Improvements in Type Writing Machines
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Jan.; 1893-Accepted, 18th Mar., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Type Writing Machines.
A communication from abroad from Messrs. WYCKOFF, SEAMANS & BENEDICT,
of 327, Broadway, New York City, New York, in the United States of
America, a Corporation organised under the laws of the State of New York
I, JOHN CORRY FELL, of the firm of Fell & Wilding, of 1 Queen Victoria
Street, in the City of London, Patent Agent, 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 the paper-carriages of type writing machines, and has
for its main objects simplicity and economy of construction, and consists in the
various features of construction and combinations of devices hereinafter more fully
described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of so much of a type writing machine as is necessary
to illustrate our improvements.
Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.
Figure 3 is a vertical section taken about centrally of the machine and on the
line x, x of Figure 2; and
Figure 4 is a detail view showing the carriage in its raised position.
In the several views the same parts will be found designated by the same
numerals of reference.
1 designates the top-plate or type ring of the machine, upon which, by upwardly-
projecting arms 2, is fixedly-mounted a guide-rail 3. 4 designates the platen-carrier
or frame, to an extension 5 from the front bar of which is pivoted a bracket 6,
which carries an anti-friction roller 7 that rides upon said guide-rail 3 and supports
the front end of the platen carrier. Within the frame or carrier 4 is arranged a
platen 8 and a pressure or feed roller 9, the latter being hung in pivoted arms 10
depending from the frame 4 at each end and provided each with a pressure-
spring 11. The platen is arranged to rotate in bearings in the side bars of the
frame 4 and is provided at one end with a ratchet-wheel 12, with which co-operates
a driving-pawl 13 pivotally-mounted upon an upwardly-extending arm 14,
fulcrumed at 15 in lugs depending from the frame 4 and provided with an over-
throw check or stop 16. The driving-pawl 13 is provided with a finger-piece 17,
by which it may be disengaged from the ratchet-wheel. The lever 14 is actuated
in one direction by a horizontally-arranged bent lever 18 pivoted at 19 and pro-
vided with a knob or hand-piece 20. The said bent lever is provided with an
extension 21 which co-operates with a pivoted regulator 22, by which the movement
of the lever 18 may be varied or controlled to effect the rotation of the platen the
distance of either one or two notches of the ratchet-wheel. A coiled spring 23
may be employed to return the line-spacing devices to their normal positions when
the hand is removed from the knob. A spring-detent 24 is employed to hold the
platen in position against rotation during the time of writing.
The rear bar of the platen-carrier or frame 4 is formed near each end with a
bracket or support 25, in which is mounted to rotate a grooved wheel or roller 26
adapted to travel upon a hinge-and-guide-rail 27, which in this machine is
preferably made to constitute the shift-rail of the platen-carrier. The said rail is
mounted upon upwardly-extending arms 28 and secured thereto by obliquely-
arranged screws 29. The said arms are pivoted at 30 in the frame-work or
top-plate and are provided with rearwardly-extending arms 31, the arms 28 and 31
forming together a bent lever or bell-crank. To the outer end of the arms 31 is
connected the upper end of a rod 32, whose lower end is connected to a shift-key

page_text: not shown, but the said connection may be made and is intended to be made after
the manner of the well-known "Remington No. 2" machine. When said shift-
key is actuated and the rod 32 pulled down, the cranks 28 31 are rocked, the hinge
and guide and shift-rail moved rearwardly and by reason of the engagement
therewith of the grooved rollers 26, the platen-carrier and platen are forced
rearwardly the required distance to bring the impression point to a position such
that the upper case letter of the type-bar may be printed in the line of the
impressions, it being understood of course that where the rail 27 is employed as a
shift rail the type-bars are provided with two or more: type, according to the
number of vibrations of the platen.
The wheels or rollers are provided with curved sides to match the curvature of
the hinge-guide-and-shift-rail, and the said rollers at their middle portions are
provided each with a circular groove 33 extending nearer the pivot of the roller,
in order that the wear of the working faces of the roller may be taken up or
compensated for automatically.
The platen-carrier and its accessories are connected to a step-by-step feeding
carriage, which will now be described.
