Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 14th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 27th Feb., 1897
I, GEORGE ANDERSON VETCH, c/o Waddell and McIntosh, W.S. of 87 George
Street, Edinburgh, N.B. late Assistant Surveyor, Ceylon, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an adding appliance for merchants and others use,
and has for its object to enable the user to make quick and accurate additions of
numbers, money etc.
According to one method of carrying out my said invention, I employ an
elongated wooden frame. Along the length of one side of it I have two grooves.
In each of the grooves is a sliding block. The frame may be, say about 3 feet
long and the sliding blocks say about 6 inches long. Attached to the end of the
frame are two spring drums carrying cords upon them which cords are also attached
to the one end of each of the sliding blocks. The arrangement is such that when
the blocks are moved in the grooves to the opposite end of the frame, the drums
are thereby wound up against the tension of the spiral spring with which the
drums are provided. The one side of each groove is provided with a slit running
the length of the groove, to receive a pin which is fixed in the side of the sliding
block, the said pin being for the purpose of arresting the block at any particular
point along the groove as hereinafter explained. At the one side of the frame on
the top thereof is a row of holes say one hundred. By inserting a peg into one of
these holes, the block is arrested at that desired point by means of the pin of the
sliding block coming against the peg. The sliding block has marked on it the
following figures 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 18.
Then at the other side of the groove (the row of holes being at the opposite side)
the top of the frame is marked with the following figures (0,) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,
(1), 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, (2), and so on up to say (10). When starting to use
the appliance the sliding block is moved up to the end of the frame say at the left
hand side thereof. A spring catch arrangement is provided at this end which
retains the sliding block against the power of the spring drum until it is required
to make the first move of the sliding block.
The other half of the length of the frame has a precisely similar arrangement of
peg holes; groove and sliding block; and then on the other side of the sliding
block, the figures on the top of the frame.
To use the apparatus or appliance I proceed as follows, supposing the figures to
be added begin with a 9, the peg is placed in that hole of the frame which is
opposite 9 in the sliding block. The spring catch at the end of the groove is then
pressed so as to release the sliding block which runs along the groove until its pin
is arrested by striking against the peg. In this example the pin of the sliding block
is at 0, so that the comes opposite the peg and the 9 on the scale of the frame,
now say 15 is to be added to the 9, another peg is inserted in the hole of the frame
opposite the 15 on the sliding block and the first peg withdrawn, when the block
will move along till the 0 comes opposite the second peg and points to 24 on the
scale of the frame, and so on.
The sliding block may also be provided with a guiding pin or projection on the
opposite side to the peg pin; said pin working in a slit in the side of the groove.
The end of the frame having the drums may be provided with a celluloid or other

page_text: marking tablet. The frame and blocks may be made of other material than wood
and the drums may be actuated by weights in lieu of springs.
As a modification, in lieu of employing removable pegs, I may employ a row of
keys, one key for each of the before described peg holes. A cord is strung through
the whole row of keys in such a manner that on one key being pressed down the
other key already down will be pressed up, so as to enable the sliding block to
pass it, and so on.
I may construct the said appliance in a circular form as follows:-
I employ a rectangular dial plate having a circular opening. Around the edge
of the said opening a circle of figures is provided. The one half of this circle has
figures (0), 1, 2 etc. to 29, (00) and the other half has similar figures. Two pins
are fixed upon the edge of the dial opening, diametrically opposite to each other,
the one pin being at 00, and the other pin being at 0. Inside the said circular
opening of the dial is a revolving disc mounted upon a spindle. The edge of the
dise has a circle of figures 0, 1, 2 etc. to 59. Inside the said circle of numbers is a
corresponding circle of peg holes corresponding to the peg holes in the first
modification. Inside the said circle of peg holes is a circle of figures to represent
farthings, viz. (0) 1, 2, 3, (1), 1, 2, 3, (2), 1, 2, 3, (3), and so on.
Inside this
farthing circle is a pence circle (0), 1, 2, 3 ele. to 11, (1) 1, 2, 3 etc. to 11 (2) and
Inside the said pence circle is a shilling circle, viz., (0) 1, 2, 3 etc. to 19
(1) 1, 2, 3, etc. to 19 (2) and so on.
Loosely mounted on the disc spindle are two hands or arms which can be rotated
over the disc like clock hands, the extremities of these hands are provided with
pegs corresponding to the pegs of the first modification. The hands are hinged so
that the pegs can be withdrawn from the peg holes.
The axis of the upper arm is provided with a spiral spring which when the peg
is in the hole causes the disc to fly round when the peg of the other hand is with-
drawn, the working of this circular adding appliance being practically the same as
that described with reference to the pegs and spring sliding blocks of the first
modification. The rotating disc may be provided with two, three or more friction
rollers on its underside.
