Patent GB-830496-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in punched card handling machines
Filed: 1956-08-23
Abstract: 830,496. Selective punching machines. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION. Aug. 23, 1956 [Aug. 25, 1955], No. 25753/56. Class 31 (2). A punched card handling machine comprises a card reading means adapted for reading columnar prepunched record cards, means for moving prepunched cards serially past the reading means in a column by column manner, card punching means, means for feeding other record cards serially past the punching means, actuating means for operating the punching means, means operable synchronously with the column by column feeding of the prepunched record cards for emitting signals indicative of the column at the reading means, and control means responsive to the reading of data in successive ones of the selected columns and to corresponding ones of the indicative signals for actuating the actuating means whereby successive ones of the other record cards are punched. Preferably, the machine consists of a card reader and a card punch which are electrically interconnected, by closing a switch 502, Fig. 11 (not shown), to punch a separate detail card for each item of a prepunched order card. The card reader and card punch are each shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1, and are each similar to the machine shown in Fig. 17 of the Figures of Specification 684,273, which is referred to, according to which record cards are passed in succession from a supply hopper 10 to positions A, E (in registration with a punching line 11), F (in registration with a reading line 12), C, and then to a discharge hopper 13. Programme and auxiliary drums 230, 230a are also provided. In the card reader, a coded prepunched order card, Fig. 3, is sensed at the reading line 12, and a coded auxiliary card, Fig. 4, on the drum 230a and a programme card, Fig. 5, on the drum 230 are also sensed. In operation, an order card is positioned at the reading line 12 of the card reader and a detail card D1 at the punching line 11 of the card punch. Columns one to six of the order card are duplicated into columns one to six of the detail card D1 in a step 1A, Fig. 2. Column seven of the order card and column seven of the auxiliary card on the drum 230a of the card reader are then sensed. The number from column seven of the auxiliary card is translated to a two-column two-digit number and punched in columns seven and eight of the card D1 in a step 1B. The number in column seven of the order card is translated to a two-column two-digit number and punched in columns nine and ten of the card D1 in a step 1C. The card D1 is advanced to the reading line 12 of the card punch, and a new detail card D2 is advanced to the punching line 11 of the card punch. The order card and the auxiliary card are advanced to column eight. The data in columns one to six of the card D1 are duplicated into columns one to six of the card D2 in a step 2A. The data in column eight of the auxiliary card are translated and punched in columns seven and eight of the card D2 in a step 2B, and the data in column eight of the order card are translated and punched in columns nine and ten of the card D2 in a step 2C. The card D1 is advanced to the discharge hopper 13 of the card punch, the card D2 is advanced to the reading line 12 of the card punch, a card D3 is advanced to the punching line 11 of the card punch, and the auxiliary card and order card are advanced to column nine. The data in columns one to six of the card D2 are duplicated into columns one to six of the card D3 in a step 3A. The data in column nine of the auxiliary card are translated and punched in columns seven and eight of the card D3 in a step 3B. The data in column nine of the order card are translated and punched in columns nine and ten of the card D3 in a step 3C. Columns one to six of each succeeding detail card are duplicated from the preceding detail card and the data in the auxiliary card and order card are translated and punched until the last data-containing column of the order card has been read and the corresponding data have been punched. The order card is then advanced to the discharge hopper 13 of the card reader and a second order card advanced to the reading line 12 of the card reader. The procedure is repeated for all order cards in the hopper 10 of the card reader. The punch and reader circuits are described with reference to Figs. 7 to 14 (not shown).