US1131451A - Multiple-signature machine. - Google Patents

Description

W. F. WILLIAMS.

MULTIPLE SIGNATURE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8, 1914.

1,131,451 Patented Mar.9,1915,

THE NORRIS PETERS Q0 PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTUN, D- C.

W. P. WILLIAMS. MULTIPLE SIGNATURE MACHINE.

APPLIQATION FILED AUG. 8, 1914v 1,131,451 Patented Mar.9,1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WHESSES QQ/I k W/amoe B) ATTORNEYS THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHPTO-LLTHQ. WASHINGTON. D. c.

WILLIAM FRANK WILLIAMS, OF MIAMI, ARIZONA.

MULTIPLE-SIGNATURE MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

Application filed August 8, 1914. Serial No. 855,886.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAMI FRANK WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Miami, in the county of Gila and State of Arizona, have invented a new and Improved lVlultiple-Signature Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to apparatus of the general character set forth in Letters Patent of the United States issued to me on the 16th day of June, 1914, No. 1,100,513.

Among the objects of this invention, therefore, is to improve and practicalize in a satisfactory manner the mechanism of my previous device in a number of specific and important details.

More definitely stated, in this present invention I provide improved forms of sup porting bearings for the several relatively movable parts, whereby friction is practically eliminated, allowing free swinging and sliding movements as are required for a suc cessful operation of the device.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a novel adjustable spring connection between the base and the pen mechanism, whereby counterweights are dispensed with and whereby I am enabled to secure a more uniform counterbalancing elfect or result than heretofore.

A still further object of the invention is to increase the efficiency of the device with respect to the individual pen clamps.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the drawings forming a part of this specification in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which Figure 1 is a plan View of a preferred embodiment of the invention, showing the parts in position for operation; Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the base and pen mechanism substantially on the broken line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Figs. 3, 1 and 5 are vertical views of details, parts being in section on the corresponding lines of Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 is a detail of a modification of means for connecting the holder to the master pen.

The several parts of the device may be made of any suitable materials, and the relative sizes and proportions, as well as the general design of the mechanism, may be varied to a considerable extent without departlng from the spirit of the invention hereinafter more fully described and specifically claimed.

At 10 I show a base of any suitable size and construction shown herein as including a metallic plate 11 having a flat smooth sur face adapted to support a plurality of papers or documents to be written upon simultaneously with the several pen connectlons.

At 12 I show a riser serving to bring the writers hand and forearm in proper elevation wlth respect to the writing instruments.

At 13 I show a gage or guide having an upwardly extending straight edge or flange 14. This gage is adapted to be secured at any desired position through screw and slot connections with the base as shown at 15. This gage, therefore, serves to position the work in a uniform manner according to its size, etc.

The numeral 16 indicates a pair of brackets secured to the right hand edge of the base and projecting upwardly therefrom. Between these brackets extends a main or rock shaft 17 journaled on cone or point bearings 18 supported by the upper ends of the brackets and whereby the main shaft is held in a substantially fixed position axially but allowed to rotate freely within certain limits within the scope of the apparatus. A pen bar 19 is arranged above the base plate 11 and is maintained in parallelism with the rock shaft and with the edge of the base by means of a pair of links 20 and arms 21. The links 20 are connected at one end by pivots 22 to the opposite ends of the pen rod and at their other ends they are pivoted at 28 to the ends of the arms 21. All of these pivots have their axes arranged parallel to one another and extending substantially vertically. The arms 21 are somewhat in the nature of bell cranks and are shown herein as extending through eyes or loops :24 in the opposite ends of the rock shaft 17 where they are pivoted on cone pivots 25, the axes of which also are parallel to those of the pivots just described. The arms 21 are maintained in parallelism by means of a connecting rod 26 pivoted at 27 to the outer ends of the arms. It will be understood, therefore, that the rock shaft 17, pen rod 19, links 20, arms 21 and connecting rod 26 have their axes all substantially in the same plane, and said axes are so maintained, allowing,

however, practically unlimited and unrestricted pivotal movements of the several parts around the pivots through which they are connected. In other words, the pen rod 19 is free to be moved either longitudinally or laterally or in any direction as a. combination of these movements, it being maintained, however, always parallel to the rock shaft 17 by means of the links 20 and arms 21.

At 28 I show what I may term a master pen, and at 28 I show a series of auxiliary pens. By the term pen, as used herein, Wish to be understood as covering any suitable device for making a mark. These pens are arranged in socket members 29, said socket members being in the form of hollow sleeves clamped upon the pen shanks 30 and secured in definite position therein by means of lock nuts 31. These socket members are all of the same character and have their axes arranged at a definite angle with respect to the axis of the pen rod 19. These several socket members 29 are secured for adjustment around the axis of the pen rod by means of clamps 32 and set screws 33. By this means, therefore, I am able to adjust the pens so that their points are all in alinement and have their axes lying in the same plane. The shank of the master pen has associated with it a universal joint 34 and a pen holder 35 which is grasped by the writer and through which the apparatus is controlled.

