Computing apparatus

Claim 2

A mechanical digital computer apparatus, comprising guide means for guiding movable elements therealong, said guide means having a first portion communicating with both a first and a second route, a plurality of indicating devices each having a first condition and a second condition, means mounting said indicating devices such that each is changeable from the first condition to the second condition by the passage thereby of an element on said first route and such that an element passing along said second route avoids all the devices, and selecting means for directing an element on said first portion on to one or other of said first and second routes, said selecting means being responsive to the condition of said devices whereby said selecting means is actuated by all said devices being out of said second condition to direct an element moving along said first portion onto said second route.

Claim 3

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including a third route communicating with said second route, each device having means arranged so that the means can project into the path of elements moving along the third route whereby an element moving therealong resets each device into an individually preselected one of said conditions.

Claim 4

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the selecting means comprises a recoil bar movable in the direction of motion of elements on said first portion, the bar being engageable by each device when the device is said second condition to prevent recoil motion of said bar, and a pin, whereby, when at least one of said devices is in said engagement with said bar, an element moving on said first portion is deflected by said recoil bar onto said first route and when all said devices are out of said engagement, an element moving on said first portion causes said baR to recoil and the element is deflected by said pin onto said second route.

Claim 5

A mechanical digital computer apparatus, comprising guide means for guiding movable elements therealong, said guide means having a first portion communicating with both a first and a second route, a plurality of indicating devices each having a first condition and a second condition and including a member movable with the device but adjustable relative thereto, means mounting said indicating devices such that each can be set into an individually preselected one of said conditions, such that each is changeable from the first condition to the second condition by the passage thereby of an element on said first route and such that the member of each can project into the path of elements moving on said second route, and selecting means for directing an element on said first portion onto one or other of said first and second routes whereby an element directed to said second route engages those members projecting into the path of elements on said second route to reset the devices associated with said those members into said selected one of said conditions.

Claim 6

A mechanical digital computer apparatus, comprising guide means for guiding movable elements therealong, said guide means having a first portion communicating with both a first and a second route, a plurality of indicating devices each having a first condition and a second condition and including a member movable with the device but adjustable relative thereto, means mounting said indicating devices such that each can be set into an individually preselected one of said conditions, such that each is changeable from the first condition to the second condition by the passage thereby of an element on said first route and such that the member of each can project into the path of elements moving on said second route, and selecting means for directing an element on said first portion onto one or other of said first and second routes whereby an element directed to said second route engages those members projecting into the path of elements on said second route to reset the devices associated with said those members into said selected one of said conditions.

Claim 7

An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which there is provided a third route communicating with said second route arranged such that an element moving therealong avoids all said members of said devices.

Claim 8

An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, including a hole for receiving a pin for deflecting an element moving along said second route onto said third route.

Claim 9

A mechanical digital computer apparatus, comprising, a first, a second and a third set of bistable devices, means mounting each of said devices such that each is changeable between a first condition indicating ''''0'''' and a second condition indicating ''''1'''' by the passage thereby of a movable element, guide means for guiding movable elements therealong including a first portion communicating with a first route upon which an element will effect a change of condition of at least one of the first set of devices and with a second route upn which an element will avoid all the devices of the first set, selecting means for directing an element moving on said first portion onto one or other of said first and second routes, the selecting means being responsive to the condition of the devices of the first set whereby said selecting means is actuated by all the devices of the first set being out of said second condition to direct the said element moving on said first portion onto said second route, and means arranged so that at least some of the elements guided to the first and second sets effect a change of the condition of at least one of the devices of the third set to cause the third set to indicate a binary value which is the function of binary values originally indicated by the first and second sets.

Claim 10

A mechanical digital computer apparatus, comprising, a first, a second and a third set of bistable devices, means mounting each of said devices such that each is changeable between a first condition indicating ''''0'''' and a second condition indicating ''''1'''' by the passage thereby of a movable element, guide means for guiding movable elements therealong including a first portion communicating with a first route upon which an element will effect a change of condition of at least one of the first set of devices and with a second route upn which an element will avoid all the devices of the first set, selecting means for directing an element moving on said first portion onto one or other of said first and second routes, the selecting means being responsive to the condition of the devices of the first set whereby said selecting means is actuated by all the devices of the first set being out of said second condition to direct the said element moving on said first portion onto said second route, and means arranged so that at least some of the elements guided to the first and second sets effect a change of the condition of at least one of the devices of the third set to cause the third set to indicate a binary value which is the function of binary values originally indicated by the first and second sets.

