US1084686A - Automatic time-accounting device. - Google Patents

Description

L. A. WILLIAMS.

AUTOMATIC TIME ACCOUNTING DEVICE APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24,1911.

Patented J an. 20, 1914.

3 sHEETssHnnT 1.

Inven DI nn AWMIHS AIIurnB '5 me s es W 50% L. A. WILLIAMS. AUTOMATIC TIME ACCOUNTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FBILZ L, 1911.

Pateuted'Jan. 20, 191 4.

3 SHEET SSHEET 2.

Wi 1155555 y (7% InvenIur ygjnn A.'Willl5m5 urna 5 accounting devices and Uurrnn sirnfrns PATENT OFFICE.

LYNN A. WILLIAMS, or nvnus'ron, ILLINOIS, Assienon, BY nnsun ASSIGNMENTS,-

TO WILLIAM R. HEATH, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC TIME-ACCOUNTING DEVICE.

useful Improvement in Automatic Time-Accounting Devices, (Case 7 of. which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exactdescription, companying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to automatic timehas for its object the provision of a mechanism for automatically taking account of a workmans time or wages. In devices of this kind, the arrangement is usually such that a workmans reg-.

ister is actuated periodically step by step, these periodic movements being controlled either hya clock directly or by some clock governed motor. v

In the prior art the mechanisms that are used for periodically actuating the registers are so constructed that the actuations occur either at the beginning or" a periodic interval or at the end. For. instance, it a register is to be actuated every fifteen minutes, there workman is credited would be four actuations everyhour, no matter whether the actuations occur at the beginning of the quarter or at the end. Let the actuations take place it be supposed that at the beginning of the quarter hour. In this event forthe hour, let us say, between seven and eight, the register would be actuated at 7.00, at 7.15, at 7.30 and at 7.45. By this arrangement it will be seen that the with fifteen minutes in advance during every quarter of an hour. The result of this would be that should a workman disconnect his register at 11.46, he would be credited w'th the full quarter between 11.'-l5 and 12.00; the ,re ister was actuated at 11.45. other this difliculty by causing the register to actuate at the end of a predetermined interval, so that the workman would be credited with a certainperiod only after such periodhad elapsed, then this ditliculty arises: Let it be supposed that the beginning of the days work is at 7.00 and that the workmcns registers are actuated at the end of every fifteen minutes so that the first actuation would 00- On the cur at 7,15. It is evident that the Workman Specification of Letters Patent.

referenoebeing had to the ac for the reason that hand, should it be desired to escape before 7.15, as for instance, at 7.1%, would be creditedwith the full fifteen minutes lQQ'. tween 7.00 and 7.15. From these illustrations it should be plain, that no-matte'r whether a register is actuated at the beginend of such interval, it will be possible for aworkman to credit himself with time and wages to which he is not entitled. Inventors along this line have recognized this vdifiiculty and there are patents in the art which show devices for causing registrations to be made attire beginning as well as at the end of periodic intervals, and subsequently making proper corrections for the overactuations. A concrete what is meant: Assuming that the register is to be operated once every fifteen minutes, then, according to certain of the devices in the prior art, such a register would be operated at 7.00, at 7.15, at 7.30, at 7.45 and at 8;00. There would thus be five one-quarter hour actuations for every hour. The purpose of this is, of course, to compel the workman to throw in his register at the beginning of an interval, and not to throw it out before the end of the interval, if he is to be credited with that intervah By the above arrangement, if a workman were to throw his register out of operation at any time between 7 a5 and 8.00, he would not be credited with that interval for the reason that there was no actuation at 8.00. Obviously, the result of such an arrangement is that the workmans time and wage-record at the end of the day is too large. Accordingly, devices in which the actuations occur at the beginningand at the end ofperiodic intervals workmans record, at certain times, is run backward a sufiicient' amount to makethe proper corrections. This is, of course, an awkward and undesirable arrangement,

The object of my present invention is a register-actuating device whichv operates the register at the end of periodic intervals, with the provision that the workman is required to set his register-operating mechanism into actuating position at the beginning of an interval. The result of this is that although there is but one actuation during an interval, yet this actuation will not occur unless themechanism has been set into operating position at the beginning of the interval by the workman. Furthermore, according to have auxiliary: arrangements whereby the Patent-ed. Jan. 20,1914, Application filed February 24, 1911. Serial No. 610,512.

ning of a predetermined interval or at the example will make clear just turn on the shaft 1.

my invention, it a workman should during an interval throw his actuating clutch into inoperative position, it will be impossible for the clutch to make ope'ative conn ction with the register-operating mechanism except at the beginning of the next interval. In other workman is to he credited with val it necessary for him to allow 1. position our-lira l'l accordi; g n v and ending peri to may, it desired. be d" later on. These ant suits of my iinventio as the s 'ieeilieation proceeds. RQfQllflJlQf to the accompanyin drawings. wherein lilre characters refer to CU]..1?@SPO]1.- ing parts. Figure 1 is a 'l i of in l vice. 2 is a side v lrtlv in crosssection for the sa'ie i shows a suitable arrar tor actuating the clutch-member he i Fig. 4 a top view of .l

ire interval: ill-else.

referred to. I) is a 'ievv on line 5?) of 1 to show the position 0" certain parts when. tl i z "2 tive position, as hereinafter ,6 shows an arrangement. 0' Vided' with my novel form of aetuati I mechanism. and ea arrar ment whereby the aetuations or" several re, may he total'ized into a su'i'nnationare L1.- Figr. 7 is a side view of a suitable (liite ential gear which I m y employ inconuection with the arran; nent shown in F1 and Fig. 8 1s a. Cl'OSS-SQ-TlllO iil new of 7 on line o-8.

Upon the shaft 1 is loosely mounted the atcliet-wheel 2. to which. secured. either integrally or separately. the r 'isl'er-actuating gear 3. For the sake of simplicity I have indicated a register diagramuiatieally at R, 'eonnectedwith thegear through gear 0'. Beside the ratchet-wheel 2 is mounted an arm at, this arm lgieing tree "to The wheels 2 and and the arm -lare prevented from longitudinal movement on the shaft by being held between two collars 5 and 6 secured to the shaft. The arm is, its outer end, pro vided with a pawl pivoted thereon at 8. As seen from Fig. 1, this pawl is adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchet-wheel The arm t is furthermore provided with a casing or housing 9 within which i: secured a lug 10. This lug ha. an EXtGHSlOH 11 within the housing, one end of: the stern projecting through an openi in the arm as may be seen -from Fig. 2. spring: 12, hearing at one end against the washer if} on the stem of the lug and at its other end against the arm 4-, normally tends to hold the lug outwardly in the positi is shown in F i 1;, desired ma have it in All tell to remain in open live i indicated lx-y the arr nose-ass s thrmvn into opan interval. as will Secured to the lutch pli shaft into operative positioin that to into a position in which like side ll? of ie sector portion will cue-age with the lug as shown in Fig. 5. (inc convenient way accomplishing" this is illustrated in. the

d awzn Zr yoke has the outer ends at its arms engaging in a groove in. the hub of the clutch-member. This vol'ie 1s pivotee at 2 L and has an extension 2. it handle in the form of a. loop 26 is formed on the lo ver end of the extension provide a handle wherehy a workman may readily throw his clutch into and out oil? operative position. Also, in order that the clutch may not he accidentally shifted from one position to another any suitable means may lie employed for retaining the clutch in it 'l "lied posi- En 2 I have shown a spring liladc so supported with re poet to the et--:tension that the latter will rest upon one side or other of the projection or displacement 28 on the spring blade. T

DIS clutrlnuiem her is adapted to he moved periodically jliorard. in the direction indicated by the arrow in F i. This forward movement takes place during a predetermined interval and at the end of the interval the clutch-meniher is automatically restored to initial position. which is the position in which it is shown in Fig. 11.. Various schemes may he employed -or producing; this o .illaterv nn'ivenient Oii the elutehanemher. For the sake of illustration 1 have shown th sl lprovid d and t. This arm is rigidly secnrer shaft and at its outer end. prov l extension 19.

my device. I shall assaiue. :3 the. ea 2 o" illustration that the cam ?0 male; lution every li'liteen nnnnt the fU- ow in I an inter "l inina eyed for shifting this cnitehmeuilier along:

dotted lines in Fig. 3. Atthis moment the angular position of the clutch-member will be that indicated in Fig. 1; From this position of the clutch-member it will be. seen that one side of the lug 1G and the engaging port-ion 17 of the clutchduember are substair tially in alinement, so that should the clutchmember be moved toward the arm at, the lug 10 and the clutch-member will engage each other, as shown in Fig. 5, whereby the arm 4 and-the clutcl1me1nber will be virtually locked together. Therefore, as the arm 18 is raised by the movement of the cam, the clutch-member will carry with it the arm l. The parts are so proportioned that whenat the end of an interval the arm 18 is at the highest point of the cam surface and is ready io drop into its.init-ial position. the angular movement of the clutch-member and the arm 4 will be precisely'the distance of one tooth on the ratchet-wheel 2. The result is that at the end of the interval the pawl T on the arm i will drop into. the next succeeding tooth on the ratchet-wheel. The

moment that the arm 18 drops back into its initial position, the clutch-member 15 will, of course, be likewise moved back into its initial position, that is to say, into the position. in which itis shown in Fig. 1. During this forward movementof the clutch-member and the arm 4, while the pawl 7 is riding up ,the inclined surface of the en aging tooth, accidental rotation oi the ratchetwheel in that direction is prevented by the locking dog 7', which is held against the teeth of the ratchet-wheel by the spring 8'. As soon as the locking engagementbetween the lug 10 on the arm 4 and the clutch-meni- .ber isbroken, the spring 29 secured to the outer end of the arm l asserts itself and draws the arm 4 back into its initial or inoperative position. A stop 8, or any suit able means, limits the return movement of the arnui" This return or baclrverrd' movement of the arm is accompanied by a movement of the ratchet wheel whereby the register (see Fig. 2) is operated through the gears 25 and 3. Inasmuch as the angular position 0% the clutch-member begins to changei roni the very beginning of an interval and continues to change to the end of the interval, it will be apparent that at any time during an interval, thepositionlof the clutch-member,

assuming it to be in its inoperative position as shown in Fig. 2, will be such that the engaging portion 17 will havetraveled past the lug 10. So that, should the workman throw his clutch-member into operative position "during an interval, the sector portion 16 will abut against the end of the lug 10,

It will be seen that in this way there is no locking engagement eifected between the l and the clutch-member. The latter will simply move by the inwardly pressed lug without 1 producing any movement of the arm l. At the end of the interval the clutch-member will be restored to the position in which it I is shown in Fig. 1, and there will have been no actuation of the register at that moment. Should the worlnnan leave his clutch in, then at the beginning ol the new interval, the lug $16 will be freed and permitted to extend so as to is engaged by the clutch-member 15, l as shown in Fig.- 5. With the parts thus loclred together at the beginning of the inl terval, the register will be actuated at the end of the interval, as above explained. Suppose, now, a workman should throw his clutch out toward the close of an interval. The-result of this would be that the arm would be drawn back into its initial or iuoperative position without actuating the ratchet-wheel 2, for the reason that the pawl 7 would not have dropped onto the next. toot-h, this action of the pawl not occurri (r before the end cl an interval. The woi man would, therefore, receive no credit for the interval during which he threw his clutch into inoperative position. It should \be apparent" from this description of the operation of my device that it is necessary.

for a worlnnan to threw his clutch. into operative position at the beginning of an int-erval in order to receive credit for that iii-- terval, with the further provision that he operating device herein show a ctuates the register the prdper number of times during any given period. That is to say, if the register is to be actuated ever quarter of hour, there will be only four actuations luring'that hour, one at the end of every piarte".

Various other results and effects may be accomplished by my invention. For. instance, by causing the forward swing of the clutch-member to equal the. space of more than one tooth it is possible to make a beginning period diti'erent from an ending period. This may be best explained by as suming a concrete illustration. supposed that the clutch-member moves forwardly during every half hour the distance of two teeth. In this way the beginning period is equal to half an-hour, whereas the ending period will amount to fifteen minutes only. That is to say, a workman who has not started by seven in the morning will receive no credit untilTBO and thereafter. If, however, he works until 11.46. he will get or.

dit tor the f fteen minutes between 11.30 and 11.45. "because when he throws his clutch out of 01 position at 1146, the pawl T of the arm 4: will have dropped into the next" succeeding tooth, whereby, when the arm is released, it will be drawn back by the spring 29 the distance ot' one tooth. In this way the register would in Fig. Gare the same as those shown in the "member 38-01. this differential other figures, and already described above, I shall simply refer to'the gearing arrangement in this figure. The gear 8 of each reg ister-operating mechanism engages with a gear which gear in turn engages with a gear for driving the associated register. The sleeve 3st loosely mounted on theshaft 3.3. The other end of the sleeve 34 has secured thereto one member 36 of a differential gear indicated as a whole by 87. As shown in the detail views of Figs. 7 and 8, the central set has journaled therein two pairs of pinions 39, and 4:1, 4:2, respectivelyQ The shaft of each pinion is at its end journaled in the housings Lt and secured to the central gear 3.8. The pinions 39 and 40 constituting one pair are in mesh with each other, and the )inions 41 and 4:2 constitutin the second pair a e in mesh with each other. Although I have shown two pairs of these pinions, it is clear that one'pair only might be used. The pinions 39 and 41 are in engagement with the teeth of the gear wheel 36. while the pinions 4.0 and 42 are in mesh with the teeth of the gear wheel 36". The proportionsoi'f the various parts of this differential gear mechanism are such that the rotations of the gear wheels 36 and 36 will be added by the central member 88 and transferred into the gear 44 of the summatioirregister AB. The actuations of registers A and B will,

therefore. be totalized in the summationregister AB. Similarly, will the aetuations of registers L and M'be totalized into the summahon-register LM. Should further totalization bedesired, the difierential gear connection above described may be extended to the summation registers AB and LM so as to totalize the actuations of these two registersinto a finalsummation-register. Various other arrangements of the registers will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

Although I have shown a specific struc ture to illustrateimy invention, I would have it understood that such illustration is merely by way of example, and that various alterations and modifications may be made in many of the details to carry out the essence of my invention. Thus, for instance, the

gear 32 is connected to one end of a aoeagese clutch-member may be of any suitable form other than-that shown in the drawings. So also may the part designated by 3 and herein called an arm take the form of. for instance, a disk. Also, the differential gear ing herein shown may be substituted by any other desirable form.

Having thus described my invention, what Ide'sire to claim as new and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination, a time-controlled shaft, an arm loosely mounted thereon and provided with a pawl, a ratchet-wheel adapt cd to be actuated by said pawl, a clutchmember secured to said. shaft to rotate there with, means on said arnr extending into the path of rotation of i said clutch-member, whereby the movement of thelatter in one direction is accompanied by a corresponding movement of said arm without actuatin said ratchet-wheel, means for moving said arm in the reverse.direction to actuate said ratchetrwheel, and a register adapted to be operated by said ratchet-wheel.

2. In combination,- a time-controllcd shaft.

an arm loosely mounted thereon and PIT),

adapted vided with a pawl, a ratchet-wheel to be actuated by said pawl, a clutcl1-1nembcr secured to said shaft to rotate therewith. means for temporarily locking said arm and clutch-member together, whereby the movement of the latter in one direction is accompanied by a corresponding movement of said arm without actuating said. ratchet wheel, means for moving said arm in the reverse direction to actuate said ratcliet\vheel, and a register adapted to be operated by said ratchet-Wheel.

3. In combination,- a time-controlled shaft, an arm loosely mounted thereon and provided with a pawl, a ratchet-wheel adapted to be actuated by said pawl, a clutch-member secured to said shaft to rotate therewith, but

slidable longitudinally, thereon, means for shifting said clutch-member into operative and inoperative position, a lug on saidarin extending into the path oi rotation of. said clutch-men'iber when the latter is in its operative position, whereby the movement of said clutch-member in one direction is arcompanied by a corresponding movement of said arm without actuatingsaid ratcheiwheel, means for movingsaid arm in the re verse direction to actuate said ratchetwheel, and a register adapted to be operated by said ratchet-wheel.

4. In combination, a movable arm pm. vided with a pawl, a register, mechanism adapted to be actuated by said pawl for operating the register, a clutch-membcr adapted to be periodically actuatec l in alternate directions. means for temporarily locking said arm and clutch-member together. whereby the movement of the latter in one direction is accon'ipanied by a corres innidiug her to opera ilR re ter-opcrating mechanism, said secon ass iarism, \Ci iE lii combiv a able iheinhci loosely ed therer I mechanism conirol d by said an intervals, 21 second 1 shaft to rotate therewith, nieci Cally actuating said sh t in ii tions, means for iocliing said inei gethei' during movement of said s one direction without affecting her being free from the mo able during i'he rererse inoreraeiit of the e and means tor moving-said l'iISt-EZIPTH) so member in thereye se dire e said mechanism, whereby the 1 cperated.

register, a first me n beronly at the beginning of an interval When said time controlied member is mired into operative position, and means ii'hereby, with such connection established, d first men'lber is actuated at the end of the inter val to operate the res. ter.

7. In aregister-o' ici ating device, the combination of mechanism for actuating the register, a time-controlled clutch-memb r adapted to he actuated. during pe iodic tervals, means for permitting gagernent between said nieehani m and. clutch-member only at the be interval, to cause actuation of the r the end of the interval, anda 021111 is" one ating the clutch member.

8. In a registei operat-ing device the combination of a movable arin provided with apawl, register-negotiating:mechanism 4 to be actuated by said'pawi upon movement of said arm in ti proper direction, a timeeontrolled clutch L a ember adapt-ed tuated during periodic interval permitting locking engagement ineehanism and said elutcibmer the beginning of an interval, moving said arni at the end of an an to actuate said mechanism.

. 9, In a register, -act11 ting device, the combination of a movable rm havlng a ing, a

clutch-member associated with said arm and provided with an engaging portion, means for rot-a 1g said member forwardly during periodic intervals and automatically restoring; it to ii "ial position at the end of an iirwrval and EKl ETiS for shifting said mem he into over: re position, said engaging portion and said ing being arranged to perznit a connection between said arm and said eiutclirnemher it t -e beginning of an in 2 l terral, when dutch-member is shifted operative position, but to prevent the ssmg oi such connect-1011 during an recreating device, the cominovable member having a .Je", mechanism adapted to be i pawl for operating the L on said arm, clutch-mem- ..t with said arm and provided portion, means for rotata member forwardly during "periodic and automatically restoring it to is initial position the of an interval,

for shifting member into ope-rposition, said engaging portion and s lug being arranged to permit a conned tieto he made between said arr-n and said clutch- ;1e111ber only at the beginning of an lDtBTY=l when said member is shifted to its operative position. whereby said members crwardly together duringthe in terrai, and means for moving said arm n t e reverse direction at the end of an interval to actuate the register.

11. Theconibination of a register, a first member for periodically actuating the same at the end of predetermined intervals, a clutclrniember associated with said first member, and means requiring aconnection between said first member and said clutchmember to be iade at the beginning of an intervai in order to cause actuation of the the end or" the interval.

The combination of a register, a first member for periodicaily actuatmgthe same at the of predetermined intervals, a dutch-member associated with said first ei'nber, and cans for compelling coneonnee -n between said first menisaid dutch-member from the begin- L the end of an interval, in order to as said first member to actuate the regis r the end of the interval.

123 A registe'sctnatmgdevice ,coinpris 211g, in combination, a movable arm held Eiormaliy in' an inoperative position, ratchet-Wheel adapted to be actuated thereby, a eliitchaneinberarranged for. periodic connection with said arm during predetermined intervals to move the same into operative position. and means for automatically re toring arm to its initial position liont actuation of said ratchet-Wheel, should the chitelrmeniber be thrown out of engagement with said arm before the end of an interval.

14. A register-actuating device comprising, in combination, a movable arm held normallyin an inoperative posit-ion, a ratchet-wheel adapted to be actuated thereby, a clutch-memberarranged for periodic connection with said arm during predeternined intervals to move the same into operative position, and means for compelling continuous connection between said arm and said clutch-member from the beginning to the end of an interval, in order to cause said arm to actuate said ratchet-wheel at the end of the interval;

15. In combination, a shaft, a plurality of clutch-members slidably secured thereon, means for periodically actuating said shaft forwardly during predetermined intervals, mechanism associated with each clutch-member, a register adapted to be operated by said mechanism, and means requiring a connection between each mechanism and its corresponding clutch-member to be made at the beginning of an interval in order to cause actuation of the associated register at the end of the interval.

16. In combination, a shaft, a plurality of clutch-members slidably secured thereon, means for periodically actuating said shaft forwardl durin redetermined intervals.

mechanism associated with each clutch-mem- :her, a register'adapted to be operated by said mechanism, means requiring a connection between each mechanism and its corresponding clutch-member to be made at the beginning of an interval in order to cause actuation of the associated register at the end of the interval, and means for totalizing the actuations of two or more of said registers.

17. In combination, a shaft, a plurality of clutch-members slidably secured thereon, means for periodically actuating said shaft forwardly during predetermined intervals, mechanism associated with each clutch-member, a register adapted to be operated by said. mechanism,means requiring a connection between each mechanism and its corresponding clutch-member to be made at the beginning of an interval in order-" to cause actuation of the associated register at the end of-the interval, a summation-register, and differential gearing between two or more of said first-mentioned registers and said summationmegister, for totalizing the actuations'of said first-mentioned registers into said summatio'n-register.

18: In combination, a shaft, a plurality of clutch-members slidably secured thereon, means for periodically actuating said shaft forwardly during predetermined intervals, mechanism associated with eachclutch-member, a register adapted 3 be operated by mechanism, and for compelling continuous connection between any mechaber, a register adapted to be operated by said mechanism, means for compelling c0ntinuous connection between any mechanism and its corresponding clutch-member from the beginning to the end of an interval, in order to cause said mechanism to actuate the associated register at the end of the interval, and means for totalizing the actuations of two or more of said registers.

20. In combination, a shaft, a plurality of clutch-members slidably secured thereon, means for periodically actuating said shaft forwardly during predetermined intervals, mechanism associated with each clutch-memher, a register adapted to be operated by said mechanism, means for compelling continuous connection between any mechanism and its corresponding clutch-member from the beginning to the end of an interval, in order to cause said mechanism to actuate the associated register at the end of the interval, a summation-register, and differential gearing between,two or more of said first first-mentioned registers into said summation-register.

21. In a register-operating device, the combination of a first member for actuating the register, a clutch-member, time controlled means for actuating the same during periodic intervals and means for permitting locking engagement between said first member and said clutch-member only at the beginning of an interval to cause actuation of the register at the end of the interval to give credit for that interval, said time controlled means being adjustable to vary the actuations of said clutch-member, whereby the beginning and ending periods for which credit is given may be difierent.

22. In-coinbination, a plurality of registers, mechanism for deter ng time intervals, devices actuating during such'interval to store register operation corresponding thereto, means for communicating such stored operation to a desired one of the registers at the end of each interval, and means for integrating the operation of such registers.

'23. In combination, a plurality of registers, mechanism for determining time intervals, devices actuating during such interval eeeeee thereto, means for communicat A stored operation to a desired one of the reg-- isters at the end of each interval, means for integrating the operation of such registers, and means for interrupting the storing operation during such interval and preventing the operation of the com 1 v ing register.

storing devices and the register at "'ont one pointin the cycle, and a member for driving: the storing devices, such member adapted to be brought into driving relation at a sec 0nd point only in each cycle.

' means for effecting connection between In combination, a register, operation storing devices adapted to cyclic operatio storing devices and the register at but point in the cycle, and a member for divin the storing" devices, such member aoapteo to he brought. into driving relation at a opposite point only in such cycle;

27. In eoinbinatioi, a first member having periodic motion, a register, a second Copies 01' this eaten: may be obtalnefi for 113% new each, 12y witnessing the Washington, D. G

member for actuating the register a definite amount for each period of motion of said first member, and devices-for establishing operative connection "will between said members. 28. In combination, a first member he ving periodic motion, a register, a second incinher for actuating register definite amount for each period of motion of said first member, and devices for establishing operative connection at will between said nien'ibers, interruption said operative con nection du. L nting acts tion the regi: for that periodv In combination, first member having periodic motion, a register, a second member for actuating the register a definite amount for each period of motion of said first member, and devices for establishing operative connection at will between said i embers, actuation of said devices for establishing said operative connection during one of said p riods serving to ""ablish said ec ion a: i min He said re lYELLLrMS Tnonnson, NOYANDER.

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