducting and insulated places, and including
corresponding magnets in a circuit at the proper time.
In the accompanying drawing the apparatus which forms the subject of my said
invention is represented.
Figure 1 is part of the contact strip, from which the mode of combining the
characters will be seen;
Figure 2 a diagram of the device by which the combination of characters is
transmitted to a number of electromagnets;
Figure 3 a front view of the arrangement, partially in section.
Figure 4 an end view of the same;
Figure 5 a vertical section of the upper part of the arrangement, and
Figures 6 to 9 represent details which will hereinafter be explained.
In the constructional form of the apparatus herein described and represented in
the drawings it is supposed that there are five point combinations, by means of
which thirty one different bolts may be actuated.
Each horizontal row of points of the contact strip corresponds to a definite
character. With the supposed five points I can obtain thirty one different com-
binations and use definite combinations for definite characters. The points are
either holes in insulating strips of paper, through the intervention of which five
electromagnets are excited only when feelers or fingers corresponding to the

page_text: electromagnets pass upon holes in the strip of paper, thus closing the corresponding
circuit through these holes; or the said points are insulated places on a conducting
metallized strip of paper which are produced by a special method by burning and
which can then also close the circuit through the medium of relays.
Now suppose that I operate with a perforated strip which always establishes
contact when one of the five contact fingers a¹ to a adapted to slide over the
contact strips and connected each with one of the five electromagnets m¹ to m
passes through a hole in the contact strip and thereby closes the circuit for the
corresponding magnet. The current always flows from a battery through the
common conductor 6 and through those electromagnets which are included in
the circuit in the manner shown in the drawing.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that the five electromagnets m¹
to mo are always excited in the same order in which combined contact holes occur.
In order to give a clear idea of the excitement of the electromagnets I will make
a comparison between Figure 1 and Figure 2.
In the first horizontal row the magnets m¹ m³ and m³ would be excited.
In the second horizontal row the magnets m³ m* and m³ would be excited.
In the third horizontal row the magnets m¹ m' m' m' m' would be excited.
In the fourth horizontal row the magnet m³ would be excited.
In the fifth horizontal row the magnet m would be excited, and so forth.
I arrange the five electromagnets at the upper part of the apparatus (Figures 3
and 4) on the right hand side and beside them two more electromagnets the
object of which will be subsequently explained, their operation being different
from that of the remaining number.
If any of the electromagnets m' to m³ is excited, its armature A will be
attracted. The said armature possesses a projection B which acts upon the arm c
of a bell-crank lever e D. This bell-crank lever c D is kept in its normal position
indicated in full lines by the pressure of a spring E which for this purpose has its
end made in the form of a knob or head; but as soon as the armature A is
attracted and presses with its projection B upon the said arme of the bell-crank
lever c D the spring E yields a little and enables the bell-crank lever to be moved
to a second position indicated in dotted lines (Figure 3).
Below the bell-crank lever a disc F is adapted to turn upon a shaft X the said
disc being furnished with a disc shaped projection G (see also Figure 4). In the
normal position of the bell-crank lever D the edge H of the disc shaped projection G
can pass the second arm of such lever without touching. If however, the arin D has
been moved by the aforesaid action of the electro-magnet from the normal position
to that indicated in dotted lines the disc shaped projection G catches the same with
its edge H and conducts it by the aid of the guide channel H H'H' to the left
and then back again to its normal position, so that its arm c will bear upon the head
of the spring referred to. In the before described movement, which the lever
arm D makes by reason of the excitement of the electromagnet and with the aid of
the guide groove the following work is performed.
To the arm D and therefore to the five holes in the strip of paper, corresponds
a pin K with a projecting piece K1, the latter of which bears against the collar I
en the before-mentioned disc F. If now the second arm of the bell-crank lever D
passes into the guide channel H H H it presses the said pin K situated in front
of the same to the left hand side and consequently the projecting piece K¹ which
is under the action of a spring, beyond the said collar I. The projecting piece will
then bear from left to right against the edge of the disc. Of course this projecting
piece can then be pressed to the left only when the interrupted part of the collar 1,
provided for this purpose, passes the same, and this projecting piece presses to the
right until a free place offers another, opportunity for enabling it to be brought
back to its original position.
The foresaid pins K form prolongations of five bars N₁ N* N* N* N° which
occupy the entire length of the apparatus from standard to standard and are
represented in Figure 5 in transverse section.

