US421108A

US421108A - Calculator

Info

Publication number: US421108A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1890-02-11
Anticipated expiration: 1907-02-11

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

W. 11. 0131s. CALCULATOR.

l110.1121108. Patented 1eb.11,1890.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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CALCULATOR.

110.421.108. Patented Feb. 11,1890.

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vUNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE..

CALCU LATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 421,108, dated February 11, 1890.

Application tiled May 20, 1889. Serial No. 311,384. (No model.)

.To all wil/0772, t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD D. OTIS, of Blue Springs, in the county of Gage and State' of Nebraska, have invented a new and `Improved Calculator, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved calculator for grain and other commodities which is simple and durable in construction, easily operated, and serves to-readily, quickly, and accurately reduce any load of grain or seeds of from one hundred pounds to four thousand pounds to bushels and fractions thereof. It is further intended for computing the price of hay, grain, coal, or any other article bought or sold by the hundred pounds or ton, and at the same time this device gives the number of bushels in a ton of different kinds of grain. It indicates accurately the amount of money to be paid or received for a load of grain or other commodity, and it also indicates the amount of money to be paid per bushel for transporting it to any point when the rate is known.

The invention consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will;u

'be fully described hereinafter, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improvement, and Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line cc of Fig. l.

The improved calculator is provided with a closed case A, having an inclined top B, on the lower end of which is secured a longitudinally extending` rod C, on which is mounted to slide an indicator D, provided with a knob E, for conveniently moving the said indicator forward and backward overthe inclined top of the casing A. On the outside of the top B, under the indicator D, is arranged a chart F, provided with longitudinally-extending columns F', F2, F3, F4, F5, FG, and F7, containing numerals indicating prices of the various commodities. For instance, the column F contains numerals indicating' the price per ton, the column F2 contains numerals indicating the price per hundred pounds, and the remaining columns F3, F4, F5, FG, and FT contain numerals indicating the price per bushel. On the top of the indicator D are arranged characters o r longitudinallypointing fingers D, D2, D3, D, D5, D6, and D7, pointing to the columns F', F2, F3, F4, F5, F, and F7, respectively. The iinger D indicates the price per ton, the finger D2 the price per hundred pounds, and the fingers D3,

D4, D5, D, andD7 indicate the price per bushel of the various grains and other commodities.

Near the upper end of the indicator D is formed an opening D8, registering with a slot G, formed in the top B, and arranged parallel to the chart F. Below the slot G is held a band H, passing over the idler I, held inside of the casing A, and mounted to turn in the ends of the same. The band H passes from the idler I to the rollers K and L, respectively, mounted to turn in the ends of the casing A, and provided at one end with. knobs N and O, respectively, serving to conveniently turn said rollers L and K to move the band H over the idler I in an upward or downward direc` tion, according to the direction in which the knobs are turned. The rollers L and K are preferably provided with a spring tension device of any approved construction, (see the left end of Fig. 1,) in order to hold the rollers in place.

On the band H are formed longitudinal columns P, each adapted to appear one at a time at the slot G. Each of the columns P is provided at its left end with a numeral P', indicating` the net number of pounds the price of which is to be calculated. Next to the numeral P is a numeral P2, P3, P4, P5, or P, indicating the exact number of bushels of a certain commodity in the number of pounds indicated by the numeral P. Next/to the last numeral Pi is arranged a series of numerals PT, indicating the price in relation to the net number of pounds indicated by the numeral P of a certain commodity, as hereinafter more fully described.

On the top B are arranged transverselyextending columns Q, Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5, and Q6,

registering with the numerals P P2, P3, P4,

IOO

P5, and Il of each column I on the band Il, The column Q contains in writing the net number of pounds, referring to the numeral indicated at P in the column I. The column Q2 contains in writing the words Rye, Shelled Coi-11,7 and Flaxseeth Fifty-six Pounds to the Bushel. Similar writing relating to other commodities than the one con tained in the column Q is contained in the other columns Q3, Q4, Q, and Q, the word Bushels standing above the columns Q2, Q3, Q4, 5, and QG.

The operation is as follows: When the operator desires to find, for instance, how many bushels of shelled corn (see column Q2) are in fifteen hundred pounds, he turns the knobs O andN until the column P, having 1,500 written at the left end, appears in the slot G. The operator, by following` down the column Q2, containing shelled corn, will find ZGAA that is, that number of bushels of shelled corn is contained in fifteen hundred pounds. If the operator now wants to find the price of fifteen hundred pounds, say, of: oats, a bushel of which costs eleven and 'four-tenths cents, he moves the indicator D forward or backward until the finger D5 points to 11.4, as shown in Fig. l. In the opening D8 is now found 5&0, indicating that fifteen hundred pounds of oats at eleven and four-tenths cents per bushel cost five dollars and forty cents. IVhen the operator desires to know the price by the hundred pounds, say, of oats at eleven and four-tenths cents per bushel, the indicator D is left in the position shown in Fig. I, the finger D2 pointing to 30 in the column F2, iinlicating` that one hundred pounds of oats will cost thirty-six cents, a bushel costing eleven and four-tenths cents. In the same manner the price per ton is given, the finger D pointingto $7.20 in the column F.

In order to ascertain how much it costs to transport abushcl of grain to a certain point-- for example, a bushel of shelled corn to Chicago-the rate being thirty-six per hundred, the operator moves the indicator D until the finger D2 indicates on 3G, as shownin Fig. l. The pointer DT on the line of shelled corn on the said indicator now points to 20.1, which is the amount per bushel at the rate given. Thus it will be seen that by shifting the band II and moving the indicator D the operator is enabled to find the number ot bushels and fraction of a bushel in a load of grain or seeds of from one hundred to four thousand pounds; is enabled to compute the price of the grain, hay, coal, or anything bought or sold by the hundred pounds or ton; is further enabled to give the number of bushels per ton of the different kinds of grain, and can tell the accurate amount of money neces" saryfor a load of a certain commodity, and can also tell the cost per bushel of any commodity transported to any point when the rate is known.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a calculator, the combination, with a casing provided in its top wit-h a slot, of a band mounted in the said casing and provided with sets of columns containing numerals and adapted to appear in the said slot, and an indicator held to slide on the top of the said casing and serving to indicate the numerals appearing in said slot, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a calculator, the combination, with aeasing provided in its top with a slot and having a fixed chart, of a band mounted in the said casing and provided with sets of columns containing numerals indicating prices and quantities and appearing in the said slot, an indicator held to slide on the top of the said casing, and provided with characters indicating on the said chart, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a calculator, the combination, with a casing provided in its top with a slot and having a fixed chart, of a band mounted in the said casing and provided with sets of columns containing numerals indicating prices and quantities and appearing in the said slot, an indicator held to slide on the top of the said casin g and provided with characters indicating on the said chart, the said indicator being also provided with an opening registering with the said slot, and means for moving the said band to register different columns with the said slot, substantially as shown and described.

4.-. In a calculator, the combination, with a casing provided in its top with a slot, of a chart containing numerals and fixed on the top of the casing, a band mounted in the said casing and provided with sets of columns containing numerals indicating prices and quantities and appearing in the said slot, an indicator held to slide on the top of the said casing over the said slot and chart and provided with fingers indicating on the columns on the said chart, said indicator being provided with an opening registering at all times with the said slot, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a calculator, the combination, with a casing provided in its top with a slot, of a chart containing numerals fixed on the top of the casing, a band mounted in the said casing and provided with sets of columns containing numerals indicating prices and quantities and appearing in the said slot, an indicator held to slide on the top of the said casing over the said slot and chart and provided with fingers indicating on the columns on the said chart, the said indicator being provided with an opening registering at all times with the said slot, rollers held to turn in the said casing and carrying the said band, and knobs for turning the said rollers, substantially as shown and described.

0. In a calculator, the combination, with a IOO IIO

casing provided with a slotted top and having fixed columns Q Q2 Q3, dao., of a chart secured on the said top and provided with columns, an indicator held to slide over the said slot `end chart and provided with pointing-lingers indicating on the said chart, and a band held to move in the said casing and provided wit-h sets of nu merel-c0111 mns adapted to appear under the said slot in the top of the casing, Substantially as shown and de- 1o scribed.

VILLARD D. OTIS.

XVitnesses:

C. S. OTIS, E. H. BURINGTON.