AN IMPROVED TYPOGRAPH OR TYPE-WRITING MACHINE FOR REPORTING AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Pratt at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 10th August 1864.
I, JOHN PRATT, of Centre (Cherokee County), Alabama, in the United
States of America, at present residing at No. 16, College Place, Camden
Town, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED TYPOGRAPH OR TYPE-WRITING MACHINE
FOR REPORTING AND OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of an improved machine for printing rapidly upon
paper by the simple manipulation or fingering of keys suitably arranged upon
a.keyboard, which may be used for reporting speeches or proceedings at public
meetings and elsewhere, or for any other purpose where rapid and legible
writing or printing is or may be desirable. In a machine of this description
there are three distinct functions or operations to be performed simulta-
neously and by the same means; firstly, the arbitrary presentation of the
different type representing the twenty-six letters of the alphabet at one and the
same point; secondly, giving the impression of the particular letter so presented;
and, thirdly, the requisite motion of feeding of the paper so impressed.
. The first function is performed in my improved machine by means of a wheel
baving on its periphery or circumference twenty-six projecting letters or type,
any one of which can be instantly brought to the vertical point at will (on
pressing its corresponding key) by the following means:-To the boss or axle
of the type wheel is attached a small spur pinion working in a segmental spur
wheel or quadrant, the teeth of which are so proportioned to the diameter of
the pinion that a partial rotation or oscillation to or fro of the segmental

page_text: wheel or quadrant shall impart a complete revolution to the type wheel, and
that a very slight oscillation of the former in either direction will produce a
corresponding portion of a revolution in the type wheel, so that according as
the segmental spur wheel or quadrant is caused to oscillate more or less the
type wheel will be moved an entire revolution, or any desired portion of the
same, so as to bring the required letter or type to the vertical position. The
partial oscillation to or fro of the segmental spur wheel or quadrant is effected
and controlled by the following means:-The segmental wheel or quadrant is
attached to an oscillating frame at or near the centre of its length, the said
oscillating frame extending the width of the machine, and being composed of
a longitudinal axis and two parallel bars (one on each side thereof), the said
bars being connected to the axis by the segmental wheel at or near the centre
and by a cross piece at each end. There are twenty-seven keys (similar to
those of a pianoforte), conveniently arranged on a keyboard in front of the
machine, twenty-six of these keys answering to the letters of the alphabet,
and the remaining one being a space or blank key. The inner ends of these
keys lie immediately below the oscillating frame, the said ends of the keys
being sloped or inclined at such an angle (either forwards or backwards) as
that when any particular key is struck, its inner end rising against the oscil-
lating frame shall cause it to oscillate or become inclined to such an angle as
will by means of the segmental spur wheel and pinion above named impart a
portion of a revolution in either direction to the type wheel, so as to bring the
particular letter or type answering to the key struck into the vertical position,
and thus the first function of the machine is performed.
The second function or the giving the impression on the paper of the par-
ticular letter or type brought into the vertical position is effected as follows:-
Immediately under the forward end of each key is a short vertical pin working
in an orifice through the keyboard, and resting upon one of the bars of an
oscillating frame (similar to that previously described, but wider, that is to
sy, with the parallel bars further apart from the central axis), which extends
the whole width of the case which contains the apparatus. On the opposite
side or bar of this oscillating frame and resting upon it are two pins, which
pass vertically through the keyboard just inside of and opposite to the board,
which corresponds with the name board in the pianoforte. The upper ex-
tremity of one of these pins acts against the under side of a small metal
hammer, the striking face of which is immediately over the vertical centre of
the type wheel, and is made concave so as to correspond with the curved form
of the face of the letters or type. When a key is struck, the oscillating
frame beneath the keyboard raises the hammer against a spring, and when

page_text: the finger is lifted from the key, the spring causes the hammer to strike upon
the letter, which the same key had brought to and left in the vertical posi-
tion, compressing between its striking face and the said letter the paper
intended to receive the impression and a sheet of carbonized or other similar
transfer paper or material in contact with its under surface, and thus the
impression of the particular letter presented is given to the paper. The paper
is carried and fed to the printing apparatus in the following manner :-The
paper is carried in a frame attached to the lid of the case and capable of a
double motion, namely, in the direction of its length and in the direction of
its width.
It has been previously stated that the oscillating frame under the keyboard,
when a key is struck, raises two pins working through the keyboard; one of
these pins operates the hammer, as just described, and the other strikes upon
the arm of a silent ratchet wheel (of such construction as to free its teeth
from the click after each stroke of the latter), and causes the wheel to revolve
the distance of one tooth. This wheel is firmly fixed on the end of a square
rod running across the centre of the lid of the case in the direction of the
keys, or from front to back. Upon this rod slide two spur wheels working in
the sides of and moving with a wooden frame, and actuating two racks so as
to cause a brass, frame (in which the paper is fixed) to slide from the right to
the left in theid wooden frame, so as to move the paper the width of one
letter each time a key is struck. Near to the ratchet wheel and fixed to the
same square rod is a spur wheel worked by a rack, which acts upon its upper
circumference, the said rack being operated by a knob passing through the
lid of the case and working in a slot or opening therein. Now when the said
brass frame carrying the paper to be written or printed upon has travelled the
width of the wooden frame from right to left, so as to complete a line of
writing or printing, it is brought back by the operator sliding the said knob
from right to left without raising the lid. But as this operation would merely
bring the same line back again, it is also necessary that the paper should be
moved the depth of a line in the reverse direction, or from front to back, and
this is effected as follows:-The wooden frame itself slides in grooves at right
angles to the course of the paper frame, and is moved in like manner by a
similar ratchet wheel, the function performed by the key in the case of the
paper frame being effected in the case of the wooden frame which carries
the former by means of a knob passing through the lid. This knob being
pressed down by the finger moves a bell-crank lever, connected by means of a
rod with the arm of the ratchet, and thus the wooden frame is moved the
distance between two lines. On commencing a fresh page the wooden frame

page_text: is brought back to its original position by means of a third knob operating in
the same manner as that which actuates the paper frame.
I may here remark that the hammer, the wooden frame with its contained
paper frame, and the ratchets and other appurtenances for operating the line
and page feeding movements, are all attached to the inside of the lid of the
case, so that the paper may be removed and exchanged at any stage of the
writing.