Patent GB-876630-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for handling a plurality of cards each having information recorded thereon
Inventor: NELSON ALFRED M
Filed: 1958-01-24
Abstract: 876,630. Record-card machines. MAGNAVOX CO. Jan. 24, 1958, No. 2411/58. Class 106 (1). Apparatus for sorting a plurality of stacked record cards includes a series of drums 16-26, Fig. 1, all except the first having collecting stacks to receive cards travelling on the drums and a deflector associated with each such drum for intercepting a card before it reaches the collecting stack and for transferring it to the next drum in the series. The deflectors are magnetically controlled from data sensed on the cards to allow each card to pass to the appropriate stack, the operation of a deflector being delayed until the card arrives on the associated drum. Card feeding.-The cards are caused to adhere to the drums by vacuum for which purpose the drums are hollow and have circumferential slits. The interior of each drum is connected to a vacuum pump and any card coming into contact with a drum tends to be drawn into engagement with it and to be moved with it. Between each pair of drums is a deflector which has blades or fingers adapted to fit into the slits in the periphery of a drum to lift any card thereon and transfer it to the next drum. The deflector 100 is fixed in this position so as always to transfer cards from drum 16 to drum 18 but the other deflectors 108, 110, 154, 160 are pivotable to an inoperative position by energization of associated solenoids. Drums 18, 20, 22, 24, &c., have collectors 106, 152, 158, &c., with fingers engaged in the peripheral slits of the drums adapted to strip off cards and pass them into the collecting stacks 104, 150, 156, &c. Operation.-Cards are fed one at a time from input stack 12 by drum 16 and read at a sensing station 92, the data being used to set the deflectors 108, 110, 154 and 160 to determine to which output stack each card shall pass. The sensing station has four reading heads 92-98, Fig. 5, each for a separate magnetic track on the card 10. The lowest track contains clock signals which pass from head 92 to a counter 188. The other three tracks contain digit signals relating to three binary denominations, the signals of each column being taken together to give a binary number. The column upon which sorting is to be performed is chosen by setting up a number on switches in selector 187 a comparator 186 detecting when the numbers in the selector and the counter are equal and providing a signal to enable gates 183, 184, 185. Data signals from heads 94-98 are amplified and used to set flip-flops 175-177 which are reset before the next column is read. The outputs of these flip-flops are applied to a decoding network 182 and converted to a decimal value. The output, on ten leads, is taken to gates, such as gates 183, 184, 185 which open when the counter 188 reaches the predetermined column number to allow the value sensed to set flipflops 200, 202, 204, &c. These are reset when the counter 188 reaches a full count by signals through gates 208, 210, 212. This signal, via gate 208, also sets flip-flop 215 which is connected to And gate 216 also connected to counter 188. The signal from gate 216 resets flip-flop 215 and sets flip-flop 218. The flip-flop 218 is connected to And gate 219 also enabled by the full count of counter 188, and to relay coil 220 adapted to close contacts 221. The relay energizes coil 222 which displaces deflector 108, Fig. 1. The output signals from And gate 210 similarly operate a chain of flip-flops 224, 226, 228 interconnected by And gates each of which opens at the end of a full count of counter 188. Relay 232 energizes coil 144 controlling deflector 110, Fig. 1. In the same way the signal from gate 210 operates a chain of flip-flops 240, 244, 247 and 249 interconnected by And gates and controlling via relay 252 the coil 256 of deflector 154, Fig. 1, with the coils of deflectors 108, 110, 154, 160 unenergized the card passes along the line of drums being transferred by each deflector to the next drum. If the coil of a deflector (e.g. 108) is energized the card remains on its drum 18 and passes to the output stack 104 thereof. According to the value sensed in the pre-selected column of the card one of the flip-flops 200, 202, 204, &c., is set corresponding for example to digits "1," "2," "3," &c., respectively. Suppose the first card has a value " 1 " so that flip-flop 200 is set. Gate 208 is enabled to set flip-flop 215 at the end of the card sensing; the front of the card is then approaching the deflector 100 for transfer to drum 18. The next card is now under the sensing heads and at the end of the clock track the counter 188 again enables all the And gates connected thereto including gate 216 which passes a signal from flip-flop 215 to flip-flop 218 to pick up relay 220 and energize coil 222 this displaces deflector 108 to the inoperative position and the card remains on the drum 18 until it is stripped off and received in stack 104. The " 1 " value therefore causes the card to pass to the first stack. If the value on the card had been " 2 " the flip-flop 202 would have been set and this would have caused the deflector 110 to have been rendered inoperative after two succeeding cards had been read, i.e. when the card was on drum 20 so that the card passes to the second stack 150. Each deflector is operated by a signal sensed from the record and transmitted through a chain of flip-flops the number of which is one more than the number of drums to the left of the deflector. This ensures that a deflector is operated when a card bearing the corresponding value arrives at the associated drum, so that the card is allowed to pass to the output stack. The cards are passed through the apparatus once for each denomination of the number upon which sorting is taking place. In the apparatus described the cards in alternate stacks 104, 150, 156, 160, &c., are facing in opposite directions. In subsequent passes through the apparatus the reversed cards are placed in a stack coacting with an extra drum co-operating with drum 16. The reversed cards in the stack are turned again in the transfer to drum 16 so that they are facing the correct way when they pass under the sensing heads. Blank cards may be used after the last record card to make sure it reaches the appropriate stack.