Patent GB-349512-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to punching machines for perforating, and adding the amounts so recorded on, statistical record-cards
Filed: 1930-02-26
Abstract: 349,512. Punching statistical recordcards. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd., Victoria House, Vernon Place, Southampton Row, London. -(Assignees of Peirce, J. R. ; 33, Riverside Drive, New York, U.S.A.) Feb. 26, 1930, No. 6376. Convention date, Feb. 27, 1929. [Class 31 (ii).] Selective punching machines.-The apparatus according to the invention comprises a keyboard, punching mechanism operable under the control thereof to punch on cards amounts and other data set on the keyboard, a totalizer for accumulating the amounts set on the keyboard and means, operable at will, for bringing the punching mechanism under the control of the totalizer so that the total accumulated therein may be punched on a separate card. Keyboards.-The keyboard is divided into five sections relating to : (1) " Kind of sale," column a. (2) " Clerk number," columns b, c. (3) " Number of article," column d. (4) " Identification number," columns e, f, g. (5) Amount," columns h, i, k, l, m. In addition to the above, a " date " section (6) and an " operator's number section (7) are set by separate levers. Keys A .. F control drawers, not shown. The card is divided into two sections, all the above data being punched on the left-hand field, and the items of sections (1), (2), (6) and (7) are also punched on the right-hand field. Five keys 96 are provided to punch " discount " indications. The stem 8, Fig. 11, of each ordinary key has notches 47, 48, engaged by a spring-pressed plate 11. Depression of a second key in a column containing a previously-set key thus releases the latter, and to allow of both discount and item keys being set, the discount keys have spring-controlled latches 18, Fig. 12, which allow them to be depressed without rocking the plates 11. Connected to each plate 11 is a lever 15, Fig. 10, the upper arm of which contacts with a stop 29 on a slidable bar 30 connected through a lever 37 to a lever 39. The operating handle 2 is mounted on a shaft 142 and is rocked first in an anticlockwise and then in a clockwise direction, Fig 14. Connected by linkage with the lever 2 is a plate 73, Fig. 15, fixed to a shaft 72 on which is a plate 70 having a pin 228 which normally lies between two bell cranke 187, 189. The former is connected to a bar 25 against which rest spring-pressed bars 23 having hooks to engage openings 27 in depressed keys and to move under steps 28 of undepressed keys to prevent depression thereof. The second lever 189 is connected to the lever 39 controlling the slidable bar 30, so that as the pin 228 moves in a clockwise direction at the end cf the cycle, the bar 30 is moved to the left to rock the plate 11 and release all depressed keys. The bars 23 are simultaneously moved to inoperative positions, Error key.-Depression of an error key 7 rocks a lever 48 connected to the bar 30 to release all depressed keys. Differential mechanism.-Situated beneath each column of keys is a bar 52, Fig. 7, having projections 53 arranged at two levers on both sides of the bar so as to contact with the stems 71 of the keys when the bars 52 are released for movement. When no item is set in a column, the lower end 51 of the corresponding lever L5 lies in the path of a zero stop 531 on the bar 52 but when a key is depressed the corresponding plate 11 and lever 15 are rocked and do not return t) their initial positions, since the upper key notch 17 is shallower than the lower notch 48. The bars 52 move to take up their differential settings when a bar 59 is moved forward in guides 60, 61 at the commencement of the cycle, this movement being caused by a roller (not shown) connected to levers 64, 65, moving in a slot in the plate 70 linked with the lever 2. Connected to the bar 59 is a link 101 having a cam slot in which rides a pin 107 on a lever 106 secured to a shaft 104 having pawls 105 which engage teeth on the underside of the bars 52 corresponding to the amount columns to lock the said bars temporarily in their set positions. Selective punching -The card is fed before a die plate 79, Fig. 17, and the selected punches 75 are moved by the forward movement of the selectors 92 which are freely mounted on a shaft 83 carried in