Year: 1888

page_text: I, GEORGE FREDERICK PRIESTLEY, of Park Road Villas, Halifax, Yorkshire, Card
Maker, 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 :-
paper
The object of my invention is to arrange and construct a cheap and expeditious
type writing machine, and in carrying out my invention, I employ a roller, which
may or may not be covered with indiarubber, the upper surface of which roller receives
the paper intended to be printed upon, such paper being kept in position upon the
said roller by means of two round bars or rods placed parallel with the said roller, one
on each side thereof, such bars being supported by suitable framework, and kept in
contact with the surface of the roller by means of elastic or other form of springs,
which not only keeps the paper in contact with the roller, but allows the to
travel freely underneath, when the rollers are moved for the purpose of causing the
paper to travel, which it is necessary to do when starting to write upon another line,
the distance the paper travels being determined by a gauge which I prefer to mark
upon the elastic bands. The type holder is composed of a disc on the underside of
which the type is fixed, such type either being composed of separate letters, or they
may be cut from a ring or rings of indiarubber or other suitable material. This disc
is capable of rotating upon a stud, which is not vertical, but slightly inclined for the
purpose of throwing the underside of the disc out of parallel with the upper surface of
the roller; consequently, when the disc is pressed upon the paper for the purpose of
printing, only one letter or figure comes into contact with the paper; and this arises
in consequence of the underside of the disc being set at an angle. The stud which
carries the type disc projects from a lever arm carried by a rod fixed behind the
roller, but parallel thereto, and a spiral or other form of spring is placed on the said
stud for the purpose of lifting the disc off the paper after an impression has been made

page_text: thereon. The arm which carries the stud is capable of sliding 'end wise backwards and
forwards upon the said rod, which is indented or serrated on the side nearest the
roller, the distances of the serrations being equal to the spaces between one letter or
figure and another letter or figure; and a catch projects from the lever arm, taking
into the serrations, so that when the apparatus is in use, the lever arm and type holder
move from one serration to the other, the catch ensuring that the lever arm stops in
each serration. When the type writer has got to the end of a line, the lever arm and
the type bolder are lifted up and swung back so as to move the catch clear of the
serrations, when the said lever arm and type holder are taken back again to the other
end of the serrated rod for the purpose of commencing a fresh line, the lever arm
being carried back by an elastic or other form of spring, or it can be pushed back
by the person working the apparatus. As the type is placed under the rotary disc, it
is necessary to employ some means of finding the proper letter or figure intended to
be imprinted upon the paper; and for that purpose corresponding letters and figures
are stamped or otherwise indicated on the upper surface of the said rotary disc, and
a pin or finger projects up from the arm carrying the disc holder, so that whatever
letter or figure is required to be imprinted on the paper, such letter or figure on the
outside of the disc is placed in front of the finger, denoting that a corresponding
letter or figure on the underside thereof will be in a proper position to be impressed
upon the paper.
An inking roller is employed, and is placed under the type disc, so that as the disc
revolves, it receives a fresh supply of ink.
In order that my invention may be better understood, I will now make reference
to the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is plan view of a type writer
constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a view looking in at the back part
of the apparatus, and Fig. 3 is a cross section taken through the line A B in Fig. 2.
a is the foundation plate, to which are fixed upright brackets for carrying the roller c
and also for carrying the horizontal bars d and e, which bars are employed for the
purpose of keeping the paper to be printed upon in contact with the roller c during
the printing operation, the said bars d and e being kept at a suitable tension upon the
paper by means of the elastic bands which may be gauged or marked for the purpose
of representing the distance the paper has to travel when starting to write upon
another line on the said paper. The type disc is shewn at g, and is provided on the
underside with suitable form of letters, numerals, and punctuation signs, whilst
corresponding letters and numerals are made on the upper side of the said disc, but
the said letters are not placed in the same position both on the under and upper sides
of the disc, as shewn at Fig. 4, for purposes hereinafter explained. The disc is
placed upon a pivot projecting up from a lever arm h branching from a tube or boss i
capable of sliding backwards and forwards upon the serrated horizontal rod j, each of
which serrations are equal to the distance between one letter and another, a flat
spring attached to the sliding tube taking into such serrations and holding the
several parts in position until a letter has been impressed by the type disc upon the
paper. The outside edge of the type disc is made with notches, and these are employed
for the purpose of being taken hold of by a stud or finger projecting up from the
tube so that when a letter or figure requires to be impressed or printed upon the
paper such letter is placed in front of the stud / when a corresponding letter on
the underside of the disc will be over the centre of the roller c and on the dise being
pressed downward such letter will be marked upon the paper. Projecting from the
tube is an arm or fork m carrying the inking roller n and as the arm m is
made of steel or other yielding material the inking roller is kept in contact with
the type.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-When commencing to write upon paper,
the said paper is first passed under bar d, over the top of roller c, and under bar e
then the letter required to be printed is placed opposite the stud 7 and the disc pressed
upon the paper, after which the operator places his finger against the button 0, and
pushes the type disc and parts connected therewith forward in the direction of the
arrow, and when the catch k has been pushed into another serration in the bar h, the

page_text: parts are held there until the operator selects another letter, which he places opposite
the stud 7, as already explained, and presses the disc upon the paper, and this goes on
until the operator has printed to the end of the line, when the disc is elevated or
thrown backwards, the tube i oscillating upon the serrated bar h, which forms a
fulcrum. After the several parts are thrown sufficiently far over as to remove the
catch k from the serrations, they are drawn to the left hand end of the writing roller c,
and this is done through the medium of the elastic spring r, one end of which is
fastened to the tube i, and the other end to the part r, the said elastic band passing
over the guide pulleys, but instead of employing the elastic band, the operator may
by a motion of his hand return the disc to its original position. The paper to be
printed on would now be drawn forward the distance of another line, when the
operator continues the writing operation. A spiral spring w is placed under the type
disc for the purpose of lifting the said disc off the paper when the operator has printed
a letter.
In order to utilize to the best advantage the machine as a type writer, the bars
employed to keep the paper in position upon the printing roller can be removed from
their position, and as these bars are made preferably hollow, a pencil may be
placed in the end of one, and by means of a joint in the end of each of the said bars,
they can be coupled and made into compasses, which in many cases will be found
serviceable.
This part of my invention is shewn on sheet 2, where d and e represent the bars
removed from the apparatus, where it will be seen that the former is jointed at one
end t, and that the other bar e is made hollow for the screw a. Fig. 5 shews the
two bars coupled together, a pencil at one end and a pin at the other, which may be
used as drawing compasses.
By the adoption of apparatus such as herein shewn and described, an effective and
cheap instrument is brought before the public.
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:-
Firstly. In a type writer, the employment of the serrated disc in combination
with the pin 1 for the purpose of selecting a given letter or figure, all arranged in the
manner substantially as herein shewn and described.
Secondly. In a type writing machine, the means substantially as herein shewn
and described for causing the type disc to return from one end to the other on the
completion of a line or parts of a line.
Thirdly. In a type writing machine, the employment of horizontal bars d and e
arranged to be made into drawing compasses, substantially as herein shewn and
described.
Fourthly. The general arrangement and combination of parts forming a type writer,
substantially as herein shewn and dscribed.
1
1
1000