Improvements in Type-writing Machines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 16th Nov., 1895
Improvements in Type-writing Machines.
1, LUCIEN STEPHEN CRANDALL, of the Village of Parish, County of Oswego,
and State of New York, Gentleman, 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 :-
My invention relates to type-writing machines, and particularly to that class in
which the writing is always exposed to view.
My object is to produce a type-writing machine in which the printing is made
upon the top of the impression platen by means of horizontally reciprocating type-
bars, an inking roller, and an impression hammer; each type-bar being provided
with six (or more or less) characters, signs or symbols, part upper case and part
lower ense; said type-bars being arranged upon lines radial to the printing point
and converging thereat; each one being projected by the operation of a key-lever,
variable distances for the three small letters adjacent to its outer end, and then by
operating a shift-key is adapted to be projected farther for the printing of the
three capitals thereon, respectively; means being provided to properly stop each
type-bar at the printing point, comprising a system of stops actuated by the key-
levers, in which an interval exists between the moment when the type-bar reaches
the desired point of projection and when the hammer strikes the impression blow
thereon in which a lever in the key-board is operated to release the carriage from
the escapement mechanism; in which a crank-lever is operated to throw the
carriage back at the end of a line, or set it at any desired point either independently
of or in conjunction with said release lever; in which a track and switch is adjust-
ably mounted upon the bed-plate, and by the engagement with said switch of a
vibrating arm pendent from an oscillatory pawl engaging with a rack upon the
platen, said platen is automatically rotated for line spacing, whether the carriage is
thrown back by hand or by means of the crank lever aforesaid, and in which means
are provided whereby the downward movement of each finger, key and lever is
always the same, although it is adapted to project the type-arms to which it is
connected, variable distances, and in which there are other novel elements and
combination of elements for doing and performing different things, purposes and
functions.
My invention consists in the several novel features of construction and operation
hereinafter described and which are specifically set forth in the claims hereunto
annexed.
It is constructed as follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,
in which
Fig. 1 is a top plan of the machine.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation thereof, detailing a single key lever, type-bar
and the intermediate connections; also the sway-bar shifting mechanism, stop
mechanism and the shafts and gearing for retracting and setting the platen.
Fig. 4 is a sectional detail of the hammer mounting.
Fig. 5 is a sectional detail of a type-bar and a tappet yieldingly supporting it.
Fig. 6 is a top plan, showing on one side part of the keys or finger buttons, and
the crouves and stops of the the-bars with one type-bar, all in top plan, and on the

page_text: Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation, showing a stop in its normal position, with
relation to a type-bar.
Fig. 11 is a like view showing the stop depressed to stop the type-bar.
Fig. 12 is a top plan of the sway-bar and the mechanism for shifting it, as shown
by the dotted lines, to change the printing from small letters to capitals.
Fig. 13 is a top plun of a type-bar and a stop, showing them in their normal
positions as for printing small fetters or lower case.
Fig. 14 is a like view of the same, showing the stop shifted Interally (by the
sway-bar) for printing capitols or upper case.
Fig. 15 is a rear elevation of the rack-bar upon the carriage, the gear normally
actuating the earringe, in printing and the spring wheel, said gear being also
adapted to be rotated reversely by the crank-lever to reverse the carringe to set it
at any point to throw it back to the beginning of a line of print.
Fig. 16 is a side elevation of a lever for projecting a type-bar, the dotted lines
showing its position and the position of its parts when swung to project a
type-bar.
Fig. 17 is a top plan of part of the impression platen, paper holder and
scale.
Fig. 18 is a vertical longitudinal sectional clevation of the platen, its actunting
rack and pawl mechanism and its stop jawl mechanism.
Fig. 19 is an end elevation of the platen showing the stop pawl.
Fig. 20 is a sectional detail of the platen, paper-holder and apron, the dotted
lines indicating the paper.
Fig. 21 is a detail in top plan of the escapement rack and pawls and the double
cams for operating the pawls.
Fig. 22 is a detail, partly sectional, of the escapement mechanism and the
lever for releasing the carriage by lifting the escapement pawls wholly out of
engngement.
