Patent GB-780343-A (GB)
Abstract: 780,343. Statistical-apparatus. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION. Dec. 24, 1954 [Dec. 31, 1953], No. 37383/54. Class 106 (1). A data processing system comprises a record medium in the form of a tape having magnetic records thereon, means for reading a record inscribed in a given code, means for interpreting data read by the reading means, electrostatic storage means for the transitory storage of interpreted data, means for transmitting data from the interpreting means to the storage means, and a data reproducer whose reproducing function is adapted to be controlled by the data stored in said storage means. The invention is described as apparatus for converting magnetically recorded tape information to punched cards or printed records. Information stored on the tape in parallel form in seven tracks is read by a reading head assembly 10, Fig. 1, amplified, then stored for a few microseconds in a trigger storage register 14 thereby ensuring that late signals due to electrical or mechanical skew of the tape will not be lost. The information is then passed in parallel form to a diode network code translating matrix 16 in which the information is converted into a series of differentially-timed pulses, the timing being determined by a timing ring 18 which also controls the vertical positions of the beams of two cathode-ray tubes 22, 24 so that the information is stored on the faces of the tubes column by column in a pattern consisting of four rasters, Fig. 2, each consisting of twelve rows of spots arranged in twenty-five columns. The beams of the cathode-ray tubes move in synchronism, but only the one on which information is to be stored is unblanked. Considering the cathoderay pattern tubes to represent the card to be punched, the information is stored in the form of dashes where a hole is to be punched. The horizontal deflection of the beams from column to column is controlled by a timing ring 34 which at this time is stepped-on by a signal from the timing ring 18 at the end of each column of travel of the beam. After a hundred characters have been stored, the tape is automatically stopped by the sensing of a record mark on the tape. Information is read out of the cathode-ray tubes in serial form in row by row order, the horizontal deflection of the beams of the cathode-ray tubes being controlled by the timing ring 34 stepped-on by impulses from a generator 32. Whenever a dash is encountered during this scanning operation, a signal is picked up by a corresponding pick-up plate 36, amplified by a video amplifier 38 and delivered to one input of a group of " And " circuits 42, the other input of which receives impulses from the timing ring 34. Each " And " circuit is connected to a corresponding thyratron which is fired upon coincidence in the inputs to its associated " And " circuit and energizes a punch magnet in the reproducer 46. At this time the vertical deflection of the beams of the cathode-ray tube is controlled by the reproducer. When neither reading-out nor reading-in is being effected, the patterns of information on the cathode-ray tubes are regenerated by the process of reading-out the information and causing it to be re-entered at the same location on the tubes by scanning column by column. A checking circuit which opens the punch motor circuit if the number of bits of information is not odd is provided. A second checking circuit ascertains that the hundredth character received from the tape is a Record mark. During reading-in to the cathode-ray tubes a binary trigger receives impulses in accordance with the number of holes to be punched, i.e. dashes on the tubes. The trigger again receives impulses during read out to the reproducer so that at the end of a read-out operation the binary trigger should be in its initial state, otherwise the circuit of the punch motor is again broken. Specifications 442,534, [Group VIII], and 733,807, [Group XVI], are referred to.