Patent GB-300909-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to counting apparatus
Filed: 1928-11-17
Abstract: 300,909. British Tabulating Machine Co., Ltd., (Assignees of Ford, E. A.). Nov. 19, 1927, [Convention date]. Addition to 284,241. Statistical machines; counters actuated by independent agency; counters with recording apparatus; stop - mechanism; transfer mechanism- -In the parent Specification frictionallydriven units counters (controlled by electromagnetically operated escapements) are used to count the number of cards sorted into each box of a sorting machine, the frictional drive being from a motor additional to the usual machine motor. According to the present invention these units counters are provided with recording means to print, whenever desired, the amount standing on the counters. An additional counter gives the total number of cards passing through the machine. The cards are fed from a magazine 25 by picker blade mechanism 34, 38 into a card throat 42, Fig. 17, where they are read by brush 44 and contact roller 43 and thence sorted to the boxes by means of the magnet 57 and channel blades 56. This mechanism 34, 38 also operates a link 62 so that a pin 66 on the end thereof reciprocates vertically in a slot 67, Fig. 20, to operate a totalcard counter 60 of the Veeder type. A controling magnet 68 is energized by the machine circuits each time a card passes from the magazine and its armature moves a frame 76 to the left, Fig. 20, so that the pin 66 is projected to the left whereby each time the link 62 rises this pin 66 raises a floating bell-crank 77 to add one to the counter 60. The printing counter attachment is driven from a separate motor 90, which drives a shaft 36, Fig. 9, carrying friction discs 90 for driving the counter wheels independently as in the parent case; each printing bank 91 has four counting wheels 92, except the total printing bank which has five wheels. The wheels are released by escapement mechanism, Figs. 3 and 10. Each numeral wheel, the indicating faces being also type faces, has rigid therewith an escapement plate 98 which has notches 97 coacting with lugs 100 on the wheel and a pawl 94. The units denomination wheel has a plate 108 attached to its pawl 94 which plate forms the armature of a magnet 107. When a card is sorted into a box the appropriate magnet 107 is energized to lower this pawl 94 so that the end 95 thereof leaves its engaging notch and allows the wheel to rotate one step. The energization of magnet 107 is only momentary so that the pawl 94 is spring-returned upwards to engage the following notch 97. The appropriate lug 100 ensures that the pawl must rise again towards the plate 98 and therefore engage the next notch as - the wheel completes its step of rotation. When a counting wheel passes from 9 to 0 a cam 104 thereon depresses a lug 103 on the escapement pawl of next higher denomination so that one is added to this higher wheel. To zeroize the wheels the motor is rotated backwards, the wheels rotating counter clockwise, Figs. 3 and 10, until a shoulder 109 on the transfer cam 104 meets the coacting lug 103 to arrest the wheel at zero. In the forward direction of rotation, the highest wheel of a printing counter bank has a lug 104<1>, Fig. 11, which meets the right hand face of the pawl lug 95 and halts the wheel half-way between " 9 " and " 0 " at the printing line. Recording means. After sorting when it is desired to print from the wheels 91, a printing frame 120 is raised about a shaft 122 from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 14. The housing 110 has an opening at the front across which stretches an ink ribbon 111 held by spring arms 115; the left arm (not shown) is pressed to the left by a spring and the right arm is adjustable by a screw 116 to vary the ribbon tension and to shift the ribbon laterally of the type faces. A platen band 118, Fig. 9, is fastened at each end to a pin 119 and coacts with the record roll which passes from the roller 130 over a table 135, past the platen strip 118, under a plate 137 and to roller 139. The roll, which is hand-fed by a knurled knob 145, may be severed by the edge 140 of the table 137. Movable along a bar 124 on the frame 120 is a member 125 having a handle 126 and a horizontal roller 127; as the handle is moved laterally, Fig. 9, this roller 127 presses the record roll, the platen band, and the ink ribbon against the type faces to record from the counters.' A spring- pressed ball 128 holds the member 125 in either of its end positions. The frame 120 is retained in the printing position by a spring-pressed latching pawl 150, Fig. 14. When the recording mechanism is in the position of Fig. 14 a bell crank 214 opens contacts 187, 187<1> to prevent energization of the units counter magnets 107, Fig. 3. Fig. 22 shows the circuit diagram of the machine, 26 being the usual machine motor and 85 the motor for the friction drive of the units counter; 218 - - 223 is the switch mechanism for reversing the motor 85 to zeroize the counters. The sorting commutator 168 is rotated past the brush 169 synchronously with the passage of the index point positions on the cards past the card-reading sorting brush 44. Also synchronously with the passage of the index point positions a brush 180 rotates over segments 179 to energize the appropriate magnet 107 (each cycle) for the units counters. By the use of a plug-board 171 a brush 44<1> may be used to count the different positions in a particular column on the cards or brushes 44 and 44<1> may control the printing counters from different columns or both brushes may be used for sorting on different columns. The counter 60 may be used as a check against the total printing counter. Sorting-brush holder. The card-reading brush 44, Fig. 17, is in a holder 45 including insulating plates 46 fitting in aligned notches 47 in plates 48, Fig. 6, each notch corresponding to a card column. A semicircular shaft 49 in a bearing block 50 is spring-pressed downwards and must be rotated 90 by a handle before the brush holder can be removed from one notch 47 to another.