IMPROVEMENTS IN TYPE-WRITING MACHINES
Year: 1879

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, &
Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TYPE-WRITING MACHINES." A communication from abroad
by Frederick Sholes, Journalist, and William Curry Page, Merchant, both of
the City of New York, and George Whitmore Carr, of Brooklyn, Merchant, all
of the State of New York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th June 1879.
"
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. IMPROVEMENTS IN TYPE-WRITING MACHINES."
[A communication from abroad by Frederick Sholes, Journalist, and William
Curry Page, Merchant, both of the City of New York, and George Whitmore Carr,
of Brooklyn, Merchant, all of the State of New York, United States of America.]
This Invention comprises a type-writing machine, in which the ink-ribbon is
placed above the roller or other support of the paper or like material while the
same is being impressed or printed upon; the said ink-ribbon, moreover, being
capable of being lifted at will from the said roller or support, by which means the
progress of the printing may be inspected with much greater readiness and facility
than is the case with type-writers hitherto in use. The said Invention also
comprises a carriage, which carries the ink-ribbon, and which is placed lengthwise
of the roller that sustains the paper while being printed upon in combination with
the said ribbon; also a system of type-actuating levers and mechanism for lifting
and lowering the carriage, whereby provision is inade for effectively putting into
practice the feature of the said Invention first herein before specified.
The said Invention further comprises novel combinations of parts for insuring the
proper relation of the ink-ribbon with the system of types, actuating levers, and the
rollers which support and move the paper with reference to the said types, for con-
veniently raising and depressing the ink-ribbon, as hereinbefore indicated, for
insuring the rapid and forcible operation of the system of type-actuating levers, and
for otherwise ensuring in general and in detail the effective operation and conve-
nient manipulation of the machine.
Upon a framework of rectangular or other suitable shape are two standards or
bearings for the support of a shaft, grooved, and provided with a ratchet wheel.

page_text: Upon this shaft is a roller, which is caused to rotate with but not on the said shaft,
and is at the same time rendered capable of longitudinal movement upon the same.
The said carrier is composed of two end pieces, connected by rods or braces.
Each of these end pieces is notched or slotted to receive the ends of the shaft of a
Becondary roller. Attached to the lower rod or brace of the carrier is a rack, which
rests upon and gears with a pinion, the shaft of which has upon its opposite
extremity a ratchet wheel. Placed within the framework is a rectangular horizontal
frame, pivoted on a transverse rod, and having a pawl, which acts in conjunction
with the said ratchet wheel. The rearmost end of the frame is drawn downward
by a spring. The said pawl turns the said ratchet wheel, and thereby, through
the aforesaid pinion and rack, gives longitudinal movement to the carrier and the
rollers carried thereby.
Keys are provided, from which both the carrier and the system of types are
primarily worked. Each key is composed of a lever of the first order, having at
its forward end a knob, upon which is a letter, figure, or sign corresponding to that
of the type to be actuated by it. Each lever also has its rear end connected by a
rod with the short arm of a type-bearing lever of the first order. The type-bearing
levers have their fulcrums on the arc of a circle, so that the free or type ends of all
of the levers when depressed will invariably strike the same point in space, the typo
. levers being operated one after another. The forward end of each key is moreover
extended over the cross-bar of the frame, so that when any one of the keys has its
forward end depressed to actuate a type-lever the frame has its rear elevated to
enable the pawl to catch upon a tooth of the ratchet-wheel, so that when the key
is released the reverse movement of the said frame occasioned by its spring will
cause the said ratchet-wheel to be partially turned by the said pawl, the paper or
other material being thus automatically moved a sufficient distance after the
impression of one letter or sign, and before that of the succeeding one.
