IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR WRITING, EMBOSSING, OR INDENTING MECHANICALLY BY MEANS OF TYPE
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morgan-Brown, of the Firm of Brandon
and Morgan-Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, South-
ampton Buildings, London, and 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR WRITING, EMBOSSING, OR
INDENTING MECHANICALLY BY MEANS OF TYPE."-A communication from
abroad by Gustavus Palmer Harding and John Robert Johnson,
Engineers of 13 Rue Gaillon Paris
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Morgan-Brown
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 9th June 1875, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engineers
and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 13, Rue
Gaillon, Paris, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINES FOR WRITING, EMBOSSING, OR INDENTING MECHANICALLY BY

page_text: This depression (and the impression produced thereby) is transmitted to
the lever by means of a second lever provided at its extremity with a
small ivory or metal key, on which is engraved or attached the same
letter as on the type attached to its corresponding lever. This assemblage
of keys forms a semicircular keyboard around the group of levers.
These machines, constructed on these two principles, are one and the
other composed of two main parts, viz., firstly, the printing mechanism;
and secondly, the sliding table or board, on which is placed the paper or
other material to be printed or indented, or the paste to be struck.
I will first describe in detail a machine constructed in accordance with
the first system, which consists in a circular disc, on the periphery of
which the type are caused to slide vertically in grooves, and in which
they are held each by a slight spring. By rotating the disc each type
can be brought under a small piston or plunger, on lowering which by
means of an appropriate lever the type is caused to slide in its groove
until it comes in contact with the paper to be printed, and on being
released it is returned to its former position by means of the above-
mentioned spring. Each type besides the letter or sign on its under
face is provided with a projection cast on its shank, or the same may be
replaced by a small metallic screw tapped in its shank. The amount of
this projection or the distance to which the end of the screw stands out
from the shank of the type has a definite relation with the thickness of
the type. When the type is lowered by the action of the piston and
lever this projection comes in contact with a small arm or lever, which
it pushes back proportionally to the extent of the projection. The
lever thus deflected to an extent proportionate to the thickness of the
letter to be printed is connected with the sliding printing table, as is
hereafter described.
The type disc is rotated by means of two distinct methods, firstly, by a
barrel spring; and secondly, by hand by means of a small handle which
is connected by mechanical means with the arbor of the disc.
According to the first system the spring is wound up by the lowering
of the lever which acts on the printing piston. The total effect of this
lever is to give three turns to the barrel fitted on the arbor of the disc.
This effect is produced by means of an intermediate wheel three times
larger in diameter than the pinion fitted on the barrel. If, however, the
barrel is already partly wound up the action only takes place on that

page_text: part of the spring which is not wound so as to furnish afresh the
amount of power already expended. The arbor is provided with an arm
or lever, the extremity of which passes helow a series of small studs or
cylinders corresponding with the series of letters or signs to be printed,
which latter are engraved on a stationary dial placed over the disc, and
which conjointly with the studs constitute a circular keyboard. By
depressing one of these studs the disc rotates until the arm or lever
comes in contact with it and stops the disc, which is so arranged that
the letter to be printed is thus placed under the printing piston and lever
above mentioned. When these latter are depressed the paper is fed
laterally to the required distance, according to the thickness of the type,
and the letter that it bears is printed at the place brought forward for its
reception.
A special cylinder or stud is used to arrest the arm or lever, and con-
sequently the disc at a neutral point, and on depressing the piston at this
point no mark is made on the paper. This stud also differs from the
others in so much that it has no spring to raise it after having been
depressed, therefore it remains depressed until raised by the operator.
A second arm or indicator is placed on the arbor of the disc at its upper
extremity. It serves to indicate the letter engraved on the dial which
is to be printed. It also serves to show if the disc has been arrested by
the depression of the stud corresponding to the same letter.
The lever acting on the printing piston is moved by two other levers
placed symetrically to the right and to the left of such printing lever, so
that the operator can by either of his hands depress the said printing
lever and its piston, whilst the other hand remains free to work the studs
or cylinders. The spring on the disc arbor is wound up by the
depression of one or the other of these levers, which act simultaneously
on the printing lever by means of a wire or a chain passed round a
pulley adapted to the intermediate wheel, and the extremities of which
are connected to the respective extremities of these two levers.
Secondly. The construction of the second part of the machine viz.,
the printing table is as follows:-A slight metal frame travelling on
four small V shaped rollers in similar shaped grooves cut in a founda-
tion plate constitutes a carriage, to which a motion from right to left is a
imparted by means of a screw with a rapid thread fixed in the founda-
tion plate; on the extremity of this screw is fixed a ratchet and a slick;
this latter is acted upon by an arm projecting from a small shaft which

