US2035095A - Calculating machine - Google Patents

Description

E. RACZ CALCULATING MACHINE March 24, 1936.

4 Sheets-Sheet l F'iledAug. 26, 1933 w INVENTOR EmesT Pacz Q, fiwiq, 1W ATTORNEYS March 24, 1936. E. RAcz 2,035,095

CALCULATING MACHINE Filed Aug. 26, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Ernesf Pacz BY ATTORNEYS March 24, 1936.

CALCULATING MACHINE Filed Aug. 26, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Ernes? Pacz BY 37/ a I :%j a m *l'M ATTORNEYS E. RACZ 2,035,095 I March 24, 1936. E, RACZ 2,035,095

CALCULATING MACHINE Filed Aug. 26, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR Ernesf Pacz ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 24, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CALCULATING momma Application August 26, 1933, Serial No. 686,886

5 Claims.

This invention relates to calculating machines and more particularly to a paper feeding mechanism therefor for advancing a plurality of sheets of paper to printing position independently of each other.

It is sometimes desired to use two sheets or rolls of paper to provide duplicate copies of all transactions, one copy of which is usually automatically rewound upon a roll. disposed and locked within the machine and the other copy of which is torn off and presented to the customer for his record.

After a complete transaction in a printing calculating machine such as a totaling operation or a single item transaction, the paper to be torn off must be advanced to a position with the last printed item thereon above the tear-off blade. The tear-off blade is necessarily disposed well above the platen or printing position thereon in order that the printed items may be visible to the operator and in order to support the paper away from the platen to prevent the paper from becoming entangled with the platen.

Due to the fact that the tear-off blade is disposed at a point removed from the printing position on the platen, and because the paper must be advanced so that the last printed item reaches a point above the tear-off blade, a considerable wastage of paper is involved. This wastage is unnecessarily doubled when two sheets of paper are used in the machine, one of which is not torn off. This wastage is further increased in instances where the machine is used in small stores and the average number of items purchased by a customer is small and therefore the number of items totaled and times the paper must be spaced up to tear-on operation is comparatively large.

This additional length of paper has a further disadvantage where one of the sheets is rewound on a roll for a permanent record in a machine, in that the added length of paper increases the bulk or size of the roll which must be retained in the machine, thus requiring additional space.

It is the purpose of this invention, therefore, to provide a paper-feeding mechanism for use in calculating machines which eliminates this wastage of paper particularly inone sheet and also eliminates the other obvious disadvantages caused thereby.

In accordance with this invention the desired results are obtained by providing independent feeds for the two sheets of paper, one of which increases the paper feed for one sheet only after certain operations of the machine, such as totaling operations, or single-item transactions. The feed for the sheet of paper being retained in the machine is maintained at a step by step rate throughout all of the operations of the machine.

The foregoing and other novel features and their inherent advantages will be apparent from the following description, given in connection with the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a right side elevation of a calculating machine having a paper feed constructed in accordance with this invention embodied therein;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken through the paper carriage and illustrating the several feeding rollers;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken just outside of the carriage and showing the independent feeding means;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged partial detail view of the pawl, ratchet and rack means for multiple spacing one of the papers during each of the special operations;

Fig. 5 is a detail view illustrating the individual feed roll release levers for the plurality of sheets of papers; and

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the rear portion of the machine with the paper roll cover and other parts removed.

The invention is shown as applied to a Burroug portable adding machine such as is disclosed in the Horton Patent No. 1,853,050, therefore the general calculating machine structure will be described only briefly, reference being made to the Horton patent for fm'ther disclosure thereof.

Calculating machine generally The illustrated machine is of the motor-driven type in which a motor (not shown) oscillates a shaft l which carries a driving plate 2, the shaft and plate being connected through a disconnectible connection as is shown in the Horton patent. The machine is controlled by the usual depressible amount keys 3 and bank of control keys 4, the latter including a sub-total key ST, a total key T, a motor key M, a single-item key S, and any other of the usual special operation keys. The keys, through associated mechanisms control the type bars 5 driven by hammers 6, all actuated from the operating plate 2 and its associated mechanisms in the usual manner as disclosed in the Horton patent. Depression of either of the total keys will cause the machine to operate by engaging the upper leg 1 of the generally H- shaped vertically slidable slide 8 and lowering the engaging the end of the lever I 3 .which in til latter to cause its lower rearwardly extending arm 9 to engage an arm l secured to shaft H to partially rotate the latter to start the driving motor in the usual manner to cause the machine to perform one operation. The so-called single item key S also operates the machine by engaging a lug l2 on the other upper leg of slide 8 and thus lowering the latter to cause operation of the driving motor.

