US2308940A - Tens transfer mechanism for - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 19, 1943. 0. J. SUNDSTRAND 2,308,940

TENS TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Original Filed June 22, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet l o J SUNDSTRAND 2,308,940

TENS TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES OSCAR J. SUNDSTRA ND Original Filed June 22, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 19, 1943.

Jan. 19, 1943. o. J. SUNDSTRAND 2,308,940

IENS TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Original Filed June 22, 15559 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 L m 4/ 4/ 4, j? 45 45 x 9v Z7 55 97 5i C 3 0 g; Z; 84 48 32 35 QMW OSCAR J. SUNDSTRAND Patented Jan. 19, 1943 TENS TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR I ACCOUNTING MACHINES Oscar J. Sundstrand, West Hartford, Conn, as-

signor to Underwood Elliott Fisher Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Original application June 52, 1939, Serial No. 280,568. Divided and this application June 27,

1940, Serial No. 342,737.

March 15, 1940 a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 280,568, filed June 22, 1939. This divisional application relates to a register mechanism, and more particularly to the provision of a simple, compact register unit having a single set of transfer elements common to all the registers and efi'ective for both addition and subtraction to carry from one denominational order wheel to the next higher denominational order wheel.

With this and incidental objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, the essential elements of which are set forthin appended claims, and a preferred embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawings which accompany and term part of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an accountlng machine embodying the invention,

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of the keyboard,

Figure 3 is a right side elevation showing the adding and subtracting registers, certain of the controls therefor, the type bars and actuating mechanism,

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the add- I GENERAL DESCRIPTION This machine is an improvement on my U. S. Patent No. 2,194,270. The machine includes the customary keyboard with amount keys, date keys and operation controlling keys. It has the customary traveling paper carriage that is autorznatically tabulated from column to column. The carriage includes a control plate carrying a series of magazines having lugs for automatically controlling the various operations of the machine that may be initiated manually by the keyboard. The machine includes four adding and subtracting registers in addition to the usual crossfooter, this latter being omitted in the drawings, since it has no particular bearing on the present invention.

All of the registers and the crossfooter are actuated by a common set of actuators adjustable under control of stops set bythe amount keys. These actuators also control the adjust- In Great Britain 4 Claims. (Cl. 235-137) ment of type for printing amounts and totals.

The registers are mounted one above the other, and are operated by racks connected to the actuators and having two sets of teeth. A single set of transfer elements, common to all of the registers, is arranged to effect a transfer from one denominational order to the next higher denominational order, whether the necessity for such transfer arises from an adding or a subtracting operation. Selection of the registers may be performed manually by depressing one of four register keys, or automatically by the depression of control levers by the carriage control lugs.

Totals are taken from the registers by operating the machine through a blank cycle, during which the selected register is engaged with the adding side of the racks, and then bydepressing the register total key (or by operating the corresponding carriage control) and again cycling the machine.

Sub-totals are taken from the registers in the same manner except that the register sub-total key is operated instead of the register total key.

Subtraction in a register is accomplished in substantially the same manner as addition, except that the register subtract key (or its corresponding automatic carriage control) is actuated before the machine is cycled, to engage the selected register with the subtracting instead of the adding side of the racks.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION INDEX or Torres 1. The machine sections and actuating mechanism.

. Adding and subtracting registersin general.

. Transfer mechanism.

. Selection of the registers.

. Engagement of the registers for an adding or subtracting operation.

. Actuation of the registers.

l. The machine sections and actuating mechanism Referring to Figure 1, the machine includes the customary keyboard having amount keys l and a motor bar 2, a paper carriage 3, laterally movable along a track 4 and carryi a roller platen 5, around which paper is inserted for printing by type bars 6, and a plate l fixed on the carriage, having a plurality of control mag azines 8 for automatically controlling various machine operations as the carriage tabulates from column to column.

The machine also has four registers designated A, B, C and D in Figure 3. Each register is comprised of a plurality of ten tooth wheels, and each is operable for addition and subtraction.

Situated in front of the registers is a crossfooter (not shown) having a plurality of twenty tooth wheels, and likewise capable of both addition and subtraction. This crossfooter and its operating mechanism is identical with that disclosed in the before-mentioned U. S. Patent No. 2,194,270.

