AN IMPROVED ADDING MACHINE
Year: 1884

page_text: I, GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN, of No 4, South Street, Finsbury, in the county
of Middlesex, Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for
"AN IMPROVED ADDING MACHINE "to be as follows:-
The improved adding machine is constructed principally of a series of ten
numeral pistons or rods bearing the figures 0 to 9. When these pistons or rods
are lowered, by means of excentric wheels ench of which is provided with as inany
teeth as there are units in the corresponding number, these pistons or rods
communicate motion to an axle carrying pinions corresponding with each excentric
wheel. This axle by suitable gearing revolves another axle moveable lengthwise
and carrying a toothed wheel or its equivalent which is adapted to the interior
teeth of a series of numeral wheels on each of which are marked the figures 0
to 9. By moving the last described axle lengthwise by means of a knob or button
the said toothed wheel can communicate motion to any one of the said numeral
wheels and cause the desired figure to be brought to view through an opening in
the cover of the box or case containing the machine. When this figure is above 9
a star wheel gearing with side teeth formed on the numeral wheels carries the
difference or excess to the numeral wheel or wheels following.
The operation of adding is effected by successively lowering the pistons or rods
carrying the figures corresponding with the successive figures in the column of
units, the moveable axle is then moved to the extent of one notch or division and
the same operation is repeated as regards the figures of the columns of tens, then
the hundreds and so on.
The sum total can then be read off from the openings in the cover placed
respectively over each numeral wheel.

page_text: "
I GEORGE FREDERICK REDFERN of the General Patent Office N° 4 South Street
Finsbury in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature
of the said invention for "AN IMPROVED ADDING MACHINE a communication from
abroad by Antonio Julio Rodriguez d'Azevedo Coutinho of Povoa de Lanhoso in
the Kingdom of Portugal 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 the construction of an improved machine or instrument
for adding up columns of figures.
"
To make the invention fully understood I will describe the same by reference to.
the accompanying drawing in which figure 1 represents a perspective view of the
box or case containing the machine or instrument; figure 2 is a plan on a larger
scale of the interior mechanism and figure 3 a perspective sectional view ;
a, a, a, represent a series of pistons or rods which I call numeral pistons provided
with heads or buttons marked with figures successively from 1 to 9; the said
pistons are operated according to the figures to be added together and the sum is
brought to view through openings b, (figure 1) in the box or case; c, figure 1 is a
knob or button which serves for changing the position of a moveable shaft g,
figure 2.
Each of the numeral pistons, marked with figures from 1 to 9 as above
described, when depressed, operates, by means of an S,-shaped piece a¹, a', figure 3,
its corresponding eccentric wheel b; a certain part of the circumference of the
eccentric wheels b, is plain, the remaining part is provided with teeth corresponding
in number with the number indicated on its corresponding numeral piston. When
the pistons are raised the plain parts of the eccentric wheels b, are turned towards
toothed wheels d, figure 2 in which position the said wheels d, will not be in
contact with the wheels b; the shaft c, figure 2, will then be free to move as
hereinafter described. When a numeral piston a is depressed it causes its
eccentric wheel b, to move and come into gear with the toothed wheel d, opposite
to it. The shaft e, 'will thereby be caused to rotate and, by means of the toothed
wheels ff, will rotate the shaft g, which communicates movement to numeral
wheels, by means of a toothed wheel such as g¹, g¹, figure 3, taking into an
interior concentric gearing of these wheels.
The peripheries of the numeral wheels i, are divided into 10 equal parts
numbered from 0 to 9. Each rotation of these wheels, that is to say, each rotation
through the space of 10 figures causes, by means of a tooth a one of a series of
star wheels to move to the extent of one of its arms which star wheel j causes the
following numeral wheel i, to turn to the extent of one figure.
The numeral wheels i are held in position by rings or bearings h, h, fixed to the
bottom of the box or case and the star wheels j, each having six arms are kept in
place by springs n, figure 3 and rotate on a common axis.

page_text: The moveable shaft g, figures 2 and 3 is square in section and fits in a square
hole in the wheel f¹ carrying a spring serving to fix the shaft g, by means of
notches or recesses with which it is provided at intervals-The shaft g passes
through all the numeral wheels and causes them to move successively by means of
the toothed pinion g¹, gl, working in the toothed interior of the said numeral
wheels. If the exterior knob or button c, figure 1 or 1, figure 2, be drawn out to
the extent of one notch the moveable shaft g, will communicate motion to the
first numeral wheel on the right hand side to add the column of units-if the
knob.c, be drawn out to the extent of another notch, the shaft g will communicate
motion to the second wheel on the right hand side to add the column of tens
and so on.
Figure 3 is a section taken through the piston 3 and the numeral wheel of the
tens of thousands. The S-shaped pieces a¹, a¹, are connected to the numeral
pistons and cause the wheels b, to move as hereinbefore described. The toothed
pinion gl, g, is shown applied to the gearing of the numeral wheel of the tens of
thousands. Springs m, serve to retain the numeral wheels in position and spiral
springs c, serve to raise the numeral pistons after they have been depressed.
In order to add by means of this machine, the figures to be added being written
down, the numeral piston corresponding to the figure at the top of the column of
units is depressed (it is advisable to mark the said figure with a point or dot to
avoid confusion) a similar operation is performed for the next figure of the units
column and so on to the bottom figure of the column.
The moveable shaft g, is next drawn along to the extent of one of its divisions
or notches by means of the exterior button or knob figure 2; then a similar
operation to that herein before described is performed in respect of the column of
tens from top to bottom, then of the hundreds, then of the thousands and so on
changing the position of the moveable axle g, for each column. When the bottoin
of the last column on the left hand side has been reached the total will have been
brought to view through the openings figure 1. To commence a fresh operation
of addition it is necessary to bring back the O's, in the openings b, which is
effected by moving the knob or button c, figure 1 in an opposite direction to that
herein before described that is to say back into its normal position.
Example Suppose the first figure at the top of the column of units be 7 the
numeral piston N° 7 is depressed and this figure will be caused to appear through
the corresponding hole b, figure 1. If the next figure in the column be 5 the
piston N° 5.is depressed and the figure 2 will appear through the said holes for
the units whilst the figure 1 will appear through the hole for the tens thus
shewing 12. The operation is repeated for each figure in the column of units and
the sum of the figures of this column will appear with its units, tens and hundreds
(if there be any) and so on-Suppose that this sumu be 226 the moveable shaft
must now be moved to the extent of one division or notch then a similar operation
to that herein before described for the units is proceeded with in respect of the tens,
the figure 6 will remain in the opening corresponding to the units, and the figures
of the tens will be added successively to the 22 tens resulting from the addition of
the column of units. A like operation is performed in respect of the hundreds, the
thousands and so on.
It will be obvious that when it is required to add columns representing sums of
money, measures or otherwise, not on the decimal system, the arrangement of the
parts of the machine will require to be modified accordingly.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
(1.) A machine for adding columns of figures, such machine consisting mainly of
numeral pistons communicating motion by partly toothed eccentric wheels to a
rotating shaft sliding longitudinally and provided with gearing operating wheels

page_text: provided with figures for indicating the sum of the addition; these wheels being
combined with star wheels the arms of which carry on to the following wheel
the excess of 9; substantially as herein before described and represented in the
accompanying drawing.
r
.
(2.) The improved adding machine herein before described and represented in the
accompanying drawing.
i