Improvements in Adding Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 16th May, 1893-Accepted, 16th Dec., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICA
Improvements in Adding Machines.
I, BRADLEY HATCH PHILLIPS of Fredonia, New York, United States of
America, Inventor, 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 :-
My invention relates to that class of arithmometers or adding machines in which
registering or numeral wheels are operated from a single set of levers so connected
therewith that the movement of each lever will give a different rotative movement
to the numeral wheels, thereby permitting different values or numbers to be
represented according to which particular lever, corresponding to a certain number,
is pressed upon or actuated by the operator; and my invention has for its object
to improve the class of machines referred to in such a manner as to provide a
machine having capacity for very high numbers without making the same
objectionably complicated.
In carrying my invention into effect I mount upon a main or driving shaft what
may be termed a driving gear wheel having teeth to engage teeth upon the numeral
wheels, which latter are adapted for independent rotation upon a shaft mounted
upon a travelling carriage in such a way that the numeral wheels are successively
presented to the main driving wheel. The driving shaft is provided with a series
of ratchet wheels carried by suitable collars rigidly attached to said shaft, and
mounted loosely upon said shaft is a series of gears or sectors each of which is
rigid with a disk or plate carrying a pawl engaging one of the said ratchet wheels.
The sectors or gear wheels referred to are of different diameters or radii and are
engaged by gear sectors formed on the ends of operating levers the inner arms of
which are made of different lengths so that a uniform downward movement
of the outer or operating ends of said levers, when pressed upon by the fingers of
the operator, will impart different movements to the driving shaft with which they
are connected, thereby providing for rotative movements of said shaft varying in
extent a distance ranging from one tooth on the main driving gear wheel up to a
distance equal to nine teeth thereof. The key levers are so arranged that the
downward movement of the outer end of any one of them will operate a spacing
mechanism one part of which consists of an escapement engaging with a rack-bar
formed on the travelling carriage, so that at each movement of an operating lever
said carriage will be advanced to the extent of the thickness of one of the numeral
wheels, thereby presenting the latter successively to the action of the main driving
wheel which latter is stationary relative to said carriage and to the numeral wheels
mounted thereon. To ensure accurate operation of my machine a suitable stop is
provided for the main driving wheel to prevent the latter from overthrowing, and
stops may also be provided for the numeral wheels for the same purpose.
In the drawings
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved machine, with a portion of the
casing removed.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine, with the top casing and travelling carriage
removed.
Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section from front to rear, and Fig. 4 is a front
view, partly broken away, of my improved machine.
Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are detail views of the numeral wheels and adjacent parts.
Fig. 9 is a detail view of the escapement mechanism, and
Fig. 10 is a detail view of the stopping mechanism for the numeral wheels to
prevent the same from overthrowing.

page_text: A denotes a suitable frame or casing in which is mounted the main shaft B
provided with the main driving or gear wheel B', which is rigidly secured thereto
so as to rotate therewith. The said shaft B is provided with a series of ratchet
wheels 6 formed on collars 6' attached to the said shaft B. Mounted loosely upon
said shaft B are a series of disks c each of which is provided with a spring pressed
pawl c arranged to engage the ratchet wheel b adjacent thereto, to rotate said
ratchet wheel in one direction, but to ride freely over the same in the opposite
direction. Rigid with each of said disks c and loose on the shaft B is a sector or
small gear wheel d, these sectors or gear wheels d being of different radial extent
so that the outer faces of each one thereof is at a different distance from the center
of the shaft B than any of the others. These sectors or gear wheels are engaged
by geared sectors e¹ formed on the inner ends of the key levers E provided at their
outer ends with finger buttons e. Where these devices d are small in radial extent
they are preferably made as wheels, but when of larger radial extent, and
consequently have lesser axial or rotative movement, they are preferably made as
sectors. Both forms are shown in Fig. 2. The levers E are pivoted on a rod or
bar E running cross-wise of the machine, and the inner arms of said levers are of
varying lengths, as will more clearly be seen from Fig. 2, so that rotative move-
ments of different extent will be imparted to the main or driving shaft B, and to the
driving gear wheel carried thereby, from uniform movements of the said operating
levers, owing to the varying lengths of the inner arms of said levers and of the
varying radial lengths or extents of the sectors or gears d.
Mounted to run by wheels f* upon suitable guideways formed on the frame A
and the top or casing plate A¹ secured to the said frame, is a travelling carriage F
which carries a series of registering or numeral wheels G each of which has a
peripheral series of numerals from 0 to 9, inclusive, or two series of numerals may
be formed on each of said wheels, the number of the figures on each wheel being
equal to the number of teeth thereon. The numeral wheels are mounted upon a
normally stationary shaft H in the said carriage F, said wheels being adapted to
rotate independently of each other upon said shaft, but being connected with each
other in such a way that when one wheel is moved around to a certain extent it will
become connected with the next wheel to the left in such a manner as to turn the
latter to the extent of one tooth, each tooth on the numeral wheels corresponding
to a numeral. The wheels G are held from rotating, except at times when they
are to be positively moved, by means of springs g' engaging the teeth of the said
wheels, but which yield to permit the latter to move when they are positively
rotated. The shaft H is provided with a handle or finger wheel h by which it may
be rotated when desired, and the said shaft is also provided with a longitudinal
groove one face or side of said groove being radial and the other tangential.
Connected to each one of said wheels G is a spring-pressed pawl /² (see dotted
lines Figs. 3 and 5) which, when the shaft H is turned in one direction by its finger
wheel or handle, will fall into the said groove in such a manner as to engage the
radial face thereof, the latter causing the numeral wheel with which it is connected
to be turned with the said shaft; but when the latter is turned in the opposite.
direction the free end of the pawl will merely fall idly into the said groove and will.
immediately be lifted therefrom by the tangential face of the latter. When the
numeral wheels are turned in their normal direction, in operation, the pawls h' will
ride over the groove' without engaging therewith, said pawls at such time, passing
freely over the tangential face of the groove h¹.
¿¹
To each of the numeral wheels is attached a ratchet wheel i having a number of
teeth corresponding to the number of numerals on said numeral wheel, and to the
adjoining face of the numeral wheel next to the right is pivoted a spring pressed
pawl normally pressed outward against the inner face of a stationary ring, the
rings being rigidly mounted between every pair of numeral wheels in a manner
to be hereinafter explained, and being provided on their inner faces with one or
more cams or projections 3. It will be seen that each pawl ¹ is arranged to engage
with the ratchet teeth of the next higher numeral wheel but is normally held out.

page_text: a cam
of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel i until, in the rotation of the
numeral wheel with which the pawl is connected, said pawl comes opposite
or projection on the ring when the said projection will force the said pawl
inward against the stress of its spring and cause it to engage the ratchet wheel
next to the left and move the same forward to the extent of one tooth, and the said
pawl will then clear said projection so that it can be thrown out of engagement
from the ratchet wheel by its spring. Thus when a numeral wheel has been
rotated to the extent of a series of numerals, or, in other words, when a numeral
wheel has been turned so that the numeral 0 is shown through the exhibiting slot
of the register, further rotation of the said numeral wheel will bring the pawl into
engagement with a projection on the ring 2, and thus cause the pawl to engage the
ratchet and turn the numeral wheel next to the left to the extent of one tooth.
The rings are formed with arms having holes to receive the rods f
attached to the carriage F, suitable sleeves f¹ being placed on said rods between
said arms to hold them separated so that the arms and the rings carried thereby
are held rigidly in place.
