Apparatus for Indicating the Attendance of Workpeople and the Wages Due to them.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left. 14th Mar., 1891-Accepted, 5th Sept., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Indicating the Attendance of Workpeople and the
Wages Due to them.
I JOÃO LOPES FERREIRA PINTO of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, South America,
Surveyor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus which I call "The Algoano Automatic
Indicator" intended for use in public or private works and designed to indicate for
monthly, fortnightly, weekly, or longer or shorter periods the total working days of
each workman, and also the amount of wages due to each workman in respect of
such working days.
Apparatus according to my invention comprises the following parts, which may
conveniently be of the materials indicated viz.
An indicating plate, Fig. 1, (sheet of metal);
A registering plate Fig. 2 to be used by the workman (brass or wrought iron);
An internal support with a series of bearing points for levers, Fig. 3, (wood);
A tape, (Fig. 4), having certain numbers printed thereon and divided graphically
into equal parts as hereinafter described; such tape may be composed of paper
backed with cloth or of waxed cloth;
A washer, (Fig. 5), for the wheels hereinafter described, (wood);
A key, (Fig. 6), for the cylinder (iron);
An external support (Fig. 7) having a series of bearing points for levers, and
formed in one piece with the seat of the tappets (wood);
A transmitter of movement (Fig. 8) provided with a movable tongue (brass);
An orifice for the key of the cylinder and constituting the angular limit of its
movement (Fig. 9);
A counterweight of an internal lever, Fig. 10 (lead);
A small transmitter of motion, Fig. 11 (metal or wood);
A controlling cylinder Fig. 12, (wood or metal);
An external intermediate lever Fig. 13, (wood);
A groove of the transmitter with movable tongue Fig. 14 (iron or brass);
An internal intermediate lever Fig. 15 (wood);
A door Fig. 16 (wood);
A wheel with lateral teeth Fig. 17 formed of a plate of wood, and with metal
pins attached thereto.
Fig. 18 is a transverse vertical section illustrating the arrangement for actuating
the automatic indicating apparatus.
The arrangement illustrated is designed for five workmen and indicates up
to 31 working days in one month aud the respective wages.
The apparatus may be constructed of various sizes according as it is designed to
indicate for longer or shorter periods, such as weeks, fortnights, &c.
The operation is always the same, the bases of alteration of the dimensions
depending solely on the diameter of the wheel (Fig. 17) with laterel teeth above
referred to, as this diameter determines the extent of the circumference which must
always be equal to the length of the numbered tape, (Fig. 4). In the annexed
drawing the wheel (Fig. 17) has on its side 32 teeth in the form of pins with flat
heads (pp &c.) and a recess V into which enter the ends xx¹ of the tape
(Fig. 4) in such a manner as to fit accurately therein.
111
This tape is divided graphically into 32 equal parts (or a greater number
according to the cases explained hereinafter), and in the rectangles thus produced,
there are printed from bottom to top the multiples of unity and also of any desired
daily wage, in such a manner as to be read for example thus:-600, 120, 1800, &C.

page_text: Advantageously the numbers representing the working days are marked in a
different color to those indicating the amounts of wages, which latter may
conveniently be black.
The wheels rotate about a common shaft which has its bearings at its two ends
on the casing of the apparatus; they are separated one from another by washers
(Fig. 5) which render the movement of the wheels perfectly independent.
Movement is imparted to these wheels in the following manner :-
The internal support (Fig. 3) is fixed to the casing of the apparatus, and the
internal lever (Fig. 15) rests upon the same in a block or bearing jointed on a pin n
engaged in the bearing points n¹ n" &c.
To this lever is attached the counter-weight (Fig. 10) whose head e enters in a
slot e¹ of the lever. At the same time there engages in a cavity g¹ of the lever one
end g of the transmitter (Fig. 11) the other end of which fits in a cavity f¹ of the
external lever (Fig. 13).
This external lever constitutes a tappet and rests on an external support Fig. 7,
in a manner identical to that of the internal lever, a pin i of the external lever
engaging with bearing points i ¹ &c. of the external support.
This external support is chamfered internally as shewn at s in such a manner as
to allow the external lever to readily assume an inclined position. Externally to
the said external support and formed in one with the same, there is provided a seat
for the tappets or keyboard formed by a series of analogous levers, which rest
upon the said seat when they are retained by the registering plate of the workman
(Fig. 2).
This plate is adapted to fit at one side (b) in a cavity (61) of the external lever
(Fig. 13) which forms the tappet, and at its side a in a cavity a¹ of the seat of the
tappets (Fig. 7); in such a manner that when the registering plate is in its place,
the external and internal levers are retained, each one in its plane, in a horizontal
position.
The operation is as follows:-The workman on arriving, pulls the plate which
belongs to him, and which has his number marked on its face; the two levers are
thereupon by the action of their own weight, caused to assume an oblique position,
thus producing an angular movement. This movement gives an impulse to the
wheel through the medium of the transmitter 8 which is provided with a movable
tongue and is jointed at O¹ to lever 15.
In this lever the arrangement of the points of support, of resistance and of power,
are such that in withdrawing the plate from the apparatus, the angular movement
of the point O is effected from bottom to top, in such a manner that the transmitter
rises with the tongue, the projection p on which carries with it a lateral tooth of
the wheel, thus causing to advance a stage, that is to say, sufficient to cause a
fresh rectangle of the tape to be shewn.
When, on leaving his work, the workman replaces his plate in the apparatus, the
movement is the reverse of the preceding, the transmitter descends without acting
on the wheel, the tongue falls in such a manner that the projection p comes into
engagement with a tooth directly beneath of the wheel, and when the workman
takes his plate out again, movement will take place to the extent of one tooth, and
the next following tooth will be engaged.
The transmitter with the tongue occupies a position slightly inclined to the plane
of the apparatus, and it is retained in such position in two guides fixed on the side
of the casing in such a manner that each of the points t and t¹ of the transmitter
passes through a rectangular opening u (Fig. 14) in the two guides.
In order that the wheel shall only move one stage each day, and to prevent fraud,
there is situated at the upper and rear part of the apparatus, nearly in the plane
constituted by the transmitters a controlling cylinder (Fig. 12) provided with
rectilinear tappets equal in number to the angular tappets 9 also provided
thereon and corresponding in twos to a pin wheel.
The combination of the alternate movements of these tappets, when the cylinder
rotates, arrests or allows of the passage of the lateral teeth of the wheel, but the

page_text: cylinder, recessed in the sides of the casing, does not perform a complete revolution.
There is then, external to the apparatus an orifice d (Fig. 9), terminating in a base
of the cylinder which is provided at that place with a cavity c¹ (Fig. 12) into
which can enter a triangular prism c of a key Fig. 6 by means of which the
parallipipedons m and m (Fig. 9) can be made to describe a limited arc, by merely
imparting to them an alternate to and fro movement. Only the person in
possession of the key, can effect this movement.
In the front of the apparatus there is a door (Fig. 16) adapted to open on hinges
y and y', and in which there is a large rectangular aperture Z chamfered on its four
sides, and behind which is situated the indicating plate (Fig. 1).
This door, the only one of the apparatus, serves for the substitution of the tapes
when there are alterations to be made in the rate of the wages; it completes, with
the external support (Fig. 7) the entire front face of the apparatus, and bears at its
upper part S the name of the workshop for which it is designed, and at its lower
part the indication of the classes and number of the workmen, with a small hook on
each number to enable a memorandum or a metal plate for instance with the word
❝ vacant to be suspended therefrom.
י,
At the end of each month, fortnight or week, the indicating plate can be reset at
zero, in order to recommence the indications of the following day; this is effected
by moving the wheels by hand, after having previously placed the key of the
cylinder midway between the two limits of its travel; this is done by means of a
small hook B (Fig. 9).
If it should be desired to indicate fractional parts of working days, with the
corresponding wages, the number of the teeth of the pin wheel must be increased,
and the tape must be graduated to correspond.
For indicating days and half days, the movement of the key for effecting the
disengagement once or twice a day, can be performed by hand, but when it is
desired to indicate fractional parts of a day smaller than half a day, it is
advantageous to apply to the cylinder a small clock movement for causing it to
move automatically.
Dated this 16th day of Sentember 1890
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Indicating the Attendance of Workpeople and the
Wages Due to them.
