US1821046A - Tabulating machine - Google Patents

Description

"Se pt. 1; 1931.

J. E. WRIGHT 1,821,046

TABULATING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 28, 1920 BY C 2) M ATTORNEYS 'Sept. 1, 1931. J. E. WRIGHT I 1,821,046

' TABULATING MACHINE- Filed Oct. 28, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR (/UH/VfMQ/GHT,

0 ATTUR Patented Sept. 1, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN EDWARD WRIGHT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE TABULATING MACHINE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY TABULATIN G MACHINE Application filed October 28, 1920. Serial No. 420,128.

The subject of this applicationfor'Letters Patent is a combined tabulating and adding machine of novel construction and mode of operation. A tabulating machine, as this term is commonly understood, is one which records or prints letters, numerals, or the like in consecutive order on a strip or sheet of paper, to correspond with the designating holes punched at predetermined points in a 10 series of tabulator cards. The means by which such punched cards effect this operation are of very widely different character, and may be such, so far as the present invention is concerned.

My chief aim has been to simplify the apparatus; to produce a machine which will operate on any number of sorted or special punched tabulator cards, and not only print the numerals corresponding to the punched 30 holes, but add them up by means of the ordinary mechanism of an adding machine, so as to register and display continuously, and

when so desired, print the sum or total of such numerals. The improvement resides in g; the means which I have devised for this pur pose, and its nature and mode of operation may best be gathered from the detailed description of the same which follows.

In the drawings, in which the invention is illustrated,

Fig. 1 is a general diagrammatic view of the complete mechanism, with such circuit connections as are necessary 'to an understanding of its operation.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, on a somewhat larger scale, of the adding machine, showing the manner of its attachment and some of the parts in a different position.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of a portion of the attachment on a still larger'scale.

Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, showing the parts in two positions or relations.

Fi 6 is a detail showing the profile of a cam %or operating the printing and accumulating mechanism.

The tabulator proper requires only so much description in detail as will convey an understanding of its mode of o ration. In gen- 60 eral it comprises a card 1: 1, in which a stack of selected cards 2 are pressed forward by' any suitable means, and fed one by one into a chute 3, by means of an oscillating blade carried by a lever 4. This lever is pivoted at 5 and is operated by an eccentric 6, driven by bevel gears and a counter shaft 7, in gear with a main shaft 8 driven by an electric motor 9.

When a card is forced down into the chute 3 it is retained therein by a pivoted arm 10 and as soon as it is in its lowermost position a movable frame ll'carrying four spring seated pins 12 is forced forward, whereby the pins will tend to move through perforations in the opposite walls of the chute, but

.only such pins as encounter perforations in the card will do so, the others being stopped by the imperforate portions of the card. Any pin that may pass through a perforation will engage a contact 13 and thus close a circuit to one of four electromagnets 14.

The magnets 14, when energized, attract armatures 15, and through bell crank levers 16, force down one or more of four translator bars 17, and are locked in this position by latches 18. The translator bars 17 have notches 19 on the inner edges of their forward sides, and slide through rectangular frames 20 carrying pins 21 and normally drawn forward by spiral springs surrounding such pins. Normally all of the frames 20 are retracted, but by the adjustment of the translator bars 17 aline of notches is brought under one of the said frames whereby that frame is permitted to move forward and push out its pin 21.

There are eleven pins 21 controlled by each set of four translator bars 17 and ten of these correspond to the digits 1 to 0. When, therefore, any one of these pins is pushed forward it acts as a stop for the bent end of a bar 22 sliding in a frame 48, which is raised by an arm 23, pivoted at 24 and controlled by a cam 25 driven by the main shaft 8. To the frame 48 is attached a rod 26 pivoted to the rectangular arm 27 at the bottom of frame 48, to which the arm 23 is pivoted, and which rod is forced forward by a spring 28. This rod carries ten types 29, and at the proper moment in the cycle it is forced forward b a plunger and caused to print on a trave ing slip of paper 31 that type which is at the printing position.

For the present this description of the tabulator is sufiicient. Its construction and mode of opgration are more fully set forth and descri d in a patent granted to me on March 16, 1920, No. 1,333,890, to which, if necessary, reference may be had for further information.

