IMPROVEMENTS IN CALCULATING MACHINES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Etienne Geny, Engineer, of 33, Rue des Ecoles, of
.
Paris, in the Republic of France, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CALCULATING MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Etienne Geny at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th May 1880.
ETIENNE GENY, Engineer, of 33, Rue des Ecoles, of Paris, in the Republic
of France. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CALCULATING MACHINES."
This Invention relates to improvements in calculating machines, and has for
its object to produce a calculating machine, combining simplicity and economy
of construction with efficiency in operation, thus materially reducing its cost
and increasing its commercial utility.
The present Invention consists, firstly, in the mechanical application of the process
of addition, by which units in the same row in all the numbers given are
successively added together; secondly, in the use of a single key board of ten
keys, by means of which the simple pressure of the finger on any one of them
suffices to add up the number of units which it represents; thirdly, in the
improved and novel construction of the mechanism. Two of the chief advantages
of my improved machine over all others are, firstly, simplicity of arrangement so
as to receive only one row of units.
Secondly. Greatly increased facility and convenience owing to the use of the
keys, which present an excessively simple mode of operating with the instrument.
The instrument is composed, firstly, of a series of ten levers turning on an axis,
to which are fixed the ten keys. Each of these levers has a toothed section which,
with the assistance of two coupled wheels and of a toothed sector, impart notion
to a shaft, which by means of a catch transmits motion to a wheel and to a
concave ratchet wheel affixed thereto. Secondly, of three discs, the convex surface
of each of which is divided into ten equal compartments, bearing the figures
0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. The first of these discs is fixed on the before-mentioned

page_text: axis, and receives motion from a wheel, while it is furnished with a cog, which at
each complete revolution of the disc causes a pinion to advance one cog or
tooth. A second pinion fitted to the same axis as the first gears into a wheel and
transmits intermittent motion to the second disc, which by a similar mechanism
transmits motion to the third disc. These two latter discs turn on a fixed axis
which receives the crank pin of the moveable axis. Thirdly, of three glazed
apertures placed in the upper part of the box or case of the instrument, each of
which apertures is of the same dimensions as a corresponding compartment in each
of the three discs already mentioned. Through the first of these apertures is seen
the units, through the second the tens, and through the third the hundreds. The
scopo of the instrument depends on the number of discs employed, which may be
increased as required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Etienne Geny in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
November 1880.
ETIENNE GÉNY, Engineer, of 33, Rue des Ecoles, of Paris, in the Republic of
France. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CALCULATING MACHINES."
This Invention has for its object to produce a calculating machine, combining
simplicity and economy of construction with efficiency in operation, thus materially
reducing its cost and increasing its commercial utility.
My Invention consists, firstly, in the mechanical application of the process of
addition, by which units in the same row in all the numbers given are successively
added together. Thus, for instance, the figures 8, 3, and 5 of the units are first
added up, which gives 6 in the total of the units, and 10 is carried over. To the
letter the figures 5, 4, and 2 in the column of tens are added, and 2 is set down
in the total of tens, and a 100 is carried over, and so on, in the same manner.
This is the ordinary process of mental calculation. Secondly. In the use of a
single keyboard of ten keys, by means of which the simple pressure of the finger
on any one of them suffices to add up the number of units which it represents.
Thirdly. In the improved and novel construction of the mechanism. Two of the
chief advantages of my improved machine over all others are, firstly, simplicity
of arrangement so as to receive only one row of units; secondly, greatly increased
facility and convenience owing to the use of the keys, which present an
excessively simple mode of operating with the instrument, and which instruments
based on the other process of addition could only furnish at the cost of a much
more complicated mechanism, for it would be necessary to employ as many series
of ten keys as there are usually rows of figures in the numbers given, that is to
say, about seven or eight key boards, which would certainly be impracticable.
The instrument is composed, firstly, of a series of ten levers turning on an axis,
to which are fixed ten keys. Each of these levers has a toothed section which, with
the assistance of two coupled wheels and of a toothed section, impart motion to a
shaft, which by means of a catch transmits motion to a wheel and to a concave
ratchet wheel fixed thereto.
Secondly. Of three discs, the convex surface of each of which is divided into ten
similar compartments, bearing the figures 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. The first of these
discs is fixed on the beforementioned axis, and receives motion from a wheel, and has
a cog, which at each complete revolution of the discs causes a pinion to advance
one cog or tooth. A second pinion fitted to the same axis as the first gears into
a wheel and transmits intermittent motion to the second disc, which by a similar
mechanism transmits motion to the third disc. Theso two latter discs turn on a
fixed axis which receives the crank pin of the movable axis.
Thirdly. Of three glazed apertures placed in the upper part of the box or case
of the instrument, each of which apertures is of the same dimensions as a corre-
sponding compartment in each of the three discs already mentioned. Through the
first of these apertures is seen the units, through the second the tens, and through
the third the hundreds. In order to set the instrument at work, we will suppose
that the discs are at their starting point, that is to say, that the apertures are
exactly over the compartments in which a cipher is marked. If it be desired, for
instance, to add the number 8, the finger is placed on the key bearing that number,
and it is pressed down until arrested by the lower extremity of the groove. By
means of the mechanism already described, this motion is transmitted to the first
disc, and as the gearing is arranged in such a manner that when the key of any
one of the ten levers is lowered, such first disc revolves through a number of
compartments equal to the number of units represented by the key, these numbers

page_text: are now seen to appear at the first of the three glazed apertures. After this
operation the finger is removed from the key, and the lever, as well as the shaft,
being thereby released automatically right themselves by means of springs or
In this return
counter weights, with which they are provided for that purpose.
movement of the lever the catch slides over the keys of the ratchet wheel, which
is kept from recoiling by means of a suitable catch.
Let us suppose that we then wish to add the figure 5; the finger is pressed on
the key bearing that number until it stops, which causes the other compartments
of the disc to advance, while at the second compartment, which with the cight
preceding ones completes the ten, the cog of this disc causes the pinion to advanco
by one tooth, and consequently the second pinion causes the second disc to advance
by one compartment, and the number 6 is seen to appear at the second aperture.
In this manner when the motion of the second key ceases we have at the first
aperture the figure 3, and at the second aperture the figure 1, which is equivalent
to a total of 13. By continuing the operation all the compartments of the third
disc will be passed to the third aperture, and at each complete revolution the cog
of the third disc will cause the second disc to advance by one compartment. If
there be a column of several figures the operation can be performed very rapidly
by reading four or five figures at a time, and by adding them without removing
the eyes from the instrument. Nothing will thus be lost of the sole advantage
which the other process of addition hitherto in use seems to present; when
numbers consisting of several figures have to be added up, since all the difference
will be reduced to reading groups of figures vertically instead of reading them
horizontally, which is in fact the same thing.
At the end of the operation there will be at the three apertures- figures which
will represent the total of the given column, and all that remains to be done will
be to write down the total of units and carry over the tens on to the instrument,
there to be added to the figures of the following column.
The scope of the instrument depends solely on the number of discs employed,
which may be increased as required. Suppose, however, the scope of the instru-
ment is limited to 1000, such scope is more than sufficient, because it allows of
the summing up of columns of 100 figures, composed exclusively of the figure 9.
Nevertheless as the instrument can continue to operate even after this number is
exceeded, if we have, for instance, several pages of a book to add up, we can obtain
for each row of units the totals of the pages and the general total without
interrupting the operation, for it will suffice to observe the number of times that
the instrument makes a complete revolution, and to add to the figures which
appear at the apertures the. "period 1000 as many times as there have been
revolutions. From this point of view it may be said that the scope of the
instrument is unlimited.
Having thus described my said Invention and the operation of the same, I would
have it understood that I claim the improved construction of calculating machines
herein before described and set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Etienne Gény, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifteenth day of November, in the year of our, Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.