U.S. patent number 3,837,464 [Application Number 05/406,226] was granted by the patent office on 1974-09-24 for typewriter with sliding tambour cover.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Sears, Roebuck and Co.. Invention is credited to Karl T. Baughman, Richard L. Shannon.
United States Patent |
3,837,464 |
Baughman , et al. |
September 24, 1974 |
TYPEWRITER WITH SLIDING TAMBOUR COVER
Abstract
A typewriter or like apparatus having a built-in tambour cover
which provides a readily available closure for the typewriter for
storage and transport purposes, the tambour cover being operatively
connected to the rearward portion of the housing which is slidable
and which is caused to be moved by movement of the cover to open
and closed positions.
Inventors: |
Baughman; Karl T. (Lake Forest,
IL), Shannon; Richard L. (Piqua, OH) |
Assignee: |
Sears, Roebuck and Co.
(Chicago, IL)
|
Family
ID: |
23607069 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/406,226 |
Filed: |
October 15, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
400/685;
312/208.3; 400/693; 312/297 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B41J
29/13 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B41J
29/12 (20060101); B41J 29/13 (20060101); B41j
029/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;197/186 ;150/52R
;312/208,297,244,271,273-274 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Bagwill; Robert E.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Arnstein, Gluck, Weitzenfeld &
Minow
Claims
We claim:
1. A housing for a typewriter and like apparatus having printing
control keys and paper support mechanism, said housing comprising,
a base, a pair of sidewall members attached to said base and
terminating rearwardly short of said paper support mechanism, a
movable housing portion including side, top and rear wall portions
and arranged complementary to said base and sidewall members, means
supporting said movable housing portion for horizontal sliding
movement to alternatively conceal and expose said paper support
mechanism, a flexible panel arranged for selective sliding movement
over said base and between said sidewall members to conceal said
control keys, interengaging means carried on said movable housing
portion and said flexible panel for connecting said movable housing
portion and said flexible panel, said panel when being moved into a
position over said base to expose said control keys concurrently
moving said movable housing portion rearwardly to expose said paper
support mechanism and said panel when being moved into position to
conceal said control keys moving said movable housing portion to
conceal said paper support mechanism, said flexible panel comprises
a tambour and their being guide means on said base and said
sidewall members for guiding said tambour in its movement.
2. The invention as defined in claim 1 in which the interengaging
means are self releasable.
3. The invention as defined in claim 3 in which the interengaging
means comprise a pair of yieldable fingers and a member received
between said fingers.
4. The invention as defined in claim 3 in which the interengaging
means comprise a resilient first member having a slot and a second
member received in said slot.
5. The invention as defined in claim 1 including cooperating
locking means on confronting edges of said top wall portion and
said flexible panel to lock said panel in closed position.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a portable typewriter or like apparatus
having a built-in tambour cover which provides a readily available
closure for the typewriter for storage and transport purposes.
One of the objects of this invention is the provision of a portable
typewriter or like apparatus having a built-in slidable tambour
cover which provides a closure for the typewriter for storage and
transport purposes, thereby eliminating the requirement for a
separate case or housing for enclosing the typewriter.
Another object of this invention is the provision in a portable
typewriter or like apparatus of a built-in closure means which
affords a substantial reduction in weight over corresponding
conventional typewriters thereby making it more convenient for
transport.
A further object of this invention is the provision in a typewriter
or like apparatus of a slidable tambour closure which may be
readily slid to open position to place the typewriter in condition
for operation and correspondingly slid to closed position for
transport of the typewriter.
Other and further objects and advantages of this invention will
become apparent from the following description when considered in
connection with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a portable typewriter
constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present
invention, with the tambour cover in closed position;
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof, on an enlarged
scale;
FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of the typewriter illustrated in
FIG. 1 showing the tambour cover retracted and the typewriter in
condition for operation;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken
substantially on line 4--4 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 5--5
of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating structural
details;
FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 showing the parts in a different
position of operation;
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 8--8
of FIG. 4;
FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of structural details;
FIG. 10 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken substantially
on line 10--10 of FIG. 4; and
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the handle for the housing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The present invention is related particularly to the housing of a
typewriter or like apparatus, such as an adding machine or
calculator, which encloses the operative mechanism, the latter of
which forms no part of the invention. The housing of the present
invention comprises a base 10, formed as by molding or casting from
a suitable metallic or non-metallic material, having a bottom 11
and front, rear and sidewalls 12, 13, 14 and 15, respectively. The
forward portions of the sidewalls 14 and 15 are formed in
cross-section substantially as illustrated in FIG. 8 providing
spaced parallel wall portions 16 and 17, the upper edges of wall
portions 16 being recessed as at 18 to provide opposed shoulders
for a purpose, as will be hereinafter described. Formed integrally
with the base 11, at each side, is a wall portion 19 which affords
support for the sliding portion 21 of the housing, as will be
hereinafter explained. A U-shaped handle 22 has legs 23 which are
slidably received in the spaces between the wall portions 16 and
17. Each leg is provided at its end with an inwardly directed lug
24 which is arranged to ride in the recess 18 of the wall portion
19. Thus, the handle 22 may be moved within the limits of the
recesses 18 to retracted or extended positions. Integral with the
bottom 11 are a pair of spaced parallel longitudinally extending
ribs or guide rails 26 which guide the tambour member 27,
hereinafter to be described.
