Patent GB-463974-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to accounting by record-card-controlled machines
Filed: 1935-10-08
Abstract: 463,974. Statistical machines. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd., and MUMFORD, A. R. Oct. 8, 1935, No. 27822. [Class 106 (i)] In a method of preparing and checking statements of account, a brought-forward balance card B (not shown), and item cards for a short period, (e.g. one day) are run through a tabulator to get a new balance which is recorded on a carried-forward balance card C (not shown), serving as the B balance card for the next short period ; and a statement for a long period (e.g. one month) covering a number of short periods is prepared by running the first B balance card and the item cards for that long period through the tabulator to get a new balance in a first counter, printing said balance on a statement sheet, running the last C balance card of the long period through the machine at the same time as the B and item cards, to enter the balance on this C card into a second counter, mechanically comparing the balances on the first and second counters and mechanically indicating whether or not they agree. The invention is described as applied to the machine set out in Specification 422,135, which is modified by the addition of means (9A, DRA, DRA-a Fig. 3) to deal with balance cards and of means (a relay controlling contacts OK-a and OK-b, Fig. 4) whereby the symbol " OK " is printed if the result of the checking is agreement. Alternatively the machine may be automatically stopped to indicate disagreement. On the item or balance cards a particular column is used to indicate credit and debit, a hole in any of the " O-4 " positions of this column signifying debit and a hole in the " 5-9 " position meaning credit. Another column is used for balance control, i.e. the twelve positions in the column are allocated to the months of the year. Four counters, whose circuits are represented only by rectangles, are connected to the lower brushes LB as shown in Fig. 3, so that in the long period checking, counters 1 and 2 receive debit and credit amounts respectively from broughtforward (B) balance cards and item cards and counters 3 and 4 receive debit and credit amounts respectively from carried-forward (C) balance cards. A circuit maker 300 as described in Specification 242,654, [Class 106 (i)], (Figs. 13, 14, and 14A) is adjusted, say, to respond only to " 7 " holes in balance cards, i.e. for the month of July, the B balance card is punched " 6 " in the balance control column and the C balance card is punched " 7." The two upper brushes UB reading the balance and debit or credit designating columns respectively are wired to coils 9A and 9B The B and C balance cards will both cause coil 9A to close its contacts 9-b but circuit maker 300 will only allow the carried-forward (C) balance card to energize coil 10A which closes its holding contacts 10A-a in series with cam contacts L-11. Before the latter open, contacts L-13A and L-13B close momentarly and a circuit L-11, 10A-a, L-13A, 11A DRA energizes the coil DRA which opens contacts DRA-a and closes contacts DRA-b so that the C card amount goes to counter 3 or 4. Similarly (with switch 145 down and circuit maker 144 in use) coils 9B, 10B, 11B, DRB are energized for credit amounts on balance or item cards so that contacts DRB-a and DRB-b are reversed to put the amounts on counter 4 for a C balance card or in counter 2 for a B balance or an item card. Subsequently with the connections 357, 358, 359 made as shown between the T and R sockets of the counters the following operations occur in the order stated, as set out in Specification 422,135 (1) the complement of the amount in counter 2 is entered into counter 1 and concurrently the complement of the amount in counter 4 is entered into counter 3 ; (2) the complement of the amount now in counter 1 is transmitted to counter 3 ; (3) the totals are printed from counters 1 and 3. If the checking shows agreement, counter 3 will contain the complement of zero, i.e. ú 9999 : 19: 11. The circuits are adjusted automatically to print the complement of this complement, but no circuits are actually completed and nothing is printed under control of counter 3 since conventional zero-suppression mechanism comes into action in the absence of any significant figure. Recording special marks.-When counter 3 thus carries the complement of zero, a circuit is completed through all denominations which energizes a relay (OK, not shown), which opens contacts OK-a and closes contacts OK-b which are connected to segment 6 of emitter E-2, so that print magnet 3PR* arrests the special symbol type bar to print " OK." The same emitter is used with print magnet 1PR<*> to cause the printing of symbol CB or DB if the result of the checking shows disagreement and counter 3 carries finally a credit or debit amount respectively. Stopping machine at disagreement. Instead of indicating on the face of the statement whether it is correct or not the machine may be stopped when counter 3 does not carry the complement of zero. For this the relay OK (not shown), above referred to would have a pair of normally open contacts in the autorestart circuit of the machine which contacts are closed when the OK relay is energized at agreement, to keep the machine running.