Patent GB-338551-A (GB)
Abstract: 338,551. Debenham, E. R., Rowley, C. D., and Isherwood, H. July 19, 1929. Multiplying - apparatus.- A multiplying-machine has two single banks of keys, one for setting each factor, and a series of rotatable plates bearing representations of partial products. After setting the figures of the first factor, corresponding plates are selected and released, the operation of a key for setting a second factor then positions all the selected plates, whereupon the selected and positioned plates are felt and the partial products transmitted to totalizing mechanism. The release of the plates after the setting of the first factor may be effected by a separate multiplication key or by the depression of any key in the second factor bank. Several sets of selectively operable auxiliary totalizing mechanism may be employed. Transfer and zeroizing mechanism, means for printing the product and the factors and for controlling the printing of zeros are described. The invention is described with reference to a machine having a capacity for factors of four denominations. Entering the first factor. The depression of a key 21, Fig. 1, in the first-factor bank rocks, by means of a link 26, one of a series of cranked levers 29 connected to push rods 31. The lower ends of these rods are bent to form two groups, each containing five rods. A plate 40, Fig. 2, mounted at 41 to swing about a horizontal axis, carries horizontal guides 43, Fig. 1, along which a carriage 60 is urged to move by means of a spring 44 acting through levers 45, 47. The operation of any of the cranked levers 29 causes the depression of a member 48 connected to a lever 51 pivoted to the, swinging plate 40. This lever 51 has a projection 53 lying above the path of a series of teeth 61 secured to the outer side of the carriage 60. A second lever 54 is also pivoted to the swinging plate 40, and lies under the projection 53 of the lever 51. When the member 48 is depressed, the lever 51 swings down and depresses the lever 54 until the edge of the latter is below the adjacent tooth 61, movement of the carriage being prevented by the projection 53. When the member 48 rises, the projection 53 clears the tooth and the carriage moves one step to the right, Fig. 2. Sliding vertically on the carriage are four groups of L-shaped members 70, 71, one group being provided for each denomination and each group consisting of two sets of five members, one set 70 having projections 70<a> at their upper ends, and the other set 71 having them at their lower ends 71<a>. As each figure in the first factor is entered, one member (70 or 71) in the corresponding group is depressed by the push rod 31 and the carriage is moved one step to the right, Fig. 2. At the end of a complete operation, the rotation of a shaft 222 driven by hand or motor through a shaft 221, Fig. 22, moves a crank-operated link to restore the carriage, and bevelled bars, not shown, restore the members 70, 71 to normal position. Four groups of rotatable plates 80 bearing representations of partial products are provided. Each group contains ten plates, five having tails 87 and five having tails 87<a>. The plates each consist of two portions, one, 82, bearing representations of the tens in the products and the other, 81, of the units. The plates are urged to rotate in a clockwise direction by springs, but five in each group are normally prevented from so doing by detents 91 adjacent the projections 71<a> of the L-shaped members 71 when the latter are in their active position, the other five being similarly controlled by detents 91<a>. When all the figures of the first factor have been entered, the plate 40 is swung about the pivots 41 either when a multiplication key (not shown) is depressed or when the first figure of the second factor is entered, the corresponding plates 80 then being released by the operation of the projections 70<a>, 71<a>, on the detents 91<a>, 91, and rotating until arrested by a bar 92. In denominations above that of the highest set figure, the " 0 " plates are released by projections on the carriage 60. The plates 80 are restored to normal positions by the anticlockwise swinging of the bar 92 by means of a crank operated from the shaft 222. Entering the second factor. The depression of a key 101 moves a plate 105 and, by means of a link 100 and lever 95, rocks the bar 92 to move all the selected plates 80 an angular distance corresponding to the value of the key depressed. The plates 80 are retained in this position by the engagement of a pawl 98 with a rack 96. When fully depressed the keys 101 engage a plate 111 carried bv levers 112, one of which rocks a lever 116 and, by means of a link 118, swings the plate 40 to release the selected plates 80 as described above. Transmitting partial products to totalizers. The selected and positioned plates 80 are felt by feelers 125 which rotate first in the anticlockwise direction to feel the tens parts of the plates and then in the clockwise direction to feel the units parts. The total clockwise rotation is transmitted to the main totalizer 151 by racks 126. Each feeler feels the tens of one denomination and the units of the next higher denomination.. The rotation of the feelers is effected by a spring- driven shaft 130, Figs. 1 and 6, which, by escapement mechanism 111, 115, 138 is allowed to rotate once when a key 101 is depressed. The rotation of this shaft 130, by means of a crank 131 and connecting link 144, rocks a shaft 146 to which, each by separate leaf-spring connections 150 and levers 148, 149, are connected the feelers 125. Near the end of its rotation, the shaft 130 causes the tripping of the pawl 98, the selected plates then moving back into contact with the bar 92 to be re-positioned when the second figure of the second factor is entered. The totalizer is carried by a frame 175, Fig. 9, which can slide horizontally along a rocking frame formed by two arms 171 and a rod 172, this second frame being rocked about a shaft 170 by an arm 173 engaging a cam 133 on the shaft 130. The totalizer is then lowered into engagement with the racks 126. As each figure after the first in the second factor is entered in the machine, the totalizer is moved one step laterally towards the highest denomination by a cam 134 on the shaft 130, the cam engaging a series of teeth 181 on a lever 180 attached to a frame 178 pivoted on the shaft 170 and arranged to move the frame 175. The frame 175 is restored to its normal horizontal position by a cam 227, Fig. 22, on the shaft 222 moving a lever 240, Fig. 9, and so raising a member 244 having a slot in which the end of the lever 180 moves. This raises the teeth 181 clear of the cam 134 and the frame is then returned bv the operation of a second cam 247 on the shaft 222 acting on links connected to the carriage. The spring driving the shaft 130 is rewound by the rotation of the shaft 222. Totalizing counters; transfer mechanism.-The totalizer, Figs. 18-20, is arranged for simultaneous actuation and transfer, and each denominational unit comprises a receiving wheel 153, an intermediate wheel 154 and an indicating wheel 151. The intermediate wheel lies between the feed and indicating wheels of the same unit. Each indicating-wheel 151 has a sleeve 155 upon the end of which is eccentrically mounted the intermediate wheel 154 of the next higher denomination. The receiving wheel 153 of the higher denomination is concentrically mounted on this sleeve 155. The receiving wheel has on one side 9 teeth 160 which engage with the feeler racks 126 or with rack bars 200. On its other side are 18 teeth 161 which engage (over a small arc) with the 17 teeth of the eccentrically mounted intermediate wheel 154, and this in turn engages with some of the 20 teeth 157 of the indicating wheel 151. Thus the movement of the receiving wheel 153 is transmitted to the indicating wheel 151, and while the latter wheel makes one rotation, a tenth of this movement is transferred to the next higher indicating wheel by reason of the eccentric mounting of the wheel 154 and the different numbers of teeth on the wheels 151, 153. When not engaged by either the rack bars 200 or the racks 126, the totalizer wheels are locked by the engagement of a plate 185, Fig. 12, with the teeth 160. This plate slides in the sides of the frame 175 and is controlled by a U-shaped member 184 pivoted to a fixed rod 183. Zeroizing-mechanism.-The wheels are zeroized by the sliding of the racks 200, which are moved in succession. commencing with the lowest denomination, by means described below. The wheels are raised into engagement with the racks 200 by means of a cam 192 on the shaft 210, Fig. 14, driven from the shaft 222. Each wheel 151 has a reduced portion 159 ending in a stop 158 which is engaged by a pawl 163 when the wheel is in zero position. These pawls have overlapping arms so that any one pawl prevents the action of the next higher pawl until it has itself moved on to the reduced portion 159 of its own wheel 151. Printing of product. The product and the factors may be printed on two strips of paper, one of which is retained in the machine and the other torn off for vouchers by means of a knifeedged bar 309, Fig. 30. In printing the product, the racks 200 are connected to type carriers 203 so that when they move to the right to zeroize the main totalizer wheels 151, corresponding type is positioned between openings 208, 209. The movement of the racks is effected by levers 321 controlled by cams 325 on a shaft 326 rotated by gearing from the shaft 222, the racks being moved in succession commencing with that of the lowest denomination. The printing is performed by a series of spring-controlled hammers 334 released in succession by cams 333 on a shaft 331 rotated from the shaft 221. Each type carrier is retained in operative position for sufficient time to allow the printing to take place by the engagement of detents 337 w