US1973516A

US1973516A - thieme

Info

Publication number: US1973516A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1934-09-11
Anticipated expiration: 1951-09-11

Description

Sept. 11, Q THIEME 1,973,516

COMBINED TYPEV VRITING AND COMPUTING MACHINE Original Filed July 15, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 11, 1934. o. THIEME COMBINED TYPEWHITING AND COMPUTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed July 15, 1930 Him/my.

l atented Sept. 11, 1934 UNITED STATES PATEN COMBINED TYPEWRITING AND COMPUT- IN G MACHINE Original application July 15, 1930, Serial No. 468,175. Divided and this application October ".FHCE

10, 1931, Serial No. 568,074

6 Claims;

This invention relates to computing machines, particularly to those of the class in which the numeral-keys of the typewriter are connected to a mechanism which indexes and drives a master swheel, causing the latter to impart the desired loifeeding carriage of the typewriter.

The totalizer-dial wheel is usually connected by a carry-over train to the wheel of next higher denomination. Sometimes the train of devices that is put in motion by the master wheel is very 'long. Owing to the great number of parts in such a train, there is liability of lost motion, and also liability of springing and overthrow of parts, and it may happen that a dial will be turned too far, or not far enough, resulting in a faulty calculation.

According to the present invention, to the master wheel that is operated by the numeral-keys of the typewriter, there is fixeda gaging wheel; and with the gaging wheel co-operates a gage, to

25. the end that the gaging wheel and the master wheel may be'brought into the precise rotative position that is required at each stroke of any numeral-key.

The gage is in the form of a tooth, which is cut upon a slide that is guidedwith extreme accuracy in rectilinear direction. The gaging tooth has straight sides, and the gaging wheel has notches shaped to fit it. The gage is also provided with teeth which flank the gage-tooth, and conduce to accuracy and long life of the device.

When a numeral-key is depressed, it brings into action a train whereby a cam is actuated to an extent depending upon the key selected; and this cam is connected to rotate the master wheel.

40 Each numeral-key also operates a universal bar,

and this universal bar has a spring to drive the aforesaid gage. It results that when the: master wheel has nearly completed its rotation, and while it is still in motion, the. three teeth of the gage abut idly against the ends of the teeth of the gagewheel. Upon the master wheel completing its rotation, the spring snaps the gage into the notches of the gage-wheel, and thusbrings it exactly to the correct position, and also prevents overthrow.

This application is a division of my pending application No. 468,175, filed July 15, 1930.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view, showing the type-bar action in semi-operated state and the master-gear-locking and register-aligning mechanism about tobe operated by the further depression of the key.

Figure 2 is a reduced vertical section through the actuator while in semi-operation.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view, showing the master-gear-locking mechanism in premature cooperation with the notched disk thereof.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the mastergear train and the connections to a numeral-key.

Figure 5 is a vertical section, showing detailed construction of the master-gear-locking mechanism.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 2, with the parts further advanced by the depressed key, and after the locking of the master gear.

Figure 7 shows the master gear locked from the position shown in Figure 3,

The Underwood typewriting machine includes a keyboard having numerahkeys 25 that operate key-levers 26, fulcrumed at 2'7 and operable to vibrate bell-cranks 28 to swing type-bars 29 upwardly and rearwardly to strike the point of a platen 30, journaled for rotation between carriage-ends 31 of a carriage 32 formed with spacedapart lugs 33 taking bearing upon a stationary rail 34 and also having a front center roll 35 to bear on a front rail 36. The printing mechanism is-restored by a spring 37 that normally holds a stop-lug 33 under tension against a cross-bar 39. The carriage may have the usual carriage-feeding mechanism (not shown) operated by the printing stroke of a type-bar.

The computing mechanism may be divided into two mechanisms, a totalizer-mechanism secured to the traveling carriage and an actuating mechanism secured to the frame that translates the depression of the numeral-keys into digital values to beentered into the totalizers.

