US1913510A - Calculating machine - Google Patents

Description

June 13, 1933. cz 1,913,510

CALCULATING MACHINE Filed May 4, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet l IJNVENTOR BY Emesf Pacz do; AW, (9% WW ATTORNEYS June 13, 1933. cz 1,913,510

' MACHINE Filed May 4, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Ernesf Baez ATTORNEYS June 13, 1933. R 1,913,510

CALCULATING MACHINE Filed May 4, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Eig.4. 4

INVENTOR Emeaf Baez BY 0, 144%, 03%, y/MM ATTORNEYS June 13, 1933. E. RACZ ,9 3

CALCULATING MACHINE Filed May 4, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR Emeaf Fa cz ATTORNEYS Patented June 13, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ERNEST RACZ, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR 'IO BURROUGHS ADDING MACHINE COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN CALCULATING MACHINE Application filed May 4, 1931. Serial No. 534,725.

This invention relates to a calculating machine. It relates particularly to a feature which, for trade convenience, has been termed an enforced designation feature,

that is, before the operator can operate the machine, he is compelled to condition it so that it will print certain designations indicating the character of the item or transaction that is recorded.

In certain uses of a calculating machine such, for example, as in a service station, the attendant is required to enter each item purchased by a customer. A record of these items is retained in the machine for the use of the proprietor who may wish to examine the record of a days business. It is often desirable that a designation mark be printed adjacent each item showing the class of goods sold, for example, oil, gas, tires, etc. A special row of designation keys is provided for use in printing these designations, but it is a very easy matter for the attendant to forget to press the designation keys and, by the end of the day, he will often forget the character of the items sold.

The present invention is directed to a solution of this problem and it comprehends the provision of an improved mechanism for preventing proper operation of the machine unless a designation key is depressed. Provision is also made for freeing the machine for operation when a total is to be taken without requiring depression of a designation key. There is a further provision for enabling the proprietor to disable the dos ignation feature so that the machine may be used for ordinary calculations without employing the designation keys. In another species, the designation is printed only when a total is taken.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism for compelling the operator of a calculating machine to condition the machine to cause it to print a designating character before he can properly operate the machine. 4

A more particular object is to provide, in a machine of this character, mechanism that will automatically disconnect the driving means from the operating mechanism of the machine when a designating key has not been depressed under predetermined conditions.

A further object is to provide, in a machine of this character, a mechanism that will automatically free the machine for the taking of a total without requiring the depression of a designation key.

A further object is to provide a means under the control of the proprietor for changing the character of the machine by disabling the enforced designation feature.

Other and more s ecific objects of the invention will appear rom the following specification and drawings.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a eft side elevation of a machine with the invention applied thereto, the casing of the machine and certain parts being omitted to show others more clearly, the parts being in normal positions.

Fig. 2 is a partial erspective of one of the designation keys showing the slides associated with it.

Fig. 3 is a partial plan view of the keyboard showing the designation keys on the left hand side and the control keys on the right hand side.

Fig. 4 is a partial right side elevation of the machine showing the pertinent mechanism in normal condition.

Fig. 5 is a partial sectional plan view showing a locking means by which the roprietor may disable the enforced identi cation feature.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a partial plan view similar to Fig. 5 with the locking means in unlocked position.

Fig. 8 is a partial left side elevation showing the parts in the positions they occupy after one of the designation keys has been depressed and after the machine has started to operate.

Fig. 9 is a partial right side elevation showing another species of the invention.

Fig. 10 is a detailed plan view and section of the lock shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7.

The invention is shown applied to a calculating machine that has been on the market for some time and which is known generally as the Burroughs Portable. This machine will be described very briefly, it being understood, of course, that the invention can be applied to machines of other types.

General calculating machine features The machine includes a plurality of banks of item keys (Fig. 3) which are depressed when an item is to be entered on the machine. After the keys are depressed, the machine is given a. stroke of operation by rocking a main drive shaft 11 clockwise as viewed in Fig. 1 and then permitting it to return counter-clockwise to normal under the influence of springs, these two movements being generally referred to as the forward and the return stroke of operation of the machine. The drive shaft 11 may be rocked by means of a handle 12 or by means of an electric motor (not shown), both forms )f drive being old in the art. The drive shaft and its actuating device will be referred to as the driving means of the machine and the parts to which the drive shaft is disconnectably connected will be referred to generally as the operating mechanism of the machine. During the forward stroke of the machine a stop bar 13 such as shown in Fig. 1 moves forward in each bank in which a key has been depressed until said bars are arrested by the stems of the depressed keys. These bars are attached to and move pivoted actuator racks 14 and attached to these racks are type bars 15. As the stop bars move forward they raise the type bars to proper position after which a printing mechanism 16 operates to print the digit on a sheet of paper 17 that passes from a roll R around a platen P. One or more registers 13 are employed for cooperation with the actuator racks for accumulating the items entered. The machine is provided with the usual control keys at the right hand side as shown in Fig. 3, that'is, the total key T, the sub total key ST, the non-add key N A, the error key E, and the repeat key R.

Enforced designation feature provided toward the left hand side of the machine. These keys are similar to the item keys and associated with them is a stop bar 13, an actuator rack 14, and a type bar of the same construction as is employed with the item keys, except that the characters on the type bar, instead of being digits, are letters or words such as oil, gas, tires. etc. Preferably the actuator racks for the bank of designation keys is constructed so that the registers do not cooperate with it, but,

if desired, a portion of the register can be operated by this actuator rack, such portion being beyond that part used by the item keys. \Vhen one of the designation keys 20 is depressed and the machine operated, the stop ar in the designation bank moves forward until arrested by the depressed key which causes the type bar in the designation bank to be raised to position for printing a character corresponding to the key depressed.

In the event an attempt is made to operate the machine under predetermined conditions without depressing a designation key, the driving means is automatically disconnected from the operating mechanism as the machine starts to operate.

Referring to Figs. 1, and 2. the bank of designation keys 20 is provided, in addition to the usual key latch slide 21, with a slide 22 extending through slots 23 in the stems of the keys. The slide 22 has a plurality of cam projections 24 on its upper edge positioned so that, when any of the keys 20 is depressed, the slide is moved forward. The forward end of the slide has a jaw 25 formed on it which engages over a projecting lug 26 on a yoke 27 pivoted on a shaft 28. This yoke has a downwardly extending lug 29 positioned between jaws on the end of one arm 30 of a bell crank yoke pivoted at 31. The other arm 32 of this bell crank has a lateral lug 33 normally projecting into the path of a nose 34 on a member 35 pivoted at 36.

The drive shaft 11 drives the machine through a disconnectible connection as follows:

Fixed to the drive shaft 11 is an arm 40 having a nose 41 located immediately above a shoulder 42 on a pawl 43 pivoted at 44 to the full stroke sector 45 that forms a part of the operating mechanism of the machine. As the drive shaft ll rocks clockwise (Fig. l) the nose 41 on arm 40 engages the shoulder 42 of pawl 43 and. tcnds to pull the full stroke sector 45 around with the drive shaft to operate the machine. The member 35 has a nose 46 projecting into the path of another shoulder 47 on the pivoted pawl 43. Unless the nose 46 is removed from the path of the shoulder 47 said shoulder will engage the nose and the pawl 43 will be rocked counterclockwise (Fig. l) on its pivot to disconnect the pawl from the nose 4 on the drive arm 40. This automatically disconnects the operating mechanism of the machine from the driving means and the driving means can continue to move but the machine will not be operated. instead the operating mechanism will be returned to normal by the springs that urge it to normal position.

It will therefore be clear that, as long as no designation key is depressed, the arm 32 of bell crank 3032 will block movement of member 35 and the nose 46 will engage the shoulder 47 on pawl 43 to automatically disconnect the operating mechanism from the driving means as the machine starts to operate.

