Patent GB-401754-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to record-card-controlled statistical apparatus
Filed: 1932-05-23
Abstract: 401,754. Statistical machines. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd., Victoria House, Vernon Place, Southampton Row, London, and KEEN, H. H., 27, Norton Road, Letchworth, Hertfordshire. May 23, 1932, No. 14617. Addition to 397,121. [Class 106 (i).] Total-taking.-In a machine in which a separate summary sheet (or portion of a continuous summary sheet) is fed to receive the data from each group of cards, a separate summary sheet (blank) is fed also for each missing group of the series of groups. The latter feed is under the supervision of the cyclecontrolling means which initiates total-printing cycles as long as there is disagreement between the numbers set up on two number-representing devices which are adjustable to represent related numbers of two successive cards. Each summary sheet may be an individual sheet or a portion of a continuous paper strip. The invention is applied to a machine as described in Specification 247,200, [Class 106(i), Calculating &c.]. The two number-representing devices are constituted by (1) a units counter, Fig. 2, and (2) Campbell translator mechanism, Fig. 3, generally similar to the impulse changing devices of Specification 288,516, [Class 106(i), Calculating &c.], but arranged merely to store the numbers and not to transpose the impulses. (1) Two adding wheels 10, Fig. 2, are loose on shaft 11 and rigid with gears 12. Each gear 12 meshes through wheel 13 with a wheel 14 carrying a pair of brushes 15 coacting with a segment 16 and studs 17 so that the position of brushes 15 represents the number on its related wheel 10. The wheel 10 shown is the units wheel, behind which is the tens wheel (not shown). Of the units and tens carry levers 18, 19, the lever 19 is held by a latch 20 pulled counter-clockwise by a spring 21 ; each lever 18, 19 has a spring- pressed pawl engaging a ratchet rigid with the related adding wheel. When magnet 25 is energised (once for each total printing cycle) its armature 24 pulls, through link 23, a bail 22 counterclockwise about pivot 11 so that lever 18 adds one to the units wheel. When the latter reaches " 9 " a high tooth on the ratchet is engaged by the units pawl, which is thus depressed on to part 27 of latch 20, rocking the latter to free the lever 19. The latter is rocked clockwise by its spring and on the next actuation of bail 22 by magnet 25, one is added to both the units and tens wheels 10. Each wheel 10 may be manually adjusted to any desired initial number by lowering a lever 28 about 28a so as to mesh with wheel 13 a wheel 29 which is then rotated manually. (2) The second number-register consists of the device shown in Fig. 3 for units and another such device (not shown) for tens. A disc 30, rotated once for two card-reading cycles, has two sets of ten latches 31, each latch 31 normally holding open its pair of contacts 34 (Fig. 1). The latches 31 pass a trip 32 synchronously with the card-reading so that when a card hole is read, magnet 36 releases the trip 32 which swings the latch 31 then opposite to it to close the associated contacts 34. One of the two magnets 36 is connected, through normally closed contacts 37, in series with the upper brush reading the units column of the group designation, and the other with the upper brushes reading the tens column. On energisation, the magnet 36 de-energises itself by opening contacts 37. The two denominations of counter 15 &c. Fig. 2 and the two denominations of the device of Fig. 3 are shown connected up in Fig. 1, the set-up of contacts 34 by the upper brushes remaining during the next cycle, while the card is passing the lower brushes. Segments 38, 39 rotate with disc 30 and co-act with the brushes 40, 41, 42. Brushes 41 are displaced axially from brushes 42 and are advanced circumferentially three steps. The translators 34 rotate during card feeding and are arrested as shown in Fig. 1 during total-printing. Contacts 43b are closed during card-feeding and contacts 43a are closed during total-printing. There are twenty sets of contacts 43a, 43b but only two are showncontacts 43a are connected to brushes 41 and contacts 43b to brushes 42. If the number on the counter 15 agrees with the number set on contacts 34 from the card, a circuit is completed at total-printing from units brush 40 (left of Fig. 1) through the units members 38, the closed pair of contacts 34 (units), 39, 41, 43a, 17, 15, 16, 45, 16 (tens), 15, 17, 43a (right of Fig. 1), 41, 39, 34, 38, to brush 40 on the right of Fig. 1. The numbers agreeing, the machine proceeds to deal with the next card group. If the numbers disagree, total-printing and sheet-feeding operations occur in each of which a separate sheet is fed or a continuous strip is fed one space-at each operation the units counter magnet 25 is energised to advance the counter " one " and when the numbers agree on the two number-representing devices the sheet feeding ceases. For