Fig. 23 is a top plan of the ink-roller and its mounting and means for adjusting
the roller vertically.
Fig. 24 is a sectional detail of the same on a line transverse to the roller.
Fig. 25 is a top plan of part of the hed, the earringe track-ways thereon, the
spring wheel gear, the line-spacing track and switch (or cam) and the mechanism
for adjusting the switch to vary the line-spacing, the dotted lines indicating the
adjustment.
Fig. 26 is a transverse sectional elevation of the carriage, its mounting, the paper
apron and holder and the line-spacing mechanism.
In this Specification each separate mechanism is described soparately ng far as
may be, for greater clearness.
A (Fig. 3) is the base, a the table, the top plate and e the frout, stepped in
straight parallel lines, substantially as appears in Fig. 1.
The table is supported above the base in any ordinary manner, and e is a casing
enclosing the base and extending up to the table, and the top plate is carried by
the vertical walls (Fig. 2) between it and the table. It will be seen that this top
plate is segmental in form.
KEY-LEVER MECHANISM: Fics. 3 & 6.
The printing point upon the platen is the centre of the circle. Upon the base
a concentric block 2 is secured, vertically and transversely gronved as a comb, and
bored to receive the pivot. 3 inserted through the rear ends of the key-levers 4,
said comb grooves being substantially radial to the circle and the key-levers being
thus also substantially radial (Fig. 6). Standards are erected upon the base
and a cross-har 6 secured thereon operates to stop the upward or return movement

page_text: In suitable bearings 17 erected upon the base angular levers 18 are journaled, the
short arms of which bear upward against the lower edge of a key-lever and the
upper end of the other arm fits loosely in the mortise in a type-bar, so that when a
key-lever is depressed its type-bar is thrown forward and when released the spring 19
retracts the lever 18 and also brings the key-lever back to its normal position.
STOP MECHANISMS: FIGS. 3, 10, 11, 12, 13 & 14.
A sway-bar, segmental in outline and comprising a base 20, side rails 21 and a
top or table 22 is pivoted upon the table upon a bolt 23 and a set-screw 24 inserted
into said bolt. Upon this sway-table a row of stationary stops 25 are secured
(Fig. 12) and in front of that are two concentric rows of movable stops 26, 27.
Each of these movable stops consists of a metallic bar, having a flattened head 28
provided with a lateral notch 29 and a shank which is connected to its key-lever,
and 30 is a bail under the table and key-levers, and being vertically movable upon
its pivot 31 and is depressed by the key-lever and the spring 32 upon each stop
throws it back to its normal position. The depression of a key-lever, as M in the
lower row,
draws down the proper stop 27 so that when the type-bar is thrown back,
the shoulder 10 will strike against the head 28 of that stop, and thus stop said bar
with the small letter m directly over the printing point.
When a key-lever of the second row is depressed the stop 27 remains in its
normal position, and the shoulder 10 will pass it and strike against the then depressed

page_text: stop 20 and the letter k will be in proper position to print. Then when a key-lever
of the third row is depressed, neither of the stops 26 or 27 will be moved, the
shoulder 10 will pass both of them and will strike against the stationary stop 25
and the type-bar will be projected to bring the letter i into proper position to print.
Each of the type-bars is this operated by its three key-levers to bring its three
rearward characters into p sition to print, and each is retracted by its spring. It
will thus be seen that each of the levers in the lower row is connected to a stop 27:
that each of those in the second row is connected to a stop 26; that those of the
upper row are not connected to any of the stops 20; that the stops 26 & 27 are
normally in proper position to permit the type-bars to freely reciprocate through
the lateral notches as when a lever in the upper row is operated so that a shoulder 10
will strike a stationary stop 25 which is the full limit of the stroke of a type-bar.
Then the operation of any key-lever in the second row will pull down the stop 26
to which it is connected; and the operation of any lever in the lower row will pull
down the stop 27 to which it is connected; and as the levers of the lower row are
independent of those in the upper row, so the stops 27 are independent of the
stops 26 and one of these movable stops are operated except by the operation of
the lever to which the particular stop is connected.
