US2098972A - Combined typewriting and computing - Google Patents

Description

NGV.A 16, H. L. P11-MAN COMBINED TYPEWRITING AND COMPUTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 3l, 1936 v 2 Sheets-Shea?l l E? IL INVENTOR ATTORNEY.

INGVo 16, H L. p11-MAN COMBINED TYPEWHLTING AND COMPUTING MACHINE Filed Deo. 3l, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E M47 ,f5

ATToNEY Patented Nov. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINED TYPEWRITING AND COMPUTING MACHINE Application December 31, 1936, Serial No. 118,618

12 Claims.

This invention relates to a combined typewriting and computing machine of the Underwood- Hanson class such as is exemplied generally in U. S. patents to Hanson No. 1,278,812, Minton No.

1,280,065, Pitman No. 1,927,951 and in an application of Pitman for U. S. patent filed April 2, 1936 bearing Serial Number 72,348.

Such machines embody a typewriting mechanism which is operatively connected toa computving mechanism having one or more sets of computing wheels, a set of indexable drivers for each set of wheels and a general operator for the drivers.

Operation of the numeral type keys to print an amount, while the letter-feed carriage traverses a computing zone, causes said amount to be indexed in said drivers; the carriage acting in said zone, by means of denomination-selecting mechanism, to shift the drivers seriatim into position wherein numeral-type key-operated digit-indexing mechanism is eiective to set digit pins in the drivers. The general operator is cycled after the indexing of the drivers to actuate the latter, by means` of the set digit-pins, to accumulate said amount in the computing wheels. Totals are accumulated, according to item classification, in diierent registers on the machine.

A eld of register-controls traversed by the typewriter-carriage includes a series of denominational jacks serving to shift the computing wheel drivers seriatim to proper position for indexing.

A tappet unit is placed on the carriage for each computing zone and includes a` tappet for engaging the denominational jacks and one or more register-selecting tappets which are differently locatable on the tappet unit for engaging particular register-selecting elements.

After the typewriter carriage has been tabulated to a certain zone the settling of the carriage into recontrol by the carriage escapement advances one of the computing wheel drivers into position where any one of ten indexing pins may be actuated from any one of the ten numeral keys on the typewriter. This actuation is by means of unit bars or indexing bars which overlie the indexing pins when the drivers have been advanced to position. These indexing bars extend across the machine and may operate corresponding pins in different registers by depression of the pinsetting bars from any one of the numeral keys. At the same time that the pin-indexing bar is depressed a numeral type bar is advanced to type the corresponding numeral on a sheet arranged on a roller-platen of the typewriter carriage.

Movement of the numeral type bar operates the conventional letter-feed escapement and the carriage subsequently advances a step which advances the next driving bar into position where any one of its pins may be operated by any one oi the pin-setting bars respectively under the control of a numeral key.

Diiiiculty has been experienced in this last stated operation in that when the next driving bar is advanced to pin-setting position one of the upwardly projecting pins may impinge on the side ci' the previously actuated unit bar by catching the latter before it has returned to its normal position. This causes a tie up of the machine and it is a primary object of this invention to overcome this diiiculty.

The machine as previously described is standard and well-known construction, commercially known as an Underwood bookkeeping machine. The present invention is an improvement on such machine and comprises a mechanism adapted to synchronize the typewriter-carriage step-by-step motion with the unit bar movement in the computing section. In the preferred form of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings and later herein described in detail the mechanism comprises a plate or bail positioned under all of the unit bars so that the depression of any unit bar will move the plate or bail, which movement is transmitted to a control plate at the rear of the machine to cause engagement of the control plate with a particular one of a plurality of tappet units mounted on the typewriter carriage. The engagement is by coacting cam surfaces so shaped and arranged that any escapement movement of the carriage pursuant to a numeral-key operation will throw the control plate downwardly out of engagement thus reversing the movement of the plate or bail under the depressed unit bar and thus cause the unit bar to be thrown upwardly out of the path of the oncoming pin of the advancing driver.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. lis a right side view of a machine of the character described with frame parts broken away to more clearly show the interior construction. This view is schematic and is intended to illustrate the general features of an Underwood bookkeeping machine and the relation of the parts constituting the present invention to the general organization.

