Patent GB-448445-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to record-card-controlled printing mechanism
IPC: G06K15/04
Filed: 1934-12-06
Abstract: 448,445. Statistical apparatus. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd., Victoria House, Vernon Place, Southampton Row, London. Dec. 6, 1934, No. 35087. Convention date, Dec. 8, 1933. [Class 106 (i)] Controlling printing of zeros.-In a record card controlled printing mechanism which may be arranged to print all zeros recorded on a card, the zero suppression mechanism controlling the printing of zeros corresponding to blank card columns may be rendered inoperative during the reading and printing from a card by means controlled by a special perforation on the card. The invention is described as embodied in the printing mechanism set forth in Specification 425,838, [Group XVI], in which each printing section comprises a type carrier 13 slidably carried in a bar 12. A spring 33 holds the type carrier 13 so that its lower end rests on the top of a slide 38 biassed by a spring 39 so that an abutment 40 thereon normally engages an abutment 1 on the bar 12. Alphabetical types 14 are arranged between the numeral types 14, two zero types 14a, 14b being provided, and the bar 12 is provided with teeth 15 which co-operate with a stop pawl 16 controlled by a magnet 20 and correspond in position to the numeral types. The setting of the alphabetical type, three of which are located between each pair of numerical type, is controlled by magnets 47, Fig. 1, which rock a lever 55 into the path of an extension 36 of the slide 38 which is thereby raised, relatively to the bar 12, one, two or three steps and held by a spring biassed latch 42 on bar 12 engaging one of the notches 43 in the slide. Circuit diagram. Each card is read first by upper brushes UB, Fig. 6, and then, one cycle later, by lower brushes LB, and is provided with " R ", " X " and " zero hole positions in addition to the " 9 " .... " 1 " hole positions. When the " R ", " X " and " zero " hole positions are being read by the upper brushes cam contacts 96 are closed so that magnets 47 may energize to set the corresponding slides 38 relative to the bars 12 which are elevated synchronously with the feed of the " nine " to " one " hole positions of the card past the lower brushes LB. During this latter time cam contacts 99 are closed so that magnets 20 may energize to lock their respective bars 12 with the appropriate types in line with the platen 10. The setting of the alphabetical type by the magnets 47 is dependent on the energization of a magnet 70, under the control of cam contacts 72. For numerical printing, therefore, a switch 71 is opened to prevent actuation of magnet 70. Each bar 12 has a projection 92 coacting with a pivotal lever 90 to actuate zero suppression mechanism, as described in Specification 372,365,. and shown in Fig. 1. Thus if a particular column is blank or punched " zero " (switch 71 being open) the bar 12 rises until an abutment 77 on it engages a frame member 78, Fig. 4, the zero type 14a is brought into printing line, the lever 90 is rocked and whether or not " zero " is printed is determined by the zero suppression mechanism. If switch 71 is closed for alphabetical printing, and a " zero " hole is read, the type carrier 13, Fig. 2, is raised three steps relative to the bar 12 and the latter is raised until the projection 36 on the slide 38 engages a frame member 80. The zero type 14b is positioned in the printing line and since the projection 92 on the bar 12 engages but does not rock the lever 80, a zero is printed, irrespective of the suppression mechanism. Adjusting mechanism. Since for alphabetical printing, zero is printed whenever a " zero" hole is read, columns for which no printing is desired are left blank and to prevent a zero being printed corresponding to these columns as shown in Fig. 4, adjusting mechanism is provided, comprising a bar 103, common to all the printing sections, adapted to be rocked from the normal position shown in Fig. 2, to that shown in Fig. 3 under the control of a special hole in the " R " position of a predetermined column of a card. When this hole is read by an upper brush UB, cam contacts 116 are closed to energize a magnet 115 which locks over its lower winding and contacts 114, in series with a magnet 110 which rocks the bar 103 to its operative position and is maintained energized over cam contacts 113 while the card is read by the lower brushes. The bar 12 rises until its projection 77 engages the bar 103, Fig. 3, in which position no type is positioned at the printing line so that the hammer 81 when released rocks between the types as shown and no printing is effected.