Patent GB-190826763-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Apparatus for Adding or Calculating.
Filed: 1908-12-10
Granted: 1909-12-09
Abstract: 26,763. British Adding Machine Co., and Browning, W. H. Dec. 10. Calculating - apparatus. -In a multiple-bank keyset lever-operated adding and listing machine, of the type described in Specification No. 3383, A.D. 1904, wherein the totalizing is effected on counting-plates, one for each denomination, which are moved into gear and raised a given distance for each unit by means of quadrants set in position by the keys and control lever of the machine, and wherein the forward stroke of the operating- handle actuates the various parts through a cam shaft, and the backward stroke returns the parts to their normal positions, modifications are described in connexion with the means for locking and resetting the keys, effecting the transfer on the counting-plates, eliminating items from the totalizing-counter, control of zero printing effecting a " split" by the use of two or more eliminating-keys, setting up and taking totals with associated means for zeroizing the counting-plates and preventing printing of zeroes to the left, repeating an item, and printing items and totals and a distinguishing sign against eliminated items. A side elevation of the machine is shown in Fig. 1, and a plan in Fig. 4. The main and auxiliary counting-plates A, A<1> are mounted in a swinging or sliding frame A<2>, and the main plate A is provided with teeth a on its front edge and with ratchet-teeth a' on the back, and has two projections a<2>, a<3>, near the bottom and top respectively, adapted to engage the plate A<1>. Adjacent to the counting-plates, a type-setting plate B is mounted having rack teeth b<1> on its front edge and ratchetteeth b<2> on the back, engaging a retaining-lever b. The teeth a, b<1> of the plates A, B are adapted to gear with toothed quadrants C, C<1> respectively mounted loosely on a shaft c and moved simultaneously by a connecting-lever C<2> engaging pins c', c<2> on the quadrants. The lower end of the lever C<2> has a notch engaging a pin e on a control bar E, which is capable of sliding to and fro and has a series of projections or stops e, one for each key, which engage the lower ends of the keys when they are depressed. Locking and resetting keys. The keys K slide vertically, and are each provided with notches k<1>, k<2> with which a locking-bar k<4> engages ; upon a key being depressed a rocking-bar k<5> pivoted at the side of the keys is rocked to depress a releasing-member K<1>, a notch k<6> of which allows the locking-bar k' to enter it, and at the same time engages the notches of the keys, locking them in position. The keys are released by the cross-bar g<1> of a resetting-lever G operated by the engagement of a cam g on the cam shaft with a pin g<2> on the locking-bar. If an error has been made in the setting of an item, the depression of a key G<1> resets the keys and, by an arm g<4>, restores the quadrants and the control bar to their initial position. Transfer-mechanism. Behind the frame A', Fig. 5, bolt-levers F are mounted so as to rock on a shaft /, their front ends resting on a frame and each carrying a bolt F', which is provided with a pawl engaging the ratchet-teeth a<1>, and with a projection f which enters a notch a<6> in the auxiliary counting-plate, when in the normal position. When a transfer is being effected, the auxiliary counting-plate is raised, the projection f<3> is withdrawn and the pawl is moved out from engagement with the teeth a', permitting the plates A to fall to the auxiliary counting-plates A<1> and to gear with the quadrants and release the plates A', allowing them to fall to the normal position, thereby bringing the projection h<2> into the path of a transfer bar H<1>, Fig. 1, rocked by its lever H from a cam h on the main cam shaft, so that a unit is transferred to the next higher plate by the overlapping projections f<5>, f<6> of the bolts F'. To enable transfers to occur simultane usly at several points, the bolts F<1> are provided with vertical pins F<3> engaging the retaining-pawls a<5> of the next higher denomination. Eliminating items. An eliminating-key L<2> is provided to lock the quadrants C when it is desired to disconnect the keys K from the main plate A at such times as the type setting-plates B are operated to print a total or an eliminated item. The key