Improvements in or relating to Type Setting Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Oct., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Type Setting Machines.
-
JOHN TYRRELL BOYES, of 37 and 39, Essex Street, Strand, W.C., London,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in type setting machines and particularly
to improvements applicable to that class of type setting machine in which a vertical
case is used, resting upon a cradle standing upon a supporting bar, and containing
the type in channels from which the type is removed by means of the insertion
of a type plunger attached by a lever operated by the depression of a key, which
type plunger forces the last letter in each channel of the case forward, whereupon
it is allowed to drop by gravity through the grooves in the back plate of the
machine into the raceway where the types are assembled and along which they
are driven by suitable mechanism.
The special object of the improvements is to render the action of the levers
actuating the plungers, more delicate, and to utilize the presence of power in the
machine for the purpose of facilitating the operation of the plunger keys, and
completing their action when once set in motion by the finger of the operator,
and at the same time to prevent breakage of the plunger mechanism, in case the
same for any reason becomes impeded.
In the present invention, in place of the ordinary bell crank by means of which
the rod and the plunger are connected, the device hereinafter described is substi-
tuted. By means of this, the work of expelling types from the type cases is done
positively, by utilizing power already existing in the machine.
This device consists of an eccentric disk mounted loosely on a rotating shaft,
running the width of the machine, which disc is so arranged as to engage with
and make one complete revolution with the shaft whenever a finger lever is
depressed, and to carry with it the plunger mechanism, and thereby expel the lower
type from the corresponding type case.
A ratchet wheel is attached to, and rotates with, the shaft, in close proximity
to the eccentric disk. The eccentric disk carries on its face a pawl suitably pivoted
to it. This pawl is provided with a tooth, at the upper end, of such size that it
will mesh into the teeth of the ratchet wheel, when the pawl is brought into en-
gagement therewith. The lower extremity of the pawl terminates in a hook
which is arranged to rest against the upper end of the rod. The pawl is normally
held out of engagement with the ratchet wheel by means of this engagement of
the end of the rod with its lower extremity. The lateral movement of the pawl,
is limited by a pin on the eccentric disk at its upper extremity.
When the pawl is released from engagement with the rod it is forced into en-
gagement with the ratchet wheel by means of a spring bearing against a second
pin on the surface of the eccentric disk or by any other similar device.
The rod has its top slightly cut away and hooks at the lower end, into the
finger lever spring is provided, fastened to the upright framework at one end.
and to an adjustable pin on the rod at the other end, which serves to hold the rod
rn
1

page_text: in a fixed position except when the finger causes it to be depressed, and after release
of pressure to restore it to its original position. The bell crank operating the
plunger is made of two levers both pivoted to a rod running the length of the
machine. One lever, a short distance above its pivotal point, is bent so as to be
directly in line with the other lever for the reinainder of its length. The two
levers are held together by a spring which hooks into one lever at one end, and
at the other end, is attached to the pin on the arm of the other lever. The tension
of this spring is sufficient to normally hold the two levers firmly together and
thereby actuate the plunger whenever motion is imparted to the lever by the
eccentric, but in case the plunger meets with any obstruction such as a thick
or broken type, the spring will yield and allow one lever to be advanced inde-
pendently of the other lever.
One lever is bent at its upper end, so as to surround the eccentric disk and when
the eccentric disk makes a revolution, the lever carrying with it the other lever
and the plunger advances a sufficient distance to completely expel a type and
thereupon returns to its original position.
The operation of the machine is as follows: -when the finger lever is depressed
by the operator, it frees the pawl which is thereupon forced by the spring into
engagement with the teeth of the continuously rotating ratchet wheel. Thereupon
the eccentric makes a single revolution carrying forward the lever, which in turn
by means of the spring carries forward the other lever, and the plunger, and a
type thereupon is expelled from the type case. As soon as the finger lever is
released by the operator, it is returned to its original position, by the spring and
as the eccentric disk completes its revolution, the extremity of the pawl again
engages with the rod, and is held off the ratchet wheel, and all movement of the
plunger mechanism is thus arrested until the finger lever is again depressed.
If the plunger meets with any obstruction in its course, such as a type too thick
for the throat piece or other obstruction, the tension of the spring is such that one
lever will remain stationary and the other lever will receive all the movement
thereby avoiding damage to the machine.
I have described a single set of mechanism only, but it will be obvious that the
machine will require as many sets as there are type letters and characters.
In order to steady the movement of the two levers and keep the different sets
of levers apart a comb is provided running the entire width of the machine between
the teeth of which the levers slide freely.
