Patent GB-490358-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to record controlled multiplying machines
Filed: 1936-11-12
Abstract: 490,358. Record-card-controlled multiplying-machines. McCLURE; E. C. Nov. 12, 1936, No. 30972. [Class 106 (i)] A record-card-controlled multiplying-machine has means for reading a decimal factor and a non-decimal factor from a record card and means for multiplying these factors directly without decimalization. The product is preferably recorded by punching in the card bearing the factors. The invention is applied to a machine for multiplying pounds (three denominations), shillings, pence and eights of a penny by a five denominational figure. The cards are read in a pin box 9, Fig. 3, of the form described in Specification 401,012 which reads the two factors off each card and coacts with two stop baskets 96 and 97 for multiplier and multiplicand (ú : s. : d.) respectively, Fig. 8. A third, multiple stop basket 346 is set from the basket 97 to set up a predetermined multiple (ten) of the multiplicand set up on the basket 97, for multiplication in each succeeding higher denomination. In each denomination one of five multiplier reading bars 110, Fig. 18, moves up to stops 98 in the multiplier basket 96, Fig. 19 and 8, and actuates a lever 164b and rack 221 to rotate a wheel 220 so that the correct cam 215 is opposite the nose 218. This releases latch 210b, Fig. 11, to allow the appropriate partial product plate 115 to be raised by bail 213 when the latter is raised by cam 233, Fig. 15, on multiplication shaft 41. In each denomination of the multiplicand one of eight reading bars 111 ... 111g moves up to stops 99 in the multiplicand basket 97, and positions a pair of setting fingers 130-137, Fig. 10, carried on it, over the appropriate steps on the partial product plates. This positions the setting elements 618 ... 628 and 1629... 1632 in the partial product accumulator PPA described in Specification 465,517. To punch the product, racks 270, Fig. 15, are controlled from a punch shaft 5, Fig. 3, so as to be in mesh with the counter wheels 291, and the setting of each rack 270 is transmitted by a wheel 442 to a slide 444 which thus positions its lug 450 over the appropriate one of a series of connection wires 451 controlling the punches 454, Fig. 3. The cards pass from magazine 6, Fig. 3, to pin box 9 and then to punch unit 15 and magazine 16, Fig. 1 (not shown). Pin box 9 is timed differently to that in Specification 401,012 so that the box is only lifted off the card for a comparatively short part of the cycle to remove the card stop 20. Selection shaft 4, and multiplication shaft 41, Fig. 3, are clutched to the main drive by an arrangement, Figs. 5-7 (not shown), whereby shaft 4 makes one revolution to feed a card to stations 9 and 15 and shaft 41 rotates the correct number of times according to the number of digits in the multiplier. While one card is being read, the previous card is being punched with its product. The firstmentioned card is then fed to the punch unit 15 and the multiplication of its factors is effected. After multiplication the shaft 41 stops and the punch shaft 5 rotates synchronously with the shaft 4, so that the result is punched at station 15 as a fresh card is fed into pin box 9. In view of a " no-card " mechanism which comes into action at the end of a card run, it is necessary in starting the machine to depress the starting button 46, Fig. 5 (not shown), twice. The factors read in box 9 are set up by connection wires 107, Fig. 3, in the stop baskets 96, 97, Fig. 19 and in order to permit the factors to be punched in any desired card fields, the connection box may be detachable as in Specification 396,806. For the multiplier, five columns of stops 98 coact with five reading bars 110 and in the multiplicand eight columns of stops 111 ... 111g coact with eight columns of stops 99. Beneath the eighths of a penny reading bar 111, Fig. 10, and parallel therewith are ten partial product plates 112 with steps 113 (see Fig. 11) representing the higher and lower denominational digits of the products of the multipliers 0-9 by the multiplicands one-eighth, two-eighths, three-eighths &c. of a penny. The first plate for 'multiplying nought by @/8 ... 7/8 of a penny has no steps but is necessary in view of initial movement of the parts up to the nought position. The second plate 112 has steps 113 representing 0-0, 1-0, 2-0, &c. the first figure of each pair representing the eighths of a penny component and the second figure of each pair representing the whole number of pence component. Similarly, beneath the pence reading bar 111a are nine partial product plates 114, one for each multiplier 1 ... 9 and each having pairs of steps, of which one step is the pence and the other the shillings component. The absence of a nought partial product plate in the set 114 is overcome by the compensating mechanism of Fig. 13 (not shown). Beneath the reading bars 111b ... 111g for units and tens of shillings and all the pounds denominations is a third set of partial product plates 115 with pairs of steps for the multiplication of 0 ... 9 by 0 ... 9. All these product plates are slidable vertically. Above the ten plates 112 are eight pairs of transmission bars 119 arranged transversely of the plates 112 and corresponding to the eight pairs of steps 113 thereon, so that the first pair of bars 119 lies across the first and second steps of all the #d. partial product plates 112, the second pair of bars 119 lies across the third and fourth steps &c. The bars 119 are slidable vertically. Twelve pairs of transmission bars 122 are provided for the twelve pairs of steps on the product plates 114 ; and there are ten pairs of bars 126 for the plates 115. Fig. 11 shows the bars 126 in section and relatively to the steps 113. When a multiplier reading bar 110 is moved along to its raised stop 98 in basket 96 it sets its correct cams 215, one for each of the three sets of plates 112, 114 and 115, opposite the noses 218 of the three related latches 211, as above-described, Fig. 18, so that when cam 230 bodily lowers the cam-shaft 217, the three latches 211 are rocked to release one related product plate, in each of the sets 112, 114, 115. These three product plates are then raised, lifting all the transmission bars 119, 122, 126 amounts according to the plates raised ; e.g. for a multiplier 5, in the #d. denomination the plate 112 representing 5 Î 0 ... #d. will lift the bars 119 to extents representing the components in the pence and #th pence denominations of the partial product concerned. The #th penny reading bar 111 has a pair of depending fingers 130, 130a, Fig. 10, which are slidable vertically and the two fingers are so positioned that when one finger is over one bar 119 of a pair the other finger is over the other bar 119 of the pair. The pence &c. bars 111a. 111f similarly have pairs of fingers 131, 131a .... 136, 136a and the bar 111g has a single finger 137. When a multiplicand is read from a card the multiplicand reading bars 111, 111a &c move along to the raised stops 99, Figs. 8 and 19, in the stop basket 97 and the depending fingers are positioned accordingly, e.g. if the multiplicand digit (hundreds of pounds denomination) is 6 and the multiplier is 4 then the fourth partial product plate 115 is raised and the ú100 reading bar 111 f is positioned with its fingers 136, 136a over the seventh pair of transmission bars 126. When this fourth plate 115 is lifted, the finger 136 is lifted to an extent representing the ú100 component of ú600 Î 4 (i.e. ú400) and the finger 136a is lifted to an extent representing the ú1000 component of ú600 x 4 (i.e. ú2000). Each of the depending fingers 130 ... 137 is connected to a setting rod 618 ... 628 and 1629 ... 1632 for a corresponding one of a group of sliding plates 601 ... 614 and 1615... 1621, Fig. 10, in a partial product counter PPA such as described in Specification 465,517. To allow convenient transfer in the 10/- denomination, however, the plate 610 shown in Fig. 3 of Specification 465,517 is replaced in the present case by a dummy plate 1000, Fig. 10. Each time a card is sensed the multiplication shaft 41, Figs. 3 and 18, rotates a number of times equal to the number of digits in the multiplier, and although all the multiplier digits are set up simultaneously on the stops 98 of the. basket 96, the multiplier reading bars 110 read these stops in succession. The successive action of shaft 41 is controlled by escapement mechanism 176, 189, Figs. 8 and 19. The multiplicand reading bars 111, &c. take a setting from the multiplicand stop basket 97 only during the first cycle of shaft 41. Thereafter the settings are taken from a third, multiple stop basket 346, After the first cycle, the setting from the card is erased from the multiplicand stops and a new setting representing the tens multiple of the original setting, is made in the basket 346 by means of setting changing plates 334, Fig. 15. These plates 334 have steps 345 which coact with lugs 344 on control bars 335 which were set, through teeth 343 (on bars 111), 342, 341, 340, during the first card reading cycle. This mechanism is the same as that described in. Specification 440,180. Associated with each final product plate 601, 603, 606, 609, 612, 1615, 1618, 1621, Fig. 10, is a vertically movable rack 270, Figs. 11 and 15, having a lug 271 coacting with steps 271a on the product plate. These racks are used to enter the final product into counter wheels 291. Punching the final product in the card bearing the factors. After the multiplication and the entry into counter wheels 291, Fig. 15, the punch shaft 5, Fig. 3, rotates and controls the racks 270. The wheels 291 are engaged with these racks to give up their settings and the racks then, through wheels 442 position the slides 444 so that their lugs 450 are over the correct connection wires 451, Fig. 3, controlling punches 454. Set bars 453 are depressed by the wires 451 and latched down by sliders 489 so that when punch plates 469, 470 are ra