CONSTRUCTION OF AN ADDING OR SUMMING MACHINE
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Marcet, M.D., of 14, Stratton Street, Piccadilly,
"
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of THE CONSTRUCTION OF
AN ADDING OR SUMMING MACHINE.”
Sealed the 19th December 1879, and dated the 10th July 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Marcet at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th July 1879.
WILLIAM MARCET, M.D., of 14, Stratton Street, Piccadilly, in the County of
Middlesex. "THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN ADDING OR SUMMING MACHINE."
This Invention has for its object the construction of an adding or summing
machine.
The principle of the Invention is as follows:-
The motor power is a number of balls forming a column in a vertical tube. The
column may be cut by means of slides between any two balls, while at the same
time a stop supporting the column of balls below the last one of the column is
moved aside, allowing the balls below the slide acted upon to fall on a wheel. The
movement of this wheel is regulated by a form of escapement. The number of balls
passing over the wheel is recorded on a dial.
The balls are returned into their original position by clock work; numbered
keys in connection with the slides allow of any required number of balls being let
down upon the wheel. The movement of the hands on the dials being always in
the same direction the figures corresponding to the keys depressed become added to
each other, and the result is recorded on the dials.
The machine is furnished with ten finger keys, of which one is employed in
setting the machine to zero, and the remainder are numbered consecutively from
one to nine. There is a tube or holder containing nine metal or other balls, and
one of the functions of the numbered finger keys is, when the key is put down to
let fall out of the tube or holder as many of the balls as corresponds to the number
of the key; this the key does by first causing a slide to be inserted through an
opening in the side of the tube or holder in such a position as to sustain some of

page_text: tube beneath.
The balls as they fall pass along a guide passage with an opening in its side,
through which the points of a star wheel enter; and the falling balls striking the
points of the star wheel turn it round, each ball in passing turning the wheel a step
or the distance from one point to the next. The star wheel is turned by the balls
in.opposition to a light spring, and in order to prevent the star wheel overrunning
by the momentum imparted to it, or returning by the action of the spring after the
balls have past, a spring-retaining stop is provided which the balls in passing press
back out of the way immediately before they come into contact with the points of
the star wheel, and immediately afterwards the retaining stop springs back and
locks the star wheel.
The axis of the wheel is in connection with a counting train like that of a gas
meter, which indicates by indices on dials the number of balls which has been
allowed to fall since the machine was last set to zero, an operation which is brought
about by depressing the zero key after a column of figures has been added and the
result recorded. The zero key when depressed withdraws the retaining stop, and
the spring in connection with the star wheel then turns it and the counting train
back to the starting point.
As already mentioned the balls fall into a receiving tube, and it is necessary to
return them in to the holder in order that they may be again ready for use when
the next finger key is put down. For this purpose the receiver is, mounted upon
an arm capable of turning about a centre or axis, and clock work is applied, causing
the arm to move round whenever by the removal of a stop it is permitted to,
do so.
A bell strikes when the clock work spring is entirely run down.
Two receivers are employed which come into use alternately, and a half revolu-
tion of the axis carrying the arms and receivers conveys one receiver from beneath
the holder, where it receives the balls, to the place above the holder, where the balls
are delivered from it back into the holder ready for the next operation. The other
receiver is carried by the same movement from the top of the ball holder into place
to receive the balls when they next fall. The mouth of each receiver is provided
with a spring trap or door which closes when the receiver leaves its place beneath.
the holder, and prevents the balls falling out as the receiver is inverted.
trap or door is again pushed back and opened by coming into contact with the
upper part of the ball holder as the receiver coines into place to deliver the.
balls.
This
The detail arrangement of the mechanism is as follows:--Each of the numbered
finger keys is connected by a rod to one arm of a bell crank lever, and from the
other arm of the lever a rod passes to the slide operated by the key; when the key
is put down this slide is drawn in through the opening in the side of the-holder,
and the slide then supports such of the balls as are above it.
The arrangement is the same in respect to each finger key except that the slide
to which they correspond are arranged higher up or lower down upon the holder,
according to the number of balls which it is the duty of the particular key to drop
and retain.
.
Each of the numbered finger keys also when depressed acts upon an axis which
lies immediately above the keys, transversely and horizontally. By a hook upon
the key an arm on the axis is drawn down, causing the axis partially to rotate,
and when the key is allowed to rise the axis is brought back by a spring.
When the axis is moved by a key a finger or arm upon it acts through a lever
upon the trap at the bottom of the ball holder, and moving it out of the way allows
all the balls to fall except those which have been previously supported by the
insertion of the slide, as already described, tubes being simultaneously opened above
and closed below.

