US1878757A - chase - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 20, 1932. G. c. CHASE DECIMAL EQUIVALENT SELECTOR MECHANISM Filed Feb. l5, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet l H lf GHOWKELV sept; 2o, 1932. G. C. CHASE Filed Feb. l5, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 2o, 1932.

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G. C. CHASE DECIMAL EiQUIVALENT SELECTOR MECHANISM Filed Feb'. 15, 1929 :9 "if if 19 9 9 9 9 936@ 4 Sheets-Sheet sept. 20, 1932. G. C, CHA-s; 1,878,757

DECIMAL EQUIVALENT SELECTOR MECHANISM Filed Feb. 1,5, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 M mi :Ft-:EVE:

FLA' Li m Q'ativ ,y n u 1FL V 0 u MW y GEORGE C. CHASE, OF

Patented Sept. 20, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEl SOUTH ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 MONROE CALCULAT- ING MACHINE COMPANY, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE DECIMAL EQUIVALENT SELECTOR MECHANISM Application led February 15, 1929. Serial No. 340,187.

The invention has relation to selecting mechanism for' calculating machines, and more particularl to means for setting-up decimal equivalents of fractional values, to be transferred to the numeral wheels of the machine in the calculation of problems in addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division.

The invention consists in the novel vconstuction and combination of parts, as set forth in the appended claims.

An object of the invention is the provision of a calculating machine wherein certain columns of selector mechanism may be used for the ordina-ry decimal calculations and also used to represent decimal equivalents, whereby the capacity of the machine is increased.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention;

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a calculating machine to which the invention is shown as applied;

Fig. 2 is a section through the keyboard of same, the section being taken on line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a fragment of the keyboard, with the extreme right-hand Zero key omitted;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the righthand side of the keyboard;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a group of selector rock bars, the decimal-equivalent values represented by the lugs of said bars being indicated in Roman numerals.

In these drawings, the invention is shown as applied to a calculating machine construct-k ed in accordance with the disclosure of copending aplicatiou of E. F. Britten, Jr., Serial Number 337,073, filed February 2,1929, and entitled Registering mechanism. The selector mechanism illustrated is shown in United States Patent 1,399,652, issued to E. E. Phinney on December 6, 1921, entitled Setting-up means for calculating machines.l and further in co-pending application of E. F. Britten, Jr., Serial Number 57,868, filed September 22, 1925 and entitled Zero key mechanism for key-set registers.

According to the Phinney patent above referred to, two-part selector gears 5 are mount ed to rotate with shaft 4 and have groups of gear teeth of varying lateral extent, said members being selectively positioned into the plane of gears 12, in driving connection the numeral wheels 13 of the machine. The gear members 5 are positioned by rock bars 19 provided with lugs 33, offset from the plane of the bars to different extent, representing settings of the gear members 5 corresponding to the digits one to nine, in arithmetical progression. Similar lugs 34 are provided on certain of the bars 19, and are offset to represent, upon a group of said bars, progression according to the decimal equivalents of the fractions of a given denomination. The rock bars 19 are set and held in the selected position by means of decimal keys 18 and fractional keys 35. These keys have cam ends 26 adapted to operate pairs of rock bars 19 in accordance with lugs 33 or 34 lying in the plane of the particular cam ends 26. The cam surfaces of the ends 26 are all identical, the variation in the amount set being controlled by the difference in the angle of lugs 33 and 34. The fractional keys 35 are provided with a. plurality of cam portions 26, located upon offset portions 36 of such keys overlying a plurality of columns of rock bars 19.

The above as follows:

If it is desired to set up the numeral seven in a decimal column, a key 18 bearing the numeral seven is depressed, whereby one of the related rock bars 19 is moved to bring the five teeth of one of the gear members 5 into the plane of the gear 12, and the other rock bar 19 is moved to bring two teeth of the complementary gear member 5 into the plane of the gear 12. Subsequent rotation of shaft 4 will thus cause seven gear teeth to act upon the gear 12, to advance or redescribed mechanism operates n tract the numeral wheels 13 seven steps.

