Improvements in and relating to Typewriters.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 5th May, 1896-Accepted, 5th Sept., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Typewriters.
I, FRED PROCTOR GORIN, of 90 State Street Chicago, County of Cook, State
of Illinois, United States of America, Inventor, do hereby declare the nature of
my 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 the invention is to provide a spacing attachment for typewriting
machines, of simple and improved construction, easily understood and operated and
efficient in operation.
The invention consists substantially in the construction, relative arrangement,
location and combination of parts, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth,
as shown in the accompanying drawings, and finally pointed out in the appended
claims.
Reference is had to the accompanying drawings and to the various views and
reference signs appearing thereon, and wherein-
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the essential features of the frame of a typewriting
machine, showing the spacing attachment forming the present invention applied
thereto;
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, parts of the typewriter frame being in
vertical transverse section.
Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, parts being
broken away.
Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view, showing the relative arrangement of the spacing
plungers and stops, and the pivoted bar carrying the ratchet feed teeth.
Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing the pivoted bar elevated by the
operation of the spacing attachment out of engagement with the feed rack bar.
The same part is designated by the same reference sign wherever it occurs
throughout the several views.
Reference sign A designates the frame of a typewriting machine; B, the paper
feed carriage; C, the feed roll; D, the carriage feed rack bar; E, the pivoted bar
carrying the carriage feed ratchet teeth, F. These several parts may be of the
usual or any suitable, convenient or well known form of construction and arrangement,
and form no part of the present invention.
Bolted or otherwise suitably secured to bar E, to move therewith, is an arm, 6,
adapted to receive thereon the adjusting stops, 7. The arm 6 is arranged to extend
over a block or casing, 8, suitably bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the
framework, A, and in which are mounted sliding plungers or plates, 9, carried by
or forming parts of the rods, 10, pivotically or otherwise suitably connected to the
key bars, 11, conveniently arranged to extend to the front of the machine and
carrying the keys, 12. Each plunger or plate is provided with an elongated
slot, 13, through which a guiding pin, 14, is arranged to pass to guide the plungers
in their movement and to limit the amount of movement or projection thereof.
The arrangement of the plungers, 9, relatively to arm 6, is such that when any
one of the plungers is projected from its normal or retracted position, it will engage
said arm and elevate it, thereby rocking the bar, E, and, hence disengaging the
ratchet teeth F from the carriage feed rack bar, D, and permitting the carriage to
move under the action of its controlling spring.
I will now describe the manner of projecting the plunger 9 in the guide
casing 8.

page_text: The inner ends of key bars, 11, are provided with an upwardly inclined portion, 15,
arranged to bear against a suitable guide, 16. When said key bars are actuated,
as by manipulating the keys, 12, the inclined portion, 15, rides over the guide 16
and elevates the inner end of the key bar and through the coupection between said
key bars and the plunger bars, 10, the plunger bars are projected endwise, and
with them the plungers 9 are projected or elevated in position to engage or
elevate arm 6, thereby disengaging the carriage feed. Suitably arranged springs, 17,
may be employed to maintain and return the plunger rods and plungers in normally
retracted position.
While I have shown and described a specific form of mechanism for effecting a
movement of the plungers, 9, from the key bars, 11, I desire it to be distinctly
understood that I do not limit myself, as any ordinary or well known form of
construction may be employed, and many variations and modifications in the details
of construction and arrangement thereof would readily suggest themselves to
persons skilled in the art and still fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.
It will be seen from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the
accompanying drawings, that the keys, 12, key bars, 11, plunger rods, 10, plungers, 9,
and arm, 6, constitute an auxiliary attachment to the typewriter, and said parts
are supplementary to the usual parts of the ordinary typewriter. A convenient
arrangement of the auxiliary or supplemental keys, 12, is shown where said keys
are arranged in front of the machine outside the frame and below the space for the
ordinary key board.
The mechanical operation of the attachment will be clearly and fully understood
from the foregoing description.
The spacing attachment constituting the present invention is particularly
adapted to and effective in securing speed and accuracy in tabulated work, where
it is desirable to write a column of words or figures. In the case of columns of
figures, for instance, it is important that all units in a column shall fall under each
other in a vertical line, and similarly with tens, hundreds, thousands, tenths,
hundredths, thousandths or other denominations, it being understood that as many
supplementary or auxiliary keys and plungers are employed as may be necessary
to adapt the range of action of the machine to recording numbers of any
denomination. To illustrate the action and set forth the manner of use of the
present invention: suppose it is desired to write a column of figures of varying
denominations with all the units falling under the usual spacing mark of the
machine. Heretofore it has been the practice of the operator to run the paper
carriage down, either by hand or automatically, till the index figure registers with
the spacing mark 30, to record the unit. Now suppose on the next line it is
desirable to record a number of the denomination of tens, the operator then runs
the paper carriage down, usually with the ordinary spacing key, until the index
finger registers with the spacing mark, 29. In case a number of denominations of
Hundreds is to be recorded in the next line of the column, the carriage is moved
down to No. 28 of the spacing scale by the ordinary spacing mechanism, or else,
automatically to the point 30, and then by hand to 28, and so on. This consumes
time and requires care and skill on the part of the operator.
