Improvements in Typewriters.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Nov., 1894
Complete Specification Left. 6th Sept.. 1895-Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1895
Improvements in Typewriters.
1, JAMES SAMUEL FOLEY of 5 Clifton Villas, High Street, West Bromwich, in
the County of Stafford, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to typewriters of the type-lever description and the novel
features of the invention relate to particular details of construction of some of
the parts.
The yokes or brackets which carry the type levers are preferably constructed of
a piece of stamped metal set edgeways on the frame and with one portion turned
round so as to form a half-bearing through which a screw passes to secure it to the
frame. Another portion of the metal is reduced in width and turned over upon
itself so as to make a jaw to carry the type lever a portion of which is compressed
till the two parts nearly meet, leaving the jaw proper sufficiently wide to accommodate
the type-lever and its pivot pin, while the narrower portion is stiffened by being
compressed in the manner described. The link which connects the type lever with
an arm of the key spindle or if a key lever be employed, with that lever, I form
out of a piece of wire one end preferably straight and Hat and the other cranked or
turned at a right angle to the main portion of the wire, the wire itself being bent
over at about the centre of its length so that the cranked end rests upon the flat
end the two touching with a certain amount of spring pressure. The cranked end
passes through the pivot hole in the type lever the straight end preventing the link
from escaping and the arm of the key or the key lever engaging with the other end
of the link thus formed. By this means the link can be easily inserted or detached
which if screws or the like had to be manipulated would be extremely difficult in
the restricted space in which these parts have to be placed.
The head of the key or key lever is made by a bezel or hollow collar into which
fits a stamped head or disc preferably provided with a boss or socket into which fits
the spindle of the key. The letter, figure, or other character which the key bears
may be printed on paper and placed between the disc or head and the collur or
bezel with a piece of transparent material preferably xylonite, celluloid or the like
on top of it so as to protect it but allow it to be seen. The parts are put together
and secured by closing the bezel upon the disc.
The ribbon shield or bracket which carries the ribbon and spools may be formed
of a flat plate bent near the centre of its length at right angles, oue portion being
worked off to near a point and provided with a suitable number of, conveniently
two, slots through which the ribbon can be drawn while another portion of the
plate may be cut away to facilitate the passage of the type and type heads; the
extreme end of the plate may be pointed as an index to indicate by a scale carried
by the paper carriage the position of the latter. The ribbon after passing through
the previously-mentioned slots may be carried round a wire suitable yoke or
equivalent fixed preferably near the bend in the plate and then passes down, one
end to each of two independent spools or reels pivotted upon the plate so that their
pivots lie parallel to the top or visible portion of the plate. Pivotted upon the
plate near the bend is a two-armed spring so arranged that one arm presses upon
the roll of ribbon upon each reel by which arrangement the spring automatically
adjusts itself to the varying diameters of the rolls of ribbon when the ribbon is
rolled off one roll and on to the other in the working of the machine, the pressure

page_text: being the same in all cases. The plate may be provided with a pin or equivalent
fitting into a hole in a suitable standard or projecting portion of the frame-work
in which it may be gripped by a set screw or the like a flat being preferably
formed on the pin so that when the set screw is tightened up the whole plate
necessarily takes its proper position. This positioning may however be effected by
other means such for example as a second pin or a portion of the plate engaging
with a corresponding portion of the support.
'
Each of the ribbon spools or reels is provided with a toothed disc ring or
equivalent placed upon opposite sides of the reels; these engage with the teeth of
a pinion carried upon a spindle rotated as the carriage of the machine travels the
pinion being free to travel upon the spindle or preferably the whole spindle being
arranged to travel longitudinally carrying the pinion with it so that the latter may
engage alternately with either of the toothed ribbon spools. The spindle may be
provided with peripheral grooves with which would engage a projection upon a
suitable plate spring or equivalent which thus serves the double purpose of securing
the spindle and consequently the pinion in its proper position in engagement with
one of the ribbon spools and also provides the necessary friction to prevent the
spindle from slipping excepting when moved in the course of the operation of the
machine.
A convenient means of rotating the spindle and pinion is to have a ratchet wheel
at one end of the spindle engaging with a suitable spring pawl upon or in connection
with the spring barrel which drives the paper carriage so that as this spring barrel
rotates the pawl carries the ratchet wheel round with it while the spindle can be
turned in the other direction at any time by hand if required for winding up the
ribbon or for other purposes. The spindle preferably projects at the front of the
machine but it carries a milled head by which it may be pulled and turned.