Similarly, depression of the fractional key marked seven-eighths will set-up the decimal equivalent thereof; tive and three, or eight, in the left-hand column; tive and two, or

with

seven, in the next right-hand column; and

five in the extreme right-hand column (Fig. 5

Each column of keys 18 and 35 is provided with a key-locking bail 6, (Figs. 2 & 3) pivoted at its ends in the framing of the machine, and actuated by spring .7 to engage the notches of the keystems. The stems of the keys numbered 1 to 9 and 0, have upper and lower notches 8 and 9 (Fig. 3) the lower notch 9 being engaged by the locking bail 6 When the keys are in raised position and the upper notches 8, being engaged by the bail to hold the keys in depressed position. A suitable cam edge of the keystem acts in the depression of the respective key to cam the locking bail outwardly, thereby releasing any other depressed key of the saine column. Each key is provided with the usual return spring.

In order that any amount previously set in the right-hand columns of keys 18, may be automatically cleared upon depression of a key 35, the bail 6 of the keys 35 is connected to the tivo adjacent bails G related to the keys 18 by a bar 3T, so that the operation of these three bails by the keys 85 Will be identical (Fig. In order that this bar 37 may not cause the release of a decimal key 18 by the depression of a decimal key in another column, bar 37 is connected to the tivo decimal bails 6 by a pin and slot arrangement, allowing relative movement of the two bails.

A clear key is provided, operable upon depression to depress all of the O-keys simultaneously for which purpose a universal bar 14 is provided under which engage loiver lugs 10 of the O-keys, said universal bar having an end extension (not shown) enga-ged by a shoulder of said clear-key.

The above described arrangement of 0 clear-keys, provides for the splitting of the keyboard between any columns desired, so that keys in the selected columns are rendered irresponsive to release by the clear key.

lVhen it is desired to set an item permanently in the keyboard, the clear-key is held in depressed position While value keys in the selected columns are being set. Upon release of the clear key, all of the. O-kej-,f's .vill remain depressed, notwithstanding that value keys are also locked-down in certain columns, and subsequent operation of the clearkey Will not release value keys set in this manner, since the zero keys are already depressed and the locking bails will not be operated. Keys in other columns, set in the ordinary manner Will, of course, be released by said depression of the clear-key.

Because of the connecting bar 37, simultaneous depression of a key and of clear key 15, Will result in locking the decimal equivalent in the selector mechanism related to the right-hand columns of decimal kevs and as Well as in the selector relating to the fraictional keys.

The usual non-repeat mechanism is employed to clear the entire keyboard, said mechanism operating to release any value keys Which have been rendered irresponsive to release by the clear-key as above described. This mechanism has been fully described in application 57,868.

It is obvious that the fractional keys 35 are not limited to location at the extreme right-hand side of the keyboard; that the columns required to express the decimal equivalent may all be utilized also for decimal keys 18, and that several columns of fractional keys may be employed, representing fractions of dilierent denomination, and differing from each other in the length of the oliset portion 36 and in the arrangement of the rock-bar lugs 33 With which they engage.

I claim:

1. In a key-set calculating machine having a series of decimal numeral Wheels, and carry mechanism connecting all said Wheels; selector mechanism adapted to set up direct key values and decimal equivalent values in a plurality of denominational orders, compris- `ing differentially settable elements cooperating with said numeral Wheels, decimal keys controlling said elements in given ordinal places, and fractional keys controlling said elements in the same ordinal places.

2. In a key-set calculating machine, selector mechanism adapted to setup direct key values and decimal equivalent values in a plurality of denominational orders, including a plurality of denominational columns of decimal keys, means for locking said keys in active position including a locking bail associated with each column, fractional keys related to the same denominational orders, and means for releasing locked decimal keys upon movement of a fractional key to active posit-ion, including a member connecting the related locking bails and provided With a lost motion connection with the decimal key hails, whereby depression of a decimal key Will not release keys in other columns.

3. In a calculating machine, a plurality of value selecting units comprising levers adapted to be dill'erentially positioned, a bank of keys located above the levers of each of said units and depressible to contact and position said levers differentially, and a bank of fraction keys having extensions adapted to directly contact and differentially position the levers associated with a plurality of said banks of keys.

In testimony whereof, I ailix my signature.

GEORGE C. CHASE.

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