Patent GB-559880-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in recording and computing machines
Filed: 1941-10-02
Abstract: 559,880. Calculating machines. REMINGTON RAND. Inc. Oct. 2, 1941, No. 12750. Convention date, Dec. 10, 1940. [Class 106 (i)] A computing and recording machine which includes a plurality of printing magnets, a movable carriage, a totalizer moved thereby, said magnets having a common return circuit, and means for tabulating said carriage to a total printing column, is characterized by means operated by the tabulating means to hold the return circuit open during tabulation, and means also operated by the tabulating means to hold the return circuit open for a predetermined interval after the completion of the tabulating movement. The machine is of the Remington type and is described for computing and printing in terms of English currency, although it can be modified for decimal transactions. Power operated typewriter and tabulating mechanism.-A power-driven shaft 63 carries cams 71 which, under the control of the numeral keys, operate the numeral types and through differentially-moved links 82, operate the computing mechanism 153. A power-driven snatch roll 64, under the control of keys, co-operates with hooks 66 and 66A (Figs. 1 and 41), to operate the alphabet and special sign type. The typewriter carriage has a column stop bar 88 carrying stops .90 adapted to be arrested by denominational stops 91 operated by power from shaft 65. The tabulation is controlled manually by tabulator keys 94 or automatically by a cam bar 111 adjustably mounted along the length of the column stop bar 88. The tabulating mechanism also actuates a tabulator switch TAB. BK. (Figs. 32 and 48) to open the upper and close the lower contacts for an appreciable time before returning to normal. The numeral keys are locked in known manner by the actuation of a link 122, at manual tabulation (Fig. 32), automatic tabulation (Fig. 1), on the energization of a key lock magnet KL, Fig. 50, and Fig. 34 (not shown), or at carriage return. Carriage return is effected at the end of a line by the automatic rocking of a shaft 135 in known manner, which operates the link 122 for key locking, and raises a toothed sleeve 133 to clutch a power-driven wheel 130 to a spindle 128 which drives a rack 126 to return the carriage. At the same time, an arm 139, Fig. 48 and Fig. 38 (not shown), on the shaft 135 opens the carriage return contacts CARR. RET. BK. to break the power circuit to all the magnets and relays in the machine and prevent their operation during carriage return. Vertical and cross totalizers. Addition and subtraction.-A number of vertical totalizers 146, Fig. 2, are mounted along a truck 147 moving with the carriage, and are connected in turn by a pick-up beam 154 with a cross totalizer 153 arranged below the line of vertical totalizers and moving with each vertical totalizer until it passes out of the computing zone, when the cross totalizer springs back to its original position. Two cross totalizers may be provided in known manner. The master wheels are operated in known manner by the previously-mentioned links 82. The vertical totalizers carry adjustable cams 165, which in top, intermediate and bottom positions, set the cross master wheel to add, non-add, and subtraction, respectively. Reverse mechanism.-Operation of a correction key 167, Fig. 26, slides a rod 166 to the right to reverse both master wheels, irrespective of whether set for addition or subtraction, in known manner. Operation of a key 173, through a link 223 starts the power-operated case shift mechanism, which raises the platen 53 for printing in distinctive type, and through a normally operative clutch 240 rocks a shaft 225 to set the ribbon to red, while lifting a link 172 to reverse the master wheels as before. A shift key 216 or a shift lock key 217, on the other hand, cause case-shifting but disconnect the clutch 240 so that the master wheels and ink-ribbon are unaffected, thus allowing characters other than numerals to be printed in distinctive type without operating the changegear mechanism of the computers. In printing negative totals, the shift mechanism is operated by a relay R4, through a link 211. Space, star and triangle magnets, and timing switch.-An escapement rocker 86 is operated manually by a space bar 83 rocking a shaft 85, Figs. 1 and 41, or by a universal bar actuated by the type bars 54, in known manner. Energization of a space magnet SP, Figs. 41 and 50, causes the snatch roll 64 to pull down the hook 66A to rock the shaft 85 and actuate the escapement. In a similar manner, energization of the star and triangle magnets ST and TRI, rocks the shaft 85 and operates the associated type mechanism. In all three cases, the nose of the hook 66A depresses a plate 308 to cause contacts 318 to be held open for a full rotation of a cam 314, so keeping the printing circuit open until the moving parts of the machine come to rest. The same result is achieved by the energization of a timing magnet TM, Figs. 41 and 50. Actuator switch.