Patent GB-353883-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to machines for punching statistical record cards
Filed: 1930-04-28
Abstract: 353,883. Punching statistical cards. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd., Victoria House, Vernon Place, Southampton Row, London. April 28, 1930, No. 13075. Convention date, April 29, 1929. [Class 31 (ii).] Selective punching machines.-In a machine for punching statistical cards, keys 34 are depressed to make a complete set-up of the data required on a card on a series of differentially rotated discs 67. There is one disc 67 for each column on the card. An actuating key 91 is then depressed, and the discs are rotated step by step in synchronism with card feeding rollers, and at each step a die-plate is raised to actuate all punches selected by projections on the discs. The machine is driven from an electro motor which rotates a gear 28 carrying a clutch element 29. Depression of a key 34 pulls a bar 37 forward and moves a plate 38 to trip a detent 32 to free a yoke 31. A spring 40 then engages a clutch member 30 and a shaft is rotated which carries a drum 45 with setting pins 46 which are projected by rods 41 from the keys. A gear 54 on the shaft drives a splined shaft 57 on which a gear 58 is mounted to drive a series of frictionally mounted discs 67, one for each column of the card, on a shaft 68. The gear 58 is mounted on a carriage 66 urged by a spring escapement, and freed on each operation of a key, by levers 198, 200 rocking a pivoted rack 79. At each key depression, the drum 45 is rotated until the projected pins 46 engages a fixed stop, and the disc 67 for the appropriate column is differentially set. When the discs are set up, the key 91 is depressed to operate a lever 111 to rock a shaft 109. This allows a spring 105 to rock an arm 104 and a spring 97 to rock a yoke 101 actuating clutch elements 94, 95 are then engaged and a shaft 96 driven. An extension 106 engages a thread 107 on the shaft 96 and its supporting shaft 102 is moved axially. An eccentric 115 (not shown) on the shaft 96, oscillates a member 116 driving feed rollers 121 through a ratchet gearing, and also through a further ratchet rotates the shaft 68 carrying the discs. The die-plate 131 is reciprocated by eccentrics on the shaft 96. After the punching operation the rod 102 moves a rod 1021 axially to rock a lever 135 to engage a gear 139 with gear 141 engaging a gear forming a resetting clutch on the constantly rotating shaft 23. The gear 141 drives the card-ejecting rollers. The arm 104 is also cammed out to allow a spring to restore the rod 102, and a bail 101 rocks bell cranks 98, 99, to disengage the clutch and stop the shaft 96. A crank arm 150 on the shaft of the rollers 121 reciprocates a feeder 152. Prior to the restoration of the discs 67 the carriage 66, carrying the pinion 58, is shifted to disengage the teeth of the discs by the depression of the key 91 operating a rod 157. The carriage 66 is restored by the gear 141 driving a spiral cam 161, Fig. 4 (not shown), operating a bell crank 162 rotating a shaft 164 which rewinds the spring drum when a pin 171 releases a pawl 170. The discs 67 are restored by the shaft 68 which is turned by a detent driven by the cam 161. The resetting of the discs 67 is controlled by the levers 81. If the levers are adjusted to the full line position, Fig. 6 (not shown), extensions 177 arrest the disc at its starting point when the frame 179 is rocked by a cam 183. If the levers are turned to the dotted position, the discs are returned to their previously set position and certain columns may contain repetition data. The discs carry edge indications and the setting of the discs is verified through apertures in the casing. To correct a mistake the pinion 58 is engaged with the appropriate disc by depression of a back-space key, and the gears 54, 55 are disengaged by manually sliding the rod 56 which is manually turned to reset the disc. A skip key 196, Fig. 7 (not shown), operates the escapement for shifting the carriage similarly to the punch keys. Specification 279,098, [Class 31 (ii), Punching and perforating machines &c.], is referred to.