The totalizer-mechanism includes a truck 40 supported and suspended from arms 41 secured to the carriage 32. The truck may removably and adjustably support a plurality of totalizers 42 in the usual manner.

The actuator-mechanism includes a frame. 43 secured to the machine over the keyboard and under the totalizer-mechanism. The frame 43 provides an anti-friction ball-raceway 44 to cooperate with a companion raceway in a rail 45 of the truck. The actuator-frame 43 supports a stationary rod 48, upon which are mounted a series of actuators 49 spaced apart thereon.

Each actuator has a spring 52 tensioned to normally hold a stop-face 53 against the frame, and further has a pivotal connection 54 with an actuating link 55 connected to a key-lever 26 at 56. Each actuator 49 is also formed with a camslot 57 to engage a stud 58 of a crank-arm 59 permanently secured to a rock-shaft 60. The cam-slot of each actuator varies in eccentricity, and from a uniform swing of the actuators by the numeral-keys, motion will be conveyed. to the shaft 60 that progressively varies in rotative scope according to the 1 to 9 computative value of the numeral-key depressed.

Secured to the shaft 601s a crank-arm 61, having a long stud 62, Figure 4, upon which is slidably mounted a link 63, having its free end permanently pivoted to a gear-sector 64 that 67, a companion clutch-member 68 may include a head 69 joined thereto by a sleeve 70 to form a unit slidable along the shaft 66. The head 69 may be formed with tongues '71 slidable within grooves 72 in a flange '73 forming a part of a master gear '74 fixed to the shaft 66. With this construction, the clutch 68 may be moved along the shaft 66 to interlock with the member 6'7 driven by the sector 64, the tongues 71 will still engage the grooves '12 and the master gear will be rotated until the clutch 68 is withdrawn to release the master gear near the end of the down stroke of the key as will appear.

Each actuator 49 has a tongue or shoe 75 secured thereto and operable to engage pointed square check pins or dogs '76 projecting from a rock-shaft 77 at intervals to align with each shoe. The initial downward swing of an actuator 49 engages its pin 76 to rock the shaft '77, to rock and raise an arm 78, Figure 4, secured thereto.

The free end of arm 78 carries a lifter '79 connected to one arm 80 of a bell-crank 81 having a stud 82 operable to slide the clutch-member 68 and the head 69 along the shaft 66 to interlock the master gear '74 with the pinion 65 before the sector 64 is rotated. Just in advance of the full down stroke of the key, the pin 76 will snap off the end of the shoe 75 and the clutch-interlock will be withdrawn, the master gear '74 freed from the pinion 65 to allow the pinion 65 and sector 64 to idly return to normal position upon the release of the depressed key. 7

Each actuator has peripheral V-teeth operable to be engaged by pawls or check pins 83 on a shaft 84 to force a completion of the actuatorstroke, in a well-known manner.

Each link 55 has an edge formation to engage a universal blade, bar or plate 86 secured to a rock-shaft 87, the relation of the parts being to depress the blade during the last part ofthe depression of the link or after the rotation of the master gear by an actuator 49.

The shaft 77 carries an arm 88, Figures 2 and 6,

rovided with a roll 89 operative to roll over a cam-face 90 of a lever 91 held against the roll by a spring 92, formed with a tooth 93 to interlock with the teeth of a rack 94 secured to the totalizer-truck 40 and formed with a second tooth 95 to normally interlock between two adjoining teeth of the master gear 74. The lever 91, fulcrumed at 96,0perates to swing the tooth 93 into interlock with the rack 94 and swing the tooth 95 out of interlock with the master gear when the shaft 7'? is rocked by the actuator.

The vibration of the lever 91 further vibrates a master dog 97 to operate in a well-known manner to vibrate seriatim a series of spring-pressed levers or arms 98 that support and control the carry-over devices of the totalizer 42.