When a card is in the chute 3, and the blade carrying lever 4 descends, the said lever engages with a contact 32, when near its lowest point, and this contact closes the circuit of a battery 33 through an electromagnet 34 which releases a clutch 35, which in turn imparts rotation to the lower part of the shaft 8 and sets the apparatus in motion to perform all of the operations of a cycle. If no card be in the chute, a pin plunger 36 is forced by a bell crank released by an extension of the lever 4 through perforations in the walls of the chute and separates contacts 37 in the circuit of magnet 34, and hence no operation of the tabulator ensues. For example, if all the cards of the pack have run through, the lever 4 simply oscillates until the circuit of the motor 9 is interrupted, without having any effect on the other part of the apparatus, and it is only when a card is in posltion in the chute that the device is operative.

In gear with the shaft 8 is a counter shaft 38 which makes one revolution for each card presented to the pins 12 in the chute 3, and on this shaft are a number of contact making cams, which control the operation of the machine. The first of these contacts 39 is so timed that at the very start of the shaft 38 the circuit is closed to an electromagnet 40 which operates through a pivoted armature lever 41 to shift the pin box 11 which carries the pins forward, and those pins which encounter perforations pass through the card and its chute with the result above described, of throwing out one of the pins 21. These pins correspond, virtually, to the keys of an adding machine. for they not only control the printing of the corresponding numerals on the paper strip 31 but also control the o eration of the adding mechanism, and this atter operation is effected in the following manner.

The frame 48 has projections 42 (Figs. 2

65 to 5) to which a rack bar 43 is connected by bell cranks 44 pivoted to-the bar 22; and bearing in mind that the said frame 48 is raised once for each revolution of the cam 25 by means of the lever 23, it will be ob- 60 served that the shape of the cam is such that the up and down movement of such bar will harmonize with the correct performance of the other co-ordinated functions of the machine. For example, the printing of one of the characters represented by the type 29 should be effected at the moment that the cam 25 has permitted the lever 23 to rise to its highest point, because at this point the cam 25 for a short section of its periphery is of constant radius, and the face of any type is stationary, so that the impression is readily and clearly made. The profile of cam 25 is illustrated in Fig. 6. The'cam rotates about the point 0 as a center and that section of it between the dotted lines 0a and 0b is an arc of a circle struck around 0 as a center to provide the necessary dwell to hold the type stationary during printing.

It will also be observed that in the drawings but one translator bar' 17 and set of pins and but one frame 48 with its controlling lever 23 is shown, but this is merely for the sake of simplicity. of illustration, as in practise a plurality of these elements is of course necessary, but the construction and operatlon of one, are those of all. The lever 23, therefore, represents a plurality of such levers, all controlled by the cam 25 but only that lever will be operated which is called into use by the operation of the particular magnets 14, which may be energized. Each lever 23 is accordingly normally locked down by a catch 45 controlled by an electromagnet 46 which 1s in circuit with the magnets 14 of one set. The lever 23, therefore, is released only when its magnet is energized and this magnet is rendered active only when one of the corresponding magnets 14 is brought into circuit by one or more of the pins controlling that set.

Assuming, therefore, that any given lever 23 has been thus released, it will be moved upward by a spiral spring 47 as the cam 25 revolves, and this upward movement raises bar 22 and the rod 26 to the point determined by the particular pin 21 that may be forced forward into the path of the horizontal end of the bar 22.

When this engagement occurs, the force of the spring 47 moves the frame still further upward and forces down the ends of the two bell cranks 44, which operate to throw the rack bar outward into mesh with the teeth 49 of a numeral wheel 50. Pivoted to the side of frame 48, see Fig. 3, is a spring actuated stop or catch 51, and as soon as the projecting end of the upper bell crank 44 is brought below this catch, the latter swings out under the influence of a spring 52 and lies over the said arm and thus locks the rack bar out in its forward or engaging position.

At this moment a cam 53 on the shaft 38 is so timed that it closes the circuit of an electromagnet 54 which operates the lever 55 and throws forward the plunger 30, which forces the type then in position against the paper strip 31. If the character printed be, say, 5, this means that when the frame 48 has been raised to the 5 point, the rack bar 43 is thrown into gear with the numeral wheel at such point and hence, while the lever 23 is being forced back to its lowest point the said wheel will be turned correspondingly or through an arc of five digit spaces and will add that many digits to the one displayed at the time of the engagement of the rack bar and wheel.

