Keyboard for office machines

A keyboard for a typewriter, teleprinter, calculating and similar printing machines comprising:

• a series of keys each movable from a rest position to a working position;
• a group of code-bars movably supported along a predetermined trajectory;
• spring means connected to said code-bars for pulling them along said trajectory from a rest to an active position;
• bridge means for controlling said code-bars against the action of said spring means;
• a series of setting elements associated with said keys and each one selectable by one associated of said keys moved in said working position;
• a common setting member movably supported by the keyboard between an inoperative position and an operative position for engaging one of said setting elements selected by said one key moved to said working position to move said one engaged setting element into the trajectory of said code-bars;
• a setting spring for moving said common setting member from said inoperative position toward said operative position;
• releasing means normally arresting said setting member in said inoperative position against the action of said setting spring;
• means associated with each of said keys for operating said releasing means to release said setting member when the associated key is moved to the working position, thereby causing said setting spring to move said setting member to set in said operative position said one selected setting element into the trajectory of said code-bars;
• a starting clutch having a driving motive part, an actuatable driven part and a releasing member operable for connecting said driving motive part with said driven part for the actuation thereof;
• and intermediate member connecting said common setting member with said releasing member for actuating the driven part of said starting clutch in response to the movement of said common setting member toward said operative position;
• and cam means operatively connecting the driven part of said starting clutch, with said bridge means for releasing said code-bars from said rest to said active position, so that said one set selected setting element arrests some of said code-bars, against the action of said spring means, according to the coded combination corresponding to said one key moved to said working position, wherein said releasing means comprise a releasing frame displaceable by the selected setting elements;
• a spring urged first release lever displaceable by said releasing frame;
• a cam profile fixed to said common setting member;
• and a second release lever cooperative with said cam profile and normally hooked to said first lever;
• said cam having a first steep part normally arrested by said second release lever to hold said common setting member in the inoperative position, against the action of said setting spring and a second substantially constant part, enabling said common setting member to be moved toward said operative position and said second release lever to arrest said first release lever against the action of the corresponding spring;
• and reloading means operatively connecting the driven part of the starting clutch enabling said common setting member to be returned in said inoperative position against the action of said setting spring, upon releasing of said code-bars;
• a reloading cam positioned by the driven part of said starting clutch;
• and a lever controlled by said reloading cam for bringing back said common setting element and said releasing frame upon returning of said common setting member in said inoperative position by said reloading means.

In a keyboard for a printing machine comprising a series of keys each movable from a rest position to a working position;

• a series of setting elements associated with said keys and each selectable by one associated of said keys, said setting elements being movable from a rest position to a set position;
• a common setting member actuatable from an inoperative position to an operative position;
• spring means moving said common setting member to said operative position in response to moving of each of said keys, said common setting member engaging the selected setting element and positioning said selected setting element in the set position thereof;
• reloading means controlled by said common setting member in the operative position thereof, for returning said common setting member to said inoperative position for reloading said spring means, restoring means for returning the set setting elements to said rest position;
• blocking elements for stopping two selected setting elements in a predetermined position intermediate between said rest position and said set position in the case when two keys are simultaneously moved to said working position, said common setting member engaging said two selected setting elements but being arrested by the stopping of said engaged elements by said blocking elements in an arrest position, intermediate between said inoperative position and said operative position, in which said reloading means is not in the path of the setting member returning to the inoperative position whereby blocking a further set of other setting elements;
• and manually operable unblocking means in the place of said reloading means for returning said common setting member from said arrest position to said inoperative position, enabling the further set of said setting elements, said unblocking means comprising:
• an unblocking member continuously oscillatable along a predetermined path;
• an unblocking element movable into the path of said unblocking means and engageable by said unblocking member;
• an unblocking support movably supporting said unblocking element for the engagement thereof with said unblocking member, said unblocking support being movable by said unblocking element when it is engaged by said unblocking member, said unblocking support being operatively connected to said common setting member for returning said common setting member from said arrest position to said inoperative position upon disengagement of said unblocking element from said unblocking member;
• an unblocking spring means for moving said unblocking element into the path of said unblocking member;
• a releasing element normally holding said unblocking element out of said path, against the action of said unblocking spring means;
• and
• manually operable key means, cooperative with said releasing element, for releasing said unblocking element so that said unblocking spring means puts said unblocking element into the trajectory of said unblocking member.

A keyboard for printing machines comprising:

• a series of depressable keys;
• a series of setting elements associated with said keys;
• means movably supporting each of said setting elements along a corresponding movement plane;
• setting means responsive to one depressed of said keys for selectively setting one of said setting elements associated with said one depressed key from a rest position to a set position forwardly along said plane;
• spring means for resetting said one setting element backwardly from said set position to said rest position along said movement plane;
• and antirepetitive means for avoiding re-setting of said one setting element from said rest position to said set position in the case when said one associated key is kept depressed, said antirepetitive means including:
• a series of members each arranged to correspond to one of said setting elements, each one of said members comprising a first surface and a second surface normally displaced from the movement plane of the corresponding setting element and cooperative with the corresponding setting element, and a yieldable portion carrying said first and second surfaces and allowing said first and second surfaces to be displaced;
• said first surface lying at rest in a plane inclined with respect to the movement plane of the corresponding setting element, said first surface being temporarily engageable with said one corresponding setting element being movable thereby out of the movement plane of said one corresponding selected setting element for allowing movement of the corresponding selected setting element in said movement plane;
• said second surface lying at rest in a plane substantially perpendicular to said movement plane and temporarily engageable with said one selected setting element to keep said one selected setting element in a predetermined position against the action of said spring means during the backward movement of said one selected setting element;
• and
• means for releasing said selected setting element from said predetermined position comprising cam means on said setting element engageable with the second surface of said members under the action of said spring means, and means supporting said setting elements for enabling said spring means to reset the selected setting element in the rest position, until said key which was kept depressed is released.

A keyboard for printing machines comprising a series of depressable keys;

• a series of setting elements assocaited to said keys and each selectable by one corresponding of said keys;
• a group of code-bars each one movable between a rest position to an active position according to different coded positions by each of said setting elements upon depression of one associated of said keys, each of said coded position of said bars being corresponding to said depressed key;
• means for restoring said setting elements and said code-bars after the positioning thereof;
• and memory means for enabling said restoring means to rapidly restore said setting elements and said code-bars to said rest position, memorizing the first or the second position of each of said code-bars said memory means comprising:
• a group of decoding bars associated with said code-bars, each of said code-bars and said decoding bars including an arrest element and a counter-arrest element, respectively;
• spring means interconnecting said decoding bars with said code-bars holding each of said counter-arrest elements against the arrest element of the associated code-bars, for causing each one of said code-bars to position one associated of said decoding bars from a rest location in a first or in a second location corresponding to the first or the second position of the one associated of said code bars,
• a positioning member actuatable for arresting each of said decoding bars in said first or second location thereof;
• driving means operable through a cycle for actuating said positioning member upon positioning of said code-bars at the beginning of said cycle;
• means connecting said driving means with said restoring means for enabling said restoring means to restore said setting element and said code-bars immediately after the positioning thereof against the action of said spring means, leaving said decoding bars arrested by said positioning member said first or in said second location, respectively, until arresting of said setting element and said code-bars in the rest positions thereof;
• and
• means for deactivating said positioning member for causing said spring means to shift said decoding bars from said first or second location to said rest location at the end of said cycle.

A keyboard for office machines comprising:

• a frame, a series of keys each one movable in said frame from a rest position to a working position;
• a group of code-bars movable along a predetermined trajectory;
• a bridge for controlling said code-bars against the action of said group of springs;
• driving means actuatable by each key, in the working position thereof, for moving in a setting cycle said bridge from a rest position, in which said bridge holds at rest said code-bars against the action of said spring to an operative position in which said bridge releases said code-bars from said operative position to said rest position;
• a series of setting elements individually selectable from a rest position by one associated key of said keys, in the working position thereof;
• an actuatable setting member;
• means for actuating said setting member in said setting cycle from an inoperative position to an operative position and for engaging one selected of said setting elements to move said one selected of said setting elements to a set position located on the trajectory of said code-bars;
• means supporting said setting elements for causing one set element of said setting elements to arrest some of said code-bars released by said bridge according to code positions corresponding to said one associated key moved in said working position;
• said arrested code-bars urging said set element against said supporting means;
• a series of return springs for pulling said set setting element toward said rest position;
• means for returning said setting member from said operative position toward said inoperative position thereby releasing said set element, the frictional engagement of said some arrested code-bars with said set setting element and against said supporting means caused by said springs prevailing over the action of said return springs over said set element, so that the return of said set element toward said rest position begins only upon the returning of said code-bars to the rest position by said return means;
• and means for enabling said return springs to free the set element from said some code-bars before the return to rest of said code-bars, whereby speeding up the return of said set setting element, said means comprising a pawl means;
• arrest means carried by said code-bars for cooperating with said pawl means in each of said code positions, and means controlled by said driving means for moving said pawl means to interfere with said arrest means for temporarily shifting said code-bars towards said rest position, against the action of said springs whereby removing the code-bars arrested by the set setting element from said set element.