US3410484A - Tens transfer means for printing adding machine with reduced keyboard and simplified actuating mechanisms - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 12, 1968 GlAN p o BAROZZl ETAL 3,410,484

TENS TRANSFER MEANS FOR PRINTING ADDING MACHINE WITH REDUCED KEYBOARD AND SIMPLIFIED AGTUATING MECHANISMS 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 23, 1965 Gian P/era Barozz/ G/ancar/o Horesch/ INVENTORS BY WMQMX M ATTORNEYS Nov. 12, 1968 sum PIERO BAROZZI ET AL 3,410,484

TENS TRANSFER MEANS FOR PRINTING ADDING MACHINE WITH REDUCED KEYBOARD AND SIMPLIFIED ACTUATING MECHANISMS Filed July 23. 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Gian P/ero Barozzi G/ancar/o Horesch/ INVENTQRS WMfMssM ATTORNEYS NOW 1968 GIAN PIERO BAROZZI ETAL 3, ,4

. TENS TRANSFER MEANS FOR PRINTING ADDING MACHINE I WITH REDUCED KEYBOARD AND SIMPLIFIED ACTUATING MECHANISMS Filed July 23. 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Gian Piero Barozzi G/ancar/o Horeschi 2 INVENTOR- ATTORNEYS Nov. 12, 1968 GIAN PIERO BAROZZI ET AL 3,410,484

TENS TRANSFER MEANS FOR PRINTING ADDING MACHINE WITH REDUCED KEYBOARD AND SIMPLIFIED ACTUATING MECHANISMS Filed July 23, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Gian P/ero Barozzi G/ancar/o Horesch/ INVE NTORS B WQMWQM ATTORNEYS Nov. 12, 1968 GIAN PIERO BAROZZI ET AL 3,410,484

TENS TRANSFER MEANS FOR PRINTING ADDING MACHINE WITH REDUCED KEYBOARD AND SIMPLIFIED ACTUATING MECHANISMS Filed July 23, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Gian Pie/o Barazzl' G/ancar/o Horeschl' I NVENT'ORS av flgu ATTOR N EYS Nov. 12, 1968 51 PIERO BAROZZI ETAL 3,410,484

TENS TRANSFER MEANS FOR PRINTING ADDING MACHINE I WITH REDUCED KEYBOARD AND SIMPLIFIED ACTUATING MECHANISMS Filed July 25, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Gian Pie/'0 Barozzi Giancar/o Horesc'hl' INVENTORS ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,410,484 TENS TRANSFER MEANS FOR PRINTING ADD- ING MACHINE WITH REDUCED KEYBOARD AND SIMPLIFIED ACTUATING MECHANISMS Gian Piero Barozzi and Giancarlo Horeschi, Tokyo, Japan, assignors to Ricoh Company Ltd., Tokyo, Japan Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 307,179, Sept. 6, 1963. This application July 23, 1965, Ser. No. 474,401 Claims priority, application Italy, Sept. 25, 1962, 27,468/ 62 3 Claims. (Cl. 235137) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An adding machine with a reduced keyboard having means for setting up digits and a setting up carriage actuated by such means. A set of racks have their vertical travel restricted by the carriage. Tens transfer means are associated with the racks and a totalizer having gears cooperates with such racks. The tens transfer means comprises a slide slidable substantially horizontally associated with the gears and the vertical racks. The racks each have a slot with step stops spaced apart by a distance corresponding to one tooth of a rack so that in respect of two different positions taken up by said racks in a straight line motion they can make a return shift differing vertically by a distance equal to a rotation of one tooth of said gears.

This application is a continuation-in-part of our application Ser. No. 307,179 filed Sept. 6, 1963, entitled, Printing Adding Machine With Reduced Key-Board and Simplified Actuating Mechanisms, now abandoned. 0

This invention relates to an adding machine characteriZed in particular in a remarkably reduced and simplified selective mechanism for printing and calculation.

An object of the invention is to provide a construction whereby with only two operating keys and one slide part, the machine achieves the selection of four different operations; printing and calculation of addition, printing and calculation of subtraction, printing of sub-totals and printing of grand totals.

A further object is to reduce the number of moving members and simplify the motion of such respective members so that the speed and reliability of movements are increased and the cost of the machine reduced.

A still further object is to eliminate misoperations by reducing the number of operating keys which simplifies and speeds up the operation of the machine.

With known printing machines, the selection of the printings and calculations were made by numerous keys which required so many more selective members constituting a complicated mechanism, reducing the motion of the machine and causing erroneous movements. The same numeous keys of the known machines created certain difficulties for an operator in selecting correct keys, thereby delaying operation speed and causing misoperations. In the machine according to this invention, such disadvantages are eliminated.

With the above and other objects in view which will become apparent from the detailed description below, a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of the main parts of the machine viewed from the right hand side without the cover;

FIG. 2 shows a plan of the setting up device;

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the mechanism for the 3,410,484 Patented Nov. 12, 1968 selection and print control movement, for manual correction and for recovery of slip during the cycle;

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the electric motor and the totalizer according to section line IV-IV of FIG. 6',

FIG. 5 shows a side view of the mechanism for negative balances and reversal of the accumulator, taken substantially according to the plane V-V of FIG. 6;

FIG. 6 shows a plan of the mechanisms shown in FIG- URES 1, 3, 4 and 5;

FIG. 7 shows a front view taken according to arrow VIII of FIG. 2, of a detail of the motor control;

FIG. 8 shows the plan of the device for transferring the tens, taken according to the line VIIIVIII of FIG. 1;

FIGURES 9 and 10 show respectively horizontal and vertical cross-sections of the rapid attachment of a stem to a key slide.

SETTING-UP MEANS With reference to FIGURES 1 and 2, the machine is formed with a base 1 whereon there are mounted the means of support of the mechanisms of the machine comprising a reduced keyboard having keys 2 mounted on stems 3 which slide in plane 4 and 5 and are held in the raised position by the springs 6. Setting-up levers 7 are fitted to sliding stems 3 in a manner 'which wi l be disclosed hereinafter, and these levers 7 slide inside plates 8 and, with their free ends, extend to points situated in front of the setting up carriage 9. This carriage runs on shaft 10 in a transverse horizontal direction and is formed with a set of eight sliding stops 11 and a stop 12 arranged in ten vertical rows or ranks. The keyboard comprises three rows of keys 2 for the numbers from one to nine, and a row of keys 2a for the tens, hundreds and thousands, the latter operating, with levers a, the stops 12 of carriage 9 (see also FIG. 2).

Each of the keys 2 axially shifts, through the setting up levers 7, the sliding stops 11 and lever 13, while the key of the number 9 acts only on lever 13 which slides longitudinally, guided in plates 5 and 8, and causes said lever to move towards the setting up carriage. Lever 13 acts in turn on lever 14, pivoted at 15;, which, with heel 14a, frees carriage 9 from the constraint of stop plates 12.

Besides carrying stops 11 and 12, carriage 9 is formed in its upper part with a tooth 16 facing lever 13, and finger 17 which completes the set of stops 11 for the function of setting up the number nine.

The assembly of the elements, tooth 16, lever 13, lever 14 and stops 12 makes up the escapement device, designed to cause carriage 9 to shift by one tooth at a time when any of the keys on the keyboard is depressed. Lever 13 is actuated by any number key and may more appropriately hereinafter he referred to as the universal bar. Said stops 12 of carriage 9 controlled by keys 2a, directly release carriage 9 from stop 14a, so that said carriage can advance by one, two or three spaces according as the tens, hundreds or thousands keys have been pressed. As stated, stops 11 are moved axially by the corresponding key and project from the opposite side of the carriage. In this manner the numbers with which it is desired to calculate, are set up.

