US2365874A - Computing machine - Google Patents

Description

I 19440 a. 2 5. HELLGREN COMPUTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 5 1945 3 sheets Sheet l G. H. HELLGREN I 293551874 COMPUTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 5,, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 19445 3. H. HELLGREN COMPUTING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 5, 1945 Patented Dec. 26,1944

COMPUTING MACHINE Gustaf Hilarius Hellgren, Stockholm, Sweden Application February 5, 1943, Serial No. 474,876 In Sweden December 22, 1941 6 Claims.

The invention relates to computing machines, and more particularly to adding machines having means for taking totals. In such adding machines a blank or spacing stroke of the'handle or a blank cycle of the machine, when the latter is driven by a motor, is to be performed when taking a subtotal or a final total.

When an amount is to be carried from one order to the next higher order a carrying element is in a withdrawn position and therefore it is not able to cooperate with the corresponding adding wheel, so that it is impracticable to printv a total while the carrying element is in such withdrawn position. It has therefore previously been proposed in order to avoid faulty registrations to introduce an additional or blank stroke of the handle or an additional or blank cycle of the machine. 7

When an item last added does not involve a carrying, a subtotal or a final total may be taken without such blank stroke of the handle. However, for the sake of uniformity in actuation of the machine, it is desirable that the totaling operations shall not be varied on account of carrying operations.

Moreover, an amount previously set up frequently remains in the machine, for instance upon the use of the repeat key, or upon incorrect introduction of an amount, for instance at an interruption of the work or the like. In known machines, such an amount will have to be cancelled through a special operation, for instance by causing the carriage to return to its initial position during an additional non-add-stroke, or in some other way. By the introduction of a compulsory blank stroke prior to the totalizing operation, such an additional operation is rendered unnecessary in the use of the arrangement according to the invention.

The principal object of the invention is to provide means for locking the differentially movable members during such blank stroke, which is accomplished by a new and useful construction of parts cooperating with the subtotal taking key I and the final total taking key.

For convenience in affording an understanding of the invention the same will be described as applied to or embodied in a ten-key adding machine of well known type such as for instance disclosed in Patent No. 2,203,336 to Walter W. Landsiedel or applied to the adding machine disclosed in my United States Patent No. 2,303,692. I would have it understood however that the present invention is not limited to machines of the general character illustrated in said patent or in my patent application.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side View partly fragmental and partly in section of one form of embodiment of my invention, the view being taken from the left hand side of the machine, all parts not necessary for the proper understanding of the invention having been left out.

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing parts of the new mechanism in a different position.

Fig. 3-is a similar view with parts of the mechanism also in different positions.

Fig. 4 is a fragmented plan view illustrating the carriage containing the stop pins and means for rocking said carriage.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental front view of the new mechanism.

Fig. 6 is asimilar view with parts in a diiferent position.

The invention is shown as embodied in an add- 7 ing machine having a movable carriage supporting stop pins which will limit the advance of the adding or the subtracting differentially movable members which are connected to actuators (not shown) which in their turn are adapted to adjust the wheels of the accumulator (not shown) in accordance with amount entered by the digital keys. In addition to the ten digital keys the machine is usually provided with a repeat key and a non-add key, and further, as in the example shown, with a subtotal taking key and a final total taking key. In a motor driven machine there is usually also employed a special motor key. It is assumed that the function of the said keys (not shown) is well known and also that the function ofthe mechanisms for total taking is well known. In the drawings only such parts have been illustrated which are necessary for carrying the invention into practice, the invention consisting substantially of means for locking the differential members during the blank stroke.

The total taking mechanism includes a key 5 mounted in a conventional manner within a housing NH. The lower end of the key stem is pivoted to a bell lever 3, 4 which may be rockedabout its pivot 2. The free end of the arm '4 of the lever is. pivoted to a movable plate 5 having a slot 6 with two slot extensions '1 and '8. These slot extensions are adapted to coop-' erate withapin 9 fast to a partition I02 extendmg lengthwise of the machine. The plate supports a bell lever I which may be rocked about its pivot I03. A spring II tends to rock the bell lever I0 in counter clockwise direction, a stop pin 52 fast to the plate 4 limits such rocking movement of the bell lever. The lower arm of the bell lever IQ has a recess I3 with which it is adapted to be lifted by a stud or roller I4 mounted on an arm I5 fast to the main shaft I6 of the machine. In the example chosen to illustrate the invention it is assumed that the shaft I6 performs a rocking movement to and fro during each cycle of the machine. A support I04 fixed to the partition I 02, supports a shaft I! having a bell lever I8, I0 rotatably mounted thereon. One arm IQ of this bell lever has a stud 20 which extends into the slot 6. The other arm I8 has a shoulder 2! to cooperate with a stud 22 on a lever 23, 24 fulcrumed about shaft I05. The end of the arm 23 has a cam surface 26, the centre of which coincides with the axis of the shaft I6. This cam surface has the same radius as the tangential surface of the roller I4, so that normally the roller I 4 may slide along this cam surface 26 without affecting the position of the lever 23, 24 when the latter is latched by the bell lever I8, I9 as shown in Fig. 1. A spring 25 Whose one end is attached to the shaft I6 and whose other end is attached to the arm 23, tends to rock the lever 23, 24 in clockwise direction. About the shaft I05 is further pivoted a lever 21, 2B, the arm 21 of which is connected with the mechanism (not shown) which effects the total taking. Furthermore the lever '23 and the upper chamfered end surface of the plate 5 are also connected with the mechanism (not shown) which is necessary for obtaining the blank stroke and the final stroke by means of members 80, 8|, B2, 83, B4, 86 partly shown with dash-dotted lines in Fig. 1. As these members are not directly concerned with the subject matter of the invention their function will not be described.

The arm 24 of the lever 23, 24 has a lug 3I which serves to actuate the lever 21, 28 in clockwise direction when the latch I8, I 3 is tripped. The arm 28 supports a stud 29 and its end has the form of a cam surface 30. The object of the said stud and said cam surface will be explained as follows. A shaft 33 the ends of which are supported by a member 32 and by a partition plate 46, respectively, supports a yoke 34, a spring 35 tending to pull the yoke rearwardly; or to the left as seen in Fig. 1, and also towards the right hand side of the machine, as seen in Fig. 5. The stem of the key I is provided with a wedge shaped member 36 cooperating with the yoke '34. The cam surface 80 of the lever arm '28 is in contact with the rearward surface of the yoke 34, so that when the lever 23, 24 is rocked .in clockwise direction, the lever 21, 28 follows in the same direction and the cam surface 36 pushes the yoke 24 forwardly, or to the right as seen in Fig. 1. The wedge shaped member 36 on the stem of the key I cooperates with the cross bar 34' of the yoke 34 so that the yoke will be rocked counter clockwise, as seen in Fig. 5, when the key I is pressed down. The forward vertical arm 34" of the yoke '34 cooperates with alug 38 on a bar 40. This lug has a step 39 and a recess 4|, so that the vertical arm 34" may cooperate either with the step 39 or with the recess ll depending upon as to whether the yoke 34 is in its normal position, as shown in Fig. '1, or is pushed to the right as shown in 'Fig. 3. subtotal key I0 has a stem TI, the lower end of which is pivotally connected to a bell lever I3,

The

14 which is rockable about a stud I2. The arm I4 is shown fragmentally for the sake of clearness. This arm I4 is connected with the mechanism (not shown) which brings about the printing of the subtotal and also brings about the function of the various parts necessary for such printing. The arm 13 of the bell lever has a lug I5 which overlies the arm 3 of. the bell lever actuated by the key I. When depressing subtotal key I0 not only the mechanism connected to the arm I4 will be actuated but in addition all the parts which are actuated by depressing the key I.

Fast to the partition I02 is a stud 62 which forms the fulcrum of a lever 63, 64. The rear end of the arm 64 has a slot I06 into which enters the stud 29 on the arm 28. The forward end of the arm 63 is connected by means of a link 6| to the right hand arm 59 of a lever 58, 59 supported by a stud 60. The left hand arm 58 has a fork 51 which grips the forward end portion of the carriage plate 55. This carriage is provided in well known manner with stop pins 54 and with a zero rail 53. Supported in guiding combs I01, I08 are the differential members 5I. The rear end of these differential members -have been shown fragmentally for the sake of clearness. These rearward ends are otherwise connected in a manner known per se, for instance as illustrated in my Patent No. 2,303,692 to the actuators. The forward end of these differential members have a lug 52 which normally rests against the zero rail 53. The carriage 55 is supported at its rear portion by a shaft 56 extending transversally of the machine.

When the arm 28 is rocked in clockwise direction the stud 29 presses by means of its connection with the slot I06, the lever 63, 54 m anticlockwise direction, whereby the lever 58, 59 will also be rocked in anticlockwise direction as seen in Fig. 5, so that the carriage 55 is rocked in clockwise direction about the shaft 56, the lugs 52 'on the differential members 5I then being released from the zero rail 53.

The bar is supported by studs 44 fast to the plate 06. the bar 40 being provided with slots 43 so as to allow a longitudinal movement of the same. A spring 4'! attached with one end to the bar and with the other end to the plate 46 tends to pull the bar 40 towards the right hand side of the machine, as seen in Fig. 5. The lower edge of the bar :8 has recesses which allow the upper edges of the differential members '5I to move in longitudinal direction. Each one of the differential members Si is provided on its upper edge with a recess T! through which passes the lower edge of the bar 40 when the differential members occupy their initial position, as shown in mg, l. to the left, as seen in Fig. 5, solid parts 50 of the lower edge enter into the recess '11 of the differential members 5! so that the latter are prevented from moving rearwardly when the carriage is rocked clockwise during the blank stroke.

I will now described the manner in which the various parts function and cooperate with each other when a subtotal or a final total shall be When however the bar 40 is pressed tioned are latched in this position. The member I is rocked in clockwise direction on account of the fact that its lower arm contacts with the roller 14. At the same time the wedge 36 on the key stem I has rocked the yoke 34 in counter clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. with the result that the bar 40 is pushed to the left, thereby looking all differential members 5|. This is illustrated in Fig. 6. When taking a total, the machine performs two cycles, i. e. a blank cycle, and the actual total taking cycle. During the first half of the first cycle the machine shaft I5 is rocked clockwise, and tens carrying, if any is performed. Before the carriage supporting the stop pins is returned to its initial position to the right hand side of the machine, the lugs 52 of the differential members 5| rest against the zero rail 53, as illustrated in Fig. 4. During the second half of the first cycle the roller l4 engages the recess l3 of the member l0 whereby the plate 5 will be rocked about the pivot 4' with the result that the lower edge 6' of the slot 6 cooperates with the stud 2!! on the bell lever |8, |8, so that the latter will be rocked in counterclockwise direction into the position as shown in Fig. 3. The following functions are hereby released: the spring 25 rocks the lever 23, 24 in clockwise direction thereby lifting the member 8|. By means of the lug 3| the arm 28 is rocked in clockwise direction with the result that the levers 63, 64 and 58, 59 are actuated and the carriage plate 55 is rocked clockwise. At the same time the yoke 34 is pushed to the right as seen in Fig. 1 so that its vertical arm 34" now registers with the recess 4| allowing the bar 40 to be pulled by the spring 41 to its right hand end position. In th s position the differential members 5| are again free to pass with their upper edge through the recesses 50 of the bar 40. The differential members 5| are now free to move differentially according to the angular position of the zero stops of the accumulator (not shown). This movement takes place, however, only at the next stroke, inasmuch as the members (not shown) that actuate the members 5| have already reached their initial positions. Simultaneously with the release of the members 5| by the bar 40, or immediately thereafter, the carriage plate 55 is returned into its initial position.

During the second cycle the subtotal or the final total will be printed and the differential members 5| will be pushed back to their initial position as shown in Fig. 3. The main shaft I6 rocks at first in clockwise direction during which the roller I4 rocks the lever 23, 24 in counterclockwise direction so that it will be latched again by the bell lever I8, I9. A spring Ilfl attached to the lever 63, 64 tends to rock the said lever in clockwise direction, a stop member I09 limiting such rocking motion. When the lever 23, 24 again occupies the position shown in Fig. 1, the spring H0 has rocked the lever 63, 64 and consequently also the lever 21, 28 so that the spring 35 is now in a position to pull the yoke 34 to the left in Fig. 1. In this position the vertical arm 34" registers again with the step 39 on the lug 38.

When the differential members 5| are returned into their initial positions, the oblique surfaces at the forward ends thereof (to the right as seen in Figs. 1 and 3) ride over and depress the zero rail 53 to swing the carriage plate 55 downwardly against the action of the spring HI. This rocking of the carriage plate moves the arm 63, 84 in a counterclockwise direction, and thereby moves the arm 21, 28 in a clockwise direction at the same time. The lever arm 23, 24 does not participate in this movement, however, as the lug 3| of arm 24 provides a one-way coupling of arms 23, 24 and arms 21, 28 which permits the arm 21, 28 to move clockwise without transmitting motion to arm 23, 24. When the oblique end portions of the differential members 5| have passed the zero rail 53, the carriage plate and the arms 63, 64 and 21, 28 are returned to their normal positions by the spring H0, the differential members 5| being then looked anew by the zero rail 53, see Fig. 1. The computing machine is thus conditioned for the entry of further items if a sub-total had been taken by the described operations, or for a new computation if a total had been taken.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a totaling key, a plurality of differentially movable members, a cyclically operable main shaft, and mechanism. for introducing a blank cycle of operation of said main shaft between an actuation of the totaling key and the total-taking cycle of operation of the main shaft; said mechanism comprising locking means movable by the totaling key upon actua tion thereof to lock said differentially movable members against displacement, unlocking means movable to restore said locking means to inoperative position, means normally latching said unlocking means against movement, and releasing means including a pair of members operable respectively by said totaling key and said main shaft for releasing said latching means, the shaft-operable member being movable by the key-operable member into position for operation by said main shaft during the second half of the first cycle of shaft operation after an actuation of the totaling key.

2. In a machine of the class described, the invention as recited in claim 1, wherein stop means normally blocks displacement of said differentially movable members, in combination with means operable by movement of said unlocking means to free said differentially movable members from said stop means.

3. In a machine of the class described, the invention as recited inclaim 1, wherein said locking means comprises a plate and cooperating recesses in the several differentially movable members, and means supporting said plate for sliding movement transversely of said members.

4. In a computing machine of the type includ- 5 ing a cyclically operable main shaft, a plurality of differentially movable members to be released for a total taking operation, a totaling key, and mechanism to be set by said key for operation by the main shaft during an idle cycle to release said members; characterized by the fact that said mechanism comprises a slotted plate movable into operative position by said key upon actuation thereof, a member mounted on said plate and movable thereby into position for operation by the main shaft to move said slotted plate, a latch having means projecting into the slot of said plate for engagement by the edge of said slot to release the latch upon movement of the plate by the main shaft, and means movable upon release of said latch to release said diiierentially movable members for displacement.

5. In a computing machine, the invention as recited in claim 4, in combination with a look-- ing plate operable by said key upon actuation thereof to lock said differentially movable memmain shaft to render said locking means inoperative; said locking means including a yoke movable by said key and a locking member having a lug for engagement by a leg of the yoke; and said means operable by said main shaft includes means for displacing said yoke to carry said leg of the yoke away from said lug.

GUSTAF HILARIUS HELLGREN.

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