US1474751A - Shift bar for typewriting machines - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 20, 1923 J. F. WILSON SHIFT BAH FOR TYPEWRITING MACHINES Filed Sept. 2, 1922 Patented Nov. 26 I923.

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. SHIFT BAR FOR TYPEWBITING MACHINES.

Application filed September To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES FRANKLIN WILsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kensington, in the county of Montgomery and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shift Bars for Typewriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in typwriting machines, and it more particularly relates to that part of such machines known as the shift bars.

In recent years several of the large manufacturers of typewriting machines have put upon the market a. model of a size and weight much smaller than the machines ordinarily used in business offices and which is adapted to be packed in a small case so as to be portable.

One of the machines of this kind upon the market is known as the Underwood portable typewriter. This machine has three banks of keys, and adjacent to the frame on the left hand side opposite the banks of keys, there are two shift keys, one for the fingers or numerals, and one for the capital letters, and the case shifts are brought about by shifting the type bar hanger up and down by means of the shift keys. i he system of typewriting taught in most of the schools at the present day and especially to those who are blind or of defective eyesight, is known as the touch system. Typewriting as taught by that system requires that each hand should cover one-half only of the key-board and that the fingers of neither hand should go beyond the portion assigned to it. In the Underwood typewriter the writing of'such an address for instance as Washington, D, -C.'requires the right hand to leave its position on the keyboard and come over to the extreme left portion of that part assigned to the left hand in order to reach the shift key for the capital letters.

One of the objects of my invention, therefore, is to overcome this difliculty by providing a figure shift key and a capital letter shift key on the right hand side of the keyboard.

Another object of my invention is to provide separable shift keys which may be readily attached to the frame of the machine as it is now upon the market; in

Serial No. 585,936.

tachment has been found of great service as it gives them practically all of the advantages of the larger machine, and can be put on at slight cost.

A further object of my invention is to so construct the means or fastening plate whereby my device is attached to the frame that its adjustment may be somewhat varied so as to make a perfect adjustment.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a shift mechanism of the character described of great simplicity and durability both as a whole and in respect to each of its component parts so that its manufacture will be economically facilitated both as regards the production of parts and of their assembly.

With these and other objects in View which may be incident to my improvements, the invention consists in the parts and combinations to be hereinafter set forth and claimed, with the understanding that the several necessary elements comprising my invention may be varied in construction, proportions and arrangement, without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

In order to make my invention more clearly understood, I have shown in the accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practical effect, without limiting the improvements in their useful applications to the particular constructions, which for the purpose of explanation, have been made the subject of illustration.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the right side of an Underwood portable typewriting machine, (part of the same being broken away) with my device attached;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the bottom of the same part of the machine shown in F ig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail View of the numeral key bar shift with itscontact finger;

Fig. a is a detail view of the fastening plate by means of which my device is secured to the outer frame of the machine;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 ofFig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 4, and Fig. 7 is a detail side view show- 28 of said bars pass under the roller 13, and p 750 ing the frame for lifting the carriage, the stop shift bar and the means for actuating said'bar. c

The numeral 1 represents the base of a typewriter case of a portable typewriter and the numeral 2 the frame of a typewriting machine with the usual type keys 3, ribbon spool 4, platen 5 mounted upon a carriage 6 adapted to travel back and forth upon a track 8 formed of a piece ofbent sheet metal. These features, howeverjneed not be further described as they form no part of my invention.

In the angular shaped end of said track 8, I fasten in place by a screw 9, or otherwise as maybe "desired, a metallic plug 11. whose outer end is threaded for the recep tion' of the screw-threaded end,of'abolt 12, upon which is mounted a small metallic wheel or roller 13 adapted to freely revolve thereon.

Intothe frame 2 of the machine are drilled two apertures and in them are fitted the screw-threaded bolts 14. (see Figs. 2, t, which securely hold against the frame 2, the separable mounting plate 15 horizontally slotted at eachend as clearly shown in Fig. 4, and having longitudinal ridges 15 across its face. The numeral 16 refers to two vertically mounted platesfeach provided with corresponding ridged'or' serrated faces, as seen in Fig. 5, so as to make more perfect the grip between the resy iective plates and provide against any slippage whiclrotherwise mightoccur. 3 In the plate 15 is fixedly mounted one end of astud shaft or pin 17, (see Fig. 6) the outer end of which is screw-threaded for the reception of a nut 18. Upon said stud shaft 17 is pivotally mounted the key-bar 20 having an upturned end or finger key 21 and the key-bar 22 having a like key 23, so that the bar may be readilymanipulated by the operator.

