Patent GB-320610-A (GB)
Abstract: 320,610. Astrawerke Akt.-Ges., and Greve, J. E. July 14, 1928. Adding and subtracting apparatus with printing-mechanism and with several totalizers. - A machine adapted for calculating and printing in columns in order to produce tabular statements is provided with a large number of column counters consisting of a continuous series of equispaced counter wheels extending over the entire width of the statement. There may be two such series, one above the other, with means for selecting in which series a counter shall function. The invention is described as applied to a known type of adding and subtracting machine wherein a single bank of keys is adapted to set stops in a transversely displaceable carriage 15, Fig. 1, to control eventually the extent of upward travel of type-bars 16 for printing the item against a platen 86. In their descent the bars actuate stationary counters 30, 31 disabled selectively at will. Stationary counters 30, 31. These are mounted between arms 42 pivoted at 44 and urged to the left by springs but under the control, through pins 46, Fig. 2, of a cam plate 48, adjustable vertically by a setting-lever 82. When this is set as shown the cam plate occupies such a position that the pin 46 and therefore the upper counter are forced to the left and the counter is rendered capable of engagement with the racks 28. The lower counter is inoperative but by shifting the lever 82 to the next setting both counters may be made to function and by a further shift the lower counter only may be brought into use. The counters are thrown into and out of gear with the actuating racks by means of a flipper pawl 58 pivoted on an arm 57 oscillated by connection with the main shaft 49. This pawl is adapted normally to engage pins 62, 63 in alternation and thus rock a plate 61. Coaxial with the plete is a lever 64 embracing the pin 62 and extended to connect at 66 with a lever 68 controlling a toggle 70, 72 connected to the arm 74 carrying the cam plate 48. In the forward stroke of an adding operation the pin 62 is engaged and the plate 61 rocked clockwise to break the toggle and thus allow the counters to disengage from the racks. On the return stroke, the lower notch of the flipper pawl 58 engages the pin 63 and rocks the parts back again to throw the counters into gear to receive the item. In total-taking the depression of the totalkey lowers the lever 64 to quit the pin 62 and abut against the pin 63. When the pawl 58 makes its outward journey therefore the counter is not disengaged but on the return stroke the pawl, through the pin 63 rocks the lever 64 to break the toggle and allow disengagement of the counter. For sub-totals the lever 64 is held in a neutral position so that the counter remains in gear throughout the whole operation. Column counters. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 these consist of a large number of pairs of gears 91, 92 mounted closely side-by-side in a frame 93 notched at its edges to receive partitions serving to support the wheel spindles at intermediate points and take any axial thrust of the wheels. The frame is suspended by side plates 100, 101 from a carriage 87 supporting the platen 86, and is mounted in a pivotal manner to allow either wheels 91 or wheels 92 to be brought into gear with the actualing-racks 112. Adjusting for addition and subtraction. The rocking of the above frame 93 carrying the sets of gear wheels 90, 91 for the purpose of adding or subtracting is effected by a finger-lever 110, Fig. 4, linked at 111 with a cam lever 104 pivoted on the carriage 87 and adapted when rocked to bear against rollers 108 or 109 on the frame 93 and so rock it in the direction desired to bring one or other set of wheels into gearing relation with the racks. Actuation of the column counters. The actuating racks 112, Fig. 1, are pin-and-slot connected to rearwardly extending arms 113 of the typebars 16 and are guided by a bar 116 carried by two side frames 117, 118, Figs. 1 and 2, pivoted at 114. These frame are rocked simultaneously with the engaging and disengaging movements of the main counters, whether for actuation, totaltaking or sub-total taking, by means of a pawl 129 engaging a stud 132 on frame 117 and carried by the lever 74 already referred to. Disabling the column counters. If an item is not to be entered in these counters a lever 203, Fig. 3, is thrown over so as to rock a spindle 150 and thus through an arm 151 and pin 152 disengage the pawl 129 from the stud 132 to allow the frames 117, 118 with the racks 112 to be withdrawn by spring 128. Column counter detents. All the gear wheels 91 are provided with detent pawls 134, Fig. 1, pivoted at 135 and urged into engagement by springs 130. Those, wheels which are situated opposite the racks at any given time (in this case thirteen in number) are liberated from the pawls during actuation, by means of a bail 139 carried by bell-cranks 138 and underlying arms 137 of the