Patent GB-657553-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for reproducing recorded data
IPC: H04M15/04
Filed: 1948-01-23
Abstract: 657,553. Statistical apparatus. WESTERN ELECTRIC CO., Inc. Jan. 23, 1948, No. 2128. Convention date, Jan. 29, 1947. [Class 106 (i)] In an apparatus for reproducing data entries arranged on a primary record carrier in the form of intelligence-bearing characters, the characters are sensed by a recording device which controls the reproduction of selected entries on secondary record carriers by associated recording devices, the reading device being connected to one or more selected recording devices as directed by one or more of the intelligence-bearing characters in each entry. The apparatus described comprises an electrical circuit (only a small part of which is shown) consisting primarily of relays and switches for sorting and reproducing data represented by perforations on a record tape and relating to calls passing through an automatic telephone office or exchange. The data are reproduced on one of a number of other tapes in a more convenient order to be sensed by apparatus (not described) for computing changes to be made to subscribers. Some data is reproduced on all tapes. Record tape. Entries are recorded on the tape by one or more transverse lines of perforations representing digits. The A digit, Fig. 24A, ranges from 1 to 3 represented by a single perforation, and the B to F digits range from 0 to 9 and are each represented by two perforations in a two-out-of-five code. The perforations are really staggered and not aligned as shown. For each call there is recorded a single line answer entry and disconnect entry, Fig. 24B, and an initial entry which may be two lines, Fig. 24C, or four lines for a long-distance call where more details are needed to calculate the amount to be charged. An entry is also recorded at the beginning of each hour, Fig. 24E. Other special entries are described below. The perforations may be formed by the machine described in Specification 610,413, [Group VIII]. General operation. The apparatus is designed to sort and reproduce the call entries on the record tape on other tapes according to the number of the trunk or district over which the call is made-represented by the E and F digits in the first or bottom line of the initial entry, Fig. 24C. The entries are sorted in turn according to the values of the F and E digits (first and second district sort respectively), relay FDS or SDS, Figs. 17 and 22, being operated accordingly. A perforation in the record tape causes a corresponding pair of electric contacts AA ... FE, Fig. 1, of a reader to be made to prepare circuits for corresponding punch magnets AAM ... FEM, Fig. 15, of one of ten perforators for ten reproducing tapes. The perforator is selected by a register S, Fig. 22, comprising five relays SA ... SE, two of which are operated corresponding to the E or F digit being sensed, to complete a circuit to one of the sets of selecting relays (POA, FOB, POC), ... (P9A, P9B, P9C). The manner in which each entry is reproduced depends on the value of the A and sometimes also the B and C digit which cause operation of associated relays in a control circuit. A counter is provided for the number of times the apparatus is unsuccessful in reproducing a record, e.g. due to the failure of a punch magnet. Reader. The record tape is sensed by pins which during part of each revolution of a motordriven shaft 9, Fig. 1, enter the perforations, thus closing the corresponding contacts AA ... FE. The shaft also has cams which control auxiliary contacts C1 ... C11 which close some in and some out of phase with the reader contacts. The tape is mounted on a drum which is rotated by a pawl-andratchet on each release of a magnet STP under the control of contacts C8. The drum is, in addition, rotated by a motor-operated cam if the magnet is not energized. A " check " relay (not shown) is connected in series with each pair of reader contacts so that if the correct number (11) of perforations are not sensed, further operations are suspended and an alarm is given. By operating key RLP, Fig. 1, the operator can complete a circuit for relays (not shown) which extend the reader contacts to lamps to indicate the perforations being sensed at any time. During the first district sort, the record tape is inserted in the reader in reverse, as shown in Fig. 1, correct connections to the control circuit being established by the operation of relay RFD, Fig. 4. Record-reproduction control circuit. The manner in which the apparatus deals with each entry, and the perforator or perforators to which it is sent for reproduction, are determined by the values of the A, B and C digits, each of the associated contacts AA ... CE being connected to a relay (Fig. 17 showing relays C1A .. C1E for the C digit). For the entry of Fig. 24B, the A digit, 2, causes a simple reproduction of the record by the selected perforator. The reader stepping magnet STP is held operated until a similar stepping magnet PAM, for the perforator, has been operated, the magnets then being released one after the other under the control of contacts C8, C11 respectively to step their respective tape drums. For the entry of Fig. 24C, the A digit 3 in the first line, causes a similar reproduction of the record but, in addition, causes operation of a " memory " relay which ensures that the supplementary line of the entry (with A digit 1) is reproduced by the same perforator. At the same time, the B digit 1 causes operation of a delay relay which determines when the " memory " relay shall be released. When an initial entry has more than one supplementary line a different delay relay is operated which starts operation of a group of relays forming a line counter. For the regular hour entry, Fig. 24E, the A digit 3, and B digit 8, cause earth to be applied from contacts C9 to the conductor 151, Fig. 17, leading to the C digit register. As the C digit is 1, relays C1A, C1D are operated, thus extending the circuit via conductor 152 to an allperforators selection relay (not shown) which cause operation of stepping switches to effect reproduction of the entry successively by all ten perforators. Operation of the circuit for other special record entries is described below. Special record entries. Where it is desired to cut the record tape, five entries are recorded, Fig. 25, on either side of a large group of identical entries forming a " splice pattern." Of the five " end-of-tape " entries, the hour, day and month entries are reproduced as described above for the regular hour entry. The E and F digits of the " marker group entry identify the building of origin, and the control circuit is such that these must agree with the marker group number inserted manually in the apparatus if the sensing is to proceed. Thus the allperforators selection relay can only be operated through a checking circuit from conductor 190, Fig. 17, to which the conductor 151 is connected when the C digit is 4. The E and F digits of the " district frame " entry identify the particular perforator which produced the record on the tape. In the present apparatus, provision is made for twenty district frames within each marker group. Normally the tapes for different district frames are sensed in order of the frame numbers by being either separately inserted in the apparatus of spliced together in that order. Lamps are provided to indicate the current district frame number and the all-perforators selection relay is operated through a checking circuit including stepping switches which ensure that the frame numbers are in the correct order, this circuit being operated via conductor 10, Fig. 17, to which the conductor 151 is connected when the C digit is 0. A district frame can be sensed out of turn by manually operating keys. The splice pattern entries, across which the tape may be cut and joined to other tapes, are sensed after the operation of a special key which operates a relay to cause the A digit, 1, to be registered as 3, and to cause the conductor 10 to be connected directly to conductor 152 and the all-perforators selection relay, so that the splice pattern is reproduced on all tapes. To prevent the splice pattern being reproduced except for the beginning and end of a series of tapes joined together, a " skip splice " entry causes conductor 151, Fig. 17, to be connected via conductor 170 (the C digit being 6) to a skipping relay which releases the magnet STP which thereby causes step-by-step movement of the record tape under the control of contacts C8 until the next marker group entry is reached, when reproduction of the entries recommences as described above. The skip splice entry can be rendered ineffective by a manually-operated key. The following other entries may also be provided: (a) Cancel entry, " 387000," which is placed on the record tape if an initial entry is not perfectly recorded. The C digit 7 will cause conductor 151, Fig. 17, to be connected via conductor 166 to a relay which operates a lamp. When the operator sees this lamp he can advance the tape past the faulty entry either one line at a time or automatically all at once, by operating one of two keys. (b) Cancel charge entry, " 389000," which is entered on all the reproducing tapes if a perfect initial entry becomes subsequently mutilated so that the correct number of check relays corresponding to the reader contacts is not operated. The operation of the apparatus is then automatically stopped and an alarm given (as described below) upon which the operator restores the control circuit to normal by means of " release " keys, and operates a " locking " key which completes circuits to the appropriate check relays for reproducing the digits 389000, the appropriate relays of the A, B and C registers also being operated so that earth is supplied to conductor 151 which is connected via conductor 152 to the all-perforators selection relay as described above. When the entry has been reproduced the operator restores the apparatus to its operative condition