US2724551A - anderson - Google Patents

Description

N v 22, 1955 w. A. ANDERSON CONSTANT DEVICE FOR CALCULATING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 30, 1952 IN VEN TOR. WAL 7'51; ,4. ANDEPS ON BY 9 Nov. 22, 1955 w. A. ANDERSON CONSTANT DEVICE FOR CALCULATING MACHINE Filed Dec. 30. 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q INVENTOR.

WALTER 4. ANDERSON A T TORNEV Unitiid tates Patent CONSTANT DEVICE FOR CALCULATING MACHINE Walter A. Anderson, Trumbull, Conn., assignor to Underwood Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application December 30, 1952, Serial No. 328,761

4 Claims. (c1. 23s-6e This invention relates to a zero indexing and constant conditioning mechanism for calculating machines, and is an improvement over the mechanism disclosed in the patent application Serial No. 201,031 of Walter A. Anderson, filed December 15, 1950, now Patent 2,647,690 issued August 4, 1953.

The present invention is exemplified herein in connection with a calculating machine of the type disclosed in the applications for patent, Serial No. 170,968, of Oscar J. Sundstrand, filed June 29, 1950, and Serial No. 182,672 of Oscar W. Swanson and Ernest Mossberg, filed September 1, 1950 now Patent 2,630,967 issued March 10, 1953, to which reference may be made for an understanding of features of construction and mode of operation not fully shown or described herein.

The present machine is provided with the means described in the applications cited above for performing adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing operations, and for taking totals and sub-totals, all of which are omitted herein as not part of the present invention.

The machine is provided with means by which multiplying and dividing operations are performed while the amount setting means is back-spaced from higher to lower denominations until the set up amount entered is reduced to zero, or operation of the machine is stopped by the depression of a special key provided therefor. When multiplication with a constant multiplicand is desired, the multiplicand may be indexed and the set pin restoring mechanism disabled so that upon release of the usual indexing mechanism escapement, after one computation has been completed, movement of the indexing mechanism to the last denominational position will reindex the multiplicand for further use. In the machine disclosed in the above applications, such escapement mechanism release allows the indexing mechanism to move to the highest denominational position. As the zero index pins are not normally set, these pins must be indexed prior to the first use of such a multiplicand.

In the machine disclosed in the Anderson application above, a special key is provided to preset the zero pin setting mechanism and the constant key is then operated to release the indexing mechanism for movement to its highest denomination, the zeros being indexed as it moves, and the zero pin setting mechanism being released at the highest indexed denomination. In practice, this mechanism has been found capable of misoperation in that if the special zero setting key is operated without a succeeding indexing mechanism release, no further machine entries can be made, since the zero index pin will be set in every effective denominational order.

It is then one object of the present invention to provide a mechanism for successively setting the zero pin setting mechanism and thereafter releasing the indexing mechanism by a depression of a single key.

Normally, the indexed pins are restored as they pass to a sub-units denominational position. The machine is, however, also provided with a mechanism to retain the amount including the above mentioned zeros set up on the index pins, this mechanism being similar to that of the Swanson and Mossberg application above. This retained amount is to be rendered available by operation of the same key which releases the indexing mechanism for movement to its highest denomination. During such movement, however, the zero pin setting mechanism may not be effective to set the zero pins for this would render the previously set up amount unavailable for computation, the lowest digit pin which is set being the only elfective one.

it is, therefore, a further object of the present invention to provide a means which, when the machine is conditioned for retaining a constant factor, enables the resetting of the constant factor but prevents the setting of the zero pins upon the depression of the aforesaid single key.

With these and incidental objects in View, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, the important elements of which are herein set forth in appended claims, and a preferred embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawings which accompany and form part of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a partial right side view of the machine showing the parts of the invention in normal position,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the constant key showing some of the parts in a separated relation.

Figure 3 is a right side view of the portion of the mechanism for locking in a constant factor,

Figure 4 is a plan view of the parts for releasing the indexing mechanism for movement to the highest denomination,

Figure 5 is a plan view of the structure for setting the lower denominational order zero pins during indexing mechanism movement,

Figure 6 is a right side view of a portion of Figure 1 showing the position of the parts when the constant key is depressed,

Figure 7 is a view of the constant key of Figure 1 just prior to return of the key after depression with some overlying parts removed, and,

Figure 8 is a plan view of the machine keyboard.