I may employ a small registering dial with pointer, at the one end of the rect-
augular dial plate, operated by toothed gearing from the revolving disc of the
appliance; the said small dial recording the movements of the main operating disc
and the additions or calculations arrived at.
Dated this 13th day of March 1896.
JOHNSONS,
115 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Petitioner's Agents.
I, GEORGE ANDERSON VETCH c/o Waddell and McIntosh W.S. of 87 George
Street Edinburgh, N.B. late Assistant Surveyor, Ceylon, 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 has for its object an instrument or appliance to enable manufacturers,
merchants, retailers of produce, and others, to make quick and accurate additional
calculations of money, numbers, time, etceterae, and to always have a sum total set
forth.
The said instrument or appliance consists essentially of a long and narrow bar-
like frame or base longitudinally channelled or grooved upon portions of its upper

page_text: surface, and also having indexed parts and vertical holes in series, the former
constituting the sum total indexing, and the latter, in conjunction with stop pegs,
means for arresting traversing and registering blocks, or their equivalents, by which
the adding of the separate amounts is accomplished.
These traversing and registering blocks work within the grooves or channels, as
aforesaid, in the frame or base, and their movement is automatically accomplished
by means of tensioned springs; a pin or projection being carried upon the end of
each of the said blocks to act in conjunction with the stop pegs, as aforesaid, and
arrest the said blocks at any point in their traverse.
Spring catches are arranged upon the starting end of the frame or base to hold
the traversing blocks in their starting position, which is against the action of the
springs.
The instrument or appliance may be constructed in a circular form and, in this
arrangement, circular and rotary discs, constituting equivalents to the traversing
blocks are arranged within an open-topped box-like casing, the said discs being
indexed and controlled by springs or weights, and also provided with projecting
parts and stop pegs to arrest their rotation.
In Fig. 1 of the accompanying sheet of drawings an instrument or appliance is
represented constructed for the purpose of adding up numbers; the same being
built upon the flat or bar principle described in the foregoing part of this
specification. This said figure is a top side plan and clearly shows the general
arrangement of the appliance and the automatic means for traversing the registering
blocks thereof; a portion of the covering being broken away to expose the block
operating mechanism to view.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken upon the dotted line 2, Fig 1, and
Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on the dotted line 3, same figure, but upon an
enlarged scale for the purpose of illustrating how the stop pegs take into the holes
and arrest the traverse of the blocks by coming within the path of the projections
carried thereby.
This instrument is constructed with two sliding and registering blocks b, c,
representing, respectively, the units and tens columns, and all numbers under these
columns are registered and added together by them. These traversing blocks are
each provided with a pin or projection 62, c2, a catch recess 63, c3 and actuating cord
attachments and thumb pieces b, c, and are fitted and adapted to respectively
travel in longitudinal open-topped channels or grooves a², a³, formed within the
body of the bar frame or base a. This base board or frame a is fitted at its one
or starting end with spring catches a, a, to engage the recess parts ³, c³, of the
traversing blocks b, c, and hold the said blocks in their starting positions against
the power exerted by the tensioned springs whilst, at its other end, it is provided
with winding drums d, e, around which cords d, e, attached to the respective
traversing blocks b, c, wind themselves by the action of volute springs f, g, fitted
and contained within the centres of the said drums. These drums d, e, are arranged
within and carried by a casing h, attached to the end of a base board or frame a;
and guide rollers d³, f are also provided to direct the courses of the cords in their
winding action over the drums as aforesaid.
The face of the base board or frame a, which is divided up by the grooves or
channels a, a, is set out with holes a', u', and figurings a as in series, all arranged
transversely coincident, the first and third of these representing the units column,
and the second and fourth the tens column.
The traversing blocks b, c also have numbers upon their faces corresponding
divisionally with the numbers aud holes upon the base board, and grooves it, are
provided in the sides of the channels a, a, in which the projections b², c², carried
by the traversing blocks, work; the progress of the said blocks only being arrested
through the introduction of stop pegs k into the holes as, a', which effectively block
the path of the projections in their grooves.
The spring catches a30, a', forming the releasing means to the blocks, are
depressed by operating the push pins m, n, which release the traversing and adding

page_text: blocks, the stoppage in any other part of their traverse being accomplished only by
means of the stop pegs k.
In Figs. 1 and 2 the sliding blocks are shown representing a sum total of 176
but, when commencing a calculation, they will be pulled backwards against the
action of the springs to be held by the spring catches as aforesaid. Now, assuming
them to be in this pulled back condition, and that the sum of 24, 36, 48, 54, 9,
and 13, is required, a stop peg, such as k, is placed in the fourth hole of the
series a, which represents the units, whilst a like peg is placed in the second hole
of the series a' representing the tens.
