Patent GB-679944-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to statistical machines
Filed: 1950-05-30
Abstract: 679,944. Statistical apparatus. RIGBY, I. V., and KEEN, H. H. May 24, 1951 [May 30, 1950], No. 13473/50. Class 106 (i). The invention comprises in combination a record card sorter, sorter driving means, two or more single denomination units counters operated by pulses timed by reference to the sorter driving means, each units counter having a carry storage means settable by the related counter, a tabulator having driving means of slower speed than, and unsynchronized with, the sorter driving means, a multi - denomination counter, means for effecting a unit entry in a denomination of the multi-denominational counter by a pulse timed by reference to the tabulator driving means, when a units counter carry means is set, and means operative thereafter to reset the carry storage means. The sorter used in the present invention is of the type described in Specification 242,654, [Class 106 (i)], and the tabulator is also of well known form and is described in Specifications 247,200, 314,928, [both in Class 106 (i)], 422,135 and 422,179. Each denominational counter comprises four relays representing values 1, 2, 3 and 4, which record values from 1 to 9 by energizing one or more relays in combination according to well known coding methods. Thus when the digit 9 is registered relays R2, R3, R4, R7, R8 and R9 (Fig. 4) are energized. Information punched to other columns will be stored in the remaining five groups of relays energized in appropriate combinations. Relays R18, R19 (Fig. 6), are de-energized at 230 degrees of the second cycle so that relays R31, R32 (Fig. 6A) will be set up only by data from the first card, and will be retained energized thereafter by the hold circuit until contacts R11b (Fig. 6B) open which occurs after a change in card group has been sensed. Relays R45 to R48 (Fig. 6B) and the corresponding relays in the other groups have their contacts wired in a translating network, such that the combinational setting for any digit value produces selection of the corresponding timed impulse. The inputs of the network are connected to the segments of an emitter TE<SP>1</SP> of known form, which provides a timed impulse at each index point from 9 to 0. This emitter is driven from the main shaft of the tabulator, so that the impulses are synchronized with the cycle timing of the tabulator, and are independent of the sorter timing. The output of the translating network is connected to a plug socket 187 (Fig. 6B). From this plug socket a connection is made to the tabulator print magnet (not shown) in the appropriate column of the printing mechanism. Although a timed impulse will appear every tabulator cycle at plug socket 187, it will not be effective to cause setting of the printing member until a printing cycle is initiated, which will occur on a sorter group change in the usual manner. To control counting, the brush relating to the chosen column is connected by a wire 175 (Fig. 6A) to a "count" socket 188. This socket is connected to the common bar of a sorter commutator 173 which is provided with conducting studs corresponding to the index points 9 to 7. Each stud is connected to a relay, a contact of which controls entry into the corresponding single denomination relay counter. When the total in any relay counter reaches ten it is reset and the carry is entered into a denomination of a tabulator counter. The number of denominations of a tabulator counter which are allocated to register the carry from each relay counter will depend upon the maximum number of cards which occur in any one group and also upon the total counter capacity of the tabulator. In the apparatus described there are two denominations, so that each combined counter may register up to 999, the units value being registered by the relay counter and the tens and hundreds by the tabulator counter. For minor total counting, five denominations of the tabulator counter are employed and six denominations for accumulating the final total. The tabulator counter, and the method of reading out to the printing mechanism, and resetting the tabulator counter are all of well known form. The sorter has provision for effecting group control on six columns by the method described in Specification 314,928, [Class 106 (i)], in which the group control relay is part of a high resistance circuit which is shunted by a circuit of negligible resistance so long as the cards being sensed at the two sensing stations are identical in the columns being used for group control. Specifications 245,654, [Class 83 (ii)], 422,143 and 445, 477 also are referred to.