US2682993A - Accounting machine data indicator - Google Patents

Description

y 1954 A. G. HELGESON 2,682,993

ACCOUNTING MACHINE DATA INDICATOR Filed Nov. 21, 1950 ll Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR S G. HELGESON @QQQQQQQQQQQQQQ Fxm mSOoE m U WWW H mm w m moEm HIS ATTORNEYS July 6, 1954 Filed Nov. 21, 1950 A. G. HELGESON ll Sheets-Sheet 2 |7| FIG. 2 K NET PAY 2L nouns :35 EE AOB 'g'; @Sgfgfi 'gg INSURANCE new JOHN G. DOE 236 $1.29 '12 .00 .!3 .26 .39 .52 .65 .78 .9! 1.04 1.17 FRACTION/1L EARNINGS .00 .13 .26 .39 .41 .5 4 .67. .80 .93 1.06 BAL N CTOR 1.30 1.43 1.56 1.69 1.82 1.95 2.08 2.21 2.34 2.47 EARNINGS 1.19 1.32 1.34 1.47 1.60 1.73 1.86 1.99 2.12 2.25 L NcE FAcTo 1.0 .1 .2 .3 .4 .5 .6 .7 .8 .9 HOURS 1 INVENTOR ANGUS G. HELGESON July 6, 1954 A ca. HELGESON ACCOUNTING MACHINE DATA INDICATOR l1 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 21, 1950 14*. INVENTOR ANGUS e. HELGESON BY Zw Mww HIS ATTORNEYS July 6, 1954 A. G. HELGESON ACCOUNTING MACHINE DATA INDICATOR 11 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 21, 1950 FIG. 6

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INVENTGR HIS ATTORNEYS /ANGUS e. HELGESON B 4/ p J y 6, 1954 A; e. HELGESON 2,682,993 ACCOUNTING MACHINE DATA INDICATOR Filed Nov. 21, 1950 11 SheetsSheet 6 FIG.7

FIG 8 y n I n 1 INVENTOR 213 K ANGUS e. HELGESON HIS ATTORNEYS July 6, 1954 A. G. HELGESON ACCOUNTING MACHINE DATA INDICATOR 11 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed NOV. 21, 1950 m T N E V m ANGUS G. HELGESON y 19,54 A. G. HELGESON 2,682,993

ACCOUNTING MACHINE DATA INDICATOR Filed Nov. 21, 1950 ll Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTOR ANGUS G. HELGESON HIS ATTORNEYS July 6, 1954 A. G. HELGESON ACCOUNTING MACHINE DATA INDICATOR l1 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed Nov. 21, 1950 FIG. l2

FIG. l3

INVENTOR ANGUS G. HELGESON g, W

HIS ATTORNEYS July 6, 1954 A. G. HELGESON ACCOUNTING MACHINE DATA INDICATOR ll Sheets-Sheet 11 Filed Nov. 21, 1950 FIG. l4

INVENTOR ANGUS G. HELGESON HIS ATTORNEYS Patented July 6, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ACCOUNTING MACHINE DATA INDICATOR Angus G. Helgeson, Birmingham, Mich., assignor to The National Cash Register Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Maryland Application November 21, 1950, Serial No. 196,906

13 Claims. 1

This invention relates to accounting machines and similar business machines and is directed particularly to means for speeding up the recording of payroll data and the consequent printing of the payroll checks, and to control various mechanisms in the machine in this connection.

This invention is especially adapted to be used in machines of the payroll type, shown and described in the United States Patent No. 2,467,704, issued April 19, 1949, to Pascal Spurlino, Rudolph J. Moser, Alfred G. Kibler, Marvin D. Frost, and Walter J. Kreider, and for illustrative purposes is embodied in a machine of the type shown in said patent.

This invention is also embodied in machines of the general type shown in the following United States Letters Patent and reference may be had to them and to the above-mentioned patent for a complete showing and description of standard mechanism not fully disclosed herein: United States Patents Nos. 1,619,796; 1,747,397; 1,761,542; and 1,916,535, issued March 1, 1927; February 18, 1930; June 3, 1930; and July 4, 1933, respectively, to Bernis M. Shipley; No. 2,175,346, issued October 10, 1939, to Maximilian M. Goldberg; No. 2,141,332, issued December 27, 1938, to Charles H. Arnold; No. 1,693,279, issued November 27, 1928, to Walter J. Kreider; No. 2,305,000, issued December 15, 1942, to Mayo A. Goodbar; No. 2,361- 662, issued October 31, 1944, to Pascal Spurlino and Konrad Rauch; No. 2,345,839, issued April 4, 1944, to Pascal Spurlino, Mayo A. Goodbar, and Marvin D. Frost; and No. 2,351,541, issued June 13, 1944, to Everett H. Placke.

The specific machine shown in the above-mentioned Patent No. 2,467,704, embodying the present invention, and as now constructed, is well adapted for use by any organization where a large number of payroll checks are to be issued periodically and particularly where such organizations wish to keep accurate records of totals of amounts paid to their employees, and also a record of various deductions which nowadays are common practice. As is well known, such deductions include social security payments, group insurance payments, income tax withholdings and union dues, and many other types of deductions, which various organizations permit their employes to make against gross earnings for a definite period. Accurate records of each of the various types of individual deductions are accumulated in the machine, with the result that the company may A of the employees, the gross earnings of the employees, and other records relative to the employees.

Other records, such as the total number of regular hours worked and the total number of overtime hours worked, are also accumulated in the machine, so that the company may at any time definitely ascertain by means of printed records the number of regular hours paid for and also the number of overtime hourspaid for.

The machine is also adapted to print a payroll check, upon the main portion of which are shown the consecutive number, the date, and the net amount of the check printed in two places; and on the stub portion of the check, which is to be torn oil and retained by the employee before he c-ashes the check, are shown the number of regular hours he worked, the gross earnings for those regular hours, the number of overtime hours, the gross earnings for the overtime hours, a total of the gross regular-hour and overtime-hour earnings, a list of all deductions, showing the amount of each, a symbol for each deduction, and the net pay. The net pay printed on the stub portion of the check is identical with the net amount which is printed in two places on the main portion I of the check.

The machine in which the present invention is embodied is also adapted to print upon the payroll summary sheet, which, for example, may be used for the departmental summary of the employees in any one or more departments. If the departments are too large, the payroll summary may be allotted to various jobs of the departments.

An individual employees earnings record card may also be printed by the machine in which this present invention is embodied. Upon this earnings card, which is divided into columns, there may be printed the number of regular hours the employee works and the number of overtime hours he works; also the gross amount of earnings for regular hours and the gross amount of earnings for overtime hours may be recorded. The deductions against each employee are also printed and recorded on this particular earnings card record for the individual employee. In the last column on the card there is a space for a balance forward, which is picked up from a former earnings record, set up on the keyboard, and printed in this column, when a new card is begun for the employee when his old card is filled.

On the top of the machine there is provided a time card box, which carries the time cards for each individual employee. On these time cards there is various data relating particularly to the number of regular hours and the number of overtime hours which the employee has worked. On this card there are also various types of deductions which have been previously mentioned and which are recorded thereon by the clerk.

These time cards are adapted to be ejected from the stack upon operation of the Net Pay key.

Mounted on top of the machine and alongside the time card box is also what will be referred to hereinafter as a pattern card box. This pattern card, there being one for each individual employee, has printed on it certain constant figures which relate to the printing of the payroll check for this particular employee. This employees time clock card and his pattern card are side by side, one in the time card box and one in the pattern card box, and other employees time cards and pattern cards are stacked successively, so that, each time a time clock card isejected, the corresponding pattern card for the same employee will be ejected.

This pattern card on the left shows the number of hours worked, in the next column the base pay for that number of hours, which base pay has been figured according to the rate which the employee gets per hour. Near the bottom of the card the employees name and check number are shown and, in addition, his hourly rate, which in the example and illustration given herein is $1.29 /2 per hour. The same employees name is on his time clock card. In the third column from the left there are figures which show the overtime pay. The next column shows'the OAB deductions at the rate of 1%. The next column shows the withholding tax to be deducted.

The next four columns show various net pays for this particular individual, according to the number of hours he has worked and according to the deductions which he has against his pay for that week. The left-hand Net Pay column shows the net pay with no other deductions outside of the OAB and the withholding tax. The second Net Pay column shows the amount of net pay for the employee when union dues have been deducted in addition to the income tax and OAB. The third Net Pay column, which is the second from the right, shows the net pay to which the employee is entitled after his insurance premium has been taken out, along with his withholding tax and DAB, and the right-hand Net Pay column shows what his net pay will be when his hospitalization is taken out along with his withholding tax and OAB.

As above mentioned, this pattern card is ejected upon the depression of the Net Pay key, which causes the employees net pay to be printed on the check which has been inserted in the machine.

This pattern card is divided into groups of hours, and the front of the pattern card box is so arranged that only the proper line which is to be used by the operator in computing the em ployees pay is to be read. This is to be accomplished by lighting a lamp, the selection of which is controlled by the number of hours the employee has worked, and which is under the control of the keys on the machine in the hourly banks.

The card box is provided with a movable face, which has windows, so that one line of each group of lines is visible. The movable face is adapted to be shifted downwardly under control of the differential mechanism of the hourly banks, so that, through the combination of the moving of the face of the box and the selection of the proper light, any one of the four lines of a group of data may be selected after the particular group has been selected by the depression of the hours keys. This will all be described in detail later on.

Generally. the movable face is constructed in such a manner that, through the use of solenoids, the said movable face can be lowered four additional positions, making five in all, so that, through a combination of the moving of the face of the box and the selection of the proper light to be illuminated, any one of thirty lines can be selected on each card.

Let us take a specific example and describe how the lore-calculated net pays are arrived at.

The first Net Pay column is the pre-calculated net pay that would be paid to an employee if he had no other deductions than OAB tax and withholding tax. The second Net Pay column is the net pay that would be paid to that employee if union dues of $1.50 were deducted from his pay that week. The third Net Pay column is the amount which would be paid to him if a group insurance premium of $2.10 were deducted from his pay that week, and the fourth Net Pay column is the amount which would be paid to him if group hospitalization were deducted that week,

amounting to $6.25.

Only one of these columns should be clearly visible on each pay. On the week that union dues are being deducted, the Union Dues Net Pay column should be completely visible, and, on the week that insurance is being deducted, the Insurance column should be completely visible.

On the week that there are no fixed deductions,-

the first Net Pay column should be clearly vis ble, and, on the week that group hospitalization is being deducted that Net Pay column should be clearly visible. In each case, the other three columns should be and are at least partially concealed.

However, on the weeks that the union dues or insurance are being deducted, perhaps the employee does not belong to the union or does not participate in the insurance, and in these cases his pattern card would have the net pay calcu- 'lations in either one of these columns marked out. Therefore, when such a card appears in the pattern box, no deduction would be made for union dues or insurance, and it is then possible to record the $47.38 in the first column, even I though the amount is partially concealed.

In order to make this partial concealment, a Plexiglas flexible slide is inserted at the beginning of the particular week, which Plexiglas may be a red translucent slide. Also two opaque slides to the right should be used when no fixed deductions are taken; the red translucent slide would cover the union dues column, and the two opaque slides would cover the insurance and hospitalization columns.

When union dues are being deducted, the red translucent slide would cover the No reduction column, and the two opaque slides would cover the Insurance columns. Therefore, if any em ployee does not belong to the union, it would still be possible to read, as above mentioned, the $47.38 through the red translucent slide. However, the red translucent slide would prevent the operator from using the $47.38 by accident when the man did belong to the union. When insur ance is being deducted, the red slide should cover the No Deduction column, and one opaque slide should be moved over to cover the Union Dues column, and the other opaque slide to cover the Hospitalization column.

