US2645421A - Accumulating control mechanism - Google Patents

Description

July 14, 1953 H. P. LUHN V ACCUIIILATING cou'mox. Mmxsu 23 Shoots-Shut 1 FIG HANS P. LUHN ATTORNEY Filed Doc. 31, 19s;

July-14, 1953 H. P. LUHN v ACCUIIULATING CONTROL IECHANISI a sheets-sheet 2 nn'nnnnnnnn F 4"" HANS P. LUHN ATTORNEY July 14', 1953 H. P. LUHN 64 2 v Accuwuuuc CONTROL mm r11; Doc. 31, 1951 s Shuts-Sheet 3 mvzu-ron HANS P. LUHN ATTORNEY Patented July 14, 195 3 ACCUMULATING CONTROL MECHANISM Hans P. Luhn, Armonk, N.-Y-., assignor to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 31, 195i, Serial No. 264,326

6 Claims. 1 This invention relates to accumulators or counting devices, and more particularly to accumulators which are adapted to provide control functions for accounting machines.

It is sometimes necessary that control devices for accounting mechanisms be pulsed in one cycle at a time corresponding to the reading or sensing of a numeric value on a record during an earlier cycle. By providing an accumulator which is set up during one cycle in accordance with the receiving of a timed pulse, and incorporating in the accumulator a brush which is moved over contacts after the accumulator takes its new setting, to a position corresponding to that of the accumulator, it is possible to deliver a pulse through a brush circuit at a time in one cycle corresponding to the time of pulsing the accumulator in the previous cycle. If a printer such as that shown in the Buhler Patent 2,013,533 has its print magnet connected in the brush circuit, it would be possible to obtain a printing during each cycle of the total which was read into the accumulator during all of the preceding cycles. Another application for an accumulator of this type may be like that shown in the Luhn application, Serial Number 264,325, filed December 31, 1951.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved accumulator.

Another object is to provide a counter or accumulator which is adapted to take a new setting while the value read into the counter during a previous cycle is retained.

Still another object is to provide a counter having brushes cooperating with contacts and adapted to be held in any contact engaging position while the counter is being adjusted to a new position.

Yet another object is to provide a counter having brushes which are yieldingly urged to a position corresponding to that of the counter and which are adapted to be held stationary until after the counter has been set.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode, which has been contemplated, of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of the line ll of Fig. 2 and having parts broken away to facilitate illustration of the improved accumulator.

Fig. 2 is a view taken on the plane of the line 2-2 of Fig. l with parts shown in section and other parts shown in elevation.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 5 and 6 are like Fig. 4 but show the parts in different positions.

Fig. 7 is a circuit diagram showing how the accumulator is used to control the energizing of a magnet for a printer.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be noted that an accumulator or counter, generally designated I, has a gear 2 freely mounted upon a stub shaft 3 which is supported by a plate 4. Meshing with the gear 2 is a gear 6 which is fixed to a shaft 1 rotated continuously in a counterclockwise direction by any suitable power means, not shown. Formed integral with the gear 2 is a ratchet portion 8 which is engageable by a clutch pawl 9 pivotally mounted on a stud Ill extending from an accumulating or register wheel I2 through a spider M. Projecting from the clutch pawl is a stud I5 acting against a cam surface I 6 on the spider. A spring 18 urges the clutch pawl inwardly about its pivot and tends to rock the spider in a clockwise direction in Fig. 1 by the action of the stud l5 on the cam surface 16. If the spider is free to turn in a clockwise direction, the clutch pawl is pivoted inwardly until a tooth 20 thereon engages the ratchet portion 8 and causes the register wheel 12 to be driven with the gear 2.

Arranged in the same plane with the spider I4 is a clutch lever 22 pivotally supported at 23 and havin operative engagement with an armature 24 which is controlled by a start magnet 25 and a stop magnet 26. Projecting from the clutch lever is a tooth 28 which is engageable with any one of ten teeth 29 on the outer periphery of the spider 14. When the lever 22 is rocked to the left in Fig. l by an energizing of the stop magnet 26, the tooth 28 is engaged by one of the teeth 29, so that the spider is stopped and effects a camming of the clutch pawl 9 out of engagement with the ratchet portion 8. If the start magnet 25 is later energized, the clutch lever is disengaged from the spider so that the latter may turn to a position permitting the clutch pawl to reengage the ratchet portion 8. A spring urged lever 3| is receivable in any one of ten notches 32 in the register wheel l2 for centering and holding the latter in any one of ten positions numbered 0 to 9.

