Patent GB-532416-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to photo-electric apparatus for assorting record cards, sheets and the like
Filed: 1939-08-29
Abstract: 532,416. Photo-electric adding, sorting, and statistical apparatus. BROIDO, D. Aug. 29, 1939, Nos. 24837 and 27380. [Class 40 (iii)] Relates to photo-electric apparatus of the kind employing an " analyzing " member for analyzing records bearing optical code markings for adding, sorting and other statistical machines. According to the invention, the analyzing member is mounted for rotation and has one or more replaceable or adjustable parts whereby the " set-up " can be varied. As shown in Fig. 1, record sheets are stacked on a table 6 between side plates 7 and a back plate 8. The table is guided by rollers 11 in vertical slots 12 and is periodically lifted the thickness of one sheet by a rack and pinion 9, 10. The top sheet is discharged from the table by means of a roller 14. This roller first turns clockwise to withdraw the edge of the sheet from spring loaded fingers 16, the sheet buckling up between the roller and a stop bar 15 on the back plate 8. The roller then turns counter-clockwise to feed the sheet over the fingers 16 to aligning fingers 20 pivoted at 22 in a gap of a drum 21. The sheet then passes between the drum 21 and a roller 27 ; and immediately after this, the aligning fingers 20 swing out to allow the sheet to pass between a stripper plate 29 and a guide 30 to feed rollers 31, 32. This sheet feeding device is similar to that described in Specification 499,800, [Group XVI], except for the substitution of the present drum 21 and roller 27 in place of the rotary printing couple of that earlier specification. From feed rollers 31, 32, the sheet passes between guides 67, 68 to a flap 69 which directs it to one of two receptacles 70, 71. A photo-electric cell 80 is carried by a fixed shaft 48 inside the drum 21, and a lamp 72 is arranged below to throw a beam of light through a slit 79 in a mask 78, through the record sheet and through perforations 91 in the drum to the cell 80 which is connected to an amplifier 88 in the base of the machine. The perforations 91 are arranged in rows corresponding to the rows of ceod marks 98 of the record sheet 13, Fig. 13 or 99, Fig. 14, and means are provided for blocking the holes corresponding to the unblackened code spots representing a desired set of data, say the result of a football competition. When an incorrect coupon or record passes the photo-electric device, light reaches the cell 80 and the flap 69 directs the coupon to the receptacle 71 ; whereas if the coupon is correct, light is cut off from the cell and the coupon is directed to the receptacle 70. The blocking of the perforations 91 may be performed by screw or conical plugs 92, Fig. 5, inserted from inside, the part 89 of the drum in which the perforations are made being detachable to permit this setting operation. Or the blocking is performed by pivoted shutters 94, Fig. 7, comprising a spring blade which snaps over the perforation 91 or out of action over a recess 97. Alternatively, a master sheet 140, Fig. 12, with the desired perforations 146 is wrapped round the drum 21. Coupons with all the code spots blacked out would be discharged with the correct coupons in the receptacle 70. These incorrect coupons can be separated out by visual inspection. The coupons from the receptacle 70 may also be checked by photoelectric examination of each row of code spots independently one after another. The apparatus may also be modified to sort out coupons having a given number of correct rows. For this purpose, each row is photo-electrically examined separately, each correct row causes a ratchet device to advance one step ; and if a coupon produces the desired number of steps, it is selected out by the flap 69.