However, if one of the designation keys 20 is depressed, its slide 22 will be moved forward which will rock the yoke 27 clockwise. This will rock the bell crank 3032 counterclockwise and remove the lateral lug 33 from the path of the nose 34. The member 35 is then free to be rocked so that its nose 46 is out of the path of the shoulder 47. The member 35 is rocked during normal operation of the machine as follows:

Referring to Fig. 4 the machine is provided with a slide 50 having a shoulder 51 normally engaging the face of a roller on a shaft 52 that extends across the front of the machine and is carried by arms 53 of which one is shown in Figs. 1 and 8, the arms being pivoted on the shaft 28. The slide 50 is urged to the right as viewed in Fig. 4, by a spring 54, but it is normally held in the position of Fig. 4 by a stud 55 on a plate 56 constituting a part of the operating mechanism of the machine. As the machine starts to operate, the plate 56 is rocked counterclockwise (Fig. 4) which releases the slide 50 which is thereupon moved to the right by its spring 54. This releases the shaft 52 which is thereupon rocked rearwardly by a spring 57. The arm 53 that supports the shaft 52 on the left hand side of the machine, viewing the machine from the front, has an arm 58 (Fig. 1) carrying a stud 59 operating in a slot 60 in a member 35. As the shaft 52 rocks rearwardly the stud 59 moves in the slot 60 and rocks the member 35 counterclockwise to move its nose 46 from the path of the shoulder 47 on the pawl 43 prior to the time that said shoulder reaches said nose. Accordingly, in normal operations of the machine, and when a designation key is depressed, the member 35 is rocked counterclockwise so that it will not cause an automatic disconnection of the operating means from the driving means of the machine. on the other hand, if a designation key is not depressed, the member 35 cannot rock counterclockwise because it will be blocked by the lateral lug 33 on the arm 32, whereupon the driving means will be automatically disconnected fom the operating mechanism.

One of the advantages of this construction is, that it quickly notifies the operator that he has not depressed a designation kdy. For example, if it is ahand operated machine, the handle will be freed for movement without any load as soon as the automatic disconnection takes place and he will be instantly notified that the designation key has not been depressed and that he has not operated the machine. He cannot connect the driving means to the operating mechanism until he does depress the designation key. Another advantage is that it prevents operation of the machine with the machine in such a condition that the operator is liable to damage it. If the handle were blocked he would be liable to jerk or pull on it and might permanently injure the machine.

After severalitems have been entered and the proper designations printed opposite them, it is usually desirable to take a total. This total need not necessarily have a designation character opposite it, in which event the enforced depression of a designation key would require an additional operation for no particular purpose except to release the machine. Accordingly, means is provided for automatically disabling the enforced designation feature when the total or sub-total keys are depressed.

Referring to Fig. 4, the bank of control keys is provided with a slide having two cam noses 71 and 72 cooperating with the stems of the total and sub-total keys, but not with the other control keys. The forward end of this slide has a jaw 73 formed on it which engages'over a lateral lug 74 on the yoke 27. When either the total or sub-total key is depressed, the slide 70 is moved forwardly which rocks the yoke 27 counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 4. This moves the bell crank 30-32 (Fig. 1) counterclockwise and releases the member 35 in the manner previously described. Accordingly, when either the total or sub-total key is depressed, the machine is released for operation the same as if one of the designation keys had been depressed. In other words, the enforced identification feature is dis- 1L:zbled by depression of the total or sub-total ey. L00]: for controlling enforced designation feature It is sometimes desirable to use the machine for calculations such as addition or subtraction without printing designating characters. Depression of the designation keys under these conditions would slow up the calculating operations. To avoid this, provision is made for disabling the enforced designation feature under the control of a lock so that the proprietor may lock the machine in the condition he wants it.

Referring to Fig. 4, the yoke 27 has a projection on one of its arms positioned-in the path of a lateral lug 81'on a downward ly extending end of a slide 82. This slide has lateral projections 83 (Fig. 5) forming a fork straddling a vertical projection 84 on a slide 85 mounted on the keyboard. The slide 85 is controlled by a look by means of which it may be locked, unlocked, and moved by a removable key 86. The exact form of the lock can be varied, but the following has been found convenient.

The key 86 is insertable into a rotatable barrel 87 (Fig. 4) mounted in the keyboard. The key has three projections 88, 89 and 90 (Fig. 6) adapted to engage the edges of three pivoted tumblers 91, 92 and 93. Each of these tumblers has four recesses 94, 95, 96 and 9'? formed in it as shown in Fig. 7. When the lock is in its normal position as shown in Fig. 5, the projection 84 on the slide 85 is in the notch 94 of each of the three tumblers. If the key 86 is inserted and turned counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 5, the pivoted tumblers are rocked clockwise to their Fig. 7 position to free the projection 84 after which a lug 98 (Fig. 6) on the key engages a notch 99 (Fig. 5) in the slide 85 and moves the slide rearwardly. As the slide 85 moves rearwardly, the projection 84 moves the slide 82 rearwardly which rocks the yoke 27 counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 4 or clockwise as viewed in Fig. 1. This results in rocking the bell crank 3032 counterclockwise (Fig. 1) which frees the member 35.

As the key 86 moves to its half turned position, the pivoted tumblers are permitted to return to their normal position under spring pressure whereupon the projection 84 enters the notches 95 of the tumblers and the slide 85 is locked in its rear position which locks the machine in condition for calculating operations without requiring depremion of the enforced designation keys. Of course, when the key 86 is turned in a reverse direction the slide 85 is unlocked and moved forward again so as to restore the enforced designation feature.

This places the enforced identification feature under the control of the proprietor so that he can lock the machine in condition to be used either as a straight calculating machine or as a calculating machine that requires the operator to depress a designation key before the machine can be operated.

Enforced designation of total only In some cases it may not be desired to print a designating character opposite each item, but it may be desired to print a designating character opposite each total. In order that this may be accomplished, anotherspecies of the invention has been provided which requires depression of one of the designation keys at the same time that one of the total keys is depressed in order that the machine may be operated.

Referring to Fig. 9, when the total key T is depressed a lever 100 is rocked downward and when the sub-total key ST is depressed, a lever 101 is rocked downward. Each of these levers causes a link mechanism 102 to move downward. The lower end of this linkage mechanism has a lateral lug 103 operating in a slot in an arm 104 pivoted at 105 to the side frame of the machine. The forward end of the arm 104, that is, the left-hand end in Fig. 9, carries a pawl 106 pivoted at 107 to the lever 104 and urged counterclockwise by a spring 108 into engagement with a lateral limit lug 109 on the arm 104. The end of the pawl 106 is shaped to engage a stud 110 on the slide 50. \Vhen the parts are in normal position, the pawl 106 occupies a position corresponding to the position of the end of the arm 104 as shown in Fig. 4, that is, the end of the pawl is above the stud 110. When either the total or the sub-total key is depressed, the arm 104 is swung downwardly and, except for mechanism hereafter described, the end of the pawl moves below the stud 110.

The pawl 106 carries a stud 111 which normally occupies a position above the up standing projection 112 on a link 113 connected at its forward end to an arm 114 on a yoke 27. It will be recalled that this yoke is rocked counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 9 when one of the designation keys is depressed.

If no designation key is depressed, the upstanding end 112 of the link 113 is directly under the stud 111 on the pawl 106 and, if at that time, the total or the sub-total key is depressed to rock the lever 104 downwardly, the stud 111 on pawl 106 engages the end 112 of the slide and the end of the pawl is held in the path of the stud 110 on the slide 50. This prevents rearward movement of the slide 50 as the machine starts to operate. It will be recalled by referring to Fig. 4 that the forward end of the slide 50 has a shoulder 51 engaging aroller on the shaft :32 that extends across the machine and which normally rocks rearwardly as the machine operates. The rearward movement of this shaft is what moves the member 35 to move the nose 46- of the latter out of the path of the shoulder 47 on the trip pawl 43. If, however, the slide 50 is prevented from moving rearwardly, the shaft 52 is prevented from moving rearwardly and the member 35 will not be rocked, so that the trip pawl 43 will 2e operated to automatically disconnect the driving means from the operating mechanism of the machine. Accordingly, if no designation key is depressed at the time the total or sub-total key is depressed, the machine cannot be operated to take a total because the driving means will be disconnected from the, operating mechanism of the machine. 7

If. however, one of the designation keys is depressed, the yoke 27 will be rocked counter lm-kwise (Fig. 9) which will move the link 113 rearwardly so that the upstanding rear end 112 of the link will move beyond the path of the stud 111 on the pawl 106. When this occurs, and if the total or sub-total key is depressed, the arm 104, in moving downwardly, will move the pawl 106 below the stud 110 on the slide 50 so that said slide is free to move rearwardly and the machine will operate in a normal manner to take a total.

This species thus automatically forces the operator to depress one of the designation keys when a total or a sub-total is taken and compels the printing of a character opposite the total or sub-total. If a designation key is not depressed at the time a total key is depressed, the driving means of the machine is automatically disconnected from the operating mechanism and the machine is not operated. At the same time the operator is notified that he has not depressed a designation key.

It is to be understood that the structure shown is for purposes of illustration only and that variations may be made in it with out departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A calculating machine havin an operating mechanism, a disconnectib e driving means normally connected thereto, printing mechanism for printing digits, designation printing mechanism adapted to be conditioned to print characters adjacent said digits, and means acting to automatically disconnect said operating mechanism from said driving means when an attempt is made to operate said machine to print digits without conditioning said designation printing means to print characters.

2. A calculating machine having an operating mechanism, a disconnectible driving means normally connected thereto, amount keys upon which items may be entered, a printing mechanism for printing said items, means adapted to be conditioned to print designating characters opposite each printed item, and means operating to automatically disconnect the operating mechanism from the driving means when an attempt is made to operate the machine to print an item without conditioning said machine to print designating characters for said items.

3. A calculating machine having an operating mechanism, a disconnectible driving means normally connected thereto, amount keys upon which items may be entered, a printing mechanism for printing said items, a bank of designation keys controlling a printing mechanism for printing designating characters opposite each printed item, and means controlled by said bank of designation keys operating to automatically disconnect the operating mechanism from the driving means when an attempt is made to operate the machine without depressing one of said designation keys.

4. A calculating machine having an operating mechanism, a disconnec'tib e driving means normally connected thereto, amount keys upon which items may be entered, a printing mechanism for printing items entered on said amount keys, a bank of designation keys, a printing mechanism controlled by said designation keys for printing characters, means operable to automatically disconnect said operating mechanism from said driving means, means normally disabling said automatic disconnecting means as the machine starts to operate, and means controlled by said bank of designation keys for preventing the disabling of said automatic disconnecting means when an attempt is made to operate the machine without depressing one of said designation keys.

5. A calculating machine having an operating mechanism, a disconnectible driving means normally connected thereto, amount keys upon which items may be entered, printing mechanism for printing said items, means for printing designating characters adjacent said printed items, means acting to automatically disconnect said operating mechanisnr from said driving means when an attempt is made to operate said machine to print items without conditioning the machine to print designating characters opposite said items, and locking means for disabling the control of said automatic disconnecting means by said designation printing means.

6. A calculating machine having operating mechanism, a disconnectible driving means normally connected thereto, amount keys upon which items may be entered, printin mechanism for printing said items, a ban of designation keys, printing mechanism controlled by said designation keys for printing designating characters adjacent printed items, means controlled by said designation keys for automatically disconnecting said operating mechanism from said driving means when an attempt is made to operate said machine to print items when no designation key is depressed, and key-controlled locking means for disabling the control of said automatic disconnecting means by said designation keys.

7. A calculating machine having operating mechanism, a disconnectible driving means normally connected thereto, amount keys upon which items may be entered, printing mechanism for printin said items and the totals thereof, total ta ing means, designating means adapted to be conditioned to cause said machine, when operated, to print designating characters, and means acting to automatically disconnect said operating mechanism from said driving means when an attempt is made to operate the machine to take a total without conditioning said designating means to print a designating character.

8. A calculating machine having an operating mechanism, a disconnectible driving means normally connected thereto, amount keys upon which items may be entered, printing mechanism for printing said items and the totals thereof, total taking means including a depressible total key, a bank of depressible designation keys, printing mechanism controlled by said designation keys for printing designating characters, and means acting to automatically disconnect said operating mechanism from said driving means when an attempt is made to operate said machine to take a total when none of said designation keys are depressed.