For giving a like movement to the carrier to afford a simple space between
sentences or the words of a sentence, an adjunctive lever is pivoted to the rod,
which provides the fulcrums of the said keys. This lever is normally pushed
upward by a spring; it is preferably composed of two side bars and a cross-piece;
the latter lies in a position to be readily depressed by the hand of the operator, so
that the side bars depress the forward end of the frame to actuate the carrier. The
said carrier being thus operated while a line of printing is being formed on the
paper, stops when the limit of Interal movement is reached, and requires to be then
drawn backwards preparatory to a repetition of said movement. This operation is
effected by a cord which extends from the carrier to and through a fixed eye, then
to and through an eye in the swinging bar, which carries a pawl and spring; this
pawl acts in contact with a ratchet wheel on the adjacent end of the first named
shaft to partially turn the same at intervals. Upon the cord is a knot or stop; by
simply pulling upon this cord the carrier is drawn back, as and for the purpose
indicated.
The keys, apart from their knobs, are covered by a sheet metal plate, which is
fixed upon the framework, and the rear part of which is curved upward toward the
carrier. The pivoted carriage of the inking ribbon consists of two lateral arms,
attached at their rear ends to a pivoted rod. Upon the forward or free end of each
arm of said carriage is a reel, from one to the other of which extends the inking
ribbon. Guides are provided on the free ends of the said arms in such manner that
the ribbon is stretched horizontally over and upon the rolier, so that when the
types descend they will fall upon the ribbon. At one side of the framework is a
lever, the rear end of which is connected with the adjacent arm of the said carriage,
so that by depressing the forward end of this lever the carriage will be elevated to
lift the inking ribbon clear of the roller. Guides are attached to the framework to
steady the arms against lateral displacement.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th
December 1879.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TYPE-WRITING MACHINES."
A communication from abroad by Frederick Sholes, Journalist, and William Curry
Page, Merchant, both of the City of New York, and George Whitmore Carr, of
Brooklyn, Merchant, all of the State of New York, United States of America.
This Invention comprises a type-writing machine, in which the ink-ribbon is
placed above the roller or other support of the paper or like material while the
same is being impressed or printed upon; the said ink ribbon, moreover is capable
of being lifted at will from the said roller or support, by which means the progress
of the printing may be inspected with much greater readiness and facility than is
the case with type-writers hitherto in use. The said Invention also comprises a
carriage, which carries the ink-ribbon, and which is placed lengthwise of the roller
that sustains the paper while being printed upon in combination with the said
ribbon roller; also a system of type-actuating levers and mechanism for lifting and
lowering the carriage, whereby provision is made for effectively putting into practice
the feature of the said Invention first herein before specified.
The said Invention further comprises certain novel combinations of parts for
ensuring the proper relation of the ink-ribbon to the scries or system of types,
actuating levers and the rollers, which support and move the paper with reference
to the said types, for conveniently raising and depressing the ink-ribbon, as herein-
before indicated, for ensuring the rapid and forcible operation of the system of types
and actuating levers, and for otherwise ensuring in general and in detail the effective
operation and convenient manipulation of the inachino.
In the accompanying Drawings,—
Figure 1 is a plan.
Figure 2 is a front view; and
Figure 3 is a rear elevation of a machine or apparatus constructed according to
this Invention.
Figures 4 and 5 are side elevations of the said apparatus.
Figure 6 is a vertical longitudinal section; and
Figures 7 and 8 represent detached portions of the same, Figure 8 being drawn
to an enlarged scale.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawings.
