US1975808A - Computing and printing machine - Google Patents

Description

oct. 9, 1934.

O. J. SUNDSTRAND COMPUTING AND PRINTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 50. 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inuerer/ Oscar' JI undsh/ nd me s Oct. 9, 1934. o. J. SUNDSTRAND COMPUTNG AND PRINTING MACHINE 4 SheetS-S'ne-et 2 Filed sept. 5o, 1932' Oct- 9,' 1934- o. J. SUNDSTRAND COMPUTING AND PRINTING MACHINE 4 sheets-sheet s Filed sept. 5o

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finalizing Oct. 9, 1934.

lllilllllllll` O. J. SUNDSTRAND COMPUTING AND PRINT ING MACHINE Filed sept. 30, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4' y Patented Oct. 9, 1934 UNITED STATES COMPUTING AND PRINTING MACHINE Oscar J. Sundstrand, Rockford, Ill., assigner, by mesne assignments, to Underwood Elliott Fisher Company, New York, Delaware N. Y., a. corporation or Application September 30, 1932, Serial No. 635,487

13 Claims.

The object of this invention is to provide sim1 ple and effective means whereby words, dates, symbols, and the like, may be printed upon a sheet of paper in association with amounts which are to be added, subtracted and the total thereof printed, thus permitting the preparation of invoices and other commercial papers containing both words and amounts.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine embodying the features of my invention, the paper carriage Abeing shown in full lines in the last columnar position and in dotted lines in the rst columnar or loading position. The word-Writing mechanism is shown in full lines in its extreme right-hand position and in dotted lines in its extreme left-hand position.

y Fig. 2 is a view taken in the plane of dotted line 2 in Fig. 3, the word-writing mechanism being in the same position as in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the machine.

Fig. `4 is a view similar to that of Fig. 3, but showing the front paper feed device in the loading position.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental sectional View showing the linkage between the typewriter keys and the typewriter type bars, `only the inner and outer type bars of the left-hand group of type bars being shown.

Fig. 6 is a fragmental vertical sectional View taken in the plane of dotted line 6-6 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 7 yis a vertical sectional view taken in the plane of line 7-'7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section taken in the plane of line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately in the plane of line 9-9 of Fig. 8, showing the tabulating mechanism.

Fig. 9a is a fragmental perspective view of the tabulating stop mechanism.

Fig. 10 is a fragmental plan view showing the relation of the two printing mechanisms and the individual ribbons of said mechanisms.

Figs. 11 and 12 are perspective views of the parts of the carriage for the letter-printing type bars. In Fig. 11 a'portion of the slotted structure in which the typewriter key levers are mounted 50 is broken away.

The embodiment herein shown of the invention comprises a computing and printing machine similar to that fully dislosed in my application Serial No. 581,800 led December 18, 1931,

55 to which application reference may be made for an understanding of features not shown in the presentdrawings. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to such machines, but that various other forms and arrangements of computing and printing mechanisms may be utilized.

In the drawings, 1 is the base, 2 is the casing that encloses the mechanisms for making and printing computations,l 4 s the keyboard of said computingand printing mechanisms, and 5 is the paper carriage. Said carriage is supported for lateral movement on the stationary framework of the machine, 6 (Fig. 3) being a portion of the carriage track member. Spring means fully disclosed in said application-SerialNo. 581,800 tends to move the carriage 5 toward the left into the full-line position shown in Fig. 1, such movement being controlled by an escapement (also disclosed in said application) so as'to position the carriage for the printing of items, totals, etc.

in the various columns on the sheets or other j work-pieces supported by the carriage. 7 isa. cylindrical platen rotatably mounted in the paper. carriage 5. As will be understood the platen may consist of a plurality of axially alined sections, as in my application Serial No. 326,646.- A front paper feeddevice '7a may be associated with the platen, as explained in my application Serial No. 610,043. Fig. 4 shows the device 'Ia in loading position, while Fig. 3 illustrates it in operative position. 8 are type bars for printing items, totals, dates, folios and various symbols. rI'l'nese bars are compactly grouped and are vertically reciprocable in front of the platen.

The means vfor printing words, etc., upon the work-piece or pieces carried by the platen '7 comprises a carriage 10 which is mounted on the stationary framework of the machine for lateral movement. In the present embodiment of the invention the carriage 10 consists ofa framemember or casting 11 (Fig. 11), two end-pieces 12 (Fig. 12) which are rigidly secured to the casting 11 at 12B, and a segmental member 13 secured to the rear ends of the members 12. 'I'he carriage 10 is supported by two rails 14 and 15 secured to the machine frame, bearing rollers 16 being interposed between said rails and raceways 17 (Figfl 1) on the carriage.

The carriage 10 supports a type-writing mechanism which may be of any ordinary or preferred construction. In the construction selected for illustration, all of the key levers 18 are pivoted on a horizontal rod 19 (Fig. 11). Said rod is seated in notches 20 formed in lugs 21 on partitions 22l formed integral with the nov casting 11; a 'I'he spaces between the partitions through which the key levers 18 extend are designated 23 (see Figs. 7 and 11). Each key lever` has a rearwardly projecting lug 25 to which one end of a contractile spring 26 is attached, the

other end of the spring being anchored to a bar 27 secured to the casting 11 (Figs. 3 and 9). The

i springs 26 thus hold the keys normally elevated,

' Depression ofA a key lever swings the correspondand rotatably mounted on a horizontal axis on ing lever 31 forward, thus driving the attached type-bar against the printing line on the platen '7. 'Ihe type-bar is restored to its normal position by itsspring 26. The type-bars are pivoted in slots in the upper edge of the segmental member 13. In order to expose the portion of the platen upon which typing is to be done the typebars and the associated links 32 and levers 31 are divided into two spaced groups, as will be understood from Figs. 1 and 2. The upper and front portions of the cover 29 are cut away in the middle to afford the operator a clear line of vision to the printing point. a

Movement of the carriage 10 toward the right is effected by means, such for example, as a spiral spring 36 (Fig. 1), the inner end of which is anchored to a stud 37 in a housing 38 rigidly attached to the left-hand side of the carriage frame member 11. The outer end of the spring is connected to a rotatable spool 39 upon which is 'wound one end of a tape 40. The otherend of the tape'is fastened at l41 (Fig. 7) to' the fixed The movement of the carriage 10 under the influence of the spring 36 is controlled by an escapement. While various forms of escapement may be used, that chosen for illustration comprises a rack 42 (Fig. 9) fixed to the stationary member 14, a pinion 43 meshing with the rack the carriage 10,'and an escapement wheel 44 rigid with said pinion. It will be understood from Fig. 7 which shows the escapement wheel 44 in front elevation, that the 'carriage driving spring 36 tends to rotate theescapement wheel counterclockwise and to roll it toward the right along the rack. An escapement lever 45 (Figl 8) is' pivoted at 46 on the carriage 10 to swing in a horizontal plane. In said escapement lever is an opening 47 into which the escapement wheel 50 pivoted at 51 on the Ilever 45. .A contractile l 44 extends.

vvof the escapement wheel.

On the rear wall of the opening 47 is a tooth 43 arranged to bear against a tooth At the opposite side of the opening 47 is a tooth 49 formed on a lever lowing the spring 36 to impart a series of letterspace movements to the carriage 10.

The means for oscillating the escapement lever 45 comprises a bell crank 54 (Figs. 6, 7 and 8) pivoted on the rod 19, one arm of said bell crank extending into an opening A(Fg.fV 8) in the escapement lever. The other arm of the bell crank 54 is connected by a link 56 to the endmember 57 of a rigid frame comprising, in addition to the member 57, a similar end-member 58 (Fig. 5v), a middle member 59 (Fig. 8), and a universal bar 60. Said frame is pivoted at 61 in the carriage frame member 11. AThe universal bar underlies all of they key levers 18 and is held in contact with them (or a depressed key lever) by means of a contractile spring 62 (Fig. 6). Said spring normally holds the escapement lever 45 in the position shown in Fig. 8.

A space bar 63 is carried by two levers 64 (Figs. 3 and 8) which are pivoted on the rod 19. The universal bar 60 underlies the levers 64.

To move the carriage 10 more than one letterspace at a time, a tabulating key lever 65 (Fig. 9) is provided, said key being mounted on the rod 19 and shaped to avoid engagement with the universal bar 60. A link 66, pivoted to the key lever 65-.at 67, has a slot 68 into which the escapement lever 45 extends slidably. A contrac- 'tile spring 69 normally holds the lever 45 in position to control letter-space movements of the escapement wheel 44. A stud on the link 66 bears against a-vertical surface 71 on the casting 11 and thus, in-conjunction vwith the key lever 65 and the spring 71, normally holds the link 66 stationary.

I'he connection 46 between the escapement lever and the carriage 10 permits the lever to be depressed by the tabulating key lever 65 suiciently to be clear of the escapement wheel 44, thus allowing the carriage 10 to move toward the right untilarrested by stop means of any preferred character. Herein I have shown in Figs. 9 and 9a :a rock shaft '72 vand a notched bar 73 for supporting one or more stops to coact with a stationary stop on the member 15. The rock shaft 72 is journaled in bearing lugs 74 (Figs. 3 and 11) on the casting ll. The notched bar 73 is fixed to the casting 11 directly behind and parallel with the shaft 72. One or more stops 75 are mounted on the rock shaft 72 so as to turn with and slide along the shaft. The rear ends of the stops 75 are adapted to extend into notches 76 in the upper edge ofthe bar 73. After having been slid along the shaft 72 to the desired points, the stops 75 are locked atsuch points by placing the rear ends thereof in the corresponding notches 76. 77 is a stop fixed to the rail 15. The shaft 72 may be rocked to lower the rear end of a stop 75 into position to collide with the stop 77. The means herein shown for thus rocking the shaft 72 comprises an arm 78 fixed to said shaft and "keylever 65 also disengages the escapement lever 45 from the escapement wheel 44. 'Ihe tabulating lever 65 is held depressed until the'carriage 19 stops by reason of engagement of the stops 75 and 7'?, whereupon the operator releases said lever thus allowing the spring 26 to return the escapement lever into position to control the es- A spring 79 at the same time capement wheel. y

out of engagement with the lifts the stop 75 stop 77.

l The carriage 10 is provided with a ribbon and ribbon-vibrating mechanism, which latter may be of any usual or preferred construction. Here-V in I have shown two ribbon spools (Fig. 2) mounted at opposite sides of the type-bars to rotate on a horizontal axis. 80a (Fig. 12) are the spool pivots. The ribbon 81 extends through guides 82. A bracket 83 fixed to the segment 13 has lugs84 (Figs. 2 and 10) that serve as a centering guide for the type-bars 30. This bracket also supports a ribbon-vibrating slide 85 (Fig. 2) for movement up and down, the slide 85 being provided with guides 86 for the ribbon. The means for reciprocating the slide 85 comprises a bell crank 87 (Fig. 3) pivoted at 88 on the segment 13.

The rear arm of the bell crank 87 extends through a slot 90 (Fig. 12) in the segment 13 and is bent at an angle to extend pivotally into an opening in a lug 91 on the slide 85. The other arm of the bell crank 87 is connected by means of a link 92 to an arm 93 that is rigid with the portion 59 of the universal-bar frame. It will be seenthat whenever a type-bar key lever 18 is depressed motion will be transmitted to the bell crank 87 to lower the ribbon 81 into the path of the type, and that the retraction of the type bar causes the ribbon to be raised to expose the imprint. The ribbon 95 (Figs. 2 and 10) for the type bars 8 is carried by spools 96, the spools and ribbon guides being reciprocated vertically to raise the ribbon to printing position and to lower it to render the printing visible as fully disclosed in my application Serial No. 581,800 or in any other desired manner. In Fig. 3 a portion of the ribbon-vibrating mechanism is shown in dotted lines at 97.

Figs. 1, 2 and 10 show the carriage 10 at the right-hand end of its path of. movement. The typing of words, letters, symbols, etc., may be done at the left of the group of ltype bars 8. In the preparation of invoices and the like, such typing would ordinarily be done uponl the lefthand portion of the sheet o f paper, the columns for figures representing debit items, credit items and totals being usually on the right-hand portion of the sheet. It will, however, be understood that the carriage 5 may be shifted right and left so as to place the sheet in such position that words, etc., may be typed at either side of amounts which have been printed by the type bars 8.

The type bars 8 and 30 print upon the same 'printing line on the platen 7. Fig. 3 shows the ribbons 81 and 95 in the retracted or inopera-v tive positions.

The ribbon 81 is lowered into operative relation .to the printing line whereas the ribbon '95 is raised to bring it to the printing line. Inasmuch as the type bars 8 and 30 would never be actuated at the same moment, no conflict of one set 0f type bars with the other, or of one ribbon with the other, would occur.

The dotted line 8x in Fig. 2 illustrates the height to which the type bars 8 rise when printing nines.

i vertically reciprocatory type bars which are normally below the printing line on the platen and may be raised to print on said line against the platen, a laterally shiftable setfof letter-printing type bars each arranged to move into printing contact with said printing line on the platen, and means shiftable with the set of letter-'printing type bars for actuating the latter.

2. A computing and printing machine having,

letter-printing type bars each arranged to swing into printing contact with said printing line on the platen, and means shiftable with the set yof pivoted type bars for actuating the latter.