The typewriter mechanism is conventional but is supported on a pair
of allochiral side members 28 secured thereto, each of said members
comprising a vertical planar portion, shaped substantially as
illustrated in FIG. 4, and forward and rearward laterally extending
wings 29 and 31. the forward wing 29 is elevated slightly above the
rearward wing 31 and is suitably drilled to provide apertures
arranged to register with bosses in the base to receive screws for
effecting securement of the member 28 to the base. The rearward
wing 31 is provided with a longitudinal slot 32, the forward
portion 32a of which is of greater width, as illustrated in FIG. 5.
Each of the rearward wings 31 is suitably perforated to receive
screws which are engaged in threaded bosses provided in the
base.
The apron 33 of the typewriter is supported on the side members 28
(FIG. 8) and is provided at the top portion thereof with elongated
bosses 34 which overhang respective side members 28. It will be
noted in FIG. 4, that the upper edge of each side member 28 merges
smoothly into the surface of a respective boss 34 and provides a
smooth continuous support or track for the movement of the tambour
27. In assembled relation as seen in FIG. 10 each of the forward
wings 29 overlies a space containing a leg 23 of the handle 22 and
secures the handle against inadvertent displacement while
permitting sliding movement thereof. The housing also includes a
pair of allochiral side members 36, each of which is provided with
suitable threaded bosses for effecting securement to the base 10.
Further, as seen in FIG. 8, the upper edge of the side member 36
overhangs member 28 and is provided with a recess 37 opening
downwardly and spaced from the edge of the member to afford a guide
and retaining means for the tambour 27.
The tambour 27 in essence is a roll top formed of connected
articulated sections and has a longitudinally extending groove 38
in one surface and spaced from each side edge, as illustrated in
FIGS. 8 and 10. The leading edge of the tambour 27 is provided with
a hand engaging hook portion 39, as illustrated in FIG. 4, for
effecting securement of the tambour in closed position. The
trailing end of the tambour 27, as illustrated in FIGS. 6, 7 and 9,
is provided with a member 41 having at each side edge a rearward
extension 43 which is slitted, as shown, to provide a pair of
resilient fingers 44 with a V-shaped mouth 45 therebetween at the
apex of which is a circular recess 46.
The moveable housing portion 21 illustrated in greater detail in
FIG. 9, comprises top, rear and side walls 47, 48 and 49,
respectively. Each sidewall has a forwardly extending arm 51, each
arm being shaped substantially as illustrated in FIG. 9 and
including a depending substantially L-shaped portion 52 having a
lateral leg or flange 53. Fixed to the end of the arm 51 is a
vertically depending pin 54, the lower end of which extends
downwardly and terminates just short of the bottom 11.
Referring to FIG. 4, in assembling the housing portion 21, the
L-shaped portion 52 together with the pin 54 is passed through the
enlarged portion 32a of the slot 32 in the wing 31 so that it is
now interlocked with the wing 31 as shown in FIG. 8. This prevents
inadvertent displacement of the housing portion 21 but permits
sliding movement of the same relative to the wings 31. The housing
portion 21 is provided with an undercut strip 56 extending along
the forward edge of the top wall 47 and is adapted to be engaged by
the hook portion 39 of the tambour 27 as illustrated in FIG. 4. The
forward vertical edges of the side walls 49 of the housing portion
21 are shaped to cooperate with the rearward edges of the sidewalls
36 so that when closure is effected the parts assume the
relationship, substantially as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. In
extended or open position the housing portion 21 assumes the
position, substantially as illustrated in FIG. 3, rearwardly of the
paper support mechanism or carriage 57, and affording access to the
carriage and clearance for its movement.
In use, when the tambour 27 is in closed position, the mechanism of
the typewriter is completely concealed and protected against injury
and dust and the tambour 27 is secured against inadvertent shifting
by reason of the hook end 39 being in engagement with the undercut
strip 56. In such condition, the handle 22 may be easily pulled out
and the typewriter may be carried from one place to another.
Referring to FIG. 4, it will be seen that the member 41 now is
located in close proximity to the forward end of the
typewriter.
In order to condition the typewriter for use, the hook end 39 is
disengaged and the operator may now readily slide the tambour 27 to
open position in which movement the member 41 becomes the leading
edge of the tambour moving to the right, as viewed in FIG. 4, so
that the fingers 44 are caused to engage the pin 54 which enters
the mouth 45 and engages in the circular recess 46. Continued
movement of the tambour 27 will effect sliding movement of the rear
housing portion 21 to the right, substantially to the position
illustrated by the broken lines in FIG. 4, and also as illustrated
in FIG. 3, whereby the keys 60 and carriage 57 are uncovered
rendering them available for use. In fully uncovered position, the
tambour 27 occupies substantially the full surface of the bottom of
the base 11 and as seen in FIG. 3 movement of the tambour to the
right, as viewed in FIG. 4, is restricted by engagement of the hook
end 39 with the top edge of the front wall 12 of the base.
To effect closure of the tambour 27 the hook end 39 is grasped by
the operator and drawn rearwardly or to the right, as viewed in
FIG. 4. Such movement draws the housing portion 21 to the left, as
viewed in FIG. 4, to fully closed position wherein the edges of the
side members 36 are in abuttment with the edges of the sidewalls
49. At that point the resilient fingers 44 are caused to yield to
effect disengagement with the pin 54 so that the tambour 27 may
continue to move to the fully closed position, as illustrated in
FIG. 4.
Various changes coming within the spirit of my invention may
suggest themselves to those skilled in the art; hence, I do not
wish to be limited to the specific embodiments shown and described
or uses mentioned, but intend the same to be merely exemplary, the
scope of my invention being limited only by the appended
claims.
* * * * *