US2237873A - Calculating device - Google Patents

Description

April 8, 1941. F. J. BAROK CALCULATING DEVICE Filed Aug. 27, 1938 s Sheets-Sheet 1 46 4 5 INVENTOR A? F/M/wr dfi/mo/r BY 24M ATTORNEYS A ril 8, 1941. F, i BAROK 2237,8113

CALCULATING navrcs Filed Aug. 27, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS April 8, 1941. F. J. BAROK CALCULATING DEVICE Filed Aug. 27, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 v KM. w m mflwm m m VJ T N T In A M Patented Apr. 8, 1941 EJNEZTE STATES PATENT EFFEQE CALCULATIN G DEVICE Frank J. Barok, New York, N. Y.

Application August 2'7, 1938, Serial No. 227,083

2 Claims.

The invention relates to a calculating device by means of which the addition and/or subtraction of figures, even of unequal units, in any combination, and in any number, may be accomplished with speed and accuracy, the device being capable of operation by a person having no particular skill or special aptitude. The device is characterized by facility of operation, substantial noiselessness in such operation, convenience in size, so it may be carried about by a person in his pocket, and the exclusion of all possibility of error. The unequal units, to the addition and subtraction of which my novel device is particularly applicable, may be such units as feet, inches and fractions thereof, which unequal units, in any number, and in any sequence, may be added and/or subtracted, the result of the addition or subtraction, or a combination of these two, being indicated directly upon the face of the device immediately upon the completion of the successive operations.

My novel device is also characterized by means giving simultaneously, for direct visual observation upon the face thereof, the decimal Values of fractions and of the fractions equivalent to the result of the addition, subtraction, or combined addition and subtraction of a plurality of fractional values.

One of the objects of my novel device, therefore, is to provide a construction which makes possible the direct reading of the total secured by the addition of units such as feet, inches and fractions, or any order of magnitude of these, the reading of the remainder secured by the subtraction of feet, inches and fractions, or the result secured by the successive operations of addition and subtraction of a plurality of values of feet, inches and fractions, in whichever direction such calculating operation is carried out, the ultimate result being shown upon the face of the device for ready notation by the operator.

The device of the present invention comprises, broadly speaking, a casing and a plurality of peripherally notched slide rings so arranged about a central pivot point as to be rotatable through arcs of 120 in either direction. The device further comprises a series of concentrically arranged slide ring guides within which are positioned the peripherally notched series of slide rings, the rings being, by means of such slide ring guides movable concentrically around the common central point. The series of peripherally notched slide rings are provided with notations corresponding to fractions, inches, feet, tens, and hundreds of feet. By an extremely simple operation of successively moving individual slide rings concentrically about the central point, the addition or subtraction of these unequal units may be accomplished with speed and accuracy, the result being indicated upon a superimposed dial face of the device.

Various novel structural features of my calculating device will be pointed out hereinafter in conjunction with the description of a particular embodiment thereof selected for illustration and description. Such illustrative embodiment of my novel structure is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a plan view of my novel calculating device showing the cover or up per surface thereof; Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the calculating device with the dial face removed therefrom so as to show the interior structure thereof; Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 4 with the dial cover plate in place; Fig. 6 is a plan View of the casing of my novel calculating device showing the plurality of concentrically arranged segmental slots and the circular slide ring guides, the former extending in an arc of of the casing; and Fig. '7 is a side view of the casing shown in Fig. 6.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in which similar reference characters identify similar parts in the several views, the device comprises a housing IQ of sheet metal, or molded or pressed composition material, at the center of which is a hub H surrounded by a hub [2 of a handle lever is. The hub i2 is provided in its exact center with a depression I4 constituting a pivot point support for the center of a cover plate l5 preferably constituted of Celluloid or a composition material such as Bakelite or other synthetic resin material.

Positioned upon the housing l3 and spaced therefrom by peripheral flange i6 is a disc I! having a plurality of concentrically arranged slide ring guides l8, l9, 2%, El, 22 and 23 pressed from the surface thereof so as to extend upwardly therefrom. Formed by the innermost slide ring guide 23, the bottom of the disc H and the adjacent outer surface of the hub i2, is a spring housing 24 containing a spring 25 the inner end of which is secured by pin 25 to the hub [2 at the inner end of the lever IS, the outer end of the spring being anchored within a slot 21 in the innermost slide ring guide 23.

The disc H, as shown particularly in Figs. 5 and 6, is provided with a plurality of concentrically arranged segmental slots 28, 29, 30, 3|

and 32 which extend from a point just to the right of the upper half of the vertical center line of the device through substantially 120 of the circumference of the disc.

Positioned upon the disc I1 and supported for concentric sliding movement thereon, are a plurality of rings 33, 3t, 35, 35 and 31 which ride upon the disc H and adjacent the guides, i8, I9, 23, 2i and 22, respectively, by means of series of prongs 3B, 39, 453, i! and 4.2, respectively, such prongs being provided at suitable intervals throughout the circumference of each of the rings and depending therefrom. Each of the rings 33,

to 3'7, inclusive, is provided with stop lugs -13, 44, 45, 48 and M, respectively, which pass through the segmental slots 28 to 32, inclusive, as'shown in Fig, 3.

Of the rings 33 to 31, inclusive, the outermost ring 33 is provided, throughout its inner peripheral edge, with arcuate slots 58; the next ring 35 has both its outer and inner peripheral edges provided with arcuate recesses 49 and 56, respectively; the next ring 35 has a plurality of arcuate recesses 55 provided along its outer peripheral edge and arcuate recesses 52 along its inner peripheral edge; the ring 36 has its outer and inner peripheral edges likewise provided with arcuate recesses 53 and -5, respectively; and the last ring 3'? has its outer peripheral edge provided with arcuate recesses 55.

The outer ring 33 has stamped thereon, in any convenient manner, fractional values, for instance from e to these notations being designated by reference character A, the notations extending through 120 of the circumference of the ring. The ring St has applied thereto the numerals 1 to 24 designated by the reference character B likewise extending through 120 of the circumference of said ring. The ring has the notavided with two series of arcuate segmental slots 82, S3, 6 and 55 on the right-hand half of such cover plate, and oppositely curved arcuate segmental slots 63, 6?, 68 and on the left-hand side of the cover plate. Through these slots appear the peripheral notches or recesses of the various rings positioned beneath the cover plate. Along the lower half of the vertical center line of the cover plate are windows or openings 10, H, 72, 50 and i l positioned so as to reveal the notations A, B, C, D, and E, inclusive, of the underlying rings. At the top of the cover plate is a window if: through which may be viewed the decimal notations F.

Adjacent the outer edges of the arcuate segmental slots 62 to 65 on the right hand side of the cover plate, and $5 to 69 on the left hand side of the cover plate, are notations showing, in that order, fractions, inches, feet, tens and hundreds of feet, the notations being opposite each of the peripheral recesses or notches in the underlying rings as shown in Fig. 1. In such figure, the zero notations on the underlying rings are under all of the windows 10 to 75, inclusive, which is the position to which the various rings should be brought, as hereinafter explained, before commencing the adding or subtracting operations capable of being accomplished by the device.

The cover plate I5 is secured to the housing ID by means of a plurality of spring locking lugs 16 which may be disposed in any convenient number throughout the periphery of the cover plate so as to secure the same to the housing Ill by having such lugs snap into recesses 11 provided for such purpose in the side of the housing.

The housing Ill is formed along the bottom side edges thereof in such manner as to accommodate the heads of thumb tacks shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, the shafts of the tacks being accommodated within apertures 13. In this manner, the device may be conveniently secured to a drawing board or other supporting surface. The size of the entire device, however, may be conveniently made as small as approximately five inches in diameter, and no more than inch in thickness, so that it may be carried in a pocket.

Turning now to the series of notations applied to the face of the cover plate l5, each of the segmental slots 62 to 65, inclusive, on the right-hand side of the cover plate, and the segmental slots 66 to 69, inclusive, on the left-hand side of the cover plate are provided with such notations. The notations along the segmental slots 62 to 65, designated by the reference character a constitute notations of fractions from to The notations along the segmental slots 63 and 6'! are from 0 to 24, designated by the reference character b, representing inch values. The notations along the segmental slots 64 to 68, designated by the reference character 0, represent feet. The notations along segmental slots 65 and 69, along the outer peripheries thereof, designated by the reference character d, represent tens of feet; While the same series of notations identify the hundreds of feet, as if provided along the opposite edge of the slots 65 and 69.

Near the upper extremity of each of the segmental slots 62 and 66, there is provided an enlargement 56 of such segmental slot extending to a distance equivalent to that of two of the arcuate recesses or notches of the underlying ring. From the mid-point of the arcuate slots 63 and 61, downwardly, extend auxiliary slots 51 of a length approximately such as to uncover two of the arcuate recesses or notches along the periphery of the underlying ring. At the upper extremities of the arcuate slots 63 and 6'1, and of a length sufficient to uncover three of the peripheral arcuate recesses or notches of the underlying ring, are auxiliary slots 58. At the upper extremity of the segmental slots 64 and 68 are provided auxiliary slots 59 of a length uncovering two of the arcuate peripheral recesses of the underlying ring. In like manner, segmental slots 65 and 69, near their upper extremities uncover, by means of auxiliary slots 60, two of the peripheral arcuate recesses of the underlying ring.

Returning now to the peripheral recesses provided upon the various rings concentrically arranged for sliding movement upon the slide ring guides the outer ring 33 has its inner periphery divided into 96 divisions by means of such peripheral recesses, each division thus representing 3 45' of the total central angle of the ring. The ring 34 is divided along both its inner and outer periphery into 72 divisions, each peripheral recess representing 5 of the total central angle of the ring. The outer and inner peripheries of the rings 35 and 36 and the outer periphery of the ring 31 are divided into 30 divisions, eachperipheral recess representing 12 of the total central angle.

The operation of the device is as follows:

Before the commencement of a calculating operation, whether addition, subtraction or a combination of these two, all of the rings 33 to 31, inclusive, are brought, by means of the handle l3 to their zero position, i. e., in which the legend appears through all of the windows or openings ID to 75, inclusive. This is accomplished by raising the handle 13 from its position illustrated in full lines in Fig. 4 (position II) to the position thereof illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 4 (position I). If the arithmetical computation to be performed with the device is the addition of fractions, inches and feet, or any combination of such units, the right-hand side of the device is to be used by inserting the end of any available pointed instrumentality, such as a pencil or stylus, into the appropriate arcuate recess or notch of the series, a, b, c, d or e, and the ring rotated clockwise until the end of the pencil or stylus abuts the lower end of the segmental slot in which it rides, the unit thus selected, representing the number or fraction to which another number or fraction is to be added, being then visible in the corresponding window in the lower portion of the cover plate. The pencil or stylus is then removed from the recess or notch and positioned in another recess or notch corresponding to the unit or fraction to be added. For instance, if the unit to be added is another fraction, the pencil is positioned within the recess or notch opposite the notation a corresponding to the fraction to be added, and the ring further rotated until the pencil again abuts against the end of the segmental slot 32. Upon the completion of this operation, the sum of the two fractions added Will appear in the window It. If the sum of the two fractions being added is more than 1, i. e. more than the pencil, before reaching the end of the segmental slot 62, will stick, having been brought to a stop by the stop lug 43, preventing the further rotation of the ring 33. The

sticking of the pencil at this point indicates that to the fraction originally dialled there has already been added that much of the fraction to be added, as has brought the intermediate sum to In such case, without removing the pencil point, the ring is rotated in the reverse direction, the pencil sliding in the segmental slot 62 until it is brought opposite the upper end of the auxiliary slot 56 in the upper extremity of the slot 62, the pencil then being transferred from its position in the arcuate recess or notch in the ring 33 into the oppositely disposed recess or notch in the auxiliary slot 56, i. e., that of the ring 34, and the pencil drawn along the length of such slot 56 so as to give the ring 35 a partial revolution equivalent to one peripheral arcuate recess thereof. By this movement of the ring 34, there has been thus dialled one unit thereof. Upon the completion of this operation, the total of the two fractions added will appear in the two windows and H, in the latter the inch unit (dialled by the movement of ring 3d) and in the former, the fractional value of the sum over the unit (previously dialled on. ring 33). Thus, if the two fractions added by the above described operation are and ag the sum of these two fractions, namely will appear in the window 10 as If, however, to, for instance, is to be added, for in stance, ie, the first operation is to dial which fraction will then appear in window 10, and then to dial t; by means of the pencil. However, in

dialling the value if, the ring 33 can be rotated by means of the pencil only to the point where two arcuate recesses removed from the lower end of the segmental slot 62, the further rotation of the ring 33 being prevented by stop lug 43, when only 5% of the e;- to be added to the t2, has been added, necessitating the retrograde rotation of the ring 33 to the upper extremity of the segmental slot 62 and then moving the pencil into the auxiliary slot 56, and thereafter moving the pencil within such slot the length thereof (one notch on ring 34), upon the completion of which operation there Will appear in the window 71], the fraction and in the Window 1 i, the number "1 indicating that the sum of the two fractions added was /3 i. e. 1%.

Substantially the same operation for the addition of two similar units, for instance, inches to inches, is carried out by means of the segmental slot 63, with the exception that if upon the dialling of the second unit to be added the pencil sticks before reaching the lower extremity of the slot 63, and such unit to be added is between 1" and 12", the ring 35 is rotated in reverse direction until the pencil is opposite the upper extremity of the auxiliary intermediate slot 51 into which it is then moved and the ring 35 rotated the length of such auxiliary slot, i. e., one notch of ring 35, while in the event that the second unit to be added is between the values 12" and 24, the ring 34 is reversely rotated until the pencil is opposite the upper auxiliary slot 58 and the pencil moved from the recess of ring 34 to the opposite recess of ring 35, and the latter then moved two notches.

Substantially the same operation is carried out in adding feet, tens of feet, and hundreds of feet by means of the rings 35, 36 and El.

A similar operation of addition of fractions to inches, fractions to feet, or to tens or hundreds of feet, or inches to feet, or any combination of the various units indicated on the cover plate of my device may be carried out.

In the dialling of any fraction of the series a, the exact decimal value thereof and the exact decimal value of the sum of any added fractions will appear in the window l5. This result is secured by providing upon the surface of the outer ring 33, diagonally opposite the fraction thereon, the equivalent decimal value, so that when a particular fraction appears visible through the window 10, the equivalent decimal value thereof appears simultaneously at the diagonally opposite window '15.

After any particular series of operations of addition have been accomplished as hereinabove described, the device is again brought into condition for carrying out the next arithmetical operations by pulling the handle l3 which had been brought upon the release thereof, automatically to its lowermost position, by the spring, is again brought to its upper I position to bring the series of rings to their zero positions.

Substantially the same operations, in like order, are carried out upon the left-hand side of the device for subtracting therewith. Such subtraction may be that of fractions from fractions, inches from inches, fractions from feet, inches from feet, or any combination of these various units, whether like or unlike. Thus, my novel device accomplishes the ordinary arithmetical operations of addition and subtraction, even of unlike units, such as fractions, inches, and feet, with facility and speed and without any possibility of error, so long as the correct notches for the insertion of the stylus, are selected.-

For indicating the facility of operation of my novel device, I give hereinbelow a specific example involving the addition of a plurality of values including the addition of a figure involving feet, inches and fractions to another figure of feet, inches and fractions, and thereafter the subtraction of another similar figure from the total secured by the addition.

