Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Adding Numbers.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Sept., 1890-AccepteJ, 18th Oct., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Adding Numbers.
I, HARRY HUMFREY RUMBLE of 10 Adrian Square, Westgate on Sea, in the County
of Kent, Architect, 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 Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Adding
Numbers.
Its chief object is to produce at a moderate cost a simple and compact machine
with as few parts as possible, which will be easy to manipulate and certain in action.
The apparatus I employ consists essentially of a series of indicating discs, representing
different orders of numerals, and bearing numerals or fractions consecutively arranged
and equally spaced around their peripheries; these indicating discs are connected with
one another by a peculiar arrangement of "carrying" mechanism, and when caused to
rotate indicate in progression, through sight apertures in a casing which encloses them,
the sum of the amounts added. The rotation of any of the indicating discs is effected
by the depression of any one of a series of operating keys carried by a moveable key bar,
each key of the series corresponding with a different numeral, and being provided with
a plunger, which, when the key is depressed, operates one of a set of rocking levers
connected with the indicating dises by mechanism hereinafter described; a separate
rocking lever is required for each indicating disc. I construct these rocking levers in
the form of frames of varying size, and dispose them so as to move independently
fitting one within the other. Each rocking lever carries a striking plate of sufficient
length to receive the impact of the plungers of the entire series of keys carried by the
moveable key bar, and the machine is so constructed and arranged that any one of the
set of rocking lever frames may be operated upon in turn by the series of keys.
By way of example I shall describe and illustrate in the annexed drawings a machine
arranged for the addition of pounds shillings and pence, although it will be obvious
that without departing in any way from the spirit of my invention, it may as readily be
adapted for the addition of dollars and cents, francs and centimes, tons, cwts. and qrs.,
or other compound or simple sums.
In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters refer to corresponding parts
in all the figures:
:―
Fig. 1 is a side view of a machine embodying my invention, in transverse section.
Fig. 2 is a side view of one of the indicating discs and its actuating rack.
Fig. 3 illustrates in edge view some of the indicating discs together with their
actuating racks.
Fig. 4 is a side view of the indicating discs in transverse section.
Fig. 5 is a plan of the machine shewing clearly the arrangement of the pivotted
rocking lever frames the upper part of the case being removed.
Fig. 6 is a plan of the machine, the hood which covers the indicating discs being
removed.
Fig. 7 shews the machine in front elevation complete.
Fig. 8 is a plan of the moveable key bar.
Fig. 9 is an end view of the same.
I will commence by describing the arrangement of the indicating discs :-
a a are the indicating discs, arranged side by side and revolving freely upon the
spindle carried by the supports e secured to the casing d.
Ten of these indicating discs are shewn in the drawings, the machine therein
illustrated being capable of recording the sum of additions up to hundreds of thousands
of pounds.
Commencing at the right hand side, (Figure 6), the discs are arranged in the following

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The first disc is for the addition of the lowest denomination, in this case farthings,
and I shall hereinafter refer to the same as the "farthings disc," the second is for the
addition of pence; and hereinafter referred to as the pence disc," the third is the
shilling units disc," the fourth the "shilling tens disc," the fifth the "pound units
disc," the sixth the "pound tens disc," the seventh the " pound hundreds disc," and
so on to the end of the series, which may of course be extended if desired. With the
exception the "shilling tens disc," the " pence disc," and the "farthings disc," each
disc has ten equal divisions or spaces around its periphery, occupied by the numerals 1
to 9 arranged consecutively and a 0, the "shilling tens dise" has also ten equal
divisions around its periphery, which are occupied by 1 and 0 repeated 5 times; the
pence disc 12 equal peripheral divisions, occupied by numbers 1 to 11 and 0, and
the "farthings disc" 12 equal peripheral divisions or spaces occupied by,,and 0
repeated in succession 3 times. My object in repeating the numerals and ciphers upon
the "shilling tens disc" and "farthings disc," is to keep all the discs and their
numerals as nearly as possible of corresponding size. e is a hood or cover secured to
the casing d and enclosing the indicating discs a. ffare sight apertures in the hood e,
through which the figures constituting the sum of the amounts added are viewed.
"
33
I will now proceed to describe the means I employ for effecting the operation of
"carrying," so that when for example twelve pence have been added, by rotating the
pence dise" as hereinafter described, the corresponding amount in shillings viz. 1s.
will be indicated by the "shilling units disc."
