Improvements in Calculating Machines.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in Calculating Machines.
I MAX MAYER of Munich in the Kingdom of Bavaria, Empire of Germany
Counsellor, do hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
This invention relates to calculating machines and consists in certain improvements
therein and especially in the machine shown and described in the specification of
letters Patent No. 11566 of 23rd August 1884.
The parts mentioned in the specification to the above mentioned patent are
designated in the following specification by the same letters of reference.
Referring to the accompanying drawings the system of transferring wheels is
replaced by a lever system. (Fig 1 longitudinal section through the apparatus)
One of the four steel hands of the figure wheel set in movement by the key (which
hands may be cut from one piece of sheet steel in the shape of a four pointed star) is
situated when at rest a little below the nose n' of the lever n when the Figure 9 is visible
before the said wheel and raises said nose during the passage from Figure 9 to 0, so
far upward that the pawl o' connected with said lever and pivoted at n², the point of
which pawl catches into the adjacent ratchet wheel moves the latter forward for the
length of a tooth. The pawl o' is continually pressed into the teeth of the ratchet
wheel and after the transferring from the first to the next figure-wheel has then taken
place the point n¹ falls off the steel hand and the composite lever n nn³ resumes its
resting position under the influence of the spring n the hook o' elastically passing
the teeth of the figure wheel.
The various movements are restrained to their strictly requisite minimum so that
the steel hand does not come in contact with the point n' during the movement from 8
to 9 as thereby the next wheel would be prematurely moved forward.

page_text: The shaft of the lever n is common to all the transferring levers, the whole system
of the latter is displaceable.
When the lever n n' is rocked and the hook o' is moved up thereby into its highest
position its backward or rearward movement is limited by the rod I of angular cross
section so that having moved forward the tooth wheel the latter at such moment is unable
to lift the hook o¹ and along under the point thereof as it would tend to do under the
influence of the momentum given to it.
The stopping of the figure wheel set in motion by the key is effected as follows by
aid of the momentum of the bow proper. In the anchor is secured a steel pin 12
which is in contact with a projection 13 of the short pendulum 14. The latter is
revolvable about a pin 1 secured in the bow or also about the shaft of the anchor l¹
and so constructed, that its centre of gravity lies a few millimetres behind the extension
of the connecting line between the shaft of the figure wheels and of the pendulum.
When moving, the pendulum-weight therefore always tends to occupy an exactly
radial position to the centre of the figure wheel, but at the moment when the move-
ment of the bow is impeded by the steel pivots y' from 'continuing its course in a
tangential direction. Thus the point of the anchor presses so firmly into the teeth
of the figure wheel that the latter is arrested.
The pendulum weight must of course be sufficiently heavy to overcome the
momentum of the figure wheel; the figure wheels and the ratchet wheels must there-
fore be made as light as possible.
Iv
A spring prevents the pendulum, from remaining owing to its inertia but when
the apparatus is adjusted to zero it is caused to yield so far as to allow the anchor to
be lifted out of the teeth of the figure wheel by means of the lifter Q¹.
The arms W¹ Figs. I & II are determined by a circle the centre of which is the
axis of the arms and therefore determine on their downward movement the point at
which the following steel hand J must remain on the adjustment of the apparatus to
zero.
The box is to be correspondingly raised above them. The catch Z with pawl Z'
and spring Z are dispensed with, a stop spring is however arranged at X.
The apparatus is simplified as follows:
The lever K and the slide S are dispensed with. The bow is retained immediately
at its two side parts U U³ by the steel pivots y' instead of by means of the above
two devices the stopping is thereby rendered more exact.
Fig. II showing a longitudinal section, the ratchet and figure wheels being
omitted.
In lieu of the transverse wall Y for this purpose two such walls are arranged on
the left and on the right of the bow as shown in Fig. III cross section. Fig. IV plan
on line xx in the left wall lie the steel points for the keys 1, 2, 3, 4, and in the right
wall those for the keys 5, 6. 7-8 the right wall also contains a stationery pin for
determining the limit of movement for the key g the steel pivots of the left wall
proceed from the left to the right, those of the right wall from the right to the left
on the stroke of the key and retain the bow U¹ or U2 in its movement by means of
the projections provided on the latter viz. t z³ on the left hand t 22 on the right hand,
(Fig. II).