The spring catches are now depressed, thereby releasing the sliding blocks,
which travel forward in the channels a², a³, until arrested by the projections b², c
of them coming against the stop pegs in holes 4 and 2 as aforesaid. The 36 is
next pegged, the sliding blocks with their indexed surfaces constituting simple
adding agents, but the pegs in holes 4 and 2 must not be removed until new pegs
have been placed in holes opposite the 6 and 3 of the sliding blocks in this position.
When this has been done the first pegs are removed which releases the sliding
blocks, and they travel again until arrested by the last inserted pegs. The 48, 54,
9 and 13, is then pegged in like manner, the action being similar to the pegging
upon a cribbage board, only in double order; the unit 9 being pegged by the unit
block independent of any movement of the tens, after which the sum total of the
added numbers can be read.
It will be found that the unit block has traversed 34 divisions, whilst the tens
block has traversed 15 and, as the series of numbers on the base board are divided
into tens, it is easy to perceive that 150, 30 and 4 represent 184, which is the sum
total of the added numbers. Thus any additional calculation can be made either
of numbers or money, the base board and sliding blocks in the latter case being
divided up and indexed to represent pounds, shillings, and pence, but the action
and method of calculation in both cases is in principle identical.
I do not wish to limit myself to the volute springs as agents for the movements
of the blocks, or to them sliding in grooves, as they may fall by their own weight,
the base board being vertically disposed, or be operated by weights, and mounted
to traverse on rods with equivalent releasing and arresting mechanisms.
Figs. 4, 5, & 6 of the sheet of drawings represent ny invention in another form,
namely, upon a circular and rotary principle, a vertical section being shown in the
first-named figure, a front elevation in the second, and a transverse vertical section
in the third.
Circular discs or their equivalents a, b, c, are loosely and independently
mounted upon a common axis b, and disposed within a box-like casing a, open at
its front a³.
Each of these rotary discs has holes respectively marked a, b, c, radially
arranged throughout their circumferences and upon their peripheries, and also
indexed figures a, b, c, coincident with them, and into these said holes arresting
pegs are placed; a stop for them being the cross piece m rigid with the box
casing a. The said rotary discs have also fast with them pullies a, b, c, around
which cords o, p, wind themselves, the former extending to the front of the
appliance, and the latter to spring operated drums s, arranged within the interior
of the casing for automatically imparting rotary movement to the said discs.
Disposed upon one side and between the discs a², 62, c², are stationary indexed
surfaces t, 2, 3, for the purpose of controlling the pegging upon the discs.
Thus we have a number of automatically operated rotating discs mounted
independently of each other, and indexed to represent reckoning mediums, the
whole acting in unison to give a sum total.
In this instrument the pence is pegged upon the disc a², the shillings upon the
disc 2, and the pounds upon the disc 2, the surfaces t, t, t, constituting set
measures of the numbers to be added.
The rotation of the discs is in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 4 and,
assuming the peg k³ to represent 0, the peg k is in the ninth hole from it, according

page_text: to the indexed surfaces as aforesaid. This peg may represent nine pence, shillings,
or pounds, and will be registered or added immediately the peg is withdrawn.
To wind up the discs when run down the cords o are pulled, which re-winds the
springs in the drum s.
The indexed portious of the appliance or instrument in both constructions may
be insertions of celluloid, zylonite, metal, or other ornamental material, and the
body of the instrument of wood, metal, or part wod and metal.
Although only two registering blocks and their parts are shown in the bar
construction, and three discs in the circular construction, it is not meant that the
instrument or appliance shall be limited to these, as one, four, five, or more such
registering parts and their fittings may be adapted to work upon the same
principle.
Having now particularly described and
tion, and in what manner the same is to
claim is :-
ascertained the nature of my inven-
be performed, I declare that what I
First. A calculating or adding appliance, consisting of a long indexed and
channelled base board or frame, provided with automatically traversing and
indexed blocks or their equivalents, and releasing and arresting mechanisms,
substantially as described and set forth.
Second. A calculating or adding appliance, comprising an indexed, channelled,
and pierced base board a, fitted with traversing blocks b, c, having releasing,
arresting, and operating means a³, u, c³, k, 62, c², t, t2, d, f, e, g, d², and e³,
substantially as set forth.
Third. The arrangement, fitting, and combination of the parts constituting my
adding appliance as set forth in Figs. 1,-3.
Fourth. A calculating or adding instrument or appliance, comprising a box
casing a, indexed, pierced, and rotating discs a², 62, c2, stationary indexed
surfaces t, 2, 3, stop pegs k, and stop m, substantially as described and set forth.
Fifth. The combination with rotating discs, indexed surfaces, stop pegs and
stop, as claimed in the preceding claim, of disc rotating mechanisms s, p, o, a, b,
and c, as set forth.
Sixth. The general arrangement and combination of the parts in Figs. 4-6.
Dated this 19th day of December 1896
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 11, Burlington Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,.
Agents for the Applicant.