US2274040A - Tabulator - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 24, 1942.

W. L. COLLIER TABULATOR -Filed Feb. 19, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR WILLIAM l.

ATTORNEY COLL [ER Feb. 24, 1942. w. L. COLLIER 2,274,040

TABULATOR Filed Feb. 19, 1941 s sheets-sheet 2 i FIG 2 49 23 3 INVENTOR WILLIAM l.. COLLIER AT TOR NEY Fb.24, 1942. 'N, COMER 2,274,040

TIIBULATOR A .Filed Feb. `19, 1941 SSheets-Sheet 5 INVNTOR WILLIAM L. COLLIER ATTORNEY APatented Feb. 2.4, 1942i 2,214,040 'ram'ron William L. Collier, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Remington Rand Inc., Buffalo, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application February 19, 1941, Serial No. 379,601'

7 Claims.

-lrey, and means on\the projectable stop to be .engaged by said operating member during the movement of the rack to project the .stop into operative position just before it reaches the position of its corresponding slide. I

The objecto the invention is to improve the Y operation of.' the tabulating mechanism of the machine whereby the speed and accuracy of the operation are enhanced.

Other objects and structural details of the invention will be' apparent from the Ifollowing dei scription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich I Fig. 1 is a plan view of part of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an inverted the tabulator rack bar with several of the projectable stops thereon; 'l

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view showing one` of the projectable stops in engagement with its corresponding' tabulator slide; j A

Fig. 5 is nan elevation of the stop supporting plate;A i

Fig. 6 isan plate;

Fig. 7 is an elevation of the supporting plate elevation oi the projectable stop l andthe projectable stop` plate when assembled;

Fig. 8 is a semi-diagrammatic elevation of the I connection between a tabulatorv key and the es-l capement rack lift-bar; v

Fig. 9 is a front elevation of theV stop operating member and cooperating parts;

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of part of the stop element;' and -,Fig. 11 is an end element. y

As shown in the drawings herein, a preferred form of the invention is :illustrated in conjunction with a machinesuch as a Remington accounting machine in' which there is provided a carriage frame Ill (Fig. 1) lon which a platen II is supported. inl any suitable manner.

elevation of part of the stop planvview of a portion of I In is provided .with brackets i2 at each 'end thereof, which support the usual tabulator rack lbar I 3, To the frame Ill is also pivoted an escapement rack bar I4 normally in engagement with theescapement pinion I5.

In the ordinary tabulating operation -of ma-I chines such as the one illustrated. it is necessary to lift the escapement rack Il lfrom engagement with the pinion I5 in order that the carriage may be tabulated to the desired position. To lift this rack Il there is provided a lift-plate or bar I6 (Figs. 1 and'2) disposed beneath the rack I4 and mounted on the end of a lift arm Il fixed tota shaft I8 journaled in a bracket I 9 fastened tothe fixed frame 20 of the machine. To the other end ofthe shaft I8- is xed an operating arm 2| to which is pivotally connected a dependent pull link 22.

The operation of this pull link 22 is well known in machines of the type shown. In the present embodiment, the machine is shown as having a power-operated tabulator machanism although this form may be replaced by a manually operated tabulator mechanism. The form shown is similar to that shown and described in greater detail in Patent 2,064,154, issued December 15, 1936, to Dodge and Philbin, with particular reference to Figs. 2 and 21 thereof. Herein .this

construction is semi-diagrammatically shown in Fig. 8.

In Fig. 8 there is shown one of a series of manlponent 25. yEach interponent 25 is connected to one of a plurality of pivoted arms 30 which is thereby advanced to engage and move rearwardly the slide plate 3| which, in turn, will rock its f corresponding tabulator lever 32. 'It is, of course,

understood that for each key 23 there is a correspending lever 32;

At its` upper end each lever 32 is connected to a corresponding tabulator slide plate 33 which is slidably disposed within the usual housing 34 (see Fig. 1), and is adapted to be projected theremanner as its respective key is a bail plate 35 ydisposed in the rear of all the tabulator levers 32 and that to it is fixed an arm' The frame 36 connected to link 31, which, in turn, is' conas shown.

nected to one endv of an arm 38, the other end of which is fixed on shaft 33. Another arm 40, fixed on shaft 39, is connected to the lower end of the previously mentioned pull link 22. It is obvious, therefore, that whenever any key 23 is operated. its corresponding tabulator lever 32 is oscillated and serves to rock bail 35. This movement is eective, by means of the linkage previously described, to lift plate i3. Thus, the carriage is released from the escapement pinion l to permit its movement.

