Patent GB-398851-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to calculating machines
IPC: G06F7/46
Filed: 1932-03-22
Abstract: 398,851. Statistical apparatus. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd., Victoria House, Vernon Place, Southampton Row, London. March 22, 1932, No. 8485. Convention date, March 23, 1931. Addition to 307,025, [Class 106 (i), Calculating &c.]. [Class 106 (i).] The invention relates to a record-controlled machine of the type described in the parent Specification which operates on cards perforated in accordance with the factors of a computation, means being provided to effect the multiplication thereof in combination with means to record in a single operation the computed result on the card by punching mechanism. According to the present invention the recording or punching mechanism is modified in such a manner as to record each digit of the product during a separate operation. The machine described, as shown in Figs. 1 and 1a, includes a card feed and reading section, multiplicand and multiplier registering devices MC, MP, accumulator sections LH, RH, for the left- and right-hand components of the partial products, impulse emitting commutators 91, 95, sets of cam-controlled contacts, circuit-timing contacts CC1 &c. and a punching mechanism. The registers MC, MP are of the usual form in tabulating machines but with reading-out commutators instead of stepped cams, those for the multiplicand being of dual formation as shown in Fig. 8 with two sets of conducting members 101, double brushes 102 and conducting segments 104. The impulse emitters and the circuits therefrom are similar to those described in Specification 358,105, while the punching mechanism is of the kind disclosed in Specification 362,529, [Group VIII]. When a card has been fed from the magazine 67, Figs. 1a and 5, to the reading brushes 77 the data thereon is entered in the registers MC, MP, and the card is advanced by transferring drums 75 to the position R in the punching section. During this movement a card lever 126, Fig. 12a, is actuated to open contacts 115 and close contacts 125, 221. The contacts 115 break the circuit of a clutch magnet to discontinue the card feed. The closure of contacts 125 initiates the multiplication process and through the cam-controlled relays CS1 &c., Fig. 17d, controls the column selection contacts 129, 130, 140, 141, &c. of the accumulating sections. The closure of the contacts 221 energizes an electromagnet 175, Fig. 2a, controlling a one-revolution clutch 162, Fig. 12a, of known construction adapted to drive a rack 151. The rack 151 meshes with a gear 184 secured to a member 185 adapted to be engaged by a pawl 186 on a member secured to a shaft 188 on which is mounted a gear 189 meshing with the rack 152. On displacement of the rack 151 to the left a camming member 190 renders the pawl 186 operative to drive the rack 152 to the right. On the disengagement of the one-revolution clutch the rack 151 is permitted to return to its righthand position by a spring drum 183 and gear 182. The rack 152 is also associated with a spring drum 194, Fig. 12, and with an escapement mechanism 195 as described in Specification 362,529. Removably secured to the rack 152 is a notched skip bar 196 co-operating with a lever 198 to control the escapement pawl, the rack 152 is thus enabled to traverse the card carriage without stopping at each column or by a movement from column to column depending on the number and position of the notches 197. The punching mechanism comprises punches 200 controlled manually by keys in the known manner or by the operation of punch selector magnets 204. The reading-out means of the accumulator sections LH, RH, Fig. 17d, is similar to that described in Specification 280,955, [Class 31 (ii), Punching and perforating machines &c.], and the individual contact members of the section RH are connected by leads 220 to the selector magnets 204 and the common segments to leads 218, Figs. 17d and 17e, connecting by plugs and sockets 216, 217 to sockets 215 individually connected to contact members 212 on an insulating plate 211 on the machine frame. The plate carries an insulated contact strip 213 and the strip and members are adapted to make contact with a brush 214 carried by the carriage rack 152. In the right-hand position of the rack 152 a pusher 153 is moved to engage the card, the card having moved from the position R to the position R1. The rack 152 on moving to its left-hand position, ready to receive a product punching, displaces a rack 230, Fig. 12, which through gearing 235 brings an ejector clip 237 into the path of movement of the card. The skip lever 198 by engaging a notch 197 closes contacts 199 to render the circuit through the contacts 212, 213 alive in such a manner that the digits of the product from the highest to the lowest denomination will be punched in succession. The card after the punching operation enters the ejector clip as shown in Fig. 14 and the rack 152 on movement to its left-hand position closes contacts 225 to energize an ejector control magnet the armature of which operates a link 241 to rock a pawl 238 and release the ejector clip the jaws of which are opened by a stop member 242 to discharge the card into a hopper 243. The lever 244 which closes the contacts 225 at the same time releases the latch 126a to open contacts 125, 221, and reclose card feed clutch contacts 115.