Patent GB-617959-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to punching apparatus
IPC: B41L47/58
Filed: 1945-06-18
Abstract: 617,959. Punching machines. ADDRESSOGRAPH - MULTIGRAPH CORPORATION. June 18, 1945, No. 15434. Convention date, June 30, 1944. [Class 31(ii)] [Also in Group XVI] A punching machine for preparing cards for controlling the operation of accounting machines, or variable printing machines, is described in connection with the production of control cards 65, 66, Fig. 2, which are perforated respectively to form coded representations of various selecting or index data, and data for the reproduction of numerals as in the Powers or Hollerith systems, or for the reproduction of messages. The machine is used to form a printing and control device of the kind described in Specification 489,390, [Group XVI]. The cards 65, 66 are mounted on a metal plate 57 having bent-up edges to hold an embossed address plate 58. The plates 57 are placed in succession on a carriage 95, Fig. 6, which is constructed so that the plates can be readily inserted and locked automatically in position while the carriage js moved past the punches 86, Figs. 11 and 16, the carriage being moved step-by-step while the card 66 is being punched with ore or two punches at each columnar position. For punching holes in the positions 232, 232' on the card 65 the escapement mechanism controlling the step-by-step motion is put out of action and the position of the plate 57 is controlled by stops. In either case, the carriage 95 is moved by hand to a starting position in which the position of the first perforation to be produced on the card 65 registers with the punches at the commencement of the preparation of the production of a complete control card, and during the operation the carriage 95 is drawn to the left by a band 208 wound upon a spring drum 207, Fig. 6. A stop 177 is set on a bar 126 to determine the setting of the carriage 95, and index devices 211, 212 indicate the columnar position of the punches. The punches 86 are mounted upon a standard 82 which, as shown in Fig. 11, is slotted at 101 for the passage therethrough of a lever 99 which reciprocates a cradle 103 for operation of the punches, which are removably supported in the cradle for lateral removal therefrom, and pass through a stripper plate 108. The punches pass through a guide block 87 and co-operate with dies 88 connected to the block 87 by a screw and so mounted upon a shoulder 90 attached to the standard 82 that the parts 87, 88 can be detached together. The parts 87, 88 are spaced to form a throat 93 for the passage of the plate 57, and the bevelled edges thereof facilitate guiding the face of the die-block 88. The dies 86 are operated by a pusher plate 148 mounted in the cradle 103 but only when a selector bar 113 is interposed between the plate 148 and the punch to be operated. The lever arm 99 which operates the cradle 103 is operated by an eccentric 137 which rocks a lever arm 127 having an arm adjustably connected to an extension of the arm 99 so as to enable the extent of movement of the cradle to be adjusted. The selector bars 111 are reset after each operation by a lever 157, which is operated by a pin 160 on the shaft 138 of the eccentric 137, and carries a shaped spring-controlled pusher 151 guided by rcllers 152 to contact with a shoulder on the selector bar 111 after it has been moved to cause a punch to operate. The selector bars are operated by Bowden cables 306 upon depression of keys 269, Figs. 19, for forming perforations according to a code in the card 66, and, by depressing keys S for controlling the selector bars controlling the punches 86s, cables 306s are operated. Since the carriage 95 is controlled by an escapement mechanism comprising a rack 219, Fig. 6, engaged alternatively by pawls or levers 216, 218 which are operated by cams on a main shaft 138 driven by a onerevolution clutch, the escapement device is thrown out of action by operation of a tabulating lever 234 operated by a key T when the movement of the carriage is controlled by settable stops engaging one of two lugs. This method of control is used mainly for the perforating of the card 65, but can be applied throughout in place of the escapement control, in which case a bar pinned with an upper and lower set of holes is mounted above the rack 219 for receiving pins 247, Fig. 32, not shown, in positions corresponding to the perforations required. The keyboard mechanism is so arranged that only one key can be depressed at a time, and some of the keys are adapted to cause operation of one punch only, as they cause depression of only one plunger 307, Fig. 6, of a Bowden cable device. Other keys cause depression of two plungers with actuation of two punches 86. In each case the operation of a key actuates a control switch 318, Figs. 6 and 19, and causes energization of an electro-magnet 321 which operates a one-revolution clutch to drive the shaft 138 from a constantly rotated pulley. The key O when actuated causes movement of the carriage 95 without operation of a punch. In the electrical circuit of the electro-magnet 321 is arranged normally closed safety switch which is automatically opened during the latter part of the rotating cycle of the shaft 138, and if the key has not been released when said switch is opened, a latch is operated to hold the circuit to the magnet 321 open until the key is released, and so the shaft 138 can only rotate once for each key depressed. In a modification, the punches are arranged in columns which are disposed at acute angles to the longitudinal direction of the cards 65, 66, and the punches are arranged in echelon, but the general arrangement of mechanism and method of actuation is similar to the first form.