Patent GB-471069-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to machines for perforating statistical record cards
Filed: 1936-02-26
Abstract: 471,069. Punching record cards. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd. Feb. 26, 1936, No. 5790. Convention date, Feb. 27, 1935. [Class 31 (ii)] [Also in Group XVI] In a machine for punching and printing on record-cards, of the kind that comprises typebars and associated code-punches and is operable alternatively by a keyboard or under control of a master-card fed past a holedetecting device, means is provided for rendering the hole-detecting device operative during only a predetermined part of the feed of the master-card so that part only of the matter is reproduced on the record-card, the remaining parts being reproduced by means of the keyboard, or skipped. In the mechanism shown in Fig. 2, each type-lever 234 engages a sublever 250 abutting on a bell-crank 259 in connection with a slide 257 which is provided with a pivoted, spring-urged hook 272 for engaging a toothed driving-shaft 74. A lug 272a on the hook normally abuts on the arm 271 of a keylever 230 and prevents the hook from engaging the driving-shaft. An arm 271a for preventing repeat operation of the type-lever if the keylever is held down or sticks is pivoted on the arm 271 and is held in contact therewith by a spring 274. The arm 271a is slightly longer than the arm 271, and both arms are cut away to provide a recess which is slightly narrower than the lug 272a. On depression of the keylever, the arm 271 releases the lug, the hook 272 rises into the path of a tooth on the driving- shaft, the slide 257 is drawn forwards, and the arm 271a is rocked. During movement of the slide, the type-lever is operated, and when it has travelled about 45, a lug 272b on the hook engages a tooth of the driving-shaft, the hook is released, and the stroke of the type-lever is completed by momentum. On release of the key-lever, the type-lever and slide are returned by springs 253, 266, the arm 271a re-engages the arm 271, the lug 272a rides under the arm 271a, and is thereby prevented from re-engaging the driving-shaft, and then rises slightly and re-engages the arm 271. To ensure full engagement of the hook 272 with the teeth of the driving-shaft, the hook is provided on the inner face with a spring-urged, pivoted dog. If the hook, when released from the arm 271, moves towards the tip of a tooth, the dog is caught by the cooth, and prevents the hook from engaging that tooth. Under these conditions, the hook enters into full engagement with the succeeding tooth and the dog yields. For automatic operation, each key-lever 230 is connected by linkage 505, 503 to the armature 504 of a magnet KSS. Punches 280, for code-perforating the card simultaneously with the typing of letters or numerals, are connected by bellcranks 288, links 290, and bell-cranks 291 to slides 292, each having a lug 292a co-operating with one of a set of bails 295 engaged by lugs 257c on the slides 257. On operation of any type-lever, one or two punches are operated to make the corresponding code-perforations for a numeral or letter respectively. For positively withdrawing the punches, a universal bail 213 in the path of the bell-cranks 291 is connected by a slide to a bell-crank 259b which co-operates with a star-wheel 74a on the driving-shaft. The card is supported by rails 120, 121 and is fed step-by-step by means similar to those described in Specification 375,884 and comprising a card-carriage associated with escapement mechanism, and mechanism for ejecting a finished card and initiating return of the cardcarriage. Column-stops 302, Fig. 5, mounted on a rack 300 on the card-carriage co-operate with a pivoted stop-finger 303 which rests on a link 313 connected to the armature 310 of a magnet TS. The link is connected to a pivoted frame 315 provided with a revoluble brake 319 in connection with a pinion 321 for raising a rack 194 to release the card-carriage. The tabulating-key closes contacts TKC1, TKC2, Fig. 11b, for energizing the magnet TS. A magnet TKS is provided for automatically operating the tabulating-key. When the magnet TS is energized, a spring 318 raises the stop-finger, and the card-carriage is released and runs until arrested by engagement of a column-stop and the stop-finger. On engagement, the stop-finger moves a short distance laterally and closes contacts SC, TEC in circuit with the magnet TS and the escapement magnet EM respectively. For automatic control, there are employed, in addition to the ordinary column-stops, referred to as No. 6, five kinds of column-stops, referred to as No. 1 ... No. 5, each having a contactoperating lug 302b which is arranged in a different position from the other lugs, and co-operates with a lever 387, Fig. 8, abutting on a contact-operating pin 386. Column-stops No. 1 ... No. 4 close contacts ATC, PEC, SCC, DSC1 respectively, and column-stop No. 5 opens contacts DSC2. As described below, the contacts ATC, PEC initiate tabulating, and