US3147919A - Ten-key keyboard for calculating and bookkeeping machines - Google Patents

Description

Sept s, 1964 H. GEL'UNG 3,147,919

TEN-KEY KEYBOARD FOR CALCULATING AND BOOKKEEPING MACHINES Filed June 27, 1961 United States Patent O 3,147,919 TEN-KEY KEYBGARD FR CALCULATENG ANB BOUKKEEPHI G MACHINES Helmut Geiiing, Bietiikon, near Zurich, Switzeriand, as-

signor to Precisa A.G., Rechenmaschinent'abrik, Zurich, Switzerland Filed .lune 27, 1961, Ser. No. 119,941 Claims priority, appiieation Switzerland Li'uy 6, 1950 3 Claims. (Cl. 23S-145) This invention relates to a ten-key keyboard for calculating and book-keeping machines, in which the keys for the numerals 1 to 9 are arranged in three columns of three and in which the keys are mounted on mounting pins on guide elements, nine of these guide elements each having a limb which, when the key is depressed, pushes one of the .plungers arranged in a plunger box, movably disposed below the keys, into its operative position. In conventional ten-key keyboards of this kind, the mounting pins of the guide elements are disposed centrally of the keys, these pins being of rectangular cross-section and lying parallel to the direction of movement of the plunger box. This has the disadvantage of requiring the guide elements to be bent and all the guide elements are different one from the other. This therefore necessitates the provision of a special stamping tool and a special bending tool for each guide element. It is also diicult to maintain the necessary accuracy for faultless guiding of the keys, so that after adjustment and subsequent rehardening of the guide elements is often required. The present invention overcomes this disadvantage by providing at least nine of the said keys in one, plane, the mounting pin of at least the majority of the guide elements being oit-centre relative to the key, the guide elements being arranged in planes normal to the common plane of the keys and extending obliquely and inclined to the direction of movement of the plunger box.

A construction according to the invention is shown, by way of example, schematically in the drawing.

FIG. 1 shows a plan View of the keys, the guide elements and the plunger box, whilst FiG. 2 shows a section through the keyboard in the plane of one of the guide elements.

'Phe ten-key keyboard is provided, in the usual Way, with nine keys 11 bearing the numerals l to 9 and being arranged in three columns of three, and with an elongated key bearing the numeral 0. The key 11 is mounted on a mounting pin 12 of a guide element 13 which has three limbs 14, 15 and 16 of which the limbs or arms 14 and 15 are oppositely directed. The mounting pin 12 is .at the top end of the limb or arm 14 which extends through an opening 17 in a top plate 18. The limb 15 extends through an opening 19 in a lower plate 2t? and has a hook 21 which engages with a spring 22 Which tends to retain the key 11 in its normal raised position. The limbs or arms 14, 15 and 16 are interconnected by a yoke part 23. The plunger box 24 which is connected in the usual manner with the suitably arranged plungers 25, is arranged below the keys for reciprocation in the direction of the double-headed karrow 26. The limb 16 which extends through a hole 27 in the lower plate 2t?, depresses the setting plunger which happens to be underneath it into its operative position shown in full lines in FIG. 2, when the key 11 Iis depressed downwards. The

original position of a plunger 25 which has not been depressed is shown in FIG. 2 by interrupted lines and designated 25. The lower end of the plunger 25 in its operating position serves in the usual way for setting a toothed rack (not shown) which in turn serves to introduce the numeral concerned into a counting device.

Below the guide element 13 and at right angles thereto, there extends a pivotable proled rod 2S, which is retained -in the angular position Shown in FIG. 2 by a spring (not shown); in this position the free edge of a protruding portion 29 of this profiled rod abuts an abutment 30 on each guide element 13 which is in its nonactuated position. When the key 11 is depressed downwards, the profiled rod 28 is pivoted and thereby the plunger box 24 is moved one step in the usual way, so that the next column of plungers cornes under the limbs 16 of the guide elements 13. 1n FlG. l the plunger box is shown somewhat too far to the right, for sake of clarity. In its original position the plungers 25 of the iirst column are disposed underneath the limbs 16 of the guide elements. Since, as is well known, no plunger requires to be set for the setting of the numeral 9, because lin this case the position of the toothed racks is determined by a common abutment, the limb 16 of the guide element 13 is not disposed above the plunger box.

As can be seen from FIG. l, all the guide elements 13 `lie in a common plane. This is possible because the mounting pins 12 of these guide elements are olf-centre, relative to the keys concerned and, moreover, since most of these guide elements are inclined to the direction of movement of the plunger box 24 (only the guide elements 13 of the keys bearing the numerals 1, 2 and 9 being parallel to this direction). The guide elements 13 of the zero-key and of the keys bearing the numerals l, 4 and 7 are alike; likewise the three guide element 13 of the three keys 2, 5 and 8 are alike, and also the guide elements of the three keys bearing the numerals 3, 6 and 9. For the manufacture of the ten guide elements 13, only three stamping tools are required, whilst previously ten stamping tools and ten bending tools had to be provided.