Fixed to the register wheel is a member having an outwardly bent portion 33 (Figs. 2 and 4 to 6) 3 which acts as an abutment for a member 34 attached to a toothed wheel 35 freely mounted on the stub shaft 3. A coiled spring 37 is connected at its inner end to the register wheel and is connected at its outer end to the member 34 for urging the toothed wheel 35 in the same direction as that in which the register wheel is driven by the gear 2. A latch lever 38 is normally held by a spring 45 in a position to engage a tooth on the wheel 35 for hOlding the latter against rotation with the register wheel. Fixed to the shaft i is a cam 41 which is operative to disengage the lever 38' from the wheel 35 just after (zero) time in each machine cycle. If the register wheel is turned during the time that the wheel 35 is held, then the abutment portion 33 is moved to a position in advance of the member 34, as shown in Fig. 5. As soon as the latch lever 38 is released from the wheel 35, this wheel is advanced by the spring 3'! until the member 34 engages the abutment portion 33 in its new position as shown by Fig. 6.

Attached to the wheel 35 is a member carrying a pair of brushes "is which are engageable with contact elements 5, numbered 0 to 9, and with a common contact member 15. When counter is in its 0 (zero) position, one oi the brushes engages the 0 contact element while the other brush engages the common contact If the counter is advanced to any one of its 1 to 4 positions, the brush on the zero contact element is advanced at the end of the cycle to the corresponding contact element. If counter is moved to one of its to 9 posi the brush that first engaged the comrncn contact is advanced to engage the corresponding contact element 45 while the other crush e the common contact. A circuit will be cc from one of the elements 45 through the hi.

to the contact A16 in each position of the counter.

For each order of the different counting positions, a unit like that described above is prr To carry from any order position to a higher order position, there is provided a carry mechanism like that shown and described in the Daly Patent 2,377,762. This mechanism comprises a carry cam es fixed to the register wheel 52 and tively engaging a carry lever When counter unit is in its 1 to 8 positions, a projection as on the carry lever engages a circular portion of the cam (:8 and causes a contact element to be held midway between a tens carry contac [ST and a nines carry contact QT. As the counter moves through its nine position, the projection 53 drops into a recess 52 in the cam cit to effect an engagement of the contact element 5! with the contact ST so as to provide a circuit to the counter at the next higher order position for a tens carry pulse from a counter in the next lower order position. Formed on the cam 43 is a projection 54 which is engageable with the projection 59 when the counter is in its zero position. At this time, the contact element 51 engages the tens carry terminal WT. An arm 55 on the lever is engages a shoulder on a latch lever for holding the contact element in engagement with the terminal iiiT until a carry pulse is delivered to the start magnet of the counter in the next higher order position so as to advance one step. If the higher order counter happens to be in its nine position, the carry pulse is delivered at the same time to the counter in the second higher position. As soon as the carry pulse has been delivered, a stud 53 on the gear 3 rocks the latch lever 5? to release the carry lever 4 49 so that its projection 50 engages the circular portion of the cam 48 and holds the contact element 5| in its mid-position.

In Fig. 7 one of the counter units is shown connected in a circuit for controlling the energizing of a magnet 50 which may be the print magnet for a printer like that shown in the Buhler Patent 2,013,533. In this arrangement, the counter start magnet 25 is pulsed by the sensing of a perfora tion in a card 62 which may be punched at any one of 0 to 9 index positions. Upon the sensing of a perforation, a circuit is completed from a power conductor 63 through a contact roll 84, a sensing brush 65, the start magnet 25 and a conductor 66 to the other power conductor 61. This causes the clutch lever 22 to be disengaged from the spider Id and held in its disengaged position by a spring urged latch iii at the upper end of the clutch lever.

The card 62 is advanced past the brush 65 with its No. 9 index points first and a pulse is delivered to the start magnet at a time corresponding to the point at which the perforation is sensed. At zero time, a pulse is delivered from the power conductor 63 through cam contacts E2 and the stop magnet 26 to the conductor 61. As a result of this operation the abutment member 33 of the counter is advanced to a position corresponding to the number of the point at which the perforations was sensed, and the brushes are held in their original position which may be assumed to be zero.

A commutator Hi has a brush arm i5 which is rotated to engage contacts 9 to 0 in synchro nism with the passing of the 9 to 0 index points on a card under the crush 55. The commutator contacts are connected to corresponding contacts t5 which are engaged by the counter brushes The brush arm 55 is connected to the power conduct-or G3, and the common contact 45 for the brushes 43 is connected through the magnet (ii! to the conductor 6?. When the commutator brush arm 75 engages its contact corresponding to the one on which the counter brush 53 is resting, a pulse is delivered to the magnet 60. If the magnet 58 acts as the print magnet in the Buhier patent referred to above, then a latch 78 is released from a spring urged lever 3'9 so that it rocks in a direction to move a toothed arm 89 in engagement with a continuously rotating toothed wheel 8!. The arm 80 is moved by the wheel Hi to effect the throwing of a hammer 82 in a direction to force a record sheet (not shown) against a type element 33 on a rotating carrier 34. This carrier is driven so that the type elements are moved past the hammer in synchronism with the movement of the commu tator brush arm '55 past corresponding contacts. At zero time in the first cycle, a pulse is delivered through the brushes .3 to energize the magnet 53 and ei fect a printing of zero. Just after zero time, the latch lever 33 of the counter is released from the wheel 35 so that the brushes 43 take a new position corresponding to the setting of the counter. During the second cycle, the brushes are held in their new positions while the counter is advanced again. When the commutator brush reaches a position corresponding to that of the counter brushes, a pulse is delivered again to the magnet 60 for printing the value read into the counter during the first cycle. It will be seen that for each cycle, a printing is obtained of the total read into the counter during the preceding cycles.

