Patent GB-887497-A (GB)
Title: Data processing machine
Inventor: ALLCARD JOHN
IPC: G06Q10/00
Filed: 1958-04-17
Abstract: 887,497. Digital electric calculating apparatus. ARNFIELD Ltd., J. & E. April 17, 1958, No. 12288/58. Class 106 (1). A data processing machine comprises a first and a second tape record each containing at least one quantity and further related data, means for storing data read from the first record, means for selecting data from the second record in accordance with data from the first record, an arithmetic unit for multiplying  together the quantities on the two records and for storing the product, and means for producing a third record containing this product and data derived from the storage means and from the second record. The machine described produces a printed and/or punched record of the list of parts required for the manufacture of an article, e.g. a pump. A first record tape 3 contains data relating to the number and types of pumps to be manufactured, and a second record tape 10 contains data relating to the parts required for all possible types of pumps. The data is punched in a 5-unit telegraphic type combination code and the readers 1, 8 comprise electric-contact making mechanical feelers or an arrangement of five photo-transistors as described in Specification 821,911 which feed amplifiers 4, 11 comprising further transistors (Fig. 3, not shown) which energize electromagnetic relays. The five parallel outputs of amplifier 4 are applied to a relay-contact decoding network 5 which marks a single output line corresponding to each decoded tape character, the outputs of amplifier 11 being similarly decoded in networks 12-14. Each entry on tape 3 comprises a " - " sign, a 2-digit decimal number indicating how many pumps are required, and a further 8 characters relating to the type of pump. In operation all these characters are passed by network 5 to unit 6 where they are stored on uniselector switches (Fig. 7, not shown). When this storage has been completed, the reading of tape 10 is begun. The entries on this tape are grouped into body parts, rotating parts and stator parts, and arranged within each group according to the material used and the pump range of which they are components. Tape 10 is initially moved at high speed and the output of amplifier 11 is passed to network 14 which switches the tape reader 8 to slow speed when a " body " code is detected. The following characters read from tape 10 are then decoded by network 12. If the first two characters do not correspond to the body material and range read from tape 3 into unit 6, the reader 8 reverts to high speed until the next " body " code is read. When such correspondence is found, the associated list of parts is read off for printing or punching. Each part entry comprises a decimal digit indicating how many of the parts are required for each pump or " number off " and a further 5 characters indicating the material and part item number. If a part is common to a number of different size pumps, it is associated with a size number corresponding to the smallest pump in which it is used; in such cases, the entry on tape 10 is preceded by a " programme code" " which is decoded by network 13 and operates relay control circuits (Figs. 10 and 11, not shown) to override the pump size number stored in unit 6. After this " programme control " has been effected, the number off is read and decoded by network 12 to act as a multiplier in unit 7, the multiplicand being the number of pumps stored in unit 6. Multiplication is effected by repeated stepping of uniselector switches with relay-controlled carries between denominations. The recording is then commenced under control of unit 15 which, as shown, controls a solenoid-operated typewriter 16. The information printed consists of the " - " sign from unit 6, the product calculated in unit 7, the material recorded on tape 10, the pump range and size from unit 6 (or as modified by programme control), and the item number recorded on tape 10. When printing is completed, similar operations occur and a similar printed record is obtained for the succeeding body parts. When the list of body parts is completed, the list of rotating and stator parts is similarly obtained. If the required pump includes modifications from standard, as indicated by the last two characters in the entry on tape 3, such modifications are similarly searched for on tape 10 and listed: if, e.g. a standard part is to be replaced by a different part, the standard part is recorded again, at the end of the standard list, with a " + " sign, and is followed by a recording of the non-standard parts with a " - " sign. When the whole list for one pump entry on tape 3 has been completed, the tape is moved on to cause the next entry to be read for which a similar list is prepared. A punched tape output record is obtained, if required, by a different form of control unit (Fig. 13, not shown) which re-codes the information in the 5-unit code. This output tape may be passed to reader 1 to be used in conjunction with a different tape 10 to obtain a list of material. By using other tapes 10 with appropriate information, further lists may be obtained, e.g. of machine loading or of labour requirements.