IMPROVEMENTS IN SELECTING DEVICES FOR CON- TROLLING THE OPERATION OF TYPE-SETTING MACHINES, AND FOR ANALOGOUS PURPOSES "
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Eugene Munson, of New York City, in the County
25
of New York, and State of New York, one of the United States of America,
for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN SELECTING DEVICES FOR CON-
TROLLING THE OPERATION OF TYPE-SETTING MACHINES, AND FOR ANALOGOUS
PURPOSES
"
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said James Eugene Munson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th August 1881.
JAMES EUGENE MUNSON, of New York City, in the County of New York,
and State of New York, one of the United States of America. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SELECTING DEVICES FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF TYPE SETTING
MACHINES, AND FOR ANALAGOUS PURPOSES."
My Invention is adapted for use with type-writing machinery or type-setting
machinery. It may also be used with mechanism for sending messages by
telegraph; I will describe what I consider the best means of carrying out the
Invention as applied for type-setting machinery.
I operate the device by depressing the fingers on suitable keys or devices, keeping
each over a certain key or analagous device not changing as in piano playing.
I can depress to uniform extent; there is no necessity for delicacy in that respect.
Using each finger and thumb of the two hands separately, and only one at a time,
I can produce only ten different signals. By depressing two fingers at a time the
number may be nearly doubled. By depressing three properly distributed another
addition is made to the changes, and so to the end, the last step being to depress all
simultaneously. The total number of changes which may be thus produced with
ten keys is ten hundred and twenty three (1023). This is more than sufficient to
indicate for a complete set of lower case and capital letters of the common style;
the same in italics, and if required in one or two different sizes of type with all the
figures, stops, and mathematical, and other peculiar marks which may be required
for all general purposes of communication.
What is known as the "jacquard" mechanism in looms contains a nest or series
of movable thrust-pins arranged in regular lines, distributed over a considerable
area of rectangular form. These thrust pins are held out with gentle force in the
working of a "jacquard;" they are at every movement of the loom all thrust out,
and on being presented to a properly punched card a portion are forced back and

page_text: line; also the holes b³, c³. It follows that when the bank of pins m is by the
motion of their carriage M thrust against the back of 'the case A', all the pins m
enter the corresponding holes in the back of the case A¹, but beyond that they will
be differently acted on.
One of the pins m, that which is presented to the hole a', moves unobstructedly
through the hole c' in the plate C, and also through the hole b' in the plate B, and
thence out through the hole a¹ on the opposite side of the box.
But the other pins m which are presented to the holes a² and a³ are arrested.
The pin which strikes through a is immediately arrested by striking a solid or
unperforated part of the card B. The pin m which enters the hole a³ similarly
meets a solid part of the card C and is arrested.
Now if the muscles of the fingers are worked so as to depress the push
pin C³, and consequently the card C, previously allowing the push-pin B³, and
consequently the card B to rise, it will induce the condition shewn in Figure G.
Thus conditioned, the forward movement of the carriage M, and consequently
the bank of pins m will result in thrusting unobstructedly only the pin m
which enters the hole a². That pin will find the holes b and c in line, and
will move quite through the set of cards, and out through the hole a² on the front
side of the box. But the other pins will be arrested. The pin which enters the
hole a will be arrested by the first card C. The pin which enters the hole a³ will
find the hole in line with it, and will consequently move unobstructedly through
the first card C, but will be arrested by the second card B.
Now suppose both fingers depressed so as to depress both cards B and C when
the bank of pins m comes forward, only that pin which enters the hole a³ will
move unobstructedly. The other two will be arrested, the first against the first
card C, and the second against the second card B.
This simple illustration with only two cards will explain the action as well as
the more lengthy description which would be required to fully elaborate the action
of ten. The pins for a ten-keyed instrument capable of controlling 1023 of the
pins m, are preferably arranged in several tiers. The plan view in Fig. 8 shows
only one tier. The other corresponding pins may be understood to be exactly in
line below.
Full instructions for producing the required holes in ten or other large number
of cards may be given as follows:-
Take a hard wood back-plate for the box A¹ properly bored with all the holes in
the exact positions for all the several pins m. Lay it on a set of ten cards firmly
held, superposed one upon the other, with their edges coinciding. Fix a gauge to
determine exactly how far each shall be moved to correspond to the fully depressed.
position. Then move or depress the first card, leaving all the rest in their original
positions or up, and drill a smooth hole of the size of the hole in the back plate
right through all the ten cards.
Restore that card again to its place, depress the next, and drill in line with the
next hole. So continue depressing each card separately and drilling successively
through the holes in the backplate, and then depress two together, ringing all the
changes possible with two at a time. Then similarly depress three at a time, and
make all the changes possible with three. At last depress the entire series of ten
cards to their extreme depressed condition. Each time of depressing the cards we
drill one hole in the series. The cards will be found to be properly perforated for
the required action, and you may proceed to make the connection of the cards by
suitable small wires or otherwise to the several keys, and proceed to operate.
When the devices are to be worked by electric connections, I will provide a
series of wires or other electrical conductors on the front of the machine, as.
indicated by w, supported on a fixed board W, and having separate insulated'
connections to the several mechanisms not represented. The plan view shows
only one tier of these conductors w. It will be understood that there are as many
tiers of these conductors as there are of the pins m. In short the pius m and the
electric conductors w correspond exactly in number and position.

page_text: A battery not represented is connected to the entire carriage M and bank of
pins m. The body of the carriage M and all the pins carried thereon may be iron
or other good conductor, but the carriage is mounted on insulated bearings. A
single flexible connection to the battery will suffice for the whole.
The box A and, the several cards B, C, &c. being dry paper or wood or other
tolerable non-conductor, the successive contacts therewith do not detract materially
from the force of the current. But the single pin m which moves unobstructedly
through the holes presented, is thrust quite through the entire box A', and touches
the corresponding conductor w. This by suitable mechanism induces the required
action of the type-setting device, or of the proper key for the type-writer, or works
the proper connections for telegraphing the required signals.
I do not make any claim for the several separate, mechanisms in themselves,
considered which are to be set in motion by the several signals communicated
through my device. I do not esteem it therefore necessary to describe them. It
inay be sufficient to say that for a type-setting machine I can employ a mechanism
similar to that set forth in the United States Patent to Adam Miller, dated
September 21, 1875, No. 168,044, having the keys of that machine each operated
by a proper train of connections from a single one of my pins m, or an electrical
device operated through the instrumentality thereof.
Many modifications may be made in the details of my machinery. Some portions
of the Invention may be used without the others.
The box A may be made of either metal or wood, and the several cards B, C,
et cetera, need not necessarily be made of non-conducting material, provided the
one nearest the insulated connections is not allowed to come in contact with
them. Hard rubber, because of its lightness, durability, and non-conductivity,
will be found a very suitable material for the cards.
I can make the springs B', C₁, in the form of long bent springs instead of coils, or
the springs P which return the several levers B2, C3, in the form of coils. The
fingers may apply directly to the levers B2, C3, instead of through the medium of
push pins. The position of the parts may be changed within wide limits. I can
add two more cards to be worked by the feet, and others to be worked by a side
movement of the knees, thus greatly increasing the possible range of the number
of different signals, but I do not esteem such generally necessary.
I can substitute for "plates" long "slides," and for holes, grooves, or indentations
in the edges of the slides with a series of knife edges instead of pins thrust edge-
_wise_against_the_notched edges-of-the-slides,-so-contrived-that-when-any-one"
"slide
or any combination of "slides" is moved as aforesaid, the grooves in all
of the slides at some one point and at no other will come in range and form a
continuous groove across the edges of all the slides.
It will be seen that by the use in this manner of two or more perforated
movable plates placed parallel, and in which holes are arranged as described by
moving edgewise in a given direction one plate or any combination of the plates
a certain fixed distance greater than the breadth of the holes, the holes in all of
the plates at some one point and at no other will come in line and form a clear
opening through all of the plates.
As regards the number of different indications possible, I may observe that with
two plates three such may be obtained; with three plates, seven; with four plates,
fifteen, and so on, each additional plate doubling and adding one to the number of
possible combinations and results, so that with ten plates worked by the hands and
two worked by the feet the number of such distinct and separate results is four
thousand and ninety-five, which is more than enough for all purposes required in
general practice.
The wires w may be made to serve by a mechanical action rather than electrical.
For this purpose it is sufficient to connect each to a sufficiently delicate mechanism,
so that a gentle thrust or other movement received from the pins m may, by
mechanically moving the devices w, initiate the required action of the several
mechanisms. It may be proper to designate the pins m by the term "yielding

page_text: pins' or "yielding feelers," and the wires or other devices was " sensitive
devices." Both may be varied in mechanical construction.
The movement of the plates may also be a revolving one upon an axis as well
as in a straight direction, as represented in the Drawings.
The arrangement of the push-pins B, C, et cetera, shown in Fig. 8, is important
in allowing the fingers and thumbs of both hands to work in casy positions.
My experiments indicate that under all conditions the number of holes in each
card or plate B, C, of the entire series will be alike.
I do not limit this Invention to use with type-writing machinery, type-setting
machinery, and telegraphy. I esteem it capable of use in any situation where it
is important to conveniently and rapidly select a great number of different
articles or devices in succession. My Invention enables me to accomplish by a few
keys and a very compact apparatus what would otherwise require a great number
of keys or analagous parts.
Having thus described my Invention, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the exact details, as shown and described, so long as the peculiar
characteristics of my Invention be retained, substantially as set forth.
What I do claim is,-
1st. The movable, perforated, or grooved plates B, C, so arranged in combination
with each other that a given movement of any plate or a simultaneous movement
of different plates shall in each case bring the plates into such position that there
will be one and but one perforation or groove through the entire series of plates,
as herein specified.
2nd. The movable plates B, C, having perforations arranged, as shown, in
combination with each other, and with means B¹, C¹, for returning each to a
uniform position when released, as herein specified.
3rd. The movable plates B, C, having perforations, arranged as shown, in
combination with each other, and with means B¹, C¹, for returning them to a
uniform position when released, and with means B², C², for conveniently actuating
them, as herein specified.
4th. The movable cards or pieces B, C, having perforations, arranged as shown,
in combination with each other, and with the yielding feelers m and means for
operating them, and with sensitive devices w, arranged as shown, adapted to
produce different mechanical effects according as they are successively touched by
the feelers m, all substantially as herein specified.
5th. The movable cards or plates B, C, perforated as shown, in combination
with each other, and with yielding pins or feelers m and means M for presenting
them to the openings, as herein specified.
6th. The movable cards or pieces B, C, having perforations b, c, bs, cs, et cetera,
arranged as described, in combination with each other and with the casing A¹
having perforations a¹, a², et cetera, and with the yielding feelers m and means M
for operating them, as herein specified.
7th. The casing A, A', movable cards or plates B, C, springs B¹, C¹, levers B², C³,
keys B³, C3, and springs P, in combination with each other and with the carriage M,
having a set of yielding pins or feelers m and with a series of sensitive devices w
all arranged for joint operation, as herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Eugene Munson, have hereunto set
THOMAS DREW STETSON,
CHARLES CAREY STETSON,}
Witnesses.
JAMES EUGENE MUNSON. (L.S.)