Patent GB-375884-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to machines for printing on, and perforating, record cards
Filed: 1931-04-07
Abstract: 375,884. Typewriters ; selectivepunching 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.) April 7, 1931, No. 10210. Convention date, April 7; 1930. [Class 100 (iv).] Relay type-lever actions.-A keyboard machine for printing on and perforating record-cards such as are used in statistical machines, of the kind comprising a number of type-carriers, a row of punches, and a card-carriage, is provided with power-driven actuating mechanism for the typecarriers and punches, and means for coupling the selected type-carrier and the corresponding punch or punches to the actuating-mechanism. The machine shown in Figs. 1, 4, 5 and 6 comprises a keyboard A, a set of type-levers 97, six punches 110 arranged in a vertical row above the printing point, and a card-frame 67 and carriage 76 for supporting and traversing a card. The card prepared by the machine has an upper perforated field representing letters and digits, a lower perforated field representing digits only, and two lines of printing arranged at the top and corresponding to the fields, shifting- mechanism being provided for causing perforating and printing to be effective in the appropriate field and line. The machine comprises also the letter-spacing, carriage-returning, back-spacing, tabulating, and ink-ribbon mechanisms described below. The cards 10 are stacked on edge in a hopper 20, Fig. 1, and are fed out by a reciprocating picker 58 connected to a spring-actuated lever 55 which is retracted by a link 54 connected to a rockshaft 52, Fig. 6, operated by a cam on a onerevolution shaft 47. Each card is fed into the card-frame 67 by constantly running pairs of feed rollers 41, and is fed along the card-frame by the carriage 76. When the last column on the card is at printing point, the leading edge is between constantly running, normally separated, pairs of ejecting-rollers 41a. On depression of an ejecting-key 19, slides 61 controlled by a cam 63 on the shaft 47 permit the ejecting- rollers to engage, and the card is ejected into a hopper 21. The card is pushed laterally into the hopper by a pair of hinged plates 278 connected to a cam-operated rock-shaft 283, a ledge 287 being provided for retaining the card: The ejecting-key rocks a shaft 180, Fig. 5, having yielding connection to a arm on a shaft 191 provided with an arm for releasing a one-revolution clutch on the shaft 47. Each type-lever 97 engages a sub-lever 96 carrying a pivoted hook 94 which has a lug 93 engaging a pivoted dog 92 on the associated key-lever 13. On depression of the key-lever, the hook engages a fluted part 34 of a shaft'32, and the typelever is swung for impression. A stop 100 releases the hook from the shaft, and a spring 101 returns the parts. If the key-lever is held down, the lug 93'displaces the dog and thereby prevents repeated actuation of the type-lever. A noise-reducing stop for the sub-levers consists of a spring wound closely on a flattened rod 104. The card is backed at the printing point by a revoluble disc-platen 102. Each of the punches 110 engages one of a set of bell cranks 112 mounted on a shaft 113 and carrying a link 114 having a lug 123 for engaging a fluted part 35 of a shaft 30, and a pin 121 engaging a dog 120 on a slide 118. Each slide has a pair of lugs 119 engaging one of a set of six rocking bails 107, and each sub-lever 96 engages a slide 105 having one or more lugs 106 engaging one or more of the bails. On depression of any of the key-levers 13, one of the type-levers is operated, one or more of the bails are rocked and draw forward the associated slides 118 and links 114, and-the shaft-30 is permitted to depress the links and thereby operate the selected punches. A rod 125 co-operates with lugs 124 to release the links from the shaft. The punches and links are positively returned by means.of a member 129 suspended from an arm on the shaft 113, and having a lug 133 engaging a rocking bail 127 which engages lugs 126 on the links 114. When the links are depressed, the member is depressed and, by riding on a shaft 131, is caused to move into engagement with the shaft 30. Thereupon, the member is raised, the depressed links are raised by the bail 127, and the punches are returned. The slides 118 are returned by springs 122. The shafts 30, 32 are geared to a shaft 27, Fig. 6, which is driven continuously by a motor 23. The punchings fall through a guide into a tube 375, Figs. 5 and 19, and are conveyed to a discharge shoot by means of an open-coiled spring 374 geared to the shaft 30. Accumulation of punchings at the die-openings is prevented by a reciprocating member 380 having projections. The member is connected to the ribbon vibrator 367. Paper carriages and supports ; letter-spacing mechanism.