US1846498A - Reinking device for typewriter ribbons - Google Patents

Description

Feb; 23, 1932. M! E. STEPHENSON REINKING DEVIQE'FOR TYPEWRIIER RIBBONS.

Filed, July 27, 1929 lnvenTor.

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Patented Feb. 23, 1932 MILTON E. STEPHENSON, on NEWTON CENTER, MassAcHUsETTs; STATE STREET TRUST COMPANY EXECUTGE OF SAID MILTQN' E. STEPHENSON, DECEASED REINKING DEVICE FOR TYPE'WRITER RIBBON S Application filed July 27,

This invention relatesto reinking devices for typewriter ribbons and is particularly directed to a portable device which may be attached to and removed from a typewriter or other writing machine which uses a ribbon.

It is a great inconvenience as wellas a needless expense tothe user of writing machines to frequently replace ribbons. Furthermore the handling of the ribbon subjects the operator to a very unpleasant soiling of the hands which may result in damage to clothing as well as soiling the operators work.

It is the principal object of the invention to provide a portable device that will reink and renew a typewriter ribbon which has been used until it fails to give a satisfactory impression.

The object of the invention is further to provide a device which may be temporarily clamped to a typewriter or other writing machines in such position that the ribbon may be inked or reinked without removing it from the machine.

The object of the invention is further to provide a device of the character described which is adjustable to enable it to be applied to machines of various makes.

A further object of the invention is to provide an inking device which willapply the ink to the ribbon uniformly.

The object of the inventionis further to provide an inking device in whichthe transfer of ink from the ink containing means to the ribbon may be varied by varying the tension of the ribbon during the reinking operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rcinking device of the character described in which a multi-colored ribbon may be inked.

These and other objects and features will appear more fully from the accompanying description in connection with the accompanying drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims. I

A preferred embodiment is illustrated in the drawings:

Fig. 1 is aplan view of a portion of a typewriter with the device in position to reink the ribbon.

1929. Serial No. 381,485

Fig. 2 is a cross section on line 2- 2 Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the cas ingi showing a modified form of the inking ro s.

Fig. 4t is a bottom plan view of the casing: containing the ink rolls. I

In the use of writing machines the character of the work depends to a large.- extent upon the condition of the inking. ribbon. In order to maintain the desired uniafornrqua'lity of work frequent renewal of' the ribbon. must be made. Where many machines are used the item of expense is an important fate-- tor and in order to minimize this expenseworn out ribbons are sometimes continued in' use at a sacrifice of the quality of work.

Another important factor which causes unsatisfactory results is t'he natural" inclination of the operator to avoid the inevitable. soiling of hands resulting from making achange to a new ribbon. The. general tendency is therefore to use the ribbon for: too great a period of time until the writing'becomes very unsatisfactory. These and other factors tend to reduce the general efficiency of the operator and the quality of the work;

The invention herein disclosed supplies the means to largely overcome the factors which lower the general operating. efficiency of such machines. It comprises generally a roll rotatably mounted within a casing. The: roll may be made of any suitable absorbent material such as felt or sponge rubber. The.

roll is saturated with ink and means are provided for transferring the inkthoroughly and evenly to the typewriter ribbon. Fur-- thermore it is portable and: is providedwith adjustable means for clamping it to any type of writing machine. The supporting means is of such character that the inking" rolls are supported ina position which will enable the ribbon to be inked or reinked with-- out removal from the typewriter. Adjustments are also provided to enablethe'i'nking rolls to be clamped in a plane substantially corresponding to the plane of the spools containing the ribbon and having their axes par allel to the axis of the spools.

Provision is thus made for greatly facili tating the reinking process as will be described in more detail hereinafter.

The specilic embodiment of the invention shown comprises casing 1 enclosing an ink roll of felt or other absorbent material which is cylindrical in shape and rotatably mounted in the casing by means of a pivot pin 3 extending axially through the roll and into ournals 4 at each end provided therefor in the casing 1. In peripheral contact with the ink roll 2 is a transfer roll 5 preferably of smaller diameter than the roll 2 and having trunnions 6 which extend into slots 7 in the casing. The slots 7 are arranged substantially in radial. direction from the axis of the roll 2 thus permitting the roll 5 to move toward the axis of the roll 2. A supporting means is provided which has incorporated therein the necessary adjustments to make thedevice substantially universally adaptable to any typewriting machine. Such means comprises a spring actuated clamping bracket 8 conveniently made of spring wire which has a general U-shaped form. One leg 9' of the clamping bracket 8 is secured to the casing 1 while the other leg 10 is adapted to embrace a convenient part of the writing machine such as the usual platen ll. Certain sections of the wire are formed into coil springs 12 in order to provide the necessary resilience and clamping action. Any suitable means may be used however to accomplish the same result. By extending the length of the legs of the U-shaped clamp as sho in the scope of the clamp is greatly increased which provides the means of attaching the device to a wide variety of sizes and types of writ ing machines. It is also possible to modify the clamping device by bending the wire to conform with a special structure which otherwise is not adapted to receive the device.

()n certain of the common types of machines in use there is found a typebar guide 13 of a general shape as illustrated in Figs.

T1 and 2. The upper portion of this guide projects horizontally as shown at 14. This typebar guide may conveniently be used to aid in supporting the inking device. To utilize this element to the est advantage the clamping bracket is provided with a retaining bar 15 which is V-shaped in cross section and fits over the end portion 1a of the typ bar guide 13. This retaining bar 15 is adjustablealong the leg 9 of the clan'iping bracket and in this way the casing 1 may be properly positioned in the required horizontal plane.

The two portions 16 and 17 of the leg 9 are inserted in apertures formed in both the upper and lower portions of the V-shapecL bar 15 which is made of resilient sheet ma-' terial. The apertures in the bar 15 are so positioned and of such a size that it is necessary to press the upper and lower sections thereof toward each other in order that the cause a firm frictional engagement with the i leg 9 of the clamp. If it be desirable to move the bar it may be forced along the wire into the desired position or the two sections of the V-bar may be pressed together to relieve the tension thus permitting the bar to be readily moved along the wire. Other adjusting means may be used however without departing from the invention.

The V-bar 15 may rest directly upon the platen or may be positioned at any convenient point. If there is no typebar guide similar to that illustrated the V-bar 15 may rest directly upon the platen or may be positioned at any convenient pointto properly position the device.

It is one of the features of this invention to provide a reinking means which can be readily applied to any writing machine for temporary use in inking or reinking the ribbon after which the device is removed. This portable feature is a decided advantage in many ways. F or instance one device may be used to ink a number of machines. Furthermore if the device were built as a permanent part of the machine it would necessarily complicate an already complicated machine. By providing for the removal of the device no elements are normally present except those which are necessary to the writing operation of the machine thus increasing the general eiliciency of the typewriter or other writing machine.

The drawings illustrate the device applied to a typical writing machine wherein the clamping means embraces the platen and the V-bar 15 engages the end 1 of the typebar guide. By means of the adjustments above described the ink rolls within the casing l are properly positioned. Thereafter the device can be immediately clamped in place on the machine and removed at will. To thread the device the ribbon 18 is removed from its normal position behind the typebar guide and inserted behind two resiliently mounted guide bars 19 and 20 extending vertically 1...

from the lower face of the casing l situated at either side of the ink transfer roll 5. V hen in this position the ribbon passes from the spool 21 directly to one of the guide bars 19, over the outer surface of the transfer roll 5. to the other guide bar 20 and thence to the spool 22 as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l.

The resilient guide bars 19 and 20 are spring pressed toward the transfer roll in any convenient manner. As herein shown the bars are made of resilient wire and are bent at right angles at their lower ends and extend to lie along the lower wall of the easing 1 and are fastened in any desirable manner thereto as by soldering at the point 23.

masses:

The intermediate portion of the wire between the upright guides 19 and 20 and the point 23 provide the required resiliency and act to press the ribbon into contact with the trans fer roll 5. A further function of the guide bars is to cause the ribbon to engage a substantial portion of the roll 5.