At this point it might be well to describe brieiiy the sequence of a normal operation of the machine.

First, a group of clock cards for a particular department is inserted in the clock card box, which is located, as above mentioned, on the top of the machine. Then a corresponding number of pattern cards for these same employees is inserted in the pattern card box, which is nor mally located on top of the machine, just to the left of the clock card box. box is provided with the same type of feeler mechanism that the clock card box is provided with, which will assure the operator that a pattern card goes out of the pattern card box every time the clock card mechanism is operated to eject a clock card. If a card does not go down, a light is lighted on the'face of the pattern card box, and the current from the machine is shut off. Thus, when the current is off, the operator can tell from whichever light goes on as to which box failed to eject the card. Therefore, by proving, through the light system, that a card goes down in each box each operation, it insures that a proper sequence of cards will be maintained between the two stacks of cards, so that the clock card and the pattern card for the same em ployee will always be the front card in each of their respective boxes. As above mentioned, the name of the employee and his clock number are on the clock card and are visible to the operator; also the name of the employee is on the pattern card, and also the rate per hour shows on the pattern card.

Having placed the two sets of cards in the two boxes-that is, the clock card box and the pat tern card box-the operator first will pick up all of the old balances appearing on the earnings card for this particular employee, which earnings card is taken from the regular payroll file. She will first pick up the balance of the with holding tax and, at the same time she is making these pickups, will insert the check into the check chute, ready to be printed on at the proper time. The last pickup should be the earnings-to-date pickup, and at this time she should record the total hours on the left side of the keyboard. Just before the operation of the machine, she will insert the earnings card in the machine on the printing table, and therefore the total hours will be printed on the earnings card and on the check in this operation.

At the same time, the regular differential mechanism in the machine for the three banks of hour keys will control three wipe switches and move them into position, which will set up the right type of an electrical circuit to cause the proper line to be selected on the pattern box, moving the face of the box to the right position, and illuminate the proper light in order that the correct line is selected. The total hours are accumulated on this operation, together with a total of the earnings-to-date, in their respective to'talizers.

The total number of hours accumulated in the machine for each payroll division is later checked against a prelistecl accumulation of hours from the clock cards in order to prove that the right hour keys were selected, and, therefore, proving that the correct line was selected on the This pattern card pattern box. Thus, as a result of the movement of the light switches, under control of the hours keys, which was brought about by the settingof the proper hours on those hours keys, the pattern box mechanism selects and illuminates the proper line on the face of the card, according to the hours recorded.

Reading from that illuminated line on the pattern card, the operator will then record the total amount of the base pay and the total overtime hours and earnings (if there are any), the total amount of the CAB tax, the withholding tax, and whatever fixed deduction is beingdeducted thatweek, provided this employee has such a deduction to be, made. The net amount, de pending upon the fixed deduction applicable to this employee, appears in one of the Net Pay columns and should be visible at all times. The operator then records whichever not pay is visible, either the one for the fixed deduction factor being deducted that Week or one without any fixed deduction, depending on whether or not that type of deduction is applicable to that particular employee whose check is being written.

The K key, which is used to record the amount of the not pay in this case, causes such amount to be recorded to be deducted from the crossfooter and causes that amount to be printed on the main portion and on the stub of the check as well as on the journal sheet, thus completing the check and ejecting the same, as well as actuating both the clock card box and the pattern card box, causing the clock card and the pattern card to be ejected, so as to bring to view the clock card the pattern card for the next employee whose check is to be written.

The routine of the sequence of operations on the payroll machines or the type shown in the above-mentioned Patent No. 2,467,704 calls for the use of the withholding tax pickup key first on every check, and it, therefore, requires the operator to pres the key regardless of whether or not there is any withholding tax to pick up. This withholding tax key then serves the purpose of signalling the operator as to whether or not the previous check written was written correctly.

If the operator is able to pick up the amount of the withholding tax with that pickup key, then she knows that the previous check was completed correctly. If the withholding tax key is locked on this operation, that means that there was still some amount remaining in the crossfooter, thus giving evidence of the fact that the previous check was not correctly written.

Should such a thing occur, the operator would then remove the last check from the check compartment underneath the machine, place it in the check chute upside down, and hit the Net Pay key, which would cause the machine to clear the amount of the difference out of the crossfooter and print that amount, which is the net amount of the error, on the back of the check. The operator would then lay aside this check for correction at a later time, and the machine, together with the crossfooter, would be automatically adjusted back to zero; thus the withholding tax key would be unlocked. If any condition should leave the crossfooter at zero and locked up, as a result of being on the subtract side, provision is made to release this look on the next pickup operation of the withholding tax key.

Thus far the operation has been described in connection with a pattern card, which has 2'7 patterns of hours, providing for every full day up to six days and every half day within each 2? one of those six days, and also providing for patterns for five of the days, showing fractional hours by quarters in order to take care of time lates in quarter fractional hours.

There is also shown in connection with this application a pattern card which provides five fixed patterns for 39.9, 39.8, 39.7, 39.6, and 39.5 hours. This chart provides six patterns for every even hour from up to 48 hours. In addition to that, it provides a special pattern chart at the bottom, showing earnings patterns for each .1 hour from 0 up to 2 hours.

In addition to providing the earnings for these various hours, it also provides a chart of proof factors for the same units of hours. It is this additional section of the pattern card, together with the proper set-up on the machine, which makes the additional spread of 500 patterns possible.

The machine is constructed to provide an operating key, special key No. 1, which will cause any amount recorded on the keyboard to accumulate in its own total, and which non-prints all amounts and non-spaces all of the records.

Another special key, named special key No. 2, is a non-operating key, which, when depressed together with any operating key on the machine, allows that operating key to function, as it normally does, but also causes the amount previously accumulated in total key No. 1 to transfer automatically into the accumulator controlled by the operating key and print on all of the records as determined by the operating key.

Such mechanism for controlling the selection and operation of the totals and the transfer of totals is fully illustrated and described in the above-mentioned patents.

Whenever an operator sets up the hours on the left side of the keyboard and the earnings on the right side of the keyboard, and no line is selected or illuminated on the pattern box, she then knows that she does not have that pattern as an active pattern on the card.

Now let us assume, for example, that the number of hours recorded were 34.6 hours. No line will. be illuminated, and therefore the operator will press a special key No. 3, which will not retain but will select and illuminate the line for the 34-hour pattern, and it will also illuminate a special light for the lower chart. Thus, there will be two lights illuminated on the pattern box at the same time, the lower light illuminating the special chart at the bottom, and the upper will illuminate the line for the 34 hours worked.

I'he operator then will set up $44.03 in the special key No. 1, which amount will be accumulated into that total. She will then read from her special chart at the bottom of the pattern card, which amount appeared in the position for hour, which is the difference between 34 hours and 34.6 hours. This amount is 78 cents, which she will record on the keyboard, then she will press the special key No. 1. The operator then presses special key No. 2 first, and, immediately after, she will press the proper earnings key, which in this case will be the key marked Straight Time. That would be $44.81,. which is the amount accumulated in the special total N0. 2 to print as a regular earnings entry on all records and accumulate in the earnings total and add the earnings to the crossfooter. The operator then records the DAB tax, but she will see from the position of the 78 cents on the chart that she is supposed to add. one cent to the CAB tax. and ten cents to the withholding tax.

I is not at zero.

Therefore, when she records the OAB tax. in.- stead of recording 44 cents, she will record 45 cents, and the withholding tax, instead of recording $2.80, which appears on. the line for the 34- hour premium, she will record $2.90, which is the $2.80 plus the extra ten cents. The operator will then read the proper net pay figure appearing on the pattern card for 34 hours. In this case it would be $40.79. She will record that amount on the keyboard and press the special key No. 1,.

which will accumulate such amount. She will then read from the special chart at the bottom of the pattern card the amount of the balancing factor for the adjustment. In this case that amount is 67 cents. Having recorded this amount also through the special key No. 1, she will press the special key No. 2, followed by the K Net Pay key.

This K Net Pay key functions as it normally does, causing the amount to be printed on the check for the total amount in the accumulator of special key No. 1. That amount will be transferred into the totalizer associated with the K key, subtracted from the crossfooter, and printed on all records, and the amount so printed will be $41.46.

This again causes the check to be ejected and stacked, and the operator then proceeds to the next check.

During the writing of the above check for 34.6 hours, $44.03 and 78 cents making a total of $44.81 were added into the crossfooter. The OAB of 45 cents, the withholding tax of $2.90, the net pay of $40.79 for 34 hours and the net pay of 67 cents for .6 hour making a total of $44.81 were all subtracted from the gross pay of $44.81, thus leaving the crossfooter at zero which proves that all com-- putations have been made correctly, and therefore, the operator may proceed with the writing of the next check.

If an error had been made during the printing of the above check the machine would have been locked by mechanism, well known in the art, under control of the crossfooter when the latter One form of such mechanism is shown in the Rudolph J. Moser Patent No. 2,417,563.

The machine is also provided with an electrical contact switch, which feels the position of the differential mechanism associated with the thousand-dollar bank of keys. When the thousanddollar bank is in the zero position, or in the No. 1 or No. 2 position of the bank, the differential will cause the switch to remain open, thus preventing any contact from taking place.

However, when the differential for that bank is in the position to record $3,000.00 or more, the differential causes the switch to close, thus sending an electrical signal to a red lamp located on the top of the machine, and, when this light is illuminated on the clearing of the earnings to date total, the operator of the machine will know that the particular employee has just completed earnings of $3,000.00 or more. Thus, she will split the amount of the (DAB tax on that particular check. When the operator comes to record the amount of the split OAB tax in a case of this kind, she will look at the dials which show the total and read the amount in excess of $3,000.00. For example, let us say that we are writing a check, in which the earnings of the employee for this particular week were $100.00, and the previous earnings todate picked up was $2,970.00.

Therefore, when the new balance of the earnings to date is extended, a red light is illuminated,-

The operator, therefore, records 70 cents in special ke No. l totalizer, which will non-print all of the records and accumulate a total of that 70 cents, and then she will record 30 cents, which was to be collected as a tax, through the regular OAB tax key, in this particular case key No. 22, and marked F. She will then continue on with the balance of her checks. example, that there is no withholding tax on this particular check, and normally, if OAB tax were to be deducted, the net check, as indicated by the pattern card, calls for $99.00 net pay. When it is time to record the net pay, the operator will record the $99.00, in this case not through the K key but through the special key No. 1. She will then press the special key 'No. 2, followed with depression of the K key. That will cause the accumulation of special key No. 1 to be printed on the check and all of the records and subtract it from the crossfooter, and complete the check for $99.70, which is the correct amount of the net pay. In this case the machine has again proved the accuracy of the computation. Through the use of the line lock proof, the machine here proves that each one of the amounts of earnings, deductions, etc., was correctly entered, and also proves that the operator made the correct split in the CAB tax, because she read the first amount from the total reading dial in the machine and the second amount, which was a mental calculation of the difference, must be correct in order to make the machine balance. Therefore, the machine provides 100% accuracy, even though there are mental calculations involved in an operation of this type.

Whenever the red signal is lit, warning of a split OAB tax of this type, the same electrical impulse is used to actuate a type wheel in the journal sheet section of the machine, which prints a clearly visible symbol, which will stand out so that it can be seen at a glance. The purpose of this symbol is to assist the balancing clerkin her audit. When she secures the journal sheet from the payroll of the machine operator, together with the pattern card and other records, she will glance downthe sheet, providing that itis the right time of year to expect employees to go over the $3,000.00 earnings point, and she will be able to audit the sheet quickly in order to determine if any special signals appear on the journal sheet.

Whenever she finds such a special printed signal Let us assume, for 7 appearing on the journal sheet, she will look for the pattern card for that particular employee and see to it that said. card is turned around, so that the back of the pattern card faces the front, because the back of the pattern card has the same calculations which appear on the front, with the exclusion of the CAB calculation.

The electrical hook-up in this particular case on the $3,000.00 mechanism is made in such a manner that it takes into consideration the earnings to date pickup key on the machine as well as the clearing key for the earnings to date. In other words, if the $3,000.00 in the machine comes about as a result of adding suflicient earnings to the earnings-to-date pickup to make $3,000.00, then a light is illuminated indicating this condition to the operator. However, if the pickup of the earnings to date is $3,000.00 or more, then this mechanism also causes the machine to lock 10 the vOAB key, so that it will be impossible to record any OAB tax on such check.

This electrical hookup also actuates a relay when the $3,000.00 amount is secured on the pickup key, and no red light will be lit on the machine in such a condition.

The mechanism of the pattern card box also provides for holding the electrical selection, which was made on the pickup of the earningsto-date, throughout the entire writing of the check, eliminating any possibility of interference which might occur from any source. For example, the hours keys will be used again on the recording of the overtime hours, in which case a movement would be given to the Wipe switches, setting up a new selection.

However, an electrical hookup is provided in order that there will be no interference with the previous selection at the time the total hours are recorded. A relay is used in the circuit to disconnect the previously-selected hookup at the time the clock card boxes are actuated. In other Words, when either one of the Net Pay keys is used and the electrical impulse is given to the pattern card box and to the clock card box, these same impulses are used to actuate a relay which cuts off all the power which was looking the electrical selection, so that the line selection will be completely wiped out on the net pay operation, and the face of the pattern card box is hooked up with the mechanism which pushes the pattern card down, so that, when the pattern card box is actuated, the mechanism in this box will restore the face of the pattern card box to its home position from whatever position it has been previously selected.

In connection with payroll operations, there are certain conditions where unusual deductions or earnings adjustments are made, for which there has been no previous pattern set up. For example, many employees might be affected by a Community Chest deduction on a payroll, which would make it impossible to complete the pattern and use any one of the net pay figures. In order to efficiently accomplish this type of setup, provision is made on the machine to'construct one of the totalizing keys in the total row to function as an indicating balance key. In other words, when that key is pressed, it will subtotal the crossfooter without printing on any of the records or spacing any of the'records and only indicating the amount of the net pay in the visible total dials in the front of the machine.

Then, the operator of the machine completes the writing of the check from the pattern card up to the point of inserting the amount of the special deduction or addition, and, just prior to recording that amount on the machine, the operator will press the indicating balance key and then will check the amount which appears on the visible total dials with the amount of the correct net pay visible on the pattern card. Thus.

she will prove visually that the payroll has been.

keys on the machine and complete the check by pressing the Net Pay key, which clears the cross footer and prints the amount of the net pay on all of the records-namely, the check, the stub ofthe check, and the check register-and eject and stack the check as on the normal payroll machine operation of the type of machine shown 1 i and described in the above-mentioned Patent No. 2,467,704.

For the purpose of illustrating one form of the present invention, the machine shown herein is constructed to perform the functions above stated, when used in connection with machine similar to that shown in the above-mentioned Spurlino et. al. Patent No. 2,467,704, which machine is constructed primarily for the purpose of payroll work.

It is, therefore, one object of this invention to provide an accounting machine for distributing items into a plurality of classification totals, also to provide the necessary crossfooters or addsubtract totalizers for obtaining the proper totals and balances of the various necessary items in order to produce a payroll check and the necessary records in connection therewith.

Another object of the present invention is to provide pattern cards having thereon pre--cal-- culated amounts used in connection with the production of payroll checks, which pattern cards show the total hours, the gross pay, various deductions, and net pay amounts, according to the various deductions which have been taken from the gross pay.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pattern card box for holding the cards so that they can be properly read by the operator while she is preparing the check to be printed by the machine.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a line-selecting mechanism, so that the proper line of the pattern card may be selected according to the number of hours which the employee has worked.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide mechanism associated with the banks of hour keys to select the proper line on the .pattern card according to the the number of hours which are set up on the hour keys.

A further object of the present invention is to provide means in the machine to signal the op erator when the employees gross pay has reached the amount of $3,000.00, so that no further 0A8 tax deductions will be taken from his pay after such amount has been reached.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an electrical device associated with the differential mechanism of the hours keys, which I electrical device will light up a signal light for the operator whenever the employees gross amount has reached $3,000.00 or more.

A further object of the present invention is to provide the pattern card box with a shifting mechanism to shift to the proper line of the pat tern card and light up that line so that it may be easily read by the operator, the light determiningthe line which has been selected according to the number of hours which have been set up on the keyboard.

A further object of the present invention is to lock the machine against operation of the DAB key whenever the employees gross amount has reached $3,906.00 or exceeded that sum.

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention includes certain novel features of construction and combinations, a preferred form or embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a keyboard of the machine used in connection with the present invention, which keyboard is to control a machine of the type illustrated and described in the above-mentioned Spurlino et aLPatent No. 2,467,704.

Fig. 2 shows an employees pattern card with pre-calculated amounts of net pay for amounts of from 2 to 48 hours. This pattern card is broken down into tenths of hours with relation to the 39 hour periods.

Fig. 3 shows a pattern card of an employee, showing pro-calculated net pays associated with the number of hours worked, and illustrates, in five instances, A bour periods.

Fig. 4 is a view showing the switch in connection with the difl'erential mechanism controlled by the thousand-dollar bank to cause a light to light whenever the employees gross pay has reached $3,000.00 or more.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view through one of the hour banks of the machine, showing the wipe switches in connection with this bank for selecting the proper line of the pattern card, according to the positioning of the wipe switch under control of the hour keys.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a preferred form of the pattern card box.

Fig. 7 is a left side elevation of the same box, showing the magnets for causing the shifting of the box face or front to select the proper group line according to the number of hours key depressed.

Fig. 8 is a section on line 88 of Fig. '7, looking in the direction of the arrows, and shows the solenoid-operated levers for tripping the pattern card box face to permit line selection.

Fig. 9 is a right side elevation of this same pattern card box, showing the means for restoring the box face or front to normal position at the end of the writing of a pay check.

Fig. 10 is a wiring diagram showing the con trols for the pattern card box for lighting the proper light of a certain group of lines and shows the solenoids or electromagnets for selecting or adjusting the pattern card box face, dependent upon the group of keys which is depressed in the hour banks.

Fig. 11 is a front elevation of a modified form of a. pattern card box, showing the selection of the lines by means of lifting a shutter.

Fig. 12 is a left side elevation of the same, showing the elcctromagnets for operating the shutters over the lines.

Fig. 13 is a right side elevation of the means for restoring the shutters to their normal positions.

Fig. 14 is a front elevation of a still further modified form of a pattern card box, where the line selection is made by raising a shutter or lid, which covers the lines, there being a shutter for each of the lines.

In connection with the modified form shown in Figs. 10 to 12 inclusive, the front or face of this pattern card box does not shift, there being only 16 lines which can be selected, and, therefore, it will take a pattern card with only 16 lines.

With regard to the pattern card box shown in Fig. 13, the face or front of this box shifts in the same manner as the face of the box shown in Figs. 6 to 8 of the preferred form, to select the various groups of numbers on the pattern card.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION Described in general terms, the machine embodying the present invention is of the general type disclosed in the above-mentioned Shipley and Goldberg patents, and particularly the patent to Spurlino et al., No. 2,467,704. These pat-- ents all disclose a plurality of totalizers into which .may be distributed various amounts, according to the business system for which the machine is being built. The Spurlino et al. patent last men tioned is used particularly for payroll work, and the totalizers are adapted to receive the many and various items constituting individual transactions that are handled in the process of making out payroll checks.

The above-mentioned Shipley and Goldberg patents also disclose what are known in the art as add and subtract totalizers or crossfooters, by

which name they have come to be known, from which balances may be printed at any time.

totalizer.

The machine as shown in the last-mentioned Spurlino et a1. patent is adapted to print on an earnings record card to the right of the machine and on a check near the center of the machine, and. a payroll summary is adapted to be fed and printed upon at the left of the machine.

The four rows of control keys at the right side of the keyboard control the selection of the coiumns and the selection of the various line spaces in the columns to receive the printed data according to the several operations of the machine necessary to complete a payroll check writing and issuing transaction.

The number of operations, of course, varies with the number of types of earnings to be credited to each employee, and also varies with the number of deductions chargeable against the gross earnings of each employee. As has been previously stated, the time clock card box and the pattern card clock box are located on top of the machine, and stacks of pattern cards and stacks of timeclock cards are put in the respective boxes in proper sequence, according to employees. stack will be for the same employee, the second card for the next employee, and so on through the stack, and, upon the depression of the Net Pay key, which is the final operation of writing an employees payroll check, these cards are simultaneously ejected from their respective boxes to present to view the second card in each box. The line of the pattern card to be selected is under control of the keys headed Hours in Fig. 1, the keys depressed in the hours bank determining which of the lines of the pattern card are to be selected, causing a shifting of the front or face of the pattern card box to select theproper line in the group after the group has been selected.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Keyboard The keyboard of the machine is shown in diagrammatic form in Fig. 1. There are rows or banks of amount keys 60, to the left of a permanent split, indicated by a dotted line, and to the right of this split there are nine rows or banks of amount keys 6|. This gives a register- In other words, the first card on each 14 ing and accumulating capacity of six banks to the left of the split and nine banks to the right of the split for the totalizers in the machine, which are split according to the permanent split between the keys 60 and 6! in a manner well known in the art.

To the right of the amount keys 5t and 6! are four rows of control keys designated Row 1, Row 2, Row 8, and Row 4. Keys 52 of row 1 are operating keys; that is, they reiease the machine for actuation when depressed. Key 63 is a non-operating key and is used in conjunction with the X Earnings-to-Date key of row 2. The top three keys 64 of row 1 are non-operating keys and are used to select the totalizers corre sponding to the keys of rows 2, 3, and 4, during clearing operations.

The keys of row 2 are designated 65, the keys of row 3 are designated 66, and the keys of row 4 are designated 61.

The X, Y, and Z keys (is of row are used to pick up the totals of earnings to date, bond balance to date, and tax to date, respectively, prior to the writing of an individual payroll check. The remaining keys in this bank are used during analysis operations. The functions of the three bottom keys of row 2 have been previously mentioned generally and will be more fully given later.

The K Net Pay key 66 of row 3 is used to make the final printing of the not pay on the employees check. The remaining keys, L to U, in this row 3 are used to set up the various deductions, which may be applicable to any employee.

The keys t? of row 4, marked A to J, are used in connection with the writing of payroll, according to the designation on the keys opposite the letters.

The keys of rows 2, 3, and 4 select arious totalizers in the machine in a manner which has been fully illustrated and explained in the previously-mentioned Spurlino et al. Patent No. 2,467,704.

Dificrential mechanism for hours and amount banks The differential mechanisms for each of the key banks 50 and each of the key banks 6! are identical, and in Fig. 5 there is shown a crosssection of the machine alongside one of the banks of keys This differential mechanism, as above mentioned, being identical with the diiferential mechanism for the amount keys, it is thought that a description of this differential mechanism will sufiice for all banks of amount keys and hours keys.

