Patent GB-199029-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in card controlled recording machines
Filed: 1923-06-07
Abstract: 199,029. Peirce, J. R. June 7, 1922, [Convention date]. Record-controlled driving-mechanism; type-bar actions; hammer-impression arrangements.- Relates to machines for taking off readings from one set of perforated record cards or sheets and transferring these readings to a second set of cards or sheets which enter the machine in a blank condition and leave it with the desired information perforated or printed thereon. The machine described is particularly adapted for dealing with information respecting insurance policies, the first and second sets of cards consisting of master cards and notice cards respectively. The master cards bear printed matter and perforations representing the name and address of the policy holder, premium payable, dates on which the premium is due, and similar information. The machine described in Specification 209,387, [Class 31 (ii), Punching and perforating machines &c.], may be employed for perforating the master cards. The types and punches for the notice cards are automatically set up by movements of feeling-pins acting on the master cards, suitable perforations being made in the master cards to denote that the notice has been sent to the policy holder. Mechanism for suppressing the printing and perforation of the notice cards under certain conditions is provided. The master card 100, Fig. 2, bears fields 101, 103, 105, 107 of printed data relating to an insurance policy, the field 101 comprising sub-fields a - - e representing the date of issue, post-office number, policy number, premium, and number of payments per year, respectively. The data are repeated in code-perforations in fields 102, 104, 106, 108. The code preferably employs six perforations taken one, two, or three at a time, numerals being represented by one or two perforations taken from the upper four perforations, and alphabetical character being represented by one, two, or three perforations taken from any of the six perforations. The master card bears also printed columns 110 representing months for a number of years, these columns receiving perforations 109 for determining the issue of a notice card iu the months designated. The perforations 109 are shown as arranged to cause the quarterly issue of a notice card. A single perforation in one of the months may be arranged to cause the monthly or annual issue of a notice card. The perforations 109 are adjacent to perforations 114, 115 indicating that a notice-card has been issued, and a payment has been received respectively. The master card bears also printed and perforated fields 111, 112 representing successive years, and miscellaneous data. The record card consists of a body 116, Fig. 9, and a stub 117. The master and record cards are fed through a machine provided with sets of feeling-pins 124 - - 128, Fig. 31, which feel the master cards and control the setting of bars 385 bearing types for printing on the body of the record card, and also controlling the setting of bars 413, Fig. 59, bearing types and punches for printing and perforating the stub. The machine comprises also punches 129 for making the perforations 114, and a manually-set device for printing and perforating certain data on the stub. If, in passing through the machine, the master card causes a record card to be printed, one of the punches 129 is set to make a perforation 114, the setting being controlled jointly by the master card, and manual means. The perforations 115 are made in another machine. The master cards are transferred from a pile 154, Fig. 14, to stations A', B', and thence to a pile 163 by means of grippers on a carriage reciprocating on guides 158. There are three pairs 160, 161, 162 of grippers, each comprising a jaw 170, Fig. 17, secured to a rock-shaft 172, and a jaw 171 loose on the rock-shaft, the tails 174, 173 of the jaws being connected by a spring 175. The rock-shafts are connected by linkage 164. When the carriage reaches the left-hand position, the shafts are rocked to open the jaws, the movement of the jaws 171 being limited by stops 185. The shafts are rocked by means of a cam 178 which engages a bell-crank on the shaft of the gripper 160, and is rocked by a bell-crank 182 operated by linkage 166 from the cam-shaft of the machine. The cam 178 is retained by a latch 184 which is released on rocking a shaft 186, the jaws then closing to grip the cards. When the carriage reaches the right-hand position, the grippers are swung forward to permit return of the carriage, by means of a spring 195 connected to the linkage 164 and controlled by a bell-crank 194 mounted on the carriage and adapted to engage an abutment 193. The grippers are associated with devices for stopping the machine if a card is missing from or misplaced on the grippers. The devices each consist of a member 176, Fig. 17, loose on the rock-shaft 172 and connected to the tail 174 by a spring 177. A lug 187<a> on the