Patent GB-489488-A (GB)
Title: A machine for completing interest or dividend notices and warrants and other documents
IPC: G06F7/46
Filed: 1936-10-27
Abstract: 489,488. Calculating-apparatus; statistical-apparatus; typewriters. DAVIES, A. E. Oct. 27, 1936, No. 29205. [Class 106 (i)] [Also in Group XVI] A calculating and printing machine for the purpose of completing interest or dividend warrants and counterfoils, utility company statements, or other business documents comprises means for printing identification data from printing plates fed through the machine and calculating mechanism for computing the product of numerical data constituting a multiplicand, such as a number of shares, and a multiplier, such as a dividend rate and wherein the calculating mechanism includes a plurality of co-operable devices arranged to control the operation of a product accumulator, the co-operable devices being first settable to potentially establish a plurality of circuits to set up directly all the multiples of the multiplier and secondly the potentially established circuits are selectively rendered operative under control of the means for entering the multiplicand. The co-operating devices described include a plurality of movable contacts which are manually set up to close circuits to the accumulator mechanism. The machine described feeds printing and control plates Y1, Fig. 3, to a sensing station where one of the factors (multiplicand) of the computation, such as the amount of stock, is ascertained in each cycle of the machine from a perforated card on the control plate. The sensing fingers are electrically connected, through a synchronizer or commutator drum 86, to a multiplier selecting mechanism 495 constituted by an electrical circuit arrangement, with circuits representing pre-computed products which are selected, denomination by denomination, in accordance with the manual set-up of the various multiples of the other factor (multiplier), under control of the digits of the first factor and transmitted to an accumulator unit 359. The accumulator may be designed to indicate or print the result, but, as shown, it is utilized to control a proportionating apparatus 1399, comprising an electrical network, whereby when the rate of tax is set-up, the gross amount of dividend, the total tax, and the net amount of dividend may be obtained, under control of the synchronizer and transmitted to corresponding accumulators 520 with type wheels for printing the amounts on sheets S. The accumulator associated with the net amount is also used to control the operation of a word printing mechanism. The sheets S are fed along tapes F from a supply magazine and are arrested at various printing stations ; at the first position a platen Pb is operated to produce the impression T1, Fig. 3a, from the net accumulator wheels 520 ; at the second position both platens Pb, Pc are operated to produce the impression T2 ; at the third position the sheet moves on to a platform 618 where the word printing apparatus is operated ; at the fourth position the sheet is placed under platens Pd, Pe which are operated to impress the identification particulars, such as, the registered number and the amount of stock as well as the name and address. The machine may be arranged to operate on a " no tax " basis, or to produce a single " bankers " warrant for a plurality of different accounts. An additional accumulator may be provided to obtain a grand total of a complete series of operations. The various parts are reset at appropriate times during the cycles of operation, and while the various amounts are being printed the succeeding control plate is being sensed and the new product selection is being effected. Printing and control devices. These devices may be similar to those described in Specification 489,411, [Group XVI], and are fed through the machine in a step by step manner by means such as described in Specification381,273, [Group XVI]. Each device as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, comprises a metallic frame 74 carrying an embossed printing plate 75 and a perforated control card 77 of insulating material. The card has perforations to represent the amount of stock and other perforations to effect certain control operations. The card cooperates with rows of sensing fingers 50 and control fingers 51A ... 51D which are encased in a box 51 mounted on one end of a lever 52 rocked periodically by a cam 54 on an operating shaft 55. The fingers are spring controlled and are guided in apertures in insulating plates 58 on the top and bottom of the enclosing casing. The fingers are individually connected to conductors leading through cables 61 ... 