Fig. 2 is a View in perspective skeletonized to more clearly show the construction and operation of the parts constituting the present invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings and to Fig. l thereof, a typewriter unit T is indicated as mounted upon a computing base CB. An escapement controlled carriage C is suitably mounted for traversing movement on a frame 2% of the typewriter and is driven in letter-feed direction by the conventional spring motor 2l mounted the frame having a tape 22 connected with the carriage as at The carriage is controlled in its letter-feeding direction by the usual escapement mechanism 25.! operated by a universal bar 25 which in turn is operated by any of the type bars as, for example, the numeral type bar 2S. The latter is pivotally mounted on a fulcrum wire 2l and connected through the usual intermediate lever 2S to a numeral typebar lever t@ having a numeral key El l. The lever 3@ is fulcrumed at t2 and is one of ten numeral type bar levers all of which are spring held in normal position by springs Rows of letter and character keys are indicated at @il and a space bar is indicated at An upper row of keys 36 constitutesV a denominational tabulator set, each key being mounted on the end of a lever corresponding to the one shown at 3l', which levers are pivoted in the frame at 38 and the rear ends Il!! of which operate vertical reeds il to raise the upper ends l2 of these reeds through a slot i3 in a plate l-l. rlhis interposes the upper end of the particular selected reed in the path of a tabulator stop fifi which is one of various stops and tappets on a tappet unit d5 mounted on a rack which is secured to the carriage at opposite ends thereof by bars The denominational tabulator mechanism employed is substantially the same as shown in the United States patent to Helmond No. 1,858,447 oi May 17, 1932. As a part of the carriage-escapement mechanism a rack l? is pivoted on the carriage frame ends at i8 and has its teeth in engagement with an escapement pinion 5U but is adapted to be lifted to disengage the teeth from the pinion when any denominational tabulator key is operated and any of the reeds il are elevated. This, as clearly described in sai-d patent to Helmond is effected by any of arms 5l integral with reeds il engaging a lever which is not shown in the present drawings, the opposite end of which has a roller underlying the rack il so that when any reed lll is lifted the rack (il will be raised simultaneously to allow the carriage to run free until the tabulator stops are engaged and the letter-feed escapement mechanism again comes in control.

The computing base CB may have one or more register units. The register unit is of the kind shown in the United States patent to Pitman No. 1,927,951 in that provision for driving its conputing wheels E? oppositely for addition and direct subtraction includes a set of indexable computing-wheel driving bars, one of which is indicated in Fig, l at 53. These driving bars carry a row of index or digit pins till and the driving bar is normally retracted to the position shown in Fig. l where the pins are out of indexing position.

As the typewriter carriage is tabulated to a computing Zone by the decimal tabulator mechanism and operation of the denominational tabulatcr key its entry to this zone is accompanied by a register selecting operation effected by tappets two of which are shown at t5, on the tappet unit 215, engaging plates slldably mounted in a frame lill and these plates are cammed downwardly to carry down a corresponding slide such as the one indicated at 5t in Fig. l, which in turn depress rods corresponding to the one shown at @t which operate through linkage lil and rock shaft 62 to elevate a comb 53 which lifts a series' of dogs 64 and positions them behind respective studs 65 projecting from the sides of the driving bars 53. Each plate 5S controls a diierent register and one or both of these plates, or more, may be operated accordingly as the tappets 55 are variously positioned on tappet unit 5. For the purposes of the present case it is only necessary to consider one register unit. When the carriage has been tabulated to desired decimal position release of the tabulator key allows the rack fil to return to engagement with the escapement pinion Ell and the carriage settles into recontrol by its letter-feed escapement. During this settling movement a tappet 66 on the tappet unit iii engages the top end 6l of one of the series of jacks 58 and depresses the jack to move a link 'lll of a corresponding series downwardly, thereby rocking one of a series of bell crank levers 7l. This causes a rod l?. of a series, at the forward end of which is pivoted one of the dogs Sil, to advance, picking up stud t5 and moving the computingwheel driving-bar forward a slight distance to indexing position. In this position the pins 555 underlie transverse indexing bars 'd3 of which there is one for each indexing pin on a bar 53. These indexing bars are suspended on bell-crank levers l'fl which at their upper ends are connected by transverse bars l5 parallel with the indexing bars. Springs 'lli are attached from lugs on bars 'l5 to suitable points on the machine frame and tend to hold the indexing bars elevated.

