US1569770A - Means of computation - Google Patents

Description

G. T. MAI-AN MEANS OF COMPUTATION Jan. 12 192s. l Lssgjo Filed April 2, 1925 Hol. D -HERE 1f da HOLD-HERE |NVE OR: @fha/eau.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 12, 1926.

l UNITED 1,569,710 earner orifice;

',G'ofaiJoN' T. tratan, or P'HIVLADEHQHIA, ,PENNSYLVANIA MEANS or COMPUTATIONQ Appiiatin-aied'nprii 2, i925, serial No. 20,068.

To -aZZ 't0/7mm t may concern:

Be it known that I, GORDON T. MALAN, a

citizen of the United States, 'residing at- Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a. new and useful Means of Coinputation, of which the following isaspeci tain factors in the production of any article.l

of manufacture, is greatly expedited, with a considerable saving in both' the time and' labor heretoforerequired for. such calculation. *i

to a novel method ffcalculating suchfactors' in they production or manufactureof an' article.' as' are dependent upon the time :i elementv involved in the, production of the' article, or in the individual operation, step or process inthe manufacture of the same. Thus for instance the first factor primarily concerning every manufacturer or productionmanager, is that of labor cost on a particular article, or the labor-cost on each step or operation 'in vthe manufacture of that article. Another important factor which is dependent upon the time element, is the overhead cost on each article manufactured, or, as the case may be, the over- -head corresponding to each operation or step in the n'ianufacture of the same.

Still other factors which lare very useful in the production of an article, are those factors which enable a manager to check up not only costs of labor and over-head of the article manufactured, but also permit the checking up ofthe rate of production maintained on a particular article or on each operation in the manufacture thereof.

Since each of these factors is dependent primarily upon one common element, that is, the time consumed in the production of the complete article, or the time consumed 'in the carrying out of the individual steps or -operations in the manufacture thereof, l have devised the novel method of calculation andjcertain novel means therefor, describedyin Vdetail hereinafter, whereby,

with the aid of a single time card properlycoluinnized and ruled and having suitable spaces for receiving- ,time stanipings. -or punchings from any suitable time recording clock, a suitable time scale laid out along the edge or' edges ofthe time card, or on My invention relates morel particularlys.

another card if desired, and a correspond ing factor chart or table having a similar time scale co-operating therewith, and having various columns corresponding to the different fixed or known factors such as the fixed hourly'wage rate or the fixed hourly over-head charge, calculated on an hourly or other-time interval basis, or on the particular department or machine employed to carry out the particular step in the manufacture, which forms the subject matter of the calculation, I may calculate such cost or production factors'direct from the time consumed. i

Thus with the aid of my novel card, the time scale and factor chart ortable, I may calculate directly -from the wvalrious time p'unching's and from the number of articles produced iii-any interval of time, the over head charged to the particular operation or j'ob as well as the-cost labor on that particular job, or the rate of production.

One `of the particular uses to which my novel method and means of computation, is well adapted, is the calculation of thelabor cost on an article, on an individual operation or step in the 'manufacture thereof, ou the combination scheme of wage setting, so

often employed in manufacturinel cstablishments, whereby the wages are set partly on a time basis and partly von a piece work basis. That is, the employee receives an hourly rate which is guaranteed to him regardless of his output, and receives in addition to said hourly rate one half of his hourly rate for the time which is saved in p'erforniingl a particular amount of work, withina given amount of time, as gauged by a predetermined rate of production.

f This system of Wage setting, commonly known as the time-bonus plan, is particularly'made easy by .my novel method, thereby providing' means not only of calcu latine the labor cost on a particular article, but also calculating the cost of each operation,'as well as calculating the pay roll for each' employee, figured on such timebonus plan; in a far more expedient and accurate manner than has been possible heretofore in manufacturing establishments employing any such combination wage setting scheme; ,since it eliminates by far the `greater portion ofthe clerical work ordinarily incident to such calculation.l

Thus, if -an operator' receiving 40e per hour, in one'hourstime, completes one and management, thereby making it possible for the management to guarantee the workman,

in addition to his hourly rate, a certain production rate and bonus scale, which it will maintain regardless ot the total wages of Y the employees; since with each saving in lli Alll

the time required to perform an operation, the management as well as the employee benefits, thus providing a constant initiative, for thel employee to produce a maximum number of pieces, since with each piece produced above the rate originally fixed, he increases his earnings above the minimum or the hourly rate. vrl`he system most'widely adopted for figuring this bonus or extra hourly rate for time saved, as figured by a production-rate, has been a 50% plan which gives thefresults of such extra efforts of the particular employee, one half to the employee and one half to the management, whereby the management is enabled to maintain a constant wage rate scale as well as production rate scale, regardless of the total earnings of the employee.

