Patent GB-550618-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to statistical machines
Filed: 1941-03-29
Abstract: 550,618. Statistical-apparatus. REMINGTON RAND, Inc. March 29, 1941, No. 4258. Convention date, April 6, 1940. [Class 106 (i)] [Also in Group XVI] A statistical machine for sensing a perforated record-card and printing thereon an interpretation of the perforations comprises means for temporarily retaining a sensed reading, co-operating decoding means for setting printing- mechanism, means for feeding a card from the sensing-mechanism to the printing-mechanism, and means, under control of the operator, for arresting the card in one or other of a plurality of positions. The machine shown in Figs. 6, 7, 14 is controlled by codecards having forty-five upper and lower columns each containing one, two or three holes. The cards are read by a pin box, the pins that find holes being arranged to move other pins which are retained by a latching-member. The latter pins move, through Bowden wires 129, pins 131 controlling the decoding-unit described in Specification 522,512 and comprising sets of code-bars 133 associated with vertical rows of stop-bars 134 for differentially arresting vertically movable bars 137. The pins 131 are now so arranged with reference to the pins in the pinbox that the rows of pins 131 corresponding to the first upper, first lower, third upper, third lower ... columns are placed at the rear, and the rows of pins 131 corresponding to the second upper, second lower .. columns are placed at the front. Moreover, the space between adjacent rows of pins is equal to half the space between the adjacent sets of code-bars 133. The pins 131 are mounted in a frame 190 which is mounted on short links 191 and can be shifted longitudinally by means of a hand-lever 196 to bring the desired rows of pins 131 into register with the code-bars 133. The hand-lever is secured to a bell-crank 195 which engages a pin on the frame 190, and a detent 199. Eccentrics 192 co-operate with the ends of a slot 193 to limit movement of the slide 190. After the record-card has been read by the pin-box, it is fed on to a platen 323, Fig. 7, and is then printed upon. The printing-mechanism comprises forty-five co-axial type-wheels 118, mounted on rock-arms 240 having pins 243 engaging slots 244 in bell-cranks 152 which are connected to springs 156 and abut on a bail 151. The typewheels are held by springs 239 in engagement with pinions 145 which are geared by pinions 144, 143 to racks 141 on the bars 137. When the type-wheels have been set differentially by the racks, the bail 151 is lowered, the top walls of the slots 244 engage the pins 243, a bail 154 is released from the bell-cranks, and the type-wheels are depressed to print on the record-card. Type-wheels corresponding to blank columns on the-record-card are prevented from printing by means of bell-cranks 254 which normally engage pins 258 on the rockarms 240. The bell-cranks have pins 257 abutting on the bars 137, movement of any of these bars causing the associated bell-cranks to release the pins 258. Before impression, aligning-pawls 147 are moved into engagement with ratchetwheels 146 on the pinions 145. The pawls are mounted on a comb 148 on a cam-operated rockshaft 149. The pawls are arranged to rotate slightly the ratchet-wheels, and thereby taking up back-lash, and also depressing the bars 137 to permit release of the stop-bars 134. Each recordcard is passed through the machine twice, the first time for the printing of the data in the upper set of forty-five columns, and the second time (after the hand-lever 196 has been operated to shift the pins 131) for the printing of the data in the lower set of forty-five columns. The position of the record-card on the platen 323 during the first and second printings is determined by stops 116, 117 respectively. These stops can be placed in any of seven slots 116A to permit arrest of the record-card in different pre-selected positions. The stops are alternately projected by means under control of a slide 224 carried by arms 211 on a shaft 210 which is connected to the hand-lever 196. The connection consists of a slide 204, Fig. 14, which engages the bell-crank 195 and operates through arms 206, 206A and a link 208, an arm 209 on the shaft 210. Slots in the stops receive the slide 224, and an arm 229 on a shaft 230 rocked by a cam 233. When the hand-lever is in one position a notch 226 or 227 in the slide 224 registers with the stops 116 or 117, and when the arm 229 rises, the stops 116 or 117 are raised into position for engaging the record-card. Shortly before impression, the projected stops are depressed by the arm 229, and the record-card is clamped to the platen 323 by a plate 321 mounted on cam-operated levers. The plate may be provided with projecting strips for engaging the record-card. To prevent damage to the pins 131 if the hand-lever 196 is operated to shift the frame 190 when the pins are in raised position, a catch 213, Fig. 14, is provided for locking the hand-lever excepting at the end of a cycle. The catch co-operates with a lug 212 on a plate 204 and an arm 215 in connection with the catch abuts on a pivoted arm 217 co-operating with a link 218 which-is raised by a cam 219 at the end of a cycle. Normally the link 218 enters a notch in the arm 217. but when a batch of cards has been run through, or one of the stopping- controls is actuated, the arm 217 is moved towards the left, the link raises the arm, the catch 213 is released, and the hand-lever can be operated. The printing-mechanism is mounted in a frame 242, Fig. 7, which can be rocked upwards about a shaft 278 to permit of inspection or adjustment of the printing-mechanism. The frame is raised and lowered by means of a bail 282 secured to a shaft 289 on the frame. The bail is connected by links 284 to latches 285 which are secured to a shaft 285A on the frame and co-operate with toothed segments 286 on the side plates 161 of the machine to lock the frame in raised position. The shaft 289 is provided with arms which co-operate with lugs on the plates 161 to lock the frame in normal position. The shafts 150B, 153 and 149 of the bails 151, 154 and the comb 148 are operated by cams mounted in the machine-base, the operating-linkages including abutting members which separate when the frame 242 is raised. In the modification shown in Fig. 33, the frame 242 is raised and lowered by means of a toggle consisting of pairs of arms 340, 342 mounted on shafts 341, 289 on the side-plates 161 and the frame. The arms 340 are connected by a bail 344 carrying links 345 connected by a bail 346 which engages slots 347 in the arms 342. When the bail 344 is pulled forwards, the frame 242 is raised, and is retained by co-operation of the bar 346 with. recesses 348 in the slots 347. The frame is counterbalanced by springs 356. When the frame is raised, cams 350 on the arms 342 raise slotted links 354, and the bail 151 for releasing the bellcranks 152 is restored, separation of the typewheels 118 from the pinions 145 being thereby prevented. The above-described aligning pawls 147 are replaced by pawls 337 formed on the bell-cranks 152. Specification 420,403, [Group XVI], and U.S.A. Specifications 1,688,916, 2,044,199 and 2,151,177 also are referred to.