Year: 1886

page_text: I THOMAS DAVID WORRALL, residing at 2011, Fourteenth Street, Washington, in
the District of Columbia, and United States of America, Physician, 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:
My invention relates to improvements in type-writing machines, the object of
which is the construction of a machine, simple in its parts and comparatively
inexpensive to manufacture.
My invention consists of a sliding frame, in which a battery or series of type
carrying levers or keys are pivoted said frame being adapted to travel back and
forth in ways, the type being held from contact with the surface to be printed upon
until the printing point or center is reached by means of the guide-bar which
supports the outer edge of the type-carrying frame.
My invention consists further in providing the guide-bar with a notch to receive
the ends of the type holding levers and also with a movable operating pawl and a
retaining pawl, whereby when the type lever is depressed, the surface to be printed
upon will be moved over to space the distance between the letters.
Other important features of my invention will be fully described hereinafter and
pointed out in the claims.
Referring to the drawings
Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my device.
Fig. 2 is a front view of the same.
Fig. 3 is a side view of one of the type levers or keys.
A indicates the bed of the machine, on which is secured the brackets or
supports, B, B, in which the bar C is mounted.
D is the type-carrying frame the rear end of which is provided with apertures
through which the bar C passes and on which the frame D is moved to and fro and
by reason of its being secured at one side to the bar or rod C, in a hinge-like
manner I am enabled to swing the frame back, and examine the progress of the
work.
The front end of the frame D is provided with grooved wheels E adapted to run
on the bar, F said bar being secured to the base, A, and supporting the front end of
the type-carrying frame or carriage.
G are the type-holding bars or levers pivoted at their rear ends to the bar H,
which forms a common hinge or center, said bars or levers being provided with a

page_text: Blotted or recessed projection adapted to receive the ordinary type, b which is held
therein by means of a set screw, c. These levers may however be made of type-
metal, and the letters cast thereon or the common flat letters may be soldered or
otherwise rigidly secured to the lower end of a solid projection, a, without departing
from the spirit of my invention.
The type-holding bars G are provided on their upper side with an arm or
projection, d, to which the button or knob having the letter or character thereon is
attached the knob or projection just mentioned being sufficiently strong to permit
the operator to take hold of the same and move the type and type-holding frame
back and forth on the ways, while exerting pressure on the lever to force it into
the centering slot when it reaches that point as will more fully appear hereinafter.
The front end of the type levers G are cut away at varying depths as indicated
by the full and dotted lines in order to give the proper spacing to the letters or
characters, as will more fully appear. is a metal plate secured to the underside
of the type-carrying frame D, and is provided with two or more pins e, around
which is placed coiled springs, f the upper end of said coiled springs, being adapted
to impinge against the underside of the metal plate, g on which the type-levers are
supported, the object of which is to keep the front ends of the bars froin coming in
contact with the bar, F, by their own weight and also to return the type-lever to
an elevated position and from contact with the printing surface when said lever or
key is released from the pressure exerted by the hand of the operator.
K is the inking ribbon secured to the spools, I at each side of the frame, and
passes directly underneath the type said spools being provided with a pawl and
ratchet or other suitable retaining devices which will hold the ribbon at the proper
tension.
Having described the type-carrying frame and type-levers, I will now proceed to
describe the devices by which the paper or other surface to be printed upon is
moved forward the proper distance to accurately space the distance between the
letters or characters.
The guide-bar F which supports the front end of the type-carrying frame, is
provided at or near its center with a notch, h, having inclined or beveled edges
into which the outer or front end of the type-lever is depressed when a character
or letter is to be formed, said notch being on a direct line with the printing or
impression point of the type. By having the upper edges of the notch, h, slanting
or beveled off, and by making the lower faces V or wedge-shaped as shown, the,
levers and type are more readily centered in the notch or slot, h, and all rocking or
tilting of the levers is prevented.
The guide bar, F is also provided with a guide-way i, directly underneath the
notch h, in which is placed a suitable sliding block to which the pawl, k is attached,
said block and pawl being operated upon by a suitable spring, 1, which serves to
hold the pawl and its block in an elevated position when not forced down by the
type lever.
M is a frame adapted to travel in ways on the base A, and in which the paper-
carrying bed is moved, to space the distance between the lines of printing by means
of the set screw O. P is a rack or ratchet-bar secured to the front of the frame M,
beneath the guide bar, F, and is designed to be pushed forward by the pawl k, when
said pawl is operated upon by the type-levers, and as said frame is moved forward,
it is held in position by the retaining pawl, m. As before indicated, the ends of the
type-holding levers are cut away so as to force down the pawl, k, more or less in
the guide, i and thus accurately space the distance between the letters for example,
the levers which carry the wide letters as W M etc are not cut away but left full as
indicated by the dotted line, 1, in Fig. 3 so that the end of the type-lever will come
in contact with the pawl, k, as soon as it enters the notch, h, in the bar F and as
the lever is depressed to print the letter the pawl, k, will be pressed down to the
farthest point, which will move the rack-bar and frame M, the proper distance to
space and form the wide letters. The full line, 2, (see Fig. 3) on the end of the
type-lever indicates the distance the levers are cut away, to space and form the

page_text: medium sized letters which these levers carry, while the levers carrying the narrow
letters as I stops, etc, are cut away as shown by the dotted line 3, Fig. 3, and
impinge on the pawl, k, to move the rack bar one notch.
It will be noticed that the pawl, k is operated by the direct downward thrust of
the type-levers, and not by a side motion of the type-levers, thus insuring a positive
movement of the paper carrying table to space the letters. The type may be left
out of one or more of the levers, so as to make them spacing-levers, by which when
brought to the printing center or notch, h, and manipulated by the operator, will
move the paper to give the requisite space without forming an impression or print
on the paper.
When a line has been printed, the pawls, k and m are raised, and
the frame M is drawn back by the springs R, the frame N moved over the proper
distance to form the spacing between the lines, the pawls k and m, are thrown into
engagement with the ratchet or rack-bar and the printing operation continued as
heretofore explained. It will be noticed that the ends of the type-levers are
held up by the spring bars, and the guide plate so that they cannot be depressed to
bring the type into printing contact with the ink ribbon until the type-levers
carrying the proper letter has been brought to the notch or printing center, h and
enters it only through the pressure exerted by the hand of the operator, and the
only precaution necessary is for the writer to see that he has hold of the proper lever.
It will also be noticed that the type-levers or keys are supported by and move
upon a common center and that perfectly straight lines with the proper spacings
can at all times be produced and that by the simple construction and arrangement
of parts the machine is not liable to get out of order, and only one lever at a time
can be operated to bring the type into printing contact with the paper.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. A type-writing machine consisting of a battery or series of type holding
levers or keys moving on a common center or pivot mounted in a sliding frame,
as described, and adapted to be moved back and forth in suitable ways, to and from
the printing point as set forth.
2. A type-writing machine consisting of a battery or series of type-holding.
levers or keys mounted in a sliding frame as described, in combination with a guide-
bar having a notch into which the type holding levers are depressed to bring the
type into printing contact with the paper, as set forth.
3. In a type-writing machine a guide-bar provided with a retaining pawl and a
vertically movable operating pawl as described, in combination with the pivoted
type-levers, and paper holding frame provided with a rack-bar as set forth.
4. The guide bar F having the notch or slot, h, and pawl guide i in combination
with the sliding pawl k, adapted to be moved up and down in said guide, the
spring, l, ratchet bar P, and frame M, whereby the surface to be printed upon is
moved over to insure the proper spacing between the letters as described.
5. In a type-writing machine the pivoted levers having their front ends plain or
cut away as described, in combination with the notched bar, F, sliding pawl k and
rack-bar, P whereby the surface to be printed upon is moved over one or more
notches as the case may be, by the depression of the type-levers, as set forth.
Dated this 10th day of T1000