Patent GB-600665-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in printing calculating machines
IPC: G06F7/40
Filed: 1944-12-22
Abstract: 600,665. Calculating-machines. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd. Dec. 22, 1944, No. 25822. Convention date, Dec. 23, 1943. [Class 106 (i)] A calculating machine has instead of totalizer wheels a set of digit bars each carrying two sets of type (0 ... 9), transfer mechanism for moving a bar one step when the next lower bar moves ten steps, means to enter data into the bars, and account storage devices, any one of which can be selected so that the amount therein can be transmitted to the digit bars which are thereby moved to positions representing the sum of the amount set and that taken from the selected storer. Driving-mechanism; one-revolution clutch. An electric motor (not shown) drives a notched disc 67, Fig. 3, free on a main shaft 94. An arm 69 fixed to the shaft 94 carries a clutch dog 68 spring-urged towards the notched disc, but held away by a latch 70 which also engages the arm 69. When a magnet MC is energized upon the depression of any control key, the clutch dog and arm are released and the former engages with the notched disc 67 so that the main shaft 94 is driven through one revolution at the end of which the latch 70 engages the dog 68 and arm 69 to disengage the clutch and positively arrest the main shaft. A cam-shaft 72 is geared to the main shaft 94. Keyboard. Depression of any digit key 50, Fig. 1, moves to the left a locking bar 101 which is held by a latch 104 and which locks the depressed key, prevents depression of any other digit keys and rocks a zero latch 111 to free the differential actuator in the denomination concerned. The locking bar 101 may be freed to permit error correction by depressing an erasing key 108. Differentialactuating mechanism. A cam on the main shaft causes, through a connection 120, Fig. 1, the actuating shaft 122 to rock clockwise and carry with it members 123, one for each denomination. Adjacent each member 123 is freely mounted on the actuating shaft 122 an arm 124 and connected to the arm by a spring 126 is a freely-mounted member 125 having pivoted to it a dog 127 which normally engages a notch in the member 123, whereby arm 124 and the freely-mounted member 125 are driven by the member 123 through the dog 127. When a lever 130 pivoted to the arm 124 meets a depressed digit key, the arm 124 is arrested, a beak 128 on the dog 127 then moves away from a beak 129 on the arm, whereupon the dog is rocked by a surface 137 of the member 123 into engagement with a fixed rack 136 to hold the freely-mounted member 125 in its differentially-adjusted position. The freely-mounted members 125 are each connected by a linkage 141 ... 144 to a corresponding lever 145 which lifts a totalizing rack or digit bar 147 to enter the digit. Totalizing rack or digit bars. These digit bars 147, Fig. 1, which take the place of totalizer wheels, each carry a set of twenty digit types 92 arranged., from the top of the bar, 0 ... 9, 0 ... 9 and are given setting movements first from the differential mechanism and later from the selected account storers, the final position of the bars thus registering the total of the new item and the old balance from the storer. Transfer mechanism is provided to operate when a bar is lifted through the first " 9 " position during the transmission to it of the old balance from the selected account storer. The racks 147 are retained in their set positions by a spring-controlled latch 98 automatically released by a cam after the total has been printed. Printing items, totals and subtotals. Controlling zero printing. Printing is controlled by a magnet PC, Fig. 2, the circuit of which is prepared by depression of either a listing key or a subtotal key. The circuit is completed by cam-operated contacts in the former case shortly after the racks 147 have been adjusted to receive the item and in the latter case after they have been adjusted to represent the sum of a new item and old balance from a selected account storer. Energization of the magnet PC releases a latch 176 which rocks to lift a bail 154, Fig. 1, to permit levers 133 to swing into the path of a bail 149 moved to the left by the rocking of a shaft 153 connected to a bell-crank 164, Fig. 2, operated through a link 169 from a cam on the cam-shaft 72. The levers 133 are also held clear of the bail 149 by pins 132 on the racks 147 when the latter have not received any setting. The released levers 133 are thus swung to the left by the bail 149 to rock latches 134 clear of tails on printing hammers 93, whereupon these are operated by springs 156. The cam-operated bell-crank 164 also rocks a shaft 161 carrying a bail 160 which tensions the operating springs 156. The hammers 93 are restored by a bail 162 supported from the shaft 163 to which the bellcrank 164 is attached. The bell-crank 164 is rocked twice in each cycle to print respectively either the item or the subtotal depending upon the time when the magnet PC is energized. The pins 132 on those racks which are not moved from the zero position prevent printing, but in order to print any necessary zeros to the right of the highest significant digit each latch 134. has a projection 157 which releases the next lower latch. The subtotal is normally returned to the storer as the racks 147 are being reset, but if the " clear " key has been depressed, the return to the storer is prevented and the amount printed is thus a true total. Account storers. Provision is made for storing one hundred accounts designated 0 ... 