Thus, in the carrying out of the operation, by means of my novel device, of the addition of 127 feet and 19% inches, to 56 feet, 7% inches, and then the subtraction from the total of such figures of 26 feet, 8 inches, the problem being set forth mathematically as follows:

:sum to be found :remainder to be found the successive operations are as follows:

Taking a stylus or pencil, the ointed end thereof is inserted into the notch opposite the numeral 5 in the outer portion of the arcuate slot 65 and the pencil moved along such slot until it abuts against the lower end thereof. The numeral 5 will then appear in the window 73. The pencil is inserted next into the notch opposite the numeral 6 in the arcuate slot 64 and the pencil moved along such slot until it abuts the lower end thereof. The numeral 6 will then appear in the window 72. Next, the pencil is inserted into the notch opposite the numeral 7 in the arcuate slot 63 and the pencil moved until it abuts the lower end of such slot, the numeral '7 appearing in the window H. Next, the pencil is placed in the notch opposite the notation in the arcuate slot 62 and the pencil moved down until it abuts the lower end of such slot. The fraction is will now appear in the window 10. In this manner, the value 56 7%" is dialled. Next, the pencil is placed into the notch in the inside half of series e of the arcuate slot 65 opposite the numeral 1 and the pencil brought to the lower extremity of such arcuate slot, thus dialling the value 100 feet. Next, the pencil is placed into the notch opposite the numeral 1 of series 0, in the arcuate slot 64 and the pencil moved along such slot as far as it will go, which will be opposite the numeral 3. To this point, 4 feet of the 7 to be added have been added to the 6 feet already dialled. It will now be necessary to bring the pencil, without removing it from the slot, to the upper extremity of the slot 64 and move the pencil into the auxiliary slot 59 in which auxiliary slot it is then moved one notch, i. e. to the bottom end of the auxiliary slot. Then the pencil is placed into the notch opposite the numeral 19 in slot '63 and moved along such slot as far as it will go, namely 17 notches, the penci1 then being opposite the numeral 2 in such slot. The pencil, without being removed from the slot, is then moved in reverse direction therein to the point opposite the upper extremity of the auxiliary slot 57 and then into the upper of the two notches in such auxiliary slot and through the length of the slot. Next, the pencil is placed into the notch opposite the notation in arcuate slot 62 and moved in the slot until it abuts the lower extremity thereof.

At the completion of these operations, the sum of the two figures being added will appear in the windows 10 to 14, inclusive.

In order to subtract, from this total, the figures 2'6 8%,", the left-hand side of the device is now brought into operation as follows:

The pencil is placed into the notch opposite the figure 2 in the outside portion of the arcuate slot 69 and the pencil moved along such slot until it abuts the lower extremity thereof. Next, the pencil is placed into the notch opposite the figure 6 in the arcuate slot 68, the pencil being moved along such slot until it abuts the lower extremity thereof. Next, the pencil is placed in the notch opposite the figure 8 in the arcuate slot G l and moved along such slot to the bottom extremity thereof. Next, the pencil is placed into the notch opposite the notation in the arcuate slot 66 and moved in such slot until it abuts the lower extremity thereof.

Upon the completion of these operations, the result of the complete arithmetical computation will appear in the windows it to I4, inclusive.

It will be noted that my novel calculating device is characterized by the provision of a plurality of rings concentrically arranged and rotatable in a horizontal plane about a central point without any bearings therefor. Obviously, the capacity of my device may be increased by adding rings thereto, for instance, another ring corresponding to thousands of feet.

While I have described a particular embodiment of my invention, 1. e. one which is applicable for the carrying out of mathematical computations involving the addition and/or subtraction and/or a combination of these two computations, in a plurality of operations to the particular maximum capacity for which the device has been designed and constructed, involving feet, inches and fractions, it is obvious that by providing different legends, and making appropriate changes in the notch divisions in the rings, the device is equally applicable for the carrying out of similar computations of other figures and units, for instance, monetary units such as mills, cents, dollars and hundreds of dollars, an application particularly useful in banks and general mercantile houses. In the application of my novel device to the computation of such figures, in which the decimal system forms the basis for the various values, the construction of the device is particularly simple.