The return of the steel pivots into their resting position is effected by leaf or spiral]
springs.
The keys are separated on a common shaft y by intermediate walls and arranged
in a similar manner as the key board of a piano. The keys for the figures 1.234
catch by means of their correspondingly constructed ends under the left wall y the
keys for the figures 5, 6, 7 & 8 under the right wall for the purpose of raising the
prisms y¹ and press the corresponding steel points forward (Fig. V plan).
The large ciphers arranged on the keys can be simultaneously overlooked with the
ciphers of the cipher column. The recess of the frame B. is suitably widened.
On the left and on the right of the keys are arranged the two parallel levers &¹
revolvable about the shaft s and the extremities of the same are connected by a cross
rod h. Each key has a hook h¹ which on the stroke of the key seizes the cross bar

page_text: and presses the fore end of the lever S₁ moving the crank S° of the bow U₁ without
the other keys being influenced by the movement; the crank S° is connected outside
the metal wall with the pivot s of the bow U¹ as shown by Figs. II & III.
The spiral spring which returns the bow with the lever system into their resting
position is arranged outside on the left wall. The shape of the intermediate walls
separating the single figure wheels and the fastening of the same to the cross rods g is
shown in Fig. II in dotted lines.
The keys are returned into their resting positions by means of spiral or loaf springs
(Figs. I & II).
To sum up large columns of figures an apparatus showing sums of 8 to 10 cipher
stages is not essential but for ordinary use an apparatus suffices which is only arranged
for a three figure sum. When using such an apparatus the units, tens, hundreds etc.
are added separately, the last figure of the resulting sum is noted down and the other
carried numbers of the same, after the apparatus has been adjusted to zero are counted
into the next row of figures. By restricting the apparatus to a three figure sum
other simplifications are rendered possible the same being shown in Fig. VI.
Over the common shaft y of the keys is arranged in a horizontal position the metal
wally in which move the steel points 1 2. 3 as shown in Figs. 6 & 7. plan. Fig. 8
longitudinal section through the machine. Fig. 9 cross section through the metal
wall.
The steel points are raised direct by the key ends, the prisms, Y₁ are therefore dis-
pensed with Also the bow U and the figure wheel to be moved by the same are
arranged in a horizontal position. The bow rotates about the shaft U1⁰ secured in the
metal wall Y and does not consist as was the case heretofore of two parts connect with
steel rods but only of a piece of sheet steel U. which is so shaped and recessed as to
always abut against the corresponding steel pivot on the stroke of a key.
The arrangement of steel pivots and the corresponding shape of the bow may be
varied at pleasure.
J
In the shape adopted in the drawing the bow U. abuts with the recess 1° against
the steel pivot 1 with the recess 2°, against the pivot 2 with the recesses
3°, 4º, 5º, 6º, 70, 8° against the pivots 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (Figs. VI & VII).
The limit for the cypher 9 is determined by the stationery pin 9.
On the bow U is arranged the anchor catching into the figure wheel z and below
said anchor, (Fig. VI the device with omitted cover plate) the stop pendulum *
described above revolvable about the same vertical shaft; both are secured at a
corresponding height by a sleeve provided at the pendulum and embracing the shaft.
The pin prevents the pendulum weight from staying behind owing to inertia
and leaves to the anchor only so much play as to allow it to pass along over the
teeth of the wheel on the return movement of the bow. Above the anchor is situated
the cover plate e rigidly connected with the how U. The anchor is continually..
pressed into the teeth of the wheel by the spring X.
The bow U receives its horizontal movement from the keys each of which by a
pressure by means of the hooks h¹ on the rod h sets in motion the shaft h' and the
vertical conical wheel 10 by the latter the horizontal conical wheel k" revolvable
about the shaft k¹ secured in a projection of a vertical wall, and the crank S¹ secured
thereto; the motion is transmitted by the lever So to the bow U.
The figure wheel z rigidly connected with its shaft is arranged either on a pin or
as shown by the drawing (Fig. VI11) revolvably and moves concentrically with the
bow U. The stop spring secures the wheel z when at rest and prevents the figure
wheel from being taken along on the rearward movement of the bow. This return
movement of the bow,is effected by the spiral spring S p as soon as the key struck
is freed again. To cause the bow to retain its proper position at the projection S
without rebounding and thrusting the figure wheel forward for one or more teeth,
the pin St is provided on the bow U which on the receding of the latter meets the
projection S20 of the lever S° and by abutting against the same, neutralises the
oscillating power of the bow immediately before the abutment of the same against
the projection o¹º.

