Keyboard Patents

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A gallery of patents that describe technologies or illustrate designs relating to IBM and family keyboards, typewriters and keypunches. This includes keyswitch/actuator designs, ornamental designs (overall appearance), integrated pointing devices such as TrackPoints, and host systems such as PCs, laptops, terminals, consoles and electronic typewriters. All illustrations provided are from the patents themselves, which are believed to be within the public domain. A total of 112 patents have been recorded. The patent list is currently filtered to 1 patent(s).

U.S. Utility Patent 2,895,584 (US2895584A)

A patent drawing depicting IBM's single element printing head

Applied 17 Nov 1955

Published 21 Jul 1959

Expired 21 Jul 1976

More info

Name	Single element printing head
Inventors	John E. Hickerson, Ralph E. Page, James A. Weidenhammer
Assignees	IBM
Description	An invention of a single, spherical device that can be used for typewriting and printing. Its surface is covered in characters in predictable locations, so the device can be rotated to select a desired character before being struck against paper. This was implemented as the "golfball" typing/printing element used by IBM Selectric family typewriters and printers.