I-IOweVer, this system of bonus however, or the equal participation by the employee and the management in the results of the diligence and cooperation of the employee and the management, in raising the eiiieiency'of work, has not been adopted universally, in spite of its desirability and itsv many advantages, due to the great amount of clerical work involved in the calculation and figuring of the wages for each employee, since the cost of such additional clerical work often olf-sets any advantages resulting from such scheme, in the lowering of the cost or in the increasing of the output. It isone of theseveral objects of my invention, to provide a method and means for calculating the wages of each employee on such a combined time-bonus plan, with the elimination.' of by far the greater portion, ofthe clerical work otherwise involved, and the corresponding expense incident thereto. -\Vith the above and other ends in view, 'myinvention consists of a novel method, whereby, I provide upon a time card. a hori- Zontal row zfor each job or task, said horizontz-ilfa'ow-having a space for punching the linishing time of the job, which is usually taken as the starting time of the next succeeding job,I and it also contains spaces for the serial number or other identifying mark of the particular operation, as well as-spaces for the production rate, the number of pieces completed in the particularamount of time, theiresultmg.isavmg'or loss of time, for the given production rate, or the extra work which the employee was fable to put out, above said rate, in the given time taken for the job, and also a space Jfor the results of the calculation. I further provide on the time card. along the vertical edge or edges thereof, a time scale, having graduations of time, such graduations extending over such suitable period of time as normally constitutes a working day; that is, approximately'from 7.30 in the morning to 5.0() oclock in the afternoon.i

My invention further consists ofa factor chart or table, having horizontal rows of the same spacing as the time graduations along the edge of the time clock-card, and having spaces in said horizontal rows, arranged in vertical columns, showing the aceumulative factor number, (suoli as wages or labor cost) for eachelapsed period of time; each vertical column of such factors being for different predetermined hourly rates of wages per man, 'or over-head per machine, etc., depending on the nature of the .tabulated factor numbers. Thus, in the illustration shown in the drawings, the tabulatedy numbers represent the progressive bonus wage quantities corresponding to the hourly rates of 30e, 40e, and 60gb.' per hour,l

per man. if f My invention further consists ofother novel details as will be brought out more fully in the following description and the accompanying drawings, and setforth more particularlyin the appended claims.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawings forms thereof which are at pres ent preferred by me, since they will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results,

although it is to be understood that the vari-` ous instriunentalities of which my invention consists can be variously'arrangedy and organized and/that myiinvention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization ofthese instrumentalities as herein shownand'described "4' The accompanying drawing, in which like reference characters vindicate like parts or elements, represents a' plan view of a factor chart or table and time clock card superimposed thereon, embodying my invention.

Referring to the'drawing, l designates the clock or time card, made preferably of a relatively stift' sheet of paper or a thin paste board and havingthe rulings t-hereor as shown in the drawings. Thus, the time graduations 2 are placed along the vertical edgesv i thereof. Adjacent to one of -thi vertical edges,'is a yvertical column 3, pro vided for thevclock or time punchings, giv ing y{the'day of themonth; and time of thi day-in hours and tenths of hours, or in anj other uniform divisions of time. -'l` he initie.

-time mark pnnchedat'. the beginning of the day, let -ns say' at .7.30 in the morning, is placed-in a separate .space 25, standing `alone and abovethetopof the time77 column 3, .and each successive time mark or punchingthereafter, designates the `finishing time, of the particular joli77 recorded inthe same horizontal line', and also designates the starting time of the next succeeding: job recorded in the line below.

