Variable line spacing device for typewriters

Claim 1

A VARIABLE LINE SPACING DEVICE FOR TYPERWRITERS HAVING A PLATEN ROTATED BY A RATCHET AND AN INDEX PAWL, COMPRISING A FIRST GEAR FIXED TO SAID RATCHET AND HAVING A PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF TEETH, A BODY PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID TYPEWRITER, A SHAFT FREELY ROTATABLE WITHIN SAID BODY, A SECOND GEAR FIXED TO ONE END OF SAID SHAFT AND ADAPTED SELECTIVELY TO MESH WITH SAID FIRST GEAR, A THIRD GEAR MOUNTED ON THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID SHAFT, A FOURTH GEAR MOUNTED ON SAID PLATEN AND ADAPTED TO MESH WITH SAID THIRD GEAR WHEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND GEARS ARE IN ENGAGEMENT, CLUTCH MECHANISM CARRIED BY SAID PLATEN, MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID CLUTCH MECHANISM, AND MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID CLUTCH MECHANISM SO THAT THE PARTS ARE OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WHEN SAID GEARS ARE IN ENGAGEMENT, WHEREBY WHEN THE GEARS ARE IN ENGAGEMENT AND THE TYPEWRITER IS OPERATED SAID RATCHET WILL OPERATE THE SEVERAL GEARS TO ADVANCE THE PLATEN A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT.