Improvements in Adding Machines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 22nd Apr., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Adding Machines.
We, RICHARD TIMMIS, of Westley, Stapleton, Salop, Farmer, and JOHN
FREDERICK BELL, of Ford Villa, near Shrewsbury, Gentleman, 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 of improvements in adding machines comprises a simple arrange-
ment of mechanism for operating the numbered discs or dials by means of numbered
pushers acting upon a lever or levers arranged and combined with the numbered
discs or dials as hereinafter described; and this invention comprises other improve-
ments in the construction and arrangement of the parts of adding machines whereby
various amounts of say pounds, shillings, pence and farthings or other numbers
can be added together either in horizontal lines or in vertical columns so that if
the same result is obtained by adding in both ways then the addition is proved to
be correct.
On the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation and Fig. 2 is a plan of an adding machine con-
structed according to this invention for adding together numbers of pounds, shillings,
pence and farthings or for adding other numbers; Fig. 2* shews a part of the same
separately;
Fig. 3 is a sectional plan and Fig. 4 is a front sectional elevation of the said
machine;
Fig. 5 is a sectional end elevation, Fig. 6 is a sectional front elevation, Fig. 7 is
a plan and Fig. 8 is a sectional plan of a modification of our invention.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all the
figures.
We will first refer to Figs. 1, 2, 2*, 3 and 4 which illustrate a machine con-
structed more particularly for use in adding together any items of pounds shillings
and pence and farthings the sum of which does not exceed £50,000. This machine
can similarly be used for adding other numbers and by adding more discs and
pushers as hereinafter described the machine can be made to add up to higher
amounts. Mounted loosely upon the axle a are discs in this case seven in number
marked respectively A' A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7. The farthings disc A' is divided into
any convenient number of equal parts which is a multiple of four (say 48 as shewn)
and these divisions are marked respectively, ½, 1, 0, 1, ½, 1, 0 and so on all round
the disc to indicate farthings; the pence disc A2 is divided into any convenient
number of equal parts which is a multiple of 12 (say 48 as shewn) and these
divisions are marked respectively 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 0 to indicate pence;
the shillings disc A³ is divided into any convenient number of equal parts which is
a multiple of twenty (say 100 as shewn) and these divisions are marked respec-
tively 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 0 to indicate
shillings; the pounds discs A, A, A are each divided into any convenient number
of equal parts (say 50 as shewn) which is a multiple of ten and the divisions of
these discs are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0 and so
on all round the discs. The thousands of pounds disc A is divided into any con-
venient number of equal parts say 50 which are numbered consecutively from 1
to 50. The numbers round the disc A' represent units of pounds and the numbers
round the discs A' A A' respectively represent tens hundreds and thousands of
pounds. By adding more discs this machine can of course be made to add up to
any number higher than 50,000 pounds. Fixed to each of these discs so as to turn

page_text: with it is a ratchet wheel the number of teeth in which correspond with the number
of divisions on the corresponding disc. These ratchet wheels are respectively
marked B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B B7. To operate each of the said discs there is a series
of pushers, that is to say, there are three pushers marked C and numbered respec-
tively, to operate the farthings disc A¹; there are eleven pushers marked D
and numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 to operate the pence disc A'; there
are nineteen pushers marked E and numbered respectively 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 to operate the shillings disc A³; there are nine
pushers marked F and numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 to operate the units of
pounds disc A*; there are nine pushers marked G and numbered 10, 20, 30, 40, 50,
60, 70, 80, and 90 to operate the tens of pounds disc A³ and there are ten pushers
marked H and numbered 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900 and 1000 to
operate the hundreds of pounds disc A. As all these sets of pushers and the
mechanism by which their action is transmitted to their respective discs are similar
the description of one set say the set marked D which operate the pence disc A²
will suffice. It will be seen that the pushers D are arranged vertically in a line
parallel with the plane of the disc A2 and they each consist of a wire stem d'
which is supported by passing through holes in the top of the adding
machine and in a horizontal plate fixed therein some distance below the top.
Each pusher stem has a head D bearing its distinguishing number. The
lower ends of the pusher stems_d' project below the plate and immediately
below these stems is a lever J which we call the ratchet lever which is
free to turn through a certain angle about a fulcrum at one end ; and the
outer end of this lever is connected by the link to the small lever on which
is fixed the ratchet or click which engages with the teeth of the ratchet wheel B².
When in its normal position the ratchet lever J is by the spring pressed up
against the lower ends of the pusher stems d' as shewn by the dotted lines in Fig. 1.
On each of the pusher stems d¹ there is a coiled wire spring d which acts between
the plate and à collar d³ on the pusher stem d' and presses this collar against the
top plate so as to hold up the pushers and raise them after they have been
depressed in working the machine as hereinafter described. For each pusher D
there is a stop to regulate the distance through which the pusher is depressed.
These stops are by preference made in the form of collars d threaded on the
stems and screwed tightly into the top plate ¹. The part of each of the stems d'
which protrudes above the stop d is of such a length as to allow of each pusher
being pushed down through such a distance as will move the ratchet lever J and
click and ratchet wheel B2 and numbered disc A' through the number of
divisions corresponding with the number of the pusher. By screwing the stop d
farther in or out of the plate i¹ the movement of the pushers can be regulated
exactly. Thus it will be seen that the pusher D numbered 11 at the extreme right
hand side in Fig. 1 when depressed from its highest normal position until the head
rests upon the stop d as shewn Figs. 1 and 4 will have moved the lever J through
such an angle as will cause the disc A' to move through eleven divisions and each
pusher in order counting towards the left hand has a travel which will move the
fever J and disc A2 through one division less than the preceding pusher on the
right hand side so that the last pusher marked 1 only moves the lever J and disc A'
through one division. Arranging the ratchet lever J to operate the numbered
disc in combination with the pushers in the manner above described forms an
important feature of this invention as by this arrangement we obtain the varying
movements of the numbered disc with very little difference in the distances through
which the pushers have to be depressed. In the top of the box I forming the
outer casing of the machine there are holes ³ corresponding in width with one
division of each of the numbered discs.
When any of the numbered discs have been turned round until the highest number
thereon appears at the opening 3 then the act of moving this disc through another
division which will bring zero to shew through the opening will turn the next disc

page_text: through one division. This we prefer to accomplish by the mechanism which we
will now describe and which being similar for each disc the description of one set
will suffice say that for turning the shillings disc A³ through one division to register
one shilling more when the pence disc is being turned from 11 to zero. Fixed to
the side of the disc A2 are pins at equal distances apart and corresponding in
number with the sets of numbered divisions thereon. As there are four sets of
12 divisions on this disc A2 there are four of these pins (see Figs. 1 and 3). Just
before the zero mark on the disc A2 appears at the opening as above stated one
of the four pins 7 comes into contact with an inclined side projecting part m² of the
lever M² (see Figs. 1 and 2*) and forces this lever backwardly and when the pin
has passed the part m² the lever M2 (which has a click n² at its upper end engaging
with the ratchet wheel B³ of the next disc A³) is by the spring o pushed forward
through a space sufficient to move the next ratchet wheel that is the shillings
wheel B³ and disc A³ through a space equal to one division thus adding one shilling
to the number already indicated by the disc A³. In the same way the farthings
disc A by the lever M' turns the pence disc A2 through one division as the zero
division of the farthings dise A' appears at the opening and in the same way the
shillings on the disc A³ are by the lever M³ added on to the units of pounds disc A*
and the units of pounds are by the lever M added from the disc A' on to the tens
of pounds disc A³ and from this disc A³ the tens of pounds are by the lever M
added on to the hundreds of pounds disc A and from this disc A the hundreds of
pounds are by the lever M added on to the thousands of pounds disc A' and so on
to the other discs when more discs are used. For each of the said numbered discs.
there is or may be a spring click p which is fixed to the box or case I and bears
against the ratchet wheel of the disc to act as a break and prevent the disc moving
too far when it is being turned and also to prevent the discs turning back.
The adding machine above described is used as follows:-We will suppose it is
desired to add together the two amounts £2500 17s. 9 d. and £3520 12s. 2d. The
numbered discs are first turned so that zero on all of them shews through the
holes in the box I which can readily be done by striking the necessary pushers
commencing at the farthings disc A' and taking each disc in rotation up to the
hundreds of pounds disc A and then turning the thousands of pounds disc A' to
zero by moving the lever M to and fro. The necessary pushers are then struck to
turn the discs and cause the amount £2500 17s. 9. to shew at the openings ³.
Then the amount £3520 12s. 24d. is added on by striking the pushers as
follows:
Strike H 1000 three times which will turn the disc A' three divisions so that "5"
will appear at the opening ³ ;
Strike H 500 once which will turn the disc A° five divisions so that "0" will
appear at the opening and the dise A' will also be turned through one division
and shew "6";
Strike G 20 once which will turn the disc A' two divisions so that "2" will
appear;
Strike E 12 once which will turn the disc A³ through 12 divisions which added
to the 17 will make 29 shillings and cause "9" to appear on this disc and the £1
to be added on to the disc A which will be turned through one division and
shew "1";
Strike D2 once which will turn the disc A2 through two divisions thus adding
2 to the "9" shewn by this disc which will now shew "11";
Strike C once thereby turning the disc A¹ through one division so as to shew 7.
Thus completing the total £6021 9s. 11. as shewn in Fig. 2.
To check the addition the numbered discs are cach turned to shew zero and
then the amounts are added by striking the pushers corresponding with the
farthings and then the pence shillings and pounds when if the total is the same as
obtained by adding in the horizontal lines the sum is proved to be correct.
Instead of the adding machine being made as above described and shewn by
Figs. 1, 2, 2, 3 and 4, for adding amounts both in horizontal lines and in columns

page_text: the machine may be made as we will now describe by referring to Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8
and 9 to add in columns only. In this case as only ten of the pushers (marked P)
numbered 1 to 10 both inclusive, and one ratchet Jever J are required, the ratchet
lever J and the pushers are, as shewn, arranged in a line at right angles to the
faces of the numbered discs, and the outer end of the ratchet lever J is not con-
nected directly to the link 3 which works the click 2 but works on the outer end
of another lever J which is jointed to the link 3 and turns about a fixed fulcrum q
at one end. The spring lifts the levers J¹ and J after they have been depressed.
This particular machine shewn by Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 of our drawings is made to
add up to 49,999,999. It will be seen to have seven of the numbered discs marked
respectively A8 A9 A10 A" A2 A3 A4 each with a ratchet wheel respectively
marked BB9 B10 B1 B2 B3 B4 but it will be understood that the machine can
be similarly made with either more or less than eight discs and ratchet wheels.
The disc A registers units, A" tens, A" hundreds, A thousands, A12 tens of
thousands, A3 hundreds of thousands and A units and tens of millions. The
discs A A A A A¹² and A¹³ are each divided off into any convenient number
of equal parts (say 50 as shewn) which is a multiple of 10 and the divisions are
numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0 and so on all round
the discs like the discs A A A in the machine hereinbefore described and shewn
by Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, and the disc A4 is divided off into 50 equal parts numbered
1 to 49 and 0 like the disc A' above described. The units disc AB only is operated
directly by the pushers P and just before the zero mark on this disc appears at
the hole the next disc A is moved through one division by the click n¹ on the
lever M' (shewn separately by Fig. 9) when the latter springs forward after having
been pushed back by the pin on the disc A8 as in the machine first herein
described. There is as in the machine shewn by Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 a similar lever
and click marked respectively M2 M3 M M M for each of the higher discs
A10, A1, A2, A1, A¹ to add on the number from the next preceding disc every
time zero appears thereon. The top ends of the levers M' M2 M3 M4 M5 M° are
carried through slots in the top it so that by moving these top ends to and fro
the discs can readily be turned to zero for a fresh addition.
In conclusion we wish it to be understood that we do not make any exclusive
claim to the use of the numbered discs in an adding machine as we are well aware
that adding machines have been made with numbered discs prior to our invention
but,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
--
1. In an adding machine the mechanism herein described for operating the
divided and numbered discs thereof consisting of a series of spring pushers and a
lever which latter at one end is connected to a click which acts upon ratchet teeth
on the disc, the pushers lever click and disc being arranged for joint operation sub--
stantially as hereinbefore described so that when any one of the pushers is
depressed the lever and disc are thereby moved through a certain angle corre-
sponding with the number of that pusher which has been depressed substantially as
herein before set forth.
2. In an adding machine and in combination, a series of ratchet discs for
indicating monies, or weights, or measures of various denominations (as pounds
shillings and pence and fractions of a penny in the machine herein before described
and illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4) means for adding the amounts of any disc
on to the next higher disc and with each of the discs mechanism such as denoted
under Claim 1 for operating the discs so that amounts can be added both in
horizontal lines and in columns as hereinbefore set forth.
3. The improved adding machine arranged and operating substantially as
herein before described and illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, 2, 3 and 4 of the accom-
panying drawings.

page_text: 4. The improved adding machine arranged and operating substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the accompanying.
drawings.
Dated this 10th day of November 1892..
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.