US764008A - Calculating-machine. - Google Patents

Description

N0. 764,008- PATENTED JULY 5, 1904.

P. O. RINSOHE.

CALCULATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.9.1903.

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PATENTED JULY 5, 1904.

F. O. RINSGHE. CALCULATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9, 1903.

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NO MODEL.

No. 764,008- PATENTED JULY 5, 1904. F. C. RINSGHE.

CALCULATING MACHINE.

APPLIOAT ION FILED MAR. 9, 1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented July 5, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK C. RINSCHE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSAL ACCOUNTANT MACHINE COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A COR- PORAIION or uIssoURI.

CALCULATING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 764,008, dated July 5, 1904.

Original application filed November 10, 1902, Serial No. 130,727. Divided and this application filed March 9, 1903. Serial To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK C. RINsoHE, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Calculating-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to Which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in Which Figure l is an elevation showing the calculatingmachine and its driving mechanism, portions of the parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the driving mechanism with the casing insection, the full lines illustrating the normal positions of the parts, and the switch-key lever, the support, and the actuating-lever of the counting mechanism being shown by dotted lines in the positions they occupy as the motor-driven part or powersbaft of the calculating-machine is about to complete its movement in one direction when the repeating lever is in normal position. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 2, a portion of the casing being in section and the switch being illustrated partly broken away and with the cup and cap in section. Fig. 4. is a top plan view on about the line 4: t of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a view generally similar to Fig. 2, the parts being shown in the positions assumed when the repeating-lever is in inoperative position; and Fig. 6 is a top plan view, a portion of the calculating-machine and of the cabinet being broken away.

My invention relates to ealculatingmachines. and more particularly to the driving mechanism therefor, this application being a division of my application, Serial N 0. 130,727, filed November 10, 1902.

My primary object is to provide a calculating-machine with means whereby said machine can be caused to automatically repeat its operation, the machine being thus capable of automatically successively adding, recording, or

(No model.)

registering a given example a number of times; and a further object is to provide-such a machine with means whereby the operator can be readily informed of the number of times the machine has performed its cycle of operations.

To these ends and also to improve generally upon machines of the character indicated my invention consists in the various matters hereinafter described and claimed.

In the herein-illustrated embodiment of my invention I have shown a calculating-machinc which is well-known and is fully described in my Patent No. 654,181, dated July 24, 1900, and I have shown a motor which is that forming the subject-matter of an application for patent filed by Penrose E. Chapman on or about September 15, 1902, Serial No. 123,450. This particular motor is adapted to make only a partial revolution, the amount of movement being only that sufficient to carry the powershaft of the calculating-machine through the necessary are. It will, however, be apparent that other motors than those of the type just described can be employed by me for the purposes of the present invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings,A indicates the calculating-machine.

B is the supporting-cabinet, and C is the motor, the motor being here shown as geared to the calculating-machine by means of sprockets and a chain, although other connections can be made between the motor and the calculatingmachine-c. 9., as by mounting the motor directly upon the power-shaft of the calculating machine. As here illustrated, however, the power-shaft 57 of the calculating-machine is provided with a sprocket wheel or disk 1, which corresponds generally to the operating-handle usually mounted upon said shaft. The rotatable armature-shaft T of the motor is provided with a companion sprocketwheel 2, and a sprocket-chain 3 extends about the said wheels. Suitable means are provided for causing the usual recovery of the powershaft 57, this means being here shown as the well-known recovering-spring 62,connected to the said shaft by the customary chain or other flexible connector 61. Suitably supported, as upon the top plate of the cabinet, is a standard 4, and guided upon said standard, as by means of headed pins or screws 5, whose shanks extend through slots 6 in the standard, is a vertically slidable bar 10, which forms a switch-key, the lower end of said key being bent laterally to produce a projection 8, whose function will be hereinafter explained, and said switch-key being normally held in elevated position, as by means of the recovering-spring 9. The upper end of the standard 4 is bent outwardly2 a, away from the switch-key bar-to produce a lateral projection 11, and suitably secured to the switchkey bar is a strap bent to produce a boxing, which has a side plate 12 and top and bottom plates 13 and 14, which extend from said side plate toward said switch-key bar and lie, respectively, above and below the said fixed lateralprojection. 11. Felt or other suitable packing 15 is interposed between the said lateral projection 11 and the said plates 13 and 1 1 and acts to cushion the switch-key in a mannerv which will be apparent.

