Patent GB-397168-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to record card operated tabulating machines
Filed: 1932-02-12
Abstract: 397,168. Operating clutches. ENGLISH, F. G. S., 42, Lavender Road, West Croydon. Feb. 12, 1932, No. 4266. [Class 80 (ii).] Relates to clutch-control mechanism of the kind in which depression of a pedal causes engagement and subsequent depression of the same pedal causes disengagement. The clutch member 2 is actuated by a striker 3 pivoted at 4 and biased into the engaging position by a spring 5a. An abutment 9 and a latch 10 are pivoted to the striker 3 at 8 and carry respectively projections 9a, 10a adapted to coact with a pin 11 on a disengaging lever 12 which is biased by a spring 12a towards a cam 14 rotated by the driven shaft and arranged to come to rest with the lever 12 resting on the high part. The abutment 9 and latch 10 also carry pivoted projections 9b, 10b respectively which are connected together by a spring 29 and restricted by stops 9d, 10d. These projections are adapted to engage a pin 17 on the operating lever 16 which is pivoted at 15 and may be operated by a hooked lever 20 connected to the pedal 28 or automatically by a rocking lever 32 carrying a pin 33. A slot 21 in the lever 20 engages a pin 22 on a link 35 guided by a slot 36 on the pivot 8. The pin 22 is guided in a slot in the fixed bracket 38. A pin 39 on the lower end of the link 35 projects through a slot of variable width in the horizontal part 41 of the bracket 38. The link 35 carries a bracket 44 which engages the knob of the switch 34 of the driving motor. The link 35 is biased upwards by a spring 31. If the clutch is disengaged, when the parts will be in the position shown in Fig. 1, depression of the pedal 28 first draws the link 35 down by means of the pin 22, thus switching on the driving motor. Further depression of the pedal causes the hook 19 on the lever 20 to engage the pin 18 and rock the lever 16. The pin 17 thus engages the projection 9b and lifts the abutment 9. The parts 9, 10, 3, 35 then move to the left under the influence of the spring 5a into the position shown in Fig. 2, the projection 10a sliding over the peg 11, and the clutch is engaged. The pin 39 becomes locked below the narrow part of the slot in the bracket portion 41. On depressing the pedal again the pin 17 engages the projection 10b, raises the latch 10, releases the peg 11, and allows the lever 12 to move to the left into engagement with the cam 14, which then rotates so as to force the peg 11 against the projection 9a on the abutment 9, move the parts 9, 10, 3, 35 to the right, and disengage the clutch. The pin 39 is now moved to the wider part of the slot in the bracket portion 41, thus allowing the link 35 to be drawn upwards by the spring 31 so as to switch off the driving motor. In the case of a record card operated tabulating machine, the knock-off shaft 15 may be arranged to operate the lever 32 to stop the machine when a stop-card encounters the sensing mechanism or when there are no cards in the machine. To run the machine with no cards in it, the pedal 28 is held down, thus holding the tooth 9a clear of the stop-pin 11. The pin 17 engages the side of the projection 10b which rotates about its pivot against the action of the spring 29 and thus does not ride up on to the pin 17 and stop the machine.