Claims
- 1. A differential key lock mechanism for a composing machine including a carriage wherein groups of proportional character and space keys have allocated thereto different numbers of spacing units, comprising key lock means for differentially locking the character and space keys in said groups, amount left in a line measuring means for ascertaining the number of spacing units left in a line ahead of a predetermined right margin, indexing means for controlling said key lock means according to the number of units left in a line, actuating means connected to said indexing means for rendering said indexing means effective, counting circuit means responsive to said amount left in a line measuring means and connected to said actuating means for operating said indexing means in accordance with the amount left in a line whereby said key lock means block against further operation of any of said proportional character and space keys which have a space unit requirement exceeding the number of space units remaining in a line while at the same time permitting operation of other said proportional character and space keys.
- 2. The differential key lock mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising carriage return means, detent means cooperating with said indexing means for holding said indexing means in operated position and actuating means for said detent means responsive to said carriage return means for operating said detent means to release said indexing means upon carriage return.
- 3. The differential key lock mechanism according to claim 2, wherein said detent means comprises a serrated ratchet member having three teeth, hub means for supporting the ratchet member and said indexing means, a detent arm arranged for cooperation with the teeth of said ratchet member, spring means for urging the detent arm against said ratchet member, and actuating means connected to said detent arm for disengaging said detent arm from said ratchet member and means responsive to said ratchet member for restoring the key lock means to normal position.
- 4. The differential key lock mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising selectively operable upper and lower case control means, said key lock means comprising upper and lower case locks responsive to said upper and lower case control means and associated with said indexing means for differentially locking said character and space keys in accordance with the upper and lower case condition of the composing machine as determined by said upper and lower case control means.
- 5. The differential key lock mechanism according to claim 4, wherein said upper and lower case locks are movable by said indexing means in steps forward and reversely in accordance with the instantaneous number of units remaining in a line.
- 6. The differential key lock mechanism according to claim 4, wherein each of said character keys include a lever provided with two lugs which are differentially arranged on each key relative to the respective lock in accordance with the number of spacing units allocated to the respective key, said upper and lower case locks having stops for cooperation with said lugs whereby operation of the respective key is blocked when the lock is aligned with the lug.
- 7. The differential key lock mechanism according to claim 4, further comprising means operatively connected to said upper and lower case locks for rendering one of said upper and lower case locks operative while simultaneously rendering the other lock inoperative and vice-versa.
- 8. The differential key lock mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising a differential word space and nut space key lock for said space keys, and means linking said differential key lock to said indexing means for operating said differential key lock to lock a respective space key when its space requirement exceeds the number of space units left in that line.
- 9. The differential key lock mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said indexing means comprise differential stop means, control means operatively connected to said differential stop means and responsive to said counting circuit means for positively stopping said indexing means after a number of steps as determined by the number of spacing units remaining in a line.
- 10. The differential key lock mechanism according to claim 9, wherein said actuating means for said indexing means comprise a first solenoid coupled to said indexing means and responsive to said counting circuit means, said control means for said differential stop means comprising second and third solenoids coupled to the stop means and responsive to said counting circuit means, whereby upon energization of said first and second solenoids the indexing means will be stopped at a first operated position, whereby upon energization of the first and third solenoid the indexing means will be stopped at a second operated position, and whereby upon energization of the first solenoid alone the indexing means will be stopped at a third operated position.
- 11. The differential key lock mechanism according to claim 10, further comprising reversing means operatively connected to said indexing means, delete key means, circuit means interconnecting said delete key means and said amount left in a line measuring means, return means operatively connected to said indexing means for returning said indexing means, further circuit means for energizing said control means for said differential stop means to differentially reset said differential stop means in response to the operation of said delete key means whereby the key lock mechanism is reset by said return means to a position conforming to the spacing restored in a line by operation of said delete key means.
- 12. The differential key lock mechanism according to claim 11, wherein said indexing means further comprises a lost motion member and lost motion spring means operatively connecting said indexing means to said lost motion member whereby said lost motion spring means and said lost motion member permit the differential stop means to be effective in both indexing directions.
- 13. The differential key lock mechanism according to claim 11, wherein said reversing means differentially unlock said character and space keys as soon as the spacing units allocated thereto will fit into a line.
- 14. The differential key lock mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising over rotation preventing means operatively connected to said indexing means.
- 15. The differential key lock mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said actuating means comprise a forward operating solenoid and a step limit control solenoid and means connecting said two solenoids to said counting circuit means.
- 16. The differential key lock mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said counting circuit means comprise contact means operable in response to said amount left in a line measuring means for establishing energizing circuits corresponding to respective amount left in line positions whereby all said keys are locked against further operation, if the space requirements of the narrowest characters exceed the number of space units remaining in a line as determined by said contact means.
- 17. A differential control system for a composing apparatus including a text display, wherein groups of character keys have allocated thereto different numbers of spacing units on said text display, and means responsive to operation of said keys for advancing a print point on said display by a number of said units corresponding to the character of the operated key, means for determining the number of spacing units in a given text display line between the print point and a determined right margin of said text display, and means inhibiting the composition and the display of any character corresponding to a number of units greater than said determined number and, at the same time, not inhibiting the composition and the display of any character corresponding to a number of units less than said determined number.
- 18. A differential key lock mechanism for an electric typewriter or a composing machine having a movable carrier with an associated print point and a right margin wherein groups of proportional character and space keys have n or less proportional spacing units allocated thereto, comprising:
- key lock means for selectively locking one or more of said groups of character and space keys in response to a locking signal;
- amount left in a line measuring means responsive to the position of said carrier and to the operation of any one of said keys for generating an indexing means control signal when (i) one of said keys is operated and (ii) there are less than n proportional spacing units between the print point and right margin, said indexing means control signal having a value corresponding to the number of remaining proportional spacing units between said print point and right margin;
- indexing means responsive to said indexing means control signal for actuating said key lock means to lock those groups of keys having numbers of proportional spacing units allocated thereto which are greater than said number of remaining proportional spacing units,
- whereby only those keys associated with characters and spaces which may be disposed to the left of said right margin are permitted to be operated.
Parent Case Info
This is a division, of application Ser. No. 732,973, filed Oct. 15, 1976, which is a division of U.S. Ser. No. 213,045 filed Dec. 28, 1971 and now U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,179 dated Nov. 23, 1976.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Divisions (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
732973 |
Oct 1976 |
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Parent |
213045 |
Dec 1971 |
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