-The card-frame 67, Figs. 1 and 5, is guided vertically and is provided with upper and lower pairs 69, 68 of plates forming guide-' slots for the card, the front upper plate being transparent, and having a notch for permitting printing on the upper margin of the card. The carriage 76 consists of a sleeve, and sides 134 connected by a bar 135, and is provided with fingers 74, 75 for moving the card along the card-frame. The sleeve has rollers 132 engaging a rail 133, and the bar has a roller running on a rail 136. The fingers 74, 75 are suspended from the carriage and normally engage the edges of the card, the finger 74 having a spring for gripping the card. The finger 74 is slightly longer than the finger 75, and before a card is fed into the card-frame, the fingers 74, 75 are moved into and out of the path of the card respectively, so that the card is arrested by the finger 74. The fingers are thereupon moved to bring the finger 75 also into engagement with the card. The fingers are moved by a rod 85 carried by arms 83 on a shaft 82 which is rocked by a cam 78 on the shaft 47. The carriage is drawn towards the left by the tape 140 of a spring drum 141, and is released step by step by an escapement 163 having fast and loose dogs co-operating with a wheel 158. A pinion 157 coupled to the wheel co-operates with a rack 154 secured to pivoted arms 155 on the carriage. The escapement is rocked by an abutment 165 connected to the punchreturning member 129, letter spacing being effected after each printing and punching operation. When the carriage reaches the end position, a cam 350 thereon rocks the abutment and thereby disables the escapement. Space-key actions.-The space-key 14, Fig. 5, displaces a slide 181 provided with a dog 120 engaging a link 114a which co-operates with the shaft 30, depression of the space-key causing the member 129 to operate the escapement. Carriage-releasing arrangements ; carriagereturning mechanism.-A rotary brake 329, Fig. 5, and a pinion for lifting the feed-rack 154 to release the carriage are supported by a rocking member which is connected by linkage 286, 285 to the shaft 180. On depression of the ejecting-key 19, the shaft is rocked, the carriage is released, and the card is carried into ejecting position. A spring resting on the feed-rack cushions the lifting movement. The carriage is connected to a tape 142, Fig. 4, which passes over guide-rollers 143 and is wound on a drum 144 adapted on depression of the carriagereturning key 18 to be coupled to a continuously running pulley 147. The pulley carries interengaging planet pinions which mesh with a pinion on the drum, and a pinion on a ratchet wheel 146. Normally the ratchet wheel turns with the pulley, and the drum is stationary. On depression of the carriage-returning key, an arm 206 is rocked and permits a pawl 153 to lock the ratchet wheel and thereby cause the gearing to rotate the drum for the purpose of returning the carriage. At the end of the return movement, a cam on the carriage lifts a link 209, a pin 211 thereon.disengages the pawl, and the drum stops. A stationary spring cooperates with the feed-rack 154 to ensure engagement thereof with the pinion 157 at the end of the return movement. Carriage return is effected also by the ejecting-key 19, the cam 63, Fig. 6, on the shaft 47 being arranged to rock a shaft 215 having an arm 216, Fig. 4, for lifting the arm 206 and thereby permitting the pawl 153 to lock the ratchet wheel. The ejecting-key is prevented from starting the shaft 47 unless the card is in ejecting position. For this purpose, the shaft 191 that controls the clutch.for the shaft 47 is locked by a latch until the carriage is.in the end position, and is thereupon released by means of linkage 266, 269, Fig. 6, operated by the feed-rack. Back-spacing mechanism.-The back-spacing key 15, Fig. 1, is associated with a rocking arm 200, Fig. 4, carrying a pawl 201 co-operating with a ratchet wheel 202 on the drum 144. The rocking arm is forked to engage a pin 199 on a bell-crank 188 carrying a pawl 187 which is normally disengaged from a continuously running ratchet wheel 186 by means of an arm 194. On depression of the back-spacing key, the arm 194 permits the pawl to engage the ratchet wheel, the arm 200 is rocked, and the drum is stepped forwards to effect back-spacing. After one revolution of the ratchet-wheel 186, the pawl is disengaged by means of the arm 194, a latch arranged between the arm and the backspacing key-lever permitting of return of the arm, and also preventing repeated operation if the back-spacing key is held down. Carriage-shift mechanism ; shift-key actions.- The card-frame 67, Figs. 1 and 19, can be shifted vertically to permit of punching the upper or lower fields on the card, and printing the corresponding lines. For this purpose, the card-frame has pins 241 engaging arms 240 on a shaft 131, provided with another arm 239 connected by a spring 238 to a loose arm 237 co-operating with a cam 236 on a shaft 235 which is provided with a half-revolution clutch controlled by the shift-k