US666919A - Calculating-machine. - Google Patents

Description

Patentodv lan.`29, I90I.4 W. H. CLARK..

ACLCULTING MACHINE.

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No. 666,9l9'. l Patented 1an. 29, |901. w. H. CLARK. y CALCULATING MACHINE.

(Application led lily `23, 1898.)

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No. 666,9l9. Patented 1an. `'29, 190|.

w. n. CLARK. CALCULATINE MACHINE.y

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cLcUl-TING MACH|NE.

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* UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

WILLIAM I'I. CLARK, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE NATIONAL CASH REGISTER COMPANY, OF

JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

CALCULATlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 666,919, dated January 29, 1901..

Application filed May 23, 1898. Serial No. 681,534. (No model.)

To all whom it may con/cern.-

Be it known that I, WILLTAM I-I. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Calculating-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to calculating-machines, and is described and illustrated herein as being applied to cash-registers of the kind shown in United States Letters Patent heretofore granted upon application made by mesuch, for instance, as in Letters Patent Nos. 544,426, 556,045, and 596,359. The mechanisms shown in said Letters Patent are constructed for calculation by the decimal system or by any other system of regular numeration. The invention herein set forth relates particularly to cash-registers or calculatingmacliines of this variety, but is such a modilication thereof as to be adapted to calculation in an irregular numerical system. The system herein set forth as an illustration of my invention is that of British currency, including farthings, pence, shillings, and pounds. The invention herein set forth is an improvementupon the devices shown and described in said patents and also in the mechanism for resetting the register to zero.

My invention consists in the constructions and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of a cash-register embodying my invention, parts thereof being removed in order to exhibit and illustrate the mechanism and operation thereof. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same machine, certain parts being removed to exhibit its construction the better. Fig. 3 is a `side elevation of a machine embodying my invention, the outer case being removed; and Fig. L is a section on the line 4 Il of Fig. 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrow in the last-mentioned tigure.

This computing mechanism is of the Wellknown two-motion variety and is operated by a crank A, which actuates a train of gearwheels A A2 A3, one of which, as the wheel A2, operates a pitman A4, which reciprocates a vertically-sliding block A5, running in guides a5 on the side of the frame-plate B of the machine. The last gear-wheel A3 of the train above mentioned is fixed upon a-shatt A, which bears certain cams, as a and a6, (see Eig. 2,) for operating certain of the working parts. The shaft extends through the machine and bears a gear-wheel A30, meshing with a gear-wheel A20, which operates a pitrnan A40 and a sliding block running in guides d50 on the end plate B/ of the machine. The last-mentioned end plate B is opposite tothe end plate B, above mentioned, and the blocks A5 and A50 move in parallel lines.

The machine is provided with a setting mechanism consisting of a series of keys C and a setting-plate C', constructed and having a series of parts cooperating therewith, as set forth in United States Letters Patent No. 596,360, of December 28, i897, granted upon an application made by me. The mechanisms for operating the balls Z in guideways in the way-plate F are the same as in my said Patent No. 596,359; but great difficulty prior to my present invention was found in making a simple and elfective modication of my former mechanism in order to adapt it to computation in an irregular numerical system. In adapting machines made under the patents above mentioned to this purpose by et'- fective and simple means I 4make no change whatever in the mechanism except in respect to the transfer-bar D0, and, if necessary, Ain the length of stroke of the bail.

To those acquainted with this art, which includes my patents above mentioned, it is known that the balls Z are forced around in the way-plate E by raising the plug-slides, which rise and fall vertically in channels or Ways in the transfer-bar D0, whereby balls are taken from the storage-way E' into a separating-way e in the transfer-bar. Then after shifting ot thetransfer-bar so that the separatingway c registers with an elevating-way E2 in the way-plate F the balls are forced out of the separating-way e and cause the ejection of an equal number of balls from the elevating-way E2 into a connected Vregisteringway E. When a number of balls have accumulated in the registering-way E equal to or loo exceeding the maximum of the denomination which they indicate or register, a number of balls equivalent to said maximum are discharged from the registering-way into atransfer-way in the transfer-bar, and at the same time a single ball is by suitable carrying mechanism discharged into the registeringway of the next higher denomination. The operation of the carrying mechanism for discharging the single ball, as just mentioned, is controlled by the ball in the lower registering-way representing the highest unit of said maximum. At the next operation of the machine a shifting of the transfer-bar occurs which causes the transfer-way e to register with the storage-way E and the balls are forced out of the transfer-way and into the storage-way.

The transferbar D0 moves laterally in guides do in order to produce the change of registry above mentioned as between the transfer and separating ways e' e in the transfer-bar with the three parallel ways E E E2 in the way-plate F. In my former mechanisms the ways in the transfer-bar contained plug-slides each of which had the same stroke. The reason for this lay in the fact that in my said former mechanisms the decimal system was employed, and ten was the maximum of each denomination. In the present embodiment of my invention as applied to computation in British currency the strokes of the plug-slides vary on account of the lack of uniformity in the maxima of the dierent denominations-farthings, pence, shillings, and pounds. As applied to British currency the first series of three ballways on the right in Fig. l are devoted to farthings and must be capable of operating to the extent of four farthings before a carrying operation of the addition of a unit into the pence column or system of ways can begin. Hence the register is capable of indicating only three farthings, because the indication of the fourth farthing is equivalent to one penny. The pence-column is capable of indicating eleven pence, because twelve pence make one Shilling. Since twenty shillings make one pound, it is found convenient to divide the shillings column or register into two parts in a decimal manner. The first series or column relating to shillings is capable of indicating and registering nine shillings and the second is capable of indicating a unit equivalent to ten shillings. Consequently the first of the two shillings systems indicates nine shillings only, because a tenth Shilling is equal to one-half a pound and is conveniently carried into the next shillings system of ways. The second system indicates only a single unit of ten shillings or one-half a pound, because the indication of the second unitotl the same value would indicate one pound and should therefore be carried into the pounds-column or next series of ways. The only purpose of dividing the shillings-column as thus described is for the purpose of making the apparatus more compact and obviating the necessity of having a transfer bar and ways therein wide enough to take in nineteen balls representing the nineteen units, which plus one make up the equivalent of a pound.

In the normal position of rest the separating-ways e in the transfer-bar D0 register with the storage-ways E in the way-plate, and in each separating-way there is a plug-slide da", having an arm D passing through a slot dil in the front of the transfer-bar and which is part of a setting mechanism, such as is set forth in my invention shown in the United States Letters Patent No. 596,360. By dropping the setting-arm D to different degrees a number of balls equivalent to the units which v.it is desired to register may be taken from the storage-way E' into the separating-way e, and then upon shifting the transfer-bar the same number of balls may be forced in the registering-way E of the system or denomination then employed. In the normal position of rest the setting-arm D is held up by the setting mechanism in a manner well known, so as to cause the plug-slide d3 to be level with the top of the transfer-bar and to exclude balls in the way-plate from passing into the separating-way. The transfer-way e is normally under the registering-way E and contains a plug-slide d20. An arm D2extends from said plug-slide through a slot (121 in the rear side of the transfer-bar D0. rl`he bail I extends around the transfer-bar and rises and falls with each operation of the machine and has such a normal position of rest that any plug-slide may drop freely to its lowest position; but the bail has such a stroke upward that it comes in contact with each arm D and D2 and lifts every arm which may have been dropped to its highest position-namely, to such a position that the plug-slidecloses the top of the trant'er or separating wayin which it moves. If the slots through which the arms D and D2 project were of uniform length, the plug-slides might drop to the bottoms of the ways; but, as above explained, it is necessary, particularly in the case of the plugslides d20, which move in the transfer-ways e', that said plug-slides should not drop in the ways a distance greater than would permit the passage into any transfer-way of a uumber of balls exceeding the maximum, less one, of the denomination to which that transferway relates. Consequently it is necessary in the case of computing in an irregular numerical system that the plug-slides should be stopped at points corresponding tothe positions which would permit only the proper number of balls to pass into the transfer-ways. As an example of a means whereby this result may be accomplished I have produced the present mechanism, in which the slots d, in which the arms D2 move, are long enough to permit movement of the plug-slide only to an extent proper to the denomination to which it pertains, and when the plug slide has dropped to the desired extent the arm D2 rests IOO lIO

upon the bottom of the slot and the plugslide is stopped at this point. In the farthin gs system the plug-slide can drop only so far as to permit three balls to enter the transferway. In the pence system the plug-slide can drop only so far as to permit eleven balls to pass into the transfer-way of that system. In the iirst of the shillings systems only nine halls can pass into theutransfer-way. In the second of the shillings systems only one ball can pass into thetransfer-way; butin the pounds system nine balls may pass into thetransier-way, and in any of the remaining pounds systems for higher denominations, as shown in the present embodiment of my invention,the decimal system is employed, wherein nine balls may drop into the transfer-way of each of the pounds denominations. I thus provide for stopping the plug-slides when moved in one direction to permit balls to pass into the ways in the transfer-bar, which obviously correspond in each case to the sum of the diameters of the balls or tally-pieces representing the maximum, less one, of the denomination to which they relate. Each transfer-way c in said transfer-bar D0 has a plug-slide (Z311, adapted to move vertically in said transferway. An arm D extends from said plug-- slide cl3@ through a slot CX31 in the front of the transfer-bar, and said arm D is con nected with the setting mechanism of the cash-register in the manner well known and shown in myLeI- ters Patent No. 596,360.

The operation of these mechanisms is set forth in my said patents, but is here repeated in a condensed form.

On the operation of the setting mechanism the plug-slide (Z311 is lowered to an extent corresponding to the number of units desired to be expressed by the operation of the setting mechanism. rlhis lowersa numberof ballssay three-from the storage-way E into the separating way e by suitable mechanism. The transfer-bar is now shifted toward the right in Fig. l until the separating-way e comes under the elevating-way E2 and the transfer-way el comes under the storage-way E. The bail I now rises, strikes the arm D, and raises the plug-slides d3@ up to such a height as will discharge all the balls from the separating way e by lifting them into the elevating-way E2 and lforcing an equal number of balls past the spring-holder e2 into the registering-way E. The balls fall in said registering-way upon the balls, if any, already accumulated therein. If the number of balls thus discharged into the registering way when accumulated upon the balls previously therein are equal to or exceed the maximum of the denomination to which said registering-way is adapted, the ball representing the last or highest unit of said denomination will be pinched between the pin Q31 and the pin Q32, the former of which moves into and out of the path of the balls in said way. The pin Q31 is moved at each operation of the machine, and when the hall representing the maximum unit of a denomination is in the path of said pin the pin pressing against the ball will push it against the pin Q32, which is upon one of the carrying-levers G30 on the back of the way-plate F, thus causing the discharge of a single ball into the registering-way of the next higher denomination and at the same time unlatchingihe pl iig-slide also in the transfer-way of the denomination in which the ball has been pinched, as just described. This allows the plug-slide also to drop as far as its movement is permitted in the transferway e and permits the balls representing the units of the denomination above it to drop into said transfer-way, whereby the balls representing the unit of the next higher denomination are discharged from the register of the lower denomination.

On the back of the transfer-bar are fastened a series of latches CP2, adapted to catch and hold the plug-slides d20 in their highest positions. The latches are pressed into engaging position by springs 123. When any latch is released, the plug-slide d20 drops to the lower limit of its possible movement, permitting the balls sustained by the latch in the registering-Way E to drop into the transferway.e in the transfer-bar. Balls are discharged from the registering-way only in case of a carrying operation, as between two denominations or in case of resetting the register to Zero. The transfer-bar D must be made of sufficient depth to permit the employment of a separating-way E long enough for the denomination having the greatest number of integers in the system of numeration employed, and the stroke of the bail I is produced in the usual way by means of the pitmen A4 A1", which reciprocate the blocks A5 A50, which are connected to the links ATATO, connected to the bail. The transverse reciprocation ol the transfer-bar E is accomplished by means of the cam 0,60 and the cam-pin am, attached to the transfer-bar.

The carrying-levers G30 are operated both to produce the movement of the ball, which represents the carried integer, and to trip the latch dgtexactly as described in my patent numbered 596,359) by means of a carryingbar G33, which is reciprocated by a lever G34, engaging between lugs Q34 upon the carryingbar and reciprocated by the cam as. At each operation of the machine the shaft A makes a complete revolution and causes a single toand-fro movement of the carrying-bar G33, from the front of which project pins Q31 through the way-plate F and into such a position as to press against the ball in the registering-way representing the highest integer of the denomination corresponding to that` way. It' no ball is in the path of the pins Q31, the carrying-lever G30 is not moved; but if a ball is in the path of movement of a pin Q31 it is pressed against a pin Q32, (see Fig. 1,) which is atlached to the carrying-lever G30 of the next higher denomination, and causes a movemen t of said lever snilicient to discharge IOO one ball of the next higher numerical order into the registering-way E of that order. The carrying-lever G30 rests against the latch (Z22 and trips the latch of the system whose highest integer has been indicated and causes the discharge of the balls in the registeringway of the last-named system into the transfer-way e below it by allowing the plug-slide to drop freely in said separating-way. These movements occur early in the rotation of the crank A, and on the continued rotation of the crank the bail I rises, strikes all the arms D and Dgwhich have dropped, and raises them after the transfer-bar has moved so far as to make the separating-way e to register with the elevating-way E2 and the transfer-way e' to register with the storage wayE and forces all the balls in the ways in the transfer-bar into said elevating and storage ways and permits the latches to engage the arms D2 to hold them and their plug-slides in the highest position. These operations are the same as those shown in my said Patent No. 596,359. As an equivalent for the slots C121 of different lengths I may employ a series of slots, all of equal lengths, but I may provide stops Jfor the descent of the arms d20 of any form to suit any selected denominations. These stops may, for instance, consist of plates fastened to the way-plate E and set in the paths of the arms d20. Such a stop O is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 fastened to the transferbar Doby means of the screw o. In the form of device shown the stops are the bottoms of the slots CX21, which are thus integral with the bar, although, as just described, the stops need not be integral therewith.

As an improved form of resetting device for computingmachines,such as shown in my former patents relating to ball-counting mechanisms, I provide the following modification: The way-plate F is slotted through with a series of slots m, Fig. l, and through these slots extend pins ml, which are attached to the carrying-levers G30. When said pins are accessible and are moved to rock the carrying-levers G30, the latches (Z22 will be disengaged and the plug-slides d20 will drop, discharging all the balls from the registeringways which they control. On turning the handle A, when the transfer ways el are brought under the storage-ways E" in the wayplate, said registering-ways are emptied. If, however, in any registering-way a ball is pinched, as above described, that ball and those above it will be held up, and a second operation of the crank becomes necessary to permit the balls pinched and upheld to drop in the registering way and pass downward into the transfer-way in order to be carried on into the storage-way; but upon two operations of the crank and moving the pins a3 the machine may be reset to zero with all the operating indicating-ways empty. As a convenient arrangement for these purposes I divide the usual front plate of glass into two parts y y' (see Fig. 4) and between them set a metallic plate Q92, having a channel therein, into which the points of the pins fo may project. This channel is covered by a sliding plate Y, provided with a lock 710; but when the plate is unlocked it may be raised in order to expose the pins m' for operation.

My invention is obviously adaptable to irregular denominations of all kinds.

What I claim isl. In a cash-registeror calculating-machine for calculating in an irregular numerical system, guideways for tally-pieces, arranged to represent different denominations, tallypieces in said guideways, a transfer-bar having ways therein and adapted to move laterally from registry with certain of the guideways to registry with certain other of the guideways, a bail havingr a uniform vertical movement, plug-slides movable in the ways in the transfer-bar for admitting and ejecting tally-pieces from and to said guideways, each slide having an arm projecting into the path of the bail, and means for stopping the plug-slides when moved in one direction, at different points, and corresponding in each oase to the sum of the diameters of the tallypieces, representing the maximum, less one, of the denomination to which they relate, said vertical Vmovement of said bail being as long as the longest plug-slide movement, substantially as set forth.

2. Inacash-registerorcalculating-machine for calculating in an irregular numerical system, guideways for tally-pieces arranged to represent different denominations, tallypieces in said guideways, a transfer-bar having ways therein, and adapted to move laterally from registry with certain of the guideways to registry with certain other of the guideways, a bail having a uniform vertical movement, plug-slides movable in the ways of the transfer-bar, for admitting and ejecting tally-pieces from and to said guideways, each slide having an arm projecting into the path of the bail, means for stopping the plugslides when moved in one direction, at di iterent points corresponding in each denomination to the sum of the diameters of the tallypieces, representing the maximum, less one, of the denomination to which they relate, carrying mechanism for causing a unit indication in a guideway representing a higher denomination when the maximum in the next lower denomination is reached or exceeded, and means for discharging from the guideway of said lower denomination tally-pieces representing said maximum, less one, said vertical movement of said bail being as long as the longest plug-slide movement, substantially as set forth.

3. Inacash-registerorcalculating-machine for calculating in an irregular numerical system, a series of systems of guideways for tallypieces, each system arranged to represent a different denomination and comprising a storage-way, an elevating-way and a registeringway, tally-pieces adapted to move in said IOO IIO

ways, a transfer-bar having for each system of guideways a transfer-way and a separat ing-way and adapted to move laterally from registry, respectively, with the registeringway and the storage-way to registry with the storage-way and the elevating-way, a bail having a uniform vertical movement, a plugslide in each of said transfer-ways and said separating-ways and movable therein for admitting and ejecting tally-pieces from and to said guideways, each plug-slide having an arm projecting into the path of the bail, and means for stopping the plug slides, when moved in one direction, at different points, corresponding in each denomination to the su m of the diameters of the tally-pieces, representing the maximum, less one, of the denomination to which they relate, said vertical movement of said bail being as long as the longest plug-slide movement, substantially as set forth.

4. In a cash-register or calculatingmachine for calculating in an irregular numerical system, a series of systems of guideways for tallypieces, each system arranged to represent a different denomination and comprising astorage-way, an elevating-way and a registeringway, tally-pieces adapted to move in said ways, a transfer-bar having for each system of guideways a transfer-way and a separating-way and adapted to move laterally from registry, respectively, with the registeringway and the storage-way to registry with the storage-way and the elevating-way, a bail having a uniform vertical movement, a plugslide in each of said transfer-ways and said separating-ways and movable therein for admitting and ejecting tally-pieces from and to said guideways,each plu g-slide having an arm projecting into the path of the bail, means for stopping the plug-slides, when moved in one direction, at dierent points, corresponding in each denomination to the sum of the diameters of the tally-pieces, representing the maximum, less one, of the denomination to which they relate, carrying mechanism for causing a unit indication in a registering-way representing a higher denomination when the maximum indication in the registering-way of the next lower denomination is reached or exceeded, and means for discharging from the registering-way of said lower denomination the tally-pieces representing said maxi- 1n um, less one, said vertical movement of said bail being as long as the longest plug-slide movement, substantially as set forth.

5. In a cash-register or calculating-machine for calculating in an irregular numerical system, guideways for tally-pieces arranged to represent different denominations, tallypieces in said guideways, atransfer-bar having ways therein and adapted to move laterally from registry with certain of the guideways to registry with certain other of the guideways, a bail having a uniform vertical movement, plug-slides movable in the ways in the transfer-bar for admitting and ejecting tally-pieces from and to said guideways, each plug-slide having an arm projecting into the path of the bail through a slot in said transfer-bar, the slots relating to the difterent denominations having different lengths, permitting in each denomination the admission into the transfer-bar of tally-pieces upon its plug-slide, representing the maximum, less one, of the denomination, said vertical movement ot said bail being as long as the longest plug-slide movement, substantially as set forth.

6. Inacash-registerorcalculating-machine for calculating in an irregular numerical system, guideways for tally-pieces arranged to represent different denominations, tallypieces in said guideways, a transfer-bar having ways therein and adapted to move laterally from registry with certain of the guideways to registry with certain other of the guideways, a bail having a uniform vertical movement, plug-slides movable in the ways in the transfer-bar for admitting and ejecting tally-pieces from and to said guideways, each plug-slide having an arm projecting into the path of the bail through a slot in said transfer-bar, the slots relating to the dili'erent denominations having ditferent lengths, per-.

mitting in each denomination the admission into the transfer-bar ot tally-pieces upon its plug-slide representing the maximum, less one, of the denomination, carrying mechanism for causing a unit indication in a registering-way representing a higher denomination when the maximum indication in the registering-way of the next lower denomination is reached or exceeded, and means for discharging from the registering-way of said lower denomination the tally-pieces representing said maximum, less one, said vertical movement of said bail being as long as the longest plug-slide movement, substantially as set forth.

7. In a cash-register or calculating-machine, a way-plate having therein guideways for tally-pieces and representing dilerent denominations, tally-pieces in said guideways, a transfer-bar having ways therein and adapted to move from registry with certain of the guideways to registry with certain other of the guideways, plug-slides movable in the ways of the transfer-bar for admitting and ejecting tally-pieces from and to said guideways, latching devices for maintaining certain of the plug-slides in position to exclude tally-pieces from the ways in the transfer-bar in which such plug-slides move, each latching device being at the back of the way-plate and transferbar, and means projecting through the Way-plate for trippingsaid latches at will and independently of the regular operation of the machine. f

8. In a cash-register or calculating-machine, a way-plate having therein guideways for tally-pieces and representing different denominations, tally-pieces in said guideways, a transfer-bar having Ways therein and adapted IOO IIO

latch having a part projecting through the way-plate for tripping said latches at will and independently of the regular operation of the machine, and a cover provided with a lock for preventing access to said tripping device.

WILLIAM H. CLARK.

Witnesses:

F. BIssELL, C. R. OsGooD.

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