US1248323A - Actuating mechanism for combined type-writing and computing machines. - Google Patents

Description

F. A. HART.

ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR COMBINED TYPE WRITING AND COMPUTING MACHINES.

htented Nov. 2?, 191?.

" APPLICATION FILED NOV-13.1916.

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3 SHEETS--SHEET 1.

F. A. HART. ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR COMBINED TYPE WRITING AND COMPUTING MACHINES.

' APPLICATION FILED NOV. Is. 1916.

F. A. HART.

ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR COMBINED TVPE WRITiNG AND COMPUTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. I3. 1916.

1 $48,323. mmwl Nova. 21/, 19w.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- Uhllffltllfl %TATE% PAENT @ldFltGldh FREDERICK A. HART, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD COM IPUTING- MACHINE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR COMBINED TYPE-WRITING AND COMPUTING MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 27, 191% Original application filed. December 9, 1910, Serial No. 596,451. Divided and this application filed November 13, 1916. 'Serial No. 130,981.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK A. HART, a citizen of the United States, residing in Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Actuating Mechanism for Combined Type-\Vriting and Computing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to mechanism, whereby a machine or device may be operated either from a source of power or by hand, and is primarily intended for use in connection with the mechanism for operating a combined typewriting and computing machine.

In machines of this character, it is desirable to cause the keys to preliminarily set the amount to be computed on devices which are later operated to cause a computation to take place, and it is desirable to drive these devices by means of a general operator from a source of power, such as an electric motor, with means for causing the motor to drive said devices operated by a key adjacent the keyboard of the machine. It is also desir able upon the operation of the motor to return the typewriter carriage which has spaced during the preliminary setting up of the numbers.

Under some circumstances, it is desirable to perform the above functions by hand, as for instance, in a case Where a source of power for the electric motor is not available or in emergencies. For this purpose, a manually operable lever, having connections to the driving parts, is provided.

In transmitting the power of the motor to the general operator and the carriage return, the one-way driving movement of the motor must be transformed into a reciprocating motion, necessary to operate the parts. The arrangement of the parts for thus transforming the motion of the motor is such that the general operator cannot be moved manually while connected to the motor by the transmission mechanism.

It is also desirable, especially when operting the device manually, to relieve said device of any unnecessary work or resistance; thus, when the machine is driven by hand, it is undesirable to drive the motor and associated parts unnecessarily;

To overcome the above difliculty and attain the above advantages, I provide means whereby the motor with its transmission mechanism may be disconnected from the parts of the machine operated thereby thus leaving the machine free to be operated by hand. I disconnect the parts directly at the general operator, so that the only parts moved by hand are the parts necessary to perform the proper functions of the machine.

As it is desirable to securely mount the electric motor to a stationary portion of the machine, I arrange the transmission mechanism so that the break between the driving parts and the driven parts might take place without moving the motor. These results may be obtained by mountmg the transmission mechanism, having a geared connection to the motor, in a casing pivotally mounted with its axis parallel to the axis of the motor shaft, so as to be capable of movement away from the general operator without disturbing the motor. To hold the transmission mechanism in engagement with the general operator, 1 provide means which may comprise a lever having a portion adapted to engage the casing and movable to a position to lower the transmission mechanism, to permit the disconnection of the transmission mechanism from the general operator. The transmission mechanism may be guided in its bodily movement by a lug engaging with a groove in the frame, thus insuring the proper repositioning of the transmission mechanism.

This is a division of my co-pending application Scrial No. 596,451, filed December 9, 1910, Patent No. 1,211,148, dated January 2, 1917.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a view in side elevation, partly crosssectional and broken away, showing a, typewriter adding machine and the motordriven mechanism of the present invention for operating such machine;

Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation, partly cross-sectional, showing the motor-driven mechanism connected to the adding and associated mechanisms, and showing the keyoperated control mechanism, 1

Fig. 3 is a view in cross-section, showing parts seen in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view in end elevation of the driving mechanism; the typewriter frame being broken away to show parts of the mechanisms within the same.

