US1270750A - Combined type-writing and computing machine. - Google Patents

Description

G. 0. DEGENER.

COMBINED TYPE WRITING AND COMPUTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25. 1912.

1 ,2'7f750, I Patented June 25, 1918.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAVE 0. DEGENER, OF NEW YORK, N'. Y. ..ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD COMPUTING- MACHINE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 1918.

Application filed November 25, 1912. Serial No. 733.244.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GCSTAVE O. DEGEXER, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York citv, in the county of New York and State of New York. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Type-\Vriting and Computing Machines, of which the following is a specificato be are power-driven.

t1on.

This invention relates to combined typewriting and computing machines. One of the objects of the present invention is to provide simple means for preventing opera.- tion of the numeral keys at a punctuation point occurring in a computing column; another feature is the provision of simple means for silencing said preventing means when computation is not going on; and still another feature is a provision for simultaneous adjustment of the computing column and said preventing means, by adjustment of a single part.

e improvements are especially adapted used in machines of the class set forth in the pending application of \Vright and Degener, No. #185,030, filed March 22. 1909. In said application, the computing wheels and the movements of said wheels are controlled by means of an escapement mechanism operated by the keys. In said application, the connection between the numeral keys and said escapement mechanism is established by means of hooks which engage said numeral keys, and these hooks, when the keys are operated, swing bell cranks, which operate the escapement mechanism.

The machine disclosed in said application is herein shown as combined with a locking device, such as is shown in my prior Patent No. 1,010,349, dated November :28, 1911. in which patent each numeral key is connected through its hook to a blade so that when any one key is operated, its blade will prevent the operation of any other numeral key until the first key is in its normal idle position. Said blades for this purpose are arranged. to be swung radially acrom the axis of a cylinder so that all said blades intercept said axis at the same point. The

7 result is that when any of said blades is make it impossible for be operated unless every normal idle position.

The carriage of the typewriter may include atappetwhich is arranged to automat-ically swing a controlling arm to connect the computing mechanism to the numeral keys of the typewriter by means of the above described hooks. This tappet may be also caused to lock the numeral keys \against operation at selected letter-spaces. as for example at every fourth letter-space in pointing ofi' thousands in a longnumber. This may be accomplished by varying the throw of said controlling arm. for example, by causing an overthrow of said controlling arm at said fourth letter-spaces.

The locking device of my prior patent. above cited, may be utilized to lock the numeral keys by such overthrow. For this purpose the locking device may'include a blade operated by such overthrow. but otherwise like the numeral key blades. so that other key is in its when swung to interfering position across seen that when such blade is in such interfering position. while no numeral key can be operated. the other keys. such as the 'comma or space key may be operated it desired. because such keys haveno interfering blade attached to them.

By having a single tappet on the typewriter carriage thus control the connections from the numeral keys to the computing mechanism and to the above described lock ing device. it will be seen that any adjustment of the tappet forone purpose will automatically adjust the mechanism for the other.

The invention may also include means for manually disconnecting the computing mechanism from the controlling arm. and said disconnecting mechanism may be of the general type shown in the application. X0. 485,030 above described. which type enables the connection between the controlling arm of the typewriter and the numeral keys to be so set, that said arm may be either eti'ective or ineffective to control said connection.

As shown in said patent. this manual dis connecting device may operate the hooks for the numeral keys. It thereby simultaneously moves to ineffective position all connection fromthe locking blades and the one numeral key to other parts of the computing mechanism to the numeral keys, and so entirely frees the typewriter from the computing mechanism and its locks.

Other features and advantages Will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of so much of a combined Underwood-Wright typewriting and computing machine as is necessary to illustrate my invention. v

Fig. 2 is a detail of the key-locking means.

Fig. 3 shows the manual disconnecting means in a different position from that seen in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a front view of the controlling arm.

Fig.- 5 is a plan view showing said arm and its relation to the tappets.

Fig. 6 is a detail of the interfering device.

A numeral key 1 of the typewriter, by means of type (not shown) prints, ,on a platen (not shown) on a carriage comprising.a rack 2 of the typewriter. Said carriage is drawn along one letter-space at a time by the operation of the keys and may likewise be positioned by means of a tabulating device comprising plungers (not shown) in a casing 3 at the rear of the typewriter frame, said plungers cooperating with column stops 4 which may be adjustably set on the rack bar 2.

The numeral keys of the typewriter may be connected by means of hooks 5 arranged to underlie elbows 6 on the key levers so as 'to swing bell cranks 7 to control the computing mechanism. or controlling said mechamsm each bell crank comprises a downwardly extending arm 8' joined by a link 9 to an elbow lever 10; each elbow lever having pivoted thereona jack 11 which is arranged to project a pin 12 in a primary escapement wheel 13, and the projection of this pin determines the number which is to .be carried into the computing mechanism.

As the link 9 is drawn by the numeral key 1, a head 14 on said link engages a universal vdisk 5, so as to rock a secondary escapement lever 20, the opposite end 21 of said lever, so as to draw a link 22 by the said end, and

rock a rock arm 23 fast on the shaft 24 to which shaft the dogs 16' and 17 are likewise fast.

The primary escapement wheel 13 is constantly under tendency to turn by means of a motor (not shown herein), so that a previously projected pin 25 bears against one arm of a star wheel 26 on" a shaft 27, the other end of which shaft carries teeth 28, which teeth are intercepted by the dogs 16 and 17.

When a numeral key 1 is depressed, the dog 16 1s rocked to the right, as viewed 111 Fig. 1, so that the tooth 28 which has been has escaped past the edge of dog 17 on the return stroke of said dog, so as to permit the projected pin 25 to turn the star wheel, and the primary escapement wheel 13 therefore turns until the pin 12, which has been just projected, is intercepted by the tooth of the star wheel 26. Meantime the tooth 25, which had been previously projected, is returned within the primary escapement wheel by means of a cam (not shown). The disk 15 is drawn backward on the return stroke of the numeral key by means of a spring 30 surrounding one end of its stem 18.

A gear wheel 29 fast on the escapement operated connecting and disconnecting device, as seen at the left hand of Fig. 1 and in'Fig. 3. 3

The bar 31 is connected to a shifting lever 54 at 54 so that the latter can manipulate the bar 31 when it is rocked about its pivot,

indicated at 57. .7

The shifting lever 54, which forms an element of the shifter, is not itself directly operated manually. To enable the operation of the shifting lever 54 there is provided a manual controller, which in this instance is shown in the form of a pair of coiiperating sector gears 56 and 57 mounted on pivot pins 57 and 59. One of these sector gears 56 is provided with a handle or button 55,

which extends to the front of the machine where it can be readily manipulated to change the position of the parts of the controller, and thus change the action of the controller.

When the parts of the controller are in wheel 13 carries into the 'computing mechanism (not shown) the numbers recorded in the position indicated in Fig. 1,a spring 52,

which is attached at its ends to pins 51 and 53, located respectively on the sector gear 57 and the shifting lever 54, will be under a tension tending to draw the sector gear 57 and the shifting lever 54 toward each other. The sector gear 57 however, is prevented from movement in such a dlrection automatic control by by means of a stop 19, shown in the form of a pin secured to the sector gear 5?. and engaging a toe 48 on a lever 17, which forms a part of the compensating or opposing mechanism, and which is shown to be loosely mounted on the pivot 57 on which the shifting lever 51 is also loosely mounted.

The movement of the shifting lever 54 is also prevented by a stop arm 60 thereon overlying and engaging a pin 61 on the compensating lever 47. The pin 61 has secured thereto a spring 62, which is secured at its upper end 'to a fixed pin 63. The spring 6:2 pulls stronger than the spring 52, so that it prevents the movement of the shifting lever 5t. under the pull of the spring 52 by holding the compensating lever 17 immovable against the pull brought thereon through the stop arm 60. It will beseen. however. that the movement of the shifting lever 51 in the direction of pull of the spring 62. and thus the movement of the floating interponent or compensating lever 47. under the pull of the spring 62. is limited by one arm 58 of the upper bifurcated end of the shifting lever 54 engaging the pivot 59 or the extension thereof. as indicated in Fig. 3. The other arm 58 of the bifurcation will likewise limit the' movement of the shifting lever 51 in the opposite direction. as indicated in Fig. 1.

In order to do any computing it is necessary to overcome the opposition of the spring 62. and thus permit the spring 5:2 to manipulate the shifting lever 5t from the position indicated in Fig. 1 to the position indicated in Fig. 3. For this purpose. an the typewriter carriage is provided. The pin 61 has connected thereto a link '16, which is secured at its lower end to an arm -l-10f a shaft 15 extending rearwardly where it is provided with a second arm 43. The arm *3 is connected by a link 42 to a controlling bell-crank lever 38, operated by the typewriter carriage.

The above described operation of the bellcrank 38. by means of the typewriter carriage, is brought about by means of cams 32 and which are arranged to be intercepted by an extension 3t on the stop 4, forming a tappet to move said cams. Said cams are adjustably mounted so as to form a continuous edge, or cam on the arm 35, fast on the rock shaft 36, journaled in brackets 37. fast 011 the casing'3 of the tabulating mechanism. which rock shaft carries said bell-crank lever 38. Said lever 38 carries a bent portion 39, which underlies a rock arm it). near the pivot 41 of said rock shaft, the link 42 being attached to said rock arm 10.

By having -the bent end 39 of the bellcrank 38 to operate the rock arm 40 near its pivotll. it will be seen that the small throw of the cams 32 and 33 by the tappet & will the link 31 ,as above deconsiderable throw, which such times as it may be desired. To do this,

itis merely necessary to rotate the sector gears 56 and 57 from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 3, in which position the sector gears will be held by the spring 5:2 being shifted to the other side of the pivot 57. and tending to pull the shifting lever 51 and the sector gear 57 to-- ward each other. This movement of the sector gears 56 and 57" is, however. limited by providing the enlarged teeth, shown in Fig. 3. at the engaging ends. of the sectors. The pin 4.9 will be shifted to the position inclicated in Fig. 3. so that it will be out of engagementwith the toe l8. and. therefore, there will be no pull on the sectors 56 and 57 The spring 6:2. however, will still act, through the intermediary of thepin 61 and the stop arm 60, to force the shifting lever 5; into the position indicated in Fig. 3.

I Even if the carriage-controlling mechanism,

acting through the tappet t and cam 35, should be actuated. there will therefore be no tendency to bring the shifting lever from its disconnecting position to its connect ng position, so that the typewriting mechanism can be actuated without actuating the computing mechanism.

In the operation of the device, if it- 1s desired to use the computing mechanism as well as the typewriting mechanism, the parts are manipulated so as to occupy the position indicated in Fig. 1, in which the spring 52 will be under a tension'normally tending to shift the lever 54. and thus the bar 31, so as to bring the hooks 5 into connection with the numeral keys 1. This action, however, is normally prevented by the spring 6:2, which is so connected as to exert a stronger pull on the arm 60 than is exerted by the spring 5:2, thus holding the hooks in the position indicated in Fig. 1. As soon as the carriage, however, has been moved. either by actuation of character keys or tabulating keys, or by hand, to a position corresponding to a column on the work-sheet in which it is desired to compute, then one of the tappets at, which has been previously placed in a corresponding position on the rack bar 2, will come into engagement with the controlling cam 35, so as to force the'same away from the rack 2 until the bearing surface of the cams 0r rests on the extension 34 of the tappet 4. This movement will, through the :on-

necting linkages, pull down on the pin 61 against the tension of the spring 62. The

1 spring 52, being now relieved of the superior tension of the spring 62, will exert its power to draw the hooks 5 into engagement with v the elbow 6 on the key levers 1. It will thus be seen that not only is the tension of the spring 62 overcome by the pull of the link 46, but the tension on the spring 52 is aided .by the action of the toe 48 on the pin 49,

slightly rotating the sector 57 In my prior Patent No. 1,010,349 above referred to, means are shown for preventing the simultaneous operation of two numeral Said means include an extension.

keys. blade 64 fast on each of the elbow levers 10, which extension blades extend through slots 65,, as seen in Figs. 1 and 6, in a c lindrical member 66.- Said slots are radiall arrange d;jiand the extension blades 64 a pass the axis of said cylinder at the same point, and each is moved inward by the operation of its numeral key. From this it results that'when any numeral key is depressed, its blade 64 will occupy the center of the'cylinder 66 and so prevent any other numeral key from being depressed.

