US1267043A - Calculating appliance. - Google Patents

Description

P. -B. ARRINGTON.

CALCULATING APPLIANCE. APPLICATION FILED AuG.14.19|s.

1,267,043. Patented May 21,1918.

4 SHEETSSHEET I.

P. B. ARRINGTON.. CALCULATING APPLIANCE.

7 APPLICATION FILED AUG.I4. I916.

Patented May 21,1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

P. B. ARRINGTON.

V CALCULATINGAPPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED Auc.14. 191s,

Patented May 21,1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4 Illl ll IIIL! A W W W PERRY :e. ARRINGTON, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CALCULATING- APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1918.

Application filed August 14, 1916. Serial No. 114,728.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERRY B. ARRINGTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Calculating Appliances, of which the following is a specificat1on.

My invention pertains to calculating or computing appliances for the solution of arithmetical problems. One of its leading aims is the production of a machine of this character which shall be simple in constructlon, easy to operate, certain in results, unlikely to become damaged or deranged, and economical to manufacture.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide a device of this kind with few keys for each column or number or index wheel, resulting in great simplification in the operating mechanism, a compact keyboard, and a capacity for more rapid operation,

and also rendering the machine operable by the so-called touch system.

The improved and novel device may be advantageously used for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. It displays each item visually, so that mistakes, if accidentally made, in the actuation of the keys, may be readily detected and corrected. It also indicates or registers the results of the computation.

In order that those skilled in this art may have a full and complete understanding of the structural and functional advantages of an appliance of this kind, I have illustrated a preferred and desirable embodiment of the same in the accompanying drawings, throughout the various views of which like reference characters refer to the same parts, and to which drawings reference should be had in connection with the following detailed description of the construction and operation.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan View of the appliance with the casing partly broken away to re veal a portion of the interior structure;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 3-3 a fragmentary section on line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail View of the carrying mechanism between the total number-wheels;

Figs. 7, 8, 9, and 10, are detail views of the register or counter actuating mechanism, Fig. 10 being a view in the direction of the arrow A in Fig. 9.

Refering to these drawings, it will be observed that the appliance includes a baseplate 20 and an appropriately shaped casing or housing 21 apertured or windowed for the display of the various number wheels.

Mounted on the base 20 by means of screws 22 are a plurality of parallel supporting-frames 23 corresponding in number to the number of columns of figures (five in the present instance) the appliance is capable of accommodating, each frame having a flat top portion 24 and an intermediate part or cross-bar 25 both apertured in alinement to slidingly receive the four stems 26, 27, 28, and 29 of the value keys 30, 31,32, and 33 of the respective numerical values 1, 2, 3, and 4, which numerals are displayed on their upper faces (see Fig. 1). The holes in the parts 24 and 25 and the stems which they accommodate are square or angular to prevent turning of the keys. These keys are normally held raised by coil springs 34,

which surround their stems, and bear at their lower ends on the cross-piece 25 and at their upper ends press against washers 36 held against upward movement onthe stems by transverse Q pins 35 extended through the stems.

For each frame and its set of four value keys, there is a pair of bearing brackets 37 and 38 which rotatably support a shaft 39 parallel to and at one side of the frame 23, the shaft extending through such brackets at both ends. Between the brackets the shaft is provided with a sleeve or hollowshaft 40 free to turn thereon. Fixed to the central portion of the sleeve or hollow-shaft is the hub 41 of an arm 42 to which one end of a contractile spring is fastened, the other end being secured to the cross-bar 25. The function of this spring is to automatically return the sleeve to normal position as soon as the actuated key moves up under the influence of its spring 34.

Four other hubs 44, 45, 46, and 47 are secured to the sleeve 0r hollow-shaft and have the four arms 48, 49, 50 and 51 thereon arranged in stepped relation about the axis of the shaft, each arm being accommodated in the slotted or bifurcated end of one of the key stems, as shown in Fig. 5, stems 26, 27, 28, and 29 co-acting respectively with the arms 48, 4:9, 50, and 51, the ends of the stems when depressed striking the base-plate and thus limiting the downward movement of the keys. When the key 30 is depressed, it will turn the sleeve onetvventieth of a revolution, key 31 two twentieths, key 32 three twentieths, and key 33 four twentieths, clearly indicating that the extent of rotation of the sleeve or hollow shaft is proportional to the numerical value of the actuated key.

The sleeve at one end has an arm 52 fixed thereon by means of a hub 53. Arm 52 carries a spring-actuated pawl 54 which co-acts with a ratchet-wheel 55 loose on the shaft 39 and provided with a spring-pressed locking-roller 56 adapted to cofiiperate with its notches and mounted on a leaf-spring 57 having its end fastened at 58 to the frame 23.

Rigid with the ratchet wheel. is a mutilated-gear 59, a notched-wheel 60, and an item number-wheel 61, all of which are loose on the shaft but connected to one another so that they will rotate together. A springdetent 62 co-acts with wheel 60 preventing improper or unintentional turning, acting as a temporary lock. The item numberwheel 61 displays on its face twenty numerals running twice from 0 to 9.

At its opposite end, sleeve 40 has a similar arm 62 thereon, carrying a spring-operated pawl 63 adapted to co-actwith a ratchetwheel 64 fixed on shaft 39. Rigid with the ratchet and shaft is a mutilated gear 65, a notched wheel 66 with its spring-detent 67, and a duplex number- wheel 68, 69, of which the portion 68 is a total number wheel with twenty figures running from 0 to 9 twice, and the part 69 is a reverse number-wheel with twenty figures running from 0 to 9 twice, but in reverse order from the numerals on wheel 68, (see Fig. 1.) p In order that pawl 63 shall be raised or retracted from its ratchet-wheel when in normal or inoperative position, it is provided with a pin 70 which rides up an incline or cam 71 on a bracket 72 mounted on frame 23. The ratchet-wheel also has a spring roller lock 71.

It will, of course, be understood that each of the shafts 39 is equipped with such a mechanism as described above.

To carry from one total number-wheel 68 to the one of next higher denomination, each ratchet-wheel 64a is equipped with two pins 7 4-, 74, which at the proper time strike the tail of a lever 75 fulcrumed on the frame 23 at 76. This lever carries a dog or pawl 77 pivoted at 7 8 and cotiperating with a stop-pin 79. A spring 80 is connected to the pawl and to a fixed support. When the carrying operation occurs the pawl 77 rises, engages one of the teeth of the adjacent ratchet-wheel, and turns it one step, the pivotal mounting of the pawl permitting it to descend as soon as the pin 74 passes by the lever without interference with or actuation of the ratchet.

All of the number-wheels, 68, 69, are simultaneously cleared or set back to 0 by means of a mutilated rack-bar 81, slidingly supported on a bracket 82 and on one or more of the brackets 37 This rack-bar has five series of teeth 83 which by meshing with the mutilated gears-65,turn all of the 11mm -ber-vvheels 68 and 69 back at the same time.

The omission of teeth at the proper points in these gears assures that the wheels will not be turned back farther than the 0 point. Rockbar 81 is manipulated by a handle 84 on the end of a shaft 85 which protrudes from the casing, the shaft having an arm 86 thereon with a loose connection with the rack. of the pawls 63 are out'of engagement with their respective ratchet-wheels during the clearing operation, no difiiculty is encountered in turning the wheels back.

The item number-Wheels 61 are simultaneously cleared in a somewhat similar manner, but instead of being turned back they are advanced to 0 and hence there is no necessity for their pawls being retracted during the clearing operation. This mechanism includes a mutilated rack-bar 90 arranged beneath the cut-away gears 59 and slidable in a bearing 91 and on one 'or more pins on one or more of the standards '38. Whereas the rack-bar 81 has its teeth presented downwardly, the bar 90 has its keys extended upwardly, but it operates in much the same way, except that it simultaneously advances all the item number-wheels to 0 instead of reversing their rotation. Bar 90 is slid by means of an arm 92 having a loose connection therewith and fixed to a shaft 93 revoluble in bearings 95 and 94, the shaft outside of the housing having a manipulating handle 96. To operate either clearing rack-bar it is slid to the right as the parts are viewed in Fig. 1, indicated.

The device also has a single counter or register associated with the item numberwheel clearing appli'ance. It comprises an index-wheel 10.0 bearing on its face twenty numerals from 0 to and including 19. This wheel is mounted in any approved manner on a shaft 99 revolubly accommodated in a bearing-member 98, and has a ratchet-wheel 101 fixed thereto, a detent spring 102 006perating with the latter to prevent improper turning. Wheel has a knob or handle 103 outside of the casing by which it may Owing to the fact that all 90 by means of the handle be turned back to 0. To enable the item number-wheel clearing means to operate this ratchet and register, the following instrumentalities are employed. A lever 104 is pivoted on the base at 105 and is ordinarily pulled by a spring 106 against a fixed stop 107. At one end lever 104 has an upturned ear 108 in the path of travel of a pin 109 1 fastened to rack-bar 90. Obviously, pm 109 by striking this ear rocks the lever against the retracting influence of its spring, At its opposite end lever 104 carries a pawl 110 fulcrumed on a lug 111 of the lever and equipped with a stoppin 112 adapted to bear on shoulder 113 of the lug, the pawl being under the influence of a contractile spring 114. When the lever is rocked by the sliding rack-bar, pawl 110 engages ratchet 101 and turns it and the register wheel one step. Reverse movement of the rack-bar permits the lever to return to its original posit on, the spring mounting of the pawl permlttlng it to return too without interference with the ratchet. Thus, every time the item number-wheels are cleared the operation is registered on wheel 100.

For addition the appliance is operated substantially as follows: Each item is set up on the appropriate keys in the proper columns which causes it to be registered on the item number-wheels and on the total numberwheels, so that the operator by inspectlon of the item wheels can be certain that he has made no error. These actuated keys .of course, slide up as soon as released by the operators fingers. Each item 1s cleared from the item-wheels, but not from the total number-wheels, before the next ltem s set up so that the register or counter W111 at all times indicate the number of items which have been applied to the keys. By th s means the operator can readily start aga n on interrupted work, knowing by the reglster just where he left off in the computatlon. For any number above four for any column, as for instance, five, the keys 2 and 3 of that column would be depressed; for seven the keys 3 and 4 would be depressed; for eight the key 4 would be actuated twice; for nine, the key 3 would be operated tl'lIGQ'tlIllQS. Obviously, by employing this small number of keys, the so-called touch system may be advantageously employed as all keys may be readily reached. The result of the addition will, of course, be displayed on the total number- wheels 68, 68, and afterward these may be cleared or turned to zero by manipulation of the handle 84.

For subtraction, the reverse dials 69 are used, and the operation is identical with that of addition; the minuend is set up on the machine by depressing the keys corresponding to the complement of the minuend. For example, assume that it is desired to subtract 1362 from 3841, this minuend 3841 is set up on the wheels 69 by depressing the keys in the appropriate columns corresponding to the complement number 6158, and then by setting up the subtrahend 1362 on the keys the result 2479 can be read on the wheels 69.

To multiply 42 by 3 for example, the 42 is registered on the value keys three times, that is to say the 2 is registered in the unit column three times and the 4 is registered in the tens column three times. The result or product 126 will appearon the wheels 68. To multiply 74 by 38 for instance, the 4 is registered eight times in the unit column and the 7 is registered 8 times in the tens column; then the 4 is registered in the tens column three times and the 7 is registered in the hundreds column three times, the total 2812 appearing on the total number-wheels 68. Stated somewhat differently, the 74 is registered eight times in the tens and unit columns and then the 74 isfect division the dividend is set up in the machine and the division is efl'ected as in subtraction, the divisor being subtracted from the dividendbeginning at the left, and

the subtraction being repeated until the remainder is smaller than the divisor.

To divide 4328 by 34 the 4328 is set up on the wheels 69 by registering its complement 5671 on the proper value keys; then the divisor 34 is registered on the value keys corresponding to the wheels on which the numbers 43 of the number 4328 occur. It is then cleared from the item wheels thus moving the register from 0 to 1. This 1 is noted down as the first figure 0f the quotient. The wheels 69 will now show the number 928,the 9 being the remainder of the 34 subtracted from the 43 and the 28 being a portion of the original number 4328. Then the divisor 34 is set up on the keys corresponding to the wheels displaying the numerals 92, the counter having been previously returned to 0 by turning the handle 103. Then this is cleared from the item wheels, the register moving from O to 1 again. The 34 is setup on the same keys a second time, the counter moving from 1 to 2. This 2 is then noted down as the second number of the quotient. The remainder 24 will show on the wheels 69, as will also the 8 of the original number, leaving on the wheels the number 248. The 34 is set up on the keys corresponding to the columns of the wheels showing the 48 and is cleared each time, the register having been set back to 0 to start with. This can be done seven times,the 7 showing on the register which is noted down as the last number of the quotient, and there will be a remainder of 10 on the wheels 69 into which, of course, the '34 cannot go. The quotient will, therefore, be 127 with a remainder of 10.

To those skilled in this art, it will be clear that many minor mechanical changes may be made in the structure without departure from the heart and substance of the invention and without the sacrifice of any of its substantial benefits and advantages. For

example, instead of'having the arms 48, 49,

50, and '51 on the sleeve in stepped angular relation, they might be all in a line and the stems of the keys arranged in stepped relation to secure the movement of the sleeve or hollow shaft proportional to the value of the keys. Or, the strokes of the keys might be varied in proportion to their values. It will be furthermore clear that keys of different kinds or actuating levers might be employed instead of the style of sliding keys illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. In a calculating-appliance of the character described, the combination of a plurality of number-wheels of different denominations, and means to operate each of said wheels, including a row of keys of different values and a shaft disposed longitudinally of the row and adapted to be actuated *by said keys, the axes of said shaft and "the corresponding number-wheel being coincident, the key of highest value of the row turning said shaft not more than a half revolution, substantially as described.

2. In a calculating-appliance of the character described, the combination of a plurality of number-wheels of different denominations, and means to operate each of said wheels, including-a row of not more than five keys of different values and a shaft disposed longitudinally of the row and-adapted to be actuated by said keys, the axis of said shaft being coincident with the axis of the corresponding number wheel, the key of highest value of the row turnin the shaft not more than a half revolution, sdbstanually as described.

3. In a calculating appliance of the character described, the combination of a plurality of number wheels of difierent denominations, and means to operate said wheels, in-

cluding a rowof keys of different values for each of said number wheels, a shaft disposed longitudinally of'each of said rows and actuated by said keys, and a plurality of arms arranged in stepped relation with which said keys cotiperate, said shaft being coincident with the axis of the corresponding number wheel, substantially as described.

4. In a calculatingappliance of the character described, the combination of a plurality of number wheels of different denominations, and means to operate said wheels, including a row of keys of different values ity of number wheels of different-denominafor each of said number wheels, a shaft disposed longitudinally of each of said rows and actuated by said keys, and a'plurality of arms, the stems of said :keys and said arms being in stepped relation to one another, said shaft being parallel to the axis of the corresponding number wheel, substantially as described.

5. In a calculating appliance of the char-- acter described, the combination of a plurality of number wheels of different denominations, and means to operate said wheels, including a row of keys of different values for each of said number wheels, a shaft disposed longitudinally of each of said rows of keys on which the corresponding number wheel is mounted, a sleeve on each of said shafts, a plurality of arms on said sleeve arranged in stepped relation with which said :keys -co operate, and a drive-connection between each 85 of said sleeves and its corresponding shaft, substantially as described.

*6. In a calculating appliance of the character described, the combination of a pluraltions, and means to operate said wheels, including-a row of keys of different values for each'ofsaid number whee-ls, a. shaft disposed longitudinally of each of said rows of keys on which the corresponding number wheel is mounted, a sleeve on each of said shafts, a plurality of arms :onsaid sleeve in stepped relation and with which said keys coperate, and a pawl and ratchet drive connection between said sleeve and shaft, substantially as described.

T. In a calculating appliance of the character described, the combination of a plurality of item number wheels of different denominations, a corresponding plurality of .105 total number wheels of different denominations, and means to operate said Wheels, in-

eluding a row of keys of different values for -means to actuate said wheels, including a row ofkeys of (lIfIGFGDt values, a shaft disposed longitudinally of said row of keys, a sleeve on said shaft,'a plurality of arms on said sleeve arranged in stepped relation with which said keys cooperate, and a pawl and ratchet mechanism between said sleeve and number wheels, substantially as described.

9. In a calculating appliance of the character described, the combination of an item number wheel, a total number wheel, a row of operatingkeys of different values, a shaft disposed longitudinally of said row of keys,

one of said number wheels being fixed to said shaft, the other number wheel being loose on said shaft, a sleeve on said shaft, a plurality of arms on said sleeve arrangedin stepped relation and with which said keys cooperate, and connecting-means between said sleeve and number wheels, substantially as described.

10. In a calculating appliance of the character described, the combination of a shaft, a number wheel actuated by said shaft, the axes of said shaft and wheel being coincident, a row of not more than five keys of difi'erent values, and means whereby said keys When actuated turn said shaft and number wheel amounts proportional to their values, the key of highest value turning the shaft not more than a half revolution, substantially as described.

11. In a calculating machine of the character described, the combination of a shaft, a number wheel actuated by said shaft, the axes of said shaft and wheel being coincident, a row of not more than five keys of different values, and means whereby said keys when actuated turn said shaft and number wheel amounts proportional to their values, the key of highest value turning said shaft not more than a one-quarter revolution', substantially as described.

12. In a calculatin appliance of the character described, the combination of a plurality of rows of value keys, the rows being of different denominations, and the keys of each row being of different values, a shaft for, parallel to, and actuated by the keys of each row, and an item number wheel and a total number wheel for each of said shafts and concentric therewith, substantially as described.

13. In a calculating appliance of the character described, the combination of a plurality of rows of value keys, the rows being of different denominations and the keys of each row being of different values, a shaft for and actuated by the keys of each row, and an item number wheel and a total number wheel actuated by said shaft, said total number wheel displaying two series of numerals, one series being in reverse order to that of the companion series, substantially as described.

PERRY B. ARRINGTON.

Cople: of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

Images