US1767674A - horton - Google Patents

Description

ATTORNEYS June M330.

TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR CALCULATING MACHINES `lune 24, 1930. A. A. HORTON TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR GALCULATING MACHINES Filed June 16, 1928 5 Sheets-Shawl 2 ATTORNEYS June 24, 1930.

A. A. HORTON TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR CALCULATING MACHINES Filed June 16, 1928 5 Sheeis-Sheet 3 ATTORNEYS A. A. HoRToN June 24, 1930.

TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR. CALCULATING MACHINES vFiled June 16, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 QM@ @'WT wm nam, 7 @df ATTORNEYJ June 24,v 1930.

A. A. HORTON TRNSF'ER MECHANI'SM FOR CALICULTING MACHINES 5 sheets-sheet 5 Filed. June 16 192e ATTORNEY S i Patented June 24, '1930 UNri'ED STATES vPATIENT OFFICE ALLEN A. HORTON, OF PLYMOUTH, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR- TO BURROUGHS `ADDING MACHINE COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR CALCULATING MACHINE Application' tiled June 16,

This invention relates to transfer mechanism for calculating machines, particularly to a transfer mechanism that is capable of borrowing as well as carrying and one that is automatically conditioned. to borrow or carry, depending on whether the machine is conditioned to subtract or' add.

The general object of the invention is to provide an improved transfermechanism for calculating machines.

A more particular object is to provide an improved transfer mechanism that will borrow as well as carry, and one that, while being simple and devoid of complicated parts, is nevertheless reliable .and eflicient in its operation. i

A further object is to provide a transfer mechanism that need not be built to such close limitsy and one that can be easily adjusted.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the specification and drawings.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which,-

Figure 1 is a right side elevation of a calculating machine to which the invention is applied, said view showing the machine with the cover removed and with certain a0 of the controls visible, particularly the con-v trols for the transfer mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of. a portion of the key board showing the control keys and one bank of amount keys.

of the rear portion of the machine showing particularly the transfer mechanism and associated devices in normal condition.

` Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation of the transfer mechanism with the parts in normal position and the counter in engagement with the transfer Segments.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but with the counter pinions moved out of engagement with the transfer mechanism andA `into engagement with the actuator racks, the parts ein shown in the position they occupy when t e counter pinion has passed from its 9 toits 0 position and caused an initial carry to be effected.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section 1928. Serial No. 285,806.

Fig. 6 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 5 showing the counter rocked back into engagement withY the transfer mechanism and illustrating the parts after a carry has been eifected.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5, except that the parts are shown in the position they occupy in taking a total', the counter pinion illustrated being shown in contact with the pawl which stops it in its 0 position.

-Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the counter section of the machine, the view being taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 3. i l y Fig. 9 is a spread perspective view of a portion of the transfer mechanism and assoyciated parts to yillustrate more clearly the relation of the transfer mechanism between the different banks or orders.

Fig. 10 is a right side elevation similar to Fig. 1 showing the position of the co'ntrols when the machine isconditioned for subtraction.

Fig. 11 is a sectional side elevation of the transfer mechanism similar to Fig. 5 except that the parts are shown in the position they occupy for effecting a borrow instead of a carry, the counter pinion having moved from its 0 to 9 position.

Fig. 12 is another sectional side elevation i similar to Fig. 5 Ashowing the parts in the position they occupy after a borrow has been effected.

The invention is shown applied to a calculating machine that is already well known commercially as the Burroughs Portable. An understanding of the details of this ma chine is not necessary for an understanding of the present invention and the machine will, therefore, be described only briefly, it being understood that the invention is not limited to use with this machine, but rInay' be employed with any other -suitable type lof calculating machine.

Calculating machine construct/oaf (Fig. 3) that are urged forwardly by springs 12. Each stop bar .is connected at end to the npstanding arm 13 of ot"ator segment or rack A i315. "l

anch mo'-.'enient"of,T a earn roller Q0 on one of the s earrjying the bail 17. said roller eng-ag ng the edge of a cani 21 operated by the i min shaft Q2 of 'the niaehine (Fig. '1 Ln the machine is given a stroke ol" ion. the drive shaft is first rocked eioelwiee by means of an operating or a motor (not Shown) after is Vtnrned oioelwiee to its orioinal Then l the drive shaft -eioelirrise during the ion the nnixehine the earn @l nd this releases the roller e spring 19 mores the bail ise to reiease the aetnatora here-apen rocked eonntererential giositiona determined nient of their respective stop the steine of the depreased 1li the aet-nator rac-Fs lo a eo;n sing a of toothed ions Qfr gonrna-ied on a eh: it 35 by '26 pivoted on a shaft L?. necked intoengagement with f ie tension of a Spring 9. but itiis norinallyheld againstl segments. In this manner, when the. maehine is conditioned for addition, the Counter is rocked into engagement with the actuator ranks at the beginning of the return stroke of the machine and While said ranks are differentially positioned. The Counter remains in engagement With these racks While they are returned to normal and then7 at the end of the return stroke, it is rocked ont oi engagement with them.

The machine may be conditioned for subtraction by moving a lever l0 from the full line to the dot and dash line position of Fig. 'L This lever is eonneoted to a link 41 which, in turn, connected at its rear end to a pivoted member 42 having a rearwardly extending portion 43 that engages the tail of the pivoted iei'er i-i. The lever 1+i aetnates a sliding iink eonneetion 45 with a pawl i6 pivoted to the lower branch of the pitman. The i'ever fiel also engagesa pivoted pawl 47 haring a Central projection i8 for disabling the passdiy pawl 37, and a hooked end 4-9. Then the control lever et() is moved to the dot and dash position of Fig. 3, the lever H is rocked counter-clockwise whit-h nieves the pawi. JG eloelmvise into the path of the stud At the same time the central 1projection on the pawl 4:7 disables the pass-by pani and positions the hook ifi in the path or the stud Si). At the beginning ol a. forward stroke of the machine, with the parte in this position, the sind 36 engages the pani 4G and moves the pitman 32 rear- Wardli7 to rook the Counter into engagement with the actuator racks before the)r are re leased for upward movement. At the end of the forward Stroke of the maehine the stud 35 engages the hook i9 and pulls the forward to release the eonnter moved out of engagement with la spring 28. During the re e niaehine there is no aetion as the pawl 3T iedisabled the pif nan has alreadV It wili y when 5min-ra on per-- 1n moved rearwardlv v forward stroke 'of rn'anilly at the ne in Contra diewhere the 'Pitman is .mtned 21e beginning of' the return e maori-.ne ann forwardly at the 'olif engagement with the actuator racks at the beginning of the forward stroke and out of engagement at the end of said stroke. When the sub-total key 51 is depressed, the action is the same except that the lever'efl is not moved down far enough to position its hooked end 49 in the path of the stud 35 so that, while the counter is rocked into engagement with the actuator racks at the beginningof the forward stroke, it is not moved out of engagement at the end of said stroke, but is allowed to remain in engagement with the racks until the end of the return stroke when then engagement of stud 36 with the hooked end of the branch 33 of the pitman operates to permit such movement.

Transfer mechanism upon vwhether the machine is conditioned for.

addition or. subtraction.

The transfer mechanism includes a seriesl of toothed transfer segments (Figs. 4-

and 9) pivoted on a shaft 61, there `being a transfer segment for .each pinion of the counter. These segments are positioned sov p `that when'the counter 'is rocked out of engagement with the actuator racks'it is rocked intoengagement with the transfer segments, whereupon the proper transfer segments are given a step of movement to effect the required transfer. The transfer segment for each pinio'n is controlled in its movements by the pinion of next lowest order. controlling connections between adjacent pinions are alike and for purposes of simplicity only one set will be described. When a segment is moved clockwise (as it is in addition) one step from the position of Fig. f1, the pinion with which it is in engagement is moved ahead one `step to carry or add one increment to said pinlon. When the segment is moved one step counterclockwise from the position of Fig. 4, the pinion with which it is in engagement is moved backward one step to effect a borrow or to subtract one from saidpinion. The movement of? the transfer segment is limited to one step in either direction bythe shaft 31 which engages one of the projections or tails 63 on the rear end of the segment, said shaftl 31 being positioned midway between the projections 68 when the segment occupies a normal position. It will be appreciated that the question of whether or not a transfer l is to take place from one order to another is.,l determined by the rotation of the counter pinions. The pinions are rotated while they The are in engagement with actuator racks, but it is not possible to effect an actual transfer while the pinions are in engagement with the actuator racks. t It is, therefore, necessary to effect a preliminary setting of devices while the pinions are being' rotated which setting will control the actual transfer when it takes place. This preliminary or initial setting is often called the initial carry. In the present application the term initial transfer will be used for this preliminary setting in order to have a term broad enough to include bothv a carry and a borrow.

The initial transfer is controlled by the counter pinions,each of which has a wide Y tooth or transfer projection 64 (Fig. 5) that engages the dam-shaped end `of one arm 65V of a three armed, yoke-shaped pawl 66v pivoted on a shaft 67 carried by the side arms 26.l Theend' ofthe arm 65 is shaped so that the broad tooth 64 will cam the arm clockwise when the counter pinion is rotating in either direction, that is, the -arm 65 will be moved rearwardly or clockwise when its pinion moves from its O to its 9 position in a subtraction operation and also when the pinion moves from its 9 to its 0 position in an adding operation. The pawl (i6-has forwardly extending arms 68 which are-connected by a bail G9 (Fig. 9) extending under the curved end of an arm 7() of a yoke-shaped member v 71 pivoted. on the shaft 72 and urged in a counterclocklwise direction by a spring 7 3. The member 71 has a downwardly extending arm 74 provided with a lateral lug or extension 75 adapted to be engaged by a shoulder 76 on a yoke-shaped latch 77 pivoted on the shaft 78 and urged counterclockwise by a springv 79. From the construction thus far described, it will be observedthat, whenthe counter pinion rotates fromv its 0 to its 9 position or from its 9to its 0 position, the three armed pawl 66 will be rocked clockwise and it, inturn,

rwill move the member 71 clockwise to a position such that thelatch 77 will snap down behind the lug 75 and hold the member 71 in the position to which it has been moved. In other words,l an initial transfer will have taken place. This occurs while the counter pinion is in engagement with its actuator rackas shown in Fig. 5, in which figure the parts are shown in the osition they occupy after an initial trans er has occurred in adding condition.

An` actual transfer is effectedwby moving the transfer segment 60 after a counter pinion has moved into mesh with it which is done by means of a pitman 8O having a stud 8l on its upper end operating in a slot 82 in the segment 60. rl`he pitman has a lateral arm 83 carrying a stud 84: operating in a slot 85 in the transfer segment 60, i

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the latter'slot being on the opposite side of the pivot 6l of the segment from the slot 82. The pitman 8() pivoted near its lower end. at SG to an arin 8T pivoted on the shaft T8 and urged clockwise by the spring T3. The forward end oi' the arm S7 is enlarged and provided with an arcuate slot S8 having a lateral offset portion S9 as shown in Fig. 5. The lateral extension on the arm 74e extends through the slot S8 and it normally occupies the position illustrated in Fig. t where the extension T5 is in the offset portion 89 of the slotand over the shoulder formed bv said offset portion so that the extension prevents the arm 8T from moving clockwise which it tends to do under the influence of the spring T3, the spring 73 serving to act on both the arm ST and the memher 7l. n other words, as long as no transfer takes place, clockwise movement of the arm 8T is prevented by the lateral extension T5 and the pitman 8O cannot be moved npwardly to move the transfer segment GO.

However, when an initial transfer takes place the member Tl is latched in the position illustrated in Fig. 5 by the latch 7T, in which event the extension T5 on arm TG is held out in the main portion of the arcuate slot S8 so that the member ST mayv be moved relative to it. r'tccordinglv, as soon as an initial .transfer77 takes place7 the arm 8T is free to be moved upwardly hy the spring 73 and this would occur at once if means were not provided for preventinr it until the appropriate time has arrived for such movement. -lt will be recalled that the "initial transfer takes place while the counter is in engagement with the actuator racks, but it is not desired to move the transfer segments while the counter is in this position. lnstead, the transfer segments must not he moved until the counter has been rocked out of engagement with the actuator racks Aand into engagement with the transfer segments. In order to prevent movement of the arm ST and the pitman SO together with the transfer segment (SO until after the counter has engaged the transfer segments, a shaft JO is provided having a portion Jl of semicircular cross sections (Fig. El). This shaft is located in the path of one corner of the forward ends of the arms Si', the forward ends of said arms .having cutawayY portions 92 as illustrated in Fig. il. Normally, the shaft occupies the position illustrated in Fig. elwhich permits the arm ST to move upwardly, hut as soon as the machine starts to operate, that at `the beginning of the forward stroke. this shaftis turned counterclockwisc to the position illustrated in Fig. 5, where it blo: all of 'the arms ST against up "ard or clotl movement. 'l`heshaft moved b v means of a link .lll (Fig. 15) connected at one end to rn arm .l-llined to the shaft 9() and -having a hook-shaped portion 95 on its other end engaging over a stud 9G on the arm 30 which controls the engagement and disengagement of the counter with the actuator racks. The shaft il() is urged in a counterclockwise direction by a spring 9T (Fig. connected at one end to a portion of the arm lll and at its other end to the shaftTS. It will be recalled that, in performing addition. thc arm 3o is rocked downward or connterclockwise at the beginning of the return stroke of the machine. This lowers the stud 96 and the spring 9T rocks the shaft JO counterclockwisc, the link 93 following down with the stud 9G. The shaft 90 is thus turned to a position to block all the arms ST and its remains in this position until theend of the. return stroke of the machine when, as previouslyY explained, the arm 30 is rocked up vard or clockwise to free the counter to permit it to be moved outof engagement with the actuator racks and into engagement with the transfer lsegments. As the arm 30 moves upwardl)l the stud 9G carries the link Uil upward and the shaft 90 is rocked back to the position illustrated in Fig. 4. This frees the arm ST which is thereupon snapped upwardl)Y buv its spring l 73 to the position illustrated in Fig. As the arm moves upward, it carries the pitinan 80 with it and the stud Sl, being engaged in a short lateral portion of the slot 85, rocks the transfer segment clockwise to advance its counter pinion one step to the position illustrated in Fig. o. The stud Sl is inactive at this time because it is located in such a position in the slot S2 that it docs not contact. the edge of: the slot to effect an)Y movement of the transfer segment.

After a transfer has. taken place, it is necessary to restore the transfer mechanism to normal and this is accomplished in the tollowing manner.

A restoring bail 100 provided which is pivoted on pintles in the side frames 101. This bail has an upwardly extending lug 10:2 (Fig. 3) to which is connected a link lll also connected to the stud 96. The bail is positioned so that when it is in one position, to wit., the position illustrated in Fig. fl.. it contacts the tails 104@ of the latches 77 and. when it located in the position illustrated in Fig. 5, it. contacts abutment portions tOi on the arms ST. Starting with the parts in the position of Fig. G, which is the position they occupv after a cariv/"lras taken place and while the counter is out of engagement with the actuator racks, let ii be assumed that the machine given a stroke. of operation. During the forward stroke nothing occurs to the parts in question luft-anse die arm -itl not moved but, at the beginning of the return stroke, the ar'n il() is rocked counterclockwisc which moves thc linlll down and rocks the bail lot? clockwise lo the posilili) lill) tion of Fig. 5. In so moving, the bail contacts the abutments 105 of any of the arms 87 that have been moved upwardly in effecting a transfer and it moves these arms back fto the-v normal position illustrated in Figs.

i move into the lateral portions 89 of the slots 88 and hold the arms 87 in the position to which they have been restored. 4Assume non7 that an initial transfer takes place during the return stroke of the machine and that the arm 74 is moved to and latched in the Fig. 5 position. At the endv of the freturn stroke the arm 30, is moved upwardly again and it pulls the link v103 upward to rock the bail 100 counterclockwise from its Fig.` 5 to its Fig. 4 position. When so moved the bail `strikes the tails of all the latches 77 and moves them clockwise to raise their shoul-y ders 76 above the extensions 75 on arms 74 whereupon the springs 73 move the members 71 counterclockwise until the yextensions 75 contact thel inner side of the arcuate slots 88. This frees the members 71 of the latches 77 so that said members may move into the lateral extensions 89 of the slots 88 when the arms 87 are restored to normal as previously explained. It will be understood that when the member 71 moves back to normal, the pawl 66 is also moved with it by the bail 69.

In this manner only releases the latches 77, but it also restores the arms l87 and moves the pitman 80 to restore the transfer segments to normal.

traction instead of addition, the transfer mechanism must borrow instead of carry and, in order to condition it to accomplish this result, certain connections are provided which are responsive tothe means for conditioning the machine for subtraction.

Referring to Fig. 1, the link 41 connectedto the subtraction control lever 40 is, as previously explained, connected to a pivoted member 42 toward the rear of the machine. The member 42 has a rearward extension 110 having a bifulcated end extending over the stud 111 on a pivoted arm 112. vThe outer end of the arm 112 is connected to one end of a spring 113 Whose other end is connected Vto one arm of ya V-shaped member 114 pivoted on the shaft 115. The second arm of this V-shaped member carries one end. of a cross shaft 116v which extends through slots 117 in the lower ends of the pitmcn 80. `The other end of the cross shaft 116 is carried by the lower end of an arm 118 pivoted onv the restoring bail l10() not moved from its full to its dot and dash position as illustrated in Fig. 1, the arm 112 is rocked clockwise from its Fig. 1 to its Fig. 10 position. This brings the outer end of the arm 112 past the pivot of the V-shaped member 114 and causes the spring 113 to pull the V-sliaped member 114 clockwise. This rocks each pitman on its pivot 86 from the position of Fig. 4 to that of Fig. 11, where its stud 81 is in a short lateral portion of the slot 82 in the transfer segment 60 while its stud 84 is in the enlarged portion of the slot in said segment. With the pitmen in this position, if the transfer mechanism is operated as previously described, the transfer segment 6,5 will be rocked counterclockwise instead of clockwise when the pitmen 80 are pushed /iipwardly as the resultof the Wheel of next lower order passing from its 0 to its' 9? position to effect a borrow, and accordingly, a borrow will take place instead of a carry, the operation of the parts being the same as previously described for addition except for the fact that the transfer segment is moved in the opposite direction.

When the subtraction control lever is moved back to its addition position, the parts are again moved back to the Fig. 4 position :where they' are in condition to effect a carry instead o f a borrow.

It will thus be observed that the transfer mechanism is automatically conditioned to carry or to borrow, depending upon whether the machine is conditioned to add or to subtract. The transfer mechanism operates the same in both cases, except that in addition the pitman 80 moves the transfer segment clockwise while in subtraction, it moves it counterclockwise.

T @tal taking] 'In the taking Kof a total it is necessary to provide some means for positivelyV arresting the counter pinions in their 07 positions. This` is provided for in a very simple manner in the present inventionby making use of the pawls 66.

Referring to Fig. 1, an irregular shape( member 120 is provided having shoulders 121 and 122 located so as tov be in the paths of the stems of the total and/sub-total keys 50 and 51. This link is urged upwardly by a spring 123, its lower end being connected to vone end of a pivoted lever 124, whose other endhas a pin and slot connection with an arm 125 fixed to a shaft 126. lVhenever the total or the sub-total key is depressed,

124 rocked counterclockwise, and the shaft 126 turned clockwise as in Fig. 7. shaft 126 has a portion 127 of semi-circular cross-section as illustrated in Figs. 7 `and il and this is located so that when the shaft 126 is turned clockwise,the edge of the semicircular portion engages the ends of the The said arm ina direction to aotuate said pitman, a detent for 'said arm including a member normally engaging in the oiset 4portion of said slot in said arm, said detent being l so,

controlled by the pinion of next lower order i to that with which said transfer segment is v adapted to engage and beingl operated by said pinion, when a transfer isto take place,-

to move said member out of the offset por.

tion of said slot `in said operating arm, a.l

latch for holding said member in its moved position,` anda restoring bail for releasing said latch and restoring said o ratin arm.

7. In a transfer mechanism or` a ca culating machine having a plural pinion counterv a transfer segment adapted to engage one of said counter pinions, actuating means for moving saidsegment to effect a transfer,fa detent normally restraining said actuating means, saiddetent being released by the pinion of next lower order to that with which the segment 'is adapted to engage, a latch for holding said detent in released position a restraining means for restraining said 'actuating means, said restrainin means b'eing moved at each operation of t e machine to release said actuating means during a portion of the machine operation, and al restoring bail for restoring said actuating means to normal after it has actuated said'se ent. 8. In a transfer mechanism for a ca culat-` ing machine having' actuator racks, a plural pinion counter,a11d means for movmgithe" counter-into and out of engagement ,with

theoracks; a rtransfer segment adapted to n engage one of said counter pinios, actuat ing means'for moving said segment t0 eiect a transfer, a detent for restraining said actuating means,l said detentbeing released b the pinion of neXtlower order to that wit which said pinion is adapted to age, a restraining means for restraining sai actuating means; connectionsadapted to be operated by the counter 'moving means for releasing said restraining means each time 'the counter is moved out of engagement with the actuator rackstand a restormgbail for restoring my name.

ALLEN A.' Hoa'roN.l

saidactuating meansto normalafter it has-moved the transfer segment. l A

In testimony' whereof VIl have subscribedv

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