General description Referring now to Figures 1 and 8 of the drawings, the present invention is embodied in a calculating machine having the usual ten amount entering keys 11 and a set of laterally positioned and vertically movable type bars 13. Each type bar 13 is connected, by means of a swinging tail 16, Figure 1, with a tail pin 17 supported for vertical slidable movement in a block 19 mounted for slidable movement laterally on a shaft 20 fixed in a frame 22 supported on the machine frame, not shown. The type bars 13 also actuate a totalizer, not shown.

Slidably supported in the frame are stop pins 23 for arresting the type bars in printing positions. Normally the stop pins 23 are set in their restored position, as shown in Figure 1, where they are clear of the t pe bar tail pins 17. The numeral keys Eli are supported in a frame 25 fixed on the machine base, not shown, and when depressed, move rods 26, slidably supported in an upstanding bar 23 fixed on a swinging lever 29, and corresponding stop pins 23 rearwardly and into the path of the vertically movable type bar tail pins 17, so that upon cycling the machine by the oscillation of the main shaft 31, the type corresponding to the key 1i depressed is printed and the amount computed in the totalizer.

The stop pins 23 are mounted in the frame 22 in rows laterally, one row for each type bar 13 tothe capacity of the machine. The swinging lever 29 is pivoted on the keyboard frame 25 and is normally urged to swing clockwise, as seen in Figure 5, by means of a spring 32 to carry with it and denominationally position block 19 and tail pins 17. It is normally restrained from swinging clockwise by the engagement of the upper end of the upstanding bar 28 with notches 3 1, see Figure 4, in an indexing lever 35 pivoted on a stud 37 fixed on the frame 22. With the depression of any one of the numeral keys 11, a rod 38 shifts lever 35 to release bar 28 from notch 34 and enables the swinging lever 29 to swing clockwise, denomination by denomination.

The mechanism for entering zeros The present invention provides a means for entering zeros from the last significant figure entered by the numeral keys to the full capacity of the machine upon the depression and release of a single key 41 The key 40 is mounted for vertical slidable movement on studs 4-1 and 43 fixed in the keyboard frame 25, and is normally urged to its raised position thereon by means of a spring 4- The key 40 is provided with a slot 46 engaging a pin 47 fixed in a lever pivoted on the stud 41. The lever 49 is provided with a bent-over portion 50 which overlies the upper edge of a lever 52 pivoted also on the stud 41, and held in yieldable abutment therewith by means of a spring 53. The lower portion of lever 52 is provided with a slot 55 for receiving the outer end 56 of a lever 58, pivoted on a stud 59, fixed on the keyboard frame 25, as shown in Figures 1, 5 and 6.

Pivoted on a stud 61, see also Figure 2, in the lever 53 is a zero set slide 62, guided for forward and rearward slidable movement on the swinging lever 29 by a stud 64, as shown in Figure 5. The zero set slide 62 and its associated parts are substantially the same construction and operate in the same manner as disclosed in application Serial No. 201,031 above.

In general, the slide 62 is provided with a bent-over end 65 that normally rests in front of a cam lever 67 pivoted on a pin 63 in block 19. The cam lever 67 is normally urged, by a spring 7 to rest in front of depending pins 71 fixed to the lower side of each of the zero stops 23, in which position it is held by the engagement of a pin 73 therein in a notch of a detent '76, the detent being pivoted on a pin 77 in the block 19, and engaging the pin '73 under the urge of a spring 79.

With the depression of the key 40, after having entered the last signifiant figure in the numeral keys 11, lever 49 is rocked about the stud 41 counterclockwise, as seen in Figure 6, by engagement of the upper edge of slot 46 with pin 47. The rocking of lever 4-9, transmitted by way of spring 53, tensions the lever 52 to rock about stud 41 and pivot the lever -8 counterclockwise, Figure 5, causing the zero set slide 62 to move rearwardly on the swinging lever 29 and, engaging the cam lever 67, pivot that lever and force the zero stop 23 with which it is then aligned to move rearwardly and overlie the tail pin 17 of its associated type bar 13. The cam lever 67 is held in this position by the engagement of the pin 73 in a second notch in the detent 76 for reasons to be later described.

