Patent GB-718623-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to combined check sorting and accounting machines
IPC: B07C3/04
Filed: 1952-02-04
Abstract: 718,623. Accounting machines. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION. Feb. 4, 1952 [March 23, 1951], No. 2879/52. Class 106 (1) A combined cheque-sorting and accounting machine, of the type comprising sorting compartments for the individual cheques of a group and an amount entering keyboard under control of which successive entries are effected in a group totalizer, is. provided with storage means under control of the keyboard to store up a total entered directly at the conclusion of the successive entries, and comparing means for effecting a comparison of the stored total with that on the gtoup totalizer to determine whether or riot there is agreement. The machine described is similar to those described in Specifications 435,139 and 498,429, and comprises a compartmented rotatable drum into which a group of cheques accompanying a deposit slip are sorted (according to banks upon which they are drawn), separate totalizers for the individual cheque compartments, a group totalizer cleared after each group of cheques has been entered and totalized, and a grand totalizer. The invention provides means for proving the entries by comparing the total on the group totalizer with that written on the deposit slip and entered by the operator during a concluding group balancing operation. If there is disagreement, a warning light appears; the operator investigates and corrects the error and then presses a release key which enables him to proceed with the next group of cheques. The drum has 24 cheque-receiving compartments se'ected by press-button switches which mark contacts of a rotary hunting switch fast with the drum and controlling forward and reverse clutches in the drum drive; so that the drum rotates in the shorter direction to position the :compartment at the receiving aperture. Means are provided for accurately positioning the drum and for damping oscillation as it comes to rest. Amount differential.-The amounts on the cheques are entered By means of the ten-key pin carriage mechanism described in Specification 694,698. Set pins 210 (Fig. 10) of the carriage 212 differentially arrest in succession slides 238 on the carriage, the set slides successively coming below control s'ides 272 as the carriage advances step-wise. During cyc ic operation of the machine the s'ides 272 are first lowered in a pivoted supporting frame to bring hooked forward ends 271 into the plane of studs 270 at the extremities of the slides 238, and are then released to springs to take up the differential setting of the slides, a bail 332 (Fig. 18a), restoring them during the second half cycle. The slides 272 are linked by bell-cranks 330 with vertical bars 376 (Figs. 18a, 18b) carrying type e'ements 382 and tota izer actuating racks 383-4-5. An aligner 435 (Fig. 18b) holds the bars 376 in their upper differentially set positions during printing, check pawls 490 then becoming effective to hold them pending return by the bail 332, the slides 272 then having been raised clear and released from the studs 270. Subtraction:-The slides 272 of unset orders are adapted to be held in a sub-zero position by a bar 325 (Fig. 10) projecting laterally from the pin carriage. Operation of a subtract key 177 lowers this bar so that nines are entered in the unset orders, the operator entering complements in the others. Interlock contacts associated with the pin carriage and subtract key prevent energization of the machine drive clutch magnet when no amount has been entered. Totalizer selection and engagement in odd timing.-The individual totalizers 390 (Fig. 18b) for the cheque compartments are carried between spaced discs 393 (Fig. 18b), 394 (Fig. 21b) rotatable with the drum on a shaft 11. Springs 396 hold the totalizers normally retracted and engaged by locking bars, but the spindle 391 of that corresponding to the selected compartment enters between guides 399 at the extremities of pivoted arms 400 rockable by cam-slotted arms 404. An add engaging slide 410 lifts the arms 404 at the beginning of the second half cycle, thus engaging the selected totalizer with the racks 385 on the bars 376, so that the setting of the bars is added to the se'ected totalizer as these bars restore downwardly. Similar mechanism, operable by the s'ide 410, is adapted simultaneously to engage the grand totalizer 450 (Fig. 18a) and group totalizer 451 with their respective racks 383 and 384. A plug circuit may be established by the operator to disengage the group totalizer when certain cheque compartments are selected. A solenoid 1408 (Fig. 21 b) is energized which disengages the arms 404 from the add engaging slide 410. A similar arrangement is provided retaining the grand totalizer disengaged. Transfer mechanism.