AN IMPROVED COUNTING INSTRUMENT OR APPARATUS
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd June 1877. A communication
from abroad by Pierre Duchamp (junior), of Paris, France.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED COUNTING INSTRUMENT OR
APPARATUS." [A communication from abroad by Pierre Duchamp (junior), of
Paris, France.]
The said Invention relates to an improved apparatus or instrument which may
be employed for marking or indicating the series of points made in playing cards,
billiards, or other games, and for adding up sums of money, lengths of cloth, or
other materials, and for similar purposes. It will, for example, be very advantageous
for bills in restaurants. It must, however, be understood that I do not limit myself
to any particular applications of the said Invention.
My improved instrument or counter will add up a series of points or figures
without necessitating any calculation. It is formed of two, three, or any other
number of discs bearing the indicating figures. These discs are set in motion by a
slide, which is returned to its normal position, that is to say, 'to unity, by a spiral
spring. Figures arranged along the counter serve to determine the stopping point
of the said slide. Consequently, if ten or twelve points are made, the slide should
The unit disc alone is
be stopped below the figure 10 or 12 along the counter.
actuated by the slide. It turns or advances the tenths disc one tooth at each of its
revolutions. This tenths disc moves the hundredths disc, and so on throughout the
apparatus. Upon each one of the discs are other figures which serve to mark any
desired number. For a cashier for example, these figures will indicate the sum
there is in hand. The different sums taken and indicated by the aid of the slide
are added up and marked on the counter. The supplementary figures are so
arranged that in marking the sums given the subtraction is effected. Thus the
sum paid and that remaining in hand will be quickly known and seen.
In order that this Invention may be readily understood, I have represented in
the accompanying Drawings as an example only, an instrument constructed
according to the said Invention.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the said instrument or counter,

page_text: Figure 2 is a front view with the glass or plate for covering the mechanism
removed.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section of the said counter with the figured or numbered
discs removed; Figure 4 is a transverse section of the same on the line 1, 2,
Figure 3; Figure 5 is a transverse section on the line 3, 4, Figure 3.
In these Figures the same letters indicate the same parts.
a is the box, made of any suitable material, and containing the said discs and
operative mechanism; b is a plate of silvered glass in which are formed small
openings c, d, in the figured disc indicating centimes, it is divided into twenty parts
to serve for a franc or a unit; e is the unit disc; ✓ is the tenths disc; g is the
hundredths disc; h is the thousandths disc.
P.
The centime disc d is moved by the slide i, and the franc or unit disc by the
slide; k is a wheel with twenty teeth and which transmits the movement to the
centime disc d; is a barrel or drum consisting of a case or box and a spiral spring;
m is a cord lace band or chain surrounding the said barrel; it is attached by one end
to the barrel 1, and by the other end to the slide i; n is a spring pawl for moving
the wheel k, when the band m is pulled by means of the slide i; o is a cover sur-
rounding the barrel l; is a hoop, or ring, of wood or other suitable material glued
or otherwise fastened upon the toothed wheel ; is a fixed rod or spindle around
which the barrel l, the wheel k, and the loop p turn; s is a tube surrounding the
rod ; t is a spring bearing upon the wheel k, resting on the cover o; this spring
prevents the turning backward of the said wheel k, by the friction of the spring
pawl n; u is a spring pawl hanging from the wheel ; when it comes near the
toothed wheel of the disc e, it causes the latter to advance one tooth; ac is a
barrel or drum moved by the band y, and slide j; z is a hoop carrying the disc e;
wis an arm formed or fixed on the toothed wheel v; 1 is a lever carrying a
pin 2. The latter when the wheel v has made one revolution moves the toothed
wheel 3 of the disc f; 4 is a split tube carrying the wheel 3, and fitted frictionally
on the spindle 5; 6 is a hoop or ring carrying the disc f; 7 is a button or knob
for manipulating directly the disc f; 8 is a spring lever for controlling the disc g.
This lever 8, when it comes near the toothed wheel 9 of the disc g is free to
oscillate and approach the centre for facilitating the control of the disc g by the
knob 10. The said lever 8, while oscillating, does not impart any movement of
the disc f to the wheel 3.
The mounting and working of the hundredths disc g and of the thousandths
disc is the same as that of the tenths disc f; 11, 11, are bands of paper or other
material for supporting and separating the discs e, f, g, and h; 12 is a figured or
numbered band for indicating the point of stoppage of the slide j; 13 is a band
corresponding with the centime disc d; 14, 14, are notches for receiving the
part which serves for stopping the aforesaid slides.