Patent GB-280580-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to statistical machines
Filed: 1927-11-11
Abstract: 280,580. British Tabulating Machine Co., Ltd., (Assignees of Carroll, F. M.). Nov. 12, 1926, [Convention date]. Statistical machines. -In a statistical machine in which printing of totals and subtotals occurs, when the registering wheels reach zero-e.g. as in Specification 255,006-means are provided whereby, for sub-totalling the wheels continue their movement through zero to their original positions. The means are such, however, that the wheels may be arrested at zero for total printing if desired. The machine is of the automatically-controlled, grouped-card type in which totaltaking, sub-total taking, grand-total taking, listing, and other operations are automatically performed after an initial manual setting of the machine control keys, and is rendered more flexible as to the manner in which the various accumulating, printing, &c. devices may be coupled together by the provision of plug-board connections between the accumulators and the printing and control devices, and by the provision of independent control for the printing devices and accumulators during listing. Automatic timers are used to control the machine during a definite number of successive card-cycles when the mode of operation of the machine changes, e.g. at the end of a card-group. The machine is described for Hollerith cards. General arrangement. An electric motor 50 drives the tabulator shaft 51 of the accumulator units 52, the printing drum 54, platen 55 and paper feed devices, and shafts 57, 58 controlling the automatic timers 59, 60, 61. This motor also drives a shaft 62 for the usual contact cams 63 and for cams 74 &c. of devices 64, 65, 66, 71, 72, 73 which control switch-bars 91, 77, 83, 93, 94, 92 respectively, there being an interlock be. tween bars 77 and 83. The shaft 62 also, through cam mechanism 95 and link 96, operates a totalprint control shaft 147, Fig. 3. The card feed mechanism 100 is driven from gearing 101 through a one-revolution clutch 102, 104 being the card feed cams. Accumulator units. The accumulators may be of the kind described in Specification 260,274, being individually independent for total recording and resetting purposes. Figs. 4 and 6 show one of the units which are individually replaceable. The base plate 65 of each unit 52 slides in grooves 106 in the machine frame 108 and carries a contact block 109 which coacts with a corresponding block 110 on the frame 108. The constantly rotating tabulator shaft 51, Figs. 1, 4, and 6, has gears 111, spaced by sleeves 112, engaging the driving pinion 113 of each unit. Rigid with a shaft 115 are the pinion 113 and a sleeve 123 having a clutch member 125 at one end and a cam sleeve 124 at the other. The second clutch member 135 is attached to a sleeve 127 which is freely mounted on shaft 115 and constitutes the registering member. When the clutch is out teeth 134 on the sleeve 127 are engaged by a pawl 135. Engaging in a groove 141 in the member 132 is an arm 138 of a lever 150 pivoted at 139 ; attached to a second arm 144 and to a fixed stop 143 is a spring 142 which is depressed by a lever 148 of which one end rests in a notch 149 in the printing control shaft 147 and the other forces on to the spring an extension 145 of a lever 146. Fig. 4 shows the shaft 147 &c. in tabulating position, so that spring 142 tends to engage the clutch 125, 132. This is preventel by an arm 140 of the lever 150 being engaged by a latch lever 158. When, however, a hole in the card causes the counter magnet 151 to be momentarily energized, its armature lever 152. 154 rocks the latch 158 to release the lever 150, the clutch being thrown in and the registering member 127 being rotated the opposite amount during the rest of the adding cycle. The "nine" index point positions come first under the brushes. At the end of the adding cycle, as the zero index points pass the brushes, a cam 131 on the cam sleeve 124 engages a nose 161 on the arm 140, disengaging the clutch, of which 127 is then arrested by pawl 135, and allowing the latch 158 to relatch the arm 140. Transfer mechanism.-As the machine operates at high speed for printing as well as tabulating, electrical transfer mechanism as described in Specification 168,311 is used. The device is adapted for ordinary transfer and for continuous transfer, all transfer operations taking place simultaneously after the brushes have cleared the index point area of the card. Fig. 31 shows the transfer contacts for the three upper accumulator units of Fig. 30<a>; 151, 251, 351 being the counter magnets. Contacts 164, 165 (or 264, 265 or 364, 865, &c.) are bridged when the registering element 127, Fig. 4, passes through zero, this bridge being maintained till near the end of the card cycle. Contacts 163, 164 (or 263, 264, or 363, 364 &c.) are bridged if, at the end of the cycle, the registering element rests at the " nine " position. Thus if accumulator 2 stands at " 9 " and