US1949036A - Copy preparing machine - Google Patents

Description

Feb; 27, 1934. A. w. BUCKWELL 1,949,036

COPY PREPARING MACHINE Filed Jan. 9, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTO/PNE Y/ Feb. 27, 1934. A. w. BUCKWELL COPY PREPARING MACHINE Filed Jan. 9, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 /NVENTO/? A TTaRNEY:

1934. A. w. BUCKWELL COPY PREPARING MACHINE Filed Jan. 9, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 //\1 VENTOI? 'Mn-d? I I Q A TTORN Feb. 27, 1934.

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fizvenfor Patented Feb. 27, 1934 UNITED. srArss 1,949,036 corr PREPARING moms Arthur W. Buckwell, Quincy, Masa, assignor to Ginn and Company, Boston, Mass., a copartnership Application January 9, 1930. Serial No. 419,649

. f 7 Claims. (Cl. 197-187) The present invention relates to copy preparing machines and more particularly to machines of the generaltype disclosed in the co-pending application of Morss, Buckwell, and Smith, Serial No. 306,761, filed September 18,1928, now Patent No. 1,829,233.

The above application describes a machine whereby typewritten copy may be prepared which is line-ior-line and page-for-page with the printed matter to be prepared from it. To this end, there is provided the combination of a typewriter of any suitable form, together with an adding machine, and an actuating element for operating the adding machine to set up thereon the individual type width values of the characters.

The object of the present invention is to provide improvements in the above machine with a particular view to economy and simplicity of construction andease of operation.

With this object in view, the present invention consists of the copy preparing machine hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevation in partially diagrammatic form of the preferred form of apparatus; Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of the typewriter showing the contact blocks and the shift mechanism; Fig. 3 is a. side elevation in section of the details shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the actuating apparatus; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of theactuat ing apparatus and adding machine; Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig.

5; Fig. 'I is a section on line 7-7 of Fig. 6; Fig.

8 is a detail view showing the actuating devices for the adding machine keys; Fig. 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a detail view in plan of the return control switch; and Fig. 11 is a rear view of the typewriter and return control switch.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises essentially three elements, first, a typewriter which is adapted to write characters in the usual manner, that is, with uniform type spacings; second, an adding mechanism; and third, an actuating apparatus for the adding mechanism which is energized upon the depression of any typewriter key to set up on the adding machine the type width value of the character corresponding to the depressed key. These parts are illustrated in Fig. 1, which shows the typewriter 12 and the adding machine 14 and the actuating apparatus 16.

ventional form, but has applied thereto a set of electrical contact devices similar to those described in the co-pending application above referred to. These contact devices are shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A stationary contact block 18 is provided with a plurality of spring contacts 20 underlying the individual keys of the typewriter. The contacts connect into ten different circuits arranged for actuation of the nine unit'sikeys and a single tens key of the adding machine. Any

number from 1 to 19 may be set up on the adding machine. This range is sufllcient in the common system wherein the unit of type width is arbitrarily defined as one-eighteenth of the letter M, which is the widest character employed. As

described in the co-pending application, the key bar, upon being depressed, is adapted to close either one or two circuits controlled by the spring contacts; thus, for narrow characters having type width values less than 10, a single contact is suflicient to control operation of the adding maacters, the typewriter is provided with a sliding 35 contact block 22 which has two sets of contacts 24 adapted for selective engagement with spring contact members 26 which are connected with the contacts of the stationary block 18. The sliding block 22 is adapted to assume one position or the other, depending upon whether or not the shiftmechanism is operated. The shift mechanism which is indicated generally by the reference character 28, therefore, serves to change the circuits which are controlled by the contacts 20 and thereby to set up the proper type width values on the adding. machine.

The tenwires which are selectively connected with the contacts 24 are brought out in a cable 30 and connected into the actuating solenoids 32 of the apparatus 16. A single return wire 34 connects the frame of the typewriter, the battery 36, and the actuating solenoids. A condenser 37 is connected between each wire of, the cable 30 and the return 34 to protect the key contacts against arcing.

- The adding machine is a key driven machine of ordinary type having spring return keys 38 to effect an adding operation without necessity for actuating an auxiliary handle. The adding mature thereto.

