Improvements in or relating to Copy Holders and the like.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 8th May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 26th July, 1894-Accepted, 29th Sept., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Copy Holders and the like.
A communication from CHARLES SPIRO, of 146, Centre Street, in the City,
County, and State of New York, United States of America, Gentleman.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of London,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for holding copies for various purposes,
particularly for typewriting machines although it may be used for holding books,
newspapers, music or in connection with easels, black-boards, and the like; I will
describe it however as applied to a typewriting machine.
For the typewriter the copy-holder may consist of a preferably rectangular
frame conveniently of metal with cranked and pinned ends adapted to fit into holes
provided for their reception in the frame-work of the machine the cranked portions
in conjunction with the pins then taking a firm hold upon the frame, although the
copy-holder can be removed instantly if desired. Upon the frame of the copy-
holder is placed the rest or shelf to support the paper, book etc.; this may be fixed
permanently to one side of the frame but is preferably connected with the other
side in such a manner that the two sides can be sprung apart to allow of the before-
mentioned pins being inserted or removed from the holes in the frame of the
typewriter. A convenient and simple way of effecting this is to provide a lip or
lug upon the rest through a hole in which passes a pin secured in the frame the lug
being adapted to slide upon the pin when the sides of the frame are sprung apart.
The rest may be connected with the top of the frame by a metal plate or other
suitable back or support and one side of the frame carries a sliding block or
equivalent to which is pivotted a spring-controlled arm carrying an adjustable bar
pivotted to the free end of the arm so as to adapt itself freely to the book or paper
carried in the holder. It is also so arranged that it can be turned with one end
higher than the other. Beside the frame is a rack with which the slide is connected
by a spring pawl preferably having two teeth to facilitate a fine adjustment; the
rack is adapted to slide upon the frame being normally held in one position, say its
raised position by a suitable spring. The end of the rack may be turned over to
form a hook or handle and a cam plate is so arranged upon the frame that the
stroke of the rack can be varied as required. The intention is to set the cam so
that at each reciprocation of the rack, the slide, and with it the bar, which rests
upon the book or paper, shall be moved a distance corresponding to each line of
the copy so that the operator can by simply reciprocating the rack always move
the bar the requisite distance and thus bring it in the right position to direct his
eye to the next line of the writing. Suitable means are provided for fixing the
cam in its required position, conveniently a series of holes in the cam and pin in
the frame.
The pawl upon the slide may be provided with a handle by which it can be
moved out of engagement with the rack to facilitate the return of the bar to the
top of a fresh page or copy. If desired the bar may carry a shield so that only
the portion of the copy above the bar is visible; this is particularly applicable for
black-boards, easels and the like where the lower portion may with advantage be
covered up or protected.

page_text: As a convenient means of fixing the book or copy particularly a book upon the
holder an india rubber band may be placed around one side of the frame and the
back.
The bar may be arranged to come down and rest above the line of copy instead
of below it, and it may have one or more shields or may be itself divided for
convenience in dealing with an open book one side of which owing to the different
number of leaves on the two sides is very much thicker than the other so that
while one portion of the bar or shield is raised a considerable distance to
accommodate the large number of leaves the other side can lie upon the thin
portion with the few leaves. Springs, balance-weights or the like can be employed
in any positions of the mechanism where required.
If desired the holder instead of being carried upon the frame of the typewriter
may be carried upon any suitable standard, framework or equivalent adapted to
rest upon the floor or ground or it may be applied direct to an easel, desk, black-
board, or the like. This is particularly applicable for large frames and the spacing
mechanism may in all cases be worked by the foot of the operator if preferred,
although for small frames attached to the typewriter it is usually more convenient
to operate it by hand. The release mechanism when operated by foot and
particularly in large frames may conveniently be placed in the centre of the frame
behind the copy and may consist of an arrangement similar to that already
described or a pivotted rack bar and fixed and movable dogs more or less similar
to those employed in the escapement mechanism of a typewriter may be used, the
foot of the operator turning the rack or operating the dogs so as to effect the
necessary engagement or disengagement.
The slide or dog mechanism where the frames are so large that they are liable
to lose their alignment may be connected by a rack at each end of the apparatus
the bracket or other device which carries the dogs being connected with a rod with
a toothed wheel or pinion at each end to engage with these racks to ensure that
the two ends fall simultaneously and to the same extent. For setting the device,
hand or foot mechanism to disengage the escapement may be provided.
Dated this 8th day of May 1894.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Copy Holders and the like.
A communication from CHARLES SPIRO, of 146, Centre Street, in the City,
County, and State of New York, United States of America, Gentleman.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 323 High Holborn in the County of London,
Chartered 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:-
This invention relates to apparatus for holding copies for various purposes,
particularly for typewriting machines although it may be used for holding books,
newspapers, music or in connection with easels, black-boards, and the like; I will
describe it however as applied to a typewriting machine.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings
in which
Figure 1 represents in perspective the complete copy-holder suitable for a
typewriting machine;
Figures 2 to 5 are details of the various parts and
Figure 6 shows diagrammatically the frame applied to a Barlock typewriter.
Like letters represent like parts throughout the drawings.

