US30777A - Caligraph - Google Patents

Description

G. THURBER. GALIGRAPH.

No. 80,777 X y Patented Nov. 27, 1860.

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CHARLES THURBER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CALIGRAPH.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 30,777, dated November 27, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES THURBER, of Brook-lyn,Kings county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Caligraphs; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan; Fig. 2, a side elevation; Fig. .3, a horizontal section taken just below the tablet; and Fig. 4, a separate elevation of the pen carrier and its mechanism.

The same letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

My said invention relates to improvements on a caligraph secured to me by Letters Patent of the United States bearing date the 28rd day of June, 1857. In my said former invention the tablet, holding the paper to be written upon had but one motion, which was for spacing the lines. This was inconvenient for the reason that it required either that the tracer or stylus carried by the hand of the writer should be moved over too long a space for an instrument of convenient size, or thatthe proportional movements between the tracer and the pen should be made so small that in many instances persons requiring the use of such an instrument eX- perienced difficulty in the use of it. I have overcome the objection by the first part of my present invention which consists in giving to the tablet a movement parallel with the lines to be written in addition to, and in combination with, the movement at right angles for spacing the lines, so that the writer, after having traced over the length of the tracing table to write a portion of one line, may shift the tablet laterally while he carries back the tracer and pen preparatory to writing the continuation of the same line. In my said former invention ink was supplied either by the use of a large fountain pen or by a small fountain pen with a tube to be supplied from a suitable vessel. This was attended with inconvenience, as fountain pens require great care to be kept in order. I have overcome this objection by the second part of my said invention which consists in combining with the tracer and pen an ink cup on one end ofa self adapting lever provided at the other end with a movable plate surrounded by a stationary guard plate so that the writer by bringing the point of the tracer in contact with the movall danger of injury to the point of the pen is prevented for the reason that the point of the pen cannot come in contact with any thing so long as the tracer is in contact with the guard plate, and when the tracer enters the hole in the guard plate the point of the pen will be sure to enter the ink cup. This is specially useful for the blind or near sighted, and for persons who are very nervous and would find 'difiiculty in .directing the tracer to the required place for inking the pen. In my said former invention the pen was connected with the pentograph or reducing levers by being fitted to slide in a thimble pen carrier with a spring interposed to make the required pressure on the paper for writing; but this was found to be defective, as the friction of the slide would some times prevent the pen from sliding freely, particularly'when the slide was made sufficiently accurate to prevent the pen from wabbling laterally. It is important, in practice, that the pen should be pressed to the paper by a gentle pressure; but it must have no lateral play and it must be very sensitive to yield readily'to inequalities.

I have avoided the defect above pointed out by the third part of my said invention which consists in combining the pen with the pentograph or reducing levers by a spring arm which is free to turn on its journals and to vibrate up and down with the pen, a gentle spring being interposed between this arm and the reducing levers to make the required pressure. And the fourth part of my present invention consists in mounting the tracing and writing mechanism, and the inking mechanism, on the" frame which carries the tablet, by a turning standard, or equivalent thereof, so that it can be all turned out of the way to give free access to the tablet for putting on and taking off the paper, a result which is very desirable particularly when the .caligraph is used by the blind or by persons of defective sight.

In the accompanying drawings (a) 'represents a suitable frame which may be placed on a desk or table, but which in fact constitutes, for the purpose, a desk. To the front edge of this frame is secured whatmay be termed the tracing table (6) the surface of which is adapted to receive a narrow strip of paper with a line to direct the writer in tracing the characters in writing, or with an embossed groove if the caligraph be used by the blind.

The back and front rails of the frame, which are parallel, form ways on which another and smaller frame (0) termed the tablet frame, slides freely from right to left and left to right. The tablet (d) is adapted to slide on the side rails of this frame (0) for the purpose of spacing the lines, and the tablet is to be provided with suitable means for securing a sheet of paper on its surface. The tablet is held laterally on the rails of the small frame (a) by ledges so that it can slide without the danger of dropping off. And it is to be shifted or moved from the tracing table at the end of each line to de-- termine the space between the lines. This motion is given by a lever (e) that turns on a fulcrum pin at the outer end of the said lever being provided with a projection (g) whichis struck and forced back by the tracing mechanism in manner to be presently described. This lever (e) is connected by a joint link (72,) with the outer end of another lever (i) also turning on a fulcrum pm in the frame (a), and this latter lever, with all its appendages, is drawn toward the tracing table, by the tension of a spring And it is connected by a joint link with the arm of a turning dog or clip (Z) which turns ona fulcrum pin (m) on a carriage (11,) adapted to slide on a bar (0) of the main frame (a). As the lever (2') is moved back from the tracing table (6) it first turns the dog or clip (Z) to make itclip or grip a sliding rod against a, fixed sto or r1 ping piece on the before nariied c rriage The rod being thus gripped is then moved back by the continued back movement of the lever (2') until the said lever strikes the end of a set screw at the side of the bar (0) of the frame (a) so that by simply turning this set screw the range of motion of the lever (i) and the parts moved by it, can be adjusted at pleasure to determine the spacing between the lines to be written. I The sliding rod (39) before named slides in ways in the bar (0) and it is parallel with and its upper edge nearly on a level with the sides of the tablet frame on which the tablet slides, and its upper edge, near each end is notched to receive two ribs (8, 8) (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1) projecting from the under face of the tablet so that while the tablet is free to be moved laterally with its frame (a) on themain frame (a) it can be moved at right angles on its frame (0) to space the oint.

lines. The purpose of this-lateral motion has already been stated and the mode of imparting it will be described hereafter.

The writing and the inking apparatus are all attached to a frame (t) connected with a vertical tube or sleeve (u) fitted to turn on a standard at the back of the main frame. By this arrangement the entire writing and inking apparatus can be turned on the said standard so as to be put out of the way to give free access to the surface of the tablet for taking off and putting on sheets of paper.

The tracer or stylus (a) is attached to one end of a rod or lever (72) the other end of which is attached to a short arbor having its journals fitted to turn in one end of another rod or lever (0) and a bracket piece (cZ) attached to the said lever (0), so that the tracer lever (b) is free to turn on the axis of its end arbor that the tracer may be freely moved in all directions to trace any required character while at the same time by the connection of its arbor any movement up and down given to the tracer will turn the lever (0) .on its axis. This lever (0) is fitted to turn in a sleeve (6) at the lower end of a vertical arbor (f) mounted in the frame (25) thereby constituting a universal The pen (9) is fitted to and secured by a temper screw, in a tube (h) on the outer end of a small rocking arm called the pen carrier that rocks on an arbor mounted in a frame (72) which is free to turn on an arbor (l) at right angles with and attached to the lever (c), and an arm (7%) of the frame (k) is connected with the tracer lever (b) by a joint link (91/) parallel with the lever (0).

Between the upper surface of the pen carrier (2") and the frame (70) there is interposed a delicate spring (0) with a set screw (79) to regulate its tension on the pen carrier, and below the pen carrier there is a set screw (9) in a part of the frame (70) on which the pen carrier rests when the pen is not in contact with the paper on the tablet, so that by the means of this set screw the relations of the point of the pen with the surface of the paper and the point of the tracer with the surface of the tracing table can be regulated with the utmost accuracy. I prefer so to set the parts that the point of the pen shall touch the surface of the paper when the point of the tracer is within about an eighth of an inch of the surface of the tracing table, so that when the tracer does touch such surface the pen shall be pressed to the paper by the tension of the spring (0) which will readily yield to any inequality in the paper.

From the foregoing it will be seen that whatever motion is given to the point of the tracer in any and all directions will be followed by the point of the pen reduced by the relative proportions of the parts, except so far as the pen is free to move by the yielding of the spring (0).

The inkstand (a is suitably secured to one end of a lever (Z2 which turns on a fulcrum at (0 in an arm of the frame (6), and the other end of this lever extends under the lower end of a vertical sliding rod (6Z2) which rests on it, and which is provided at its upper end with a plate (6 placed just under a hole (f) in a fixed plate (9 which I denominate the guard plate. The distance between the dip hole of the inkstand and the hole in the guard plate (9 is just equal to the distance between the points of the pen and tracer, so that when the tracer is inserted in the hole (F) of the guard plate the point of the pen will enter the ink stand, and as the point of the tracer is pressed upon the plate (0 that end of the lever on which the rod of this plate rests will be depressed and the ink stand at the other end of the lever will be thereby elevated so that the extent of dip of the pin in the ink can be regulated at pleasure. And as the distance between the points of the pen and tracer is just equal to the distance between the dipping hole in the inkstand and the hole in the guard plate, and the surface of this guard plate is above the surface of the plate (6 there is no danger of injuring the point of the pen by contact with the inkstand, for so long as the point of the tracer is in contact with the surface of the guard plate, the point of the pen will be clear. In this way even a blind person can readily ink the pen by feeling until the point of the tracer reaches the hole in the guard plate. After writing one line, in carrying back the tracer to begin the next line the rear end of the lever (7)) strikes against a projection (g) on the lever (e) of the mechanism for spacing the lines by which the tablet is moved the distance required for the next line.

In the proportions represented the moving of the tracer along the entire length of the tracing table will move the pen over a space equal only to half a line on the tablet, 20 that after half a line has been written the tracer and pen are carried back and the tablet is moved laterally to the distance of half the line, which is done either with the left hand, taking hold of a handle (if) on the lateral sliding frame (0), or by pressing with the tracer against a projection (71 on the said frame. These proportions may be changed at pleasure. WVhen the apparatus is not in use the point of the tracer is placed in a cup on the end of the lever (h), or in any other convenient place.

Having thus fully described the mode of operation and the special mode of application of my said invention I wish it to be dis-- tinctly understood that I do not limit my claim of invention to the special mode of application herein described as variations may be made in the mode of application without changing the mode of operation or principle of my said invention.

WVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of the means, or the equivalent thereof, for giving to the tablet a movement in the direction of the lines tobe written, with the means, or the equivalent thereof, for giving it a movement at right angles thereto, substantially as and for, the purpose specified.

2. The tracer and pen with their connecting mechanism, substantially as described, in combination with the ink cup and guard plate having a hole into which the tracer is to be inserted as a guide to insure the en trance of the pen in the ink cup, and to protect the point of the pen, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the tracer and pen and their connecting mechanism substantially as described, connecting the ink cup with the movable plate on which the point of the tracer acts by a free lever, or the equivalent thereof, to enable the writer to regulate the dip of the pen in the ink, as described.

4. Connecting and combining the pen with the mechanism operated by the tracer, by means of a rocking or vibrating arm and interposed spring substantially as, and for the purpose, described.

5. Connecting the writing and the inking apparatus with the frame on which the tablet moves by means of a swiveling or turning frame substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

C. THURBER. Witnesses:

ANDREW DE LACY, HORACE ANDREWS.

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