Year: 1888

page_text: I, GUSTAV ADOLF BAHMANN, Jeweller, of Coburg, in the German Empire, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to apparatus for adding numbers, and has for its peculiar
feature that a series of keys corresponding to the consecutive numbers (1 to 10)
manner that the
is adapted to act on the same pawl-carrying frame, in such a
said frame is caused to oscillate inore or less, according to the number marked on
the actuating key; and thereby to propel a ratchet wheel which operates the
counting or indicating mechanism.
Every motion of the ratchet wheel causes the counting mechanism to add the
number marked on the key which has produced that motion; consequently tho
number shown by the counter indicates the sum of the numbers represented by tho
keys which have been depressed.
or in several rows,
The keys are preferably arranged in a stair shaped row
projecting through the cover of the box which contains the mechanism, and the
return of the oscillating frame after a key has been depressed may be produced by a
helical spring. Each key may be fixed to the top of a vertical rod passing down into
the box and pivoted at its lower end to one end of a balance lever acting with its
opposite end on the oscillating frame. The latter is pivoted on the axle of the
ratchet wheel, and carries a pawl which gears into the ratchet wheel having 100, or
200. or other suitable number of teeth. The motion of each key is limited according
to the number marked on its face, and the number of divisions (or teeth) through
which the ratchet wheel is turned at every operation, depends on the length of motion
of the kev.

page_text: Instead of using a horizontal balance lever for each key, I may attach the key
post to the free end of an expansible parallelogram, adapted to act on the oscillating
lever. The counting mechanism may be similar to those generally used for counting
the revolutions of shafts or spindles.
Datel
ת10
1
ր
1004
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London,
Agents for the Applicant.
I, GUSTAV ADOLF BAHMANN, Court Jeweller, of Coburg, in the German Empire,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The apparatus represented by the accompanying drawings, Figs. 1 to 17, has for
its object to facilitate the adding and multiplying of figures.
For this purpose the machine is constructed as follows:
On the axle c is mounted a wheel A divided into 100 or a multiple of 100 parts,
and a ratchet wheel D the teeth of which correspond to the divisions of A. The
axle c carries a frame G (loose on the axle) the two arms of which are connected by
a plate d. The frame G carries a pawl a which in consequence of the oscillation of
the plate around the axle c turns the counting wheel A for the distance of a certain
number of ratchet teeth, in which position the wheel is held by the retaining pawl.
Underneath the frame or the frame plate d there are situated the counting levers H
each of which corresponds to a different number, so that by the pressure on the
knobs J of these levers any desired number from 1 to 9 may be added or expressed;
after each hundred recorded on the counting disc, a pin applied to the same
(Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6) turns the hundreds counting disc C (which is secured by
ratchet wheel D and pawl a¹) one tooth, whereby the hundreds already counted are
recorded.
The counting levers H aro adapted to operate as follows: Each lever acts on the
frame-plate d in such a manner, that on the depression of a key J, the extremity of
the corresponding lever H imparts an oscillating motion to the frame plated or the
frame G itself, the levers being supported by an axle h passing through a slot e
of each. The amount of this oscillation is different for each key and corresponds
always to the number of ratchet teeth with which the pawl a is to come in contact.

page_text: While the depression of key 1 causes the frame to oscillate only as far as necessary
to propel the wheel Done tooth, the oscillation caused by the depression of key G is
sufficient to propel the wheel 6 divisions or six teeth. The machine may also be so
constructed, that the pawl will always come in contact with two or more teeth which,
however, count as one division or one number only. The variation in the length of
oscillation of the levers H is produced by varying their lengths. To ensure that the
effect of the levers is always accurate, the distance of the point where the lever begins
to act from the position in which any further lifting of the frame should be
prevented, is accurately adjusted. The spring i exerts the necessary downward
pressure on the plate d.
The machine may be constructed in different ways, while maintaining the condition
that a row of keys representing numerals acts always differently on a single ratchet-
mechanism.
In Figs. 5 to 7 the construction is modified in such a manner, as to obtain the
counting mechanism in a horizontal plane. Instead of the keys representing the
numerals, there is a horizontal ratchet lever B which describes a pivotal motion on
the axle clalong the circular are K provided with figures, and propels the counting
disc A by means of pawl a and ratchet wheel D for a distance corresponding to the
number of the arc K to which the lever B has been placed from zero. For
ensuring the correct position of the lover, the latter carries an indicator which
may be pressed down upon the lever, and the different panels of the arc K are either
shaped as inclined planes Fig. 8, or separated from each other by stop-pins or ribs,
Fig. 9.
The calculating machine represented by Figs. 10 to 17, has the distinctive feature,
that there is not only a single transmitting lover for transmitting the different figures
consecutively upon a counting disc, but also a mechanism for recording the figures
which have been added together, in the same order in which the addition took place,
thus providing a means of subsequently checking the result." To perform this function,
the appliance is constructed as follows.
A number of keys J corresponding to the numbers 1 to 9 are so arranged, that
they act directly on a lever B oscillating in a vertical plane (Figs. 14 to 17) and
transmitting its motion to a counting disc A, or the keys J are connected with an
expansible parallelogram (Figs. 10 to 13) which produce the oscillations (of different
aniplitudes) of a lever B oscillating in a horizontal plane (Figs. 10 to 13). Each
motion of any of the keys J operates at the same time the checking mechanism which
is arranged as follows:
A drum N carries a strip M of paper which from the drum N is guided over
rollers O and Pand fed forward a certain distanco at cach depression of a key, by
means of a ratchet mechanism operated by extension n, cross bar S and beams T.
After the paper ribbon has been shifted, the down motion of a key acts on the
needle belonging to that key, by means of a lever R combined with a spring W
thus producing on the section of the paper ribbon which corresponds to that key a
mark which shows that the number helonging to a certain key has been added. For
this purpose the paper ribbon is divided longitudinally into a number of panels or
sections corresponding to the figures 1 to 9, and has also transverse divisions, each of
which corresponds to a feed-motion of the paper ribbon which takes place at every
depression of a key.
To ensure, that in spite of the differences in the lengths of motion of the indi-
vidual keys, the feed-motion of the travelling ribbon, as well as the motions of the
marking pins, is always the same for all keys, I provide the following device. The
vertically moveable lever B (Figs. 14 to 17) or the keys J, which set it in motion,
are armed with fingers situated at different levels and transmitting a definite portion
only of their down-motion upon the marking levers corresponding to the different
keys. A feed lever V (Figs. 14 to 17) carrying a pawl (Figs. 12, 13, 16, 17,) is
applied in such a manner that the lever B imparts to the same an oscillating motion
through a certain distance only. Consequently, the motion of the pawl . produced
by actuating any of the keys will always be the same, and the ribbon mounted on the

page_text: circumference of the roller O will always be fed a given distance. To obtain this
effect, the lever V is provided with a short, oblique facer on which acts the lever B
The marking lever R and the ratchet lever V are brought back into their initial position
by springs. In the case of a horizontally oscillating lever B (Figs. 10-12) the marking
levers Rare actuated by means of shoulders i formed on the keys at different levels,
and in the case of an expansible parallelogram, the links and have projections g
for imparting motion to the lever B, and projections n for moving the marking
levers R, as well as the ratchet levers T and plate S. Instead of the hundreds disc C,
I employ a toothed rack L, guided in a straight line.
As shown by the drawings, the free end of the lever or beam B carries a toothed
wheel gearing into a toothed segment F, and is connected with a long helical spring
interposed between the said lever and the side of the box. In Fig. 15 the lever B is
supported by a spring. The beams T are supported by springs U. The axle of the
roller P passes through the side of the box and is square at its end t for attaching a
crank or key.
The counting disc A is armed with a tooth at every hundredth division, there-
fore with two teeth, if the disc has 200 teeth, as represented in the drawing, while
the counting rail L for adding the hundreds is guided tangentially to the disc A and
provided with teeth in such a manner, that every time when a tooth 7 passes the
rail L, the latter is propelled one tooth.
The mechanism works as follows:-
For adding different numbers, the key corresponding to the respective figure is
depressed, until it touches the face E, whereby a corresponding oscillating motion is
imparted to the lever B, and transmitted to the counting disc by means of pawl a
and retaining pawl b. When all numbers to be added have been transmitted to the
lever B, and counting disc A, by depressing the respective keys, the position of the
dise A and that of the counting rail L which is divided into sections indicating the
hundreds, shows what total number has been added, the feel-motion of the counting
rail for one division being produced by means of a pin 7 secured to the counting disc
at every hundred. Simultaneously, however,, the whole process of calculation is
recorded on the paper ribbon for the purpose of checking the result, in as much
as the longitudinal panels or sections of the ribbon. which correspond to the
different figures always show, when and in what order the different figures have been
added.
In order to replace the counting disc into its zero position when the calculation is
completed, I have adopted the following device.
Over or under the counting wheel A there is a three-armed pivoted piece u, v, w,
the arm w of which carries a knob a while the two other arms vand i act on the
pawl a and counter-pawl as soon as the piece u, r, w is turned. In the latter case
(as shown in dotted lines by Fig. 11) the pawls are released from the teeth of the
counting wheel, and the latter may be turned freely on its axis. By the use of an
additional arm Fig. 5, the hundred wheel-pawl a may also be released, while in
Figs. 1 to 3 this release is produced separately from that of the pawls a and b, by the
cam q, Fig. 2, and the knob r is secured to the arm v.
Having now particularly described the nature of my invention, and in what
manner the samo may be performed, I declare that what I claim is :
1.. An adding machine, comprising in its construction a row of numeral keys J,
levers H, a ratchet frame G, a counting wheel A, the whole arranged in such a manner
that each key acts on a lever H and the latter on the frame G which in its turn
operates the ratchet mechanism and counting disc, the oscillating motion of the frame G
and feed-motion of the ratchet and counting disc being more or less, according to
the figure represented by the key; the total motion of the disc A from its zero-
position thus corresponding to the sum of the figures which have been expressed by
depressing the different keys; the hundreds being indicated by means of a tooth
wheel C and a pin / secured to the disc A..

page_text: 2. The modified mechanism, comprising in its construction a counting disc, a ratchet
lever B, and a graduated are K, the whole being adapted to operate substantially as
indicated in claim 1.
3. In calculating machines having keys adapted to turn a counting disc in propor-
tion to the different figures, a recording mechanism comprising in its construction a
recording ribbon M, rollers N, O, P and ratchet levers T, V, arranged in such a manner,
that the recording ribbon is fed forward uniformly and periodically, and that the
depression of each key is made apparent on the respective sections of the recording
ribbon.
4. The combination of the pawls a, a¹ b acting on the discs A and C, with a
piece u, v, wo or with a piece uv and the cam 9, for placing the said discs back into
their zero-position.