Patent GB-723873-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to punching machines
Filed: 1951-05-18
Abstract: 723,873. Selective punching - machines. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION. May 18, 1951 [June 15, 1950], No. 11653/51. Class 31 (2). A punching - machine for record cards comprises code selector keys 29, Fig. 1, which condition the machine for operation according to a predetermined code, the punching being effected by means of characterbearing keys 20 which when depressed cause a predetermined number of interposer magnets to be energized The record card, Fig. 26, which is described in Specification 721,869, [Group XIX], is subdivided into an upper deck U, an intermediate deck I, and a lower deck L. Data are recorded in the columns of the record card by utilizing a code in which combinations of five holes distributed among twelve possible recording positions are grouped into index, major, and minor series which are broadly distinguishable in that the index series contains no perforations in deck U, the major series contains a perforation in either the X or Y position in deck U, and the minor series has perforations in both the X and Y positions of deck U. The index series is subdivided into subseries A1, A2; B1 and B2, Figs. 13 to 16 (not shown), the major series into subseries C1, C2, D1, D2, and E, Figs. 17 to 21 (not shown), and the minor series into subseries F1, F2, G1, and G2, Figs. 22 to 25 (not shown). A master card, Fig. 27, is provided with perforations, which are complementary to those appearing in the record card, representing information to be searched for in a group of record cards, and after the master card is perforated, it is placed in the photo-electric scanning device of the scanning machine described in the Specification 721,828, [Group XIX], where it is held while the record cards are moved successively across its surface. In a modification of this scanning code, a tabular system of representation is used, Figs. 29 to 32 (not shown). In this system, the table as punched in a record card represents a plurality of characteristics in accordance with a prearranged key or table index where each characteristic is represented in the card by the presence of a single hole. To prevent a false operation during a scanning process, unused columns of the record card are punched with six holes to each unused column. Keyboard.-The keyboard, Fig. 1, comprises four rows of character-bearing keys 20 and a single row of code selector keys 29. It also comprises a table key T for tabular notation and a " Lace " key for punching an unused portion of the record card. Each selector key 29 is secured to one leg 30a, Fig. 6, of a lever 30, mounted upon a key lever shaft 32, the other leg 30b of which has secured thereto a contact arm 35 which co-operates with associated contacts 36 mounted upon a bar 33 supporting the shaft 32. The free end of the leg 30b fits within a groove 38a of a pawl 38 movably secured to a shaft 39 supported at each end by a member 40 fastened to the top key bail guide 27, Fig. 1. Also carried by the member 40 is a code drive shaft 41 having angularly-disposed projections 42 equal in number to the pawls 38 and each adapted to be engaged by a pawl. The shaft 41 is driven counter-clockwise by a spring (43, Fig. 7 (not shown)) contained in a housing 44 and wound by a motor 45. With one of the keys 29 in a depressed position, the housing 44 and spring (43) are prevented from turning by the associated projection 42 engaging the corresponding pawl 38 and the spring is completely wound. When another one of the keys 29 is depressed, the previously-depressed key is released, thus freeing the projection 42 from engagement with the pawl 38 and thereby releasing the shaft 41 so as to be turned by the spring (43). The shaft will turn until the projection 42 corresponding to the key 29 now depressed engages the corresponding pawl. Secured to each end of the shaft 41 is a carriage drive end plate assembly 51 on which is mounted an eccentric arm 52 positioned between blocks 53, 54 fastened to a carriage side frame 55 so that as the shaft 41 is turned, the frames 55 are moved forward or backward for a limited distance. The frames 55 have twelve openings 58 provided with offset portions 59 which cooperate in supporting contact bails 60. The right-hand portion of the free end of each bail 60 has a finger elongation 61 adapted to actuate a bell-crank lever 62 pivotable about a shaft 63. The bell-crank lever at the lower end thereof has a shouldered portion 62a which is adapted to co-operate with a insulating member 64 secured to the contact blade 66a of the contacts 66. The bell-crank lever is normally biased in a clockwise manner about the shaft 63 by means of a spring 65 and when the member 64 is recessed within the shoulder 62a, the contact blade 66a is restrained from engaging the upper contact 66b. When the bias effect of the spring is overcome, the contact blade 66a will be unlatched causing the upper contact 66b to be engaged by the contact associated with the blade 66a. To give a visual indication as to what code is to be punched in a record card and what group of keys 20 are to be depressed to punch the indicated code in the card, a code indicator drum 67 is provided. The free end of the left-hand eccentric arm 52 is fixed in a slot in a disc 68 secured to one end of a shaft 69 the other end of which is coupled to a driveshaft 70 through gears 71. When the eccentric arm 52 is driven by the spring (43), the drum 67 is positioned such that the marking on the top of the drum corresponds with the selector key depressed. Associated with each key 20 is a key bail 76 having lugs 76a arranged in accordance with any permutation code such that upon depressing one of the keys 20, the lugs of the corresponding bail will selectively actuate five of the contact bails 60. A common pivotallymounted bail 79 having an associated bell-crank lever 62 and contacts 80 is actuated by means of the lugs 76a such that the contacts 80 are unlatched by the corresponding bell-crank lever 62. The bail 79 has a projection 83, Fig. 2, which, when the bail 79 is actuated, causes contacts 81 to be closed to produce a holding circuit for a reset solenoid 82. The wiring diagram for the keyboard is illustrated in Figs. 33a to 33c (not shown). Operation.-Assuming it is desired to punch according to the code arrangement of series A1, Fig. 13 (not shown), the operator first depresses the "A" selector key 29. This causes the shaft 41, Fig. 6, to rotate until the projection 42 associated with the selector key engages the corresponding pawl 38. The turning of the shaft will position the code indicator drum 67 so as to indicate the keys 206 to be used in order to represent the code notations of series A1 in the card. The depressing of the selector key will cause also horizontal movement of the carriage side frames 55 and, as a result, position the contact bails 60 so as to be engaged by the proper key bail 76 when the keys 20 are depressed. The operator will then depress the key 20 bearing the marking " A," causing the key bail 76, through its lugs 76a, to move the five appropriate contact bails 60. The latter, through the corresponding fingers 61, cause the associated bell-crank levers 62 to be moved about their shaft, thereby overcoming the bias of the spring 65, and unlatching the appropriate contacts 66. At the same time as the key 20 is depressed, the associated key bail 76 will engage the common bail 79 which, through the medium of the corresponding bellcrank lever will unlatch the bail contacts 80. The closing of the contacts 80 causes five interposer magnets to be energized. This causes the energization of follower relays to set up a conditioning circuit (184, Fig. 33c (not shown)) to complete a circuit to the punch magnet. Upon energization of the latter, the appropriate five interposers are energized to cause perforations to be made (by means of punches 172, Fig. 10 (not shown)) in the proper index point positions in the record card. At the completion of the punching stroke, the reset solenoid 82 is energized, restoring all the unlatched contacts to a latching position. The keyboard is arranged to normally cause one of the subseries A1, B1, C1, C2, D1, E, F1 and G as selected by the code selector keys 29 to be punched. To punch the record card according to one of the subseries A2, B2, D2, F2, and G2, a shift key 92 is depressed and engages a shift key bail 99 which in turn causes a shift key contact bail 100 to unlatch simultaneously all of ten contacts 101. The closing of these contacts in conjunction with the closing of the contacts 66, which occurs on depressing one of the keys 20, causes the character represented by the depressed key 20 to be transposed. The contact bail 100 comprises twelve fingers 105 of which only ten are used to unlatch the corresponding contacts whenever the key 92 is depressed. Complementary punching.-The keyboard is initially conditioned for a complementary punching operation by shifting the switch 119, Fig. 1, from the normal to complementary position. In this case, the conditioning circuit is set up such that the punch magnet will only be energized when seven interposer magnets have been energized. Word start punching.-The presence of a hole in the X position of deck U identifies the character represented as one constituting the beginning of a word, term or expression. The keyboard circuit is arranged to normally cause the Y-position within a card to be perforated for each of the coding arrangements in the major series. When it is necessary that the X position be perforated, a word start key 98 is depressed which causes contacts 111, Fig. 4, to be unlatched. Tabular notation punching.-To punch a table, the indexer refers to a table index chart (Fig. 29 (not shown)), which lists a multitude of characteristics in column and index point position of a standard record card in order to determine the position that the wanted characteristics should be punched