Patent US4006344A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4006344A
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Mechanical binary number adding and subtracting apparatus
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1976-02-17
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Granted: 1977-02-01
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Expires: 1996-02-17
Abstract
Abstract A mechanical apparatus for adding or subtracting binary numbers, in a visual manner, comprises a front plate with first and second rows of ball receiving apertures formed near the plate top. Balls are introduced into these apertures in a manner representing binary ones of the numbers to be added. Near the bottom of the front plate is formed a third row of apertures. A back plate having front plate guides is provided against which the front plate is held. Three rows of recesses formed in the front plate contacting face of the back plate and two additional rows of front plate apertures cooperate, when the plates are held nearly vertically and the front plate is slid upwardly along the back plate, to cause movement of balls from the first two rows of front plate apertures, through the recesses and other apertures and without other moving elements or switches and into the third row of front plate apertures in a manner to indicate in the third row the binary sum of the two binary numbers being added. Provision is also made for subtracting a smaller binary number from a larger, balls representing the larger number being introduced into the first row of apertures, other balls representing the compliment of the smaller number being introduced into the second row of front plate apertures and one additional ball being introduced into a specially positioned "minus" aperture in the second row. Upon operation of the apparatus in the same manner as for adding, the binary difference of the two numbers is obtained in the third row of front plate apertures.
Inventors
- 👤 George F. Schutte
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 11:55
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06C; G06C1/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
296 words
A mechanical binary apparatus for operating on binary numbers, which comprises: a. a number of similarly sized balls for representing binary "ones", b. a first plate, said first plate including means for defining a first row of apertures through the first plate and enabling entry of a selected first binary number by inserting ones of said balls only in those first row apertures which are to correspond to binary "ones" of said first selected number and for defining a second row of apertures through the first plate, spaced from the first row of apertures, and enabling entry of a selected second binary number by inserting ones of said balls only in those second row apertures which are to correspond to binary "ones" of said second selected number and also for defining a third row of apertures through the first plate and spaced from the first and second rows of apertures for receiving balls from said first and second rows of apertures to indicate the binary sum of the two selected numbers, c. a second plate cooperating with the first plate, and d. means associated with the first and second plate for conducting at least some of the balls inserted into the first and second rows of apertures from said first and second rows to the third row of apertures in a manner causing the arrangement of conducted balls received by said third row to indicate those binary "ones" which represent the "ones" portion of the binary sum of said first and second selected binary numbers, said binary sum being thereby indicated by said third row, said conducting means being responsive only to generally vertical movement of the first plate relative to the second plate after said plates are brought into sliding engagement in a predetermined manner.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
296 words
A mechanical binary apparatus for operating on binary numbers, which comprises: a. a number of similarly sized balls for representing binary "ones", b. a first plate, said first plate including means for defining a first row of apertures through the first plate and enabling entry of a selected first binary number by inserting ones of said balls only in those first row apertures which are to correspond to binary "ones" of said first selected number and for defining a second row of apertures through the first plate, spaced from the first row of apertures, and enabling entry of a selected second binary number by inserting ones of said balls only in those second row apertures which are to correspond to binary "ones" of said second selected number and also for defining a third row of apertures through the first plate and spaced from the first and second rows of apertures for receiving balls from said first and second rows of apertures to indicate the binary sum of the two selected numbers, c. a second plate cooperating with the first plate, and d. means associated with the first and second plate for conducting at least some of the balls inserted into the first and second rows of apertures from said first and second rows to the third row of apertures in a manner causing the arrangement of conducted balls received by said third row to indicate those binary "ones" which represent the "ones" portion of the binary sum of said first and second selected binary numbers, said binary sum being thereby indicated by said third row, said conducting means being responsive only to generally vertical movement of the first plate relative to the second plate after said plates are brought into sliding engagement in a predetermined manner.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said conducting means includes means for defining fourth and fifth spaced rows of ball receiving apertures through the first plate and also means for defining first, second and third rows of ball receiving recesses in first plate contacting side of the second plate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
61 words
The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of said fifth rows of first plate apertures are arranged in a stair-step manner, each aperture being, when the first plate is vertical, higher than an aperture in that row to a common side, and wherein said fourth and fifth rows of apertures are formed between said second and third rows of apertures.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
45 words
The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein apertures in said first, second and third rows of first plate apertures are generally circular in cross-section and are of a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of said balls to permit free passage of the balls therethrough.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
54 words
The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of the apertures in the fourth and fifth rows of first plate apertures is formed having a two dimensionally concave lower ball receiving surface, the curvature of said surfaces being in the plane of the first plate and being several times the radius of the balls.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
76 words
The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the centers of corresponding ones of its apertures in said second and third rows of apertures and the center of curvature of the concave lower surfaces of corresponding apertures of the fourth and fifth rows of apertures are in substantial vertical alignment, the centers of corresponding apertures of the first row of apertures being offset to one side of said vertical alignment by approximately the radius of the balls.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein apertures of said fourth and fifth rows of apertures are configured so that portions of each aperture in the fifth row of apertures are below both a corresponding aperture and a next adjacent aperture in the fourth row of apertures.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