In Fig. 1 the base plate 1 of the typewriter is shown supported upon standards 2. The motor and mechanism, which forms the present invention, is attached to the framework below the base plate 1. The motor 3 is indicated as an electric motor having a suitable drive shaft 4. It will be understood, however, that the motor may be of any desired character and instead of being mounted directly on the drive shaft 4 below the base plate, may be situated at any suitable point and connected by earing to the drive shaft. The drive shaft 4 rotates continually, but its action is transmitted to the typewriter adding and carriagereturn mechanisms only when it is desired to actuate such mechanisms and when, for this purpose, a suitable key 5 is depressed. The adding and carriage-return mechanisms will not be described in detail, although the same are shown in part in the various drawings, because these mechanisms are fully set forth and described in the patent to Hans Hanson, No. 816,319, dated March 27, 1906, and my application, filed December 10, 1908, No. 466,886.

The motor shaft 4, being directly connected to the motor, would, if also positively connected to the adding mechanism, be nonyielding in its action on the adding and carriage-return mechanism. In order that the connections from the motor to these mecha nisms may yield slightly at sudden loads, or may slip continuously if blocked by accident to the machine, there is interposed between the motor and these mechanisms a friction clutch, the friction of which may be adjusted so as to carry, without slip, the full load required for the proper operation of the mechanisms, but so as to permit of slip in event of excess load. The mechanisms are therefore driven, not directly from the shaft 4, but from a shaft 6 (see Fig. 1) alined with the shaft 4 and connected thereto by the friction clutch.

Keyed to the end of the shaft 4 is a sleeve 7 having integral therewith on its end a disk 8, which forms one member of the friction clutch between the shafts 4 and 6. Loosely mounted on the sleeve 7, to have longitudinal movement thereon, is a disk 9 which forms the member actually driving shaft 6. Between disks 8 and 9 is a disk 10 of suitable friction material. The disk 9 is connected to the shaft 6 to rotate therewith by means of an arm 11 fast to the shaft 6 and having an offset portion or tooth 12, which extends over the disks 8 and i 10, and lies between two cars 13 on the disk 9. A coiled compression spring 14 bears at one end against the disk 9 and at the other end against a nut 15 fast to the sleeve 7. The tension of the spring 14 is so adjusted by means of the nut 15, that under the normal load the disk 9 is forced against the disk 10 and the latter against the disk 8 in such manner that the shaft 4 with the disk 8, in revolving, carries the disk 9 and through the medium of the arm 11, also carries the shaft 6. It will be noted, however, that when the load on the shaft 6 exceeds the predetermined capacity of the spring 14, there will be slipping between the disks 8 and 9, so that the shaft 4 may nevertheless revolve without injury to the machine.

The adding and the carriage-return mechanisms to be driven from the shaft 6 are actuated by means of a longitudinally reciprocated rack 16 just above the base plate 1, and forming part of a general operator or actuator for running up digits accumulated by the computing mechanism. This rack and the mechanisms operated thereby are fully described in the Hanson patent, above referred to. For actuating the rack from the motor, there is adjustably attached to the rack a yoke 17 engaging the upper end of an arm 18 mountcd on a cross head 19 as more particularly shown in Fig. 3. The cross head 19 is carried on a slide 20, which has bearings and reciprocates within extensions 21 of a casing 22. The reciprocation of the slide 20 with the cross head 19 is transmitted by the arm 18 and yoke 17, to the rack 16, so that the slide 20 and the rack 16 move together at all times. The casing 22and the base plate 1 are slotted at 23 and 24, respectively, to permit of engagement of the arm 18 with the yoke on the rack. The slide 20 is shown as a cylindrical bar having an elongated oil groove 27. The yoke 17 is adjustable on the rack 16, so that the parts may be set to give the proper movement to the rack.