CALCULATION OF NUMBERS SET-UP For the purpose of providing for the calculation of the numbers set up, the elements hereinafter to' be described are provided, the movements thereof being supplied by mechanisms linked to the electric motor whereof more will be disclosed hereinafter. Said elements comprise a set of eleven racks 18 arranged vertically and each having a heel 19 located in front of stops 11-12, teeth 20, a stepped slot 21 and a lower sot 22. In said slot 21 is located a transverse rod 23 which engages all the racks 18 and keeps them parallel together with two combs 24 and 25. The same rod 23 also supports and guides a set of slides 26 arranged substantially perpendicularly to racks 18, each of which is formed with a finger 27 on which one of the steps of slot 21 hereinafter referred to rests, and a heel 28 extending up to the flanks of teeth said slides being each, at the other end, guided by shaft 29 in slot 30 thereof and each slide is formed with a heel 31 and a restoring heel 32. Slide 26, besides resting on rod 23 and shaft 29, is guided transversely by said comb 25 and by a moving comb 33, pivoted at 34, having an upper finger 35 and a lower finger 36. Rack 18, with its slot 22, is connected to bar 37 by means of pin 38 which can slide inside said slot 22 under the action of spring 39 placed between projection 40 upon rack 18, and projection 41 upon bar 37.

PRINTING MEANS The characters or type heads 42 relating to the figures zero to nine, are arranged vertically in the upper part of bar. 37. Bar 37 is, in addition, formed with an elongated slot 43 parallel to characters 42, from which it takes its motion for advancing towards the paper to print the number set up. Each bar 37 is urged upwards by a spring 44. In front of teeth 20 of each rack there is a pair of gears 45, 46 which are always in mesh and are mounted on pins 47, 48 integral with a frame 49 pivoted on rod 50.

The gear combination 46 and its frame 49, besides swinging on rod 50, is shifted towards rack 18 by an appropriate cam so that one of the two gears can engage teeth 20 of rack 18. As already stated, in bar 37 there is formed a slot 43 into which there is introduced a lug 51 of a slide 52 which is moved horizontally and forms part of the print selection device which will be described hereinafter. Towards its bottom end, bar 37 is provided with a heel 53 on which there rests a shaft 54, integral with links 55, actuated by lever 56, pivoted at 57, through roll 58 :which runs on the outer track of cam 59 which is fixed to shaft 60. This shaft 60 is driven by electric motor 61 through step-down gears 62, 63, 64 and 65.

TENS TRANSFER MEANS The tens transfer device visible in FIGURES l and 8, comprises slide 26, which has already been described, sliding on rods 23 and 29. Finger 27 which penetrates into slot 21 of rack 18, can take up two positions, namely the position of resting on the lower step stop 21b of slot 21 when pushed to the left-this being the rest position-- and that of resting on the higher part 21a of slot 21 when pushed to the right. In the latter position, rack 18 is free to be lowered by the distance corresponding to the difference in height between the two steps in slot 21, which is equivalent to one tooth of gears 45-46. The translatory movement of slide 26 is provided by the same gears 45 and 46 when they engage teeth 20, because of the fact that each of them has a side cam 45a or 46a on one of itsteeth.

OPERATION OF CALCULATION, TENS TRANSFER MEANS AND PRINTING The working of the calculation and tens transfer assembly is as follows:

When a set of numbers is set up on keyboard 2, stops 11 and/ or 12 are pushed forward and Carriage 9 is moved sideways for as many stops as correspond to the figures set up. At this point the electric motor 61 is set in motion by means of the key and control linkage provided for the purpose which will be described hereinafter, and therefore, through gears 62, 63, 64 and 26, shaft 60 and cam 59 are set in rotation. In the first half revolution, said cam 59 causes, through roller 58 and lever 56, the raising of shaft 54 which in turn releases stop 53 of bar 37. Through the action of spring 44, bar 37 is urged upwards and consequently, through pin 38 which will touch the top side of slot 22, rack 18 is also raised. The upward movement of said rack will be restricted by one of stops 11 or 12 placed along the path of heel 19. Rack 18 will therefore stop in a position corresponding to the figure set up by one of keys 2, 2a. Consequently, the stopping of rack 18 will also stop bar 37 so that the type slug 42 corresponding to the figure set up will be aligned with the mid-circumference line of platen 66, i.e. in the position for printing the corresponding figure on the strip of paper 67 fed from spool 68 by means of guide 69. The type striking movement is provided by finger 51 of slide 52 as will be described hereinafter.