pawls. The bell-cranks engage pins 140 on the frames 117, 118 so as to be rocked when the latter are moved for disengagement of the racks and so allow the pawls to be engaged again with the counter wheels. Column-spacing. A toothed bar 141, Fig. 1, extending between the side plates 100, 101 of the carriage carries adjustable riders 142 to control the lateral jumps from column to column. Cooperating with the riders is a stop pawl 144, Fig. 10, pivoted coaxially with a subjacent pawl 205 adapted to be rocked upwards during the machine operation to raise the stop pawl and allow the carriage to move along one column-space. The pawl 205 is operated by the rocking of a spindle 206 supporting a pivoted hook 208 engaging a pin 210 on a bell-crank 212 lying below the pawl. To prevent movement of the carriage when total or sub-total taking, a bell-crank lever 195 operated by the total or sub-total keys rocks a lever 214 to disengage the hook 208 from the pin 210. If it is desired to position the carriage by hand the bar 141 may be rocked by a handle, 145, Fig. 3, to turn the riders down below the stop-pawl 144. By means of a bail 149 this operation also rocks the lever 151 to raise the pawl 129 and so allow the actuating racks to disengage from the counters. The movement of the carriage cannot occur while the racks 112 are in engagement with the counters as the rider in operative position is held by a notched rail 155 carried by a shaft 158 connected with the rack frame 117. To ensure the correct columnar portions of the counter carriage means are provided to lock the machine unless a rider is in correct position. For this purpose a ridged bar supported from a shaft 167, Fig. 4, is displaced by the rider to break a toggle joint 169 formed by a pair of levers 170, 172 of which the lever 172 is carried by a long arm 173 provided with a stop-pin 178. If owing to improper positioning of the carriage the ridged bar is not displaced the arm 173 by means of its pin 178 serves as a rigid stop to the lever 55 and so prevents the completion of the forward stroke of the machine. To prevent displacement of the counter carriage during operation a. pawl 180, Fig. 3, seizes the bail 148 whenever the shaft 56 is rocked from home position. On the other hand when the bail 148 is displaced a bar 185, Fig. 4, releases a pawl 190 so that this may engage the sector 50 and so prevent movement of the main shaft. This same bar 185 when away from home position also serves to locli the total and subtotal keys 198, 199 for a notch 193 normally per mitting depression of the keys is thus moved from under a pin 194 on the bell-crank lever 195 rocked by either key as previously stated. Modified arrangement of column counters. In order that totals of individual columns may extend into the next column, as illustrated in Fig. 16, the column counters may be disposed in two superposed series 91, 92 as shown in Fig. 11 and a manual (or automatic) control is provided whereby counters in either series may be rendered operative. Addition and subtraction arrangements. The reversal of the counter pinions is effected in this form by changing the direction of rotation of gears 239 which convey differential actuations to the counter in one or other of the two series. The gears 239 are linked at 241 with and driven by pinions 243 supported in frames 245, Fig. 14 pivoted at 246, and rocked for timing the engagement of the gears with the counters by the pawl 129 as in the first construction. The pinions are each driven by one or other of two racks 248, 249 on a bifurcated member 250 supported at 251 in the type bars 16. The racks are guided by combs 254, 255 carried by bifurcated plates 256 pivoted at 246. To change from adding to subtracting a finger lever 257 is linked with a spindle 263 carrying, by arms 262, cam plates 266 adapted when shifted to swing the plates 256 over and bring the other racks into gear. Changing from one series of column counters to the other. This is brought about by means of a hand-lever 268, Fig. 11, connected with a bellcrank 271 adapted to position a pitman 275 reciprocated by the shaft 56, so that either a pin 278 or a pin 281 is engaged by the end of the pitman and a spindle 282 consequently rocked. This produces through bars 285 the rocking of levers 289 connected by links 304 with the supporting spindle of the transmission gears 239 so that these are shifted from the upper to the lower series of counter wheels. Cam surfaces on the bars 285 act preliminarily upon pins 302 to depress locking levers 297 that normally hold the levers 289 in either of their positions. The counter wheels are normally locked by detents 227, 228 connected by springs 229 but those in use are freed by a bail 315 controlled by a pin 319 on the link 241. A similar set of parts is provided for the lower series of counters. Modified arrangement of platen and counters. In the machine shown in Fig. 17 these are mounted in separate carriages each having a. rack 342