Numeral key levers 3@ carry pendant arms Ill the lower ends of which engage with arms 78 on rock shafts lQ which latter are suitably journaled in the machine. From the rock shafts le short arms l5 engage respectively with pins. lli on different bars 'l5 of the set of ten, one for each numeral character from 0 to 9.

With the indexing pins of. the driving bars set in position below the pin-setting or unit bars, actuation of any numeral key 3l will cause lengthwise movement of one of the bars 15 and a downward and edgewise or pin-setting movement of its articulated bar '13. This movement is accompanied by a typing operation of type bar 2S and at the end of the type bar movement the carriage escapement is actuated and a step of carriage feed is eiiected. This step feed brings the tappet 6i; to the next jack 68 of the set and operates that jack to advance the next succeeding bar l2 and dog 6d thus advancing the next succeeding driving bar 53 into pin-setting position.

It will be obvious that if the return springs 'i6 of the pin-setting mechanism becomes sluggish or if for any other reason the upward movement of any pin-setting bar i3 is delayed, the advancing adjacent pin on the driving bar 53 may strike the side of the bar i3 and prevent its return. To avoid this and to insure synchronous operation of the escapement and the restoring movement of the pin-setting mechanism, a plate or bail Sil is arranged below the set of indexing bars t3 preferably at their ends. This plate is secured to a rock shaft 8! which is suitably journaled in the frame of the machine as indicated at 82 and 83. The rock shaft 8l has an arm Bil fixed thereto which is connected by a link 85 to an arm 3S fixed on a rock shaft 8l. The latter has one end somewhat loosely mounted in a bracket 88 secured to the machine frame and its other end is similarly loosely mounted in an inturneol lug 99 of a plate 9i which is carried by an arm 92 iixed on a rock shaft $3 the toI CII

ends of which are suitably journaled in frame pieces. An arm 94 xed on rock shaft 81 engages the lower end of a push rod 95, the upper end of which engages the bottom of a slide 96 suitably slidably mounted in the frame 51. The upper end of slide 96 engages the bottom of a plate 91 having an up-and-down slide mounting in frame 51. The upper end of. this plate 91 has a series of cam projections or teeth 98 adapted to engage and disengage with a toothed member 9E) carried on tappet unit 45.

When any numeral key 3| is depressed for the purpose of setting an index pin on any advanced driving bar, the bail or plate is correspondingly depressed rocking the shaft 8| and through the mechanism just described elevating the plate 91 until its cam projections engage the cam teeth of tappet on tappet unit 45. Contrawise when pressure is released on key 3| allowing reurn of universal bar 25, a step of carriage escapement takes place and a relative movement occurs between tappet 90 and plate 91 which cams the plate 91 downwardly causing a reverse rotation of rock shaft 8|, a lifting of bail 80 and a consequent lifting of unit bar 13 before the next pin carrying driving bar can be advanced as such advance does not take place until the end of the escapement step when tappet 66 forces down the next succeeding jack 68.

It will be noted that the plate 91 is of substantial width occupying the computing zone. After the carriage has made one step of. feed a succeeding numeral key operation will again elevate the plate and a succeeding tooth of the plate will engage with the tooth of tappet 90 and so on throughout the computing zone.

