Encoding keyboard having dual-output shift key

Claim 2

A keyboard having a plurality of independent control members each movable along a first path from a normal nonselected position to a selected position, and movable from said selected position only alonG a second path to an effective output condition and back to its normal nonselected position, a displacement interlock positioned in the first path of said control members for preventing more than one of said control members from reaching its selected position at any one time, power operating means operative in response to the movement of any control member to its selected position to cause movement of any of said control members from their said selected positions at a maximum sequential rate that is independent of the rate of keyboard manipulation, and a manually operable key operatively connected to one of said control members and depressable to cause movement of said one of said control members to its selected position; wherein the improvement comprises: a supplemental input member operatively connected to a different one of said control members and depressable to cause movement of said different one of said control members to its selection position, and interconnecting means including said power operating means and responsive to the position of said manually operable key for controlling the depression of said supplemental input member in inverse relation to the depression and release of said manually operable key.

Claim 3

A keyboard as defined in claim 1 wherein resilient means biases said supplemental input member toward its depressed position and said interconnecting means comprises; a transfer link operatively connected to said supplemental input member for moving said supplemental input member against the bias of said resilient means from its depressed position to its nondepressed position, and means interconnecting said transfer link and said one of said control members whereby movement of said one of said control members from its said selected position drives said supplemental input member to its nondepressed position through said transfer link.

Claim 4

A keyboard defined in claim 1 wherein resilient means biases said supplemental input member toward its depressed position and said interconnecting means further comprises: a latch device operatively connected to said supplemental input member for retaining said supplemental input member in its nondepressed position against the bias of said resilient means, and means connecting said latch device to said manually operable key for releasing said latch device from its retaining condition with said supplemental input member upon movement of said key from its depressed to its nondepressed position.

Claim 5

A keyboard as defined in claim 2 wherein said interconnecting means further comprises: a latch device operatively connected to said supplemental input member for retaining said supplemental input member in its nondepressed position against the bias of said resilient means, and means connecting said latch device to said manually operable key for releasing said latch device from its retaining condition with said supplemental input member upon movement of said key from its depressed to its nondepressed position.

Claim 6

A keyboard as defined in claim 1 wherein said timing means comprises: means establishing a fixed time interval defining said maximum sequential rate.

Claim 7

A keyboard as defined in claim 1 further comprising: a binary output signal transducer responsive to the depressed and nondepressed positions of said supplemental input member for indicating said positions by respective ones of said outputs thereof.

Claim 8

An encoding keyboard having a plurality of code output bails permutatively operable to define individual items of information, a plurality of manually operable keylevers, a plurality of encoding interposers mounted for reciprocation adjacent said output bails and beneath individual ones of said keylevers, said interposers each having selected different projections thereon for engaging said output bails upon reciprocation to generate an output representative thereof, a drive member extending across said keyboard adjacent one end of said interposers and cyclically movable along a path, latch means normally retaining each of said interposers in a nonselected condition out of the path of said drive member, means interconnecting said keylevers and their associated interposers such that depression of a keylever moves its associated interposer along a first path to a position for receiving drive force from said drive member, a displacement interlock positioned in the first path of said interposers for preventing more than one of said interposers from being engaged by said drive member at any one time, means responsive to the displacement of any interposer to its selected position for initiating a cycle of operation of said drive member, and a case shift keylever having a normal nondepressed position and movable to a depressed position wherein the improvement comprises: a first case indicative interposer positioned below said case shift keylever for movement thereby and cooperable with said latch means, said displacement interlock, and said drive member upon depression of said case shift keylever, a supplemental input lever having a normal depressed position and movable to a nondepressed position, a second case indicative interposer positioned below said supplemental input lever for movement thereby and cooperable with said latch means, said displacement interlock and said drive member upon movement of said supplemental input lever to its depressed position, and interconnecting means between said case shift keylever and said supplemental input lever responsive to depression of said case shift keylever and including said drive member for power driving said supplemental input lever from its depressed to its nondepressed position in response to depression of said case shift keylever, and responsive to release of said case shift keylever for conditioning said supplemental input lever for movement from its nondepressed to its depressed position.

Claim 9

An encoding keyboard having a plurality of code output bails permutatively operable to define individual items of information, a plurality of manually operable keylevers, a plurality of encoding interposers mounted for reciprocation adjacent said output bails and beneath individual ones of said keylevers, said interposers each having selected different projections thereon for engaging said output bails upon reciprocation to generate an output representative thereof, a drive member extending across said keyboard adjacent one end of said interposers and cyclically movable along a path, latch means normally retaining each of said interposers in a nonselected condition out of the path of said drive member, means interconnecting said keylevers and their associated interposers such that depression of a keylever moves its associated interposer along a first path to a position for receiving drive force from said drive member, a displacement interlock positioned in the first path of said interposers for preventing more than one of said interposers from being engaged by said drive member at any one time, means responsive to the displacement of any interposer to its selected position for initiating a cycle of operation of said drive member, and a case shift keylever having a normal nondepressed position and movable to a depressed position wherein the improvement comprises: a first case indicative interposer positioned below said case shift keylever for movement thereby and cooperable with said latch means, said displacement interlock, and said drive member upon depression of said case shift keylever, a supplemental input lever having a normal depressed position and movable to a nondepressed position, a second case indicative interposer positioned below said supplemental input lever for movement thereby and cooperable with said latch means, said displacement interlock and said drive member upon movement of said supplemental input lever to its depressed position, and interconnecting means between said case shift keylever and said supplemental input lever responsive to depression of said case shift keylever and including said drive member for power driving said supplemental input lever from its depressed to its nondepressed position in response to depression of said case shift keylever, and responsive to release of said case shift keylever for conditioning said supplemental input lever for movement from its nondepressed to its depressed position.

Claim 10

A keyboard as defined in claim 7 wherein resilient means biases said supplemental input lever toward its depressed position and said interconnecting means comprises: a reciprocatable transfer link operatively connected to said supplemental input lever for moving said supplemental input lever from its depressed position to its nondepressed position upon reciprocation thereof, and means connecting said transfer link to said first case indicative interposer for transferring reciprocation thereof from said drive member to said transfer link to drive said supplemental input lever from its depressed to its nondepressed position.

Claim 11

A keyboard as defined in claim 7 wherein resilient means biases said supplemental input lever toward its depressed position, and said interconnecting means comprises: a latch device operatively connected with said supplemental input lever for retaining said supplemental input lever in its nondepressed position against the bias of said resilient means whenever said case shift keylever is depressed and operatively connected with said case shift keylever for releasing said latch device from its retaining condition with said supplemental input lever whenever said case shift keylever is released.

Claim 12

A keyboard as defined in claim 8 wherein said interconnecting means further comprises: a latch device for retaining said transfer link in its position as driven by said drive member through said first case indicative interposer, and means operatively connecting said latch device with said case shift keylever for releasing said transfer link from its retained condition upon release of said case shift keylever.

Claim 13

A keyboard as defined in claim 7 wherein said first case indicative interposer and said second case indicative interposer each have distinctively coded projections cooperable with said output bails for generating distinctive case shift codes upon reciprocation thereof by said drive member.