The carriage F is provided with a ratchet bar f2 which is engaged by an
escapement consisting of an arm k formed on a rocker K mounted on a rod K₁, and
a pawl ¹ pivoted to the said arm k, the said pawl and arm being pointed at their
outer ends to swing past the teeth of the ratchet bar (see Figs. 3 and 9) in a well-
known manner in the operation of escapements. The rocking bar K is engaged at
its lower end by the inclined outer end of an arm m held by a set screw m³ to a
rock shaft M, the said shaft having rigidly attached thereto a frame consisting of
the arms m² connected by a cross bar m² which is beneath the outer ends of the key
levers E, so that when the outer end of one of the said levers is depressed the said
rock-shaft will be operated to rock the block K, and thus operate the escapement
to permit one tooth of the rack bar f2 to pass the same. The rock-shaft M is
provided with a torsional spring M₁ which normally holds the arms m² and their
connecting cross-bar m² elevated. The rocking-bar K is normally held in a vertical
position by the spring against the stress of which it is rocked by the arm m¹.
12
The rock shaft M is provided with an arm m³ the outer end of which is furnished
with a projection herein shown as a screw m* tapped in the end of the said arm so
that it may be adjusted to any desired position, the upper or projecting end of the
said screw being arranged to engage the tail o of a stopping lever O having at its
upper end a finger o' which projects between the teeth of the main driving gear
wheel B' to prevent the said wheel from overthrowing. The arm m³ on the shaft M
is so arranged that the projecting end of the screw m* will not engage the tail of
the stopping lever O until the downward movement of the outer end of a key
lever E is nearly completed so that the finger o' of the said stopping lever or
device will not be moved into the path of rotation of the teeth of the gear wheel B¹
until just as the movement of the key lever is being completed, this movement of
the stopping lever being secured by the proper adjustment of the screw m*.
To prevent the numeral wheel from overthrowing I provide a stopping lever P
which is pivoted upon a bracket p arranged adjacent to the main driving gear
wheel B', the said bracket being provided with pins p' p², and attached thereto is
also a light spring p³ which presses against the said stopping lever in such a manner as
to hold it in position to be engaged by the teeth of that one of the numeral wheels
which is next on the left of the numeral wheel in gear with the main driving gear
wheel B. Thus when the numeral wheel which is being rotated by the main
driving gear wheel is in such position as to cause the numeral wheel next to the
left thereof to be rotated therewith the stopping lever P will be moved from the
position shown in full lines in Fig. 10 to the position shown in dotted lines in said
figure, when the tail thereof will be in contact with the pin pin which positively
stopped position it will remain until the next feeding movement of the carriage,
when as that one of the numeral wheels with which it is engaged moves past it, it
will instantly be returned to its normal position by the spring p³ ready for operation
in connection with the next numeral wheel.

page_text: The carriage F is advanced forward by an arm n attached at its upper end to
said carriage and at its lower end to a shaft N on which is wound a torsional
spring n which normally presses the carriage forward or toward the right, the said
shaft N being provided at the front of the machine, outside of the casing A, with
an arm n having a finger button n³ which may be pressed upon to return the
carriage to its first position when the entire series of numeral wheels have passed
the driving gear wheel B' on the main shaft B.
The carriage F is provided with a casing in the top of which is formed a slot ƒ³
through which the characters on the numeral wheels appear, the said slot being of
such width as to permit only a single row of characters to show through the same.
In the operation of my machine the numeral wheels are first set in such a way
that a row of noughts will appear through the slot f³, this being done by turning
the shaft H backwards by means of the finger wheel h thereby causing the pawls h²
to fall into the groove in the said shaft where the ends of the said pawls will be
engaged by the radial side of the said groove, and when all of the said pawls have
thus fallen into the said groove all of the numeral wheels will turn together with.
the said shaft so as to set the said wheels for the commencement of an adding
operation, the carriage F being thrown back to the left by pressing on the
buttons n³ carried by the arm n³, thus setting the carriage so that the units numeral
wheel G is in engagement with the driving gear wheel B¹. "The horizontal row of
figures to be added is now caused to appear through the exhibiting slot above the
numeral wheels by successively depressing the outer ends of the levers E by
pressing upon the buttons e; that one of the said levers E which has on its button
the numeral or digit corresponding to the units digit in the horizontal row of
figures first being depressed; and the other levers, which have on their buttons the
proper figures or digits being successively depressed in their regular order corre-
sponding to a reading toward the left of the horizontal row of figures. The
operation of each lever E causes a rotative movement to be imparted to the main
shaft B and to the main driving gear wheel B' carried thereby, the latter, owing to
the advancing movements of the carriage F in which the numeral wheels G are
mounted, engaging with a different numeral wheel at each depression of an operating
lever E, and the carriage being fed forward by the operation of the spacing and
escapement mechanism herein before described to the extent of one numeral wheel
at each depression of an operating lever. In thus registering a horizontal row of
figures it will be understood that, commencing with the units numeral wheel G, the
advancing movements of the carriage F will cause the tens numeral wheel G to be
presented to the driving gear wheel B' when a second lever E is depressed, or when
a lever E is depressed a second time, and the hundreds wheel G when a third
lever E is depressed, etc.; so that the digit to be registered or added, whether
representing tens, hundreds, thousands, or any other value, will be registered or
added by operating its corresponding numeral wheel. Thus when the entire series
of figures in a horizontal row have been registered the same will appear through
the exhibiting slot f³ in the casing of the carriage, and the latter will be returned
to the left, by pressing on the button n³, before commencing to add or register each
horizontal row of figures. When other horizontal rows of figures after the first
have been registered in the manner above described the sum of all of the rows thus
registered appears through the exhibiting slot f³.
When a numeral wheel has been rotated so as to have performed an entire
revolution, or a partial revolution corresponding to the entire series of numerals
thereon, it will be connected by the pawl and ratchet mechanism hereinbefore
described with the adjacent numeral wheel next to the left, and will rotate the said
adjacent uumeral wheel to the extent of one tooth. Thus when the figure 9 is
exhibited upon the units numeral wheel, or the numeral wheel farthest to the right,
and the key corresponding to the numeral 3 be next depressed the units numeral
wheel will be rotated to the extent of three numbers causing the figure 2 on the
units numeral wheel to appear through the exhibiting slot, and in making this
movement the units numeral wheel will be connected with the tens numeral wheel

page_text: and cause the latter to be moved to the extent of one tooth, exhibiting the figure 1
thereon through the slot and thus showing the entire number or sum 12 on the
register. The same principle of action occurs with all of the other numeral wheels,
each numeral wheel, when it is rotated to the extent of an entire series of figures,
being connected with its adjacent numeral wheel next to the left to cause the latter
to rotate, and, in some instances, as where a series of nines show upon the register
and another figure is to be added thereto, several numeral wheels will be caused to
rotate, each one by the other, to exhibit the proper total number or sum upon the
register or through the index slot.
If it be desired to add a column of figures vertically my machine may be used
for such operation without any lateral or travelling movement of the carriage, this
being effected simply by loosening the screw m³ which holds the arm m on the rock
shaft M, thereby disconnecting said arm from the escapement so that the latter
will not be operated to permit the carriage to advance. It will therefore be under-
stood that I do not wish to limit my invention to the use of a travelling carriage, as,
for some purposes, the numeral wheels may remain stationary and may be operated
by the key levers, rotating shaft, the main driving gear wheel thereon, and the
system of gears or segments for differentially rotating said shaft from the key
levers, as herein before described.
Having thus fully described the said invention and the manner of its operation I
wish it to be understood that I claim
:-
1st. In an adding machine, the combination with a series of operating levers, the
inner arms of which are of different lengths, and which are provided at their inner
ends with gear segments, of a main rotating shaft provided with a series of gear
wheels or segments of different radial extent and with which the gear segments on
the said levers mesh, a main driving gear wheel carried by said shaft, a travelling
carriage movable laterally relative to said main driving gear wheel, a series of
independently rotating numeral wheels mounted in said carriage, a spring for
advancing or pressing the said carriage forward, and an escapement mechanism
connected with the said operating levers and actuated thereby and serving to
regulate the forward movement of the said carriage by said spring.