Manifestly many forms of switches can be employed for controlling the motor-circuit; but I have here shown'a closed cup 16, suitably supported upon the cabinet and having a lower relatively fixed terminal 17 and a plunger 18,;operating vertically through the cap of the cup and forming the cooperating terminal. The cup is preferably filled with oil to prevent sparking. A spring 19 tends to throw the upper terminal or plunger 18 into-contact with the terminal 17; but as the said plunger has a disk or other suitable projection 20, which lies above and engages the lateral projection 8 of the switch-key bar, said plunger is normally held in elevated position and-the motor-circuit is thus normally open. It will be noticed that the switch-key bar has a considerably-longer throw than the throw of the plunger necessary to bring the latter into contact-making position, whereby after the switch-key bar has been depressed and the plunger-terminal has therefore been thrown by its spring into contact-making position the switch-key bar continues to descend and passes out of engagement with the disk 20. Thus the downward movement of the plunger is unlimited except by the lower cooperating terminal, and the said plunger can always descenduntil proper contact is made, notwithstanding the fact that the terminals may wear and the plunger may therefore have to make a longer throw after the terminals have been in service for some time than it has to make when the parts are new.- Furthermore, when the switch-key is released the projection 8 has an initial movement unobstructed bythe said disk 20, and the switchkey bar thus starts its movement and then forcibly strikes the said disk 20 and quickly elevates the latter.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that under normal conditions the motor is inoperative and the calculating-machine is in condition'for having a number set up thereon. After such number has been set up. the operator depresses the switch key, whereupon the motor is energized and rocks the power-shaft 57 forwardly against the force of the recovering-spring 62, said spring serving to return the power-shaftand the motor to normal position as soon as the motor-circuit is again broken by the elevation of the switchkey.

I shall now describe the means whereby the switch-key can. be released by the operator almost as soon as he hasdepressed the same, and the said key will be held indepressed position to permit the circuit to be maintained closed, but will be automatically elevated to cause the motor-circuit to be broken as soon as the power-shaft 57 has been rocked through the necessary are.

A supporting-plate 21 is screwed or otherwise secured to the face of the sprocket wheel or disk 1, the upper surface of said plate being concentric with said wheel and of a length corresponding to the desired arc of movement of the power-shaft 57, while the rear .end of said plate is beveled or inclined inwardly, as shown at 22. A suitably-pivoted lever 23, conveniently supported upon the standard 1, has a slot 2 1 in one end adapted to receive a pin 25 upon the switch-key bar and operating through a slot 26 in the said standard, and the other end of said lever is bent inwardly, as shown at-27, to lie inthe plane which includes the supporting-plate or projection 21, the inner end of said lever--z'. a, the end toward said supporting-plate lying at such a point that when the lever is rocked it can just clear the forward end of the said plate. When the parts are in normal position, the inner end of the said lever is below the said supportingplate. When the switch-key is depressed, the inner end of the said lever is elevated to a position above the said supporting-plate, the motor is energized in a manner which will be understood, and the sprocket-wheel 1 is rotated sufliciently to. carry the forward end of the supporting-plate beneath the inner end of the lever, whereby the switch-key bar is locked down with the projection 8 out of engagement with the disk 20 and the motor-circuit is maintained closed notwithstanding the fact that the operator removes his finger from the switch-key. As soon, however, as the powershaft 57 has moved through the necessary are the supporting-plate passes from beneath the raised lever end and the spring 9 elevates the switch-key bar, thus throwing the inner end of the lever downwardly into its normal position below the said supporting-plate, breaking the motor-circuit and permitting the recovering-spring 62 to return the power-shaft to normal position. The construction just described also prevents the operator from attempting to depress the switch-key, and thus cause the power-shaft to start a second operation before it has completed one already commenced.

