Patent GB-397121-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to record-card-controlled statistical machines
Filed: 1932-02-15
Abstract: 397,121. Statistical machines. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd., Victoria House, Vernon Place, Southampton Row, London.-(Tabulating Machine Co. ; 270, Broadway, New York, U.S.A.) Feb. 15, 1932, No. 4453. [Class 106 (i).] Total-talking; adding and subtracting.-A record-card-controlled statistical machine comprises the combination of two devices, adjustable to represent related numbers (e.g. dates) of two successive cards, with cycle-controlling means which is controlled jointly by the two devices (B and A) to cause the machine to perform a number of repeated cycles (e.g. resetting cycles), this number being determined by the difference between the two numbers represented by the two devices. The invention is used for daily balance purposes and is applied to a machine such as is described in Specification 360,043. The cards are fed by a tabulating motor past upper and lower brushes ; at the lower brushes amounts are entered into counters. The machine is automatically group-controlled and at a card-group change the tabulating motor is declutched. This closes contacts 32, Fig. 2, which with contacts L1 energize the reset motor RM and a reset clutch magnet 35 which gives a holding circuit through contacts 36. The reset motor continues until contact 28<1> (closed by magnet 28) and P1 close. This short circuits magnet 35 and when contact P1 open towards the end of the cycle, the motor RM is deenergized. Motor RM controls mechanism (total-taking cam contacts) for reading-out amounts from a counter to printing mechanism, and zeroizing means. As described in the prior Specification, the counters-driving shaft may be coupled to the reset motor a tabulating motor by two clutches which are so controlled by electromagnets as to couple the countersdriving shaft to whichever motor is running ; the counters are thereby constantly driven. Normally, transmitting connections between the reading-out mechanism of one counter and the entering electromagnets of another counter, are inoperative but are made operative whenever motor RM is running, i.e. during total and reset cycles, so that the amount is transmitted from the first to the second counter. This amount may be printed and the machine may subtract as well as add. To calculate interest the machine performs a reset cycle after the group of cards for the particular day has been read and the deposit amounts are added to, and withdrawals subtracted from, the total in the first counter, which thus contains the daily balance in the account ; this balance being transmitted to the second counter during a reset cycle. Finally, this second counter will contain an amount from which the actual interest can be computed. In accordance with the present invention this daily balance is transmitted to the second counter a number of times equal to the difference between the dates set up in the two numberrepresenting devices A and B. Register A is constructed like an ordinary counter with three denominations A, A1, A2 controlled by magnets a, a<1>, a<2>. When a magnet is energized it clutches a wheel 9 to a constantly running shaft to add the number on an indicating wheel 10. Wheel 9 also drives a wheel 8 carrying connected brushes 5, 6 so that a brush rests on a segment 2 corresponding to the number on wheel 10. Resetting for this register is effected by magnet 31a, Fig. 2. The second register B is similar except that wheel 8 meshes with wheel 16 rigid with a ratchet 14. When the units magnet 11 is energized by closure of contacts P10 once each total-printing cycle, the part 15 takes over another tooth and is pulled back by a spring to advance wheel 14 and brushes 5, 6 one step. This is repeated until the brushes of commutators 8, registers B<.> and A, rest on corresponding segments 2 which are wired together ; i.e. if the dates are set up from successive cards on to registers B and A, total-printing cycles occur until B is advanced to agree with A, whereupon a series circuit through units commutator of B, a line 22, units commutator of A, a line 23, tens commutator of B, a line 22, tens commutator of A and so on to line 25, Figs. 1 and 2, energizes a magnet 28. This, as above described, closes contacts 28<1> and at the end of the cycle, contacts P1 open to de-energize the reset motor RM. The tens and hundreds magnets 11 are used for tens-transfer. When the units wheel 17 passes from 9 to 0 contacts 19 are closed to energize the tens magnet 11 and advance the brushes of the hundreds commutator one step. A third similar register C has its commutator segments similarly wired to the segments of register B. This register, through its magnets c, c<1>, c<2>, receives a number (date) from the upper brushes 39 alternately with register A. Magnet 31c resets register C. The alternative connection is made through contacts CF1 by cams on a shaft which makes a half revolution for each card cycle. Whilst one register A or C is receiving, the other is being reset through similarly actuated contacts CF3. This enables the registers to be reset during ordinary cardfeeding cycles. The wires 23 may be connected to terminals 4 of register A or to terminals 4 of register C through contacts CF2, which are actuated by cams on the half-speed shaft which is driven by the tabulating motor. Upper contacts CF2 are closed during cycles in which lower contacts CF1 are closed, as shown, connecting register A (magnets a, a<1>, a2) to the upper brushes 39 ; CF2 remain closed till the start of the next cycle so that if the tabulating motor is stopped, upper contacts CF2 will be closed, whereby registers A and B are used for the date-number comparison. Alternatively, registers B and C would be in use. If a pair of registers (B and A, or B and C) is thus selected, total and reset cycles continue for this pair until register B is advanced by pawl 15 to agree with register A (or C). During these cycles the deposits or withdrawals are added to counters which are coupled to the lower brushes in the manner set out in Specification 360,043. The above operations are traced in detail in the Specification for a numerical example in which six amounts or ú10 each are deposited into an account during a period of ten days. If interest is to be calculated for a long period, e.g. 87 days between two consecutive deposits, the above action may occur ; or, according to the modification of Fig. 3, the balance would be transmitted 7 times and then 10 times the balance transmitted 8 times. The circuits through registers A, B and C are altered as shown, to include magnets 28, 28a, 28b controlling contacts 28<1>, 28a<1>, 28b<1> in circuit with contacts P1, so that all denominations of registers B and A (or B and C) must agree before contacts 28<1> &c., P1 can hold and then break the circuit of motor RM. Lines 63 from the reading-out contacts of the daily balance counter (associated with the lower brushes) to the counter magnets of the receiving counter are interrupted by contacts 61 on a bar 44 and contacts 62. This bar 44, which also carries contacts 45, 46, 47 in circuit with the magnets 11 of register B, has teeth 57, 58 coacting with armature pawls 54, 55 of magnets 59, 60 which are in circuit with magnets 28a, 28b. Normally pawl 55 holds tooth 58 and the connections 61, 62 are for the units denomination of the counters at the lower brushes. When magnet 60 is energized, by agreement in the units of registers B and A (or B and C) carrying the dates, tooth 58 escapes and spring 51 pulls bar 44 one step to the left until pawl 54 holds tooth 57. The connection 47, 53 for units magnet 11 is changed to 46, 53 for tens magnet 11. Similarly when the tens of registers B and A agree, magnet 59 is energized, tooth 57 escapes and bar 44 escapes a final step to the left, again changing the connections 61, 62 and 46, 53 from tens to hundreds (45, 53). Agreement in the hundreds of registers B and A energizes magnet 28 so that contacts 28<1>, 28a<1>, 28b<1> are now all closed and during the same cycle the contacts P1 de-energize the motor RM. A cam 52 restores bar 44.