US1759329A - Combined typewriting and computing machine - Google Patents

Description

& ,ay 26, 1930 H. EJEELE COMBINED TYPEWRITING AND COMPUTING MACHINE Filed June 17, 1928 Patented May 20, 1930 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE HERBERT H. STEELE, OF LYNiBIB-OOK, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO ELLIOTT-FISHER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPOBATION'OF DELA- WARE Application filed June 17,

tion of the computing mechanism, except at such times or during such periods as computations are desirable, and thus prevent the abuse of the mechanism through carelessness or errors. These devices usually have taken the form of interlocks to prevent the depression of any numeral-key and thus prevent the actuation of the computing mechanism Hart shows pendent cams that have a free longitudinal movement, as a series, sufiicient to allow the passage of a stem or pendant from one numeraLkey-lever and inwthus taking up the .lost motion between the cams prevents the subsequent entrance of another stem until the first stem has been fully with-' drawn at the end of the return key movement, and thus prevents the joint actuation of two numeral-keys to register dissimilar digits. To this mechanism a wedge is added'that operates to closeup the stem space between the cams so as to prevent the depression of any numeral-key while the wedge is held interlocked with the cains by machine conditions or manipulations' As for example,

means have been provided to lock the numeral-keys when a case-shift key is depressed to prevent the typing of an uppercase.character, and simultaneously compute the numeral. Other connections have been made to actuate'the-wedge during'the interval a denominational tabulating key is depressed, to

W prevent the actuation of the computing COMBINED TYPEWBITING AND COMPUTING MACHINE 1926. Serial No. 116,555.

typing an erasure easily corrects the error.

In the Hart patent, the stems pendent from each numeral-key are at all times in position to actuate certain parts of the computing mechanism, and hence the numeralreys, whether the manipulation is to type or to type and compute, perform the same function of vibrating the pin-setting linkages, and hence the numeral-keys are always connected to the computing mechanism, of which the linkages are a part.

One feature of this invention is to normally isolate the numeral-keys of the typewriter from the computing mechanism so that the keys are operative at all times to type a nu-- =mera1, and may be'rendered operative to accomputing within a computing zone, and to' prevent computing anywhere else along the line of print.

To this end, provision is made to swing the pendants from a pivot on the numeral-keys, between twopositions, one position where the =1ng mechanism it is sometimes a serious matter to correct it, but if a mistake is made in.

pendant is normally inoperative to actuate the computing devices, but is id y d pressed ing mechanism.

with the numeral-key, and another position where the pendant may be directed to engage with the computing mechanisms through connections under the control of the denomina-' tional selectors actuated by the traveling car riage. As these selectors or jacks are only operative during the interval of their engagement with the tappet on thetraveling car riage it is obvious that the pendants on the numeral-keys are only shifted to operative computing positions during the'passage of the printing point on the platen through the computing zone, and at all other positions along the line of print, the said pendants are ineffective to actuate anypart of the comput- The pendants from the numeral-keys .u's-- ually have two stems of an inverted hair-pin formation, one stem thereof operati'vely engaging a. crank-arm, to rock a shaft, to actuate the pin-setting linkage, and the other stem to spread the cams and prevent the joint depression of two numeral-keys.

To obtain the maximum speed from the carnage-feeding mechanlsm, the carriagefeed let-off of the Underwood typewriting machine takes place'at a point very close to the printing position ofthe types, and when the numeral-keys are burdened with pendants to actuate the computing mechanism, and the computing devices are protected by cams interlocking with the pendants, and while the let-off takes place at the same point for the numeral-keys. as for the alphabetkeys, the

speed of typing-with the numeral-keys is greatly reduced, because it is necessary for one pendentstem to release the cams before the next succeeding stem can pass them, and the returning type-bar naturally swings close to' thebasketposition, before the next sue-- ceeding bar can be raised from the basket to type. It will 'beremembered that heretofore the typing of numerals outside the computing zone vibrated the linkages uselessly and required thatthe operator employ a normal touch for the alphabet-keys and a far different touch for the slower operating numeralkeys, which is objectionable and greatly interferes with the speed of manipulation. By

normally directing the pendants of the numeralkeys for moperative movements, the typing touch ofthe numeral-keys is restored to normal and the operation of the keyboard of the machine is restored to'its maximum efliciencyfor speed of manipulation when computing is not desirable.