page_text: also carries the lever acted on by each projection or screw head of the
type, as already referred to. This shaft is fitted at one end on a small
support fixed to the foundation plate, whilst its other extremity is fixed
to the framing which supports the disc. The ratchet is provided with
very fine teeth, or it may consist in a smooth surface disc like the silent
feed of sawing and other machines, that is to say, its circumference is
entirely devoid of teeth and acted on by a friction tongue. As each type is
printed the click or pawl pushes forward one or more teeth of the ratchet,
thus rotating the screw to a greater or a lesser extent, which in its
turn acting on the nut fixed in the above described carriage causes it to
move more or less in proportion to the thickness of each letter printed,
notwithstanding the tension of long caoutchouc springs attached to the
carriage. When the carriage has arrived at the end of the line a
metallic piece projecting on the left side of the same throws over a small
tumbler which disconnects the pawl and the ratchet upon which the
springs commencing action draws back the carriage rapidly to the right
of the table; another similar metallic projecting piece. actuated to the
right then throws back the tumbler to its first position, and thus gears
the carriage that it may be afresh travelled from right to left by the
successive impression of each letter. Another similar but smaller
carriage is animated with a rectilinear motion at right angles with the
first on which it travels. A metallic plate forms the table on which the
matter to be printed on is placed.
The table remains stationary during the printing, but on its arrival at
the end of the line, when the lower carriage has returned to the right of
the table, a metallic piece projecting from the foundation plate displaces
a lever laterally, which by means of a pawl and of a ratchet fitted on a
shaft, provided also with two pinions, impels two racks fixed under
the upper carriage and pushes the carriage away from the writer a
distance equal to the spacing of two lines of printing, so as to enable
the second line to be commenced; fresh paper presenting itself to be fed
step by step transversely by means of the screw, the ratchet, the lever,
and the projection on the type, as above described.
The printing is effected thus in this class of machine; firstly, by
depressing the special stud to place the disc on its neutral point;
secondly, by depressing the printing lever the stoppage does not take place
against any letter, but the barrel is completely wound up ready to act;

page_text: thirdly, by fixing the printing table by means of the two carriages by
placing on it the matter to be printed on, and by bringing the table to
its proper place. These operations are easily effected by raising the
different clicks, and by placing the parts by hand in their requisite.
positions. When this has been accomplished the neutral stop must be
raised, and the stud corresponding with the letter to be printed must be
depressed; the disc then turns round and stops at the letter opposite the
stud that has been depressed, whilst the corresponding type presents
itself under the printing piston, which must then be depressed by either
the right or by the left-hand lever, whereby the type is printed.
Whilst this piston is maintained depressed the stud corresponding to the
next letter to be printed must be depressed, the printing lever is then
allowed to ascend and redepressed, and so on alternately stopping the
disc at the required letter, and printing the letter advanced by this
action. If the printing is to be discontinued instead of presenting a
character by acting on one of the keys of the clavier or finger board, the
neutral stop must be depressed in order that the barrel remains wound
up. Should this precaution be omitted this disc would unwind itself,
and the operation described under the first and second heads must be
recommenced by lowering the neutral stop, and by pushing back the
printing lever before lowering a key of the clavier.
The operation without the barrel spring is much simpler; no clavier
is required, the type being brought to the proper point by the hand
which stops the disc when the upper indicator points to the letter. The
said point is all the easier found in so much as the said indicator
carries at its extremity a small roller which travels over undulations
formed in the plate opposite cach letter. The other hand then lowers
the printing lever, or by an arrangment easily understood the printing
lever is placed in direct communication with the handle employed to
rotate the disc.
In order that the first system of machine be clearly understood I will
describe it in detail conjointly with the six Figures of the accompanying
Sheets of Drawings 1 and 2, in which Figure 1 is a plan of the machine
complete; Figure 2, a front elevation in section through A, A, Figure 1;
Figure 3, a second front elevation in section through B, B, Figure 1;
Figure 4, a longitudinal elevation; Figures 5 and 6 respectively, a plan
and a front elevation in section through C, C, Figure 5, of a modification

