US942487A - Number-wheel lock for calculating-machines. - Google Patents

Description

W. L. DENCH.

NUMBER WHEEL LOCK FOR CALCULATING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3. 1908.

942,487. Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. L. DENCH.

NUMBER WHEEL LOOK FOR CALCULATING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED MAR. s, 1908.

942,487 Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

2SHEETS-SKEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM .L. BENCH, 0F PELHAM, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ELLIOTT-FISHER- COM- PANY, 0F vIiI'E'W YORK, N. Y., A COBPORA'LION OF DELAWARE.

NUMBER-WHEEL LOCK non CALCULATING-MACHINES.

Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

Application nle'a'mmh 3,1908. .S eria1No."418,978.

To all whom it imiy comm-n: Be it known that I, W LLIA L. Damon, 'a' citizen of the United States, residing at Pelham, in. the county ofWestchester and State includes a series of number wheels and -a master wheel which is movable laterally to engage the number wheels in succession.

1 he particular machine with reference to which the present embodiment of the invention is primarily designed is what'is known as the Elliottel isher combined billing and "adding machine, which includes in its oranization a fiat platen typewriter on the rame of which is'mounted a totalizeror register including a series of number wheels, and. on the carriage of-which is mounted a master wheel, laterally movable into cooperative relation. with successive number wheels as the carriage advances, and rotated difierentv distances by the operation of the numeral keys of the typewriter through what are known as differential connections. This arrangement-results in the addition of a series of numbers as they are printed in a column by thetypewriter.

The ObjQCbOfithe invention is to prevent the simultaneous operation of two number wheels 'in the event that a keyis struck while the master wheel occupies an. intermediate position in its movement from one number wheel to the next) To the accomplishment .of this object the machine is equip ed with a number wheel lock movable latera 1y with the master actuator to en gageand lock successive number wheels,- The lock is located in advance of the masters wheel and remains in locking engagement withthe 'numberw'neehtoward which the actuator is moving, until said actuator has fully cleared the preceding number wheel. In the accompanying draWings- Fi'gure 1' is a vertical sectional view ofso much of a-n er my invention thereto. Fig. 2 isa plan view of certain elements of the machine, the

edifierential operating mechanism for the master wheel bein omitted ,'and the; front portion of the reglster being .m section to fwriter through suitable intermediate *di show, thegeneral relation of the master wheel, the number wheels, and the number wheel. lock. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the relation of the number wheels, master wheel and number wheel lock when the master wheel occu ies an intermediate position in its travel fi em one number wheel to the next, and Fig. 4 is a detail view-of the number wheel lock detached.

A comprehensive understanding of the invention will be-.facilitated by a somewhat further description of the machine to which it is shown applied." v The Elliott-Fisher billing machine is what is known to commerce as a flat platen type writer A flat platen 1 is equipped ,with

tracks 2 upon which travels longitudinally tor line spacing, the machine, frame 3.'

In rear of the-frame 3 uponsuitable bra ck- I ets is a register supporting bar7,onwhich is adj ustably carried a register 8 which includes, asusual, a series'of denominational members 9 in the form of peripherally toothed wheels. These wheels are also known as number wheels, since they either have numbers displayed thereon or communicate motion to registering wheels equip ed with numbers exhibitedat a sight opening in the re ister casing. Thereglstershown is of the atter yp The number wheels 9 are adapted to be operated by a master wheel or actuator 10 mounted on the carriage 4 and movable therewith to engage successive-number wheelsas the carriage/advances to present the printing point of the typewriter opposite the different denominational positions of a column .of numbers being printed on the Work sheet.

The master wheel 10 is" rotated at different distance, to-wit from one to nine increments, by the several numeral keys of theltyipeential connections indicated generally as 11. The entire organization as thus far described is well known in the art and it need only be remarked that when numeral key of the t ewriter is o erated to )rint a di it in a given denominational position, the master wheel 10 will be simultaneously rotated to operate the number wheel of corresponding denominational position, a number of increments corresponding to the value of the digit printed. Thus if the digit 5 is printed in the hundreds order of the column on the work sheet, the hundreds wheel of the regisnumber wheels of the register are closely spaced. As a result of this the master wheel when moving laterally from one number wheel to the next engages two number Wheels simultaneously at an -intermediate point in its movement, that is to say, while it is in the act of moving out or engagementwith one wheel and into engagement with the next. It sometimes happens that a key of the typewriter is depressed betore'the spacing movement of the carriage has completely withdrawn the master wheel IEI'OIlhil'lfi nuinber wheel just operated, in which event a false operation of one of the nu. u wheels results. To prevent the opera n of the number wheels under these conditions, 1 pro vide what may be termed a number wheel lock 1 mounted on, the carriage 4% close to the right hand side of the master wheel 10 and having its rear extremity extended between two adjacent teeth of the'number wheel to the right of master wheel, see Figs. 1 and 2. Preferably the end 13 ot' the lock 12 is disposed close to the subjacent tooth ozt-tiie wheel engaged by it in order to prevent any appreciable movement of such wheel. it is sutlicient, how-- ever, that the lock be so located as to prevent any effective movement of the wheel,

to-wit one or more increments or units of movement, as less than this would not effect a false registration.

By reference to Fig. 2, it will be seen that when the master wheel 10 i in full engagement with one of the number wheels 9, the lock 12 will be in full engagement with the next number wheel to the right. If new the number wheel engaged by the master wheel is operated and the carriage released upon the complete depression of the key in the usual manner, the carriage will move toward the right and the master wheel 19 will advance laterally into engagement with the ntn'nber wheel at next lower order. As the number wheel lock 12 is also mounted the one engaged by the areas? engagement with two number wheels, one

ot' the number wheels is held against etfective movement by the number wheel lock and therefore neither of such number wheels can be operated.

lVheiher a number wheel may be operated the instant the master wheel moves out of engagement with the next number wheel to the left, or whether it is locked against operation until the master wheel is in full engagement with it is a matter of choice which depends merely upon the relative positions of the master wheel and. the lock 12. It is conducive to high speed oi operation to permit one number wheel to commence its operation the instant all danger of the simultaneous operation of two number wheels is passed. I have therefore shown the number Wheel lock so spaced from the master wheel that the lock will release a number wheel the instant the master wheel has moved completely out of engagement with the next number wheel to the left. Obviously, however, the lock may be located immediately adjacent to the master wheel so that a number wheel will not be released until the full spacing movement of the carriage has been completed.

The particular form of the number wheel lock or the manner of mounting the same on the carriage is not material, the only requisites being sutlicient rigidity of the lock to.

properly perform its function and move ment of the lock with the carriage to advance it across the series of number wheels. In the accompanying drawings the lock is in the form of a narrow metal bar the body portion otwhich is in angular relation to the lower wheel engaging end 13 and to the upper horizontally disposed end or shank 14, which latter is screwed to one of the brackets 15 which support, the register 0 crating connections. 'io lend rigidity to tie bar, a headed screw 16 is passed therethrough midway of its ends and is screwed into the supporting bracket.

It is thought that from the foregoing, the R A construction and operation of my register wheel lock will'be fully understood, but I i wish to expressly reserve the right; toefi'ect such variations of the illustrated structure as may come fairly/within the scope of the protection prayed.

\Vhat I claim is I 1. In a combined typew'riting and adding machine, the combination with' a typewriter including a carriage, frame, and printing mechanism, of a register having a series of denominational members, a master actuator operated by the printing mechanism of the typewriter, said master actuator being movable to engage successive denominational members and adapted during such movement to engage two members at the same time, and locking means movable with the including a carriage, a frame" and printing mechanism, of a register mounted on the frame and having a series of denominational members, a master actuator movable with the carriage to engage successive members and operated by the printing mechanism of the typewriter, and locking means, mounted on and movable with the carriage to engage and prevent effective operation of a denominationalmembcr While the actuator is moving into engagement therewith and before said actuator has cleared the adjacent member. a

In testimon whereof I affix my signature in presence 0 two witnesses.-

WILLIAM L. DENCH. Witnesses:

' W. M. CARTMELL,

ERANDER B. SCHLEY.

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