Justifying text writing composing machine

A bidirectional proportional spacing carrier moving mechanism for a carrier of an electric typewriter, comprising:

• a ratchet wheel with teeth having a predetermined pitch for determining incremental proportional spacing units;
• means coupling said ratchet wheel to said carrier for bidirectional rotation in synchronism with bidirectional linear movement of said carrier;
• first force exerting means for urging said carrier in a first direction to cause said ratchet wheel to be urged in a given rotational direction;
• detent means normally engaged with said ratchet wheel for preventing rotation thereof in said given direction, to thereby prevent movement of said carier in said first direction;
• first control means for momentarily disengaging said detent means from said ratchet wheel to permit rotation of said ratchet wheel in said given direction by said first force exerting means;
• an incremental spacing control member having a first end pivotally mounted adjacent said ratchet wheel, and a stop engaging surface remote from said wheel;
• a pawl normally engaged with one of said teeth and pivotally mounted on said control member, for preventing rotation of said ratchet wheel in said given direction when said detent means is disengaged therefrom;
• a plurality of stop members disposed in mutual alignment adjacent said stop engaging surface, at least two of said stop members being selectively movable in and out of the path of movement of said stop engaging surface,
• said stop members permitting incremental rotational movement of said stop engaging surface, pawl and ratchet wheel in said given direction and linear movement of said carrier in said first direction, by a distance corresponding to a desired number of proportional spacing increments;
• second force exerting means for urging said control member to rotate in a direction to move said stop engaging surface away from said stop members and to cause said pawl to rotate said ratchet wheel in a direction opposite to said given direction, to drive said carrier for linear movement in a second direction opposite to said first direction;
• and
• releasable means for momentarily rotating said control member against the force exerted by said second force exerting means to move said pawl a distance corresponding to a desired number of second direction spacing increments, until said stop engaging surface engages one of said stop members,
• said second force exerting means acting upon release of said control member by said releasable means to move said carrier in said second direction by said desired number of second direction spacing increments.