Patent GB-408795-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to calculating and/or check writing machines
IPC: G06C11/04
Filed: 1933-03-18
Abstract: 408,795. Calculating apparatus. BURROUGHS ADDING MACHINE CO., 2nd Avenue, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.- (Assignees of Muller, R. L.; c/o Burroughs Adding Machine Co., 2nd Avenue, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.) March 18, 1933, No. 8285. Convention date, March 19, 1932. [Class 106 (i).] Adding and subtracting apparatus with printing mechanism.-In a machine particularly for cheque writing wherein different portions of the amount are printed in different positions and the entire amount is printed in a third position means are provided for printing special characters in all denominations to the left of the highest significant figure without interfering with the printing of zeros to the right. The invention is shown applied to a machine of the Burroughs type with a travelling paper carriage and with a repeat mechanism as described in Specification 193,455, [Class 106 (i)], whereby the machine performs a series of operations automatically after it has been set into operation in a predetermined column. The machine has an adding and subtracting totalizer and the differential actuators 610, Fig. 1, are connected by pin and slot means to type segments 611 to allow of limited relative movement for adjustment of the special type. Each segment carries type elements 618 bearing the digits " 0 " to " 9 " and a special character or asterisk * beyond the " 0 ". In a printing operation the type elements are impelled against a platen by hammers 715 acted upon by spring controlled levers 716 on the release of triggers 717. These triggers are normally released near the end of the forward stroke by the action of a stud 803, Fig. 2, on the operating plate 801 rocking a pair of levers 711 the upper arms of which carry a shaft having pawls 718 co-operating with the triggers. When the pawls are withdrawn, the hammers are free to move under the action of the springs by the movement of a bail 709 away from the tails of the hammers. In denominations in which the type segment do not move beyond the " 0 " position the corresponding pawl engages a shoulder Y on the segment so that the trigger is not released except in those denominations to the right of the highest significant figure where the triggers are released by the usual overlapping projections 9, Fig. 5. The printing of the special character to the left of the highest figure is automatically controlled by the paper carriage for which purpose the carriage is provided with a set of rollers 10 of varying size co-operating with a yoke 12 operatively connected to a rack 15, Figs. 3, and 5, engaging a pinion 16 on a cam shaft 17, the rack being held in one or other of its adjusted positions by a known locking means not shown. The cam shaft carries a set of cams 19 that co-operate with latches 21 pivoted to links 20 attached to the triggers 717. When the latches are moved downwardly by the cams printing is eliminated by releasing the triggers at the beginning of the forward stroke so that when the bail 709 is moved the levers 716 move slowly and are thereby silenced. The latches of banks 2, and 7, Fig. 3, have projections 30, 23 respectively for engagement by a bail 24 rocked by cams 40 on operating levers 712 to release the triggers. The latches on banks 3, 4, and 5 have pins 32 co-operating with projections 33 on the latch links of banks 4, 5, and 6. The different conditions that arise in cheque writing require special control of the printing mechanism. In the column position where dollars only are printed the medium roller on the carriage moves the cam shaft 17 to depress the latches in banks 2, 3, 4, and 5. The latch in bank 2 through its projection 30 engaging the bail 24 silences the hammers in the two cents banks 1, 2, the latches for these banks being connected by a pin 31. Since the latches in the dollar banks 3, 4, 5 are depressed when a type segment is moved to represent the dollar amount its hammer is conditioned in the normal manner and the forward movement of the latch effects a similar movement in the higher order latches to condition their hammers for printing the special characters. If the cheque is for an amount in cents only the characters must be printed in the space where dollars only are printed; for this purpose a shoulder 36 on a stepped plate 35 secured to the projection 30 of the latch on bank 2 co-operates with a projection 38 on the latch of bank 3 near the end of the forward stroke to release the hammers at the normal time. When the carriage moves to the column position for printing cents a large roller on the carriage causes the latches in banks 2 and 7 to be depressed. The shoulder 23 of the latch in bank 7 moves into the path of the bail 24 so that this hammer and those to the right, by the overlapping tails 9, are silenced. Depression of the latch of bank 2 is to prevent engagement of its lug 30 with a shoulder 39 on the depressed latch of bank 3 but the downward movement is not sufficient to move the lug into the path of the bail 24. Accordingly the hammers in the cents banks 1, and 2 are conditioned at the normal time to effect printing. If the cheque is for an exact amount in dollars zeros in the cents column are printed by the provision of a special trigger in an " X " bank controlled by the total and sub-total taking mechanism. In a third column position the entire amount is pointed the mechanism being controlled by a small roller on the carriage to depress the latches in banks 3, 4, and 5 and the shoulder 39 on the latch of bank 3 engages the lug 30 on the latch of bank 2. The normal release of a trigger in a dollar bank releases the other triggers to print the special characters and the zeros in the cents banks. In the case of an amount in cents only a shoulder 37 on the stepped plate 35 engages the projection 38 and releases the triggers at the normal time. The means whereby the type segments are moved to print the asterisk or zero comprises a yoke shaped bail 50, Fig. 1, having an arm 70 connected by a link 72 to an arm 73 on a shaft 74. This shaft has a second arm 75 resiliently connected to a lever 78 carrying a vertically movable slide 82 with a stud 83 adapted to be engaged by cam slides 84 mounted on the carriage whereby the bail is rocked. The bail carries a number of brackets 53, Figs. 9, and 10 to each of which is pivoted a bell crank 54 one arm 57 of which has a lug 58 for co-operation with a notched disc 60 on the corresponding totalizer pinion 916 while the other arm is pin and slot connected to the mid arm of a three armed lever 63. The downwardly extending arm 65 of the lever 63 has a shouldered end 66 adapted to engage under a stud 67 on the type-segment 611. When the bail is rocked if a pinion is standing at zero the lug enters the notch of the disc 60 and the lever 63 moves to place the end 66 under the pin 67 thereby latching the type segment in position to print the special character. The third arms 90 of the levers 63 are provided with overlapping projections 91 so that the ends 66 to the right of a type segment that has been moved will be prevented from latching the segments to the right thereby ensuring, through the relative movement permitted, printing of zeros. Instead of this form of carriage control, the printing of special characters to the left may be controlled by the amount keys. In this construction as shown in Fig. 12, the levers 63 are normally held in latching position with the asterisk opposite the platen. Each lever has an extension 101 adapted to co-operate with a lug 102 on the usual key locking plate 214. Depression of a key in any bank rocks the lever to free the type segment and those to the right by the action of the overlapping projections 91. The levers 63 may be disabled in certain columnar positions by providing the levers with pins 103 to co-operate with arms 105 on a bail member connected to the link 72 that is adapted to be operated by the cam members on the carriage.