Another feature provides for a special key to shift at will the numeral-key pendants to permit of re-typing a number within a com puting zone without computing, as when a numeral has been lightly typed.

When the carriage is being fed throu h the computing zone, should thc.shift-key e erroneously depressed, it is-obvious that .an upper-case character would be typed'and a mentioned may be employed to manually shift the pendants to inoperative computing posi tions during the passage of the carriage through a predetermined computing'zone, to

enable the operator, while holding said key depressed or mechanically locked, to type the total read from the totalizer within the com- .puting zone without running the amount so typed into the computing mechanism, as

where it is essential to continue a series of disconnected operations fora final-or grand total in certain kinds of i-nvoicework.

This simple method of accomplishing-these I .results is in strong contrast to the compli-' cated vmechanisms and modes of operation heretofore employed. v

, Other features and advantages will here inafter appear. I

In the accompanying drawings,-

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal vertical.

section through a combined Underwoodtypewriting and computing machine, with only such mechanisms shown as relate to the subject-matter of .the present, invention.

Figure 2 is an-enlarged end view of the casing that encloses the linkage units, show- .ing the pendantsfrom-the numeral-keys in operative positions to actuate the computing linkages while under the control of-a bail hinged tothe frame;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view ofthe transposition mechanism of the computing mechanism. i

Figure 4 isan'enlarged front view of the resilient connection between the bail and the devices. v

Figure 5 is an enlarged plan view of Fig ure 4. I Numeral-keys 10 and alphabet-keys 11 depress key-levers 12 about a fulcrum 13 to-vibrate bell-cranks 14 about a fulcrum wire 15,

.and cause type-bars 16 to swing upwardly and rear'wardly about a fulcrum 17 to effect the impact'of types 18 against the front face of a rotatable platen 19.

The platen19 is supported within a frame 20 movable to case-shift positions withinv a carriage 21 urged from right to left, by the usual spring motor 22, connected tothe carriage and controlled by the usual step-by-step carriage feeding movement of a rack-23 upon.

the carriage, engaging a pinion 24 on the frame to rotate an escapement-wheel 25 enlink actuated by the denominational selecting gageable with a pair of feed-dogs 26 mounted upon a dog-rocker 27 vibrated bya universal bar 28 that is actuated by each type-bar in moving to the printing position. Each typebar has both upper and lower case types, and, as said bars are hung from a stationary segment, the platen is shiftable from a normal lower-case typing position to an upper-case typing position by a shift-rod 29 supporting the platen-frame by acenter roller 30 traveling along the rod. Said rod is suspended from the free ends of a pair of arms 31 fulcrumed to the frame and is engageable with a crank-arm 32 forming a part of the shiftlever 33 operated by a case-shift-key 34 at the keyboard, in the well-known Underwood manner.

The carriage 21 is provided with the usual rack-tooth-bar. 35 spaced off at letter-space intervals to receive column-stops 36 that engage with the usual denominational stops 37 38 extending forwardly under the machine where the free ends are provided with keys 39 at the front of the keyboard.

The computing mechanism includes a set of pin-carrying'bars 40' which are raised one at a time to pin-setting positions while. the

carriage is passing through a computing zone. When a numeral-key 10 is depressed while one of the bars 40 is in its raised position, an

index-pin 41 corresponding in value to the number of the de ressed numeral-key 10 will be set therein. ach numeral-key-lever 12 has a stem 42 pendenttherefrom to engage with a crank-arm 43 secured to a'rock-shaft 44 that carries an arm 45 connectible-by lin'ks 46 to convey a downward parallel movement to' a bar 47 to de pins41.,

To selectively raise the pin-bars 40 to a pin-setting position where the b'ars47 may depress the pins, the carriage 21 is provided with selectors 48 adjustably mounted upon a cross-rod 49, there being one selector for each computing zone. When the carriage reaches a computing zone, as by the use of a denominational-tab'ulator-key 39, a roller 50 of the selector 48 rides over a roller 51 central of the machine to raise a tappet 52 into cooperative relation with a series of jacks'53 pivoted to the frame. As the carriage moves through the computing zone, the tappet 52 engages and vibrates thejacks, one at a time, beginning with the highest denominational order, to move or push a rod 54 downwardly and rock a lever 55 about a fulcrum 56 to lift,

of movement of pin-carrying bars 40 and the extent of rotary movement for suitable dialpress the associated index-f wheels 59, when the pin-bars 40 are operatively thrown forward by a general operator 60 engaging such pins 41' as may have been depressed through the pin-bars.

As shown at Figure 2,,the sides 61 of the frame that encloses the pin-setting units has a series of cams 62 thathang pendent from pivot-s 63 and are disposed relatively to each other and to fixed studs 64, to permit the pasof any of'the computing connections, and an- I other position where the stems perform their separate functions as heretofore. A To this end, brackets 67 are secured 'to the.

sides 61 of-the frame and have ears 68, to

pi-votally support the twoends of an inverted U-shaped bail 69,- having suitable holes 70 formed longitudinally'thereof, one hole for each'stem 65 and through which said stems may slide freely with the up-and-down movement of the numeral-key. It'willbe noted that the bail 69 is vertically-disposed or in e uipoise, and requires very little force to vi rate it' and that'the stems 65 pass down through the bail with their free ends norm-al puting mechanism, but when said bail is vibrated rearwardly the pendent stems assume the dotted position of Figurel, where one stem 65 will engage a 'cam 62 and the other stem42 will rock the crank-arm 43 and the associated linkages.-

'ly in positions inoperative to actuate the com 1 To vibrate the bail 69, between the two control positions of the pendants 42, a flat spring. 71 is secured to the bail in sucha manner that -astop-tongue 72 thereon will bear against the edge of the bail under tensionand the free end is bent at right angles to form, an-ear 73, to which may be pivoted one end of a link 74 to; provide for a resilient connection between said link and the bail for purposes hereinafterto appear. It will be remembered that the levers 55 are fulcrumed at 56, and' that the arms 57 thereof are raised one at a time through the action of the acks 53. This lifting movement of the arms 57 is utilized to actuate a universal bar 75 fulcrumed also at 56 and formed with an upright arm 7 6 at one end-thereof which is pivotally connected to the'rear end of the link 74. To maintain the universal bar 7 5 in pressing engagement against the arms 57 and normally hold the bail 69 and the pendants 42 in the full-line position shown at Figure 1, a suitable spring 77 may be coiled about the fulcrum 56 to engage with the universal bar 75, as shown.

It will be noted that when the tappet e2 p the lever 83 is formed with an upright arm 85 is brought into a computing zone it will ongage the jacks 53, and each ack when vibrated by the tappet will depress its rod 54 to vibrate a lever 55 to raise the associated pinbar 40, and simultaneously the universal bar 75 will be vibrated to pull the link 7-1- rearwardlyto vibrate the bail 69 and shift the whole series of pendants42 from the inoperative full line position to the dotted posi-.

tion, where the two stems 42 and 65 are in position to actuate the computing. mechanism whena numeral-key is depressed. The tappet 52, as is well known, raises ack at each letter-space. position within the computing zone, and holds a pin-bar raised unt1l a numeral-key has been depressed to-type and set a corresponding index-pin on the pin-bar,

when the carriage-feed shifts the tappet to release one jack and engage the next adjoin ing jack. This letter-spacing movement of the tappet is practically instantaneous, and

the rise and fall of the jacks will take place with very little, if any, vibration of the unlvers al bar 75.

Itis obvious were the universal bar 7 5 and the bail 69 of positive nature the numeral-keys would be positively connected-to actuate the computing mechanism at all positions of the tappet 52 witihin the computing zone, and under such COnCll tions should the case shi-ft-key be actuated, accidentally or otherwise, an upper-case char actor will be typed and a numeral registered.

