Patent GB-529844-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to sorting machines for record cards
Filed: 1939-05-23
Abstract: 529,844. Record-card-controlled statistical machines. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd. (Deutsche Hollerith Maschinen Ges.). May 23, 1939, No. 15350. [Class 106 (i)] Sorting cards.-In a machine for sorting code cards, the card column on which sorting is effective is selected by a column-selector 32a, 53, which, when sorting of the cards on that column is completed, is automatically adjusted to the next column by a special last card, the cards being fed transversely of the columns, whereby the time in the cycle at which the selected column is read is according to the setting of the selector. The special card also auto-transfers the control from one designation to the next in the one column, the cards from the reject box after each designation sorting being re-inserted by hand in the supply magazine. Fig. 1 shows a code card with upper and lower card fields punched according to the code of Fig. 2 ; the combination " S " is punched in each column of the special card. The cards are fed through the machine in a direction at right angles to the line of the columns. The reading means consist of four wire brushes 10 to read the four hole positions of a column simultaneously and this set of brushes is adjusted laterally along the rod 17 to read the upper or lower card field. The cards are fed from the supply magazine by picker 12 and three pairs of rollers 13 to a " selected " pocket A or the " reject " pocket R under control of the sorting magnet 15. The code readings are decoded in known manner by four magnets 60 controlling ladder circuits 61a and ten lines 81 connected to studs 81a, of which line 81-S corresponds to the holecombination S for the special card ; the latter is placed on top of the cards in the supply magazine. The column-selecting device consists of a wheel 35 continuously driven from the card-feed mechanism and carrying contact means 34 which bridge a stationary contact ring 33 and an insulated conducting spot 32a carried on a stationary shaft 30. Time of bridging in the cycle will therefore depend upon the setting of the angular part 32a, the shaft 30 being adjustable. The pointer 53 carried with the part 32a, coacts with a scale 53a to show which of the fifteen card columns has been selected as the first column for sorting. Contact means 43 carried by the shaft 30 bridge a stationary contact ring 44 and a ring 40 which is conductive except for an insulating spot 42. This ring 40 is manually adjustable, for last column selection, by a pointer 41, so that if it is set at " 7 " as shown in Fig. 3, when after seven automatic adjustments from column " 14 " the pointer 53 reaches column " 7 " the spot 42 interrupts the holding circuit 87 of the motor and brings the machine to rest At each card run, the arm 21 on shaft 25 is moved automatically one stud to the next designation of the card column and an indicator shows the designation being dealt with. Circuits.-When start key 50 is closed, relay 65 closes contacts 88 to energize motor 11 and closes contacts 87 to give a holding circuit for relay 65 through stop key 52 and parts 44, 43, 40. Sorting proceeds for designation " O " column " 14," of the card and at the end of this first run, cards so punched are in box A all others in box R, and the last, special card S, has energized line 81-S. Magnet 23 actuates pawl 85 to move the shaft 25 and arm 21 one step to the " 1 " stud 81a. The cards from reject box R are replaced manually in the supply magazine and sorting proceeds on designation "1," column " 14." Such cards go into box A on top of the cards punched " O," column "14" and the rest into box R. At the end of ten such sortings for column " 14 " as arm 21 passes from stud " 9 " to stud " O," the insulated conductive end 83 bridges contact 26 to energize the relay 27 which then actuates pawl 29a to advance the shaft 30, together with parts 32a and 43, one step. The movement of part 32a alters the timing relatively to continuously rotated parts 35, 34 that circuit is now made as the brushes read column " 13." Ten more sortings occur on column " 13 " and then a further shift to column " 12 " and so on. After column " 7 " has been fully dealt with, the next timing adjustment of part 32a coincides with arm 43 reaching the insulated spot 42, so that the latter breaks the holding circuit 51b, 87, relay 65 is de-energized and opens contacts 88 to stop the motor 11. After selecting column " 14, " say, as the first column for sorting, if it is desired to start at, say, designation " 5 in column " 14," key 24 is closed the requisite length of time for magnet 23 to advance arm 21 to the number " 5 " stud 81a.