member can enter a notch in a longitudinally-movable bar 189 adapted when the carriage approaches the right-hand position to rock a lever 191 connected by linkage 143 to the motor-clutch. Normally the bar J 89 yields on engaging the lever 191 but if a card is missing or misplaced, the lug 187a enters the notch, and the bar rocks the lever 191. When the jaws are opened, the member 176 is restored to the normal position by means of a finger 230 pivoted on the tail 173 and having a part for engaging the tail 174. The card is received at the station A<1> by a vertically-movable carriage provided at the top and bottom with card-guides, and at the sides with hinged, spring-pressed plates 204, the card, carried by the grippers, passing over the left-hand plate, and being stripped from the grippers by the right-hand plate. The carriage is raised stepby-step by means of gearing comprising a camoperated rack 208, and is returned by means of a spring. To permit transfer of the card to the station B<1>, the right-hand plate 204 is pressed backward by a cam-actuated finger 211. The cards are stripped from the grippers 101 by means of a plate controlled by a cam-actuated finger 217. The notice cards are taken from a pile to a vertically-movable carriage and thence delivered to a pile by means of a carriage provided with gripper-mechanism similar to that described above. When the master curd is in the lowest position, the perforations 112, 109, 114, 115 are read by the sets 124, 125, 126, 127, Fig. 31, of feeling-pins, and the perforations 102 are read by the set 128 of feeling-pins. The pins 124, 125, 126, 127 are mounted in a reciprocating frame 257 which moves the pins into contact with the card, the registering pins passing through perforations. The pins 124 are formed with lugs 270 co-operating with combs 271 which are tepped in correspondence with the years for which the machine is set and are changed at the end of the year. The combs, of which there are four pairs, are carried by bell-cranks 274, and on raising a bail 313 are raised by springs 273. The pair of combs for the current year registers with the lugs 270 on the associated pins, and is raised abnormally to operate a link 319 controlling, as described below, the punches 129 for making the perforations 114. The pins 125 cooperate with the perforations 109 to determine whether or not a notice card is to be prepared, the backing-plate 345 for the master card being formed with apertures in register with the pins 125, all the apertures except one being closed by plugs. Rocking arms 278, Fig. 36, have lostmotion engagement with a bail 290 on a rock, shaft 280 provided with a lever adapted to hit or miss a slide connected to a bail 291, Fig. 31, for locking the type-bars 385, 413. If none of the pins 125 is advanced, the arms 278 drop and the lever engages the slide and causes the bail 291 to lock the type-bars, thereby preventing printing and causing a blank notice-card to be issued. If however any of the pins 125 advances, the arms 278 are arrested by a lug 280<a> on that pin, and the bail is ineffective. Rocking arms 279, Fig. 41, controlled by the pins 127, carry levers 305, 306 which engage the bail 290 and a bail 302 and have tails engaging adjacent rocking arms 279<a> controlled by the pins 126. Normally, equal numbers of pins 126, 127 pass through the perforations 114, 115, and the rocking arms drop to the same level and are ineffective. If however payments have not been received, the final perforations 114 are not associated with perforations 115. Under these conditions the arms 279 drop below the arms 279<a>, the latter arms being arrested by lugs 280a on the pins 126, and the bail 302 is rocked by the levers 305. The bail sets a device controlling the printing of a lapsed notice 120 on the stub of the notice card. If pre-payments have been made, the perforations 115 will be in advance of the perforations 114, and, under these circustances, the arms 279a drop below the arms 279, the latter arms being arrested by lugs 280a on the pins 127, and the lever 306 rocks the bail 200. The bail 291 is thereby caused to lock the type-bars, and a blank notice-card is issued. The feeling-pins 128, Fig. 31, are arranged in columns of six and arc connected alternately to slides 365. 367 arranged in pairs, the slides 365 each carrying a slide 368 having a lug 369 normally engaging pins on the associated slides 365, 367 respectively. The lugs 369 are connected to returning-springs, and sliding connections 364 permit return of the pins in advance of the slides. Each set of slides 365, 367, 368 in a column co-operates with one of three vertically-movable combs 373 having combination-notches co-operating with feelers 376 to determine the position of the type-bars 385, carrying sliding types 393. The type-bars are connected to elevating-springs 386 and engage a restoring-bail 405. The advance of one of the slides 367 or 365 permits the associated comb to drop one or two steps and to be then arrested by the slide 365 or 367.