The bell for indicating when the end of a line is reached may be carried upon a
double slide fixed by a set screw upon a fixed portion of the framework and also
carrying a spring which may be formed of a piece of bent wire so arranged that it
can be lifted by an inclined plane attached to the paper carriage and upon its
return ring the bell while it will bend and accommodate itself to the underside of
the inclined plane upon the return of the paper carriage. One portion of the slide
carries the bell and the spring which rings it while the other portion is extended
so as to reach a movable portion of the paper carriage so that when the carriage
engages with this portion of the slide the movement of the carriage in that direction
would be stopped, and the limit of its movement can therefore be readily adjusted
by the same screw which fixes the bell the position of which can also be adjusted.
The frame is cast complete and does not require machining afterwards excepting
the drilling and tapping of the holes necessary to receive the screws which secure the
other parts of the apparatus to the frame. To enable such a frame to receive
the working parts of the apparatus I attach these latter to it preferably by screws
as above described and employ a separate pressed or machined plate for the
carriage-way and top and bottom key plates which may be punched out to receive
the key spindles and fastened to the frame by screws thus saving the drilling of
some 80 or 90 holes.
In the machine I am describing the carriage has a reciprocating motion from
front to back of the machine which may be effected by a spring controlled rod
terminating in two shift keys one of them arranged to move it a portion of the
distance and the other a further distance. The rod may be fixed by a set screw
with a milled head extending outside the frame-work so that the carriage can be
fixed in the required position by this means. The keys for operating the shift rod
consist of two crank levers engaging with the end of the rod and pivotted near the
angle and having heads on the outside indicating the form of letter which will be
produced by operating the machine when the carriage is fixed in the position
indicated by that particular shift key. Below the shift keys are heels or projections
adapted to engage with adjustable screws or other stops extending from the frame-
work so that the keys can only be depressed to the exact extent required.

page_text: A roller preferably consisting of a metal spindle with rubber outside it
conveniently arranged as two working surfaces upon one spindle, is carried in the
paper carriage frame and held by suitable spring adjustments in contact with the
paper roller in such a position that it holds the paper to practically the very last
and it is therefore possible to print down almost to the very end of the paper if
desired.
The type I prefer to make as follows:-
I provide a wood block or equivalent engraved with the necessary characters
preferably three in a row, one row forming one type head; this may be treated
with black-lead or the like and I then take an electrotype of it so that each row of
characters forms as it were a box or hollow block the hollow being made of a
suitable size to accommodate the end of the type lever which need simply be placed.
in and sweated with soft solder to secure the type head firmly upon the end of the
key lever. By this meaus the box forming the type head is filled up solid partly
with solder and partly with the end of the key lever thus strengthening it very
greatly and providing a greatly improved and cheapened type head. Furthermore,
the electrotype consists of a number of these boxes side by side with thin portions
of metal between them so that each type box as it were a complete frame in itself
is not liable to distortion as if the whole electro-type be bent or twisted the bending
will take place in the thin metal between the boxes and not in any individual box.
Each plate is preferably made to contain the whole of the type heads required for
the machine.
Dated this 6th day of November 1894.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.
1, JAMES SAMUEL FOLEY, of 5 Clifton Villas, High Street, West Bromwich, in
the County of Stafford, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention,
and in what mauner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to typewriters of the type-lever description and the novel
features of the invention relate to particular details of construction of some of the
parts.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a plan of a type writer, partly in section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2;
Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the type writer;
Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section thereof on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a yoke or bracket constituting one of the details
hereinafter particularly referred to;
Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the same detail ou the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an alternative construction of the yoke illustrated
in Figs. 4 and 5;
Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 Fig. 2;
Fig. 8 is a perspective view of that part of Fig. 2 which appears immediately
above it.
Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a link hereinafter referred to.
Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a box or hollow block forming part of my
improved type-lever bereinafter referred to and being partly broken away so that
its interior is visible.
Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the top end of a type-lever specially formed as

page_text: hereinafter described to receive the block shown in Fig. 10. Figs. 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10
and 11 are drawn to a larger scale than that of the other figures.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
Certain portions of the complete machine are purposely omitted from the
drawings, as they form no part of this invention.
A is the main frame of the machine, which is cast complete and does not require
machining afterwards, excepting the drilling and tapping of the holes necessary to
receive the screws which secure the other parts of the apparatus to the frame.
B is the paper-carriage. C is a pressed or machined plate which is attached by
screws C¹ to the main frame to form the way or track for the carriage B. But I
may if desired dispense with this plate, and form the carriage-way by machining
the material of the frame A to the shape required.