A motor key M which is used during ordinary listing operations also operates the machine by turn engages a pin l5 on slide 8 and forces the latter downwardly to start the motor. The machine is constructed to print the items entered,therein and the totals thereof bymeans of two ribbons l6 upon two sheets or strips of paper supplied from a carriage supported by a pair of side plates l7 and located at the back and top of the machine which carriage will now be described.

P111187 carriage Journaled between plates i1 is the platen l8 which may be considered part of the printing mechanism. The platen shaft l9 extends through the plates H and carries upon its right hand outer end a ratchet (Figs. 1 and 3). The platen is line-spaced by pawl 2i pivoted at 22 to an arm 23 pivoted to one plate .I! and is maintained in engagement with the ratchet 29 by spring 26. Arm 23 is connected with and is actuated by a lever 25 (Figs. land 3) extending downwardly and connecting with one arm of a bell crank lever 26 (Fig. 1) pivoted to the machine frame, the other arm thereof being connected by link 27 to the driving plate 2 whereby the platen is line-spaced at each operation of the machine.

Paper feed rotated by a spring belt 33 driven by platen l8.

Feed roll 33 is supported by a pair of arms 34 (Fig. 5) pivoted about a shaft 35 and urged clockwise by springs 36 to bring roll 30 in contact with the platen I8. As long as roll 30 is in contact with platen 18 the permanent record sheet is fed step by step past printing position on the platen by the constant feed of the platen at each opera tion of the machine.

To release roll 38 from platen I8 a pivoted blade 31 (Figs. 5 and 6) is provided. pivoted at one end in a bent-up ear 38 of plate 39, and at its other end in the right hand side plate H. A pair of fingers 40 project forward from the blade 31 and extend beneath the rearwardly extending projections 4! (Figs. 2 and 5) of the pivoted arms 34. The blade 31 is also provided with a finger 42 (Fig. 6) which overlies and engages a stud 63 carried by a bell crank release lever 4% pivoted at 45 (Fig. 5) to the right side plate I! whereby partial counterclockwise rotation of the release lever 44 will rock the blade 37 clockwise and the arms 34 counterclockwise against the tension of the springs 36, thereby moving the feed roll 30 away from the platen E8.

The springs 35 connected to the upper ends of of paper (Fig. 1) located at the back of the machine and supported by a pair of arms 5i extending from the carriage plates IT. This strip extends upwardly and forwardly between two guides 52 and through a chute 53 (Fig. 2) then between a pair of feed rolls 58 and 59, then under the platen, upward between two ribbons l6 and behind the tear-01f plate 6!.

Feed roll 58 is jcurnalecl in side plates l7 and is positively driven by its shaft 62 which extends through one plate H and carries upon its ofiter end adjacent the side plate I! a ratchet 53. Ratchet 63 is engaged by a pawl 64 pivoted at 65 to arm 23 (Fig. 3) and maintained in engagement with the ratchet by a spring 66. During listing operations of the machine, the feed ro1l58 is advanced step by step by pawl 64 which is independent of pawl 2|, but actuated by the same arm and through the same driving elements.

Roll 59 is carried upon the outer end of levers 61 pivoted to side plates l1 and is maintained in contact with roll 58 by spring 68. Roll 59 may be released from roll 58 by rocking a release lever 69 counterclockwise (Fig. 5). Said lever 69 is fastened to the left hand end of a shaft 10 journaled in the side plates l'l. Fixed on the right hand end of shaft Ill is an arm H engaging the under side of one of the levers 61.

A spring H3 connected at one end to a hub on the left hand end of shaft 65 and at its other end to a stud on the left side plate retains the lever 69 and arm H in Fig. 5 position.

Increased feed In order to increase the feed or spacing of the tearing strip, means are provided for increasing the speed and thereby the degree of rotation of roll 58 during certain operations of the machine such as totaling operations and single item operations.

For thispurpose a normally inoperative independent feed is provided for the roll 58 which will now be described. Roll 58 is provided with a second and independent one-way drive from the operating means, the second drive to be operative only on certain operations of the machine. This drive comprises a ratchet disk 12 having inwardly projecting ratchet teeth 13 engageable with a pawl 14 carried by a disk 15 (Figs. 1 and 4) rotatable freely on feed roll shaft 62. Secured to this freely rotatable disk is a gear '85 meshing with an intermediate gear 11 integral with a gear 18 carried by a fixed bracket 19 (Fig. 1) and meshing with a toothed sector rack 80. Gear 18 is flanked by two disks 8! to maintain it in mesh with sector 80. Sector is pivoted to the side frame of the machine at 82 and is urged in a counterclockwise direction by a spring 83 of sufficient tension to return the sector to its normal or Fig. 1 position.

