Patent GB-519305-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to a method of, and means for, reading statistical or accounting record cards
Filed: 1938-09-14
Abstract: 519,305. Statistical machines. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd. (International Business Machines Corporation). Sept. 14, 1938, No. 26869. [A Specification was laid open to inspection under Sect. 91 of the Acts, March 16, 1939.] [Class 106 (i)] In a method of, and means for, reading a statistical record card, a zone designation in a card column is first read and then that column is read in motion a number of times in succession to detect a normal designation, and one of the subsequent readings is selected, according to the zone designation read, to generate a timed impulse at the moment the selected reading takes place. For illustration, the invention is associated with the record-card-controlled printing mechanism set out in Specification 425,838, [Group XVI], in which vertically moving type-carriers are controlled by printing magnets 32 to print numbers and by the magnets 32 in conjunction with zone magnets 38 to print letters. The card shown in Fig. 1, sections 13-15, is divided into upper and lower fields 11 and 12. The lines of " 12 " and " 11 " hole posi-  tions are zone positions relating respectively to fields 11 and 12, as indicated in sections 13 and 14. The latter sections show also the two codes adopted for the upper and lower fields respectively while section 15 shows two ten-denominational numbers (marked at the top and bottom of the card) punched in the fields. The cards are fed from magazine 16 to discharge box 20 past upper and lower brushes UB. LB which are one machine cycle apart ; and past brushes 1B and 2B which are respectively five hole positions in front of, and behind, the lower brushes LB so that when LB read the " 4 " hole positions 2B read the " 9 " positions ; and when LB read the " 9 " positions, 1B read the " 4 " positions. The zone positions are read by brushes UB and the positions in fields 11 and 12 are read by brushes 1B, LB, 2B ; the numbers read being printed by separate type carriers, e.g., side by side, Fig. 6 (not shown). For the fields 11 and 12, plug connections 43, 45, 46 are made for each of the ten columns of section 15. Considering the numerals recorded in the left hand column of section 15, the " 9 " is to be printed under control of " upper magnet 32 and the " 2 " under control of " lower " magnet 32 for that card column. Contacts B close momentarily as the " 11 " hole positions are read and an " 11 " hole gives a circuit 37, A, 21, the card hole " 11," UB, 43, B, 50, 39. A " 12 " hole would be read as contacts C close momentarily and give a parallel circuit to magnet 51. The magnets hold themselves energized over contacts 50a and 57a and D during the period of the following cycle in which the hole-positions " 9 " to " 1 " are read by brushes LB. Magnets 50 and 51 'open contacts 50c and 51c respectively and close contacts 50b and 51b respectively. When the " 4 " hole of the upper field is subsequently under a brush 1B the " 9 " position is at brush LB and the " 9 "  type is at printing position. Contacts J are now closed and a circuit 39, G, J, 52, 23, " 4 hole, 1B, 51b (already closed by the " 12 " hole), 45, upper print magnet 32, 41, 37 causes magnet 32 to print a 9. When the " 7 " hole reaches brushes 2B, the " 2 " hole positions are at brushes LB and the " 2 " type are in printing position. Contact H being now closed and contacts 50b closed by the " 11 " hole at the head of this column, a circuit 39, G, H, 53, 24, "7" hole, 2B, 50b, 46, " lower" print magnet 32, 41, 37 causes a 2 to be printed. Thus the sensing of the " 12 " hole connects (or selects) the brushes 1B to read the " 4 " to " 0 " hole positions five points ahead of their reading by the brushes LB so that any one of these holes causes the printing of a digit five units higher. But the reading of an " 11 " hole selects brushes 2B to read the " 9 " to " 5 " hole positions five points after they have been read by LB whereby a hole in the lower field causes the printing of a digit five units lower. If there had not been a " 12 " or " 11 "  hole contacts 50c and 51c would have remained closed and, over contacts E or F, would enable brushes LB to cause printing of the digits recorded, i.e., " 4 " and " 7 ". Contacts E are closed while the 4, 3, . . . 11, 12 hole positions are read and contacts F close for the 9 to 5 positions. A socket 55 is provided to brush LB for each pair of aligned five-hole columns so that, by making a connection such as 42, the pair of columns may be used as a single column in which a digit is. recorded by a single hole.