US1430284A - Typewriting machine - Google Patents

Description

P. H. BURDICK.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

APPLIEATION FILED SEPT. 3. 1920.

1,430,284. Patented Sept. 26, 1922..

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

P. H. BUR'DICK.

TYPEWRIIING MACHINE. APPLICATION man SEPT. 3. 1920.

Patented Sept; 26,1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

i atented Sept. 25, 1%22.

ZAUL H. BURDICK, @E GENEVA, XLLINOIS.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

Application filed fieptcmber 3, 1920. serial Trio. 407,928.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, PAUL H. BURDICK, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Geneva, county of Kane, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Typewriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates in general to typewriting machines, and the object of the in vention may be stated in broad terms to be the provision of a new and improved machine of this class, operating on new principles and including features tending to greater speed in operation and less fatigue and strain on the part of the operator.

More specifically, I provide a typewriting machine having keys which are not individual to the several characters which "are re quired to be written, but which on the contrary are considerably less in number than such characters, and correspond rather to the fingers of the operator in number and position; together with means, preferably electrical in character, whereby the operation of the keys singly or in combination will serve to separately control the type bars of the machine. Since the fingers of the operator do not change their position over the keys and since no powerful striking movements are required to operate them, the process of writing with my improved machine is far less fatiguing than with the machines in common use. I provide, furthermore, a typewriting machine having duplicate sets of keys, one set for each hand of the operator, and each set capable of writing all the letters or characters in use. This makes it possible for the operator to always use her two hands alternately while writing, thus greatly increasing the speed of operation.

The principles of the invention as explained above may be incorporated in an entirely new typewri'ting machine having the usual writing mechanism but omitting the standard keyboard, my improved keyboard being substituted therefor; or the new keyboard and associated mechanism may be constructed as a separate unit adapted to function in connection with any standard make of typewriter. The latter form is the preferred one, and is the embodiment of the invention which will be described hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. I

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a top view of a standard typewriting machine mounted on the control unit, the view showing' clearly the arrangement of the new ke board. I i

1g. is a side view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, and shows the general shape and construction of the-control unit. A portion of the side of the unit is cut away at the rear in order to show the arrangement of the operating magnets.

Fig. 3 is a detailed drawing showing the I preferred method of constructing the operat- 1ng magnets, and the method of attachin the armatures to the type bars. D

F 1g. 4 is a detail drawing of one of the keys showing the method of mounting the contact springs controlled thereby.

1 1g. '5 1s a circuit diagram showing the manner in which the operating magnets are controlled by the keys through the medium of relays.

Inasmuch as the typewriting'machine itself 1s old and well known, no detailed eitplanation of the operation thereof will be g1ven and no attempt has been made to show all the mechanical details in the drawings. The line spacer, marginal stops, and all the other usual attachments except the word space bar and the shift are manually operated in the usual manner. The explanation will, therefore, be confined to the control unit and its operation inactuating the type bar magnets, whereby the typewriting machine is operated. Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, all the apparatus with the exception of the operating magnet armatures is mounted in a single unitary structure which comprises a box or casing 10, made of wood or other suitable materialand adapted to form a base for the typewriting machine with which the apparatus is tobe used. At the rear and underneath the typewriter the hollow base or casing contains the operating magnets and the controlling relays, while the forward portion forms a key shelf upon which the keys are mounted. The keys are twelve in number. Keys 1 to 6 are operated by the right hand of the operator, keys 3 to 6 being finger keys, while keys 1 and 2 are actuated by the thumb. The corresponding keys for the left hand are indicated by reference numerals l to 6 inclusive. As shown in the drawing the keys resemble piano keys and are of about the same size. Each key controls a set of contact springs by which the necessary electrical connections are made.

The arrangement of these springs and the construction of one of they keys may be best explained by referring to Fig. 4-, which is a section through the key shelf between keys 4 and 5.' The key 4: may be constructed of wood and-is supported on the pivot 13. The upper surface is formed of an ivory or celluloid plate 12. The: spring 14 serves to restore the key after being depressed, and the upward movement is limited by the felt strip 16. A similar strip of felt l5 limits the downward movement. The spring combination comprises the stationary springs 20 and 21 and the movable springs 22, 23, and 2- The former springs are attached by means of a machine screw and insulating washers to the flat steel strip 25 which extends the entire width of the base and has both ends bent down to form legs which are suitably attached to the base. .This strip supports all the stationary springs which are associated with the finger keys. A similar strip '(not shown) is properly positioned beneath the thumb keys and supports the stationary springs which are therewith associated. The movable springs 22, 23, and 24 are secured to the under surface of the key a by means of another machine screw and are also properly spaced and insulated from each other by washers or fibre insulators. The springs are adjusted so that springs 21 and 24 are normally in engagement as shown. When the key is depressed at the first downward movement these two springs separate, and just before the downward movement is completedsprings 22 and 23 simultaneously engage springs 20 and 21,

respectively.