page_text: The same finger on the axis also serves as a stop for retaining the receivers when
the machine is at rest; a stud or projection on the bottom of the lower receiver
then rests against a buffer spring carried upon the finger, but the depression of one
of the numbered finger keys moves the finger out of the way, permitting the
receivers to move, but only for a very short distance, as they are immediately
stopped again by a second finger on the same axis, but in a different plane. By
this second finger the lower receiver is held in position to receive the balls until
the finger key is permitted. to rise, when the receivers are released and the axis
carrying them makes the half revolution necessary to return the bails to the holder.
As a check upon the machine and to enable the operator to see that it is working
properly an indicator is provided; it consists of a toothed arc carrying an index.
Either of the numbered keys when depressed causes the arc to fall into gear with a
pinion upon the star wheel, hence the indicator is moved when the wheel turns and
the index is brought to a number corresponding to that of the balls dropt, which
again corresponds to the number of the finger key. When the key is released the
indicator is lifted out of gear and a counter weight takes it back to its zero point.
A projection on one of the fingers on the horizontal axis already referred to serves
to put the indicator out of gear, and when this finger is moved, as already described,
the indicator at once drops into gear. .

page_text: UT
the said William Marcet in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th January
-1880.
Middlesex.
"
WILLIAM_MARCET, M.D., of 14, Stratton Street, Piccadilly, in the County of
THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN ADDING OR SUMMING MACHINE."
This Invention has for its object the construction of an adding or summing
machine.
The principle of the Invention is as follows:-
The motor power is a number of balls forming a column in a vertical tube. The
column may be cut by means of slides between any two balls, while at the same
time a stop supporting the column of balls below the last one of the column is
moved aside, allowing the balls below the slide acted upon to fall on a wheel. The
movement of this wheel is regulated by a form of escapement. The number of balls
passing over the wheel is recorded on a dial. The balls are returned into their
original positions by clockwork.
Numbered keys in connection with the slides allow of any required number of
balls being let down upon the wheel. The movement of the hands on the dials being
always in the same direction, the figures corresponding to the keys depressed become
added to each other, and the result is recorded on the dials.
The machine is shown by Drawings hereunto annexed, in which Figure 1 is a
front elevation; Figure 2 is a plan; Figure 3 is an end elevation; Figure 4 is a
back sectional elevation on the line C, D, in the plan, and with some of the parts
removed; Figure 5 is a transverse section on the line A, B, in Figure 4; and the
Figures 6 represent an elevation, a vertical section, and an horizontal section of a
portion of the machine.
The machine is furnished with ten finger keys a, a; they are marked boldly with
numerals, as is seen in the plan. Of these keys one is employed in setting the
machine to zero, and the remainder are numbered consecutively from one to nine.
There is a tube or holder b containing nine metal or other balls, and one of the
functions of the numbered finger keys is when the key is put down to let fall out
of the tube or holder b as many of the balls as corresponds to the number of the
key. This the key does by first causing a slide c to be inserted through an opening
in the side of the tube or holder b in such a position as to sustain some of the balls,
and then causing a trap d at the bottom of the tube or holder to be opened, thereby
permitting the balls which are beneath the slide to fall out into a receiving tube
beneath.
-The-balls-as-they-fall-pass.along a guide passage e, with an opening in its side
through which the points of a star wheel fenter, and the falling balls striking the
points of the star wheel turn it round, each ball in passing turning the wheel a step,
or the distance from one point to the next. The star wheel fis turned by the balls
in opposition to a light spring, and in order to prevent the star wheel overrunning
by the momentum imparted to it, or returning by the action of the spring after the
balls have past, a spring-retaining stop g is provided, which the balls in passing
press back out of the way immediately before they come into contact with the
points of the star wheel, and immediately afterwards the retaining stop springs back
and locks the star wheel.
The axis of the wheelf is in connection with a counting train like that of a gas
meter, which indicates by indices on dials h, h¹, the number of balls which has been
allowed to fall since the machine was last set to zero, an operation which is brought
about by depressing the zero key after a column of figures has been added and the
result recorded. The zero key when depressed withdraws the retaining stop g by
means of the connecting rods and levers, clearly seen in Figure 4, and the spring in

