US3005586A - Calculating device - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 24, 1961 R. E. sTEvENsoN CALCULATING DEVICE Filed Oct. 30, 1958 nited `State My invention relates primarily to means of a simple nature adapted to be manipulated directly by a user and designed especially for the easy computation of elapsed time. Such a device is especially useful in computing elapsed time for making up time studies, payrolls and the like. While the device has other applications, it is re ferred to primaly and is disclosed herein especially as an elapsed time calculating device.

It is an object of the invention to provide a calculating device readily manufactured from simple materials and easily fabricated, repaired and used.

Another object of the invention is to provide a calculating device which can easily be manipulated by the user, in some instances using but the thumb and one finger of one hand. u

A still further object of the invention is to provide a calculating device-so arranged as to be readily used as a desk implement in an office.

Another object of the invention is to provide a calculating device for direct manual operation and so that auxiliary equipment is not necessary for its operation.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a calculating device generally an` improvement over calculating devices heretofore known.

While the invention can be incorporated in a number of different ways particularly dependent upon its immediate iield of use, it has successfully been incorporated as described in the accompanying description and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE l is a partially exploded view showing various parts of the calculating device in perspective.

FIGURE 2 is a plan of a calculating device constructed in accordance with the invention, the users hand being shown in the act of performing a calculation.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-section to an enlarged scale, the plane of section being indicated by the line 3 3 of FIG- URE 2.

In the present instance the calculating device is especially arranged for calculating elapsed time, the time being considered not only in hours but also in tens of minutes and in minutes; For that use the mechanism includes primarily a base 6 generally rectangular in plan having a top edge 7, a bottom edge 8 parallel thereto and two parallel side `edges 9 and' 11 to define a rectangle. Conveniently, :the base is fabricated of metal, plastic or fairly heavy fibel-board, being preferably made up of a plurality of superposed sheets of iiberboard adhesively secured together in appropriate locations.

Extending through the base 6 from one edge 7 to the other edge 8 thereof is a first slide channel 13. This is defined to have its outer edge 14 substantially parallel to the side edge 11 and to extend toward the center of the base, being somewhat narrower .as the center is approached by reason of an intervening step 16.

Somewhat similarly, there is provided a second slide channel 17 extending through the base 6 from the edge 7 to the edgeV 8 in a direction generally parallel to the side 9 and therefore parallel to the first channel 13. The second channel 17 is bounded by a side 21 parallel to the edge 9 and has a similar step 22. As the channel 17 narrows and approaches the center of the base it merges with the comparable narrow portion of the first channel 13.

Also provided in the-base 6 is a third channel 24. This third channel is arranged with a boundary 26 parallel to the edge 3 and therefore at right angles to the sides 9 and 11. The third channel extends transversely of the base from the edge 9 to the edge 11 thereof. This third channel is formed in the laminations of the base in a position above the two channels 13 and 17 so that the third channel is entirely separate therefrom. The third channel overlies or spans the rst and second'channels. The third channel 24 is similarly provided with a shoulder 27 or step and a narrowed portion 28 comparable to the narrowed portions near the center of the first and second channels.

Designed to enter into and slide within the first channel 13 is a first slide 31, particularly illustrated in FIGURE l. This is -generally a rectangular sheet of material; for example, fiberboard, having parallel ends and parallel side edges. The first slide 31 is provided along one edge with a thickened rib 32 adapted to fit Well within the enlarged portion of the first channel 13 and is provided with a center plate 33 adapted to extend into the narrow central portion and the merging parts of the first and second channels. The rib 32 of the first slide throughout its length is provided with a series of transverse notehm 36. These are preferably approximately crescent shaped indentations into the material of the rib. Conveniently, these notches 36 are augmented on both sides with linear markings 37. All of these are evenly spaced and continue largely throughout the length of the first slide. The slide 31 also has a column of indicia 38 representing minutes from "0 to 9.

Additionally, the plate 33 of the first slide is provided with a plurality of elongated rectangular perforations such as 41, 42, 43 and 44. The perforations enumerated are only some of a larger number of similar perforations `appropriately arranged on the slide.

Disposed beneath the perforations 41, 42, 43 and 44 are appropriately spaced columns of indicia 48 and 49 appearing on the plate portion 51 of a subposed second slide 52. This slide, like the iirst slide, is also rectangular in plan and conveniently is made of a number of thicknesses of fiberboard. The plate portion 51 underlies in part the plate portion 33 so that the thickness of the plate portions together is substantially equivalent to that of the merging central portions of the first and second channels. The second slide 52 has an upstanding edge rib S3 substantially received in the enlarged portion of the second channel 17 so as to be freely slidable therein in an endwise direction.

The rib 52 throughout substantially its entire length is provided with a number of notches 54 or indentations also of substantially cresent shape like the notches 36 and is similarly provided with adjacent delineations 56. The relative arrangement of the first slide 31 and the second slide 52 is such that the apertures 41, 42, 43 and 44 (and the additional, comparable apertures) are effective to disclose or uncover only selected portions of certain columns of the indicia or numerals 48 and 49 in various relatively shifted positions of the first and second slides.

To render the first and second slides readily useable and to `display appropriate indicia, the base =6 in its central portion is formed to define a cutout or rectangular window 61. This window extends part way through the base and leaves not only portions of the first slide 31 exposed but also portions of the second slide 52 exposed. Furthermore, there are Within thewindow 61 subsidiary windows 62 and 63l overlying the subjacent central, plate portions of the first and second slides and of a width separately to disclose numerals in the column 48 and nurnerals in the column 49 insofar as such numerals are uncovered by the apertures 41, 42, 43 and 44 and the like. The window 63 also discloses the numerals in the column 38. The base 6 lwithin the window 61 and surrounding the window 62 has a display area 64 on which appear numerals `66 representing tens of minutes and ranging from to 50, the mark for 60 being unnumbered. The space 64 adjacent the irst slide 31 also carries numerals `67 representing minutes ranging from 0 to 9, the marker for 110 being unnumbered. The window 62 carries the indicium 68 reading hours while the window 63 in the area `64 carries the indicium 69 reading minutes.

In addition to the first and second slides there is provided a third slide 71 designed to traverse the third channel 24 freely in a transverse direction. The third slide has a thickened ribi 72 and a thin plate 73. These parts are substantially the same in cross-section as the crosssection of the third transverse channel. On the thickened rib, the third slide 71 carries a series of notches 74- comparable to the no- tches 36 and 54 while the plate 73 carries a series of indicia 77 representing hours and ranging from 0 at the right-hand end to 24 at the lefthand end. The base 6 in addition to the 'window' 6i is also provi-ded with a window 78 through which can be discerned the indicia 77 on the subjacent third slide. Near the window 78 is an indicium 79 reading hours Also adjacent the window 78 and disposed lin alignment therewith on the base 6i and in alignment also with the side marks 81 on the third slide beside the notches 74- therein is a series of indicia 82 at its center bearing the designation N representing noon in alignment with the window 78 and ranging toward the right with consecutive numerals up to the final designation M indicating midnight and beginning at the left-hand end with a duplicate of the indicium M for midnight and ranging with the numerals in order up to N representing noon.

The relative orientation yor positioning of the exposed portion of the third slide 71 especially with respect to the exposed portion of the iirst slide 3-1 is such that while these slides are in different planes and each can be moved independently of the other, they are nevertheless simultaneously available. A user can readily put his thumb 83 in a position to engage the notches 74 with his thumbnail while simultaneously placing his index iinger 84 in a position so that his ngernail Ican engage the notches 36 of the first slide 31. The users other hand can similarly be employed to actuate the second slide 52 and the third slide 71 simultaneously.

In the use of this device, it is initially set at a zero reading in all the windows by having the ends of the various slides flush with the ends and sides of the base 6. If then, for example, a work card shows that a job started at 8:15 a.m., the user places the right hand thumb 83 with the thumbnail in the notch 74 opposite the indicium 8 in the series 82, places the nail of a left hand iinger in the notch of the series 54- representing the tens of minutes; that is, i and puts the nail of his right hand index finger 84 in the notch 36 opposite the numeral 5 in the indicium series 67. Suppose that the time card shows the job to have been terminated at 4:38 p.m. Under these circumstances the thumb 83 is moved, carrying the third slide 7l with it to the right until such time as the line 81 opposite the occupied notch registers with the line adjacent the numeral 4 after noon in the series of indicia 82. The second slide 52. is then moved so that the occupied notch originally opposite lil in the series 66 is moved until it is opposite the numeral 30 in that series. Further, the tirst slide 31 is moved until the occupied one of the notches 36 is opposite the numeral 8 in the series 67. All of these movements are such as to render a display of the elapsed time. Thus, the window 62 shows the numeral 0, the window 78 shows the numeral 8 whereas the numeral 2 appears toward left in the window 63 and the numeral 3 appears to the right in the window 63 indicating a reading of 8 hours 23 minutes.

In the event the starting and quitting times are such that there is an elapsed time of less than an hour even though the clock hour changes, the reading in the window 62 is subtracted from the reading in the window 73 since some of the numerals on the slide S2 in the indicia series 48 are in red to indicate subtraction whereas all of the remaining numerals are in black to indicate addition.

All other problems of elapsed time are accomplished in accordance with the example explained, the user manipulating the three slides as described. His work is greatly facilitated by the ability to manipulate both the first and third slides or the second and third slides simultaneously by the simultaneous operation of his thumb and index finger on the appropriately spaced movable parts. At the conclusion of the accumulation of any amount of clasped time within the capacity of the device, the various slides are all moved so that they are again flush with the boundaries of the base and so that the showing in the various windows is again zero, the device being then available for a subsequent problem.

By appropriately staggering the vario-us apertures 41, 42, 43 and 44 and by appropriately afiixing the indicia in the series 48 as well as in the series 49, the various apertures, as the slides are moved, in eiiect shift from one column of indicia to another at an appropriate point so as to display a tens transfer. Thus, the device is correct and gives a proper indication of the true elapsed time no matter at what hour and minute the time period begins or at what hour and minute the time period ends. The only mental operation ever required from the user is a possible subtraction of the hourly figure in red appearing in the window' 62 from the hourly figure appearing in the window 7S, or a possible addition of hourly iigures in black appearing in the window 62 to the hourly figure appearing in the window 78.

What is claimed is:

1. An elapsed time calculating device comprising a base having sides and ends, means forming a first slide channel in said base parallel to said sides, means forming a second slide channel in said base parallel to said sides and merging with said first channel, means forming a third channel in said base parallel to said ends and overlying said first channel and said second channel, slides in said respective channels having numerals thereon, said slides being formed with operating notches therein, and the slide in said third channel overlapping the slides in said first and second channels, and means forming windows in said base exposing selected areas of said slide numerals and selected groups of said notches in locations -for simultaneous manipulation of the slide in said third channel and one of the slides in said first and second channels by the thumb and iinger of one hand of the user.

2. An elapsed time calculating device comprising a planar, rectangular base having sides and ends, means forming a iirst 'channel in said base parallel to said sides and extending from end to end, means forming a second channel in said base parallel to said sides and extending from end to end and Imerging with said iirst channel, means forming a third channel in said base parallel to said ends and extending from side to side and overlying said hrst channel and said second channel, slides in said channels having numerals thereon, means forming windows in said base for exposing selected portions of said slides andthe numerals thereon, and means forming notches on said slides accessible through said windows to the thumb and finger of a user said notches on said slides in said first and second channels being parallel to said ends and said notches on said slide in said third channel being parallel to said sides.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 689,680 Locke Dec. 24, l1 1,114,560 Wild Oct. 20, 1914 1,422,944 Edmondson July 18, 1922 2,605,04s Jordan July 29, 1952 2,659,632 Brickner Nov. 17, 1953 FOREGN PATENTS 568,876 France Jan. 2, 1924

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