In the following half turn of cam 59, bar 37 is again lowered, but at the same time, at the beginning of this movement, one of the gears 45, 46 is introduced into teeth 20 and set in rotation by the descending movement of rack 18. Since rack 18 returns to its initial rest position, it will cover a space equal to that of its upward movement, corresponding to the figure set up by means of stops 11. Consequently gear 45 or 46 will also rotate by an amount determined by the number of teeth which fall within the space covered by rack 18, i.e. it will rotate by an amount corresponding to the figure set up.

At the end of this travel, gear 45 (or 46) will have been rotated by the same number of teeth as the figure set up, and, in the next stage, will be able to engage rack 18 in a position already rotated by said number of teeth, and thus undergo a further rotation.

In this second stage, if the sum of the two rotations causes the gear to complete a revolution, said cam 45a (or 46a) will come opposite finger 28 of the succeeding slide 26 and will push said slide 26 to the right (FIG. 1). In this position, as already stated, finger 27 is freed from step 211) of the succeeding rack 18 and thereby allows said rack 18, through the action of spring 39, to be lowered by a distance greater than that by which it would have been lowered if finger 27 had remained in contact with step 2112, that is, by a distance corresponding to one tooth of the rack, as already stated. Consequently gear 45 or 46 which was in engagement with the rack, will have been rotated by one more tooth, which is equivalent to one ten. Said movements take place both when adding and when subtracting, except that, in the first case it is gear 45 which engages teeth 20, while in the second case it is gear 46 which does so.

To obtain the total of the figures set up on the machine, the appropriate total key 70 is depressed.

TOTALIZING MEANS With reference to FIGURES l, 2, 4, 6 and 7, the depression of key 70 connected to slide 71, pushes slide 73 with its heel 72 by means of the inclined face 73a. Heel 73b of slide 73 is engaged with the second of teeth 74 on slide 75 which runs on shaft 10 in a transverse direction, and shifts said slide to the right by a distance corresponding to half a step of the movement of carriage 9. Slide 75 has an arm 75a which terminates with -a fork on shaft 77, said fork actuating the sliding rocker 78 shown in broken lines in FIG. 6. Said rocker 78 is connected to fork 75a by spring 79 so that the lower end 78a of rocker 78 is taken to the right opposite cam 80 which is fixed to shaft 60. The upper projection 78b of the same rocker is also shifted to the right, but remains pivoted on the preceding cam 81 which is also locked on shaft 60. Rocker 78 rotates with lever 82 pivoted on the same shaft 77. Said lever 82 is formed with a cam groove 83 in which the end of shaft 50 carrying gears 45 and 46 with their frame 49 (which will hereinafter be called totalizer 49), is introduced. It follows that a swinging movement of lever 82 causes totalizer 49 to shift longitudinally and bring gears 45 and 46 towards teeth 20 so that one of said gears can engage said teeth, or to take said gears away from said teeth.

When key 70 is depressed, swinging slide 84 (FIG. 7) is also shifted downwards, and this, with its lug 84a, closes the electrical circuit of motor 61 by means of switch 85. At the same time, slide 84 connected to bar 86 which slides in pin 143, causes said bar to move to the right under the action of spring 87 so that heel 86a of bear 86 releases the coupling 88 which in turn makes shaft 60 integral with gear 65. Consequently, motor 61, which had been started by the closure of switch 85, drives shaft 60 through gears 62, 63, 64 and 65. The rotation of shaft 60 causes all the cams fixed thereto to rotate, so that cam 59 raises pin 54 and hence rack 18 by slightly more than one tooth of 20; cam 89 shifts heel 36 of the comb rocker 33, which, by rotating on pin 34, takes slide 26 back to the rest position through the operation of finger 35. Finger 27 of the slide 26 will take up its initial position below the lower step stop 21b of slot 21 of rack 18. A leaf spring 90 provides for keeping slide 26 in the two positions. As it continues in its movement, cam 59 further lowers rack 18 until they are aligned by contact with the lower step stop 21b of slot 21, on fingers 27, and immediately thereafter arm 7812 moved by cam 81 comes into action and causes lever 82 to swing whereby, through groove 83, totalizer 49 is taken into engagement with teeth 20 of racks 18. Continuing further in its movement, cam 59 raises pin 54 and causes it to raise racks 18 which in turn cause one of gears 45 and 46 to rotate until cams 45a or 46a knock against the lower part of finger 27 of slide 26, thus arresting the movement.