The machine is operated by an actuating shaft 9 that is connected to an electric motor drive in such manner that the shaft is rocked, first, counter-clockwise, and then clockwise, during each cycle of the machine. The motor (not shown) is started by closing suitable switch mechanism under control of motor bar 2, or a corresponding carriage control lever. Simultaneously, the motor drive is coupled with the shaft 9 by suitable clutch mechanism to initiate the above described oscillatory movement to the shaft.

Two similar arms ill, only one of which is shown, are secured to drive shaft 3, and are each provided with rollers such as II that rest in cam slots in the forward ends of two similar arms such as i2, pivoted on a rod I3 and situated on opposite sides of type bars 6. A series of actuating levers such as l4, there being a lever for each type bar, are pivoted on rod l3 between arms l2, and are tensioned clockwise about the rod by springs such as i5 so that the upper edges of the levers rest against a tie-rod I6 secured between arms [2. The forward ends of levers i 4 are each pivoted at H to their corresponding type bars 6, which are guided for vertical movement in the machine frame. The rear end of each lever I4 is connected by pinand-slot connection l8 to a bell crank l9, also pivoted on rod l3 adjacent each actuating lever. The rear ends of bell cranks 19 are pivoted at 20 to corresponding register actuating racks 2|, guided for vertical movement in the machine frame. Springs such as 22, connected between each bell crank and lever, normally tension the bell cranks counter-clockwise about rod l3 so that the pins of pin-and-slot connections l8 are urged toward the upper edges of the slots for transfer purposes to be later described.

Operation of the machine causes arms In and i 2 to be raised and lowered during each cycle. As rod l6 rises during the first half of the cycle, actuators i4 raise such of the type bars 6 as are free to rise under tension of springs l5, and the corresponding actuating racks 2| are simultaneously lowered. As rod i6 descends. during the second half of the cycle, the actuators are restored, restoring the type bars and racks to the normal position shown in Figure 3.

The extent of vertical movement of the type bars and racks is controlled by stops (not shown) that are moved by amount keys I (Figure 1) into the path of vertically disposed rods 23, connected to the forward ends of arms 24 of type bars 6. Printing is effected by hammers 25 that are tripped to strike impression type carried by the type bars shortly after all the bars have risen to their fullest extents as determined by the amount indexed on the keyboard.

2. Adding and subtracting registers-in general The registers A, B, C and D (Figure 4) are each composed of a number of ten tooth wheels 26 rotatably mounted on shafts 21. Shafts 21 nection with the B register).

are situated one above the other and extend across the racks between the adding side 23 and the subtracting side 23, and are mounted at their opposite ends in brackets such as 30, slidably mounted for horizontal movement on cross bars 3| fixed in the machine frame. Wheels 26 are normally held in neutral position, out of mesh with the racks, and are engageable with either side of the racks by shifting the registers bodily into mesh therewith. The wheels are held against improper rotation while in neutral position by detents such as 32 (best shown in con- These detents are connected between arms such as 33 pivoted at 34 on brackets 33. Each right arm 33 carries a pin 35 that extends through an aperture in a stationary plate 36 into a slot 31 (see the D register) in a cam 33 pivoted at 33 on plate 36,

The lower ends of cams 33 are slotted to receive the ends of shafts 21. Cam slots 31 are so shaped that when the registers are in neutral position, detents 32 are cammed downwardly into engagement with the wheels to prevent improper rotation. When the register is shifted to engage either side of the racks, oscillation of cam 33 about pivot 33 incident to such shifting. cams the detents upwardly out of engagement with the wheels, leaving them freely rotatable by whichever side of the racks they have engaged.

3. Transfer mechanism A single set of .transfer elements common to all of the registers is arranged to effect a carry of 1" from a wheel of lower order to the wheel of next higher order.

As before stated, bell cranks I9 (Figure 3) are normally tensioned counter-clockwise about rod l3 by springs 22, urging the pins of the pin-andslot connections l3 upwardly toward the upper edges of the slots. These slots are of sufficient width to permit an additional one tooth step of movement to the corresponding rack 2| of each bell crank I 9 under the tension of springs 22. All of the racks are restrained from this additional step of movement by bell cranks 43 (Figure 4) pivoted at 53.

The horizontal arms on each of these bell cranks have flanges 40 that engage lugs 4| on each rack of the next higher order, and the vertical arms of the bell cranks have flanges 42 that engage shoulders 43 formed on extensions 44 of slides 45, there being a slide 45 and another slide 48 for each denominational order. Springs 41 tension bell cranks 49 counter-clockwise about pivot 53 and flanges 42 against shoulders 43, in which position flanges 40 restrain racks 2i of the next higher order from rising the additional step of movement. The units rock is held perma nently against this additional step of movement by any suitable means such as the stationary element 332 disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,194,270.

Weak springs 43, connected individually to each of the slides 45 and 43, tension the slides downwardly m t a cross bar 3|, in which position shoulders 43 lie in the plane of flanges 42. Each pair of slides 43 and 43 is connected for parallel uniform movement by a pin 32 fixed in one slide and extending into an opening 53 in the other. Each slide 46 has inwardly projecting lugs such as 54 on one side thereof opposite each register, and each slide 45 has similar inwardly projecting lugs such as 36 on the opposite side of the slide opposite each register. The lugs 34 are engageable by transfer lugs such as 53 on one face of each register wheel 28, and the lugs 58 are engageable by transfer lugs such as 51 diametrically opposite to lugs 55 and on the opposite face of each register wheel 28.

Addition and subtraction in the registers is effected on the up-stroke of racks 2 I, hence when the register is engaged with adding side 28, wheels 26 are rotated clockwise, whereas when the register is engaged with the subtraction side 29, the wheels are rotated counter-clockwise. When transfer lug 51 rests immediately above its corresponding lug 58, wheels 28 are at Addition of an amount in a register sumcient to rotate any wheel clockwise from "9 to 0" causes its lug 51 to engage its corresponding lug 56 and raise slide 45 to remove shoulder 43 from behind flange 42, whereupon bell crank 49 rocks counter-clockwise, allowing the next higher order rack 2i to rise the additional step of movement to rotate the next higher order wheel a distance of one tooth to eifect the transfer additively.

Similarly, subtraction of an amount suillcient to rotate a wheel 26 counter-clockwise from 0? to 9 causes its lug 55 to engage its correspond-' ing lug 54 and raise slide 48, which, through its connection with slide 45, raises this slide also to eifect a transfer subtractively in the same manner as above described in connection with an adding operation.

This transfer movement occurs toward the end of a machine cycle, the transfer mechanism and racks being reset to their initial position at the beginning of the next cycle by a cross bar 58, arranged to swing bell cranks .49 clockwise sufnciently to restore the racks and to cause flanges 42 to again engage shoulders 43 of the slides, the latter descending under tension of springs 48. Cross bar 58 corresponds to the cross bar 318 in the previously mentioned Batent No. 2,194,270, and the resetting mechanism is identical with that disclosed in that patent.

automatically. Manual selection oi the registers is accomplished by depressing one of four keys designated A register, 13 register, '0 register and D register, in Figures 2 and 3.

Referring particularly to Figure 3, four balls 85 are pivoted on rods 82, and lie directly beheath the stems of the register selecting keys. The lower portions of these balls are slotted to receive upstanding projections of slides 83 to 58 extending to the rearof the machine. At their rear ends the slides 63 to 88 have upstanding pro- ,iections lying directly behind downwardly extending shoulders on balls such as 61 pivoted on a rod 1]. At their opposite sides, the bails 61 have pivoted thereto links such as 72 (Figure 5),

which in turn are pivoted to engaging links such 1 as it, there being an engaging link for each register.

As shown in Figure 5, there is a pin-and-slot connection between each link 12 and its corresponding engaging link '56, to provide for a movement of any of the links 12 without a corresponding movement of the engaging links.

By the train of connections just described, depression of one of the register selecting keys A to D oscillates one of the bails 8i clockwise and pulls one of the slides 63 to 6B forward. This rocks the corresponding bail iil clockwise and raises the corresponding links 72. Four studs TI to 80 are secured to a member 81! held against a vertical movement in a manner to'be later exgaging link 16 will be free to move up a short displained. Springs such as 82 are connected to each engaging link and to the, machine frame to tension the forward ends of the links upwardly. The rear ends of the engaging links are pivoted to arms 88, secured to shaits 84 (see also Figure 4) that are connected by pin-and-slot connections 85 to sliding brackets 30 of each register.

From this construction, it is seen that when one of the links 12 is raised by depression of its register selecting key, the corresponding entance under the tension of its corresponding spring 82, when studs 11 to are moved into alignment with notches 86 provided in engaging links 18.

Automatic selection of the registers is controlled by magazines such as 8' (Figure 3) secured on the carriage control plate I. The rear end of each slide 83 to. 68 rests in front of a depending arm of a bell crank such as 81 pivoted at 88 and having a horizontal arm supporting a pin such as 89, guided for vertical movement in the machine frame. The upper end of each pin 88 rests beneath a selector lever 98 extending transversely of and pivoted in the machine frame, there being a separate selector lever for each register. The construction and operation of these automatic selector levers is disclosed in the before-mentioned Patent No. 2,194,270. Suflice it, therefore, to say that when a magazine 8 in a given columnar position contains a'lug such as iii to select; particular register, its corresponding lever 80 is depressed, rocking it's bell crank 81 clockwise and thrusting .the corresponding slide 88 to 56 forward the same as when the. register key for that particular register is depressed, as above described.

5. Engagement of the registers for an adding or subtracting operation After a register has been selected as above described, it is engaged with either the adding or subtracting side of the racks 2|, on the ensu- Eng machine cycle, by mechanism which may be similar to that disclosed in the principal application Serial No. 280,568. Briefly, this mechanism comprises means for selectively shifting member 8| either forwardly or rearwardly, as the case may be, to engage wheels 2| with either adding side 28 or subtracting side 25 01' racks 2|. This mechanism is shown in Figure 3, and it will be clear from reference to the description in the above mentioned application, that this shifting movement of member 8| occurs in proper timed relation with the raising and lowering of racks 2|, to eifect the desired operation.

6. Actuation of the registers Actuation of the registers occurs during the latter half of the machine cycle, the engagement of the registers taking place just after rack 2| are lowered.

As before stated, the amount of movement imparted to the racks is determined by stops set by indexing an amount in the keyboard. When a register is engaged with the adding side 28 of racks 2i, its wheels 26 are rotated clockwise as the racks rise, and conversely when a register is engaged with the subtraction side 29, its wheels 25 are rotated counterclockwise.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to he understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form of embodiment herein disclosed,

tor it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What i claimed is:

1. In a machine of the class described, a totalizer having ten-tooth wheels and a set of devices for transferring from one denominational order to the next, actuating means for driving the wheels in one direction for addition, and in the opposite direction for subtraction, and two lugs on each wheel, one of which trips its transfer device during addition, and the other of which trips the same transfer device during subtraction.

2. In a machine of the class described, a totalizer having ten-tooth wheels and a set of devices for transferring from one denominational order to the next, actuating means for driving the wheels in one direction for addition, and in the opposite direction for subtraction, and .two diametrically opposed lugs on each wheel, one of which trips it transfer device during addition, and the other of which trips the same transfer device during subtraction.

3. In a machine of the class described, a totalizer having ten-tooth wheels and a set of devices for transferring from one denominational order to the next, actuating means for driving the wheels in one direction for addition. and in the opposite direction for subtraction, and two lugs on each wheel, one of which trips its transfer device during addition, and the other of which trips the same transfer device during subtraction, the said lugs being situated on the opposite faces of the wheels.

4. In a machine of the class described, a totalizer having ten-tooth wheels, means for entering numbers thereon additively and subtractively, each wheel of the totalizer having two transfer lugs thereon, one lug situated on one face of each wheel, and the other lug on the opposite face of each wheel, and a set of transfer elements controlled by the lugs on one face for transferring during adding operations and controlled by the lugs on the opposite face for transferring during subtracting operations.

OSCAR J. SUNDSTRAND.

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