US1490098A - new yobx - Google Patents

Description

Patented Apr. 15, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,490,098 PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB FELBEL, F NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB T0 BEIINGTON ACOQUNTING MACHINE CORIORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK. y

COMPUTING CHINE Application lied otolrerl 5, 1988. Serial 11o. 088,712.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB FELBEL, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the borough of Manhattan, city of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Computing Machines, of which the following is a specification. i

My invention relates to com uting ma chines, being especially adapt for combined typewriting and computing machines, and has for its principal object to provide certain improvements in clearance proof mechanisms for such machines.

My invention may be considered to be in the nature of an improvement on the clearance proof mechanism shown in the a plication of Arthur F. Poole filed Apri 19, 1,921, Serial No. 462,628, for Letters Patent for combined typewriting and calculating machines, now Patent Number 1,483,679 dated Feb. 12, 1924. Said Poole application shows a Remington accounting machine having `applied to the cro footer thereof a clearance proof mechanism including a feeler spring-pressed into engagement.' with the register wheels, in order to test said wheels as to their state of clear or not clear. The spring continually presses the feeler against the wheels, with the result that when the wheels are turned they are subjected to a certain amount of braking action by the feeler. By my invention improved means are provided' in this or similar mechanisms for relieving the wheels of the pressure of the feeler at the time when the Wheels are required -to turn. The invention is of course applicable or adaptable to other clearance proof devices than the specific one shown by Poole. l

To the above and other ends my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, all of which will be fully set forth herein and particularly pointed out, in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which one form of my invention is illustrated,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front view of so much of a Remington accounting machine as is necessary to illustrate the application of my invention thereto.

Fignire 2 is a fragmentary right-hand side elevation, partly in section and partly broken away, and showing the cross totalizer and parts of the clearance proof mechanism and other associated parts, this figure being on a larger scale than Figs. land 3.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top view, partly in section on the line 3, 3 of Figure 1.

The Remington accounting machine is described in the patent to Wahl No. 1,270,471, dated June 25, 1918, and the machine Substantially as shown in said patent, has-for a number of ears been manufactured and marketed. I ave therefore deemed it unnecessary to illustrate said machine except fragmentarily. It consists of a Remington No. 11 typewriter having mounted' thereon and connected therewith the Wahl computing ,mechanism including a cross footer as Well as totalizers for adding up vertical columns. In Fig. 1, two of the numeral keys of the typewriter are shown at 5, connected by links 6 with the Wahl actuator; and a corner of the typewriter carria e is shown at 7, said carriage having rigid t ereon a bracket 8. The main frame piece of the Wahl actuator consists of a casting 10 secured by certain brackets to the top plate of the typewriter and various frame plates 11 are secured to said casting. The type,

Writer carriage is connected by the brackets 8 with arms 12 on the ends of a main truck I13 which travels back and forth with said carriage and on said truck may be mounted any desired number o f vertical totalizers 14. The numeral keys 5 of the typewriter operate certain actuating mechanism of which only the cross master Wheel 15 is indicated in the drawing, said mechanism including, however, another master Wheel for the vertical totalizers 14. A stationary rail or runway 16 for the cross truck consists of a suitable casting supported at its ends by two of the frame plates 11, and this has longitudinal grooves for the ball bearing 17 of the cross truck 18, which has a limited travel somewhat in excess of the width of one computing column across the master Wheel 15 and away from said master wheel. This truck is returned to and is normally held in its right-hand position by a spring 20 and it is adapted to be icked up and drawn leftward a Alimited distance by means of a hook bar 21 having a hook or tooth 22 there on, said bar being pivoted at 23 to a bracket 24 of the truck 18 and controlled in part by a spring 25. Each vertical totalizer 14 has -a lug lon its righthand frame plate adapted to pick up the tooth or hook 22 and raw the cross truck leftward until'said vertical totalizer has passed entirely through the computing zone, after which the hook arm 21 is cammed downward and freed from the vertical totalizer, whereupon the cross truck is jumped back to its righthand position by its spring 20, ready to be picked up again by the same or some other vertical totalizer; all 'as embodied in Remington accounting machines. The Wahl mechanism. includes in addition to the hook 21, 22, a guard piece 26.

ln order to arrest the cross truck 18 when it comes back to the right and to perform other functions, said cross truck is provided with an adjustable stop bar 27 adapted to strike against a vertical lever 28 which is pivoted at 30 to the right-hand frame plate 11, and is normally spring-preed slightly leftward by a spring 31. This lever controls a link 32 which extends leftward therefrom and controls in the Wahl machine a certain key lock which is fully described in the Wahl Patent No. 1,270,471. When the lever 28 occupies its lett-hand position the numeral keys are unlocked. When said lever occupies its right-handposition shown in Fig. 1, the numeral keys are locked, provided a vertical totalizer stands over the main master wheel.