page_text: The figure wheel is provided with 100 teeth to indicate the two last figures of the
sum. Corresponding to the teeth and within the same are engraved or stamped on a
thin sheet metal ring the figures 0 to 99. To allow these figures to be made larger
and more distinct, preferably the tens and units are arranged not side by side, but the
tens over the units, therefore the figures 79 read as the number 79.
Over the figure wheel z lies-correspondingly fastened on the left and on the
right a plate o of thin sheet-steel, having a slot or slots at the places where the
ciphers of the wheel are to be read. Between this and a second exactly equally
shaped plate o2 is situated a tooth wheel all revolvable about the shaft 10 which
wheel is moved forward by the pinion situated at the shaft of the figure wheel,
on each revolution of the latter, for a tenth of the periphery.
This smaller wheel serves to indicate the hundreds without requiring a further
transferring device.
To allow with this apparatus the adjustment to zero to be effected in a simple
manner, the figures are arranged on a thin sheet metal disc which bears on the
wheel and partakes in the motion of the wheel by means of a friction connection
by a tube rigidly connected thereto placed over its shaft and adjusting itself to the
same.
Said tube is provided with a button for the purpose of adjustment to zero by means
of which button the figure disc of the wheel can be revolved independently of the
latter.
The reading opening for the hundreds is so much widened, that when a cipher just
appears on the left side, the preceding one is still visible.
The cipher standing on the right is available until the two last figures of the tens
and units appear or have just passed by.
The apparatus is closed with a cover from which project the smarts
wheel and of the tooth-wheel.
UL
For the purpose of adjusting the apparatus to zero the shaft of the figure wheel is
provided with a crank K10 secured thereto by means of a hinge and pressed upward by
means of a spring, to allow the crank to pass, unimpededly along over the pin K"
during the addition.
Subsequently the zero adjustment is effected by pressing down the crank and
turning it in the direction indicated by an arrow until it abuts against the pin K".
To adjust the tooth wheel to zero a small knob 15 having a recess is provided
on the cover on the tube x13
On this knob slides a spring 14 which does not impede the ordinary revolution.
On turning however the tube with its button the recess stops on the spring at the
figure 0.
The frame hitherto employed in which the machine was displaced may be dispensed
with. This may also be done with the complete machine with 8 to 10 figure-places;
in this case only the function of the projections on said frame is effected by hand by a
correspondingly arranged lever.
To allow however nevertheless of the same method of checking the apparatus is
placed upon rollers and provided with a handle, as shown in Fig. X.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I déclare that what I
claim is :-
In calculating apparatus
1. A transferring or counting over mechanism - comprising in combination the
levers n pivoted on a common shaft springs n', pawls o pivoted to said levers and
springs o³ with rod I substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

page_text: 2. The combination with the anchor of the pendulum * revolvable about the
pin and having a projection 13 as and for the purpose set forth.
3. The combination with the figure wheels of the arms W' substantially as illustrated
and described.
4. The combination of the bow U with the hooks ¹ cross bar h the lever S¹ and the
crank S as set forth.
5 The bow U having walls U1 U2 in combination with projections t z¹ and t z² on
said walls respective steel pins y' and wedges Y₁ as and for the purpose set forth.
6. A calculating apparatus for a three figured sum comprising a horizontal tooth
wheel Z having 100 teeth in combination with a wheel and pinion and modified
bow and mechanism substantially as set forth and illustrated.
7. In a calculating machine for three figured sums, a horizontal how U conical
wheels and 9 recesses by means of which the bow is adapted to be arrested by
pins raised direct by the keys and now vertically movable in combination with
spring Sp, projection o¹, projection S20 on lever S° and pin St substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
8. The combination of a horizontal figure wheel z having crank K, spring
thereunder, with pin K" as and for the purpose set forth.
9. The combination with the wheel 11 of tube x" button and spring ¹ as and
for the purpose set forth.
T
1000
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand,
Agents for Max Mayer.