IMPROVEMENTS IN CALCULATING OR ADDING UP APPARATUSES
Year: 1884

page_text: I JOHN JAMES RAGGETT of 271 Park Road, Aston, Birmingham, in the county of
Warwick Architect and Surveyor, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN CALCULATING OR ADDING UP APPARATUSES to be as follows:-
This Invention comprises Improvements in Calculating or adding up Apparatuses,
its object being to rapidly and accurately add up columns of figures by means of
pressing keys.
Its advantages over those already in use are that it is more easily manipulated,
much simpler, more reliable, and not likely to get out of order.
It consists of a wheel supported on, suitable bearings having preferably 100 teeth
working as ratchet teeth this wheel has also 100 divisions corresponding with the
teeth and numbered from 1 to 100 these numbers form the index plate a suitable
fixed point or hole being placed in conjunction therewith and acting as an index.
Or instead of the ratchet wheel and index wheel being in one, the index wheel
may be fixed loosely on the arbor of the ratchet wheel and made to work
independently of it to enable the index wheel to be brought back, so that the
cypher 0 is opposite the index without disconnecting the clicks at the commencement
of each columns of figures.
Or instead of a revolving index wheel there may be a fixed index plate and
the index may be made to move in a similar inanner to the hand of a clock.
The ratchet wheel is operated on by two rods, one a working rod, and the other
a stopping rod, (called position rods) in combination with levers, called guiding
plates (upon which the keys are attached) as follows.
The position rods upon which the guiding plates work; are arranged so that by
working on them the wheel is turned and stopped. They are placed parallel with
the spindle or fulcrum of the ratchet wheel, and are attached to suitable cross pieces
or bearings so as to allow them to oscillate or work up and down, as they are pressed
by the guiding plates, a suitable spring bringing them to their normal position
again so that they rest against a suitable back stop.
The working position rod may be placed to oscillate on the same spindle as the
ratchet wheel, (but so that it may work independently of it, for the backward
movement) and has fixed upon its cross pieces or bearers, a click or pawl which
works the ratchet wheel. The stopping rod, works independently altogether of
working rod, and is arranged so that when the guiding plate comes into contact
there with it causes a stop pin or point to fit in between the teeth of the ratchet

page_text: wheel which stops it. By releasing the key the rods are returned to their normal
position by a suitable spring a stop pawl or click being fixed on the framework to
prevent the ratchet wheel moving backwards.
Or the working and stopping rod may both be placed on the same cross pieces or
frame, and made to work up and down on the same spindle as the ratchet wheel
one rod being placed on each side of the spindle.
Or the working position rod may be attached to its cross bearings having the
fulcrum on the same spindle as the guiding plates, with the keys at the opposite end,
in this case one of the cross bars would pass under the index wheel having two clicks
or pawls, one working on each side the ratchet wheel, also having a stop point or pin
fitting between the teeth of the ratchet wheel, exactly under the centre of the
wheel. According to this arrangement the wheel would be turned as the working
position rod is working both down and up, one pawl working the wheel as it is
being moved down and the other as it is returning to its normal position when the
stop point or pin fixes between two of the teeth of the ratchet wheel and holds it
firmly in position. According to this arrangement there may be a counter or stop
lever to each guiding plate to stop the position rod, from being jerked by the
sudden stoppage.
Or instead of there being position rods the arm upon which the click or pawl
is fixed may extend so that the levers or guiding plates may work upon it for
turning the ratchet wheel.
The guiding, plates upon which are attached the keys consist preferably of
9 arranged side by side on a suitable spindle, the opposite end of the spindle
being the end which works the ratchet wheel, and is provided with a working
and a stopping surface...
The working surface is the lower surface and first comes into contact with the
working position rod, which turns the wheel round, until the stopping surface
comes into contact with the stopping position rod and causes the notch to fit
firmly between the teeth of the ratchet wheel, and so holds it firmly in position
until the key is released.
Each of these guiding plates are of a different shape, at their working end the
stopping surface being higher than the working surface in proportion to the
distance the wheel is required to be turned.. →
The hundreds are indicated by a small pinion wheel fixed on the ratchet wheel
spindle and working in gear, with a large tooth wheel, having a hand fixed loosely,
like a clock hand, on the spindle of the large wheel for indicating the hundreds,
which may be pushed backwards or forwards just in a similar manner to moving a
clock hand, for the purpose of bringing back to zero at the commencement of
adding up a column of figures.
Or instead of this an index wheel may be used.
Or a cord may be wound round the spindle of the ratchet wheel, the number of
revolutions being the hundreds.
The method of manipulation is as follows.
After placing the index plates or hands at zero, press the keys in the order as
they appear in the column of figures to be added up, when the column is completed
the sum total is that recorded on the index plate.