66
Each indicating disc, except the first or extreme right hand disc, has secured thereto
on its right hand side a ratchet wheel 9, the teeth of which correspond in number
with the equal peripheral spaces or divisions of the disc to which such ratchet wheel
is secured.
h are levers pivotted at /' to the supports c, their free ends resting upon the stop
pins. Each lever is provided with a detent i, pivotted thereon at i, and having a
projection which bears upon the upper part of the lever and keeps the detent i
elevated. is an escapement lever pivotted at 1 to the upper part of the support c,
the pallet of which lever engages with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 9, and
prevents the movement of the disc a in the wrong direction. Each indicating disc a
carries upon its left hand side a projecting pin l, which pin, as the disc to which it is
secured revolves and at the moment the zero or zeros thereof arrive at or pass the
aperture, strikes against the underside of the adjacent lever hand raises the same,
thereby causing the detent i of such lever to engage with the teeth of the ratchet
wheel g of the adjoining disc a, of higher denomination, and move the same forwards,
the pin then slipping from off the end of the lever h, which falls back to its original
position. The lever hand pin 7 must in each case be so proportioned and arranged as
that the pin will slip off the end of and release the lever immediately the ratchet
wheel g has been moved forward the distance of one tooth, which is equivalent to
moving forward the disc a, to which the ratchet wheel is secured, a distance equal to one
of its peripheral divisions. The figures on the "farthings disc" being repeated three
times, it will be necessary to advance the "
pence disc
one division for each third
part of a revolution of the same, the "farthings disc" consequently carries three pins
equally spaced. In like manner since the 1 and 0 upon the "shilling tens disc" are
repeated five times, this disc will be provided with five equally spaced pins 1, so as to
advance the "pound units disc" one division at each fifth of a revolution of the
"shilling tens disc."
1 will now describe the means I employ for effecting the movement of the indicating
discs upon the depression of an operating key.
Each indicating disc a is constructed with a concentric recess a¹ upon the opposite
side to its ratchet wheel g, within which recess a¹ fits freely a clutch disc a², also
mounted loosely on the spindle b; this clutch disc a² carries a pinion wheel m engaged
by a rack n-a³ are notches formed around the periphery of the clutch disc a², each
notch containing a ball a. By referring to Figure 2, it will be seen that these notches a³
resemble in shape the teeth of a ratchet wheel, deepening gradually from the periphery
of the clutch disc a², and then terminating in an abrupt wall a³. When the clutch

page_text: disc a² is rotated in the direction of the arrow (Figure 2,) by the elevation of the rack n,
(as hereinafter explained), such of the balls at as are in contact with both the
discs a and a will rotate the disc a, when however the clutch disc a² is rotated in the
reverse direction, upon the return of the rack n to its normal position, the balls a will
be pushed back to the deep portions of the notches a³, and the clutch disc a² be free
to revolve independently of the disc a.
The lower end of each rack n is pivotted at n' to an arm o, secured to a lever
frame p rocking on pivots p' carried by supports q secured to the casing d. I construct
these rocking lever frames p of varying sizes, and dispose them fitting and working
independently within one another, preferably at slightly different levels, (see
Figures 1 and 5), thus effecting great economy of space and other advantages. Each
rocking lever frame is pivotted to separate supports 9, a separate rocking lever frame p,
connecting arın o, and rack n, being required for each indicating disc a-p" are
striking plates, carried by the rocking lever frames p, against which striking plates
the plungers of the actuating keys s strike when depressed, thus raising the rack n
of the lever frame p operated upon, and consequently rotating the disc a engaged
thereby, as before explained u u-are springs, connected with the arms o of the
rocking lever frames p, for the purpose of restoring them to their original position
without delay when the key pressure is released.
p
In machines for performing simple addition, or compound addition upon the
decimal system, one set of keys numbered 1 to 9 and mounted in a moveable key
bar t, constructed and arranged as hereinafter described, will be sufficient for
operating in turn upon the striking plates of all the rocking lever frames p; in a
machine constructed for the addition of pounds shillings and pence, however, the
following arrangement will be found preferable.
I employ a moveable key bar t carrying 9 keys s numbered from 1 to 9, this key
bar t is so constructed as to fit over any desired one of a series of steps or projections a¹
formed on the casing d, each step di being situate immediately above the striking
plate pl of a rocking lever frame p, and provided with apertures d¹¹ for the passage
of the key plungers r. By shifting the key bar t to various steps d', the keys carried
thereby may be caused to operate in turn upon the striking plates of all the rocking
lever frames p, except those connected with the "shilling tens disc" and "farthings
disc." The "shilling tens dise" having only the numeral 1, and requiring but one
key to operate it, and the "farthings disc" only the fractions, and and requiring
but three keys to operate it, I prefer to connect these discs with smaller rocking
frames (p³ Figure 5) over the striking plates pt of which are permanently fixed the
extra or subsidiary keys s¹ marked 10s. and d., d. and d. in Figure 6. Also since
the "pence disc "alone of all the series carries the extra numbers 10 and 11, I prefer
to provide extra fixed keys s¹ marked 10 and 11, as shewn also in Figure 6, for adding
these numbers, a second striking plate p³ being carried by the pence rocking frame for
these keys to act upon.
