Year: 1885

page_text: I GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the General Patent Office, No. 4, South
Street, Finsbury in the county of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention (a communication from abroad by Ernest Enjalbert of
Paris in the republic of France, Architect,) to be as follows:---
By this improved machine, which is for the purpose of enabling writing to be
quickly performed, the letters are printed separately one from another with great
facility and a practised person can after a short time write more quickly than with
a pen, and there is moreover the advantage of having printed characters which can
be easily read and which will avoid any risk of the writing being misunderstood.
In carrying out the invention, the machine constructed of any suitable shape
and size consists of a cast iron frame or body which is hollow and of the form of a
desk arranged opposite the writer, this frame is formed with a longitudinal slot in
which passes freely the head of the carriage. The length of the said slot depends
on the size of the paper which the machine is arranged to take. The bottom of the
apparatus on which all the lower parts of the mechanism rest is fixed to the bottom
of the body or frame by means of screws placed at suitable distances apart. The
upper part or table is formed with an opening to allow communication of the
interior mechanism with the mechanism outside. The table is also provided in
the direction of its length with divisions placed at a distance apart equal to the
distance of one letter from another.
The operating device consists of a dial fixed on the table and around which the
letters, figures, accents and signs are engraved and they correspond with a circular
slit in which the head of a pointer enters when pressure is applied on a knob. The
dial is bored out at its centre so as to allow the printing mechanism to rotate
therein with slight friction. The pointer is connected to a box by means of pins.
The box follows the rotating movement of the pointer over the dial. The pointer
is pivotted or jointed and is provided with a knob or button to allow of it being
held and pressed on to the head of a cylindrical rod which slides freely in a central
boss. The said box is provided on its periphery with a recess in which is placed
an india-rubber ring on which are moulded in relief all the letters of the alphabet

page_text: figures, accents and signs. The lower part of each letter is hollowed so that the
head of rod can engage therein to allow of it being pushed forward. The india-
rubber letters correspond exactly with the letters on the dial so that they can be
operated from the outside of the apparatus by means of the pointer and be brought
opposite the place where they are required to print. If pressure be then placed
upon the knob the head of the pointer will engage in the corresponding slit and the
mechanism will be fixed by means of a bent lever and the letter will be pushed
forward by the herein before described rod; this rod is held in place by a guide or
support. A spring which bears on the bottom causes the pointer to rise and bring
back the rod to allow of it being again passed forward to print another letter.
A space of the thickness of a letter is left in blank and forms the distance of one
word from the next. An inking cylinder fixed on its rod holds a continual supply
of printing ink.
A carriage is provided resting on rollers which slide on rails. The opposite
wheels are mounted on springs for causing the rails to retake their parallel position
if the latter should not be quite exact. This arrangement allows of producing very
slight friction. A spiral spring fixed on the right-hand side of the carriage and on
the left-hand side of the frame continually presses the carriage on the left-hand or
brings it towards the right-hand by pressing it by the projecting head.
A rack
the teeth of which are of a width equal to the distance of one letter from another
is fixed on the base of the carriage. A double toothed pawl fixed on the herein-
before described support is operated by a spring after each impression and allows
the carriage to slide towards the left-hand side of one division. As it is lowered
the head of a lever which is jointed and provided with a spring passes freely in
rotating on its pivot and comes into position underneath the head of the pawl con-
sequently in rising when a letter has been printed it causes the pawl to be lowered
and ready to retake its position when the disengagement has taken place to allow
the carriage to advance one division towards the left-hand. The pawl is also
jointed and provided with a spring in order that the teeth of the carriage may pass
in drawing it towards the right-hand, when the carriage is pushed towards the
right-hand. The carriage is provided with an india-rubber cylinder the centre of
which is opposite the letters and the circumference of which is at a short distance
from the printing letters. At the right-hand is fixed a ratchet wheel the width of
the teeth of which corresponds with the space between the lines. A lever arm
carries a hooked spring for rotating the cylinder; a spring bears on the wheel and
serves to hold the cylinder in place; a sheet of paper is introduced between the
cylinder and a guide which keeps it against the cylinder as the latter rotates; this
guide extends throughout the whole length of the cylinder and rests on a rail and
consists of a sheet of metal slotted longitudinally and fixed to a rod. At each
operation of the lever the sheet is moved to the extent of one line; the printing
commences at the required moment and the sheet after having passed round the
cylinder leaves at the same side of the apparatus.
The hammer of a bell has a pawl and spring and is placed at the left-hand and
is disengaged by a projection on the carriage just before it arrives at the end of its
travel and thereby warns the writer that he has only a certain number of letters
in order to finish the line; a needle is fixed on the carriage and corresponds with
the divisions in the frame of the apparatus for indicating the position which has
been reached on the line; sliding stops serve to fix it at will along the length of
the divisions for limiting the extent of movement of the carriage in one direction
or the other.

page_text: Improvements in Type Writing Machines.
I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of the General Patent Office, No. 4 South Street,
Finsbury, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention (a communication from abroad by Ernest Enjalbert of Paris, in
the Republic of France, Architect) and in what manner the same is to be performed
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
By this improved machine which is for the purpose of enabling writing to be
quickly performed the letters are printed separately one from another with great
facility and a practised person can after a short time write more quickly than with
a pen, and there is moreover the advantage of having printed characters which can
be easily read and which will avoid any risk of the writing being misunderstood.
In order to enable the invention to be fully understood I will describe the same
with reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1 is a plan of the
improved machine; figure 2 is a section on line 3-4 of figure 3; figure 3 is a section
on line 1-2 of figure 1 ; and figure 4 is a plan of the india rubber ring shewing the
inking rollers Similar letters in all the figures represent similar parts.
A. A. shew a cast iron frame or body which is hollow and of the form of a desk
arranged opposite the writer; this frame is formed with a longitudinal slot B. B.
in which passes freely the head of the carriage. The length of the said slot depends
on the size of the paper which the machine is arranged to take. The bottom of
the apparatus c, c, on which all the lower parts of the mechanism rest is fixed to
the bottom of the body or frame by means of screws e, placed at suitable distances
apart. The upper part or table is formed with an opening D. D. to allow com-.
munication of the interior mechanism with the mechanism outside. The table is
also provided in the direction of its length with divisions E placed at a distance
apart equal to the distance of one letter from another.
The operating device consists of a dial F. F. fixed on the table and around this
dial the letters, figures, accents and signs are engraved, and they correspond with a
circular series of slits G. G. into which the head H of a pointer I, J, enters when
pressure is applied on the knob L. The dial is bored out at its centre so as to
allow the printing mechanism to rotate therein with slight friction. The pointer
I. J. is connected to a box K K by means of pins or screws a¹ (figure 3). The box
follows the rotating movement of the pointer over the dial. The pointer is pivotted.
or jointed at J, to a horizontal piece a' forming part of the central nave or boss b¹,
and is provided with a knob or button L, to allow of it being held and pressed on
to the head of a cylindrical rod M, which slides freely in the said central boss b¹.
It is by reason of the said nave or boss being thus connected, by means of the
screws or pins a', with the box K, that the latter is forced to follow all the rotating
movements of the pointer I. J.
The said box K K is provided on its periphery with a recess N N in which is
placed an india rubber ring on which are moulded in relief all the letters of the
alphabet, figures, accents and signs. The lower part of each letter is hollowed so
that the head of a rod P, can engage therein to allow of it being pushed forward.
.

page_text: The india-rubber letters correspond exactly with the letters on the dial F F, so that
they can be operated from the outside of the apparatus by means of the pointer I. J.
and be brought opposite the place where they are required to print. If pressure
be then placed upon the knob L, the head H of the pointer I. J. will engage in the
corresponding slit, and the mechanism will be fixed by means of a bent lever Q,
and the letter will be pushed forward, by the hereinbefore described rod P; this
rod P is held in place by a guide or support R. A spring S which bears on the
bottom causes the pointer I J to rise and also brings back the rod P to allow of its
being again passed forward to print another letter. A space of the thickness of a
letter is left in blank and forms the distance of one word from the next. An inking
cylinder T fixed on an axis holds a continual supply of printing ink.
A carriage U is provided resting on rollers v, v, which slide on rails x, x; The
opposite wheels are mounted on springs for causing the rails to retake their parallel
position if the latter should not be quite exact. This arrangement allows of pro-
ducing very slight friction.
A spiral spring y fixed on the right-hand side of the carriage and on the left-
hand side of the frame continually presses the carriage on the left-hand or the
carriage is brought towards the right-hand by pressing it by the projecting head z.
A rack a, the teeth of which are of a width equal to the distance of one letter
from another, is fixed on the base 6 of the carriage. A double toothel pawl d, fixed
on the herein before described support R, is operated by a spring after each
impression and allows the carriage to slide towards the left-hand side of one
division. As it is lowered the head of the lever e¹, which is jointed and provided
with a spring passes freely in rotating on its pivot and comes into position under-
neath the bead of the pawl d, consequently in rising when a letter has been
printed, it causes the pawl to be lowered and to retake its position when the dis-
engagement has taken place to allow the carriage to advance one division towards
the left-hand.
The pawl is also jointed and provided with a spring in order that the teeth of
the carriage may pass in drawing it towards the right hand when the carriage is
pushed towards the right hand. The carriage is provided with an india rubber
cylinder, the centre of which is opposite the letters, and the circumference of
which is at a short distance from the printing letters. At the right hand is fixed
a ratchet wheel g, the width of the teeth of which corresponds with the space
between the lines. A lever arm carries a hooked spring i, for rotating the
cylinder; a spring 1 takes into indents on the ratchet wheel and serves to hold the
cylinder in place; a sheet of paper is introduced between the cylinder and a guide
m m which keeps it against the cylinder as the latter rotates; this guide extends
throughout the whole length of the cylinder and rests on a rail n, and consists of a
sheet of metal slotted longitudinally at t, and fixed to the rod u. At each
operation of the lever the sheet is moved to the extent of one line; the printing
commences at the required moment and the sheet after having passed round the
cylinder leaves at the same side of the apparatus. The hammer of a bell q, has a
pawl and spring and is placed at the left hand and is disengaged by a projection r,
on the carriage just before it arrives at the end of its travel and thereby warns
the writer that he has only a certain number of letters in order to finish the line;
a pointer 8, is fixed on the carriage opposite the divisions E in the frame of the
apparatus for indicating the position which has been reached on the line; sliding
stops serve to fix it at will along the length of the divisions E for limiting the
extent of movement of the carriage in one direction or the other.
The divisions E are suitably figured to represent centimeters for example.
If the sheet of paper which is to be printed upon is of 15 centimeters in width
for example, the distance from the edge of the paper at which the printing
operation should be commenced can be easily seen by the pointer 8, as the pointer
will indicate exactly on the divisions E the length of the line which has just
been printed. By the same means indication is given when a fresh line should be
commenced.

page_text: 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
I claim is:-
1. In a type writing machine the combination with a dial having a pivotted
pointer arranged to operate a series of levers with a rotating box carrying an india.
rubber ring on which the type is moulded, and formed with a series of slits corre-
sponding with the said type, a rotating inking cylinder, a guide for the sheet of
paper to be printed upon and a carriage for shifting the said paper the whole
arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described
and represented in the accompanying drawing.
2. The improved type writing machine herein before described and represented
in the accompanying drawing.