The description up to this point may be the same or substantially the same as that disclosed in my pending application, No. 286,218, filed June An improvement includes a simplified manner of locking up the master gear 74 immediately after its digital rotation by the sector 64 and just before the opening of the clutch-members 6'7 and 68, to check any overthrow of the parts and also to prematurely hold the parts in alignment. To this end, the blade 86 has an ear 104 on the'upper face to support a shouldered screw 165. This screw passes through a plain hole in the ear and-is provided with a nut 106 having an eccentric for a bearing 107. The nut may be turned to adjust the eccentric and the screw set therein to bind the adjusted eccentric to the face of the ear 104 for a pivotal bearing to support the lower end of a link 108 held seated upon the bearing by a spring 108 tensioned between an ear on the link and an car on the blade 86.

The free end of the link 108 has a pivotal con nection with one end of a lever 169 pivoted at 116 to the actuator-frame and having a hole at the free end thereof to receive the free end of a pin 111 projecting from the lower end of a vertical slide 112. The lever 109 and the slide 112 may be arranged upon opposite sides of a frame-partition 113 with the pin 111 passing through a clearance hole 113 therein. To guide the slide 112 perpendicularly, a pair of rollers 114 are mounted upon suitabie studs projecting from the partition 113 with the slide rolling between them, and the free end of the lever 109 may be guided by the large head of a screw 169 The upper free end of the slide 112 has one or. more teeth 115, and to co-operate therewith the master gear '74 has secured to the side thereof a disk 116 having peripheral notches 117 to receive the teeth 115 of the slide 112. It will be noted that the teeth 115 have sharp square corners and fit snugly within the notches 117.

With the parts connected as described and normally positioned as at Figure 4, the link 55 depressed by its key-lever26 operatesits actuator 49 to rotate the master gear .74, the parts assuming the position of Figure l, with the typebar still in motion to strike the platen, the link 55 is about to vibrate the blade 86 to lift the slide 112, and the master gear is near the end of its rotation. The further depression of the link throw the teeth 115 against the teeth of the mas-.

ter gear disk 116. As the gear 74 is about to complete its rotation, the teeth 115 will clash with the teeth ofthe disk 116 as shown at Figure 3, and this checking of the full lifting movement of the slide 112 flexes the spring 108 and the bearing 10'? will idly shift within the elongated slot 118 as shown at Figure 2. When the maste' gear 74 completes its digital rotation, in the direction of the arrow of Figure 3, the teeth of the disk 116 will rotate slightly and release the tensioned teeth 115 of the slide 112 to interlock with the disk 116 and arrest any overthrowing forces that may exist inthe rotating master gear and in the associated train of gears in the totalizer.

From the description, it follows that at the end of the key-stroke the type-impression has been made, the master gear rotated and released from the key-driven sector, the master gear disk 116 locked by the teeth 115 and the master gear also locked by the tooth 95 of the lever 91 under the tension or" the spring 92. The release of the depressed key withdraws the teeth 115 from the disk 116, but the master gear is still held locked by the tooth 95.

Each actuator 49 (Figures 2 and 4) has a dwell slot 166 to provide for the swinging of the actuator after it has ceased to vibrate the arms 59 to convey rotation to the sector 64 and the master gear 74. The locking of the master-gear disk 116 by the slide 112 provides an aligning operation of the actuated carrying gear 101.

In this manner, each key operates separate mechanisms that co-operate to realign the disturbed trains of totaliZer-gears to correct any slight variation due to working clearance or looseness in the trains of gears intermediate the numeral-wheels and the carrying gears 101; the master gears and the carrying gears being held by their aligning means until the depressed key is released.

Depression of the key raises the type-bar and depresses the link to bring the parts to the Figure 2 positions where rotation has been conveyed to the master gear, and the slide 112 lifted to the Figure 3 position. A slight further depression of the link 55 to the Figure 6 position has completed the rotation of the master gear and its interlocking disk 116 as shown at Figure 7.