' To prevent. such errors it will bereminb'ered that the link "(4 is connected to the flat spring 7 1,'and hence while the 'tappet, 521s n the computing zone and the stems 42 are 1n operative position to actuate the computing mechanism the bail 69 may be swung forwardly to shift the stems to the full-line 1noperative position through'the flexibility'of said spring 71 secured to the link 74; and,

when so positioned, the tappet will elfect the the platen is in upper-case shift position.

To this end, the shift-key 34 maybeplaced at one or both sides of the keyboardand provided with a stud 78 operative when depressed with the key to engage a cam-face 7 9 of a bell-crank 80 to vibrate the latter, to rock a shaft 81, the bell-crank having an arm 82 to engage the end of a lever 83 fulcrumed at 84 to then pass rearwardly to effect a locking of the platen shift in the well-known Underwood manner, or asshown in the patent to the connections between l-Ielmond, No. 1,399,481, dated December 6, 1921. For the purposes of the present invention,

arranged. to Wipe against an arm 86 passing downwardly and then inwardly where the end is secured at 89 to the top face of the bail 69. hen the case-shift-key 34 is depressed to case-shift the platen, the camming of the bell-crank 8O vibrates the arm to wipe against the arm 86 and vibrates the bail 69 to the full-line position of Figure 1, where the computing mechanism within the computing zone, and permit the typing or retyping of numerals within: the computing column of the work-sheet. This is especiallyadvantageous} where footings are typed within the same column, and itis desirable to type thetotal read from the totalizer without clearing the totalizer andwithout registeringa computation.

Sometimes the operator in typing a, series of digits will type one digit much lighter than the others. By backspacing the carriage to the lightly typed numeral, depressing the key 87, to rock the bail against the tension of the spring 71 to draw the stems 42 and 65 forwardly to the full-line position, and while said key is held depressed, the numeral can be retyped without actuating the computing mechanism, and the bailwill be restored immediately upon release of the key.

As such a backspacing operation takes place within the computing zone, the accidental depression of a numeral-key during the back-spacing operationwould actuate the computing mechanism, because the stems 42 are in dotted or computing positions during this operation of backspacing. To prevent errors of this nature from being run into the stems 4E2 inoperative to compute should any numeral-key be accidentally depressed before the backspace-key is restored and the back- Ward movement of the carriage is completed.

The back-spacing mechanism operated by the key 88 maybe-that'of the Underwood typewritingmachine shown and described in de tail in the patent to Helmond, No. 930,962,

dated August 10, 1909. It will be understood that .the rock-shaft 81 has one bell-crank 80 at one end thereof to-actuatethe lever 83a-nd the arm 85, and that other crank-arms sinrilar to 80 with the arm 82 removed may be distributed along the rock-shaft 81 to en age with other studs 78 placed upon other eylevers when it is desirable that any key-lever be operative to jointly type and silence the computing mechanism.

Some computing machines are provided with automatic total-printing mechanisms, where the total carried by the register-wheels at the end of a series of computing opera tions is automatically typed digit by digit beginning at the highest denomination thereof to the limit of the computing zone. As these automatic printers actuate the numeral-key-levers to type the numerals, and

.as the denominational jacks are raised one by one by the movement of the tappet to predetermine which registering element shall become active, the jacks raise the pin-bars, and the power-driven connection to the numeral-kc s will depress the corresponding pins 0 each pin-bar that later are picked up by the general operator to carry the digits typed additively or subtractively into the register-wheels. The usual practice is to change the computing mechanism to a subtractive state, so that the total is automatically typed and the register-wheels are I subsequently cleared by the general operator.

Should occasion arise where the total is to be automatically typed without a register-wheelcl'earing movement, it' is obvious that the depression of the special key 87 during the automatic printing operation will render the pendent stems of the numeral-keys inoperative to actuate the pin-setting devices, and

' the register devices after the typing operation will be restored to their previous'state and the total restored to the register-wheels.

