Patent GB-471909-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to machines for sorting perforated cards
Filed: 1936-03-12
Abstract: 471,909. Statistical machines. FARRER, J. O. (Remington Rand, Inc.) March 12, 1936, No. 7412. [Class 106 (i)] Sorting cards. - A machine for sorting statistical record cards in accordance with different sets of holes in a common plurality of card columns, in order to obtain during the same run of the machine, a plurality of packs of cards, each pack being in a separate box and having the same arrangement of card holes, comprises a plurality of groups of settable elements (minor pins 61), each group presettable (manually by keys 40) to represent a different desired arrangement of card holes, in the common plurality of card columns used, and a single group of elements (major pins 26) adapted to be set by each card in turn as the latter is sensed, there being also means to compare the setting of the major pins derived from the card reading with the presettings of the sets of minor pins so that when a major pin setting agrees with the presetting of a set of minor pins, the latter open (through cable 200) the gate of the associated card sorting box. Sets of horizontally moving minor pins 61 are preset manually and the major pins 26, which are common to all the sets of minor pins, are raised vertically according to the card holes read by the sensing pins 16 when the sensing box rises. The minor pin assemblies then reciprocate horizontally ; if the presetting of any minor pin set assembly agrees with the major pin raised by the card reading then that minor pin assembly is allowed to move further horizontally and actuate the cable 200, which raises the corresponding sorting box deflector at the appropriate time. Specification 155,803, [Class 10 6 (i)], is referred to. The machine is divided vertically into ten sections by horizontal strips 24, each section controlling a sorting box. Guided in slots in these strips 24 are major pins 26, one for each card sensing pin 16. The lower end 27 of each pin 26 is normally situated just over the perforated card reading station 18, so that if a pin 16 rises through a card hole it raises the major pin 26 above it. Rods 31 carry pawls 32, each of which engages a notch 35 in its coacting major pin if the latter is raised. These pawls are tripped by rods 33 on plates 30 when the latter are moved left, Fig. 2, by a manual bar 30<1>. Pivoted to another series of rods 36 are keys 37, 40 the lower ends 38 of which coact with pins 39 on the major pins 26, so that if a key 37 is rocked clockwise, Fig. 2, it raises the corresponding major pin 26 until its notch 35 is engaged by a pawl 32. This is in order to raise the minor pin assemblies through their lug 50 and notch 51<1> connections with the major pins. The minor pin carriers 60 are prevented by springs from rising with the minor pins 61. In each section of the machine between a pair of division strips 24 is a pair of bars 51, 52 which slide horizontally under the action of springs 58, 59, Fig. 3. This pair of bars is connected by cross rods 53, 54 which support the carriers 60 for the minor pins 61. Each such complete minor pin assembly between a pair of strips 24 controls a sorting deflector cable 200. In each assembly there is a minor pin carrier 60 for each card column and a minor pin 61 on the carrier for each major pin 26 of the column. Two pins 63 on each minor pin 61 engage a corresponding notch 62 in the carrier 60 so that the pin 61 may rise relatively to the carrier. If a pin 61 is raised it is maintained up by a spring 64 engaging its notch 61<1>. A lug 50 on each minor pin 61 coacts with a recess 51<1> in the major pin 26. A key 179 (not shown), one for each horizontal section, is pressed in to release the members 51, 52 of that section in which the particular presetting is desired. For each perforation position on which sorting is desired, the corresponding key 37, 40 is rocked clockwise to elevate, through pin 39, the corresponding major pin 26 and with it the corresponding minor pins 61 of that section only, since the lugs 50 of the pins 61 are in the recesses 51<1> of the major pin 26. When the desired set-up is completed, in order to retain it only in the one section between the plates 24, a crank 166, Fig. 3, is operated and the half-round bar 162, Fig. 6, of the section connected thereto restores the frame 51, 52 to the right, withdrawing the minor pins from the slots 51<1> in the major pins. The minor pins in the section which have been elevated by keys 37 remain up relatively to the carrier 60 due to the springs 64 engaging the notches 61<1>. Before setting up another arrangement in another section, all major pins 26 that have been elevated are released to return downwards by pressing in bar 30<1> and plates 30, whose pins 33 trip the pawls 32 from the major pin notches 35. The remaining sections are then set up similarly. If sorting on particular card columns is not desired, the minor pin carriers 60 of the various sections vertically over one another and corresponding to the card columns not to be used, may be disabled. by elevating them by moving cam plates 77, corresponding to those carriers, horizontally to the left, Figs. 2 and 6, by depressing the corresponding keys 68. During normal machine operation bar 30<1> and bars 30, Fig. 2, are pressed in to trip all pawls 32, and are held in by a locking bar 3 which is reciprocated longitudinally of itself into locking position by a handle 2. Action. When a card is read at the sensing station 18, the pins 16 read holes and raise various major pins 26. If in each column or section these pins 26 correspond exactly to the minor pins 61 which have been preset upwards relatively to their carriers 60, then the lugs 50 of the raised minor pins find the notches 511 of raised major pins opposite to them and the frames 51, 52 carrying the carriers are able to move fully to the left and actuate the appropriate cables 200 controlling the sorting deflectors. If there is disagreement, various lugs 50 are blocked since they meet the unbroken edge of major pins 26 and the frames 51, 52 cannot move fully to the left. In a modification, Figs. 22 ... 25 (not shown), for dealing with a 90-column card (i.e. a card in which each column is divided in halves and each half used as a column with coded perforations) each minor pin carrier 60 is divided into halves and the various mechanisms are duplicated accordingly, so that the half-length carriers function independently.