Adjacent to` the-time record col'umn 3,'I providea verticall col-umn of spaces 4, in each horizontal fjob row for the notation of the quotient, of the number ofpie'ces completed, divided by the predetermined hourly productionl rate. The' nextvertical column 5, is for the serial number of the particular job or operation, for the purposes of identification, land for future reference, in'i-indertaking a study of the rate'of 'production'. In the next vertical colunin', I mark the number of pieces completed, after which I provide a vertical col-umn 7, for the hourly production rate on the particular job, whosevserial number has/heen noted, and lastly I provide a `column I8 lfor noting the results ofthe calculation astakeni lfrom the factor chartfo'r table. I may' further provide one. or several additional columns of spaces, such as column9, for the purpose vof noting the results of any other calculation or factors, taken fromfthesame or other chart, dependent upon-.the sameperiods of time recorded in the time record :column 3; such as over-head lcoi-'responding to the particu'lar period of time, or vthe particular operation or job, or corresponding to each piece of work completed. l

Referring to the f factor l chart or table lll. shown in the drawings, I have omi-tted part thereof, along the breaks indicated by the dotted lines 11, 12 and 13, and have merely shown the two outer vertical columns 14 and 15,. and 16 and 17 respectively; the numbers in columns 14 and 16 designating the piece :rate quotients and the columns l and 1 7, being the time graduations corresponding to the -time graduations on the time or clock card. Since, inthe particular illustration of my invention, I am demonstrating my' method, in the calculation of the fwages or .l'abor cost, the intermediate vertical columns 18, 19 andr 20` on one side, and 21, 22 and- 23 on the other, contain the precalculated factors at the various fixed hourly vrates of wages, that vis at ,`40, and el per hour; corresponding' to elapsed periods of time beginning with the zero row 24C, at the bottom and continningon upwards in periods of tenths of an hou-r, from half past seven, or 7.5, designating the usual starting time; and starting in. the same horizontal row with a zero quotient and increasing 11p-Wards i-n tenths, for each tenth of any hour, since such quotient-is a time the 15th day of the particular month, the

month not being recorded. lVith that notation the foreman, o r other person in charge of thel distribution of work, marks down in the column', under the heading of operation number, a serial number or other means of identiication, lof* the particular operation, and also notes in the adjacent columns 6 and 7 respectively, the 'number of pieces assigned to the job, yand the fixed rate of production on the job there facture of any article. lVith the initial starting time punched, the Workerproceeds A'with the task, and after completing the particular job, again punches the clock, now in the same row with the d-ata'on the job just completed, with time punching in the particular case illustrated, is 8.8. The -iinishing time on the particular job, if it is not the end of the working day, and if it is succeeded by some other job, is then taken as the starting time for such next succeeding job; and as the worker again completes the particular task, he again punches the clock. Here vthe second job was completed at 5 oclock or the end of the day. The data. thus recorded as the work progresses, is the starting and finishing time of each job` the operation or indentifiration vnumber of thc job, the number of pieces completed and the number designating the predetermined production rate for the particular ope-ration. The same card may be used for any number of days, that is, it may be of any length, the illustration merely representing a convenient andpractical size card, having ltwelve (12) horizontal rows.

The following working day the same notations of data are repeated, the initial time record of the day being punched on the next clear horizontal line or row, opposite which there may be punched, for the purpose of accuracy and for the prevention of errors, a stamp of some sort, indicating that this time record is the initial record for the day and that no job data is to be noted in the same horizontal row therewith. Thus I have shown a form of stamp 26 as used by Ine in practice, reading: Start-nextpunch-onnewday After the initial time recordI punched in column 3', the same notavbeing such a production rate predetermined for' every operation 1n the course of manulOl tions are made for each job, opposite which notations of data, the lfinishing time is punched. Thus it will be seen that on the next working day, there are four jobs rev-corded The first 3 jobs as will be seen Vinto horizontal Ialignment with the zero or starting time on the chart, which in the particular illustration 1s 7,5 or half past seven2 1n 'the moi-ning, and reading -ofl or lnoting the factor in the proper hourly Iratecolumn, in alignment with the starting time of the same, on said scale 2. lVith 'this notation in the upper left hand. corner of thespace in column 8; the factor corresponding to the quotient'of the number of pieces divided by the rate, is next noted and marked, in the lower right hand corner inthesame space, as shown in the figure. If thefactor corresponding to the actual time consumed on the job, as taken from the time scale, is smaller than the factor corresponding to the figured or calculated time, or the quotient then the task has been completed in less time than required by the production rate, and a bonus accrues to the workman; the total wage or labor cost being,"the sum of these two factors.