The final depression of the key places the parts where a pin 76 has been released by the actuator to release the shaft 77, to release the lever 91, to release the tooth 93, to release the 13013311261"- rack 94, and to release the tooth 95 to re-engage the already locked master gear. The Figure 7 interlock is maintained.

The release of the key releases the blade 85, the slide 112 is withdrawn from the disk 116.

Vari t" thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. In a computing machine, the combination of numeral-keys, a master gear connected to be differentially rotated by the numeral-keys according to the digital value of the key operated, and means uniformly operated by each key to interlock with the rotating master gear and prevent overthrow of the gear beyond its predetermined digital exr5 tent of rotation, said means including a notched disk fixed to the master gear, a slide on the frame having teeth to engage the notches of the disk, a plate operated by each key, and connections between the plate and slide operable to move the into interlock with the disk to arrest the rotation of. the master gear, said connections including a link having a positive connection with he slide and a tensioned connection with the plate whereby the plate is vibrated by a key after the slide arrests the master gear.

2. In a combined typewriting and adding machine having a carriage, numeral-type-keys, a totalizer, and a master wheel, and also having .1 cans controlled by the numeral-keys for indexi ing and rotating the master wheel and totalizerdials, the comb nation of a gaging wheel fixed to the master wheel, a key-operated gage to oooperate with said gaging wheel, said gage having a tooth to fit in the notches in the gaging wheel, and a spring operated by the keys to abut the gage-tooth idly against the tooth oi the gaging wheel during the completion of the rotation of the master wheel, and to snap the gage into the notch of the gaging wheel at the conclusion of such rotation.

3. In a combined typewritin and adding machine having a carriage, numeral-type-keys, a totalizer, and a master wheel, and also having means controlled by the numeral-keys for indexing and rotating the master Wheel and totalizerdials, the combination of a gaging wheel fixed to the master-wheel, a key-operated gage to co-operate with said gaging wheel, said gage mounted for movement, and having a tooth to fit in the notches in the gaging wheel, a spring operated by the keys to abut the gage-tooth idly against the tooth of the gaging wheel during the completion of the rotation of the master wheel, and to snap the gage into the notch of the gaging wheel at the conclusion of such rotation, said gage in the form of a slide, and means for guiding said slide.

4. In a combined typewriting and adding machine having a carriage, numeral-type-keys, a totalizer, and a master wheel, and also having means controlled by the numeral-keys for indexing and rotating the master wheel and totalizerdials, the combination of a gagin wheel fixed to the master wheel, a key-operated gage to co operate with said gaging wheel, said gage mounted for movement, and having a tooth to fit in the notches in the gaging wheel, and a spring operated by the rays to abut the gage-tooth idly against the tooth of the gagin wheel during the completion of the rotation of the master wheel, and to snap the gage into the notch of the gaging wheel at the conclusion of such rotation, said gage having also teeth flanking said gage-tooth to enter the adjacent notches in the master wheel.

5. In a computing machine, the combination of numeral-keys, a master gear connected to be differentially rotated by the numeral-keys according to the digital value of the key operated, and

having a notched disk fixed thereto, and means uniformly operated by each key and presented to the notched disk just before the conclusion of its stroke and spring-driven into interlock with the notched disk for preventing overthrow of the gear, comprising a slide on the frame having teeth spring-pressed against the isk, to interlock with the disk when any key is at the end of its mastergear driving-stroke.

6. In a computing machine, the combination of numeral keys, a master gear connected to be differentially rotated by the numeral-keys according to the digital value of the key operated, and having a notched disk fixed thereto, and means uniformly operated by each and presented to the notched disk just before the conclusion of its stroke and spring-driven into interlock with the notched disk for preventing overthrow of the gear, comprising a slide on the frame having teeth spring-pressed to engage the notches of the disk,

a plate operated by each key, and connections 4 between the plate and slide operable to present the slide yieldingly to the edge of the disk, to enable the slide to mesh with the disk and arrest the rotation of the master gear.

OTTO THIEME.