D and E are respectively top and bottom key-plates which may be punched out
to receive and guide the key-spindles hereinafter referred to and to receive the
screws D' E by which these plates are secured to the main frame A.; the employ-
ment of punched plates as described is rendered possible by the general design and
saves the drilling of a great number of holes. Moreover by employing in com-
bination with key-spindles such as those hereinafter described a pair of duplicate
plates D and E and taking care that they are simultaneously punched I ensure
very simply and cheaply the perfect alignment of each hole in the one plate with
the corresponding hole in the other plate; thus a satisfactory guide for each
key-spindle is obtained.
F is a bar secured firmly on the main frame A; it is curved to an arc about the
place of the "printing points." The yokes or brackets G are mounted upon it as
shown in the drawings; they each carry one of the type-levers H. The example
shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is constructed of a single piece of sheet metal set edgeways
on the bar F and with one portion turned round so as to form a half-bearing or
hook G 2 through which a screw 1 (Figs. 1 and 3) passes to secure the yoke or
bracket to the aforesaid bar. Another portion G 3 is reduced in width turned over
upon itself and otherwise bent as shown so that with the main portion it constitutes
jaws to carry the type-lever H upon its pivot-pin H'. Or, as in Fig. 6, the part G 3
of the yoke or bracket may be made separately and be subsequently attached to it
by rivets G4 or otherwise; in both constructions the bracket or yoke is stiffened
by the compression or bringing together of the two sides above the jaws.
Each type-lever H is connected by a link J with the key mechanism. The
link J is one of the important features of this invention. It is formed in such
manner that it may readily be sprung open at one end. In the example illustrated
(see Fig. 9) it is made of a piece of wire one end J' of which is straight and
flattened at J 2 the other end J 3 being cranked or turned at a right angle to the
main portion of the wire; the wire itself is bent over also at or about the middle
of its length so that the cranked end J 3 rests upon the flat at J 2 and excrts
thereon a certain amount of pressure by reason of the resilience of the wire. The
cranked end passes through a pivot hole H 2 in the corresponding type lever H,
the straight end J' preventing the link J from becoming disengaged therefrom.
The arm of the key-operating device engages with the portion J4 at the bend
of the link. A link thus constructed can be easily attached to the parts which it
has to connect and as easily disengaged therefrom whereas other connections such
as those in which screws are employed would be difficult to work upon in the
restricted space available. I may modify the construction of this link so long as
the essential conveniences above exemplified are retained.
The keys K are spindles each of which passes through and reciprocates in a
punched hole in the key-plate D and a corresponding hole in the key-plate E;
each spindle has an arm K' fixed thereto or integral therewith and extending there-
from at right angles the outer end of the arm having a hole K 2 therein, through
which the aforesaid link J passes. F¹ is a plate fixed to the bar F and having
slots F 2 in it to form guide ways for the arms K' so that the latter can move only
in one plane, and so that the spindles K are prevented from rotating.

page_text: Each spindle is encircled by a spring L which is in compression between the
bottom key-plate E and the arm K', and serves to return the key and the corre-
sponding type-lever and link J to the normal position after they have been operate i
by depressing their key.
The head of the key or key lever is made by a bezel or hollow collar K3 into
which fits a stamped head K4 preferably provided with a boss or socket K
into which the spindle K of the key fits tightly. The letter, figure or other character
which the key bears may be printed on paper and placed between the disc or
head K 4 and the inner flange K 6 of the collar or bezel, with a piece of trans-
parent material K 7 preferably xylonite, celluloid or the like on top of it so as to
protect it but allow it to be seen. The parts K3 K4 K7 are put together
aud secured by closing the outer flange K8 of the bezel upon the disc, all as
shown in Fig. 3.
The bell M for indicating when the end of a line is reached is carried upon a
slotted piece M' of a double slide (which as will hereinafter be seen, would more
correctly be regarded as a pair of single slides) fixed by a set screw N and spring
washer N' upon a fixed portion of the frame A and also carrying a spring hammer O
which is formed of a piece of wire or of other metal so formed and arranged that
the extension 1 of one end of it which may be elastic can be lifted by the upper
side of an inclined projection B' attached to the paper carriage B and immediately
fly back and ring the bell, while it will bend or otherwise give way and accommodate
itself to the underside of the inclined projection B' upon the return of the paper
carriage. The other portion P of the slide has a projection P¹ thereon which is
extended so as to lie in the path of the paper carriage B so that when the carriage
engages with this projection of the slide the movement of the carriage in that
direction would be stopped, and the limit of its movement can therefore be readily
adjusted by the same screw which fixes the bell the position of which can also
be adjusted, for the stem of the screw N passes through a slot M2 of the
piece M and a slot P2 of the piece P. Projections M3 P3 on the pieces M
and P respectively, clasp the edge of the frame A so as to keep the pieces
parallelled therewith. Obviously the pieces M' and P of the double slide may be
entirely distinct, and independently adjustable. They may have separate fixing
screws and engage with other or slotted parts of the frame than those which they
clasp in the present example.
