Patent GB-190727269-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to Adding Machines.
Inventor: PUTNAM GEORGE BOWERS
Filed: 1907-12-10
Granted: 1908-10-09
Abstract: 27,269. Putnam, G. B. Dec. 14, 1906, [date applied for under Patents Act, 1901]. Typewriters and like machines. -Relates particularly to means for effecting a "split," i.e. the division into two independentlyoperative portions of an adding- machine of the Burroughs type such as is described in Specifications No. 17,126, A.D. 1893, and No. 27,874, A.D. 1903. The invention consists in (1) improvements in the mechanism for automatically printing the necessary ciphers to the right of any digit ; (2) arrangements for predetermining the point of split by manipulation at the keyboard and for effecting the split or, in other words, for uncoupling at a selected denomination the automatic cipher-printing tripping-device ; and (3) a device for preventing when desired the printing of a total by the left-hand section of a split machine. The typehammers 715 pivoted at 701 are as usual operated by spring-controlled drivers 716 pivoted on a cross-rod 702, and the bail 712, Fig. 3, for operating the drivers is also pivoted on the rod 702 and is connected through the link 729 with the plate 823 carried by the rock-shaft 800, which is oscillated at each operation of the machine. The hammer latches 717 upon the cross-rod 700 engage the drivers 716, and the spring-controlled pawls 718 pivoted upon the cross-rod of an oscillating bail 704 operate as usual to trip the latches. The tails of the pawls co-operate with inclined shoulders upon the levers 611, Fig. 1, which carry at their forward ends the segmental racks and at their rear ends the sets of type-plates 618, to effect the automatic disablement of the pawls when no type-setting movements of the levers 611 take place. (1) The latches 717, instead of being provided with the usual overlapping tails, are furnished with notches 717<a>, Figs. 3, 9, and 10, out of transverse alinement, which co-operate with studs 717b on opposite sides of spring - controlled coupler-bars 13. The couplerbars are provided with forked ends embracing the cross-shaft 13<a> between spacing-collars thereon, and ensure the transmission of the tripping movement. Sufficient play is allowed to the studs 717<b> in the notches 717<a> to provide for successive rather than simultaneous tripping of latches from left to right, thus causing the hammers to strike consecutively. (2) The coupler-bars 13 have a rocking as well as a sliding movement upon the shaft 13<a>, which provides for the displacement of any one, and thus effects discontinuance of co-operative relationship between any two adjacent latches. Mounted on the rock-shaft 14 is a bail with side arms 15, 16, Fig. 2, and a connecting cross-rod 18. A spring- controlled disk 19 is mounted to slide upon the cross-rod and can be positioned over the recessed forked end of any one of the coupler-bars by means of a rod 21 fixed to the disk, a cord 25 passing over pulleys 27, 28, and a drum 29 controlled by a knob 34, Fig. 2, which is provided with an index finger 35 and an index plate 36. The index finger is fitted with a stud 38, Fig. 7, engaging, when correctly positioned, with one of the holes in the index plate, and in order to change its position the knob 34 is lifted against its spring and then turned. To allow this movement, the drum is provided with an internal spline key, and is supported by the squared portion of a cross-rod 201. When the index finger 35 is placed as shown in Fig. 2, the disk 19 is in its extreme left - hand position. Before it can be moved laterally the bail 18 must first be raised, and this is accomplished by the pin 41, Fig. 3, which is carried by one arm of the lever 40 pivoted on the rod 14, and engages with a slot in the side arm 15 of the bail. The lever 40 is operated through the spring- controlled link 43, bell-crank 44, and sliding rod 45, by a three-stepped cam-plate 46 and a knob 49 provided with an index finger 51 and dial plate 52 as shown also in Fig. 2. When the index finger is in the first position, Fig. 2, on the dial plate 52, the disk 19 is raised as shown in Fig. 3. and can be moved laterally to any desired extent by turning the knob 34. When it is in the second position, the pin 41 falls, owing to the movement of the cam-plate 46, thus allowing the disk to depress the forked end of one of the coupler-bars 13 and to disengage its studs 717<b> from the notches in two adjacent latches ; but the pin 41 remains at the top of the slot in the side arm 15 of the bail 18, as shown in Fig. 9, the motion of the coupler-bar being limited by its coming into contact with the shaft 14. (3) To the rocking shaft 14 is fixed an arm 60 provided with a hook which normally engages with a hook 62 on a bent lever 61 connected at its front end through a slotted link 65 and an arm 67 with the usual total key 293 and carrying at its rear end a roller 63, which lies over the tail of the last latch 717 to the left. In the second position of the index finger 51, the hook 60, as shown in the corresponding Fig. 9, is nearly disengaged from the hook 62, and in the third position, Fig. 10, the pin 41 has descended to the bottom of the slot in the side arm 15 of the bail 18 and the hooks 60, 62 are disengaged. The lever 61 is now under the control of the total key 293, and, when this key is depressed, and the abutment-piece 70 on the restoring-frame 613 moved out of contact with the roller 71 on the link 65, on the operation of the machine, the spring-controlled link 65 follows the abutment piece, and the roller 63 trips the tail of the latch 717 and thus all the latches to the right up to the point of split. This tripping of latches does not, however, result in a printing action of the corresponding hammers for the reason that it is timed to take place when the restoring-bail 712 is still in engagement with the hammer drivers 716, whereas in the normal total-printing operation of the left-hand section of the split machine the latches are not tripped by the pawls 718 until after the bail 712 has moved to its extreme upward position, when the springs 780 are free to effect the printing blow.