Patent GB-190144-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to machines for compiling statistics
Filed: 1922-12-05
Abstract: 190,144. British Tabulating Machine Co., Ltd., (Assignees of Lake, C. D.). Dec. 6, 1921, [Convention date]. Statistical machines; printing totals; displaying and printing sub-totals; splitting machines. - In machines of the kind described in Specification 183,867 in which the printing mechanism is a separate unit detachable from the machine, a second such separate unit is provided comprising control mechanism which may be operated so that (1) the tabulating is stopped when the group characteristic changes, (2) a total is taken manually or (3) automatically, (4) the tabulator is restarted upon the next card group manually or (5) automatically, (6) a counter is split or (7) a symbol is printed to denote a total. Means are also provided (8) for entirely cutting out the automatic control, and (9) for stopping the machine exactly in the " D stop " position and for other purposes. For this control mechanism an extra set of reading brushes is provided, the two sets of brushes being at such distance one above the other that they will register with corresponding hole positions on two consecutive cards, thus effecting a comparison of the two cards and bringing about the desired control. The upper brushes 5, Fig. 3, are each carried by an insulated metal plate 7, and the lower brushes 6 are carried by a single metal bar 9, their contact blocks 10, 11 being by the side of the card shoots 13, 14. A card passing down shoot 13 moves a lever 15 that shifts a pin 16 so that contacts 17 are closed, and in the shoot 14 a similar lever 18 closes two sets of contacts 19, 20. The card feed mechanism is driven from a pulley carrying a ratchet wheel 22, Fig. 19; on the drive shaft 93 is a clutch arm 25 that loosely carries an arm 23, pins 97 on the arm 25 entering enlarged holes in the arm 23. A pin 24 on this arm 23 co-operates with a pawl 26 on arm 25; when this pawl and the ratchet 22 are locked together, the arms 23, 25 are carried around with the driving- pulley. As soon as the tabulator motor circuit is completed a clutch magnet 27 is energized, attracting the armature 89 and causing the lever 90 to fall and release the arms 23, 25, a spring 99 pulling pawl 26 into engagement with ratchet 22. During each cycle a pin on a gear-wheel in the train feeding the cards engages a lever 94, Fig. 21, on the shaft 91, knocking off the armature 89 and simultaneously making the clutch magnet shunt contacts in order to demagnetize this magnet; but if the motor circuit has not been broken (i.e. if the " group " has not changed) this magnet is again energized. If, however, the motor circuit is broken, the lever 90 remains up, the pin 24 trips the pawl 26 and a latch 92 prevents rebound. When the magnet 27 is energized the contacts 96, Fig. 21, break the circuit to the reset mechanism, but the machine may be reset manually or automatically when the tabulator stops, the clutch is latched and contacts 96 are made. The control unit includes eight column control magnets 29, Figs. 11 and 22, each having an armature 30 connected to a latch lever 31 which, when a magnet attracts its armature, releases a spring-actuated lever 33 which falls away from a contact 35 so that contacts 35, 36 are opened and contacts 38 are closed by an arm 37. Cams 41 on the shaft 39 co-operate with the levers 33 so as to close the contacts 35, 36 and relatch the levers 33, 31 once in each cycle; and a cam 42 operates a lever 43 carrying at its end 43a a cross rod 43b which, near the end of each cycle, strikes the levers 31 and knocks off the attracted armatures 30. In addition to the magnets 29 there is a group indicator magnet 45 which, through a latch lever 31, releases a lever 46, Fig. 12, controlling a set of eight contacts 48 controlling the setting up and printing of the group numbers. Two further separate contacts 38 set up the control relay 71 and make circuit when the counters indicate without controlling. During the resetting of the machine the shaft 34 is slightly rotated so that lever 46 re-engages its lever 31 and closes contacts 48. This movement also rocks a lever 55, knocking off the armature of magnet 45. For the tabulator to record or display the totals of the values represented by the holes in the cards of one or more sorted groups, the start key 570, Fig. 22, is depressed, closing a circuit including the tabulating motor TM, clutch magnet 27, motor relay 80 and contacts 550 (tabulating); for listing the contacts 520, 540 are used instead of contacts 550, in order that the machine may be driven at the lower listing speed. The shafts 39, 220 carrying the cam contacts 61 - - 64 and 79. 961, 305. 978 respectively are both driven synchronously with the feeding of the cards, whilst the shaft 900 operating cam contacts 129, 128. 