page_text: For the typewriter the copy-holder may consist of a preferably rectangular
frame A couveniently of metal with cranked and pinned ends A' A² adapted to fit
into holes provided for their reception in the frame-work of the machine the
cranked portions A¹ in conjunction with the pins A2 then taking a firm hold upon
the frame, although the copy-holder can be removed instantly if desired. Upon the
frame of the copy-holder is placed the rest or shelf B to support the paper,
book etc.; this may be fixed permanently to one side of the frame as at B¹ but is
preferably connected with the other side in such a manner that the two sides can
be sprung apart to allow of the before-mentioned pins being inserted in or removed
from the holes in the frame of the typewriter. A convenient and simple way of
effecting this is to provide a lip or lug B2 upon the rest through a hole in which
passés a pin B3 secured in the frame the lug being adapted to slide upon the pin
when the sides of the frame are sprung apart.
The rest B may be connected with the top of the frame by a metal plate or
other suitable back or support C and one side of the frame carries a sliding
block or equivalent D to which is pivotted a spring-controlled arm D' carrying an
adjustable bar D2 pivotted at D³ to the free end of the arm so as to adapt itself
freely to the book or paper carried in the holder, both as to parallelism with the
lines of the copy and irregularities or varying thicknesses in the copy. The
arm D₁ is caused by a coiled spring D in its joint to press the bar D2 upon
the copy, though both D2 and D' can be easily lifted off the copy against this
spring if desired. It is also so arranged that it can be turned with one end higher
than the other, the joint D³ being so arranged as to allow of this. Beside the
frame is a rack E with which the slide D is connected by a spring pawl D
preferably having two teeth to facilitate a fine adjustment; the rack is connected
with the frame A by screws A³ passing through slots E' and is adapted to slide
upon the frame being normally held in one position say its raised position by a
suitable spring E¹ Figure 2. The end of the rack may be turned over to form a
hook or handle E2 and a cam plate F is so arranged upon the frame A that the
stroke of the rack can be varied as required. The intention is to set the cam so
that at each reciprocation of the rack E, the slide D, and with it the bar D2 which
rests upon the book or paper, shall be moved a distance corresponding to each line
of the copy so that the operator can by simply reciprocating the rack always move
the bar the requisite distance and thus bring it into the right position to direct his
eye to the next line of the writing. Suitable means are provided for fixing the
cam in its required position, conveniently a series of holes in the cam and pin in
the frame.
The cam plate F is pivotted at F¹ upon the frame A and has holes F2 which
engage successively with the pin F3 so that the plate can be set and fixed in any
required position. When the rack E is pulled down the projection E meets the
edge of the plate F which prevents its further movement, so that by turning the
cam the travel of E can be regulated, and with it the distance moved by the bar D'
which can thus be adjusted to the lines of writing etc. upon the copy.
The pawl D upon the slide D may be provided with a handle D' by which it
can be moved out of engagement with the rack to facilitate the return of the bar
to the top of a fresh page or copy. The slide D may be a fairly tight fit upon
the frame A or a spring or other means may be provided to prevent it from slipping
along the frame when in use.
As a convenient means of fixing the book or copy, particularly a book, upon
the holder an indiarubber band G may be placed around one side of the frame A
and the back C as shown, in Figure 1.
The bar may be arranged to come down and rest above the line of copy instead
of below it, and it may have one or more shields or may be itself divided for
convenience in dealing with an open book one side of which owing to the different
number of leaves on the two sides is very much thicker than the other so that
while one portion of the bar or sbield is raised a considerable distance to
accommodate the large number of leaves the other side can lie upon the thin

page_text: portion with the few leaves. Springs, balance-weights or the like can be employed
in any portions of the mechanism where required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is ;-
1. In a copy-holder for typewriters and for other purposes the employment of
a bar or shield which can be moved line by line along the page or sheet to be
copied with a suitable step by step movement imparted by the operator through a
rack or equivalent device.
2. In a copy-holder the combination with a bar or shield such as D2 of a rack
mechanism such as E D D₁ substantially as and for the purpose described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a copy-holder the combination with a frame such as A adapted to fit on
the typewriting machine or to be carried upon an independent stand of a back
such as C movable arm D' D2 and slide D with spring controlled pawl D
engaging with a movable rack E reciprocated by the operator for the purpose of
successively moving the bar or shield D² from line to line of the copy substantially
as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. In a copy-holder the combination with a sliding rack of a cam plate such
as F whereby the extent of travel of the rack E can be regulated substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete copy-
holder substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 26th day of July 1894
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.