Between the frame of the machine and the nut'18, I loosely mount upon thestud sliaft 17, washers '24, 25 and 26, so as tospace the key-bars andthe farther ends 27 and when either is depressed by'the operator said roller is slidingly and upwardly "engaged 7 thereby, thetrack'8felevated, and with it the carriage travelling thereon.

The normal position of the type keys upon the typewriter is such that pressure,

exerted upon them by the operatonwill cause the lower case letters. or what are usually called the small letters. to strike the platen. Upon pressure exerted. however, on the upturned end 23 of the shift'bar 22, the carriage isso lifted that upon the striking of any of the type keys by the operator the letters or symbols upon the center of the type bar willstrike upon the platen 5. Itwill be observed, however, that the inner bar 20 has secured thereto by rivets 29 or otherwise (see Fig. 3) aadepending arm 31 having a contact finger 32. "Pressure when applied upon the upturned end of the bar 20'will cause the depending arm 31 carrying the contact finger 32 to swing so as to contact with the lower end 35 (see Fig. 7) of the stop shift bar 33, thereby throwing the upper end 37 of said bar away from its limiting position over the foot or projection 34 of the carriage lifting frame36 and permitting the latter to be stil'l' further raised to what may be termedcomplete elevation, so that upon the striking'of the type keys by the operator the letters or symbols upon the upper end of the type bar will strike upon the platen 5.

If the respective parts of my device were to be made by the "company manufacturing the machine, it would not be difficult to find the exact center 1'27 and pierce the frame at that point. In order, however, to enable the device to be put upon the general market, I make the device as illustratedand any ordinary mechanic can drill the frame at the appropriate pointsforthe insertion of the bolts 14 and 14, and the point 17 can then be readily and exactly located by test and adjustment without the necessity of further drilling of the frame.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that Ido not conline myself to the precise details'of construction herein set forth, by wayof illustration, as it is apparent that 'manychanges -and variations may be made therein, by "those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention, or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An attachment for a typewriting machine having a "shiftable platen and a stop shift bar, comprising aseparable mounting plate to be secured to the frame of the ma chine; 'a stud shaft attachedto theplate, and a shiftlever fulcrumed thereon adapted to be applied to the exterior side frame of a typewriti'ng machine, and means operated by said lever to shift the platen, of a finger depending from said lever and contacting the stop shift bar of said machineto elevate the platen when the lever is depressed,

2. In combination with a typewri'ting machine having a shiftable platen and a'stop shift bar of a separable mounting plate, an attached stud shaft and a. shift lever fulcrumed thereon adapted to be applied to the exterior of the side frame of a typewriting machine, a bar depending from said lever, a finger thereon contacting the stop shift bar of the machine to permit elevation of the platen, and means on said lever to pressed.

3. The combination with a typewriter comprising a frame, a carriage, a platen thereon, a shiftable rail upon which said carriage isadapted to slide, and a stop shift bar which when actuated permits the elevation of the platen, a demountable plate adapted to be exteriorly applied to the side of a typewriter frame, and a shift lever pivotally mounted upon said plate, of a finger depending from said shift lever adapted to engage said stop shift bar upon the depression of the front end of the shift lever and elevate the platen to receive the impact of the upper case letters.

4:. The combination with a typewriter comprising a frame, a carriage, a platen 'movably mounted thereon, a shiftable rail upon which said carriage is adapted to slide, and a stop shift bar which when actuated permits an elevation of the platen, a demountable plate adapted to be exteriorly applied to the side of the typewriter frame, a stud shaft extending from the plate and a shift lever fulcrumed thereon, of a finger depending from said shift lever adapted to engage said stop shift bar upon the depression of the shift lever and elevate the platen to receive the impact of the upper case letters.

5. The combination with a typewriter comprising a frame, a carriage, a platen movably mounted thereon, a shiftable rail upon which said carriage is adapted to slide, a separable mounting plate adapted to be applied to the exterior of the said frame of the typewriter, an attached stud shaft and a shift lever fulcrumed thereon, a bar depending from said lever, a stop shift bar normally holding said carriage against complete elevation, a finger on said depending bar contacting the stop shift bar to move it from the normal position and permit said lever to move said carriage to complete elevation.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JAMES FRANKLIN WILSON.

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