Dated 19th October 1897
GEORGE DOWNING & SONS,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C..
Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Type Setting Machines.
I, JOHN TYRRELL BOYES, of 37 and 39, Essex Street, Strand, London, England,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my said 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 setting machines and particularly
to improvements applicable to that class of type setting machine in which a vertical
case is used, resting upon a cradle standing upon a supporting bar, and containing
the type in channels from which the type is removed by means of the insertion
of a type plunger attached by a lever operated by the depression of a key, which
type plunger forces the last letter in each channel of the case forward, whereupon

page_text: it is allowed to drop by gravity through the grooves in the back plate of the
machine into the raceway where the types are assembled and along which they
are driven by suitable mechanism.
The special object of the improvements is to render the action of the levers
actuating the plungers, more delicate, and to utilize the presence of power in the
machine for the purpose of facilitating the operation of the plunger keys, and
completing their action when once set in motion by the finger of the operator,
and at the same time to prevent breakage of the plunger mechanism, in case the
same for any reason becomes impeded.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying sheet
of drawings forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side view
of the mechanism, attached to a plunger and key, and Figure 2 a sectional view
on the lines 2-2 of Figure 1. Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout
both views.
In the drawings, A represents a portion of the upright, framework of a type
setting machine of the above described character; P, one of the series of type
plungers, of which there are any desired number; L, the finger lever, of which
one is provided for each plunger; and J the rod which connects the finger levers
with the plungers. These parts are common to all type setting machines of the
general class to which the present improvements are applicable.
In the present invention, in place of the ordinary bell cranks by means of which
the rod J and the plunger P are connected the device shown in the drawings is
substituted. By means of this, the work of expelling types from the type cases
is done positively, by utilizing force already existing in the machine.
This device consists of an eccentric disk M, mounted loosely on a rotating
shaft W. running the width of the machine, which disk is so arranged as to engage
with and make one complete revolution with the shaft whenever a finger lever is
depressed, and to carry with it the plunger mechanism, and thereby expel the
lower type from the corresponding type case.
O is a ratchet wheel which is provided with suitable teeth o¹ o¹, and is attached
to, and rotates with, the shaft W, in close proximity with the eccentric disk M.
The eccentric disk carries on its face a pivoted pawl N, pivoted to it at N³.
This pawl is provided with a tooth N₁, at its upper end of such size that it will
mesh into the teeth o' o¹, on the ratchet wheel o, when the pawl is brought into
engagement therewith. The lower extremity of the pawl, N, terminates in a
hook N' which is arranged to rest against the upper end of the rod J. The pawl N
is normally held out of engagement with the wheel o, by means of this engagement
of the end of the rod J. with its lower extremity. The lateral movement of the
pawl, is limited by a pin Mª on the eccentric disk M, at its upper extremity.
When the pawl is released from engagement with the rod J it is forced into
engagement with the ratchet wheel by means of a spring N8 bearing against
a second pin M¹ on the surface of the eccentric disk or by any other similar device.
The rod J has its top slightly cut away at J4 as shown, and hooks at its lower
end. into the finger lever L A spring J3 is provided, fastened to the upright frame-
work A, at one end, and to an adjustable pin Ja on the rod J at the other end.
which serves to hold the rod in a fixed position except when the finger causes it
to be depressed, and after release of pressure to restore it to its original position.
The bell crank operating the plunger P is made of two levers s and s¹ both pivoted
to the rod running the length of the machine. The levers, a short distance
above its pivotal point, is hent so as to be directly in line with the lever s¹ for
the remainder of its length as shown in Fig. 2. The two levers s and s¹ are held
together by the spring which hooks into the lever s at one end, and at the other
end. is attached to the pin 5 on the arm of the lever s¹. The tension of this
spring is sufficient to normally hold the two levers firmly together and thereby
actuate the plunger, pivoted at 2 whenever motion is imparted, to the lever s
by the eccentric M, but in case the plunger meets with any obstruction such as

page_text: a thick or broken type, the spring &³ will yield and allow the lever s¹ to be advanced
independently of the lever s.
The lever is bent at its upper end so as to surround the eccentric disk M,
as shown, and when the eccentric disk M, makes a revolution, the lever s¹ carrying
with it the levers and the plunger P, advances a sufficient distance to completely
expel a type and thereupon returns to its original position.