The slide 20 with the cross head 19 is reciprocated bymeans of a crank 25 on a shaft 26, which latter has rotary movement in a bearing sleeve 27 integral with the casing 22 containing the cross head 19. The crank 25 is connected to the cross head by means of a block 28 pivotally attached to the crank, and mounted to have up-and-down reciprocatory movement in a guideway 29 in the cross head 19. By means of the block 28, the rotary movement of the crank is transformed into a reciprocating movement of the cross head. A half revolution of the crank 25 from the position shown in Fig. 3 causes the cross head and slide 20 to be shifted with the rack 16 a full stroke to the left; the crank, continuing its revolution, then carries the slide and the cross head back to normal position shown in Fig. 3. For every complete revolution of the shaft 26, there is, therefore, a complete forward and return movement of the cross head with the rack.

Integral with the bearing sleeve 27 and at the right-hand end thereof is a second casing 30 into which the shaft 26 protrudes. The casing 30 has a cylindrical sleeve-like portion 31 in which the shaft 6, (heretofore described as connected by the friction clutch to the power shaft 4), is mounted to have rotary movement in suitable bearings (see Fig. 1). The shaft 6, it will be recalled, may rotate continuously, (except when operatively connected to the adding mechanism, under such conditions of overload of the latter as to cause slipping at the friction clutch), whereas the shaft 26, which is positively connected to the operating rack 16, must only rotate when the adding mechanism is operated. Consequently, between the shaft 26 and the shaft 6 which drives the same, there must be a suitable clutchmechanism for connecting the shafts when the adding mechanism is to be operated and for disconnecting the shafts at other times. The construction of this clutch and the means for operating the same is as follows:

Mounted to revolve loosely on the shaft 26 is a worm gear 32. The worm gear 32 gears with a worm 33 on the shaft 6, and consequently rotates continuously with shafts 6 and 4. Fast to the shaft 26 is the cup member 34 of the control clutch. Fast to the hub of the gear 32 is a hardened hearing ring or collar 35, between which and the inside face of the clutch cup is a grip roll or ball 36, which when gripping both the clutch cup and the collar 35 transmits the movement of the latter to the cup, and

- hence to the shaft 26. The roll 36 projects within a pocket 37 in the inside face of the clutch cup. This pocket is cam shaped, so that in one position the ball or roll 36 may grip both the bearing ring 35 and the clutch cup to cause the two to rotate together, whereas in another position of the roll in its pocket, the grip of the roll on the collar 35 is released to permit the latter to rotate idly and independently of the clutch cup 34 and shaft 26.

The gripping ball or roll is shifted between gripping and releasing positions in the pocket 37 by means of an annular member or ring 38 which rides loosely on the collar 35 within the cup 34, and which is cut away at one point to receive the roll 36, so as to engage the roll on both sides thereof as shown in Fig. 1. Rotation of the ring 38 on the bearing collar 35 therefore results in a. shift of the gripping roll or ball. Within a pocket 39 in the ring 38 is a coiled compression spring 40 bearing at one end against the ring 38 and at the other end against a stop 41 secured to the inside of the clutch cup. The pocket 39 is of sufficient length to permit of the movement of the ring 38 without interference by the stop 41. The pressure of the spring 40 tends to turn the ring 38 with the roll 36 in such a direction as to cause the clutch cup and the bearing collar to be locked together by the gripping roll. Unless otherwise prevented, the spring 40 would therefore always act to lock the shafts 26 and 6 to cause the same to rotate together. Since, however, such looking of the two shafts is only desired when the adding mechanism is to be opcrated, the ring 38 must normally be held against the action of the spring 40, with the roll 36 in such position as to prevent gripping by the roll.

