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• REF ID:A67787 • -,.")'- --~. - ......... . 

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....... J'Oll• a.....- and Deftlopaent D1T1•1oa 

(TIBVa liar i'l.es 6 Trdldnc D1dtion) 

1. ln ~ •1tb tha ta"'1.atl .. •*1W7 llOW ..,i.OJ'..t 11f U.. SJ.&nal Iat.tlllt;l\\ft Seot.tQt&, th~l waciu'11lg~wd h~v1t lnnntlr4 

a •• ud 11Mlul dnloe "'1ab .., 'be attacmcd to tbt. al'iiotri.ad. 

oowd.bt; 1artor f:&nd 111alch t1lll bu of laparta.a. S.U !'·at.ac> qpl'Vau\ .t \his _.laS.• b oed• o•pllaUoa sncl la ether 11wk D.O\ 

relaW thereto, ot a,...~ o~e1al ohal'Ut.U'. 

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a, !be prillOlp.i ob~eot ot tho imi.Uon 1.a t.o vaaetorit the 

IOl"Wr 1at.o a davloe ot ax&Qt.11 OJrf.OAt.a tunot1on, vis., 

t. -...ort.• 11 ._. ., .. 1 or dlaanaage lit a nolq ....._ M4W9 

a eet. et pwaobed ari• Ol"1ginall1' un.,.. la a dettait.• or np1ar 

.....-••• Araot.llar obJeoi 1s to CU"OY1D ~ aee.na~.a.r.4 4kY10G tor 

oMrl at D&. a wbol.1.7 randoa, a:J.r~ll &*lliJle tram a 1arp ••t. of paohecl 

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3. Ia •l• ol tlae faot that •ob a dnioe •lll bl •817 uaetul 

la _.. produtl•, lt. ls d.el.raltle \hat pat.ti\ a,pllcatiol! 119 •cl• 

1ii OJ'dtr to proteot the gov• zmut' 1 lat.eftuta. 

4• At th• --t.lae, 1D Y1R ot tile uatulaeaa of iho clnloe 

t01t aertala OcJ•1rdal ta'-latllll 1utallaU.oa11 in whloh rlUKloa 

nleatiou ot ~ ..._ mn ow11nalq be ..... pel111:1sioa 

11 ftqllll•ted. "° -- 1ato aecouauou wlth '11• llltenatioul .......... ladll•• eor,...uon or otber OOllPllD1••· wit.h • Tl• to 

po1d.'bl• ale or .....sa1 r1gla'9 to tbls 1ammtloa. 

'•' ,\ttfaoll9d bveto I.a a llkfl\oh and deaalpU.01. ol f.t.t• ls~nn­

\1•1 ln t.ba -. ot a pnli•'•l7 •art of apec1t1oatlolla. 

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!Declassified and approved for release bv'NSA on 09-06-2013 pursuant to E. 0. 1352§ 

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' • REF ID:A67787 • 

This invention relates in general to electrical devices in which are 

incorporated a pluralitJ' o1' circuits, and in particular to 8117 sorting device for 

' punched cards using an electric circuit for the zoning of a particular card. 

It has for its object the provision o1' apparatus and means for automatical.17 . 

arra?Jgi!Jg a large set of punched cards in a pure~ arbitrar;y or random order. 

A further object of this invention is to provide a device, to be used in 

connection with a sortiJJg device, for selecti?Jg from an assortment of punched 

cards, a set of cards which are chosen at random from the basic assortment. 

A further object of this invent~on is to provide a me~na or aelecti?Jg 

from a pl~ality o1' available electrical circuits a single circuit at random, 

which electrical circuit will be operative tor a period o1' time, the length of 

which depend.a upon one or several Tariable factors. 

A f'Ether object of this invention is to provide apparatus for V&l"Ting 

the speed o1' a rotati!Jg shaft b.Y means o1' a friction drive working in conJunction 

with a cam wheel o1' irregular outline for the purpose o1' opening and closing 

el.&ctrical circuits tor '9'8.l'Jlng periods of time. 

In order that the invention and its mode o1' application D11Q' be readil.1' 

urJderstoq,d, there is set forth in the accoJll.P8.IJ1ing drawing and in the detailed 

following description thereof, a specific embodiment of one form of the 

inTBntion • . . ReferriDg to Figure 1, which la a schematic diagram, 1 la a gear, driTeD 

b.r a motor or clock a:Pring mchiniam, not ahmm in the drawiDgJ gear 1 meshes 

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• REF ID:A67787 

with the two gears 2 and 21 , having different numbers • of teeth. Gear 2 is 

fixed to shaft 3 and drives the worm gear 4, which in turn, through the train 

of gears S, 6, 7 drives shaft 8, on which is mounted cam 9 of irregular outline. 

