Patent GB-516225-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to calculating machines
IPC: G06F7/46
Filed: 1938-06-08
Abstract: 516,225. Calculating apparatus. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd. June 8, 1938, No. 17084. Convention date, June 9, 1937. [Class 106 (i)] An accumulator unit for a calculating machine comprises a set of primary registering elements, means for entering amounts, transfer means and resetting elements, a set of rotatable secondary registering elements, means for connecting a secondary element to a related primary element to be rotated thereby, means for disconnecting the secondary elements, and means for resetting the secondary elements to zero while so disconnected. The accumulator and associated parts according to the present invention are illustrated, embodied in a record-card-controlled multiplying machine. The "secondary" registering elements are the brushes of read-out devices (such as described in Specifications 456,367 and 456,368), and form devices, coupled to a single primary counter, upon which are calculated various multiples of the multiplicand entered into the primary counter from the card, this calculation being achieved by returning the factor from the readout devices to the primary counter and then transmitting it in the doubled (or. even five times) form to various of the read-out devices. The latter are disconnected in various cycles so that only those still connected continue to accept mutiples to form the higher multiples. In this way all the multiples 1-9 of the multiplicand are set up in. the read-out devices associated with a single primary counter. A combined unit, Fig. 5, not only includes the counter 38 and the read-out devices MCRO-9 &c. which store the multiplicand multiples, but also comprises a device PRRO which accumulates the components to form the final product. Apart from this unit, a summary. products accumulator SP, Fig. 1, (not shown) and a multiplier register MP, Fig. 1, (not shown) are also provided. Multiplicand multiples build-up. During this action the product read-out device PRRO is disconnected. The read-outs MCR01-2, MCRO-3-6, and MCR04-8 are doubling read-outs, as set out in Specification 456,367 whereby there may be read-out the amount registered in each and twice that amount. A multiplicand is read from a card and entered in the unit PR in a double manner. This unit is a large one of the conventional Hollerith type so that the multiplicand may be entered concurrently into the upper and lower halves thereof, the magnets 35 being energized at differential times from the card holes to,engage clutches 37A to rotate the primary registering wheels 38. The latter are interconnected by tens transfer, and zeroized by pick-up pawls 38B, in the known manner. Three multiplicand read-outs MCR03-6, MCR04-8, and MCR09 are associated with the lower half of the accumulating unit and three devices MCRO1-2, MCR05, and MCR07 with the upper half. When the multiplicand is entered in double form as above-stated, the multiplicand read-outs MCR09 &c. are all connected so that each registers the multiplicand, their brushes 57 constituting the secondary registering elements. Read-out MCRO1-2 is then disconnected and in the next cycle the multiplicand is read out of MCRO1-2 into the accumulator which then holds twice the multiplicand. Devices MCRO5 and MCRO7, associated with said upper part. will; therefore, also register twice the multiplicand. Twice the multiplicand is also read out of MCRO1-2 into the lower half of the accumulator so that three times the multiplicand is registered in devices MCRO3-6, MCRO4-8, and MCRO9. Read-out MCRO3-6 is then disconnected. In the next cycle the multiplicand is read out of MCRO1-2 into the lower half so that MCRO4-8 and MCRO9 now hold four times the multiplicand, while three times the multiplicand is read from MCRO3-6 into the upper part, whereby MCRO5 and MCRO7 hold now five times the multiplicand. MCRO4-8 and MCRO5 are now disconnected. In the next cycle twice the multiplicand is read from MCRO1-2 into the upper half so that MCRO7 now holds seven times the multiplicand and five times the multiplicand is-read from MCRO5 into the lower half, whereby MCRO9 registers nine times the multiplicand. MCRO7 and MCRO9 are then disconnected, leaving the read-outs registering the multiples 1-9 of the multiplicand read off the card. Wheels 38 are then zeroized, and multiplying is then effected in the manner set out in Specification 456,367, and the final product built up in read-out PRRO which is now connected. Connecting and disconnecting the multiplicand read-outs MCRO9 &c. Each wheel 37 driving a primary universal wheel 38 also drives wheels 39, 42 (and also wheel 41 for device PRRO). Each wheel 42 is free on a shaft 46a and carries part of a clutch which is only engaged to couple wheel 42 to wheel 52a when the shaft 46a is moved axially by the straightening of a toggle 101, Fig. 6. Wheel 52a drives gears 76-78, which latter is free on shaft 46b and is coupled to its read-out wheel 52b by a clutch as in the.case of shaft 46a. Wheel 52b drives wheel 52c through clutch shaft 46cR. All the other read-out devices are similarly driven and controlled by toggles which are straightened together but are broken in the correct sequence by the cams 92, 93, 94, Fig. 6, and 104, 110, Fig. 7, to give the build-up for the multiples of the multiplicand described above. The following table gives the associated toggles and shafts for the various read-out devices. 46cL and 46 are on Figs. 3 and 4 (not shown) respectively. Each read-out device is resettable to zero by a pawl on the brush-carrier coacting with a reset notch in the shaft 67a, 67b, 67c supporting the carrier. Resetting is effected from train 115 ... 118, Fig. 6, under the individual control of magnet 122 for the read-out PRRO, and magnet 129 for all the multiplicand read-outs. Action.-The product read-out device PRRO being disconnected, the multiplicand is read off the card and entered into counter wheels 38. The multiples 1-9 are then built-up as abovedescribed; the read-outs MCRO1 ... MCRO9 are disconnected and the wheels 38 are zeroized. Product read-out PRRO is then connected to wheels 38 under control of magnet 112, Fig. 7, and multiplication is effected. The appropriate multiplicand read-outs MCRO1 &c. are elec, trically connected to the counter magnets 35 under the control of contacts X-1 to X-9, Figs, 10b, 10c (not shown), which. are closed according to the magnet energized to correspond to the multiplier. Multiplication isby one denomination of the multiplier at a time, there being a column shift in the electrical connections-relays CSu ... CSth, Fig. 10a (not shown)-at the end of each stage so that the product is built up, through wheels 38 at each stage, in the product read-out PRRO which is now in gear with wheels 38 through wheels 39-41 and clutch shaft 46. The read-out PRRO is then disconnected from the counter 38 and the final total on this read-out is'punched in the card. Concurrently the counter and the read-outs MCRO1 &c. are reset so that they may proceed on the next card. Circuits are traced for the multiplication of 111 x 8. The connections may be changed manually by rod 200, Fig. 10a (not shown), so that the factors are entered reversely for checking purposes. The changed plugconnections are also explained for operation by a rate-card, i.e., in which a group of cards, each bearing one factor, is preceded by a rate-card bearing the other factor which is common to the succeeding cards. Specifications 405,031, 456,141, 457,136, and 497.039 also are referred to.