Having thus set the first of the zero stops 23, for arresting the type bars 13 at the zero position, the present invention provides a means for setting the remaining zero stops to the right of this first set zero stop, and to the full capacity of the machine, upon the release of the key 40 from its depressed position. To do this, a lever 82 is pivoted on the stud 41, and is provided with an upstanding leg 83 engaging a slot provided therefor in one leg of a bell crank 86. The bell crank 86 is pivoted on a stud 88 fixed in a bracket 89 secured to the keyboard frame 25, see Figure 1. Yieldably pivoted on the other leg of the bell crank 86 is a release pawl 91.

Slidably mounted on the machine frame is an indexing mechanism release slide 92, Figure 4, which is normally urged rearwardly by a spring 94. The release slide 92 is restrained against rearward movement by the engagement of a piece 95 adjustably secured thereto with the pawl 91. Pawl 91, lever 86 and lever 82 are positioned by a spring 97, which holds lever 82 against a pin 98 fixed in the keyboard frame 25. The rearward end of the release slide 92 normally abuts a square pin 100 secured on the indexing lever 35.

Fixed on the lever 82 is a half round pin 101 having a lower flat face and its rounded portion extending thereabove. Pivoted on a stud 104-, see also Figures 2 and 7, fixed in the key 40, is a hook 106, tensioned to normally stop against a pin 107 in the key 40, by spring 109.

With the depression of the key 40 to set the zero stop 23 aligned with cam lever 67 as previously described, the lower rear edge of the hook 106 cams on the rounded portion of the pin 101 in the lever 82, which is restrained from pivoting by its engagement with the stop pin 98, stretching the spring 109 until the hook 106 passes by the pin, whereupon the spring returns the hook to its normal position against the pin 107. As the key 40 rises from its depressed position, the hook 106 engages the lower fiat face of the pin 101, and pivots the zero release actuating lever 82 counterclockwise about the stud 41. During this pivoting of the lever 82, its upstanding leg 83 pivots the bell crank 86 clockwise, Figure 4, and disengages the hook 91 from the release slide 92. The spring 94 then draws the release slide 92 rearwardly against the square pin 100 and pivots the indexing lever 35 from engagement with the upstanding bar 28 of swinging lever 29. The swinging lever 29 is thus free to swing under the urge of the spring 32, and move the block 19 laterally to the right, Figure 5, on the shaft 20.

The cam lever 67 is provided with a cam edge which, when lever 67 is detented in its rearward position, is positioned to engage the pins 71 fixed in the zero stops 23, and, during the lateral movement of block 19 as above set out, cam the stops 23 seriatim into type bar arresting position. As the key 40 approaches its fully raised position, the arc of movement of the pin 101 in the lever 82 takes pin 101 away from hook 106 to release lever 82 and bell crank 86 for return to their normal position, as shown in Figure 1. Also, with the setting of the last zero stop 23 rearwardly by the cam lever 67 during movement of block 19, the forward end of detent 76 strikes the end of a plate 118 mounted on the frame 22, to release the detent and permit restoration of cam lever 67 to its normal position by spring 70 as shown in Figure 5.

During the first cycle following operation of key 40, usually a multiplying cycle, slide 92 is restored to its normal position wherein it is latched by hook 91. The restoration of slide 92 is accomplished by cyclically operating parts 124, and 127 which engage the rear edge of an extension of slide 92. These parts correspond to parts 115, 117 and 118 of application Serial No. 182,672 above. Indexing lever 35 is thus free for reengagement with bar 28 to retain bar 28, swinging lever 29 and block 19 in the positions to which they may be later back-spaced.

During such back-spacing movements or a similar complete return of lever 29 for reindexing a new amount, and with the machine conditioned for normal operation, that is, not set for a constant factor entry, as block 19 returns to its leftward or normal position, the stops 23 originally set rearward are restored to their forward position and clear of the tail pins 17 as shown in Figures 1 and 5. This is done by an upstanding bar 128 fixed on the block 19 and having lugs 130 for engagement with each horizontal row of stops 23. The lugs 130 are provided with a bevelled corner which, as the block 19 moves leftwardly, cams on the rounded rear ends of stops 23 and forces them to move into their rearward position. At the completion of a computation, the swinging lever 29 is fully restored to the position shown in Figure 5 wherein all stops 23 are restored to their forward positions.

Erroneous entry correction mechanism Frequently an erroneous amount is entered in the amount keys 11,'and the key 40 is depressed before the discovery of the error. The present invention provides means for manually restoring slide 92 upon return of slide 19 to reset the pins 23. Such return of slide 19 is effected by depression of a correction key 133, Figure 8, which key restores the swinging lever 29 from an indexed position to the home position and, by means of the bar 128 resets the stops 23. Since the operation of the key 41) released lever 92 from engagement with the hook 91 to disengage the bar 28 from notches 34, it is also necessary to restore the release lever 92 before a correct amount can be entered by the amount keys 11. In the machine of application Serial No. 182,672, this requires a blank machine cycle, but in this disclosure, such restoration is effected by depression of the correction key 133. To enable key 133 to do this, a bell crank 134', Figure 4, is pivoted on a stud 136 fixed in the machine frame. One leg of the bell crank is provided with a slot 139 for receiving a pin 140 fixed in the release lever 92. The other leg of the bell crank 134 extends rearwardly into the path of movement of the bar 28, so that as the lever 29 approaches its restored position, it pivots the bell crank 134 about its pivot stud 136 and restores the release lever 92 to engagement with the hook 91'. Coincident with the restoration of the release lever 91, as the block 19' approaches its restored position, a cam edge 143, Figure 5, of the detent '76 cams on the frame 22to ensure the restoration of the cam lever 67 when the indexing mechanism is in its normal unindexed condition.

Mechanism for preventing the entering of zeros while an amount is retained as a constant In certain multiplying problems, it is desirable to retain an amount set up in the stops 23 as a constant factor. This may be done by setting the bar 128 to a position where the lugs 130 are intermediate the stops 23, and pass by the stops 23 as the block 19 is restored. With the bar 12% so set, it is only necessary to depress and release the key it to release the lever 29 and the block 19 for movement to the highest denominational order, positioning the type bar tails 17 for engagement with the stops 23 set to conform to the constant being retained, before proceeding with a succeeding computation. As previously described, the depression and release of the key 49 causes zero stops 2.3 to be set by cam lever 67 during such movement. The present invention includes means to prevent such setting of the zero stops as a result of operation of the key 40, while the machine is conditioned for retaining a constant.

Setting of the bar 128 to a constant retaining position is effected by a lever 145, Figure 3, secured to a shaft 146 which is journalled in a bracket 14% secured to the machine base, not shown. Mounted on and actuated by the shaft 146 is a cradle 149. A link 2 .51 connects the cradle 149 and a lever 152 pivoted on a shaft 154, Figure 1, fixed in bracket 155 secured to the keyboard frame 25. The lever 152 has an ear 157 provided with a slot, not shown, which, when slide 19 is in the highest denominational position, engages a plate 15% secured to the lower end of the bar 128. Fixed on the lever 145 is a pin 160 for engaging notches of a detent 164, which is pivoted on a stud 166 in the bracket 145, and urged into detenting position under the tension of a spring M7. With the lever 14-5 in its rearward position, and the pin 160 detented in the rear notch of detent 164, the bar 123 is supported in the position shown in Figure l, where the lugs 130 are aligned with the stops 23 and efiect their return to normal position during restoration of block 19.

When lever 145 is in its forward position, and the pin 16%? rests in the forward notch, the lever 152 is pivoted upwardly about the shaft 154, raising the bar 128 to a position wherein the lugs 13d) are intermediate the stops 23, and the amount indexed on pins 23 is not destroyed as the block 19 is restored. The lever 152 is provided with a bent-over ear 169 which, in the rear position of lever 145, rests clear of the lever 52. Lever is moved to the forward position to retain a constant factor which has been indexed on pins 23. Such constant factor is made available for further computations by a depression of key 40 torelease the indexing mechanism escapement lever 35. At such time, however, cam lever 67 must not be effective to set the zero pins 23. Therefore, when lever 1% is set into the forward, constant retaining position, ear 169 of lever 152 is positioned directly to the rear of lever 52 preventing motion of this lever 52 upon de pression of key 40. The release of slide 92 to release the indexing mechanism escapement lever 35 is not altered.

