Patent GB-518752-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to mechanism for sensing statistical record cards
Filed: 1938-09-03
Abstract: 518,752. Statistical machines. THOMAS A. Sept. 3, 1938, No. 25845. [Class 106 (i)]  A statisitcal machine comprises record card sensing means, and means for causing the sensing means to sense consecutively a plurality of groups of hole positions in each of a plurality of parallel groups of columns on the same record card. A printed record is taken on a paper sheet at each sensing operation. The machine described deals with cards wherein two sets of data are punched in each of two parallel groups of columns (the two halves of a standard card) and in each group of columns the hole positions for one set of data are located midway between. the other or normal hole positions. The cards are fed from a magazine 31 by a picker 32. The pin box 14, which is of similar construction to that described in Specification 401,012, reciprocates four times for each card fed by the picker. At the beginning of a cycle the card is fed by constantly-rotating feed rolls 30a into contact with a card stop 90 situated in front of a second card stop 91. On the first descent of the pin box to sense the card, a cam-controlled hook 76b retains an apertured slide (situated alongside a similar side 48) so as to tilt a bank of intermediate elements (similar to the elements 40) out of the path of the corresponding sensing pins 16 thereby rendering one half of the pin box inoperative, only the group of columns in one half of the card consequently being sensed. For example, this descent of the pin box may sense the first line, viz., the name of four lines of a name and address. During the second sensing movement of the pin box to sense the second line of the name and address, the apertured slide is freed from the hook 76b to render the corresponding pins 17 operative. The apertured slide 48 is then retained by a cam-controlled hook 76a so as to tilt the remaining intermediate elements 40 as shown, and change the sensing to the group of columns in the other half of the card. Prior to the third, and fourth sensing movements of the pin box for the purpose of reading successively the third and fourth lines of the name and address, the front card stop 90 descends and allows the constantly-rotating feed rolls 30a to move the card forward to the rear stop 91 into position for sensing the intermediately-situated holes. The hooks 76a, 76b and the apertured slides are again operated in turn by the cam mechanism to render first one half and then the other half of the pin box operative to sense first the offset holes of one half of the card and then the offset holes of the other half. The rear card stop 91 now descends and the card is ejected into a receiver 109. The picker then feeds the next card and the cycle commences again. A printed record of the punched representations on the card is obtained by mechanism somewhat similar to that described in Specification 478,597, the mechanism comprising a bank of connection wires 110, the wires of correspondpins in the two halves of the pin box being arranged to operate the same stop 115. The code employed in the punched cards is the same as that described in Specification 478,597. When the connection wires 110 raise the stops 115 the corresponding rack bars 116 (one for each column of holes in the card) are liberated and are moved to the right by their springs 120 so as to set the corresponding type bars 134 and bring the appropriate type elements 136 into alignment with the printing hammers 139. The printing hammers are released at each reciprocation of the pin box, by cam mechanism, to effect a record of each sensing operation on a paper sheet fed step-by-step over platen 140. Specifications 454,857, [Group XVI], and 473,757 also are referred to.