KEYBOARD FOR A TYPEWRITER

• US 3,698,532 A
• Filed: 08/21/1969
• Issued: 10/17/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Irvine Dodds
• Original Assignee: Irvine Dodds
• Inventors: Dodds, Irvine
• Primary Examiner(s): Wright, Jr., Ernest T.
• Application Number:
  US04/851,879
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 197/98,100,101,179
• US Class Current: 400/486
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 5/10 Arrangements of keyboards , e.g. key button disposition

Abstract

A typewriter keyboard includes a plurality of rows of keys with two elongated typewriter mechanism actuating bars positioned forwardly of the keys of the keyboard. The first bar extends at least part way across one-half of the width of the keyboard and the second bar extends at least part way across the other half of the width of the keyboard. One bar operates a space mechanism and the other operates a carriage return.

Claims

1. A typewriter keyboard arrangement for use with a typewriter comprising a plurality of rows of keys, said plurality of rows of keys being separated into two groups by a space divergent towards an operator, the keys in each of said groups being arranged in a plurality of straight lines generally parallel to each other, the keys in each of said groups being located in a single plane, said plane being inclined to the horizontal and sloping upwardly in a direction away from the operator, each of said groups of keys including four horizontal rows with a first row farthest from the operator, a second row nearer to the operator than said first row, a third row nearer to the operator than said second row and a fourth row nearest to the operator, whereby cramping of the operator'"'"''"'"'s hands, fingers and arms is substantially eliminated, first and second elongated typewriter mechanism actuating bars each positioned forwardly of said keys on said keyboard, said first elongated bar extending in a straight line at least part way across the width of said keyboard occupied by one of said groups and parallel to the straight lines of keys in said one group, and adapted to actuate a space mechanism of said typewriter, said second elongated bar extending in a straight line at least part way across the width of the keyboard occupied by the other of said groups and parallel to the straight lines of keys in said other group, and adapted to actuate a carriage return mechanism of said typewriter, whereby the thumbs on each hand of the operator are utilized one to actuate the space mechanism and the other to actuate the carriage return mechanism, three additional elongated typewriter mechanism actuating bars, one located rearwardly of said first group of keys and aDapted to actuate a tabular bar of the typewriter and the other two located rearwardly of the other group of keys and adapted to actuate tabset and tab-clear mechanisms of said typewriter, ones of said plurality of keys adapted respectively to actuate a back space mechanism and a margin release mechanism of said typewriter, said ones of said keys being located one at the outer end of the one of said straight lines of keys forming one of said groups nearest said first elongated bar and the other one at the outer end of the one of said straight lines of keys forming the other of said groups nearest said second elongated bar.

2. The keyboard arrangement of claim 1, wherein one of said plurality of keys bears the designation of a dash in the upper case position and adapted to actuate a similarly designated type bar.

3. The keyboard arrangement of claim 1, wherein one of said plurality of key bars bears the designation of a decimal point in the lower case position and adapted to actuate a similarly designated type bar.

4. The keyboard arrangement of claim 1, wherein said rows containing keys bear the designations thereon successively from left to right as viewed by an operator and adapted to actuate type bars bearing such designations;

first row, first key;

asterisk in upper case position and decimal point in lower case position, second key;

number sign in upper case position and numeral 7 in lower case position, third key;

open-bracket sign in upper case position and numeral 5 in lower case position, fourth key;

close-bracket sign in upper case position and numeral 3 in lower case position, fifth key;

quotation marks in upper case position and numeral 1 in lower case position, sixth key;

underline in upper case position and numeral 9 in lower case position, seventh key;

percentage sign in upper case position and numeral 0 in lower case position, eighth key;

cent sign in upper case position and numeral 2 in lower case position, ninth key;

dollar sign in upper case position and numeral 4 in lower case position, 10th key;

'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'at'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' sign in upper case position and numeral 6 in lower case position, 11th key;

apostrophe mark in upper case position and numeral 8 in lower case position and 12th key;

plus sign in upper case position and equal signs in lower case position;

second row, first key;

colon in upper case position and question mark in lower case position, second key;

comma in both upper and lower case positions, third key;

period in both upper and lower case positions, fourth key;

letter P, fifth key;

letter Y, sixth key;

letter F, seventh key;

letter G, eighth key;

letter C, ninth key;

letter R, 10th key;

letter L, 11th key;

ampersand in upper case and oblique in lower case position;

third row, first key;

letter A, second key;

letter O, third key;

letter E, fourth key;

letter U, fifth key;

letter I, sixth key;

letter D, seventh key;

letter H, eighth key;

letter T, ninth key;

letter N, 10th key;

letter S, 11th key;

dash in upper case position and hyphen in lower case position;

fourth row;

first key;

backspace, second key;

semi-colon in upper case position and exclamation mark in lower case position, third key;

letter Q, fourth key;

letter J, fifth key;

letter K, sixth key;

letter X, seventh key;

letter B, eighth key;

letter M, ninth key;

letter W, 10th key;

letter V, 11th key;

letter Z and 12th key;

margin release.

5. The keyboard arrangement of claim 4, wherein the first to fifth keys of each of the first, second and third rows and the first to sixth keys of the fourth row are arranged in one group and the remaining keys of each of the rows are arranged in another group.

6. The keyboard arrangement of claim 5, wherein further keys are provided at the following locations on said keyboard adapted to actuate correspondingly designated type bars:

i.) left of said first key and right of said 11th key of said third row when moved by an operator both to actuaTe a carriage shift mechanism; and

ii.) left of said first key and right of said 11th key of said second row when moved by an operator both to actuate a carriage shift lock mechanism.