US2821341A - earnhardt - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 28, 1 5 H. L. BARNHARDT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 22, 1954 ATTQRXERS Jan. 28, 1958 H. L. BARNHARDT MULTI-FUNCTION REPEAT KEY FGR CALCULATING MACHINE Filed Sept. 22, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY $7 M,

ATTORNEYS Jan. 28, 1958 H. 1.. BARNHARDT 2,

MULTI-FUNCTION REPEAT KEY FOR CALCULATING MACHINE Filed Sept. 22, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 afl 56 INVENTOR 190/97; JB /Wfifi/df.

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ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 2,821,341 Patented Jan. 28, 1958 MULTI-FUNCTION REPEAT KEY FOR GALCULATING. MACHINE Harris IL. Barnhardt, Asheville, N. C., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Olkon Research Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporationof Delaware Application September 22, 1954, Serial No. 457,594

Claims. (Cl.-23560) 'Thisinvention' relates to calculating machines and particularly to -improved repeat-key mechanism for that type of. device commonly known as a motorized ten key calculating and. listing machine.

Devices. of the type. to which this invention is applicable comprise aselector in which data is set up by a cooperatingkey board, an accumulator, printing: mechanism, actuating means for simultaneously actuating the accumulator and the'printin'g' mechanism in accordance with: the'conditioniofthe. selector, and .motor driven operating: means for the actuating means. in the most commom commercial embodiment. of such machines, the selector'isin the: form of a pin carriage operating below thekeyb'oard, depression of the keys acting to depress corresponding, pins on the: carriage, and the actuating means-includes a plurality of reciprocable slides so arrangedwithrespect to the pin carriage that eachpin dcpressed will limit thereciprocation of a different slide. The: numeral. Wheels of the accumulator include pinions which mesh with racks onxthe. corresponding ones of said slidesrwhen the: slides.- are moved forwardly. The printing mechanism is.- also positioned by means of pinions meshed withlhe racks. on the. slides. Thus, movement ofithe slides; limited. by the condition of the. pin carriage, serves. both to store data in the accumulator and positiontheprintingmeans- Eachnumeral wheel of the accumulator is-provided:with a: single lug, the rotational position.of which is representative of the total data stored mam wheel, such lug cooperating with appropriatetransfer. andtotal taking mechanism. A typical conventional machine of this general type is seen in United States Patent 1,899,444, issued February 28, 1933, to T. O. Mchan.

After completing each datastorage operation of such .a machine,,.it is-necessary to restore the selector to its normal condition so that new data may be set therein via the keyboard. For this reason, such machines are provided wilih means actuated automatically, as each cycle is completed, to clear the selector. It is desirable, however,v to" be able to repeat any given data storing cycle and for this purpose. such machines-include a repeat key and'means actuated by depression of such key to deactivatetheselector restoring means for so long as the repeat key isv depressed. Typical arrangements of this type are seen in the aforementioned Mehan patent and in Swiss.Patent'242',873 of'November l', 1946.

Ordinarily, the repeat key and its associated mechanism have been so constructed and arranged that, to re peat'a given cycle, it is necessary to manipulate both the repeatkeyandthe'motor key, the latter usually being the adtfkey; Since machines of thistype are employed to do" great'amountsof calculating work; the persons operating the "machines being highly skilledand able to operate the machine with extreme rapidity over prolonged'pe riod's, even the apparently small effort involved in manipulatingboth the repeat and-add keys is recognized asa material disadvanta'g'e'in conventional machines of this type:

While some attempts havebeen made to provide motorized repeat key operation, the results have not been entirely satisfactory for two reasons. First, no satisfactory means has heretofore been devised for preventing concurrent manipulation of the subtract key and the repeat key in such manner asto cause lockups of the machine. Second, previous machineshave been so constructed that, after motorized repeat key operation, an additional cycle of operation is necessary to restore or clear the selector.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved motorized repeat key mechanism, for machines of the type described, which is more positive in operation and more economical in construction and assembly than prior devices.

Another object is to provide a ten-key adding machine of the type described including motorized repeat key mechanism and so constructed and arranged that the selector is automatically restored at the end. of a. repeat operation without requiring an additional cycle of operation of the machine.

