Patent GB-491824-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to record-card-controlled statistical machines
Filed: 1937-03-04
Abstract: 491,824. Statistical machines. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd. March 4, 1937, No. 25107. Convention date, March 5, 1936. Divided out of 491,718. [Class 106 (i)] A record - card - controlled machine with automatic major and minor group control, has (1) a first control device 86, 86a, 86b which normally renders the major control inoperative to initiate total-taking (magnet 86 de-energized and contacts 86a closed) and abnormally (magnet 86 energized and contacts 86a opened) renders the major control operative and which control device is adjusted by a special card (a " header " card) from its normal to its abnormal condition, and with means (cam contacts L9) which restore the control device to normal in each machine cycle, and (2) a second control device 112, 112a which normally renders the minor control operative to initiate total-taking and abnormally renders the minor control inoperative and which second control device is adjusted by the special card from its normal to its abnormal condition in the machine cycle following that in which the first control device is adjusted, and with means (cam contacts L11) which restore the second control device to normal in each machine cycle. Normally the major control circuit is broken every cycle by cam contacts L9 but is maintained by the normally closed contacts 86a. Normally the inner control circuit is broken every cycle by cam contacts L9, L10 but is maintained by contacts Ra, Rb which are closed if successive cards agree as to minor group. Fig. 3 shows the last two detail cards of a major group A and the " header and first detail cards of group B. The " header " card is the special card above-mentioned and has an " X " (or "11") hole in a particular column and in the reading circuit for this column (line 90, Fig. 1) are cam contacts L33 which close momentarily only whilst the " X " hole is under the upper brushes UB. In the auto-group control circuit 20, 21a, 21, 22, 24a, 23, 24, 25, L10, L9, 26, 27, 28 the motor control relay 23 closes contacts 23a to energize the tabulating clutch magnet 30. At the lower brushes LB, which are plugged as desired to sockets 50, Fig. 1a, the items are read and are added and printed by magnets 52 and 60. If the minor group designation holes of two successive cards agree a circuit 20, L11, 37, UB, 38, 39, coil 40 of relay R, 41, 42, LB, 43, 44, LCL<1>, 28 energizes the coil R which closes its contacts Ra and Rb. The contacts Ra hold the relay R energized through its winding 45.. The contacts Rb thus give a shunt circuit about contacts L9, L10 in the auto-group control circuit from line 20 to 21a, 21, 22, 24a, 23, 24, 25, Rb, 47, 84, 85 (closed for this type of operation), 86a (normally closed), 26, 27, 28. If the cards at the upper and lower brushes agree as to minor group the machine continues to tabulate under control of magnet 23 and the above control means (the second control device above-referred to) is inoperative to initiate minor total-taking. If the cards disagree, contacts Rb remain open and relay 23 is de-energized when contacts L 10 open. Whilst detail cards pass the upper and lower brushes the major control circuit 20, 87, 88a, 88, L9, 26, 27, 28 is maintained. Under normal operating conditions, the second relay R from the bottom would be plugged up for control by the major card fields and this relay would be energized each cycle in which there is no major group change and would close its contacts Rb plugged in parallel with cam contacts L9. The above major control circuit would thus be maintained when contacts L9 open once each cycle. In the present case this plugging is not made and the major control circuit would be broken every cycle when contacts L9 open but for normally closed contacts 86a. When contacts L9 open, however, a circuit 20, 87, 88a, 88, 84, 85, 86a, 26, 27, 28 maintains the major control relay 88 energized. Relay 86 governing the contacts 86a is normally de-energized so that the above means (the first control device above-referred to) normally render the major control inoperative to initiate total-taking. For a new major group, however, the " header " card is under the upper brushes and the " X " hole is read at the time that contacts L33 close. A circuit 20, L11, 37, UB, 90, 91, L33, 86, 92, 28 energizes the control relay 86 which closes contacts 86b to hold itself energized and opens contacts 86a. Contacts L9, L10 open later than contacts 86a in the same cycle and the major relay 88 is de-energized. together with the relays 21, 22, 23 in the minor circuit. Motor control relay 23 opens into contact 23a to stop tabulating and closes its contacts 23b to initiate total-taking by energizing relay 56 over circuit 20, P3, 62, 56, L3, 63 (closed), 23b, 28. The special, " header,'' card thus renders the major section of the autogroup control operative to initiate major totaltaking and to maintain the minor control circuit inoperative to initiate minor totaltaking till, in the next machine cycle, a magnet 112 is energized which closes contacts 112b to maintain the minor circuit.