Patent GB-183867-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to apparatus for compiling and printing statistics from perforated record cards
Filed: 1921-01-26
Abstract: 183,867. Marks, E. C. R., (Tabulating Machine Co.). Jan. 26, 1921. Statistical machines with printing mechanism; printing totals.-A machine 1, for example of the Hollerith type, for registering or tabulating statistics denoted by perforations in cards, is provided with a printing attachment 7 which can be arranged to print totals and sub-totals with or without listing the separate items. When the items are to be listed, a lower speed is automatically imposed upon the tabulating machine. The spring-influenced type-bars 33, Fig. 8, are controlled in their ascent by a cross-head 32 carried by an arm 26 fixed to a rock-shaft 14, Figs. 3 and 12, which may be connected with either the tabulating-machine' primary shaft, or a motor 60 set in action when totals or sub-totals are to be printed. When listing is taking place, the crosshead rocks in synchronism with the feeding of the cards and the type-bars are stopped in their upward movements according to the values of the perforations presented to the brushes, by the engagement of detents 37 actuated by electromagnets 38 in circuit with the brushes. The types are struck by hammers 45 operated by spring-controlled arms 44 deflected and then released by a bail 43 carried by pivoted slotted bars 41 oscillated bv a roller 40 on the cross-head 30. The connections between the attachment and the main machine is controlled by a handlever 17 which in one position, namely that for non-listing, inserts a lug 16 into a notched plate 15 attached to an arm 12 so as to hold this from engagement with its operating-cam 11 driven from the main machine through the shaft 9. The lever 17 is held by a latch finger 18 controlled by a push-knob 20. When the lever is raised to release the arm 12, it makes a contact at. 54 in circuit with a pair of contacts 52, Figs. 1 and 36, controlled by a change-speed lever 48 so that for listing the low gear must be in action. When it is desired to print totals, the lever 17 is put into the non-listing position and a totals key 58 is depressed to throw in the motor 60 which through worm gearing 61 rotates a shaft 90 so as to rock by cam and lever mechanism a shaft. 81, Fig. 17, extending through into the tabulating- machine. On this shaft 81 is arranged a number of arms 83 supporting pairs of contacts 85, 86 maintained normally separated by a shouldered insulating-pin. Connected with each totalizer numeral wheel 82 is a stepped cam-plate 84 so that as the arms 83 descend, the moment at which the contacts 85, 86 engage varies according to the number standing on the numeral wheel concerned and the corresponding magnet 38 in consequently energized to stop the type-bar at the necessary point. The zeroizing of the totalizers is effected by a shaft 71 which carries, loosely, a gear-wheel 73 rotated from shaft 90 at twice its speed and, fixedly, a notched disc 70 with which co-operates a pawl 69 mounted on the gear-wheel. When shaft 90 begins to rotate, it first causes a pin 68 on an arm rocked by a cam on the shaft to throw the pawl 69 out of engagement with the notch in the disc so that the latter and therefore the shaft 71 do not rotate until the shaft 90 has made one half-revolution whereupon the pawl engages and shaft 71 rotates to effect the zeroizing. If a sub-total only is required, milled sleeves 140 on the shaft 71 are moved to disengage the shaft from the. zeroizing mechanism and this through arms 143 and contacts 144, Fig. 17, brings contacts 147 into circuit so that when these are closed by a pin 148 in the descent of the arm 83 a special type-bar is stopped at a position for printing an S; otherwise, with contact 144 broken, a second contact 146 is subsequently closed by the arm 83 and an asterisk denoting a total is printed. Various cam-controlled contacts and other devices as follows are described for ensuring the correct working of the whole apparatus. The usual starting-key 57, Fig. 36, emergency key 56, and card-controlled lever 100 are employed. In the main machine is also arranged a series of contacts operated by cams on a shaft. One 96<a> effects the stoppage of the machine always at the same point, cams 97, 98 control the circuit through the brushes 93, a cam 99 acts in conjunction with the card-controlled lever 100 and with relays 151, 152 to complete a holding circuit 205 and maintain an alternative circuit around contacts 96a, and a contact 101 in series with the totals key 58 breaks the resetting circuit immediately after the tabulating cycle commences so that the total-printing and resetting cannot be effected during a tabulating operation. A contact 103 is kept open by the clutch control magnet 104 while this is in operation. When the tabulation is completed this contact closes and enables the total-taking circuit to be completed by the key 58. Automatic total-taking may also take place provided switch 106 has been closed as then the circuit is completed by contacts 102, 105 as soon as the tabulating machine stops. Switches 139, 107, 108 are provided for disconnecting any of the totalizers 4, 5, 6. The main shaft of the machine is connected with the motor shaft by a clutch 112, Fig. 35, urged to engagement by a spring 113 when a pin 110 is removed from a groove in the clutch sleeve; the pin is carried by an arm 111 operated by the electromagnet 104 energized when the starting- key 57 is depressed. In order that the totalprinting mechanism may be operated by hand for testing purposes a button 118, Fig. 3, may be pushed in to free the clutch 63 normally controlled automatically by a magnet. 62, and the shaft of the motor 60 is turned by hand. A series of contacts in the listing attachment are operated by cams on the shaft 90, and these provide for making and breaking the circuit to the magnets 38 when printing totals only, for shortcircuiting the clutch-control magnet 62 as soon as the motor 60 has started, for cutting out the tabulating-machine circuit while totals are being printed and for automatically restarting the tabulating-machine after the total-printing operation has been performed, provided that a hand switch 130 has been closed. To urge the shaft 90 forwards towards the end of its rotation, a spring-controlled bell-crank lever presses against a cam-surface. Specification 162,979 is referred to.