When the frame 48 has reached its lowermost position the catch 51 must be released to permit the rack 43 to disengage the numeral wheel pinion and this is effected by a cam projection 154 fixed on the stationary machine frame and coacting with a rib 74 on a rotatable rod 75, which extends longitudinally of the frame 48 and is pivoted in the ends thereof. A pin 76 is fixed on the upper end of the rod 75 and projects into the path of movement of the latch 51 so that when the latter turns to engage over the bell crank arm 44 to hold the rack 43 in engagement with the numeral wheel pinion, the bar 75 likewise turns slightly, shifting the rib 74 from the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 to that shown in Figs. 2 and 5. When the frame 48 reaches its lowermost position the cam projection 154 encounters the rib 74 and ro tates the rod 75 back to its normal position whereupon the pin'7 6 forces the latch 51 from above the arm 44 and-permits the rack 43 to disengage the pinion and return to its inoperative position as shown in Fig. 3. In this way every numeral corresponding to a pin 21 is not only printed but added.

If any numeral wheel is moved twice in succession through arcs greater than the digit spaces, then that wheel must carry one 3 to the Wheel of the next higher order of units; that is, it must move such wheel one digit space, and the following means are provided for that purpose.

On each combined numeral and spur wheel I 40 is a fixed arm-56, shown in the drawings in its zero or neutral position. When thls arm, turning with the wheel, has made more than one revolution, it encounters the beveled end of an upright arm 57 carried by a lever 58 4 pivoted to the armature lever 59 of an electromagnet 60, which lever 58 normally rests updn a fixed stop 61- and moves said lever so that a pawl 62 at its end enters between two teeth on the adjacent numeral wheel of the next higher order of units. In this position the said lever is locked by the forward movement of an upright lever 64 against a stop 63, and the parts remain in this condition until just before the printing. magnet 55 is operated, when a properly timed cam 64 on the shaft 38 closes the ,circuit of electro-' magnet 60. This magnet then pulls the lever 59 to the right with the result that the next higher order of units wheel is moved one 50 digit space, the lever 58 pulled off of the lever 64, and allowed to fall back onto its stop 61. The units thus resume their normal position after each carrying operation.

Assume, now, that after a certain number of 65 cycles, it be desired to print a total. To effect this a combination is sent through the translator that permits the eleventh or bottom pin 65 to be thrown forward by a spring, shown in Figure 2 and operating like those on the other pins 21, with the result that contacts 66 are brought together by its movement. This closes the circuit of an 'electromagnet 67 which attracts armature lever 68 and through a spring connection draws over a pivoted lever 69 carrying a roller at its end which engages with a projection 70 from the rack bar 43, and thereby throws said rack bar while in its lowermost position into mesh with the numeral wheel. The subsequent raising of the lever .23 therefore carries up the rack bar, with the result that the numeral wheel which normally rotates anticlockwise is now rotated clockwise until the arm 56 thereon comes into engagement with the top of the arm 57 and is thereby arrested This results in each numeral wheel being turned clockwise through as man digit spaces as the arm 56 stood from its zero or neutral point, and a corresponding elevation of the type bar to bring to the printing point that numeral which expresses the extent of rotation of the numeral wheel. In other words, the type bars will thus be ad.- justed to print the total indicated by the numeral wheels, and this total is printed by the magnet 54. The latter, however, in-

drawing forward its armature lever closes the circuit of an electromagnet 71 which attracts its armature lever 72- and thereby forces forward a spring actuated bar 73, the bent end of which encounters the rib 74 on the rotary rod 75 carried by the frame 48 and imparts a turning movement to said rod.

When the rack 43 is thrown into mesh, the projection 44 is forced'under the catch 51 and will remain in that position until released by the movement, laterally, of the catch 51, by means of the pin 76 which is,

in turn, actuated by the bent lever 73. When the rack is moved forward into mesh, the catch 51 cannot be tripped until the magnet 54 is energized and printing has been effected. The notches on the type bars would obviate any fault because of a too rapid tripping of catch 51.

I have now described the more important functions of the apparatus. It remains to point out that after the printing has been effected a properly timed cam 77 on shaft 38 closes the circuit of an electromagnet 78 which operates when thus energized to feed the paper strip 31 one space. Another timed cam 79 on shaft 38 closes at the proper .moment the circuit of an electromagnet 80,

which unlocks the attracted armatures of magnets 14, to restore the parts to their neutral positions, while another cam 81 closes the circuit to an electromagnet' 82, which attracts the stop lever 10 that allows the card then in the chute to drop out.

Any desired kind or form of adding machine, provided it possess the properties and capabilities herein enumerated, may be employed in this connection. It will be observed that the principle of operation involves the use of a translator o erated by the combination of a limited num r of contacts made through a correspondingly limited number of punched holes in a card, to set such devices as pins or stops, which constitute, virtually, the keys of the adding machine. The underlying lan is to combine with a tabulating machine such an adding machine whereby the several items are not only printed by the tabulator, but their sum is always expressed by the adding machine, and their totals or subtotals may at any time be printed. In this apparatus also the parts after each cycle, or after each total, are all restored automatically to neutral position.