L<2> is connected through a link l<2> and a lever L' to the eliminating-bar L, which, when raised, engages notches c<6> in the quadrants C. Instead of a single eliminating- key, two or more keys L<2>, L<4> may be employed, the key L<4> being used to lock the quadrants of the higher denominations. The keys L<2> , L<4> are locked by a bar l<5>, and an additional lock to prevent depression, after any of the numeral keys have been depressed, is afforded by a bar l<4> which enters a notch in the keys when moved by a pin k<7> on the locking-bar k4. Control of zero-printing. To print the zeroes to the right, the rear end of a control lever M is raised by the depression of the keys, and a finger m<3>, on the lever projecting below a finger m<4> on the next lower lever, raises it to allow its end to move out of contact with the pin c<3> on the quadrant c', permitting the latter to fall one tooth to print " 0 " when the plate B is raised. Splitting machine. When two eliminating-keys are used, a " splitting " of the machine may be effected by providing one of the control levers M with a sliding finger m<5>, Fig. 7, which, when the eliminating-key L<4> is depressed, will be moved out of the path of the finger m<4> of the next lower lever and so prevent movement of the lower typeplate B. Totals, printing.-The depression of a totals key N<3> through a link n<5> raises a total frameplate N, and a catch n<2> on its stepped plate N<1> engages a pin n<3> on the control bar E, which moves forward, being released by a lever N<2> depressing the release member K', until a pin n<1> on the counting- plate arrests the plate N<1>, the quadrants being then set in position for taking a total. A grand total key N<5> besides acting as the key N<3> enables the counting plates to be zeroized ; this key, when depressed. raises a plate P, Fig. 7, attached to the frame A and moves the pin p<6> out of the notch p<2>, so that when the frame A' returns to normal position the pin p<6> pushes the plate P' back and moves the bolts F<1> out from engagement with the teeth of the plate A' which then returns to the normal position. The plate P is held up, in the forward and back positions, by notches p<2>, p<3> and pins p<4>, p<5>. To prevent the printing of zeroes to the left, control levers R are pivoted below the total plates N, and are provided with projections r4, r<5> for engaging similar projections on the next levers, and with booked ends r for engaging notches r<2> in the counting-plates that have not been moved. A locking-slide S is provided to indicate when the parts are in a correct position for taking a total, and has a pin s<3> which passes over the top of the link n<5> to lock the totals key against operation should the parts be not in such a position. Repeating items. To allow of an item being repeated, a repeat-key G<3> prevents the resetting of the keys by means of a pin thereon, which moves a lever g<6> pivoted to the resetting-lever G out of contact with the cam g on the cam shaft. Printing mechanism. Disks T employed for displaying and printing the numbers have each a pinion T' engaging a rack B', which is connected by an arm t of a bracket b<3> to the type-setting rack B. The disks are mounted singly or in groups in a carrier frame T', and are raised by cams T3 arranged to elevate each disk in succession against the printing-paper. The cams T<2> can be moved laterally by a lever T', opt rated by a cam t<6>, to render them inoperative on the return stroke. After printing, the carriers T' are locked in the normal position by bolts t<8> actuated by cranklevers t<9> and cams t<10>. An additional star-wheel is provided adjacent to the disks T, to print a star when the item printed is not totalized ; it is actuated by a quadrant U, Fig. 1, upon depression of the eliminating-key. The printing-paper is mounted on a carriage W<1>, adapted to move across the machine by means of a locking-lever w engaging a notch in the bar w<1>. The paper is fed forwards by a pawl provided with a depending lever x, rocked by a transverse bar from a cam on the cam shaft. A ratchet-wheel V with numbers 1-100 is mounted on the side of the machine to indicate the number of times the handle has been operated, and is advanced by means of the lever y and a cam on the cam shaft ; a release key is provided to disengage the actuating and retaining pawls from the wheel V. Specification No. 22,862, A.D. 1909, is also referred to.