67 to brushes that co-operate with conducting studs on the synchronizer drum. Multiplier selecting apparatus. A casing 91, Figs. 7 and 8, has six shafts 92 to 97 slidably and rotatably supported therein and operated to set the rate of interest on the stock. Each shaft has secured thereto nine bevel gears 112 to 120 which are adapted to mesh respectively with bevel gears 121 to 129 the gear ratio being such that the spindles 134, Figs. 9, 10 and 12, carrying the gears 121 to 129 are rotated amounts which are the digital multiples of the movement imparted to the respective shafts 92 to 97. The angular setting of these shafts is indicated by indicator discs 104 to 109 co-operating with fixed indexes in the casing. To set the shaft it is first moved longitudinally to withdraw a pin 131 thereon from a notch in a notched boss 130<1> on the casing thereby bringing the bevel gears into mesh and then rotating the shaft the desired amount, a spring 130 returning the shaft to locking position to hold the setting. Each spindle 134 carries a gear 139 and disc 140 with projections 141. Bushings 145 are mounted in the gear and disc and carry pins 144 with contacts 142, 143 that co-operate with an arcuate conductor plate 138 and studs 146 mounted in an insulating plate 137. The projections 141 co-operate with pinions 154 and gearing 156, 157, 159 as shown in Fig. 9, to transfer a step movement to the next higher denominational gear 139 when the lower denomination makes a complete movement depending on the number of contacts. To each contact stud 146 is secured a clip 153 that connects a corresponding conductor lead thereto. These conductors extend parallel to the shafts 92 to 97, and are representative of the values which their contact studs represent. With each row of the multiples X1 to X9, Fig. 7, is associated a normally open relay 177 to 185 connected to six conductors 170 to 175 in cables 161 to 169 only cables 161 and 162 being shown in Fig. 12. Electric circuit arrangements. The cables 61 to 66 from the sensing fingers 50 are connected to brushes 90, Fig. 1, arranged to cooperate with contacts for units, tens, and other denominations in stepped formation on the synchronizer drum 86. These contacts, in successive steps, co-operate with leads in a cable 203 and are connected to the relays 177 to 185. Fig. 1a shows the relays co-operating with the conductors 170 to 175 and the cables 161 to 169 with the contacts 143 arranged in accordance with the multiples of the factor representing the interest at ú1 : 3s.: 2d. per share. The conductors from the contact studs 146 are passed into cables 147 to 152 and emerge therefrom for connection to the movable contacts of a multiple contact double throw switch controlled by a units relay 273, Fig. 1b. Whenever multiplication is proceeding in the units denomination a battery lead 84, Fig. 1, is connected in circuit, through a control contact 250 in line with the units contacts, to energize the relay 273 and connect the contacts to appropriate leads in cables 283, 284, 297, 298, and 299 to the accumulating apparatus shown in Fig. 1e. If there is no digit in the units denomination the conductors from the cables 147 to 152 are connected to fixed contacts to which several sets of diagonally shown conductors are connected and these are connected to the movable contacts of a tens switch X10 that is controlled by a tens relay 274. Similar arrangements of circuits and relays 275 276, and 277 and additional cables 329, 330, and 331, are provided for the higher denominations. In the circuit arrangement the " 4 " conductor in the pence group of the multiplier selecting apparatus will be connected to the contact for " 4 " pence in the units switch and to the " 3 " shillings and " 4 " pence movable contacts of the tens switch and so on. In the shillings group the fixed contacts for one to nine shillings are connected with conductors passed into the cable 284 while the contacts for eleven to nineteen shillings are connected through switch contacts with the contact for the ten shillings to a conductor 285. The contacts for the eleven to nineteen shillings are also connected through switch contacts to the one to nine conductors. These conductors are provided with circuit controlling devices to prevent any feed-back to insure accurate entries. A device for this purpose is shown in Fig. 18, and comprises relays 289, 294 with contacts 292, 293 so arranged that a circuit can be established from either of the lines 286 or 287 to the line 288. Product accumulating apparatus. This mechanism which is shown in Figs. 13 and 14, and diagrammatically in Fig. 1e, comprises a stator 310, a rotor 311, relay operated ring gears 367, and an assembly of rotors 350 and stators 359 driven by the ring gears. The rotors 350 may be printing wheels or registering drums to indicate the product. In the present machine the rotors serve to control other parts of the mechanism. The stator 310 is formed with a plurality of conducting strips CS connected to the leads from the cables 283 to 331 and with contact studs arranged in accordance with the code 1, 3, 5, 1, 5 whereby any digit 1 to 11 may be obtained. The rotor 311 carries a set of contact wipers or bars 337 and is driven by gearing under the control of a clutch 271 driven by the operating motor M. The clutch is coupled to the motor by energizing a relay 270 on completion of a circui