If however the last factor, corresponding to the quotient, and noted in the lower right hand corner of the spaces in the column 8, is smaller than the factor corresponding to the actual time consumed on the job, then as will 'be readily seen, the workman did not come up to the required predetermined production rate, and since the sum of the two factors in that caso would give afigure below the flat hourly wage rate, and since the hourlywage rate is guaranteed, the upper factor, namely the factor corresponding to the actual time consumed,

, iis doubled, thus giving the guaranteed fiat hourly rate. This is based on the assumption, that the'factors are figured on a 50% bonus rate, or representing one half of the hourly.;wage, as is the case in the particular illustration herein described.

Itwill thus be apparent that the relation of the two figures noted in column 8, for each job, tells at a glance whether there has been a gain or loss to the management, on the particular labor cost, since the dil'erence between the two factors represents the actual'bonusfipaidif the lower .number is larger-than the upper number, while if the lower number is-smaller, thenf the dierence represents a loss. The relation `of these ytwo numbers or factors, also shows at a glance, whethera man has fallen below. therequired production rate. In case of'straight piece work, that is to. say, in case the factors in the4 chart are made to represent a z .full 100% of the hourly wage rate, then it places the piece work on a time basis, and in such a case as well, the two factors noted in the column 8, serve to check up on the production.-

My novel invention is not limited'moreover, to the particular arrangement shown in the ligure of the drawing, since the chart and the corresponding time -scale may be marked oil' on portions of an arc of a circle.

It will further be noted that by my novel method and chart, any off time, such as lunch time or the like,is Aautomatically taken care of` in the calculations vby omitting from the time scale-on the chart incolumns .15 and 1G, the particular.horizontalrowscorresponding to an \-.otfuperiod. `In the particular case illustrated the lunch hour covers a period of seven-tenths4 (116) of an -hour namely from v 12.00 150,123? inclusive.^'Thus it will be seen yupon reference to ,lines 27 and 28 in column 15 ofthe chart-that after 12.00, that; is twelve oclock noon,'the first time notation is 12.8,. thus automatically omitting from the calculations a period during which no work was performed, although that period may fall within the starting and finishing .time of a particular job.

Vhile in the chart shown in the accompanying drawing the factorsiare based on a 50% bonus scheme, yet-if it is desired to calculate the wages intheparticular instance on a 100% bonus scheme, that is, to put piece work on a timebasis, it is only necessary to add to -the `sum ofthe two factors obtained from vthe :chart in:normal calculation, the diffe'rencebetween the two factors, thus giving: a final Asum which is the totalwage basedion .a 100% bonus The reason for this is readily seen -sinceyfor as brought out hereinbefore, thedifference between thetwo factors inanycalculation, if the upper factor issmaller than ,thelower one, is the actual bonus-paid'.` By' taking this difference and adding-it to the sum-of the two factors, a 100% lbonus is added, thus making itfpossible to ligure, if necessary, 100% bonus on a 50% bonus chart; although ifdesired a similar chart can be made up on a 100%bonus scheme.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel 'and useful method and means of computation which embodiesv the features of advantage enumerated as desirable-'infthe statement of the invention and the above description, and whileI have, in the; preslLese-,farro entilins'tancegffshown and described a preferredembodime'nt thereof which will .give in practice satisfactoryiand lreliable results, it is to befunderstood that. suchembodiment is susceptible;:ofmodiications in `:various particularsi without departing from. the spiritor scope. of the- -invention or sacrificing any. of its?advantages. -f i i Havingthus describedmyinvention, what I claim -as new, and: desire -tosecure by LettersPat-entiisr ;l. In'a device: ofthe character stated.y a table comprising atime scale, atime interval column substantially parallel to said time scale having therein numbers representing the. timelicementscorresponding to and in operative alinement With the respective graduations on the time scale, and a factor column also extending substantially parallel to said time scale and time increment column containing progressive series of numbers representing the precalculated cumulative cost factors corresponding to and in operative alinement With the respective graduations on said time scale, as well as the respective time increments in said time increment column.