The amount of depression permitted to every key, and the position of the pivots or
fulcra of the rocking lever frames, must be so arranged and adjusted, as that what-
ever rocking frame is being operated by the keys, such rocking frame will, when a
key is depressed, advance the disc a with which it corresponds, by means of its arm o
and rack n, as many peripheral divisions as the number marked upon the key
depressed; thus for example when the key marked 7 is depressed, the rocking lever
frame acted upon, must elevate its rack n sufficiently to advance the disc a with which
it is connected 7 peripheral spaces or divisions, or, in other words, supposing the 0 on
such disc a to he opposite the aperture f, on depressing the key marked 7, the disc a
will be rotated until the figure 7 thereon appears opposite such aperture f. When the
key marked 1 is depressed, the rocking lever frame acted upon must advance its
corresponding disc a one peripheral division, and so on, the keys which bear the highest
numerals being permitted the greatest amount of depression.
v, (Figure 8,) are pointers or indexes upon the key bar t, which shew the operator
(according to which denomination engraved upon the casing d, Figure 6, they point,)
upon which of the indicating discs he is acting; when for instance the keyss of the

page_text: '
key bar t are disposed so as to operate upon the striking plate of the rocking lever
frame connected with the "pence disc," the indexes or pointers of the key bar t will
point to the word "pence "upon the casing d, and so on. wo are handles for moving
the key bar t. In order to maintain the key bar t in position upon whichever of the
steps d¹ it is placed, rubber bands may be slipped over the pins upon the casing d,
and around the pins y on the key bar-z are springs for raising the keys s after they
have been depressed.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
:--
When any key s or s¹ is depressed, its plunger comes into contact with and forces
down the striking plate p², por p of the rocking lever frame p or p³ above which it
is disposed, the opposite end of the rocking lever frame is consequently raised, and by
its connecting arm o elevates the rack n, pivotted thercto, and advances, by the pinion
wheel m and clutch arrangement herein before described, its corresponding indicating
disc a as many peripheral divisions as the number marked upon the key depressed,
whenever the zero (or one of the zeros, when the figures are marked in series around
the disc,) upon the indicating disc a operated upon reaches or passes the sight
aperture in the hood e, the adjacent indicating disc of next higher order or
denomination to the left, is advanced one peripheral division by the carrying
mechanism as before explained. Suppose it is desired to add £207 7s. 11d. to
£504 18s. 2 d.
$6
"
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moves the
The indicating discs a are first adjusted so that nothing but zeros are visible through
the apertures. The fixed subsidiary key marked d. is then first depressed, which
advances the farthings disc two peripheral divisions, and d. consequently shews
through the aperture f, the key marked d. is then depressed, which moves the
farthings disc" three more peripheral divisions, d. consequently appearing at the
aperture, as however the 0 passes the aperture f, one of the three pins 1, before
referred to, on the "farthings disc," engages with the adjacent lever h, raises it, and
causes its detent i to engage with the ratchet wheel g secured to the " pence disc,"
which is consequently, as before explained, advanced one peripheral division, 14d. is
consequently seen through the apertures. The key bar t is now placed upon the
uppermost step of the case d, when its indexes will point to the word "pence" on
the casing, and the plungers of its keys s will be situate over the striking plate
of that rocking frame p which corresponds with the "pence disc"; the key marked 2
is depressed, and the " pence disc" moves forward 2 peripheral divisions, and 3d.
appears the fixed subsidiary key marked 11 is then struck, the pence disc moves
11 peripheral divisions, and consequently the 2 thereon shews through the aperture f,
whilst as the 0 passes such aperture the pin upon the "pence disc
shilling units disc one peripheral division, and the total shewn is 1s. 2 d. The
key bar is now pulled down to the next step d' below, its indexes pointing to
"shillings," the 8 key is struck, the "shilling units disc moves 8 peripheral
divisions, and 9s. 24d. appears; the 7 key is then depressed, and the "shilling units
disc" is advanced 7 peripheral divisions, causing the 6 to arrive at the aperture f,
whilst as the 0 passes such aperture the pin on the "shilling units disc" advances
the "shilling tens disc one peripheral division, the total then reads 16s. 2 d. ; the
fixed 10s. key is then depressed, and the "shilling tens disc" advanced one peripheral
division, causing one of its ciphers to appear, whilst at the same time one of its
5 pins advances the " pound units disc one peripheral division, and the total
reads £1 6s. 2d.; the key bar is then moved to the step d' situate over the striking
plate of the rocking lever frame connected with the "pounds disc," the pounds are
added in the same manner, and the key bar shifted to the step d¹ over the rocking
lever frame which corresponds with the "tens of pounds disc" the tens of pounds
are then added the key bar again shifted to operate upon the rocking lever frame of the
hundreds of poun is disc, the hundreds of pounds are added and the total £712 6s. 24d.
