US2111120A - Tabulating machine - Google Patents

Description

March 15, 193%, A, w, 154 5 2J1L12 TABULATING MACHINE Filed A l il 17,1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 d March 15, 19389. A. W. MILLS 2,111,120

TABULATING MACHINE Filed April 17, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet '2 i INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY ZJILILZZQD March 15 19380 A. w. MILLS TABULATING MACHINE Filed April 17, 1934 5 SheetsShee'b 5 ZJELIZU March 15, 1938.

A. W. MILLS TABULATING MACHINE Filed April 17, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 I INVENTOR. l 'f/ 44 hiz BY ATTORNEY March 15, 1938.

A. w. MILLS 2,111,120

TABULATI NG MACHINE Filed April 17, 1934 Fig.8

5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEY Patented Mar. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ternational Business New York, N. Y., a

Application April 17,

3 Claims.

This invention is directed to improvements in record controlled accounting machines.

It is specifically directed to improvements in electric tabulating machines of the type disclosed in Patent No. 1,916,987, issued July 4, 1933,

to J. R. Peirce.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide improved total taking mechanism for accumulators of the type shown in said patent. Each denominational order of the accumulators is provided with a commutator read-out mechanism which comprises a plurality of stationary commutator segments corresponding to the digital values that may be represented by the order. A rotatably mounted brush is adapted to be positioned by the accumulator order to cooperate with the fixed segments and after an entry has been made, the brush will come to rest in contact with the segment corresponding to the entry made therein. During total taking operations, electric impulses are emitted in succession to correspondingly numbered segments of each order and those in contact ,with brushes will complete circuits to the printing magnets at the time the impulse-is transmitted, to position the type bars for printing the number in the accumulator. At the same time a resetting circuit is completed by the same impulse which will cause the accumulator order to advance to zero position, thus effecting a resetting operation of that order. With this arrangement the separate orders of the accumulator are separately and individually controlled to reset themselves and the resetting impulses are differentially completed according to the value represented in the order. Switching devices are provided for each order so that total printing therefrom may take place without accompanying reset so that socalled progressive total taking operations may be performed.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be obvious from the following particular description of one form of mechanism embodying the invention or from an inspection of the accompanying drawings; and the invention also constitutes certain new and novel fea= tures of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the machine showing the printing mechanism and accumulator, and total taking devices.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of an accumulator unit showing two denominational orders with the 55 total read-out device of one broken away.

Machines Corporation, corporation of New York 1934, Serial No. 720,935

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of the total taking devices of the accumulator showing total taking parts in different positions.

Fig. 5 is a perspective diagrammatic view of the radially enmeshing or clutching gear mechanism of the accumulator.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged'view of the total'taking mechanism.

Fig. 8 is a wiring diagram of the electric circuits of the machine.

Fig. 9 is a modified form of circuit arrangement.

For clarity and brevity of description, the machine comprising the present invention is herein illustrated in its elemental form with only two denominational or'ders shown in the mechanical views and three indicated in the circuit diagram. The card sensing devices and some other well known and unimportant features are shown conventionally.

Record cards l0 (Fig. 8) of the well-known Hollerith type are fed through the card feeding and analyzing mechanism and circuits are completed through the differentially located index point perforations to energize adding magnets l I and printing magnets l2 so that the value represented by a perforation may be printed and ac cumulated. The printing and accumulating mechanism per se formno part in the present invention and the description thereof will be limited to an-explanation of the essential elements. Further detailed explanation may be found in the Peirce patent referred to above.

Printing mechanism The printing devices maybe understood from Fig. 1. The main drive shaft of the machine is indicated at 83 and serves also to drive the card feedingvdevices, as explained in the patent. The lower end of the type bar I4 is connected through a vertical link it to the free end of an arm it which is pivoted at H. Wardly by spring it connected at its other end to arm l9. The free end of arm M3 is connected by thrust link it to an arm H which is pivoted at H and which has a link 22 at its free end which is connected to an arm of cam follower member 23. Member 23 carries follower rollers 24 which cooperate with a pair of complementary cams 25 driven from shaft it through suitable gearing.

Arm it is urged up- During the up stroke of arm 21! it pushes arm lil upwardly by means of link 20 and arm l6 is also drawn upwardly through the instrumentality of spring l8. Inasmuch as type bar I4 is linked to the free end of arm l6, it is also carried upwardly until stop pawl 26 engages one of the ratchet teeth 21 on the edge of the type bar whereupon arm 2| will continue its upward motion but arm l6 and type bar M will remain stationary, the ratchet tooth being held against pawl 26 by spring 28. Tripping of pawl 26 is effected by printing magnet l2, which when energized attracts its armature and draws call wire 29 toward the right, withdrawing latch 30 from pawl 26 and permitting spring 28 to move the latter into engagement with a tooth 21. The upward movement of type bar I4 is synchronized with the movement of the record card l0 past the analyzing brushes so that a circuit completed through a perforation in any index point position will energize magnet |2 to interrupt the corresponding type bar l4 with the type element 3| corresponding to the perforated index point position on the printing line.

Accumulating mechanism Whenever an electrical impulse is sent to any printer magnet l2, an impulse is also sent through a corresponding accumulator magnet (Figs. 1 and 2) in order that the accumulating element including gear 32 and parts integral therewith may be actuated to properly enter the amount therein.

Energization of magnet I attracts armature 33 moving it to the right (Fig. 2) thereby unlatching arm 34 of assembly 35 shown in Fig. 5. This assembly is mounted for oscillation on stud 36 and is normally urged counterclockwise about its pivot by spring 31. The right end of spring 31 is anchored to studs in the supporting plate in the accumulating unit and its left end is in engagement with a suitable recess in assembly 35 (see Fig. 3). A fulcrum 38 presses upwardly on spring 31 as shown, causing the left end of the spring to exert a pressure on assembly 35, tending to rock the same in a counterclockwise direction. Therefore, when armature 33 releases arm 34, assembly 35 is rotated slightly counterclockwise. Carried by assembly 35 is a sleeve 39 on which are fast pinions 40 and 4|.

Pinion 4| is constantly in mesh with gear 32 freely mounted on stud 42. Pinion 4| and gear 32 are provided with extra long teeth to per mit oscillation of assembly 35 without disengaging the teeth of the pinion and gear. Pinion 40 is aligned to mesh with gear 43 (see also Fig. 6) whenever assembly 35 is oscillated to the left and as pinion 40 and gear 43 have teeth of ordinary length they become disengaged when the assembly is in normal position by armature 33. The gear 43 has driving connection with a gear 44 which is in constant rotationby virtue of its gear connection to the main shaft |3 (see Fig. 7). Therefore, gear 43 is also in constant rotation.

- With the above construction in mind, the differential action of the accumulator may be un derstood.

When magnet H is energized, armature 33 releases arm 34 and permits assembly 35 to swing to the left. This movement engages pinion 40 with gear 43 and causes the pinion to rotate in synchronism with the gear thereby causing pinion 4| and gear 32 to also rotate in synchronism therewith. This rotation continues until a .hump 45 on cam 46 which is integral with gear 43 passes under extension 41 of assembly 35 thereby rotating the assembly clockwise, disengaging pinion 40 from gear 43 and permitting armature 43 to again latch arm 34. Suitable detenting mechanism is provided to hold the gear 32 and associated parts in displaced position.

In operation the accumulator begins to rotate at differential times in the cycle depending upon when the impulse is received from the card analyzing brushes and the rotation of the accumulator is stopped at a fixed point in the cycle by cam 46, thereby rotating the accumulator an amount proportional to the amount of the digit represented on the record card.

In the operating cycle of the machine, if rotation of the accumulator has been stopped by cam 46, an opportunity is provided for transferring operations to take place if any are required. The transfer operations are effected electrically in much the same manner as in Patent No. 1,372,965, issued March 29, 1921 to C. D. Lake and are also fully shown and described in the Peirce patent referred to above, so that a detailed description thereof need not be made here.

Accumulator read-out device Secured to and insulated from each accumulator gear 32 is a brush structure 48 carrying four electrically connected brushes 49 which traverse a concentric conductor segment 50 and a plurality of metallic segments 5|. The accumulating mechanism is so proportioned that gear 32 and structure 48 make 1/4 Oth of a revolution for each digit entered. Thus, if a 9" is entered, the gear 38 moves 9/40ths of a revolution and one of the brushes 49 will stand on a segment 5| corresponding to the value of the digit in the accumulator order while the next adjacent brush is in contact with segment 50. There is one segment 5| for each of the digit positions of the accumulator 9, 8, l, 2, 0 and the brushes 49 serve to provide an electrical connection between segment 50 and the segment 5| corresponding to the entry in the accumulator. Thus, if a 6 is contained in the accumulator, one of the brushes 49 will be in contact with a segment 50 and another brush will be in contact with the 6 segment 5|. For example, in Fig. 3, the parts are shown in position to represent an entry of 3 as standing on the accumulator. The segments 5| are connected by suitable wires threaded through a conduit 52 and terminating at terminals 53 in an insulating block 54 from which connections may be made to other parts of the machine.

Total taking operation When the operator desires to take a total, he rotates the knob 55 (Figs. 1 and 7) a quarter turn, thereby causing cam 56 to force latch 51 to the right against the tension of its spring. This releases the right end of lever 58 so that it may rotate clockwise on its pivot pin 59.

Pin 60 in the face of disk 6| engages cam surface 62 on latch arm 63 thereby depressing it sufliciently against the spring 64 for catch 65 to clear the bottom of the retaining blade 66 thereby permitting arm 63 to move to the right. Arm 63 is pivoted at 61 to the upper end of an arm of hell crank 68 which is mounted for rotation on pin 59 and is integral with lever 58. The other arm of bell crank 68 is provided with a roller 69. -When no total is being taken, roller 69 contacts only with the reset or high portion of disk 8! since with lever 58 latched as in Fig. 7 the arm 68 is also held in the position shown. When catch 65 is released as above described and when lever 58 is unlatched, roller 69 will drop to the total taking or low portion of the cam 6I thus permitting bell crank 68 and lever 58 to rock clockwise on pin 58.

Underneath pivot 58 is a horizontal rod I8 on which is pivoted an arm II on which are spring blades of a plurality of contacts generally designated C which are arranged to cooperate with contact blades mounted in a fixed block of insulating material 12 so that when arm H rocks in a clockwise direction about rod 18 certain contacts will open and others will close. The functions of these various contacts will be more fully explained in connection with the description of the circuit diagram.

Arm H is urged upwardly by spring I3 and inasmuch as arm II bears against a projection 14 on the left end of lever 58 the single spring I3 serves to move lever 58 and bell crank 68 as above described. The left end of lever 58 is connected by vertical link I5 to horizontal lever I8 pivoted at IT. At the right end of lever I6 is attached a link I8 having slots I9 at its extremities. Resting in each slot 19 is a pin 88 in the free end of horizontal arm 8| pivoted at 82. The .free end of arm 8| carries the fulcrum 38 mentioned above which is in contact with the underside of spring 31.

When the parts of the accumulator are in normal position for adding as in Fig. 2, arm 8| is held in raised position by lever I6 and vertical link 15. Underneath a projection on arm 8| but normally out of contact therewith is a latch 83 on the lower end of arm 84 pivoted at 85. The upper extremity of arm 84 rides in the path of cams 86 which are fast to accumulating gear 32.

While arm BI is in the above normal position the free end of spring 31 is pressed upwardly by fulcrum 38 and serves, as already explained, to swing assembly 35 in a counterclockwise direction to carry out the adding operation but when arm 84 is rocked in a clockwise direction by cams 86 during total taking operations, latch 83 is withdrawn from beneath arm 8| which, as will be explained, is free to drop during such operations, and arm 8| will drop sufliciently to release pressure of fulcrum 38 on spring 31 which then follows the fulcrum outwardly and rotates assembly 35 clockwise instead of counterclockwise. In other words, spring 31 tends to rotate assembly 35 in one direction when fulcrum 38 is elevate-d and in the other direction when the fulcrum is lowered.

Circuit diagram The'operation of the machine will now be explained with particular reference to the electric circuits thereof. In Fig. 8, 81 represents the driving motor of the machine, which, when switch 88 is closed, completes the circuit through the motor from left side of line 89 to right side of line 88.

A record card I8 is represented as moving towards the right under the sensing brushes 8i and when a brush finds a hole in a position of the card, a circuit is established from right side of line 98, through circuit breaker contacts 88, brush 8I, commutator devices 83, which complete the circuit only during the analysis of the index point positions, normally closed contacts CI, wire 84, adding magnet II, wire 85, to line 89. A parallel circuit extends from wire 84, through contacts C3, print magnet I2, wire 85, to line 88. In this way the digit represented by the perforation sensed may be printed and the value thereof accumulated. After each entering operation, the devices generally indicated at 96 operate to effect carrying operations where necessary, in the manner fully explained in the Peirce patent referred to.

Total printing When the operator desires to print the total standing on the accumulator the knob 55 is turned, as explained and the contacts generally designated C in Fig. 7 are shifted. On the circuit diagram the various contacts prefixed C will accordingly be changed from closed position, as shown, to open, and vice versa.

Total printing is effected under control of an emitter comprising a pair of electrically connected brushes 91 mounted upon and insulated from shaft 88 (Fig. l) and adapted to make one revolution for each cycle of the machine. In the circuit diagram the brushes 8'! are indicated diagrammatically as at opposite ends of a common arm. In the mechanical arrangement, they are located side by side. While one of the brushes traverses a common segmental conductor 89 the other successively contacts with a plurality of separate commutator segments I80, one for each of the several digits.

Extending from each segment I88 is a wire I8I from which connections I82 are made to the corresponding commutator segments 5| of the accumulators. Thus, the 9 segment I88 is connected through the 9 wire II to all the 9 segments 5| of the accumulator orders; the "8 segment I88 as similarly connected to all the 8 segments 5i, and so on. The common conductor 88 is connected to the right side of line 88 through contacts C5 closed only during total taking operations. With these contacts closed, brushes 8'! will successively contact the segments I88 in synchronism with the movement of the type bars so that as the several type elements 3| pass through printing position, the correspondingly numbered segments I88 will be electrically connected to the right side of line. Assume for example, that one of the brushes 48 in the units order is positioned in contact with, let us say, the 9 segment 5| thus representing an entry of 9 in such order. A circuit will be completed as the 9 type element approaches printing position as follows: from right side of line 88, contacts C5, common conductor 88,

brushes SI, 9 segment I88, 9 wire I8I, 9

wire I82 in the units order, segment 5|, brushes 48, segment 58, wire I83, contacts C4, now closed, print magnet I2, wire 95, to line 89. In this manner the amount standing on the accumulator may be printed.

Resetting If resetting is desired, the switches I84 of the individual accumulator orders are closed prior to the total taking operation and the circuit just traced to the printing magnet will follow a parallel path extending from the common segment 58, through wire I83, and branching therefrom to wire I85, switch I84, relay magnet I86, adding magnet I I, wire 95, to line 89. Relay magnet I88 will close its points IIlBa to provide a holding circuit for magnet II which extends from the right side of line 88, th.ough wire I81, con tacts C8, now closed, contacts I88a, relay mag net I88, adding magnet I I, wire 85, to left side of line 89. Magnet II therefore will remain energized until the knob 55 is released to permit opening of contacts C2.

The effect of thus energizing the adding magnet concurrently with the printing magnet may best be explained in connection with Figs. 3 and 4 wherein the arm 16 is in its total taking position; that is, it has been moved downwardly so that arm 8| is supported by latch 83. Fig. 3 shows the parts of the accumulator just prior to a total printing operation with the brushes 49 positioned to represent an entry of 3 and an electrical connection exists between common segment 50 and the 3 segment 5|. Under control of the emitter brushes in of Fig. 8, the circuit is completed through the 3 segment 5| as the corresponding type element approaches printing position and as explained, the magnet II is energized at this time, attracting its armature 33 and permitting counterclockwise rocking of the assembly 35 so that the accumulating elements are clutched to the continually rotating parts of the machine and the accumulating unit, including cams 86, will commence to rotate at this time.

When the element reaches zero position, the parts will be in the position shown in Fig. 4 wherein one of the cams 86 has engaged the free end of arm 84, rocking the latter clockwise and withdrawing latch 83 from arm 8| so that the spring 31 now acts to rock the clutching assembly 35 clockwise to declutched position, and the accumulating element will remain at rest in zero position with cam 86 holding the parts declutched.

It will be apparent that rotation of the several accumulator orders is commenced at differential times depending upon the entries therein and that the restoring operations will also terminate at differential times. For example, an element standing at 9 will commence to rotate at the beginning of the total taking operation and will be advanced but a single step to its zero position and an element standing at 3 will be energized somewhat later in the cycle and will advance seven steps to zero position.

In Fig. 9 is shown a modified form of circuit for controlling resetting operations and for purposes of explanation but a single order has been shown. In this arrangement, the emitter brushes 9! contact with the segments I00 in reverse order and the type elements 3| on the type bars used for total printing are also reversed; that is, they pass printing position in the order 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7', 8, 9. With this arrangement, the printing circuits will be completed at differential times and the circuits to the adding magnets l I will also be completed at differential times according to the setting of the brushes 49 but the rotation of all the accumulating elements will terminate at the same time; that is, they will all reach zero position together.

This is due to the fact that with this arrangement the elements that have the farthest to travel to zero position are picked up first, whereas in the preferred form, they are picked up in inverted order.

While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modification,

it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention therefore to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

Whatis claimed is as follows:

1. A resetting mechanism for an accumulator having denominational order elements, comprising devices positionable by the elements to rep resent an entry in the accumulator, circuit connections, means controlled by said positionable means for controlling the completion of said circuit connections at differential times in accordance with said entries, means included in said circuit connections for diiferentially initiating an advance of the accumulating elements of each order and devices separately controlled by the element of each order for interrupting said advance when the element reaches zero position.

2. In a machine of the class described, an accumulating element, means including a clutch mechanism and an actuating magnet for causing data entries representative of digits to be made in said element, a read-out control device positioned by said element, recording control mechanism, and means controlled by said device for concurrently initiating an operation of said recording control mechanism and said magnet.

3. An accounting machine including a plurality of accumulating elements and a driving clutch mechanism for each, operating devices for said clutch mechanism for effecting operation of said clutch mechanisms at differential times for entering items during item entering operations, further means also including said devices for resetting said accumulating elements during resetting operations, machine controlled devices for eifecting unclutching of said clutch mechanisms for terminating entering operations and devices controlled by each element for terminating resetting operations at differential times.

ALBERT W. MILLS.

DISCLAIMER 2,111,120.Albert W. Mills, Endicott, .N. Y. TABULATING MACHINE. Patent dated March 15, 1938. Disclaimer filed December 17, 1940, by the assignee, International Business Machines Corporation. Hereby enters this disclaimer to claim 3 in said specification.

[Ofiicial Gazette January 21, 1.941.]

DISCLAIMER 2,111,120.Albert W. Mills, Endieott, .N. Y. TABULATING MACHINE. Patent dated March 15, 1938. Disclaimer filed December 17, 1940, by the assignee,

International Business Machines Corporation. Hereby enters this disclaimer to claim 3 in said specification.

[Oflicial Gazette January 91, 1941.]

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