Patent GB-869522-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to value registering devices
Inventor: ASH DENIS JOHN
Filed: 1957-10-18
Abstract: 869,522. Statistical apparatus. INTERNATIONAL COMPUTERS & TABULATORS Ltd. Sept. 19, 1958 [Oct. 18, 1957], No. 32593/57. Class 106 (1). In a record-card controlled accumulator, the counter wheels are selectively clutched to a. continuously rotating driving shaft. The accumulator comprises a rotatable driving member, a clutch plate mounted concentrically with the driving member, means for arresting the clutch plate in any one of a plurality of digit representing positions, means for releasing the clutch plate for rotation, and a coupling member adapted to be wedged in contact with the driving member on release of the clutch plate and to be withdrawn when the clutch plate is arrested, to cause the driving member to drive the clutch plate when the latter is released. As shown, Fig. 1, each denominational order of a record-card controlled accumulator having a continuously rotating driving shaft 1 comprises a gear 2, the gear 2 meshing each with a gear 5 having an extended hub 6 rotatably mounted on a stub shaft 4 carried by a plate 3. A clutch plate 8 with a toothed periphery is freely mounted on the shaft 6 and carries a pin 9 on which is mounted a roller 10 which co-operates with a spring 12 in an aperture 11 in the counter wheel 7 which is also mounted on the shaft 6. The clutch plate 8 is normally held stationary by the engagement of an arresting lever 14 clockwise under the action of the spring 12 until the roller 10 becomes wedged between the end of the aperture 11 and the rotating hub 6 so that the drive is transmitted from the hub 6 to the counter wheel 7. The drive is disengaged by energization of an electromagnet 20 which locks the clutch plate 8, continued motion of the hub causing the roller 10 to be forced out from its wedged position to disengage the drive. The lever 14 may be operated mechanically by Bowden cables from a mechanical sensing device instead of by electromagnets. As shown, the clutch plate 8 has twenty teeth, each tooth corresponding to a decimal digit. The counter wheel 7 may have visible numerals or may carry contact brushes passing over a series of studs. In operation the electromagnet 19 is energized in response to time-significant pulses derived from the sensing of a digit-representing hole by a brush 27 of a punched card-sensing device and the electromagnet 20 is energized to arrest the counter wheel just before a time corresponding to the sensing of a " O " hole. The lever 14 may alternatively be restored by a pivoted arm 34 which is rocked to engage the lever 14 with a tooth 13 when its remote end contactsone of two pins 37a carried by the gear 2. Carry arrangement.-Each counter wheel has a cam surface with a recess 37 and projection 38 at each carry position co-operating with a projection 41 on a pivoted follower arm 39. When the counter wheel registers " 9," the projection 41 enters the recess 37 and the arm 39 is spring-urged, counter-clockwise to provide an electrical connection between pins 45, 46. As the counter wheel moves. from " 9 " to " 0 " the arm 39 is rocked clockwise to provide a connection between pins 45, 47. At carry time, cam-operated contacts 48, Fig. 2, are temporarily closed and a relay CR (not shown) is energized. A - carry pulse is thus passed between the pins 45, 47 via a plug connector 49 to a point 50 in the circuit of the next higher, denomination to drive the counter with one of its teeth 13, a digit-representing electrical pulse applied to an electromagnet 19 being adapted to disengage the lever 14. The clutch plate 8 then moves slightly antiwheel thereof by one digit. If this second counter wheel is registering a " 9," a path exists between the associated pins 45, 46 and a long carry is passed to the circuit of the next higher denomination. At the end of the carry period the arm 39 is restored by a pin 51 on the driving gear 2. In an alternative arrangement, the carry circuit is maintained electrically. Subtraction circuits.-Subtraction is effected by couplementary addition and is controlled by relays SR (not shown) provided one for each denomination. Cam-operated contacts 59 produce a series of pulses of which one is transmitted by cam-operated contacts 58 just after the beginning of the sensing of the " 9 " digit position to energize the magnet 19 via contacts CRa. The counter wheel drive is disengaged in response to the sensing of a digit-representing hole over a circuit including contacts SRb. Read out.-The value registered in a counter may be read out by means comprising a transmitter relay TR (not shown) and a receiver relay RR (not shown) provided for each denomination. Cam-operated contacts 60 close to transmit' a pulse over contacts TRa one digit time in advance of " 9," which pulse thus is effective to cause the counter wheel to be driven for ten digit times. A pivoted lever 61 is adapted to provide a path between pins 65, 66 as the counter wheel passes through the " 0 " position. Cam-operated contacts 67 provide pulses for each digit time 9, 8 ... 0 so that a pulse is passed between pins 65, 66 over a pluggable connector 68 to the receiver at a point 69. In the receiver contacts RRa are closed so that the magnet 19 is energized. Resetting.-The relay TR and a relay RS (not shown) are energized. Cam-operated contacts 70 close just before the " 9 " digit time and a pulse is passed over contacts RSa to energize the magnet 19. When the counter wheel reaches " 0 " a pulse is passed over contacts TRb, pins 65 and 66 and contacts RSb to energize the magnet 20, disconnecting the drive.