2nd. In an arithmometer or adding machine, the combination with a series of
operating levers, a rotating shaft with which said levers are connected so that each.
will impart a different rotative movement thereto, and a main driving gear wheel
carried by said shaft, of a travelling carriage movable laterally relative to said
main driving gear wheel, a series of independently rotating numeral wheels mounted
in said carriage, a spring for advancing or pressing said carriage forward, and an
escapement mechanism connected with the said operating levers and serving to
regulate the forward movement of the said carriage by said spring.
3rd. In an arithmometer or adding machine, the combination with a series of
operating levers, a rotating shaft with which said levers are connected so that
each will impart a different rotative movement thereto, and a main driving gear
wheel carried by said shaft, of a travelling carriage movable laterally relative
to said main driving gear wheel, a series of independently rotating numeral
wheels mounted in said carriage, a spring for advancing or pressing said carriage
forward, an escapement mechanism connected with the said operating levers and
serving to regulate the movement of the said carriage, under the stress of said
spring, and a stopping device for the said main driving gear wheel which serves
to prevent the latter from overthrowing, and which is also actuated from the said
operating levers.
4th. In an adding machine, the combination with a series of operating levers the
inner arms of which are of different lengths and which are provided at their inner
ends with geared segments, of a rotating shaft provided with a series of gears
or geared segments of different radial extent and with which the geared segments
of the said levers mesh, a main driving gear wheel carried by said shaft, a travelling.
carriage movable laterally relative to said main driving gear wheel, a series of

page_text: independently rotating numeral wheels mounted in said carriage, and an automatic
feeding mechanism, controlled by said levers, for advancing the said carriage to the
extent of the distance from one numeral wheel to another whenever any one of the
Baid levers is operated.
5th. In an adding machine, the combination with a series of operating levers
the inner arms of which are of different lengths and which are provided at
their inner ends with geared segments, of a main rotating shaft provided with
a series of gear wheels or segments of different radial extent and with which the
geared segments on the said levers mesh, a main driving gear wheel carried by
said shaft, and a series of numeral wheels any one of which may be arranged
to be rotated by the said driving gear wheel and which are connected together so
that each numeral wheel will advance a numeral wheel contiguous to it to the
extent of one tooth when the numeral wheel in gear with the said driving gear
wheel has been rotated to the extent of a series of numerals thereon.
6th. In an adding machine, the combination with a series of operating levers, of
a rotating shaft with which the said levers are operatively connected, and a main
driving gear wheel carried by said driving shaft, of a travelling carriage movable
laterally relative to the said main driving gear wheel and provided with a
ratchet bar, a series of independently rotating numeral wheels mounted in said
carriage, a spring for advancing said carriage forward, an escapement device
operating in connection with said ratchet bar to control the forward movement
of the said carriage, and an operating frame for the said escapement device
which is actuated by the said operating levers; whereby whenever one of the
said levers is depressed the escapement will be actuated to permit the carriage
to be advanced a distance equal to that from one numeral wheel to another.
7th. In an adding machine, the combination with a series of operating levers, the
inner arms of which are of different lengths and which are provided at their
inner ends with gear segments, of a main rotating shaft provided with a series
of gear wheels or segments of different radial extent, and with which the gear
segments on the levers mesh, a main driving gear wheel carried by said shaft,
a travelling carriage movable laterally relative to said main driving gear wheel,
a series of independently rotating numeral wheels mounted in said carriage, and
each of which is provided with a ratchet wheel rotating therewith, a pawl or
lever rotating with each of said ratchet wheels but which is normally held out
of engagement therefrom by a spring, a stationary cam or projection to engage
each of said pawls or levers when the numeral wheel with which it is rotating
has arrived at a certain point, and to thereby throw the said pawl into engage-
ment with said ratchet wheel against the stress of its spring, and thus rotatively
advance the numeral wheel to which the ratchet wheel, thus engaged by said pawl,
is attached, to the extent of one tooth on the ratchet wheel.
