Patent GB-658968-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to an adding machine
Filed: 1948-01-12
Abstract: 658,968. Statistical apparatus. GROVES, W. W. (Addressograph-Multigraph Corporation). Jan. 12, 1948, No. 898. [Class 106 (i)] An adding machine of the type including a series of slides, one per denominational order of an accumulator having denominational numeral wheels, rockable cam means adapted by its rocking motion to engage said wheels with and disengage them from said slides, and a control mechanism for selectively actuating said cam means either to connect said wheels and slides after the slides have been moved from a starting position by variable amounts corresponding to the digital values to be entered into the accumulator so that subsequent return of the slides to said starting position will actuate the wheels and thus enter said digital values, or to connect said wheels and slides prior to zeroizing return movement of the wheels so that the slides will thereafter move out of said starting position by amounts corresponding to the total previously computed in the accumulator, said control mechanism including a gear segment rocka,ble with and drivingly connected to said cam means and shiftable along the rocking' axis of said cam means between positions of engagement with either of a pair of parallel reciprocable control racks (adding and total control racks) which are timed appropriately for the first and second mentioned actuation of the cam means respectively, said control mechanism further including a rocking control member for determining the position of said segment along said rocking axis, is characterized by the feature that said rocking control member is adapted to be actuated by being temporarily mechanically connected to a constantly operating, power-operated drive member. The present invention is an improvement of the machine of Specification 572,360 and includes three accumulators AC1, AC2, AC3, Figs. 7, 14 and 15, each of which embodies a pair of end-plates 355 supported on a shaft 356, Fig. 15, which carries cam rollers 358 which ride in vertical slots 359 in the side-plates 120, 121. The shaft 356 carries accumulator wheels 360 and is arranged for vertical movement by two cams 363, Figs. 15 and 16, on a shaft 364, Fig. 15, which is carried by the plates 120, 121 and is embraced by the end-plates 355. The cams 363 are interconnected by a cross-bar 368, Fig. 17, and spring-urged anti-clockwise so that the wheels 360 are retained away from their corresponding actuating slides 111, Fig. 7. The slides 111 are longitudinally slidable on supporting bars 125, are spaced by combs 127, and are urged forwardly (to the left in Fig. 7) by springs 129. During a normal adding cycle the forward movement of each of the slides 111 is differentially controlled by " set up " mechanism as described later and the slides are returned by a bail 131 adjustably mounted on a rock-shaft 133 and connected to a downwardly-extending arm 135, Fig. 7, controlled by a restoring cam on the main camshaft 108. During the return of the slides 111 the wheels 360 of the accumulator AC1 may be lifted into engagement therewith and are set by the slides to represent the amount entered into the " set up " mechanism. "Set up mechanism. Each slide 111 carries a forwardly extending pawl 140, the front edge 140S of which may engage a rockable stop-plate 142. Below the pawls 140 there is a series of slide-plates 150, Fig. 9, each of which carries five vertically movable pins 152 selectively actuated by individual Bowden cables 154 in accordance with the number to be entered. The Bowden cables are operated by sensing means, not shown, which sense the perforations on a card, Fig. 8, on which the number is represented in a " five-position" " code. Vertical movement of one or two pins 152 during a machine cycle deflects the associated pawl 140 and determines the movement of the associated slide 111. The arrangement and code is such that if an even digit is sensed the associated plate 150 is moved forwardly one digit by the slide but if an odd digit is sensed the slide 111  imparts no movement to the associated plate 150. After restoration of the slides 111, as described later, the plates 150 are returned by a plate 160, Fig. 7, carried by a rod 161 actuated through a linkage, Fig. 49, not shown, from a cam on the main cam-shaft 108. The actuated pawls 140 are restored before the end of a machine cycle by downward movement of a restoring plate 210, Figs. 39 and 40, operated by a pivoted lever 213 which is connected by a link 219 to a pivoted bell-crank lever 220 controlled by a cam 222 on the cam-shaft 108. One arm of the bell-crank lever 220 carries a bell-crank lever 231, Fig. 40, the arm 231A of which normally abuts a collar 229 carried by a rod 225 whichextends from the armature of a solenoid 224. The bell-crank lever 231 has a hooked arm 231B which normally engages a pin on a pawl 235 pivoted to the second arm of the bell-crank lever 220. Upon energization of the solenoid 224 the rod 225 is moved downwardly to free the pawl 235 which is then pulled by a spring 238 against a stop 235S and a tooth 239 of the pawl 235 enters the path of an arm 240A of a rocker 240 which is mounted on a shaft 241 and is constantly rocked by an eccentric 243 on a continuouslyrotated shaft 244 so that consequent to energization of the solenoid 224 the link 219 is operated independently of the cam-shaft 108. Printing mechanism. Type segments 117 are each pivotally supported on an arm 247, Fig. 7, urged anticlockwise by a spring 249. Each arm 247 is adjustably carried by a rockable segment 251 which co-operates with a rack 254 on the adjacent slide 111 which thereby sets the associated segment 117 during its forward movement. The segments are aligned by pawls 255, Fig. 42, spring-urged into engagement with teeth 256 and pivoted in slots in a bar 257 carried by a pair of arms 258 supported on a shaft 252 which supports arms 265, Fig. 41, having rollers 264 engaging in slots 263, Fig. 11, in cam-plates 260 which are moved upwardly, after the slides 111 have moved forwardly, through linkage by a cam 270 on the shaft 108 to cause operation of the aligning pawls 255. Below each type segment there is a pivotally mounted hammer 280, Figs. 7 and 53, which has an arm 282 connected by springs 283 to corresponding pivoted anchoring bars 284 mounted on arms 285 of a bail 286 normally engaged by an adjustable hook member 288, Fig. 7. A latch bar 292, Fig. 53, carried by a pair of arms 294 fixed on a rock-shaft 295 normally holds the hammers in their retracted positions but is moved from its latching position at the desired instant by a cam 300 operating through a roller 299, a lever 297, a link 296 and an arm 294A. Forward of the segments 251, Figs. 7 and 66, is a removable assembly of spaced pawls 306 which are mounted on a shaft 307. Each pawl 306 has a lug 312 which extends over the adjacent pawl of the next lower denomination and a tooth 306A disposed adjacent a cut-away corner 318, Fig. 7, of an arcuate extension 319 of the associated segment 251. Upon movement of a segment 251 the arcuate extension 319 locks the associated pawl 306 and permits operation of the related hammer 280. The pawls 306 which are free are moved clockwise by a comb spring 325, Fig. 7, carried by a shaft 326 which is rocked against spring pressure through linkage by a cam on the shaft 108 to engage projections 321 of the associated hammer 280 which are thereby latched against operation so that the " zero " type characters of the associated segments 117 are not printed. The actuated hammers 280 are immediately restored by counter-clockwise movement of a bail 335 mounted on interconnected arms 336 pivoted on a shaft 337, Fig. 7, carrying an arm 339 which has a roller 340 which co-operates with a cam 341. Transfer mechanism. In their lower position the accumulator wheels 360 engage toothed transfer segments 372, Figs. 14 and 30, each of which has an arm 372A which extends below the bar 368. When the accumulator wheels are in engagement with their slides 111 during a normal adding operation the arms 372A are latched by spring-pressed rockable pawls 380, each of which abuts a pivoted operating pawl 385 which is associated with the next lower wheel 360 and engages a spacer bar 389, Fig. 14. The transfer segments 372 of an accumulator are urged by a comb spring 394 mounted on a rocking bar 395 so that their projections 372E, Fig. 30, lie below a shoulder 390 of a latch-bar 391. When one of the two transfer teeth 360 W of the accumulator wheel 360 abuts the adjacent pawl 385 the associated next higher pawl 380 is rocked and the associated segment 372 pivots so that its projection 372E engages the shoulder 390 of the bar 391. When the wheels 360 are lowered at the end of an adding cycle the latch bar 391 of each accumulator is rocked anticlockwise and if the projections 372E are engaging the shoulder 390 it is free to move on to a second shoulder 391B of the bar 391, whereby an additional movement of one tooth is imparted to the associated accumulator wheel. Control of operation. The shaft 364 of an accumulator has at its left-hand end, Figs. 10, 11 and 12, a rocking assembly 430 which includes a sleeve 431, Fig. 12, slidable over a hollow stud 366 fixed to the shaft 364 and urged outwardly by a coiled spring 432. The sleeve 431 carries a gear segment 435 and an inner plate 436 adjustably fixed to the segment 435. The plate 436 has a notch 443 which embraces a projection 368B on the bar 368, Fig. 17, thus upon clockwise rocking movement of the segment 435 the bar 368 is lowered and, as stated above, the accumulator wheels 360 are engaged with their corresponding slides 111. The three gear segments 435 may engage either an adding control rack 450 or a total control rack 451 or may be positioned intermediate the racks 450, 451, Figs. 10, 21 and 22. The adding control track is reciprocated in supporting brackets during a machine cycle by means of a lever 455, Fig. 37, controlle