Patent GB-774936-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to electrical apparatus for sorting data
IPC: G06F7/02
Filed: 1955-02-16
Abstract: 774,936. Digital electric sorting-apparatus. GOLDBERG, J., and COX, B. Feb. 16, 1955 [April 16, 1954], No. 4629/55. Class 106 (1). An electrical device for comparing For size numbers from a source, said numbers being applied serially, least significant digit first to said device, comprises two onenumber circulating registers, each register having a particular position designated as a digit comparing position, means to enter a first number from said source into one of the registers, means to enter a second number from said source into the other of the registers, means to control the circulation of said first number and the entry of said second number to present the same order of digits substantially simultaneously at said digit comparing positions, comparing means coupled to said digit comparing positions to present an output indicative of which of the two digits at said digit comparing positions is the greater, and means responsive to the output of said comparing means to permit only one of said registers to circulate its contents whereby the contents of the other register are transferred out to be replaced by another number. A succession of series mode binary numbers is fed to the device from a source 10, which may be a magnetic tape or drum, and each is compared with the least number of those numbers previously entered, this being the only number retained by the device, until finally the least number of the succession of numbers remains. The first number passes lowest denomination first via a gate 12, a flop-flop 16 being " on," into an A shifting register 22. Flip-flop 16 is then turned " off " by means not shown and the second number enters a B shifting register 24 while the first number circulates via agate 26 in the A register. As the second number enters, the digits in the first stages of the A and B registers are compared for size by a device 36 which only issues an output on either one of two lines A<B,A>B, if the two digits being compared are different. Thus the state of a flip-flop 38 when the second number has entered the B register is representative of which of the first two munbers is the larger. If the first two numbers are equal then it remains in whatever state it was in before the second number was entered. After the second number has entered the device, and before the third number is entered, a " quiz " pulse from a source 44 passes via one of gates 40 and 42 and sets the flip-flop 16 in dependance upon the state of the flip-flop 38. Suppose that the number in the B register is the larger, then flip-flop 38 will be " on " and flip-flop 16 will be set " off ". When the third number enters from the store 10 it will therefore pass via a gate 14 into the B register and the second number that was in the B register will be lost, since a circulating gate 28 will be closed. If the third number is less than the first, then the second quiz pulse, which arrives as soon as the third number has entered, will find the gate 40 open, since flip-flop 38 will be " off ", and will set flip-flop 16 " on ". The fourth number therefore displaces the first number which was in the A register, and is compared with the third number which is in the B register. This process is repeated until finally only the least number remains. In a second embodiment in which binary coded decimal numbers are compared (Fig. 3, not shown) registers A and B are each replaced by four registers, for the " one " " two " " four " and " eight " bits of each decimal digit respectively, and a comparer unit consisting of an arrangement of " and " and " or " gates (Fig. 4, not shown) is described.