An In consisting of
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Aug., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 23th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 16th July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
·
An Invention consisting of Improvements in Type Writers, by
which Two Letters or Portions of a Word may be Printed at
One Stroke.
EDWARD JAMES CLIFFORD of 127 Upper Dorset Street, Dublin, Solicitor's
Assistant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention relates to type-writing machines consisting of improvements by
which two letters are printed at a time by striking one character.
The construction is as follows:-
The type bars are in a circle, and held in an upright frame and connected for
working with the keyboard.
Upon the bars of the key-board characters I loosely connect to rest upon each
bar a set of extra letters, preferably the five vowels-a, e, i, o & u.
These extra characters lead to and are connected to work a second set of the
type of the said five extra letters within the circle of type bars. I arrange these
letters to strike in a second position, i.e., following the letters of the ordinary
characters.
.
+
This is arranged for the following purpose:-When one of these extra letters is
struck down, it consequently also strikes down the bar of the character upon which
it rests, and both letters are therefore worked at once, so that when a consonant is
followed by a vowel the consonant may be skipped, as it is only necessary to strike
the vowel which rests upon its bar and the both are therefore printed at the one
stroke.
.
The carriage holding the paper is moved as follows:-When the bars are struck
down they come into contact with a rod which moves a cogged wheel. The cogged.
wheel causes the carriage to move the length of a single letter, except when
the two letters are printed at one stroke, the wheel being then moved the length of
a double space.
I also attach to each key of the ordinary alphabet an additional blank key, the
blank keys move the carriage the length for the double space. This is so arranged
that when the letter ends a word the blank key, attached, is struck instead of the
said letter, the blank keys working a rod which moves the cogged wheel for
the double space. This saves the continual repetition of having to strike a separate
space bar after each word as in all former machines.
Dated this 7th day of Angust 1891
E. J. CLIFFORD.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Invention consisting of improvements in Type Writers, by
which Two Letters or Portions of a Word may be Printed at
One Stroke.
EDWARD JAMES CLIFFORD 127 Upper Dorset Street, Dublin, Solicitor's
Assistant, 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 :-
The improvements to which this Specification applies are:-Improvements in
type-writing machines. The following are the particulars. The type bars are
arranged in a circle in an upright frame, and connected to the finger-key levers, on
the key board. The writing material is wound on a roller D, which moves upon

page_text: the rails E, on the top of the machine and the paper is written on by the action of
striking the finger keys which are so connected to the type-bars.
The drawing annexed shows the type-bars A. They are held and work upon
the parts B, and connected to the finger-key levers by the rods C, so that when the
finger keys are depressed the rods C are pulled down and the type bars are raised
and print upon the paper held on the roller.
The parts B, between which the type-bars are held for working, are ordinary
pieces of metal or holds which are screwed to the frame of the machine.
When it is necessary to commence a fresh line when printing, the roller holding
the paper must be pushed back by the hand; and the lever F must be pushed
up, which gives the necessary space between the lines-by the spring clip y
(attached to the lever) catching in the racked edge of the roller and moving same
around.
The following improvement I arrange that two letters may be printed at a time
by one finger stroke:-I place upon each one of about sixteen of the ordinary most
used key-levers, an extra set of finger keys for the vowels a, e, i, o, and u, and
connect them to five extra type bars. The extra type I arrange to strike in
a second position, that is following the print of the ordinary characters, so that by
this arrangement the letters (to which the extra set of vowels are so attached) may
be skipped when they are followed by a vowel, as it is only necessary to strike the
vowel of the set which so rests upon its lever and the two letters are printed at once
-the extra vowel being printed by its finger key being so struck and also the lever
of the ordinary letter being worked upon which it rests.
The drawing shows the side view of the arrangement. The five extra type bars
are connected by the rods h to the horozontal rods K running across the face of the
machine; there being one of these rods K for each extra type-bar. Y (Fig. 2,
same drawing) are the screws upon which the bars K work.