In the use of the spacing attachment above described for performing the
operations above referred to, the operator at first determines at what point the
units of the column should be arranged. He then operates the unit key, 12, to
project its plunger into contact with arm 6. The paper carriage is then moved
until its spacing index registers with the predetermined point; a stop 7, is then
adjusted upon arm 6, to abut against the projected end of the plunger, and is
there secured in position. Now, when an operator desires to write a number of
the unit denomination with the unit falling under the 30 mark of the spacing
scale, after the carriage is returned to its initial or starting position, he actuates
the auxiliary or supplementary unit key thereby projecting the plunger into
contact with arm, 6, thereby elevating said arm and with it the pivoted bar, E,
and hence, disengaging the carriage from its feed rack. The carriage thereupon

page_text: moves under the influence of its actuating spring until the stop upon rod 6 abuts
with the projected end of the plunger, the plunger key is then released, thereby
again engaging the carriage feed ratchet teeth with the feed rack bar. In order
that the impact of the stop against the plunger may be cushioned, I provide a
rubber block, 18, interposed between the wall of the casing 8 and the last plunger
in the direction of the feed of the carriage, as shown. If, on the next line, it is
desired to write a number in the same column of the denomination of tens, the
operator manipulates the tens key, thereby projecting the corresponding plunger
and releasing the carriage feed, the plunger acting as a stop for the carriage by
receiving the impact of the stop on the arm, 6. Similarly, numbers of other
denominations are recorded in the same column in succeeding lines, the units
falling under the units, the tens under the tens, the tenths under the tenths, and
so on, It will be understood that each plunger is of a thickness corresponding to
one letter space of the ordinary feed, and hence, when the stop, 7, is once adjusted
say to the vertical line of units, by actuating the tens key of this spacing
attachment, the paper feed carriage is released from its ordinary feed mechanism
and is arrested one space in advance of the unit space, or at 29 of the spacing
scale in the example above given, by the stop coming in contact with the plunger
actuated by the tens key. In a similar manner, when the hundreds key is
manipulated, the carriage is arrested two spaces in advance of the units place,
and when the tenths key of the spacing attachment is manipulated the carriage
is arrested one space beyond the units place, and so on, the carriage always being
arrested, when once properly adjusted, without further attention, care
manipulation on the part of the operator by the actuation of the proper one of
the auxiliary or supplemental keys and at the proper place to record the word or
figure at the proper, predetermined position in the vertical column. By providing
additional stops on the arm 6, each one properly adjusted to the desired position
relative to the length of travel of the paper feed carriage, as many vertical
columns of figures or words may be written on a single sheet as may be desired,
the number of columns being only limited by the range of travel of the paper
feed carriage and width of the paper employed. Any desired relative arrange-
ment of the columns may be provided as may be previously determined upon by
suitably adjusting the relative positions of the stops. For instance, one vertical
column may be arranged with the units all falling under the tens mark of the
spacing scale, another on the same sheet of paper with the units all falling under
the 20 mark of the scale, and so on.
or
While I have shown and described a specific form of mechanism for securing
the accurate and expeditious automatic spacing as above explained, I do not desire
to be limited or restricted to the specific details shown and described, for, obviously,
the principles involved may be embodied in a variety of ways and still fall within
the spirit and scope of the generic invention.
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 :-
1st. A spacing attachment for typewriters, comprising a series of auxiliary keys,
each key arranged to disengage the carriage from its feeding mechanism, and to
arrest the same at a different distance from a predetermined point, wherein the
carriage is automatically arrested in position to record in uniform columns numbers
of varying denominations; as and for the purpose set forth.
2nd. A spacing attachment for typewriters, comprising a series of auxiliary
keys, means actuated by each of said keys for disengaging the carriage from its
feeding mechanism, said means adapted to arrest the carriage at varying distances
from a predetermined point, wherely the carriage is moved automatically and by
a single operation into position to uniformly columnate numbers of varying
denominations; as and for the purpose set forth.
3rd. A spacing attachment for typewriters, comprising a stop upon the carriage,

page_text: a series of auxiliary keys, arranged when manipulated to disengage the carriage
from its feeding mechanism, and. to engage said stop, whereby said carriage is
automatically released and arrested by a single operation at different distances from
the predetermined position of said stop, to uniformly columnale numbers of varying
denominations; as and for the purpose set forth.