Summarizing, it will now be clear that operation of key 40 will always be effective to release slide 92 and free the indexing mechanism for movement to the highest denominational position. If there is no previously indexed amount on pins 23, the cam lever 67 will also be set to index zeros in all unindexed denominational rows of pins 23. If, however, the previously indexed value has been retained set up in pins 23 by positioning lever 145 forwardly, then no movement of lever 52 to set cam lever 67 is permitted and no additional zero pins will be set.

'The above description of avpreferred embodiment of the invention is not to be taken as limiting the scope of the invention for many alterations in structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the principles involved.

What is claimed is:

1. In a calculating machine of the class described having indexing mechanism comprising a plurality of digital keys, settable denominational stop members, means operable by said keys to set said step members, denomination by denomination, indexing escapement means to present successive denominations of said stop members for setting by said keys, printing members, means connected to said printing members and engageable with set ones of said stop members to limit movement of said printing members, a cam member positionable to set the stop member representing zero which is in the denomination next lower than the last denomination indexed by said keys, an indexing escapement release member, a constant key, means yieldingly operated by said key upon depression thereof to set said positionable earn member to the zero setting position, other means operated by said key upon release thereof to operate said escapement release member, said cam member being thereupon eifective to set the stop member representing zero in all denominational orders not having a set stop member, a manipulative lock lever, and means settable thereby to prevent operation of said constant key operated means and setting of said positionable cam member to the zero setting position.

2. A printing calculating machine of the class described having a plurality of digit keys, a plurality of settable stop members arranged in denominational rows, operating means between said key and said stop members, means to shift said operating means relative to said stop members to enable said operating means to set stop members denomination by denomination upon operation of said keys, an escapement mechanism operable by said digit keys to control said relative shifting of said stop members and said operating means, a sliding member releasable to free said relative shifting means from said escapement mechanism, a member to set a stop member representing zero in the denomination order aligned with said operating means, a constant key, means operated by said key upon depression thereof to shift said zero stop setting member into zero setting position, other means operable by said constant key during return from depressed position to release said sliding member and thereby free said relative shifting means for movement to a fully indexed position, said zero stop setting member during said movement setting the zero stop member in all non-indexed denominational rows, a constant lock lever, a stop member restoring bar normally operative to reset said. stop members during restoration of said relatively shiftable stop members and operating means to a home position, means operable by said constant lock lever when set in constant locking position to disable said stop member restoring bar to prevent resetting of said stop member and mechanism set by said constant lock lever when in locking position to prevent setting of said zero stop setting rnembcr into stop setting position by depression of said constant key.

3. In a printing-calculating machine having digit keys, indexable stop pins arranged in denominational rows, indexing members between said keys and stop pins to set said pins by operation of said keys, said stop pins and said indexing members being relatively shiftable, an escapernent mechanism to control the relative shift of said indexing members and said stop pins, the combination of an escapement release member operable to determine a free relative movement of said indexing members relative to said stop pins into alignment with the lowest denominational row, a second stop pin setting member for the stop pins representing zero and relatively movable with said indexing members, retaining means to hold said second step pin setting member in a set position, a manipulative constant entry key during a return thereof to a home position to free said escapement release member for operation, and members yieldingly operated by said constant entry key during its movement from home position to set said second stop pin setting member into effective position.

4. In a printing-calculating machine having digit keys, indexable stop pins arranged in denominational rows, indexing members between said keys and stop pins to set said pins by operation of said keys, said stop pins and said indexing members being relatively shiftable, an escapement mechanism to control the relative shift of said indexing members and said stop pins, the combination of an escapement release member operable to determine a free relative movement of said indexing members relative to said stop pins into alignment with the lowest denominational row, a second stop pin setting member for the stop pins representing zero and relatively movable with said indexing members, retaining means to hold said second stop pin setting member in a set position, a manipulative constant entry key, means operable by said key during a return thereof to a home position to free said escapement release member for operation, members yieldingly operated by said constant entry key during its movement from home position to set said second stop pin setting member into effective position, a stop pin restoring member effective during the return of said stop pins and said indexing members to a home position to reset any set stop pins, a constant lock lever device settable to move said restoring member to an ineffective position, and an abutment thereon engageable with said yieldably operated members to permit operation of only said escapement release member when said constant entry key is manipulated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,647,690 Anderson Aug. 4, 1953

Images