Improvements in Type-writers.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 5th Feb., 1890-Accepted, 8th May, 1890
PROVISIONAL DI BUIFICATION
Improvements in Type-writers.
We, HUGH BERTRAM Cox of 15 Barton Street Westminster Barrister-at-Law and
JOHN WILLIAM GORDON of 2 Queensdown Road Lower Clapton in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The first of our said improvements relates to the use of a cylinder for the purpose
of carrying the paper to be written upon, and bringing successive points in due order
to the striking point where the type bar or type wheel or type segment, as the case
may be, operates.
Instead of giving to the cylinder a longitudinal traverse relative to the striking
point between successive strokes, we mount the paper upon which it is proposed to
write upon the said cylinder by wrapping it round the surface or part of the surface
of the said cylinder, & we cause the cylinder to make a small angular movement about
its axis between successive strokes so as to allow for the requisite distance between the
letters at the end of every line the cylinder is made to have a longitudinal traverse
in the direction of its axis relative to the striking point so as to allow for the requisite
distance between the lines of the written matter.
The second of our said improvements relates to the use of an improved form of type
wheel which may be operated wholly or in part by pneumatic power. The said type
wheel and the axle which carries it are made hollow to admit of the passage of air
through them. The hollow interior communicates with the periphery of the said
wheel by means of numerous perforations or otherwise. A band of metal or other
suitable material encircles the wheel, being so adjusted, as, when the wheel is rotating
to rotate with it until checked by a stop and then to slip easily round its circumference,
while making a fairly airtight joint at its edges. The said band carries sockets in
which plugs crowned with type are fitted so as to be capable of easy radial motion
therein while remaining fairly airtight. Radial motion is given to these plugs by
variations of air pressure produced in the interior of the wheel, and suction may be
employed when the band is rotating, to counteract their tendency to centrifugal
motion. By means of this arrangement we avoid the loss of time & other incon-
veniences which attend sudden & frequent stoppages of the entire type wheel.
Our third improvement consists in a new form of type bar & support as an alternative
for such a type wheel as aforesaid. A wedge of wood or metal carries on one side a
cylindrical boss or stud or pin of metal on which is pivoted a type bar formed of sheet
metal of the exact thickness of the space between contiguous wedges when placed in
position. The said wedges thus form guides to the type bars. Upon the edge of that
part of a type bar which surrounds the stud upon which it is pivoted are cut cogs,
which engage with the cogs of a plate, rod, or bar of metal actuated by the driving
mechanism. These cogs may be made of large size to sustain the strain incidental to
the striking shock. The type bars may be made when striking the paper to impinge
upon an elastic cushion which causes them to come sharply away, & to stand, until
released by the raising of the operating key, at a little distance from the
The
paper.
wedges
when put side by side will form a ring or segment, & the striking point will in
such case be a point on the axis round which they are arranged.
Our fourth improvement relates to a method of preventing any two keys upon a
type writer from being simultaneously depressed so as to cause the type bars to strike.
A cord or chain is extended beneath the keys in such a manner that it allows the full
depression of any one key, but then becoming taut prevents the depression of any

page_text: other key so long as the first key remains depressed. If two keys be simultaneously
depressed, the tension in the cord or chain prevents the full depression of either.
Dated this 8th day of Auril 1889.
HUGH BERTRAM COX.
J. W. GORDON.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Type-writers.
HUGH BERTRAM Cox 15 Barton Street Westminster, London, S.W. Barrister at
Law and JOHN WILLIAM GORDON of 2 Queensdown Road, Lower Clapton in the
County of Middlesex 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 first of our said improvements consists in the use of a cylinder for the purpose
of carrying the paper to be written upon, which said cylinder in order to give the
desired space between different letters is rotated through the requisite angle, & for the
purpose of giving the desired space between lines is given a longitudinal traverse in
the direction of its axis relative to the striking point.
In the accompanying drawings-
Figure 1 sheet 1 shows a complete drawing of the cylinder with the mechanism for
causing & controlling its rotation & longitudinal traverse as hereinafter described.
Figure 2 sheet 1 shows the snails C' & a', being parts of figure 1, upon an
enlarged scale.
Figure 3 sheet 1 shows an escapenient which may be used to control the rotation of
the cylinder.
Figure 4 sheet 2 shows the cylinder with the paper wrapped round it & held in
position by a wrapper or cover.
Figure 5 sheet 2 shows a sectional view through the dotted line x-x of figure 4.
Figure 6 sheet 2 shows the wrapper or cover unwound from the cylinder.
Figure 7 sheet 2 shows, on an enlarged scale the mechanism for causing the cylinder-
to rotate.
Figure 8 sheet 2 shows a horizontal section of part of figure 7.
In figure 1 sheet 1, A shows the cylinder which is fitted on to a square metal bar B
along which it is free to move: Cis a travelling carriage, (hereinafter called the
carriage), in which & by means of which the cylinder is caused to have a longitudinal
traverse in the direction of its axis relative to the striking point: D is a screw used
for the same object as hereinafter described: E is an escapement, F, G, are trains of
driving mechanism, independent of each other as hereinafter shown & described.
The bar B is mounted in bearings 61 which are fastened to the frame of the type
writer. Rotation is given to the said bar B, & consequently to the cylinder A which
is mounted upon it, by means of the following mechanism which is shown in detail at
figures 7 & 8 on sheet 2. Upon the bar B, & conveniently near to one of its extremities,
is fixed a circular disc H. This disc carries on either side a pawl ', h³, through
which said pawls it is acted upon by two ratchet wheels h³, h, placed as shown on
either side of it. These ratchet wheels when turned in the direction shown by the
arrow, cause the disc H to rotate & the bar B to rotate with it, but when turned in
the opposite direction the ratchet wheels slip under the pawis. Consequently the
disc H can be rotated by either of the said ratchet wheels & can be moved by either
one of them in advance of the position occupied by the other.
The ratchet wheel his connected by ineans of a tube h³, which surrounds the
bar B & rotates about it, with a cogged wheel h, which in its turn engages with a
cogged wheel g¹ upon a countershaft f. The said cogged wheel g' is connected with
a pulley about which a cord passes; by means of this cord the said pulley g' and
cogged wheel g¹ can be made to rotate in such a direction as will
cause the cogged

page_text: wheel hª to rotate in the direction marked by the arrow, thereby giving a rotation in
the same direction to the disc H & the bar B. A spring barrel 9 is rigidly connected
with the wheel g¹ for the purpose of restoring the said wheel g¹ to its starting position.
When this takes place the wheels h, h³, rotate in a reverse direction to the arrow, the
ratchet wheel in that case slipping under the pawl upon the disc H in the manner
already described. The cord which passes round the pulley is, by means of a
suitable handle or other mechanism, placed under the control of the operator who is
thereby enabled to give any required angular motion to the bar B & the cylinder A.
The countershaft does not rotate with the wheel g¹, but is made fast in its bearings
by screws, as shown or otherwise, for the purpose of affording a point of attachment
to the springs within the barrels 9 & ƒ³.
The ratchet wheel A is placed upon a tabe ' by means of which it is connected
with the cogged wheel & the wheel which may be a bevel wheel, if desired, as
shown. The cogged wheel h³ gears with a similar cogged wheel f¹ also placed on the
countershaft f. This wheel, which is shown in section at figure 8 sheet 2, is
connected by means of a tube f* with a spring in a barrel. The barrel fis
connected by means of a ratchet & pawl ƒ', ƒ³, with a pulley which is thereby
enabled to wind the spring within the barrel. This spring in its turn acting upon
the tube f causes rotation of the wheel f¹ & consequently rotation of the wheel h³.
The direction of this rotation is such that it causes the disc H and the bar B to
revolve in the direction shown by the arrow.
The pulley is restored to its starting position by means of the spring within the
barrel, which spring is made fast to the countershaft. The barrel is prevented
from returning with the pulley f' by means of a detaining spring or pawl f10 catching
in ratchet teeth cut upon its surface as shown. To facilitate the mounting of the
tubes & upon the bar B, there are interposed, between the said tubes and the said
bar, the inner tubes 10, 11. These inner tubes 10, 7", are squared internally to fit
the bar B and afford externally cylindrical surfaces on which the outer tubes h* & h
can revolve. The inner tubes 10, 11, also present a suitable surface for working in
the bearings b. A similar tube 12 is shown at the other end of the bar B for working
in the bearing at that end of the bar B.
The movement of the tube & consequently of the ratchet wheel 4*, the cogged
wheel, & the mechanism connected therewith, is controlled by means of any
suitable escapement. An exceedingly simple form of such an escapement is shown in
position at E in fig. 1 sheet 1 & part of it also, on an enlarged scale at fig. 3 sheet 1.
It differs from a common clock escapement only in the fact that one of its pallets e
is placed upon a shortened arm so that the escape wheel when released by its with-
drawal has only the smallest possible run allowed to it before being checked by the
other pallet . The escapement is so fitted that when a key is depressed the short
run of the wheel takes place, & when it is released the long run occurs.
By this means we avoid the danger of causing rotation of the cylinder at the precise
moment of printing as the small travel which is necessary to enable the hinder tooth
to clear the hinder pallet takes place before the type has reached the paper. We make
no claim to the use of any such escapement, & wish it to be understood that the
escapement mechanism forins no part of our improvement; it is described & shown
merely for the purpose of illustrating the action of our improved form of paper
carriage.
The means whereby, at the end of every line the cylinder is made to have a longi
tudinal traverse in the direction of its axis relative to the striking point, so as to
allow for the requisite distance between the lines of the written matter is as
follows.
Upon the bar B & free to travel along it, is placed the rectangular carriage C which
carries the cylinder A. This carriage may be made with skeleton sides & ends so as
to allow the written matter to be readily seen. It is fitted, if necessary, with small
anti-friction rollers c¹ or with guides as may be required in order to facilitate or direct
its travel. At the forward end of the said carriage are fixed as shown in figure 1
sheet 1 two wheels c', c, the teeth of which are made to engage with each other. The

page_text: wheel c¹ is fixed on a tube c³ the interior of which is squared to fit the bar B; the
projecting ends of the said tube serve as bearings to keep the wheel c* in its proper
position: The wheel c thus rotates with the bar B. The wheel is in like manner
mounted upon a tube c', the interior of which is a female screw fitted to run upon the
male screw D. The screw D is prevented from rotation by a thumbscrew c, & there-
fore as the wheel c* rotates with the bar B, the wheel c will be made to travel along
the screw D & will draw the carriage C along with it. In order that the cylinder A
may have a longitudinal travel to some extent independent of that of the carriage C,
it is provided at its forward end with a snail a', as shown, which engages with a corre-
sponding snail e fixed upon the inside of the carriage C. These snails are shown on
an enlarged scale at Fig. 2 Sheet 1. It will be seen that the proportions in the said
enlarged drawing are not the same as in fig. 1, the snail shown in fig. 1 being much
thicker in proportion to its breadth.
This is for the purpose of making the details of the smaller drawing in Fig. 1
more easily visible. The thickness of the snails does not in any way affect their
action. The pitch of each of these snails a¹ & c' is exactly one half of that of the
screw D, & consequently the cylinder A in its rotation is caused to travel back
relatively to the carriage C through a distance equal to that through which during
the same time the carriage C has travelled forward. Thus the cylinder A maintains
an invariable position relatively to the bar B during its rotation, until the point of the
snail a slips over the point of the snail e', when, under impulse of a spring a inter-
posed between the rear end of the cylinder A & the carriage C, the cylinder advances
the exact distance which its carriage C has already travelled. The pitch of the
screw D is made equal to the distance desired between the lines of the written
matter. It is necessary when passing from line to line to give the cylinder a
sufficient amount of angular motion to cause the margins of the paper wrapped
around its surface to pass clear of the printing point. This may be automatically
given by cutting the surfaces a³ & c of the snails a¹ & c' at such an angle as is shown
in the enlarged view in fig. 2 sheet 1. The snail a¹ which rotates with the bar B may
have a square hole as shown, while the snail c' within which the bar B rotates must
be provided with a round hole. At a' are shown holes for screws by which the snail a¹
may be attached to the cylinder.
For the purpose of returning the cylinder & carriage to the starting point when it is
desired to cominence a new page, the screw D is made to rotate in a reverse direction,
for which purpose it is provided with a handle d' at any convenient point.
The thumbscrew c is loosened to allow the screw to be rotated,
a thumbscrew b³
in the bearing b¹ is, at the same time, tightened up to resist the tendency of the
wheels c&c to rotate with the screw D. If it be desired to facilitate the travel of
the carriage C along the bar B, suitable weights or springs may be connected there-
with by means of hooks c or otherwise.
Various methods may be employed for mounting the paper upon the cylinder A.
One such method is shown & illustrated by figures 4, 5, 6, on sheet 2. The surface of
the cylinder A is cut away between the lines a & a for the purpose of receiving the
edges of a leathern or other covering a, as shown apart from the cylinder A at
figure 6. These edges are held by hooks or clamps suitably arranged so as not to
project beyond the contour of the cylinder A. The paper being first wrapped about
the cylinder A, is held in close contact therewith by means of the leathern covering.
An opening a is cut in the cover, as shown, & serves to expose so much of the paper
as is required to be written upon.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion & in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. The use in a typewriter of a cylinder or cylindrical paper carriage round which
the paper is wrapped, which said cylinder is caused to rotate about its axis
& to move longitudinally in the direction of its axis substantially as described & shown
in the manner and for the purposes herein set forth.

page_text: 2. In a typewriter the combination of the cylinder A and its cover as shown at
figures 5 & 6 with the bar B and carriage C & snails a¹ & c' for the purpose of giving
to the said cylinder & the paper mounted thereupon a longitudinal traverse relative to
its axis at a given point in its rotation in the manner shown & described.
3. The driving mechanism substantially as herein described & shown at figures 1,
7 1 Q