page_text: connection with the star wheel then turns it and the counting train back to the
starting point.
In Figure 1 the dials indicate the sum 846, being the number of balls which has
been permitted to fall since the machine was set.
As already mentioned, the balls fall into a receiving tube i, and it is necessary to
return them in to the holder b in order that they may be again ready for use when
the next finger key is put down. For this purpose the receiver i is mounted upon
an arm capable of turning about a centre or axis ¹, and clock work j is applied,
causing the arm to move round whenever by the removal of a stop it is permitted
to do so. A bell strikes when the clock work spring is entirely run down. Two
receivers i, i, are employed, which come into use alternately, and a half revolution
of the axis ¹, carrying the arins and receivers, conveys one receiver from beneath
the holder, where it receives the balls, to the place above the holder b, where the
balls are delivered from it back into the holder ready for the next operation. The
other receiver is carried by the same movement from the top of the ball holder
into place to receive the balls when they next fall. The mouth of each receiver
is provided with a spring trap or door 2, which. closes when the receiver leaves
its place beneath the holder, and prevents the balls falling out as the receiver is
inverted. This trap or door is again pushed back and opened by coming into contact
with the upper part of the ball holder b as the receiver i comes into place to deliver
the balls.
The detail arrangement of the mechanism is as follows:-Each of the numbered
finger keys is connected by a rod a¹ to one arm of a bell crank lever l, and from the
other arm of the lever a rod n passes to the slide c, operated by the key. When the
key is put down, this slide is drawn in through the opening in the side of the holder,
and the slide then supports such of the balls as are above it.
The arrangement is the same in respect to each finger key, except that the slides
to which they correspond are arranged higher up or lower down upon the holder,
according to the number of balls which it is the duty of the particular key to drop
and retain. The key marked with the numeral 9 however does not operate a slide,
as when this key is depressed none of the balls have to be kept back.
Each of the numbered finger keys also when depressed acts upon an axis o,
which lies immediately above the keys, transversely and horizontally. By a hook
upon the key an arm o¹ on the axis is drawn down, causing the axis partially
to rotate, and when the key is allowed to rise, the sxis is brought back by a
spring p.
When the axis is moved by a key a finger or arm upon it acts through levers q, q,
upon the trap d at the bottom of the ball holder b, and moving it out of the way
allows all the balls to fall except those which have been previously supported by the
insertion of the slide, as already described.
The same finger on the axis also serves as a stop for retaining the receivers i
when the machine is at rest. A stud or projection * on the bottom of the lower
receiver then rests against a buffer spring o*, carried upon the finger, but the
depression of one of the numbered fingered keys moves the finger out of the way,
permitting the receivers i to move, but only for a very short distance, as they are
immediately stopped again by a second finger ox, o*, on the same axis but in a
different plane. By this second finger the lower receiver is held in position to
receive the balls until the finger key is permitted to rise, when the receivers are
released, and the axis carrying them makes the half revolution necessary to return
the balls to the holder b. As a check upon the machine, and to enable the operator
to see that it is working properly, an indicator is provided; it consists of a toothed arc
carrying an index r. Either of the numbered keys when depressed, by rotating the
axis o and allowing the link s to descend, causes the arc to fall into gear with a
pinion upon the star wheel f, hence the indicator is moved when the wheel turns,
and the index is brought to a number corresponding to that of the balls dropt,
which again corresponds to the number of the finger key. When the key is released

page_text: the indicator is lifted out of gear, and a counter-weight takes it back to its zero
_point. A projection on one of the fingers on the horizontal axis already referred to
serves to put the indicator out of gear, and-when-this-finger-is_moved, as already_
described, the indicator at once drops into gear.
Between each of the keys a, a fixed partition of metal is interposed, so that the
person using the machine cannot accidentally press two adjacent keys together.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same, I-would have it understood that I claim,-
First. The combination forming an adding machine, and consisting of a wheel
and counting train operating in conjunction with balls or like bodies and finger
keys, the wheel being rotated by the movement past it of the balls, as these are
liberated in due number by the finger keys.
Second. The construction of an adding machine, substantially as herein described,
and as illustrated by the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Marcet, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventh day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.
WILLIAM MARCET.
(L.S.)