A further object is to devise such a machine including novel and improved lockout means for positively locking the repeat key against motor-actuating operation once the subtract key has been depressed;

To facilitate a clear understanding of the manner in which these and. other objects are attained by the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational' view of. a calculating ma chine constructed in accordance with the invention showing in detail only certain control mechanism for the machine drive;

Fig. 2 is a detail side elevational viewillustrating the repeat key, selector and selector restoring means of such machine;

Fig. 3 is a partial plan view illustrating the mechanism of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view, on larger'scale, of the repeat key of the machine of Figs. 1-3;

Fig. 5 is an edge elevational view of the repeat key;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a repeat key transfer lever employed in the invention;

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of the repeat key transferlever;

Fig. 8- isv a. detail view, on enlarged scale, of a portion of the subtract key of the machine of Figs. 13 and the lockout member cooperating therewith;

Fig. 9 is a side elevational view of the operating key lock mechanism employed in the invention; and

Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 10-10, Fig. 9.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and first to Fig. 1, I have illustrated the base 1 and side frame plate 2 of a conventional machine of the type referred to. As is usual practice, the drive control mechanism includes a driving plate 3 connected to the driving gears and motor (not shown) via ratchet 4. Shoulder 5 of driving plate 3 is engageable with tip 6 of the usual actuating lever 7, the lever carrying lug 8 for actuating drive motor control switch 9.

Actuating lever 7 is pivoted at 10 to the side frame and provided with torsion spring 11 urging the lever in a direction tending to free driving plate 3 and close switch 9. Drive plate 3 is connected by pitman 1.2 to main drive crank 13. Between the forward end of lever 7 and cam tip 14 of crank 13 is situated a rock lever 15 having end rollers engaged respectively with the lever 7 and the cam tip 14, rock lever 15 being pivoted on pin 16 working in a slot in the rock lever. When the top oflever 15 is rocked forwardly as shown, lever 7 is pivoted to free drive plate 3 and close switch 9 to actuate the drive motor; When lever 15 i's'rocke'd back to substantially 3 vertical position, lever 7 is pivoted to open switch 9 and engage the stop shoulder of drive plate 3.

A generally L-shaped main control lever 17 is pivoted on pin 18 secured to the side frame plate 2 and has one end connected by transfer link 19 to rock lever below pin 16. Thus, downward pivoted motion of arm 2t) of main control lever 17 rocks lever 15, allowing actuating lever 7 to close switch 9 and free drive plate 3.

Main arm 20 of lever 17 extends forwardly along side frame 2 past the stems of subtract key M and add key 22, a spring 23 being provided to bias the lever into upper, or inactive, position. Add key 22 is provided with a pin 24 disposed to engage arm 20 of lever 17 so that arm 26 is pivoted downwardly when the add key is actuated to its fully depressed position, as shown. Similarly, subtract key 21 is provided with a pin for engaging and pivoting the arm 20. Vertically reciprocable slide 26, operated via shaft 27 and lever 28 by depression of the total key, carries pin 29 to actuate arm 20 downwardly. Similarly, a vertically reciprocable slide 30, operated through appropriated mechanism including lever 31 and shaft 32 (Fig. 3) by the non-add key, is provided with a pin 33 for engaging and operating the main control lever. Slide is biased upwardly by tension spring 34, while add key 22 is biased upwardly by a compression spring 35.

Also pivoted on pin 18 is an auxiliary lever 36 extending forwardly of the machine and so disposed that its free tip engages the pin 33 of slide 30. Thus, downward pivotal motion of auxiliary lever 36 causes pin 33 to move downwardly to depress main control lever 20, actuating the machine. Lever 36 is provided with a horizontal pin 37 extending through an aperture in side frame 2 and disposed, as seen in Fig. 3, generally parallel to shaft 32. Pivoted at 38 to the side frame 2 is a lock member 39 having a catch portion 40, Fig. 8, and a cam slot 41. Subtract key 21 is provided at its lower end with a lateral extension 42 to which is fixed a pin 43 disposed in the cam slot 41. The cam slot extends rearwardly of the machine and downwardly toward the base 1, so that downward motion of the subtract key causes the lock member 39 to swing forwardly, the pin 37 then engaging in catch portion 46, preventing downward motion of lever 36.

