Patent GB-472659-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to record-card-controlled statistical machines
Filed: 1936-03-27
Abstract: 472,659. Statistical machines. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd. March 27, 1936, No. 9173. Convention date, March 29, 1935. [Class 106 (i)] A record-card-controlled statistical machine comprises the combination with auto group control means which compares the group designation holes of two successive cards and causes a total-taking cycle on a change of group, of a total-cycle control device which automatically suppresses the total-taking cycle entirely for each one-card group. The group designation number is duplicated in code form, on each card in the fields F1, F2, the index points of an upper field F2 being read by the upper brushes UB simultaneously as the corresponding index points of the lower field F1 of the next card are read by a third set of brushes PB. The lower brushes LB are one card cycle in advance of brushes UB and are used for accumulating purposes as in the usual grouped card controlled Hollerith machine. In Fig. 2, the cam contacts prefixed by an L are operated by the tabulating motor TM and those prefixed P are actuated by the reset motor RM. When the machine is started by closing start-key contacts ST1 and ST2 a reset clutch magnet 47 is energized to cause the motor RM to effect total-printing, resetting, and set-up of the automatic control. The P contacts are operated and a circuit 38, 100, 48, P6, 101, 35, 102, 39b, 36, 28 is completed. Coil 45 opens its contacts 45b and closes its contacts 45a to prepare the card-feeding circuits, including card-feed clutch magnet 42 and motor TM. Contacts 39b form part of the automatic control and are opened when the last card of a group passes the brushes LB. In parallel with contacts 39b are switch 49, contacts L8 and contacts 13d, which latter are normally closed but open when relay 13 is energized. With switch 49 closed, coil 45 remains energized and card feeding continues until the last card has left the magazine. With switch 49 open, the operation of the machine depends upon contacts 13d when contacts 39b open. If contacts 13d are closed, coil 45 remains energized. Automatic group control action. As the upper control-number field F2 of a card passes the brushes UB contacts L9, L10 close and a reading circuit 28, 30, 32, L9, L10, UB, 26, 27, one winding of double wound relay 25, 38 is completed. At the same time the lower field F1 of the next card is read by brushes PB and a reading circuit 28, 30, 32, L9, L10, PB, 23, 24, 25 (the other winding), 38 is completed. Corresponding brushes UB and PB are wired to the two windings of one relay 25 so that if the holes read by brushes PB and UB agree the two windings of relay 25 are energized and cancel one another, so that their contacts 25a remain closed. At disagreement, one or other winding is energized and contacts 25a open and de-energize a magnet 37, which has been energized earlier in this card-feeding cycle. A plug connection 34 is made so as to include in series the contacts 25a corresponding to all the card columns used for the group number. If the first group is a multi-card group the contacts 25a remain closed, relay 37 remains energized and, after the card comparison, contacts L12 close to complete a circuit 28, 36, L12, 37b (closed by magnet 37), 39, 38. Relay 39 closes its contacts 39b, this maintaining relay 45 energized and causing the machine to continue card-feeding as described above. When the last card of the group passes the brushes UB, the difference detected by brushes UB and PB causes one or more contacts 25a to open and de-energize the relay 37. Means are, however, provided for delaying the total-taking one cycle and for energizing the coil 45 for one more cycle in order that this last card of the group may pass the lower brushes LB. De-energization of coil 45 then causes a total-taking cycle, since it allows its contacts 45b to close and complete a circuit 28, 46, 45b, ST2, L4. reset clutch magnet 47, P3, 38. Magnet 47 closer its contacts 47a to energize the motor RM (over a circuit 38, RM, ZBC, 47a, 28), for a total-printing cycle. If the second card group is a multi-card group, in the cycle preceding the total-printing cycle, the first two cards of this second group are compared by the brushes UB and PB. Since these two cards agree, contacts 25a remain closed, and coil 37 remains energized. After the coil 45 is de-energized at the group change between the first and second multi-card groups, contacts L12 close and with contacts 37b (now closed) energize the coil 39 ; the latter closes contacts 39b to maintain coil 45 energized as above. If the third group consists of a single card, the latter, in the cycle preceding the total-printing cycle for the second group, is read by the brushes UB as the first card of the fourth group is read by brushes PB. The disagreement detected causes contacts 25a to open and de-energize relay 37 so that relay 39 is not energized and contacts 39b remain open during the total-printing cycle which follows, but which relates to the second group. Contacts 13d are closed during the following card cycle in which the single card of the third group passes the brushes LB. Since a magnet 13 has been de-energized, a magnet 50 is not energized and its contacts 50a and 50b remain as shown. Circuits LB, 13b, 14, 15, 50a, 19 are completed so that the print magnets 19 print the amount of this single card as the total of the group. This condition is only changed when coils 50, 13 are energized as a result of coils 39, 37 being energized, i.e. when two cards from the same multi-card group pass the brushes UB and PB simultaneously. U.S.A. Specification 1,957,189 is referred to.