3. A computing and printing machine having, in combination, a laterally shiftable paper carriage, a platen in the carriage, a group of reciprocatory type bars arranged to print on the printing line on the platen, a laterally shiftable set of pivoted letter-printing type bars each arranged to swing into printing contact with said printing line on the platen, and means for actuating the pivoted type bars.

4. A computing and printing machine having, in combination, a cylindrical platen, a group of reciprocatory type bars which are in front of the platen and which are normally below the printing line on the platen and may be raised to print on said line, saidline being located on the front side of `the platen, a laterally shiftable set of pivoted letter-printing type bars each arranged to swinginto printing contact with a common printing point on said printing line, 'and means for actuating the pivoted type bars, the latter being divided into two groups which are spaced apart to afford a clear line of vision to the common printing point.

5. A computing and printing machine having, in combination, a, laterally shiftable paper carriage, a.4 cylindrical platen in the carriage, a group of reciprocatory type bars which are normally below the printing line on the platen and are arranged to print on said line, a laterally shiftable set of pivoted letter-printing type bars each arranged to swing into printing contact with a, common point on said printing line, and means shiftable with the set of pivoted type bars for actuating the latter, the set of pivoted type bars being divided into two groups which are spaced apart to aord a clear line of vision to the common printing point.

6. A computing and printing machine having, in combination, a laterally shiftable paper carriage, a cylindrical platen in the carriage, a group of reciprocatory type bars which are normally below the printing line on the platen and are arranged to print on said line, a laterally shiftable set of letter-printing type bars each arranged to move into printing contact with a common point on said printing line, and means shiftable with the set of letter-printing type bars for actuating the latter, the set of letter-printingtype bars being divided into two groups which are spaced apart to afford a clear line of vision to the common printing point.

-7. A computing and printing machine having in combination, a laterally shiftable paper carriage, a cylindrical platen in the carriage, a group of reciprocatory type bars which are normally below the printing line on the platen and are arranged to print on said line, a laterally shiftable set of letter-printing type bars each arranged to move into printing contact with a common point on said printing line, and means shiftable with the set of letter-printing type bars for actuating the latter, the set Aof letter-printing type bars being so arranged as to afford a clear line of vision to the common printing point.

8. A computing and printing machine having,

in combination, a platen, a group of reciprocatory type bars which are located in front of the platen and are normally below the printing line on the platen and are arranged to be lifted to' print on said line, a laterally shiftable set of letter-printing type bars each arranged to` move into printing contact with a common point on said printing line, means shiftable with the set of letter-printing type bars for actuating the latter, means tending to shift'the set of letterprinting type bars toward the right, and a letterspace escapement controlling said shifting means.

9. A computing and printing machine having, in combination, a laterally shiftable paper carriage, a cylindrical platen inthe carriage, a group of reciprocatory type bars which are normally below the printing line on the platen and are arranged to print on said line, a laterally shiftable set of pivoted letter-printing type bars each arranged to swing into printing contact with a common point on said printing line, means shiftable with the set of pivoted type bars for actuating the latter, the set of pivoted type bars beingdivided into two groups which are spaced apart to afford a clear line of vision to the common printing point, a ribbon /for the pivoted type bars, said ribbon being shiftable laterally with said set of pivoted type bars and being arranged to be lowered to the printing line, and a separate ribbon for the reciprocatory type bars, the last-mentioned .ribbon being arranged to be raised to the printing line.

10. A computing and printing machine having, in combination, a platen, a group of reciprocatory type bars which are normally below the printing line on the platen and may be raised y `toprint on said line, a laterally shiftable set of pivoted letter-printing type bars each arranged into printing contact with said printing line on l the platen, a ribbon for the letter-printing type bars, said ribbon being shiftable laterally with said set of letter-printing type bars, and a separate ribbon for the reciprocatory type bars, said ribbons being arranged to be moved in opposite directions to the printing line.

12. A computing and printing machine having, in combination, a platen, a group of reciprocatory type bars which are normally below the printing line on the platen and may be raised to print on said line, a laterally shiftable group of letter-printing type bars .each arranged to move into .printing contact with said printing line on the platen, and individual r'bbons for the groups of type bars. Y

13. A computing and printing machine having in combination a group of type bars, a group of laterally shiftable letter printing type bars movable in a 'straight line toward and away from said first group of type bars on one side thereof, and a platen laterally movable in a line parallel to the line of movement of said letter printing type bars and adapted to receive imprints on a common continuous line from either of rsaid groups of type bars. j OSCAR'J; SUNDSTRAND.

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