As seen in Fig. 3, shaft 32 extends entirely across the keyboard somewhat forwardly of the stern of repeat key 44. Freely journalled on shaft 32 between lever 31 and the repeat key is a repeat key transfer lever 45 extending rearwardly from shaft 32 and provided on one side with a lateral extension 46 disposed above the pin 37 carried by lever 36. On its other side and intermediate its ends, the repeat key transfer lever 45 is provided with a second lateral extension 47 disposed below a pin 48 rigidly fixed to the repeat key 44. Since transfer lever 45 is freely journalled on shaft 32, the extension 46 rests upon pin 37. The disposition of pin 48 on repeat key 44 is such that, when lever 36 occupies its normal upper position seen in Fig. l, the pin 48 will not engage lateral extension 47 until the repeat key is almost fully depressed. Full depression of the repeat key causes pin 43 to engage extension 47, pivoting transfer lever 45 downwardly, such motion being imparted to lever 36 through pin 37, so that slide 30 is moved downwardly, depressing control lever 20 and so actuating the machine.

As seen in Fig. 2, the repeat key 44 is provided at its lower end with a pin 49 engaged in a slot in the end of a lever 5% extending longitudinally of the machine and carried by rotatable shaft 51. Pivoted to the rearward end of lever 50 and depending therefrom is a lifting rod 5'2 having a guide yoke 53 and a lifting roller 54 cooperating with the selector restoring lever 55. The lifting rod 52 is guided by a pin 56 engaged in a slot 57 at the lower end of the rod and is biased downwardly by tension spring 58.

The restoring lever 55, also known in the art as a destroying lever, cooperates with selector restoring means comprising gear 59 engaged with gear segment 60 secured to shaft 61 carrying rock arm 62, the latter being provided with roller 63 to be engaged by shoulder 55* of the restoring lever. Gear 59 is secured to shaft 64 to which is rigidly fixed one end of a lever 65. A link 66 is pivotally connected to the other end of lever 65 and to the frame 67 of selector 63, the selector in this instance being a pin carriage mounted for movement transversely of the machine. Operation of the number keys to selectively depress the pins of the selector causes, by means well known in the art, a stepwise transverse shifting of the selector. This motion is transmitted through link 66, lever 65, shaft 64 and gear 59, to the rock arm 62, moving roller 6.3 rearwardly of the machine. When the operating mechanism is next cycled, as by actuation of the add key, the restoring lever is first drawn rearwardly, riding over the roller 63, and then moved forwardly so that, assuming the repeat key is not depressed, the shoulder 55 engages roller 63, rocking arm 62 forwardly and so actuating the selector restoring means to return the selector to its normal condition. When the repeat key is depressed, lever 50 is pivoted to raise lifting rod 52, roller 54 engaging the restoring lever 55 and lifting the same so that shoulder 55 cannot engage roller 63. Thus, with the repeat key depressed, the operating mechanism may be cycled once or repeatedly without restoring the selector.

The repeat key 44 extends through a slot in keyboard framing plate 69, such slot and the engagement of pin 49 in the end of lever 54} serving to support the repeat key for both reciprocating and pivotal motion. The stem of the repeat key is provided with a notch 70 to cooperate with a fixed catch plate 71, so that when the repeat key is depressed and pivoted toward the rear of the machine and then released, it may return only up to the catch plate 71. When so latched in intermediate position, pin 49 is depressed sufficiently, to cause lever 55 to be held out of contact with roller 63, but no downward actuating force is applied to lever 45 by pin 48.

