Year: 1887

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by JOHN SLAUGHTER JUREY, of Boonville, in the County
of Cooper and State of Missouri, United States of America, Gentleman.]
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S. of the Agency for Foreign Patent
Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, and 323 High
Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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:-
This invention consists in an arm or supporting device for the use of type-writer
operators, and others, having occasion to manipulate finger keys for considerable
periods of time.
The device is susceptible of more or less variation as to details, but consists
essentially of an overhanging arm or frame, from which are suspended two arm rests
or hangers, the suspending cords, straps or bands, being preferably adjustable as to
length, and made either of elastic or inelastic material, as preferred.
In the drawings,—
Figure 1. is a perspective view of the device in position for use.
Figure 2 a view showing the supporting frame or standard in a somewhat different
form.
Figures 3, 4 and 5 views of details.

page_text: a nearly fixed position, while the hands are moved from the wrist, very little if any
motion being given to the fore-arm as a whole.
The purpose of this invention is to give adequate support to the arms and
incidentally to the back and shoulders, thereby obviating the fatigue heretofore
unavoidable, and in a great measure overcoming the now usual tendency of type-
writer operators to become found shouldered.
In the drawing, A indicates a frame which may be made of heavy wire or light
metal tubing, of wood or other suitable material. This frame is designed to carry
hangers or supporting devices B, which may conveniently be made in the form
of strong cords, carrying at their lower ends semicircular or stirrup-shaped arm
rests C.
Instead of cords, straps, bands or webbing, chains, or even metallic bands, or. wires
may be used. The cords or webbing may be elastic in themselves; or they, or the
metallic bands, chains, etcetera, may be inelastic, but attached to an elastic section D,
as shown in Figures 3 and 4.
The frame A may be secured either to the body of the type-writer, or as is more
convenient, to the base board upon which the machine is usually mounted.
It may consist of uprights a, a, at each side of the machine, connected by a cross-
bar b, as shown in Figure 1; or it may be in the form of an overhanging arm or
crane, with a cross-bar b, as in Figure 2, the form, size, and material, being matters of
judgement and taste, variable at will.
The cross-bar should stand somewhat forward of the keys or fingers' buttons of
the type-writer so that when the hands are in position to strike the keys, the arm
rests hanging naturally, shall support the arms about midway between the wrists and
elbows, though this too is a matter of judgement to some extent.
The suspenders or hangers B must be of such material, or so attached to the cross-
bar or support that the arm rests C may swing freely in all directions to permit the
bands to be carried readily over the key, board.
In practice a non-elastic suspender has been found well adapted to the purpose, and
in fact deemed preferable to elastic ones, where the key board is compact and small,
but for larger key boards, requiring greater movement of the hands, elastic suspenders
possess some advantages, hence it is proposed to use, when desirable, cords or bands
elastic in whole or in part, coiled springs, or even a spring hanger or supporting arm,
for the suspender to hang from.
These constructions are illustrated in the drawings: Figures 1 and 2 showing
inelastic hangers; Figure 3, the clastic band or webbing; Figure 4, the coiled spring
forming the suspender or part thereof: Figure 5, the spring arms from which the
suspenders are hung.
The arm rests may be of any suitable form and material, being conveniently formed
either of wire or or sheet metal, covered with leather, cloth or other soft material, and
advisably padded somewhat.
The suspenders should also be adjustable as to length, which end, in the case of
cords, may be attained by merely tying them higher or lower, and in the case of straps
and bands, the same effect may be secured by the use of buckles.
With chains, wires, and metal bands, a hook will be provided to hook in different
links of the chain or eyes or holes of the wire or band.
It would be possible to suspend the arm rests from a ceiling or wall, but not so
convenient.
It will readily be seen too, that the rest may be supported from beneath, but the
suspended arm-rests permit much greater ease of movement of the arms, and are highly
advantageous over the suggested modification.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is:-
1. In combination with a type writing machine, a support or rest located in front
of the key board and adapted to pass beneath and support the fore arm at or in rear

page_text: of the wrists, said rests being free from clamps or other devices which might interfere
with the free rise or removal of the arm from the rest.
2. In combination with an instrument or machine having a key board, an over-
hanging frame or support, and arm rests suspended from said support in front of the
key board, substantially as set forth.
3. In combination with a machine or instrument having a key board, a bar or
support above the key board, and two independent elastic hangers carried by said
support, and provided with rests or stirrups to receive the arms of an operator of the
machine.
4. In combination with a type writing or other machine having a key-board a
support above the machine, suspenders attached to said support, and made adjustable
as to length, and arm rests carried by said suspenders, substantially as described and
shown.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicant.