Patent GB-862338-A (GB)
Title: Electric calculating apparatus
IPC: H03K21/00
Filed: 1959-02-11
Abstract: 862,338. Digital electric calculating apparatus. KIENZLE APPARATE G.m.b.H. Feb. 11, 1959 [Feb. 17, 1958], No. 4764/59. Class 106 (1). In a counter working to radix r and comprising a plurality of electronic rings, read-out to associated mechanical devices, such as print wheels, is effected by suppressing transfer between rings, applying a series of groups of pulses simultaneously to each ring, at least one of the groups consisting of r-1 pulses, and, where the last pulse of a group causes a ring to issue a transfer pulse, transmitting only such a transfer pulse to the mechanical device associated with the ring. As shown, a five-order decimal counter operated by a pulse generator 4 includes ring counters 11 to 15, transfer pulses being emitted through switches 52 to 55 and through gates 21 to 25 to magnets 31 to 35 which lock print elements in the position attained when a pulse is emitted. Read-out pulses are generated in a magnetic core chain 610 to 619 and transmitted through delay 62 and shaper 63 to each of the rings 11 to 15. Each group of pulses is triggered by a pulse from generator 72 emitted in response to a unit movement of the print elements. When a readout of the true value of the number in the counter is required this pulse is gated by a switch 78 through circuit 77 to flip-flop 71 to trigger a multivibrator 70 driving a pulse generator 75, and switch 73 is transferred to connect the other output from the flip-flop 71 to the gates 21 to 25, while switches 51 to 55 are opened and switch 74 closed. Switch 74 causes a generator 68 to prime magnetic element 610 so that the first pulse from generator 75 changes the magnetic state of element 610 and causes a pulse to be emitted on line 69. The elements 610 to 619 each emit a pulse in turn and step the rings 11 to 15 through ten positions. The pulse from element 619 is also passed to shaper 64 and back to element 611 priming it in readiness for the next operation of multivibrator 70, and to flip-flop 71 switching it to cut-off the multivibrator and open the gates 21 to 25. Thus a transfer pulse from any of the rings occurring due to the application of a pulse from element 619 is gated to the associated magnet. The first group of pulses will cause only rings initially representing a value 0 to issue such a transfer pulse. The process is repeated with a second step of the print elements triggering a pulse from generator 72, but in this step only nine pulses are emitted by elements 611 to 619. Any ring initially at a value 1 will issue a transfer pulse at the end of the second group. Nine groups of nine pulses are injected into the rings 11 to 15 and a ring initially at a value n emits a transfer pulse on the last pulse of the nth group of nine pulses. A tenth group of nine pulses, triggered either from the source A or by a final step of the print-wheel is injected into the rings to restore them to their initial value. To read the nines complement of a value in the counter switch 78 gates the pulses from generator 72 through circuit 76, from where they are applied directly to the rings 11 to 15. Flip-flop 71 is set by switch 74 so that its output is applied to gates 21 to 25, keeping them open. As before, the printing-elements on the first step register the value 0, and rings initially at value 9 will issue a transfer pulse on the first step. On the second step the print elements are at value 1 and rings initially at a value 8 will issue a transfer pulse, and so on.