Patent GB-851421-A (GB)
Title: Production control systems
Inventor: KOHLER CHARLES FREDERICK
IPC: G07C3/04
Filed: 1958-04-08
Abstract: 851,421. Recording output &c. of machines; counters. HANCOCK INDUSTRIES Inc. April 8, 1958, No. 11085/58. Classes 106 (1) and 106 (4). A system for supervising a number of machines from a central station comprises means at the central station, actuated upon the assignment of a workman to a machine, for registering and recording the productive time and idle time of the workman and the number of parts operated upon by the machine. Signal lamps at the machine and at the central station show the operative condition of the machine and of the whole plant at any time. The signal lamps may give a flashing indication when the prescribed number of parts has been made or when a machine breaks down, and the idle and productive times of replacement workmen taking over machines during the course of a run may be separately registered. When a workman has been assigned to a specified machine a plug 25, Fig. 1, is inserted in a jack such as 17 on a board 11 at the central station and a card 18 with details of the work is placed opposite the jack. Insertion of the plug lights a green lamp 27, Fig. 2, at the machine. Productive time register 19, idle time register 21 and part counter 22 are set to zero and balance counter 23, which counts downwards, is set to the required number of parts, by inserting into a slot 26 a stick 145, Fig. 7, with a friction surface 146 which turns the counter wheels. The productive time register 19 then begins to indicate the time for which the workman will receive full pay. As the parts are manufactured switch means on the machine actuates the parts counter 22 and the balance counter 23. When the required number of parts has been made the balance counter actuates a switch to cause the green lamps to flash, and the workman may then be assigned to another machine or provided with another parts order. If he is re-assigned his plug is placed in the appropriate other jack. If the machine breaks down or the supply of material fails the operator throws a help switch 29 at the machine which lights flashing red lamps 16, 28 at the central station and the machine respectively, and a foreman is sent to the machine. If the trouble is remedied quickly the workman throws back the help switch, but if the cause of the delay is a major one the foreman inserts a key and operates an idle time switch at the machine to de-energise the productive time register 19, energise the idle time register 21 and cause both the red lamps 16, 28. to glow steadily. Both the parts counters are also stopped so that movements of the machine during repair and set-up will not be registered. The red and green lamps glowing steadily will thus indicate that a workman is assigned to a machine which is not in production and appropriate steps may be taken to re-assign him. Audible signals may be provided by bells in parallel with the lamps. Recording.-A recorder at the central station has a separate pen for each machine operated by the switch on the machine which actuates the parts counters. Each pen passes from line 156, Fig. 10, to line 157 for each working stroke of the machine so as to trace out thick markings 158 while the machine is working. Set-up and repair manipulations are indicated by the irregular markings 159. A modification is described for a series of machines performing successive operations on identical parts in which a single master indicator is provided at the central station together with auxiliary indicator sets each comprising only the productive and idle time counters and the parts counter, to provide for replacement workmen on each machine.