Patent GB-779006-A (GB)
Abstract: 779,006. Statistical apparatus. NATIONAL CASH REGISTER CO. Dec. 30, 1955 [Feb. 16, 1955; March 23, 1955], No. 3382/57. Divided out of 779,005. Class 106 (1). A record card sensing unit comprises a number of columns of sensing pins 411 one for each column of the card, individual springs 450 urging the sensing pins to the sensing position and a control mechanism co-operating with the columns of sensing pins in such a manner as normally to hold them in the withdrawn position and operable to release them, successively column by column, for movement to the sensing position. The sensing unit is part of a threeunit combination described in the parent Specification which includes also a cash-register and a punch unit recording data on a tape. Some data is read from the record cards or tags which originally are attached to shop goods to be sold and other data is set up on the keys of a cash register by the salesman, both sets of data being punched in the tape in the desired programme. The tape may afterwards be used for purposes such as stock control. There are twenty-five columns on a tag, each column of which may be perforated in any of five positions. The tag is inserted in a tag shoot 400 formed by rear guide plates 401, 402 and a transparent front cover-plate 403. The upper rear guide-plate 401 has twenty-five columns of holes, five holes in each, which allow the ends of sensing pins 411 to move into engagement with the tag. Two aligning pins 414 pass through the rear plate and enter aligning holes in the tag to ensure that it is correctly positioned. These pins also hold the tag in the sensing position until the sensing process is completed. If the tag is incorrectly positioned, the aligning pins cannot pass through the card so that operation of the senser is prevented. Each column of the sensing means comprises five pins 411 each in the form of a Bowden wire, the forward end being guided in holes in block 439 and the rear end guided in holes in block 441. Insulating pressure-rods 435 bear on the rear ends of the wires and are subject to springs 450 mounted on spindles 456. The spindles are conductors and a contact is provided on the arm of each spring so that when the sensing wire moves forward during a sensing operation the contact engages a parallel conductor rod 465. The rods 435 are normally held against movement under the action of springs 450 by levers 477, one for each column which bear on a series of cams 472. Twenty-five cams are provided for the levers 477 and three for other controls. The cams are notched so that during the rotation of shaft 483 the levers release the columns of rods in succession so that they bear on the sensing-pins 411. Where a hole is present the pin passes through the tag into holes 415 in the front cover and the rod 435 is allowed a corresponding displacement so that the contact on the spring arm engages the conductor rod 465. Where there is no hole the sensing-pin is prevented from axial movement and there is accordingly no contact between the associated spindle 456 and rod 465. As the shaft 483 rotates the cams 472 release the levers in sequence so as to sense the tag column by column. A cross-bar 471 carried on arms 535 can be displaced under the influence of a solenoid to bear downwardly on projections 475 of all the levers 477 and prevent them moving to the releasing position. The shaft is rotated through gearing by a one-revolution clutch so that it is driven in steps of one twenty-eighth of a revolution. If it is not necessary to sense all twenty-five columns an "end of tag " cam is set to close contacts SC23a1 and prevent further tag reading. The five contact rods 465 are connected to the terminals in a section of a plug-board of the cash register which are in turn connected by jacks to terminals in the punch selecting section. A clutch which renders the motor 484 effective to move the cam-shaft 483 through one twentyeighth of a revolution is tripped by a clutch solenoid. This solenoid is controlled by contacts in the punch unit so that the cam shaft is advanced one step after each punching operation. Feeding cards.-The tag cards are manually detached from the goods sold and inserted in the shoot 400. They are pressed down until they engage two solenoid-operated stops which hold the tag in the correct position for sensing. The space between the front and back walls of the shoot is just enough to receive one tag so that more than one cannot be inserted at once. Spring-loaded rollers 425 bear on the tag and hold it lightly in position. Tag contacts are provided to ensure that a tag is properly in position and also before sensing can commence the locating pins 414 must pass through the locating holes in the tag. After the sensing operation the tag stops are withdrawn and a feeding device moves the tag downwardly so that eventually it falls out of the lower end of the shoot into a chamber 432 which has a locked door. The tag feeder comprises a pair of arms 550 secured to a shaft 552, and a yoke 553 mounted between the arms for sliding movement longitudinally of the arms. The yoke carries toothed feed pawls 566 for engagement with the tag. The yoke is spring-loaded relative to the arms 550 to urge the feed pawls into contact with the tag. An arm on shaft 552 is connected with a solenoid so that the tag feeding means is operated every time the solenoid is energized. Operation.-In the first operating position of the tag sensing device the five sensing pins for the first column at the left of the card are allowed to move to sensing position. Two of the five pins pass through the tag perforation and close the related contacts, these being common to the sensing pins of all the columns of the sensing means and are connected to terminals in a recorder plug-board, connections being made so that the contacts control the selector magnets of the punch. The process is repeated for each column of the tag until, say, the twenty-fourth position is reached when the end of card contacts SC23a1 are closed to energize a reset relay. This prevents further tag sensing.