The operating magnets are, of course,

. equal in number to the number of type bars,

with extra magnets for operating the word space bar, the shift, and the shift release. The location and arrangement of these magnets is shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2. The magnets are arranged in three rows, the rear most row being located about two and one half inches forward of the point at which the type bars are pivoted. By arranging the magnets in three rows, fairly large and powerful magnets may be used, notwith standing the close spacing of the type bars, and a quick and positive operation is insured. Each row of magnets is mounted on a flat strip of brass, one of these strips being indicated by the reference character 30. Each brass strip extends the entire width of the base and the ends are bent down to form legs by means of which the strip is supported.

The construction of the magnets and armatures can best be explained with reference to Fig. 3. The magnet there shown comprises a soft iron core 35 provided at opposite ends with fibre discs 36 which enclosethe winding space. In order to provide a return path for the magnetic flux, the entire magnet is enclosed in a soft iron shell 34. The top of the shell is cut away at the sides for a short distance as shown, leaving two projecting members 37 and 38, whose extremities are even with the top of the magnet core. The armature 33 is of about the same width as the diameter of the core and is attached to the type bar by means of-a metal strip 321 The armature is cut out. or recessed on the under side and the strip 32 passes entirely around it, the two sides of the bracket thus formed being clamped together by means of rivet 39. The two halves of the bracket pass on opposite sides of the type bar and are pivotally attached there to by means of machine screw 4.0.

Having described the mechanical. construction of my improved typewriterfor typewriter control mechanism, as it is perhaps more properly called. I will now describe the means by which the operation of the keys, singly and in combination, effects the separate actuation of the operating magnets. This means, as is understood, is preferably electrical in character and consists of relays together with suitable circuits for accomplishing the desired object.

Referring to Fig. 5, at the upper right hand corner of the sheet, the six keys for the right hand of the operator are indicated by reference characters 1 to (3, inclusive. The keys for the left hand, indicated by reference characters 1 to 6, inclusive, are shown at the left. At the lower left hand portion of the sheet are shown the operating magnets. These magnets are forty-five in number, providing for as many separate characters as are used on standard type writing machines, and are arranged in three groups. Relays 50 to 57, inclusive, are operated by the finger keys and control the selection within groups, while relays 60 and 61 are operated by the thumb keys and control the group selection. Relays 58 and 59 are com mon to the keys of the left and right hands, respectively, and their function is to prevent interference between the two sets of keys. Relay (i2 is a double wound relay which is inserted in the main battery supply lead extending to the operating magnets for the purpose of limiting the operating time of the magnets.

As stated hereinbefore, all of the fortyfive operating magnets may be separately controlled by the six keys of either hand used separately and in combination, Various schemes may be employed to accomplish this, but the plan adopted is to use the four finger keys to simultaneously select operating magnets in three diiferent groups, while the thumb keys are used to control the selection of groups. liy using four keys singly and in combination, fifteen different combinations are possible. Thus each roup contains fifteen opera-ting magnets. A l the "magnets ofthe first group are normally connectedto the battery and thus are operable by means of the finger keys alone. thumb key is adapted by means of a relay to transfer the battery connections to a different group of magnets, which provides for three groups of magnets or forty-five in all.