Moreover, the key bank frames for the keys at and El are identical, as is the zero stop mechanism for these different banks of keys, and therefore the description of the bank or" keys and its supporting framework, shown in Fig. 5, will suffice for all.

The keys 69, which are used in this case to record the number of hours worked, are mounted in the usual key frame "5!, supported by rods '32 and 13, which in turn are supported by niachine side frames '54 (only one of which is shown). The keys all cooperate with a detent 15 having a flattened pin Hi, which retains the key in its depressed position, as fully illustrated and described in the above-mentioned Shi ley patents.

This detent is pivoted to an arm H, which, through a pin 18, an arm '59, and a 39, a zero stop pawl 8! for this particular denomination counterclockwise out of the path of a reset spider 82 free on a hub of an amount differential actuator 83, rotatably supported by a hub 84 extending between two similar amount differential support plates 85 (only one shown) in turn supported by rods 86, extending between and supported by the machine side frames 14. There is a pair of support plates 85 for each amount differential, and a tie rod 81 extends through the holes in the center of the hubs 84, to secure all of the amount differentials in a compact unit. The reset spider 82 has a slot in its forward end, which engages a stud 9! in a bell crank 92, pivoted on an extension of a differential actuator 83. This bell crank 92 is connected by a link 33 to a latch arm 34, which is pivoted on the differential actuator 83. The upper end of the arm 94 has a foot 95, which cooperates with a shoulder 36 on a driver 91, which receives a regular excursion clockwise and then counterclockwise to its normal position each operation of the machine. A spring 93 holds the foot 35 of the latch arm 94 in engagement with the driver 9l'. The driver 91 is is pivoted on the hub 84 of the differential actuator 33 and is connected by a link 99 to a lever I05, pivoted on a stud IOI supported by the plate 35. The lever I03 carries rollers I02 and I03, which cooperate, respectively, with the peripheries or companion plate cams I04 and I05, secured to a main drive shaft I06. This main drive shaft 06 receives its motion by the usual. mechanism, which is fully illustrated and described in the above-mentioned Shipley patents, but which is not shown herein.

Depression of any one of the keys 60 moves its lower end into the path of a forward extension III of the bell crank 32, and operation of the machine causes the cams I04 and I05, previously described, to make one complete revolution in adding and/or subtracting operations to rock the lever I56 and the driver 91 clockwise, whereupon the latch foot 95 carries the differential actuator 63 and the spider t2 clockwise in unison therewith until the extension Iii of the bell crank 92 engages the end of the depressed key 60. When this occurs, the bell crank 02 is rocked counterclockwise, whereupon the link 93 rocks the latch arm 94 counter-clockwise, disengages the foot 35 from the shoulder 95 of the driver 01, and causes a nose l I2 on an extension of the link 03 to engage with the proper one of a series of alining notches H3. These notches II3 correspond to the differential positions of the differential actuator 33 and are cut in a plate II4 supported by extensions of the plate 85 and the rod 853. This positions the differential actu" ator 83 according to the value of the depressed key 55 without interfering with the oscillating movement of the driver 9'! and connected parts. After the latch arm 94 is disengaged from the shoulder 95 of the driver til, an arcuate surface I i5 on the periphery of the driver 9?, in cooperation with the sole of the foot 95, locks the latch in the corresponding notch It to retain the differential mechanism in set position.

When the lever I36 reaches or nears the terminus of its initial movement clockwise, a roller I20, carried thereby, engages the under surface [2i of a beam I22 pivotally mounted on the differential actuator 03 and forces an arcuate upper surface of the beam to contact with an undercut portion of the hub 84 to position said beam I22 in proportion to the value of the depressed key 6 The rear end of the beam I22 embraces a stud I23 of a link I24 pivotally connected at its upper end to an alining segment I25 secured to one of the nested sleeves I26 mounted on a shaft I2! supported by the side frames 14. This aliner segment I25 has alining notches I28 to cooperate with a liner I29, mounted on a shaft I33. This liner alines all amount differential actuators 83.

At its lower end, the link I24 is also pivotally connected to a printer positioning segment (not shown herein) to set up and control the printing mechanism to print amounts according to the keys depressed, which has been fully illustrated and described in the above-mentioned Shipley patents.

The mechanism described above transmits the differential positioning of the beam I22 to the segments I25, so that at each operation of the machine the segment l25 is set and left set in the position according to the key 60 which has been depressed.

The positioning of this segment I25 controls the positioning of wipe switches, which will be hereinafter described and which are connected to the hours banks.

The machine is provided with the usual cabinet or casing I35, a portion of which is shown in Figs. 5, 7, 9, and 12. This casing I35 is provided with the usual openings closed by hinged covers and provided with locks to prevent any unauthorized persons from tampering with any of the mechanisms.

Differentially controlled switches for line selection on the pattern card Associated with each of the hours banks of keys 60 is a differentially controlled switching mechanism for the purpose of selecting the proper line of the pattern card under the control of the number of hours which the employee has worked. Only one of these switching mechanisms is shown in mechanical detail, this being in Fig. 5. The remaining switches are shown diagrammatically on the wiring diagram in Fig. 10. The one in Fig. 5 is associated with the units hours bank and will now be described.

Mounted on the cabinet I35 above the units hours keys G0 is a casing I40, carrying a plate I4I of insulating material upon which are supported pairs of electrical terminals I42 mounted one on each side of the plate I4i. These pairs of electrical terminals are arranged in positions corresponding to the 0 to 9 positions of the dinerential mechanism. The terminals I42 are held in place by a pair of insulating plates I43, one of which is secured on each side of the plate I4I Cooperating with the pairs of terminals I42 is a pair of wipers I44 (only one of which is shown), which are connected together and carried by but insulated from an arm I45, secured to the differentially positionable lining segment I25 as sociated with this units of hours bank of keys 60.

