US1187784A - Electrically-operated type-writer. - Google Patents

Description

P. C. RAWLS.

ELECTRICALLY OPERATED TYPE WRITER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. H, 19H.

00 1 9 1 0 2 6 n H J d 6 TL D 6 I a P 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- P. C. RAWLS.

ELECTRICALLY OPERATED TYPE WRITER.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.11,1911- v 1 1 @?.,'Y@% Patented June 20, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- PAUL C. RAWLS, OF DES MOINES, IOWA, ASSIGNOR T0 ERNEST HAUSBERG, OF CHARLES 1 CITY, IOWA.

ELECTRICALLY-OPERATED TYPE-WRITER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June so, 1916..

Application filed October 17, 1911. Serial No. 655,179.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that 1, PAUL G. RAWLS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Electrically-Operated Type-\Vriter, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of typewriters illustrated in my former application for United States Letters Patent, filed. February 3, 1911, Ser. No. 606,324.

My object is to provide an electrically operated typewriter of simple, durable and inexpensive construction in which the operator may, by a depression of a key, either witha light or a heavy touch or with a rapid or slow depression of the key, produce exactly the same result; that is to say, the movement of the selected type bar to printing position and back; and further in this connection, it is my object to provide means whereby the movement of the selected type bar from printing position to a normal position at rest with a rapid stroke and Without interruption in the movement of the type bar from the time it strikes the platen until it reaches its nqrmal position at rest to thereby provide for permitting the type bars to instantly get out of the Way of other type bars on their operative strokes.

A further object is to provide means in a machine of the class described whereby the carriage containing the platenis automatically moved one type space for each type bar stroke by means of power from the armature of the umversal magnet.

A further object is to provide simple, inexpensive and durable mechanism for accomplishing the results contemplated.

My invention consists in certain details, in the construction, arrangement and combination of v the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l shows'a vertical, central, sectional view through an electrically operated typewriter embodying my invention. Fig. 2 shows adiagram illustrating the series arrangement of the selective and universal magnets, and Fig. 3 shows a top or plan view of a typewriter having my improvements applied thereto, the carriage and engaged by a pinion 14 on a shaft 15, which shaft is rotatably mounted in the frame 10.

On the other end of the shaft is an escapement wheel 16, which escapement Wheel is controlledby escapement pawls 17 of ordinary construction mounted upon the uprightshaft 18 in the machine frame. An arm It) extends laterally from the shaft 18 and by pulling upon said arm in one direction the escapement pawls 17 are actuated in the ordinary manner to release the escapement wheel 16 so that it may move a distance that will permit the carriage to move one type space. The specific construc tion of .the carriage moving mechanism forms no -part of my present invention and l contemplate using any ordinary moving mechanism, which may be done without de= parting from the spirit of my present iI1- vention.

Arranged at the front of the machine frame is a series of keys 2O slidingly mounted for up and down movement with their lower ends resting upon the springs 21.

These springs are all fixed to insulator bars 22 and each spring is arranged with its free end. directly under the key 20, and directly over a conductor rod 23. These conductor rods 23 are all included in the electric circuit as will be hereinafter described. The only function that is performed by the springs 21 and the keys 20, is that, upon a depression of a key the spring 21 will form a contact with the rod 23 and in this connection it is to be noted that the operator may strike any of the keys with either a heavy or a very light touch, or he may strike the key bars with either a very-light or a very heavy pressure and the result in each of the instances given Will be the same; that is to say, a contact will be made between the spring 21 and the rod 23. "I

Upon depression of any of the keys a selective electromagnet is energized for the purpose of placing a corresponding type bar actuating device in position where the type 1 bar may be moved to strike upon the platen.

For this purpose, I have provided a selective magnet 24 for each key. These magnets are preferably arranged in two rows, one above the other, as shown in Fig. 1. For each magnet there is an armature 26 pivotally supported adjacent to its magnet and each armature is provided. with an arm 26, all

of the arms 26 being arranged in a row and extended rearwardly. 1

The type. bars are indicated by the reference numeral 27 and are of ordinary construction. Connected with each is a link 28 pivoted to a lever 29, and pivoted to each ever 29 is another link 30 also pivoted at its other end to -a coupling bar 31. This wardly,'the upward movement of each arm being limited by the cross rod 36. Each of the coupling bars 31 has a pivotal and* sliding connection with one of the arms 26. Bythis arrangement it is obvious that when any selective magnet draws its armature 25 towardit a corresponding coupling bar 31 is moved downwardly and when the armature 25 is released from its-magnet the coupling bar 31 will be moved'upwardly by the spring 35.

In order to operate the type bars and cause them to strike upon the platen and return to normal position, I have provided the following mechanism. Extended across the machine immediately below 'the hooks 33 is an'operating bar 37 having at its ends the arms 38 which are-pivoted to the sides of the machine frame. Near the central portion of the operating bar 37 is a bell crank lever 39 having one end extended rearwardly and provided with a hook 40 having a beveled upper end. The other end of the lever is extended straight-downwardly and an-adjustable stop 41 is provided for limiting the rearward movement of the downwardly extended arm of the bell crank levei; 39. Extended across the rear portion of the frame is the type bar operating magnet 42 hereinafter referred to as the power magnet The poles of the magnet are extended toward the front of the machine at 43. Pivotally supported adjacent to the magnetic poles is the armature 44. A spring 45 is provided for yieldingly holding the armatureaway from the magnet andthe arm 46 is also provided to engage a stop 47 to limit the forward movementof the armature. The armature is provided with a latch device to coact with the hook 40.

. This latch device comprises a bell'crank This arm 50 is arranged in position to en- 'gage an adjustable plate 51 when the armature has reached a position close to the magnet so that when said position has been reached the hook 49 will be elevated and released from the hook 40. I

I have provided for adjusting the plate 51 by means of an adjusting screw 52 which is extended to the rear of the machine fram'e.

By this arrangement. it will be seen that when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, the coacting hooks 40 and 49 will be in engagement and that the coupling bar 31 will be moved rearwardly when the power magnet is energized. Upon the completion armature of the power magnet is not i11 stantly released the return stroke of the type bar will not be interrupted but the type bar, after strikingthe platen, will rebound and return to its normal position without any interruption in its movement regardless of whether or not the operator releases the key that was depressed to produce the type 5 bar movement. I have also provided for automatically operating the carriage feed mechanism by means of a lever 53 fulcrumed at 54 and provided at its upper end with a link 55 connected to the arm 19. The lower.

.end of the lever 53 is arranged in the path of the armature '44 so that as the armature moves toward the magnet the lever 53 will be operated to release the carriage. A spring 56 is provided for returning the lever 53 to normal position. The arrangementv of the electrical wiring for operating the device is illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 2. In this figure the numeral 57 is used to indicate a source of electrical supply connected by a wire 58 with the rods 23. springs 21 is connected by a wire 59 with the corresponding selective electromagnot 24 and each of the selective magnets 24 is connected by a wire 60 with a conductor bar 61 which extends across the machine. This conductor bar 61 is connected bya wire 62 with the power magnet 42 and a return wire 63 leads from the power magnet back to the source of electrical supply 57. The selective magnets and the power magnet are, as wil] be seen from the above description, arranged Each of the] in series and I have so proportioned the sc- I lective magnets relative to the power magnet that upon the completion of an electric circuit from one ofthe springs 21 through both the magnets to the source of supply the selective magnet will first be energized sufliciently to attract its armature before the larger power armature has been energized suiiiciently to attract its armature although the space of time between these two operationsvwill be very slight. However, it is to be noted that the only power which need be ueveloped by the selective magnets is that amount that will be sutfieientto move the coupling bar 31 downwardly a very slight distance against the pressure of the spring 35 which need only be sufficient to normally elevate thecoupling bar 31. The power magnet however must havesullicient force to attract its armature which must supply sufficient force for giving a striking movement to the type bar and also to operate the lever 53 for shifting the carriage.

One of the advantageous features of my invention is the extreme simplicity of the electrical operations of the device.- This is attained by providing a separate vwire from each key to each selective magnet and then connecting all of the selective magnets with a single ccmdu'ctor bar. Beyond this conductor bar a circuit. is completed over a single wire which goes only through the power magnet and then returns to the source oi electrical supply thus avoiding all complicated electrical devices and making the wiring of the device extremely simple and not liable to get out of order.

By having the carriage t'eed device so arranged as to be meclnmically operated during the movement oi the power armature toward its n'iagnct, I have provided a construction of great simplicity and at the same time have provided for l ceding the carriage very rapidly after the completion of the type bar stroke so that very rapid movement of the type bars may be made at the same time the carriage will be advanced and held stationary in its new position immediately after the completion of one type bar stroke before another one can be made.