44 and 45. Each solenoid is adapted to attract a movable core or armature 46 which isslotted near the bottom as indicated at 48 to receive the end of a depresser lever 50. The lever engages with a pin 52 received in the bottom of the armature. The end of each armature normally rests on the support 56 which is preferably of soft material such as leather, to cushion the return stroke. Each depresser 50 is pivoted on a shaft 58 which is journaled in suitable brackets 60. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the solenoids are arranged in two rows of five each. The depresser-for actuating the singleitens key of the machine, because it is somewhatsmaller than others, is supported on a short offset shaft 62. Each depresser 50 cooperates with a plunger 64 having at the bottom a foot 65 which engages the proper key on the adding machine. Each plunger slides in a tube 66 and is returned to its original position by means of a wire spring 67 which passes through a suitable slot in the plunger. The springs are secured to a plate 68.which alsoserves as a support for the lower ends of the tubes 66.

As shown in Fig. 5, each solenoid is provided with a stationary magnetic core 69 which is adjustably threaded into the top plate 44 and held in position by a-check nut 70. The core 69 serves the double function of increasing the magnetic force of the solenoid and of limiting the movement of the armature. The armature is thus permitted to move through only such a distance as will assure a full depression of the adding machine key, without requiring the adding mechanism to absorb the shock of an unrestrained movement of the armature. The end of the stationary core is provided with a face of non-magnetic material 71 to prevent sticking of the arma- This face is preferably of leather to cushion the armature, and is secured to the core bya nonmagnetic screw.

It will be seen that upondepression of the typewriter key, one or more of the solenoids will be energized. Thus, in the case of the letter M which has a type width value of 18 units, the solenoids corresponding to the ten key and the eight key of the adding machine are energized, thereby'setting up the value 18 on the adding machine. Other characters liave other arbitrary values which are also properly set up on the machine by the depression of the typewriter key.

Upon release of the typewriter key, the solenoids are de-energized and the depressers as well as the cores are returned to their initial positions by the force of the springs 67 and the return springs of the adding machine, as well as by gravity.

In order to avoid the necessity of manually resetting the adding machine at the end of each line, the clearing solenoid 72 is provided. This solenoid lies in a horizontal-position at the bottdm of the actuating apparatus. It is provided with the armature 74 connected by fixed links '76 and a pivoted link 78 with the clearing handle return 34 by a lead'101.

72 is adapted to be actuated on a return movement of the typewriter as it approaches its starting positionat the beginning of the line. To

this end, the frame of the typewriter carries, an

insulating block 80 provided with a spring contact 82 which is adapted either to flex in a vertical plane'or to turn on the pivot 84. A wire spring 86 tends to maintain the contact 82 in its inactive position. The contact is adapted to engage with a stationary contact 88 which is ar-' ranged directly beneath it and which is insulated from the frame of the machine. The pivot 84 isgrounded to the frame. The contact spring 82 is provided with a cam block 90 havingat one side an inclined face 92 adapted to be engaged by an inclined face 94 on a block 96 attached to the rack 98 of the typewriter. On the return movement of the typewriter carriage (that is, a movement from right to left, as viewed from the rear in Fig."l'l), the inclined faces 92 and 94 engage each other and the'block 90 is depressed-so that the spring contact engages with the stationary contact 88. A wire 100 connects the stationary contact with one end of the solenoid, the other end of which is connected to the The wire 100 is con veniently bound in the cable 30. The clearing handle 40 is thus pulled forward and is held in the forward position until the block 96 rides off the block 90, at which time the circuit is again opened and the clearing handle is returned to normal position by the internal spring mechanism of 'the adding machine. Upon the next inovement of the carriage in the opposite direction (i. e., a typing movement), it is, of course, necessary that the contacts 82 and 88 shall not be again made. Accordingly, the block 90 is provided with a sloping vertical face 102 adapted to be engaged by the sloping vertical face 104 of the block 96 whereby the contact arm 82 is merely swung on its pivot without being depressed.

