US1561540A - Ribbon-feed mechanism - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 17, 1925 O. A. HOKANSON RIBBON FEED MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 25, 1921 Nov. 17, 1925 v 1,581,540 I o. A. HOKANSON RIBBON FEED MECHANI SM Filed Aug. 25. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 v -QQT 1 22 642/ I' Hm [I O 1/ IM "'J' Nov. 17, 1925- o. A. HOKANSON RIBBON FEED MECHANISM Filed Aug. 25. 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 @zmi /ww J W; W

Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO A. HOKANSON, OF WOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WOODSTOCK TYPE- WRITER COMPANY, OF WOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

RIBBON-FEED MECHANISM.

.Application fi led August 25, 1921. Serial No. 495,832.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Orro A. HOKANSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Woodstock, in the county of McHenry and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ribbon-Feed Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to typewriter mech-' anism for feeding the inking ribbon past the printing point and has for its object the provision of mechanism for this purpose which shall be of improved construction and operation.

The invention is exemplified in the combination and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings and described in the following specification, and it is more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a portion of a typewriter showing one form of the present invention a plied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the mechani'sm shown in Fig. 1 showing one unit of the ribbon feed mechanism in elevation; and

Fi 3 is a vertical section of atypewriter showing the ribbon feedmechanism in front elevation with parts removed. 7

The present invention is especially appli-' cable to compactible' typewriters and in the drawings it'is il ustrated as applied to a machine of the f lding type having a main frame 10 on which is pivotally mounted a pair of folding arms 11 which carry the platen carriage frame 12. The platen carriage 13 is mounted to slide transversely of the machine on ways 14. The arms 11 and the platen carria e frame thereon are arranged to swing orwardly about pivots 15 tov bring the platen 16 toward the front of the machine into an inoperative folded position. The ribbon feed mechanism is carried entirely on the main frame so that the folding of the platen carriage does not disturb the operative connection of this mechanism. The ribbon is wound on a air of spools 17 journaled on horizontally isposed s indles 18 which are carried by brackets 19 ormed from the side plates of themain frame 10 and bent inwardl from the main frame so that the s ools 1 aredisposed within the confines o the main frame and are located at opposite sides of the type bars and slightly in front of the platen. This arrangement contributes to the compactness of the device since it utilizes space for the spools which otherwise would not be occupied. The brackets 19 are provided with 'a bearing sleeve 20 rigidly secured thereto and the spindle'18 is held' in lace in the bearin sleeve by a collar 21. The ribbon is carried on a removable core 22 which isheld in place by a cover 23 and s finger-piece 24, the finger-piece having threaded connection with the spindle 18. The inner flan e of the spool 17 comprises a disc 25 fixe to the spindle 18 and rovided with ratchet teeth 26 on its peripliery. The core 22 is held against rotation relative to the disc 25. R0- tation ofthc ratchet wheel 25 turns the core 22 to. wind the ribbon thereon. It will be understood thata spool 17 "is rovided at each side of the machine and t at, the ribeach spool.