this action, and assuming a continuous summary sheet is advanced one step each group to receive the next group total, switches 44, 50, 51, Fig. 1 are closed, connection 46 is made and connections 47, 48, 49 are omitted. If card groups with designations " 001 " to " 999 " arranged serially are to be dealt with, the units counter 15 is set manually to show "00" and the machine is started under control of motor TM and relays RC, 57 (opening contacts 57a), 58 are energised. Contacts 57a break the circuit of coils 53, 54, 55 when L1 open at the end of the card cycle ; coil 53 opens its contacts 53a to de-energise the motor TM and coil 54 closes contacts 54a to energise the reset motor RM which effects total-printing. No totals are actually printed since none have yet accumulated. During this cycle contacts P16 energise relay 43 and the latter closes contacts 43a. Also, contacts P12 close during the totalprinting cycle to energise the units counter magnet 25 which advances to register " 01." This number now agreeing with that on the register 34 the serial circuit through brushes 40 is completed from line 52 to relay 59, contacts P15, brush 40 to brush 40, switch 51 and contacts LCLC2. Relay 59 opens contacts 59a to de-energise relays RC, 57, 58 and the machine restarts card-feeding &c. under control of motor TM and the items from group " 01 " are accumulated ; the circuit through reset motor RM being broken by failure of relay RC. The machine has automatic group control acting in the known manner. At the group change, contacts MC opens to de-energise motor TM and initiate total-printing ; and the register 34 sets up " 02 " off the first card of the next group at the upper brushes. The accumulated total of group " 01 " is printed and magnet 25 is energised, and the summary sheet is fed one step in known manner. Magnet 25 adds one to counter 15 which then agrees with register 34 so that tabulating is restarted on the next group. If, however, the second card group was group No. " 004 " instead of " 002 ", when contacts P10 open, the parallel connection 40, 34 (left) 15, 15 (right), 34, 40 is interrupted and relay 59 is de-energised: contacts 59a close and coils RC, 57, 58 are energised over circuit 59a, P10,50: coil RC opens contacts RC1 so that the motor RM can not be deenergised. A second total printing cycle is effected in which contacts P12 energise magnet 25 to advance the units counter (Fig. 2) to " 03 ". The summary strip is line-spaced but nothing is printed, the normal counters having been zeroized during the previous total printing cycle. A third total-printing cycle occurs and so on, leaving a blank line on the summary strip for each missing group, until the units counter 15 registers the same number as the register 34, when the machine returns to tabulating. Sheet-feeding mechanism. Where listing occurs, in order to space the first line of printing for each group on the summary strip a constant distance from the first line of printing for the preceding group, whereby the strip may later be cut into sheets, the following means is used. Total printing shaft 60 and listing shaft 61, Fig. 5, are driven by motors RM and TM respectively and have ratchets 62, 67 driving parts 63, 66 on wheels geared to wheels 76 so that either shaft 60 or 61 may drive train 76. By swinging a manual lever 74, the part 66 may be disengaged from its ratchet 67. Train 76 drives a wheel 75 loose on shaft 77 and secured to a ratchet 78 which coacts with a pawl 80 pivoted at 82 to a disc 79 rigid with shaft 77. The pawl is held away from the ratchet, against spring pressure, by a pin 84 on it resting against a lever 85, pivoted at 82 and having an arm 86. Lever 85 is connected by link 87 to a lever 88 pivoted at one end 89 and having its other end connected to a spring 90 pivoted at 91. This spring tends to hold levers 88, 85 on the position shown, with part 80 off. When the magnet 95 is energised (once each total printing cycle) an extension 93 of its armature 94 depresses a pin 96 on lever 85. The toggle 88, 90 is thus moved below the dead centre and pawl 80 engages ratchet 78, whereby wheels 76, 75 drive shaft 77. The latter rotates until an arm 81 on pawl 80 and the arm 86 of lever 85 meet a lug on a disc 105, Fig. 8, whereupon the pawl is disengaged and the shaft 77 stops. This rotation of shaft 77 winds a spring barrel which subsequently returns shaft 77 clockwise, Fig. 5, (when the shaft is uncoupled) until a pin 104 on disc 79 engages a fixed stop 105. To vary the total sheet feed for a group of cards the lug on disc 105 is adjustable ; arm 107 on disc 105 has a knob 108 and slots 109, 110. Slot 109 receives a knob 112 on a member 111 behind arm 107 and slot 110 receives an eccentric 114 pivoted on member 111. The latter is pulled down, Fig. 8, so that a tooth 116 on it engages a wheel 117 secured to plate 106. A window 118 in disc 105 exposes one of the numbers on wheel 117. To set the device, member 111 is raised from wheel 117 by pressing 108, 112 together and parts 111, 107 and 105 are s