In operation of the machine, the length of line in units is first decided upon. The typewritten copy is then prepared by means of the typewriter in the usual manner, the operator noting the sum indicated by the adding machine as it approaches the limit fired upon it for the line. Thus, if the printed book is .to have 490 units to the line, the operator noting the sum indi cated by the adding machine as it approaches the limit fixed upon it for the line, will type the line until the indicated sum approaches 490. Some variation from 490 is permitted because it can be taken up by the usual process of justiflcation. Upon reaching the end of the line, the carriage is restored to start another line, the clearing mechanism being then automatically actuated to set the adding machine to zero for a new line. Because of the fact that the typewriter writes characters of uniform width, whereas the same matter when set in type will display characters of varying widths, the typewritten lines will not necessarily justify, but the copy is such that when the type is composed therefrom, the printed matter will justify and will be line-for-line with the copy. Thus any corrections for unsightliness of arrangement may be made before the matter goes to the type setter.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is: g Y

1. A type layout machine having, in combination, a typewriter having the usual keys, type and carriage, an adding machine having a clearing mechanism, actuating means for the adding machine including plungers for setting up on the adding machine the type width values of the typewritten characters, electrical means controlled by the typewriter keys for selectively operating the plungers, a solenoid having a core connected with the clearing mechanism of the adding machine, and means controlled by a return movement of the typewriter carriage for energizing the solenoid.

2. A type layout machine having, in combination, a typewriter having provision for typing characters of uniform width and including the usual keys, type and carriage, a key operated adding machine having clearing means, means for setting up on the adding machine the type width values of the characters typed by the typewriter, a resetting mechanism connected with the clearing means of the adding machine, and means controlled by a return movement of the typewriter carriage for operating the resetting mechanism to clear the adding machine, said means being inactive upon a. typing movement of the carriage.

3. A type layout machine having, in combination, a typewriter having provision for typing characters of uniform width including the usual keys, type and carriage, a key operated adding machine having clearing'means, means for setting up on the adding machine the type width values of the characters typed by the typewriter,

a resetting mechanism connected with the clearing means of the adding machine to clear the adding machine, and a reset control switch for controlling operation of the resetting mechanism associated, with the typewriter carriage and adapted to be closed upon a return movement of the carriage and to be inactive on a typing movement thereof.

4. A type layout machine having, in combination, a. typewriter having provision for typing characters of uniform width and including the usual keys, type and carriage, a key operated adding machine having clearing means, means for setting up on the adding machine the type width values of the characters typed by the typewriter, a resetting mechanism connected with the clearing means of the adding machine for clearing the adding machine, a reset control switch for controlling operation of the resetting mechanism, and a cam device mounted on the typewriter carriage to close the reset control switch on the return movement or the carriage, the cam device having provision for swinging the switch into inactive position on a typing movement of the carnage.

- 5. A type layout machine having. in combination, a typewriter having keys, type and carriage, an adding machine havingclearing means, means for setting up on the adding machine the type width values 01 the characters typed by the typewriter, a resetting control mechanism comprising a pivoted contact arm and a fixed contact on the typewriter, a cam block on the contact arm. a co-operating cam block movable with the typewriter carriage, the cam blocks being constructed and arranged to close the contacts upon a movement oftthe carriage in one direction and to turn the contact arm inactively on its pivot upon a movement of the carriage in the other direction, and means controlled by closing of the contacts for operating the clearing means.

6. A type layout machine having, in combination, a typewriter having keys, type and carriage, an adding machine having clearing means, means for setting up on the adding machine the type width values of the characters typed by the typewriter, a resetting control mechanism comprising a pivoted contact arm and a fixed contact on the typewriter, co-operating cam blocks on the contact arm of the typewriter carriage having inclined faces to move the contact arm into engagement with the fixed contact upon a return movement of the carriage, and other inclined surfaces to turn the contact arm on its pivot upon. a typing movement of the carriage, and means controlled by closing of the contacts for operating the clearing means. 7

7. A type layout machine having, in combination, a typewriter having keys, type, carriage and shift mechanism, and adapted to print lower and upper case characters, a key operated adding machine, plungers for depressing the adding ma chine keys, solenoids for actuating the plungers, contacts adapted to be engaged by the typewriter keys, electrical connections between the contacts and the solenoids for selectively energizing the latter, and means controlled by the shift mechanism for altering said connections to permit setting up on the adding machine of type width values of either lower or upper case characters.

ARTHUR 'w. BUCKWELL.

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