Patent GB-442534-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to punching machines for perforating statistical record cards
Filed: 1934-08-08
Abstract: 442,534. Punching statistical cards. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd., Victoria House, Vernon Place, Southampton Row, London. Aug. 8, 1934, No. 22990. Convention date, Aug. 9, 1933. [Class 31 (ii)] The machine is of the type which reproduces and gang punches or duplicates record cards under the control of master cards. According to the present invention, cards are fed through a punching mechanism, and then one cycle later through a card-reading device ; special holes are provided in cards to be reproduced or duplicated, and each of these cards is followed by a single card for reproduction, or by several cards for duplication. Normallv each card is punched with holes as in the preceding card, but a card with a special hole renders the punching inoperative. Part of each card may be reproduced from another card and part from a master card ; data may be transferred to a different field or eliminated ; and, if an error occurs, the machine is stopped and a flash lamp is lighted. Fig. 1 shows the sequence of operations diagrammatically. Pattern cards 10 pass singly simultaneously with blank cards 11 from hoppers R, P. A card 10 passes a master brush 14, a row of brushes 15, sensing and checking brushes 16, and is deposited in a stacker 12. A card 11 passes a master brush 17, a line of punches 18, checking brushes 19, and is deposited in a stacker 13. The brush 14 senses a special perforation position on the master card, and causes the sensed data to be shifted to a selected field on the blank card. Brush 17 is used for field selection of gang punching and for suspension of pattern-card feeding in combined gang punching and reproducing. For straight gang punching, the hopper R is not used, and the checking brushes 19 then also control the punches. For gang punching a plurality of groups of cards, a number of master cards are interspersed in the blank cards in hopper P ; the brush 17 senses such cards and prevents the punching thereof. For combined reproducing and gang punching, both sections of the machine are used ; some of the punches are then controlled by the card 10 and brushes 15, and others by the gang-punching master card and brushes 19, certain of the brushes 16, 19 being used for checking. Referring to Figs. 2, 3, and 5, the main shaft 25 drives the punch feed shaft 31 by gears 27, 30, and also drives by gears 32, 33, 35 the reproducer gear 37 and a cam shaft 40 which rotates continuously. Shaft 38 is clutched to gear 37 by a disc 43 and pawl 45 operated when the magnet RCM is energized ; eccentric 52 then oscillates sector 57 under the picker slide 53, and cards from hopper R are drawn by feed rollers between the brushes 14, 15. The punch clutch magnet PCM when energized releases a pawl 71, Fig. 9, on an arm 70 secured to shaft 31 so that the pawl engages a disc 69, thus connecting shaft 31 to the driving gears. Cams 76, 77 drive the card picker 84 through a lever 81, shaft 82, and sector 83 ; cams 79, 80 release a clutch connection in the Geneva drive 109 ; and gear 78 drives the checking station feed rollers 88, through gears 86, 87, and also drives a cam shaft 91 for operating contacts P1, P2, Figs. 10A and 10B. The Geneva wheel 109, Fig. 5, actuated by roller 107 drives a disc 116 carrying a pawl normally held out of engagement with a notched disc 115, but released by a lever 125 operated by the cams 79, 80 when the magnet PCM is energized, and establishing a drive to the gear 128 for the feed rollers 104, 106. Operation.-The bottom card from hopper R depresses lever RHL and closes contacts RHC, Fig. 10A. At the sensing station a card lever RCL1 is operated and the card passes the master brush 14, adjustable to any column on the card; thence the card passes to the sensing brushes 15 and contact roller 262, turns lever RCL2, passes to feed rollers 66, brushes 16, turns a lever CHCL, and is ejected by the rollers 97. The blank cards and any master cards in hopper P depress lever PHL and close contacts PHC. The bottom card is then fed by rollers 104 to the punch master-card brush 17 and operates lever DCL, thence passes to the punching station 167 and punch sensing station 169 with brushes 19, where a lever PCL is operated, and the card is ejected by rollers 131. Selective punching.-Interposer pawls 186, Fig. 6, are drawn into the path of an oscillating punch bail bar 184 by lever 190 pivoted at 191 on the magnets PM ; the bar 184 is operated by an eccentric on shaft 25 and links 174, 176, the end of the bar 184 normally holding the pawls out of action. The Geneva wheel is idle during punching and gives a quick return to the punches. Class and field selection.-Socket J19, Figs. 10A and 10B, is plugged to socket J17 or J18. For example, to select class control from " X " holes in the master cards, switch RMS is closed, and the reproducer card brush 14 is made effective by plugging J18 to J19. The circuit is then line 201, C5, 230, 231, brush 14, switch RMS, 7A closed by lever RCL, 263, M8, 234, 235, 200. Magnet M8 by contacts 8B sets up another circuit from 200, 235, M9, 267, 8B, 268, C6, 229, 201. For field selection, J9 is joined to J4, J7 to J2A, and J8 to J2B. For class elimination, either J7 or J8 is disconnected. To expand the field of data on a new record card or to punch zero in one or more columns on the card, sockets J4 are wired to J23. Checking. - Duo-wound magnets CHM1, CHM2 are connected between related columns of brushes 16, 19. Checking card lever CHCL closes contacts CHC, and if the perforations agree, the opposing windings on the magnets fail to operate contacts CHC1; if there is an error, one winding of CHM1 is energized, contacts CHC1 are closed, a lamp L is lighted, and magnet M14 stops the machine.