4th. In combination with a paper feed carriage of a typewriting machine and its
step by step feeding mechanism, a spacing attachment comprising a series of
auxiliary keys, arranged a letter space distance apart, a series of plungers actuated
thereby, each of said plungers when actuated adapted to engage and release said
feeding mechanism, and a stop carried by said carriage and adapted to be adjusted
to a predetermined position, said stop adapted to impinge against said plunger to
arrest at the predetermined point the movement of said carriage, when it is released
from its feeding mechanism by said plunger; as and for the purpose set forth.
5. In a typewriter, a paper feed carriage, a step by step feeding mechanism
therefor, a spacing attachment, comprising a series of auxiliary keys, a series of
plungers actuated thereby, said plungers arranged a letter space distance apart and
each adapted when actuated to engage and release said feeding mechanism, a series
of adjustable stops carried by said carriage, adapted to impinge against the
plungers to arrest at predetermined points the movement of said carriage when
released by said plungers; as and for the purpose set forth.
6. In a typewriter, a paper feed carriage, a step by step feeding mechanism
therefor, an arm carried thereby, a series of auxiliary keys, a corresponding series
of plungers actuated thereby and each arranged when actuated to engage said
arm and to release said step by step feed; as and for the purpose set forth.
7. In a typewriter, a paper feed carriage, a step by step feed therefor, an arm
carried thereby, a series of auxiliary keys, a corresponding series of plungers
actuated thereby, each adapted to engage said arm and release said step by step
feed, an adjustable stop carried by said arm, adapted to engage said plunger and
arrest the movement of said carriage at a predetermined point when it is released
from said feed; as and for the purpose set forth.
8. In a typewriter, a paper feed carriage, a step by step feed therefor, a series of
auxiliary keys, a corresponding series of plungers actuated by said keys, each
adapted to release said feed mechanism, a stop mounted upon said carriage, adapted
to impinge against said plunger to arrest the movement of the carriage when released
from its feed, and a cushion adapted to relieve the force of the impact; as set forth.
9. In a typewriter, a framework, a casing mounted thereon, a series of plungers
mounted to slide in said casing, a series of keys, each connected to and adapted to
actuate one of said plungers, a paper carriage and a feed mechanism therefor, said
feed mechanism adapted to be engaged and released by said plungers when actuated,
and a stop for arresting the carriage at a predetermined point when released; as
and for the purpose set forth.
10. In a typewriter, a framework, a casing mounted thereon, a series of slotted
plungers mounted to slide in said casing, a guiding pin arranged to pass through
said slots, a series of keys connected to and adapted to actuate said plungers, a
paper carriage, a feed mechanism therefor, adapted to be engaged and released by
said plungers when actuated; as and for the purpose set forth.
11. In a typewriter, a paper feed carriage, a feed mechanism therefor, a series
of auxiliary keys, a corresponding series of plungers, each adapted to be projected
into position to release said feed mechanism; means for normally retaining said
plungers in retractive or inoperative position, and a stop adapted to arrest the
movement of said carriage at variable points when released; as and for the purpose
set forth.
12. In a typewriter, a key bar, provided with an inclined portion, a guide
adapted to receive said inclined portion and adapted to remove said key bar
laterally when it is projected longitudinally, a plunger connected to move with said
key bar during its lateral movement, a paper feed carriage, a ratchet feed therefor,
said ratchet feed adapted to be released when said plunger is projected, and a stop

page_text: for arresting said carriage at a predetermined point; as and for the purpose set
forth.
13. In a spacing attachment for a typewriter, a series of plungers of a thickness.
corresponding to one letter space, said plungers arranged side by side, a series of
keys connected to and arranged to actuate said plungers, a paper feed carriage,.
a feeding mechanism therefor, said feed mechanism adapted to be engaged and
released by each of said plungers, stops mounted on said carriage, adapted to be
adjusted to a predetermined point aud adapted to impinge against a plunger when.
said plunger is actuated by an auxiliary key to arrest the movement of said
carriage when it is released from its feed mechanism; as and for the purpose.
set forth.
14. In a spacing attachment for typewriters, a series of plungers, arranged side-
by side, and each of a thickness corresponding to a letter space, a casing adapted
to receive said plungers, a cushion interposed between the wall of said casing and
the last plungers of the series, a series of keys adapted to actuate said plungers, a
paper feed carriage, a feed mechanism therefor, adapted to be released by the
engagement therewith of any one of said plungers, and adjustable stops mounted
on said carriage and adapted to impinge against said plungers to arrest the move-
ment of said carriage when it is released from its feeding mechanism; as and for
the purpose set forth.
15. In a typewriter, a spacing attachment, comprising a series of auxiliary keys,.
a series of plungers arranged a letter space distance apart and each connected
to and adapted to be operated by an auxiliary key, in combination with a
paper feed carriage and its feed mechanism, each of said plungers when actuated
adapted to release said carriage from its feed mechanism, and stops adapted to
impinge against said plungers to arrest the movement of said carriage at a
predetermined point; as and for the purpose set forth.
FRED P. GORIN.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant..