US2098368A - Manifolding attachment for writing machines - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 9, 1937. H. ZIEGLER ,368

MANIFOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR WRITING MACHINES Filed Jan. 23, 1936 Patented Nov. 9, 1937 Hans Ziegler, Zollikon-Zurich, Switzerland Application January 23, 1936, Serial No. 60,424 In Switzerland March28, 1935 3 Claims.

Several designs of appliances or devices on typewriters for making copies by means of auxiliary ribbons are known to-day. The latter thus either are stretched onto a frame mounted on the typewriter-platen and fastened thereto by special means or stretched between two levers mounted on the platen-carriage and folded forward for use. Both types of such devices show great disadvantages. With the first kind the frames must fit exactly onto the platen, i. e. a great number of different frames must be provided for all the different models of typewriters. It furthermore is very difiicult, in the case of various models of typewriters, to hold said frames fast onto the platen, lest the one or the other function of the typewriter be impaired. The devices of the second kind mentioned cannot be applied to all models of typewriters, since in the case of the latter being equipped with a sheetholder which is set at an angle relative to the platen or curved in plan we do not succeed in slipping the auxiliary ribbon under said sheetholder when folding the levers downward. Said devices moreover require quite some space so that their application for portable typewriters is questioned. The auxiliary ribbon furthermore cannot be stretched sufficiently tight between the levers which are of quite some length and the paper thus is liable to become smudged.

All of said devices and appliances yet show a further material disadvantage: exchanging of the auxiliary ribbons and their fastening with a suitable tension offer great difiiculties and often lead to a soiling of our hands or a smudging of the paper.

Said disadvantages are eliminated by Way of the present invention.

The object of the invention at hand is a device on typewriters for making copies by means of auxiliary ribbons, whereby a rod is mounted longitudinally on the platen carriage, at least one support being plugged onto said rod, another pair of rods mounted parallel to the firstmentio-ned rod and. revolvably onto the lateral members of said first rod and being joined in the center by a hollow rod, said hollow rod coritaining a helical spring pushing said pair of rods away from each other, said pair of rods being individually axially movable within limits of stopping means inside of said hollow rod and carrying each at its outer end a curved arm corresponding to the curvature of the platen, the free end of said arm being adapted for receiving an auxiliary ribbon provided with end-pieces.

The device according to this invention can be l3 pushing the latter apart.

applied for all models of typewriters. .Due to its flexibility we succeed in any and all cases in bringing the auxiliary ribbon readily and easily between the sheets of paper and underneath the sheet-holder and the. lifting device for the typewriter-ribbon. The auxiliary ribbon always is stretched as desired so that a smudging. of the paper is excluded.

In the accompanying drawing a device according to the present invention is exemplified, where V Fig. 1 is a front-elevation of the appliance in place and where a single auxiliary ribbon is used;

Fig. 2 is a front-elevation of the device according to Fig. 1 in which, however, a second auxiliary ribbon is used;

Fig. 3 is a side-elevation in the writing position;

Fig. 4 is a side-elevation during the act of introducing the auxiliary ribbons between the papers to be written on; and

Fig. 5 shows a detail of a special design.

A rod 8, running longitudinally and parallel to the platen-carriage, is mounted onto the latter bymeans of holders 2 the form of which is adapted to the model of typewriter at hand. A support consisting of two lateral parts 3 and a flat stiffening rib 4 can be plugged onto said rod I, for which purpose the rear ends of lateral parts 3 are adapted as clamps. After having thus mounted support 3d on red i, the first can be rotated about the latter. A shaft consisting of two rods 5 and 6, which latter are axially movable and guided inside a tube l, is mounted in the front-ends of said lateral parts 3. Said rods 5 and 6 are secured against a turning or revolving inside said tube l by a pair of keys 3 which engage in grooves 9 of said rods. The

. axial displacement of rods 5 and 5 is limited by the length of said grooves 9. A spring It] is arranged inside of tube '5 between rods 5 and At the exterior ends of members 5 and 5 there are two flat arms l! curved in such a way as to be able to partly envelop circumferentially the platen. The free ends of said arms H are provided with teeth IE on their exterior sides. An auxiliary ribbon 13, the ends of which are held by end-pieces M. provided with eyelets it for being hung onto said teeth It, is stretched betweensaid arms H. By reason of a plurality of teeth 92 being provided on both said arms H the auxiliary ribbon 23 may be attached to arms H in various positions, and it thus is possible to select for every model of typewriter the most suitable position of the auxiliary ribbon I3.