-The racks 383-4-5 have an additional step of downward movement when transfer from a lower totalizer wheel occurs. The racks are pin-and-slot connected to the bars 376 and have identical means for effecting the addi- - tional movement. As regards the racks 385, pawls 461 normally lock the racks to their bars, the lower wheel transfer tooth tripping the pawl so that the rack moves downwardly under spring action. Latches 465 (Fig. 28b) hold tripped pawls clear until the commencement of the next adding cycle, when bai's 470 trip the latches, and crossbars 482-3-4 of a frame 480 reset the racks in engagement with their pawls. The frame 480 and bails 470 are both actuated by a common rock-sha't 475, the frame through a pin-and-slot connected arm 485 and the bails through an arm 474 and depending rod 472. Main control tape printer.-Spring-actuated hammers 504 impress the types 382 on a main control tape 507 (Fig. 18a) after release by bail 508. Detents 521 hold the hammers a'ter their release by the bail until an extension 530 of the bail trips the detents by engagement with a step 527 in a bar 524 connected with each detent. Cheque compartment printers.-The separate printing mechanisms for the 24 cheque compartments are arranged in 3 vertical groups of 8 mounted in removabe sub frames at the back of the machine (Figs. 18a, 18b and 21b). Associated with each is a differentially settable type sector 550, pivoted on a shaft 551, from which impressions are made on a record strip 591 by means of a spring-actuated hammer 567. The sectors 550 of one of the printers have toothed segments 555 by which they are adjusted from the bars 376 through a lever 557 formed with co-operating gear teeth 556. The sectors of the remaining printers are adjusted simu'taneously, vertical bars 554 effecting interconnection between sectors in the ordinal co'umns, whilst interconnection between corresponding orders of the 3 groups is made through the shafts 551 and two further shafts 561, 562. The hammers 567 are operated individually, each by clockwise movement of a respective lever 580 (Fig. 22). A pawl 587 on this lever carries forward an arm 579 secured to a shaft 570 until tripped by a stop 588, whereupon the shaft 570 returns sharply under spring tension to operate the hammer. Selection of the hammer to be operated is by a heart-shaper cam 640 (Figs. 18b, 27) turning with the cheque drum and totalizers. A fo'lower 642 differentially positions a bail 649 straddled by depending arms 654, 660 (see also Fig. 18a) and 666 of bell-cranks 651, 656, and 663, connected to three vertical slides 625, 626 and 627 each bearing eight lugs 637. By this means, the slides are selectively and differentially positioned so that a lug 637 on one registers with a stud 638 (Fig. 22) on the hammer operating lever 580 of the printer appropriate to the drum compartment selected. During the ensuing machine cycle, a cam-slotted lever 636 (Fig. 21b) swings a support lever 633 for the 3 slides À and moves the slides rearwardly so that the selected lug 637 drives its hammer operating lever 580 to print the set amount. Zero elimination.-Zeros in unset orders are not printed owing to the slides 272 and bars 376 being he'd in a sub-zero position by the bar 325 of the pin-carriage. In total-taking, however; the slides 272 are raised clear of the pin-carriage and other mechanism then becomes effective. As regards the control tape printer, if a bar 376 is not raised above zero, a pin 526 thereon retains the bar 524 depressed and clear of the bail extension 530 so that the printing hammer 504 is not. re'eased. Offsets 532 on the hammer detents 521 ensure tripping of all hammer detents below the highest significant digit. As regards the cheque compartment printers, zero eimination pawls 779 (Fig. 29) are adapted to return slides 272 at zero into the sub-zero position. Upon operation of the total key, a rod 782 lowers these pawls towards the slides and, after the slides have been set by the totalizer, the pawls are drawn forwardly and downwardly over a stationary rod 800 by forward movement of their support rod 778. Shoulders 777 of the slides 272 in the zero position are caught by the pawls and carried back to the sub-zero position removing the type sectors from the printing line. The pawls interengage by means of pins 798 underlying lugs 799 of the next lower orders, so that the pawls in all orders below that of the highest significant digit are held, raised and zeros in such orders are printed. Total-taking.-Normally the se'ected compartment totalizer, the group totalizer and the grand totalizer, are all engaged with their racks in add timing, pins 412C, 412GP and 41'2GD on links 424 (Figs. 21b and 41) operating the engaging cams, being located in slots in the add engaging slide 410. Adiacent s'ide 410 is a slide 865 reciprocated in total-taking timing by means of a bell-crank 876 (Fig. 43) and a link connection 877 with a follower 879 engaging a main cam. This s'ide 865 also has three slots opposite those of slide 410 for engaging the pins 412, and between the pairs of slots are slotted lugs of a stationary bar 868 overlying the s'ide 410. Each pin 414 is adapted to be selectively