Patent GB-845812-A (GB)
Title: Record media reading device
Filed: 1958-07-09
Abstract: 845,812. Sensing record cards. NATIONAL CASH REGISTER CO. July 9, 1958, No. 21972/58. Class 106 (1). A record card sensing device adapted to sense different classes of data from successive records includes a set of sensing-pins and means for operating them in different modes, and a sequencing device determining the sequence in which the different classes of data are to be read and selecting an appropriate mode of operation of the sensing device for each class of data. The invention is described in apparatus similar to that described in Specification 809,639 and consisting of the three units shown in Fig. 1 in which 101 is a record senser, 102 is a cash register and 100 is a tape punch. The apparatus is for use in a shop, information associated with each sale being fed in by record tags, Figs. 2, 3, 4. The tag 103, Fig. 2, carries data relating to the salesman and is identified by a hole 105. Tag 109, Fig. 3, must be produced by the customer if the amount of any sale is to be charged to his account. This tag is identified by hole 111 and hole 115 indicates that he has an account with the shop selling the goods. Attached to the goods to be sold are tags 116, Fig. 4, which are duplicated in case the goods are returned after once being sold, one tag being preserved and re-fastened to the goods. On tags 103, 109 there are eighteen four-position columns at 104, 110 to receive punched information. The tag 116 has twenty-four columns 117 and a further field 122 indicating the price of the article. The senser.-As shown in Fig. 6, the tag is positioned over a horizontal plate 151 for sensing, the plate (Fig. 5) having holes 326, 424 and 488 in every data position and serving to guide the sensing-ends of pins or wires 325, 422, 486. During sensing the tag is clamped by a block 150 brought into operative position, when the tag is properly positioned, by a solenoid L20, Fig. 21, which also causes three locating- pins to project through holes 106, 107, 108, Fig. 2, in the tags. The mechanism for projecting the locating-pins is adapted to advance them with a small force at first and later with a greater force. The sensing-pins are guided in sleeves 332, 423 and 487 which are fixed in a block 333 arranged in thirty columns of four and one column of five. Each pin co-operates with a spring-loaded control-rod such as 327 slidable in a block 329 and tending to project the associated sensing-pin. Normally the rods 327 are held back by levers 350 co-operating with cams 352 mounted on shaft 375. As the shaft rotates the follower 359 falls into a dwell 401 and the lever 350 moves to allow the rods to displace the sensing-pins to the projected position. Where there is a hole punched in the card the pins pass through, allowing the corresponding rods to move to the left until their springs 336 bear against conductor-bars 346, 347, 348 and 349. The levers are also controlled by an inhibiting bar 351 which bears against them and prevents movement to the left. The bar is rotated to allow sensing to take place by the locating and clamping solenoid L20. As shown in Fig. 35, the twenty-four columns of sensing-pins relating to the data section of the cards, i.e. section 326, Fig. 5, have actuating- springs 336 mounted on common bus-bars 341, 342 (and 343, 344, Fig. 6) mounted between insulating-plates 337, 338. The output busbars 346, 347 (and 348, 349, Fig. 6) are arranged as in Fig. 36 and are contacted by springs 336 when the associated sensing-pin has passed through a tag perforation. Double springs are used. As the cam-shaft rotates the columns of sensing-pins are operated in succession and apply signals in turn to the output bus-bars. This data is recoded and punched in the tape. The disabling bar 351 returns to operative position at the end of the sensing operation, which may be before the completion of a full rotation by the cam-shaft, to prevent erroneous recording taking place as certain of the arms 350 were released by their cams after the tag had been ejected. Cam-shaft 375 revolves in thirtysix steps, being driven by motor 382, Fig. 6, through a one-revolution clutch and gearing. Also carried on the cam-shaft are ten rotary switches for effecting further controls of the senser whereby the twenty-four columns in section 326 can be read alone or together with the six columns of the store identification or price field, section 488 or in certain combinations. Five of the rotary switches are end-oftag contacts which are selectively operable to terminate the sensing operation after certain numbers of steps and eject the tag. In the initial operation of the senser the tag identifying perforations 105, Fig. 2, 111, Fig. 3, and 118, Fig. 4, have five possible positions 424, Fig. 5, and are sensed by five sensing-pins 422 cooperating with control-rods 425, Fig. 33A, having springs 427 which, as before, form part of the contact-means. The cam-follower arm 428 is retainable against operation by an ear 435, Fig. 21, of lever 434 on shaft 432. Other levers 436, 437 are joined by a bail 438 co-operating with the cam-follower arms 492 associated with the data field 488. The shaft 432 is controlled by the solenoids L20, and L21, Fig. 21, the former being energized at the beginning of the sensing-operation and the latter subsequently to allow the shaft to rock to release the arms 428 and 492. The solenoid L21 is energized when the locating-pins pass to the operative position indicating that the tag is properly located in sensing position. Adjacent each rod 425 is a similar rod 450, Fig. 33A, having a spring 452 and controlled by cam-follower arm 453. A ball 457 in a bore between rods 425 and 450 allows rod 450 to move to the left only if rod 425 has first moved to the projected position by sensing a hole. The springs 427, 452 for rods 425, 450 are mounted on insulating sleeves 480, Fig. 35, and are extended to provide output terminals. The input is from contact sleeves 465, 470, Fig. 36, insulated from output bus-bars 346, 347, all interconnected by plates 463, 467, &c. The output terminals provide controlsignals for the recorder. The sensing-pins for the store identifying and price field section 488, Fig. 5, are similarly arranged, their control-rods 489, Fig. 34, being actuated by springs 491 and by cam-follower arms 492, Fig. 21. The cams for these arms are as shown in Fig. 26, having a dwell 494 and a longer dwell 496, the latter being operative in the " home " position of the camshaft. The cams are positioned so that the price field is read last into the recorder following the twenty-four columns of section 117, Fig. 4, but the dwell 496 operative in the home position allows the price field to be sensed, all columns at once, at the very beginning of the sensing operation, simultaneously with the sensing of the identification section 424, Fig. 5, by pins 422. Recording does not take place until the field is sensed for the second time by dwell portions 494, arranged sequentially to sense and record column-by-column. When sensing a salesman's or a customer's tag this field is not sensed the second time because the end-of-tag contacts will have become operative to end the sensing- operation. In the sensing of certain merchandise tags 116, Fig. 4, the second sensing of the price field may be omitted, the end-of-tag contacts again becoming operative to disable the senser by bar 351. The first sensing operation of field 488, Fig. 5, is effective in the sensing of a customer's tag 109, Fig. 3, to allow the registering of a transaction to proceed. If the hole 115 is absent the customer has no account at the shop in question and further operation of the apparatus is prevented. Springs 491, Fig. 34, for control-rods 489, are mounted on insulating sleeves 500, Fig. 35, and two bear against output sleeves 507 each having a terminal-plate 505, 506 and two bear against output bus-bars 347, 349. The springs have input terminals 517. Normally the output terminals 505, 506 are connected together in groups and to the associated output bus-bar 346, 348 since there is only one hole 115, Fig. 3, in the customer's tag. The sequence switch 587, Fig. 6, has three positions, corresponding to the three tags and it enforces the correct order of sensing. In each position it brings the sensing pins into operation in an appropriate mode or sequence, terminating the sensing operation in the case of the salesman's tag and the customer's tag after sensing eighteen columns of the field 104, Fig. 2, and 110, Fig. 3. During sensing, tags are embossed by a die 525, Fig. 6, to show that they have been sensed. This is ineffective in the case of the salesman's and the customer's tag. After sensing, the card is ejected, the ejecting means being rendered inoperative if the sensing pins do not return properly to their retracted positions. Tags inserted erroneously can be released and ejected by pressing button 565.