Patent GB-724257-A (GB)
Title: Recording apparatus
IPC: G01R11/00
Filed: 1952-12-11
Abstract: 724,257. Selective punching-apparatus. LANDIS & GYR AKT.-GES. Dec. 11, 1952 [Dec. 12, 1951], No. 31457/52. Class 31 (2). [Also in Group XIX] Recording apparatus is adapted to receive from a measuring instrument the value of an accumulating variable and at given time intervals to impress by means of perforations such value and a serial number on each of a succession of individual cards, sheets or like carrier members. Programme device. In the embodiment described the driving disc 63, Fig. 6, of an electrical instrument evaluates the values received by the recording apparatus and acts through a storage mechanism 64 on a perforating device 29-33 and on a printing device 65 to record successively in fifteen areas 1b of a card 1 the accumulated value in each period. The card 1 is located in successive recording positions by fifteen pins 70, Fig. 2, arranged one above another on bell-crank levers 74 attached to hooked tension rods 73 which, in successive time intervals, withdraw the pins 70 one by one from beneath the card 1 as they are drawn sideways against their springs 75 by studs 72 arranged helically on a drum 71 rotated by clockwork 36 controlled by an escapement 83, a locking bar 76 co-operating with spring latches 78 on each withdrawn rod 73. At the end of each interval, one of fifteen pegs 94, Fig. 7, on a disc 93 secured to the shaft of the drum 71 unlocks a latch 92 to allow a cam shaft 35a controlling value recording to be driven by the clockwork 36 through differential gears 88, 89, one sun wheel of the latter secured to a cam shaft 35 controlling serial number recording being locked by a latch 87. During, e.g. the fifth interval for each card a stud 86 on the drum 71 unlocks the latch 87 to allow the cam shaft 35 to be driven by the lockwork 36 through the differential gears 88, 89, the other sun wheel of the latter in driving connection with the cam shaft 35a being locked by the latch 92. After the fifteenth value is recorded and the last pin 70 withdrawn the card passes out of the apparatus and a stud 84, Fig. 2, on the drum 71 acts through levers to lift the locking bar 76 so that a series of recesses register with the latches 78 to free the rods'73 to return all the pins 70 into the card path ready to locate the next card 1. Then a stud 85 on the drum 71 acts through levers to rock toggle mechanism 9 to withdraw a projection 8 locating a card in position for serial number recording and allow the card to fall into value recording position determined by the pins 70. The same system of levers withdraws a catch 5 allowing clockwork 3 to drive counter wheels 18 one unit and a card magazine 2 a quarter revolution, causing a further card to fall into a funnel 6 and rest on the projection 8. Punching and printing. When the card 1 is in position for perforating the serial number in the space 1a it lies between two plates, Fig. 4, with corresponding arrays of guide holes 32 each in ten rows of five columns whose positions represent the ten possible digits in each denomination of a five-digit number so that combinations may be selected to represent any number from 1 to 99,999. Five punching pins 29 are carried by five rods 26 longitudinally slidable in a plate 25 and spring urged towards a bracket 28. The wheels 18 of tens counting mechanism 21 are toothed instead of bearing numerals and they are loosely rotatable on an outer shaft 22 with a notch 24 for operative connection with pawls 23 on each wheel 18. When the programming mechanism causes the cam shaft 35 to make a revolution with, e.g. the third card in numbering position all the pawls 23 will be in engagement with the notch 24 except that on the units wheel 18 which is displaced <SP>3</SP>/ 10  of a revolution and the following operations will take place. Firstly a cam 50 acts through rods 51 moving the plate 25 to put teeth along each rod 25 in mesh with their corresponding wheels 18 locking them while a cam 37 swings a toothed sector 41 to drive the shaft 22 one revolution and a cam 54 acts through rods 55 to swing the counting mechanism 21 free from the wheels 18, 19, then a cam 38 drives the sector 41 in reverse direction to turn the shaft 22 back one revolution at the same time driving through notch 24 and pawls 23 the wheels 18 which slide the rods 26 to bring the punching pins 29 in line with appropriate holes 32-with the third card in position lost motion between the units wheel 18 and shaft 22 will cause the top pin 29 to reach only the hole representing " 3 " while the others will all be driven to the end holes representing " 0." Upon further rotation of the cam shaft 35, cam 57 acts through rods 58 to move an impression plate 33 against the punching pins 29 to perforate the card, the pins having individual return springs which withdraw them when the plate 33 retracts. Finally, a cam 45 lifts the sector 41 free from meshing gears and allows the springs 27 to retract the rods 26 while still in mesh with the wheels 18 thus driving them back to their former positions registering the serial number. By the end of the revolution of the cam shaft 35 all parts have returned to their former positions. Similar means are provided for perforating the card 1 in the areas 1b in accordance with the values accumulated in each period when the cam shaft 35a is turned through a revolution with the exception that a further cam is provided to operate print impression means and the cam 45 is omitted so that the rods 26 are retracted after disengaging the wheels 18 which are therefore left registering zero at the beginning of each period. The card magazine may be replaced by means for feeding a strip and means for cutting the strip into individual cards before or after recording.