One of the novel features of this invention comprises a stop operating member associated with the lift plate I6. 'As shown in Figs. 1 2, and 4'.' this member comprises an arm 4I. pivotally connected at one end'to the bracket i8 and extending in a direction parallel to the rack bar I3. The free end of the arm 4| is provided with an upwardly extending cam element 42 which is disposed in front of the set of tabulator slides 33 (asin Fig. 1). Intermediate its endsv the arm 4| is engaged by a lift spring 43 which extends Y rearwardly at right angles to the arm 4I and is anchored on a plate 44 (Fig. 1) which is fastened to the frame 20 adjacent to the bracket I9. The front end of this plate 44 is turned up as a iiange 45 abutting the rear surface of arm 4|. This flange 45 has a slot 4B therein (Fig. 9) which receives a pin 41 on the arm 4| so that the upward movement of the arm 4| is limited by this slot as the-spring 43 tends to lift the arm. The arm 4|' is provided with a lip 48 which projects under a portion of the arm il.' When the arm I1 is lowered, it presses on-lip 48which forces arm 4I downwardly against thelifting action 0f the spring-43. Therefore, when the arm is raised by the action of the tabulator key 23, the downward pressure on lip 48 is removed and spring 43 is free to lift arm 4| to move the arm and the cam element 42 to what is designated as a stop-operating position. As stated before this position is determined by the limiting effect of the slot 48 on the pin 41 on arm 4l.

sition. The engagement of the cam elements 53 and 42 will project the stop plate 50 of the stop, unit to the operative position shown in Figs. 4,-

10, and 11. In this position. the nger 55 will lie against the back of the adjacent finger I4 of the supporting plate. The outer edge of linger 55 will extend beyond the outer edge of finger 54 and the inner edge of nger 55 will lie just inside of the top edge of finger 54 and thus be braced as it meets and is stopped by a tabulator slide 33.

'According to Fig. 3 it will be noted that the cam elements 53 are spaced at different points on their supporting plates 58 so that their contact with the operating cam 42 will result in their projection at different predetermined times to engage predetermined tabulator slides 33. In Fig. 3 the variable settings of cams 58 on their supports are indicated by dot and. dash lines, one of which is marked A and is'drawn through the outer edge of the stop plate 50 in its retracted position. By reason of the variability of these settings the several stop plates 50 can be projected Vto engage with selected tabulator slides 33. These settings diii'er by an amount equal to the distance between consecutive tabulator slides 33 which is generally a tenth of an inch.

Viewing the machine from the front, it is assumed that the tabulator keys, the projectable stops, and the tabulator slides are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, etc., from left to right. When key No. 1 is depressed the carriage is thereby releasedand cam 42 is raised to operative position. As stop No. 1 comes along, the cams 42 andl58 are so related as to project stop No. 1 just before it reaches the position of No. 1 slide 33. However, it is to be noted that the No. 1 stop is not pro- 1 jected until after it has passed the position of 'I'he purpose oi elevating the arm 4|, as each tabulator key is depressed, is to place the cam element '42 thereon in an upward operating position to be in line with certain cooperating elements on each of a series of projectable tabuiator stop members'mounted on the rack bar i3. Since these stop members are substantially the same in construction, it will sumce to describe one in detail. They are shown vparticularly in Figs. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. Each stop device comprises a supporting plate 49 (Fig. 5), and a projectable stop plate (Fig. 6). These two plates are pivoted together at oney end by engagement of a pin 5| with apertured lugs 52 on the plates, A spring 53 disposed between the plates tends to holdthe projectable plate in a retracted position, against the face of the tabulator rack I3, as shown in Fig. 3. The supporting plate 49 is provided withvspaced dependent tooth-sectioned legs 54 which enable this plate to be clipped in arly position over the rack b'ar I3, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The projectable stop plate 50 (Fig. 6) has on its outer end a dependent stop -nger 55. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, when in normal retracted position, this finger 55 lies out of the path of any when said arm 4| is raised to its operative po- 75 the No. 2 slide 33. This selectivity in the projection of the stopsl is achieved by reason of the variability of the positioning of cams 58 on their respective supports. Again, assume that key No.

6 is depressed. Then the carriage is tabulated,

the arm 4| is lifted to position cam 42 and the stop plates 50 are successively projected as they passthe position of cam 42. It is evident, how- Y ever, that stop plates 2, 3, 4, and 5 are not `projected until after they have passed the position of the slide 33 which is No. 6 in the series of slides. Therefore-sas they pass the position of this slide, they are in retracted position and will freely pass by. However, the sixth stop plate has its cam so determined that it will be projected between the position ofthe sixth and the seventh slide so that it will be in position to engage with and be stopped by the sixth slide 33.V This action takes place in a sim-V ilar manner for each key. The stop plates may be as many in number as the number of tabulator keys 23 provided on the machine. It is also obvious that they may be placed in any position on the rack bar i3 except that they must bein order, namely, first No. 1 stop, then 2, then 3, etc. Also it is to be noted that since the first stop is arrested by slide No. l, the next lstop which is No. 2 must be placed one tooth iurther along the bar than the position at which it is'to stop the carriage. For example, if the second stop is to arrest the carriage at 40 on the scale, it must be set at 4|. Also, if the first stop were to be set at l0 and the next three at lil points apart, the second would be set at 2|, the third at 32, and the fourth at 43, since the first is arrested by the first slide, the second by the second slide, the third by the third slide, etc., Iand these slides are each disposed successively to the right of the first slide which serves as an index point.

While I have described what I believe to be a highly desirable embodiment of my invention, itY

is obvious that many changes in formy can be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and, I, therefore, do not limit myself to the exact form herein shown and described, nor

to anything less than the whole of my inven-` tion as hereinbefore set forth, and as hereinafter claimed. 1

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In amachine of the class described, a tabulator key, a tabulator slide movable by said ulator slides selectively projected by said keys,

a movable carriage and a tabulator rack movable with said carriage; the combination of a plurality of projectable stop elements on the rack corresponding to said slides, an operating element movable to an operative position upon the depression of any key, and means selectively positioned on each stop element to engage the operating element during the movement oi the carriage rto project each stop element, at a predetermined point in the travelloi the stop element, into position to engage with and be arrested by its corresponding slide.

3. In -a machine of the class described, a plurality of tabulator keys, a plurality of 'tabulator slides adapted to be individually moved to an operative position by the-actuation of a corresponding key, a movable rack bar, a plurality of projectable stops on said bar corresponding to said slides, means selectively positionedV on each stop, and means operated by any key and engaging the selectively positionedv means on the stops in succession as the rack bar advances, the selective positioning of said means on the stop adapted to cause the projection of th'e stops only as each arrives at a position prior to that of its corresponding slide and subsequent to that of the next preceding slide.

4.1m a machine of the class described, a tabulator slide, a depressible tabulator key connected thereto for operating said slide, a movable tabulator rack bar, a projectable stop on said rack bar, an operating cam .device movable into* an operative position by said key, and cam means 7 on the stop to be engaged by said operating cam -device during the movement of the rack bar', the

cam means on the stop beingV selectively positioned so as to project said stop only when the stop reachesa position immediately prior to that of the slide.

5. I n a machine of the class described, an escapement rack, a tabulator key, a rack lift bar engaging the rack and operated by the key to lift `the rack, an arm, a stop operating cam on said arm, means on the lift bar engaging the arm to hold it' in an Ainoperative position when the lift bar is in inoperative position, and a spring engagingl the arm to lift it to an operative position when the restraining iniluence of the lift bar is removed.

6. In a machine oi the class described having a movable tabulator rack bar, a stop element a position coacting mounted on said bar which comprises a supporting plate provided with means to clip th'e plate on to the bar, a removable stop plate pivoted to the supporting plate, means cooperating with both plates to hold the stop plate in a retracted position, and a cam device o n the stop plate to be engaged during the movement of the bar to project the stop plate to an operative position.

'7. In a typewriting or like machine, a frame, a carriage movable relative thereto, a plurality of`tabulator slides mounted on said frame in spaced relationship along the path of movement of said carriage, key operable means for selectively moving each of said tabulator slides to effective position, a plurality of stop elements corresponding to said tabulator slides, means'for adiustably mounting each of said stopelements on said carriage for movement to and from eective position .with `relation to said tabulator slides, operating means on said stop elements disposed at different positions thereon corresponding to the spaced relationship of said tabulator slides, and means on said frame operable by said vkey operable means to with said operating means stop elements into eective the corresponding tabmovement of the carto move each o! said position as it approaches ulator slide during the riage. WILLIAM L. COLLIER.

Images