page_text: In each excitement of one of the electromagnets m³ to m' the corresponding
bar N to N receives a slight lateral movement the object of which will
hereinafter be alluded to.
The five bare N' N' N N N lie flat beside each other (Figure 5) and are
forced by spring pressure to the right with regard to Figure 3 and form teeth at
their upper end which teeth in the five combinations assumed in the present example
engage with thirty one bolts O (Figure 6). These bolts O are fixed, with their
upper part Oo, while their lower part O is adapted to move in the longitudinal
direction. In each bolt is placed a spiral spring Of which has the tendency to
force the bolt to the left with regard to Figure 6 and thus to separate the two
parts O and Od from each other. The spring Of is however kept under tension
and prevented pressing the movable part Od from the device, as this part possesses
teeth at its lower surface, which engage with corresponding teeth on the five
bars N¹ to N. But as soon as the five lateral bars N' to N° are disengaged from
the teeth on a bolt the latter is forced outwards by the said spiral spring O. This
applies to each single bolt O, and is obtained by the peculiar teeth formed by the
five bars N' to N°. In order to enable the action between the bolts O and the five
racks or bars N' to N to be rendered intelligible, I refer to Figure 7 This figure
shows that the bolts O are arranged at a distance from each other, which corresponds
to half their thickness. The face of the bolt presenting the teeth O is divided
into two equal parts so that the intermediate space and bolt always constitute
together three half-widths of the bolt. A similar division is also made in the case
of the five racks or bars N¹ to No. Of the three divisions of the racks or bars
one N is full, while the second and third are only toothed so as to form
combinations. The places on the bars N which are indicated by section lining
have their teeth removed, leaving spaces.
All the bolts O are uniformly toothed and only upon half their width. In
Figure 7 I have indicated by dotted lines to which of the three divisions the teeth
on the bolts correspond with regard to the bars N' to No, the Roman figures indi-
cating which teeth on the bolts and bars fall one upon the other and thus correspond.
The arrangement of teeth on the bolts O is such that the spring O' will be
permitted to dart forwards only when all the teeth on the bolts are free.
Now, if for instance the first of the five bars N' is displaced owing to the excite-
ment of the first magnet m' corresponding to the same, the bar N' being moved in
the direction of the arrow, the toothless place of the bar N' which presents
section lines, will form a continuous free path for the teeth of O¹, and O' can
therefore be released and dart forwards. But O can shoot forwards only when
the first bar N is actuated O' only when N is actuated, O only when N³ is
actuated, and O' only when N¹ and N³ are set in action. O can shoot outwards when
the rods N and N are operated and O when N' and N are moved. In like
manner thirty one different combinations of movements of the bars can be obtained
for the thirty one bolts.
When the bars N' and N' are displaced to the left hand side by the excitement
of the corresponding electromagnets and O consequently shoots forwards, it is
impossible for example for O to also dart forwards although the bar Ni was
moved inwards and thereby opened the path for O', for by the displacement of the
bar Na tooth on the rod N is placed in the path of the teeth belonging to the
bolt O. In like manner O' cannot shoot forwards in the combination N N' for
this bolt is retained by the bar N¹.
In fact a single bolt can only be caused to shoot forwards by one combination,
while all the other thirty bolts remain in their position of repose.
In order that the bars N may not have to overcome too great a resistance in
their movement, the bolts O do not press against the said bars but bear against an
exterior plate P (Figures 3 and 5) which retains the bolts until the bars N occupy
the desired position for releasing a definite bolt. The plate P also forces the bolts
back to their original position alter they have executed their work, and such plate
is secured to the two lateral parts P P and set in action by an eccentric

page_text: (Figures 3 and 4). This eccentric transmits its movement by means of a roller R
to a bell-crank lever S and T (Figure 4) and thence to the aforesaid plate.
The necessary independent operation of the thirty one bolts is thus obtained.
But in order to multiply the thirty one combinations, I have devised the following
arrangement.
Each bolt is so arranged that it can move to three different depths. For this
purpose I place by the side of the five bars N hereinbefore mentioned two additional
bars U and U (Figure 5) which can likewise execute the same lateral movement
as the rods N, each of them being like the latter bars in connection with an electro-
magnet. The only difference between the rods N and U lies in the fact that the
latter have no teeth for the bolts O but possess each at their two ends a hole L. To
this hole corresponds on each side of the apparatus a stop screw V. When the
bars U and U are not actuated the stop screw V will bear against the full bar U
and only when the bar U is not in action, that is to say is displaced so that its hole
passes in front of the stop screw, can the latter enter the hole L until it strikes
against the bar U. When the bar U¹ is also set in action, V can fall still further
down and enter the hole L in the bar U¹.
The stop screws V are fixed to the two lateral parts P P of the plate P which
as hereinbefore set forth retains and releases the bolts O if the latter are disengaged
by the teeth on the bars N. Then P advances as far as the two bars U U¹ will
permit consequently the boits O will likewise travel quite a definite distance
which depends on whether the stop screws V strike against the rod U or whether
they enter the hole L in the bar U or that in the bar U accordingly the bolts
may shoot forwards to three different depths.
Each bolt O (Figure 6) possesses a pivoted pin W which is supported between
points W. The pin W carries four buttons Y to Y. Above these buttons are
provided bow pieces or forks X' to X (Figure 5) adapted to make a small lateral
sliding movement. These bow-pieces or forks are represented separately in
Figure 8 which shows that they are forked at their lower end and that a button Y
can enter the forked part.
When a bolt O can shoot forwards through the first of the before-mentioned
distances, which is the case when the stop bolts V cannot enter a hole,. the
corresponding bolt O will shoot forwards only to such an extent that the button Y
reaches only the forked arm X (Figure 5). When the hole in the bar U is
brought into correspondence with the stop screw V the bolt O can dart forwards
further so that the button Y' will pass into the fork of X, the button Y' having
already left the fork X'.
In case the stop screw V can move still lower down, that is to say into the hole
in V, the corresponding bolt O shoots forwards to such an extent that the
button Y passes into the fork of X and the button Y' has already left the
fork X', whilst the button Y¹ has moved still further away from the fork X'.
According as the bars U are not actuated or only U or U and U is moved
alone, one and the same combination may serve for three different letters. or
characters.
On the bolt is provided a fourth button Y which extends into one of the slots Z
formed in a plate and provided in front of the same (Figures 5 and 9).
This plate Z has a slot for each bolt O or for the thirty one buttons X
(Figure 9) and possess moreover a projecting part Z' which receives an arm W
As shown in Figure 4 this arm W terininating in a roller R which occupies such
a position that the before-mentioned rotating eccentric disc Q will strike in each
revolution with its projection Z (Figures 3 and 4) against the roller R thereby
displacing the plates Z sideways.
The buttons Y rest in the slots of Z so that they will likewise be displaced in
the movement of the plates Z and also operate the buttons Y Y Y
When the bolt O bas darted forwards and a button is placed in the bow
piece X'X' or X the respective bow piece or fork will make a small lateral
sliding movement which is then used for depressing the desired key of a composing

page_text: machine. As it will be understood without further explanation how the sliding
movement of the how pieces X may be transmittel to the keys of the compusing
machine it will not be necessary to describe this mode of transmission.
The same composition may of course be repeated as often as desired, inasmuch
as it is only necessary to conduct a contact strip made for a certain composition
through the contact apparatus and the composition may then also be sent by
telegraph to the desired place.
1
1000
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13 Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.
Improvements relating to Means for Automatically Actuating
Tpye-composing and other Machines.
I, CHARLES MÉRAY-HORVATH, of 10 Hochsteingasse, Graz, in the Empire of
Austria, Engineer, 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:-
My invention relates to composing machines and comprises an improved apparatus.
for the automatic depression of the keys.
It is well known that most composing machines have a key-board actuated by
hand for producing the desired composition.
The apparatus forming the subject of my invention possesses considerable.
advantages as compared with the means heretofore used.
In the first place the work once executed is preserved so that it may be
automatically performed again, and a provision is made for the possibility of
producing the work on the key-board independently of the composing machine,.
and for effecting the depression of the keys from a distant point.
This invention consists substantially in causing movable bolts by definitely
combined movements of a small number of bars or stopping devices, extending
over all the bolts or moving devices, to shoot forward singly and transmit their
movement to the keys of the composing machine. The arrangement is such that,
for instance, for thirty one bolts only five bars or stopping devices are used which
appropriately constitute racks, and that such racks receive their movement by the
action, due to definite combinations, of electromagnets corresponding in number
to the said racks.
The excitement of the electromagnets is controlled in a precise manner by a
contact strip provided with conducting and insulated places, and including corre-
sponding magnets in a circuit at the proper time:
In the drawing filed with my Provisional Specification the apparatus which
forms the subject of my said invention is represented. :
Figure 1 is part of the contact strip from which the mode of combining the
characters will be seen.
Figure 2 a diagram of the device by which the combination of characters is.
transmitted to a number of electromagnets;
Figure 3 a front view of the arrangement, partially in section.
Figure 4 an end view of the same;
Figure 5 a vertical section of the upper part of the arrangement, and
Figures 6 to 9 represent details which will hereafter be explained..

page_text: In the constructional form of the apparatus herein described and represented
in the drawings it is supposed that there are five point combinations, by means of
which thirty one different bolts may be actunted.
Each horizontal row of points of the contact strip corresponds to a definite
character. With the supposed five points I can obtain thirty one different
combinations and use definite combinations for definite characters. The points
are either holes in insulating slips of paper, through the intervention of which
five electromagnets are excited only when feelers or fingers corresponding to the
electro-magnets pass upon holes in the strip of paper, thus closing the corre-
sponding circuit through these holes; or the said points are insulated places
on a conducting metallized strip of paper which are produced by a special method
by burning and which can then also close the circuit through the medium or
relays.
Now suppose that I operate with a perforated strip which always establishes
contact when one of the five contact fingers a¹ to a adapted to slide over the
contact strips and connected each with one of the five electro-magnets m² to m
passes through a hole in the contact strip and thereby closes the circuit for the
corresponding magnet. The current always flows from a battery through the
common conductor and through those electromagnets which are included in
the circuit in the manner shown in the drawing.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that the five electromagnets m¹
to me are always excited in the same order in which combined contact holes occur.
In order to give a clear idea of the excitement of the electromagnets I will make
a comparison between Figure 1 and Figure 2.
In the first horizontal row the magnets m' m2 and m would be excited.
In the second borizontal row the magnets m³ m' m would be excited.
In the third horizontal row the magnets m² m² m³ m m³ would be excited.
In the fourth horizontal row the magnet m³ would be excited.
In the fifth horizontal row the magnet m would be excited, and so forth.
I arrange the fifth electromagnets at the upper part of the apparatus (Figures 3
and 4) on the right hand side and beside them two more electromagnets the object
of which will be subsequently explained, their operation being different from that
of the remaining number.
If any of the electromagnets m' to mis excited, its armature A will be
. attracted. The said armature possesses a projection B which acts upon the arm c
of a bell-crank lever e D. This bell-crank lever e D is kept in its normal position
indicated in full lines by the pressure of a spring E which for this purpose has its
end made in the form of a knob or head; but as soon as the armature A is
attracted and presses with its projection B upon the said arme of the bell-crank
lever D the spring E yields a little and enables the bell-crank lever to be moved.
to a second position, indicated in dotted lines (Figure 3).
Below the bell-crank lever a disc F is adapted to turn upon & shaft X the said
disc being furnished with a disc shaped projection G (see also Figure 4). In the
normal position of the bell-crank lever D the edge H of the disc shaped
projection G can pass the second arm of such lever without touching. If
however, the arm D has been moved by the aforesaid action of the electro-
magnet from the normal position to that indicated in dotted lines the disc-shaped
projection G catches the same with its edge H and conducts it by the aid of
the guide chanuel H H'H' to the left and then back again to its normal position,
so that its arm c will bear upon the head of the spring referred to. In the
before described movement, which the lever arm D makes by reason of the excite-
ment of the electromagnet and with the aid of the guide groove, the following
work is performed;
To the arm D and therefore to the five holes in the strip of paper, corresponds
a pin K with a projecting piece K the latter of which bears against the collar I
on the before-mentioned disc F. If now the second arm of the bell-crank lever D
passes into the guide channel H H'H' it presses the said pin K situated in front

page_text: of the same to the left hand side and consequently the projecting piece K which
s under the action of a spring, beyond the said collar I. The projecting piece
will then bear from left to right against the edge of the disc. Of course this
projecting piece can then be pressed to the left only when the interrupted part of
be collar I provided for this purpose, passes the same, and this projecting piece
presses to the right until a free place offers another opportunity for enabling it to
be brought back to its original position.
The aforesaid pins K form prolongations of five bars N N N N N which
occupy the entire length of the apparatus from standard to standard and are
represented in Figure 5 in transverse section.
In each excitement of one of the electromagnets m³ to me the corresponding
bar N' to N receives a slight lateral movement, the object of which will hereinafter
be alluded to.
The first bars N N N N N lie flat beside each other (Figure 3) and are
forced by spring pressure to the right with regard to Figure 3 and form teeth at
their upper end which teeth in the five combinations assumed in the present
example engage with thirty one bolts O (Figure 6). These bolts O are fixed, with
their upper part O while their lower part O is adapted to move in the
longitudinal direction. In each bolt is placed a spiral spring Of which has the
tendency to force the bolt to the left with regard to Figure 6 and thus to separate
the two parts O and O from each other. The spring O' is however kept under
tension and prevented pressing the movable part 04 from the device, as this part
possesses teeth O at its lower surface, which engage with corresponding teeth on
the five bars N' to No. But as soon as the five lateral bars N¹ to N are disengaged
from the teeth on a bolt the latter is forced outwards by the said spiral spring O'.
This applies to each single bolt O, and is obtained by the peculiar teeth formed by
the five bars N' to N. In order to enable the action between the bolts O and the
This
five racks or bars N' to N to be rendered intelligible, I refer to Figure 7.
figure shows that the bolts O are arranged at a distance from each other, which
corresponds to half their thickness. The face of the bolt presenting the teeth O
is divided into two equal parts so that the intermediate space and bolt always
constitute together three half-widths of the bolt. A similar division is also made
in the case of five racks or bars N' to No. Of the three divisions of the racks or
bars one N is full, while the second and third are ouly toothed so as to form
combinations. The places on the bars N which are indicated by section lining
have their teeth removed leaving spaces.
All the bolts O are uniformly toothed and only upon half their width. In
Figure 7 I have indicated by dotted. lines to which of the three divisions the
teeth on the bolts correspond with regard to the bars N' to N, the Roman figures
indicating which teeth on the bolts and bars fall one upon the other and thus
correspond. The arrangement of teeth on the bolts O is such that the spring Of
will be permitted to dart forwards only when all the teeth on the bolts are free.
Now, if for instance the first of the five bars N' is displaced owing to the
excitement of the first magnet in corresponding to the same, the bar N being
moved in the direction of the arrow, the toothless place of the bar N¹ which
presents section lines, will form a continuous free path for the teeth of O¹ and
O can therefore be released and dart forwards. But O' can shoot forwards only
when the first bar N' is actuated, O' only when N' is actuated. O only when N' is
actuated and O only when N' and N are set in action. O cau shoot outwards
when the rods N' and N are operated, and O when N' and N are moved. In
like manner thirty one different combinations of movements of the bars can be
obtained for the thirty one bolts.
When the bars N' and N' are displaced to the left hand side by the excitement
of the corresponding electromagnets and O consequently shoots forward, it is
impossible for example for O to also dart forwards although the bar N was
moved inwards and thereby opened the path for O', for hy the displacement of the
bar Na tooth on the rod N is placed in the path of the teeth belonging to the

page_text: bolt O¹. In like manner O³ cannot shoot forwards in the combination N¹ N' for
this bolt is retained by the bar N.
In fact a single bolt can only be caused to shoot forwards by one combination,
while all the other thirty bolts remain in their position of repose.
. In order. that the bars N may not have to overcome too great a resistance in
their movement, the bolts O do not press against the said bars but bear against an
exterior plate F (Figures 3 and 5) which retains the bolts until the bars N occupy
the desired position for releasing a definite bolt. The plate P also forces the bolta
back to their original position after they have executed their work, and such plate
is secured to the two lateral parts P P and set in action by an eccentric Q
(Figures 3 and 4). This eccentric transmits its movement by means of a roller R
to a bell-crank lever S and T (Figure 4) and thence to the aforesaid plate.
The necessary independent operation of the thirty one bolts is thus obtained.
But in order to multiply the thirty one combinations, I have devised the following
arrangement.
Each bolt is so arranged that it can move to three different depths. For this
purpose I place by the side of the five bars N hereinbefore mentioned two additional
bars U and U (Figure 5) which can likewise execute the same lateral movement
as the rods N, each of them being like the latter bars in connection with au
electromagnet. The only difference between the rods N and U lies in the fact
that the latter have no teeth for the bolts O but possess each at their two ends a
hole L. To this hole corresponds on each side of the apparatus a stop screw V.
