Patent GB-758817-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to statistical machines
Inventor: LAMBERT DONALD RUDOLF
IPC: B41J2/245
Filed: 1953-04-28
Abstract: 758,817. Writing machines. POWERS-SAMAS ACCOUNTING MACHINES, Ltd. April 6, 1954 [April 28, 1953], No. 11754/53. Class 146(3) An apparatus for making a visual record of numerical data sensed from records fed to a statistical machine comprises an electrically operated device to register amounts sensed from records, the device including for each denominational order thereof a registering disc carrying a number-indacting contact, a drive to rotate the discs stepwise to bring their numberindicating contacts successively into alignment with each of plurality of normally inactive read-out brushes, one brush for each number to be registered in the denominational order, a plurality of axially actuated styluses under the control of rotatable character-determining discs, an electrical connection between each read-out brush of each denominational order with a character determining disc appropriated thereto, selectively operable means to render active the read-out brushes, and electrical connection means to condition the character-determining discs to control the making of a visual record of an amount registered by the accumulator. Sensing perforated record cards. - As shown, perforated cards are sensed by pins 2, Fig. 3, mounted on a pin box 3, such that upward movement of the box 3 effects actuation of members 4 forming part of Bowden cables 5 operating a selector device S which controls impulses to a registering device and operation of a character-defining device. The members 4 operate by means of slidable rods 7, blocks 14 attached to switch contacts 15 and 16. Each block 14 carries six such contacts 15 and 16 for engagement with fixed contacts 17 and 18. Nine blocks 14 are provided for the digits 1 to 9, while three further similar blocks 19 are provided one for each of the three data-indicating positions of a vertical column of a card. If this column is used to indicate tens of shillings the three data-indicating positions may be used to record tens of shillings. The switches 15, 17 and 16, 18 are opened by a member 26 secured to the blocks 14 and actuated by bell-crank levers 27 rocked by cams 36 37 through an arm 34 and link 30. Blocks 19 are similarly actuated by a bell-crank lever 43. Defining characters.-Characters, in the form of numerical. figures, are defined on impression receiving material 165, Fig. 18, by styluses 166 which are reciprocated in a plate 172 axially of a platen 169. The material 165 together with a carbon ribbon 170 are fed over the platen 169 at a speed which determines the height of characters: the maximum width of character is determined by the length of reciprocation along the platen 169. Discrete impulses are imparted to the styluses 166, towards the material 165 by solenoids (not shown), the energization of the solenoids being controlled by contact discs, one for each character. For example, the character "5" is formed as shown in Fig. 14 from a series of dots 160a ..160r by a rotating contact disc 160, Fig. 15, having contacts 160a...160r engaged by a pair of brushes (not shown), connected to lines 158, Figs. 11A and 11B. The lines 158 are connected to brushes 115 of a registering device. Registering device.-Lines 48 and 49, Figs. 2A, 2B, connected to contacts 17, 18 have brushes 50, 51, Fig. 8. which co-operate with a series of discs 52 on a continuously driven shaft 53 and bearing contacts 59, The number of contacts 59 on each disc depends on the number of successive electric impulses required of that disc, for example, one to eleven when it is required to register pence or one to nine when registering numbers to the scale of ten. Thus, in the latter case when registering the number "8" the line 48, Figs. 2A, 2B, is connected to a disc 52 carrying eight contacts and the line 49 is connected to a disc 52 carrying one contact, i.e. the nines complement of eight. The register has two sections, one for registering true numbers and one for complements of 9, 11, or 1, i.e. for decimals, duo-decimals or binary numbers. A switch 62, Fig. 2C, is reversed, automatically by sensing a control hole in the card, from the position shown when the amount recorded on a card is a negative amount, such that the true number, i.e. number on the card is, registered in the complements section and the complement of that number is registered in the true number section. A manually operated switch. 63, 64 connects lines 60, 61 to lines 66, 65 or 69, 68. A switch 70, when closed, permits two further impulses, from a disc 52 bearing two contacts, to reach the solenoid for the duo-decimal denomination of the second register section. A switch 72, when closed, connects the lines 75, 76 with a disc 52 having one contact to record tens of shillings. Zero values represented by the card being unpunched, are transmitted to the second register section by a switch 78 connecting a nine contact disc to the line 53a via lines 83 and 79. The registering device may register sub and grand totals as well as true and complementary numbers. The first section has discs R1, R2, R3, R4, and ID, Figs. 11A and 11B, while the second section has discs CR1, CR2, CR3, CR4 and CID, the discs ID and CID being indicator discs. Each disc R1...R4 and CR1...CR4 comprises' a conducting ring 91, Fig. 9, and a non-conducting ring 92, both rings being carried by a support 93 freely mounted on a continuously driven shaft 94. Each support 93 is integral with a toothed wheel 97, Figs. 8 and 9, restrained from rotation by a bell-crank lever pivoted at 98 and having a tooth-engaging arm 101, and a restoring arm 102. The arm 101 is normally retained in engagement with the wheel 97 by a latch 103 which may be reieased by a wire 107 axially movable by the armature 109 of a solenoid 67. The toothed wheels 97 have ten eleven, or two teeth depending on whether they represent decimals, duo-decimals or tens of shillings. Each time the solenoid 67 is energized through lines 65, 66 or 68, 69, Fig. 2C, the wheel 97, Figs. 8 and 9, is permitted, by release of the arm 101, to rotate one tooth only before the arm 101 re-engages the wheel 97 the wheel being driven through a friction clutch by the shaft 94. A contact 114 extends radially through the ring 92 to co-operate with brushes 115, there being one brush for each numerical value to be registered by the disc. Thus, for registering units of shillings there are ten brushes 115 one for zero value and the remainder for values one to nine. A brush 116 engages the conducting ring 91 permanently, while the brushes 115 are normally tripped against engagement with the ring 92 by pins 119 secured to a disc 117 freely counted on a flange 118. The disc 117 can be rotated in a direction to allow the pins 119 to disengage the brushes 115, such that the brushes contact the ring 92. A contact 128 extending through ring 92 cooperates with brushes 129, 129a, such that the brushes complete a circuit to carry an impulse forward to the registering disc of next higher denomination, and so energize a solenoid 131. The armature 132, Fig. 8, of the solenoid 131 rocks a latch 134 to release a leaf spring 137 carrying a contact 138 which can thus engage a rotatable contact 139 on a disc 140, the contacts 139 for successive discs 140 being connected by lines 141 with a disc 142 Fig. 6, not shown, carrying a contact 143 for engagement with a stationery contact 144. The contact 138, Figs. 11A, 11B are connected by a line 148 and an isolating switch 149 with the solenoid 67 of the next higher denomination. Should the registering disc of the higher denomination be already standing on its maximum value, e.g. "9" the impulse is transferred by brushes 155, 155A engaging a contact 154, Fig. 9, on the disc ring 92 to the registering disc of next higher denomination. The discs ID, CID, Figs. 11A, 11B, have four positions "8," "9," " 0," and "1" " which indicate whether a number registered is a true number, complementary number, or whether the amount registered is under or over the capacity of the device. For example, an amount of ú 1. 19s. 10d. is registered as 01, 19, 10, the " 0 " indicating that the amount is positive. In the second section of the device for registering complements, the amount will be registered as 98 .. 00 . 1, the "9" " indicating that the amount is a complementary amount. Should both sections register 99. - 19 - 11 and the amount ú1. 19s. 10d. is to be registered, then in the first section ten impulses are passed to disc R.1, nine to the disc R2, one to the disc R3, one to the disc R4, while in the second section one impulse is passed to disc CR1 none to discs CR2 and CR3, eight to disc CR4 and nine to disc CID should a negative amount be sensed, the switch 62, Fig. 2C, will be reversed so that the complement of say 18s. 6d. is transmitted to the first section and 18s. 6d. is transmitted to the second section. In order to record the amounts registered, each brush 115, Figs. 9, 11A and 11B, is connected by a line 158 with a pair brushes co-operating with one of the discs 160. During an adding operation of the device, the discs 160 are connected to the solenoids 167, Fig. 11B, by lines 175 via control switches, not shown, carried by a block 14 or 19, Fig. 3, and an automatic change-over switch 176, Fig. 11A. In another position of the control switch, an amount is transferred from the registering discs R1 .. R4 ID to the discs CR1 .. CR4, CID, Figs. 11A and 11B and in further position re-setting of the device is effected by means of an impulse disc 185, Fig. 11B. Specifications 707,736 and 758,818 [Group XIX] are referred to.