Patent GB-393282-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to record-card-controlled statistical machines
Filed: 1931-11-30
Abstract: 393,282. Statistical machines. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd., Victoria House, Vernon Place, Southampton Row, London. Nov. 30, 1931, No. 33136. Convention date, Dec. 1, 1930. [Class 106 (i).] Adding and subtracting.-A record-card-controlled statistical machine of the type comprising card-reading means, a balance counter, and a translator which registers an amount from a card during one card cycle and transmits the complement to the counter during the next cycle, the counter being connectible to the card-reading means or to the translator according to whether the amount on the card is positive or negative respectively, is characterized in that the translator is constituted by a counter which has reading-out mechanism which reads out the complement of the amount on this counter. The invention is described as applied to a machine of the kind set out in Specification 247,200, [Class 106 (1), Calculating &c.], the reading-out mechanism being of the kind set out in Specification 356,304. The grouped cards are read by upper brushes UB and lower brushes LB co-operating with circuits 10, 11 tabulator motor TM, reset motor RM, and group control contacts GC. The credit balance counter C and debit balance counter D have counter magnets 14, 15 and printer magnets 117. The translator is constituted by counters A and B (two are used for use during alternate cycles) having reading-out mechanism A<1>, B<1> co-acting with emitter 36. A double-brush 32 geared to each counter wheel of A or B rests on a segment 31 according to the number standing on the counter, these segments being connected to the brushes 40 marked " 8 " .. " 0." The conducting spots 39 of emitter 36, which is rotated by the motor TM in synchronism with the card reading, are connected to a common ring 38 and are marked " 9 " .. " 1 " corresponding to brushes 40 marked " 0 " to " 8 " respectively. The zero brush 40 will engage the " 9 " spot 39 at the nine time in the cycle, the " 1 " brush 40 will meet the " 8 " spot 39 at the eight time and so on. Thus contact will be made at brushes 40 and spots 39 at such a time as to transmit from emitter 36 the complement of the amount on the counter. As it is unnecessary to transmit zero impulses, " 0 " spot 39 and " 9 " segments 31 are omitted. Relay 19 controls contacts 16 .. 18 and is energized by cam contacts 20, 21 driven by a half-speed shaft 25 from motor TM, so that contacts 20 are only closed every other cycle. Contacts 16 connect with upper brushes UB, contacts 17 with counter magnets 12 of counter A, and contacts 18 with counter magnets 13 of counter B. Thus the upper brushes are connected in alternate cycle to counters A and B. Relay 44 controls contacts 41 .. 43 and is energized by cam contacts 45, 46 every other cycle. Relays 19 and 44 are energized in the same cycles. As shown, contacts 42, 43 connect the reading-out device B<1> of counter B to line 69. When relay 44 is energized, contacts 41, 43 connect the reading-put device A<1> to line 69. Thus while a counter A or B is connected to brushes UB the reading-out device of the other counter is connected to line 69 to transmit a complement. A card bearing an amount to be subtracted is punched in the " X " or " 11 " position of a certain column. The upper brush for this column is plugged to socket X, Fig. 2, in series with contacts 97, 98 which are closed when this " X " hole position passes the brush. This energizes a relay 99 which holds itself energized at contacts 100. If an " X " hole is thus read, contacts 98, 102 close at the beginning of the next card cycle to complete a circuit 101, 100, 98, 102, 71, 96 which persists until the end of the adding portion of the cycle, whereupon contact 101 opens just before the " X " hole position is again read. Relay 71 controls contacts 72 .. 75, 78, 79 connected to lower brushes LB and sockets 76, 77. The contacts as shown in Fig. 2 are in the positions with relay 71 de-energized. Sockets 77 are connected to sockets 78<1> of credit balance counter C and sockets 76 to sockets 791 of debit counter D. Thus the lower brushes LB will enter the amount from the card direct on to counter D or C (according to whether relay 71 is energized or not) whilst a complement is transmitted from reading-out device A<1> or Bl. Fugitive one arrangement. The amounts read out by the emitter 36 are nines complements of the amounts read at the upper brushes. To get the true complement, tbe transfer mechanism of the units wheels of counters C and D respectively are controlled by magnets 91, 80 respectively. If the card being read at the upper brushes contains a positive amount, magnet 96 is unenergized and when the same card reaches the lower brushes, contacts 95 close and, through contacts 94, 92, energize relay 80, which will render operative the tens transfer of the units wheel of counter D and at the end of the adding cycle this wheel is rotated to add the fugitive one. If the card hole " X " is present (- ve amount) magnet 96 is energized, opening contacts 94, 92 and closing contacts 94, 93 to energize relay 91 which adds the fugitive one to counter C. Zeroizing-mechanism.-The counters A, B are re-set alternately in the cycles after reading-out has been effected from them. Main shaft 22, Fig. 3, driven from motor TM and driving a shaft 37 for each counter, is geared by wheels 23, 24 to the half-speed shaft 25 carrying cams 21, 46 and is geared by wheels 47, 49 to a shaft 50. The counter-wheels of each counter are mounted on a shaft 674 having a resetting gear 673 for effecting zeroizing in a known manner. The resetting gear 673 of each counter A and B meshes with a wheel 672 on a shaft coaxial with shaft 50. When a magnet 63 (counter A) is energized, members 55, 57 are engaged to clutch the shaft carrying the gear 672 to the shaft 50 to effect resetting. A second clutch controlled by magnet 64 similarly resets counter B. The wheels 672 may be coupled to their respective shafts by the known manual zero button clutches. The contacts 65, 66 are closed by cams 67, 68 in alternate cycles to energize the magnets 63, 64. Magnet 64 is energized when magnets 19, 44 are de-energized.