306, 125, 740 is stationary during tabulating and is actuated upon the taking of totals and the resetting of the counters. (1) For the control mechanism to interrupt the tabulating when the group characteristic changes the operation is as follows : as the cards are fed down shoots 13, 14 the first card closes contacts 19, 20, Fig. 3. the contacts 17 being already closed. For cards of the same group, the control holes of two consecutive cards pass the upper and lower brushes simultaneously, completing a circuit through the brush 6, Fig. 22, block 11, wire 69, block 10, brush 5, plug 70, and control magnet 29. The control magnet thus energized, the shunt circuit including relay magnet 71 is partly completed. By circuiting plug 303 into any of the sockets 304, one or more control circuits may be cut out. When the first card has nearly passed the lower brushes contacts 630 are closed and current flows through the magnet 45, opening contacts 48; these remain open and are between plugs 74, 75. Thus the circuits are maintained and the machine continues running until the last card of a group is at the lower brushes; then the first card of the next group is at the upper brushes and since the control holes of these two cards differ, the circuit 69 is broken. Control magnet 29 is not energized, and shunt circuit 73 is interrupted, de-energizing relay magnet 71 and breaking the motor circuit 76. allowing contacts 77 to separate. These contacts 77 are shunted by circuit 78 through contacts 961 when tabulating, or contacts 79 when listing, which break near the end of the cycle, de-energizing relay 80 and magnet 27, thus positively stopping the machine. (2) To take a total manually, switch 106 is opened and the reset key 580 depressed, closing a circuit including contacts 550 (or 540-520), reset magnet 620 and reset motor 600, which effects the printing also. When the totalling operation is thus commenced the key 580 and magnet 620 are out out. If the tabulating motor is running, magnet 27 is energized and opens the contacts 96, this preventing the operation of printing and re-setting. (3) To take a total automatically, switch 106 is closed and just before the tabulator comes to rest, contacts 105 are closed and the printing initiated as above described. (4) To restart the tabulator manually upon the next card group, key 570 is depressed. (5) To restart automatically, a switch 130 is previously closed, completing a circuit including the tabulating motor and its relay and lower card contacts 20 (now closed by cards in the machine). Owing to the closure of the motor relay contacts, the tabulating continues automatically, the last card of the group being passed through, since all the upper brushes are now making contact with their blocks, thus completing the circuit to the particular magnet 29. (6) When switch 302 is opened and switches 310, 311 are closed, controlling is secured on counters A and B so far as the controlling columns are connected up. This is the position used when a counter is split to tabulato on certain columns and control on others. If all the columns for the counter A are to control, switch 310 is in the position shown and the group number is indicated and printed when the first card passes through (when listing), and repeated when a total is taken, but to split the counter A, the switch 310 is thrown to pole 312, when in addition to the above a similar group indication and printed record is made on the columns not connected for controlling. (7) To print a symbol, such as an asterisk, to denote a total the circuits 316, including printing magnets 380, are provided and are completed only during total taking. Switches 108, 107, 139, which selectively control the total-printing, are operated by levers which may be set so as to prevent resetting of any counter and to prevent any total-printing from that counter or to print a total without re-setting the counter. (8) To cut out the automatic control entirely, the switch 302 is closed, and for straight tabulating switches 310, 311 are also closed. (9) To stop the machine exactly in the " D stop " position a holding circuit 307 is provided including the relay contacts 77 which are opened at the correct moment by the de-energization of the magnet 76. Just prior to this the circuit 78, which maintains the tabulating motor in operation, is broken by the contacts 961 (or 79) opening. Contacts 63 control the counting of cards passing through the machine and contacts 978 co-operate with the card contacts 19 to prevent erroneous additions and printing during the intervals between the cards. The tabulator circuit is opened during totalling and re-setting by the contacts 129 so that the tabulator cannot be restarted until these operations are completed, and contacts 100<a> prevent total-taking and re-setting during tabulating. Grand-totals and sub-totals may be printed if desired.