page_text: in the machine as regards the mode of imparting motion to the type
wheel.
In these Figures A represents the framing or table of the machine on
which the different parts are fitted; B, the type wheel; b, b, the groove
made in the periphery of the wheel to receive the type t, t; C, the piston
which presses the type on the paper; D, the printing lever, and E¹, E³, the
two levers, one to the right and one to the left, serving to impart the
requisite motion to D; c is the small screw fitted on the outer face of
each type, and which feeds the paper forward; l, the lever acted on by
these screws, and which is fixed in the shaft E, which drives the large
screw G, and thereby the lower carriage; H is the spring barrel imparting
rotary motion to the disc, and I, the gear which, by the intermission of
chains or metallic wires connected with the levers E¹ and E³, winds up
the barrel spring; K, is the stop or neutral stud; L, L, the keys of the
clavier; M1, M2, the large buttons and rods serving to depress the right
and left-hand levers E' and E' which act on the printing lever; N is the
indicator which signals the letter brought in place to be printed; and O,
the lever which causes the arrest of the disc by the effect of its contact
with that stud of the key board that has been depressed; P is the lower
carriage which is advanced by the screw G and the nut 9, and which is
brought back by the springs k,.k; m, m, are the rollers of the lower
carriage, and n, n, those of the upper carriage; these latter are united
by pairs on the light spindles o, o, which are supported in semicircular
cavities made for the purpose in the lower carriage; R is the ratchet
mounted on the head of the screw G; p, p, the clicks, and r, the tumbler
serving to bring them in and out of gear. The tumbler is fitted on a
small shaft S provided with a lever u at its other extremity. T¹, T³, are
the projecting pieces which act on the lever u and on the stem of the
tumbler at the other extremity of the shaft, and which cause the
tumbler to fall first to the right and then to the left; Q is the carriage
or upper table on which the paper or other material is placed to be
printed on. This carriage, as it has been above mentioned, travels on
V shaped rollers mounted on the lower carriage. The required motion
is imparted to it at right angles with that of the lower carriage by means
of the pinions and racks y, y, and z, z; x is the ratchet mounted on the
pinion shaft, and which is acted on by the lever a¹ and the click a² shown
in dotted lines at Figure 4 when the former comes in contact with the
inclined plane x, Figure 1; W is a glass plate covering the disc, and on
which the letters of the clavier are engraved. The indicator N is seen

page_text: Having thus explained the nature of these improvements as well as
the best method that I am acquainted with for putting the same into
practice, I would have it understood that what I claim and desire to
secure in the said in part recited Letters Patent is,―
Having thus explained the nature of these improvements as well as
the best method that I am acquainted with for putting the same into
practice, I would have it understood that what I claim and desire to
secure in the said in part recited Letters Patent is,—
Firstly. The general arrangement and working of the machine with a
rotating spring disc or type wheel as described under the first head of
these improvements.
Secondly. The general arrangement and working of the modification
of this first machine wherein the disc receives a positive rotating motion
by hand.
And, Thirdly. The special arrangement and working of the modifi-
cation wherein the type wheel is replaced by one or more semicircular
series of type levers producing their impression by a downward motion
on the paper, and so arranged that each type presents itself individually
and automatically in one and the same constantly central point.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morgan-Brown, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN. (L.S.)