In repeat add operation, a number which has been set into the selector may be entered into the accumulator and printed as many times as desired simply by depressing the repeat key all the way and awaiting completion of the desired number of cycles of operation of the machine. Such full depression of the repeat key causes depression of control lever 20, via parts 30, 33, 36, 37 and 45, and also raises the restoring lever, via parts 50, 52 and 54. On the other hand, if repeat key 44 is held in its semidepressed position, with the shoulder of notch 70 engaging catch plate 71, the restoring lever is inactivated without depressing the main control lever 20. This characteristic is of particular importance in simple multiplication. Here, it is necessary to depress the cipher bar, with the operating mechanism idle, to shift from one multiplier to another, without the restoring mechanism being actuated. This is accomplished by entering the first figure into the selector, simultaneously fully depressing the repeat key and tilting the same rearwardly, manually holding the repeat key depressed for the required number of cycles, releasing the repeat key (while still rearwardly tilted), return of the repeat key being halted by catch plate 71 while restoring lever 55 is still inactivated, depressing the cipher bar, then again fully depressing the repeat key to cycle the machine the required number of times, etc. Upon completion of the last multiplication, the repeat key is tilted forwardly and released. Forward tilting allows full return of the repeat key, since notch 70 cannot engage catch plate 71, and full return of the repeat key results (by action of parts 50, 52, 54, 53) in lowering of the restoring lever 55 during the cycle of the operating mechanism which completes the last multiplication. Thus, the restoring lever acts to restore the selector without requiring another cycle of operation which, if it were required, would have to be effected by actuation of the correction key to avoid setting additional figures into the selector. After full release of the repeat key, the answer is obtained by actuating the total key 22.

Although the locking mechanism comprising member 3.9, Fig. '7', is efiective to prevent depression. of lever 3.6

to be held inactive position.

Inaddition to. the means shown in Fig. 8 for looking out lever 36 when the subtract key is depressed, it is necessary that locking mechanism be provided: to prevent concurrent depression of any combination of the number keys, -non-add actuating slide 30, add key 22, total actuating slide '26 and subtract key 21'. This is accomplished by the locking means illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10 comprising a ball cage 75' situated between parts 21, 22, 26 and 30, on the one hand, and the side plate 2', on the other hand, and secured to side plate 2 by machine screws 76. The ball cage 75 encloses a-plurality of free steel balls 77 and is provided with spaced openings 78, 79, 80, 81 and 82. These openings are disposed to allow entry into the ball cage of tip 83 of lever' 84, and bars 85, 86, '87 and 88, respectively, as'will' be clear from Fig. 9. Lever 84, seen in end view in Fig. 9, is connected to operating mechanism (not shown) such that depression of any number key will cause lever 84 to pivot upwardly bringing its tip 83 into the ball cage through opening 78. Bars 84-88 are respectively connected to the slide 30, add key 22, total slide 26 and subtract key 21, so that depression of any one of these parts to actuate control lever will cause the corresponding bar to enter the ball cage. The balls 77 almost completely fill the cage, leaving free play suflicient to admit only one of the elements 33, 85, 86, 87 and 88. Thus, when any one of the number keys, the add key, the non-add key, the total keys and the subtract key is depressed sufficiently to cause actuation of lever 20, all others are locked in inactive position.

The ball cage locking mechanism just described would not alone be completely effective as an absolute safety means for preventing lockups caused by manipulation of both the repeat key and the subtract key. As will be evident to those skilled in the art, operation of the repeat key results in actuation of the accumulator mechanism in one sense while actuation of the subtract key results in actuation of the accumulator mechanism in the opposite sense. Further, because of the inertia of the moving parts, once such actuation is commenced, motion continues for an appreciable period. Because of this, it was possible in prior art machines, to accidentally depress both the repeat key and the subtract key, not positively so as to obtain a firm, full depression, but rather tentatively so that first the subtract key operates the machine and then the repeat key actuates the machine. Because of the inertia of the moving parts, it was possible to so manipulate these two keys that the adding and subtracting mechanism would be in action at the same time, causing a lockup of the machine. This possibility is eliminated in the present invention by the locking member 39 with its relatively long cam slot 41 engaging pin 43 in such manner that it is impossible to concurrently depress both the repeat key and the subtract key to such an extent that a small movement of either key will cycle the machine.

I claim:

1. In a calculating machine of the type comprising a plurality of number keys, selector mechanism having a normal starting condition and actuatable to various controlling conditions in response to operation of said number keys, restoring means including a restoring lever normally arranged to restore said selector to starting condition during each cycle of operation of the machine but movable to an inactive position such that the machine may be operated without causing the selector to be restored, operating means including a primary control member 6 actuatable to control said operating means to carryout an operating cycle of the machine, and add and. subtract keys each. disposed to be 'man'nall-yactuatable into engagement with said member to actuate the same, the combination of :a repeat keyhaving a normal inactive position and-movable to an intermediate position andnafully actuated position, means. operatively connected to said repeat key constructed and arranged to maintain said restoring lever in its inactive; position so long as said repeat key is actuated at least to said intermediate position, .di-sengageable latch means operatively associated with said repeat key for latching the same in said intermediate position, and means esponsive only to actuation of said repeatkey to: its fully actuated position for actuating said: primary controli. member.