The ratchet wheel 25 is rotated v by a pawl 27 which ispivotally mounted at 28, Fig. 2, on a downwardl extending arm 29 connected to a rocking ar 30. The rocker bar 30 is pivotally supported on the side plate of the machine frame 10 at each side of the machine, as shown at 31, and it is provided with a forwardly extending arm 32 pivotally connected at 33 with one arm of a bell crank lever 34. The bell crank lever 34 is pivotally supported at 35 on the bracket 19. There is an arm 32 for each end of the bar 30 and each of the bell crank levers 34 is connected by means of a link 36 to a universal bar 37 extending transbon is alternately wound and unwound from 'versely' of the machine beneath the key levers 38.- Springs 39 normally draw the arms 32 upwardl .to rockthe bar 30 to its limiting position against stop pins 40. Each time a key lever 38 is depressed the bar 30will be rocked in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, which movement will retract the pawl 27 When the key is released the springs 39 will turn the arms 32 and advance the awl 27 to feed the ribbon spool in a cloc wise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2. A detent 41 is pivotally mounted at 42 on a bracket 43 projecting inwardly from the side plate of the main frame. and the pawl 27 and detent 41 are resiliently held in contact with the members 47 secured to the inner face of the side plate of the machine frame and projecting inwardly therefrom. The upwardly extending arms 45 are .controlled by a cross-bar 48 mounted to slide transversely of the typewriter frame arid guided in slots 49 in the bracket member 47. The bar 48 is provided with cam faces 50 in position to cooperate with the arms 45 and swing one of the arms forwardl while the. other arm is held in retracte position by its spring 44. The cam faces .50 are provided with notches 51 which retain the arms 45 in their foremost position, thus holding the pawls connected therewith out of operative relation with the corresponding ratchet teeth 26. The position of the ribbon reverse bar 48 is shifted to reverse the direction of ribbon feed each time the ribbon is completely unjwound from one of the spools. The bar .48 is shifted by bell crank levers pivoted at 52 on the brackets 47. These bell crank levers are provided with arms 53 which en-- gage pins 54 on the bar 48. The arms 55 of the bell crank leverscarry rocker levers 56 pivoted at 57 on the arms 55. The forward ends of the levers 56 are bent to form contact bars 58 normally disposed in the path of arms 59 on bell crank levers 60' ivoted at 61 on the side wall of the main rame 10. The arm 59 is provided with an offset portion 62 to bring the end of the arm into position toengage the contact bar 58. The bell crank lever 60 is provided with an upwardly and forwardly extending arm 63 which carries a roller 64 at its end in position to rest on the ribbon wound upon the spool 17. The core 22 of the spool 17 is provided with a notch 65 into which the roller 64 drops when the ribbon is completely unwound from the spool. This movement of the roller 64 will cause the arm 59 to -swing the lever 56 from its broken line to its full line position shown in Fig. 2. broken line position .by a spring 66. The end of the lever 56 opposite the contact bar 58 is provided with a cam plate 67 which moves downwardly when the lever is swung to'the full line position in Fig. 2. This will bring the cam plate 67 into the path of an upwardly extending arm 68 secured to the rocker bar 30. It will be apparent that the arm 68will move forwardly each time the bar 38 is oscillated by the depression of a key lever. So long as the roller The lever 56 is normally held inthe 64 is supported on the ribbon wound upon the spool 17, the oscillation of the arm 68 will not affect the cam plate 67 but when the roller 64 drops into the notch 65 the cam direction, as viewed in that figure, and shift 7 the bar 48 "to the left releasing the lever 45 from the notch 51 and permitting it to move rearwardly under the tension of the spring 44 to bring the detent 41 and the pawl 27 into engagement with the ratchet teeth 26. At the same time the cam face 50 at the opposite side of the typewriter will press the lever 45 at that side forwardly and release the pawls from the ribbon spool ratchet. In this way the direction of the ribbon feed will be reversed and the ribbon will be rewound upon the spool which has just been emptied.

The detent 41 is provided with a pin 69 which projects through an opening in' the pawl 27 to "retain the pawl and detent in proper relation to one another at all times.

An arm 70 is pivoted at 7 1 on the rearporj the other as soon as it has past the central position in its range ofmovement. The ribon extends upwardly from the spools 17 and passes through loops 74 carried by arms 75. supported on a shaft or bar 76 which is pivotall mounted in the side walls of the frame. T e ribbon extends from one loop 74 to the other in front of the platen 16 in position to be struck by the type bars. Any suitable guide for the ribbon may be provided at the printing point, such guide eing carried by an arm 77 also secured to the rod '76. When the platen carriage is moved to its folded position the guides 75 and 7 7 swing forwardly so that theywill not extend above the up er edge of the Ina-- chine frame. The r0 7 6 may be providedwith a rearwardly extending arm 78 which engages a slot in a bar 7 9 shdably mounted onthe rear of the machine frame. The bar 79 projects upwardl in position to engage the lower surface 0 the carriage frame 12 when the frameis moved to its 0 crating-"- 1 of the machine frame andare connected by the ribbon spools 17 occupy positions at oplinks 82 to sub-levers 83 which are operated the key levers 38. It will be noted that posite sides of the tape bar basket, but within the confines of the machine frame, thus providing a very compact construction I and permitting the machine to fold into a moved to its operating small space when not in use. 1

I claim I 1. In a compactible typewriter, a main frame, a platen carriage frame pivotally mounted thereon for movement into and out of operating position, a ribbon guide on said main frame arrangedto project into position to guide a ribbon adjacent said platen, said guide being foldable into compacted position, and means for automatically moving said guide into operating position when said platen carriage frame is moved into its operating position.

2. In a compactible typewriter, a main frame a platen carriage frame pivotally mounted on said main frame for movement into and out of operating position, ribbon spools carried'by said main frame, ribbon feed mechanism carried by said main frame for operating said spools, a ribbon guide mounted on said main frame and movable into and out of the path of said platen carriage frame, said guide being foldable into compacted position when said platen carriage is folded, and means for automatically movingsaid guide into operating position when said platen carriage frame is position, and after said platen carria e as moved past'the point in its path 0 travel into said guide projects wl en in operating position.

3. In a typewriter, a supporting frame, a pair of ribbon spools mounted on said frame pawl and ratchet mechanism for" each of said spools, levers for disconnecting said pawl and ratchet mechanisms, a bar slidable transversely of said typewriter andhaving means thereon for actuating said levers when said bar is slid to disconnect the pawl and ratchet mechanism of one of said spools when the mechanism of the other spool is connected, ke lever operated means for actuating said ar, followers arranged to engage the ribbon .on said spools, and means controlled by said followers for brm ng said key lever operated means into position to actuate said bar and effect a reversal of the pawl and ratchet mechanism whenever the ribbon is completely unwound from either one of said spools.

4-. In combination with the key levers of a typewriter, of a member oscillated at each position where itoperation of the key levers, ribbon feeding mechanism, mechanism for reversing said ribbon feeding mechanism comprising a sliding bar, a pivoted lever having pivotal connection with said sliding bar for operating said reversing mechanism, said lever having a pivoted member thereon movable into and out of the path of said oscillating member so that said pivoted member is engaged by said oscillating member to operate said lever and reverse said feeding mech-' anism whenever. said pivoted member is i moved into the path of said oscillating member, and means controlled by the ribbon for moving said pivoted member into the path of said oscillating member when it is desired to reverse the ribbon feeding mechanism.

5. A typewriter comprising a main frame,

a spool mounted on ahorizontal axis on said frame, a follower mounted on a horizontal pivot and arranged to rest upon the ribbon. on said spool, a. bell crank lever arranged to swing in a horizontal plane, a key actuated oscillating member, a vertically swinging contact piece carried by said bell crank lever, means actuated by said follower for swinging said contact piece into the path of said oscillating member when. the ribbon is unwound from said spool, mechanism for rotating said spool to feed the ribbon carried thereby, and means actuated by said bell crank lever for reversing the direction of operation of said feeding means.

6. A typewriter comprising a main frame, a platen carriage frame pivotally mounted on saidmain frame an having supporting arms ositioned at opposite sides of said main rame, ribbon mechanism mounted on said main frame and com risbon sup orts arrangedone adjacent each of said rib on spools, said supports being foldably'mounte on said main frame and having guides thereon in alinement with the peripheries of said ribbon spools to direct the ribbon from said spools across said typewriter substantially parallel with said platen carriage support.

7.. A typewriter comprising a main frame, a platen carriage frame having arms pivoted'to said main. frame and arranged adjacent the sides thereof, ribbon spools journaled on horizontal axes at opposlte sides of said main frame and adjacent the inner sides of said foldable'arms, a bar extending transversely of said main frame, and a pair of spaced ribbon guides mounted on said bar and foldable forwardly into compact position. 7

8. A typewriter comprisinga main frame,

said platen carriage frame and extending transversely of said main frame, ribbon spools journaled on horizontal axes at opp0 site sides of said main frame, said spools having core members provided with peripheral recesses, a follower pivoted adjacent each of said spools andhaving'a contact member arranged to bear upon the ribbon.

,wound upon said spool, pawl and ratchet mechanism for operating each of said a lever pivoted adjacent each spool the pawl and ratchet mechanism therefor, a transversely extending bar for controlling both of said levers, a pivoted.

spools, for disengaging OTTO; A. HOKANSON.

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