accumulator 1 passes through zero, contacts 164, 165 and 263, 264 are bridged and at transfer magnet 251 is energized to carry the second register to " 0 " position and magnet 351 is energized to move the third register on one step. Figs. 4, 8, and 11 show the mechanism for bridging the contacts 163, 164, 165, 263 &c. The contacts 163, 164, 165 mounted in the block 109 are bridged, first 163, 164 and next 164, 165, by a blade 166 carried by an arm 167 on a member 168 which tends to rotate counterclockwise, Fig. 4, under the action of spring 170. Integral with member 168 is an arm 191 and pivoted on member 168 is a lever 192. The registering element 127 has a wheel 171 driving a disc 173 an amount equal to the distance between two successive projections 175 thereon for each ten units registered. Fig. 4 shows the register at zero with a projection 175 just past the end 184 of a threearmed lever 183, 185, 187 pivoted at 182. The arm 185 has two steps 186, 187, of which 187 is the deeper, to coact with an arm 191 and lever 192. When the register reaches " 9 " position a projection 175 moves past the first of two cam surfaces on the end 184 of the arm 183 and rests in a notch therein: this position is shown in Fig. 8. This so rocks the arm 185 that step 187 still holds lever 192 but arm 191 has cleared step 186 and closed up behind lever 192; due to this the arm 167, 168 moves sufficiently for the blade 166 to bridge contacts 163, 164. When the register moves to zero the projection 175 moves past the second cam surface on arm 183, rocking the arm 185 slightly further, so that lever 192 clears step 187 and moves until arrested by a stop-pin 203 and arm 191 moves until arrested by step 187 and pin 202. This further movement of arm 167 and blade 166 unbridges contacts 163, 164 and bridges contacts 164, 165. After the appropriate registered element has been moved on one step the clutch is disengaged by a projection 128 on the cam sleeve 124 rocking the arm 140 to latched position. The arm 191 and lever 192 are restored to the left, Fig. 4, to latched position by pins 202, 203 which are carried on a member 201 rocked by a link 200 and lever 199 operated by a projection 198 on the cam sleeve- 124. Type-wheel machines; strip and like recordcontrolled driving mechanism; type-bar actions. -The printing mechanism is of the rotary drum type described in Specification 204,676, wherein electromagnets control the actuation of typelevers carried on a rotating drum. The drum 54, Figs. 2 and 15, carries circumferential rows. one for each card column, of type levers 212 which co-operate with the platen 218, the locking cams 213 rotating one revolution for each revolution of the drum 54 so that only opposite the platen can the tail 216 of any type-lever enter the notch 214 in the cam. If the lever 234. 236 is rocked clockwise a projection 237 obstructs the lug 217 on the nearest type-bar so that the latter moves up to print. Normally this lever 234, 236 is biased counterclockwise by a spring 235, the end of the arm 234 coacting with a dog 232 pivoted on a bell crank 228, 230 biased clockwise by a spring 229 but normally latched by a lever 224 operated by rod 223 and armature 222 of the printing magnet 221. The dog 232 is normally beyond the end of the arm 234. A cam surface 231 coacts with the lug 217 on the type-lever two places to the rear of the type lever printing position. When the magnet 221 is momentarily energized the latch 224 releases the bell crank 228, 230, the dog 232 moves under the end of the arm 234 and the lug 217 thereby cams the lever 234, 236 clockwise so that the projection 237 trips the appropriate type-lever. To actuate the last two type-levers special cams 297, 298, Fig. 2, are provided. Levers 579, 580 carrying the special total mark type and the zero type are also followed by similar cams 582, 581. Listing. The printing magnets 221, Fig. 30<a>, are differentially energized for item-printing directly from the lower reading brushes, through plug-board connections, and are not in any way controlled from the accumulators. - The listing circuit is 238, 239, 240, adding and listing switch bar 77, 241, 242, 243, 244, 221. Printing totals.-Total and sub-total printing is controlled by the accumulator units through contacts 245, 246, Figs. 4 and 13, which are bridged by a blade 247 on an arm 248, 249 pivoted at 250 and normally lowered by spring 136. A shoulder 252 on arm 249 is in the path of the projections 175 so that just before the registering element reaches zero a projection 175 raises blade 247 to close contacts 245, 246. The printing operation is initiated by energizing the counter magnets 151 of all accumulators from which total printing is desired simultaneously just before the " 9 " type levers reach printing position; this engages all the appropriate clutches 125, 132 and as each registering element reaches zero the blade 247 closes the printing circuit. Thus if a register stands at " 7 " it is turned through "8 " and " 9 to reach zero a