US1526871A - Adding machine - Google Patents

Description

W. H. SCHUERMAN ADDING MACHINE 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F11 ed May 2 (gn/vento?,

Feb. 17," 1925.

1,526,871 W. H. SCHUERMAN ADDING MACHINE Filed May 2, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAIVI` H. SCHUERMAN, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNGR TO LEONOR-A B. SCHUERMAN, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

ADDING MACHINE.

Application filed May 2,

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, VTLLIAM H. SCI-TUER- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nashville. in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adding Machines, of which the following is a speciication.

This application is al continuation in part of my application, Serial #421,77 2, filed November 4th, 1920. The present inventio-n has for an object to provide a simplied form of adding machine with novel inechanical features having value for application in various ways other than the particular embodiment herein shown. It is a special purpose of the invention to provide a machine of this character operable by a key-board adapted to be manipulated by one hand of an operator, leaving the other hand free for manipulation of checks oi other memoranda, and without requiring the movement of the hand from a convenient position over the key-board, manipulation of the keys being possible by digital movement principally.

It is an especially important aim of the invention to provide a novel mechanism by which the number of keys required to operate suoli a device may be materially reduced. A further purpose is to provide an improved and efhcient means whereby consecutive operation of any number keys in the setting down of an item will result in the accumulation of the sum involved in each key operation successively on the unit, tens, hundreds and other wheels to the left, respectively. A further aim of the invention is to provide mechanism of this kind which may be embodied in a very compact form adapted to be produced at a low cost, and which will be efficient and durable, and liable in a minimum degree tocasual displacement of the parts operatively, or otherwise than by normal operation of the machine.

The invention involves also additional objects, advantages and features of invention in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts, as may be understood from the following description `and accompanying drawings of one embodiment of the invention, wherein,

Figure 1 is a top viewof the mechanism withthe casing and framing parts omitted,

Fig. 2 is an end elevation yof the mecha- 1922. Serial N0. 557,899.

nism with the casing and shafts in section on the line A B of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of one of the number keys and the connection whereby two diiferent numbers may be registered by the same key,

Fig. t is a view of the mechanism for operating the tripping shaft.

Figure at is a. detail of the lever 44, detaclied.

Figs. 5 and 6 are two views of the registering or accumulating mechanisms.

Fig. 7 is a detail of the tripper shaft,

Fig. S is a detail of the blank for the ratchets 60 of Figs. 5 and 6.

Y Fig. 9 is a. detail of the lever operating this ratchet.

This invention involves the use of a series of register or number wheels, and a keyboard with means whereby when the first key is operated for the recording of an item. the figure involved by the operation of such a key will be registered on the unit wheel, while the amount involved by the operation of the second key, or a repeated operation of the first key used, will be recorded on the wheel in the tens column, the next key operation registering on the hundreds wheel, and so on. Associated with the wheels there is means whereby when a previous item has l' been recorded an additional sum added en a wheel aggregating ten for that column will be carried forward to the next wheel properly, or accumulated, as required in such machines. Also, means is provided whereby two numbers diiferent by live units may be recorded selectively or alternatively, by each key, so that only five numbered keys are required in the machine, which are so positioned that they mav be ordinarily operated by the four digits of the left hand, a shift key being provided opera-ble by the thumb of that hand to cause the recording of one such of the numbers represented on the keys. The machine includes five number keys, of vwhich four operate register-accumulating wheels, these being designated, 1 6, 2 7, 3 8, 4 9, respectively being utilized to register the numbers by which they are designated, the fifth key being designated 0 5. It has no connection with register wheels and while it may be operated when such characters are involved, other mechanism operated in association with the key act when necessary to operate the iii) register Wheel or wheels. The last inentio-ned mechanism includes the. shift key S which must be depressed when the higher characters on any of the keys are to bevregistered. The keyboard also includes a Vrelease key N, which is operated after the entry of each item.

In the present instance, no clearing device is shown, and to return.l the number wheels to initial position, these. may be operated manually or any suitable clearing mechanism incorporated upon the device.

The key-board is, located 'over a horizontal forward extension Off a casing. l. by irl-,lich the complete mechanism is enclosed, this; c asing having a series of viewopenings 2 through which number, wheels 3: may' be viewed, mounted immediately thereadjacent. Thekeys alearranged-SQ as t0. accommodate themselves to the natural positionsof` the lilrigers of one hand-when placed; over. the key-board. The keysa-recarried upon vertical stems l, pivoted at 5 upon lower stabilizing links 7, whichiarepivoted upon a fixed shaft 9 adj acentV the lower part ofthe casing andrearwardly of the stems,V Vertically above and parallel to the shaft; 9, there is a larger shaft, 8, fixed-in the 4casing from which operatinglevers extend to the stems and also rearwardly for engagement with parts to 'be moved. From thefirst mentioned four numberkeys, levers 6:',are so eX- tended, and from the` key-0 5, a lever 6 extends, while from the keys S and N, levers G and` 6b respectively are entende-d rearwardly, pivoted like the. others uponr the shaft 8. The lever 6a adjacent the rearpart of the casing is engaged byaspring. 19 attached to thefbottom ,of the casing, tohold it yieldingly at initial-position, and-upwardly from its rearend-thereis-eXtended-a link 10, connected ,pivotallyto aflifter arm 11, which ispivoted upon ,af horizontal stationary shaft 12 in theupper part-of the casing, the arm extending rearwardly and engaging under onev end ofabarE lffixed upon links 14e-#149v pivoted von the .shaft-12 so that the bar may reciprocate between the position shown in Fig. 2.- andthe position dottedin Fig. 3; A spring 21 on the shaft 12 is utilized to hold the rbar 13 yieldinglylat the lower limit of movement. There issuspended from the bar 13V an arm 15, having the notch 16in its-forward side adapted to receive aV counter bar 17 forsupportofthe bar 13-in its elevated position at times` A spring 1S is mounted on the shaft\13,-e1 igaging ,the arm to bear it forward yieldingly against the Shaft 17.v Thear-,m `11 is formed with an inclined rear edge, arranged to engage a pin 20 projectedfrom,theside of the arm 15, toward the saine rearwardly as the arm 11 is lowerehand thusdisengage the notch-16 from the shaft 17 ,A whichwill permit they shaft 13 .to falltoitsinitial posi-V tion. Upon the shaft 1K2 immediately adjacent the arm 14 at onev side of the casing, there is revolubly mounted a gear 30 having forty teeth, and uponv the arln 1 -la and piv- Qfed1kethe-lnks 114-14@ ldiallt the @11d of the bar 13 there is mounted a ratchet 29 engaging the gear to rotate the same when the larm llla is raised, and it will ride upon the gear when the-arm is lowered. It should be noted that the movement of the ratchet produced by t-he lever 6a upon operation of the key Sissuch that the gear 30 will be moved over an arc including five teeth.

It may also beY noted that the shaft 17 does-,not-project over thelever 6a. Thebar 17 is initially supported. upon arms26: operatedby the levers 6', as will be explained. The rear ends of these arms rest initially upon a stationary Sha-ft2@ Each lever 6 isfconnectedby ag short linl22l t0a lever-'23a' pvotedupon and: extendingforwardly from the shaft 24, andfrom-,anintermediate position,on the. lever 23 alink; 25 1s extended upwardly and connectedto a respective`v arm 26, The'link 22, lever 23 and arm 26 `are= the same for yall four -keys,`but,the links 25 and the-position of the pinsy bywhich they are connected with the arms.23,and26' varywith the keys involved; The adjustment. is such that the-angle of arc through which the; 'f`

counter bar 17 is moved with respect to the shaft'12 varies for the. keys1-6-,2-f7, 3-V8,

and"4-9, inthe ratio 1, 2, 3, and4. Itshouldalsobe noted thijat raising of-anyofthe armsQ/will liftgthef bar, 17, and by .rea-- son of the links 14-14 restingfon this-bar, the bar 13 will also be raised, causing operation of the gear 30 to an; extent corresponding to thel value. of the .key operated to ,pro-v duce such movement. The-movement ofthe' gear 30..' produced by the. operation of the key S 'will -havea` valueof y5 inv they group-,of

values named.4 In other words, operation of the. key 1"-6, will move, the lgear 30 vthe casing forwardly-of and ;slightly above the shanftj12,and fixed upon this shaft there Vare gears 81, 4one for each whe-el 3, the first,: or

. right hand gear 31-being meshed with `the gear 8O` before-mentioned so thatfall are ,turned when any of t-he keys named areioperated.- Pivotedfor freemovementon the shaft 32 adiacent each gear 81 thereis a lever-85, having a pin 34 `set adjacent, its

Vouter end upon-which there isvrevo-lublea .gear 33 meshed with thegear 31; Each ofy the levers is formed with an inwardly extending arm to which there is connected a spring 37 by which the forward end is held yieldingly in raised position, the springs being engaged on the shaft 8. At the side of and fixed with respect to each wheel 3, there is a ten-toothed gear 39 and the levers 35 swing in such an arc. that the gears 33 thereon will readily engage respective gears 39 aty one limit of swinging movement.

All except one of the levers 35 are in inoperative position, and their successivle movement into operative relation is atta-ined by means of a tripping shaft 36 having ten pins or teeth 38 thereon and arranged spirally therearonnd each pin being located on a radius at an angle of 36 degrees to the radius of the next adjacent pin, or one tenth of a circumference. This arrangement and number of pins, has no relation to the number of teeth on the gears, but the number of pins may correspond to the number of register wheels, according to the maximum sum which may be set. The rear ends of the levers 35 are notched, so as to form bills positioned to engage respective teeth on the tripper shaft, as at 49, the levers being so shaped thatl as one tooth passes outY of engagement with one. the adj acent tooth to the left will operate the respective lever 35 to bring the gear 33 into mesh with the gear 39 of the counter wheel. To the left hand end of the tripper shaft 36, there is fixed a gear 48 the number of teeth on which should equal or be a multiple of the number of pins or teeth on the trip shaft, and meshed with the gear 48 there is a large gear 47 revoluble on the shaftl 12 having a multiple relation to the gear 48. In the present instance, the gears 48 and 47 have ten and forty teeth respectively.

The trip shaft 36 is to be rotated a distance of one pin or tooth thereon for each consecutive operation of number keys. For this purpose, a shaft 41 is mounted in arms 42 pivoted upon the shaft 8, to rest upon the levers 6 and 6', and from an intermediate position on the arms 42 a link 43 is extended upwardly to the forwardly projected arm of a lever 44 pivoted on the shaft 12 beside the gear 47, and extending rearwardly thereof. A ratchet 45 is mounted on the rear end of the lever 44 engaging the teeth of the gear 47 to rotate the gear under upward movement of the rear kend of the lever 44. Upward movement of the rear part of any of the levers 6 and 6 will thus raise the shaft 41, operating the lever 44 and moving the gear 47 which drives the trip shaft. The shaft 41 and the connections of the links 43 are so positioned that the movement imparted to the shaft 36 will disengage one tooth 38 from a lever 35, and cause the next tooth to the left to operate the respective lever whereby the wheels 3 will be operated as required in succession to the. left on consecutive operations of numbered keys. In the present instance, movement of one tooth on the gear 47 only is required,

For the reason that in setting the items of a series to be added. it is necessary' to start with the right hand figure in each item and the gear 33 at the right hand side of my machine must be in mesh when beginning each item. Means is provided to return the shaft 36 to its initial position after setting of each item, this means being operated by the key N. The lever 6b of this key is extended rearwardly from the shaft 8 beneath the shaft 41 and a distance beyond, where a link 50 is extended upwardly therefrom to an arm 51 pivoted upon the shaft 12 and carrying a ratchet adapted to engage one of four pins 53 equally spaced circumferentially of the gear 47 and projecting laterally therefrom. The throw of the arm 51 under operation of the lever 50 is such that at the termination of its movement in engagement with any one of the pins, the shaft 36 will have been rotated to such point that its next operation by the lever 44 will cause operative positioning of the first gear 33. As the lever 44 is operated at the same time by the lever 6b, the return movement of the lever 6b will cause the further movement of the shaft 36 to bring the first set of gears into mesh.

Vhile various carrying means may be found applicable to my machine, in the present instance, the means whereby one turn of one wheel will add one to the number registered on the next wheel to the left. comprises the following Upon each wheel at a suitable location a projection, pin, or tooth 54 is provided adapted to engage the block or other projection 55 upon a lever 56 (one adjacent each wheel) pivoted freely upon the shaft 8 and extending upwardlyso as to rest against the forward side of the shaft 40. being so held by means of a spring 57 mounted on the shaft 8. A short arm 60 is freely pivoted upon the shaft 40 adjacent the gear 39, having a leaf spring 61 secured thereon serving as a ratchet and engaging the teeth of the gear 39 so as to rotate the gear in a clockwise direction when the a m 60 is oscillated. The arm has a pin 59 projected laterally outward therefrom engaging in a slot 58 adjacent the outer end of the arm 56, so that when the tooth 54 of one wheel engages the block the arm 60 will be swung so as to rotate the next wheel 3 one number.

The various ratchets may be springpressed in customary practice, and in order to prevent reverse movement of gears, pawl or keeper devices may be employed as found ment of any of thosegears. A-simila'r pawl 66 mounted on .thes'haft VSfengages.thegear 48 to prevent backward movement of the tripper shaft.

In the position of the Vparts shown :in Fig. 1, the mechanismis represented'as having been operated Vto `set y.the item lof `&l51,116,35Of47 these being the numbers-adj acent the left hand side' ofthe :sheetin position Where lthey 'would vbe viewed .through the-opening2 of the case. In-order, now, to addv the item `$736.14 to this number,the key N having Vbeen last operated :to set the .gear `33 in .the first set inoperative position, the operator Iwould iirstzdepress the key '4-9 and the lever '6 of the keyoperated would lift the-corresponding `arm 26 :such Ldistance, that the sh-afts 17 and 13 would be raised such distance that the ratchet29Y lwould rotate the gear 30 four teeth, this motion `being so 1*transmitted that Ythe fnumoperative position. rlhe loperator ythen-'depresses the key Sand holdingfthis, operates the key 1'-6. Operation rof the key S through the lever 621, Ilink -10 land arm 11 raises fthe shaft I13 and thelarm "14zcausing fthe ratchet 29 to move theigear 30 five teeth;

ythependent arm 1'5 then'receivingtheshaft 17, fin its notch 16, whereby the parts are fixed with respectto-the shaft 17in the'position they will move, the shaft 13 and associated parts, however, being free for movement beyond this'lever without-obstruction.

VWhen the operator then-operates the fkey V1-6 as mentioned, the lever 6-1of .that key 5 voperatingthe arm *26, raises the shaft 17 a oneiof the gears-31preventingfreverse moveto 1, and also lowers the third lever 3to 'distanee, ,the V:motion :being transmitted through the arm 15 i tothe shaft 13 and. arm

`'-14, vwherebyftheratc'het 29 movesthe gear 30 a .further distance of one tooth, the resultfoffthese operations being-.the registral:tion/.of the ...number '.6 `on "the third -wheel 'from the fright. Next the key YJ3f'8is iopera-ted and -then .the shiftV .key l.S .is vheld =downward* fwhilethe key 2-7 .is depressed. VThis completes g the @addition of 1 the .number assumed. The key N is then depressed-.and released, .which returns lthe-'shaft ,.36 t'o its .initial lposition in the Imanner before --dedesirable, or ycombined with other familiar forms of adding-appliances.

That .is1 claimed is y 1. .In a machineof the. character described, a .plurality .of number wheels-'revoluble 1in --parallel Vplanes a shaft :hav-ing respective swinging 4.arms thereon, `a revoluble .shaft parallel-.tothe first shaft. and lia-ving .respective proJections :thereon -to successively .engage the i arms Vfor lmovement ofthe arms `toward the number wheels, yieldinvg` -means .ten-ding to hold the arms tininoperative y position, Va key-board,-operative means between the keys and Inumber wheelslineluding separable memb'ers-onefor each wheel vcarried yupon the iresp'ective :swinging arms .thereadjacent, and meansoperable 1by each .key

on Vfull movement to-rotate the second named shaft.

2. In-an Padding ymachine a .keyboard .com-

vprising f-keys, -each :for two numbers, movable Ilift arms, certain `keys .connected .to yrev"speetive .arms for 'movement Athereof in pro- ,portionlto the value of-therespective keys,

a cross bar mevable-bysaid yarms and tending to .rest thereaga1nst,a `number Wheel,

operative-meanstherefor including an ele- -inent yresting `upon. said baia-.an auXiliaryQkey and-.connections to move 1the number wheel 'independently of fthe :said bar, a `notched armcarried by the auxiliary connections V.to receive 'the ibar `1n fthe notch after predeter- Imined=movement, and .movable for further actu-ation .of the number wheel .by move- 'ment lof the ibar, `the unachine :including means toreleasethe armfrom the bar under inovelnent .to initial position.-

3; In an `adding machine, Va .number key, a 'lever operatively .connected thereto, a shiftable element .thereover,4 a connection'b-etween the shiftable (element and .the vlever for a predetermined movement .ofthe shiftable elementupon operation of the key; a

second sliiftableelement means whereby the secondshiftable Velement will be moved by the first shiftable element; means including aniauxiliary keytomove .the-second shiftable element independently ofthe first shift-Y able element to a predetermined advanced position, means to fix the two shiftable elements in the last named relation to each other for further movement as a unit on operation of said lever, and a number registering device operatively connected with the second shiftable element for the purposes described.

' el. In a machine of the character described, a plurality of number registering wheels, having gear teeth, a corresponding number of operating devices therefor including swinging arms lia-ving gears at their outer ends to mesh with the teeth of the wheels at one position and being normally in inoperative position yieldable for movement to operative position, rotating means having parts located to successively move the arms to operative position, a keyboard having keys operatively connected with all the gears on said arms, and means constructed to operate said rotating means step by step under operation of the keys, for the pur pose indicated.

5. In a device of the character described, a number registering device including a shaft having a ratchet thereon, a swinging arm on the shafthaving a pawl to move the ratchet, an auxiliary key to move the arm a distance predetermined, a second swinging arm, means carried thereby forming a rest for the first arm in one position, a means to form a supporting connection between the arms when the lirst named arm has been moved by the auxiliary key, means to move the supporting connection to inoperative position by return movement of the auxiliary key, a number key, and operative connections between the number key and the second named arm for movement proportionate to the number.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VILLIAM H. SCHUERMAN. IVitnesses C. B. GRIDDLE, IV. S. CRIDDLE.

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