Patent GB-199422-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in machines for verifying or punching the holes in statistical record cards
IPC: G06K5/00
Filed: 1922-02-20
Abstract: 199,422. Thompson, W. P., (Schaaf, J. T.). Feb. 20, 1922. Cards and like, punching.-A machine for verifying or punching the holes in record cards, more particularly for use in statistical tabulating machine in which a card carrier is displaced relatively to a number of verifying, &c., pins adapted to control the longitudinal displacement of the carrier according to the degree of vertical movement of said pins is provided with (1) a card carrier under the control of an escapement and having relatively adjustable holding and yielding means to ensure correct positioning of the card, (2) means to hold the carrier to enable a plurality of holes to be verified or punched in any one column, (3) means to enable the carrier to skip a number of columns at various parts of the card, (4) releasing means to render the carrier escapement pawl and mechanism under heading (2) and (3) inoperative, and (5) means to permit of movement of the carrier clear of the punch-die after operation on the last column to facilitate removal of the card. Keyboard mechanism. A series of key-levers 7, Fig. 9, pivoted on spring-controlled fulcrum pins 8 co-operate with corresponding punches 12 each having a reduced end to facilitate its passage through the punched hole in a card C, which is adapted to move between a die-plate 14 and bar 15. The punches 12 are pressed against the key-levers by springs 16, which are of less strength than the springs 10 of the fulcrum pins, so that if no hole is present in the card the pin 8 of the partially-depressed key will be raised. The key-crowding lock comprises a tube 18 having slots and a plurality of balls 20, which can be displaced by a depending blade 24 on each keylever the amount of displacement being equal to the thickness of the blade. Card carrier and driving mechanism therefor. The carrier consists of a rack bar 25, Figs. 1 and 3, and laterally-extended arms 26, 27. The rack bar 25 is guided on a track 30 by means of rollers, and the arm 26 carries an adjustable bracket 43, to which is attached a spring 41 adapted to engage the edge of the card; the other arm 27, Fig. 8, has adjustable supporting arms 36 provided with grooves 37 adapted to engage the other edge of the card. The position of the carrier may be indicated by a pointer 46 connected by a card and pulley to the carrier and which co-operates with a representation 48 of the card. A finger piece 42 on the arm 26 enables the carrier to be moved to the right hand end of the machine, so as to position the edge of the card in alignment with a registering mark 45 on the base of the machine or at any desired position in conjunction with a stop-mechanism. The stop mechanism, Fig. 14, comprises a block on the arm 26 and a shouldered member 50 having a portion 55 with teeth, which can be made to engage the teeeth of a fixed rack bar 49 and locked thereon by a stirrup member 54 and a latch 58. The member 50 when not in use is supported on the base of the machine by a screw 66, Fig. 9. The carrier is driven by a spring-actuated toothed wheel and rack, the wheel of which is mounted on a plate that can be rotated to free the wheel, so as to permit the tension of the spring to be adjusted. The escapement mechanism, Figs. 5 and 16, comprises swinging members 77, 85 freely mounted on the shaft 76 of the universal bail 17 of the key levers. A pin 80 on the member 77, which engages a hole 82 in the escapement pawl 81 is raised to free the pawl from the ratchet teeth of the rack bar 25 when the member 77 is rocked by the bail 17, and this movement releases the member 85, so that a pin 87 thereon enters a notch 88 in the locking pawl and throws it into engagement with the teeth of the rack bar 25. The escapement pawl is yieldingly mounted as shown in Fig. 16, by mounting the shaft 76 thereof in a pivoted block 90 having a projection 94 engaging a spring 95 supported by a lug 96 on the plate 92. Mechanism preventing feed of card carrier. Comprises a bar 99, Fig. 5, secured to the rack bar 25 and a co-operating pawl 103. The bar 99 has a series of notches 100, 101, 102 of different depths according to the number of holes in the columns to be verified. The pawl 103 has a slot 106 surounding the shaft 76 and is formed at its rear end with toothed sector 107 normally out of engagement with a pawl 108 and locking-dog 109. The pawl 108 is pivoted by a ball-andsocket arrangement to a livoted lever 115, the other end of which is attached to a link 118 connected to the pin 120 of the rocking member 85 of the escapement. The pawl 103, when it enters one of the notches, holds the card carrier against the action of its spring, and the sector 107 thereof is caused to engage the pawl 108 and dog 109. Depression of the keys, rocking the member 85, causes the pawl to depress the sector and so raise the pawl 103 one step for each hole verified. To render the mechanism inoperative, a latch 123, Fig. 12, is provided, which has a hooked end adapted to engage a pin 127 on the pawl 103 when it is raised. Skip mechanism. Comprises a notched bar 130, Fig. 8, and a skip arm 132. The skip-arm is pivoted on a collar pin 134, which presses through a hole in a toggle lever 137 and is secured to a T-lever 138. The T-lever 138 has a slot 144, which engages a pin 145, Fig. 3, and the lever 137 at its outer end has a pin 139 mounted on a leaf spring 141. The skip-arm is kept on its pin by a plate 147, and is automatically retracted to an inoperative position on the first movement of the card carrier to normal or right hand position by a cam arm 151 pivoted at 152 and having a pin 153 co-operating with spring-controlled arms 154. The cam-arm is so arranged that a pin 159 on the arm 27 of the carrier engaging the camsurface 160 swings the arm so as to cause the shoulder thereon to engage the T-lever and retract the skip-arm 132. The skip-arm stands normally under the escapement pawl 81, and when it rises out of a notch it frees the carrier until it enters the succeeding notch. Depression of a numeral key retracts the skip-arm by means of a lug 166 on the bail 17, which is adapted to engage an arm 167 on the T-lever. The skiparm is thrown into operative position on the depression of a skip-key X, which through an arm 162 rocks a yoke 163 on the shaft 76 having an arm 164 adapted to engage the arm 165 of the T-lever. Release mechanism. To lift the pawl 103 and the skip-arm 132 into an inoperative, position, a release-key R, Fig. 1, is depressed, which operates a slide 171, Fig. 12, that carries a lateral pin engaging a vertical slot 176 in a sliding plate 177 provided with a cam-surface adapted to engage the pin 127 of the pawl 103. The slide 171 is also provided with a shoulder 183, which is adapted' to ride up on the base-plate and lift the arm 132 out of the notch 185 and thereby free the escapement pawl. At the end of the movement, the slide 171 and co-operating parts are returned to normal by a lug 186 thereon engaging a lug 187 on the carrier-arm 27. Feeding card carrier for removal of card. The holes in the last column are verified and the carrier is permitted to move forward another step by providing two grooves 190, Fig. 3, in the die plate 14 to allow the arms 36 of the carrier arm 27 to pass. A rod 239 is provided to prevent the card bending and serves to guide the arms 36 to the grooves 190. Punching machines. The invention as applied to a machine for punching holes in cards is modified in the following respects, (a) the yielding fulcrums of the key levers are replaced by fixed fulcrums, and (b) the punches 12 are provided with cutting ends.