Patent GB-242654-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to machines for sorting statistical record-cards
IPC: G06K13/103
Filed: 1925-11-06
Abstract: 242,654. British Tabulating Machine Co., Ltd., (Assignees of Ford, E. A.). Nov. 7, 1924, [Convention date]. Statistical machines. - As a card is read by the sorting brush it passes simultaneously beneath spring deflectors, so that when a hole is read all those deflectors ahead of the card are lowered by the energization of a magnet and those deflectors resting on the card are maintained raised by the card which thus acts itself as a mechanical element and is sorted into the correct compartment. Preferably only one brush is used and there is only one perforation per card column. The adjustably-mounted motor 33 drives a shaft 37, Fig. 1, which runs the whole length at the back of the machine and drives the feeding rollers 122, 124, of which the upper rollers 124 are journaled in slots in the side frame and depressed by adjustable springs so as to press yieldingly upon the lower rollers 122. Prior to placing the cards in the feed magazine 58 they may be stacked on a glass table 44 having a back 45, and ends 46 and hinged longitudinally of the machine. The brush 104, Fig. 3, and single-column selector 59 are set for the card column and kind of sorting desired respectively and the cards are fed by a feeding device 61. Each compartment comprises walls 62, an inclined tray 63 having vertical fingers 64 and supported on a spring-raised plunger 65. The side plates 81 of the feed magazine may be adjusted for various length cards and the rear posts 82 are slotted to guide pins on the weighted plate 56 which is cut away at 88 to avoid fouling the blades on the feeding device 61. In addition, for the same reason, this plate 56 has two studs 89, Fig. 17, which ride upon the sides of the drum 61 when the magazine is empty. The card 103 is read by the brush 104 and a brass contact cylinder 100 and passes between steel spring blades 109, Fig. 5, and a plate 105, Figs. 2 and 5, which is the normally spring-raised armature of four electromagnets 107, this plate 105 normally maintains raised the fingers 109, Figs 5 and 9, but when the hole in the card is read and the magnets are energized this armature is lowered to the position of Fig. 5. The fingers 109 are spaced apart distances equal to the spacing of the card perforation index points and the card is fed with the points " 9," " 8," "7," &c. passing first under the brush. The card illustrated is punched at " 4 " so that when the hole is read certain fingers follow the armature 105 down and the others are maintained raised by t'he card which rests upon side plates 108, Fig. 2; the card is thus sorted into its appropriate compartment. At the end of each card cycle the armature is returned upwards by a cam 121. The other ends of the blades 109 are attached t'o brackets 111, and parts 113 of the blades and deflecting members 114 assist the passage of the card into the compartment; the right-hand blade 109, Fig. 5, direct's the card to the " 9 " compartment, the second from the right to the " 8 " compartment and so on. Preferably the fingers 109 are of steel and are drawn down magnetically by the magnets 107 in addition to moving down by their spring resiliency. The plate 105 is int'egral with the swinging armature plate, Fig. 2, of the magnets 107 and is hinged at 136 and maintained raised by an adjustable spring 106. In a modification, the plate 105 is carried upon a hinged angle-iron which normally is latched up bv the magnet armature. The machine is normally motor driven but for hand drive the shaft 37, Figs. 1 and 19, has inclined surfaces 237 coacting with balls 235 and a hand-wheel 38 so that when the latter is rotated counterclockwise, Fig. 19, the balls wedge and drive the shaft, but if the wheel is rotated clockwise the balls rotate idly. Sorting brush holder. The brush 104, Figs. 2 and 8, is secured to a plate 150 riveted at 151 to an insulating holder 152, the plate contacting at 154 with an insulated current-carrying plate 155. A transverse rigid plate 157 has notches corresponding with the card-columns, which notches coact with a V-shaped tooth on a member 163, 162 carried in a nut 160 which is traversed across the machine by a screwed spindle 159 and a crank 58. The brush holder 152 is fixed to the member 162 by a pin 167 which has a key-seat coacting with a key 169 and handle 170. The member 163, 162 is spring-depressed in the nut 160 so that as the brush is moved across the machine it is raised and lowered to prevent damage since the tooth on the part 163 rides up and down the notches in the member 157. Single-column selector. This determines which hole index points in the column under analysis shall be included in the sorting. The shaft 202 carrying the contact cylinder 100 has rigid with it a metal hub 201 and an insulating disc 200, Figs. 13 and 14, having an outer met'al rim 203 coacting with a shoe 209 and conductor 210. Insulated in this disc 200 is a ring of metal buttons 204 coacting with a brush 208 and conductor 207 and connected by rivets to buttons 205 each of which coacts with a radially slidable metal spring 206 carried in a member 59. These members are held slidably on the disc by a ring 212 and screws 213. In the inner positions the springs 206 are held by a groove 211; if any spring 206 is pulled radially to its outer position it connects electrically the appropriate button 205 and the ring 203 so that on rotation of the disc current flows through 207, 208, 204, 205, 206, 203, 209, and 210 at the moment that the hole corresponding to the particular button 204 is under the brush. In Fig. 13, for instance, only perforation " 1 " is not included in the sorting. Sheep separators. The cards are fed singly from the magazine 55 by blades 69, Figs. 17 and 3, set in a rotating drum 61 so that each blade catches the bottom card only. Immediately in front of each blade the periphery of the drum is shaped as shown at 77 to allow a slight buckling of the card; for a similar reason the bottom plate 80 of the magazine is slightly curved. The card throat 72 may be adjusted by screws 75 which raise and lower the plates 76 carrying the feedrollers 74.