Patent GB-728272-A (GB)
Title: Statistical record card data conversion apparatus
IPC: G06F3/08
Filed: 1953-04-24
Abstract: 728,272. Statistical apparatus; digital electric calculating-apparatus. BURRELL, W. P., COHEN, A. A., and HARDENBERGH, G. A. April 24, 1953 [April 29, 1952], No. 11348/53. Class 106(1). Statistical record cards of the wellknown type shown in Fig. 1 are passed through a conversion apparatus which senses the punched holes or other data representing marks by means of a row of brushes and samples the brushes electrically. Electrical voltage pulses representing data on the card thus obtained, are recorded serially on a magnetic drum or similar magnetic storage device for use in an electronic computor if desired, and may later be reproduced from magnetic storage and employed to reproduce the punched card pattern on a fresh card by means of a known card punch controlled by the output from the magnetic drum. Fig. 3 shows the layout of the card sensing and reproducing punch apparatus of known form driven by a motor 43 and onerevolution clutch 44 in known manner. A commutator 45 is positively driven in synchronism with the card feed by the gear drive indicated by dotted lines in the Figure. Fig. 2 shows in block diagram form the layout of the apparatus in which record cards 8 are passed under a card reader 10, the information obtained is passed to a serializer 12 and thence to the magnetic drum termed a card assembly revolver. This latter item is shown with input and output devices 22, 18, so that the information stored therein may be passed to data processing equipment 20 if desired, which does not form part of the present invention. Information may be withdrawn from the card assembly revolver (magnetic storage) and passed to the staticizer 24 and thence to the card punch 26 producing output cards 28. The layout of the apparatus is shown in Fig. 7. The brushes 34 are arranged to be in contact with the conducting roller 35 for approximately 40 milliseconds, while the brush 48 of the card reader and punch, Fig. 3, is connected to energize a relay coil 204 to operate a relay arm 206 so that potential is applied to the roller 35 for approximately 8 milliseconds of the 40 milliseconds mentioned above. Each of the bushes 34 is connected to feed one of eighty diode networks 208 which are normally biased so that no output will be produced on output lines 210, if no contact is made through the brushes 34 to roller 35. There are 80 lines 212 each feeding one of the diode networks 208. Therefore, as the column pulse distributer applies enabling pulses to the lines 212 beginning with C80 and proceeding towards C1 an output pulse will appear on lines 210 for each of the brushes 34 which contact roller 35, thus resulting in the sampling of each brush in sequence. The output pulses of the diode networks are collected in groups of ten by additional diode networks 214. The collected outputs of the networks 214 are collected to a common output line 216 which is connected to a first gate 218. The function of the pulse generator 220 is to produce one pulse each time the positive enabling potential appears on roller 35. The pulse generator 220 is provided with a series of timing pulses from the track 122 of the magnetic drum, Fig. 5. Accordingly, for every discrete enabling signal on line 219 only one timing pulse will be permitted to pass to an output line 242. Accordingly, if a row of apertures is beneath the brushes 34 and relay 204 is energized, the next occurring timing marker pulse will give rise to a simultaneous pulse on line 242. This pulse is applied to a revolver control element 244 to place a marker pulse in this revolver element. Since the revolver track and timing tracks are on the second drum, the just written marker pulse will be aligned with one of the timing spots on track 122. The pulse on line 242 will also be applied over branch lines 242<1> to enable a group of twelve gates 246 (a)-246 (l). The gates are each provided with a second enable connected to one of the brushes 49 associated with the card reader and punch commutator 45, Fig. 3. Therefore, when the 12's row of the card is under the brushes 34 the first of a group of lines 245a-245l will enable gate 246 (a) and so on for 11th, 10th row &c. When gate 246 is opened a single timing pulse on line 2421 will be applied over line 248 (a) to cause a flip-flop circuit 250 (a) to be set. Flip-flop 250 (a) enables line 252 (a) which in turn opens gate 256 (a) so that a series of pulses available on line 216 will pass through gate 218, and through an amplifying and shaping circuit 263 and then through gate 256 (a) to be recorded on the drum track. This process is continued until the entire card data is recorded on the drum with the card assembly revolver elements 262 (a)-262 (l) aligned across the drum. Specifications 442,534, 555,995, [both in Group VIII], and U.S.A. Specification 2,540,654 are referred to.