Patent GB-405666-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to mechanism for use in record-card controlled and othercalculating machines
Filed: 1932-05-09
Abstract: 405,666. Calculating-apparatus; statistical machines. THOMAS, A., 11, Sandy Lane South, Wallington, Surrey, and MOWBRAY, E., 40, Wivenhoe Road, Peckham, London. May 9, 1932, No. 13372. [Class 106 (i).] Statistical apparatus; adding and subtracting apparatus.-In a machine having toothed differential actuating elements and denominational pairs of registering wheels mounted in a rockable cradle an abutment member is provided which is adapted to tilt the cradle about its centre line when the cradle is displaced to bring one or other of the wheels into engagement with the actuating elements for addition or subtraction. The abutment is normally held in position to cause the cradle to be tilted in one direction and is reset at the end of the operating cycle after it has been set for tilting the cradle in the opposite direction. The differential actuators are adapted to be arrested by stops which may be set manually or automatically. The abutment member may be set manually but in the machine shown wherein the stops are set in accordance with perforations in a record card the setting of the abutment member is effected by a sensing pin feeling a hole in a particular position on the card. Means are also provided for controlling the setting of the abutment member depending on the sign of the amount registered and for obtaining a grand total of a number of subgroup totals. The machine as shown in Fig. 3, has denominational columns of stops 1 set by means of sensing pins as described in Specification 26896/13, [Class 106 (i), Calculating &c.], which co-operate with toothed sectors 2 carrying type elements 3 and movable under the control of a bar 6 in the usual manner. The sectors 2 are connected by a slotted link 4 to rear sectors 5 with each of which is associated a pair of registering wheels 22, 23 carried on a cradle 21 pivoted to one end of a link 25, Fig. 2, the other end of which is connected to a bell crank 26 operatively connected to a crank plate 30 mounted on a shaft 31. This shaft is rocked at each cycle of the machine from the main shaft 16 through a link 42 having a slotted head 43 adapted to engage one or other of the pins 49, 49a on a disc 50 on the shaft. Normally the slot 43a engages the pin for addition and subtraction operations. When the cradle is rocked one or other of the sets of registering wheels is moved into engagement with the sectors 5. Whichever set is selected is determined by the setting of an abutment member 38 having a pair of abutment faces 40a, 41a for co-operation with pins 35, 36 on the cradle. In the normal or adding position the abutment face 41a holds the pin 36 against a bar 34 so as to cause the cradle to rock about the pin 36 to enmesh the wheels 22. If the member 38 is moved against the action of its spring to the other side of the central line of the cradle the pin 35 acts as a pivot to enmesh the wheels 23. This movement is effected under the control of a special perforation in a subtraction card, a sensing pin therefor co-operates with a rod 62, Fig. 2, coupled to a latch 56 which is operated to release a shaft 51. This shaft is operatively connected through a spring controlled slotted link 53 and a rock shaft 11 to the cam disc 15 on the main shaft 16. When the latch 56 is released the spring 55 causes the link to follow the movement of the shaft 11 and the shaft 51 is operated, the movement being transmitted through an arm 67 and a link 63 to the abutment member 38. To prevent a rocking movement being given to the shaft 51 when no card is present in the machine, a rod 71 operated by a sensing pin is effective to raise a " no card " latch 68 to lock the shaft 51. Transfer-mechanism.-Each wheel 22, 23 is provided with a pair of transfer teeth 72, 73, Fig. 3, to co-operate with projections 76, 79 on pivoted pawls 74, 77 interconnected at the point 88. Each pawl 74 is provided with a shoulder normally engaging a shoulder 85 on a zero stop member 84. When a transfer is to be effected in the adding wheels 22 the pawl 74 is rocked and its shoulder is freed from the shoulder 85 so that the stop member 84 is rocked until a second shoulder 86 engages the pawl. This permits an additional step movement to the sector 5 of the next higher denomination, the pin 5a on the arm of the sector moving to the other end of the slot 4a in the link 4 under the action of the spring 5b, the zero stop pin 19 following up the movement of the extension 20 of the stop member 84. A bail 89 is utilized to restore the stop members. If the subtraction wheels are engaged with the sectors the pawl 77 transmits its movement to the pawl 74 to initiate the transfer operation. The wheels 22, 23 are so arranged that when the adding wheels 22 are at their zero position the subtraction wheels 23 are at the " 9 " position, so that when the amount changes sign the " fugitive one " must be added to the lowest denomination. This operation is effected as shown in Fig. 6 by coupling the pawl 106 of highest denomination through a stirrup 108 with amember 104 that co-operates with the stop member 84a of lowest denomination to permit the units sector to move to the extent of unity. Printing totals and sub-totals.