In the mechanismjof this application the locking of the keys is a signal to the operator that the wheels do not all stand at zero, as will be hereinafter more fully explained. In Fig. 1 of the drawing, the locking lever 28 is pressed to its locking position by the stop bar 27. The showing of said lever 28, its spring 20 and the link 32, is intended as a conventional showing of this or any other suitable lock for an essential part of the machine. 4

The cross totalizer 33 is 4of the usual Wahl construction with an exception which will be noted hereinafter, and 1t is mounted on the cross truck 18 after the usual dove-tail fashion, being secured in place by a hook 34 controlled by a finger piece 35 shown in Fig. 2 but omitted from Fig. l to avoid confusion with other parts. This totalizer includes the usual carrying wheels 36, intermediate pinions 37, dials 38 and dial pinions 40, the last, however, modified by being made with one short tooth. When the dial stands in its zero position shown in .Fig 2 this short tooth registers with a tooth of a feeler comb 41. This comb consists of a ldevice extending across the whole series of dial wheels and pivoted by trunnions 42 in the side plates of the totalizer. There is one tooth of the comb for each of the pinions 40 and the construction is such that if all of said pinions stand in their zero positions the comb can swing forward to the position shown in Fig. 2,

butif any one or` more of said pinions is out of its zero plosition the comb will be held by a long toot i of said pinion or pinions in a position to the rear of that shown in Fig. 2. A bell crank43 is fixed on the right-hand trunnion 42 and secured to the comb by a dowel 44, thus in effect providing said pivoted comb with a rearwardly extending arm. arm terminates in a tooth 45 engaging in a notch in the front end of an arm 46 of a bell crank pivoted on 'one of the frame rods 47 o the totalizer and controlled by a spring 48, the tension of which constantly tends to press the comb 41 against the pinions 40. The arm 46 is one arm of the bell crank, the other arm 50 of which extends upward through a suitable slot in the cover plate 5l of the totalizer, allowing to said arm 50 a limited extent of oscillation front and back. The whole construction is such that when the comb 41 is in its forward position shown in Fig. 2 the arm 50 is in its rear position, and if said comb 41 be swung rearward against the tension of the spring 48 this motion would be accompanied by a forward motion of the arm 50 to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2. This feeler mechanism, including the comb 41, the arms 43, 46 and 50 and the spring 48, is all shown here substantially the same as in the Poole application Sr. No. 462,628 hercinbefore referred to. For the purposes of my invention it may be identical with the Poole mechanism or may have some other specific form.

The Poole clearance proof mechanism includes means for automatically operatin the locking lever 28 at the end of the trav of the carriage left-ward through a predetermined one of' several computing zones, which computing zones are determined by the adjustment of the vertical totalizers 14 on the truck 13. A bracket 52 is mounted on the appropriate one of said' vertical totalizers and projects rightward therefrom, said bracket having at its end an ear or tooth 53 for co-operation with a dog 54, which dog is pivoted at 55 on one arm 56 of a bell crank, which bell crank is pivoted on a stud 57. Said stud projects downward from the upper horizontal shelf of a sheet metal bracket 58 which bracket also comprises a. vertical section at the base of which said bracket is bent rearward to form a horizontal section which is secured to the top of the frame casting 10 by means of certain screws 60. Said frame casting l0 includes a bracket 59 carrying certain devices, whicli' bracket is atI the middle of the machine in register with the master wheel; and the bracket 58 is therefore oifset toward the right, which is the reason why the bracket 52 projects rightward from the totalizer 14. The arm 56 is one arm 0f a bell Crank having also a rearwardly Said .f

