US2318425A - Combined typewriting and computing machine - Google Patents

Description

May 4, 1943- v. F. SCHNEBLE COMBINED TYPEWRITING AND COMPUTING MACHINE Filed March 1, 1939 3 Sheets-$heet 1 i. o m. 2

2 MN I o. mw ow .N a U, s f i, no. w.

ATTORNEY May 4, 1943- v. F. SCHNEBLE COMBINED TYPEWRITING AND COMPUTING MACHINE Filed March 1, 1939 I5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR V/NCENT E SCHNEBLE TTORNEY Patented May 4, 1943 COMBINED TYPEWRITING AND COMPUTING MACHINE Vincent F. Schneble, West Hartford, Conn., as-

signor to Underwood Elliott Fisher Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application March 1, 1939, Serial No. 259,217

1 Claim.

This invention relates to combined typewriting and computing machines and more particularly to mechanism controlled by digit-type keys and a denomination selecting carriage to set index or digit pins in computing wheel drivers or register bars which are subsequently actuated by a general operator.

A machine of this class is exemplified in the U. S. Patents No. 1,190,171 to F, A. Hart, and No. 2,090,852 to H. L. Pitman.

In such machines a typewriter, including type keys and a letter feedable carriage, surmounts a computing base in which register bars, each carrying a row of selectively settable digit pins, are normally positioned so that their pins are out of line with transversely extending depressible pin-setting bars corresponding to and operable by the numeral keys. The register bars are selectable and slightly movable, one by one, under denominational control of said carriage to bring their index pins into line with said pin-setting bars so that the actuation by a type key of its pin-setting bar sets a corresponding pin in the thus moved register bar. The pins are settable to make them project into the path of a subsequently cycled general operator cross bar.

In machines such as described in said patents, the operative connection of a type key to its. pinsetting bar is such that the setting of a pin by said bar occurs substantially at a comparatively small final portion of the printing stroke of the type key and its type bar, and the retraction of the pin-setting bar, at least to an extent to clear the pins occurs, conversely, at a small initial portion of the return stroke of the key. However, at such small portions of the key strokes, actuation of the carriage escapement mechanism becomes efiective, wherefore the resulting carriage step releases, for spring restoration, any register bar that was advanced to pin-setting position, and then immediately advances a succeeding register bar.

In such machines critical adjustments and care in timing the succession of key operations avoid liability of interference between the operating pin-setting bar and the pins of a register bar that is being advanced to or restored from index receiving position.

To conduce to avoiding this liability, there is preferably employed in such patented machines a type of escapement in which substantially the full letter feed step of the carriage is timed to occur so as not to precede materially the recession of the type bar from the platen and the ccncomitant restoration of the pin-setting bar at least to an extent to clear the pins.

It is the general object of this invention to avoid dependence on these conditions.

Another object is to accomplish this preferably by improving the operative connections between the type keys and their respective pinsetting bars.

The improvements avail to enable the key to operate its pin-setting bar to its full pin-setting extent substantially before the printing strok of the key is completed, the pin thus being set in suitable precedence to stepping movement of the carriage and concomitant movement of the register bars.

Moreover, the improvements permit the pinsetting bar to becom restored by its own usual spring means before and independently of the return stroke of the key. More particularly considered, the improvements permit and cause the pin-setting bar to become restored, at least to clear the pins, before an advanced register bar is restored and the succeeding register bar is advanced under control of the carriage step.

Inasmuch as the improvements avail to eilect setting of the pins by the keys before and independently of the final portion of the printing stroke of the keys, it has been found that this also conduces to better operation of the types for clear printing and good manifolding because in respect to the final portion of the printing strokes of the type action, the latter may be adjusted solely for good printing and manifclding, that is, without regard to also causing pins to be set.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a cross sectional side view of a combined typewriting and computing machine with the parts in normal positions.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional side View similar to Figure 1 except that it illustrates a pin as hav ing been set and a pin-setting bar as having become restored before the numeral key completes its printing or down-stroke.

Figure 3 is an enlarged scale front elevation of the pin-setting bar mechanism and operative connections leading to the type keys, some of the parts being shown fragmentarily and sectioned to illustrate details.

Figure 4 is a front view of parts of the improved operating connections showing the same in normal and partly operated positions.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but shows the parts sectioned to illustrate details and shows operation of a by-pass feature to prevent pinsetting operation of said parts at the up-stroke of a key member.

Figure 6 is a perspective on an enlarged scale of one of the improved operating connections between the key member and pin-setting member.

Figure '7 is a perspective of the keys and portions of the key levers, pin-setting bars and the intermediate improved operative connections.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, Figure 1, a typewriter T is mounted on a computing base B.

Numeral type key levers I having digit keys I l are fulcrumed at l2 and are upheld in normal positions against a key-lever comb-plate l3 by springs i5. Intermediate levers i5 connect the key-levers to corresponding numeral type bars l5 fulcrumed in a segment as at H. The key levers Hi thus serve to swing their corresponding type bars to a common printing point traversed by a carriage l8 carrying a work-sheet supporting platen l9 and movable laterally on rails of the typewriter frame 2|.

The movements of any type bar l5 at final and initial portions, respectively, of its printing and return strokes cause reciprocation of a universal bar 22 so that the latter actuates an escapement-dog rocker 23 relatively to an escapement wheel 25 having a pinion 25 engaging a feed rack 25 on the carriage. The carriage thus moves, at the typing operations, in letter feed steps urged by a conventionally indicated spring motor 27 mounted on the machine frame and connected to the carriage by a draw band 28.

The computing base B may have one or more sets of computing wheels 30 operable by means of corresponding sets of register bars 3|. Each register bar has a row of index or digit pins 32 selectively settable downwardly to bring the lower end of one or another thereof into the path of a reciprocatory general operator cross bar 33 which is subsequently cycled by means of crossbar supporting side racks 29 slidable at the sides of the computing base. Each pin is settable downwardly against the force of a restoring spring, not shown, and is held down by a latch bar 35 which is provided on each register bar and is common to all the pins of that bar, the arrangement being such that the setting of a pin causes restoration of a previously set pin as exemplified in the United States Patent No.

2,075,557 to O. Thieme. The zero pin 32" of each a register bar may be normally set for the purpose of enabling certain carry-over devices, not shown, to function, as exemplified in the United States Patent No. 1,927,951 to H. L. Pitman.

The register bars 3| are all normally positioned so that their pins are out of line with depressiole pin-setting bars 35 as in Figure l.

Denominational-jacks 55 disposed in a single row are actuatable by a denomination selecting tappet 3T placed on the carriage relatively to a computing zone. Said jacks 35 are operatively connected by connections 58 to denominational master racks 39 which in turn are connected, by denominational cross blades 48, to sets of distributive racks 4! for the several sets of register bars 3!. Register selecting cam plates 42 are slidable, like the jacks 36, in a frame 43 and are selectively depressible as by an appropriately placed tappet 44 on the carriage, Figure 1. Each cam plate 42 has a connection, not shown, to a corresponding crank shaft 45 and crank-lifted plate to raise couplers 41, on the corresponding set of distributive racks 4!, into operative connection with the corresponding set of register bars 5%. One or more sets of register bars 31 may thus be operatively connected to the single set of denominational jacks 36 so that at seriatim operation of said jacks by the carriage in a computing zone, the register bars of each selected set are advanced in denominational order to bring their digit pins 32 under the pinsetting bars 35.

Thus, with the carriage at a letter space or denominational position within a computing zone, one or more register bars of corresponding -denomination will have been advanced to pin-setting position. The advance of the register bar is against the force of a usual register bar retracting spring device 49 which normally holds the register bar against the front of a register bar guiding comb plate 55, as in Figure 1. As the carriage advances in a letter feed step from one denominational position, it leaves the jack corresponding to said position and engages and depresses the next jack thereby causing retraction of the previously advanced register bar or bars by the spring device 49 from pin-setting position and, further, causing advance of a register bar or bars of the next higher denomination to pin-setting position.

The described register and denomination selecting structure is more fully described in the aforesaid Patent No. 2,090,852 and is illustrative of the principle, applied in machines of this class, of moving the register bars in denominational order, to and from pin-setting position, under control of the carriage at a computing zone.

Each pin-setting bar 35 is common to all the register bars 3! of the machine and has its left and right ends connected to horizontal arms of a pair of bell cranks 5!, only the left bell crank being shown in Figure 3. The several pairs of bell cranks are fulcrumed on rods 52 forming part of a pin-setting frame comprising front and rear members 53, 54, and side members 55 of which latter only the left-hand one is shown, Figure 3. Said pin-setting frame is supported by the framework of the computing base. Vertical arms of each pair of bell cranks 5| are connected by a cross link 55, endwise leftward movement, Figure 3, of which is effective to depress the pin-setting bar 35 parallelly from its normal position.

There is a pin-settin linkage comprising a pinsetting bar 35, bell cranks 5! and cross link 55 for each of the numeral key levers from 0 to 9. Journaled in the pin-setting frame are rock shafts 51 spaced laterally in correspondence to the lateral spacing of the digit key levers I 0 so as to be operable by the latter through operative connections described later. Each rock shaft 51 has fixed thereto an arm 58 having a pin and slot operating connection 59 to the cross link 55 of a corresponding linkage. Thus upon rocking one of the shafts 51 counter-clockwise of Figure 3, the corresponding pin-setting bar 35 is depressed from its normal position shown in full lines, Figure 3, to the dotted line position in which it will have depressed any pin previously placed thereunder by the above described carriage controlled advance of a register bar.

it spring diagrammatically indicated, Figure 3, is provided for each linkage and restores and yieldably maintains same and its rock shaft 51 in normal positions determined by abutment of the pin-setting bar as at 6 I, Figure 3, against the pinsetting frame member 56.

The structure so far described is substantially as in prior machines as exemplified in the aforesaid patents. In such prior machines, each rock shaft 51 has fixed to its forward end and extending'leftwardly therefrom a simple arm, and above the operating end of such arm there is poised the lower end of a rod pendent from the corresponding key lever. Thus the arrangement in such prior machines is such that the time during which the pin-setting bar is engaged with and depresses a pin, coincides with a small final por tion of the printing stroke of the type bar l6. Conversely, the return of the pin-setting bar 35 far enough at least to clear the pins coincides with a small initial portion of the return stroke of the type bar from the platen.

' The improved operating connections, between the key levers l and rock shafts 51, will now be described.

A body block 63 of an operating elbow arm 64, of which there is one for each rock shaft 51, has two set'screws 65 bearing on flats, Figure 5, at opposite sides of the rock shaft axis to rigidly secure said block to said rock shaft. Said block 63, Figures 4, and 6, is recessed as at 61 to form two opposite spaced walls 68 between which a by-pass pawl block 69 is hinged on a pin supported in said walls 68. The pawl block 69 is recessed as at H to form two opposite walls to receive a roller 12 journaled on a pin 13 supported in the walls formed by said recess H. The pin 13 may project beyond the pawl block 69 to abut the edges of the walls 68 of the body block 63 and thereby limit counter-clockwise rotation of the pawl block 69 relatively to the body block. A torsion spring 14 may be coiled around the shaft 5'! within a space between the body block 63 and the pin-setting frame member 53. One tail of said spring 14 may be turned into an anchor hole 15 in the rear face of the body block 63 and the other tail of said spring may be received in a suitable hole in the rearwardly projecting part of the roller journaling pin 13, said spring thus urging the pawl block 69 counterclockwise of the body block 63 and normally keeping the pawl block with its roller pin 13 stopping against the wall 68 of the body block.

Each numeral key lever I0 has pivoted thereto as at I6 a rod 16 pendent into the computing base B for engaging the arm 64 of the corresponding pin-setting rock shaft 51. The rod 16 may be of sheet metal and may have pressed out therefrom a cam tooth 11 for engaging the roller 72. The opposite side of the rod 16 has an anti-friction reaction against a roller 18 on a stud 19 projecting from the pin-setting-frame member 53. The indenting of the rod 16 for pressing out the protruding cam nose or tooth TI is narrower than the breadth of the rod 16 so that the latter has margins 80 at which it bears uninterruptedly on the anti-friction roller 18 when the cam nose I! is opposite said roller 18.

A cross plate 8|, Figure 2, attached to the bottom of the typewriter frame 2| by posts 82, may guide the several rods 16 at their lower front and rear edges so as to keep the rods in substantially vertical posture during the key lever strokes.

The operation is as follows:

With the parts in their normal positions before the operation of one or another key lever ID to rock the corresponding pin-setting shaft 51,

the cam noses H are above the rollers 12 as represented by the cam noses of the two rods 16 at the right of Figure 3. The roller 12 is at a lever-arm forming distance below the axis of the rock-shaft 5?. Depression. of the key lever l0 and its rod 16 to the extent that the cam nose 1'! reaches the dotted-line position, Figure 4, causes the lower incline of said cam nose to react against the arm roller I2 and thereby, as will be obvious, causes the arm 64 and its pin-setting shaft 5'! to be rocked counterclockwise to the position represented by the dotted-outline of said arm 64, Figure 4. This causes the pin-setting bar 35 to be fully depressed, to the dotted-line posi tion represented in Figure 3, for setting a pin 32. At the stage of operation of the parts represented by the dotted lines, Figure 4, the type bar l6-has been moved toward the platen, say, to the position indicated at l6a, Figure 1, and at which position the escapement universal bar 22 has not yet been actuated and the downward stroke of the key lever and its cam nose presenting rod 16 may continue. At such further down-stroke of the cam nose H, the latter moves below the roller T2 to the position indicated in full lines at the first rod (6 from the left of Figure 3, from which it will be perceived that the rock shaft 51 and its arm 64 after having been rocked fully counterclockwise of Figure 3 to effect pin setting become released and may immediately return to normal position, and hence the pin-setting bar 35 may rise back to normal position, under the urge of the pin-setting linkage restoring spring 60. At this stage the type bar may be at the position H5?) in its movement toward the platen and be about to displace the universal bar 22 to determine or initiate a register-bar-moving letter feed step of the carriage. As the type bar completes its printing stroke and, correspondingly, depression of the key lever continues, to the Figure 2 position, the pendent rod 16 and its cam nose 1! reach the lowermost or dotted-line position, Figure 3. The arm 64 having rocked back to normal position, it will be seen that at the up-stroke of the key-lever urged by suitable means such as the spring I4, the cam nose 17 overrides the roller 72 of the pawl block 69 thereby swinging the latter, against its spring 14, clockwise about the pin 10 to the full line position, Figure 5, relatively to the now restored or normally positioned body block 63. The cam nose 11 thus idly flexes or by-passes the arm 64 and upon completion of the up-stroke of the keylever together with the cam nose H, the latter will have passed above the roller 12 of the pawl block 69 and, therefore, the latter impelled by its spring 14 will swing back to the normal position shown by the dotted lines, Figure 5. The restoring spring such as [4 for the key lever may, of course, be strong enough to accomplish the clockwise turning of the pawl block 69 against its spring 14.

The arm 64 may be angularly adjusted relatively to the shaft 51 by alternately loosening and tightening the set screws 65 and by such adjustment the down-stroke of the pin-setting bar 35 may be timed relatively to the down-stroke of the key lever I0. One of the above described operating connections is, of course, provided between eaeh numeral key lever I0 and its companion pin-setting shaft 51.

By reason of the improved connections, the impact of the type against the platen succeeds the depression and restoration of a corresponding pin-setting bar 35 and in this sense is independent of pin setting so that the printing or working stroke of the key lever H] is unimpeded at the instant of type impact. This conduces to good printing and maniiolding.

Further, by reason of the improved connections, the depression and return of a pin-setting bar 35 is substantially not concurrent with operation of the escapement universal bar 22, and hence is substantially not concurrent with movements of the register bars to and from pin-setting position. Theref0re,liability of interference of a depressed pin-setting bar 35 and adjacent pins 32 is avoided.

It will be seen that the improved connections including the elbow-lever 64, the rod 16 and its cam tooth H, and the supporting roller 18 are applicable within the comparatively narrow limits of the unit of spacing, approximately 4 of an inch, of the typing levers and pin-setting rock shafts 5?. The described compact structure of the connections is rugged, durable, reliable in operation for purposes intended and is adapted for ready application to existing machines having the typing levers l0 and pin-setting rock shafts 51.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

What is claimed is:

In a combined typewriting and computing machine having a typing member and a pin-setting rock shaft below said member; means operatively connecting said member and rock shaft in by-pass relation for the purpose described, said means comprising the combination of a rod pendent from said member and having protruding from one side thereof a cam-tooth, and a cam-tooth-operable elbow-arm comprising a subarm-forming block fixed to the rock shaft and recessed at its free end portion to form two opposite walls, a second, fore-arm-forming block elbow-pivoted to and fitted between the walls, the second block being recessed at its free end portion to form two opposite Walls, a cam-toothengageable roller fitted between the walls of the second block, and a roller-journaling pin fitted between the latter walls, the journaling pin pro jecting from the outer side of the second block to abut stopwise an edge provided on at least one of the walls of the first block, the cam-tooth and elbow-arm being arranged for rocking and releasing the elbow-arm and rock shaft at a working stroke of the rod, means being provided for returning the released rock shaft and elbowarm before return of the rod.

VINCENT F. SCHNEBLE.

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