-The abutment member 38 must be positioned in accordance with the sign of the total. For this purpose the member 38 is connected by a link 96, Fig. 7, to a lever 97 pivoted to one end of a lever 99 connected at its other end to a link 102. This link is adapted to be operated by mechanism sensing a change in designation on the cards as described in Specification 271,935, [Class 106 (i), Calculating &c.]. The lever 97 co-operates with a stop 103 which can occupy one of two positions ; in the full line position, Fig. 7, when the link 102 is raised the lever 97 will rock about the stop to depress the link 96 and lower the abutment lever, while in the dotted position no movement will be imparted to the abutment lever. The setting of the stop 103 is controlled by the member 104 of the mechanism dealing with the " fugitive one." The member 104 has pivoted thereto a link 112 guided in a slotted member 114 on the stop 103, the link 112 having a pin 115 adapted to engage the edges of the slot. The link 112 is connected also to the abutment member by a link 116. Assuming that a positive total changes to a negative total during a cycle of operation, the subtraction card will cause a movement of the abutment lever 38 which will be imparted to the link 112 so as to move the pin 115 below the pivot of the stop 103. Moreover, as the result of a change of sign in the total, the " fugitive one " member 104 will be lowered, which movement lowers the link 112 and causes the stop to move to the full line position which will remain set as long as the total is negative. If by means of a succeeding card the total is converted to a positive amount, the link 112 will be raised and its pin 115 will be set above the pivot so that the member 104 on its movement will return the stop 103 to dotted line position. In total-taking operations a cam 118 is given one revolution during which a lever 123, Fig. 4, reciprocated by bell crank operatively connected to a drive shaft 127b, is rocked to present a step 129 in a slot 128 to a projection on a bell crank 131 which is latched in displaced position by a latch 134. The bell crank rocks a sleeve 132 operatively connected by links 136, 139 to the front and rear total shafts 138, 141. The rocking of the total shaft 141 serves to lower the link 42 so as to engage its notch 43b with the stud 49a whereby on operation of the link 42 the wheels 22 or 23 are caused to engage the sectors before they are moved from the zero position. The link 42 is normally supported by a roller 146 on an arm on the total shaft 141 and the link is lowered tmder the control of the roller and a spring controlled arm 148 pivoted to the link. A plurality of cams 142 on the total shaft 141 co-operate with the nought stop pins to effect their withdrawal. The totals printed by the type elements 3 from the wheels 22, 23 are sub-group totals and if it is desired to obtain a grand total an additional totalizer is provided in association with the front sectors 2. The totalizer wheels 151 are moved into and out of engagement by means of cam levers 152 connected to forked control plates 153, Fig. 9. The arms of the plates have notches 157, 158 adapted to engage pins 159, 160 on a disc 161 carried by a rock shaft operated at each cycle of the machine. With the upper notch engaged by the pin 159 the wheels 151 are moved into engagement before the sectors 2 begin to move so that a total will be taken from the wheels ; with the lower notch engaged by the pin' 160 the wheels 151 will be engaged with the sectors after they have been moved and the amount from the wheels 22 or 23 will be transferred to the wheels 151 on the sectors being restored. The control plate 153 assumes an idle position while cards are being analyzed. When a sub-group total is taken and the front total shaft 138 is rocked, an arm 170 thereon carrying a bell crank 171 is rocked and the bell crank is displaced about its pivot, by an end engaging a latch 177, to raise an arm 168 and lift the control plate 153. To print the grand total a control bar operating as described in Specification 371,849 for obtaining a first grand total raises a rod 183, Fig. 1, and through a bell crank 181 positions another bell crank 179 in such a position that on the downward movement of the link 42, by the action of the back total shaft 141, the link 42 is arrested in its intermediate or idle position. The movement of the bell crank 181, at the same time, through a link 185 and arm 186 rocks the shaft 178 to raise the latch 177 so that on movement of the total shaft 138 there is no relative movement between the bell crank 171 and the arm 170 thereby the arm 168 is lowered to let the control plate 153 fall until the notch 157 engages the pin 159. The wheels 151 are thus moved into gear