Patent GB-777557-A (GB)
Title: Method and apparatus for handling data
IPC: G06K19/00
Filed: 1955-12-06
Abstract: 777,557. Statistical apparatus. CARRUS, A. Dec. 6, 1955 [Dec. 7, 1954], No. 34982/55. Class 106 (1). Record cards.-A record card for use in making bets, e.g. on horse races has three sections I, II, III, Fig. 1, parts I and II containing identical data positions A, B, C, and 1-30 in which the better makes perforations or pencil or ink marks, to indicate his forecast and the type of bet. The positions A, B, C may mean respectively a straight bet, a double bet (winnings from one horse to be placed on a second horse) and a triple bet. The columns 1-30 indicate horses, so that where position B is blacked out, two horse positions must be indicated and where C is blacked out, three horse positions must be indicated. The third section III of the card is used as a check piece providing a record of the bet in case of litigation. The card sections bear the value of the stage, e.g. 200 francs. This is paid when the card is issued. Card processing.-The card after having been filled in or perforated by the better is inserted in a machine which first compares the markings or perforations of sections I and II. This may be done by passing the card under two rows of photo-electric cells, one row registering with a column on the section I while the other row registers with a column on the section II. The zones of the card under the rows of cells are illuminated by narrow beams of light produced by a cylindrical lens. Where a data position has been blacked-out or punched, the light reflected into the corresponding cell will be reduced. The outputs from the cells are therefore interconnected, e.g. in opposition so that agreement causes no signal to be sent to the comparing circuit. Disagreement causes the card to be rejected. The machine also checks that the marking in positions 1-30 is consistent with the marking of positions A, B, C, e.g. if position B is marked, two horse positions (3, 14) must be marked. Inconsistency again causes the card to be rejected. The better may then correct his card if he wishes. If the card is correctly filled in, the machine proceeds to number it, record the bet, and count the card. After this the machine divides the card into the separate sections I, II and III and returns part II to the better. Odds determination.-The odds are determined by the ratio between the number of bets on each horse and the total number of bets. These numbers may be obtained for calculating approximate odds by counting the card sections I collected in the related magazine of each machine. Winning odds are calculated after the race by feeding the card sections collected through a sorting machine sensing the data from the section and comparing it with standard winning combinations. All the card sections agreeing with the winning combinations are fed to a separate compartment. The odds are calculated from the number of winning cards and the total number of cards. In a second method the particulars of each bet are read photo-electrically from the card as shown in Fig. 4 and are transferred to magnetic tape 13 by recording heads 12. When the race results are known the tape is fed at high speed past a set of read heads connected in a circuit which picks up the winning bets and counts them. The odds are calculated as before. Where the bets are transferred to magnetic tape, the section I of the cards is not needed for the calculating processes and may be retained as evidence. Section III is accordingly not necessary.