9. A calculating machine having a driving means, disconnectible driving connections between said driving means and said machine, depressible amount keys. printing mechanism for printing digits, designation keys, printing mechanism controlled by said designation keys for printing characters, a total taking means, means acting to automatically disconnect said machine from said driving means when an attempt is made to operate said machine without a designation key depressed, and means controlled by said total taking means acting to automatically disable said disconnecting means when said total taking means is conditioned for total taking.

10. A calculating machine having depressible amount keys, a printing mechanisnrt'or printing digits entered on said keys, designation keys, printing mechanism controlled by said designation keys for printing characters, means controlled by said designation keys requiring depression of one of said designation keys at the time an amount key is depressed in order to operate said machine, and a key controlled lock operable to disable said designation-key-controlled means to thereby lock the machine in condition to enable it to be used for calculating purposes independently of said designation keys.

11. A calculating machine having a driving means, disconnectible driving connections between said driving means and said machine, designation keys, a printing mechanism controlled by said designation keys, a total taking means, means normally operable to disconnect said driving means from said machine as the machine starts to operate, and means conditioned by depression of one of said designation keys and said total key for moving said disconnecting means to inoperative position as the machine starts to operate.

12. A calculating machine having a driving means, disconnectible driving connections between said driving means and said machine, designation keys, printing mechanism controlled by said designation keys, a total taking means including a depressible total key, means for automatically disconnecting said driving means from said machine as the machine starts to operate, means for disabling said disconnecting means as the machine starts to operate, and means controlled by said designation keys and said total key preventing operation of said disabling means when only said total key is depressed, but freeing said means for operation when both said total key and one of said designation keys are depressed.

13. A calculating machine having a driving means, disconnectible connections between said driving means and said machine, means for disconnecting said connections, means normally operating at the beginning of each operation of the machine to disable said disconnecting means, designation keys, total taking means, and mechanism under the joint control of said designation keys and said total taking means for preventing said disabling means from disabling said disconnecting means when a designation key is depressed and said total taking means is conditioned for operation.

14. A calculating machine having a driving means, disconnectible driving connections between said driving means and said machine, depressible amount keys, depressible designation keys having movable plates movable by depression of said designation keys, a printing mechanism controlled by said designation keys, means for disconnecting said driving means from said machine, mechanism normally acting to automatically disable said disconnecting means as the machine starts to operate, a detent for preventing movement of said disconnecting means, and means actuated by movement of the movable plate for a designation key that is depressed acting to move said detent to release said disconnecting means when one of said designation keys is depressed.

15. A calculating machine having a driving means, a movable pawl connecting said driving means to said machine, a member for engaging said pawl as the machine starts to operate to move the pawl to disconnect the machine from said driving means, designation keys, and mechanism under the control of said designation keys for disabling said member when a designation key is depressed.

16. A calculating machine having a driving means, a movable pawl connecting said driving means to said machine, a member for engaging said pawl as the machine starts to operate for moving said pawl to disconnect said machine from said driving means, means normally moving said member to disabled position as the machine starts to operate, a detent for preventing movement of said member, depressible designation keys, a movable plate for said keys, and connections between said movable plate and detent for releasing said detent when one of said designation keys is depressed.

17. A calculating machine having a driving means, disconnectible connections between said driving means and said machine, amount keys upon which items may be entered,-a total taking means including a total key, printing mechanism for printing the amount of said items and the totals thereof, designation keys, printing mechanism controlled by said designation keys for printing characters, and means under the joint control of said designation keys and 1 said total key requiring depression of a designation key when the total key is depressed in order that said connections may be conditioned so as not to automatically disconnect the driving means from the machine as operation of the latter is started.

18. A calculating machine having a driving means, disconnectible connections between said driving means and said machine, depressible amount keys, a printing mechanism for printing digits entered on said amount keys, designation keys, printing mechanism controlled by said designation keys for printing characters, a total taking means, means under the joint control of said designation keys and said total taking means for controlling said disconnectible connections so as to require depression of a. designation key when said total taking means is conditioned for total taking in order for said connections to be able to operate the machine when said driving means is operated, and a key controlled lock operable to disable the" control of said disconnectible connections by said designation keys and total taking means.

In testimonywhereof, I have subscribed my name.

ERNEST RACZ.

Images