In order to show clearly what the usual guide elements look like, such an element is shown in interrupted lines in respect of the key for the numeral 7 and designated 31. It should also be mentioned that a butter 32 is provided underneath the top plate 18.

it will be seen that a very considerable advantage regarding the method of manufacture is achieved by the construction of the ten-key keyboard described.

By arranging the zero-key further to the right, it is possible to make the guide element 13 equal to that for the key bearing the numeral 2 or 3, instead of that bearing the numeral 1. However, if the zero-key is made very long, a guide element provided with only a single mounting pin is not adequate for ensuring faultless guiding of this key, so that, in such an event, a special key which is not in the same common plane as the others` would have to be provided.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a calculating and bookkeeping machine having a horizontally extending frame plate provided with a series of guide slots, a pin carriage reciprocably mounted beneath said frame plate having closely spaced indexing pins reciprocably mounted for vertical movement, a ten key keyboard for said machine including keys for the numerals 1 to 9 and a Zero key, said numeral keys being arranged in three parallel spaced columns with three numeral keys in each column extending in a line, vertically reciprocable elements mounted in said guide slots having a key mounting pin on the upper end thereof, horizontal- -ly extending arms on said elements terminating at their ends in downwardly extending arms arranged to engage said pin carriage pins during indexing, yielding spring means for urging said element in an upward direction, and key buttons having apertures offset from the center thereof for receiving'the said mounting pins on the upper end of each of said elements, at least nine of said elements being arranged with their horizontally extending arms in a common horizontal plane, said horizontal arms being obliquely positioned in such a manner as to converge in a direction toward the pins in the pin carriage and each of said elements being formed of a flat plate-like structure providing a guided portion and an offset arm for selectively engaging the pins .in said pin box.

2. A calculating and bookkeeping machine as set forth in claim 1 in which three of the keys of the said three parallel spaced columns are mounted on similar elements.

'4 3. A calculating and bookkeeping machine according to claim 2 wherein the zero key of the ten key keyboard is mounted on the element which is similar to one of the guide elements of one of the other keys.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,099,060 Gebhardt Nov. 16, 1937 2,424,359 Lilestrom July 22, 1947 2,472,519 Carlsen June 7, 1949 2,675,960 Friedberg Apr. 20, 1954 2,677,498 Parker May 4, 1954 2,975,971 Schenk Mar. 21, 1961 3,029,014 Capellaro Apr. 10, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 107,712 Sweden June 22, 1943 473,24-0 Germany Mar. 12, 1929 497,196 Great Britain Dec. 14, 1938 736,626 Germany June 23, 1943 912,680 France May 6, 1946 Germany Apr. 7, 1960

Claims (1)

1. IN A CALCULATING AND BOOKKEEPING MACHINE HAVING A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING FRAME PLATE PROVIDED WITH A SERIES OF GUIDE SLOTS, A PIN CARRIAGE RECIPROCABLY MOUNTED BENEATH SAID FRAME PLATE HAVING CLOSELY SPACED INDEXING PINS RECIPROCABLY MOUNTED FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT, A TEN KEY KEYBOARD FOR SAID MACHINE INCLUDING KEYS FOR THE NUMERALS 1 TO 9 AND A ZERO KEY, SAID NUMERAL KEYS BEING ARRANGED IN THREE PARALLEL SPACED COLUMNS WITH THREE NUMERAL KEYS IN EACH COLUMN EXTENDING IN A LINE, VERTICALLY RECIPROCABLE ELEMENTS MOUNTED IN SAID GUIDE SLOTS HAVING A KEY MOUNTING PIN ON THE UPPER END THEREOF, HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING ARMS ON SAID ELEMENTS TERMINATING AT THEIR ENDS IN DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING ARMS ARRANGED TO ENGAGE SAID PIN CARRIAGE PINS DURING INDEXING, YIELDING SPRING MEANS FOR URGING SAID ELEMENT IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION, AND KEY BUTTONS HAVING APERTURES OFFSET FROM THE CENTER THEREOF FOR RECEIVING THE SAID MOUNTING PINS ON THE UPPER END OF EACH OF SAID ELEMENTS, AT LEAST NINE OF SAID ELEMENTS BEING ARRANGED WITH THEIR HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING ARMS IN A COMMON HORIZONTAL PLANE, SAID HORIZONTAL ARMS BEING OBLIQUELY POSITIONED IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO CONVERGE IN A DIRECTION TOWARD THE PINS IN THE PIN CARRIAGE AND EACH OF SAID ELEMENTS BEING FORMED OF A FLAT PLATE-LIKE STRUCTURE PROVIDING A GUIDED PORTION AND AN OFFSET ARM FOR SELECTIVELY ENGAGING THE PINS IN SAID PIN BOX.

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