When the bars U and U are not actuated the stop screw V will bear against the
full bar U and only when the bar U is not in action, that is to say, is displaced so
that its hole passes in front of the stop screw, can the latter enter the hole-L until
it strikes against the bar U. When the bar U is also set in action, V can fall
still further down and enter the hole L in the bar U¹.
The stop screws V are fixed to the two lateral parts P¹ P₁ of the plate P which
.as hereinbefore set forth retains and releases the bolts O if the latter are disengaged
by the teeth on the bars N. Then P advances as far as the two bars U Ui will
permit consequently the bolts O will likewise travel quite a definite distance
which depends on whether the stop screws V strike against the rod U or whether
they enter the hole L in the bar U or that in the bar U; accordingly the bolts
may shoot forwards to three different depths.
Each bolt O (Figure 6), possesses a pivoted pin W which is supported between
points W. The pin W carries four buttons Y' to Y. Above these buttons are
provided bow pieces or forks X' to X (Figure 5) adapted to make a small lateral
sliding movement. These bow-pieces or forks are represented separately in
Figure 8 which shows that they are forked at their lower end and that a
button Y can enter the forked part.
When a bolt O can shoot forwards through the first of the before-mentioned
distances, which is the case when the stop bolts V cannot enter a hole, the
corresponding bolt O will shoot forwards only to such an extent that the
button Y reaches only the forked arm X' (Figure 5). When the hole in
the bar U is brought into correspondence with the stop screw V the bolt O
can dart forwards further so that the button Y will pass into the fork of X',
the button Y having already left the fork X
In case the stop screw V can move still lower down that is to say into the hole
in V' the corresponding bolt O shoots forwards to such an extent that the button Y
passes into the fork of X and the button Y' has already left the fork X, whilst
the button Y¹ has moved still further away from the fork X'..
According as the bars U are not actuated or only U or U and U is moved
alone, one and the same combination may serve for three different letters or
characters.
On the bolt is provided a fourth button Y which extends into one of the slots Z
formed in a plate and provided in front of the same (Figures 5 and 9).
This plate Z has a slot for each bolt O or for the thirty one buttons X (Figure 9)

page_text: and possess moreover a projecting part Z' which receives an arm W. As shown
in Figure 4 this arm W terminating in a roller R" which occupies such a position
that the before mentioned rotating eccentric disc Q will strike in each revolution
with its projection Za (Figures 3 and 4) against the roller Ww thereby displacing
the plates Z sideways.
The buttons Y rest in the slots of Z so that they will likewise be displaced in
the movement of the plates Z and also operate the buttons Y Y Y.
When the bolt O has darted forward and a button is placed in the bow piece X'
X' or X' the respective bow piece or fork will make a small lateral sliding
movement which is then used for depressing the desired key of a composing
machine. As it will be understood without further explanation how the sliding
movement of the bow pieces X may be transmitted to the keys of the composing
machine it will not be necessary to describe this mode of transmission.
The same composition may of course be repeated as often as desired, inasmuch
as it is only necessary to conduct a contact strip made for a certain composition
through the contact apparatus and the composition may then also be sent by
telegraph to the desired place.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is-
(1.) Apparatus for automatically striking the keys in composing machines,
characterized by a number (small in proportion to the keys of the composing
machine) of toothed bars having teeth of suitable shape which teeth serve to hold
a great number of levers (distributed over the length of the tooth bars) normally
in their raised positions, but which teeth are adapted by means of their combined
movements to be brought into coincidence with their tooth spaces in such a manner
that at one time there is always a series or row of tooth spaces formed so as to
constitute a channel into which the respective lever situated above the same can
fall, the arrangement being such that the said lever in falling down effects by
means of suitable connections the striking of a key of the composing machine.
(2.) A form of construction of the apparatus specified in Claim 1, in which each
one of the levers L (corresponding to the channels formed in the toothed bars) holds
by means of its head La, three levers in a raised position, and in the combination
movements of the toothed bars N'N' only one of the said three levers M M M°
is allowed to fall by the aforesaid one of the levers L, according to the movement
of two other toothed bars N and N' whereby one of the keys of the composing
machine (which said key is connected to the levers M M M°) is caused to.
strike, for the purpose of increasing the combined movements without increasing
the width of the apparatus substantially as illustrated.
(3.) Apparatus for automatically striking the keys in composing machines
substantially as and for the purposes herein before described.
Dated this 7th day of November 1896
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.