- In the present invention these blades are utilized to prevent the operation of a numeral key at any space 111 a computation where other characters than figures should f be written, as for example, commas. For

this purpose there is provided a blade 67 which may be identical with the blade'64, but is connected to be swung by overthrow of the cams 32 and 33, so that every time said cams are overthrown, the blade 67 by means of an idle arm 7 0 carrying pins 71,

which lie on either side of the arm 54, and so engage with said arm but ermit of considerable lost motion. Said ost motion is so arranged that the ordinary movement of the arm 54 in swinging the bar 31 is not suflicient to cause said link 68 to swing its blade 67. If, however, the arm 54 is overthrown a considerable distance to the left, the arm 68 will swing its blade 67 to the locking position seen in Fig. 2. For

so swinging said arm-54 to overthrow position, the cam 32 carries a block 7 2 removably attached thereto, which block comprises rollers 73 arranged to intercept the tappet 34 and so move the cams 32 and 33 to a carriage.

greater extent than the cam faces themselves would SOmOVe said cams. It will therefore be seen that by having the rollers 73 spaced at say every fourth letter-space, numbers could be written and pointed off in thousands, every fourthletter-space being a comma.

The amount-of lost motion between the pins 71 and the bar 54 must be so proportioned that when the bar 54 is returned by the spring 62 after the tappet 34 has passed a cam roller 73, the blade 67 will be positively moved from its efiective position seen in full lines in Fig.2, to its'normally ineffective position, as seen in dotted lines in said figure. The amount of lost motion is likewise shown in said Fig. 2, and the length of the head 69 is also indicated as being msuflicient to operate the'universal disk 15, but the link-68 rides ina slot in said disk and is supported thereby.

The earns 32 and 33, aswill be seen from Fig. 4, comprise slots 74 through which screws 75 pass, entering threaded openings 76 in the rock arm 35 so that said cams may be adjustably mounted on said rock arm. The block 72 is mounted on the cam 32 by means of screws 77 threaded into the cam 32.

Variation 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: v

1. In a combined typewriting and computing machine, the combination with numeral keys, a traveling carriage and a computing device controlled by said keys, of

means for preventing the operation of more than one of said numeral keys at .a time during computation, a member operated by the travel of the typewriter carriage and cooperating with said preventing means for preventing the operation of any numeral key at a selected point in the travel of said carriage, and a single means operable at will for both disconnecting saidkeys and rendering said member inefiective' to lock said keys at said point.

2. In a combined typewriting'and computing machine, the combination with nu-' meral keys and a computing device, of a traveling carriage, a 'tappet on saidcar riage, an arm moved by said tappet, means controlled by said arm to connect said keys tosaid computing device, and means for moving said arm diiferently by said tappet to lock said keys against operation at a selected letter-space in the travel of said 3. A combined typewriting and computing machine having a traveling carriage, numeral keys, computing mechanism, and a connection between said numeral keys and computing mechanism; and comprising, in

meral keys and a computing device, of a blade operated by each numeral key, a member in which said blade swings, so that when one blade i operated no other numeral key can be operated, and a blade controlled by the typewriter carriage for preventing the operation of any other of said blades at any letter-space adjustably determined in the travel of said carriage.

5. In a combined typewriting and computing machine, the combination with numeral keys and a computing device, of a traveling carriage, a tappet on said traveling carriage, an arm swung by said tappet to connect said keys to said computing device, a device for arresting the operation of any numeral key, and means for operating said arresting device by the overthrow of said arm.

6. In a combined typewriting and computing machine, the combination with numeral keys and a computing device, of a hook for each numeral key to connect it to said computing device, a bar for moving said hooks to efiect-ive or ineffective position, an arm on which said bar is pivoted, a device sett-able to prevent the operation of any numeral key, a link for operating said device, and a lostmotion member for connecting said link to said arm, so that theoverthrow of said arm will operate said preventing device.

7 In a combined typewriting and computing machine, the combination with numeral keys and a computin device, ofa hook for each numeral key Ior connecting it to said computing device, a bar for swinging said hooks, elbows on said' keys arranged to cooperate 'with said hooks, so that said hooks may be considerably overthrown when in effective position, and means for preventing the operation of a numeral key by said overthrow. t 8. In a combined typewriting and computing machine, the combination with numeral keys and a computing device, of a combined device for preventing the simultaneous operation of two keys and for looking said keys against operation, and means including a s' le handle for connecting said keys to said combined device.

9. In a combined typewriting and computing machine, the combination with numeral keys and a computing device, of a trave carriage, a tappeton said traveling carriage, a cam operated by said tappet,

computing device and to and rollers on said cam operated by said tappet to increase the swing of said cam.

10. In a combined typewriting and computing machine, the combination with numeral keys and a computing device, of a traveling carriage, a tappet on said carriage, a cam moved by said tappet, means controlled by said cam for connecting said keys and computing devices, a combined device for preventing the simultaneous operation of two keys and for locking all said keys against operation, and means including a handle forcontrolling said means between said keys and said computing device and for rendering operative or inoperative so said combined device.

11. In a combined typewriting and computing machine, the combination with numeral keys and a computing device, of a traveling carriage, a connection between each key and the computing device, means for preventing said keys from operating, means including an arm moved by a tappet on said carriage to connect said keys to said computing device and to operate said preventing means, and means including a handle for setting said connections so that they may be inoperative even if said tappet is in position on said carriage.

12. In a computing machine, the combination with numeral keys and computing devices, of a member common to all of said keys and means controlled by said member whenit is moved to one position to control the connection between said computing devices and said keys, and means controlled by said member when moved to another position, to look all of said keys from operation.

13. In a combined typewriting and computing machine, the combination with numeralkeys and a traveling carriage, of a computing device, means under control of said carriage for prevent-ing normal operation of a numeral key, locking means Him nected to said keys for cooperating with said prevent-ing means, connecting means between a key and said computing device, means for maln'ng and breaking said con-- necting means to thereby render said carriage-controlled preventing means inefi'ective when said keys are disconnected from said-computing device.

14. In a combined typewriting and computing machine, the combination with m1: meral keys and a traveling carriage, of a computing device, means to lock said keys against operation, a tappet on said carriage, means inclu an arm moved b said tappet, to control the connection of said keys to said computing device, and mean on said arm to control said key-locking means at a selected letter-space in the travel of said carriage.

15. In a combined typewriting and'oomputing machine, the combination with .a traveling carriage anda tabulating stop, of numeral keys, computing devices, means for connecting said keys to said computing devices, a cam under the control of said tabulating stop for operating and maintaining said connecting means in a certain zone, and means for preventing the operation of any of said numeral keys at a predetermined point in said zone, and also under the control of said stop.

16. In a computing machine, the combination with numeral keys and computing devices, of means for connecting said keys to said devices, and means for moving said connecting means farther to prevent the operation of any key so connected.

17. The combination with a typewriter carriage, of printing keys, computing devices connectible to said keys, a cam, a dog on said carriage to be efiective on said cam, means controlled by said cam to connect said computing devices to said keys, and means whereby said dog is efiective on said cam to make said keys inoperable.

18. The combination with a typewriter carriage, of printing keys, computing devices connectible to said keys, a cam, a dog on said carriage to be effective on said cam, means controlled by said cam to connect said computing devices to said keys, and devices on said camwhereby said dog is effective on said cam to make said keys inoperable at certain points only. Y

19. The combination with a typewriter carriage, of printing keys, a computing device controlled by said keys, a cam extending along several letter-spaces of the travel of said carriage, a dog on said carriage to be effective on said cam, and a connection from 'said cam to makes said keys inoperable in a selected column in the run of said carriage.

20. The combination with a typewriter carriage, of printing keys, computing wheels controlled by said keys, devices connectible to said keys, a cam, a dog on said carriage to be effective on said cam, means controlled by said cams to connect said devices to said keys, and means whereby said dog is efi'ective on said cam to make said keys inoperable through the medium of said devices.