Attention is particularly drawn to the very few parts employed in the present invention in contrast with the complicated mechanism heretofore in use to perform similar functions; that there is 'no change in the existing computing mechanisms; and that the new parts are employed to convey motion from the pin-bar-selecting mechanism to the pendants of the numeral-keys and thereby me-.

chanically prevent the actuation of any part oi the computing mechamsm by a numerallzcy, except within a computing zone, which 1 HF is predetermined automatically by mecal means. ay be resorted to within the vention, and portions of the be used without others described my invention, I

mew

writing andcomputing mae e by the letter-spacing move *pcwriter carriage in typing, "metal-typing keys having norma -y disconnected from the --echanism {mechanism for shifta computing mechanism ren-' ing said key-connections as a'series by each letter-space movement of said carriage, to render the keys operative to compute.

2. In a typewriting and computing machine, the combination with a traveling carriage having a platen, a computing mechanism having denominational selecting devices rendered operable by the travel of the car riage, and numeral-keys normally operative tive to compute, tabulating mechanism to predetermine a computing zone, and a denominational selecting mechamsm operatlve within said zone, of shiftable mechanism connectible to the numeral-keys and to the dcnominational selecting mechanism, and automatically operable during the travel of the carriage through the computing zone to render the keys operative to type and compute a numeraljat each denominational position of the carriage within the computing zone.

4. In a typewriting and computing ma chine, the combination with a traveling carriage having key-actuated case-shifting mechanisrn, a computing mechanism having deiiominati nal selecting devices rendered operllable by the travel of the carriage to a comp ting/zone, and numeral-keys normally operative to type and normally ineffectiveto compute, of a shift device connectible to be individually actuated by the carriage-driven denominational selecting devices to establish connections between the numeral-keys and the computing mechanism, and mechanism connectible to said shift device and actuated by the case-shift key to temporarily render the numeral-keys operative to type and inoperative to compute within the computing zone.

5. In a typewriting and computing machine having a carriage feedable letter-space distances, a platen thereon, a computing mech anism including denominational selecting devices, and numeral-keys operative to type numerals; a normally -inoj ativo interponent swingable between each numeralircy and the computing chanism and mechanism operated automai :ally by aid selectingdm vices during the course of to cliect the shifting of the pone numerai-lieys ope itiveto 6. In a typewriting and chine having a carriage fec iahle le distances, a. platen thereon, a mechanism including denominationaing devices, and numeral-keys opertype numerals; a normally inoperative inter ponent swingable between each numeral-key and the computing mechanism, and mechanism actuated by each selecting device in typing to shift the-interponents as a series and render the numeral-keys operative-to actuate the computing mechanism. 7

7. In a typewriting and computing machine having a carriage feedableletter-space distances, a platen thereon, a computing 10 mechanism including denominational selecteach numeral-key connect-ion operative to,

compute] i 9. In a typewriting. and computing jmachinehaving. a trave ling carriage, a lplaten thereon, a computing mechanism including a series offpin-bars; pin-bar selectors actuated by the traveling carriage, and numeralkeys operable to type; a normally inoperative computing connection" depressible with .35 .each numeral-key, and a} universal bar operated. by each pin-bar selector in cond1t1on-.

ing a' pin-bar, and connectible to render each numeral-key connection loperative to compute. 1 0. In a' typewriting and computing machine having a traveling carriage, a platen thereon, a? computing mechanism including ajseries of pin-bars, pin-barselectors actuated by the traveling carriage and numeral-keys operable to type; a normally; inoperative *computing connection depressible' with each numeraLkey, a bail swingable to direct the movementof said depressible connections o the computing mechanism, and a universal bar operated by eachtpin-bar selector and connectibleto swing the bail.

