Patent GB-982576-A (GB)
Title: An apparatus for reading data from and recording data on record cards
Inventor: TOTTEWITZ HEINZ
IPC: G06F3/08
Filed: 1961-02-22
Abstract: 982,576. Calculating apparatus. BUCHUNGSMASCHINENWERK KARL-MARX-STADT VEB. Feb. 22, 1961, No. 6480/61. Heading G4B. In an accounting machine adapted to read an amount magnetically recorded on an inserted card and set it up in the calculating mechanism, two mechanical matrix buffer stores, each divided into a plurality of sections, are provided, one for receiving amounts read from the card, and the other for receiving results from the calculating mechanism to be written on the card, and an electronic control circuit causes the digits of the numbers to be dealt with in interlaced fashion in successive sections of the matrix stores so as to allow time for operation of electro-mechanical components. The writing operation consists of transferring balances from the mechanical store matrices Ia, IIa, IIIa, Fig. 9, to a record card 310 where they are printed in known manner and also recorded magnetically. A signal 350, Fig. 6, from the accounting machine, via a switching stage 209, together with a pulse from a multivibrator 208, switches on a flip-flop 205 so that multivibrator pulses pass through AND circuit 14, flip-flops 206, 207 and AND circuit 15 to an amplifier 281 and writing head 2831, and also, via OR gate 81 (Fig. 3) to the input flip-flop 200 of a counter 311. This counter comprises flip-flops 200-203 and inverting circuits 100-103 and is designed to open one of the AND circuits 0-9 as soon as the number of pulses exceeds the value stored in the denominational column of the store under examination. When this occurs, a pulse from OR gate 80, via inverter 117, Fig. 6, changes over a flip-flop 210 so that any further multivibrator pulses, i.e. the duodecimal complement, are recorded on a second track of the record carrier via writing head 2821. After 12 multivibrator pulses flip-flop 207 is changed over, flip-flop 210 is restored to its initial position and a further flip-flop 211 is changed over. This, together with flip-flops 212, 213, 219, AND circuits 30-35 and terminals 121-132 causes a step to the next denominational column of the matrix store. The flip-flop 219, which changes over at every sixth step-on pulse, controls a relay 252 so that relays R 1  . . . R 6  of a relay chain (Fig. 7 not shown) are energized and de-energized in sequence, their contacts r 1  . . . r 6  (Fig. 5 not shown) opening and closing to connect the correct sequence of columns and matrices to the terminals 121 . . . 132. The reading operation consists of transferring the balance from the record card to the electromechanical store matrices Ib, IIb, IIIb, in an interlaced fashion. On depression of a key in the accounting machine, a Schmitt trigger 220, Fig. 3, and hence a monostable multivibrator 221 is switched On. The pulse appearing at the output of 221 switches on flip-flop 222 and prepares AND circuits 12, 13 for the passage of pulses from the record card. Pulses from a first track, i.e. the real value, are passed via amplifier 283, OR gate 81, and inverting circuits 115, 116 to the counter 311 and further, through AND circuit 13 and OR gate 82, Fig. 6, to flip-flop 211. Complement pulses from a second track are passed through amplifier 284, Fig. 3, to flip-flop 211, Fig. 6, which, together with flip-flops 212, 213, serves to change over flipflop 219 after every sixth step-on pulse as in the writing operation. After a duodecimal cycle AND gate 39 supplies a pulse to a monostable multivibrator 218 and to a triggered flip-flop 250. The delayed pulse emitted from 218 together with the states of flip-flops 250-251, opens one of three groups of AND circuits, 40-43, Fig. 3, and 52, 44-47 and 53, or 48-51 and 54 so that the real value, in the counter as a four-bit word, may be transferred into one of the output matrices Ib, IIb, IIIb. Associated with each group of AND circuits are four relays (260-263 Fig. 8 - not shown) which serve to de-code the 4-bit digit signal in known manner.