US511854A - leonard - Google Patents

Description

0 N LEONARD GDNTINUOUS TABLET FOR PHYSICIANS, 850.

N0. 511,854. Patented Jan. 2, 1894.

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CHARLES N. LEONARD, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

CONTINUOUS TABLET FOR PHYSICIANS, 840.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 511,854, dated January 2,1894.

Application filed February 14, 1893- Serial No. 462,283. (No model.)

To [LZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES N. LEONARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Continuous Tablets for the Use of Physicians and Others, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my said invention is to produce a writing tablet upon which messages may be left, and provide for their effectual concealment from all persons except the person for Whom they are intended.

It consists of a case containing a roll of paper, and provided with a hinged cover, and mechanism connected to said cover by which the paper is pulled from the roll and advanced overa writing table or surface to an open space within the case of the device, whence it maybe taken and examined only by a person possessing a key or other means of opening said case.

It further consists in certain details of construction and arrangements of parts whereby the paper is held and controlled, and other advantages secured, all as will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof, and on which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts, Figure 1 is a perspective view of one of my improved continuous tablets in use; Fig. 2 a central sectional view of the same when closed, on a larger scale; Fig. 3 a detail view similar to a portion of Fig. 2, but with the cover and the top partly raised; Fig. 3 a similar View with the cover fully raised; Fig. a a top or plan view with the upper portion of the top removed, showing the paper and mechanism within the case; Fig. 5 a detail sectional view on the dotted line 5 5 in Fig. 3; Fig. 6 a detail sectional view similar to a portion of Fig. 2, but on a larger scale; Fig. '7 a detail sectional view also similar to a portion of Fig. 2, but on a larger scale, and Fig. 8 a view similar to a portion of Fig. 2, of an alternative construction.

In said drawings the portions marked A represent the case or frame-work which incloses the paper and mechanism of my improved continuous tablet; B the paper,

consisting mainly of a roll substantially occupying one end of the box; 0 a roller over which the paper passes from the roll to the writing table or paper support; D sa1d Writing table; E a roller by which, as will be presently described, the paper is drawn for; ward; F a roller in contact with the roll It which holds the paper closely against said roll; G a pawl whereby the roll E is held from revolving backward; II a detent act ng directly upon the paper itself; and I aspring by which the machine is operated. I

The case A is of an ordinary construction, and preferably has a sloping top, which should be hinged at a, and is provided with a catch a, by which it is united to said main portion at the other end. Said case also has a door A hinged at a and preferably fastened by a look (not shown.) The upper portion has a lid A- which is hinged at a, and extends over about one half of the upper portion of the case. Said lid is not fastened except on its hinges, and 15 free to be raised or lowered at pleasure. Attacbed to the under side of said lid is an arm A and to said arm is connected the rack-bar A which engages with a ratchet-Wheel E on the shaft 6 of the roll E. The teeth of this rack-bar and ratchet-wheel are so formed that when the rack-baris drawn to the front it may slip over (or be raised from) the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, but when it is pushed to the rear it will engage with said ratchet-wheel and revolve the other parts to which it is attached, as will shortly be more fully described.

The paper B is in the form of a roll mounted on the shaft 1) in hangers B. A friction spring B is secured to the bottom of the box A and bears against the surface of this roll, and thus prevents said roll from unwinding more rapidly than the direct pull of the mechanism calls for. The paper passes up over the roller 0 and table or support D, thence around between the roll E and roller F, and thence down into an open space in the box, as shown most plainly in Fig. 2.

The roller C is simply for the purpose of providing an even and proper travel to the paper, as it is drawn from the roll, irrespective of the size of said roll. Near it, in the corner of the upper portion of the box, is an anglepiece 0' which serves as a convenience in insertin g the paper over said roller to that position where it may be used. If said corner were left square, obviously the paper could be inserted only with great difiiculty.

The writing table or paper support D is fastened within the upper portion of the'box just below the lid A and is stationary. The paper passes over its upper surface on its travel from the roll C to the roller, and, when the lid A is raised, forms a table or support for the paper when it is being written upon. Another shelf or table D serves as a hand support for the writer.

The roller E is mounted upon hangers E extending down from the top of the case, and

is the roller over which the paper passes afterbeing written upon, and whereby the paper is ldrawn forward after the writing of each message. It should be covered with cloth or felt in order to give it a good frictional surface. The ratchet-wheel E is secured to its end, and is preferably integral with the gudgeon or shaft-end e which supports the roller. It is arranged, as shown in Fig. 2, to be driven by the reverse movement of the rack bar A, consequent upon shutting down the lid A The roller F is simply a clamping roller to hold the paper closely against the roller E, and is mounted in spring bearingsf.

The pawl G is mounted upon the lower ends of the same hanger which carries one end of the roller E, and its operative end is adapted to engage with the ratchet wheel E, and prevent any reverse movement of the roll E, as will be readily understood.