I, JOÃO LOPES FERREIRA PINTO, of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, South America,
Surveyor, do hereby declare the nature of this 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 apparatus which I call "The Algoano Automatic
Indicator" intended for use in public or private works to indicate for monthly,
fortnightly, weekly, or longer or shorter periods, the total number of working
days during which each workman has been at work, and also the amount of wages
due to each workman in respect of such working days.
Apparatus according to my invention is illustrated in the drawings filed with
my Provisional Specification. This apparatus comprises the following parts, which
may conveniently be of the materials indicated viz. —
A plate 1 (Fig. 1) of sheet metal, provided with sight holes corresponding in
number to the number of pin wheels employed and which are hereinafter referred
A registering plate 2 (Fig. 2) of brass or wrought iron, for each workman.
An internal support (Fig. 3) of wood provided with a series of bearings n¹n" etc.
for certain levers hereinafter referred to. A tape a a¹ (Fig. 4) having certain
to.

page_text: numbers printed thereon and divided graphically into equal parts as hereinafter
described; this tape may be composed of paper backed with cloth, or of waxed
cloth. Washers 5 of wood one of which is shewn in Fig. 5. A key c Fig. 6 of
iron for operating a cylinder hereinafter referred to. An outer wooden support
(Fig. 7) having a series of bearings n', n", etc. for levers, and formed in one piece
with a seat for levers or tappets hereinafter referred to. A movable rod t t
(Fig. 8) provided with a jointed pawl or tongue p of brass. A counterweight 10
(Fig. 10) of lead for each internal lever. A link 11 (Fig. 11) of metal or wood.
A controlling cylinder (Fig. 12) of wood or metal. An external lever 13 (Fig. 13)
of wood. Guides 14 (Fig. 14) of iron or brass for the rod t t'. An internal
lever 15 (Fig. 15) of wood. A door 16 (Fig. 16) of wood. And a wheel 17
(Fig. 17) of wood with lateral teeth or metal pins p₁ p p &c. attached
thereto.
Fig. 9 illustrates an orifice d in the case of the apparatus, corresponding to one
extremity of the cylinder hereinafter referred to, with the angular limit m, m',
of the movement that can be given to the key (Fig. 6), of which the part c enters
the said orifice for operating the cylinder. The limits m and m¹ are two stops in
the form of parallelipedons, of wood or metal, fixed on the case of the apparatus,
from the outside; their object being to limit the movement of the crank or
handle of the key to the angle m d m'. The size of this angle may be varied
more or less according to the dimensions of the apparatus.
Fig. 18 is a transverse vertical section, illustrating the relative arrangement of
the foregoing parts to form the automatic indicating apparatus. It is to be
understood that the number of registering plates 2, rods 8, levers 13 and 15 with
connecting links 11, counterweight 10, pin wheels 17, with tapes al and washers 5
for use between the pin wheels, will vary with the number of workpeople for the
use of which the apparatus is designed.
The arrangement illustrated, is designed for the use of five workmen, and to
indicate up to 31 working days, and the respective wages therefor.
The apparatus may as previously stated be constructed of various sizes according
as it is designed to indicate for longer or shorter periods.
p
The operation is however always the same, the basis of alteration of the
dimensions depending solely on the diameter of the wheel 17 (Figs. 17 and 18)
which determines the extent of the circumference, which must always be equal to
the length of the numbered tape, (Fig. 4). The wheel 17 is provided at one side
in the example shown, with 32 teeth in the form of pins having flat heads (p', p",
&c.) and is formed with a recess in its periphery into which the ends of
the tape (Fig. 4) enter in such a manner as to fit accurately therein. This tape
is divided graphically into 32 equal parts (or a greater number according to the
cases explained hereinafter), and in the rectangles thus produced, there are
printed from bottom to top the multiples of unity and also of any desired daily
wage, in such a manner as to be read, for example, thus:00, 12, 1800 &c.
The numbers representing the working days may advantageously be marked in a
different color to those indicating the amounts of wages, which latter may con-
veniently be black.
The wheels 17 rotate about a common shaft supported at its ends, in the casing
of the apparatus; they are separated one from another by the washers 5 (Figs. 5
and 18) so that each wheel can move independently of the others.
imparted to each of these wheels 17 in the following manner :-
Movement is
The internal support (Fig. 3) is fixed to the casing of the apparatus. Each of
the internal levers 15 (Fig. 15) is supported within a recess in the said support,
being journalled upon a pin n carried by the bearings n' n" &c. The lever carries
a counterweight 10 (Figs. 10 and 18) whose head e enters a slot e' in the under-
side of the lever. To the recessed forward end of the lever is jointed one
end g of one of the links 11 (Figs. 11 and 18) the other end of which is jointed
to the recessed end f₁ of one of the levers 13 (Fig. 13). This lever 13, which

page_text: constitutes a tappet, is hinged or pivoted to the outer support 7, Figs. 7 and 18,
by a pin i carried by the bearings i, . The support 7 is chamfered internally as
shewn at s in such a manner as to allow the lever 13 to readily assume an inclined
position. External to it and formed in one therewith is a seat for the tappets or
keyboard formed by the projecting ends of the series of levers 13 which rest upon
the said seat when they are retained by the registering plates 2 (Figs. 2 and 18)
of the workmen.
Each plate 2 is adapted to fit at one side a recessed part 1 of the lever 13
(Fig. 13) and at its other side a to fit a recessed part a', at the underside of the
seat of the tappets (Fig. 7) so that when the registering plate is in place as shown
in Fig. 18, the external and internal levers 13, 15 are each held in a horizontal
position.
The operation is as follows: -The workman on arrival, removes his plate 2,
which has his number marked on its face, from off the lever 13 and rest; the two
levers 13, 15, are thereupon by the action of their weight, caused to assume an
oblique position, thus producing an angular movement. This movement gives an
impulse to the wheel through the medium of the pawl p and the rod 8 which is
jointed at its lower end o¹ to lever 15. This lever is so arranged that when the
plate 2 is withdrawn from the apparatus, the angular movement of the point o
takes place in an upward direction so that the rod 8 rises with the pawl which
carries with it a lateral tooth of the wheel 17, thus causing the said wheel to
advance a stage, that is to say, sufficient to cause a fresh rectangle of the tape to
appear at the sight hole in the plate 1.
When, on leaving work, the workman replaces his plate 2 on the apparatus, the
movement will take place in the reverse direction, the rod t t and pawl p then
descending without acting on the wheel, and the pawl falling into engagement with
the next tooth below, so that when the workman again removes his plate,
movement of the wheel 17 will again take place to the extent of one tooth, as
before.
The rod t t with the pawl occupies a position slightly inclined to the plane
of the apparatus, and it is retained in such position by two guides 14, 14 fixed on
the inside of the casing and each formed with a rectangular opening u (Fig. 14)
through which the rod t t passes.
In order that the wheel 17 shall only be moved one stage each day, and to
prevent fraud, there is situated at the upper and rear part of the apparatus, a
controlling cylinder 12 (Figs. 12 and 18) provided with a number of straight or
rectilinear tappets and a corresponding number of cranked or angular tappets q
there being a pair of these tappets for each pin wheel 17.
The combination of the alternate movement of these tappets, arrests, or allows
to pass, the lateral teeth of the wheel, but the cylinder, which turns on its ends
located in the case of the apparatus, in a horizontal position, does not describe a
complete rotation, it has so to speak a simple to-and-fro movement as hereinafter
stated.
As above stated one of the ends of the cylinder (Fig. 12) corresponds to the
orifice d (Fig. 9). On introducing the key (Fig. 6) into the orifice d, the part cl
of the key which has the shape of a triangular prism, engages in the triangular
cavity of the cylinder 12, and the. part c (Fig. 6) which is cylindrical fits in the
orifice d (Fig. 9).
The key when being placed in the orifice, bears against the stop m'. When
it is turned up to the stop m, the cylinder is rotated partially and the tappet
fixed on this cylinder will rise gradually (Fig. 18), and the tappet r also fixed
on the cylinder, will follow the same direction, until a little before the arrival
of the handle at the stop m, the tappet 9 will leave the lateral pin or tooth
of the wheel 17, and the tappet will arrive at the tooth pl. Continuing to
move, the handle el arrives at m, the tappet will have caused the tooth p¹ to
advance to an extent so slight as not to alter the indication on the dial 1
(Fig. 18), but which is sufficient to place the tooth p beyond the tappet y
111

page_text: when the cylinder is returned to its original position by bringing back the key
from m to m¹.
When a fresh indication is made by manipulating the cap 2 (Fig. 18), the
tooth will be engaged by the tappet g and so on in succession. By this con-
struction it will be seen that it is impossible for the workman to obtain by fraud
two indications instead of one, as only the person in possession of the key can effect
this the movement of the cylinder.
The small hook B is formed of a strip of iron held by means of a screw at one
end to the stop, in such a manner as to be movable about this screw so that it
can be turned into or out of the space between the stops m, m', as desired. In the
drawing Fig. 9 the hook 13 is shewn between the said stops, so that the handle of
the key meeting the said hook, cannot be moved to the stop m¹. It will thus
remain between m' and m, thereby preventing the tappets q, r, from engaging with
the lateral teeth of the wheel, so that the wheels can be freely moved or adjusted
by hand until the zeros of the ribbons or bands appear on the respective dial.
In the front of the apparatus there is a door 16, (Fig. 16) adapted to open on
hinges y and y¹, and in which there is a large rectangular aperture chamfered
on its four sides, and behind which is situated the perforated plate (Fig. 1). By
opening this door the tapes can be removed from the wheels and replaced by others
when alterations in the rate of wages are to be made. This door completes, with the
outer support 7 (Figs. 7 and 18), the front face of the apparatus, and may bear at
its upper part S the name of the workshop for which it is designed, and at its
lower part the indication of the classes and number of the workmen, and it may be
provided with a small hook to each number to enable a memorandum or a metal
plate for instance with the word "vacant" to be suspended therefrom when
necessary. At the end of each month, fortnight, or week, as the case may be the
pin wheels with the tapes can be reset at zero, in readiness to recommence the
indications for the following day; this is effected by moving the wheels by hand,
after having previously placed the key of the cylinder midway between the two
limits of its travel; this is done by means of a small hook B (Fig. 9).
If it should be desired to indicate fractional parts of working days, with the
corresponding wages, the number of teeth or pins on the wheel 17 must be increased,
and the tape must be graduated to correspond.
For indicating days and half days, the movement of the key for effecting the
disengagement once or twice a day, can be performed by hand, but when it is
desired to indicate fractional parts of a day smaller than half a day, it is advan-
tageous to apply to the cylinder a small clock movement for causing it to move
automatically.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An apparatus for indicating the attendance of work people and the wages
due to them, comprising a wheel carrying at its periphery a tape marked with
numbers representing multiples of days and of wages and lever mechanism adapted
to partly rotate the said wheel to a determined extent when released by a workman,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In apparatus of the kind referred to in the preceding claim, the use of a
registering plate such as 2, adapted to engage with and hold a movable tappet
connected with the lever mechanism in such a position that when it is removed, at
the proper time from the tappet, it will allow the tappet and connected lever
mechanism to move and partly rotate the wheel with recording tape to the
required extent, substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. In apparatus of the kind referred to in Claim 1, providing the wheel carrying
the recording tape with pins the number of which is dependent upon the number of
days or portions of days for which the apparatus is designed to register in a given
period, said pins serving as teeth that are actuated, each in turn, by a pawl, which

page_text: at each operation causes the tape to advance through a distance corresponding to
one of its divisions, substantially as described.
4. In an indicating apparatus of the kind hereinbefore referred to, the combination
with the pin wheel and the levers for transmitting motion thereto when released by
the removal from the apparatus of a registering plate, of a tape composed of waxed
cloth, or of paper fastened on cloth, and divided into a number of parts corre-
sponding to the number of pins or teeth on the pin wheel, and having printed
thereon in different colored inks the multiples of the days, and the multiples of the
corresponding wages for the period for which the apparatus is designed to indicate,
substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. In an automatic apparatus of the kind herein referred to, the combination,
with the pin wheel furnished with a tape having suitable numbers marked thereon,
and mounted to rotate behind a perforated plate through which the indications on
the tape can be read, and mechanism for intermittently actuating the said pin
wheel as set forth, of a controlling cylinder adapted to prevent rotation of the
pin wheel except at the proper times, substantially as hereinbefore described and
shown for the purposes specified.
6. Apparatus constructed, arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore
described and shown in the drawings annexed, for indicating the attendance of
workpeople and the wages due to them, for a given period, as set forth.
Dated this 14th day of March 1891.
J. L. F. PINTO.
By L. W., per F. B.