Patent GB-1096191-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for production of punched record cards
Inventor: URWIN GEORGE THOMAS
IPC: G06K1/06
Filed: 1964-01-17
Abstract: 1,096,191. Selective punching apparatus. SUNDERLAND FORGE & ENGINEERING CO. Ltd. Jan. 18, 1965 [Jan. 17, 1964], No. 2155/64. Heading B4B. Apparatus for punching a card with a record of an additive process comprises a plurality of linear groups of punch elements each group having associated therewith an actuator which is linearly displaceable by rotary means comprising a train of rotary elements having cyclometer actuation means for their progressive, stepwise rotation, each actuator being guided along the line of its associated group of punch elements and having a lateral projection aligned successively with each punch element of its group under the actuation of the associated rotary element, a die plate being opposed to the punch elements at their ends remote from the lateral projections, the die plate having means for supporting and locating a card to be punched and being displaceable to the punch elements to punch the card with a pattern determined by the positions of the lateral projections. The additive process may be (a) the consumption of electricity, gas or water, registered by a meter, (b) time recording, registered by a clock, (c) coinoperated systems wherein the value of coins inserted is registered by electrical means associated with coin-actuated switches, or (d) coincounting systems provided with means for registering the value of a batch of coins counted. As shown, the apparatus comprises gearwheels 1, Fig. 1, rotatable on a common spindle 2 and interconnected by cyclometer means 6, one of the wheels being rotatable with a ratchet wheel 5, Fig. 2, and each of the wheels having a ring of teeth in mesh with a rack portion 7 of an actuator 8 vertically displaceable in guide means 9 and carrying a projection 10 engageable with one of a series of shanks 18 of cranked punch elements 17 having noses 26 movable in slots 25, Fig. 3, in a die plate 22 which is displaceable, together with guide plates 19, 21 and a backing plate 23, on rods 30 surrounded by springs 35 towards and away from the noses 26 of the punch elements by means of a cam 31 mounted on a spindle 32 carrying a hand lever 34. The ratchet wheel 5 is displaceable stepwise by a pawl 11 mounted on the lower end of a radius plate 12 integral with the armature 13 of a solenoid 14 energizable by pulsing means controlled by the additive process. The ring of teeth on each ratchet wheel has a gap so that after a projection 10 has been raised to its uppermost position, Fig. 2, the next angular displacement of the wheel permits the corresponding actuator 8 to descend so that the projection 10 is opposed to the lowermost of the punch shanks 18 in the associated series. The apparatus also comprises a fixed frame 37 having a series of slots 38, Fig. 3, in which punch elements are selectively located to extend towards slots 39 in the die plate 22 so as to form a code indication in each punched card. The fixed punch elements are plates each having a projecting punch nose, the nose on each plate being disposed at one of five equally spaced locations on one half of the plate which is reversible end-for-end. The rotary means may be spiral cams, the actuators being linearly displaceable cam followers or alternatively being linearly displaceable by pivotally mounted cam followers.