Upon a framework A of rectangular or other suitable form are two standards or
bearings a for the support of a shaft B, grooved in the direction of its length, and
provided at one end with a ratchet wheel b, the purpose of which is hereinafter
described. Upon this shaft B is a roller C, which by means of a suitable spline a*
(shewn in Figure 6), projecting therefrom into the aforesaid groove in the shaft, is
caused to rotate with but not on the said shaft, and is at the same time rendered
capable of longitudinal movement upon the same. D is a carrier or carriage com-
posed of two end pieces c, one at each end of the roller C, and connected by rods or
braces a, b'. Each of the end pieces c is radially notched or slotted, as shewn at
c in Figure 7. These notches c³ receive the ends of the shaft d of a secondary
roller A, which is kept coincident in position with regard to the roller C by means
of slotted lugs e¹ on washers e, which are interposed on the shaft B between the end
pieces c of the carrier and the adjacent extremities of the roller C. Inasmuch as
the shaft & passes through the lugs of the aforesaid washers, it follows that the
latter, like the carrier itself, cannot turn with or upon the shaft B. Springs f,

page_text: extending from the washers to the shaft d, and suitably collared on the latter, draw
the roller A¹ towards or against the roller C. Attached to the lower rod or brace b¹
of the carrier is a rack B¹, which rests upon and gears with a pinion C', the shaft d'
of which has upon its opposite extremity a ratchet-wheel D¹. Placed within the
framework A is a rectangular horizontal frame E, pivoted on a transverse rod, as
shewn at g, and baving at its rear end a pawl F*, which acts in conjunction with
the said ratchet wheel D¹. The rearmost end of the frame E is drawn downward
by a spring f. When the forward end of said frame is depressed the rear end
is elevated to bring the pawl into gear with a tooth of the ratchet-wheel D', so that
when the said frame is released, its rear end being brought downward by the
spring f¹, the said pawl turns the said ratchet wheel a portion of a revolution, and
thereby, through the pinion C¹ and rack B¹, gives longitudinal movement for a
certain distance to the carrier or carriage D, and the rollers carried thereby.
F, F, represent the keys, from which both the carrier and the system of types aro
primarily worked. Each key is composed of a lever of the first order, having at
its forward end a knob m, upon which is provided a letter, figure, or sign, corre-
sponding to that of the type to be actuated by it, and each lever also has its rear
end connected by a rod n with the short arm all of a type bearing lever N of the
first order, the type-bearing levers having their fulcrums arranged on the arc of a
circle, as indicated by the dotted line in Figure 1, so that the free or type ends
a² of all of the levers when depressed will invariably strike at the same point, the
type-levers being operated one after another. The forward end of each key is
moreover extended over the cross-bar C" of the frame E, so that when anyone of
the keys has its forward end depressed to actuate a type-lever to bring downward
its type, the frame has its rear end elevated to enable the pawl F* to engage with
a tooth of the ratchet-wheel D¹, so that when the key is released the reverse move-
ment of the said frame occasioned by its spring fl will cause the said ratchet-wheel
to be partially turned by the said pawl, and thereby, as herein before explained,
move the carrier and its roliers longitudinally a certain distance, that is to say, the
distance required between the letters of words imprinted by the successive action
of the several types, the frame, and the paper or other material sustained thereon,
as hereinafter explained, being thus automatically moved a sufficient distance after
the impression of one letter or sign, and before that of the succeeding one.
order to provide for giving a like movement to the carrier to afford a simple space,
as between sentences or the words of a sentence, an adjunctive lever I is pivotted
to the rod which provides the fulcrums of the said keys. This lever I is normally
pushed upward by a spring G, and is preferably composed of two side bars g' and a
cross-piece i, which latter occupies such a position that it may be readily depressed
by the haud of the operator, so that tho sido bars depress the forward end of the
frame E to actuate the carrier in the same manner as is done by the movement of.
the keys, as herein before explained; the carrier being thus operated while a line of
printing is being formed on the paper stops when the limit of lateral movement
is reached, and requires to be then drawn backward preparatory to a repetition of
said movement. This operation is effected by a cord J, which extends from the
carrier to and through a fixed eye v', then to and through an eye vll in the swinging
barv, which carries the pawl a³ and its spring, this pawl acts in conjunction with
a ratchet wheel b on the adjacent end of the shaft B to partially turn the same at
intervals, as hereinafter more fully explained. Upon the cord J and at a suitable
point in the length thereof is a knot or stop s¹, which from its size is incapable of
passing through the eye v of the bar v. By simply pulling upon this cord the
carrier is drawn back as and for the purpose indicated. When toward the end of
In
the pull on the cord the stop 8' strikes the bar v, and, tilting the same forward,
causes the pawl a³ to turn the ratchet wheel b, and consequently the shaft B and
the roller Ċ thereon a distance sufficient to feed the paper the distance required for
the printing or impressing of another line, whereupon the successive operation
of the keys causes a repetition of the intermittent movement of the carrier, and the

page_text: requisite operation of the types to form another line printed or impressed upon the
paper.
