Patent GB-871547-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for merging cards into a single stack
Inventor: NELSON ALFRED M
Filed: 1958-01-24
Abstract: 871,547. Record card collators. MAGNAVOX CO. Jan. 24, 1958, No. 2410/58. Class 106 (1). A record card collating machine comprises two input stacks 12, 14, Fig. 1, from which cards may be taken one at a time by suction drums 18, 16, and transferred to a central suction drum 20 the cards being passed from drum 20 either to a reservoir drum 22 or to a drum 24 for stacking in the output stack 174. A card on drum 22 "waits" for the next card to be forwarded from a stack and one or the other passes to the output stack according to the comparison between their data values, another card then being forwarded from the input stacks. Card transport drums.-Each of the drums consists of two circular side plates and two flanged rings between them forming a hollow body with slits opening on the periphery of the drum. The inside of the drum is connected to a vacuum pump so that cards brought into contact with the drum tend to adhere to it. The cards of the input stack 12 rest on table 15 and are urged against the periphery of the associated drums but are normally prevented from leaving the stack by a gate 95 mounted on an arm 92. The arm is rotated by energization of a coil 102 so as to release the end card for movement with the drum. A throat member 88 allows only one card to leave the stack. A card carried on drum 16 is stripped off and transferred to the central drum 20 by a blade 116 which has fingers engaging in the slots of drum 16. Cards from stack 14 are similarly released when coil 114 is energized and are transferred to drum 20 by blade 118. As the cards on drum 20 pass under sensing station 122 magnetic reading heads sense four separate tracks. A spring-loaded deflector 130 has three positions. In the position shown in Fig. 1, coil 168 being energized, it separates a card from drum 20 and causes it to transfer to drum 22. In a central or neutral position it has no effect upon cards travelling on either drum and in the third position, due to the energization of coil 170, it engages in the slits of drum 22 so as to transfer a card on it to the central drum 20. A card on drum 20 reaching blade 172 is transferred to drum 24 and deposited in the output stack 174. Operation.-The circuit shown in Figs. 7 and 8 controls the card-selecting coils 102, 114 and the deflector coils 168, 170, thereby determining the stack from which a card shall be selected and the order in which the cards on the drums shall pass to the output stack. The top three tracks on card 10, Fig. 7, represent binary denominations while the bottom track carries clock marks. The column of data upon which the collation is to be made is selected by setting switches in a selector 220. As the record moves past the sensing heads the clock track sends pulses to a binary counter 222 and the other tracks send their data to flip-flops 190- 194. When the selected column is reached the value in the counter 222 is the same as that in the selector and comparator 218 gives an output to open gates 206-216. This allows the data in flip-flops 190-194 to pass to two groups of And gates 246-256 and 270-280 of which one group or the other is opened by alternately set flip-flops 258 or 282. According to which of these is set the data from flip-flops 190-194 is registered in flip-flops 260-264 or 284-288. The next card to pass under the sensing station is read in the same way the data being registered in the other set of flipflops. The data in the two sets is compared in comparator 266 to give a " high " indication on lead 287, Fig. 8, or a " low " indication on lead 289. If the first card has a value of " 2 " in the selected data column this value is entered in the flip-flops 284-288 because flipflop 282 is set (by circuitry shown in Fig. 8). The flip-flops 260-264 contain the value "0" and accordingly a " high " output is given on line 287 of the comparator which sets the flipflop 290. The left output of this flip-flop is applied to And gates 292, 294 one of which, 294, is enabled by a signal from flip-flop 296. The output from And gate 294 passes through Or gate 306 to set flip-flop 312 which is then reset by the same signal delayed in delay line 314. The output of flip-flop 312 fires a tube 316 to allow current to flow from a source through coil 170. Energization of coil 170 displaces the deflector 130 away from drum 20 so that a card on drum 22 is transferred to the drum 20. The delay 314 is sufficient to allow any card on drum 22 to return to drum 20 but is insufficient to allow a card on drum 20 to reach the deflector 130. The delayed signal in delay line 314 is further delayed to give a card on the drum 20 time to pass from the sensing heads to the deflector 130. This delayed signal is used to set flip-flop 328 which fires tube 330 and energizes coil 168. Deflector 130 accordingly moves into contact with drum 20 to transfer a card thereon to drum 22. The coil is then de-energized by the signal through delay line 326 leaving the card on drum 22. The deflector returns to its neutral position. The signal from gate 294 passes via gate 298 to set flip-flops 258 (see Fig. 7) and 299. The latter causes tube 340 to fire and momentarily energizes coil 102 thereby pivoting bar 92 away from drum 16 to allow another card to leave stack 12 and pass via drum 16 to drum 20. Flip-flop 296 is also set by the signal from Or gate 306 and cuts off gates 294, 304 and enables gates 292, 302. The new card reaches the sensing station and its data say " 1 " is set up in flop-flops 190-194 as before. Since flipflop 258 is now set this value passes to flip-flops 260-264 and is compared with the value " 2 " in the other set. The comparison is still high and again gives an output on line 287 to set flip-flop 296. The signal passing through gate 292 is not applied to flip-flop 296 which accordingly remains unset and the deflector is not operated as in the previous case. The card on drum 22 therefore continues to circulate and the card on drum 20 passes to drum 24 and thence to the stack 174. However the signal from gate 292 passes through Or gate 298 again to set flip-flops 258 and 299. The latter again energizes coil 102 to select another card from stack 12. This new card is sensed and the data, say, "3," again passes to flip-flops 260-264. Since the value " 2 " in the other set 284-288 is less than this the comparator gives an output on line 289 which resets the flip-flop 290. The right-hand output from this flop-flop passes via gates 302, 306, 300 and 313 to reset flipflop 296. The signal from gate 306 also sets flipflop 312 which as before energizes coil 170 for a short interval to pivot the deflector 130 against drum 22. This transfers the card from drum 22 to drum 20 whence it passes to the output stack 174. The delayed signal setting flipflop 328 then causes coil 168 to energize and the deflector transfers the card on drum 20 to drum 22. Deflector then returns to the neutral position. The signal from gate 302 through gate 310 passes to reset flip-flops 258, 299, and also to set flip-flops 282 and 303. The latter fires tube 346 to energize coil 114 thereby selecting the next card from stack 14. As this card is sensed the data, say "5," is entered into flip-flops 284-288 since flip-flop 282 is now set and a " high " comparison signal will be produced on line 287. This in turn allows flipflop 312 to be set which, as before, causes the card on drum 22 to transfer to drum 20 and thence to the output stack. Subsequent energization of coil 168 transfers the " 5 " value card to drum 22 to wait for the sensing of the next card the data of which is compared and the comparison determines which card shall pass next to the output stack. If two cards have the same value the circuit responds as though the value in the lower set of flip-flops was less than that in the upper set. Specifications 871,551 and 871,552 are referred to.