Improvements in Type Cleaners for Type Writing Machines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 5th July, 1892-Accepted, 20th Aug., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Type Cleaners for Type Writing Machines.
I, JOHN ROBERT KEATINGE, a Citizen of the United States and a resident of
123 Lewis Avenue, Brooklyn, in the County of Kings, and State of New York,
Gentleman, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus by means of which the
faces of the types mounted upon the type-levers of a type writing machine, can be
thoroughly and expeditiously cleaned and which can be used on different sizes and
styles of the type writing machines in use at the present time.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my apparatus, placed upon a type writing
machine ready for work.
Figure 2 is a plan view of my apparatus.
The main frame A, of my apparatus consists of a flat bar, preferably of metal,
having two slots s and s, and provided with a bent down hook or fork a at one end,
and handle a¹ at the other end.
Within the slot is mounted adjustably the sliding-fork B extending below,
and is capable of being held in any desired position therein by means of the
jam-nut b
Within the slots is mounted adjustably the sliding block C, carrying below the
bearing for an upright shaft D, and above a stud provided with screw-thread
which engages with that in the jam-nut e, by means of which the sliding-block C
can be secured in desired position.
The vertical shaft D carrries above a crank d and set-ring and below a
brush F, and is provided for a distance with screw-thread d² as shown in Fig. 1.
This apparatus is intended to be guided laterally upon the two parallel rods m
and n generally provided in the front and in the rear on the top plate of a type
writing machine, and in each case, when the apparatus is to be adapted for a certain
machine both the sliding blocks B and C are adjusted in their respective slots on
the frame A in such a manner that the fork B will engage the rod m when the
fork a bears against the rod n, and the block C occupies a central position in which
the centre of shaft D coincides with the centre of the circle in which the types
are standing.
The operation in using the apparatus is now as follows:-
The brush F having been raised to its highest position, is dropped into the space
between the type bars, and at the same time the nose of the fork a of the frame A
is slipped under the rod n in the rear of the machine and the fork B is backed over
the rod m in the front of the machine and the frame A adjusted laterally by sliding
it upon the rods m and n, till the centre of the shaft D coincides with that of the
circle in which the types are standing and is held in that position by the operator
pressing with one hand gently upon the handle of frame A, while with the other
hand he turns the shaft D to the right till this motion is checked by the
previously adjusted collar d', when the same number of turns is made to the left!
thus returning the brush to its primary position.
It is apparent that the screw provided on the shaft D will communicate the
reciprocating spiral motion to the outer surface of the brush F, and effect a
thorough cleaning of the types by bringing fresh bristles in contact with the
types at each successive turn of the shaft. If the types are arranged in an ellipse
instead of in a circle, the operation has to be repeated twice at least, and the frame
should be held in two or more positions, the second end-position of the brush being

page_text: indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings. It is evident that the adjust-
ment of the sliding. fork B, and centre block C, have to be made but once for the
same machine, yet the frame A is preferably made of such dimensions as to
allow the apparatus to be used on any machine of this type, whatever may be
its size.
In case of repeated changes, a set of brushes of different size and diameter is
furnished with the apparatus, which can be easily exchanged by with-drawing the
split-pin which secures the brush to the upright shaft, and replacing one brush by
another.
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 machine for cleaning the types of type-writing machines, a frame guided
and supported by the parallel guide rods of a typewriting machine, and provided
with a fork at one end, and an adjustable saddle-block, and a handle at the other,
and carrying on an adjustable slide block the bearings for a vertical shaft in
combination with a brush mounted upon said vertical shaft and capable of receiving
a spiral reciprocating motion, as and for the purposes herein shown and set forth.
Dated this 5th day of July 1892.
POPPLEWELL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant,