US1147146A - Adding-machine. - Google Patents

Description

S. J. COX.

ADDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 31. 1910.

1,147,146. Patented July 20, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

est: I

S J. COX.

ADDING MACHINE. APPLICAUON FILED MAY3I, 1910.

' Patented July 20, 1915 4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

In ventor S. J. COX.

ADDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 31, 1910.

Patented Jul 20, 1915 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Inventor:

SI JI ADDING MACHINE 7 APPLICATION FILED MAY3I, 910. 1,147, 1 46. Patented July 20, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- Inventor:

I will indicatevto the operator that the ma-' v PATENT OFFICE.

Y s rErHnN' J. cox, or CRANEORD, NEW JERSEY.

ADDING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 20, 1915.

Application filed May 31, 1910. SerialIiTo. 564,065.

.and particularly to means connected with the usual clearing mechanism for indicating at the beginning of each operation of setting down a list of items whether the machine has previously been cleared. Its

objects are, among others, to provide means which will automatically print at the beginning of a list a suitable character which chine was not cleared and thereby warn him not to proceed with the setting up of the list unless he wishes to have an item or itemspreviously set up included in the subsequent total. y

. Heretofore, 1t has been customary to provide adding machines with means for automatically printing at the beginning of a list of items a character which indicates that the machine was clear and that no other item-was. set upon the numeral wheels when the first item of such list is printed. This is commonly called a clear sign or clear signal, and the presence of this sign at the beginning of'a list indicates that the machine was clear. With the device forming the subject matter of the present im- .provements, the presence of the mark indicates that the machine was not clear and its absence-leaving the pap-Pr clear of all marks whatsoeverexcept the figures in the list -shows, that the machine was clear at the beginning of such list. Its presence V 'there'fore not only warns the operator but all others into whose'hands the list may pass thatthe; total given is not the correct;

total, andleaves little or nos chance that the I 1 failure to clear the machine at the beginningof the operation, if unintentional, will escape notice. This sign may-be'termed a o y i Q d er and I Pr .acterto be printed. instead of the vertical fer to use-an exclamation 'pointfas the chardash,.nsterisk or circle used for the clear S1011. v I 3 -FInorder to avoid the necessity for illustrating all the mechanism of the machine for setting up, printing and totalizing, the

details of which are not important to this improvement, reference is had to Letters Patent of the United States, No. 940,758, of November 28, 1909, to Charles Wales, for adding machines, in which mechanism for printing a clear sign is fully illustrated and described, and the particular form illus- Wales device. 1

Referring to the drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of certain parts shown in the patent above referred to with the parts embodying the present improvement added thereto and with changes necessitated by such additions made therein, the same embodying the present improvements. Fig. 2 is a detail showing the opposite side of the parts of Fig. 1 involved in the improve ments. Fig. 3 is a similar view" showing the parts in a different position. Fig. 4 is a side elevation and partial central vertical section through an adding machine, to which are attached parts embodying the invention. Fig. 5 is a perspective .view of the signal hammer and its connections.

To an extension a at an angle on the bell crank u of the total key a a reciprocating bar W is connected by means of a pin u extending through a slot W, the bar being constantly drawn toward'the extension, so that the pin will be normally heldin the upper end of the slot, by a tension spring W connected with the outer end of the pin and with the bar a short distance above the 'slot. The purpose of this slot and pin con nection is, to permit the bell crank to return to its normal position when the totalkeyis released, and leave the sliding 'ba'r in the position to which it was,'moved by the rocking of the bell crank when the total key was pressed down.

The upper end of the sliding bar W-is connected by means of a slot and a pin (Z to the oscillating arm cZ keyed to the end of the rock shaft 6, and through this connection the bar V, when the total key is of taking a total) and the pin S on the said support is caused to press against the forward end of the dog X and rock it on its pivot X so that the opposite end will be raised above the projection WV on the bar Substantially the same movement of the support takes place in an ordinary printing operation or a blank stroke of the handle. If, therefore, the bar has been left in its uppermost position, so as to maintain the sign printing mechanism in its set position, by the preceding operation it will be released and allowed to return to normal on the forward movement of the main operating lever as the support S is moved downwardlyin the first case at the beginning of the forward stroke and in the other at the end.- But if this succeeding operation is a totalizing or clearing operation (in both of which cases the total key is first depressed) the bar will be released from engagement with the dog X but held in its uppermost position by the pin u of the extension to.

' It will be seen that when the total key is depressed for the purpose of taking a total or of clearing the machine'the sign printing mechanism is set, and that if the total key is held down until the end of the backward movement of the main operating lever (and a total thus taken without clearing the machine) the support S in returning to its upper and normal position will release the dog X and cause it to engage the projection V of the bar \V and thus detain the bar in its upper position, so that the decimal units type hammer, which is cocked at the end of the backward movement of the said main .operating lever, will also engage and cock the sign printing hammer and hold it in position to print with, the next item set up in the machine. If, how- 'ever, the machine is cleared, by releasing the total key at the end of the forward movement of the main operating handle, the bar V will be released and allowed to return to its normal position the sign printing mechanism will be unset so that it will not be cocked with the decimal units hammer;

This is brought about The'arm Y depends from the dog X intermediate its pivot and its engaging end, and has a pin just above the lower forward end of the bell crank V so that when the said bell crank oscillates and its said end moves upwardly it will come in contact with the pin on the lower end of said arm and raise the engaging end of the dog X, thus allowing the bar \V to be returned to its normal position by the tensidn of the spring W and the pressure of the setting mechanism connected with its upper end. Now this bell crank V is rocked by the upper end of the bell crank it of the total key, through the latch bar V the purpose of this move- -ment being to raise the numeral wheels from engagement with their racks while at zero, in which position they are at the end of .the forward movement of the main operatin handle. The lower end of the bell. crank engages a roller V on the numeral wheel support S and this raises the said supper; and the numeral wheels. This raising o the support releases the dog X and would allow it to fall into the path of the projection \V and thus prevent the return of the bar W, but the engagement of the said lower end of the bell crank with the depending arm Y prevents the said dog from falling and returns it to its upper position above the projection lV, thus permitting the bafE-J. -W to return.

Generally speaking the mechanism comprises registering, accumulating and record ing mechanism, and the usual operation is to enumerate the items to be added on the keys and then, by the movement of a handle or the vibration of a shaft, trains of mechanism are set in motion whereby. the items so enumerated are set up on. numeral wheels and recorded on the strip of paper. Other items subsequently enumerated are accumulated on said wheels and separately re- 'each provided with toothed racks on their upper edges and are supported at their front ends upon links Isuitably pivoted and at their rear ends upon the extremities of hell crank levers L mounted to oscillate upon a. shaft. The other ends of the bell cranks are pivotally connected to the printing mechanism.

The rack bars B are adapted to mesh with pinions C with which the numeral wheels A are provided. These numeral wheels display the digits in proper order on their edges (not shown) and are all mounted on a common shaft'K, there being one numeral wheel for each denominational series of keys. It will readily be seen that when the rack bars are moved forward and the racks are in mesh with the pinions the extent of the rotation of the numeral wheels is de termined by the extent of the movement of the racks which in turn is governed by the position of the stops above referred to, and which is permanently controlled by a series of other stops provided for that purpose and one of which is seen. at J The main shaft F is adapted to'be vibrated either by a handle E manually operated, or from a suitable source of power. In

its Vibration it oscillates an arm F provided depression of the keys J and which stops in rising have lifted the permanent stops J 2 to permit of such movement taking place. During this movement of the handle and rackbars the latter have not been engaged with thepinions of the numeral Wheels. At the end of thestroke of the handle, through the slotted link S the supports S upholding the bearings of'the numeral wheel shaft 'K are lowered and the pinions C are consequently lowered and engaged with the teeth upon the rack bars.

The printing mechanism comprises a series of type bars L arranged in vertical order.

within a carrier and so connected to the racks B through intermediate mechanism that, when one of these racks is moved, its corresponding type bar is raised until the type displaying the number corresponding to the extent of the movement of the bar is opposite to the oint of print. Th1s point of printis in a xedhorizontal plane and-1s opposite a shaft of a platen M which in turn is mounted upona carriage adapted to move laterally in the machine. It will be understood of course that suitable means are provided to move'the type ribbon and propel forward the paper andto move the other parts in harmony to perform their several functions as described in the specification of patents of the United States Nos. 794,205, issued July 11 1905; 797,032. issued Aug. 15, 1905; 842,232, Jan. 29,1907, and 880,159

issued Feb. 25, 1908, 'to which reference is madefora further description.

The type bars are propelled forward after being raised to the point ofprlnt by means of plungers L which are struck by ham- "the machine.

mers pivoted on a rodN common to all of the hammers, and which hammers are propelled by springs N. The hammers are held normally inactive by means of hammer hooks P mounted on a common rod arranged across The hammers which have been actuated and uncooked during any operation of the machine are again cocked during the forward stroke of the handle above referred to, the bar Of connected to this handle, by intermediate mechanism and 'moving against all of the hammers simultaneously, serving to accomplish this function.

The recording of an item set up on the keys is accomplished as follows: As the handle is moved and the bell crank L oscillated, the type bars L are moved to the point of print. A releaser bar P which has been held down by the bell crank L contacting with a wing P secured to such bar is then free to rise under the tension of a spring P and this. bar acting against the hammer hook P, the latter is rotated and releases the hammer L. But all of the hammers are then held by a broad pawl 0 moved from a cross shaft 0 through intermediate mechanism actuated from the handle and when the hammers are thus simultaneously released they strike against their plungers which strike the type bars and the latter impinge against the record strip on the platen and print the item enumerated thereon. On the. return stroke of the handle, the numeral wheels are rotated because their pinions are then in engagement with the rack bars and each wheel is turned to an extent corresponding with the key depressed. The racks are also then automatically disengaged from the pinions and the numeral wheel shaft is lifted so that at the end of a full forward and backward stroke of the handle an item set up in the keys has been recorded on the paper strip and registered "upon the wheels, while the other parts have been restored to their original-positions.

The accumulating mechanism is fully described in the specifications of the patents referred to. It comprises carrying mechanism whereby a number' greater than 9 accumulated on one numeral wheel is suitablv transferred to the wheel of next higher order. j

When it isdesired to takea total and clear the numeral wheels,-orrestore them to zero, the total key it is depressed before the handle is moved. Such depression oscillates the bell crank lever u which moves the link u displaces the supports S and thus brings the pinions of the numeralwheels into engagement with the rack bars, so that, when the handle is moved the rack bars actuate the numeral wheels on their forward stroke instead of on their backward stroke as they do when an item is enumerated.v Thus each numeral wheel is brought to zero. It will be understood that by appropriate mechanism (not shown) the stops J 2 have been raised to permit the reverse movement of the rack bars. The motion of the racks in the meantime has been communicated to the printing mechanism, lifted the several type bars to the point of print and accomplished by releasing the total key.

WVhen this takes place a spring secured to the bell crank it moves it and its upper arm a which is provided with a latch pin V which engages a notch V of a latch lever V pivoted to a bell crank V pivoted in turn to the frame of the machine. When the totalizing key was depressed and the arm a was moved to theright, the notch V" engaged the latch pin V Now, as the lever 10' is moved the latch pin V pushes the latch lever V to the left. This in turn oscillates the bell crank V to the left and lifts the supports S for the numeral wheel shaft because it engages with a roller V projecting from each support for that purpose. As the support is raised a spring, provided for that purpose, moves it toward the left and seats it upon a bracket S on the frame of the machine. This' disengages the numeral wheel pinion from the rack bars. As the handle is moved back to its original position a swinging rod S through appropriate mech anism is caused to engage a supplementary support T, which being slightly elevated and connected to the bearings S of the numeral shaft, tends to keep the latter in place. When this supplementary support is raised a pin V with which it is provided, lifts the latch lever V and restores it to its original position. The total registered on the wheels has thus been recorded on the record strip and the machine has been cleared.

The devices employed to print a character indicating that the mechanism has not been cleared will now be described. Mounted'on a rod secured to the frame of the machine at its printing section is a hammer having a body j to which is hinged a striker 7c, the

latter being forked to engage with a guide rod Z. A bracket secured to the frame of the machine is provided with a sleeve incasing a'signal rod m which rod is provided with a suitable retracting sprlng and on its outer extremity has a special type symbol so that when.the signal rod is projected against the inking ribbon and the record strip such symbol or signal is printed thereon. The special signal hammer jis actuated by a spring 0 secured to a fixed part of the machine and to a pin on the hammer. The hammer is also provided with a pawl 71 mountedto swmg on a pin and normally under tension of a spring and adapted to be moved against such tension by a connecting rod 7t pivoted to it.

The units hammer L is provided with a pro ect1ng pin 72 with which the pawl i'is intended to engage when desired. Normally the units hammer and its pin 79 oscillate without contacting with the pawl 73. The pin 7) and pawl 11 constitute in effect a temporary coupling between the units hammer and the special signal hammer. If,

however, the pawl i is raised so that it is 4 moved into the cocking path of the pin 79, the latter, pressing against the pawl, moves it and the signal hammer j, stretches the spring 0 and holds the pawl 73 and hammer j in that position, so long as the units hammer is held in position. In other words, if the pawl 17 is raised and the units hammer is cooked, the signal hammer j is cocked also and when the units hammer is discharged the signal hammer is also discharged, strikes the signal rod m-and prints the appropriate symbol on the record strip. But the pawl 11 can only remain in the path of the cooking pin 77 when the machine has not been cleared (.as hcreinbefore described) because the rod it can only be raised by movement of the bell crank lever f and is lowered again when the machine is cleared. It is evident, therefore, that the pawl i will only be acted upon by the pin 7) when them'achine has not been cleared and it is therefore held in the path strip when the unit of the first item is recorded after the said failure to. clear the machine. The reason for coupling this signal to the units hammer is because in recording any item whatever the units hammer is always used. As soon as the units hammer has been actuated, the pawl 71 will drop and its hammer will remain inoperative until again set. The little spring q assists this movement, and also the return of the rod h, bell crank f and the parts operatively connected therewith to their respectivenormal positions.

It will be understood that the mechanism herein described for printing -a cloudy sign may, if desired, be combined with mechanism for printing a clear sign so that a signbfone character may be printed when the machine has been cleared anda sign of another character when the machine has not been cleared. It will also be understood that the said clear sign may consist in mechanism for printing one or moreof the charactors of the first item in a different color froiii or heavier than the others, and that in this manner the use of the clear sign,

memes as now constituted-may be dispensed with. It will further be understood by those skilled in the art that the mechanism herein described may be supplemented by mechanism which will cause it to print when the machine has not been cleared. and when a total has not been taken, without having it print after each item, in case the printed record has been removed. Such mechanism will not, however, be included in this specification.

What I claim is 1. In an adding machine, the combination of means for automatically printing in connection with an item a character indicating that the ma chine had not been cleared before the printing of such item and clearing, printing and adding mechanisms cooperating therewith, said means being rendered inoperative by the action of said clearing mechanisms when the same have been operated to clear the machine.

2. In an adding or accumulating machine, the combination of adding, printing, and clearing mechanisms, means for taking a total without clearing the said adding or accumulating mechanism of the accumulated total, a character arranged to be printed in connection with an item, means for printing the same, and means connected with said totalizing means for automatically setting the said character printing mechanism so that it will be printed in connection with. the neXt item after a total if the machine is not cleared.

8. In an adding machine, of adding or accumulating, printing and clearing mechanisms, means for taking a total without clearing the said adding or accumulating mechanism of the accumulated total, a character arranged to be printed in connection with an item, means for printing the same, and means connected with said totalizing means for automatically setting the said character printing mechanism so that it will be printed in connection with the next item after a total, means for clearing the machine and means connected therewith the combination five cents each, by addressing Washington, 1). G.

for automatically unsetting the said character printing means.

a. In an adding machine, the combination with adding or accumulating, printing and totalizing mechanisms and mechanism for printing a character in connection with an item of a connection between the totalizing mechanism and the said character printing mechanism whereby the latter is moved to printing position during the totalizing operation, clearing mechanism for clearing the said adding or accumulating mechanism of the total, and a connection between the first connection and the said clearing mechanism whereby the said sign printing mechanism is removed from printing position through the operation of the said clearing mechanism, said combination comprising a rod connected with the total key, and a latch whereby the said rod is held in a position to which it moves when the total key is de pressed while the total key returns to normal position, and means independent of the total key for restoring said rod to its original position.

5. In a machine of the character described having adding or accumulating, printing, clearing and totalizing mechanisms for clearing the said adding or accumulating mechanism of the total and setting up and printing the total respectively, the combination of mechanism for printing a character in connection with an item comprising a connection between the totalizing mechanism and the said character printing meeha-.

nism whereby the latter is moved to printing position during the totalizing operation, and a. connection between the same and the clearing mechanism whereby the said sign print ing mechanism is removed from printing position through the operation of the said clearing mechanism.

lVitness my hand this 1910, at the city of and State of New York.

- STEPHEN J. COX.

Witnesses E. W. Sonnnn, Jr., WILLniM R. BAIRD.

the Commissioner of Patents,

14th day or May New York, in the county

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