Patent GB-153344-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to apparatus for selecting or checking statistical cards
IPC: G06K21/02
Filed: 1919-06-02
Abstract: 153,344. Rogers, F. H., (Liberty Systems Corporation). June 2, 1919. Statistical machines and apparatus; sorting cards.-Relates to means for filing statistics, account, or like cards and comprises mechanism for locating and isolating any required card without disturbing any other card. The cards have projections on the bottom edge, ten different symmetrical pairs being used, so that a card whose unit number in its designating number, e.g. 122, is " two " can be raised by a pair of selectors 68, Fig. 16, spaced athwart the card at the " two " position. The cards are stacked in tens between flexible metal partitions 28, Fig. 17, stiffened by extra layers 'below, and rest on plungers 31, wider than ten cards, and guided in slots in the partitions, and are supported at the wide margins by the bottom 24 of the tray. The top of each partition has a flat metal sheet doubled over it and slidable on it, with sideways extensions 32 attached to vertical spring-depressed plungers 34. This " pilot " attachment is raised simultaneously with any of its ten cards by pilot selectors 96. Two pairs of selectors 96 and 68 are allotted to each ten compartments, that is, each hundred cards, and a thousand cards are stacked in each tray. The requisite number of trays may be carried on one supporting frame, along which on rails 366, Fig. 32, is adapted to be positioned opposite any tray a single-bank keyboard machine 11. The depression of the three keys for the digits of any three figure number in order, hundreds, tens, units, positions the requisite selectors and raises the desired card and its compartment pilot. The card when finished with can be replaced in its compartment anywhere among the ten, and may be reversed back to front. The ten numerical key stems 99, Fig. 11, are pivoted to bent levers 103 linked to levers 105 on a shaft 106 having ends 109 lengthened to engage a set of transmitting pawls 110 swung in a frame 123 and normally in position opposite hanging levers 112 for hundreds selecting, but the frame is depressed by springs to engage levers 114 for tens and 115 for units or separate card selection. The transmitter frame has double ratchet teeth 124, 125 to be engaged by opposite pawls 126, 127, Fig. 11, the former slightly the longer, connected together by a spring 130 and having arms 131, 132 respectively for engagement by a pin 133 on a yoke 134, 136 on the shaft 106 and engaged by all the keys. By this means any key operates in a denomination and sets the transmitter for the next lower. The transmitter pawl frame 123 is restored finally to the hundreds position by an arm on a shaft 182 manually or motor operated. The first digit key depressed, then, rocks lever 112 to release a latch 149, Fig. 6, of one of a set of spring-controlled sliding bars C having cams 88 appropriate to the hundreds, of which the one released engages its transverse bar 74, Fig. 11, sliding in vertical slots 75 in the side frames and by links 76 and levers 79 raises cross bars 80 into position to be engaged and actuated by an actuated bar 81 when it is finally released. The next key depressed strikes its tens levers 114, Fig. 19, to release by means of a yoke 152 a latch 150 from a transverse bar 61 carried by heads 60 on longitudinal plates 56 on which are mounted to slide vertically the card selectors 68. The plates 56 are pulled by springs until the bar 61 meets the corresponding one of a set of stops 155 spring mounted on the lever 157 just freed by the lever 114, to raise the yoke 152. The stop is spring mounted and is forced against a terminal yoke 165 swung on a shaft 167. the rocking of which thereby lifts one of a pair of retaining latches 201, 202, Fig. 20, from the actuator bar 81. For the " 0 " key the plates 56 and bar 61 are normally in position, so the latch 150 is not released, for the " 9 " keys the stop 155 is omitted, the yoke 165 acting as stop. The depression of a third key to complete the operation, similarly strikes a unit lever 115, Figs. 11 and 20, frees an extension 188 of its appropriate stop 186, and raises a yoke on its shaft 182 to drop a pair of latches 181 and free ears 180 on a sliding frame guided by ears 177 in fixed slots 178. The frame extends to the mid-length of the tray when it is pivoted to a sliding cross-head from which links are carried to arms 50, Figs. 6, 11, and 16, on front and rear vertical shafts 44, 45 having arms 47 linked to cross-heads 41 running on transverse guides. These cross-heads carry the selector carriers 56. The carriers are thus transverselv placed to select the individual card, the position being chosen by the stop 186. A yielding action of a plate 196, Fig. 20, against the stop, as in the case of the tens, operates through levers 215. 