Braille typewriter

Claim 1

A braille typewriter comprising in combination a frame, a male die plate carried by said frame having a series of male dies arranged in groups with each group corresponding to a braille cell, a carriage support on said frame, a carriage mounted for linear movement along said carriage support, keys carried by said carriage, key actuated individual female dies carried by said carriage and aligned with an individual male die in one of said groups on said die plate, each die corresponding to a braille point, a toothed rack extending the length of said frame, means including a pawl pivotally mounted on said carriage cooperating with said rack for retaining the carriage in linear position, means on said carriage for advancing the carriage linearly after actuation of the keys, a platen rotatably mounted on said frame, a clamping roller rotatably mounted on said frame contacting said platen for engaging opposite sides of a sheet of paper positioNed therebetween with the sheet of paper extending between the die plate and the individual dies for embossing selective points of a braille cell on the paper upon actuation of selected keys, means on said roller for releasably retaining said clamping roller in positions spaced 180* apart, said clamping roller being spring biased into engagement with said platen, and key means for moving said clamping roller out of engagement with said platen, said key means being connected to a link, said link being connected to a pivot roller, said pivot roller in turn being connected to said clamping roller, whereby depressing of said key means moves said clamping roller against its spring bias, latch means for retaining said key means in depressed position, and locating pins at either end of said frame adjacent said platen for facilitating the alignment of paper into the device by blind persons.