2. In a device of the character stated, a table comprising a time scale, a time increment column extending substantially parallel to said time scale, said column containing numbers representing the time increments corresponding to and in operative alinement with the respective graduations on the time scale, and a series of factor columns containing progressive series of numbers representing the precalculated cumulative cost factors corresponding to and in operative alinement with the respective graduations on said time scale, as Well as the respective time increments in said time increment column; each of said series of columns containing the cost factors corresponding to a different particular time interval rate.

3. In a device of the character stated, a table comprising a time scale, a time interval column substantially parallel to said time scale having therein numbers representing the time increments corresponding to and in operative alinement with the respective graduations on the time scale, and a. factor column also extending substantially parallel to said time scale and time increment column containing progressive series of numbers representing the precalculated cumulative cost factors corresponding to and in operative alinement with the respective graduations on said time scale, as Well as the respective time increments in said time increment column; there being omitted from said time scale, as Well as from said time increment column, and said factor column, a suitable portion corresponding to any recess period occurring during the -total period over which said time scale and hence said time increment and said factor columns extend,l during which the Work ceases, thereby automatically to eliminate from the calculations any such recess period. L.1s-In adevice of the character stated, a table comprising av time scale, a time interval column substantially parallel to said time .-scale'having therein numbers representing the time increments corresponding to'andrin :operative alinement with the re spective :graduations on the time scale, and a series-ofvfactor columns also extending substantially parallel to said time scale and time increment column containing progressive series of numbers representing tlie precalculated cumulative cost factors corresponding to and in operative alinement with the respective graduations on said time scale, as Well as the respective time increments in said time increment column; there being omitted from said time scale, as Well as from said time increment column, and said factor columns, a suitable portion corresponding lto any recess period occurring during the total period over which said time scale and hence, said time increment and said factor columns extend, during which the Work ceases, thereby automatically eliminating from the calculations any such recess period.

5. In a device of the character stated, a table comprising a time scale, a time interval column substantially parallel to said time scale having therein numbers representing time increments or piece2 rate quotients corresponding to and in operative alinement with the respective graduations on the time scale, and a Wage column also extending substantially parallel to said time scale and said piece:rate7 quotient column, containing progressive series of numbers representing the precalculated cumulative partial wage factors corresponding to and in operative alinement with the respective graduations on said time scale as well as the respect-ive time increments in said piece: rate l quotient column.

6. In a device of the character stated, a table comprising a time scale, a time increment or piecezrate quotient column extending substantially parallel to said time scale, containing numbers representing the piecezrate quotients corresponding to and in operative alinement with the respective graduations on said time scale, and a series of Wage columns also extending substantially parallel to said time scale and time increment column, containing progressive series of numbers representing the .precalculated cumulative partial Wage factors corresponding to and in operative alinement with the respective piece: rate quotients in said time increment column,

'each of said series yof =Wagecol1imns containing,r the partial Wage factors corresponding to a dierent particular'wage ratei 7. In a device of the character stated, a tablecomprising a time `scale;v a time Lint-erval column substantially parallel '-to said time scale having therein numbers representing' the piece:rate quotients-or time increments corresponding to and'finoperative alinement with the 'respective Vgraduations on said time scale7 and a :'Wage column also extending substantially parallel to said time scale and said time increment column, containing progressive series of numbers representing the precalculated Acumulative partial Wage factors correspending to and in' operative alinement with the respective graduations on said time scale as Well as the :respective piecez rate quotients in. said time increment vcolumn; there being omittedifrom said Wage columnas well asfrom"said time scale a time increment columnr'a .suitable portion corresponding to any recess period occurring during the total period v:over which said time'increment and said wage columns extend, during which both Work andr'wages cease, thereby automatically to eliminate from the calculations any such recess period.

AGORDON T. MALAN.

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