Patent GB-595417-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to record card controlled printing machines
Filed: 1945-01-22
Abstract: 595,417. Statistical apparatus. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd. Jan 22, 1945, No. 1740 Convention date, Dec. 27, 1943. [Class 106 (i)] A record card controlled machine comprises feeding and sensing means for a set of master cards and feeding and sensing means for a set of detail cards, means for comparing a number on a master card with a number on a detail card, means for comparing a number on a detail card with a number on a succeeding detail card, printing mechanism settable under control of the sensing means, and means operable, when both the comparing means indicate equality in the numbers, to print data sensed in a succession of detail cards on a succession of predetermined lines on a master card. In one application the master cards are represented by cheque forms, and data recorded on one or more detail cards, together with data recorded on the cheque form itself, are printed on the cheque. Fig. 1 gives a general view of the machine with the master card hopper 147 at the head of the master card feeding mechanism, shown diagrammatically in Fig. 13, and the detail card hopper 44 at the head of the detail card feeding mechanism shown in Fig. 33. Fig. 41 shows, as an example, the master cards MC1 &c., and detail cards DC1 &c. passing through the machine during the cheque-writing operation. When the machine is started, a master card MC1, (Fig. 41), is fed from the hopper 147, Fig. 13, and passes under sensing brushes Ma concurrently with the sensing of a detail card DC1 passing from the hopper 44, Fig. 33, under sensing brushes Da. The account numbers read from the cards are set up in comparing mechanism as described in Specification 523,652 and, if the numbers agree, both cards are fed forward each to a second sensing station, Mb, Db respectively, the readings in this case controlling the printing of data from the detail card and master card onto the master card. During this further feeding a second master card is fed beneath brushes Ma and its account number is set up in the comparing mechanism. Also a second detail card passes beneath brushes Da. The circuits for the brushes Da and Db are arranged in a known manner, to energize a relay for feeding on the master cards when there is a difference between the account numbers on the two detail cards. Otherwise the master card remains in printing position, stepping forward only one line at a time, while the detail card feed continues and data from successive cards (e.g. name, city, state) is printed on successive lines of the master card. A change in the account number causes the comparing mechanism to operate again and the first master card to be fed to the cheque-writing position at stop 262, Fig. 13. Before reaching this stop, however, the card is momentarily held by an intermediate stop 209 to ensure that it is properly timed for subsequent reading by brushes Md and, at the same time, a device operates to centralize the card into true alignment with the sensing brushes. The data (e.g. amount of cheque) road from the master card by the brushes Md is printed on the card by the print wheels 457 and the card then passes to a hopper 272. An auxiliary hopper 298 receives master cards (e.g. MC3, Fig. 41) for which no corresponding detail cards are detected in the sequence. In such a case the comparing mechanism registers a higher master card account number than detail card number and this initates feeding through of the master card and operation of a deflector 286 to direct it into the auxiliary hopper. Similarly, whenever the master account number is greater than the detail account number, the master card is held and the detail cards are advanced through the machine and offset in their discharge hopper 49 (Fig. 33). Offsetting means, operable, e.g. when master card is full, are also provided in the master card auxiliary hopper 298. The main driving motor 25, Fig. 1, runs continuously, driving, through a belt 26, a shaft 27 to which card-feeding mechanism &c. is clutched under the control of electromagnets DFa, DFb, MFa, MFb, &c. Two typical clutches are shown in Fig. 30. A dog 34, pivoted to an arm 32 and held, together with the arm, by the armature of an electromagnet DFa, is released upon energization of the magnet and engages a notch in a constantly rotating disc 28b thus (in this case) coupling up the detail card feed. Each master card is adapted to be positioned in relation to the type wheels 225 (Fig. 13) to enable printing (in this case, name and address) on any of twenty-four lines on the card, with means for stepping forward to successive lines to receive data from several related detail cards. Four stops 226a, 226b, 226c, 226d, Fig. 3b, are provided, operated by solenoids 230a ... 