My improved typmvriter is designed especially with the object oi" providing for high spccd and al' the same time for ab solute uniformity of printing stroke. To Htf'Ull'lPllSll these two purposes, I have made it essential to provide keys which may be depressed by an unusually slight amount of power applied to them and which are also susceptible of being depressed with considerable force or with either a slow or a rapid stroke without having the kind of pressure applied to the key bars in any way allect the stroke o't the type bars. In order to :uzcomplish this desirable result succcssfully I have found that it is essential that each key be required to make a single elcc iric. contact and that the key should travel only a con'iparativcly slight distance in its movement on account of the fact that a de-; prcssion of a key through a long stroke of movement requires more time than through a short movement and also on account of the fact that if it is necessary to first make a contactto complete one circuit and then another contact to complete another circuit before a type bar movement is completed then it is possible for an operator doing rapid work with light strokes to only complete a part of the necessary key movement and thereby fail to accomplish the completion of a type bar movement. This how ever is impossible with my device.

It-is also desirable in a machine of this kind to provide means whereby, in the event that the operator should depress a key and hold it for a length of time greater than that required to make a type bar stroke that the type bar should be permitted to return to its normal position even though the key was held depressed as otherwise considerable time might be lost in permitting the type bar to drop by gravity from printing position after it had been held at or near printingposition by-the mechanism that moved it to printing position.

In my improved machine it is obvious that it' the power armature is drawn to the power magnet and there held the type bar may swing to printing position and rebound, and instantly return to normal position without in any way being retarded on its return stroke.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an electrically operated typewriter, the combination of keys, an electric circuit, means tor closing the electric circuit upon the depressionot' a key, a selective magnet opcratively connected with each of the circuit closingdcvices, a series of type bars, a type bar ope-ratipg device connected with each type bar, means actuated by a selective magnct for moving the corresponding type bar operating device to operative position, a single operating bar for all of the type bar operatingdei 'ices, a hook carried thereby, a poweumag-net arranged in series in the electric circuit with each of the selective magnets, a power armature, a hook car-- the power armature.

2. In an electrically operated typewriter, the combination of keys, an electric circuit, a single circuit closing device for each key, selective magnets arranged in the circuit with the circuit closing devices, a single conductor bar electrically connected with all of the selectivennagnets, a power magnet electrically connected with said conductor bar, a power armature for the power magnet, type bars, a type bar operating device for each type bar, means operated by the selective magnets for moving the type bar operating devices to operative positions, and means. operated by the power magnet for operating the type bar operating devices.

'3. In an electric typewriter, the combination of keys, type bars, a single circuit closing device for each key, selective magnets electrically connected with the circuit closing devices, an armature for each of said magnets mounted for movement only to and from ,the magnets, a type bar operating device for each'type bar capable of movement to and 'from position for being operated,

feach'of said devices being connected to a selective armature for movement thereby,a power magnet capable of being energized upon the completlon of a circuit through any selective magnet, an armature therefor, means connected with said armature for operating any type bar operating device, a carriage, and means operated by the power armature for efl'ecting'a spacing movement v of the carriage,-

I o nation of keys, type bars, a single circuit '4. In an electric typewriter, the combiclosing device for each key, selective magnets electrically connected with the circuit closing devices, anarrnature for each of said magnets, a type bar operating device for each type bar capable of movement to and irom position for being operated, each of said devices being connected to a selective armature for movement thereby, a power ,magnet capable of being energized upon the completion of a circuit through any selective magnet, an armature therefor, means connected with said armature for operating any type. bar operating device, a car-- riage, and means operated by the power armature for effecting a spacingmovement of the carriage. I v

5. In an electrically operated typewriter,

the combination of keys, type .bars, a tin.

cuit closing device for each key, selective magnets electrically connected with the circuit closing devices, an armature for each of said magnets, a type bar operating. device for each type bar operatively'conneeted with an armature of a selective magnet,- a power magnet capable of being energized upon the completion of a circuitthroug h,

any selective magnet, an armature :therefor, a carriage, means operated by the power armature for moving any, type bar operat.

ing device, and means also operated by the' power armature for eifecting a spacing movement of the carriage.

" 6. In an electrically operated typewriter, 1 as.

the combination of keys, a carriage, a platen inthe carriage, type bars arranged to strike upon the platen at apointvisible to the operator, a single circuit closing device for each key, selective ma nected with the circuit closing devices, an

armature for each of said magnets, atype' bar operating device for each type bar .operatively connected with an armature of a selective magnet, a power magnetcapable of being energized upon the completion of ets electrically cona circuit through any selective magnet,- an

armature therefor, means operated .by the power armature for moving any. type bar operating device, and means also operated.

by the power armature for effecting a spac ing movement of 'the carriage.

Des Moines, Iowa, Oct. 7, 1911'. y PAUL QR AWLS Witnesses:

FRANK E. THOMPSON, Gnonon D. Wmerrr.

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