The rack bar A is of'peculiar construction. As shown in Figs. 2, 3, 3 and 5, it is broader than the ratchet wheel E, with which it engages, and has, besides the regular rack teeth which engage with said ratchet Wheel, a portion which is merely roughened or provided with very slight teeth or irregularities. A device E similar in form to a detent, isjournaled alongside the ratchet wheel E with its point in contact with this surface of the rack bar A The weight of this device is capable of overcoming the force with which the arm A is held into contact in its forward movement, but is adapted to engage with this surface as soon asthearm starts on its backward movement, and, swinging on its bearing,it raises said bar so that the teeth thereon will be free of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel E, as shown in Fig. 3. The end of the bar A is formed to project upwardly above its level just where the teeth terminate, and when this point is reached said bar will slip over the end of the device E and fall back into engagement with the ratchet wheel E, as best illustrated in Fig. 8. By this means the rack bar is only permitted to be in engagement with the ratchet wheel during its forward or operative movement while the cover A is being closed, and is raised out of such engagement or contact during its backward movement while the cover is being raised, and thus all wear upon the rack-bar and ratchet wheel, as well as the clatter and noise otherwise incident to drawing the one over the other, is wholly prevented. As shown, the structure of the hanger E is such thatastop is formed for this device E so that while it maybe pushed over by the arm A while moving forward, it cannot be drawn beyond a substantially upright position by said arm while moving backwardly.

The paper detent H is formed of sheet metal with downwardly projecting points, as shown in Figs. 2, 4, and 7, and said detent is adapted to rest lightly and loosely upon the paper during its forward movement, and during such movement has no effect thereon. Should, however, an attempt be made to draw the paperoutwardly by taking hold of it at the point where it is written upon, these points or projections on this detent would engage wlth said paper and sever it, thus defeating any attempt on the part of a person not provided with a means of opening the box to discover the messages which might previously have been written. Within the upper portion of the case another sheet metal portion H with sharp or serrated edges projects downwardly, but the office of this is to aid the owner of the box or tablet to cut or tear off that portion which had been written upon and remove it from the box.

The spring I is fixedly secured at one end to the under side of the writing table or paper support D, and projects forward and at the other-end engages with the otherwise free end of rack-bar A Its force keeps the rack-bar into contact with the ratchet wheel E, and also aids in the operation of the mechanism, pulling, through said rack-bar, (which in this connection serves as a link,) on the arm A and thus on the lid A reversely to the power which is required to open said lid.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5,1 may provide upon the under side of the lid or cover A a row of perforating pinsp which will puncture the paper each time said lid or cover is closed, thus providing a more certain means for dividing said paper between each of the messages. Such perforating pins may be any form of perforators desired. Those shown are simply pins adapted to punch round holes.

In Fig. 8 is illustrated an alternative construction, in which the bar extending back from the cover and taking the place of the bar A instead of being a rack-bar, is provided with a pawl on its extreme end, which is held into contact with the ratchet wheel by means of a spring attached thereto and to the hanger, and a link extending back from the bearing, and causing the same to circle around said bearing, while a coiled spring near the top of the box takes the place and performs the work of the spring I.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a case, a paper roll mounted therein, a writing table or paper support, a hinged lid, and mechanism operated by the movement of said lid whereby the paper is drawn from said roll over said paper support.

2. The combination of a case, paper secured therein, a hinged lid to the case, a roller over which the paper passes, and mechanism attached to the lid whereby said roller is operated and the paper thus drawn forward as the lid is closed, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a case, a lid hinged to said case, a writing table or support below said lid, a roll of paper supported within the case the free end whereof passes over said writing table or paper support, and a friction spring in contact with said paper roll whereby it is prevented from unwinding too rapidly, substantially as set forth.

4:. The combination of a case, a hinged lid thereon, a paper roll, a roller mechanism for drawing the paper forward, a ratchet wheel forming part of said mechanism, and a rackbar operated from the lid whereby said mechanism is operated.

5. The combination of a case, a roll of paper therein, a roller mechanism for drawing said paper forward consisting of a ratchet and pawl device, and a detent whereby a reverse movement is prevented, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of a case, a roll of paper therein, a roller mechanism for drawing the paper forward, consisting of a ratchet wheel and rack-bar, and a device journaled coincidently with the ratchet wheel and in contact with a portion of said rack-bar, and arranged, as described, to raise said rack-bar out of contact with said ratchet wheel during the reverse movement.

7. The combination of a case, a paper roll, the mechanism for drawing the paper forward, and the paper detent H positioned to permit the paper to pass freely in its forward movement but to catch and sever the same if a reverse movement is attempted, substantially as shown and described.

8. The combination of a case, a paper roll, mechanism for drawing the paper forward, and a paper severing device positioned behind said mechanism.

9. The combination of the case, the paper roll, the writing table or paper suppor h roller over which the paper travels from said roll to said support, and an angle piece C' whereby the paper is guided to position while being inserted, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination of a case consisting of two parts hinged together and provided with a fastening, a door also in said case, a paper roll within said case, and mechanism within said case for drawing the paper forward, and a space therein for depositing the paper after being so drawn forward, which space is protected from entry except by means of said door, substantially as shown and described.

11. The combination of a case embodying within its structure a continuous tablet or message sheet, a ratchet mechanism where y said sheet is moved forward from time to time, and a device journaled alongside the ratchet wheel and adapted to raise the rackbar out of engagement therewith during its reverse movement, and a stop whereby said device is prevented from moving in said reverse movement beyond an upright position, substantially as set forth.

12. The combination of a case, a paper roll mounted therein, a paper support, a hinged lid or cover, mechanism whereby the paperis drawn from the roll over the paper support, and perforating pins or devices secured to the under side of the lid or cover whereby the paper may be perforated each time said lid is closed, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 9th day of December, A. D. 1892.

CHAS. N. LEONARD. [L. s.]

\Vitnesses:

CHESTER BRADFORD, JAMES A. WALSH.

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