The operation of the machine is as follows; when the finger lever L is de-
pressed by the operator, it frees the pawl N which is thereupon forced by the
spring N2 into engagement with the teeth of the continuously rotating ratchet
wheel o. Thereupon the eccentric M makes a single revolution carrying forward
the lever s, which in turn by means of the spring carries forward the levers,
and the plunger P, and a type thereupon is expelled from the type case. As
soon as the finger lever L is released by the operator, it is returned to its original
position by the spring J3 and as the eccentric disk completes its revolution, the
extremity of the pawl N again engages with the rod J and the said pawl is held
off of the ratchet wheel o, and all movement of the plunger mechanism is thus
arrested until the finger lever L is again depressed.
If the plunger P meets with any obstruction in its course, such as a type too
thick for the throat piece or other obstruction, the tension of the spring is such
that the levers will remain stationary and the lever s¹ will receive all the move-
ment thereby avoiding damage to the machine.
I have described a single set of mechanism only, but it will be obvious that
the machine will require as many sets as there are type letters and characters.
In order to steady the movement of the levers s and s¹ and keep the different
sets of levers apart a comb T is provided running the entire width of the machine
between the teeth of which the levers slide freely.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination of a type plunger; a rotating shaft; an eccentric cam,
mounted loosely on the shaft; devices set in motion by the cam for actuating
the type plunger; a ratchet wheel keyed to said shaft; a pawl pivoted to said
eccentric can, arranged to engage with said ratchet wheel when released; a finger
lever arranged to release the pawl and throw the eccentric cam into engagement
with the ratchet wheel during a single revolution of the shaft and actuate the
type plunger substantially as herein before described and shewn.
2. The combination of a type plunger; a rotating shaft; an eccentric cam
mounted loosely thereon; a ratchet wheel keyed to said shaft; a pawl pivoted
to said eccentric cam arranged to engage with said ratchet wheel when released;
a finger lever, arranged to release the pawl and throw the eccentric cam into
engagement with the ratchet wheel during a single revolution of the shaft; and
a lever connected with the type plunger, actuated by the eccentric cam, whereby
the type plunger is caused to expel a type and return to its original position by
the revolution of the cam substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn.
3. The combination of a type plunger; a rotating shaft carrying an eccentric
disk; a lever connected with the type plunger, composed of a bent portion partially
encircling the eccentric disk and adapted to receive a lateral movement therefrom,
and a straight portion pivoted to the bent portion and connected with the type
plunger; and a spring connecting the two portions of sufficient tension to hold
the two portions together and actuate the type plunger when the latter is not
obstructed substantially as herein before described and shewn.
4. The combination of a type plunger; a rotating shaft; an eccentric cam,
mounted loosely thereon; a lever actuated by said cam at one end, and engaging
with the plunger at the other.end, composed of two portions pivoted together;
and a spring device connecting the said portions so that the same shall operate
as a single lever until such time as the type plunger becomes obstructed substan-
tially as hereinbefore described and shewn.

page_text: 5. The combination of a type plunger; a rotating shaft; an eccentric cam
mounted loosely thereon; a ratchet wheel keyed to said shaft; a pawl pivoted
to said eccentric cam, arranged to engage with said ratchet wheel; a finger lever
arranged to release the pawl and throw the eccentric cam into engagement with
the ratchet wheel during a single revolution of the shaft; and a lever, composed
of two portions pivoted together and held together by a spring device, so as to
form a single lever until such time as the type plunger becomes obstructed, con-
nected with the type plunger; whereby the latter is caused to move forward and
expel a type and return to its original position by the revolution of the cam sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described and shewn.
6. The combination of a type plunger; a rotating shaft; an eccentric disk
mounted loosely thereon; a ratchet wheel keyed to said shaft; a pawl pivoted
to said eccentric disk arranged to engage with said ratchet wheel; devices on said
disk, for limiting the rocking movement of said pawl in one direction; a spring
on said pawl for forcing the pawl into engagement with the ratchet wheel; a
sliding rod arranged to normally hold said pawl out of engagement with the
ratchet wheel; a spring for holding said rod in its normal position; a finger
lever for releasing the pawl from the sliding rod; a lever connected with the type
plunger, composed of a bent portion partially encircling the eccentric disk and
adapted to receive a lateral movement therefrom, and a straight portion pivoted
thereto; and a spring connecting the two portions of sufficient tension to hold
the two levers together and actuate the type plunger when the latter is not ob-
structed substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn.
Dated 16th August 1808
GEORGE DOWNING & SONS,
8, Quality Court, London, W.C.,
Agents.