US2318448A - Tabulating mechanism for accounting machines - Google Patents

Description

May 4, 1943. w. ACANDERSQN TABULATING MECHANISM FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Filed D90. 29, 1939 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR WALTER A. ANDERSON w. A. ANDERSON TABULATING MECHANISM FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 29. 1959 INVENTOR WALTER A. ANDERSON y 1943- w. A. ANDERSON 2,318,448

TABULATING MECHANISM FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 29; 1939 s Sheets-Sheet s 6264 3/ /2 5, 59,42/52 27 5'6 26 ,aa 52 I46 I I. Q I o "if: I 37 INVENTOR WALTER A. ANDERSON Patented May 4, 1943 UNHT TENT

TABULATDVG MECHANISM FOR ACCOUNT- ING MACHINES Walter A. Anderson,

Bridgeport, Conn., assignor to Underwood Elliott Fisher Company, New- York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware This invention relates to accounting machines, and more particularly to a tabulating mechanism for the carriages thereof It is customary in bookkeeping operations to post two or more debit and credit items in successive columns between the old balance and new balance columns, which are usually at the left and right extremities, respectively, of the work forms. Frequently there are no entries to be made in one or more of the intermediate columns, so it is unnecessary to stop the carriage in all these columns. In such instances, it is desirable to tabulate the carriage from the last intermediate column in which an entry is posted, directly to a blank cycle column preparatory to taking the new balance.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a simple and effective tabulating mechanism, which may be operated incident to cycling the machine, to automatically advance the carriage column by column following each posting operation, or which may be manually operated by a key to tabulate the carriage from any preceding column directly to a predetermined column preparatory to taking a total.

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 forth in appended claims, and a preferred embodiment of which is hereinafter disclosed with reference to the drawings which accompany and form part of the specification.

In the drawings:

- Figure 1 is a perspective view of an accounting machine of the type to which my improved tabulating mechanism is adapted,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the tabulating mechanism and the various controls therefor.

"Figure 3 is a front plan view of the tabulating mechanism in normal position,

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 3 but showing the parts in the position to which they are moved when the customary manual tabulating key is depressed,

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the parts moved to the position that they occupy when the Express Tabulating Key is depressed,

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showingthe parts in the position they occupy when the carriage is about to reach a predetermined position incident to express tabulation thereof,

Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of a.

hinged lug that releases the tabulating mechanism at the end of express tabulation,

Figure 8 is a fragmental right side elevation showing parts which prevent the carriage from initiating a machine cycle at improper times, and

Figure 9 is a detail view of parts of the carriage controlled cycle initiating mechanism.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION This is an improvement on the machine disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,194,270, issued to Oscar J. Sundstrand on March 19, 1940, and the divisional application of that patent, Serial No. 88,093, filed June 30, 1936.

The machine includes the customary keyboard with Amount keys, Date keys, and Totalizer and Printer controlling keys. It has the customary traveling paper carriage that is automatically tabulated from column to column and returned from a predetermined point in the carriage travel. In the present machine, the power for imparting the leftward or working stroke to the carriage comprises a spring drum which is connected to the carriage by a tape, and the power used in returning the carriage is derived from the same electric motor that is used to cycle the machine. These power means, together with the clutch mechanism and appurtenant parts are disclosed in the above mentioned patent and application.

The carriage includes a control plate carrying a series of magazines with control lugs for automatically controlling the numerous operations that are controlled manually by the keyboard. The forward ends of these magazines strike one of a pair of tabulating stops as the carriage tabulates from right to left, to arrest the carriage in the various columns. The stops are arranged to be cooperatively actuated by either of two separate controls to release the carriage from one column to the next. One of these controls is operated as an incident to each machine cycle to automatically tabulate the carriage to the next column, and is also operated by the customary Tabulating key on the keyboard, for the same purpose. The other control may be termed an Express tabulating key, which upon depression withdraws the effective tabulating stop from engagement with its abutting magazine. The stop is then held in inefiective position the carriage passes through the succeeding intermediate columns. When the carriage reaches the blank cycle column, an element carried by the carriage releases the tabulating stop to arrest the carriage in this column.

while DETAILED DESCRIPTION INDEX or TOPICS The machine sections. Carriage tabulating mechanism. Automatic tabulation of the carriage. Manual tabulation of the carriage. Express tabulation of the carriage to a predetermined column.

6. Carriage controlled starting mechanism. 7. Preventing the machine from cycling during travel of the carriage.

1. The machine sections Referring to Figure 1, the machine includes the customary keyboard I having Amount keys 2 and operation controlling keys 3 including the customary Manual tabulating key 4, an Express tabulating key 5, type bars 6 for printing on the work sheets, and a laterally movable paper carriage I mounted on a track 8. A control plate H is mounted on the paper carriage and carries a plurality of control magazines [2 for automatically controlling the operations of the machine in predetermined columnar positions. The carriage is provided with the customary roller platen l3 and has a bail structure l4 for facilitating the insertion of front fed forms.

The machine is actuated by an electric motor (not shown). The motor is started by the closing of suitable switch mechanism and is coupled to the main actuating shaft (not shown) by a suitable clutch mechanism upon depression of a Motor bar [5.

2. Carriage tabulating mechanism The tabulating mechanism is mounted on a plate l6 (Figures 2 and 3) mounted in the rear of the machine beneath the forward edge of control plate ll. Plate I6 is supported for sliding movement in a direction parallel to the travel of the carriage. This sliding movement is made possible through the provision of slots i8 registering with screws I! mounted in the machine frame. A spring 21 connected to the upper arm of a lever 22 pivoted at 23 tends to move the plate toward the right. The upper arm of the lever carries a stud 24 lying within a recess 25 on plate It. The lower arm of lever 22 is connected to a dash pot (not shown) of any desired construction. When the carriage is released for tabulation, spring 2| moves the plate to its right hand position wherein the left ends of slots 18 are engaged with screws I! as shown in Figures 2,5 and 6.

A lever 25 is mounted for pivotal movement on a stud 21 secured in plate 16. The right end of lever 26 constitutes a tabulating stop 35 coacting with a companion stop 3| formed upon a slide 32 mounted for vertical movement on plate 16 by means of a screw 33 extending through a slot '34 in slide 32, and by a lever 35 pivoted to slide 32 at 39 and fulcrumed on a stud 36 secured to plate IS. 'A spring 31 normally holds stop 31 in its lower ineffective position shown in Figures 2 and 3. A spring '38 tends to hold stop 39 mu eum on lever 26 in its upper position wherea lug 4E3 on lever 26 rests against a stud 45"on lever '35.

As before stated, the carriage is provided with a plurality of magazines [2 (one for each position at which it is desired to have the carriage stop) to coact with the tabulating stops 30 and 31. When the carriage is moved to the left by the spring motor, it brings a magazine 12 against tabulating stop 30.

Thestop 30 is permitted" lating stop 38.

to slide to the left, through the provision of a slot 4|, through which stud 27 extends. This tensions spring 38 until the left end of lever 26 strikes an abutment 42.

The spring of the spring motor which pulls the'carriage to the left has sufficient strength to hold lever 25 and plate H5 in their left hand positions (Figures 2 and 3) when the carriage is at rest, causing springs 38 and 2| to be normally tensioned.

When the carriage is in its position of rest, one of the magazines [2 rests against the tabu- When the carriage is to be released for movement from one column to the next, stop 38 is lowered and stop 3| is simultaneously raised. These stops are so positioned that stop 3! is elevated sufficiently to lie in the path of movement of magazines l2 before stop 38 is lowered out of the path of the magazines (see Figure 4), so that before the carriage is released for tabulation, it moves from its position of contact with stop 35 to a position of contact with stop 3i, these steps being slightly offset in the direction of travel of the carriage. After the stops are so moved, and the magazine l2 has moved into engagement with stop 3|;

3. Automatic tabulation of the carriage Tabulation of the carriage from one column to another by operation of the stops 3% and 3! may be performed automatically by the general operator of the machine. To accomplish this, the following connections are provided.

A lever 43 (Figure 3) is pivoted on a stud 44, and has its right end forked to engage pin 45 carried by lever 35. The left end of lever 43 (Figure 2) overlies a slide 41 corresponding to slide 635 in the aforementioned patent and application. As disclosed in the patent and application, during the first half of a machine cycle slide 41 is raised, and during the second half of the cycle the slide is lowered. During the rise of the slide, stop 30 is lowered as stop 3| is raised, and during the fall of the slide, spring 31 lowers stop 3! to release the carriage for its tabulating movement. As slide 41 is lowered, stud 45 (Figure 3) is raised, allowing spring 38 to move stop 3!) into its raised position at the proper time, as explained above.