That I claim as my invention is 1-- 1. The combination with a tabulating machine comprising a translator, means controlled thereby for setting in position pins corresponding to numerals and movable type bars controlled as to their extent of movement by engagement with the pins which are set, of rack bars pivotally connected with the movable type bars, adding wheels adapted to be engaged by said rack bars when the latter are moved relatively to the type bars, and an electromagnet controlled lay the translator for moving the said rack ars.

2. The combination with a tabulating machine comprising an electrical translator, pins or stops set b combinations of contacts through the translator to determine the numerals corresponding to the holes in punched cards, and type bars movable through spaces determined by the set tabulator pins or stops, of numeral adding wheels, rack bars movable with and with relation to the type bars, and electro-lnagnets under control of the translator for moving the said rack bars relatively to the type bars and into operative engagement with the adding wheels.

3. The combination with a tabulating machine comprising an electrical translator, movable type carriers and pins which are set to limit the movements of said carrier to print the proper numerals corresponding to holes punched in cards, of rotary numeral adding wheels, means attached to and movable with respect to the type carriers forengaging with and operating the said numeral wheels, means under the control of the translator for moving said means, carrying mechanism for said wheels, a time cam operated by the tabulator and an electro-magnet controlled thereby, for operating the carrying mechanism immediately before the operation of printing effected by the type carrier.

4. The combination with a tabulating machine comprising movable type carriers and pins which are set to limit the movements of said carriers to print the proper numerals, of

rotary adding wheels, means carried by the type carriers and controlled in operation by the tabulating machine for operating said adding wheels, a totalizin pin adapted to be'set in operative position by the tabulating machine, an electro-magnet controlled thereby, and means controlled by said magnet for bringing the type carriers and adding wheels into operative engagement to move the said wheels back to zero position, thereby arresting the type carriers after movements of corresponding extent, whereby the numerals representing a total will be brought to printing position.

5. A card controlled tabulating machine including a card picker mechanism, record analyzing means and accounting devices controlled thereby and means controlled by the picker mechanism for initiating operation of the analyzing mechanism.

6. A card controlled tabulating machine including a card picker mechanism, record analyzing means and accounting devices controlled thereby, operating means for said accounting devices and means controlled by the picker mechanism for initiating operation of the operating means.

7. A tabulating machine including analyzing mechanism for analyzing combinational hole records, a translator for converting analyzed readings into linear differential equivalents, accounting devices controlled by the translator for receiving the converted equivalent readings, total taking mechanism for the accounting devices with operating mech anism therefor and means for initiating the operation of the operating mechanism of said total taking mechanism controlled by the translator in response to analysis of a pre-- determined reading by the analyzing mechanism.

8. A tabulating machine including analyzing mechanism for analyzing combinational hole records, a translator for converting analyzed readings into linear difierential equivalents, accounting devices controlled by the translator for receiving the converted equivalent readings, resetting mechanism for the accounting devices and means controlled by the translator for automatically operating the resetting mechanism.

9. A tabulating machi'ne including analyzing mechanism for analyzing combinational hole records, a translator for converting analyzed readings into linear differential equivalents, accounting devices controlled by the translator for receiving the converted equivalent readings, resetting mechanism for the accounting devices and means controlled by the translator in response to a predetermined analysis by the analyzing mechanism for au- 'tomatically operating the resetting mecha- 10. A card controlled tabulating machine including card 'picker mechanism, card analyzin means and accounting devices controlle 'thereby, means controlled by said picker mechanism on a card feeding movement for initiating o ration of the analyzing means and means or preventi such inilo tiation on failure of the picker mec anism to feed a card.

11. A tabulating machine includin analyzing1 mechanism for analyzinfg com inational ole records, a translator or converting analyzed readings into linear difierential equivalents, accounting devices controlled by the translator for receivin the converted equivalent readings, total ta 'ng mechanism for the accounting devices and means con- 50 trolled by the translator for initiating o ration of the operating mechanism of sai total taking mechanism.

12. A tabulating machine including means for sensing combmational hole records and u establishing circuits in accordance with the combination sensed, an electromagnetic translating mechanism controlled by the circuits, an accumulating device controlled as to its differential action by said translating means, a total taking mechanism and o rating means therefor, and means control ed by said translating means for initiating operation of the operating means to take totals from said accumulatin device. 3 In testimony whereo I hereto afiix my signature.

- J OHN EDWARD "WRIGHT.

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