Patent GB-580865-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to record card controlled statistical machines
Filed: 1944-03-30
Abstract: 580,865. Statistical machines. THOMAS, A., and EXCELL, A. W. March 30, 1944, No. 5922. [Class 106 (i)] Record-card controlled tabulating-machines are provided with means for selecting and setting punches to represent the total held in an accumulator so that said total may be punched in a summary card. The invention is shown applied to a machine having an accumulator and total-taking mechanism of the kind described in Specifications 483,234, 514,780 and 580,864, wherein stops 180 in a stop basket 161 are set by sensing mechanism which reads the cards, thereby setting swinging toothed sectors 160 and swinging type carriers 158, and wherein each type carrier 158 is connected by a link 157 to a toothed sector 155, from which the amounts read from the cards are transmitted to positive and negative accumulator wheels 150, 151 in known manner. Mounted between two bars 356, 357 on a frame 355 is a series of vertical bars 361 upon each of which is mounted a selecting slide 362 having a finger 363 cooperating each with a column of punch-setting plungers 364. Engaging a slot 368 in each slide is a pin 367 on an operating lever 366 turning on a shaft 365 and connected at point 372 by a vertical link 371 to a point 373 on an extension 370 of a corresponding type carrier sector 158, the distance of the pivot 365 from point 372 being substantially the same as the distance of the sector pivot 159 from the point 373. By this means, when the sectors 158 are set from the accumulator wheels at totaltaking operation, . each slide 362 will be positioned with its finger 363 in register with a plunger 364 of the corresponding column representing the digit to which the sector has been set. Each plunger 364 registers with a pin 397 which registers with a flexible cable 388 setting the corresponding punch for operation in a unit similar to that described in Specification 490,358 comprising columns of set bars 386 and punches 375 arranged in columns as in Specification 461,612. In order to operate the set bars 386, the horizontally movable frame 355 is actuated by a pair of vertical arms 400 secured at their lower ends to a shaft 401 and pivoted at their upper ends by a pin-and-slot connection 402 to the frame 355. A horizontal lever 403 carried by the shaft 401 has a pin 404 engaging in a slot 405 in a vertical link 406 reciprocated by an eccentric 408 driven from the main-shaft 2 through a Geneva mechanism 413. The link 406 is stationary at the top of its stroke during three-quarters of the revolution of the mainshaft 2, and during this period the moving frame 355 is locked in its retracted position by the pin 404 and slot 405, and by engagement of the frame with stops 419. During a quarter of each revolution of the shaft 2, the link 406 moves down and up without effect on the frame 355. Pivoted to the lever 403 is a link 415 engaging a pin 247 on a link 243 and carrying a lug 417 normally clear of a lug 418 on the link 406. At a total-taking operation, the total shaft 235 makes one revolution, causing an arm 241 to rock and move the link 243 to the right, Fig. 1A, whereby pin 247 swings link 415 counterclockwise so that its lug 417 is beneath lug 418, and link 406 moving down pulls down link 415, rocking levers 400 to move frame 355 to the left, Fig. 1A, thus actuating setting-plungers 364 by the fingers 363 on the selecting slides 362, and setting the punch set bars 386 to the amount of the total. Means are also provided for sensing the sectors 158 on a total-taking operation and for giving an indication when any sector is away from the zero position, thereby indicating whether the accumulator associated with said sectors is clear. If any sector moves away from zero, a corresponding sensing-pin 426 is free to move down and consequently a corresponding lever 424 rocks and lifts by its tail 424a a bail 427, depressing thereby an extended arm 429 out of register with a plunger 364a, which is connected by one of the flexible cables 388 for punching an indicating hole in the card when the total is zero. The Provisional Specification refers to Specifications 483,234 and 483,235.