In assigning the different key combinations to the diiferent letters and characters Letter or Key comcharacter. bination. To write E e ..depress key 3 Towrite'lt.... .....depresskey 4 Towrite 0o .....depresskey 5 To write A a ..depress key 6 To write N n .depress keys 3 and 4 To write I i .depress keys 4 and 5 To write R r .depress keys 5 and 6 To write 8 s .depress keys 3 and 5 To write H 11 .depress keys 4 and 6 To write D d .depress keys 3 and 6 To write L1 .depress keys 3, 4, and 5 To write U u depress keys 4, 5, and 6 To write 0 c depress keys 3, 4 and 6 To write M m depress keys 3, 0, and 6 To write P p depress keys 3, 4, 5, and 6 To write F .depress keys 2 and 3 To write Y y .depress keys 2 and 4 To write W w .depress keys 2 and 5 To write G g .depress keys 2 and 6 To write B ..depress keys 2, 3, and 4 To write V v .depress keys 2, 4, and 5 To write K k... .depress keys 2, 5, and 6 To write X x .depress keys 2, 4, and 6 To write Z a .depress keys 2, 3, and 6 To write Q, q .depress keys 2, 3, 5, and 6 To write .depress keys 2, 3,-4, and 5 To write .depress keys 2, 4, 5, and 6 To write z. .depress keys 2, 3, 4, and 6 To write 2 .depress keys 1 and 3 To write 3 it .depress keys 1 and 4 To write 4 8 .depl'ess keys 2 and 5 .depress keys 1 and 6 To write 5% To write 6 .depress keys 1, 3, and 4 To write 7 dz. .depress keys 1, 4, and 5 To write 8 ..depress keys 1, 5, and 6 To write 9 .depress keys 1, 3, and 5 To write 1 .depress keys 1, 4, and 6 To operate word space bar depress keys 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 To operate shift ,.depress keys 1, 3, an 6 To operate shift release. .depress keys 1, 4, 5,,and 6 the tabulator, and the line spacer, for excontact,

Each

contact, winding of common relay 59, conductor 81, contact spring 74 and its resting contact, contact spring 75 and its resting contact spring 76 and its working contact spring-21 and -itsresting contact spring 78 audits. resting contact, contact spring 79 and its resting contact, conductor 83, lower make contact of key 3, conductor 84, and the winding of relay 50 to battery. Upon the closure of the above circuit relays 59 and 50 are energized in series and the former relay disconnects ground G -from relay 58 in order to prevent interference in case one or ,more keys should be accidentally depressed with the left hand before key 3 is released. When relay 50 energizes and attracts its armature 85 a circuit is completed as follows: Ground at G, armature 85 and its working contact, armature 89 and its resting contact, armature 90 and its resting contact, armature 91 and 'itsresting contact, conductor 101, winding of magnet 65, resting contact of armature 66 and-the said armature, resting contact of armature 67 and the said armacontact, contact,

ture, conductor 68, left hand winding of relay 62, and resting contact of armature 105 and the said armature'to battery. The left hand winding of relay 62 is of low resistance and the said relay and magnet are energized in series Magnet 65 is located be-- volt operating battery is used, the resistance.

of the operating magnets such as magnet 65 may be about 30 ohms. The resistance of the left hand winding of relay 62 is about 1 ohm and its right hand winding has a resistance of about 500 ohms. The relay is provided with a slug of copper on one end of the core to render it somewhat slow to pull up its armature. Now when the c1rcuit of magnet 65 is closed as just described, the magnet is instantly energized in series with the one ohm winding of relay 62. An instant later, and just as the magnet has completely attracted its armature, relay 62 operates its armature 105, thereby removing the short circuit from its 500 ohm winding and connecting this winding in the circuit also. This has practically the same effect on magnet 65 as the complete opening of the circuit would have, as the current flow is reduced to a small fraction of its initial. value, and the magnet accordingly retracts its armature. however, and retains its high resistance winding in the circuit until the key is released and the circuit is broken at the reire lay 50. By properly adjusting relay 62, short powerful current impulses may be given the magnets of just the rightlength to give the effect of striking the keys by a rapid and experienced typist.