It will be recalled that this alining segment I25 is diiferentially positioned by the beam link I24 under control of the differential mechanism, which in turn is controlled by the keys 60 in this particular bank.

Consequently, when the segment I25 is differentially positioned, the arm I45 is likewise positioned to move the pair of wiping contacts I44 to the position corresponding to the differential setting of the member I25 under control of the beam link I24, the beam I22, and the differential mechanism, the ultimate position of which is determined by the key which has been depressed. 1

$3,000.00 switch mechanism As has been previously mentioned, the ma- 17 chine is provided with an electrical switch which feels the position of the differential mechanism associated with the $1,000.00 bank of keys BI, so that, when the differential mechanism for this $1,000.00 bank of keys is in a position to record $3,000.00 or more, the differential causes the electrical'switch to close, thus sending an electrical signal to a red lamp located on top of the machine. When this lamp is lighted on the clearing or extension of the Earnings to Date total, the operator of the machine will know that the particular employee has just completed earnings of $3,000.00 or more. In this case, the operator will split the amount of the DAB tax on that particular check depending upon the amount of the mans earnings, whether it be exactly $3,000.00 or above $3,000.00.

The above condition arises when, for example, the pickup was $2,970.00 and the man earned for that particular week $100.00, which would make his total $3,070.00. Then theamount of OAB to be deducted would be split according to the amount which was necessary to reach the $3,000.00 mark; or, in other words, the CAB would be taken on the amount of $30.00 only.

This particular switch also operates on the pickup of the earnings to date whenever the amount of the earnings to date is $3,000.00 or more. In such a case, the CAB key 61 is locked, so that it is impossible to record any OAB tax in connection with such a check.

This switch mechanism is shown in Fig. 4 and will now be described. Alongside the alining segment I25 which is associated with the $1,000.00 bank of keys fiI is a permanently-mounted bracket I50. Mounted on the bracket I50 by means of a switch block II is a switch I52, composed of blades I53 and I54. The blade I54 is resting on an insulating block I55 carried by the stationary bracket I50. Pivoted to the stationary bracket at I56 is an arm I51 made of insulating material, which arm carries an insulating block I58 having a curved bottom surface. This block I58 cooperates with a stud I50 carried by the alining segment $1,000.00 amount bank. The block I58 is normally held in contact with the stud I59 by a spring I60, mounted on the switch block I5l.

In Fig. l, the alining segment I25 and all of the parts are shown in the zero position. When this alining segment I25 is in its zero position or has been set to its 1 position or the 2 position,

the stud I59, of course, is moved downwardly, and the spring I60 causes the the block I58 to follow the stud, thus rocking the arm I51 clockwise a corresponding distance, which, however, is not sufficient to cause the closing of the notch I52.

However, when the segment I25 reaches the 3 position, the stud I59 then permits the block I58, under the influence of the spring I60, to be moved farther downwardly, thus rocking the arm I51 a distance sufficient to cause it to bear on the switch blade I53 and cause this blade to contact the blade I54, and thus close the switch I52. When this occurs, a circuit is set up, which will be described later, to light up, as previously mentioned, a red light I6I, shown in Fig. 5, to indicate to the operator of the machine that the person whose payroll check is being written has in his Earnings-to-Date for the year reached the amount of $3,000.00 or more.

Difierentz'al mechanism for control bank The differential mechanisms for thecontrol I25 of this Totalz'zers The machine shown in this application has the three usual lines of totalizers, numbered 1, 2, and 3 in Fig. 5. As before stated, the totalizers .on each of these lines are split between the keys 50 and iiI (Fig. 1); that is, there is no transfer mechanism between the totalizer wheels associated with the first left-hand bank of keys 6i and the first right-hand bank of keys 6!] in connection with their respective differential mechanisms.

The No. 1 line (Fig. 5) has on the right hand of the split, a balance totalizer or crossfooter and also one straight adding totalizer. On the left of the split, the totalizer line may have two adding totalizers on it, such as that described in the above-mentioned Spurlino et al. Patent No. 2A67'j704.

The No. 3 or front totalizer line, which is controlled by the keys 66 of row 3, has nine totalizers on each side of the split, one for each of the keys K to U, and one in the zero position, herein called the GT3 totalizer.

The rear or No. -2 totalizer has nine adding totalizers on each side of the split, one for each of the keys A to J, and also one in the zero position, called the GT4 totalizer.

The No. 1 or upper totalizer line has crossfooters and also regular adding totalizers thereon, as above mentioned. Such construction is illustrated in the United States patent issued to Pascal Spurlino, William M. Carroll, Arthur R. Colley, and Alfred G. Kibler, No. 2,375,59, granted on May 8, 1945. If any further information is needed or desired with reference to such totalizer lines having crossfooters and straight adding totalizers thereon, reference may be had to that.

patent.

The crossfooter on the upper or No. 1 line (Fig. 5), which is the crossfooter at the right of the split, is indicated by the reference number I55. The totalizers on the No. 2 or back line are numbered I56. This number applies to the totalizers on both sides of the split. The totalizers on the front or No. 3 line are numbered I61, and this number likewise applies to the totalizers on both sides of the split.

Totalizers of this type are old and well known in the art, are known "as interspersed totalizers, and are fully illustrated and described in the previously-mentioned Shipley patent, and, therefore, no further description of the construction of these totalizers is felt necessary herein.

As usual in machines of this type, the actuators 83 are divided into three tooth sections, Nos. I58, I 09, and I10. The section I68 actuates the crossfooter and also the regular totalizers on the No. 1 or upper totalizer line, the section I59 actuates the totalizers I on the No. -2 or rear line, and the tooth section I10 actuates the totalizers It! on the front or No. 3 line.

In adding operations, the wheels of the selected totalizer or totalizers as the case may be, are engaged with their respective sets of actuating

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