members 85 secured to a shaft 84. The punches have reduced portions which engage a plate 80 carried by members 81 also loosely mounted on the shaft 83. The selectors 92 in the twelve columns a .. m are set by bell-crank levers 89 freely mounted on the shaft 84 and linked at their lower ends with the differentially moving bars 52. In total-taking, two additional sets of punches are similarly controlled by the bars 177, 178. The selectors for the " date " and " operator's number " section are controlled by hand-levers 113 co-operating with slots 115 in the machine casing 114. Connecting bars 116 connect those selectors associated with items which are punched in duplicate. Selectors 94 controlled by the discount keys 96 are provided in columns h .. m. These selectors are normally above their corresponding punches, and the depression of a discount key moves a bar 99 and allows a rod 95 to move downwards under spring pressure. The shaft 84 is rocked to effect punching by the engagement of a roller 131, Fig. 15, secured to a plate 130 fast upon the shaft 84 with a pawl 117 secured to the plate 73. Towards the end of the first part of the cycle during which the plate 73 moves anticlockwise, the roller releases a latch 118 a roller 129 on the plate 73 at the same time rocking the plate 130 clockwise, to reset the punches. Card-feeding mechanism.-The card is placed in a shoot 261, Fig. 5, and rests on stops 286, Fig. 9, while items written thereon are entered on the keyboard. The stops 286 are secured to sliders 266 moving on guides 264 and operated by levers 269, 272 from a shaft 274 which is actuated by cam means from the shaft 72. Gripping fingers 279, 280 are also secured to the sliders 266 and are normally held apart against spring pressure by the contacting of an extension of the finger 280 with a lever 285 secured to a shaft 307. A link 290 is oscillated from the shaft 72 and has pivoted to it a lever 294, 295 held by a spring against a stop 297. At the commencement of the downward movement of the link 290 the lever 294 rocks a lever 301 thus causing the closing of the fingers 279, 280, the latter then lowering the card into punching position, where its lower edge meets a stop plate, the fingers continuing to move downwards until they are clear of the card. At the end of the first half-cycle, a pin 341 on a plate 287 secured to the shaft 72 rocks a lever 333 to unlatch a lever 308, 336 which is then moved by a spring 335. A pin 310 on the top of the lever 308 then rocks a member 306 on the shaft 307 and so restores the levers 285 which control the fingers 279, 280, a roller 339 on the lever 308, 336 then resting against a cam surface 340 on the plate 287. This cam resets the lever during the second half-cycle. Pivoted to the top of the lever 308 is a link 331, Fig. 21, pivoted to a lever 363 secured to a shaft 362 carrying arms 361 having rollers 358 situated adjacent to driven rollers 351, 352, Fig. 5. When the lever 308 is rocked, the rollers 358 press the card against the driven rollers and cause it to be placed into a receptacle 364. The rollers 351, 352 are driven from the shaft 72 by a link 345, toothed quadrant 346 and gear wheels 348. While the card is being moved into the receptacle, a stacking plate 368 is rocked to the right by a cam 366 operated by the shaft 72. The card punched during a total-taking operation is not placed in the receptacle but is carried to the top of the shoot 61 on the return motion of the sliders 266, the card having cut-away portions at the places where a normal card is engaged by the feed rollers. Interlocking.-Means are provided to prevent the operation of the handle 2 unless a card is in the shoot and at least one key in each keyboard section has been depressed. For each keyboard section is provided a latch 43, Fig. 10, connected by a link 42 with levers 44 secured to the plates 11 rocked by the keys of that section, depression of any of which keys will thus move the latch 43 out of the reach of a lever 40, Fig. 14. The placing of a card 399 in the shoot moves, through levers 400, 402, a catch 406 from the path of the lever 40, so that, when this catch and the five latches 43 are all moved, the lever 40 can move under spring action to permit the movement of a plate 41 on the main shaft 142. Notches 410 on this plate contact with the lever 40 and constitute a full-stroke mechanism.