In connection with the ratchet wheel b, and also with the ratchet wheel D¹, a
suitable stop-pawl is arranged for preventing any backward movement of the ɛaid
ratchet wheels.
The keys, apart from their knobs m, are covered by a sheet metal plate I", which
is fixed upon the framework A, the rear part of the said plato being curved upward
toward the carrier D, as shewn. The paper or material to be printed upon is first
passed upward between the roller C and the roller A¹, and thence passes in the
operation of the apparatus down the curved surface of the plate I¹¹, and then upon
the flat inain portion of the same. L is the pivoted carriage of the inking ribbon M,
the said carriage consisting of two lateral arms u, as indicated in Figures 4 and 5,
attached at their rear ends to a pivoted rod F¹. Upon the forward or free end of
each arm u of said carriage is a reel G', from ono to the other of which extends the
inking ribbon M, which latter is of the character ordinarily used in type writing
machines. Guides Hare provided in the free ends of the said arms u in such a
manner that the ribbon is stretched horizontally over and upon the roller C, so that
when the types a descend they will fall upon the ribbon, and by such impact cause
the impression of ink or color from the ribbon to be formed upon the paper sup-
ported below said ribbon by and on the roller C. At one side of the framework A
is a lever I', the rear end of which is connected with the adjacent arm u of the
carriage L, so that by depressing the forward end of said lever the carriage will be
elevated to lift the inking ribbon clear of the roller C; or in other words clear of
the paper upon which the printing is being impressed to a distance which permits
the inspection at a glance of said paper, and consequently the easy rectification of
any mistake. At m¹¹ guides are attached to the framework A to steady the arms u
against lateral displacement.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under-
stood that I claim,-
First. A type-writing machine constructed with a vertically movable ink-ribbon
placed above the support, which during the action of the type holds the paper or
material to be marked, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Second. The carrier or carriage D, arranged in combination with the roller C, the
ink ribbon above the same, the type operating levers, and mechanism for lifting
and lowering the carriage, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Third. The carriage L provided with recls C, in combination with the rollers
C, A', the ink-ribbon, and a series of type-operating levers, substantially as and for
the purpose specified.
Fourth. The lever I' in combination with the carriage which carries the ink-
ribbon, and arranged relatively to the rollers C, A', and the series of type-operating
levers, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Fifth. A type-writing machine, in which the types are carried on the free ends
of levers N, to the opposite ends of which are attached actuating rods extended
from the extremities of keys, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Sixth. The combination of the tilting frame having the pawl F*, the ratchet-
wheel connected by gearing with the rack of the carrier D, and the series of keys
constructed and arranged to actuate the series of type-operating levers, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
Seventh. The carrier D provided with the notches or recessed bearings c³ in
combination with the shaft of the roller A¹, the lugs of the washers e, and the shaft
of the roller C in combination with the ink-ribbon and series of type-operating
levers, and mechanism for operating the same, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
Eighth. The pawl a³ and ratchet wheel bin combination with the shaft of the
roller C, the roller A', the carrier D, and the cord having the stop 8', substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.

page_text: Ninth. The frame or lever I in combination with the frame E, having the pawl
F*, the ratchet wheel D', and its connected gearing, and the rack B of the carrier,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Tenth. The plate 1" curved upward at its inner end, in combination with the
carrier D, the rollers C, A', the inking ribbon, and the series of type-operating
levers, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Seventeenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.