A more striking application of my novel structure may be made in providing the same with notations making possible the mathematical computation of currency not having a decimal basis, for instance, English money, namely pounds, shillings and pence. With my novel device, the computations involved, for instance, in the addition of certain numbers of pounds, shillings and pence to another figure involving the same units, or the subtraction of one figure of such units from another, can be accomplished with speed and facility. Likewise, the device is applicable for computations involving weight measures, as pounds and ounces.

While I have described a specific embodiment of my inventive structure, it is obvious that various changes therein, particularly in the arrangement and configuration of the several parts thereof may be made without departing from my invention. For instance, while I have shown the arcuate recesses 62 to 63, inclusive, as extending overarcs of 120 of the circumference of the cover plate, corresponding recesses, with appropriate divisions, extending over arcs of 60, or even 45, 1. e., any sub-multiple of 380, may be used.

I have found the submultiple 120 the most suitable, as the use thereof leaves sufficient room, upon the face of the cover plate, for the necessary notations.

I claim:

1. A device .for carrying out mathematical computations involving the addition and subtraction of a plurality of values of equal and unequal units, which comprises a housing, a disc mounted, in said housing, a plurality of slide ring guides concentrically disposed on said disc, a plurality of arcuate segmental slots in said disc, a hub at the center of said housing and disc, a plurality of rings concentrically arranged in the same plane for rotative movement upon said disc, each of said rings being provided with at least one series of stylus receiving recesses, a plurality of lugs extending from the lower surfaces of said concentrically arranged rings in engagement with said slide ring guides, each of the concentrically arranged rings being provided at one point along its peripheral edge with a stop lug adapted to ride in the corresponding segmental slot in said disc, said housing being provided with abutments to limit the extent of rotation of said rings, indicia on each of said rings, and a' cover plate having a pair of concentrically :disposed segmental slots for each ring extending throughout an arc which is a sub-multiple of 360, indicia on said cover plate adjacent to each of said slots, a series of radially spaced sight openings in said cover plate disposed substantially on a straight line, said indicia on said cover plate adjacent to each of said slots being used to indicate the points at which a stylus is to be inserted when the device is to be operated, said indicia on each of said rings affording direct readings through each of said corresponding sight openings, said series of radially spaced sight openings, when viewed together, afiording direct readings of integrated total values, whether the mathematical computation involves only addition, only subtraction, or both.

2. A calculator of the class described comprising in a single group of concentrically mounted elements, an outer casing element having a face plate formed with a first series of concentric arcuate slots of predetermined extent at one side of the center, a second series of concentric arcuate slots of like predetermined extent in diametrically opposite disposition .at the other side of the center, and a series of sight openings disposed along a radius between said first and second series of arcuate slots; a series of annular elements all mounted in the same plane adjacent to the undersurface of said face plate, each being constructed and arranged for manual rotation around their common central axis independently of the others, said annular rotatable elements being formed with circumferential serrations adapted to be engaged readily by an instrument extended through any of said arcuate slots for effecting manual rotation of a selected annular element; said annular elements and said casing element having stop devices in suitable disposition for interengagement to limit the extent of rotation of each annular member; said face plate being provided with indicia significant of numerical values of different predetermined orders adapted to be correlated by rotative displacement of the several annular members relatively to said face plate and each other, and said annular elements being provided with indicia in concentric series visible through said single series of radial sight openings in the face plate; the character and disposition of said indicia on the face plate and on said respective annular elements being such that upon rotation of any selected annular element or elements to a given position or positions, there will be visible indicia upon the annular elements, viewed through said same series of radial sight openings, and there exhibited for direct reading, the correct integrated total value resulting both from adding the values corresponding to the respective rotative displacements of the selected annular mem- .bers in one direction, and subtracting therefrom the values corresponding to their displacement rotatively in the opposite direction, whether said rotative displacements be all clockwise or all counterclockwise, or clockwise and counterclockwise in any desired order of alternation.

FRANK J. BAROK.

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