Improvements in Apparatus for Adding or Calculating.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Feb., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 20th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Adding or Calculating.
We, BENJAMIN THOMPSON O'BRIEN, of 30, Slater Street, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Mechanical Engineer, and WALTER HENRY BROWNING, of Portia
Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Mechanic, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows;
This invention relates to improvements in the apparatus described in the
Specification of Patent No. 21558 of 1894 and is designed to render the apparatus
more efficient and to provide also for the printing of the amounts.
The endless rings are constructed of D or other suitable shape to present a
flat inclined face instead of a curved one to the front to enable the number of
balls to be more readily enumerated and to facilitate the working. The rings are
also made with a second or auxiliary passage leading from the back where
the supply of balls are situated or stored to the front below or beyond the keys
or finger board. This auxiliary passage is provided with a latch for releasing
a single ball which is operated by the dividing mechanism of the preceding ring
so that a ball is carried forward to the next denomination without moving or
opening any of the keys. This latch is connected by a lever which extends from
the releasing lever at the front of the ring to the back of the ring behind the
kevs. The balls fall by their own weight down the auxiliary tube when released.
The elevators for raising the balls above or behind the keys are pivoted eccen-
trically to the rings and are loose on a square or angular shaft so that they are
withdrawn at one part of their stroke to allow the balls to fall or pass under
them when discharged without the elevators leaving or being lifted from the
rings.
The latch by which the balls are held and which is depressed by the keys to
release them is raised by a spring connected to a lever so that should any
obstruction occur by the latch resting directly upon or against a ball or otherwise
no breakage can occur as the spring would expand.
A friction to maintain the keys in position is applied by means of a flat spring
of watch spring type interlaced or intertwined from the spindle of one key to
the next.
The operation of the machine is accelerated by connecting a handle or lever by
spur or other gearing to the operating shaft which raises the elevators and which
carries the cams or eccentrics for returning the keys to position and actuating
the dividing and releasing mechanism.
In a modified arrangement solid rings are employed instead of tubes and flat
pieces are stamped to slide over the exterior instead of the balls in the interior.
The keys are attached to a number of thin or flat double latches or latch and
key pivoted in a suitable position which release the desired number of flat pieces
or washers when the keys are depressed. The dividing lever is pivoted on a bar
capable of sliding transversely in front which is moved by a cam on the handle
shaft. In addition to this bar there are other transverse bars in front one for
re-setting one for cutting off and another for discharging all the flat pieces.

page_text: This latter bar is operated by. a key and bell crank lever one end of which
engages with a pin or stop on the bar. The pieces are carried round by a lever
or bar with a movable centre which is brought into contact with the pieces as it
is rotated by the handle by means of a fixed cam, eccentric or other device for
the purpose. Instead of counting or recording directly by the flat pieces on
the ring an index finger or lever is provided for each which can at any time be
brought to rest upon the top of the flat pieces and its position be recorded by
an index plate or dial the figures upon which are visible through a slit or slot
in the frame or cover. A. separate handle may be employed for bringing the
index finger and plate into position for recording.
A printing mechanism is also applied to the machine whereby the amount
added by each key as it is depressed is also printed in a column upon a strip
of paper. At the side of each ring we place a slide provided with a number of
projecting pins and on the spindles of the keys we provide corresponding pins.
The pins are so placed and arranged as to regulate the distance travelled by the
slide each time a key is depressed, the slide moving a different distance for
each key. The slide is moved in one direction by a spring and moved back
again by the operation of the handle and is held by a pivoted catch or latch until
again released.
Each slide is by means of a connecting rod and cross levers connected with a
type bar carrying numerals which is caused to slide horizontally or otherwise a
given distance each time the key with which it is connected is depressed to bring
the corresponding figure or numeral under the printing roller. The number
of type bars carrying numerals corresponds with the number of rings which
comprise the machine.
The printing roller and strip or roll of paper upon which the amounts are
printed are carried in a pivoted or swinging frame or cradle which is depressed
to bring the roller into contact with the type bars by a crank cam eccentric or
similar device each time the handle is operated.
Dated this 20th dow of Anil 1908
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester, Patent Agents.
Ppalavusalculating.
We, BENJAMIN THOMPSON O'BRIEN, of 30, Slater Street, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Mechanical Engineer, and WALTER HENRY BROWNING, of Portia
Street, Liverpool aforesaid, Mechanic, 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 relates to improvements in the apparatus described in the
Specification of Patent No. 21558 of 1894 and is designed to render the apparatus
more efficient and to provide also for the printing of the amounts.
The invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Fig. 1. Side elevation of improved form of endless tube.