I shall now describe the herein-illustrated means for causing the motor to be automatically successively energized, whereby the calculating-machine can be caused to automatically operate several times in succession.

Pivoted to the rotating hub 28 of the sprocket wheel or disk 1 is a lever 29, to whose rear end is connected a spring 30, which tends to depress said rear end, the movement of said lever under the action of said spring being limited, as by means of a stop-pin 31, projecting from the said sprocketdisk. Suitably pivoted, as upon the standard 32, is what I shall term a repeatinglever 33, which is readily accessible to the operator of the machine and has a nose or projection 3A, which when the said repeating-lever is in normal position lies over the forward end of the said lever 29 and holds the said forward end of said lever 29 in a depressed position against the force of the spring 30 when the sprocket-disk is in normal position. The said repeating-lever 33 is normally held in what may be termed its forwardoperative position by means of aspring 35. The lever 29 has its forward end bent to extend beneath the lever 23, as shown at 36; but when the repeating-lever is in its. normal operative position its nose 34 engages the said lever 29 and prevents the same from operatively engaging the said lever 23. Therefore when the repeating-lever is in its normal position, as shown in Fig. 2, the mechanism operates in the manner heretofore described, and the lever 29 performs no function whatever, merely movingidl y with the wheelor disk 1. We will assume, however, that the operator desires to repeat agiven number. After setting up the number upon the machine in the usual way he pulls the repeating-lever 33 from its operative position, and thus carries its nose 34 out of engagement with the lever 29. The spring 31 immediately exerts its force to raise the forward end of the said lever 29, whereupon the lever 23 is rocked into the position into which it would be thrown were the switchkey depressed, and the switch-key bar is therefore lowered just as if the switch-key had been operated. Thus the motor is energized and the sprocket-wheel, with its supporting-plate,

is carried forward in the usual manner, the inner end of the lever 23 slipping off the supporting-plate and breaking the motor-circuit as soon as the power-shaft 57 has been carried through the necessary are. As the sprocket wheel or disk returns to its normal position,

however, the repeating-lever 23 being still" held by the operator in its retracted inoperative position, the forward end-of the lever 29 (which is abnormally raised by means of the spring 30) engages the inner end of the lever 23, whereupon the switch-key bar is again depressed, the motor-circuit is again completed, and the power shaft 57 is given a second operation, the above-described cycle of operations being repeated as long as the repeating-lever 33 is held in a retracted position. After the'power-shaft has been rocked forwardly as many times as is desired the repeating-lever 33 is released and permitted to be thrown into its normal operative position. Therefore as the sprocket wheel or disk 1 returns to normal position for the last time the forward end of the lever 29 engages under the nose 34:, and the said sprocket-disk comes to rest with the lever 23 in its normal position and the switch-key elevated.

In order to indicate to the operator the number of times that the sprocket-wheel 1 and the power-shaft 57 have operated, I mount a counting mechanism D in a suitable casing 36, supported upon the casing 37 which incloses the operating parts heretofore described, and this counting mechanism includes an arm or lever 38, which extends into the path of movement of a pin or projection 39 upon the sprocket wheel or disk 1, said lever having a spring 40 connected thereto, which tends to force the lever arm forwardly. Therefore as the sprocket-disk moves forwardly the lever-arm of the counting mechanism is thrown forwardly by its spring 40, and as the sprocketwheel returns to normal position its pin 39 engages the operating-arm 38 and throws the same backwardly, the counting mechanism thus operating in unison with the powershaft 57.

Preferably the driving mechanism illustrated is mounted upon a suitable cabinet or other support, so that in order to apply the same to any machine of the usual type provided with the customary operating-handle it is only necessary to mount such machine upon the said cabinet, remove its usual operatinghandle from the power-shaft 57, and secure the sprocket-wheel 1 upon said power-shaft in lieu of the said handle. For convenience in manufacture I have struck up the standards 4 and 32 from a common base 41, said base being supported upon the top plate of the cabinet; but it will be apparent that the said standards can be made and constructed in many other ways.

I am aware that minor changes in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of my device can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without in the least departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

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

1. The combination with a calculating-machine having a power-shaft, means for setting up items, and devices for causing registration of an...item upon a given operation of said power-shaft, of power mechanism for operating said shaft, and means whereby after said power mechanism has been set into operation it will of itself and Without further action upon the part of the operator continue to operate and thus cause uninterrupted successive operations of said power-shaft while an item is set up, whereby, the said item having been set up and said power mechanism having been started the said item is without further action upon the part of the operator registered in the machine a plurality of times; substantially as described.

2. The combination with a calculating-machine having a power-shaft, means for setting up items, and devices for causing registration of an item upon operation of said power-shaft, of a movable controlling member under the control of the operator, and means whereby movement of said controlling member causes said power-shaft to commence a cycle of movements to effect registration of an item and also causes said power-shaft to automatically repeat its cycle of movements while said item is set up; substantially as described.

3. The combination with a calculating-machine, of a power member, operative connection between said power member and said machine, means for causing said power member to drive said machine through a single cycle of movements and then automatically cease to drive said machine, and means for causing said power member to automatically drive said machine through a succession of cycles of movements; substantially as described.

4. The combination with a calculating-machine including a reciprocatory power-shaft, of a reciprocatory motor, driving connection between said motor and said power-shaft for driving the latter in one direction, means for energizing said motor to cause the same to be driven in one direction, means whereby when said power-shaft completes its movement in said direction said motor is deencrgized, and a recovering-spring for reversely operating said power-shaft and motor; substantially as described.

5. The combination with a calculating-machine including a power-shaft, of a recovering-spring connected to said power-shaft, a motor, means whereby said motor is compelled to make only a limited movement, and driving connection between said motor and said power-shaft; substantially as described.

6. In a calculating-machine or the like, the combination with a standard provided with a projection, of a slide-bar connected to an opcrating-key, plates connected to said bar and upon opposite sides of said projection, and cushions between the said projection and the respective said plates; substantially as described.

7 In a calculating-machine or the like, the combination with a standard provided with a projection, of a slide-bar connected to an opcrating-key, a boxing connected to said bar and having plates, upon opposite sides of said projection and a plate connecting said firstmentioned plates and at the edge of said projection, and cushions in said boxing and between the said projection and the respective said plates upon opposite sides thereof; substantially as described.

8. The combination with the power-driven shaft of a calculating-machine, of a motor, driving connection between said motor and said shaft, a switch-key controlling the circuit including said motor, and means controlled by said shaft for maintaining said key in operative position; substantially as described.

9. The combination with the power-driven shaft of a calculating-machine, of a motor, driving connection between said motor and said shaft, aswitch-key controlling the circuit which includes said motor, a support upon said shaft, and a member connected to said switch-key and adapted to be supported upon said support to maintain said switch-key in operative position, said shaft being movable when said switch-key is in inoperative position; substantially as described.

10. The combination with the power-shaft of a calculating-machine, of a motor, driving connection between said motor and said shaft, a switch-key controlling the circuit including the said motor, a support upon said shaft, a member connected to said switch-key and adapted to be supported upon said support to maintain said key in operative position, means whereby said key moves into inoperative position when said support is removed from the said member, said shaft being movable when said switch-key is in inoperative position, and a recovering-spring for sald shaft; substantially as described.

11. The combination with the power-shaft of a calculating-machine, of a disk thereon, a motor, driving connection between said motor and said disk, a lateral projection upon said disk, a switch-key controlling the circuit including said motor, and a member connected to said switch-key and adapted to be supported upon said lateral projection to maintain said key in operative position; substantially as described.

12. The combination in a calculating-machine having normally a regular cycle of operations, of registering mechanisms, a powershaft for operating the same and a source of power for operating the shaft, means capable of being set up for predetermining the extent of movement of the registering mechanisms for each cycle of operations and means which is capable upon a single operation of causing a plurality of operations of the registering mechanisms each an amount predetermined by one setting up of the predetermining means; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses, 10 this 19th day of February, 1903.

FRANK C. RINSCHE.

Witnesses:

GALEs P. JMOORE, GEORGE BAKEWELL.

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