Patent GB-483021-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to counters for tabulating and other calculating machines
Filed: 1936-10-09
Abstract: 483,021. Calculating - apparatus. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd. Oct. 9, 1936, No. 27441. Convention date, Oct. 11, 1935. [Class 106 (i)] A counter unit for a tabulating or other calculating machine comprises a continuously rotating driving wheel, a counter wheel and associated control wheel rotatable on the same axis, a detent preventing backward rotation of the counter wheel, and a clutch pawl pivoted on the counter wheel and movable to and from an operative position with regard to the driving wheel by the release and arrest of the control wheel. The invention is shown applied to a type of machine similar to that described in Specification 372,365. A motor drives a main shaft 10, Fig. 1, which through gearing 11, 12 drives a vertical shaft 13 ; this shaft, in turn, drives through bevel-gearing a number of horizontal shafts 14. The shaft 10, through a magnetically operated clutch 15, is adapted to be coupled to a shaft 17 carrying cams that operate the known form of impression mechanism. The shafts 14 carry gears 24 and each gear meshes with a gear 25 freely mounted on a stud 26 carried by the plate 27. To facilitate assembly the plates 27 are slidably mounted in the frame of the machine and each plate supports two denominations of the counter-unit. Referring to Figs. 2, 4, 8, and 9 each gear 25 is integral with a ratchet 28 and supported on a ball-bearing 29 and constantly rotated on the stud 26 by the gear 24. Also mounted on the stud 26 is a ball race 30 supporting a collar 32 and on which is mounted for rotation a control wheel 33. To the counter wheel 32 is pivoted a pawl 34 lying in the plane of the ratchet wheel 28 and connected at its free end by a spring 38 to a pin 39 on the counter wheel. Secured to the pawl 34 is a pin 40 which engages a camming surface 41 on the control wheel 33, the engagement being such that when the control wheel is held in normal position the pawl 34 is held in inoperative position. Retrograde movement of the counter wheel 32 is prevented by a detent 42. Normally the control wheel 33 is held by an extension 44 of a lever 48 engaging one of the projecting teeth 33a of the wheel. To permit clutching of the counter wheel the extension is raised by rocking the lever 48 on the energization of an electromagnet 45. The lever 48 is carried by the armature 46 and is associated with a lever 50 pivoted to a pin 51 on the plate 27 and having a hairpin spring 52 at one end and a pin-and-slot connection 54 with the lever at the other end. The lever 50 and spring 52 form a toggle connection to hold the lever 48 in either of its two positions. The return of the lever may be effected by a second electromagnet 49 or mechanically through the rocking of a pivoted member 55 with a depending arm lying in the path of pins 58 on the continuously rotating gear 24. A pin 59 on the control wheel engages the end of the pawl 34 to hold it in engaged position. In adding operations the magnets 45 are energized in response to the analysis of perforations in the index point positions of record cards as the latter pass lower reading brushes. In subtracting operations the circuit to the magnets 45 is completed at the beginning of the cycle through cam contacts in the machine and when a perforation is found in the card the magnets 49 are energized to cause disengagement, i.e. subtraction is effected by adding the complement. The circuits are similar to those shown in the prior Specification referred to. Transfer mechanism.-Each counter wheel 32 carries an arm 60 which controls the position of carry contacts 61, 62, Figs. 10 and 11. When a counter wheel registers " 9 " the arm 60 will be in engagement with a lever 63 to maintain contacts 61 closed. When the wheel passes from " 9 " to " 0 " the arm 60 engages a lever 65 to rock it from the position shown in Fig. 2, to that of Fig. 10, thereby closing contacts 62 to complete the circuit to the magnet 45 of next higher denomination. This position is maintained until a pin 66 on the gear 24 rocks the arm 65 back to its normal position. The closure of contacts 61 prepare the circuits for consequent transfers. The contacts 62 are arranged in the circuit of the printing magnets 22 to control the total taking operations. A modified form of transfer controlling device is shown in Fig. 12, which comprises a lever 80 spring connected to a lever 82 and carrying a brush 83 which straddles a wedge-shaped block 84 of insulating material with pairs of contacts 85, 86. Normally the brush occupies a neutral position ; in the " 9 " position of the wheel the transfer arm 60a, by engaging the lever 80 moves the brush into engagement with contacts 85 ; as the wheel passes from " 9 " to " 0 " the contacts 86 are bridged. A pin 88 on the wheel 24 restores the parts to normal position.