8th. In an adding machine, the combination with a series of operating levers,
the inner arms of which are of different lengths and which are provided at their
inner ends with gear segments, of a main rotating shaft provided with a series of
gear wheels or segments of different radial extent, and with which the gear
segments on the levers mesh, a main driving gear wheel carried by said shaft, a
travelling carriage movable relative to said main driving gear wheel, a series of
independently rotating numeral wheels mounted on said carriage, and each of which
is provided with a ratchet wheel rotating therewith, a pawl or lever rotating with
each of said ratchet wheels but which is normally held out of engagement there-
from by a spring, stationary rings 2 arranged between the said numeral wheels and
provided on their inner faces with cams or projections arranged to engage the
said pawls or levers at times and force them inward into engagement with the said
ratchet wheels against the stress of their springs, to cause the said ratchet wheels
and the numeral wheels connected therewith to be advanced.
9th. In an adding machine, the combination with a series of numeral wheels pro-
vided with rigidly attached ratchet wheels, spring-pressed pawls or levers rotating
with said numeral wheels, stationary rings between the said numeral wheels and

page_text: against the inner sides of which the said levers or pawls are normally held, out of
engagement with their ratchet wheels, and cams or projections on the inner faces
of said rings arranged to engage said pawls or levers at certain times and thereby
press them into contact with their ratchet wheels to cause the latter and the
numeral wheels to which they are attached to be advanced to the extent of a
numeral.
10th. In an adding machine, the combination with a series of operating levers, of
a rotating shaft with which the said levers are connected, so that each will impart
a different rotative movement thereto, a main driving gear wheel carried by said
shaft, a travelling carriage movable laterally relative to said main driving gear
wheel, a series of independently rotating numeral wheels movable with said carriage,
a spring for moving said carriage forward, an escapement mechanism connected
with the said operating levers, and serving to regulate the forward movement of
the said carriage under the stress of said spring, and a stopping device arranged to
engage a numeral wheel next adjacent to that with which the said main driving
gear wheel is in connection, and serving to prevent the said numeral wheel from
overthrowing.
11th. In an adding machine, the combination with a carriage, and a series of
independently rotating numeral wheels mounted therein, a series of operating levers
and intermediate connections for rotating said numeral wheels, a spring for moving
said carriage forward, an escapement mechanism for controlling the forward move-
ment of said carriage under the stress of said spring, a returning shaft provided
with an operating arm or handle, and having also an arm connected with said
carriage; whereby the said arm or handle may be pressed upon to return the
carriage to its starting point against the stress of its advancing spring, when
desired.
12th. In an adding machine, the combination with a series of operating levers,
the inner arms of which are of different lengths and which are provided at their
inner ends with geared segments, of a rotating shaft provided with a main driving
gear wheel and with a series of gears or segments of different radial extent which
are loosely mounted on said shaft, and each of which has, rigid therewith, a wheel
or disk, a series of ratchet wheels connected with said shaft to rotate therewith, a
series of spring-pressed pawls carried by said disks and which are arranged to
engage said ratchet wheels when the disks move forward, but which ride freely
over the same when the disks perform their return movements, and a series of
numeral wheels any one of which may be thrown into engagement with the main
driving gear wheel.
13th. In an adding machine, the combination with a rotating shaft provided
with a main driving gear wheel and mechanism for imparting different rotative
movements to said shaft, of a travelling carriage, a series of independently rotating
numeral wheels mounted in said carriage any one of which may be brought into
engagement with the said main driving gear wheel, and a stopping lever, as P,
mounted on a stationary support and arranged to engage the numeral wheel which
may be next adjacent to that which is in mesh with the said main driving gear
wheel.
Dated this 16th day of May 1902
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