Improvements in and relating to Mechanism for Feeding the Paper Carriage of Type-writing Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 5th July, 1894--Accepted, 11th Aug., 1894
Improvements in and relating to Mechanism for Feeding the Paper
Carriage of Type-writing Machines.
I, GEORGE CANFIELD BLICKENSDERFER, a citizen of the United States of
America, of 385 Broadway, in the City, County, and State of New York, one of
the United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 has relation to type-writing machines, and it has for its object
certain improvements in the mechanism for feeding the paper carriage after a letter
or word has been printed for the purpose of properly spacing the letters and words.
The feed mechanism referred to is more particularly designed for use on a type-
writing machine such as described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted
to me April 12, 1892, No. 7048, but I do not desire to limit myself to the use of said
mechanisin on said machine exclusively, as it may be applied to other styles of
type-writing machines.
Referring now to the accompanying drawings-
Figure 1 is a top plan view of a machine of the general construction of that
shown and described in my Letters Patent above referred to, all of the parts
except a portion of the main frame and the mechanism forming the subject matter
of this invention being shown in dotted lines ;
Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section of the machine;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the paper carriage feeding mechanism and a
portion of the spacing lever, and
Figure 4 is an underside view of the feed bar.
In the drawings, A indicates the main frame, H the key levers, L the spacing
lever, A the front comb plate having slots to receive the key levers, B the paper
carriage provided with a rack bar or a toothed edge b, said carriage sliding in
suitable ways; B* the paper roll; D the type wheel; D³ the ratchet by means of
which the said type-wheel is positioned when one of the key levers H is depressed,
and D the ratchet that locks the type wheel into position during the time an
impression is taken. All of the above parts are constructed and arranged for
operation substantially as shown and described in my Letters Patent above
referred to.
The improvement forming the subject matter of this invention consists of the
spacing bar 2, that slides in suitable guide grooves 3, (Figure 2) in frame A, the
rear end of said bar being enlarged or widened, and to said wider end of the bar is
pivoted a pawl 4 of substantially the form shown in Figures 1 and 3, the pivot
pin 5 passing through a longitudinal slot 6 in said pawl, whereby the spacing bar 2
is adapted to have endwise motion independently of said pawl.
On the underside of the spacing bar 2 is arranged a spring 8, Figures 2, 3 and 4,
connected with the bar and the free end of the pawl, whereby the latter is held at
an angle to its bar 2 and to the rack b against an anti-friction roller 7 journalled
on the upper face of said bar 2. The latter bar is beld in a normal position by
means of a spring 9 connected therewith and with the frame A respectively. To
the spacing bar 2 is secured an arm 12 that extends upwardly into the path of a
lug 13 that projects from a bearing 14 formed on the arbor 15 for the type-wheel D,
through which bearing passes the fulcrum sbaft 17 for said arbor. The spacing
lever L is an angle lever fulcrumed on a rod H' to which are also fulcrumed the
key levers H, and said lever is of such a length and conformation as to project to

page_text: the key board centrally of the lower bank or tier of key levers H, and its end lies
preferably slightly below the buttons or finger pieces of said levers.
In the Specification of my Patent hereinabove referred to I have shown this
lever as provided with a button in alignment with those on the lower tier of key
levers. When writing rapidly the operator is liable to strike this button and
actuate the feed mechanism, thereby forming a space between the letters of a word.
On the other hand, it is necessary to move a finger of one or the other hand to the
center of the lower tier of key levers in order to depress the spacing lever,
involving a loss of time.
I overcome these difficulties by depressing the end of the spacing lever slightly
below the upper face of the buttons on the lower tier of key levers H, and
providing the said spacing lever with a finger bar L' that extends some distance on
opposite sides of the lever towards the opposite ends of the key board, so that but
a short move by either hand is required in order to reach the finger bar, and
inasmuch as said finger bar lies in front of the lower tier of key levers H, the
danger of its being accidentally depressed is greatly lessened.
In order that the width of the machine may not be increased by the finger bar L'
lying in front of the lower tier of key levers, I hinge the said finger bar to the
outer end of the spacing lever in such manner as to adapt it to be turned over and
between the lower and second tier of key levers, as shown in dotted lines in
Figure 1.
To the spacing lever L is fulcrumed an angle lever 18, whose short arm or
nose 19 is adapted to bear on the front comb plate A³ when said spacing lever is
depressed, while the long arm of the lever projects into a slot 22 formed in the
spacing bar 2.
From the rear portion of the main frame A projects a plate a, the outer or free
edge of which forms an abutment or bearing for one side of the spacing pawl 4.
The operation of my improved spacing mechanism is as follows:-
When either one of the key levers H is depressed the type-wheel, positioned by
the mechanism described in my aforesaid Patent Specification, and swung down to
the paper roll B, the lug or arm 13 impinges upon the arm 12 on the spacing
bar 2, and moves the latter forwardly cr towards the key board against the stress
of its spring 9, the p.wl 4 moving therewith. Said pawl is provided with an
upturned actuating plate or tooth 4 on the edge opposite to that which lies against
the roller 7, which tooth enters a space between two teeth on the rack b. As the
bar 2 continues to move forward the pawl 4 is moved laterally against the stress of
its spring 8 by the anti-friction roller 7 moving along the inclined face 4 of said
pawl, Figures 1 and 3, thereby moving the paper carriage also in a lateral direction,
said movement being limited by the abutment plate a on the frame A, the pawl
being then firmly held between the anti-friction roller 7 and said abutment plate.
When the depressed key lever is released, the spacing bar 2 and pawl 4 are returned
to their normal positions by their springs 9 and 8 respectively. The movement of
the spacing bar 2, independently of the pawl 4 can take place by reason of the
connection between the two, namely the slot 6 in said pawl, along which the pivot
pin 5 can move after the tooth 4 on pawl 4 has entered a space between two of
the teeth on the rack b. This movement of the spacing bar 2 can also take place
without displacing the lever 18 on spacing lever L, in view of the fact that the
said bar has formed therein a longitudinal slot 22 into which the long arm of the
lever 18 projects.
From what has been said it will be seen that whenever a key lever H is
When a
depressed, the paper carriage is moved a letter space towards the left.
word has been written or printed and the spacing lever L is depressed, the short
arm or nose 19 of lever 18 will abut against the upper face of the front comb
plate A, thereby moving the long arm of said lever forward or towards the front
of the machine, and as said lever lies normally at the forward end of the slot 22
in the spacing bar 2, the latter will be entrained by the lever arm, thereby moving
the tooth or lock plate '4' on pawl 4 into a space between two teeth on the rack b

page_text: of the paper carriage, after which said carriage is moved a letter space towards
the left in the manner above described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
-
1. In a type-writing machine, the combination with the paper carriage adapted
to move freely to and fro on its guide track, and provided with a toothed rack b,
of a feed pawl adapted to engage said rack, and suitable mechanism for imparting
motion to said pawl in planes at right angles to and parallel with said paper
carriage, for the purpose set forth.
2. In a type-writing machine, the combination with the paper carriage adapted
to move freely to and fro on its guide track and provided with a toothed rack, as b,
along its rear edge, of a spacing bar, as 2, a slotted pawl, as 4, provided with a
tooth, as 4, adapted to engage the teeth of the rack, a pivot pin for and extending
into the slot in said pawl, an anti-friction roller journalled to said bar, a spring
holding the free end of the pawl normally in contact with the roller, and suitable
mechanism for imparting motion to the spacing bar at right angles to the rack b,
for the purpose set forth.
3. In a type-writing machine, the combination with the paper carriage. adapted
to move freely to and fro on its guide track, and provided with a rack, as b, the
type wheel arbor provided with a downwardly projecting lug or arm, as 13, a key
lever, and suitable mechanism operated by said lever to impart a downward motion
to the arbor; of the spacing bar 2, and its actuating pawl 4, said bar being
provided with an arm 12 extending into the path of the aforesaid lug 13, whereby
the spacing bar is moved in one direction whenever a key lever is depressed, and
a spring for returning the bar to its normal position, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
4. In a type-writing machine, the combination with the paper carriage adapted
to move freely to and fro on its guide track and provided with a rack, as b, the
front comb plate A' of the machine, the spacing bar 2 and its actuating pawl 4,
of a spacing lever, as L, the lever 18 pivoted thereto, the short and long arms of
said lever being adapted to engage the aforesaid comb plate and spacing bar,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 5th day of July 1894.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.