Sector 86 is given a positive movement to increase the feed of the one sheet during totaling operations or other predetermined operations of the machine by means of a yoke member 84 pivoted at 85 to the sector or rack 89 and urged a hook 81 and having a shoulder 88 intermediate its pivoted point and the hooked end, the shoulder 88 and hook being movable into position to engage a stud 89 carried by a lever 98 pivoted to the side frame of the machine at 9| and connected at its lower end by a link 92 to the connecting link 21 which is in turn connected to the operating plate 2. Thus, when the machine is operated and the yoke 84 is in operative posi-' tion during forward stroke of the machine, the counterclockwise movement of the lever 99 will cause the stud 89 to engage the hook 81 and pull the gear sector clockwise to ratchet the pawl 14 over ratchet teeth 13. On the return stroke stud 89 of the lever 98 will engage the shoulder 88 and together with spring 83 will return the gear sector 88 to normal Fig. 1 position and, through the pawl 14 and ratchet teeth 13, will feed the lower sheet of paper the desired multiple spacing. This additional movement will place the last printed amount in view above the tearoil' plate 6!, in position that the strip may be torn on to be given to the customer. The yoke 84 is under the control of the operation keys, as will now be described.

Control of increased feed A lever 93 is pivoted intermediate its ends at 94 to the frame of the machine and is provided with a nose 96 engageable with a stud 91 projecting from one arm of bail 84 to normally hold ball 84 in inoperative position; in other words, in position that its shoulder 88 or hook 81 does not engage stud 89. The forward end 98 or lever 93 engages a vertically movable slide 99 having a widened upstanding arm lull positioned to be engaged by either total key '1' or sub-total key ST.

Slide 89 is normally urged to raised position by spring I80 and has a second upstanding arm IOI terminating in an abutment underlying the single item key S whereby depression of either of the keys T, ST or S depresses slide 99 and accordingly removes the finger 98 from stud 97 permitting the bail 84 to fall into operative position to be engaged by stud 89 to rock rack 80.

The increased feed of the one sheet makes it desirable to provide some slack in the paper fed from the roll 50 in order that it is not necessary to impart a rapid movement to the entire roll to take care of the additional paper necessary. Furthermore, having slack available prevents slippage of the paper when being fed by the feed rolls 58 and 59, which slippage would result in not feeding the paper sufficiently to move the last printed item into vision above the tear off plate ready for the slip to be torn ofi. By preventing slippage due to the load of unwinding the additional paper required, a uniform additional length of paper is always assured at the proper time.

For this purpose an arm I05 is pivoted to one side plate I! and is provided with a long pin l86 which underlies the sheet of paper as it comes on roll 58. Arm I05 is connected by a link It"! to one arm H18 of a yoke pivoted to the machine, the other arm I89 of which is connected by a link I In to a lever whereby at each operation of the machine the arm I05 with its pin M8 is given a movement to unroll the sheet from roll 55 and provide the necessary slack to take care of the additional feed imparted by rack 88.

Operation The operation of the machine is believed to be clear from the foregoing, but will be briefly summarized. During listing operations of the machine both sheets of paper are fed step by step by pawls 2i and 64. During a total, sub-total or single item operation, however, bail 84 drops into operative position and is engaged by stud 89. Upon initial movement of plate 2 hook 81 of bail 84 is engaged by stud 89 and the rack 83 is rocked clockwise. This movement, however, does not aflfect the feeding of the sheet of paper due to the fact that pawl 74 passes over teeth '13, i. e.

due to operation of the one-way drive. Upon return movement of plate 2, shoulder 88 of ball 84 is engaged by stud 89 and the rack 89 is rocked counterclockwise. Upon this movement of rack 88 pawl 74 engages teeth 73 and imparts an additional or increased feeding movement to roll 58, thus feeding the tear-off sheet of paper a sufficient distance that the lowermost item or total printed on the sheet appears above the tear-off strip. fiom this it will be seen that during each total or singledtcm operation one sheet of paper is spaced to tear-oh position automatically and without any additional movements or attention by the operator. During this operation, however, the permanent record sheet is merely fed a single step.

lit will be apparent to those skilled in the art that minor changes may be made in details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

1' claim:

