GB840694A - Electrically-interconnected mechanical calculating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

840,694. Electric calculating apparatus. SPRINGIES, E., and ROSE, H. Oct. 23, 1956 [Nov. 4, 1955], No. 32257/56. Class 106 (1). A mechanical key-set printing calculating machine 51 is connected electrically for the transmission of numbers to a mechanical multiplying machine 58 and to an electrical circuit 66 for determining values dependent upon the amounts entered into it. The apparatus may be used for pay-roll calculations, in which case the circuit 66 may be pre-arranged to determine tax amounts or insurance contributions in accordance with the wage. A further mechanical accounting machine 15 and intermediate storage and blancing mechanism 61 may also be provided. The calculating machine may comprise a set of reciprocable differential actuator racks 71 and each of these may drive a bar 17, Fig. 3, carrying a contact 18 which moves over contacts 19 and rests on that on corresponding to the digit entered. A corresponding control potential is thus applied to lead 56 to transmit the digit from the machine. The bars 17 may be engaged by a pawl 23 releasable by a magnet 21. The potential on the lead 56 causes a rod 25, Fig. 4, in a receiver of the multiplying machine to take up a longitudinal position corresponding to the digit to be received, in the manner described in Specification 833,742. On operation of a cam 26 an arm 27 is rocked and a slide 28 on the rod 25 is shifted to rock that one of a set of levers 30 associated with the digit being received and to depress the corresponding key 33 of the multiplying machine 58. The transmitter of the latter may comprise rotary switches driven by its totalizer wheels and arranged' to apply, to different denominational leads, potentials representing the digital positions of the wheels. These potentials, by means of an electromagnetic device 39, Fig. 6, for each denomination in the calculating machine 51, differentially set a bar 38, again in the manner described in Specification 833,742. The bar 38 has a stepped end 40 which differentially arrests the actuator 71 of the calculating machine 51. When amounts are being entered manually into the latter, magnets 41 are operated to rock upper sections 43 of the stepped portions 40 out of the path of the actuators. The circuit 66 has input leads 45, Fig. 7, one of which is marked according to the input amount. Connected to each lead 45 is a selector switch 46, these switches being set, under the control of keys 69 of the calculating machine, in accordance with the amount to be determined, e.g. income tax, or insurance contribution. A single lead 47 is thus marked, and over diodes 48, marks appropriate control bank contacts 49 of five denominational selector switches 50 which then take up corresponding positions so as to signal the amount of the tax or insurance contribution back to the calculating machine 51. Transmissions between units are controlled by key switches 12.