In the machine I am describing the paper-roller Q has a spindle Q1 the ends of
which are received in slots B 2 formed in arms B3 of the carriage B so that the
roller may have a reciprocating motion from front to back of the machine, that is
to say transversely to its own axis. This motion is effected by a rod R which is
adapted to reciprocate in the frame A and provided with a spring R'. The end R 2
of this rod is connected by an arm R 3 to the roller frame S which is carried on the
spindle Q' and consists of the end pieces S' S 2 connected by the tie rods S 3 S 4 S 5;
the other end R 4 of the rod R terminates opposite the arms T3 of two shift
keys T T one of them arranged to move it a portion of the desired distance and
the other a further distance, as hereinafter described, for the purpose of effecting a
change of type, as from large to small letters or figures. The rod R may be fixed
in any position to which the keys T T' move it, by a set screw U. One end of
the set screw U works in a hole A 2 in the part A3 of the frame A through
which it can move to bear on the rod R; the other end extends outside the
frame and has a milled head U₁ thereon so that the carriage can be fixed in
the required position by this means. It will be observed that the screw U acts
on the rod R at right angles thereto, that is to say in a direction parallel to
the axial line of the roller Q. This is important, for if it acted in another
direction or if other means were used, acting in another direction, it or they
might tend to shift the roller Q transversely to its axis and produce an error
in the setting effected by the rod R; whereas the screw arranged as aforesaid
will not do so. If desired may employ means other than the screw U for a like

page_text: purpose, provided that they, like the screw, act in a direction approximately parallel
with the roller axis. The keys T T₁ for operating the shift rod R consist each of a
T-shaped lever pivoted to the frame A at A 4 near the junction of these arms of the T
and having a head on the outside of the frame indicating the form of letter which
will be produced by operating the machine when the carriage is fixed in the position
indicated by that particular shift key. The arm T 2 of each shift key is adapted
to engage with adjustable screws A 5 or other stops extending from the frame A so
that the keys can only be repressed to the exact extent required. The reverse
movement of each key is limited by the arm T3 thereof which normally rests
against one of the walls of the frame A. The spring R¹ aforesaid encircles the
rod R and is in compression between an adjustable collar R5 thereon and
the part A 3 of the frame; it keeps the rod R against the arms T3 of the shift
keys T T and serves to return the latter and the roller Q to the normal position
after operation. A steadying-rod V extends from the arm R3 through a hole in
the part A 3 of the frame A to prevent lateral movement of the arm R 3.
To maintain the parallelism of the paper-roller Q during its transverse movements,
a rod Q2 pivoted at its ends in the parts B3 of the carriage B has arms Q3 fixed
thereto, slotted at their ends to engage with the roller-spindle Q'; consequently
when one end of that spindle moves transversely the arms Q3 and rod Q2 compel
the other end to move similarly to an equal extent.
A roller W is carried in the paper-roller frame S and held by springs W₁
(carried by the tie rod S 3) in contact with the paper roller Qin such a position
and manner that it holds the paper to practically the very last and it is therefore
possible to print down almost to the end of the paper if desired.
paper
the latter
is being done.
The springs W₁ are paper-guides which are arranged and employed in a manner
which has hitherto been customary so far as their functions as mere guides are
concerned. But it is a novel and useful improvement to combine with such
springs a roller W situated at the extreme ends N 3 of the springs, inasmuch as
by this arrangement the paper is held to the last by a roller, which is important,
for if it be held by springs or other devices which rub or scrape the
is frequently marked in an undesirable fashion when "manifolding"
Further if a machine fitted with this combination of springs and roller be
employed for manifolding, the several thicknesses of paper and carbon sheet when they
come between the rollers W and Q will not only thrust the former apart from the
latter but in doing so will force the springs W₁away from the roller Q to a
corresponding degree, automatically, so that the guideway between the springs W
and roller Q is widened and no difficulty is experienced in passing the several
thicknesses of paper therethrough.
In the example illustrated the working surfaces of the roller W are short
lengths W 2 of rubber tube, slipped on to the central portion of the roller which is
of metal; the holes in which the metal spindle rests are slotted as shown. in order
that there may be no hindrance to the compression of the rubber pieces W 2.
