In the Burroughs patent, as in the Pottin, it will be noted that there are two sets of wheels bearing figures, one set of which, marked J, situated at the rear, are the type-wheels, and the other set, marked A, at the front of the machine, are for the accumulation of the totals.
For each denominational order of the type and total wheels, there is provided an actuating segmental gear, consisting of a two-armed segmental lever pivoted to the shaft C, and having the gear teeth of its rear arm constantly in mesh with the pinion gear of the type-wheel J, and the gear teeth of the forward arm normally presented to, but out of mesh with the pinion gear of its total wheel A.
Each of these denominational actuators or segment gears is provided with a stop projection X², at the top end of its forward gear rack, which serves as a means for interrupting the downward movement of that end of the segment lever, and thus controls its movement as a denominational actuator.
It will be noted that instead of the key-stems acting directly as a stop for the denominational actuators, as in the Pottin invention, Burroughs used a bell crank type of key lever and the stop-wire C¹ as an intermediate means, and in this manner produced a flat keyboard more practical for key manipulation.
Brief description of machine of early Burroughs patents
The stop-wires C¹, as will be noted, are arranged to slide in slots of the framework, and while normally not presented in the path of the stop-projection X², of the denominational actuators, it may be observed that by the depression of the proper key any one of them may be drawn rearward and into the path of the stop projection X², of its related actuator, and thus serve as a means to intercept the downward action of the actuator.
The denominational actuators in the Burroughs machine were not provided with spring tension that would cause them to act as soon as unlatched by depression of the keys as has been described in relation to the Pottin invention.
While the keys in the Burroughs machine, as in the Pottin invention, served also to unlatch the denominational actuators in their respective orders, no movement of the said actuators or type-wheels took place until a secondary action was performed.
The secondary action, or the operation of the hand lever, marked C⁵, attached to the shaft C, on its initial or forward stroke dragged the denominational actuators down by means of friction and thus set the type-wheels, and by means claimed in the specification, brought about the type impression to print the result of the key-setting or the item so set.
The backward or rear stroke of the hand lever caused the accumulator or total numeral wheels to be engaged and the item to be added to them.