The operation of bringing the capitals on the type-bars into printing position is
effected by a shift of the stops hereinafter described, laterally, see dotted lines
Fig. 12, and thereafter the stops are respectively engaged by the shoulder 11 in
precisely the same manner as they were by the Shoulder 10 before the shift
was muile.
STOP SHIFTING MECHANISM: Fios. 3 & 12.
A key-lever 33 (marked Caps. in Fig. 1) is secured to a rock-shaft 34 journaled
in a bearing 35 under the table and 36 is a cam-bar secured to said shaft and
having its free end in engagement with an arm 37 secured to the bolt 23 so that
when this shifting lever is operated, said rock-shaft rotates and raises the cam-bar,
which forces the arm 37 rearward and swings said sway-bar laterally and shifts
said stops into proper position for the capitals. When this lever is released, the
spring 38 connected to the arm 37 and to a post 39 upon the base or under the table,
throws the sway-bar and shifting lever back to their normal positions.
il.
An arm 40 is secured to said rock-shaft and the bail 30 is pivotally connected
thereto. So when the shifting lever is depressed, the arm 40 is swung rearward
and the bail is drawn back, so that the lulerum of the key-lever thereon is changed
rearward, or varied, and thus the key-lever is given a greater throw so as to
project the type-bar to its proper position to print either of the expital letters upon
This variable projection of a type-bar cannot however, be effected except by
the use of a yielding mechanism which will serve a double pui pose, of permitting the
stoppage of the type-bar at any point by any stop, and at the same time permit
the key-lever to be depressed the same distance each and every time it is operated
in order to secure uniformity of impression, whether on a single sheet of paper or
in manifolding, as well as of touch or force applied to a button.
Honee have devised the following, which I term my-
EQUALIZING MECHANISM: Figs. 4 & 16.
The lever 18 consists, as to its long arm, of two sections; the upper section 41
Leing pivoted at 42 upon the other, and provided on its front edge with an arm to
which the spring 19 is connected, and on its rear edge with a lip 43 which engages
with the edge of the lower section when the two sections are in alignment, as shown,
and prevents the spring from pulling them out of this relation. Therefore, from
this it results that where a type-bar is only to be projected a short distance, or to
any position short of its full throw for the sixth character, its stoppage for either of
the list five of the characters is affected before the key-lever has been depressed
far enough to strike a full impression blow, as hereinafter described and thereupon

page_text: This consists of a frame comprising a front rod 109 journaled in ears 110 upon
the end caps of the platen; a roller 111 journaled upon said rod; end bars 112
cach provided with a cam-lug 113 which engages with an end cap; a bail rod
connecting the rear ends of said arms, and torsion springs 114 upon the front rod
and connected thereto and also engaging with said cars or with an arm 115 thereon,
whereby when said frame is tilted, said roller is thrown away from the platen for
the introduction of the paper and is then snapped down by said springs, bringing
the roller against the paper and yieldingly gripping it against the platen, while the
rear rod folds the paper down over the platen. A scale 116 is also mounted upon
said trame and is raised from or brought back to the paper by this swing of said
frame.
It will be readily seen that a brush can be inserted in places of the ink-roller
and held, as by hand, against rotation and then by operation the several key-levers,
the type can be easily cleaned, said brush being provided with a central shaft the
same as said roller. It will also be seen that from the arrangement of the key-
levers in groups of three, there will be only one angular lever 18 for each group
and that either key-lever in a group will operate it independently of the others,
and that while normally said lever supports its group, when one key-lever is operated
the other two must be supported. The springs 32 perform this function by holding
the stops which are not operated up in their normal positions. Also that when a
key-lever in the third row is operated, two of that group must be supported, and
for that purpose I connect to each of the third row levers, a lever-stop (see dotted
lines marked 117 in Fig. 3) like unto the type-bar stops, except that they have no
heads and only abut against the top of the sway-bar springs being provided like
unto those upon the stops operating in the same way to support the key-levers.
MARGIN REGULATING: FIGS. 1 & 2.
In a standard 118 erected upon the table, an annularly grooved rod 119 is
journaled transversely and having an angular point 120 which is adapted to engage
with a stop 121 on the carriage rail: 122 is a set screw provided with a point
adapted to engage with one of said grooves to hold said rod. When the set screw
is tightened said rod can still be rotated to throw the point away from the carriage,
as for margin printing, or when the set screw is loosened it can be traversed in said
standard to vary the margin and set at any point by said set screw.

page_text: upon
the
In Fig. 5 I show the means for yieldingly supporting a type-bar forward of the
plate 15 consisting of a tappet pin 123 inserted into the top 22 of the sway-bar anl
provided with a spring 124 and a shoulder 125 engaging with a plate 126
top-plate, whereby said bar is not only yieldingly carried, but when the harmer
strikes an impression blow upon a type-bar, said tappet will be depressed and
when said hammer is retracted said type-bar will be raised back to its noruril
position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
1 claim is
1. In a type-writing machine. horizontally reciprocating type-arms, each
provided with a T-head, in combination with a guide plate provided with
T-grooves receiving said heads, and in which they reciprocate, and means to
reciprocate them.
2. In a type-writing machine, horizontally reciprocating type-irus, each
provided with a T-head, in combination with a guide-plate, provided with
T-grooves receiving said heads and in which they reciproente, and means to
reciprocate them, and a guide comb through which sail bars reciprocate.
3. The combination with the key-levers arranged in groups of tree, and a single
angular lever engaging with them and adapted to be operated by them separately,
of a single type-bar for each group provide with multiple type and adapted to be
projected by either key-lever independently of the others in the group to bring a
given type into printing position.
4. The combination with the key-levers arranged in groups of three, and an
angular lever normally supporting all of them and adapted to be operated singly
and independently of the other members of the group and means to support the
key-levers not operated while one is being operated, of a single typ -bar for each
group provided with several type and adapted to be projected variable distances
to bring each type into the printing position.
5. The combination with a reciprocating type-arm, of a tappet yieldingly
supporting it and a vibratory impression hammer and means to operate it.
6. The combination with a group of key-levers, of an angular lever common to
all of them and adapted to be operated by either independently of the others and a
single type-bar for each group provided with a multiple type and adapted to be
projected variable distances by said key-levers separately to bring the type into
their respective printing positions, of a set of stops for each group of key-levers,
part of said stops being rigid and not connected to the key-levers they represent,
and the others being directly connected to and operated vertically by the key-levers
they respectively represent, with which said type-bars engage when projected.
7. A group of key-levers, an angular lever common to all of them, a multiple-
type type-bar reciprocated longitudinally by said lever by the operation of either
key-lever of the group, in combination with a series of stops normally out of
engagement with said type-bar and adapted to be shifted to cause engagement of
the type-bar by the stop which represents the key-lever which is operated.
8. A group of key-levers, an angular lever common to all of thein and consisting
of sections hinged together, in combination with a type-bar engaged by said
angular lever and reciprocated by it variable distances by said key-levers, according
to which one is operated.
9. A group of key-levers, an angular lever common to all of them and consisting
of sections hinged together, in combination with a ty pe-bar engaged by said angular
lever and reciprocated by it variable distances by said key-levers according to
which one is operated, and stops with one of which said type-bar engages when a
key-lever is operated.
10. A group of key-levers, an angular lever common to all of them and consisting
of sections hinged together, and a type-bur adapted to be reciprocated by said
angular lever when any one of said key-levers is operated, in combination with a

page_text: group of stops complementary to the levers of a group respectively, whereby said
type-bar engages with the stop representing the key-lever operated.
11. A group of key-levers, a sectional angular lever common to all of them, and
a reciprocating type-bar actuated by either of said key-levers independently of the
others in the group, in combination with a group of stops complementary to the
respective key-levers of a group, whereby said type-bar engages with the stop
representing the key-lever operated, and an impression hammer actuated to strike
said type-bar by the operation of a key-lever..
12. A key-lever, and a reciprocating type-bar in combination with an angular
lever connected to said type-bar and in cugagement with said lever, and consisting
of sections connected together and normally in alignment, and adapted to be thrown
out of such alignment whenever a key-lever is operated.
13. A key-lever, a reciprocating type-bar and a stop for said type-bar, in
combination with an angular lever connected to said type-bar, and engaged by said
lever, and consisting of sections normally in alignment and adapted to be thrown
out of such alignment whenever a key-lever is operated and said type-bar strikes
said stop.
14. A key-lever, a reciprocating type-bar and a stop for said type-bar, in
combination with an angular lever connected to said type-bar and engaged by said
lever and consisting of sections normally in alignment and adapted to be thrown
Fout of such alignment whenever a key-lever is operated and said type-bar strikes
said stop, and an impression hammer actuated by said key-lever.
15. A group of key-levers, a reciprocating type-bar provided with type repre-
senting them, and a series of stops representing said levers, in combination with an
angular lever connected to said type-bar and in engagement with the key-levers of
said group and consisting of sections normally in alignment, and adapted to be
thrown out of such aligument by the operation of a key-lever and the stoppage of
the type-bar by cue of said stops.
16. A group of key-levers, a reciprocating type-bar provided with type repre-
senting them, and a series of stops representing said levers, in combination with an
angular lever connected to said type-bar and in engagement with the key-levers of
said group, and consisting of sections normally in alignment and adapted to be
thrown out of such alignment by the operation of a key-lever and the stoppage of
the type-bar by one of said stops, and an impression hammer actuated by said
key-lever.
17. In a type-writing machine the combination with a traversing earriage and
a rack-bar thereon, of a gear engaging said rack, a shaft actuating said gear, a
bevel-gear on the front end of said shaft, a vertical shaft provided with a bevel-
gear engaging said other bevel-gear and a crank upon the latter shaft, a pointer
thereon and a dial upon the top plate.
18. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a type-bar adapted to be
reciprocated, of a stop normally out of engagement therewith and adapted to be
lowered simultaneously with the forward movement of the type-bar to stop the
same at the proper point, and remain lowered until said bar is retracted.
19. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a reciprocating type-har
carrying upper and lower case type, of a sway-bar pivotally mounted and ineans
to shift it laterally to change it from one case to the other.
20. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a reciprocating type-bar
provided with upper and lower case type, of a sway-bar pivotally mounted and
adapted to be shifted laterally, and a series of stops mounted therein with which
the type arm engages both before and aftor the sway-bar is shifted.
21. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a top-plate, a traversing
carriage and a rack-bar upon the rear side thereof, of a shaft journaled under the
top-plate and at a right angle to the rack-bar, a gear upon said shaft engaging
with said rack-bar, a spring-wheel, a cord connected to it and to the hub of said
gear and adapted to be wound from one onto the other and means to rotate
B

page_text: said gear and thereby traverse said carriage and vary the tension of the spring
wheel.
22. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a top plate, a traversing
carriage and a rack-bar upon the rear side thereof, of a shaft journaled under the
top plate and at a right angle to the rack-bar, a gear upon said shaft engaging
with said rack-bar, a spring wheel, a cord connected to it and wound thereon and
to the hub of said gear and adapted to be wound from one onto the other, a dial
upon the front of the machine and to which said shaft is central and means to
rotate said shaft from the front of said dial, and traverse said carriage and vary
the tension of the spring wheel.
23. In a type-writing machine the combination with the impression platen
journaled in a traversing carriage and the ratchet thereon, of a pawl mounted upon
the platen arbor and engaging with said ratchet and a jointed switch having an
inclined face for a portion of its length and a continuation in line with the traverse
of the carriage for the remaining portion, with which an arm of said pawl engages
to rotate the platen for line spacing when the carriage is thrown back.
24. In a type-writing machine, the combination with the impression platen
journaled in a traversing earringe and the ratchet thereon, of a pawl mounted
upon the platen arbor and engaging with said ratchet and a jointed switch having
an inclined face for a portion of its length and a continuation in line with the
traverse of the carriage for the remaining portion, with which an arm of the pawl
engages to rotate the platen for line spacing when the carriage is thrown back,
and means to vary the inclination of the face of said inclined face aud adjust the
line spacing.
Dated the 15th day of
100%
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.