US689983A - Computing attachment for type-writers. - Google Patents

Description

'No'. 689,983. v

- J. H.'NEAL. v

COMPUTING ATTACHMENT-FDR TYPE WRITERS.

(Application filed May 4, 1901.\ (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet l.

Patented Dee. 3|,190I.

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No. 689,983. Patented Doc. 3i, 19m.-

- J. H. NEAL.

COMPUTING ATTACHMENT FOR TYPE WRITERS.

Applicacion filed May 4, 1901.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 2Q (No-Model.)

WE NcRms N0. 689,983. Pa't ented Dec; 3|, |9t'n.

= J. H. NEAL.

COMPUTING ATTAGHMENT FOR TYPE WRITERS..

Applic'ation flied my 4, 1 901.

4 Shets'-Shaat .3.

(No Illodl.)

flentaz UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIcE.

JAMES H. NEAL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRY L. WVILSON, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

COMPUTING ATTACHMENT F OR TYPE-WRITERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 689,983, dated December 31, 1901.

' Application filed May 4,1901. Serial No 58,705. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES H. NEAL, a citizen of the United States, residing in Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Computing Attachments for Type-Writing Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a computing attachment for type-writing machines, and is an improvement upon the attachment shown and described in United States Patent No. 666,684, granted to me January 29, 1901.

My present invention has for its object to provide a simple, durable, and efficient construction of computing attachment which can be operated'with a minimum power.

Other features of this invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a type-writing instrument provided with a computing attachment embodying this invent-ion; Fig. 2, aside elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a detail in front elevation showing the attachment on a larger scale,

Fig. 4, a sectional view on the irregular line 4 4, Fig. 3; Figs. 5 and 6, sectional details on the lines 5 5 6 6, Fig. 3; and Fig. 7, a detail in plan of a portion of the keyboard to be referred to.

Referring to the drawings, (1 represents a shaft supported in suitable bearings b, attached to the framework of the type-writing machine, which latter may be of any suitable construction and is herein shown as the wellknown Remington type-writer. The shaft a is designed to be rotated by the depression of the numeral-keys c, and this may be effooted, as herein shown, by means of levers d, loose on the shaft a and yieldingly connected to the numeral-key cby links or rods ef and an interposed spring g, each of the said levers having a laterally-extended stud or projection h,.adapted to engage an arm or projection 'i on a collar or hub j, secured to the shaft a, as by a set-screw is or in any other suitable manner. The shaft on has fast on it a segmental gear Z, adapted to be brought into engagement with a pinion m, fast on a shaft 71, having bearings and suitable arms 0 19, attached to the framework of the machine. The shaft n has fast on it a pawl-carrying arm q, havingils pawl rheld bya spring 3 in-engagement with a ratchet-wheel 2f, secured to the side of a gear-wheel to, loose on the shaft 01. The gear-wheelu maybe termed the master-wheel and is adapted to en- 6o gage with and rotate the toothed numeralwheels 40f a totalizer, preferably of a construction as will be described, and which is movable with the paper-carriage 5 of the typewriting machine. 6

The totalizer herein shown comprises a series of toothed numeral-wheels 4, loose on a shaft or rod 6, supported in end disks 7, connected together by the rod 6 and tie-rods 3 8. Each numeral-wheel 4 has fast to it a cam 9, with which cooperates a finger or projection 10 on a lever 12, pivoted on a tube or sleeve 2, extended through the end disks 7 and through which is passed a bar or rod 13, extended through the end disks 7 of the totalizer and forming a support for the latter, upon which 'said totalizer is movable and is adapted to be secured in its adjusted position by the setscrew 14, extended through a hub 15 on one of the end disks 7. The supporting bar or rod 13 is secured to the paper-carriage 5 of the machine, so as to be supported thereby and move therewith, and this may be accomplished, as shown, by means of thumbnuts 16, which engage the threaded ends of the said rod and clamp collars l7 thereon between brackets or arms 18, attached to the papercarriage 5, and collars 19, fastened on the rod 13, as by screws 20. The arms 18 are provided at their ends (see Figs. 2 and 5) with 0 an open slot 21 for the reception of an angular hub 22 on the collar 17. The slots 21 in the brackets or arms 18 permit the rod 13 to move toward or away from the paper-carriage to adjust the totalizer with relation to the 5- master-wheel u.

Each totalizer-wheel 4 is provided,as shown, with ten teeth, and between the said teeth the numerals from 0 to 9 are painted or otherwise affixed thereto. The wheels 4 ICO are located on the shaft 6, and each wheel, except one of the endmost wheels, has secured to it the cam 9, which prevents the carryingforward operation of the lever 12 until the said totalizer-Wheel has made a complete revolution, at which time the reduced portion 25 of the cam permits the lever 12 to be moved forward by its spring 26 to engage a pawl 27, pivoted to the lever 12, with a tooth of the next adjacent totalizer-wheel, and thus rotate it the distance of one tooth. The pawl 27 is normally held against a stop or pin 28 on the lever 12 by a spring 29, secured to said lever.