Roller 10 rides on the periphery of cam 9 and serves to move lever ll, through a 

succession of angles which are determined by the depressions and elevations of 

cam 9. The tree end of lever 11 is connected by a pin 12 to a collar 1.3 which 

is free to slide up and down on shaft 3 but is independent of the latter in its 

rotation. The upper end of collar 13 presses against disk 14, which is also 

mounted on shaft 3 but, by a slot and bar arrangement, is driven by shaft 3. 

Spring lS serves to keep the assembly 12, 1.3, and 14 in place on the shaft 3 and 

also to cause the roller 10 to follow the outline of cam 9. Disk 14, by frictional 

effect, drives wheel 16, keyed to shaft 1..7 so that as shaft 3 turns disk 14 turns 

and slides up and down against the face of wheel 16, causing shaft 17 to rotate 

at constantly varying speeds as the roller 10 rides on the periphery of gam 9. 

On the shaft 17 is mounted commutator 18 and a contact bearing wheel 19, carr;ying 

a circle of contacts, 20 connected in a rand.om manner to the commutator rings 

21, 22, 23, 24, 25. Resting against the commutator rings are collectors 26, 

which are connected to conductors 27 leading to individual circuits. 

The action of the members 2 to 17 inclusive is the same as that of the 

members 21 to 171 • Shaft 171 rotates brush arm 30, carrying brush 31 which 

sweeps over the contacts 20 as it rotates. Brush 30 is connected to the common 

return conductor .32 for the circuits R1, ~' R.3• R4, 9s to which conductors 27 

lead. 

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• REF ID:A67787 • 

Since wheel 19 and brush arm 30 rotate in different directions and at 

constantly varying speeds the circuits 11_, ~' R.3' R4, !j are selected in 

the order of the contacts 20 on wheel 19, but each circuit is operative for 

a different interval of time. 

In the drawing of Figure 1 specific mechanical principles are shown 

for effecting the movements of the various parts of the drawing. :fk>wever, 

these are shown only for the purpose of demonstration of the principles in~ 

corporated in this invention, and it is pointed out that a?I3' other mechanical 

means for varying the angular velocity of the disk 19 and the contact arm 30, 

either separately or conjointly, will effect the result desired. It is also 

pointed out that, while five commutator rings are depicted in the drawing of I 

figure 1 al\V' number 11187 be used, and that the number of contacts on the face 

of the disk 19 may be equal to the number of contact~rings or greater by &:DJ 

practicable number. 

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REF ID : A67 7 ~~1 '-.../ 

June 26J 1935 .. . . 

Research and .Developraent Division . (THRth lar Plans & Training Di vi~on) 

l. In connectl.o.n with the tabulatiug machinery now empl07&d 

b,· the Signal Intellirene-9 Section, th.e m!desroig>UGd have invantod 

a nw and useful device which ma, be attached to the electrical 

cotinting a~ and which will be of isporti.mco in f\tturo employment ·Of thi~ machine in code coapUation .and in other work n.ot 

relr.teid thereto, of a purely eOlilfaercial. ch&racter .. 

· ~•- The principal. object of the 1n~ntion iB to transt'cmn th& 

eleetri.~9rter into a device of &~ctly oppos4,te function• viz., 

to "unsort•, •scraable•, ~r disarrange in a wb.ollq random sequence 

a eet of punched cards originall7 &rr8J:2Bed in a definite or regUlar 

sequence. Another object is to provide a. meana and dttvice for 

obtaining 111 whoU, ra.ndem, &Wl sample fr.om.a large set of pmiched 

oards. 

3. In view of the fact tbet such a device will be very useful 

in .co4e prlXtuction, u. !cs desirule that patent application be ude 

in order to protect the goverrment•s interest~. 

4. At the same time, in view of the. uee!Ulness o! the device 

!or certain commerolal tabulat.ibg installat1one in which r8J:ldoa. 

aelectione of punched cards 1mst QCcae1onall7 be made. pertdasion 

ia requested to enter into n.egotiat1011s wi~b the International 

Business lilachines Corporation or other companies, with a view to 

possible sale of commercial rights to t.h.1.a invention. 

5. Attached hereto is a sketch and d~scription of the inven- tion~ in the fora ot a prelimtnerj' draft of specifi:eatlons. 

.Attached• 

Sketoh 

Desar1pUoa. 

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