99, each account storer comprising a frame 194, 196, Fig. 10, slidably carrying pins 197, one for each denomination, which are held in their differentially-adjusted positions by springs 198. The storers are carried in a magazine 184, 185, Figs. 1, 9 (plan view), the selected storer being protruded vertically, Fig. 1, to bring the pins into co-operative relation with the racks 147. The magazine is slidable laterally and longitudinally of the machine to move the selected storer into position for protrusion. Selecting account storers. The number of the desired account is set up on two banks of keys (units and tens) 50s, Fig. 2, similar to the item keys and controlling differential-actuating mechanism similar to that used in entering items. This mechanism, through links 141s, positions type bars from which the number of the selected account is printed. A stepped sector 232, Fig. 7, is differentially positioned in accordance with the units denomination of the account number and three tens sectors 229, 234, 238 are moved through an angle depending on the tens digit. The storers are so arranged in the magazine 184, 185, Figs. 1, 9, that to select storers having an even tens digit in their designation numbers the magazine must be moved longitudinally to the left, Fig. 1, downwards, Fig. 9, and for odd tens digits to the right. This selection of direction is effected by the tens cam sector 234, Fig. 7, which, for even tens digits, rocks anticlockwise an arm 252 connected to a lever 254 to move to the right into the position shown a units coupling block 244u, Fig. 8, to engage a pin 246 on the block with an opening 235x in a lever 235E connected by a link 223 with an arm 222 on a shaft 211 which, through arms 210 and links 209, Fig. 1, moves the magazine longitudinally. The units coupling block 244u is moved upwards by a cam-operated telescopic rod 261 and rocks the lever 235E clockwise until the end 235e of the lever engages a step in the units sector 232, this rocking moving the link 223 to the left to position the magazine. If the account to be selected has an odd tens digit in its designation number, the magazine must be moved to the right, Fig. 1. In such a selection, the tens cam sector 234 permits the arm 252 to rock anticlockwise to engage the units coupling block 244u with a lever 235D so that, when the block is lifted by the telescopic rod 261 to a position determined by the set units sector 232, the lever 235D is rocked anticlockwise, the magazine being moved. longitudinally to the right by a link 224, arm 222, shaft 211, arms 210 and links 209. The magazine must also be moved laterally one or two steps to the left, Fig. 9, to select accounted numbered 20 ... 39 and 40 .... 59 respectively, and one or two steps to the right to select accounts 60 ... 79 and 80 ... 99 respectively. The lateral movement is given by a shaft 220, Fig. 1, connected by bevel gearing to a shaft 216, Fig. 11, to which is fixed a sector 215 engaging a long pinion 214 gearing with racks 213 on the magazine. The shaft 220 is operated by an arm 226, Fig. 7, connected by links 227, 228 moved by levers 236D, 236E, one or other of which is selected by a tens coupling block 244T controlled by the second tens sector 229, the extent of movement of the levers being determined by the third tens sector 243. Adjustment of the magazine brings the selected storer above a sleeve 280, Fig. 11, which is then lifted by cam-operated links 286 to protrude the storer frame 195 some distance above the top of the magazine. Transmitting amounts from and to storers. The pins 197, Fig. 12a, of the selected and protruded storer are explored by sensing levers 330 pivoted at 327 to vertically slidable frames 324 mounted in a common horizontally slidable frame 318. After the rack bars 147 have been set to the new item entered on the keyboard, the frame 318 is moved to the left by cam means to press the sensing levers 330 against the storer pins 197, whereupon coupling pawls 328 are rocked clockwise and compress springs 333. The vertically slidable frame 324 is then lifted by a cam-driven bail 337. As each sensing lever 330 slips over the top of a storer pin, the compression spring 330 rocks the associated coupling pawl 328 anticlockwise to engage teeth 99 on the rack bar 147 so that this bar is driven upwards for the remainder of the movement of the frame 324 to add the amount represented by the position of the storer pin to the amount already set in the rack bar. Each rack bar may