Patent GB-446521-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to record-card-controlled statistical printing machines
Filed: 1934-10-30
Abstract: 446,521. Typewriters &c. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd., Victoria House, Vernon Place, Southampton Row, London, and KEEN, H. H., 25, Sollershott East, Letchworth, Hertfordshire. Oct. 30, 1934, No. 31139. [Class 100 (iv)] [See also Group XIX] Platen rotation for blanking.-A recordcard-controlled printing-machine having sheetfeeding mechanism in which the record, or summary sheet, is fed step-by-step by linespacing mechanism after each printing operation and, after a card group change, is fed the rest of the complete sheet-length, by the sheetspacing mechanism (S, 24, 25, 20, 19, 15, 14), is characterized in that the sheet-feeding mechanism includes head-spacing mechanism (H, 24, 25, 36 ... 39) which is operable by a clutch, when the last card of a sub-group has been read (special " 9 " hole in last card), to head-space the sheet a fixed amount (the " second headspacing " described below). The shaft 10 which drives the paper-feeding platen is driven (1) by line-spacing mechanism of known construction during item-printing, (2) by the head-spacing mechanism H, 22, 23, 24, 25, 36 ... 39 during head-spacing and (3) by the sheet-spacing mechanism S, 24, 25, 20, 19, 15, 14 and 13, Fig. 4, which completes the feeding of the sheet. Rigid with shaft 10 is a disc 12 with one tooth 13 and a disc 18 with a spiral groove 17. Loose on shaft 10 is a disc 15 to which is pivoted a pawl 14 having an offset pin 16 which reaches into the spiral 17. When shaft 10 is rotated by the linespacing or head-spacing mechanism, tooth 13 moves ahead of stationary pawl 14 and groove 17 causes pin 16 and pawl 14 to move outwards radially. To complete a feed of a complete sheet-length, when the sheet-spacing mechanism operates it rotates disc 15 and pawl 14 (parts 10, 12, 18 being stationary) until pawl 14 has moved round, and inwards radially due to groove 17 ; thus when pawl 14 engages tooth 13 it will have moved the combined amount which the line-spacing and head-spacing mechanisms have rotated the shaft 10, after which the pawl 14 feeds the shaft 10 and the paper the remainder of the constant sheet-length The disc 15 is rigid with wheel 19 driven by train 20, 21 of which 21 is loose on shaft 22. A collar 23 loose on shaft 22 has dogs 24 which extend through slots in a disc 25 secured to the shaft 22. When the sheet-spacing magnet S is energized its armature slides the collar 23 to the left so that the dogs 24 reach into holes in the wheel 21 and couple the latter to shaft 22. Wheel 36 is similarly coupled to shaft 22 when head-spacing magnet H is energized. Train 36, 38, 37 actuates shaft 10 through a one-way drive 39 of suitable construction. Shaft 22 is driven by Geneva mechanism 30, 3<a>, 32, 31 from any constantly rotating shaft which makes one revolution per card cycle so that during each card cycle the shaft 22 makes a quarter revolution with smooth acceleration and retardation. There is a short rest period after each quarter revolution. The invention is shown as applied to a machine as described in Specification 422,135, [Group XIX]. Fig. 5 is divided for convenience of reference into ten strips O ... 9. The left, centre, and right sections of these strips are referred to also. Thus, the reference " CB(9R) " indicates that contacts C, B will be found in the right section of the horizontal strip 9. The L cams are actuated each cycle and the T cams each card-feed cycle. Automatic group-control is effected by card-comparison at upper and lower brushes in the usual manner, and the circuits of Fig. 5 are adjusted for minor group control only. Four cycle-control relays C1(2L), C2, C3(3L) and C4(4L) are used substantially as in the prior Specification except that in the present instance, each relay can cause resetting of a counter (by adding to that counter the complement of the amount already in the counter) in the cycle in which the relay is energized. At a minor group-change two total-taking cycles occur ; in the first the relay C2 is energized and the total in the counter is printed ; in the second relays C1 and R31 are energized and the counter is reset and card-feeding is subsequently resumed. On Fig. 6 the sheet-lengths are indicated and in the parts marked " Head and " Second Head " there are preprinted data on the summary sheet. After the last of a group of items has been printed on line O, Fig. 6, the minor group changes and during the first total-cycle the sheet-spacing clutch magnet S(7L), Figs. 5 and 1, is energized to feed the sheet the remainder of its length so that the total is then printed at T1, Fig. 6. During the second total-cycle, the head-spacing clutch magnet H(7L), Figs. 5 and 1, is energized to feed the summary sheet from line 1 to line 2 of the new sheet length. Card-feeding is resumed. The first three cards of the next group contain the name and address of the customer to whom the new group relates and this data is printed on lines 2, 3 and 4, Fig. 6. The last of these three cards has a special " 9 " hole in a particular column which is read by a lower brush LB(9C) in conjunction with a contact maker 99 which makes only for the " 9 " positions. If a " 9 " hole is read, a circuit CB(9R), T-6, card-lever contacts LCL4-A, LB, 99, relay R68 and line 106 is completed. Relay R68 closes its contacts R68-B to energize its second winding R68<1>. Contacts L-19 keep the relay R68 energized until contacts L-27(9R) close in the next cycle. Then a circuit L-27, R68-A (closed by relay R68), MIR-4C (closed by the minor control circuit), R46, H, 106 is closed whereby magnet H causes a second head-spacing from line 4 to line 5 on Fig. 6. Items are then printed from the cards on lines 5 ... 8, for example, a minor group change then occurs, the sheet spacing magnet S is energized and the sheet fed, as above-described, the remainder of its length to allow total-printing at T2, Fig. 6. If each sheet is too long to be fed in one machine cycle, the magnet S is energized in two successive cycles and the sheet-spacing mechanism is adjusted to give a sheet-feed of half the required length. To give the extra cycle, switch S3(7C) is closed and sockets 108, 117(3R) are plugged together. The sheet and head spacing mechanisms may also act for intermediate or major group changes. The head-spacing mechanism may also be so adjusted that the information from each card is listed on a separate summary sheet.