Patent GB-732879-A (GB)
Title: Stepping relay accumulator
IPC: H01H67/22
Filed: 1953-07-02
Abstract: 732,879. Digital electric calculating-apparatus; counting-apparatus; statistical apparatus. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION. July 2, 1953 [July 5, 1952], No. 18346/53. Class 106 (1). A relay accumulator device comprises a coil, an armature, a counter shaft ratchet means secured to the shaft, the shaft being rotatably supported by the armature and comprising drum means having plurality of circumferentially disposed code bars, and a plurality of contacts associated therewith representing digits 1, 2, 4 and 8, or alternatively a decimal arrangement of contacts cooperating with a rotatable wire contact. The accumulator is contained in a U-shaped frame 20 of insulating material. Within the frame 20 is mounted the yoke 21 to which is fixed a coil 22 and core 23. A spring 48 is provided to bias the armature 25 away from the core 23. There is secured to the armature 25 an armature frame 33 which supports two bearings 36 and 37 of an interposer shaft 35, Fig. 2. The interposer shaft is a formed wire comprising ten individual eccentric segments which may be divided into five groups of two each. The two segments forming a group are offset from each other by 180 degrees, while adjacent groups are offset by 36 degrees from each other. The shaft is advanced in steps of 36 degrees at a time, so that one group of segments will always be in a vertical position. The upper segment, Fig. 2, when in a vertical position will engage the corresponding wire contact 30 while the lower segment will slightly clear an insulating bar 38. The numbers above each contact 30 represent the value to be read out in each case. A common contact ring 40 makes contact with the wire 35 and a separate contact 30. A tentoothed ratchet wheel 34 is secured to the hub 36 as shown in Fig. 2 and is adapted to cooperate with a pair of pawls 43, 44. The pawls are mounted on studs 48, 46 secured to the frame 20. The pawls engage the ratchet wheel 34 under the influence of the spring 47 so that when the armature is attracted by energization of coil 22 the interposer shaft 35 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, Fig. 1, by approximately 18 degrees, and on de-energization, by a further 18 degrees making 36 degree advancement, equivalent to one complete step of the interposer wire 35. Each segment of the interposer shaft 35 representative of the digits 0 to 8 inclusive, have a single pair of wire contacts 30 associated therewith, while the 9 segment has two pairs of contact wires 30 for effecting a carry operation. When the coil 22 is energized with the 9 segment engaging its contact wires 30 the armature 25 upon being attracted to the coil will cause the left-hand end 35a of the shaft 35 to contact wire contacts 49 and the common contact ring 40 to engage the wire contacts 50. In a modification shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 the wire shape 35 is replaced by a fluted insulating drum 51 receiving nine code bars 52, Fig. 7. This arrangement enables digital values to be read out according to a binary code. The drum .51 is mounted on a shaft 53 rotatably supported at pivots 54 and 55, Fig. 5, by the frame 33. The nine code bars are disposed about the periphery of the drum at intervals of 36 degrees as shown in Fig. 6. The code bars are retained and electrically connected by rings 56 and 57 positioned at extreme ends of the drum 51. In the binary read out relay only five wire contacts 30 are provided where one of the wire contacts 30 will engage the common raised portion of each bar such as 58 of the " 2 " bar 52 while the other wire contacts 30 representative of digits 1, 2, 4 and 8 will be engaged either singly or in combination bythe appropriate code bars. As in the case of the decimal arrangement described above there are also provided wire contacts 49 and 50 which will be engaged by the appropriate code bars during a carry operation.