213, Fig. 16, and link 212 to lift the second latch 202 and completely free the actuator bar 81. Similarly also the " 0 " key in the final or unit position needs no stop arm 186, and the bridge 197 acts as a stop for the " 5 " key for which the card projections are nearest the centre. For " 0 " key depressions in tens and unit positions the latches 201 and 202 are raised by links 209, and 223 from the levers 114, 115 respectively. The actuator bar, actuated by a strong spring, finally engages the selected cross bar 80 and rocks it to raise the bar 74 which lifts the corresponding selectors 68. The pilot selectors 93 are pin-andslot mounted in lengthwise bars 90 having pin- and-slot bearings in the side plates and are joined in pairs by transverse bars 97 which take into notches in the card selectors so as to be lifted with them in all positions. The lost motion between the selectors and plungers for the cards is greater than that for the pilots, so that the pilot is raised higher than the card. To restore the machine to normal, a lever on a stub shaft 230, Fig. 11, is operated to rock shafts 241, 182, and 238. causing a cam 269 first to restore bv means of levers 273 and link 2,74 the actuator bar, allowing the rods 80 to return and drop the selectors; links from arms on the shaft 238 restore the slides C to re-engage their latches; arms 248 on shaft 238 through links 260, Fig. 11, rock arcs in gear with shafts 44 so as to swing the carriers 56 outwards, thus bringing their latching lugs into engagement. after a yoke 267 on shaft 182 has raised the actuated stop 186 and latched it under lever 115. The shaft 238 also through links 249. arms 65 and links 64 restores the carriers 56 which are re-latched .when a link from an arm on shaft 182 has rocked a yoke 258 to lift the actuated stop 155 and re-latch it under the lever 114. Links from the arms 65 also restore the pilot selector carriers 90. To open out the cards and render lifting easier, the overhanging ears 32 of the actuated pilot enter between teeth in combs 294, Fig. 16, which are slid manually. An " auditing " key is provided to assist in checking the cards, by raising all cards whose unit number is the same. For this purpose brackets 300. Fig. 26, are mounted at each end of the tray on the members 40 on which the carriers 56 are mounted and auxiliary selector arms 301 are pivoted therein at 302 and have projections 312 to engage cam edges on sliding plates 307 which have ears 299 overhanging a yoke bar 310 on shaft 167. The auxiliary selector bars are spring held in the position shown in Fig. 26, and are connected by longitudinal bars 304 adapted to fit over the " 0 " and " 9 " hundred selectors and to rise with them. Similar auxiliary selector bars 325 and 327 are mounted for the " pilot " selectors 93 with control plates 323 having studs 329 overhanging the yoke bar 310. This yoke bar is operated in order to position bars 304, 327, by a link 346, Fig. 11, from an " audit " key 335. This key on depression, by a link 349 and lever 350 disengages pawl 126 from the transmitter carriage and brings a pawl 353 to position the transmitter pawls 110 opposite the units levers 115, and by links 339, 360 to the " 0 " lever 114 through link 360 frees latch 201 from the actuator bar 81. A link 341. Fig. 29, also from the lever 333 operates adjacent " 0 " and " 9 " levers 112 to release the corresponding bars 80 at front and rear of the machine for actuation. The " audit " key is held depressed by a catch, and thereafter, depression of any unit key frees the catch 202 and raises the corresponding unit cards throughout the tray with their " pilots." Instead of a manual restoring lever, a motor and one turn clutch is described controlled from a starting key.