Patent GB-489227-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to apparatus for punching record perforations in cards or the like
IPC: G06C11/08
Filed: 1937-01-19
Abstract: 489,227. Statistical machines. HUTCHINGS, F. W. Jan. 19, 1937, No. 1558. [Class 106 (i)] A card-punching machine is provided with a sensing device including a carriage with escapement mechanism and carrying sensing elements movable over a prepunched card, and card feeding means to move the card from the sensing device to the punches whereby the card is read and punched with a further record computed from the reading by the sensing elements. The invention is described as applied to a power-operated card punch as described in Specification 328,255, [Class 31 (ii)], and comprises a punch setting carriage 1 running on rails 3 and adapted to be traversed step by step during a setting operation of the punches, the carriage being returned automatically after the punching has been effected by actuation of the punch key. Gang punching is permitted, and each operation of a digit key causes the carriage to advance one step corresponding to the width.of a card column. A skip key is provided. Driving mechanism. The operation of a punch key as in the machine of the prior Specification, by means of Bowden cable 4 and lever, mechanism 5, 18, 15 clutches the shaft 7 to an element 10 constantly rotated from a motor 8 so that the shaft 7 makes one revolution and is then automatically stopped. In the present invention, a shaft 50 is driven from the shaft 7 by a 1 : 2 gearing, and a part 88 on an eccentric strap on the shaft 50 engages the lever 5 at such a time as to cause the clutch to remain in for a second revolution of shaft 7. Reading-mechanism. A carriage 23 running on rails 25 is provided with a row of reading pins 39 each pivoted at the top to the horizontal arm 38 of a bell-crank 28 pivoted on a shaft .26. Two levers 28a, 28b outside of the bellcranks 28 serve to actuate the escapement mechanism and the skip mechanism of the carriage respectively. The vertical arms of the cranks rest against a bail 29 under action of springs 30. Depression of a space key (not shown) actuates the lever 28a through a Bowden cable 31, rocking the bail 29 which allows cranks 28 to follow and the pins 39 to move down. The arm 29a of lever 28a by means of a pin 32 engaging a cam slot 33 in a plate 34 fast with shaft 35 rocks the latter and also the pawl 36 of escapement wheel 37. Spring contacts 43 rest on the pins 39 and normally do not engage contacts 46. A hole in the card below a pin however allows the contacts to engage and thus to complete the circuit of a magnet which will actuate the corresponding key of a multiplying machine. Card picker. A member 47 reciprocated from the shaft 50 by eccentric and lever mechanism takes a card from the pack 22 and delivers it to feed rolls 53 and thence to sensing pin plates 54. A card stop 55 is provided on a vertically guided frame 60 reciprocated by eccentric rods 63 from the shaft 50. " No-card " pin. A guided rod attached to the bars 61 carries a feeler pin and associated pair of contacts which are opened if no card is between the plates 54. Operation. The sensing carriage is moved step by step over the columns and the values of the factors punched on the card are sensed and transferred to a multiplying machine which multiplies the factors and actuates a punch setting carriage to set up the value of the product whereupon the punch key is automatically operated and the product punched on the card. Both carriages are then returned to initial position as described in Specification 328,255. Transmission to multiplying machine. The spring contacts 43 are connected.to a row of brushes 70 in a support 71 on the carriage 23. These co-operate with a field of contacts 72 on the fixed frame arranged in columns. The contacts 72 are connected to magnets for actuating the numeral keys in the multiplying machine. In the initial position of the carriage, the brushes 70 engage the first column of contacts 72 and when the space key is depressed the first column of the card is read. A further contact 74, is provided in each column to cooperate with a brush 75 to energize a magnet for operating the space key and in this circuit are the " no card " contacts. A bus-bar 74 co-operates with a brush 74b to supply current. The escapement operates on release of the key which may be released by a cam-operated contact after time is allowed for the transfer of the values to the multiplying machine. The carriage then moves to the next column. A plurality of sockets may be associated with each contact 74 and connections made so that the machine may perform other functions such as to actuate a skip key &c. or if the calculating machine is of the type to perform addition, subtraction &c. the question may be predetermined. After multiplication is performed, the multiplying machine sets up the product in the punch setting carriage 1 by known mechanism. The carriage 1 may have a column of brushes 60a co-operating with a field of contacts 73a energized from the multiplying machine, a skip key for the punch carriage 1 being actuated by the multiplying machine, or alternatively an adjustable stop may be set to cause the carriage to return only to the first column of the product field. The multiplying machine reads the product digit by digit and at each a magnet is energized to actuate a digit key in the punch causing set bars 76 to be depressed as described in Specification 328,255. After the product is set the machine actuates a punch key whereupon the shaft 7 is clutched in. Towards the end of the first revolution of shaft 50, a card is fed to the dies 77 by feed rollers 78 ; and is held by a stop 79. The dies 77 rise and take the card against the punches when those set punch holes in the known manner. Towards the end of the second revolution of the shaft 7 a cam 84 on shaft 50 actuates shaft 85 by link 86 to release the set bar latches, and the card is ejected. The machine is particularly suitable for 90-column cards. In such arrangement the factors and /or amounts may be punched in the lower half of the card and the product &c. in the upper or lower half. The bail 29 may be split so that half overlying the lower half of the card is actuated thereby limiting the area sensed by the sensing device. The bail may be constructed as is well-known so as to operate as a whole or in parts according to the type of card. Each portion of the bail may be appropriated to a calculating machine so that one machine takes amounts from the upper portion of a card and the other from the lower and the separate calculations effected simultaneously, the results being punched in the upper and lower portions respectively.