Patent GB-675216-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to statistical machines
Inventor: EXCELL ARTHUR WILLIAM
Filed: 1949-09-05
Abstract: 675,216. Statistical apparatus. POWERS-SAMAS ACCOUNTING MACHINES, Ltd. Sept. 1, 1950 [Sept. 5, 1949], No. 22981/49. Class 106 (i). In order to print in a plurality of horizontal lines on a card information obtained by sensing one or more record cards, a record card controlled posting machine is loaded with cards arranged alternately, the first having perforated therein data comprising a statement and an identification number, and the second having perforated therein the name and address to be associated with the statement together with the same identification number. The machine is arranged to print on the first card the name and address obtained from the second card, and the amount in words and figures obtained from the first card, i.e. the card being printed. The machine is similar to that described in Specification 478,597, and includes a magazine 1, Figs. 1b, 3b, in which alternate posting and stock cards are placed. These are fed by the usual card picker mechanism modified so that once in every five cycles of the main shaft 2 of the machine one posting card and one stock card are fed from the magazine in that order to the feed rolls 17, Fig. 3b. The posting card is fed to the sensing chamber between the plates 3 and 4, Fig. 5, and is retained there for one cycle only of the main shaft, while the stock card following is retained for the remaining four cycles. The cards are held for these periods in the sensing chamber by card stops 5 and 6, and on being released by the card stop 5 the posting card is fed to the printing position under the print wheels 13 where it is retained by card stop 12, Fig. 12. At the end of five machine cycles the posting card is released from the printing position, and the stock card for the sensing position, both cards being delivered to card receivers 14 and 15 respectively, Fig. 3c in two sorted packs. The sensing mechanism comprises a pin box 66, Fig. 5, which is described in Specification 401,012, and is reciprocated as described in Specification 478,597. The sensing mechanism is modified by the provision of four slotted plates 74, 75, 76, 77, Fig. 10, which act as disabling devices in order selectively to disable a predetermined group of columns of sensing pins 67, Fig. 5, so that the stock card may be sensed field by field during the four machine cycles when it is held in the sensing station. The operation of the shutters is described in Specification 518,752. The sensing pin box 66 has in the construction described sixty-five columns of sensing pins 67 and the shutter plates 74, 75, 76, 77, control respectively, columns 1-8, 9-33, 34-58, 59-65. The shutters are arranged to operate in sequence, during the first cycle a posting card is in the sensing position and the fields included in the columns 1-8 and 59-65, Fig. 17, are sensed, during the second cycle the stock card is in the sensing position and is held by card stop 6 in the inter-stage position whereby sensing of horizontal rows of perforations 255 in the card between normal horizontal rows 254 is effected Fig. 23. In this cycle columns 34-58 are sensed, Fig. 18. In the third cycle of the shaft 2 the card is still held by stop 6 but latches 80 and 83 open to permit sensing of the stock card in columns 9-33, Fig. 19. During the fourth machine cycle the stock card is advanced slightly in the sensing chamber by releasing card stop 6, the card now being held by stop 5, to permit sensing of the normal horizontal rows 254 of the card. In this cycle latches 82, 83 are open freeing the shutter 76 and permitting the sensing of columns 34-58. In the fifth cycle the latches 78, 80, 84, are open, permitting sensing of the normal horizontal rows of the card in columns 1-33 and 59-65, Fig. 21. The direction of the movement of the cards through the machine is indicated by arrows in Figs. 17-23. Movement of the sensing pins passing through perforations in the cards is transmitted by wires 104, Fig. 5 to determine the extent of movement of the typesetting slides 109. At the end of the fifth cycle the posting card has the information printed on as shown in Fig. 22 and the card is released by the card stops 12 which are now withdrawn from its path, and the card is delivered by the feed rollers to the receiver. The stock card which has been retained in the sensing chamber for the last four cycles is released by the card stop 5 a short interval before release of the posting card with the result that the stock card is advanced by the feed rollers to a position in close proximity to the trailing edge of the posting card, so that both cards are delivered from the machine in close succession. The cycle of operations is repeated while cards remain in the magazine 1 or until a detector is operated to signal that the machine is not operating correctly, when the machine is automatically stopped.