Thereafter the printing movement takes place, actuated by slide 52 as will be described hereinafter, and totalizer 49 is moved away by a reverse rotation of lever 82 caused by arm 78a and cam 80.

With the movements hereinabove described, gears 45 or 46, by rotating impress on racks 18 the figures corresponding to their angular rotation, and consequently bars 37, which are integral with racks 18, and the related type slugs 42, will be shifted so as to take up the positions corresponding to the number yielded by the gears and will be ready for printing on the paper 67. In this manner, the total of the operations effected is printed.

The same movements described hereinabove also provide substantially for the operation of sub-totalling (transfer total), which is obtained by depressing key 91 which controls slide 92 which is identical to slide 71 (FIGURES 4 and 7) hereinabove referred to. The difference from the previous operations consists in the fact that slide 73 is not shifted, so that all the levers connected thereto stay still, and, in particular, arm 78a is not actuated by cam 80. It follows that the movements hereinabove described for the total are repeated, except that gears 45 or 46 remain in engagement with teeth 20 of racks 18, thus retaining their rotated positions corresponding to the number thus far registered.

NEGATIVE TOTALIZING The total and the sub-total hereinabove described refer to positive values, while the machine according to the invention also enables negative totals to be computed, i.e., it allows operations in which the negative values are higher absolutely than the positive values. The operation will now be described with particular reference to FIG- URES 5 and 6.

The negative totalizing operation has necessarily to follow the operations of subtraction set up during the execution of the calculation. These subtraction operations are set up on the numbered keyboard in the same manner as positive (added) numbers are set up thereon, with the difference that when the machine is set in motion, instead of the addition key being depressed, the subtraction key, which is the same key 70 as the total key, is depressed. With this movement, which has already been described, slide 73 is shifted and its heel 73b is inserted in the first of the teeth 74 instead of in the second as occurred in the case of the total, because slide 75 has already been moved to the left by one step as a result of the move ment in the same direction of carriage 9' and under the action of spring 76. Heel 73b shifts tooth 74, and hence the whole assembly 75, to the right by a distance equal to half a tooth. This movement also causes the opposite end of slide 75, which has heel b, to move to the right, and said heel 75b thus disconnects ratchet 93 from fixed tooth 94 integral with base 1. At its other end, ratchet 93 is con nected to lever 95 which is now free to rotate on pin 96. The depression of key 70 also, at the same time, sets motor 61 in rotation as already stated, and hence also shaft 60 which drives earns 89 and 97. The latter operates, 'through roller 98, lever 95 which, in the starting position, is sepa rated from shaft 60, as shown in whole lines in FIG. 5, at the end which is in contact with cam 97 only, whereas when said cam has rotated through a certain angle, said lever is lowered and takes up the position shown in broken lines in FIG. 5.

The lowering of lever 95 causes a lifting of the other end 95a which causes rocker 99 integral with shaft 50 of the totalizer 49 to swing upwards. The totalizer will also be compelled to move upwards so that gear 46 engages teeth 20 of rack 18. In this manner the operation of subtraction is effected, the subsequent stages whereof are identical to those of addition.

To obtain a negative balance due to a series of operations in which the negative numbers exceed the positive ones absolutely, the same operation as already described for the total is repeated, i.e., key 70 is depressed without setting up any amount.

Previously, during the subtraction stage, the last slide 26 will have been taken back by cam 46a of the last left hand gear, and heel 26a of said slide will then free finger 100a of lever 100 pivoted on shaft 34, permitting it to rotate under the action of spring 101 fitted to lever 102 integral, through coupling 103, with said lever 100. Lever 102 will also be taken to the left by the action of the same spring 101, and at the same time will be rotated upwards because the action of spring 101 sets up a turning moment about coupling 103. Lever 102 causes, with its upper end 104, the rotation of rocker 105 pivoted on shaft 106, and consequently the lower end 105a of said rocker 105 is also rotated to the right, thus releasing ratchet 93 which otherwise would have been stopped during the stage of positive totalling. Lever 102 is, however, allowed to rotate upwards because lever 107, pivoted at 108 and resting on heel 102a of lever 102, can rotate on said pin as the obstacle of shaft 48 of gear 46 which would otherwise oppose this rotation during the addition and positive total stage, is not present'at the other end of said lever 107.