Claim 11

An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, including a third route communicating with said second route, each device having means arranged so that the means can project into the path of elements moving along the third route whereby, after the passage of an element therealong each device is reset into an individually preselected one of said conditions.

Claim 12

An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, in which said guide means includes a second portion communicating with said first and second routes and with a fourth route upon which an element will effect a change of condition of at leaast one of the devices of the second set and with a fifth route upon which an element will avoid all the devices of the second set.

Claim 13

A mechanical digital computer apparatus as claimed in claim 8, including selecting means for directing an element moving on said second portion onto one or other of said fourth and fifth routes, the selecting means being responsive to the condition of the devices of the second set whereby said selecting means is actuated by all said devices of said second set being out of said second condition to direct the said element moving on said second portion onto said fifth route.

Claim 14

An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, in which the selecting means comprises a recoil bar movable in the direction of motion of elements on said first portion, the bar being engageable by each device of the first set when the device is in said second condition to prevent recoil motion of said bar, and a pin, whereby, when at least one of the devices of said first set is in said engagement with the bar, an element moving on said first portion is deflected by said recoil bar onto said first route, and when all the devices of said first set are out of said engagement an element moving on said first portion causes said bar to recoil and the element is deflected by said pin onto said second route.

Claim 15

A mechanical digital computer comprising a first and a second set of bistable devices, each device being changeable between a first condition indicating ''''0'''' and a second condition indicating ''''1'''' by the passage thereby of a movable element, guide means for guiding the movable elements therealong, the guide means comprising a first portion communicating both with a first route upon which a movable element will effect a change in the condition of at least one of the devices of the first set and with a second route, selecting means adapted to direct an element from the first portion of said guide means onto one or other of said routes in dependence on the condition of the devices of the first set, and means for counting elements directed to at least one of said first and second routes.

Claim 16

A mechanical digital computer comprising a first and a second set of bistable devices, each device being changeable between a first condition indicating ''''0'''' and a second condition indicating ''''1'''' by the passage thereby of a movable element, guide means for guiding the movable elements therealong, the guide means comprising a first portion communicating both with a first route upon which a movable element will effect a change in the condition of at least one of the devices of the first set and with a second route, selecting means adapted to direct an element from the first portion of said guide means onto one or other of said routes in dependence on the condition of the devices of the first set, and means for counting elements directed to at least one of said first and second routes.

Claim 17

A mechanical digital computer as claimed in claim 12, including means for ejecting a movable element from a reservoir in response to the passage of an element along said at least one of said first and second routes.

Claim 18

A mechanical digital computer as claimed in claim 13, wherein said ejecting means comprises a rocker bar having at least one hole for receiving a pin, means mounting said rocker bar so as to be pivotable about an axis along its length and so that the pin extends into the path of an element on said at least one of said first and second routes, and a rod pivotally journalled to the rocker bar and extending to said reservoir, whereby an element impinging on said at least one pin causes pivotal movement of the rocker bar and linear movement of the rod to eject an element from said reservoir.

Claim 19

A mechanical digital computer as claimed in claim 12, in which said counting means includes a third set of bistable devices, each device being changeable between a first condition indicating ''''0'''' and a second condition indicating ''''1'''' by the passage thereby of an element, said third set of devices being arranged so that each element directed thereto increases the binary value indicated by said set by 1.

Claim 20

A mechanical digital computer apparatus as claimed in claim 12, in which said guide means includes a second portion communicating with said first and second routes and both with a third route upon which an element will effect a change in the condition of at least one of the devices of said second set and a fourth route, selecting means to direct an element from the second portion onto one or other of said third and fourth routes in dependence upon the condition of the devices of the second set, and switch means dependent upon the passage of an element along said fourth route to indicate the completion of a calculation and to stop the actuation of said counting means.