directed arm 61, the whole bell crankbeing made of sheet metal folded back on itself as shown in Fig. 1 so as to provide a long bearing on the stud 57. Said bell crank is rocked counter-clockwise in Fig. 3 by means of a spring 62. The dog 54 is controlled by a spring 63 as to. turning about the pivot 55, the motion of said dog under the tension of said spring being limited by a stop gin 64. The front end of the dog is beve ed at 65 in such fashion and it 1s in such a position that when the totalizer 14 has its right-hand wheel in engagement with the master wheel the tooth 53 is just to the right of the bevel 65,'and in that Step of the carriage following the writing of the digit of lowest order said tooth 53, acting on the bevel 65, rocks the bell crank 56, 61 clockwise in Fi 3, the-bell crank immediately escaping rom the tooth and snappingback to its normal position as shown in Fig. 3. When the carriage is returned to the right the abrupt righthand face of the tooth 53 engages the abrupt left-hand edge of the dog 54; and rocks said dog` about its pivotl 55 until the tooth has passed the dog without operating the bell crank. The eliect during the left-hand travel of the carriage is to give to the bell crank 56 61 a momentary operation clockwise in ig. 3.

The arm 61 of said bell crank has pivoted thereto a long wire or push rod 66 extending right-ward behind the castin 10. The clearance proof mechanism inclu es certain devices mounted on a sheet metal bracket 67 which is secured to the casting 10-by means of two screws 68, the main body of said bracket lying behind the casting 10. Near its right-hand end the rod 66 passes loosely through a hole in an ear 70 of this bracket 67.

The clear signal mechanism whereby the operator is warned in case the totalizer was not cleared at the proper time, includes devices mounted on the bracket 67. Said bracket has a pivot stud or screw 71 projecting forward therefrom and a threearmed lever 72 has its hub pivoted on this stud. The depending arm of this lever has an ear 73 bent oil' therefrom into the plane of the upper end of the lock-lever 28. The construction is suc-h that if the lever arm. be swung toward the right it will move this lever 28 to its locking position. Said lever arm is here shown provided with an ear 74 bent back therefrom to form. a finger -piecef for unlocking the machine. Said threearmed lever 72 includes an upstanding` arm having an ear 75 bent off therefrom and engaged by a latch-lever 76 pivoted' on a suitable stud 77 supported by the frame plate 67. This latch-lever 76 has a short depending arm which is connected with the lever 72 by means ofpa spring 78 in such fashionthat such spring tends to rock the lever 72 to its loc ing position and also to hold the latch lever 76 up in its operative position shown in Fig. 1 where the notched end of the horizontal arm of said latch-lever eng the lever 72 in its normal inoperative position. The latch-lever 76 includes an u standing arm in the path of motion of t e right-hand kend of the push rod 66. The whole construction is such that the lever 72 stands normally in its inoperative position shown in Flg. 1 but when the bell crank, 56, 61 is rocked by the passage of the tooth 53, the rod 66 momentarily rocks the latch-lever 76 in clockwise direction and the spring 78 immediately throws lever 72 to its locking position. All of the mechanism just above described, that is to sa that includin thebracket 52 onv the tot izer 14, the ocking lever 72 and the conneotions between them, are all shown here substantially the same as in the Poole application, Sr. 462,628, and as far as my invention is concerned they may be identical with the Poole devices; but the lever 72 has a horizontal arm 80 extending leftward from its 'pivot which in my construction di'ers in detail from the lever-arm shown in the Poole application.

.The horizontal arm 80 of the lever 72 extends leftward from the pivot 71, and, as here shown it has'an ear 81.bent oil' rearward therefrom and having therein a notch to engage the edge of a depending part of the bracket 67. This arm 80 rocks down and u and the notched ear engaging the fixed racket serves to guide it in a true vertical plane. A cam bar'82 is supported by the arm 8() to which it is rigidly connected and from which it is spaced a short distance toward the front of the machine by means of posts 83 and screws 84. This cam bar has its lower edge straight up to a certain point but the left-hand end' 'of it is beveled upward to make a cam edge 85. This cam bar S2 is so located that when the cross truck makes its jump-backtoward the right, and when the arm or finger 50 is in its rear position indicating that the totalizer is clear, then the end of said finger 50 runs under the cam bar 82 as shown in the drawings; but if the totalizer is not clear and the finger 50 is therefore in its forward position, then said finger will pass in front of the bar 82 and will not engage said bar. The whole construction is such that at the end of that computing zone in which the cross totalizer should be cleared the tooth 53 tripping the described mechanism causes the lever 72 to operate the locking lever 28, this motion of said lever including a downward motion of the arm 80 and cam bar 82. If at that time the totalizer is clear and the linger 50 occupies its rear position said finger 50 .70. s the ear 75 and holds will strike the inclined edge 85 of the cam bar and elevate said cam bar, rocking the lever 72 to its unlocking position and thus almost instantly unlocking the machine. If, however, the cross totalizer has not been cleared as it would have been had the total been copied from it correctly, the fin er 50 will occupy the position indicated by otted lines in Fig. 2, in which position it will not run under the cam bar 82 and the lever 72 will therefore be left in its locking position,

