Patent GB-502536-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to a machine for filing, grouping or sorting record cards
Filed: 1937-09-16
Abstract: 502,536. Statistical machines. WHETSTONE, I. B. Sept. 16, 1937, No. 25178. Convention date, Sept. 17, 1936. [Class 106 (i)] A record-card mixing-machine having means for selectively determining the sequential order in which the cards shall be arranged, has value - differentiating means which act continuously to selectively feed and eject cards from two or more groups of cards, and means for combining the selected cards into one or more new groups according to the sequential value of the record card designations: In the main construction, Figs. 1, 2 and 7, two streams of cards are fed from magazines 1, 2, Fig. 2, past two electrical reading devices 5 each associated with a preselector 9 constituted by a units counter. Each card stream is arranged with its cards in serial order and the preselectors 9 are set manually (buttons 103) to start at the same desired denomination or number. Each time a card is read, each preselector is advanced one step so that the preselectors always show a common number. If two cards read simultaneously agree with the number on the pre'- selectors both cards go into a common delivery magazine 3. If only one card agrees and the other card has a higher number, the first card goes to box 3 and the other card with the higher number waits until that number appears on the preselectors. The cards are fed from the reading stations 5 to the box 3 by ejectors 13 controlled by magnets 14 and 15, Fig. 1. The arrangements for one stream of cards is shown in Fig. 1, the preselector 9 having nine denominations and the reading contact fingers 4 in the reciprocating sensing head 5 coacting with contact members 6 in a stationary base. In each denomination of the preselector an arm 11 is advanced step by step over contacts 10 and when in the denomination then acting the arm passes from " 9 " to " 0 " the circuit is switched to the next higher denomination by means described below-pawl 148 and rack 149, Fig. 7. Contacts 16, 17 in the circuit of magnet 14, Fig. 1, are controlled by the magnet 15 and the reciprocating sensing head 5 respectively. The right-hand or units denomination of preselector 9 has its arm 11 connected direct to supply line 12. The members 6 are connected by lines 23 to the arms 11 and the fingers 4 by lines 40 to the studs 10. In each denomination of the selector 9 the studs 10 are connected by ten wires 40 to the ten fngers 4 of the column but there is a common contact member 6 for each column of pins 4, connected by a single wire 23 to the arm 11 of the, next higher denomination. When a card is read, the holes of which agree with the setting of the arms 11 a series circuit is established from line 12 to the units arm 11, the appropriate finger 4 of the units column, a line 23 to the tens arm 11, the appropriate finger 4 of the tens column, a line 23 to the hundreds arm 11 and so on until at the highest denomination in use the circuit continues through a wire 41 and an automatically adjustable contact 18 to contacts 51, line 42, magnet 15, line 43, switch 38, line 44, switch 45, to the other supply line 46. Magnet 15 attracts its armature 48 to. close contacts 16 and energize magnet 14. Finger 50d on the armature 33 having been released by lug 37 on the armature 48, the magnet 14 swings lever 34 clockwise about pivot 35 to actuate the arm 36 of the ejector 13 which deposits the card into box 3, Fig. 2. At the same time the armature 48 of magnet 15 unlatches a hook 31 so that bell-crank 32 may be actuated by cam 30 to drive the slide 28 which feeds the next card into reading position. When lever 48 is rocked clockwise its lug 50c latches in a notch 50h but the attraction of armature 33 causes finger 50d to depress the arm 50a bearing the notch 50b to release the armature 48 once more. The contacts 17 are only closed by the rising sensing head 5 to complete the circuit of magnet 14 and cause ejection when the pins 4 are clear of the card. If, for either card stream, the card read does not agree with the setting of the selector 9, the card reading circuit is broken at one or more of the fingers 4 ; the magnet 15 is not energized and no ejection takes place, the card remaining at the reading station until its number agrees with the progressively increasing number on the selector. Contacts 18, 19 are carried on a carriage 21a, Fig. 7 ; contact 18 is set automatically to coact with the highest denomination indicated by the preselector and contact 19 coacts with the next higher denomination. If in the columns up to that met by contact 18 the card bears the same number as that set up in the selector but has also a hole in the next higher denomination, a circuit is completed through fnger 19 to a magnet 20 which opens the contacts 51 so that this card does not cause energization of relays 15, 14 and is not ejected to box 3. The magnet 20 may also energize a signal device 57. A switch 38 is manually operable to