In order to relieve the operator from the dragging efiect of the several pens due to the weight of the pen mechanism, I provide means cooperating with the rock shaft to tend to lift the pens from the base. This means includes a lever 36 clamped at 37 to the rock shaft 17 substantially midway between the brackets 16. This lever 36 is shown as projecting substantially downwardly, and its lower end is connected by means of a spring 38 to a screw 39 adjust able longitudinally through a bracket 40 fixed to the upper surface of the base at the right hand side of the gage 13. The screw 39 is adjustable longitudinally through its support by means of a nut 41 whereby the force of the spring 38 may be varied at will and in accordance with the degree of pres sure desired to be had from the pen points upon the paper. I also provide a pair of lifting bars 42 each having a hub 43 and ball bearing connections with a pivot stud 44 rigidly secured to a clamp 45 secured to the rock shaft 17. These studs 44 have their axes parallel to each other and at right angles to the axis of the main shaft. Hence the bars 42 are free to swing around the axes of the studs in a plane parallel to the plane of the several bars, links and arms earlier described. The force of the spring 38 acting through the lever 36 and rock shaft tends to lift the left hand or free ends of the lifting bars. The pen rod 19 is suspended from these bars 42 by means of a pair of swivels 46, each 'swivelbeing connected by a clamp 47 to the pen rod and having at its upper end an antifriction roller 48 adapted to roll freely along the upper edge of the bar 42. which extends through the swivel yoke. The axis of each swivel is at right angles to the axis of the pen rod and is substantially perpendicular to the two parallel planes just described. The main shaft 17, the pen rod 19 and the two lifting bars 42 in effect form a parallelogram, and during the operation of the machine the angles of this figure may vary at will, the swivel yokes 46 rotating freely around their axes while the hubs 43 at the other ends of the lifting bars roll freely around their studs 44. Furthermore, while the pen rod is moved bodily toward the right or left, the antifriction rollers 48 support the same freely upon the upper edges of the bars 42 without material resistance or friction.

In order to obviate the danger of the force of the spring 38 distorting the main shaft or causing the cone bearings 18 thereof to be strained, I may employ a pair of guard bearings 49 embracing the main shaft adjacent its opposite ends, said bearings, being secured to the base in substantial alinement' with the main brackets 16.

In order to limit the movement of the pen rod toward the right and prevent the pens from striking the gage 13, I provide stop members for the lifting bars 42, said stop members being in the nature of adjustable U-shaped saddles 50, each of which may be fixed in the desired position by means of a set screw 51.

In some cases it may be desirable to dispense withthe riser 12 and connect the pen holder 45 through a universal joint 34 to the master pen by means of a peculiar form of clamp 31. This clamp, as shown in Fig. 6, comprises a strap-like device passed around any suitable part of the shank 30 and there secured by means of a screw or rivet 31". The socket portion of the universal joint provided by this clamp 31 is projected or extended downwardly far enough so as to bring the holder into easy or natural holding position with respect to the plane of the plate 11.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a machine of the class set forth, the combination with a main rock shaft, a pen rod and links and arms pivotally connected to the shaft and rod to maintain them in constant parallelism, of a lifting device for the pen rod comprising a pair of bars pivotally connected at one end to the shaft, a pair of swivels connected to the pen rod, each swivel carrying an antifriction roller,

the other ends of the lifting bars passing freely through the swivels and engaging with said rollers, and a series of pens carried by the pen rod.

2. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with a main rock shaft, a pen rod, a plurality of pens carried by the pen rod and means connecting the shaft and rod to maintain them in constant parallelism, of lifting devices acting upwardly upon the pen rod and pens, said lifting devices including means tending to rotate the rock shaft, and a pair of lifting bars ex tending between the rock shaft and the pen rod and having their opposite ends connected by antifriction bearings to said shaft and rod.

3. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with two parallel members and means to maintain said members in constant parallelism, of a pair of bars forming with said parallel members a substantial parallelogram, antifriction ball bearings between one of said parallel members and said bars providing free angular movement, and a pair of swivels clamped to the other parallel member and each swivel carrying an antifriction roller cooperating with the upper edge of the bar passing freely through the swivel.

I. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a base, a plurality of bearings extending upwardly therefrom in alinement with one another, a rock shaft journaled in said bearings, pen mechanism connected for free movement with respect to the rock shaft, and lifting means for the pen mechanism comprising a lever secured to the rock shaft between the bearings and extending downwardly therefrom, a fixed bracket, a spring connected at one end to the lower end of the lever, and a screw connected to the other end of the spring and adjustably connected to said bracket.

5. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a base, a pair of bearings secured to the base and extending upwardly therefrom, a rock shaft journaled at its ends in said bearings, pen mechanism supported for universal movement upon said rock shaft, lifting mechanism tending to rotate the rock shaft and acting toward one side of the same, and a pair of guard bearings embracing the shaft and serving to resist lateral strain thereon due to said lifting mechanism.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses:

E. H. THOMAS, F. L. BISHOP.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

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