thus notifying the operator that the total-- izer was not clear.

In order to counteract the sprin 48 and relieve the pinions 40 from the bra ing action of the comb 41, I provide a stationary cam plate 86 which is secured to the front face of the frame casting 10 by means of two screws 87. Thisv late 86 occupies a position to the right o the master wheel 15 and its lower part is in position to act on the upper end of the linger 50. At its right-hand end and a little to the left of the operative part of the cam 85 the plate 86 has a cam or ear 88 extending rightward therefrom and bent at an inclination backward. The construction is such that, beginning in the position shown in Fig. l, when the cross truck is picked up by a vertical totalizer and moves toward the left, then before the highest wheel in the totalizer reaches the master Wheel 15, the finger 50 will engage the cam 88 and be positively cammed to its forward position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. This rocking of the finger or arm 50 Will stretch the spring 48 and the motion will be communicated through the arm 43 to the fceler comb 41, rocking said comb rearward out of contact With the pinions 40. The plate 86 is of such length and is so disposed that it will hold this finger 50 in its forward position Where it counteracts the spring 48 during that part of the carriage travel Where the Wheels of the cross totalizer are actuated by the master Wheel l5. Then the the totalizer jumps back to the right at the end of a computing zone the finger 50 will run off the cam 88 a little before said finger reaches the cam 85. If at this time the totalizer is not clear the finger will run in front of said cam 85 but if the totalizer is clear the finger will run down the incline of the cam 88 into linepwith the cam 85 and will elevate said cam and unlock the machine.

It will thus be seen that I have provided, in a clearance roof mechanism having a spring-pressed eeler comb for engagement with register wheels of the totalizer, means to counteract the spring and relieve the re ister wheels of the braking action of said comb during that part of the carriage travel where the wheels are liable to be turned, said means being of such character that they release the comb to the action of the s ring when the cross truck gets out of the eld of the actuator and in time to enable said comb to perform its function of indicating that the totalizer is clear, if such be the case.

It will be perceived that this means for relieving the register wheels of the braking action of the feeler is controlled in its operation by the travel of the carriage so that the feeler is under the control of its spring at that art of the carriage travel where it should be so controlled, and the springl is r\counteracted in that part of the carriage travel where the wheels require to be turned by the actuating mechanism.

Various changes may be'made in the details of construction and arrangement without departing from my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a computing machine, the combination with4 a totahzer includin re ister wheels, actuating means for sai tota izer, and a traveling carriage causing relative travel of said totalizer and actuatlng means one into and out of co-operative relation to the other, of clearance proof mechanism including a feeler, spring means normall pressing said feeler into engagement wit said register wheels, and means operated by the travel of the carriage into position where the totalizer and its actuatingv means co-opcrate for counteracting said spring means.

2. In a computin machine, the combination with a totalizer includin re 'ster wheels, actua'tmg means for sai tota izer, and a travellng carriage causin relative travel of said totalizer and actuating means into and out of co-operative relation to each other; of clearance proof mechanism including a eeler; sprin means constantly tending to press said feeIer into engagement with said register wheels; means, operated by the travel of the carriage into position Where the totalizer and its actuating means co-operate, for counteracting said spring means; a clear signal mechanism; and means, operated by the travel of the carriage during that part of said travel where the totalizer is out of co-operative relation with its actuator and where said feeler is under the control of its spring, for operating said clear signal mechamsm.

3. In a computing machine, the combina` tion with a totalizer, actuating means for said totalizer, and a traveling carriage causing relative travel of said totalizer and actuating means one into and out of co-operative relation to the other, of clearance proof mechanism including a clearance testing contrivance constantly tending to move to position to indicate clear, means o erated by the travel of the carriage for olding said testing contrivance at non-clear position during that part of the carriage travel in which the totalizer'and its actuator are in travels, a feeler, a spring constantcliy tendingl to press said feeler against sai re ister wheels, a stationary cam acting to hol said feeler away from said wheels during that part of the travel of the totalizer in which said totalizer is being actuated by its actuator and to release said feeler tothe action of its spxrin when'the actuation of said totalizer as A en completed, clear signal mechanism, and means for operating said clear signal mechanism under the control of said feeler and by the travel of the totalizer after the feeler has been restored to the action of itsvspring.

5. In a computing machine, the combination with a stationary actuator, a totalizer traveling into and out of engagement with said actuator, clearance testing mechanism in said totalizer and including a finger 50 and spring means constantly tending to move said clearance testing mechanismto position to indicate clear, a stationary cam adapted to move said clearance testin i mechanism away from its clear position an to hold it there during that part of the carriage travel in which the totalizer is being actuated by its actuator and to release sai clearance testing mechanism to the action of its spring after said totalizer has been actuated, and clear signal mechanism operated bly the travel of said finger 50 after said c earance testin leased to the action of its sprin 6. In a computing machine, t e combination with 'an actuator, a totalizer traveling across and into and out of engagement with said actuator and including register wheels, of a feelei', a spring constantly tending to press said fee/ler against said wheels and a finger 50, all traveling with saidv totalizer, clear signal mechanism operated by the travel of said finger 50 after the totalizer leaves its actuator, and av stationary cam adapted to be engaged by said finger to move said feeler away from said register wheels and tohold it away therefrom during that part of the travel of the totalizer in which said totalizer is being actuated by its actuator.

7. In a combined typewritin and computing machine, the `combination with a typewriter carriage; a jumping totalizer; an actuator for said totalizer; a locking lever 72 normally in unlocking position; means mechanism l has been reoperated by the travel of the ty ewriter carriage for causing said locking Ilever to move to its locking position; and feeler mechanism in said jumping totalizer including a spring normally pressing the feeler into engagement with the totalizer wheels and inc u ing also a .finger 50; of a stationary cam for movin said feeler mechanism away from said register wheels during that part of the motion of said totalizer Where -the latter is operated by 'its actuator and releasing said feeler mechanism to the control of` said spring during a art ofthe jump back of the totalizer, said nger 50 restoring said locking lever by the jump`-back of said totalizer in case the latter is clear.

8. In a computing machine, the combina-v tion with a totalizer includingy register wheels, actuating means for said totalizer, and a traveling carriage causing relative travel of said totalizer and actuating means one into and out of co-operative relation to the other; feeler mechanism in said totalizer and comprising a feeler, a spring constantly tending to press said feeler against said register wheels, and a device 50 connected with said eeler; clear signal mechanism including a device 72, 82; andv a cam 86 coinprising an inclined part 88 and a dwell part, said device 50 in the course of the travel of the carriage being moved by said cam to withdraw said feeler from said register ating said totalizer, numeral keys, and means for locking said numeral keys, of clearance roof mechanism for said jumping totalizer including feeler mechanism constantly tending to engage register wheels of said totalizer, a stationary cam for holding said eeler mechanism away from said register wheels during that part of the travel of said totalizer in which it is actuated by said master Wheel and for thereafter releasing said feeler mechanism, and means controlled by said feeler mechanism and operated by the jump back of said totalizer for controlling said locking means.

10. In a computing machine, the combination with a jumping totalizer and means including keys for actuating said totalizer, of feeler mechanism in said totalizer, said feeler mechanism constantly tending to enga e register wheels of the totalizer and inc uding a finger adapted to occupy one position when the totalizer is clear and another posiessential part of the machine 4controlled by tion when it is not clear, a stationary cem said device. for moving said finger to its non-clear posi- Signed at the borough of Manhattan, cit tion and holdin it there during that art of New York, in the count of New Yor 5 of the travel o the totalizer in whc it and State of New York, t is 3rd day of 15 is actuated and thereafter releasing said October, A. D. 1923.

finger, a device adapted to be struck and op- JACOB FELBEL. erated by said finger on the jumpback of Witnesses: the totalizer when said finger 1s in one-posi- LILLIAN NELSON,

1o tion but not in the other, and a lock for an CHARLES E. Sxrrn.

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