1'. In a calculating machine having depressible amount keys and control keys, a rotatable platen, printing mechanism associated with said platen and responsive to said keys for printing items and the totals thereof along a printing line relative to said platen, means for supporting a strip of paper in printing relation to said platen for receiving the printed items and totals thereof, means for rotating said platen step by step to line space said paper strip, means supporting a second strip of paper superposed upon said first strip in printing position relatively to said platen to receive the printed items and totals thereof simultaneously with the printing thereof on said first strip, separate feed means independent of said platen for line spacing said second strip, means for operating said machine, means actuated by said operat ing ineans for automatically actuating said platen rotating means and said feed means as the machine is operated, and independent feed means automatically actuated by said operating means upon predetermined machine operations and conditioned by one of said control keys for imparting greater movement to said additional feeding means to feed the last printed entry 2. predetermined distance beyond the printing line while said first strip is being line spaced.

2. a calculating machine having depressible amount keys and control keys, a rotatable platen, printing mechanism associated with said platen and responsive to said keys for printing items and the totals thereof along a printing line relative to said platen, means for supporting a strip of paper in printing relation to said platen for receiving the printed items and totals thereof, means for rotating'said platen step by step to line space said paper strip, means supporting a second strip of paper superposed upon said first strip in printing position relatively to said platen to receive the printed items and totals thereof simultaneously with the printing thereof on said first strip, separate feed means independent of said 7 platen for line spacing said second strip, a common' driving element for actuating said platen rotating means and said feeding means, means for operating said machine, means actuated by said operating means for automatically actuating said common driving member as the machine is operated, and independent feed means automatically actuated by said operating means upon predetermined machine operations and conditioned by one of said control keys for imparting greater movement to said additional feeding means to feed the last printed entry a predetermined distance beyond the printing line while said first strip is fed only a line space.

3. In a calculating machine having depress ible amount keys and control keys, a rotatable platen, type bars associated with said-platen and responsive to said keys for printing items and the totals thereof along a printing line relative to said platen, means for supporting'a strip of paper in printing relation to said platen for receiving printed items and totals thereof, a pawl and ratchet for rotating said platen step by step to line space said paper strip, means including a feed roll for supporting a second strip of paper superposed upon said first strip in printing position relatively to said platen to receive the printed items and totals thereof simultaneously with the printing thereof on said first strip, a pawl and ratchet for rotating said roll step by step to line space said second strip, a common driving element for said two pawls, means for operating said machine, means actuated by said operating means for automatically actuating said common driving member as the machine is operated, and independent feed means automatically actuated by said operating means upon predetermined machine operations and conditioned by said control keys for imparting greater movement to said feed roll to feed the last printed entry a predetermined distance beyond said printing line while said first strip is fed only a line space.

4. In a calculating machine having depressible amount keys and control keys, a rotatable platen, type bars associated with said platen and responsive to said keys for printing items and the totals thereof along a printing line relative to said platen, a tear-off blade removed from said platen, means for supporting a strip of paper in printing relation to said platen for receiving printed items and totals thereof, a pawl and aosas ratchet for rotating said platen step by step to line space said paper strip, means including a feed roll for supporting a second strip of paper superposed upon said first strip in printing position relatively to said platen to receive the printed items and totals thereof simultaneously with the printing thereof on said first strip, a pawl and ratchet for rotating said roll step by step to line space said second strip, a common driving element for said two pawls, means for operating said machine, means actuated by said operating means for automatically actuating said common driving member as the machine is operated, and independent feed means automatically actuated by said operating means upon predetermined machine operations and conditioned by said control keys for imparting greater movement to said feed roll to feed the last printed entry beyond said tear-off blade while' said first strip is fed only a line space.

5. In a calculating machine having depremible amount keys and control keys, a rotatable platen, type bars associated with said platen and responsive to said keys for printing items and the totals thereof along a printing line relative to said platen, a tear-01f blade removed from said platen, means for supporting a strip of paper in printing relation to said platen for receiving printed items and totals thereof, a pawl and ratchet for rotating said platen step by step to line space said paper strip, means including a feed roll for supporting a second strip of paper superposed upon said first strip in printing position relatively to said platen to receive the printed items and totals thereof simultaneously with the printing thereof on said first strip, a pawl and ratchet for rotating said roll step by step to line space said second strip, a common driving element for said two pawls, means for operating said machine, means actuated by said operating means for automatically actuating said common driving member as the machine is operated, a gear carried by said feed roll, a rack, one-way, driving connections between said rack and said gear, and operating connections between said rack and said operating means conditioned by one of said control keys for causing said rack to impart a greater movement to said feed roll to feed the last printed entry beyond said tear-01f blade while said first strip is fed only a line space.

ENEST RACZ.

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