Patent GB-592638-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to sorting machines for record cards
Filed: 1945-05-16
Abstract: 592,638. Statistical apparatus. CONTROL INSTRUMENT CO., Inc. May 16, 1945, No. 12315. Convention date, Nov. 25, 1944. [Class 106 (i)] A machine for sorting statistical cards comprises a timing unit common to a plurality of pockets and having at least one group of actuating members, 146, operatively associated with sensing means for selection thereby of a member of the group, the members of the group being each individual to a different pocket and to an index point of the cards being analysed. The unit comprises also pocket control members, 179, each individual to one of the pockets and having operative connection with the actuating members, and means, 185, connecting each pocket control member with its pocket, so as to open the pocket when the control member is operated by a selected one of the actuating members. Feeding means. The cards are.fed from a magazine 30, Fig. 3, by a picker 96, to feed rollers 62 ... 66, and after passing the sensing mechanism A, the card feed is taken up by a conveyer belt 55, working in synchronism with timing mechanism C, Fig. 5, controlling the actuation of card deflectors 200. Sensing means. Any one of the columns of the card may be used to control the sorting operation, the sensing wheel 33, Fig. 8, being adjustable to any column by a handle 32 turning a threaded shaft 121, the pitch of the threads being equal to the spacing of the card columns. The sensing pins 105, 106, in the wheel 33 press the card against a member 135 and, when a hole is sensed, the pin passes into one of the grooves 136 in this member. During column setting, a cam 127 rocks a lever 130 and through linkage 132, 133, 131, 138, lowers the member 135 to prevent the sensing pins from fouling the edges of the grooves 136. The wheel 33 carries four sets of sensing pins 105, 106, the first one 106 of each set being a detector pin which, if not stopped by the card in the normal manner, causes the other pins to be locked and, consequently, the card passes through to the reject box. A series of bars 107, 108, Fig. 8, are positioned behind the sensing pins and have notches 112 to receive the rear ends of the pins. The bars are spring urged against a fixed cam 114, Fig. 9, until they reach the sensing position when, if a sensing pin does not enter a hole in the card, it is pressed back and enters a slot 112 in the associated bar 108, thus continuing to withold it against its spring. If a sensing pin enters a hole in the card its associated bar 108 is released and slides, to the left in Fig. 7, pushing a corresponding bar 151 (see also Fig. 5) in the timing mechanism C. If the bar 107, Fig. 8, associated with the detector pin 106, is released in this way, a notch 116 is positioned under the edge of a hinged bail 117 which drops into this notch and notches 115 in the bars 108. This prevents operation of the sensing mechanism whenever the detector pin is not stopped by the card. Timing mechanism. A wheel assembly C, Fig. 5, comprises twelve sets of slides 151 corresponding with the twelve card pockets 34, 35, 36, &c. Each set of slides 151 passes through rectangular apertures in a series of T-shaped members 149, Fig. 9, spring-urged towards the shaft 90. As each set of slides 151 approaches the position where they become aligned with and set by the bars 108 of the sensing mechanism, the members 149 are raised by a fixed cam 156, and when a slide 151 has been displaced by one of the bars 108, an upstanding lug 153 on the slide passes into the plane of the corresponding T-shaped member thus preventing its return movement. The T-shaped members 149 set in this way co-operate with devices 190 arranged on bars 165, 166, 167, &c., Fig. 5, spaced round about half the periphery of wheel assembly C. Each device 190, Fig. 9, comprises a roller 192 adapted to engage one of the T-shaped members when the latter is in its raised position. This engagement rocks the member 191 about the shaft 166 and a lug 197, when in the operative position, lifts a bar 199, thus rocking the shaft 166 to which is fixed an arm 176 with a stud 177 engaging in a notch 178 of a disc 179. A second notch 183 in the disc 179 receives a stud 184 on a link 185, which is pinned to an arm 187 on the shaft 188 carrying card deflecting members 200 at one of the card pockets. Thus the rocking of shaft 166 turns the disc 179 and lowers the deflectors 200 to pass the next card into the associated box. Similar mechanism controls the deflectors at each of the other boxes, a series of discs 179 being spaced apart on a sleeve 180 by combs 181. An arm 176 is fixed to each of the shafts 165, 166, 167, &c., and-eaoh of the devices 190 on each shaft comprises a sliding portion 196 carrying the lug 197 which becomes inoperative when pulled to its outer position. In this manner a given designation on the cards can be made to assemble cards into any desired pocket, or cards of several different designations can be assembled into a selected pocket.