an eject-cycle respectively, the contacts SCC cause the escapement-magnet EM to operate once for the purpose of skipping a column, and contacts DSC1, DSC2 cause automatic operation to stop and start at a predetermined column respectively. An ejectkey 233 closes contacts EKC for energizing the magnet TS, and rocks a lever 377 for obstructing the stop-finger 303 to prevent engagement thereof with the column-stops during the run of the card-carriage. A magnet EKS is provided for automatically operating the eject-key. When the card-carriage has run to the final position it closes and opens contacts LCC1, LCC2, a magnet ECS is energized, a clutch is thrown in, the motor coupled to the ejecting mechanism, the finished card is discharged, the card-carriage is returned, and a new card is fed thereto in the manner described in the above-mentioned Specification. A master-card for automatically controlling the machine is placed on a table 420, Fig. 9, at the top of the machine, and is fed in unison with the cardcarriage by means of blocks 463 secured to arms 460,461 on the card-carriage. A contactroller CR is mounted in a housing 429 which is pivoted at 425 and is provided with an arm 431 for engaging a latch 432. Brushes BO ... B12 in circuit with the key-lever magnets KSS are mounted in a support 438 which is rocked, to move the brushes into and out of contact with the master-card, by means of a magnet BM. The support 438 also carries another brush for connecting the contact-roller to the automaticcontrol circuits. Each brush BO ... B12 is in circuit with one of a set of relays, of which only the relays R11, R12 are shown in Fig. 11b. The relays R1 ... R9 are each arranged to close contacts in circuit with more than one of the magnets KSS, and the relays RO, R12 close contacts in circuit with one magnet KSS, and open contacts C in circuit with other magnets. The relays close also contacts A for establishing holding-circuits through the brushes. When a single hole, for instance the 1 hole, is read, the relay R1 is energized and the circuit of the associated magnet KSS is established, the other magnets in circuit therewith remaining unenergized. When two holes, for instance the holes 9, 11 designating the letter R, are read, the relays R9, R11 are energized and circuits are established through the two associated magnets KSS. Before a master-card is inserted, a switch ESS is opened and the eject-key 233 is depressed, thereby establishing through contacts CS4, EKC and relays R16, R17, R18 a circuit through a wire W2. The relay R18 opens contacts A and thereby disconnects a wire W4 in the automatic-control circuits. The relay R17 closes and opens contacts A, C to connect the magnet TS to the wire W1, and the relay R16 closes contacts B to complete the circuit of the magnet, the card-carriage thereafter moving to final position, and the contacts LCC1 being automatically closed. The master-card is now inserted and, assuming that automatic duplication of columns 40 to 65 is required, No. 5 and No. 4 column-stops are placed opposite columns 40 and 66 respectively. A No. 4 column-stop is placed also opposite column 1. The arm 431 is then depressed, closing contacts CLC, DC, and the switch ESS is closed to initiate the eject-cycle, during which the card-carriage is returned to initial position. The first No. 4 column-stop closes the contacts DSC1, and a relay opens contacts to disconnect the relays RO ... R12, solenoid KSS, and brushes from the wire W4. The machine is now operated manually until column 40 is reached, when the No. 5 columnstop opens the contacts DSC2 to initiate automatic-control. When the card-carriage reaches column 66, the second No. 4 columnstop disconnects the automatic control-circuits, and manual operation can be restuned. For automatically causing the card-carriage to jump when a column without holes occurs in the master-card, there are employed a slowacting relay R20 in circuit with contacts which are closed by the escapement mechanism, and a quick-acting relay R21 in series with the relays RO ... R12. If a column without holes is presented, the relay R20 only is energized, its contacts are closed, and the magnet EM is energized to operate the escapement. If holes are presented, the relay R21 opens the contacts before the contacts of the relay R20 can close, and the magnet EM is prevented from operating. If full automatic-control is required, a switch AES is raised, and a switch SS is closed to place the magnet EM in series with the contacts TSC which are closed during tabulating. If for instance, it is required to skip columns 1 to 10 and 66 to 72, to duplicate columns 11 to 30, 32 to 65, and 73 to 76, to skip column 31 containing a hole, and to initiate an eject-cycle at column 77, No. 1, No. 6, No. 3 and No. 2 column stops are placed opposite columns 1 and 66, columns 10 and 72, column 31, and column 77 respectively. At the end of the eject-cycle No. 1 column-stop closes contacts ATC, the magnets TS, TKS are energized, and the card-carriage runs until N