-Whenever a numeral key is operated, a full-stroke shaft 324, Fig. 36 (not shown), is rocked to raise momentarily an arm 330, Fig. 49, to close contacts TM, R2 and R1, and open contacts COM. The arm 330 may also be raised for an indefinite period by the operation of a " disconnect handle before the carriage moves to the total printing column so as to prevent automatic printing. Circuit control cams.-In correspondence with the vertical totalizers 146, are upper and lower cams 341 and 339 mounted along the stop bar 88. The upper cams have steps 342, 343 for actuating a slidably mounted upper control plate 335 to control banks of contacts C and D, while the lower cams have steps 342, 343, 344 for actuating a lower control plate 336, to control banks A and B. Cross totalizer and sensing device.-Associated with the totalizer 153 is a shaft 346 carrying a set of wheels 347 each having thirty teeth. The first is attached to a shift sensing disc 350, Fig. 8 (not shown), having fifteen sensing teeth so as to engage a sensing finger 373 of the relay R2 when the total is negative and not to engage when positive. The next five wheels are connected to pound sensing discs 352 with three equally spaced teeth 353 (not shown) one of which will always engage one of fingers " 0-9 " in Fig. 3. Next is a blank denominational position disc attached to an angularly fixed disc 354 having a single tooth 355 adapted to engage the R2 finger. The tens of shillings disc is like shift disc 350 and the units disc like the pounds disc. The pence discs are mounted on a hub 357, which carries in order, a pence gear 347, an odd and even disc 361 like disc 350 and adapted to contact the shift sensing finger when the disc is in odd position, so as to energize a relay R11, an angularly fixed disc 363 adapted to engage the RIO-13 finger, and a pence sensing disc 359 having five equally spaced fingers 360. The sensing fingers on the discs co-operate with known sensing fingers 373 disposed as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 in an arc and placed in a circuit as shown in Fig. 49 To prevent printing of zero in the tens of shillings position and permit a zero in the units position, the R2 sensing finger is disposed to the left. Add-one mechanism.-A series of depressible plungers 382, arranged in staggered relation, bear against a comb spring 386 making contact with a bar 387. When all the plungers are depressed, the contact is broken, affecting the circuit to relays R8 and R9 in a manner to be described. The plungers are depressed by the sensing discs in zero position, and by the spacing discs 354, 363. A tongue 388 depresses all plungers to the right of the totalizer so that when the last significant digit is in printing position, all plungers will be depressed and the R5 tens-complement relay is allowed to become energized as described later. Clear sign.-The teeth of cross totalizer dial pinions 161 normally hold a feeler 389, Fig. 3, in clockwise position, but when the totalizer is cleared, foreshortened teeth 390 allow the feeler 389 to rock a finger 395 to the right, and when the totalizer is returned to its right-hand position, the finger 395 lifts a cam 396, Figs. 2 and 3, to energize the star magnet for printing as described above. When the totalizer is not cleared, the star and triangle keys are locked. Operating circuits.-Example with dual cross totalizers 153L, 153R. For automatic total printing the ON/OFF switch, Fig. 48, is positioned to on. The star-space switch is also set for spacing or writing stars before the first significant digit. Entries are then made and computed in the usual manner. At length, the cam bar 111, as described above, sets the machine for automatic tabulation, on approaching the position for taking a subtotal from the left cross totalizer, so that the tabulating switch TAB. BK. is actuated to prepare a circuit through the relay R1, which is established when the first step 342 of the cam 339 closes contact AC, so that the carriage comes to rest in the first printing position with the relay R1 energized and holding the common printing circuit through contact COM. open, this circuit being also open at contact COM. of relay R9 until the tabulation cam stops, when TAB. BK. returns to normal position and energizes relay R9 to close its contact COM., but due to the slow release of the relay R1, its contact COM. does not close until the carriage has come to rest. The slow release also allows time for the energization of either or both of relays R3, R4. The relay R3, however, energizes only if the cam 341 closes contact R3 in switchbank C at this point, in circumstances set out later. The closing of contact AC, above, also energizes the key lock magnet KL, and renders all tabulation automatic. . Positive total.-With a positive total, the totalizer does not engage the shift wheel 350. Assuming the first wheels are at zero, the zero finger will be sensed to establish a circuit which includes the COM. contacts of the