US1484218A - Combined typewriting and computing - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 19 1924.

c'. HILSEE COMBINED TYPEWRITING AND comrurmucnms Filed March 17. 1921 M re/#0 KM Patented Feb. 19, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CH R-Les M. HILSEE, or PHILADELPHTA, PENNSYLVANIA, es'srenoit TO UNDEnwoon IYPEWRITER COMPANY, on NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION or DELAWARE.

COMBINED TYPEWRITING AND COMPUTING MAGHI1\TE.

Application filed March 17, 1921. Serial No. 453,079.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES. M. HILSEE, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Typewriting and Computing Machines, of which the following is a speeification.

This invention relates to combined typewriting and computing'machines, and more particularly to means to facilitate the adjustment of work-sheets or cards on the platen.

In certain classes of work, entries are made in different divisions of work-sheets or cards, said divisions being arranged in rows both transversely and longitudinally of the work-sheet. Furthermore, in many cases, entries are to be made in succession in corresponding divisions of a plurality of such work-sheets or cards.

As herein disclosed, the work-sheet is in the form of a card for use as a record or ledger-sheet for monthly entries and is divided into three main columns, each of which is divided into secondary columns. These secondary columns have headings to indicate Old balance, Credit, New balance and Date. The sheet is also divided by lines extending across the same into three divisions, each of which contains four lines, and therefore has a capacity of three years entries.

It is a feature of the invention, for tabulating and computation in a typewriting machine or so-called bookkeeping machine, to have provision whereby the card my be repositioned or re-gaged so that any selected main column thereon, in which entries are to be made, will occupy a.predetermined zone, that is, a certain position longitudinally ofthe platen. With this in view, provision is made of a front paper-v table. and means whereby it may be selectively located in any one of three different mechanically-determined zones or columnar posit-ions. In the well-known Underwood machine illustrated in the drawings, it is usual, in connection with a computation operation, to type the old balance, the credit and the new balance all in a main division, but each in a different sub-column. The

card or work-piece, properly ruled and headed for this purpose, is illustrated at Figure 4. The invention providesmeans whereby selectively the computation and tabulating operations may takeplace in any of the several predetermined zones, of which illustration is made at Figure 4, so as to avoid the necessity, when typing, computing and tabulating in a new zone, of shifting the column-stops and the computing devices. One setting of said stops and devices answers for all zones, thus effecting a great saving in labor. 7

To position the work-sheets or work-cards on the front paper-table,-the latter is provided with a side gage and an adjustable leading-ed e gage, said paper-table being adjustablfiaterallyof the machine, as aforesaid, to bring its side-edge gage into positions to locate a worksheet or work-card thereon with any one of its main columns in co-operative alignment'with the computing and tabulating mechanisms.

To facilitate the adjustment of the card for typing along any desired line of the card, provision may be made of a leadingedge gage adjustable with reference to the paper-table to as many different positions as there are lines on the card, and movable with the paper-table to any one of the three positions in whiehthe latter may be placed.

Provision, may also be made of a suitable clip to hold the card on the front papertable.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view, showing my invention as applied to the platen-frame of an Underwood typewriting machine. 7

Figure 2 is a side view of substantially the same parts as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail view partly in section, showing the manner in which the leading edge gage is adjusted in position.

Figure 4 is aview showing one form of work-sheets.

The machine, which may be of the type of the Underwood bookkeeping machine, usually includes computing mechanism comprising denomination-selectors 8, and tabulating mechanism comprising tabulating stops 9 and c .=-operating decimal-stops 10, for locating the traveling carriage quickly in the desired locations in the computing zones. A platen 11 is supported on an axle l2, journaled in the ends 13 or a platentrame. Provision is also made of a rod 14, connecting the ends 13, on which are mounted plates 15 and 16, and these plates are held against rotation on rod 14 by means of a rod 17, lying in notches 18 and 19 in said plates 15 and 16, respectively, and supported at its ends in brackets 20, mounted on the ends 13 of the plateirframe.

Plates 15 and 16 are provided at their forward edges with lugs 21 and these lugs serve to support a bar 22, extending longitudinally of the platen axis, the connection between the bar 22 and the lugs being made by means of screws 23, extending through slots 24 in the ends of said bar 22, and threaded into the lugs 21. It will be seen that the provision of the slots 24 enables the adj ustment of bar 22 with reference to said lugs, Preferably, the lugs 20 extend in the same direction from plates 15 and 16 and the plates are duplicates.

Said bar 22 is provided, at its upper edge with pairs of notches, 25, 26 and 2?, respectively, the notches of each pair being so spaced as to receive pins 28, projecting from the back of a paper-table 29, thus enabling the paper-table to be set at three different positions along bar 22, so that different portions of work-cards may be positioned in cooperative relation to the computing mechanism. In order to secure paper-table 29 to the bar 22, the ends of the pins 28 are threaded, and nuts 30 are provided, so that by moving the same backward and forward on the pins 28, the paper-table may be released from, or secured to the bar 22.

Provision may be made for gaging the forward end of a card or work-sheet 31 placed in the machine. To this end, provi sion may be made of a plate 32 having rearwardly turned flanges 33 and 34, respectively, and secured in any suitable man.- ner to the paper-table 29. As herein disclosed the plate 32 lies at the rear of the paper-table 29 and the flanges 33 and 34 serve to space the paper-table from the bar 22. Mounted on said plate 32 is a leadingedge gage 35 comprising a member having a comparatively thin portion extending across the plate 32, and end portions or blocks 36 and 37 extending across the flanges 33 and 34, respectively.

Adjustment of the leading-edge gage for different line-space positions may be effected by means of pins 38 and 39 passing through aligned openings in the end portions 36 and 37, respectively, and having tapered ends adapted to enter apertures 40 in flanges 33 and 34, respectively. These apertures are at line-space intervals, and

upper edge of the card.

those in each flange may be the same in number as the number of lines in which entries are to be made on the work-sheets or cards. For moving pins 38 and 39 into the apertures of the flanges and 34, respectively, the pins may be threaded into the end portions 36 and 37 and may be provided with knurled heads 41 and 42, re spectively.

The card 31, shown in Figure 4, is one of a set of record or ledger-cards and the account with which it is used is usually indicated by typing on the card the name and address of the person with whom the account is kept. In the present case provision for such notation is made near the In the card shown, the en'tries for January of the first year, are to be made in the first line and in the main column at the left of the sheet, the entries for February in the same line but in the second main column, and those for March in the same line but in the third column. The entries for the remaining months of the year are written in the same order in the next three lines. In adjusting the paper-table and leading-edge gage to position cards for any month, such as January of the first year, the paper-table will be placed with the pins 28 in the notches 25 of the bar 22, and the nuts 30 tightened to hold the paper-table 29 firmly in position, and the leading-edge gage will be positioned so that each of the pins 38 and 39 will engage the first aperture in the corresponding flange 33 or the pins being caused to enter such apertures by turning the corresponding heads 41 and 42.

, A card 31 may then be inserted in the machine between the platen and the usual feedrolls and its leading edge brought into position to coincide with the upper edge of the leading-edge gage, as indicated in Figure 2, the left-hand edge of the card being gaged by means of a side gage 43 in the form of a flange projecting upwardly from the papertable 29. The card may be maintained in position on the paper-table by any suitable means, such as a leaf-spring 44, secured to the paper-table 29 at its left-hand edge. The entries, old balance, credit and new balance may then be entered in the first main column. The names of the months or their abbreviations may be printed on the cards or may be typed at the times of making the other entries. It should be understood that, in using the present invention, the card, after an entry has been made in one line thereof, is withdrawn from the machine, no line-space movement of the platen being required. The movement of the carriage while the machine is in use for such entries on the different cards may be limited by means of suitable stops, not shown. In order to properly position the paper-table for IOU are loosened and the paper-table shifted to place the pins 28 in the notches 26, thereby insuring the proper positioning of the second main column of the work-sheet, or card, in position to receive the various entries. When the entries are to be made in the third main column, the paper-table 29 may be shifted to position with the pins 28 engaging notches 27,

As shown in Figure '1, the card 31 is positioned for making entries for the month of October of the first year. For that purpose, the paper-table 29 is positioned with the pins 28 in the notches 25, and the leading-edge gage is positioned with the pins 38 and 39, engaging in the fourth aperture from the bottom in'the flanges 33 and 34, respectively. Typing in the given line and in the given column may then be effected by swinging atype-bar 45 upwardly and rearwardly against the platen.

It will be evident that in making successive entries on a given line, the leadingedge gage will not be disturbed in its position with reference to the paper-table, but that the paper-table will} be shifted successively from its right-hand position to its middle position, and from its middle position to its left-hand position. When entries are to be made in the next writing line, the leading-edge gage will be advanced one line space along the flanges 33 and 34, and the paper-table will be restored to its right-hand position on the bar22.

It will be evident that by use of the present invention, the paper-table and leading-edge gage may be adjusted to correspond with the entry for any given month and year on a card 31, so that cards corresponding to the different accounts may be readily positioned thereon to receive the entries for the proper month, and that the tabulating and computing mechanisms will be effective without adjustment, in any one of the positions of the cards. Furthermore, due to the provision for shiftingthe front paper-table to different positions, a

much smaller paper-table may be used than would otherwise be the case, thus avoiding unnecessary weight of parts and assisting in economizing space. i

Obviously, the order in which the entries are to be made on the work-sheets or cards may be varied without losing any of the advantages incident to the structure herein disclosed.

The work-sheets may be introduced at either front or back of the platen. The work-sheetis not line-spaced, but if desired it may be clamped against the platen by releasable rolls 46 of the usual type, to prevent skewing or displacement of the sheet while typing.

It is noted that the device is further valuable when used in connection with cards or work-sheets that have been previously provided with projections. or tabs. Such tabs are usually for the purpose of indexing the card or sheet. The tabs, therefore,

are placed in various positions and make it impossibleto have a fixed horizontal aligning edge on every card. This lack is supplied by resting a finger of either hand on the lug and drawing the card into touch withthe fingers, which are shifted to avoid the projections on the cards. I

7 Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: V

1. In a typewriting and computing machine comprising tabulating mechanism for making entries on sheets having like co lumnar divisions, each of which divisions comprises several subordinate columns, the combination of a front paper-table having a leading-edge gage and a fixed side-edge gage, and selective means for mechanically locating the paper-table indifferent columnar locations, laterally of the machine, to enable the paper-table to locate the worksheets with different columnar divisions in co-operative relation to the computing mechanism and the tabulating mechanism for tabula ting, typing and computing in different zones on the work-sheets.

2. A bookkeeping machine comprising typewriting mechanism and computing mechanism to cooperate therewith, said typewriting mechanism having individually settable tabulating stops, and said computing mechanism having individually settable computing dogs or stops, said typewriting mechanism also comprising a revoluble platen, a collating table mounted at the introductory side of the platen, and means to enable said collating table, to be set relatively to the stops, in a direction longitudinal of the platen, to any one of a series of zones selectively, in each of whichis sufliciently extensive to accommodate a plurality of computing zones, the combination with writing mechanism, tabulating mechanism and computing mechanism, of means for selectively locating a worksheet in any one of several mechanically predetermined positions longitudinally of the platen for use in typing and computing entries on worksheets that are provided with main columnar divisions, each of which divisions is sub-divided into sev eral subordinate columns; said selective sheet-locating means comprising a front paper-table having a side-edge gage, and means cooperating With the paper-table to locate it mechanically in any one of a plurality of diflerent fixed columnar locations or zones, to bring different main columnar divisions of the work-sheet into appropriate relation to the computing mechanism and the tabulating mechanism for tabulating,

'traveling with the platen and having a side-edge gage to position on the platen a work-sheet having a plurality of like columnar divisions with minor columns, the computing mechanism being, for use with such work-sheet, set for computing in minor-computing zones, of a single majorzone on the platen, corresponding respectively to the minor columns of each columnar division on the work-sheet, and means for selectively locating said paper-table longitudinally of the platen to position any one of said columnar d' "isions on the work-sheet in register with the major zone on the platen without changing the setting of the computing mechanism and the tabulating mechanism.

5. In a type-writing machine, in combination, a front paper-table, an extension thereof comprising side flanges having perforations at line-space distances, at leadingedge gage having a body portion extendin across said flanges, and end portions extent ing.on the outside of said flanges, and screws threaded in said end portions, whereby the gage may be secured in adjusted position by causing the ends of said screws to enter the proper perforations. V

G. In. a typewriting machine, in combination. a front paper-table, an extension thereof comprising side flanges having perforations at line-space distances, at leading-edge gage having a body portion extending across said flanges and end portions extending on the outside of said flanges, and pins mounted in said end portions for movement into said perforations to hold the gage in said adjusted position.

7. In a typewriting machine, in combination, a front paper-table having rearwardlydirected side flanges, a leading-edge gage having a body-portion extending across said table, end portions extending on the outside of said flanges, and means on the end portions of the gage lor co-operation with the flanges, to hold the gage in adjusted positions.

8. In a bookkeeping machine for making single-line entries on sheets having like columnar divisions, each of which divisions comprises severalsubordinate columns, said machinehaving writing mechanism, tabulating mechanism and computing mechanism arranged for computing in such columnar divisions and subordinate columns, the

combination of a :tront paper-table having a vertically-adjustable leading'edge gage and a tixed side-edge gage, and means for locating the paper-table in different positions, laterally of the machine, to correspond to said columnar divisions, for locating the work-sheets with their different columnar divisions in co-operative relation to the computing mechanism and the tabulating mechanism.

9. In a bookkeeping machine having writ ing mechanism including a platen mounted to travel transversely of the machine, computing mechanism for computing in minor computing zones of a major zone on the platen, and tabu-lating mechanism to position the platen for computing in said zones, the combination with the platen, of a front paper-table traveling with the platen and having a side-edge gage to position on the platen work-sheet having a plurality of like columnar divisions with minor columns corresponding in each case to said major zone and minor computing zones on the platen, and means for selectively locating said paper-table longitudinally of the platen only in such mechanically-determined positions as to selectively locate one of said columnar divisions in register with said major computing zone, so that computation may be effected by typing in the minor columns of the selectively positioned columnar division, said locating means including two studs projecting rearwardly from said paper-table and a transverse supporting bar having pairs of notches to receive said studs and positioned in. accordance with the arrangement ot' colnmar divisions on the work-sheets to be used therewith.

10. In a typewriting and computing ma chine comprising tabulating mechanism, for making entries on sheets having like major columnar divisions, each of which major divisions includes several. sub-divisional columns similarly arranged, the combina tion of a platen, a front paper-table having a side-edge gage, and means -lfor supporting and holding the table comprising means for mechanically determining a location of the table to position it in such predetermined relation to the tabulating and computing mechanism that a sheet positioned by it will be correctly located for typing, tabulating and computing in the sub-divisional columns of one of its major columns, and means for mechanically determining a second location of the table in such relation to the tabulating and computing mechanism that a Work-sheet positioned by the table in the second location thereof will be located for typing, tabulating and computing in the sub-divisional column of another of its major columns.

JAs. R. HUNT.

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