Patent GB-519949-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to record card controlled statistical machines
Filed: 1938-10-07
Abstract: 519,949. Statistical apparatus. THOMAS, A., and HOLDEN, N. G. Oct. 7, 1938, No. 29111. [Class 106 (i)] A record card controlled statistical machine comprises a balance or other master card magazine and a detail card magazine each having a card feed mechanism and a card reading device associated therewith, means for comparing the data read from a master card with the data read from a detail card, means for delivering two agreeing cards to the same receiver, means for delivering a disagreeing master card to a different receiver, and means for delivering a signal card to said different receiver when a master card is delivered to the receiver for the agreeing cards. By these means the appropriate balance cards may be placed at the head of each corresponding group of detail cards. the inappropriate balance cards being automatically deposited in a reject box. Each time an appropriate balance card is fed on to a group of detail cards, a signal card is fed into the reject. box to occupy the vacated place .amongst the inappropriate balance cards, and the machine may be set manually at a later stage to replace automatically these signal cards by new balance cards (independently prepared and appropriate to the new balances) placed into a signal card magazine. Magazines 1, 2 for balance and detail cards respectively are associated with identical pin boxes P<SP>1</SP>, P<SP>2 </SP>to which the cards are fed by picker knives 22, 22a and thence pass to a reject box 82 or to a receiver 80 as determined by a comparing device C. The comparing device comprises double columns of vertical slides 41a, 41b con- . nected by Bowden wires to the corresponding pins in the two pin boxes. Thus the relative vertical positions of the comparing slides depends upon agreement or disagreement between the sensing pins in the two pin boxes, that is, upon whether the balance and detail cards .under simultaneous examination agree or disagree in group number. If the operative pair of comparing slides agree, an interconnecting latch device permits a card feed control shaft 54, Fig. 8, to be rocked by a. cam shaft 21b, but if disagreement occurs the interconnecting latch device prevents the shaft 54 from rocking. When, in consequence of card agreement, rocking of the shaft 54 occurs, a block 72 connected to an eccentric rod 70 is placed in register with an arm 73b which is then moved to the left, Fig. 8, by the eccentric rod and by turning a shaft 24a operates the picker 22a, Fig. 6, and card stop 25a so as to feed a detail card to the pin box P<SP>2</SP>, and also to pass the agreeing detail card from the pin box to the receiver 80. The balance card remains in the pin box P' until disagreement with a detail card occurs in which case the shaft 54 as stated above is prevented from rocking and the block 72 remains in register with a block 75 on an arm 73a. The arm 73a is then moved to the left by the eccentric rod 70 and by turning a .shaft 24 operates the picker 22, Fig. 6, and card stop 25 so as to feed a balance card to the pin box P' and also to release the disagreeing balance card therefrom. This disagreeing balance card passes over a shutter 83 to the receiver 80 containing the agreeing detail cards. If the next balance card to be sensed also disagrees with the 'detail card the shutter 83 is raised by the action of the rod 73a upon pawl mechanism 106, notched bar 97, link 90, shaft 88 and link 85, the disagreeing balance card then passing to a reject box 82. When the cards agree, the pawl mechanism is raised out of action by a link 112 raised by the turning movement of the shaft 54. On the occurrence of the first disagreement immediately following agreement, a signal card is fed from. a signal' card magazine 116, Fig. 5, into the reject box 82, Fig. 6, these signal cards thus occupying the places vacated by the agreeing balance cards deposited in the receptacle 80. The feed of the signal cards is controlled by the horizontal movement of the notched bar 97, Fig. 8, which movement allows a pawl bar 123, 127 to fall into the path of a link 129 connected to the eccentric rod 70. The link 129 thus moves the pawl bar and by a system of links actuates the signal card picker to feed a signal card to the reject box 82. At the end of the operation the cards in the receiver 80 (old balance cards 'and new detail cards) are removed and a new set of balance cards punched with their group designations may be prepared therefrom. To replace the signal cards by the new balance cards the latter are placed in the signal. card magazine 116, Fig. 5, and the rejected balance cards (with interspersed signal cards) from the reject box 82 are placed in the magazine 1. A blank card is placed at the bottom of each pack. A control handle 149, Fig. 8, is moved to a notch 151 thereby rendering the feed from the detail magazine 2 inoperative and also freeing a latch 145 for co-operation with a projection 147. Latches 51 are also disengaged from the shaft 54 to remove the influence of the comparing mechanism. Associated with the pin box P' is a control pin 136 which on descending, enters a control hole in the signal cards but is held up by the presence of a balance card. When the machine is started up cards are fed successively from the magazine 1. The presence of a signal card in the pin box P<SP>1</SP> allows the control pin to descend and allows the shaft 54 to lift the pawl 106, 107 out of action, the signal card passing over the shutter 83 into the receiver 80. At the same time a new balance card is fed from the signal card magazine 116 into the reject box 82. When a balance card is in the pin box P' the control pin 136 is held up thereby, and the shaft 54 is locked by the latch 145. The pawls 106, 107 consequently are not released and their action opens the shutter 83 so that the balance card enters the reject box 82. Thus at the end of the operation, the balance cards arranged in numerical order are assembled in the reject box 82, and the signal cards are assembled in the receiver 80. Specifications 328,293, [Ctass 106 (i)], and 369,307, are referred to.