The adjacent wheel 4 of the totalizer is prevented from being moved more than the distance of one tooth by means of a bar or rod 30, supported by the end disks 7 and located so that on the forward movement of the lever 12 the lower end of the same will pass under the said rod, while the carrying-forward pawl 27 will pass over said rod and will be carried upward a sufiicient distance to engage a tooth of the adjacent totalizer-wheel at or about the time the said wheel has been moved the proper distancenamely, the distance of one tooth. The pawl 27 is thus practically wedged between the tooth of the next adjacent wheel and the bar 30, and the lever 12 and totalizerwheel are thus practically locked. To release or unlock the same, I have provided a device which is practically brought into operation on the depression of a numeral-key c. The releasing device referred to may be made as herein shown, and consists of a lever 31, pivoted on a rod 32, supported by the arms 0 p, and connected bya link 33 with an arm 34, fast on the shaft a, so that when the latter is operated by the depression of a numoral-key the lever 31 will be brought into engagement with the end of the lever 12 and will force the same backward against the action of the spring 26, thus moving the pawl 27 backward out of engagement with the totalizer-wheel, thereby leaving the latter free to be rotated on its shaft 6. The carrying-forward lever 12 is moved backward a uniform distance by the depression of each numeralkey, for by an inspection of Fig. 4 it will be seen that the lever 12 moves on the rod 13 as a center, and the lever 31 moves on the rod 32. In the position shown in Fig. 4 the lower end of the lever 12 lies in the path of movement of the lever 31. Consequently the latter engages the end of the leverl2 and moves the same backward until the end of the lever 12 is carried upward out of engagement with the lever 31. This upward movement of the lower end of the lever12 is due to the end of said lever moving in the arc of a circle with the rod 13 as a center. The lever 31 ceases to act on the lever 12 before the lever 12 has been moved to such distance as would enable the pawl 27 to engage a new tooth of the totalizer-wheel. To permit the totalizer-wheel to be thus unlocked before the master-wheel is started in rotation, the segmental gear l is set on the shaft a, so as to have a limited movement before it is engaged with the pinion m, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. Each totalizer-Wheel is prevented from being moved backward by a holding-pawl 36, acted upon by the spring 37.

The levers (1, connected to the different numeral-keys, are adapted to be moved different distances, and the distance each lever may be moved is controlled, as herein shown, by means of an adjustable screw 40, extended through a cross bar or frame 41, attached to the framework of the machine, the said setscrew cooperating with an arm 42 on the lever d, which arm is movable in a slot 43 in a curved portion 44 of the said cross bar or frame. I prefer to use the screws 40 as stops, so as to compensate for wear and for adjustment; but I do not desire to limit myself in this respect, as the slots 43 may be made of different lengths, according to the distance it is desired the levers (1 should be moved, in which case the rear walls of said slots would constitute stops for said levers.

In type-writing machines as now commonly made the paper-carriage is moved about onetenth of an inch at each depression of a key, and in order to permit of the use of a totalizer in which the carrying-forward mechanism lies between adjacent numeral-wheels of said totalizer the said nu meral-wheels are reduced in width substantially one half. Consequently the numerals on said wheels are too small to be conveniently seen, and therefore the totalizer is provided with a magnifyingglass 45, which extends across said totalizer and is supported by the end disk 7.

In order to move the individual totalizerwheels back to zerothat is, with the zeros on the wheels in line with each other and beneath or behind the glass 45, which position may be regarded as the normal or starting positionthe end disks 7 have mounted on them a shell or body 47 ,provided with grooves 48, (see Fig. 3,) which engage the end disks 7 and by means of which the said shell may be turned completely around on said end disks, if desired. The shell 47 is open for a portion of its circumference-to permit the totalizerwheels to be engaged with the master-wheel by the movement of the paper-carriage. Each totalizerwheel is provided with one tooth (marked 50 in Fig. 4) made shorter than the other teeth and sufficiently short so that while it will engage the teeth of the master wheel it will not be engaged by the revoluble shell 47. Consequently by turning the shell so as to rotate the totalizer-wheels, the former will be turned until it fails to engage the tooth 50 of the said wheels, and when this occurs the wheels are set to zero. The engage ment of the shell with the teeth of the totalizer-wheels is effected, as herein shown, by providing the shell or body 47 on its inner side with teeth 51 to engage the teeth of the totalizer-wheels, and thus permit the said Wheels to be set to zero by a continuous movement in one direction of the shell or body. Vhen it is desired to set the totalizer-wheels to zero, as described, the bar or rod 30 is disceases said rod may be frictionally supported by the end disks 7, which permits the operator to force the bar or rod 30 out endWise sufficient for the operator to grasp one end, after which it may be drawn out from the totalizer. After the totalizer-wheels have been set to zero the bar or rod 30 can be again inserted into position in the totalizer. The shaft a, as herein shown, is capable of being partially rotated in one direction, (indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4,) so as to remove the arms 1' from the path of movementof the pins h, thus enabling the numeral-keys to be operated without working the totalizer.

