Patent GB-389143-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to record-card controlled printing mechanism
IPC: G06K15/04
Filed: 1931-09-11
Abstract: 389,143. Statistical machines. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd., Victoria House, Vernon Place, Southampton Row, London.-(Assignees of Peirce, J. R. ; 33, Riverside Drive, New York, U.S.A.) Sept. 11, 1931, No. 25572. Convention date, Sept. 13, 1930. [Class 106 (i).] Statistical cards.-Record - card - controlled printing mechanism of the kind exemplified in Specification 376, 302, including a member 126 carrying grouped type and moved to bring the type successively and group by group into printing position, is characterized in that the grouped type on a member (126) are in as many groups (ten) as there are group-denoting hole positions (positions 0 .. 9) in a card column and wherein the card reading device (33) constitutes a contact device for partially closing the printing control circuit, that contact lasting whilst a complete type-group (three type) is passing the printing line. The cards are fed from a magazine 23 round a circular path to a discharge stack 40, passing upper brushes 32 which read the " 11 " and " 12 " (characterdenoting) hole positions of the card columns (see Fig. 8) and lower brushes 33 which read the " 0 .. 9 " (group-denoting) hole positions. Current is fed to brushes 32 only whilst " 11 " and " 12 " holes are passing, by means of cam contacts 142, Fig. 9. Each " 0 .. 9 " hole, Fig. 8, occurs three times and signifies a number or one of two letters according to whether there is also an " 11 " or " 12 " hole in that column, e.g. a " 5 " hole may signify 5, G or T. Letters A and M are represented by an " 11 " and " 12 " hole respectively without any additional hole in the " 0 .. 9 " positions. Translator. A commutator 49, shown developed in Fig. 9, is driven from the main shaft of the machine and has a common conducting ring 51 to which are connected three series of inserts 52, 53, 54 coacting with brushes 52a, 53a, 54a. The commutator rotates once per card cycle and is timed so that, as the card passes lower brushes 33, inserts 52 pass their brush 52a synchronously with the reading of the card hole positions 0 .. 9 and so that during the reading of any one card hole position at brushes 33, the three adjacent inserts 52, 53, 54 of a group will successively coact with their brushes 52a &c. The brushes 33 are of sufficient width along the direction of the card column as to maintain contact through a card hole, while the three corresponding inserts 52, 53, 54 coact with their brushes 52a &c. A magnet 55 for each card column has an armature 56, Fig. 3, pivoted at 57 and held off by a spring 58. A vertical rod 59, urged upwards by a spring at its upper end, but normally latched down by the armature 56, is pivoted to a pawl 61. For each column this pawl 61 controls two sliders 62 (used in alternate card cycles) notched at 63 and urged to the left by springs 64. When an " 11 " or " 12 " hole is read by the upper brushes 32, Figs. 2, 3 and 9, the corresponding magnet 55 is energized and pawl 61 is released to arrest the first or second tooth of rack 63 so that the slider 62 moves one or two steps to the left respectively. If neither hole is present, the slider moves three steps. Each slider 62 has pivoted to it an interposer 83 with a lug 84. According to. the number of steps which slider 62 moves to the left, this lug is positioned over one of three plungers 85 controlling contacts 90, 91, 92. One of each pair of interposers has a pin and slot connection with a bell crank 86 controlled by a bail 88. The other interposer of each pair is similarly controlled by a bail 89. After the " 11 " and " 12 " holes have been read and the interposers 83 positioned, bail 88 (or 89) is rocked by cam means to cause the lugs 84 to close the corresponding contacts 90, 91, 92 in the circuits of the printing magnets 133, Fig. 9. As the interposers 83 move down, inclined notches in them meet a resilient bar 93 which forces the sliders 62 slightly to the right. This frees the notches 63 from pawls 61 so that the latter can operate in the next cycle with the alternate sliders 62. The sliders are restored by lugs 65 (or 66) and a bar 67 (or 68) which is camactuated from the main shaft. Bail 88 (or 89) holds the interposers 83 down, with contacts 90, 91, 92 closed, during the passage of the card past the lower brushes 33, although pawls 61 have been relatched. The alternate sliders 62 may thus be set from the following card. Each bar 126, Fig. 6, carrying grouped type is cam-actuated from shaft 20 and is arrested by a pawl 131 unlatched by the printing magnet 133. The brushes 33, as stated above, are wide enough to maintain contact through a card hole whilst three notches 130 (corresponding to the three type of the group, e.g. 5, G, or T) are passing the pawl 131. The particular notch of the three which is arrested is deter. mined by which contact 90, 91, 92 for that column, Fig. 9, has been closed, since this determines whether the circuit of magnet 133 is completed at commutator 49 by the inset 52 or 53 or 54 of that type-group. For the letters A and M a hole acting in the " 11 " or " 12 " position is used. This will close the appropriate contact 90, 91, 92 and on the commutator a special inset 53c (or 52c) is used to make contact with brush 53a (or 52a) immediately after the passage of the group of three type associated with the zero hole.