Cast integral with or secured upon the top-plate is a bracket or support 34, to
the upper portion of which is attached, by screws 35, a bar 36 having forwardly-
extending arms 37, the front ends of which are bent downwardly and rearwardly to
form lips 38, which together with a groove 39 in the bar 36 form a recess or guide-
way 40 for a horizontally-arranged slide 41. On the underside of said slide: are
two depending arms 42, to which are connected, by pivots 43, two right-angled
brackets 44. To these brackets is attached, by screws 45, a. toothed bar 46 which
normally engages with a toothed pinion 47 on the inner end of a shaft 48 which
rotates in a bearing 49 on a stand 50, and which near its outer end is provided with
a ratchet-wheel 51 adapted to the letter-spacing or feeding dog 52 of the escapement
mechanism.
The platen-carrier is connected to the said slide or carriage to travel therewith
and also in a manner such that it may be vibrated or shifted transversely for upper
case work as well as lifted for examination and correction of the impressions. We
shall now describe the means of connection between the slide and the platen-
carrier. On the underside of the slide, about centrally of its length, is riveted or
otherwise secured at 53 a bracket 54 provided with a forwardly-projecting arm 55,
from which extends downwardly and forwardly a circular arm or member 56.
The rear bar of the platen-carrier is formed or provided with a yoke or fork 57,
which embraces the arm 55 in such a manner that as the slide is moved in one
direction or the other, it carries therewith the platen-frame. In order to prevent
shake or rattle between the arm 55 and the fork 57 there is provided a screw 58,
which may be turned from time to time, if necessary, to take up any lost motion
due to the wear of the members.
When it may be desired to inspect or correct the work on the underside of the
platen the platen-carrier may be swung up about the rail 27 as a center of motion,
and during this movement the fork 57 will slide down along the curved arm or
member 56, which will prevent any accidental lateral movement of the carriage.
In order that the platen-carrier may not be swung upwardly and rearwardly to an
extent such that it would become wholly disconnected from the step-by-step
carriage or slide, the lowermost free end of the arm or member 56 is provided with
laterally-extending lugs 59, against which the fork 57 strikes when the platen-
carrier has been turned the required, distance.
On the underside of the slide is a depending lug 60, to which is attached one
end of a belt or band, the other end of which is connected to a spring driving-
drum 61.
The vibrations of the bell-cranks and the hinge-guide-and-shift-rail are limited
by adjustable stops 62 on the top-plate.
The platen-carrier is prevented from being lifted bodily and disconnected from
the slide or carriage by means of a hooked-shaped arm 63, which is attached by a

page_text: screw 64, to the back bar of the platen frame, and which at its curved end
partially surrounds the underside of the hinge-guide-and-shift-rail.
To the front bar of the platen-frame, near each end is attached a paper-guide 65,
and the inner free ends of these guides may be utilized to support an auxiliary
scale-bar 66 in proximity to the surface of .the platen. A similar scale-bar 67 is
attached to arms projecting forwardly from the platen-frame and may be used in
conjunction with the scale-bar 66, and a stationary index 68, arranged centrally of
the machine widthwise and provided preferably with a mark or line 69 to indicate
the plane of the impression point.
One end of the toothed bar 46 is extended and bent forwardly to overlie the
rearmost end of a release-key lever 70 which is pivoted at 71 on the platen-
carrier.
From the foregoing the operation of the machine will be readily understood by
those skilled in the art, and need not, therefore, be described now at great
length.
The tendency of the spring-drum is to pull the slide and the platen-carrier
towards the left, and this tendency is restrained by the escapement devices herein-
before alluded to, so that the said slide and the platen-carrier can move only a
letter-space distance at each movement of a key-lever or spacing-lever. When,
however, it may be desired to release the carriage from the escapement mechanism,
in order that the spring-drum may propel the same rapidly towards the left, the
lever 70 may be depressed at. its outer end and caused to lift the pivoted toothed
bar from engagement with its pinion.
The rail 27 operates to guide the platen-carrier in its movement across the
machine, and also serves as a hinge-rail or pivot for the platen-carrier when it may
be desired to examine the work on the underside of the platen. This rail also
serves to shift the platen for upper case work and when actuated the fork of the
platen-carrier slides rearwardly and is guided by the arm 55 projecting from the
carriage 41. During this shifting movement of the platen-carrier, the yoke 6 is
vibrated and the grooved roller 7 rocks rearwardly upon the guide-rod 3. As
customary, the shift-key is provided with a spring (not shown) to return the
platen-carrier to its normal position after releasement of the shift-key.
As far as one part of my invention is concerned, the rail 27 may be fixed or
immovable. It will have a transverse movement only in machines having a
shifting platen and type-bars provided with a plurality of types. Therefore, I do not
wish to be considered as limiting myself to a rail having the shifting capacity
described.
As far as another part of my invention is concerned, the pinion 47, the shaft 48
and the ratchet-wheel 51 may be dispensed with and the feed dog arranged to
co-operate directly with the toothed bar or rack 46, as in prior machines.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion 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 of a platen-carrier, a hinge-and-
guide-rail therefor, and a step-by-step carriage arranged in rear of and detached
from said hinge-and-guide-rail and connected to the platen-carrier back of said
rail in a manner such as to carry said platen-carrier and also to permit the
platen-carrier to have an independent vibratory movement about the hinge-and-
guide-rail.
2. In a type writing machine, the combination of a hinged platen-carrier, a hinge-
and-guide-rail therefor and a carriage having a sliding movement only, the said
platen-carrier and the said carriage being loosely connected in rear of said hinge-
and-guide-rail to enable the said platen-carrier to be turned up and down upon said
rail as a center of motion independently of said carriage, and to also move longi-
tudinally upon said rail.
. 3. In a type writing machine, the combination of a carriage having a sliding

page_text: movement only, a platen-carrier loosely-connected thereto, and a hinge-guide-and-
shift-rail for said platen-carrier.
4. In a type writing machine, the combination of a sliding carriage, a platen-
carrier loosely-connected thereto, and a hinge-guide-and-shift-rail for said platen-
carrier arranged in front of the carriage and the point of connection between the
carriage and the platen-carrier.
5. In a type writing machine, the combination of a carriage provided with a
forwardly-extending arm, a hinged platen-carrier provided with a rearwardly-
extending fork, and a hinge-and-guide-rail arranged forward of the fork, upon
which said platen-carrier both swings and moves longitudinally.
6. In a type writing machine, the combination of a carriage having a forwardly-
extending arm and a downwardly-curved arm, a platen-carrier having a rear-
wardly-extending fork, and a hinge-and-guide-rail arranged forward of the fork,
upon which said platen-carrier both swings and moves longitudinally.
7. In a type writing machine, the combination of a carriage having a forwardly-
extending arm and a downwardly-curved arm provided with a stop, a platen-carrier
having a rearwardly-extending fork, and a hinge and guide-rail.
8. In a type writing machine, the combination of a carriage having a forwardly-
extending arm and a downwardly-curved arm, a platen-carrier having a rear-
wardly-extending fork, and a hinge-guide-and-shift-rail.
9. In a type writing machine, the combination of a carriage, a platen-carrier
loosely-connected thereto, a hinge-and-guide-rail, and a catch for preventing the
platen-carrier from being lifted bodily from said rail and accidentally disconnected
from the carriage.
10. In a type writing machine, the combination of a carriage, a platen-carrier
loosely-connected thereto, a hinge-and-guide-rail, and a hook attached to the
platen-carrier and surrounding the underside of the hinge-and-guide-rail.
11. In a type writing machine, the combination of a carriage having a forwardly-
extending arm, a platen-carrier having a rearwardly-extending fork, and a pair of
grooved rollers, a hinge-and-guide-rail, and a hook.
12. In a type writing machine, the combination of a carriage having a forwardly-
extending arm and a downwardly-curved arm, a platen-carrier having a rear-
wardly-extending fork and a pair of grooved rollers, a hinge-guide-and-shift-rail,
and means for actuating the same.
13. In a type writing machine, the combination of a bracket, a slide or carriage
guided therein and provided with a forwardly-extending arm and a downwardly-
curved arm, a platen-carrier provided with a rearwardly-extending fork, and a
hinge-and-guide-rail forward of said fork, upon which said platen-carrier both
swings and moves longitudinally.
14. In a type writing machine, the combination of a bracket, a slide or carriage
guided therein, a pivoted rack-bar suspended from said slide or carriage and con-
*nected with the escapement mechanism a platen-carrier connected to said slide or
carriage, a hinge-and-guide-rail therefor, and a release-key on the platen-carrier
and connected to the said pivoted rack-bar.
1
15. In a type writing machine, the combination with a cylindrical guide-rail, of
a platen carrier provided with a grooved roller having faces to match the surface
of said rail, and having also between said faces nearer the pivot of said roller, an
annular depression.
Dated this 24th day of January 1893.
FELL & WILDING,
Agents for the Applicant.