Patent GB-434722-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to machines for making records on statisitical cards
Filed: 1934-03-03
Abstract: 434,722. Serial punching statistical cards. THOMAS, A., 11, Sandy Lane South, Wallington, Surrey. March 3, 1934, No. 6857. [Class 31 (ii)] A machine for punching or marking serial data such as numbers on consecutive statistical cards is provided with a rotary step-by-step selector of which each denominational set of wheels is connected with the setting slides of the corresponding punches, the gears including wheels with a gap in the " 9 " position to return the slides to zero. The cards are fed from a magazine 8, Fig. 1, by a reciprocating picker 9, Fig. 7, between plates 18, and the punches 16 descend all together with the frame 14 which is reciprocated vertically by eccentrics 34. A punch is selected by a finger 23 on a slide 21, and there are as many slides 21 as rows of punches, the first row being units, the second tens, and so on. The slides descend with the punches and the latter come to rest on the card, except the selected punch which is forced into the card by the top plate 25. The selection is done by the stepby-step motion of racks 39 driven by gear wheels and ratchet wheels 44 driven by a common pawl 45 ; all the wheels 44 except the highest denomination have a deep tooth in the " 9 " position to advance the next higher wheel. The last gear wheel 43 in each train is without teeth over a part 47 corresponding to the " 9 " position, whereby wheel 42 is released and the rack 39 flies back by a spring. Pawl 45 is actuated by a member 54, Fig. 7, depressed by a cam 52 and carrying a sensing pin 50 which contacts with a card. If no card is present, member 54 is pulled up by a spring, turns a lever 59, and a pin 62 lifts an interposer 63. When a card is present, interposer 63 falls and a projection 67 thereon comes into the path of a projection 66 on the arm 10 which actuates the picker 9 and is oscillated by an eccentric 10<c>. The interposer is freely pivoted to a lever 65 oscillated by a rod 69, Figs. 1 and 7, crank 70, rod 72, arms 73, 75, and lever 77 carrying the pawl 45. The pawl is thus driven synchronously with the picker and counter. Counter.-The counter and control, Fig. 8, comprises a number of wheels, say two, 80, 81. Wheel 80 has a hundred teeth, with a deep tooth at "99 ". Wheel 81 has ten teeth and moves one tooth per revolution of the wheel 80, the pawl 82 being driven by an arm 90, crank 88, and lever 65. To stop the feed at the hundredth card, a pin 93 turns a latch 94 and releases a slide 106 which is then pulled upwards by a spring 103 and raises a stirrup 112 to lift the cards off the picker. The wheels 80 may be zeroized or set for the marking of any desired number of cards as indicated by a scale 96; the hundreds are shown on a scale 98 by an arm 97 on the wheel 81. The slide 106 may control a motor switch, and is reset by a key 113 ; when the slide rises, an arm 91 lifts pawl 82 and stops the counter. Other counters such as 115, Fig. 1, may be actuated by the arm 73, and numeral wheels 78 may be viewed through a window 79. In a modification, Figs. 9, 12 and 13, adapted for the machine described in Specification 328,255, in which the punches 16 are lifted by the card, the setting slides 121 are integral with the racks, and the interponents 126 slide freely in plates 127, 128. The pawl 45 is operated from the main shaft 200 by levers 202, 207, 209, 211. The sensing of the presence or absence of a card in the die plates 130 is effected by rollers 135, cranks 133, spring 136, arm 137, latches 138, 141 and finger 142 on the shaft 73<a> which operates the pawl 45 of the selector. The figures may also be printed on the cards by a machine such as that described in Specification 302,700, [Class 100 (ii)], and the punch mechanism may be as described in Specification 328,255, [Class 31 (ii)].