Patent GB-505114-A (GB)
Abstract: 505,114. Multiplying-apparratus. MAXSON CORPORATION, W. L. Nov. 4, 1937, No. 30308. Convention date, Nov. 30, 1936. [Class 106 (i)] In a multiplying-machine counters for the multiplier and multiplicand are each continuously operated by rotating handles which are also connected by rotatable shafts and gearing to a counter which continuously indicates the growth of the product as the handles are rotated. In the construction shown in Fig. 1 one number B is built up by rotating a handle 1 provided with a counter 2. The shaft 14 of the handle 1 operates through gearing 17 and 18 one wheel 20 of a differential gearing while through gearing 29 and 30 it operates a wheel 31 of another differential gearing in the opposite direction. The other number A is built up by rotating a handle 5 connected to a counter 16 and also driving wheels 23a and 34 of the differentials in the same direction through gearing 23, 24, and 35. The rotation of the differential shafts 19 and 28 are thus proportional to A+B and A-B respectively and drive discs 7 and 9 through proportional amounts. Discs 7 and 9 bear teeth 41 arranged on a spiral described by the extremity of a vector whose length is proportional to its angle of rotation about the centre of the disc from its starting position of zero length. Wheels 42 and 49 engaging these spirals will then rotate amounts proportional to the squares of the rotations of their respective discs 7 and 9. Wheels 8 and 10 are thus driven amounts proportional to (A+B)<2> and (A-B)<2> and these quantities are subtracted in the differential 59 which drives the gear 11 an amount proportional to 4 AB. By suitably adjusting the ratios of reduction gearing in the apparatus the counter 13 will then indicate the product AB of the numbers run in. In order to allow for the contingency of negative numbers clutches 40 and 48 are provided in the connections to discs 7 and 9. Shafts 19 and 28 drive mechanisms through gearing 69 and 61, which move the clutch forks 70 and 66 up or down according to the positive or negative motion of the respective shafts. In the down position of the clutches they cause a pinion directly in contact with the respective disc to. operate. In the raised position the discs are driven by gearing with intermediate pinions that reverse the negative motion. In the construction shown in Fig. 7 the number A is built up by handle 101 which drives a counter 103 and a squaring disc 110. The number B is built up by a handle 102 driving a counter 104 and another squaring disc 107. A third squaring disc 112 is driven by discs 107 and 110 through a differential gear 111 and thus its rotation is proportional to A + B. The outputs of the discs are combined by differentials 126 and 140 so that the gear 145 is driven an amount proportional tp (A+B)<2>-(A<2>+B<2>). The counter 148 can thus be adjusted to give the product AB. In the construction shown in Fig. 9, which is similar in operation to that of Fig. 1, the gears 324 and 326 do not start at the zero points on their respective discs in order to avoid the necessity of making provision for negative numbers. As a result the output of the discs are K[(A-B)<2>+2k(A-B] and K[(A+B)<2>+2k(A+B).] A shaft 332 is therefore provided driven from the handle 304 building up the number B in order to add a factor of 4Kkb to the result of the squaring disc 309 in order that the subtraction of the results in differential 346 should cause the counter 325 to display the desired product.