2. In a calculating machine of thety-pe comprising .a plurality of number zkeys, selector mechanism having, .a normal starting condition and .actuatable to various controlling conditions. in response; to: operation .of said number keys, restoring-means includinga restoring: lever normally arranged to. restore said selector to starting condition during each cycle of operation of the machine but movable to an inactive position: such: that the. machine may be operated without causing the selector to. besrestoned, operating means including .a primary control lever actuata' -ble to. control said operating means to. carry out an operatingcycle of the machine, and a control keyfor effecting such actuation of said primary control lever, the combination of a repeat key having a normal inactive position and depressible to an intermediate position and a fully depressed position, means operatively connected to said repeat key constructed and arranged to maintain said restoring lever in its inactive position so long as said repeat key is depressed at least to its intermediate position, disengageable latch means operatively associated with said repeat key for latching the same in said intermediate position, a secondary control lever disposed for pivoted motion into and out of operative engagement with said primary control lever and normally biased to an inactive position, and mechanical means operatively associated with said repeat key and said secondary control lever and constructed and arranged to pivot said secondary control lever to actuate said primary control lever independently of said control key only when said repeat key is actuated to fully depressed position.

3. In a calculating machine of the type comprising a plurality of number keys, selector mechanism having a normal starting condition and actuatable to various controlling conditions in response to operation of said number keys, restoring means including a restoring lever normally arranged to restore said selector to starting condition during each cycle of operation of the machine but movable to an inactive position such that the machine may be operated without causing the selector to be restored, operating means including a primary control member actuatable to control said opera-ting means to carry out an operating cycle of the machine, and a control key associated with said operating member for actuating the same, the combination of a repeat key having a' lateral abutment and mounted for depression first to an intermediate position and then to a fully depressed position, means operatively associated with said repeat key constructed and arranged to maintain said restoring lever in its inactive position so long as said repeat key is depressed at least to its intermediate position, disengageable latch means operatively associated with said repeat key for latching the same in said intermediate position, a secondary control member normally biased to an inactive position and disposed for downward movement to actuate said primary control member independently of said control key, and a movable transfer member operatively associated with said secondary control member and disposed for downward actuation by contact with said abutment of said repeat key only when said repeat key is depressed from said intermediate position to said fully depressed position.

4. In a calculating machine of the type described comprising a plurality of number keys, selector mechanism having a normal starting condition and actuatable to various controlling conditions in response to operation of said number keys, restoring means including a restoring lever normally arranged to restore said selector to starting condition during each cycle of operation of the machine but movable to an inactive position such that the machine may be operated without causing the selector to be restored, operating means including a primary control member actuatable to control said operating means to carry out an operating cycle of the machine, and add and subtract keys each disposed to be manually depressed into engagement with said member to actuate the same, the combination of a repeat key having a normal inactive position and depressible to an intermediate position and a fully depressed position, means operatively connected to said repeat key constructed and arranged to maintain said restoring lever in its inactive position so long as said repeat key is depressed at least to its intermediate position, disengageable latch means associated with said repeat key for latching the same in said inter mediate position, a secondary control member biased to a normally inactive position and movable downwardly to actuate said primary control member, mechanical means operatively associated with said secondary control member and said repeat key for imparting downward motion to said secondary control member only when said repeat key is depressed from said intermediate position to said fully' depressed position, whereby such actuation of said repeat key causes actuation of said primary control member independently of said add key, a latching member movable from a normal inactive position to a second position restraining said secondary control member against downward movement, and means connected to said subtract key and acting upon said latching member to move the same to said second position whenever said subtract key is actuated.

5. A calculating machine constructed in accordance with claim 4 and in which said latching member is a pivoted member provided with an arcuate cam slot and said subtract key is provided with a pin working in said cam slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,983,625 Luttropp Dec. 11, 1934 2,010,068 Duke a- Aug. 6, 1935 2,352,006 Pott June 20, 1944 2,545,649 Capellaro Mar. 20, 1951 2,675,960 Frieberg et a1. Apr. 20, 1954

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