US1677087A - Accounting-machine demonstration chart - Google Patents

Description

July 10, 1928. 1,677,087

J. S. HEXTER ACCOUNTING MACHINE fiEMONSTRATION CHART Filed April 23, 1925 r 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 "JIWU I Lil 5 Nu. Hut

l/rve/r far Afforney Patented July 10, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,677,087 PATENT OFFICE.

JULIAN S. HEXTEBQ OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORTIO UNDERWOOD ELLIOTT FISHER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

ACOOUNTING-MACHINE DEMONSTRATION CHART.

Application filed April 23, 1925. Serial No. 25,218.

This invention relates to demonstration or exhibition charts for use in explaining the operations of a machine.

Salesmen, especially those dealing in machines too heavy to carry around, often find it difiicult to explain to a prospective buyer certain operations.

A feature of the present invention is the provision of a chart of cardboard or other 11 suitable material, which may be used to demonstrate instead of the machine. To this end the chart bears on its face a photograph of an Underwood bookkeeping machine, showing particularly the platen and the i5 sight-openings of a plurality of registers.

The chart further comprises a slide containing the figures to be typed and the figures as they would appear in the registers of the machine after each typing operation. By manipulation of said slide the salesman may readily expose the figures in an opening in the photograph at the platen and in other openings in the photograph at the sights of the register to expose the various figures and thus explain the successive steps as they take place on the work-sheet and in the registers withoutthe use of theactual machine.

The device consists of a frame composed of two layers of material secured to each 1 other at their edges. A numeral-bearing slide extends between said layers and terminates in a finger-piece whereby the slide may be manipulated, said finger-piece extending from a slot in the lower edge of the 5 frame. Three holes are cut in the photograph to expose the figures atthe registers. To expose the figures at the platen, the upper layer of material, which bears the photograph, has two parallel slots to form a strap, over which strap the slide passes, thus providing a sight-opening at the platen, substantially the width of said strap, to expose the figures to be typed. Above the platen there is represented in the photograph a collating table upon .which there maybe pasted or represented the heading of a ledger-sheet, with the following headings in successive columns; Pickup, Date, Memo, Debits, Credits, Balance and Proof. The slide is held in vertical alignment with the heading by the slits at the platen through which it passes. To prevent accidental withdrawal of the slide from the frame, said slide is provided at its side edges with stops, said stops engaging the upper edge of said strap when the slide is pulled down to expose the last figure. The slide is further provide with stops to engage the lower edge of the strap when said slide is pushed back to begin another demonstration.

The device is preferably in compact form, light and adapted tomake clear to the pros pect the appearance of the actual machine and to give a clear idea of the method of its operation. The device may be placed in a brief case, envelop, or the like; or wrapped up with papers; catalogues, etc, for convenience in carrying, or for mailing, and it is especially adapted for the use of salesmen,

who may use it in instances where it would be inconvenient to convey an actual machine because of the weight and bulk of the latter.

The device may be laid flat on a desk in full view. The absence of working machinery aids in directly concentrating the attentionof the customer upon the essential re sults of the adding and typing operations,

and to bring them easily within his coinprehension. The device may be made cheaply of cardboard, and permits the covering of a much larger territory by the salesman than would be possible if only the actual machines were used.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear. a i

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 shows a plan of the device.

Figure 2 shows the device on a reduced scale, with the print or photograph removed, but with its location outlined. The position of the slide is here indicated by dotted lines. Sight-openings and retaining straps are also indicated.

Figure 3 is a plan of the slide with stops attached thereto.

Figure 4: shows a longitudinal section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2, but with the holding tab cut off at the edge of the frame.

This device comprises a frame 1, having a top card or member 2. To this is secured a bottom 3, the parts 2 andf3 being spaced from each other by straps 3 and secured together at the edges by adhesive material. A holding tab 4 is inserted at the upper extremity of said frame and secured thereto. A photograph or print 5 is mounted on the surface of the card 2. A slide 6, on which entries and combinationsof figures ornumerals may be imprinted, is mounted between the parts 2 and 3. Said slide has stop lugs 7, 8, 9 and 10 and an extended portion 11 at its lower extremity, which serves as a tab for the mani 'iulation of the slide.

Apertures or siglu opeuings 12, 13, 14 and 15 serve to expose to view certain sets of numerals in a specific relation to each other when said slide is manipulated by the demonstrator. There can be shown the results of the operation of the actual machine.

A strap 10 acts as a retainer and guide for the slide 6, and also serves as a stop when in contact with the lugs 7, 8, 9, etc. A strap 17 acts as a retainer and guide for the lower portion of said slide 0. u

The headingof a ledger-sheet or other work-sheet consisting of a strip 18 is mounted on the face of the device by being pasted or otherwise attached thereto in such position as to make it appear that such a sheet is held on the platen 19 of the machine proper, and resting on the collating table 20.

Referring again to the slide 6, ruled columns 21, 22 and 23 with figures therein representing ledger entries are so located with respect to the columns of figures 24, 25

and 20 that the numerals appearing therein will move in definite relation to the aforesaid tigures upon manipulation of said slide.

A group of operating keys as they appear on the photograph or print is shown at 27. Other keys and controlhuttrms are shown at 28, 29, and 31.

The machine represented on said chart, the operation of which it is desired to simulate, is, in construction, similar to the conventional Underwood ty iiewritcr with computing and tabulating mechanism usually combined therewith. It has a revoluble platen type-bars, operating keys and number-bearing registering disks. In the use of the actual machine, numerals, characters, etc, are typed on an inserted ledger-sheet and automatically computed at the will of an operator, the results appearing in the sight-openings of the actual machine.

The novel device is designed to indicate the operation of the above-described machine, or other machines of a similar character, by the aid of a slide; its manipulation causing to appear in the sight-openings and on the facsimile ledger sheet the same numorals, characters, etc. as would appear on the actual maclnne under the manipulation of the keysor control buttons indicated by the demonstrator.

The method of operation of the device is as follows:

The chart is placed on a desk or table in full View of the prospect. the slide being in its normal or uppermost position and exposing at the sight-openings a set of zeros or such numerals as may he desired for this particular demonstration. The device is held in position by the pressure of the lingers on the .tab l. The slide is then slowly withdrawn by means of the pull tab 11 until the first set of numerals are exposed at the proper sight-openings. Before moving the slide in this manner, the demonstrator may indicate the keys which under pressure would produce a similar result. on the actual machine. The successive series of operations are performed in like manner, the arrangement of the numerals on theslide being such that their relation to each other, as appearing in: the various sight-openings, will always-be the same as though the operation had been performed on the actual machine of which the chart a facsimile. i

For a new (ilemonstration the slide isrcturned to its first position and the demonstrator proceedsas before. I i

To go more into detail, at the beginning of a demonstration the slide 0 is in its normal. or uppcrn'iostposition, thus exposing at each of register sight-openings l l, l-l, 15 a. set of zeros. lhe first opcratitm to he demonstrated the picking up of the previous balance $25.70. To do this the slide 0 is pulled downwardly until 25.70 of the slide appears in the pick-up column 21. At the same time this amount is thrown into the middle register 25. The next operation is to enter a debit oi $32.00. To demonstrate this the slide 0 is pulled downwardly another step, thus exposing 32.00 in the debits column 22. and also showing the previously typed amount in the pick-up column 2i. This amount (32.00) is thrown into the register 24', which is an accumulator register; it is also added to the amount (25.70) previously run into the middle'register 25, and it is also run'into register 20, which is a proving register. The next operation to be demonstrated is the typing of the balance (55.30). which ainountis copied from the middle register 25. The machine, when the curriage enters the balance column 20, autoi'natically set to subtraction. (lonscrpicntly the number as it is typed in said column is set up subtractively, and since it is copied from the middle register clears when the number is run into it. To illustrate this operation, the slide 6 is pulled downwardly another step, thus exposing 58.30 in the balancecolumn 23, together with the amounts typed in the previous columns, and also showing the middle register 25 cleared. The star key 9.9 which can be operated only when the register is at zero may then be operated to print the opposite 58.30. The checking register 20 pie sent-s a series of 0s succeeded by 74.30, which is a negative amount and equal to minus 25.70. Thus when the amount (25.70) copied into the proof column 32 from the pick-up column 21, the proving register 26 25, said register should return to zero, this amount being run into the proving register 26 additively. To demonstrate this operation, the chart 6 is pulled to the next and final position, thus exposing 25.70 in the proof column 32 and showing the proving register 26 cleared, whereupon the may then be printed. The n'eviously typed figures are also visible at this time at the platen 19, and the accui'nulating register 25 shows the debit amount (32.60).

To begin a new demonstration, it is necessary to push the slide 6 back to its normal position, where it is arrested by the stops 7, 9 thereon which engage the strap 16, thus leaving the platen sight-opening 12 blank and exposing zeros in the registers 2%, 25, 26.

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

Having thusdescribed my invention, I claim:

1. A frame comprisinglayers of cardboard secured together in a manner to leave space therebetween, a slide inserted in said space and having entries thereo I a representation of a computing and typing machine appearing on the face of the frame, sightopenings being cut through the frame in alignment with the slide and coming into registration With the entries appearing thereon upon manipulation of said slide, stops upon said slide and engaging guidestraps on the frame, a holding tab secured to the frame, and a linger-grip on the entremity of the slide.

2. A panel or chart having on the face thereof a representation of a machine or the like, a slide mounted on the reverse side thereof, and including a dummy of a ledgersheet, a heading for said dummy appearing on the aforesaid representation in such position as to appear to be resting on the machine, sight'openings being formed in the face of said chart and exposing entries on the slide, said entries being arranged in a certain sequence, and means by which the slide may be gripped for adjustment.

3. A panel or chart having on the face thereof a representation of a machine or the like, a slide mounted on the reverse side thereof, and including a dummy of a ledgersheet, a heading for said dummy appearing on the aforesaid representation in such position as to appear to be resting on the machine, sight-openings being formed in the face of said chart and exposing entries on the slide, said entries being arranged in a certain sequence, means by which the slide may be manually gripped for zuljustment, and means associated with the chart whereb to hold the same in 'osition for demontion of a bookkeeping machine, inclluling a two-layer frame having a picture of said machine on the upper layer, a nunieral-bearing slide partly disposed between'said layers, said upper layer being arranged with sight-opening means at the printing Zone of the platen-element of said picture for Viewing numerals on said slide representing entries typed upon a ledger-sheet, and sightopenings at the registenelements of said picture for viewing numerals on said slide which (IlOlIlOIlSiLlflllG the connputations that take place in actual registers of said ma chine when said entries are typed, and a dummy heading for said ledger-sheet appearing to be in operative position on said platen-element, said slideand said heading being detachable from said frame, whereby the latter may be arranged with a different slide and a co-operative heading.

JULIAN s. rmx'rnn.

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