Patent GB-760171-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to recording machines and methods of recording
Filed: 1954-07-01
Abstract: 760,171. Selective punching machines. BURROUGHS CORPORATION. July 1, 1954 July 3, 1953], No. 19328/54. Class 31 (2). [Also in Group XVI] A machine having a plurality of recording elements which are actuated selectively to form different characters has means to actuate the elements selectively in response to a given character representation to form a first pattern of given character, and other means to actuate the elements selectively in response to the same representation to form a pattern which is the reverse of, or otherwise differs in a predetermined manner, from the first pattern. The characters of coded input data are caused to produce selectively a variety of output characters which may differ in form only, e.g. obverse and reverse-type characters for printing respectively on the front and back of a sheet, ormayhave different symbolic meanings. While the invention is stated to be applicable to a punching machine, it is described as particularly applicable to a " wire printer " machine of the type desclosed in Specification 695,127, [Group XVI], for printing on both sides of a sheet by elements located on one side of the sheet only. Obverse characters for printing the data B on the front of the sheet are set up as a result of reading perforations in a billing control card, and reverse characters for printing the address A on the back of the sheet as a result of reading perforations in an address control card, the latter having an additional perforation 150 which when sensed actuates adapters 156 through relays 158, and so conditions the circuit to energize the selector magnets of the elements required to print reverse characters instead of the magnets for the obverse characters. Thus to print a numeral five on the front of the sheet, magnets 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 20, 25, 26, 30, 32, 33, 34 (Fig. 24) are energized, but to print on the back of the sheet, and as a result of sensing a perforation 150, magnets 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 26, 30, 32, 33, 34 are energized. In an example, the billing card is read wholly at station 73, while the address card is read in three stages, columns 1-20, 21A-40A and 41B- 60B representing the three lines of the address at stations 73, 73A, 73B. Impulses picked up at station 73 pass through 134, 135, 138, 139 (controlled by programme unit 142), 140 to hubs C of selector relays 148, and then, when a billing card is being sensed, pass to hubs N and to hubs 146 of the corresponding print entry; when an address card 132 is sensed, relays 148 are energized, breaking the connection between hubs C and N, but making a connection between hubs C and T, and circuits are completed to the print columns to which hubs T have been plugged. Impulses from stations 73A, 73B, pass to 139A, 139B, and then by direct plug wire connections as shown. This results in the transposition necessary for printing on the back of the sheet so that, as illustrated, characters sensed in columns 1, 21A, 41A and to be printed on the back of the sheet, are printed in column 20. Printing on both sides of sheet 1 is effected through inking media 5 (not shown) and 6 arranged adjacent the opposite side of the sheet. When printing is to be effected on the back of the sheet, reverse printing on the front of the sheet may be obscured by previously blacking out an area such as 7, on the front of the sheet. Similarly, to prevent reverse printing on the back of the sheet, a fixed interposer 9 may be used between sheet 1 and ribbon 6 where imprints are not to be made, and a removable interposer arranged between the ribbon and sheet and removed when printing, e.g. of the address, is to be effected. Alternatively, an inking medium sheet may be used which has carbon spots only at places where printing is desired. Zero suppression means may be provided. Fig. 27 illustrates part of an embodiment for recording characters selected in a plurality of different systems by selectively utilizing a plurality of decoding schemes. The apparatus includes a normal decoding chassis 152A and a special decoding chassis 152B having optionallyarranged circuits for producing distinctive characters or representations in response to the same input data, the selectors 148A being used to route impulses selectively to either chassis. Thus any representation sensed in the card can cause the wires in the printing head to form either of two different characters. The special characters given by chassis 152B may be symbols used in accounting or other technical symbols not ordinarily available. Specifications 692,096 and 723,144, [both in Group XVI], also are referred to.