Fig. 2. Side elevation of same with latch for releasing the balls to carry
one forward to the next denomination.
Fig. 3. Plan of releasing latch detached.
Fig. 4. Transverse section of tube keys and latch on line x-x Fig. 1.

page_text: Fig. 6. Transverse section on line y-y Figs. 1 & 2.
Fig. 7. Sectional side elevation of endless tube.
Fig. 8. End elevation partly in section of printing mechanism.
Fig. 9. Front elevation of printing mechanism and one section of the endless
tubes of the machine.
Fig. 10. Plan of levers and connecting rods for operating the numeral carry.
ing bars.
The endless tubes A are constructed of D or other suitable shape to present
a flat inclined face A¹ instead of a curved face to the front to enable the number
of balls B to be more readily enumerated through the front slot a¹ in the lower
face of the ring.
The tubes A are also made with a second or auxiliary passage A² leading from
the back where the supply of balls are situated or stored to the front beyond the
arms or levers d of the keys or fingerboard D. The auxiliary passage A2 is
provided with a latch or releasing lever L the ends of which enter the tube
for the purpose of releasing a single ball when necessary for carrying one
forward for the next denomination without moving or operating either of the
keys the lever being operated by the dividing mechanism of the preceding
tube or ring A.
The releasing lever L is pivoted to a snug under the ring (or to other part
of the machine) and to one side of it is pivoted the dividing finger K which
enters the preceding ring or tube to that in which the balls B are operated and
released by the ends. The releasing lever or latch L and the dividing
finger Kare operated by a finger K¹ on an oscillating bar or shaft H' which is
moved to and fro at each movement of the handle by which the machine is
operated. When the number of balls in the front of the tube A are less than
say 10 the dividing finger K passes up into the tube behind the balls and the
lever L remains stationary. When there are a greater number of balls in the
tube the end of the dividing finger K rests against one of the balls and the
pressure of the operating pin or finger K' against it forces up the end of the
lever or latch L at the same time drawing down the other end of the latch and
releasing one ball in the next tube which traverses the auxiliary passage A² to
the front of the tube. The form of the ends of the latch or lever L is such as
to permit of the release of one ball only at each movement in operation.
The elevators T which raise the balls B are carried on the rod t preferably
square supported by the arms t¹ from the central shaft H. The ring or tube Å
is near the lower part somewhat eccentric in relation to the elevator T so that
as the elevator is moved to and fro to lift the balls it is near the lower part of
its stroke withdrawn from the tube to allow the balls to fall or pass under when
discharged from the front without the elevators leaving or being lifted out of
the rings or tubes as was formerly the case.
The keys D are fitted in a plate or frame C and operate to release the balls B
as described in the Specification of the former Patent 21558/94. The latch E
by which the balls are held and which is depressed by the keys D) to release the
balls is pivoted to the upright pin or spindle e to which is attached a cross bar e¹
and the latch is connected thereto by a spring by which the outer end is
raised so that should any obstruction occur when the latch E is being raised by
coming directly against or upon a ball or otherwise no breakage will occur as the
spring will expand.
The upright pin or spindle e is attached to the pivoted lever or plate F against
which the lower ends of the keys rest and which is depressed thereby the latch E
is then drawn down on either of the keys D being depressed.
Friction to maintain the keys in position is applied by a flat spring of watch
spring type interlaced or intertwined from the spindle of one key to the next.
The operation of the machine is accelerated by connecting the handle or
lever O by spur or other gearing o to the operating shaft H which raises the
0

page_text: elevators and which carries the cams or eccentrics for returning the keys to
position and actuating the dividing and releasing mechanism.
A printing mechanism is also applied to the machine whereby the amount
added by each key as it is depressed is also printed in a column upon a strip of
paper.
At the side of each ring we place a sliding plate M provided on its upper edge
with a number of projections or pins m the number of pins being equivalent to
the number of keys D. On the spindle d of each key D is fitted a pin m¹ to corre-
spond therewith and when the key is depressed the sliding plate is released and
the pin m thereon engages the pin m' on the key.
The pins m on the sliding plate M are so placed or arranged and at such a
distance from the corresponding pin m¹ on the key spindle that when released
the sliding plate traverses a distance equivalent to the numeral on the key before
its travel is stopped by the pin m thereon engaging with the pin m. The pins m
are thus placed or arranged to regulate the distance travelled by the sliding
plate M the plate moving a different distance for each key. The sliding plate M
when released is moved or drawn forward by a spring such as m² placed in any
convenient position and is moved back to normal position at each movement of
the operating handle O by the rod m³ engaging the pin m.
On the side of the sliding plate M is pivoted a latch or catch N which main-
tains the plate in normal position when moved back for resetting. The catch N.
engages a pin on the pivoted lever or plate F and when the lever or plate F is
depressed by the key D to release the balls the sliding plate M is released at
the same time and travels forward until one of the pins m engage the pin m¹ of
the key that has been depressed.
The sliding plate M (of each endless tube or ring A) is connected by means of
connecting rods p and hell crank lever p¹ with a lever P pivoted or fulcrummed
in the base of the machine which in its turn is connected with a type bar R
carrying numerals placed at the end of the machine. The levers are con-
nected to the type bars R by the projections r thereon. Each forward movement
of the sliding plate M moves forward by means of the lever P the type bar R
to which it is connected the movement of the type bar corresponding with the
movement of the plate bringing a numeral under the printing roller correspond-
ing with that on the key and therefore with the number of balls that have been
released.
The number of the type bars R correspond with the number of the endless
tubes or rings A which comprise the machine.
Over the type bars R is placed a printing platten S round which a band of
paper U to receive the impression from the type bars is caused to pass an inking
ribbon V or other similar device being employed to cause the impression to be
made upon the paper at each operation.
The printing platten S is mounted on an oscillating or reciprocating frame s
which is depressed at each operation of the handle O and shaft H by a lever or
cam thereon engaging an arm of the frame. The same movement operates
the pawl and ratchet el to draw the paper forward, and the pawl and ratchet 23
to draw the inking ribbon forward.
This printing mechanism and the sliding plate M with the keys D may be
employed for the printing of columns of figures without the adding device com-
prised by the ring and balls.
In a modified arrangement solid rings are employed instead of tubes and flat
pieces are stamped to slide over the exterior instead of the balls in the interior.
The keys are attached to a number of thin or flat double latches or latch and
key pivoted in a suitable position which release the desired number of flat pieces
or washers when the keys are depressed.
The dividing lever is pivoted on a bar capable of sliding transversely in front
which is moved by a cam on the handle shaft.
In addition to this bar there are other transverse bars in front one for re-setting

page_text: one for cutting off and another for discharging all the flat pieces. This latter bar
is operated by a key and bell crank lever one end of which engages with a pin
or stop on the bar. The pieces are carried round by a lever or bar with a movable
centre which is brought into contact with the pieces as it is rotated by the handle
by means of a fixed cam, eccentric or other device for the purpose. Instead of
counting or recording directly by the flat pieces on the ring an index finger or
lever is provided for each which can at any time be brought to rest upon the top
of the flat pieces and its position be recorded by an index plate or dial the
figures upon which are visible through a slit or slot in the frame or cover.
A separate handle may be employed for bringing the index finger and plate into
position for recording.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. In an adding or calculating machine of the type referred to an endless tube
for the balls with a straight inclined front substantially as described.
•
2. In an adding or calculating machine of the type referred to an endless tube
of D shape through which the balls travel substantially as described.
3. In an adding or calculating machine of the type referred to an endless tube
for the balls constructed with an auxiliary tube through which a ball falls into
the tube of next denomination when released without the operating of the keys
substantially as described.
4. In an adding or calculating machine of the type referred to the combination
with the endless tube A and auxiliary tube or passage A2 of the releasing latch
or lever L one end of which releases a ball in one tube and the other end is
operated by a dividing lever in the preceding tube substantially as described.
5. In an adding or calculating machine of the type referred to an endless
tube to carry the balls placed eccentric to the elevator to enable the elevator to
move clear of the balls to permit them to run in behind substantially as described.
6. In an adding or calculating machine of the type referred to the combination
with the latch E of the spindle to which it is pivoted and a spring e² carried
thereby to prevent breakage substantially as described and shown.
7. An adding or calculating machine of the type referred to constructed with
printing mechanism operated by the same keys as release the balls whereby a
record of each transaction is obtained and preserved substantially as described.
8. An adding or calculating machine of the type referred to constructed with
a sliding bar or plate provided with pins corresponding in number with the
keys and each set to engage a pin on the key spindle such sliding plate being
released by the depression of either key and travelling a distance equal to the
numerical value of the key and at the same time by means of a lever and connect-
ing rod moving a type bar a corresponding distance substantially as described.
9. The combination with keys of numerical value of apparatus for printing
columns of figures constructed and arranged substantially as described and shown.
10. An adding or calculating machine having the several parts constructed
and arranged (either with or without the printing mechanism) substantially as
described and shown.
Dated this 17th day of November 1899.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester, Patent Agents.