Patent GB-745817-A (GB)
Abstract: 745,817. Digital electric calculating-apparatus ; totalizators. STANDARD TELEPHONES & CABLES, Ltd. May 9,1952 [May 17, 1951], No. 11788/52. Divided out of 745,812. Class 106 (1). An electrical odds calculator comprises first and second electric means for storing a pool. total and runner total respectively, means for reducing the pool total by a fixed percentage and means for dividing (by repeated subtraction) this reduced amount by the runner total to obtain the odds. Reference is made to the use of " static electric switches " such as thermistor, hard valve or magnetic trigger circuits, hot or cold cathode discharge tubes, cathode-ray tubes, metal rectifier circuits and transistors. The odds calculator described is designed to find firstly the " false total " T1=T(1 - n/100), where T is the grand total wagered on a race and n per cent is the deduction for profits, taxes, &c., and secondly the odds T1/tr or " odds-to-one " T1/tr - 1 where tr is the amount wagered on a winning runner r. Similar calculation for place-betting may also be made. The amounts t and Tare registered on counters CR1-6 and CRT respectively, Fig. 1, and the calculator comprises further counters CA, CB, CC, O, timing counters CSM, Fig. 4, and CG, Fig. 3 (not shown in Fig. 1), and an operation-sequence-controller FSC, Fig. 5, similar to that described in Specification 732,345. Each counter comprises one or more electronic circuits, e.g. comprising multi-cathode discharge tubes such as CRTU, Fig. 3, each having one input and a plurality of outputs, a conductive path being transferred from one output to the next by successive applications of input pulses. Entries into the counters and tens carry are effected through gates " G " and bistable trigger pairs (called " flip-flops ") such as FRTU, FCTU which are normally conductive on side N. Sequence of operations for win-betting; counting circuits.-Operations are started by key STK, Figs. 3, 4 and 5, which sets counters CG, CSM and sequence-controller FSC in the " O " condition. Regular pulses P then pass through a 2-threshold gate to the input of CSM which is thus repeatedly stepped. When conduction first occurs in CSMC, a 3-threshold gate G301, Fig. 3, allows a pulse P to pass to the input of CG to step conduction to CG1 thus opening gates such as G250, Fig. 2, each to the outputs of nine gates such as G201-209 (only two shown) which are connected to the outputs of one decimal denomination (CRIU) of the runner counter CR1 and controlled by outputs CSM1- CSM9 respectively. When coincidence occurs between a CSM output'and the marked (conductive) output (corresponding to a decimal digit 1 ... 9) of CRIU, a pulse is therefore passed to line W10, the other denomination of CR1 similarly supplying differentially timed pulses to lines W11-W14. These pulses are passed through gates, such as G302, G332, Fig. 3, to effect timed operation of trigger circuits FRTU-FRTT, thus opening input gates such as G307 of total counter CRT to a number of pulses P corresponding to the digits registered on CR1. The next conduction at CSMC resets the triggers FRTT and also allows a pulse P to reset any tens -carry -registering triggers such as FCTU which have been operated during a change from 9 to 0 through gates G312, G313 &c. Thereupon, owing to gates such as G316, G308, an input pulse is applied to the next higher denomination of CRT, e.g. CRTD. If this denomination is already in the " 9 " condition, a consequent carry is effected through gates G318, G317, a false operation of trigger FCTD being prevented by the inhibition of gate G313. Also, CSMC causes the further stepping of CG, whereupon CG2 &c. cause a similar transmission of the values on CR2-CR6, Fig. 1, to CRT, and CG9 causes the sequence-controller FSC, Fig. 5, to step to condition " 1." The output FSC1 opens gates (not shown) to transfer the total T on CRT to counter CC, over lines 100-149, and to pass the top three digits to the three denominations of counter CB which thus registers approximately 1 per cent of T. After a single cycle of CSM, CSMC causes stepping to FSC2 whereupon the value on CB is entered into CC in the form of pulses under control of CSM, trigger circuits and a gating network (Fig. 7, not shown). The counter CC is similar to CRT except that digits are represented in an order 0, 9 ... 1 (see CSM) which causes the value entered to be subtracted. The CB value continues to be entered until the number of cycles of CSM, counted in O, equals n, e.g. 13, Fig. 5, when the units and tens denominations OU, OD (not shown) will be in such a condition as to open gate G502 and step FSC to condition " 3 " whereupon counters CB, CRT and O are reset and a signal given, e.g. by a lamp, that the counter CC now contains T1 and the apparatus is ready to calculate odds. The operator then sets switch RS, Figs. 1 and 5, to the counter CR corresponding to the winner and operates successively keys SRK, SAK. SRK applies a potential to the gates, such as G250, Fig. 2, of the selected runner counter so that the amount tr is passed, through leads W10-W14, to CRT. SAK, due to the condition of control trigger circuit F1, Fig. 5, steps FSC to " 4 " which causes tr to be transferred to counter CB and its complement to be entered, under control of CSM, into CA. After one cycle of CSM, FSC is stepped to " 5," and successive subtractions, counted by O, of amount tr in CB from T1 in CC, occur as in FSC2. The subtractions are continued until the amount in CC goes negative when a gated pulse appears on lead 61 to step FSC to " 6." The amount tr from CA is then added into CC to produce a positive remainder and, after a single cycle of CSM, FSC is stepped to " 7 " whereupon the subtracting process is repeated with tr/10 approximately (the units digit in CB being knocked off) cycle-counting pulses being entered into a lower decimal denomination (00) of the counter O. The process can again be repeated, after FSC8, for tr/100 if desired. In the resulting quotient registered on O, an excess one will have been entered in the units denominations OU and lower denominations 00 &c., and a further one must be subtracted to obtain T1/tr - 1. These adjustments are effected automatically in the indicating means. Place-betting.-The sequence of operations is similar to that described above. However, operation of place key PK will connect the place-pool runner counters, over leads P10- P14, Fig. 3, to the total counter CRT and will bring two further steps 1A, 1B into the operation of sequence-controller FSC, Fig. 5. During FSCIA, the amount in CB is successively subtracted from that in CC until the share corresponding to one runner remains, when gate G503 allows stepping to FSCIB; as shown, this occurs when 67 per cent has been deducted, the pool being assumed to be divided (approximately) into three equal parts. During FSCIB, 1 per cent of the new value on CC is entered in CB. Separate calculations are performed for each runner, if necessary, the controls of gate G503 being selectable. The different deadheating possibilities are discussed. The Specification 745,812 also is referred to. In the Provisional Specification, Specification 692,415 also is referred to.