will appear through the sight apertures f.
l
و"
I prefer to arrange the series of keys carried by the key bar t in the order shewn
in Figure 8, both hands being employed to operate the same this arrangement leaves
the keys requiring the greatest amount of depression to the stronger or right hand,

page_text: whilst in each hand, the weaker or third and fourth fingers have the least work to
do; the elevation of the centre key will effectually guide the operator's hands into
position and remove all risk of mistakes.
In machines which are only required for simple addition, or compound addition
on the decimal system, all the indicating discs will carry around their peripheries the
numerals 1 to 9 and a 0, the subsidiary fixed keys will be dispensed with, and the
striking plates of all the rocking lever frames will be operated upon in turn by the one
set of keys numbered 1 to 9 mounted in the moveable key bar t.
In conclusion I would observe that I am aware that a series of rotating indicating
discs connected with one another by "carrying" mechanism, and caused to rotate
upon the depression of a key, have before been proposed in adding machines and
therefore I do not claim broadly as my invention such arrangement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In an adding machine, the combination with a series of indicating discs con-
nected with one another by "carrying" mechanism, of a set of rocking lever frames,
(one for each indicating disc.) constructed and arranged as described, means for
causing the indicating discs to rotate upon motion being imparted to the rocking lever
frames, and a series of numbered keys carried by a moveable key bar and adapted to
operate upon more than one of the rocking lever frames substantially as described
and illustrated.
2. In an adding machine, the combination with a series of indicating discs
connected with one another by "carrying" mechanism, of a set of rocking lever
frames, (one for each indicating disc,) rack and pinion and friction clutch connections
as described between each rocking lever frame and each indicating disc, and a series
of numbered keys operating upon the rocking lever frames substantially as described
and illustrated.
3. In an adding machine, the combination with a series of indicating discs
connected with one another by "carrying" mechanism, of a set of rocking lever
frames, (one for each indicating disc,) means for causing the indicating discs to rotate
upon motion being imparted to the rocking lever frames, a series of numbered keys
carried in a moveable key bar and adapted to operate upon more than one rocking
lever frame, and subsidiary keys fixed to the casing, each subsidiary key operating upon
one rocking lever frame only, substantially as and for the purpose described and
illustrated.
4. In an adding machine, the combination of a series of indicating discs con-
nected with one another by the peculiar arrangement of carrying "mechanism"
described, and a set of rocking lever frames connected with the indicating discs and
operated by a series of keys, substantially as described and illustrated.
5. In an adding machine the combination of a set of rocking lever frames con-
structed and arranged as described, and connected with a series of indicating discs, a
casing formed with a series of steps or projections each step or projection being situate
over the striking plate of a rocking lever frame, and a moveable key bar carrying a
series of keys and adapted to fit onto any of the steps or projections on the casing so
that any of the rocking lever frames may be operated by the keys, substantially as
specified.
$$
6. In an adding machine comprising a series of indicating discs connected by
carrying" mechanism and a series of operating keys, the peculiar construction
and arrangement of rocking lever frames p disposed and working independently
one within the other and carrying striking plates p³ for the key plungers"
and connecting arms o for the racks n substantially as described and illustrated.
7. In an adding machine, the combination with an indicating disc a recessed on one
side, of a clutch disc a², carrying a pinion wheel m engaged by a rack n, and provided
around its periphery with notches a³ of the shape described, containing balls a*
substantially as described and illustrated.

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8. In an adding machine comprising a series of indicating discs arranged side by
side the peculiar arrangement of "carrying" mechanism, consisting of the com-
bination with an indicating disc a, of a ratchet wheel g secured thereto, a pivotted
lever carrying a detent i which engages with the ratchet wheel g upon being raised
by a pin on the adjacent indicating disc, and a pivotted escapement lever k provided
with a pallet k² substantially as described and illustrated.
9. The general combination of parts constituting an adding machine, substantially
as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
D
1
ea
1000
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON, Fels. Inst. P.A,
19, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents.