Patent GB-672339-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to record card controlled printing machines
IPC: B41L45/00
Filed: 1950-01-31
Abstract: 672,339. Typewriters &c. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd. Jan. 31, 1950 [Feb. 3, 1949], No. 2496/50. Class 100 (iv). [Also in Group XIX] A machine for multi-line printing controlled by a record having several data-bearing parts wherein the sensing means simultaneously senses all parts of the record and repeatedly senses it during successive machine cycles, while the printing means progressively (under the control of the record), prints line by line (during successive machine cycles) data derived directly from different parts of the record, and' line number control means is operable under control of the record to determine the number of lines to be printed. Fig. 18 shows a. master card bearing data such as name and address and city in three portions A, B, C. A sensing brush 12 makes contact through a hole in this position to condition the machine for multiline printing by successive cycles of machine operation. The number of cycles and lines printed depending upon the position of a punched hole 1, 2 or 3. immediately below the brush 12, a following detail card lacking the punched hole 12 will be sensed and printed once on one line of type only. Feeding means.-The cards are fed through an analysing mechanism of the type described in Specification 623,283, [Group XIX], having three stations namely, pre-sensing, control, and adding printing control stations to which the card is fed in succession by a reciprocating carriage, the cards remaining stationary at each station until gripping means is operated to engage the cards, at the end of the number of cycles of analysing and printing to which the machine has been conditioned by the control brushes 12 and 1, 2, 3 (Fig. 18). Cards are fed from the stack 25 by a picker 59 (Fig. 3) via feed rollers 50, 51, and the pre-sensing stations to the two analysing stations where the data are collected by brushes 162 and rotary commutator brushes 165 mounted on shafts 30 and 43. From the third station the cards are delivered to the stacker drum 70 and returned to the stack 23. Printing mechanism.-The machine is preferably provided with alphabet type and the impulses transmitted by the commutators select such type so as to print numerals or letters making up words or abbreviations for printing each line derived from the card being analysed. The printing mechanism is described in Specification 605,132. The alphabet type are selected by impulses according to the code shown in Fig. 15. The particular O, X and R impulse determines which of the several types of a group selected by an impulse 1-9 will be printed. For example, if the impulse " 2 " and no pilot impulse is utilised i.e. either the O, X or R impulse, the digit " 2 " will be printed, if an impulse is also at O such impulse will select the type S, if the X impulse type K will be selected and if the R impulse type B will be selected. Each 1-9 impulse selects a group of three letters and a numeral type, the alphabet type selection is provided for by taking printing impressions before the time a numeral type would have been printed and this is effected under control of the O, X and R impulses. If the impulse is 9 alone a printing wheel 360 (Fig. 9a) will be rotated counter clockwise until the 9 type is at the printing line and then the printing wheel 360 will be rocked to effect the printing impression. If the R impulse is applied the printing wheel will be rocked earlier than for printing the digit 9 to take an imprint from the I type. The X impulse will rock the printing wheel 360 still earlier to print R and the impulse O will similarly print Z. Operation.-The invention is directed to address printing on bills or statements having multiple lines of numerical information printed from detail cards without resorting to separate cards for each line of the address and without record controlled storage devices, i.e. under the control of a single record card. The lines of the address may be printed in any sequence by varying plug connections 510, 511, 512 where they terminate at line 1, line 2 and line 3 plug sockets 513, 514 and 515 (Fig. 17c). As is shown in Fig. 18, the preparation which is to select and determine the number of lines of printing is placed in the same column as that which conditions the machine for multi-line printing and when the master card is analysed at the second reading station the sensing commutator will transmit a differentially timed impulse according to whether there is a supplemental hole at the 3, 2, or 1 index point position which selects the corresponding number of lines of printing. In the example there is a perforation at the 3 index point so that it is only during the third multiple line reading cycle that a circuit is effective to terminate multiple line reading and printing operations. From the plug socket 504 of the second reading station associated with the column having this line number control, a plug connection 535 is made (Fig. 17b) which terminates atthe stop plug socket 536 (Fig. 17d). The circuit from the plug socket 536 is completed only during the third multiple line reading cycle, through cam contacts CR 98 which are timed to close when the " 3 " index point position is analysed, thence through the R25-4 relay contacts which close during the third multiple line reading cycle, the pick up coil of the R29 relay, wire 527 to the line 273. A hold circuit for the R29 relay is completed through the " a " hold contacts and CF11. Cam contacts to line 272 R29 relay opens the R29-2 relay contacts so as to de-energize the R30 interlock relay but the final' de-energisation of the R30 relay is controlled by the F12 cam contact and de-energize the R30 relay at 150 degrees of the third multiple line reading and printing cycle. Referring to Fig. 17a the closure of the R30-2 relay contacts enables the card gripper clutch magnet 153 (Fig. 4) to be energized at the normal time i.e. 1650. The grippers now feed the master card from the second reading station to the stacker drum, the card (master or detail) at the first reading station to the second reading station and the card (master or detail) at the pre-sensing station to the first reading station. An impulse will be directed to the card picker clutch magnet 64 (Fig. 3) which will cause a card to be delivered from the magazine to the pre-sensing station. The type of ensuing operation will then be determined by the type of card which is analysed. If a second master card follows, the control for multiline printing will be reinitiated, if a detail card follows there will be a single line of printing under control of such card. Specification 315,881, [Class 106 (i)], also is referred to.