The letter E is written without using either of the thumb keys, and the writing of several other letters will now be explained in order to show the function of these keys clearly. Suppose the letter Z is to be written. According tn the table the combination for this letter requires keys 2, 3, and 6 to be depressed. Key 2 is the second thumb key for the right hand, while keys 3 and 6 are the first and fourth finger keys. The keys are all depressed simultaneously, and with all the keys in their depressed position a circuit is closed for relay 61 as follows: Ground at G armature 80 and its resting contact, winding of relay 59, conductor 81, contact spring 74 and its resting contact, contact spring 7 5 and its working contact, contact spring 76 and its working contact, contact spring 21 and its resting contact, contact spring 7 8 and its resting contact, contact spring 79 and its working contact, conductor 83, lower make contact of key 2, conductor 69, and the winding of relay 61 to battery. Relay 61 is energized and by attracting its several armatures disconnects the operating battery from all the magnets of the first group and connects said battery to all the magnets of the second group. At the same time that the above circuit is completed for relay 61, circuits are completed for relays 50, 54, .55, 56, and 57 by the keys 3 and '6. The circuit of relay 50 has already been tracedfiand the circuit of the other four relays, which are all ener gized in parallel, is of a similar character. The five last mentioned relays being in operated position, a circuit is completed for magnet 64 as follows: Ground at G armature 85 and its working contact, armature 89 and its resting contact, armature 90 and its resting contact, armature 91 and its working contact, conductor 102, winding of magnet 64, working. contact of armature and the said armature, resting contact of armature 71 and the said armature, conductor 68, left hand winding of relay '62, and the resting contact of armature 105 and the said armature to battery. The above circuit is closed by relays 50, 54, and 61, oper.

ating simultaneously, and as a result magnet.

64:, which is positioned beneath the type bar corresponding tothe letter Z, is operated momentarily to strike the required letter.

The process of writing the figure 5 will now be described briefly in order to explain the function of the first thumb key. Consulting the table, it will be found that the proper combination for this character is keys 1 and 6. These two keys are depressed simultaneously and key 1 closes a circuit for relay 60, while key 6 closes a circuit for relays 54: to 57, inclusive. Tn view of the detailed circuit descriptions already given, these circuits may be traced without dificulty. Relays 54 and 60 being now in operated position, the following circuit is completed formagnet 63: Ground at G armature 85 and its resting contact, armature 86 and. its resting contact, armature 87 and its resting contact, armature 88 .and its working contact, conductor 103, winding of magnet 63, resting contactof arma ture 72 and the said armature, working contact of armature 73 and the said armature, conductor 68, left hand winding of relay 62, and the resting contact of armature 105 and the said armature to battery. By the closure of the above circuit magnet 63 is operated momentarily to strike the figure 5.

In view of the foregoing it is thought that the manner of operating the remaining magnets to write the other letters. and characters will be understood readily Without further explanations. It is understood, of course, that the battery connections of all magnets are controlled by relays 60 and 61 in the same manner that the connections of the first nine magnets; ;at the left are controlled. That is, thse two relays are in practice provided with sullicient contact springs to control the battery connections of all the .magnets. Since the connections are all the same, however, it is considered unnecessary to show the complete wiring of more than nine, as this number is sufficient to illustrate the selective principle employed. If desired, and this is perhaps the preferable procedure, the contact springs associated with each group of magnets may be divided among several relays and the relays of each group can be connected in series or in parallel. has been followed with the contact springs controlled by keys 5 and 6 through the medium of relays 52 to 57,.inclusive.

As stated hereinbefore all the letters and characters can be made with eitherv hand. Ke s 1 to 6', inclusive, are connected in mu tiple with keys 1 to 6, inclusive, and operate the same relays; it is therefore immaterial whether the right or left hand be used ,in striking any particular letter. This arrangement is of great utility as it permits the operatorvto always use her two hands alternately. The first letter in a word may be written with the right hand, the next letter with the left, the next with the right, and so on. Writing thus becomes automatic and maximum speed is attained. Interference between the right and left hands is prevented by the'series relays 58 and 59, each of which interrupts the ground connection to the keys associated with the other. llf a right hand key is depressed relay 59 is energized and disconnects ground This is the plan that from the lefthand keys, while the depres-- sion of any left hand key will energize relay 58 to disconnect ground from all the right hand keys. Due to this provision if the operator while writing. rapidly should acciwith one hand -bewith conductor 83. .This circuit arrangeprovided to guard against slight' ment is inaccuracies in depressing keys simultaneously. To explain this, suppose that direct round is supplied to all the keys and that are letter N is to be Written, requiring keys 3 and 4: to be depressed simultaneously. Now if key 3 is depressed slightly" before key 4, as soon as the former key'closes its make contact, relay will be energized and the machine w ll start to write the letter E, which willbe changed to the letter N as soon as key. 4 closes its make contact and energizes relay 51. It will be readily seen that confusion would often result wit such a circuit arrangement unless the operator were extremely careful to depress the keysexactly together. By the provision of the loop circuit such extreme accuracy is not required. It is only necessarythat the operator shallstart all keys which are to be depressed before an one of them is entirely operated. Wlien the key WlllQll' is started, first leaves its normal position it breaks the loop circuit and this circuit is held open by one key or the other until the last key is entirely depressed and all make contacts l are closed. Since the keys have a relatively long stroke, the operating requirements pointed out above are easily met with a little practice and. accuratewriting is insured. i v

Having descrilded my invention, what I consider tobe, new and desire to have protected by Letters'Patent will be pointed out in the a pended claims.