110 words
The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein ball entrance portions of the second and third rows of second plate recesses are at the same elevation when the second plate is held in a generally vertical, use position, said entrance portions of adjacent second and third row recesses having a common side edge contact point which, when said first and second plates are brought into mutual contact in said predetermined manner, is in vertical alignment with corresponding apertures of the second and third first plate rows of apertures and the center of radius of corresponding lower concave portions of the apertures in the fourth and fifth rows of first plate apertures.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
130 words
The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first row of second plate recesses is positioned closely below the second and third rows of recesses, each of the first row recesses being generally circular in cross-section and having a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the balls, each of the first row recesses being vertically centered below the common edge contact point of corresponding recesses of the first and second rows of recesses, and therefore also in vertical alignment with corresponding apertures of the second and third rows of first plate apertures and centers of radius of corresponding lower concave portions of the apertures of the fourth and fifth rows of first plate apertures when the first and second plates are brought into mutual contact in said predetermined manner.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
101 words
The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein lower surfaces of each of the recesses in said first row of second plate recesses are slanted downwardly and forwardly so that when the two plates are brought into sliding engagement in said predetermined manner and the first plate is moved upwardly relative to the second plate, balls introduced into recesses of said first row of recesses from a corresponding aperture in any of the second, fourth and fifth rows of first plate apertures will be returned to the corresponding next vertical aperture in the fourth, fifth and third row of first plate apertures.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
86 words
The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein side portions of each recess of the second row of second plate recesses are extended towards a common side to the extent that recess end portions thereof, when the two plates are brought into sliding engagement in said predetermined manner, are in vertical alignment with portions of a corresponding aperture in the fourth row of first plate apertures and with both a corresponding one and an adjacent one of the apertures in the fifth row of first plate apertures.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
79 words
The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein lower surfaces of said extended side portions of recesses in the second row of recesses are beveled in a manner causing balls introduced into the entrance portions thereof from any of the first plate apertures are caused to roll sideways to said end portions thereof and are also caused to be discharged into the next first plate aperture communicating therewith when the first plate is moved upwardly relative to the second plate.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
59 words
The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein lower surfaces of the entrance portions of recesses in said third row of second plate recesses are beveled downwardly and rearwardly so that balls introduced thereinto from any of the first plate apertures will be retained therein and not be discharged into any other first plate apertures subsequently brought into communication therewith.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
42 words
The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein portions of each of the third row recesses are joined to a common recess, said common recess communicating to the exterior of the apparatus to enable any trapped balls to be removed from the apparatus.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
199 words
The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein apertures in said fourth and fifth rows of first plate apertures and recesses of said first, second and third rows of second plate recesses are configured so that when said two plates are brought into sliding engagement in said predetermined manner and the first plate is slid upwardly relative to the second plate and when there is only one ball in any odf the apertures of the fourth and fifth rows of first plate apertures said ball will be caused to be introduced into a corresponding one of the recesses of the first row of second plate recesses, and when there are two balls in any of the apertures in said fourth and fifth rows of apertures, both balls will be caused to bypass said corresponding first row recess, one of said two balls being then caused to be introduced into a corresponding one of the recesses of the second row of second plate recesses and the other of said two balls being caused to be introduced into a corresponding one of the recesses of the third row of recesses and be retained therein during subsequent relative movement between the two plates.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
102 words
The apparatus according to claim 2, including means enabling substraction of a second, smaller selected binary number, the complement of which is entered by the balls into said second row of apertures, from a first larger binary number entered by the balls in said first row of apertures, the difference of said two numbers being caused, by the conducting means, to be indicated by balls received in the third row of apertures from the first and second rows when the two plates are brought into sliding engagement and the first plate is moved relative to the second in a generally vertical manner.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
66 words
The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said means enabling subtraction includes means defining a "minus" ball receiving aperture at an end of said second row of first plate apertures, one of said balls being introduced into said "minus" aperture when a subtraction operation is to be performed, and further means defining a corresponding recess at an end of said first row of second plate recesses.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said "minus" aperture is in vertical alignment with a first one of said fourth row apertures.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
97 words
The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of the rows of first plate apertures has defined therein the same number of apertures, except for the third row which has defined therein an additional aperture so that a binary number having one digit larger than either of the first and second binary numbers entered into the first and rows row of apertures can be indicated, and wherein each of the rows of second plate recesses has defined therein the same number of recesses as the number of apertures defined in any but the third row of apertures.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
49 words
The apparatus according to claim 2, including a transparent cover sheet covering a front surface of the first plate in the region of the fourth and fifth rows of apertures to prevent any of said balls introduced into apertures of said fourth and fifth rows from unintentional removal therefrom.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, including guide means for enabling said first and second plates to be slidingly engaged in said predetermined manner.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-02-01 | 1980-08-02 | 1981-02-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-02-01 | 1984-08-02 | 1985-02-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-02-01 | 1988-08-02 | 1989-02-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |