Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim
402 words
In a keyboard mechanism, the combination comprising: a manually operable key lever pivotally supported for limited reciprocal movement between a normal nonoperative and an operative position; a pair of encoding electrical contacts actuated at least once per cycle of reciprocal movement of said key lever to an operated position for producing an electrical signal indicative of such movement of the key lever; an actuator pawl having first, second, and third projections formed thereon and being pivotally mounted on said key lever for movement between a normal first position wherein an end portion of the pawl engages at least one of said contacts and a second position, said actuator pawl cooperating with said one contact to actuate the encoding contacts as the key lever is moved to its operated position; a control member cooperating with the first projection of the actuator pawl for moving said actuator pawl toward said second position as the key lever is moved toward its operated position and upon movement of the pawl to its second position to cause the end portion of the pawl to disengage said electrical contact and cause the electrical contacts to be actuated; a spring cooperating with the actuator pawl to bias the key lever and said pivotally connected actuator pawl to normal nonoperative and first positions respectively, said normal first position of the pawl being determined by the cooperation of the second projection of the pawl with the key lever, said spring further being responsive to the movement of the key lever to an operated position and the actuator pawl to a second position to draw the actuator pawl into nonactuating contact with an end of said electrical contact at an intermediate portion of said pawl and to bias the key lever to a normal nonoperative position and to urgE the pawl toward its first position, said intermediate portion of the pawl maintaining sliding contact with the end of the electrical contact until the end portion of the pawl again engages the electrical contact in the first position of the pawl; and a key lever lock member reciprocally movable between locking and nonlocking positions, said lever lock member lockingly engaging said third projection on the pawl when the lock member is in its locking position and said key lever and said actuator pawl are in their nonoperative and first positions, respectively, to prevent reciprocal movement of the lever and pawl from said positions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
402 words
In a keyboard mechanism, the combination comprising: a manually operable key lever pivotally supported for limited reciprocal movement between a normal nonoperative and an operative position; a pair of encoding electrical contacts actuated at least once per cycle of reciprocal movement of said key lever to an operated position for producing an electrical signal indicative of such movement of the key lever; an actuator pawl having first, second, and third projections formed thereon and being pivotally mounted on said key lever for movement between a normal first position wherein an end portion of the pawl engages at least one of said contacts and a second position, said actuator pawl cooperating with said one contact to actuate the encoding contacts as the key lever is moved to its operated position; a control member cooperating with the first projection of the actuator pawl for moving said actuator pawl toward said second position as the key lever is moved toward its operated position and upon movement of the pawl to its second position to cause the end portion of the pawl to disengage said electrical contact and cause the electrical contacts to be actuated; a spring cooperating with the actuator pawl to bias the key lever and said pivotally connected actuator pawl to normal nonoperative and first positions respectively, said normal first position of the pawl being determined by the cooperation of the second projection of the pawl with the key lever, said spring further being responsive to the movement of the key lever to an operated position and the actuator pawl to a second position to draw the actuator pawl into nonactuating contact with an end of said electrical contact at an intermediate portion of said pawl and to bias the key lever to a normal nonoperative position and to urgE the pawl toward its first position, said intermediate portion of the pawl maintaining sliding contact with the end of the electrical contact until the end portion of the pawl again engages the electrical contact in the first position of the pawl; and a key lever lock member reciprocally movable between locking and nonlocking positions, said lever lock member lockingly engaging said third projection on the pawl when the lock member is in its locking position and said key lever and said actuator pawl are in their nonoperative and first positions, respectively, to prevent reciprocal movement of the lever and pawl from said positions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
53 words
The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said key lever lock member is movable to its locking position when said key lever is positioned in its operated position and said actuator pawl in its second position, said key lock member contacting the third projection of the actuator pawl in non-locking engagement.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
76 words
The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said key lever lock member is positioned to restrain said actuator pawl in its said second position by sliding contact with said third projection as said key lever is moved to its non-operative position and as the key lever reaches its normal nonoperative position, the key lock member lockingly engages the third projection of the actuator pawl as the pawl is returned to its normal first position.