A lever I is placed upon each one of the finger-key levers, which are to have an
extra set of vowels; and I loosely connect to these levers the extra sets of finger
keys a, e, i, o, and u. Each of these extra keys is also connected to the small
wedges and the ends of these wedges rest upon the horozontal rods, so that when
the extra finger keys are struck, they, by means of the wedges work the said
rods K and connected to the extra type bars. The same action of the key also
working the lever I, the end of which acts upon the ordinary key lever upon
which it rests, and thus the two type bars are worked at one stroke.
M is the rod or hinge upon which the levers I work; and N are the hinges upon
which the wedges J work.
I could of course place the sets of extra keys direct upon the ordinary key levers
and connect them by rods to the extra-type, but I have arranged the keys to be
struck back horozontally as an improvement, and on which I believe greater facility
and speed can be obtained than by the method of striking the finger keys
downwards.
The following improvement I arrange to dispense with having to strike a separate
space bar after each word :-I place an extra loose finger key X resting upon about 19
of the most principally used key levers and I connect these extra keys to the rod P
(underneath the key levers) which rod is intended to work the escapement
mechanism. So that when the letter ends a word, it is only necessary to strike the
extra blank key resting on its lever, and it will therefore work the escapement to
allow for a double space by being so connected to the spacing rod P.
When a space is required, as in the case after a character which has not an extra
spacing key attached to its lever the necessary space is obtained by striking down
the bar R, which thus works the second rod S in connection with the escapement
mechanism.
The drawing shows the key board with only one key lever connected with its
type bar and also with the set of extra vowels and the blank spacing key resting
on such lever. The remaining keys being arranged in the same manner as thus
shown,

page_text: The spring T is attached to the roller carriage to hold the paper firm; U is the
paper rest.
may mention that this machine may be worked in the same manner as other
writing machines, that is by striking each finger-key separately, as the features
of the extra improvements are independent advantages and do not interfere with
the working of the ordinary key board.
I have thus described the parts and improvements to which this Specification
refers, and by such improvements this writing machine will gain at least twenty-
five per cent. more speed than any other former machine.
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:
1. Arrangements in the key-boards of writing-machines by which two bars or
parts can be worked together at one stroke, by the device of connecting the two
bars or finger keys together, by placing one finger key resting on the lever of the
other, so that if the one so resting on the other be struck, it will by being so
connected also work the one upon which it rests and to which it is attached, as I
have above ascertained and described in the arrangement of the extra keys.
2. The device to enable two letters to be printed at one finger stroke as follows:
By the arrangement of connecting and placing on each of the key levers of
the ordinary finger keys, other extra sets of finger keys for the particular letters
a, e, i, o and u, and connecting such extra keys to 5 type-bars made to strike in a
second position. The extra keys being thus arranged, so that when one of them is
struck, it will by being so placed and connected, also work the ordinary key lever
to which I have attached same, and thus by this arrangement the two type bars &
letters are worked and print together. All former machines having been made
without any connection of the finger keys, it being therefore necessary with them,
that each finger key must be struck separately, when printing, they also being
made to have but one type bar to work at a time with each finger stroke.
3. The arrangement of placing the extra finger keys so as to be struck back
horozontally; and such extra sets of keys to act upon the ordinary finger key levers,
by each set being placed upon one lever (as in drawing 1) which so rests upon the
ordinary key levers; and by connecting said extra keys, by the wedges J, to the
bars K to act upon the extra type.
4. The connecting of the five extra type bars with the horozontal rods K,
so that a number of keys may be placed on such horozontal rods, and thus by this
arrangement it saves the necessity of having to connect each extra key with
a separate type bar.
5. The arrangement of placing an extra loose key upon each key lever, and
connecting such key to the rod which works the spacing mechanism for a double
escapement, so that such extra key attachment may be depressed at the end of a
word to obtain the double space, thus dispensing with having to strike a separate
space bar after each word, which is necessary in all former machines.
Dated this 21st day of June 1892.
EDWARD J. CLIFFORD,
Applicant.