Keyboard with elongate keys

A finger operated keyboard comprising a row of elongate keys having their centers on a straight line extending transversely with respect to the longitudinal center lines of the keys, each of said keys having an exposed finger thrust surface with a longitudinal trough therein the longitudinal center of which is on the longitudinal center line of the key whereby for guiding a finger longitudinally of the key and for preventing the unwanted digression of the finger to an undesired adjacent key, each said key having first and second and third adjoining finger receiving recesses in its said thrust surface having their centers on the longitudinal center line of the key with said first and third recesses being on the ends of the key and of the trough and the key whereby for accurately locating a finger longitudinally of the key selectively in the different positions corresponding to the three recesses, means for mounting each of said keys so that the key may be depressed on a thrust axis generally normal to its said thrust surface and so that the key may be swung rotatively longitudinally of the key in opposite directions whereby the key may be depressed on said thrust axis without rotation by finger pressure applied in said second recess and may be depressed with a combination movement on said thrust axis and rotation of the key in different rotative directions by finger pressure applied respectively in said first and third recesses, and means connected with each of said keys for providing different operating actions when the key is depressed on said thrust axis with no rotation and with combinations of movement on said thrust axis and rotative movements in said different directions.

Finger operated controlling mechanism including a key having a finger thrust surface on which finger pressure can be applied for depressing the key, a support for said key mounted to be moveable along with the key when a depressive force is applied to the key, means for mounting said key on said support and including axis forming means carried by the support so as to allow the key to be swingable with respect to the support, a plurality of control devices, and an actuating member carried by said key for actuating said control devices in one manner on a movement of said key when the key is depressed and is in an initial unswung position with respect to said support and for actuating said control devices in other manners when the key is depressed and is swung on said axis forming means in opposite directions out of its said initial position with respect to said support, said axis forming means including detent means so constructed to be responsive in effect to the position of said key on said support and to be responsive to finger pressure applied on said key so as to hold the key in its unswung position on said support due to finger pressure when finger pressure is applied to the center of the key and to release to exert no restraining force on the key when finger pressure is applied adjacent either end of the key to swing the key in either direction to either of its swung positions.

Finger operated controlling mechanism including a key having a finger thrust surface on which finger pressure can be applied for moving the key, means for mounting said key so that it can be moved on a thrust axis generally normal to said finger thrust surface and so that the key can be swung, said mounting means including a plunger constrained to move substantially parallel with said thrust axis, and axis forming means for swingingly mounting the key on said plunger so that the key can have different relative rotative positions with respect to said plunger a series of three control devices each of which is responsive for changing its operative condition to a force applied to the control device parallel with said thrust axis and constituting a middle control device and two end control devices, an actuating member carried by said key so disposed that it can selectively apply a force on each of said control devices to actuate the device due to the movement of said key and actuating member on an operative stroke on said thrust axis with the particular one of the relative rotative positions of the key determining which of said control devices is actuated on the operative stroke of the key, spring means for returning said plunger and actuating member and key back into their initial positions after such an operative stroke, means yieldably holding said key and actuating member in median positions in which the actuating member on said operative stroke is effective on the middle one of said control devices, and guide means effective on said actuating member for guiding the actuating member into engagement with each of said end control devices on an operative stroke of said key when said key and actuating member are swung with respect to said plunger on said axis forming means with opposite directions of rotation on the axis forming means and for limiting the swinging movement of said key and actuating member as the actuating member is effective on said two end control devices.

Finger operated controlling mechanism including a key having a finger thrust surface on which finger force can be applied for depressing the key to move it on a thrust axis, a support for said key constrained to be moveable substantially parallel with said thrust axis, a spring effective on said support tending to move the support and said key back into initial positions, means for mounting said key on said support and including axis forming means carried by the support so as to allow the key to be swingable with respect to the support, a series of three control switches including a middle switch and two end switches, an actuating member carried by said key and arranged to move respectively toward the middle one of said control switches when the key is depressed against the action of said spring without swing movement with respect to said support and toward the end ones of said control switches when the key is depressed against the action of said spring with swinging movement in one direction or the other, and means for limiting the swinging movement of said actuating member when traveling toward said end switches and including a pair of guide edges for guiding the actuating member respectively effective for the swinging movement of said key and actuating member in the two directions, said axis forming means including means responsive to finger pressure for temporarily holding said key fixed with respect to said support when the key has finger pressure applied in a middle region of said finger thrust surface for depressing the key to cause said actuating member to actuate said middle switch.

Finger operated controlling mechanism including an elongate key having a finger thrust surface on which finger force can be applied for depressing the key out of an initial position;

• supporting means for mounting said key so that the supporting means and key are movable on an operative stroke on a thrust axis generally normal to said finger thrust surface on the application of finger force on said thrust surface and including transverse axis forming means for swingably mounting the key relative to the said supporting means;
• electrical switch means actuated out of initial deactuated condition into three different actuated conditions by the action of said key in moving on said operative stroke on said thrust axis;
• discriminating means effective on said operative stroke on said thrust axis by said key to actuate said switch means to first and second and third changed conditions respectively when the key is depressed by finger force applied respectively at the center of the key thrust surface, at a place on said thrust surface between the center and one end of the thrust surface, and at a place between the center of the key thrust surface and the other end of the thrust surface;
• and a return spring effective on said supporting means and key against the action of which the key is moved on its said operative stroke and on said thrust axis and so connected with said key that it returns the key to its said initial position and thereby causes said switch means to return to its said initial condition when finger thrust is discontinued on the key.

Finger operated controlling mechanism including an elongated key having a finger thrust surface on which finger pressure can be applied for moving the key, means for mounting said key so that it can be moved on a thrust axis generally normal to said finger thrust surface and including supporting means for the key also movable on said thrust axis having transverse axis forming means for swingingly mounting the key relative to the supporting means so that it can be swung longitudinally of the key to have different rotative positions, means for limiting the swinging movement of said key in both directions to a slight angle measured from a neutral position in which said finger thrust surface is normal to said thrust axis, electrical switch means so constructed that the switch means is changed into changed conditions on a thrust parallel with said thrust axis, and a thrust member carried by said key and effective on said switch means for providing a thrust on said switch means substantially parallel with said thrust axis for thus putting said switch means in one changed condition as the key is depressed on said thrust axis and is in one of its swung positions in one direction from its said neutral position and for putting said switch means in another changed condition as the key is depressed on said thrust axis and is in the other of its swung positions in the other direction from its said neutral position.

A finger operated keyboard comprising a row of elongate keys each having an exposed finger thrust surface on which finger pressure can be applied for moving the key and having their centers on a line extending transversely with respect to the longitudinal center lines of the keys, means for mounting each said key so that it can be moved on a thrust axis generally normal to its said finger thrust surface and including transverse axis forming means for swingably mounting the key so that it can be swung longitudinally of the key to have different rotative positions by finger pressure applied adjacent opposite ends of the key and being balanced with respect to the center of the key so that a finger pressure on the center of the key causes no rotative movement of the key, means responsive to movement of each key on its thrust axis without key rotation by finger pressure on the center of its thrust surface for causing an operating action, and means responsive to movement of the key on said thrust axis with accompanying rotative movements of the key in different directions by finger pressure exerted adjacent opposite ends of the key thrust surface for causing two different other operating actions respectively, said transverse axis forming means including bearing surfaces providing a single axis of key swing substantially on the central plane of the key and said thrust surface being provided with a central recess the bottom of which is at a lower level than said bearing surfaces so that finger pressure in said recess tends to hold the key centralized without key rotation.

A finger operated keyboard comprising a row of elongate keys each having an exposed finger thrust surface on which finger pressure can be applied for moving the key and having their centers on a line extending transversely with respect to the longitudinal center lines of the keys, means for mounting each said key so that it can be moved on a thrust axis generally normal to its said finger thrust surface and including transverse axis forming means for swingably mounting the key so that it can be swung longitudinally of the key to have different rotative positions by finger pressure applied adjacent opposite ends of the keys and being balanced with respect to the center of the key so that a finger pressure on the center of the key causes no rotative movement of the key, means responsive to movement of each key on its thrust axis without key rotation by finger pressure on the center of its thrust surface for causing an operating action, and means responsive to movement of the key on said thrust axis with accompanying rotative movements of the key in different directions by finger pressure exerted adjacent opposite ends of the key thrust surface for causing two different other operating actions respectively, said transverse axis forming means including means providing a pair of axes spaced longitudinally of the key about which the key may be swung so that finger pressure applied between said spaced axes does not tend to cause key rotation whereby said first named operating action may be obtained, said finger thrust surface including a central recess the bottom of which is located at a lower level than the upper bearing parts forming said two axes providing an additional force for holding said key in an unrotated position for obtaining said first named operating action.