start the machine and automatically opened by relay 39 to stop the machine when the card with the highest desired number is read. The contact 175, Fig. 7, is carried on the carriage 21a and a stationary abutment is adjusted for the highest denomination desired, so that when the desired denomination is reached the abutment closes the contacts 175 and the magnet 39 opens the line 44, Fig. 1. Instead of two selectors 9, there may be a single device with double sets of contacts 10 and arms 11, Fig. 18 (not shown). Setting the selectors 9. Each selector of nine denominations is driven from a common shaft-67 or 68 (not shown)-which is advanced step by step by the main driving motor through a ratchet device 78, Fig. 3 (not shown). Shaft 67 is behind shaft 151 in Fig. 7. In each selector the denominations are interconnected by Geneva mechanism and wheels 129 on the shaft 67 or 68 (not shown) are so related to their corresponding wheels 124, (not shown),' associated each with an arm 11, Fig. 1, and an indicating disc 172, Fig. 2, that only one wheel 129 at a time may mesh with its wheel 124, according to the axial position of the shaft 67 or 68 (not shown). To slide each shaft axially in order to select that denominational arm 11 which-is to serve as the units denomination, turn buttons 103, Figs. 2 and 7 are provided. Each button actuates a cam-shaft 104 having staggered cams 106 which coact with the Geneva mechanisms to put one of them out of action according to the rotation given to shaft 104. An indicator disc 116 reads against a fixed index 117 to show which has been selected as the units member of the selector. To set the disc 116 the button 103 be pushed slightly to the right, Fig. 7, to pull a pin 122 from a fixed hole. This rocks bell-crank 164, 163, and through link 167 frees a pawl 148 from a rack 149 on the carriage 21a which carries the contact fingers 18, 19, Figs. 7 and 1, so that the latter may be set. To disconnect the drive to the selector gears during this setting of the knobs 103 a lever 94, Fig. 2, is manually depressed. This slides bevel gears 81, 85 (not shown), which are between the said ratchet 78 (not shown) and the shafts 67 and 68 (not shown), along the shafts to which they are splined, to noumeshing position. Lever 94 also opens the line switch 45, Fig. 1. Carriage 21a. This carries the contact fingers 18 and 19 and each time a denomination of the selector 9 passes from " 9 " to "0" a cam 146, keyed to shaft 151, Fig. 7, rocks bell-crank 147 and actuates pawl 148 to advance the carriage 21a one step. The position of carriage 21a is also controlled by a rocking yoke 134 which controls the axial position of the shaft 67 when it is actuated by a cam 130 en the cam-shaft 104 at the time when the latter is set by the knob 103. Feeding means for the control card. In order to guide the cards correctly, the roller 197, Fig. 4 (not shown), which feeds the cards under the sensing fingers 4, has a flange 198 (iiot shown) at each end. This roller is lifted clear of each card at the appropriate time to permit ejection of the card. In a modification, Figs. 23 and 24 (not shown), of the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 7, the preselectors are omitted and two streams of file cards are read simultaneously and energize, each time a pair is read, one or both of two magnets which act on a common armature in order to energize selectively the appropriate ejector. At disagreement the lowest numbered card is ejected. Sorting cards. Figs. 19 and 19a show means for sorting desired cards out of a stream of file cards under control of a second stream consisting of master cards bearing the desired identification numbers. The file and master cards are fed from magazines 206b and 206a respectively to sensing heads 5a, 5 respectively. If the identifying numbers of two cards agree the master card is ejected to its pocket by magnet 207, and the file card is ejected to a "required" pocket by magnet 208. If the two cards disagree, the master card remains at the reading station until there is a future agreement and the disagreeing file card is ejected to a "reject" pocket by a magnet 209. Magnets 207 and 208 are energized together under the control of a relay 210. If relay 210 is not energized, magnet 209 alone is energized. Magnet 209 is energized by a circuit 211, 212, 213 (carried by one of the armatures 214 of relay 210), 215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 209, 220, 221. Contact 217 is rotated synchronously with the card sensing so that unless the circuit is broken at 213 by relay 210, the magnet 209 sends the card to the " reject'' pocket. For the file card sensing head 5a there is a single base contact member 6 for each denomination but at the master head 5 there is a member 6a for each digit in each denomination. Contacts 6a are connected by wires 222 to the corresponding sensing finger contacts of the file card analyser. If the file card and master card, simultaneously read, agree, a circuit 221, 223, 210, 224, units member 6, a units finger 4, 222, th