Instead of controlling the operation of a printer, a magnet for another counter may be connected in the circuit with the brushes 43 to obtain a control function in one cycle which determined by the operation of the present counter in an earlier cycle. Such a control shown and described in an application to H. P. Luhn, Serial Number 264,325, filed December 31, 1951.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A cyclically operable control mechanism comprising, in combination, a driving element, an accumulating element, means for connecting said accumulating element in driven relation with said driving element during a period in each cycle proportional to a value to be accumulated, control means including a member movable to different control positions, an abutment portion on said accumulating element for limiting movement of said member to a position corresponding to that of said accumulating element, means for yieldingly urging said member toward said abutment portion, and means for holding said member stationary during the portion of each cycle when said accumulating element is driven.

2. A cyclically operable control mechanism comprising, in combination, a driving element, an accumulating element, means for connecting said accumulating element in driven relation with said driving element during a period in each cycle proportional to a value to be accumulated, control means including a rotatable member, a brush carried by said member and engageable successively with a plurality of contacts during rotation of said member, means fixed to said accumulating element for limiting rotation of said member, said brush being arranged to engage some one of said contacts in each position at which rotation of said member is limited, means for yieldingly urging said member in the direction in which said accumulating element is driven, and means for holding said member against rotation during the driving of said accumulating element.

3. The mechanism of claim 2 including means for subjecting said plurality of contacts successively to a voltage pulse during each cycle, and an electrically operated control element connected in a circuit with said brush.

4. An accumulating device comprising, in combination, a driving element, an accumulating element, a clutch mechanism adapted to connect said accumulating element in driven relation with said driving element, a pivoted clutch controlling lever, means for rocking said lever in one direction to cause clutching, means for rocking said lever in the opposite direction to cause declutching, a freely rotatable member carrying brushes which are adapted to connect a common contact to any one of a plurality of contacts corresponding to the different possible positions of said accumulating element, means for yieldingly urging said rotatable member to a position for connecting said common contact to the one of said contacts corresponding to the position of said accumulating element, releasable means for holding said rotatable member stationary while said accumulating element is being driven, and means operable to release said holding means after the driving of said accumulating element has been completed.

5. A cyclically operable device adapted to accumulate values and to provide a control circuit at a time in each cycle corresponding to the total amount accumulated during preceding cycles comprising, in combination, a driving element, an accumulating element, clutching mechanism therebetween, a clutch controlling lever, means for rocking said lever in a direction to effect clutching at a time in each cycle corresponding to the value to be accumulated, means for rocking said lever in a direction to effect declutching at a fixed time in each cycle, a freely rotatable member carrying a brush adapted to engage any one of a plurality of contacts corresponding to the different possible positions of said accumulating element, an abutment portion on said accumulating element for limiting movement of said member to a position for engaging said brush with the contact corresponding to the position of said accumulating element, means for yieldingly urging said member toward said abutment portion, means for holding said member each cycle against the action of said yielding means until said accumulating element has been advanced a distance proportional to the amount to be accumulated, a control circuit including said brush and means for subjecting said plurality of contacts successively to a voltage pulse.

6. A device adapted to accumulate values in response to the sensing of perforations in cards at 9 to 0 index points and to deliver a pulse to a control element in each cycle at a time corresponding to the total value accumulated during previous cycles comprising, in combination, a driving element, an accumulating element, a clutch element adapted to connect said accumulating element in driven relation with said driving element, card sensing means, means for feeding cards successively past said sensing means with their No. 9 index points first, means operative on the sensing of a perforation for engaging said clutch element, means operative at zero time for disengaging said clutch mechanism, a freely rotatable member carrying brushes adapted to connect a common contact to any one of a plurality of contacts corresponding to the different possible positions of said accumulating element, an abutment portion on said accumulating element for limiting rotation of said member to a position at which said brushes connect said common contact to the one of said contacts corresponding to the position of said accumulating element, means for yieldingly urging said member toward said abutment portion, means for holding said member against movement by said yielding means during the time that said accumulating element is driven, means for releasing said holding means after each 0 index point passes said sensing means, a commutator having a brush engageable successively with contacts numbered 9 to 0 in sychronism with the movement of card index points past said sensing means, means for connecting said brush to one side of a power line, means for connecting each of said commutator contacts to a corresponding one of said plurality of contacts, means for connecting said common contact through said control element to the other side of said power line.

HANS P. LUHN.

No references cited.

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