page_text: I JOHN JAMES RAGGETT of 271 Park Road, Aston near Birmingham in the
County of Warwick Architect & Surveyor do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN CALCULATING OR ADDING UP APPARATUSES and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My Invention comprises Improvements in Calculating or Adding up Apparatuses
its object being to rapidly and accurately add up columns of figures by means of
pressing keys.
Its advantages over those already in use are that it is more easily manipulated
much simpler more reliable and not likely to get out of order.
In the accompanying drawings Fig 1 is a side elevation Fig 2 a plan Fig 3 a
section of a modified form Fig 4 Drawing shewing ribbon used to indicate the
hundreds.
-
It consists of a wheel A supported on suitable bearings B having preferably
100 teeth working as ratchet teeth, this wheel has also 100 divisions corresponding
with the teeth and numbered from 1 to 100 these numbers form the index plate C,
a suitable fixed point or hole D being placed in conjunction therewith and acting
as an index.
Or instead of the ratchet wheel and index wheel being in one the index wheel
may be fixed, loosely on the arbor of the ratchet wheel and made to work
independently of it to enable the index wheel to be brought back (so that the
cyplier 0 is opposite the index) without disconnecting the clicks at the commence-
ment of each column of figures.
Or instead of a revolving index wheel there may be a fixed index plate and
the index may be made to move in a similar manner to the hand of a clock.
The ratchet wheel is operated on by two rods one a working rod E and the other
a stopping rod F (called position rods) in combination with levers G called guiding
plates (upon which the keys H are attached) as follows."
The position rods upon which the guiding plates work are arranged so that
by working, on them the wheel is turned and stopped. They are placed parallel
with the spindle I of the ratchet wheel and are attached to suitable cross pieces or
bearers J so as to allow them to oscillate or work up and down as they are pressed
by the guiding plates, a suitable spring K bringing them to their normal position
again so that they rest against a suitable back stop L..
The working position rod may be placed to oscillate on the same spindle as the
ratchet wheel but so that it will work independently of it for the backward
movement of the rod, and has fixed upon its cross pieces or bearers a click or
pawl M which works the ratchet wheel The stopping rod F works independently
altogether of the working rod and is arranged so that when the guiding plate G
comes into contact therewith it causes a stop pin or point N to fit in between the
teeth of the ratchet wheel which stops it By releasing the key the rods are
returned to their normal position by a suitable spring O a stop pawl or click being
fixed on the framework to prevent the ratchet wheel moving backwards.
Or the working and stopping rod may both be placed on the same cross pieces
or frame and made to work up and down on the same spindle as the ratchet wheel
one rod being placed on each side of the spindle.
Or the working position rod may be attached to its cross bearers having the
fulcrum on the same spindle as the guiding plates with the keys at the opposite
end as shewn in Fig 3 in this case one of the cross bearers would pass under the

page_text: ratchet wheel A having two clicks or pawls one working on each side the ratchet
wheel (to reduce the movement of the key also having a stop point or pin fitting
between the teeth of the ratchet wheel under the centre of the wheel. According
to this arrangement the wheel would be turned as the working position rod is
working both down and up one pawl working the wheel as it is being moved
down, and the other as it is returning to its normal position when the stop point or
pin fixes between two of the teeth of the ratchet wheel and holds it firmly in
position. According to this arrangement there may be a counter or stop lever P
to each guiding plate to stop the position rod from being jerked by the sudden
stoppage. The guiding plate having a projection Q of the required.length to give
the proper movement.
The guiding plates upon which are attached the keys consist preferably of 9
arranged side by side on a suitable spindle R the opposite end to the said spindle
being the end which works the ratchet wheel and is provided with working
surface S and a stopping surface T.
The working surface first comes in contact with the working position rod which
turns the wheel round until the stopping surface comes into contact with the
stopping position rod and causes the notch N to fit firmly between the teeth of the
ratchet wheel and so holds it firmly in position until the key is released.
Each of the guiding plates are of a different shape at their working end the
stopping surface being at a different level to the working surface in proportion to
the distance the wheel is required to be turned.
The hundreds are indicated by one of the following devices, a small pinion wheel
is fixed on the ratchet wheel spindle I working in gear with a large tooth wheel,
having a hand fixed loosely like a clock hand on the spindle of the large tooth
wheel which may be pushed back without disconnecting the gearing for bringing
back to zero or instead of this an index wheel U may be used.
Or a cord may be wound round a piece of tubing on the ratchet wheel as shewn'
at Fig 4.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. A ratchet wheel revolving on a horizontal spindle, in combination with a
working frame operated on by key levers as substantially set forth.
2. A Ratchet wheel in combination with a working frame & stopping frame as
substantially set forth.
3. The working frame having its fulcrum other than on the fulcrum of the
driving wheel thereby enabling it to act as a break when in its normal position, also
enabling it to work two pawls or clicks, thereby reducing the movement of
the keys.
4. The stopping frame carrying a stop pin or point for instantaneously stopping
the mechanism.
5. A. Calculating apparatus consisting of the parts arranged and combined as
herein-before specified and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 28th day of November 1884.
"
JOHN JAMES RAGGETT.