Patent GB-1152408-A (GB)
Title: Method Of, and Apparatus For, Inserting Magnetic Rods Into Openings In A Generally Planar Member
IPC: H05K13/04
Filed: 1968-03-12
Abstract: 1,152,408. Read-only stores. NATIONAL CASH REGISTER CO. 12 March, 1968 [16 March, 1967], No. 12009/68. Heading G4A. [Also in Division H3] Magnetic storage rods are inserted into openings in a solenoid plane of a memory by the use of a magnetic field which has vertical lines of force which aligns the rods with the lines of force. The rod inserting apparatus 10 is pivotally supported from support bars 14 and is provided with upper and lower plates 22, 24 between which a magnetic field is set up by energizing electrical coils 26. A bed 40 is adapted to receive a solenoid plane 48, Fig. 3b and Fig. 3a (not shown) and is mounted by rubber mounts 42 to upright members 38 of a carriage unit 34 slidably mounted on tracks 36. In operation, an excess number of magnetic rods 55 are placed on the solenoid plane 48 and the carriage unit 34 is moved to position the plane 48 into the magnetic field whereupon the magnetic rods become aligned with the vertical lines of force. A vibrator 44 is then activated to vibrate bed 40, solenoid plane 48 and the rods 55 and apparatus 10 is pivoted on its pivots 12 so that gravity causes the vibrating rods to move towards the down side of the plane. The plane is pivoted back and forth so that the rods sweep back and forth over the plane and as a rod passes over a solenoid opening it is gravitationally drawn into the opening. When all openings are filled the excess rods are removed and the plane is coated with an adhesive spray to prevent the rods 55 falling out. In a second embodiment, Fig. 4, plates 22, 24 are replaced by flanges 60, 62 which are aligned so that a magnetic field extending over a narrow area is produced within the space between the flanges. A solenoid plane 48<SP>1</SP> constructed as in the first embodiment, is placed beneath a removable shutter pad 64 and fastened to a magazine 66. An excess number of rods 55 are placed on the magazine and the combined plane is passed through the magnetic field which field is oscillatingly reversed so as to simulate the vibration effect of the vibrator 44 of Fig. 1. By manually tilting the solenoid plane as it is moved back and forth within the magnetic field the rods sweep across the magazine 66 and become inserted in the openings 68 of the magazine. When the magazine is fully loaded the shutter pad 64 is pulled out allowing the rods 55 to fall through the magazine and into the solenoid coils, Figs. 5a, 5b (not shown). The embodiment described above may be used for producing a read only memory plane, Fig. 6a, and in this case the shutter pad 64<SP>1</SP> is provided with openings 80 which are programmed only to selected coils. Pad 64<SP>1</SP> is first positioned as shown in Fig. 6a so that the openings 80 are offset from the selected coils of the plane. The magazine is then loaded as described above and then the shutter pad is removed to a second position where the openings 80 become aligned with the selected coils to allow the rods to drop into the coils. Instead of vibrating and tilting the solenoid plane, if the surface of the plane is sufficiently smooth the plane can be passed back and forth through the magnetic field without tilting, the rods being held in the confines of the magnetic lines of force.