21. The combination with a typewritercarriage, of printing keys, computing Wheels controlled by said keys, devices connectible to said keys, a cam, -a rack bar on said carriage, a dog on said rack bar to be efiective on said cam, means controlled by said cam to connect said devices to said keys, and devices on said cam wherebysaid dog is effective on said cam to make saidkeys inoperable through tne medium of said last named devices.

22. In a computing machine, the combination with keys and computing wheels, of a traveling carriage, a cam under the control of said carriage, means controlled by said cam for connecting said keys to said wheels, an extension adjustable on said cam for varying its length, means including devices connectible to said keys for preventing their operation at a predetermined time, and members mounted on said extension for selecting said predetermined time.

23. In a computing machine, the combination with keys and computing wheels, of a traveling carriage, a cam under the control of said carriage, means controlled by said cam for connecting said keys to said wheels, an extension adjustable on said cam for varying its length, means including devices vices connectible to said keys for preventingtheir operation at a predetermined time, members mounted on said extension for selecting said predetermined time, a bar for connecting said keys and devices, a handle for shifting said bar, and a spring whereby said handle draws on said bar.

25. In a computing machine, the combination with numeral. keys, of key-interfering devices for preventing simultaneous operation of two keys, a carriage for said machine, a. tabulating device, and means to enable the tabulating device to control the connectionbetween said keys and interfering devices.

26. In a computing machine, the combination with numeral keys, of key-interfering devices for preventing simultaneous operation of two keys, a device for preventing the operation of any numeral key, normally ineffective connections between said keys and said first-named devices, and a carriage-operated cam and means controlled thereby for connecting said keys and firstnamed devices, and rendering operative said second-named preventing device.

27. In a computing machine, the combination with numeral keys, of key-interfering devices for preventing simultaneous operation of two keys, a device for preventing the operation of any numeral key, normally in'eflective connections between said keys and said first-named devices, a carriage-operated cam, means controlled by said cam for connecting said keys and first-named devices,

members on said cam and means controlled by said members for rendering the lastnamed device efiective.

28. In a combined typeWrit-ing and computing machine, the combination with numeral keys, of computing devices controlled thereby, a series of interfering devices, one for each key, for preventing the simultaneous depression of more than one key, another interfering device cooperating with said first-mentioned interfering devices and serving through such cooperation to look all of said keys, means for connecting said keys and computing devices in the computing zone, and means for disconnecting said keys and said computing devices in the computing zone, said means also rendering said second-named interfering device ineffective to lock said keys.

29. A combined typewriting and computing machine having a traveling carriage, computing mechanism, and keys controlling both; and comprising, in combination, means for looking all of said keys when the carriage is in certain positions in the computing Zone, resilient means tending to move said locking means to key-locking position, means controlled from said carriage for permitting said resilient means to lock said keys, and means operable at will for rendering said carriage-control ineffective to lock said keys in the computing zone by altering the action of said resilient means.

30. A combined typewriting and computing machine having a traveling carriage, computing mechanism, and keys controlling both; and comprising, in combination, connections from the keys to the computing mechanism, means for locking all of the keys at certain positions of the carriage, resilient means tending to move said key connections to connect said keys and computin g mechanism and move said locking means to key-locking position, and means controlled by said carriage for permitting said resilient means to act to connect said keys and said computing mechanism in certain parts of the computing zone, and to further act to lock all of said keys against operation in certain other parts of the computing zone.

31. A combined typewriting and computing machine having a traveling carriage, computing mechanism, and keys controlling both; and comprising, in combination, connections from the keys to the computing mechanism, means for'locking all of the keys at certain positions of the carriage, resilient means tending to move said key connections to connect said keys and computing mechanism and move said locking means to key-locking position, means controlled by said carriage for permitting said resilient means to act to connect said keys and said computing mechanism in certain parts of the computing zone, and to further act to lock all of said keys against operation in certain other parts of the computing zone, and means for rendering the carriage control inoperative to control the key con-,

nections and the locking means by altering the action of said resilient means.

GUSTAVE O. DEGENER. Witnesses:

D. L. BAYLIS, J. E LUCAS.

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