Patent GB-372779-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to machines for, and methods of sorting statistical record-cards
Filed: 1931-02-11
Abstract: 372,779. Statistical machines. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd., Victoria House, Vernon Place, Southampton Row, London.-(Assignees of Momon, L. ; 29, Boulevard Malesherbes, Paris.) Feb. 11, 1931, No. 4294. Convention date, Feb. 12, 1930. [Class 106 (i).] Sorting cards.-A machine for sorting record cards of the kind having a hole-reading device, a plurality of card boxes and a plurality of deflectors therefor, operable selectively by the card-reading, is characterized by the reading device and the deflectors being so co-ordinated that the reading from one card adjusts the deflectors to guide an adjacent (e.g. the succeeding) card into a predetermined receptacle. The invention is applied to sorting machines of the kind described in Specifications 242,654 and 243,019, [both in Class 106 (i), Calculating &c.]. For use, for example, in sorting " old " cards accompanied by " new " cards from " old " cards not so accompanied, the cards are first sorted by the machine described in Specification 242,654, [Class 106 (i), Calculating &c.], so that each " new " card is positioned immediately in front of its corresponding " old " card, the card-reading at 12, Fig. 4, energizing a magnet 14 to lower the deflection support 15 whereby deflectors 16 ahead of the card sink to provide a card channel. In the prior case, the support 15 and deflectors are restored upwards by a spring at the end of each card cycle. In sorting according to the present method they are restored upwards at an intermediate time. The sorting circuit involved is line 20, Fig. 1, 21, brush 22, ring 23, slide 24, a segment 18, brush 19, 26, 13, 12, coil 29, 30, sorting magnet 14, line 41. In the column upon which sorting is effected, the card hole which is operative corresponds to that segment 18 which is made live by pulling out a slide 24 (left side, Fig. 6), as in the prior case. Energization of coil 29 provides a holding circuit for magnet 14 through 20 .. 23, a partial ring 43 integral with ring 23 (see Fig. 6) brush 45, switch 49, 46, 42 (closed by 49), 29, 30, 14. Ring 43 maintains the circuit until the " 12 " hole-position has passed the brush 12. The " old " cards are distinguished from the "new" ones by having a special hole in a selected column in one of the positions " 3, 2, 1, 0, 11, 12," preferably the " 12 position. Switch 49 is moved to dotted line position to shift the control from brush 45 to brush 50 also coacting with the partial ring 43, so that the timing is altered as shown in Fig. 2, and instead of the circuit being broken by brush 45 between the " 12 " and " 9 positions of successive cards as in ordinary sorting, it is broken by brush 50 between the " 9 " and " 4 " positions of the same card to permit sorting according to the present method. In the latter case also, only the No. 12 slide 24 is moved outwardly to operative position, so that the sorting magnet 14 is only energized by a " 12 " hole. With this arrangement, the first card will go to the No. 9 sorting box. If this be an old card with the special " 12 " hole it will, in transit through the " 9 "channel, energize magnet 14 so that the second card goes to the No. 9 box also. If this second card is a new card the " 12 " hole is lacking, magnet " 14 " is not energized and the third card passes under the blocks to sort itself into the No. 12 pocket. That is, the old (third) card corresponding to the new (second or preceding) card is sorted out of the batch. In this way all old cards preceded by corresponding new cards are sorted out to the No. 12 box and the No. 9 box contains the new cards and the unaccompanied old cards. These cards from the No. 9 box are then all punched with the special " 12 hole (some already have this hole) and they all become "old" cards. Specification 287,144, [Class 106 (i), Calculating &c.], is referred to.