4. Manual tabulation of the carriage Mechanism similar to that disclosed in the beforementioned patent and application, and under control of the customary manual tabulating key, is provided to permit manual operation of the tabulating mechanism. This mechanism includes the customary Tabulating key 4 (Figures 1 and 2) carried by a lever 48 pivoted on a rod 5! fixed in the machine frame. The rear end of lever 48 carries two lugs 52 and 53. Lug 52 lies under the left arm of lever 43, and lug 53 lies under the left end of a lever 54. Depression of Tabulating key 4 raises the left arm of lever 43, thereby raising the tabulating stop 3! and lowering the tabulating stop 36. When the operator releases Key 4, a spring 55 (Figure 2), connected to this key and to "the machine frame, restores the key to its normal position; This restoration allows spring 31 to lower stop 3|, releasingthe carriage as above explained.

Lever 54 is pivoted on stud 21 and is connected with lever 26 by an intermediate lever 56 also pivoted on stud 2?. Theright arm of lever 56 is connected with lever 26 by a pin-and-slot connection 51, and the left arm of lever 56 has a shoulder 58 engaging the upper end of an arm 60 pivoted at 6| to lever 54. A spring 59 connected between arm 60 and lever 54 normally tensions the arm clockwise about pivot engaging its upper end with shoulder 58. This mechanism provides an alternate connection between the tabulating mechanism and the Key 4, so that when the left end of lever 43 is moved rearwardly in the machine by depression of the customary Normalizer key 69 (Figure 1) (the operation of which is full described in Patent No. 2,194,270), to such an extent that lever. 43 no longer lies above lug 52 and slide 41, it will still be possible to tabulate the carriage by depression of Key 4. It will be noted, however, that in such instances, although lever 26 is lowered from the path of the magazine I2, the tabulating stop 3| is not simultaneously raised as it is when these parts are operated by movement of lever 43. This is due to the fact that the lower arm of lever 26 lies under the pin 45 but does not embrace it as does the right end of lever 43. This makes possible express tabulation of the carriage until the Tabulating key 4 is released.

5. Express tabulation of the carriage to a predetermined column As explained above, it is desirable in certain bookkeeping operations to tabulate the carriage from the last intermediate column where an entry is posted, to a predetermined column, without stopping in the intervening columns. The mechanism for accomplishing this is under the control of the Express tabulating key 5 and comprises a bell crank 62 (Figure 2) pivoted at 63 in the machine frame and having one arm thereof underlying a pin 64 fixed on the stem of key 5. The opposite arm of the bell crank is pivoted at 55 to a link 66, the opposite end of which is pivoted at 6! to a depending arm of a bail 68 pivoted on a rod secured in the machine frame. Bail '68 has a forked arm 12 that embraces a pin 13 fixed on one end of a lever 14 pivoted on rod 5| adjacent lever 48. The rear end of lever I4 carries a lug 15 corresponding to lug 53 on lever 48, and likewise underlies the left end of lever 54. By the connections just described, depression of key 5 raises lever 54, and through its connection with lever 25, lowers tabulating stop 38 out of the path 01 magazines l2 to permit express tabulation of the carriage. It will be noted that depression of key 5 does not move lever 43 since there is no lug on lever 14 corresponding to lug 52 on lever 48. Therefore, stop 3| remains inefiective during these operations.

' A latch 16 (Figure 3) is provided to hold stop .30 out of the path of the magazines l2 until the carriage has reached a predetermined position where the latch is released to permit stop 3|] to rise and engage the next magazine. Latch 76 is pivoted on stud 36 and is normally tensioned clockwise about the stud by a spring 8| to a position where the latch bears against a pin 82 fixed in lever 26. A shoulder 83 is provided on latch 16 to engage pin 82 and hold tabulating stop .30 out of the path of magazines I 2 (see Figreleased before the ure' 5) when lever 26 is actuated by the Express tabulating key 5.

To restore stop 30' to effective position so it can arrest the carriage at the desired column, lever 26 must be released after the carriage passes the last column it is desired to skip, and before it reaches the column in which it is to stop. To accomplish this, a magazine l2 carrying a lug 84 (Figures 5, 7 and 8) is placed on the carriage in a position immediately to the left of the magazine that is to stop the carriage. The details of mounting lug 84 are shown in Figure 7, and comprise a pin that extends between the side walls of the magazine and on which lug 84 is pivoted. A spring 86, coiled about pin 85 and lying within a slot in the lug, has one end resting on the lug and its opposite end resting on the base of the magazine to normally tension lug 84 downwardly, as shown in Figure '7. Lug 84 projects into the path of the upper end of latch l6as shown in Figures 5 and 8. Hence, after the carriage tabulates through the columns to be pp d, the lug strikes latch 16, rocking the latch counterclockwise about stud 36 against the tension of spring 8|, and releasing pin 82 from shoulder 83, as shown in Figure 6. Immediately upon such releasing action, lever 28 rises under the tension of spring 38, placing stop 38 in position to stop the carriage at the desired column.

When the carriage returns to the right, after completing its working stroke, lug 84 strikes the upper edge of latch 16, but due to its being pivoted on its magazine 2, merely rises when it strikes the latch, and returns to its lower position when it passes the latch.

The releasable connection between levers 54 and 56 is provided to disconnect Key 5 from lever 26 as soon as latch 16 becomes effective to hold the lever in depressed position. This prevents the carriage from tabulating past the proper position if the operator should fail to release the Key as soon as it is fully depressed. This connection operates as follows.

As lever 54 is raised by depression of Key 5 the left side of arm at strikes a pin 81 (Figure 3) on plate I6. This rotates arm 68 counter-clockw1se about pivot 6| against the tension of spring 59, withdrawing the upper end of arm 60 from engagement with shoulder 58, as shown in Figure 5. This occurs immediately after shoulder 83 engages pin 82, so that as soon as lever 25 1s latched down, the Key is rendered ineffective Icown, should the latch be ey is restored to it position. Upon the release of Key 5, a spiifi g i connected between lever 54 and plate I6 re: stores the lever, bringing the upper end of arm 60 into the plane of shoulder 58, whereupon spring 59 rocks the arm clockwise about pivot 8| into engagement with the shoulder in readiness for the next operation.

It might be here noted that depression of the customary Tabulating key 4 during regular bookkeeping operations, where the Normalizer key is In the present disclosure s ot 34 i n slide 32 is long enough to permitslide 32 to be- 54 far enough to cause lever 26 to be latched down.

6. Carriage controlled starting mechanism trolled motor repeat mechanism, and is operated 7 by control lugs such as 9: (Figures 8 and 9) placed in those magazines l2 occupying columnar positions wherein it is desired to have the machine automatically cycled. As the carriage advances to these columnar positions, the lugs 91 engage a pawl 92 on a selector lever 93 pivoted at M in the machine frame. The leitv end of lever 93 lies above a rod '95 suitably guided for vertical movement and having its lower end resting on the horizontal arm of a bell crank 95 pivoted at 91 in the machine frame. The vertical arm of the bell crank is recessed to receive the lower end of a link 98 that is connected with mechanism for initiating a cycle (link 98 corresponds to link 126 in Patent No. 2,194,270) As lug 9| engages pawl 92, lever 93 is depressed to rock bell crank 96 clockwise and thrust link 98 forward to initiate the cycle.

'7. Preventing the machine from cycling during travel of the carriage It may be that in an express tabulating operation one or more of the intermediate columns that are to be skipped have their magazines i2 equipped with lugs 9| to initiate cycles when the carriage is stopped in these columns. It is therefore necessary to provide a means to prevent these lugs 9| from being effective to start the machine when the carriage passes through these columns. The following mechanism is provided for this purpose.

An extension lill (Figure 8) formed on bell crank 95 lies in the horizontal plane of a flange H12 formed on a bracket I03 secured to the right end of plate 16 (Figure 2-) When a magazine l2 strikes stop 30, and pushes plate 16 toward the left as before described, flange I02 is withdrawn from the path of movement of extension Ml, as shown in Figure 3. In such position, bell crank 96 is free to be rocked to initiate the cycle as above described. When, however, stop is lowered out of the path of magazines l2, as it is during express tabulations, spring 2! (Figure 3) moves plate 16 toward the right to the position shown in Figures 5 and 6, as previously described. Such movement of plate [6 brings flange 12 into the vertical plane of extension NH. The width of the flange (Figure 8) is sufficient to lock bell crank 96 against clockwise movement so that a cycle cannot be started by lugs 9|. Pawl 92 is mounted in a frame I84 pivoted at I05 on lever 93. A strong spring 05 connected between frame R04 and lever 83 permits the pawl to yield as lugs 9| engage therewith when flange I02 is in position to lock bell crank 96 against rotation.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understoodthat it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form of embodiment herein disclosed, for it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms all coming within the scope of the claims which follow. v

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the class described, a movable carriage, powerfmeans for moving the carriage through its working stroke, a pair of tabulating stops, one of said stops normally holding the carriage against tabulation, the other stop normally lying in an idle position, elements on the carriage engageable by the stops to arrest the carriage in any of a plurality of positions laterally of the machine, means for moving the stops for initiating tabulation'of the carriage to each of said positions, manually controlled means to move the said one stop to an idle position, means operable upon operation of said manually controlled means for latching the said one stop in its idle position, and means, including a part on the carriage, to restore said stop as the carriage approaches a predetermined position.

2. In a machine of the class described, a movable carriage having a plurality of abutments thereon, power means for moving the carriage through its working stroke, a pair of tabulating stops for engaging said abutments, one of said stops normally lying in an effective position when a; the other of said stops is lying in an ineffective position, means for operating said stops to successively tabulate the carriage from one lateral position to the next, a key, means operated by the key for withdrawing the stop that normally lies in an effective position, means for holding the stop withdrawn while the carriage tabulates through one or more lateral positions and. means on the carriage for moving the holding means to an ineffective position so that a part of the said operating means for the stops may return the withdrawn stop to effective position to arrest the carriage.

3. In a machine of the class described having a movable carriage, and mechanism for tabulating the carriage laterally of the machine, the combination of a manipulative member movable by the operator to an operated position, means controlled by operation of the manipulative member for causing the tabulating mechanism to tabulate the carriage directly to a predetermined lateral position, the means including a device operable for disabling control or the means by said manipulative member, and means for so operating said device at the final portion of an operation of the manipulative member.

4. In a machine of the class described, a movable carriage, mechanism for tabulating the carriage laterally of the machine, a manipulative member, means controlled by operation of the manipulative member for causing the tabulat ing mechanism to tabulate the carriage directly to a predetermined lateral position, the means including a device operable for disabling control of the means by said manipulative member, means for so operating said device at the final portion of an operation of the manipulative member by the operator, and means operating when the carriage reaches the predetermined position and the said manipulative member is released by the operator, for returning said device from operated position and thereby restoring control of the first-mentioned means to the manipulative member.

5. In a machine of the class described, a movable carriage, mechanism for tabulating the carriage laterally of the machine, a key having a working and a return stroke, mean controlled by operation of the key for causing the tabulatlng mechanism to tabulate the carriage directly to a predetermined lateral position, the means in eluding a device operable for disabling control of the means by said key, means for so operating said device at the final portion of the working stroke of said key, and means for returning said device from operated position upon the comp-letion of the tabulation and during the last portion of the return stroke of said key for restoring control of the first-mentioned means to the key.

6. In a machine of the class described, a movable carriage having a plurality of abutments thereon, power means for moving the carriage through its working stroke, a pair of tabulating stops for engaging said abutments, one of said stops normally lying in an effective position when the other of said stops is lying in an ineifective position, and both of said stops being jointly operable to control the tabulation of the carriage from one lateral position to the next, a key, means controlled by the key for withdrawing the stop that normally lies in an efifective position, means, responsive to operation of the key, for' disconnecting the key from the withdrawing means, means for latching the withdrawn stop in withdrawn position, and means on the carriage for tripping the latching means so that the withdrawn stop may be returned to effective position, to arrest movement of the carriage.

7. In a machine of the class described, a movable carriage having a plurality of abutments thereon, a pair of stops for engaging said abutments, one of said stops normally lying in a position that is effective to stop the carriage, and the other of said stops normally lying in a position that is inefiective to stop the carriage, a latch adapted to hold the normally efiective stop out of efiective position, said latch being normally held in an ineffective position by said normally efiective stop, a spring adapted to move the latch into latching position when said normally eifective stop is moved out of efiective position, manually controlled means for moving said stop out of effective position, said means including a lever, a key, and a releasable connection between the lever and the key, and means for releasing said connection concomitantly with the movement of the latch to latching position.

8. In a machine of the class described, a movable carriage having a plurality of abutments thereon, a pair of stops for engaging said abutments, one of said stops normally lying in a position that is efiective to stop the carriage, and the other of said stops normally lying in a position that is ineiTective to stop the carriage, a latch adapted to hold the normally efiective stop out of effective position, said latch being normally held in an ineffective position by said normally effective stop, a spring adapted to move the latch into latching position when said normally elTective stop is moved out of efiective position, manually controlled means for moving said stop out of effective position, said means including a lever, a key, and a releasable connection between the lever and the key, means for releasing said connection concomitantly with the movement of the latch to latching position, and means on the carriage for releasing the latch when the carriage reaches a predetermined position.

9. In a machine of the class described, a movable carriage having a plurality of laterally spaced abutments thereon, a pair of stops engageable with said abutments, one of said stops normally engaging one of said abutments, and the other of said stops normally lying out of the path of said abutments, means for reversing and restoring the said normal positions of said stops to control tabulation of the carriage from one lateral position to the next, the said means including a key operable to so operate said stops to control manual tabulation of the carriage from one lateral position to the next, a second key operable to move said normally engaged stop out of engagement with said abutment, and a latch for holding said normally engaged stop in said moved position while the carriage tabulates through one or more lateral positions.

WALTER A. ANDERSON.

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