Said two. lateral parts 3 at their front-ends, into which the shaft consisting of rods 5 and 6 is mounted, possess at their interior sides curved surfaces I5 and rods 5 and'6 each possess a setscrew I'I lying upon curved faces I6. Shaft 5-6'I with arms II being turned rearward the set-screws I? move along curved faces I6 and are being pushed against each other, and rods 5 and 6, overcoming the action of spring I0, move toward each other and thus slacken the auxiliary ribbon I3 hung onto arms II, so that the latter may readily and easily be taken out and replaced by a new one. As the auxiliary ribbon is held but on its end-pieces I4 which are not dyed, a soiling of ones hands is'out of questionwIf we again turn shaft 5--5'I with arms II fora ward, the auxiliary ribbon I3 automatically is stretched and is subjected to the tension ref quired for making goodcopies by way of spring I6 pushing apart rods. 5 and 6.

The auxiliary ribbon I3, introduced between' two copying papers, gives a copy of normal writing and another copy in a writing of opposite hand. If we use for. the latter very thin and translucent paper, it may be as readily used as any other copy. The auxiliary ribbon I3, however, also may be covered on one side 'by a strip of material impermeable to the copying dye, such as e. g. Cellophane, so that we obtain but one copy of normal writing.

Should several copies be made, we can use a second auxiliary ribbon I8, for which a support consisting of two lateral parts I9 and a flat stiffening rib 20 is provided, which.also-just like the device first describedcarries a shaft of -two parts with arms onto which this second auxiliary ribbon I8 is hung. Thelateral parts I9 are of such shape as to lie as flatly as possible, and

they are provided with clamps 2| for mounting them onto rod I. 7

Rod I by means of holders 2 is fastened once and for all to the platen-carriage of the typewriter. For using the device described, we first mount the support with the first auxiliary ribbon I3 and afterwards, if so desired, also the support with the second auxiliary ribbon I8 onto rod I. By reason of the fact that, first, the support is rotatively movable about rod I, and, second, shaft 5-6-'I with arms II v is rotatively mounted on said support, an outstanding flexibility of the device is attained allowing us to readily and easily bring the auxiliaryribbon into its positionof use, even when it must be brought underneath an obliqueor curved sheet-holder. Due to this property the device may be applied for all models of typewriters.

It is recommended to fix rod I immovably and to adapt it at those places in which the clamps of the support are mounted with a flattening of its surface. Said clamps then are provided with a lower flat leg 22, whereas their upper leg 23 is bent to such a shape as to' lie smoothly on rod I. When the support then is mounted onto' rod I and tilted forward the clamps themselves try to rotate up to a point where their fiat legs 22 come to lie onto the flattened places of rod I. The supports thus are slightly pushed against the drum and stopped in this position. The tendency of the support, when inserting the paper, of lifting itself away from the platen is thus eliminated.

I claim:'

1. A device on typewriters for making copies by means of auxiliary ribbons consisting of a rod mounted on the platen-carriage of the typewriter, at least one support to be attached to said rod, a shaft revolvably mounted in lateral parts of said support, said shaft consisting of two parts joined and guided by a piece of tube containing a helical spring between the ends of said joinedtwo parts, the latter being pushed away from each other under the action of said spring, said axial displacement of said two parts being limited by keys inserted in said tube, the

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exterior ends of said shaft each possessing an ends of said two parts, the latter being axially displaceable within said tube," said displacement being limited by keys inserted in said tube, the exterior ends of said shaft each possessing an arm shaped according to the curvature of the platen, means at the free end of said arm for supporting an auxiliary ribbon provided with end-pieces and said lateral parts of said support being'provided with curved faces, and the two ends .of said joined shaft each carrying a setscrew which glides uponsaid curved faces when rotating said shaft.

3.- A device on typewriters for making copies by means of auxiliary ribbons, consisting of a rod mounted on the platen-carriage, atleast one support to be attached to said rod, a shaft revolvably mounted in'lateral parts of said support,'said shaft consisting of two parts joined and held in line by a piece of tube containing a helical spring between the ends of said two parts, the latter being axially displaceable within said tube, said displacement being limited by keys inserted in said tube, the exterior ends of said shaft each possessing an arm shaped according to the curvature of the platen, means at thefree ends of said arms for supporting an auxiliary ribbon provided with end-pieces, said lateral parts of said support being each provided with a curved face, the two ends of'said joined shaft each carrying a set-screw gliding upon said curved face when rotating with said shaft, and clamps for mounting said support onto said rod, the lower legs of said clamps being flat and the upper ones being so curved in shape as to partly envelop said rod, said rod being furthermore flattened at those places where said clamps are mounted.

HANS ZIEGLER.

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