For holding the ring 38 in releasing position, there is a stop or trip pin 43, carried by the casing 30, and adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with a tooth or (ls-tent 44, which latter is integral with the ring 38 and projects through an opening in the horizontal flange of the clutch cup. The stop pin 43 is movable into and out of reach of the tooth 44 by mechanism operated from the key hen in the position shown in Fig. 1, the stop pin 43 engages the tooth 4-4, and thus holds the ring 38 against the action of the spring 40; so that, at this time, the gripping roll is held in position where it is inefiective to grip the clutch cup to the worm gear. This is the normal position of the parts. When the shaft 26 is to be locked to the shaft 6, the pin is lifted so as to disengage the pin from the tooth 44. The spring 40 is then free to throw the ring 38 with the roll 36, thus locking the clutch cup to the worm gear, and causing the rotary movement of the shaft 6 to be picked up by the shaft 26.

lVhen the clutch cup is rotated, the ring 38 with its tooth 44 is also rotated, so that the tooth 44 moves past and away from the pin 43. if after the teeth 44 passes the pin 43, the pin. 43 is promptly dropped back to normal position, it will be struck by the tooth as the latter completes its rotation, and will thus cause the ring 38 to be forced back against the action of the spring 40 to release the clutch cap from the worm gear. F or each operation of the adding mechanism, the stop pin 43 is lifted, and then promptly dropped. thus causing the aarts to make one rotation together, and thereupon to be disconnected by pin 43 when the tooth 44 strikes it on completing the rev olution.

The key 5 which operates the trip or stop pin 43 is carried on a key stem or plunger 4:) having pivoted at its lower end a lever 46, in turn pivoted to the frame of the machine at 46 A lever 47 which directly engages the trip pin 43 is pivoted to the frame at 48 and crosses under the lever 46 in such manner as to be engaged and rocked by the '1 tion by a spring 56 (see Fig. 4).

latter when the key 5 is depressed. The lever 47 at one end engages between two shoulders 49 and 50 on the head of the trip or stop pin 43, and at the other end carries an adjustable yoke 51 upon the top of which the key lever 46 bears when the key is depressed. The yoke 51 is adjustable around a pivot 52 on the lever 47 by means of set screws 53 and thus provides for accurate setting of the connections so that the position and movement of the trip pm by the lever 46 may be fixed with accuracy. The fulcrum 48 of the lever 47 is, also adjustable to predetermine the proper position and movements of the parts, and to this end it is mounted upon a block 54 adjustable, by

means of set screws 55, on the frame of the machine.

Depression of the key 5 therefore causes the lever 46 to be depressed, and the latter pressing upon the lever 47 rocks the same in such manner that the trip pin 43 is lifted and thus disengaged from the detent or tooth 44 in the clutch device. The key 5 with the lever 46 is returned to normal posi- The movement of the key lever in both directions is determined by a stop pin or bar 57 which lies within a slot 58 in the key stem, and which by engagement with the end walls of the slot determines the movement of the key and connected parts. A leaf spring 67 attached to the frame of the machine, bears against the head of the trip pin 43 and re turns the same with the lever 47 to normal position when the key 5 is released.

The motor driven part may be disconnected from the adding mechanism, and the arm 18 disengaged from the rack 16 by swinging the casing 22 and 30, and their connecting sleeve 27, together with all parts contained within. said casings, around the axis of the shaft 6 as a pivot. To this end, the sleeve-like portion 31 of the casing 30 is mounted to turn in trunnions formed by rings 58 and 59, carried by the bracket 60 which supports the casing from the base plate. The casing 22 rests upon a cam lever 61 pivoted at 62 to a bracket 63, also attached to the base plate. lVhen the cam lever 61 is turned down 90 degrees from the position shown in Fig. 2, the casings 22 and 30 turn in the trunnions 58 and 59 sufliciently to withdraw the arm 18 from the rack 16. The casing 22 then rests on the other face of the cam lever, and the typewriter may be removed or the parts thereof adjusted and the adding operation performed by a handle 83 (as described below) without reference to the motor connections. Reverse movement of the cam lever brings the parts again to Fig. 2 position.

The movement of the parts in the trunnions 58 and 59 is guided by a lug 64 on the end 65 of the casing 22, which moves in a shaft 83. Loose on shaft 83 is a gear 84 V which meshes with a pinion 85 which is fast on a shaft 86 with a drum 87. Attached at one end to the drum 87 is a draw band 88 which is led over an idler 89 on a bracket 7 9 under a guard 90, and is attached at its other end to the carriage-return and linespacing lever (not shown) of the typewriter.

During the feed of the carriage, the band 88 is paid off of the drum 87, but when the rack 16 is moved forward in the manner hereinbefore described, the drum 87 is revolved so as to wrap upon it the band 88, thereby drawing upon the carriage-return and linespacing lever to return the carriage and to line-space the platen.

The adding mechanism comprises a reciprocating frame supported, at one side of the machine, on the rack 16, and at the other side of the machine on a bar 91. This frame comprises two bracket arms 92 attached to rack 16, and to the bar 91 respectively; and

also two bars 93 and 94, disposed longitudi-.

nally of the machine and attached at each end to one of the bracket arms 92. As set forth in the Hanson patent referred to, the bar 93 is the setting pin-lever bar, which when moved forward with the rack 16, en gages and moves the pin levers (not shown) to effect the adding operation. The other bar 94 upon return of the rack 16 engages the pin-levers to return the same to normal position. In the Hart adding machine, the adding and carriage-return mechanisms are operated, in a manner fully disclosed in the aforesaid Hart application No. 466,836'by means of lever 95 fast on shaft 83 and so rotated by segment 82 cooperating with lever 96 loose 011 the shaft 83, said levers 96 and 95 carrying pinions 97 and 98 meshing with gear 84. When rack 16 is reciprocated, it turns the segment 82, rotating shaft 83 and so pinion 98 rides forward idly on gear 84 until it meshes with'pinion 97, when, owing to the fact that the pinions attempt to rotate against each other, they look to the gear 84 to effect the rotation of the latter, and thus rotate drum 87 through the agency of pinion 85, thereby drawing the carriage back by means of band 88. On the reverse stroke of rack 16, segment 82 swings arm 95 back ward and pinion 98 frees itself from pinion 97, and so segment 82 brings pinion 98 back to its initial point. The letter-feeding motion of the carriage rotates drum 87 by un- Winding band 88 therefrom, and so through pinion 85 it rotates gear 84 which carries pinion 97 with it until both come to rest Where they stood at first with the carriage at the limit of its travel. A concealed spring in drum 87 keeps the band 88 taut, so that it will not tangle with the mechanism if the carriage is returned by hand. The powerdriving connections of the present invention do not prevent a hand operation of the ma chine if it is desired to so operate the machine, and the levers 95 and 96 are therefore shown.

In operation, assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the figures to be added having been written, so that it is desired to operate the mechanism which does the adding and also to operate the carriagereturn mechanism :the shaft a is continuously revolving with shaft 6 and worm gear 32, but shaft 26 and the other parts are silent. The trip pin 43 is holding the detent n and ring 38 with clutch roll 36 against the action of spring 40; and clutch members 34 and 35 are therefore disconnected. Key 5 is now depressed and with it the stem at and lever 46. Lever 46 rocks lever 47 in such manner as to lift trip pin 43. Spring 40 immediately throws the ring 38 and grip ball 36 to lock clutch cup 34 to collar 35. Rotary movement is then transmitted from worm gear 32 to shaft 26 and crank 25. Crank 25 reciprocates the cross head 19, slide 20, arm 18, and rack 16. Rack 16 operates the adding mechanism in a manner explained in the Hanson patent heretofore referred to. One reciprocation of the rack 16 effects the adding operation and also returns the carriage. In the meantime the grip roll 36 is carryingthe ring 38 with detent 44 around with the shaft 26, and the key 5 having been released, the trip pin is back in the position shown in Fig. 2. Presently after all the rotary parts on the shaft 26 have made one revolution, and the reciprocatory parts have made one reciprocation, the detent 44: strikes trip pin 43, and the ring 38 with roll 36 is moved to uncouple the shaft 26 from the shaft 6 until the next adding operation.

The worm gear 32 and worm 33 may be designed for any desired reduction of revolution between the motor and the shaft 26, or intermediate gearing may be inserted. A.

' hand wheel 66 is shown on the shaft 4 whereby the driving mechanism may be actu ated by hand when desired.

There has been shown and described an efficient form of motor-driven mechanism and key-control for operating the adding mechanism and the carriage-return mechanism of a typewriter adding machine. It is obvious, however, that other and various forms of motor-driven mechanisms for this purpose may be devised within the scope of the invention. It is also obvious the keyoperated-control mechanism, and the clutch mechanisms are also subject to variation without departing from the scope of the invention.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. T he combination, with a mechanism to be driven, and a general operator therefor adapted to be manually operated; of a motor for automatically driving said general operator, a train of gearing leading tosaid general operator from said motor; a shiftable support for said gearing; means for connecting and disconnecting said gearing to and from the motor; and means for shifting said support to disconnect said gearing from said general operator, thereby to permit manual actuation of the general operator free from the motor connections, said sup port moving about the shaft of the motor as a center to maintain the condition of said gearing with respect to said motor.

2. The combination, with a mechanism to be driven, and a general operator therefor adapted to be manually operated; of a motor for automatically driving said general operator; a shaft arranged at right angles to the motor shaft and geared to the same to be driven thereby; a detachable connec tion between the firstnamed shaft and said general operator; and means for swinging said first-named shaft about the axis of said motor shaft to detach said connection from said general operator, thereby to permit manual actuation of said general operator free from the motor connections.

3. The combination, with a mechanism to be driven, and a reciprocatory general operator for actuating the same adapted to be manually operated; of a shaft connected to positively drive said general operator through a single complete reciprocation during a single complete revolution of said shaft; a motor for driving said shaft, the shaft of said motor being disposed at right angles to the first-named shaft and geared thereto; and means for swinging said firstnamed shaft about the axis of said motor shaft, to disconnect it from said general opabout said shaft as an axis to disengage said member from said operator; and an abutment against which said gearing bears, to take its thrust.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination, with a reciprocatory operator movable at each actuation through a single complete reciprocation; of a motor; a reciprocatory member engaged with said ope 'ator to so actuate the same; gearing leading from the shaft of said motor to said member, to operate the latter from the for-- mer; a casing wherein said gearing and said member are disposed, said casing being mounted to swing about said shaft as an axis to disengage said member from said operator; and a member for guiding said casing during its movement.

6. The combination, with a reciprocatory general operator movable at each actuation through a single complete reciprocation; of

a motor; a normally-inactive train of gear ing leading from said motor to said general operator to positively drive the latter through such reciprocation; a member for controlling the activity of said train; a lever for operating said member having an adjustable fulcrum to vary its effective throw; a lever for operating the first-named lever having an adjustable connection therewith; and means for operating the second-named lever.

7. The combination, with a reciprocatory general operator, of a drive shaft; a reciprocatory slide connected with said shaft to be driven thereby, said slide being detachably connected to said general operator to drive the same; and means for producing a bodily movement of said shaft and slide in one direction to detach the latter from said general operator.

8. The combination, with a reciprocatory general operator; of a drive shaft; a reciprocatory slide connected with said shaft to be driven thereby, said slide being detachably connected to said general operator to drive the same; and means for producing a bodily swinging movement of said shaft and slide in one direction to detach the latter from said general operator. 7

9. The combination, with a reciprocatory general operator; of a drive shaft; a reeip rocatory slide connected with said shaft to be driven thereby, said slide being detachably connected to said general operator to drive the same; means for rotating said shaft about its own axis, to drive said slide and means for swinging said snaft,-and with it said slide, about a different axis, to detach said slide from saidgeiieral operator.

10. The combination, with a mechanism ing aid operator through a complete cycle of operation, said train having a positive connection with said operator; and a handle for swinging said train about its pivot to break said positive connection, said train including a clutch adapted to open automatically upon the completion of said cycle of operation.

Witnesses:

CATHERINE A. Nnwiiiiii, JENNIE P. THORNE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

FREDERICK A. HART.

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