11. In a typewriting and computing machine having a traveling carriage, a platen thereon, a computing mechanism'including a series of pin-bars pin-bar selectors actuated by the traveling carriagejand numeral-keys operableto type; a normally inoperative computifig connection depressi-ble with each numeral-key; a bail swingable to direct the movement of said connections in two directions, a spring 77 toactu-ate the bail and direct the inoperative movement of the connections; and a universal bar operated by each pin-bar selector to direct the connections-into 1 puting zone. 14. In a typewriting and computing maoperative relation With the computing h mechanism to type and compute. v

12. In a typewriting and computing machine having a traveling carriage, a platen thereon, a computing mechanism includinga series of pin-bars, pin-bar selectors actuated seriatim duringthe travel of the carriage,

and numeral-keys operable to type; va nor mally inoperative computing connection pendent from each numeral-key, and a bail swingable by each' carriage-actuated pin-bar selector and operative to direct the movement of the pendants into-operative relation with the computing mechanism. 13. In atypewriting and coi-nputing machine having .a traveling carriage, a platen thereon, a ,computing mechanism including a series of 'pin-bars,-pin5bar selectors actuated V seriatinfduring the travel of the carriage in a computing zone, and numeral-keys operableto type; 'a'computing connection pendent from eachfnumeral -key, a bail swingable each carriage-actuated pin-bar selector and operative to direct the movement of the pendant'sinto' operative relation with the "computing'm echanism- Within the computing zone, and key-actuated means connectible to vibrate the bail and'render the pendants, at will, inoperative tocomputc Within the .com-

chine having a traveling carriage, a platen thcreon,a computing mechanism including a series of pin-bars, pin-bar selectors actuated seriatim during the travel of'the carriage ina computing zone, and numeral-keys operable to typeya computing connection pendent from each numeral-key, 'a bail swingable to direct the movement of the pendants into and out of operative relation with the computing mechanism, and means actuated by each pin bar selector and'connec'tible to the bail.

15. In a typewriting and computing ma chine having a-traveling carriage, a platen thereon a computing mechanism including a series of pin-bars, pin-bar selectors actuated seriatim during the travel of the carriage in a computing zone, and numeral-keys operable vto type; a computingconnection pendent from each numeralkey, a bail swingable to direct the movement of the pendants into and out of'operative relation with the computing mechan1sm,.and a universalbar vibrated by each pin-bar selectorand connectible to vibrate the bail.

v 16. In, a typew riting and computing ma.- chine having a traveling carriage, a platen thereon, a computing mechanism including a series of pin-bars, pin-bar selectors actuated seriatim d'uring the travel of the carriage in a computing zone, and numeral-keys operable to type; a computing connection pendent from each numeral-key, a bail swingable to direct the movement of the pendants into and out of'operative relation with the comput on A , typed by the i'ng mechanism, a universal bar actuated by each pin-bar selector to vibrate and set the bail for a computing interval, and key-actuated connections with the bail operable to vibrate the bail during the computing interval torender the pendants inoperative to com,- pute' 17. In a typevvriting and computing ma chine having a carriage, a platen thereon, a computing mechanism including a series of pin-bars rendered operative by selectormechanisms actuated seriatim during the travel of the carriage, and key actuated numeral-typing elements; a normally inoperative computing connection pendent from and depressible with each numeral-key, a bail having perforations to receive the free ends of all of said pendants to determine the direction of their key-depressed movements,

means controlled by each selector-mechanism in conditioning a pin-bar and connect ible to said bail to direct the pendants into positions-to effect the actuation of the commechanism to compute the numeral 18. In typetvriu ng and chine a carriage, a platen thereon, a

- chanism, numerallteys opercompute, cams operable to depression of two keys to Jending i'trrnn ems, one he other sin 3 c mputing machine having a carriage, a platen thereon, a computing mechanism, numeral-keys operable to type and compute, cams operable to prevent'the joint depression of two keys to compute, and an interponent pending from each numeral-key,hav1ng two stems, one stem to interlock with the cams and the other stem platen, a computin mechanism including de- 1 nomination-selecting devices operable by the travel of the carriage, and numerahkeys normally operative to type numerals and normally inoperative to compute; a shift-device operable by the'actuation of the selecting devices during the course of typing numerals to With the comput; mg mechanism to compute, and means renconnect the numeral-keys dered operable by the case-shifting of the t5 any character other than numeral, Le estore said selector-shifted ice and disconnect the numeral-keys Le computing mechanism to prevent ation by y numern uinercl a type, ting and c 1a Levin a feed out an d *s in and a carriage-controlled to automatically swing

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