Patent GB-789798-A (GB)
Title: Calculating or similar accounting machines
IPC: G06C21/02
Filed: 1956-10-10
Abstract: 789,798. Accounting machines. NATIONAL CASH REGISTER CO. Oct. 10, 1956 [Oct. 21, 1955], No. 30836/56. Class 106 (1). In an accounting machine provided with a tabulating record material carriage and a unidirectional member actuated in selected forward tabular stop positions to release the machine automatically, the reverse tabulating mechanism is adapted similarly to actuate the unidirectional member in selected stop positions. The invention is applied to a machine similar to that described in Specification 680,992 and provides means by which the machine is automatically released for operation upon reverse tabulation to selected stop positions, but which is ineffective during full return movement of the carriage to its starting position. Carriage drive.-The carriage is power-driven in both directions, a motor-driven shaft 110, Fig. 9, driving a pinoin 136 engaged with a carriage rack 137 by way of a fluid coupling 114, 115 and a reversing gear, comprising oppositely driven wheels 118 and 122 carrying driving studs 124 and 125 alternatively engaged by an arm 126 on the driven shaft 128 of the reversing gear. The shaft is axially shiftable, by means of a solenoid 157, in order to change the engagement of the arm 126 from the stud 124 to the stud 125. The machine is an adaptation of the machine described in Specification 680,992 for recording in Arabic, and the gearing is therefore arranged to drive the carriage normally from left to right. This is the reverse tabulating direction in the basic English machine and is so called also in describing the present machine to avoid confusion. Energization of the relay 157, e.g. by operation of the forward tabulating mechanism, raises the shaft 128 to reverse this direction, the carriage then moving from right to left in the forward tabulating direction. Forward tabulation.-A forward tabulating lever 168, Fig. 2, is pivotally and slidably mounted on a stud 169 and is normally restrained from movement, due to tension springs 170 and 171, by the engagement of a step therein with a stud 173. A lifting lever 175 is adapted to be rocked clockwise to varying extents, under the control of the machine motor bars and tabulating key, and raises the forward tabulating lever 168 clear of the stud 173 over which it then engages under the action of spring 170. In this position, a stud 183 on the lever 168 rocks an escapement disabling lever 184 to withdraw the escapement pawls 161, 162, and so free the carriage for forward tabulation. The lifting lever 175 also raises an abutment arm 177, pivoted at 178 to the tabulating lever 168, into the path of one or more forward tabulating stops 179; these are carried by carriage stop blocks 180 appropriately positioned along a removable stop bar 181 mounted on the carriage. When the tabular position is reached, the corresponding stop 179 abuts and displaces the abutment arm 177 which restores the forward tabulating lever whereupon the escapement pawls re-engage the carriage rack to hold the carriage in the stop position. When actuated for forward tabulation, the lever 168 also closes contacts 165 controlling reversal of the carriage drive for the reason explained above. Reverse tabulating mechanism.-This comprises a similar arrangement of reverse tabulating lever 187, Fig. 4, adapted to release the carriage escapement when actuated by a lifting lever 193. Similarly, reverse tabulating stops 202, Fig. 2, are adapted to arrest the carriage in tabular position by engagement with an abutment arm 198, pivoted to the tabulating lever and adapted to restore the tabulating lever when actuated by a stop. When the carriage is " off stop," a tappet 211 does not engage the angular nose 212 of a lever 213 which results in disablement of the machine release mechanism. There are several different lengths of return tabulating stops 202 and the abutment arm 198 is lifted varying extents by the lifting lever 193, under control of the motor bars and reverse tabulating keys, for the purpose of selecting column position in the return direction. Automatic machine release in,forward tabulating.-Machine release studs 222, Fig. 2, fitted as required to the stop blocks 180, are adapted to coact with a surface 223 of a machine release lever 224. An operating lever 237 is pivoted at 238 to the lever 224 and has a hooked end adapted to co-operate with a similar hook 242 on the end of the forward tabulating lever 168. When, during forward tabulation, the carriage is arrested by a stop block 180 bearing a release stud 222, the hooks of the levers 168 and 237 are engaged and the leftward restoring movement of the lever 168 is transmitted to the lever 224. A lever 226 pivoted at 227 is pin-and-slot connected at 225 to the lever 224 and a lug at the upper end of a machine release bar 229 overlies a surface 228 of the lever 226. The leftward movement of the lever 224 rocks the lever 226 counterclockwise and raises the release bar 229 to indicate machine operation. When the totalizer is in an overdrawn condition, known mechanism displaces the release bar 229 rearwardly and clear of the surface 228. The machine is not then released by the normal studs 222. However, studs of larger diameter may be fitted as required, and are effective to rock the lever 224 sufficiently to displace a slide 244 on the lever 226 to a position in which a surface 243 thereon re-establishes engagement with the rearwardly displaced bar 229. The machine is therefore released by the larger diameter stud 222 even though the totalizer is overdrawn. Automatic machine release in reverse tabulating.-A square stud 250, Fig. 6, on the lever 226 co-operates with a hook 251 on a bell-crank 252 pivoted at 253 to a lever 254 pivoted at 255 and carrying a stud 256. A tension spring 261 causes a finger 262 of the bell-crank 252 to bear upon a fixed stud 263 and the stud 256 to bear upon an arm 257 of the reverse tabulating lever 187, Fig. 4. A slotted link 259, engaged with studs on the bell-crank and machine release lever 224, normally maintains the hook 251 below and clear of the stud 250. During reverse tabulation, the arm 257 of the reverse tabulating lever 187 releases the lever 254 for clockwise movement by the spring 261, the hook 251 passing to the right of the stud 251 but without engaging the stud owing to the link 259. The hook 251 does not therefore actuate the lever 226 to release the machine when restored with the levers 254 and 187 at the conclusion of the tabulating movement (e.g. return of the carriage). If, however, the carriage tabulates to a position fitted with a release stud 222, the machine release lever 224 is thereby rocked counterclockwise which raises the link 259 to engage the hook 251 with the stud 250. When, thereafter, the hook restores, it rocks the lever 226 which raises the release bar 229 to initiate machine operation as during forward tabulating.