As stated, when key 70 is depressed, shaft 60 is rotated and hence also cam 97 which lowers lever 95 which, in turn, causes totalizer 49 to swing upwards, as already explained, bringing gears 46 into mesh with racks 18. At this moment the subsequent stages follow in the same order as hereinabove described for the positive total. The same applies whenever it is desired to obtain a negative sub-total. 7

Heel 100b integral with lever 100 provides, in known manner, for carrying over the movement of the last slide on the left to the first slide on the right when the total goes past zero and assumes a negative value. After this passage, as lever 100, which has previously been shifted as stated, ceases to function, said lever is brought back to the rest position by stud 109 integral with cam 89 which is also set in rotation by shaft 60.

SIGN PRINTING The machine according to this description is provided with a device for printing the corresponding sign against the operation performed, on the strip of paper, said device being formed of a heel 750 of said slide 75 (see FIGURES 4 and 6), which extends up to step finger 110 integral with rack 111 arranged at the side of the row of racks 18 and integral with the type bars. Rack 111 is integral with a bar 112, shown partially in FIG. 4, which carries the characters corresponding to the signs of the operations. As already stated, slide 75 is shifted axially by spring 76 every time a digit is keyed for an addition or subtraction operation. Consequently finger 75c moves to the left and is placed in front of the first step of finger 110', locking rack 111 in the rest position. In this position the type bar 112 is not raised and no sign appears on the strip of paper, which means, as is known, that an addition has been performed.

The operation of subtraction is, however, indicated on the strip of paper with a minus sign, by means of mechanisms of known type which are not shown. By depressing key 91 of the transfer total (sub-total), heel 750 is not shifted, as already stated in regard to slide 75, and heel 750 will be situated at the second step of finger 110, which is lower than the previous step. Rack 111 can then be raised upwards by a distance corresponding to the positioning of the type slugs of bar 112 to the transfer total sign which will be printed on the paper strip during the printing movement. When key 70 is depressed, finger 75 is shifted to the right and hence finger 750 also receives a shift which brings it in front of the third step of finger 110, which is lower than the other steps, so that rack 111 can be raised by two spaces and allow the printing of the sign corresponding to the total.

In the event that it is necessary to set up numbers witl1- out their being registered for calculation by the machine but still being printed on the strip of paper, so-called no calculation means are provided which comprise a key 113 (FIG. 7) which controls a slide 114 which, in turn, starts the electric motor, as already stated, through swinging slide 84, and moves lever 115 (FIG. 4) pivoted at 116, which, with arm 115a, moves rocker 72 and shifts it axially until its arm 78a is brought to a position outside cam 117 so that it cannot be actuated by any cam of the group (see FIG. 6arm 78b is drawn in whole lines). Under these conditions, the machine carries out a normal cycle but without performing any movement on the calculation mechanisms, since the totalizer 49 does not go into mesh with the teeth of rack 18.

The number set up is then transcribed on to the strip of paper 67 without being calculated. The no calculation operation is indicated by its own sign supplied by bar 112 integral with rack 111. The adding machine according to the invention can also carry out operatons of multiplications by successive addtions, by means of key 118 which moves slide 119 which, besides carrying out the same operations described in regard to key 70, also transversely shifts slide 120 (FIG. 2) so that its heel 120w touches ratchet 121 and shifts it towards the outside in order to prevent it from hooking roll 122 which is integral with lever 123 which engages carriage 9. In this manner carriage 9 cannot be taken into the rest position by lever 121 during the translatory movement thereof effected by means of pin 124 integral with cam 97. Carriage 9, when not brought to the rest position, enables the same number to be printed and calculated without having to set it up afresh on the keyboard.

ZERO SUPPRESSION With reference to FIG. 3, there is shown the print selection device for the purpose of selecting the noughts (zeroes) set up in front of a significant digit, from those set up after a significant digit, in order that only the noughts set up after a significant digit are transcribed on the strip of paper, and in order to provide the necessary movement in type bars 37 for printing, by means of an inked ribbon, the sign of the character on the strip of paper.

FIG. 3 shows also the device [for correcting carriage 9 both manually and automatically during the calculation cycle. Said selection of the zeros takes place when racks 18 and bars 37 have been raised by springs 44 as disclosed bereinabove, and have been arrested by stops 11 and/or 12 at the positions corresponding to the figures set up. At this stage of the cycle, shaft 60 will already have travelled round by a certain angle, driving with it 8 cam 125 which is formed with a depression 125a corresponding to roll 126 fitted on the end of rocker 127 pivoted on rod 128. Said rocker is connected at its other end to two parallel, symmetrical rods 129 which are in turn connected together at their opposite ends by shaft 130.

Levers 131 are arranged to correspond with each rack 18 and are pivoted on a common axis rod 132; they are adjacent to a set of horizontally arranged slides 52. Each lever 131 is fitted with an arm 131a having a leftwardsinclined finger 133 which extends up to and rests on the top of the corresponding finger 133 of the adjacent lever at its left. This arrangement of fingers 133 is provided in the manner here disclosed so that each one of said fingers can prevent the lowering of all the levers 131 which are situated to the right of it, but cannot prevent the lowering of the levers 131 to the left of it. The other arm 191b of lever 131 carries shaped heel 134 which, in the rest position, lies in front of teeth 21 of rack 118, but outside the path thereof. Lever 131 is kept raised in the rest position by said shaft by means of heel 135. Slide 52, besides having heel 51 already described, also has an engagement tooth 136, stop tooth 137 and a heel 138 to which spring 139, which is held at the other end by finger 140 of lever 131, is hooked. When shaft 60 is set in rotation, depression 125a is placed in front of roll 126, allowing same to be lowered, and causes rocker 127 to rotate under the action of spring 141.

Rods 129 shift to the right, taking with them shaft 130 which, in a first section, frees slides 52 retained by blade 142, and likewise frees levers 131 from their support against heel 135. When levers 131 can come down, heel 134 tends to enter one of the hollows of teeth 20 and can in fact enter therein only if no number has been set up on racks 18. In the contrary case, said levers remain raised by contact with the top of one of the teeth of the rack.

At the end of the travel of rods 129, heel 129a thereof strikes against heel 1420 of blade 142, raising it from tooth 136 and freeing slides 52 which can then shift with a jump under the action of spring 139 so as to impart, in turn, through heel 51, the printing movement to bar 37. Slide 52 is, however, allowed to make this printing or firing movement only if lever 131 stays raised, since heel 134 rests on the crest of one of teeth 20 on those racks in which no numbers have been set up. The levers 131 which can, on the other hand, come down because, as stated, numbers have not been set up in the corresponding racks, stop, with heels 133, the movement of slides 52 and thus prevent printing. In this manner, the zeros not set up are selected while printing takes place for digits already set up.

It should be noted that one of the characteristics of the device consists of the fact that zero selections and printing is actuated by the same moving means at successive moments, thus ensuring that printing will certainly occur after said selection has been made.

SAFETY DEVICE The adding machine according to the invention includes a safety device consisting of a slide 144 which is shifted laterally by a lug on the side of the slide of each control key 71-119 and 114-92 so that, with this shift, the slide itself locks the universal bar 13 and the manual set-up correction lever 145 and prevents any wrong operation during the cycle of the machine. Said safety device also im-mobilizes the control keys 71, 119, 114, 92 whenever any of the digit keys is depressed, for the depression of such a key causes the movement of the universal bar 13 which, in turn, locks with projection 13a, slide 144 by inserting said projection into the groove 144a provided on slide 144. The same locking is also effected by manual correction lever 145 which, even with a partial movement, is brought forward to the end of slide 144 and prevents same from sliding.

With reference to FIGURES 9 and 10, there is shown a swivelling connecting means between moving parts as, for example, sliding plates 3 and stems 7, consisting of a slit 146 in the form of a double arcuate sector formed in the thickness of one of the aforesaid parts, as plate 3, into which there is introduced a lug 147 of stem 7, shaped in the form of a hook turned in the opposite direction to that of the stem. As may be seen in FIGURES 9 and 10, end 147 can be introduced into slit 146 with a rotary movement of stem 7, and when said stem is in the Working position, lug 147 can no longer serve as it contacts with the support surfaces 147a and with plate 3.

The double arcuate sector slit 146 also permits an angular rotation of stem 7.

In order to further clarify this invention, the main points are summarized as follows:

(A) When a set of numbers is set up (on keyboard 2), setting-up carriage 9 is moved left sideways (all the directions hereinafter described are viewed from operator facing the machine) for as many steps as correspond to the figures set up, moving slide 75 in the same direction by one step of tooth 74, thereby putting the right-end tooth 74 in front of heel 73b of slide 73, the said slide 73 being shiftable by depression of key 70 which is used for both grand total and subtraction.

(B) With the situation A hereinabove described, when key 91 used for sub-total and addition is depressed, the digits already set up are printed in positive values and addition calculation is executed, while if key 70 is depressed instead, negative numbers are printed and subtraction calculation is performed. Prior to the machine being set in motion for subtraction calculation, heel 73b is further inserted along the inclined face of right-end tooth 74, thereby shifting slide 75 to the right by a distance corresponding to half a step of tooth 74. Shifting of slide 75 does not take place during the operation of addition calculation.

(C) When printing and calculation described in B is completed, carriage 9 is shifted to the right and restored to a former position prior to setting up digits, thereby moving slide 75 in the same direction so that the second tooth 74 from right-end stops in front of heel 73b of slide 73.

(D) With the situation B hereinabove described, when key 91 is depressed, sub-total number and sign are printed, but slide 75 is not shifted by heel 73b in this instance. The grand total and its sign are printed by depressing key 70 either independently or after depressing key 91 for printing sub-total number and its sign. In this instance, as key 70 is depressed, heel 73b of slide 73 is further inserted along the inclined face of second tooth 74, thereby shifting slide 75 to the right by a distance corresponding to half a step of tooth 74.

(E) Rocker 78 (cam'selective lever), shiftable through engaging with arm 75a in accordance with four different positions described in aforesaid A, B, C and D held by slide 75, selects one of the numerous operating cams actuated by electric motor, thereby executing calculation and printing as described in B and D corresponding to a cam so selected.

To summarize, only two keys, key and key 91, and one slide are used for printing and calculation of addition and subtraction operations, and for printing of subtotal and grand total. These operations are performed by either One of the numerous motor-driven operating cams which is selected by rocker 78 (cam selective lever) holding various positions corresponding to four different positions of slide 75 engaged with the said rocker and connected with the operation of either one of the aforesaid keys.

In this invention, therefore, all the major operation of the machine hereinabove mentioned are, unlike in the case of known machines, controlled by relatively fewer parts which, by moving rectilineally, facilitate a smooth, rapid and precise movement of the mechanism, thereby ensuring unerring and simple operation. Furthermore, the fact that the machine according to this invention has fewer parts enables a remarkable reduction of the manufacturing cost.

The adding machine is completed by other known devices of the usual type, which are not shown, as the device for feeding the paper, the device for supporting, guiding and feeding and reversing the inking ribbon, electrical devices and the like. It is manifest that numerous variants can be made to the means which make up the machine according to the invention, particularly as regards the form and arrangement of the parts thereof, without thereby departing from the scope of this invention.

We claim:

1. In an adding machine having a reduced keyboard with means for setting up digits, a set of racks movable vertically cooperating with said means, and tens transfer means comprising a totalizer having gears cooperating with said racks, a slide located substantially horizontally cooperating with a tens transfer device on said gears, each of said racks having a slot with step stops spaced apart by a distance corresponding to one tooth of a rack, said stops cooperating with said slide so that upon movement of said slide a rack can assume two different positions for a straight line motion to make a return shift vertically greater by a distance equal to a rotation of one tooth of said gears.

2. In an adding machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said slide is slidably mounted upon two spaced rods.

3. In an adding machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said gears is provided with a cam which cooperates with a slide.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,942,776 6/1960 Anderson 235-60 3,000,561 9/1961 Pitman 235-137 3,018,044 1/1962 Anderson 235-137 3,078,038 2/1963 Almvide 235-137 3,120,341 2/1964 Plaut 235--60 STEPHEN J. TOMSKY, Primary Examiner.

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