What% claim is:

1. In a typewriting machine, a plurallty of writing devices, magnets for operating said devices, keys for controlling the 01rcuits of said magnets, and a common conductor included in all of said circuits, an automatic device connected in series with said conductor and effective to limit the time during which any magnet can remain operated.

2. In a typewriting machine, a plurality of writing devices, magnets for operating said devices, keys and associated means for closing the circuits ofsaid magnets to operatively energize the same, and an automatic device comprising a relay which is energized in series wlth any energized magnet to deenergize such magnet after a definite time interval.

3. In a t-ypewriting machine, a plurality of writing devices, a set of keys, means for operating said devices separately by depress ing different combinations of keys, and means active whenever a plurality of keys constituting a combination are simultaneously in motion for preventing faulty operation due to failure of such keys to reach their final depressed positions simultaneously.

4. In a typewriting machine, a plurality of sepa-ratewriting devices, magnets for operating said devices, relays for controlling the circuits of said magnets, keys operable in difierent combinations to energize said relays, a conductor common to all the relay circuits .and extending through all said keys in series, and contact springs controlling the series connections and so adjusted that the said conductor is open only While any key is passing from normal to fully operated position.

5. In a typewriting machine, a plurality of separate writing devices, magnets for operating said devices, relays forcontrolling the circuitsof said, magnets, keys operable in different combinations to energize said relays, a conductor common to all the relay circuits and extending through all said keys in series, a pair of contact springs at each key included in said conductor when said keys are normal, and an additional contact spring at each key for closing said conductor when the keys are depressed.

6. In a typewriting machine including writing devices, magnets for operating said device's, right and left hand key'sets for controlling the circuits of said magnets, a com j mon conductor for connecting the operating battery with all the keys of the right hand key set, a similar conductor associated with the left hand key set, means responsive to current flowin the said first conductor'for opening the said second conductor, and means responsive to current fiow in the said second conductor for opening the said first conductor.

7. Ina typewriting machine, a plurality of separate writing devices, individual magnets for' operating said devices, right and left hand key sets'for controlling the circuits of said magnets, both sets being normally operative, a common conductor which is included in the circuit of any magnet actuated through the medium of the right hand key set, a similar conductor associated with the left hand key set, a relay connected in series with said first conductor for opening the Melissa tached thereto mechanically, of an auxiliary mechanism for operating said ty e- Writlng machine, said auxiliary mach nismcomprising a set of keys less in number than said type bars, means for suitably supporting said last set of keys adjacent the said manually operable key set, whereby keys in either set may be depressed at the option of the operator, and means for separately operating said type bars by depressing keys of the auxiliary set singly and in combination.

19. The combination, with a typewriting machine comprising type bars and a plurality of manually operable actuating keys, there being one such key individual to each bar, of an auxiliary mechanism foroperating said typewritin machine at the option of the operator, sai mechanism compnsing a container serving as a base for the said typewriting machine, auxiliary keys in the forward end of said container positioned in front of said manually operable keys, magnets in the rear of said container for operating said type bars, and circuit arrangements whereby said magnets may be separately energized b singly an in combination. I

20. The combination, with a typewriting depressing said auxiliary keys sets, and individual operating magnets for said typebars separatel controllable from either of said auxiliary ey sets.

21.- The combination, with a typewriting machine having a bank of manually operable keys, there being an individual key for each letter, and each key being supported on a pivoted bar, of an auxiliary device comprising a set of magnets having armatures connected to said bars, a second set 6 I keys less in number than said first set, and means intervenin between thesaid second. set of keys and t c said magnets whereby the-latter may be operated separately by depressing the keys of saidsecond set singlyand in combination. Signed at Geneva, county of Kane, and

State of lllinois, this 31st day of August, I

race a. BURDICK.

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