Patent GB-906297-A (GB)
Abstract: 906,297. Calculating-machines. MONROE CALCULATING MACHINE CO. May 20, 1960, No. 17834/60. Class 106 (1). Printing mechanism for a calculating or like machine has a series of differentially-settable type-bearing members, a decimal point type member, means for disabling and enabling the latter and means whereby it is caused to operate to print a decimal point if any of the typebearing members for orders below the decimal point are operated. In the machine described, the denominational position of the decimal point may be varied. Printing mechanism.-In each order a type wheel 20, set through gearing including a rack 26 from a differential actuator 610, is mounted on a hammer 21 pivoted at 21a and releasable by a latch 35 to the action of a spirng 34 to cause the selected type to be impressed against the platen 891. If a significant digit has been set in that order, a pawl 36 carried by the latch 35 is able to move under an arm 70 so that when the latter is rocked under cam control, the latch will also be rocked to release the hammer. Decimal point printing.-A type member 80 carrying a decimal point type 81 and a comma type 82 is slidable on the right-hand side of each hammer 21 and may be raised to an effective position for printing the decimal point by a cam arm 86 or for printing a comma by one of a series of cam arms 145. The arms 86 and 145, Fig. 7, are secured together and mounted for sliding but not rotary movement on a shaft 87. The arms 145 are spaced every third denomination along from the arm 86. The arms 86 and 145 are slid along the shaft 87 by a member 88 engaged in a helical groove in a shaft 89, Fig. 8, rotatable against the action of a spring 91 by a cord 96 secured to a manually-operable member 98. Normally, the arm 86 is adjacent to the lowest order hammer which is not provided with a decimal point type member 80 and so no decimal point is printed but the arrangement is such that if the member 98 is moved to a position between any two columns of keys, then the arm 86 is aligned with the corresponding decimal point type member 80. During a machine operation, the shaft 87 is rocked and that type member 80 is raised to cause the decimal point to be printed. At the same time, the arms 145 actuate the type members 80 for every third higher order so that these members will print commas. To ensure the printing of a decimal point where a decimal number less than one is to be printed, a bail 135 is arranged to be rocked if any rack 26 moves from its zero position. This bail rocks a pawl 130 carried by the arm 86 into a position in which, when the shaft 87 is rocked, it trips the latch 35 for that order. The bail 135 could also be controlled by a symbolprinting differential mechanism. Controlling the printing of zeros.-As described above, unless a rack 26 moves from the zero position, the pawl 36 will be held from the path of the member 70 so that the hammers 21 will not be released for the orders above the highest significant digit. However, the latches 35 have overlapping ears 35b so that if one latch is tripped to print a significant digit, all of the lower order latches will also be tripped. As explained above, if a number less than one is to be printed, the hammer carrying the selected decimal point type will be released. It follows that a zero will be printed by the type wheel carried by that hammer (to the left of the decimal point) and that zeros will be printed where necessary in any of the lower orders.