It is desirable that the plate 91 should have its teeth 98 in close proximity to the tappet 90 when it is intended to take advantage of the function of this device. There are, however, certain operations where pin-setting is not effected and when these are being carried on it is undesirable to have the plate elevated to the position where it may be rubbed upon by the tappet 90 in the passage of the carriage. To provide for positioning the plate 91 somewhat lower down in the frame 51 and thus disabling it from its capability of engagement with the tappet 90 even though numeral keys are operated, a notched dog |00 is fixed on the rock shaft 93 and is engaged in one of its notches by a pawl mounted on a xed shaft H22. The end of the pawl is normally held in a notch |93 of dog |90 and when in this position the rock shaft 81 is elevated by link 92 so that operation of the bail 80 by any unit bar will cause engagement or" teeth 98 with the tooth of tappet 99. When it is desired to avoid this engagement, pawl |9| is rotated clockwise as shown in Fig. 2, allowing slight rotation of dog lilo until notch |94 engages with the end of pawl isi. This slight rotation of the dog |00 rotates the rock arm or link 92 to depress the plate 9| which has one oi. the loose end bearings of rock shaft 81. This drops the entire rock shaft and its arm 94, withdrawing the push pin 95, and allowing slide 96 and plate 91 to descend in the frame 51 to a point where operation of the bail 80 will not cause engagement of teeth 98 with the tappet 98. Restoration of the parts to their normal positions is effected by rotation of a shaft |05 carrying a ratchet wheel |06 having a pin |91 which in movement in a circular path engages a lip |98 at the upper end of dog |00 and elevates it to allow return spring |09 to restore the pawl to its position with its end in the notch |03.

What is claimed iszl. In a machine of the character described having an escapement-controlied carriage, a Set of serially-operated indexable computing-wheel drivers anda set of indexing bars operatable from numeral keys; a mechanism controiied from the carriage for moving an operated indexing bar out of the path of a computing-wheel driver, said mechanism comprising a part adapted to be engaged by an operated indexing bar and a part adapted to be moved into the path of movement of the escapement-controlied carriage, and means connecting said parts for the transmission of movement in both directions.

2. In a machine of the character described having an escapement-controlled carriage, a set of serially-operated indexable computing-wheel drivers and a set of indexing bars operatable from numeral keys; a mechanism comprising a cam toothed member adapted to be positioned in the path of a carriage mounted element, an indexing-bar-engaging member, and movementtransmitting connections between said cam toothed member and said indexing-bar-engaging member, and said carriage mounted element adapted to be operative on said mechanism to move an operated indexing-bar out oi the path of a computing-Wheel driver.

3. In a machine of the character described having an escapement-controlled carriage, a set of serially-operated indexable computing-wheel drivers and a set of indexing bars operatable from numeral keys; a mechanism comprising a slidable plate having a series of teeth engageable in series with a tooth on a carriage mounted element, an indexing-bar-engaging member, and movement-transmitting connections between said slidable plate and said indexing-bar-engaging member, and said carriage mounted element adapted to be operative on said mechanism to move an operated indexing-bar out of the path of a computing-Wheel driver.

4. In a machine of the character described having an escapement-controlled carriage, a set of serially-operated indexable computing-wheel drivers and a setl of indexing bars operatable from numeral keys; a mechanism for moving an r operated indexing-bar out of the path of a computing-wheel driver, comprising an indexing-barrestoring member, a carriage-operated member, and means for transmitting motion from said carriage-operated member to said indexing-bar-restoring means; and means for disabling said mechanism when it is desired to avoid its operation by said carriage and for restoring it to position for carriage operation.

5. In a machine of the character described having a carriage with a step-by-step letter feed, a set of serially-operated drivers each having a plurality of indexing pins, indexing mechanism comprising bars` for moving said pins, keys for operating said bars to move said pins, a bail mounted for movement by any of said bars, an engaging member and connections from said bail to said engaging member whereby the latter may be moved into cam tooth engagement with a carriage mounted element, and said carriage mounted element which in letter feed movement of the carriage cams the engaging member to reverse the movement of the bail through said connections and return any operated bar.

6. In a machine of the character described having a carriage with a step-by-step letter feed, a set of serially-operated drivers each having a plurality of indexing pins, indexing mechanism comprising bars for moving said pins, keys for operating said bars to move said pins, a bail mounted for movement by any of said bars, an engaging member and connections from said bail to said engaging member whereby the latter may be moved into cam tooth engagement with a carriage mounted element, and said carriage mounted element which in letter feed movement of the carriage cams the engaging member to reverse the movement of the bail through said connections and return any operated bar, and means for differently locating the engaging member to pel'- mit operation 0f the indexing bars without causing said engagement.