Referring to Fig. 3., the shaft a has fast on it a disk 71 and a thumb-nut 72. The disk 71 is provided in its periphery with a notch or recess 73, (see Fig. 6,) into which is adapted to enter a locking device or bar 74, vertically movable, as shown, on a pin or rod 75 and normally pressed downward by a spring 76. When the computing device is in use, the locking device or bar 74 is in engagement with the periphery of the disk 71, as shown in Fig. 6; but when it is desired to print numerals without operating the totalizer the shaft or is turned until the locking device engages the notch or recess 73. The shaft or may be restored toits operative position by a coiled spring 78 when the locking device 74 is withdrawn from the notch in the disk 71, the return movement of said shaft being limited by the segmental gear Z strikingthe cross-bar 41. In practice the segmental gear land master-wheel may be covered by a shield 60, (shown only in Fig. 4,). secured to the cross-bar 41, which also serves as a support and back-stop for the segmental gear 1 when the totalizer is not being used.

By means of the construction herein shown the totalizer-wheels may be rotated with the expenditure of a minimum power on the numeral-keys.

1. The combination witha type-writing machine provided with a movable paper carriage and with numeral-keys, of a totalizer supported by and movable with said carriage, a rotatable shaft, gearing intermediate of said shaft and said totalizer, a plurality of levers loose on said shaft, means on said shaft adapted to be engaged by said levers for effecting rotation of said shaft, and means for connecting said levers with said numeral-keys, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a type-writing machine provided with numeral-keys, of a totalizer attached thereto, a rotatable shaft, means actuated from said shaft to operate said totalizer, a plurality of levers loose on said shaft, means on said shaft adapted to be engaged by said levers, means for connecting said levers with the numeral-keys of the said machine, and means to lock said rotatable shaft in a position beyond the influence of said levers, for the purpose specified.

3. The combination with a type-writing machine provided with a movable paper-carriage and with numeral-keys, of a totalizer supported by and movable with said carriage, a rotatable shaft, gearing intermediate of said shaft and said totalizer, a plurality of levers loose on said shaft, means on said shaft adapted to be engaged by said levers for efiecting rotation of said shaft, means for connecting said levers with said numeral-keys, and means to limit the rotation of said shaft, substantially as described.

4. The combination with atype-writing machine provided with a movable paper-carriage and with numeral-keys, of a totalizer supported by and movable with said carriage, a rotatable shaft, gearing intermediate of said shaft and totalizer, a plurality of levers loose on said shaft and operatively connected with said numeral-keys, means fast on said shaft with which said lovers are adapted to engage to effect rotation of said shaft, a stationary cross bar or frame, and means on said shaft adapted to cooperate with said stationary cross bar or frame to stop the rotation of said shaft under the influence of said levers, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a type-writing ma chine provided with a movable paper-carriage and with numeral-keys, of a totalizer oomprising a series of toothed numeral-wheels, cams movable with said wheels, carrying-forward levers provided with pawls for engaging said totalizer wheels and governed in their action by said cams, a device cooperatin g with the pawls of all the carrying-forward levers to cause the said pawls to be moved into looking engagement with the totalizerwheels, and means operated by said numeralkeys for rotating said numeral-wheels, substantially as described.

6. The combination withatype-writing machine provided with a movable paper-carriage and with numeral-keys, of a totalizer comprising a series of toothed numeral-Wheels, cams movable with said wheels, carrying-forward levers provided with pawls for engaging said totalizer-wheels and governed in their action by said cams, means cooperating with said pawls and carrying-forward levers to prevent said nu meral-wheels being rotated by said carrying-forward levers beyond a predetermined distance, means operated by said numeralkeys for rotating said numeral-wheels, and

means operated by the depression of said nuposition, a master wheel to engage all the teeth of the said numeral-wheels, and means to rotate said master-wheel, substantially as described.

8. The combination with a type-writing machine provided with a paper-carriage and with numeral-keys,of a totalizer supported by and movable with said carriage and comprising a plurality of toothed n umeral-wheels, cams attached thereto, carrying-forward levers coopcrating with said cams and having pawls cooperating With said nu meral-Wheels,a masterwheel adapted to engage said numeratwheels, a ratchet-wheel attached to said master-Wheel, a pawl in engagement with said ratchet-wheel, an arm carrying said pawl, apinion movable with said arm, a segmental gear cooperating with said pinion,a rotatable shaft upon which said segmental gear is mounted, a plurality of arms fast on said shaft,a plurality of levers loose on said shaft and adapted to engage said eeaese arms to rotate said shaft, and means to com nect said levers with said numeral-keys, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a type-writingmachine provided with numeral-keys, of a totalizer carried thereby, a master means to operate said totalizer, a rotatable shaft for operating said master means, a plurality of levers loosely mounted on said shaft and operatively connected with said numeral-keys,and means on said shaft adapted to be engaged by said levers to rotate said shaft, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES II. NE AL.

\Vitnesses:

JAs. 1-1. CHURCHILL, J. MURPHY.

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