The type I prefer to make as follows;-
I provide a wood block or equivalent engraved with the necessary characters
preferably three in a row, one row forming one type head; this may be treated with
black-lead or the like and I then take an electrotype of it so that each row of
characters forms as it were a box or hollow block H3 Fig. 10 the hollow being
made of a suitable size to accommodate the block H4 on the end of the type
lever H Fig. 11 which need simply be placed in the hollow of the box H 3 and
sweated with soft solder to secure the type head firmly upon the end of the key
lever. By this means the box forming the type head is filled up solid partly with
solder and partly with the end of the key lever thus strengthening it very greatly
and providing a greatly improved and cheapened type head. Furthermore, the
electrotype consists of a number of these boxes side by side with thin portions of
metal between them so that each type box is as it were a complete frame in
itself, is not liable to distortion, as, if the whole electrotype be bent or twisted the

page_text: hending will take place in the thin metal between the boxes and not in any
individual box. Each plate is preferably made to contain the whole of the type
heads required for the machine.
In Figs. 2 and 3 are seen these type-heads H 2 secured on type-levers H.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
ion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. In a typewriter a yoke or bracket such as G having the hook G 2 substantially
as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
2. In a typewriter a yoke or bracket substantially as and for the purpose
described and illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 or Figure 6 of the accompanying
drawings.
3. In a typewriter a link J constructed wholly or in part of resilient material and
in such manner that it may readily be sprung open substantially as and for the
purpose herein before described.
4. In a typewriter a link J constructed of a single piece of wire substantially as
and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
5. In a typewriter a link J which is constructed of a bent wire having one end
flattened, substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in Figure 9
of the accompanying drawings.
6. In a typewriter the combination with a key spindle such as K and a type
lever such as H of a link such as J substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described.
7. In a typewriter the combination with the main frame A of perforated punched
plates D E and key spindles K substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
described.
as
8. In a typewriter the combination with a main frame such as A of a plate such
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
9. In a typewriter a key head or key-lever head composed of parts such
as K3 K4 K 7 substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
10. Manufacturing a key-head for a typewriter by inserting the head such as K4
and the paper and xylonite or other pieces intended to lie above the bead K4 in a
bezel K3 having inner and outer flanges K 6 and K8 and subsequently closing in
the outer flange K 8 substantially as described.
11. In a typewriter the coinbination with a piece M' adapted for ready
adjustment on the main frame of a bell M and a spring hammer 0 carried
thereon the latter having an extension O' substantially as and for the purpose
hereinbefore described.
12. In a typewriter the combination with the main frame A of a carriage Ban
inclined projection N' thereon a piece M¹ adapted for ready adjustment on the main
frame a bell M and a spring hammer O carried thereon the latter having an
extension O¹ substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
13. In a typewriter the combination of slotted strip M' bell M and spring
hammer O having an elastic extension O' substantially as and for the purpose
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
14. In a typewriter the combination with the main frame A of the device claimed
in Claim 11 Claim 12 or Claim 13 a slotted strip P P¹ constituting a carriage-stop
and a screw N or equivalent device for fixing the parts M' and P substantially as
and for the purpose herein before described.
15. In a typewriter the combination with the main frame A of the device
claimed in Claim 11 Claim 12 or Claim 13 a slotted strip P P' constituting a
carriage-stop and a screw N or equivalent device for fixing the parts M and P
substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
16. In a typewriter the combination with a main frame such as A a carriage such

page_text: as B and a paper-roller Qmovable in the carriage transversely to its axis of a
rod R spring R' and three-armed shift keys T substantially as and for the purpose
herein before described.
17. Fixing the rod R by a screw such as U or equivalent device so arranged
and operating that the action of engagement with the rod does not effect any
material endwise movement of the roller Q substantially as and for the purpose
described.
18. In a typewriter the combination with a shift key such as T of a screw
stop A. 5 substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
19. In a typewriter the combination with the paper-roller Q of a presser-roller
such as W having freedom for a slight lateral movement and springs W 2 all arranged
and operating substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
20. In a typewriter the combination with a type-lever of a type-head H 3
constructed and attached to the type lever in the manner herein before described.
21. In a typewriter the combination with a headed type-lever H H 4 of a type-
head H 3 constructed and attached to that type lever in the manner hereinbefore
described.
22. In a typewriter a type-head H 3 constructed in the manner hereinbefore
described.
Dated this 5th day of September 1895.