International Business Machines Corporation

William R McCray

Edward V Rutkowski, Jr

Danny Marvin Neal

Douglas E Clancy

Carl F Johnson

William F Joest, Iii

John J Bisczat

Dennis M Churgovich

Robert R Lisk

James L Sizemore

Tab codes produced at a typewriter keyboard are converted to a form for text storage that includes travel distance and destination information. By using a multiple section code with distinct tab code identifier bytes on either end, the overall tab code can be embedded with normal single byte character codes in a text string and processed specially during forward or reverse operations with storage. For forward operation on a text string, coded destination information is extracted from a preselected byte of the multisection code, upon detecting the tab identifier, and special logic, first extracts the destination information, and then automatically passes over the remainder of the code to arrive at the next code of the text string. By so indicating the tab destination in the tab code, a tab operation is enabled to be independent of the active tab settings at the time of playback. Accordingly, the operator need not be concerned with resetting the tabs to their original condition when at a later time a document is printed from storage. And, by providing travel distance information, it is possible to back over or erase a tab operation without loss of correspondence between the print position and the reference point in the stored text string.

Destination-referenced tab, operations for typewriters that store text

Line end adjustment decisions for a typewriter printing from test storage are based on a set of zones that are defined along the line respective of appearance considerations for the right margin. The potential end location for each successive word ready for addition to a line is calculated and such end location is compared to the previous word's end location, by reference to the appearance zones, for determining whether or not the word should be assigned to the next line (i.e., whether or not a carrier return is inserted). By so identifying the word end positions that bracket a word with respective corresponding zones, decision logic, based on preferred responses to the various zone combinations presentable by such end points, is enabled, effectively, to impose an overall pattern of preferred line ending decisions to establish a right margin. For a preferred implementation, the line ending decisions for one or more of the zone combinations are further influenced by the position of the end point of the previous line, which consideration is important to the visual impression produced by the succeeding line ending point.

Line adjustment apparatus for a typewriter

Paper insertion apparatus for indexing a typewriter to a desired first line printing position is triggered using a position detector cooperating with an operator movable paper hold-down bail. When the paper bail is moved to a withdrawn position relative to the paper feed path, the detector produces a signal that causes a logic processor to access, from a dedicated storage location, a code indicating paper advancing increments corresponding to a desired first line printing position. The processor then commands an indexing drive to advance that number of increments. In a preferred implementation, the operator can condition the typewriter to receive a new first line code into storage by means of the keyboard. By so using the presence of the paper bail in a withdrawn position to input the operator's paper insertion request, problems of automatically clearing the path for the leading paper edge are averted and the natural association of the paper bail with paper handling is exploited. And, by using the keyboard to indicate a desired first line position, special input devices such as dials or positionable selection levers are not required.

Paper insertion apparatus for a typewriter

Described herein is a feature and the electronics and logic necessary to implement a paragraph indent feature on an electronic typewriter which is improved and more advantageous than previous routines which accomplished similar results. Paragraph Indent is beneficial to the operator in that it automatically positions the printing carrier at an indented level for setting off typed material so that the left edge of the indented material does not extend to the normal left margin. The typewriter under electronic control stores in memory, upon an appropriate command, a temporary left margin to which the carrier will return when the typewriter is operating under the paragraph indent mode. The operator may enter the Paragraph Indent mode from the keyboard by keying an alternate function or code signal together with a tabulation or tab code signal. This causes the electronics to control the typewriter so as to move the print point to the next tab stop and thereafter until countercommanded will return the carrier to that indented line position on all subsequent carrier returns.

Paragraph indent

On electronic typewriters which have the ability to record into a small working memory the escapement of the characters which are keyed at the keyboard, it is many times advantageous to be able to reposition the carrier at the rightmost end of the typed material automatically. This is particularly advantageous when it has been necessary to back the carrier up along the printed line for purposes of erasing, correcting or inserting material into that line. Disclosed herein is an electronic typewriter which is controlled by the electronic logic such that the depression of a selected control key will result in the carrier moving from a position within the typed text on a particular line to the right most position the carrier has occupied within that line during earlier typing. This is accomplished by temporarily storing the rightmost carrier position as recorded in the escapement register into a working memory and then upon the appropriate command from the keyboard, using that location in the manner that a tab stop location would be used and creating a tab like command movement to cause the carrier to go directly to that point and stop.

Print point reposition feature for an electronic typewriter

Printing operation sequences (e.g. code sequences representing phases of text) entered along with identifier codes by means of typewriter keyboard are stored for selective individual retrieval and may be replaced on an individual basis as the needs of the typewriter operator may dictate. By using a special end loading procedure for adding new sequences, both storage overlapping and build-ups of unused storage locations between sequences are avoided so that storage integrity is maintained while storage usage remains, nonetheless, efficient. In a preferred implementation, individual sequence retrieval capability is achieved by including in the respective sequences a common delimiter code along with a sequence identifier code. During bulk code transfers that occur when changes are made to the stored sequences, such delimiter and identifier codes are shifted routinely without being distinguished from the sequences they separate.

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Lexington, KY, United States of America

William R McCray