In the operation of the device it is unnecessary to remove or alter the position of the usual ribbon supporting spools 21 and 22 of the writing machine. In order to ink or reink the ribbon it is merely necessary to manipulate the spools in the ordinary way as when rewinding the ribbon from one spool to the other. As a result of the special construction of the support for the transfer roll 5 the tension of the ribbon will cause the roll 5 to bear against the ink roll with a pressure proportional to the tension in the ribbon. By retarding one spool as the other is rotated a generous supply of ink is transferred and by modifying this procedure any desired amount of ink may be transferred to the ribbon. By increasing or decreasing the pressure upon the ink roll more or less ink will be withdrawn therefrom. The necessary movement of the roll 5 is provided for by the slot 7. When the ribbon has been properly inked it is reinserted in its normal writing position and the reinking device is removed.

The roll 5 being of small diameter rotates relatively faster than the ink roll and quickly becomes evenly coated with ink. Each point of its circumference repeatedly comes in contact with different portions of the ink roll which tends to spread the ink and transfer it evenly to the ribbon. If the ribbon be multi-colored as shown in Fig. 3 the ink roll is divided into the required number of portions. Two portions 24 and 25 are shown which are separated by a non-absorbent sheet material 26 to confine each color to its own portion of the roll. Cooperating therewith is a transfer roll 27 having a dividing slot 28 therein which is of suificient width to receive the peripheral portion of the separating member 26. By entering the slot 28 the separating member 26 effectually cuts oif any transfer of ink from one section of the rolls to the other.

By means of this highly efficient inking device the ribbon may be kept in good condition for a long period of time and throughoutits life will provide better quality of work.

- By keeping the ribbon moist with fresh ink it will at all times be in a highly flexible condition which minimizes the severity of the action of the type thereon. Whereas when a ribbon is permitted tobecome dry and hard it not only produces apoor quality of work but due to its comparatively brittle condition it very soon is penetrated by the type and is thus destroyed and rendered unfit for further use.

Any desirable means may be employed to fill the ink roll 2. One desirable method is by the use of a pointed hollow. tube. The tube is filled with ink and its point is repeatedly injected into the felt and at each injection a quantity of ink is introduced into the roll and also the roll is rotated slightly to present another portion of its surface to receive the ink.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A reinking device for typewriter ribbons comprising a casing, an absorbent ink containing roll rotatably mounted therein, a transfer roll in peripheral contact therewith and provided with trunnions mounted in slots in said casing and extending radially from the axis of said ink roll, means to guide the ribbon into contact with the exterior peripheral portion of said transfer roll, whereby the tension set up in the ribbon as it is drawn through the device acting upon said transfer roll will cause the latter to engage the ink roll with an increased pressure.

2. A reinking device for typewriter ribbons comprising a casing, an absorbent ink containing roll rotatably mounted therein, a transfer roll rotatably mounted in peripheral contact therewith and provided with trunnions mounted in slots in said casing to permit bodily movement thereof to and from the axis of said ink-containing roll, guide bars spring pressed toward said transfer roll acting to guide the ribbon into contact therewith, and adjustable means to support the inking roll in position to ink the ribbon without removing it from the machine.

3. A reinking device for typewriter ribbons comprising a casing, an absorbent ink containing roll rotatably mounted therein, a transfer roll rotatably mounted in peripheral contact therewith and capable of bodily movement to and from said ink roll, means to guide the ribbon into contact with a sub stantial area of said transfer roll, a U-shaped resilient supporting bracket secured to said casing and adapted to embrace a portion of the machine to clamp the device in proper position, and means adjustably secured to one leg thereof adapted to engage a fixed part of the machine to determine the horizontal position of the inking rolls.

4. A reinking device for typewriter ribbons comprising a casing, an absorbent relatively soft ink containing roll rotatably mounted therein, a transfer roll provided with the trunnions mounted in slots in said casing to permit bodily movement of the transfer roll into peripheral engagement with and to penetrate the surface of said ink roll when forced thereagainst, guides adjacent the periphery of said ink roll acting to guide the ribbon into contact with a sub stantial portion of the exterior periphery of said transfer roll, a U-shaped resilient wire aid supporting bracket adapted to embrace a portion of the typewriter to clamp the casing in position, a channel-shaped retaining bar on said supporting bracket adjustable vertically thereof engaging the type bar guide of the typewriter to retain the casing in a predetermined horizontal plane.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

MILTON E. STEPHENSON.

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