230d, all mounted in a frame 231 vertically slidable as a unit under the influence of a cam-operated arm 236 and a return spring 235, a pawl 241, controlled by a magnet 242, co-operating with a ratchet 239 to locate the frame in one of six positions which, with the selection of four stops 226a ... d, gives twentyfour possible positions for stopping the card. A system of relays and emitters controls the stopping means. Setting up of type wheels. The type wheels 235 (Fig. 16) are frictionally mounted on a shaft 317 which is driven, under the control of a clutch magnet, by a sector oscillated by complementary cams. One half of the periphery of each wheel 225 has type elements 336 thereon which pass the printing line in the order shown in the perforation code, Fig. 28a, reading from left to right. The other half of each wheel 225 is provided with ratchet teeth 337 co-operating with a pawl 338 pivoted on a slide 339 movable to four positions corresponding with steps 363 on the slide which are adapted to be engaged by a pawl 342. As the " 12," " 11 " and " 0 " positions of the card are sensed, a bar 344 is rocked anticlockwise about its pivot 343 and the pawl 342, being spring-urged into engagement with the bar 344, follows this movement until, for alphabetic, two-hole, printing, energization of a magnet 361 rocks a three-armed lever 355 which releases a pawl 347 to engage one of the steps 346 on the pawl 342. The armature of the magnet 361 and .the lever 355 are restored by a bail 356 and the type wheels rotate so that the teeth 337 pass the pawl 338 as the card positions " 1 " to '' 9 " are sensed. Upon sensing a second hole, energization of magnet 361 rocks the lever 355 and releases the pawl 338 to engage a tooth 337 thus holding the frictionally-mounted type wheel. Subsequently a bail 376 moves clockwise to allow the spring-urged slides 339 to follow their respective type wheels until the slides are arrested by the engagement of the previouslyset pawl 342 with one of the steps 363. The actual printing operation may be accompanied by the perforation of a line-finding hole in the card. Controlling the printing of zeros. As the zero teeth 337 (Fig. 16) come opposite the pawls 338 all the print magnets 361 receive an impulse to engage with the zero teeth those pawls not already tripped. The movement of these pawls is further controlled, however, by the positioning of finger pieces 386 which can be set in any one of three positions. When in the dotted line position, a lateral extension 388 engages a bail 387 and the means for preventing the release of the pawl 338 is blocked. In the fullline position the lever 384 is free to move when the bail 375 rocks anticlockwise and, by blocking the movement of the lever 355, zero printing is prevented. When a digit has been printed, however, all pawls 386 to the right of the digit which are in the full line position are held back by the overlapping extensions 388 and zero printing is allowed. The pawls 386 can be set to a third position to break this sequence. Cheque printing mechanism. The numerical type wheels 457, Fig. 36, are frictionally held on a shaft 454 which is driven, under the control of a clutch magnet, by a sector oscillated by complementary cams. The numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, &c. pass the printing position in synchronism with the sensing of the card by brushes Md, Fig. 13. The sensing of a perforation energizes a magnet which operates through a link to rock a latch 465 and release a pawl 459 to engage the appropriate one of ten teeth 460 diametrically opposite the respective type. Where no other digit is sensed to release the pawls 459, these are released to engage the " 0 " tooth which is not cut so deeply so that a member 475, normally rocking to the dotted position, moves only to the full-line position, in which a lug 478 is aligned with a slot 479 in a fixed member 480. The lugs 478 overlie adjacent denominations so that all members to the right of the highest significant figure are moved to the dotted position. Upon anticlockwise rotation of a bail 464, frames 462, pivoted about the shaft 454 and carrying pawls 459 and members 475, are pulled by springs 463. In those cases where lugs 478 pass into slots 479 (i.e. to the left of highest significant figure) the type wheels are rotated to present an asterisk instead of a zero at the printing line. Date wheels and a signature plate are also provided. The machine described may be adapted for posting data from detail cards onto a ledger card. The line-finding perforations in the ledger card control the positioning of the card by the solenoids 230a ... 230d and 242 through additional emitters, relays, and thermionic valves. When a ledger card is full, it is deflected by the device 286, Fig. 13, and offset in the auxiliary hopper 298. The finding of the line on the ledger card can also be controlled by code perforations in the detail cards. In another operation the machine is used for interpreting data punched in master cards. The data is printed on the same line as the related perforations. In this case the detail feed mechanism is idle.