7. In a machine of the character described having key-controlled indexing bars and an escapement-controlled carriage adapted to have variously mounted 'thereon a plurality of tappet units, a removable tappet unit comprising a tabulator stop, a tappet for serially advancing complating-wheel drivers into position for indexing, a register-selecting tappet and an indexing-barreturning tappet; a key-controlled denominational tabulator stop mechanism cooperative with the tabulator stop on said tappet unit, a registerselecting mechanism cooperative with the register-selecting tappet, means comprising a series of jacks progressively influenced by the computing-wheel-driver-advancing tappet for serially advancing said drivers to position for indexing, and a device comprising a member engaging the indexing-bar-returning tappet and connections therefrom to the indexing bars adapted for movement upon letter feed of the carriage to move any indexing bar out of the path of an advancing driver.

8. In a machine of the character described, the combination with an escapement-controlled carriage having a tappet unit, a set of serially-operated indexable computing-wheel drivers and a set of key-controlled indexing bars; of a mechanism for insuring the return of an operated indexing bar out of the path of the next advancing driver, comprising a frameA having a slideway, a plate slidably mounted in the frame having cam teeth adapted to successively engage the tappet unit as the carriage feeds under its escapement control, a rock shaft and connections therefrom to said plate, a bail mounted for movement of any operated indexing bar, and connections between said rock shaft and said bail whereby escapement of the carriage carnsthe teeth and moves the plate which movement is transmitted to said bail. l

9. In a machine of the character described-, the combination with an escapement-controlled carriage having a tappet unit, a set of serially-operated indexable computing-wheel drivers and a set of key-controlled indexing bars;V of a mechanism for insuring the return of an operated indexing bar out of the path of the next advancing driver, comprising a frame having a slideway, a plate slidably mounted in the frame having cam teeth adapted to successively engage the tappet unit as the carriage feeds under its escapement control,l a rock shaft and connections therefrom to said plate, a bail mounted for movement of any operated indexing bar, connections between saidv rock shaft and said 'nail whereby escapement of the carriage cams the teeth and moves the plate which movement is transmitted to said bail, and means supporting said rock shaft including a device for shifting it bodily to disable the engagement of the plate and tappet unit.

li). In a machine of the character described, a frame, a carriage movable step-by-step thereon, a set of computing-wheel drivers adapted to be advanced seriatim to present indexing pins to the setting action of key-controlled indexing bars, a set of indexing bars transversely of said drivers, keys for causing movement of said bars to set said pins, spring means for returning the indexing bars from pin setting position, and a positive index-bar restoring device controlled by carriage' movement comprising a part acted upon by the carriage during its step movement, a member acting on the index bar simultaneously with the carriage movement, and motion transmitting connections between said part and member.

ll. In a machine of the character described, a frame, a carriage movable step-by-step thereon, a set of computing-Wheel drivers adapted to be advanced seriatim to present indexing pins to the setting action of key-controlled indexing bars, a set of indexing bars transversely of said drivers, keys for causing movement of said bars to set saidy pins, spring means for returning the indexing bars from pin setting position, and a positive index-oar restoring device controlled by carriage movement comprising a wide plate having a plurality of cam projections adapted under contr-ol of the indexing bars to successively encarriage part and adapted to be cammed out of each successive engagement by the feeding movement of the carriage, a bail adapted to contact with any operated index bar, and connections from the plate to the bail for moving the bail to restore the operated index bar simultaneously with the step feed of the carriage and prior to the advance of the next computing Wheel driver to indexing position.

l2. In a machine of the character described, a frame, a carriage movable step-by-step thereon, a set of computing-wheel drivers adapted to be advanced seriatim to present indexing pins to the setting action of key-controlled indexing bars, a set of indexing bars transversely of said drivers, keys for causing movement of said bars to set said pins, spring means for returning the indexing hars from pin setting position, and a positive index-bar restoring device controlled by carriage movement comprising a wide plate having a plurality of projections adapted under control of the indexing bars to successively engage a carriage part and adapted to be cammed out of each successive engagement by the feeding movement of the carriage, a bail adapted to contact with any operated index bar, and connections from the plate to the bail for moving the to restore the operated index bar simultaneously with the step feed of the carriage and prior to the advance of the next computing wheel driver to indexing position and means including a part of said connections for positioning the plate where it is ineffective to engage said car-l riage part when indexing bar is operated.

HENRY L. PITMAN.

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