Patent GB-767199-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to tape controlled punching machines
Inventor: GHERTMAN IOINO
IPC: B42C7/00
Filed: 1953-07-30
Abstract: 767,199. Selective punching machines. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION. July 30, 1953, No. 21152/53. Class 31 (2). [Also in Group XIX] The cards of each of a number of decks or sets are fed lengthwise under a group of punches in a tape - controlled punching-machine and the several groups of punches are adapted to punch simultaneously in all the sets as they run through the machine. Two tapes 70, 75, Fig. 1, are fed intermittently under sensing units 85 and verifying units 85a, and the corresponding sets of cards are fed intermittently under punch units 77 and verifying units 74, 78; the punch units are controlled by the sensing units 85 and the sets of verifying units cooperate to determine whether or not the punching is correct. Each tape is drawn by a sprocket 81, Fig. 2, from a drum 79 or hopper 38 over a tensioning roller 123 arranged should the tape feed jam to stop the machine after complete columnar punching upon the card then in position. The sprocket 81 is driven by power mechanism including a clutch 87, Fig. 1, gearing 105, 104, 103, clutch 92 and drive-shaft M; feed rolls 94, 96, 98 for the cards are driven from the gearing 103. The control circuit for the machine includes relays (14, 21, Fig. 3, not shown) controlling the clutches 87, 92, contacts La4, La5, Fig. 2, controlled by the tape when in position and contacts Lal, La2, La3, La6 controlled by the cards in the supply and delivery hoppers and in their passage through the machine; the circuit includes two further sets of contacts actuated at appropriate times in the machine cycle, one set being controlled by cams C, Fig. 1, driven continuously by the shaft M and the other set by cams P driven whenever the clutch 92 is engaged. At the start of recording from, say, the tape 75 on to the cards from the hopper 76, a manual knob 82 is actuated to feed the tape to its initial position; to prevent over-feed of the tape, the clutch 87 is engaged (but without power drive) when one of sensing pins 6, Fig. 4, in the sensing unit 85 registers with a special control hole provided in the second row of the tape ahead of the groups of punched data therein and so energizes a relay to close the circuit of the relay controlling the clutch 87. The first actuation of a switch (15, Fig. 3, not shown) then serves to disengage the clutch 87 and, by energizing further relays through certain of the cam-controlled contacts C, P, engages the clutch 92 for the delivery of the first card to the punching station 77 (the tape being at rest); the second actuation of the switch results in the engagement of both clutches 87, 92 for the intermittent feed of the tape and cards. The.pins 6 in the sensing unit 85 then sense the punched holes in successive columns of the tape and through corresponding relays 8 ... 12, Fig. 4, appropriately actuate the punch relays 24a, 24b, &c., in the punching unit 77. Contacts 8a, 9a, &c. of the relays 8 ... 12 are for this purpose arranged in sets of circuits each in series through a normally closed switch 23a, 23b, &c. with a punch relay; the initial setting of these contacts is such that, when any particular combination of relays 8 . . . 12 is energized, a circuit to the appropriate punch relay is closed in order to punch the card according to the selected code. After punching, the card passes to the verifying unit 78 for comparison of the data punched with the original record in the tape at the verifying station 85a. At the latter unit, sensing pins 7 control relays 30 ... 34 for appropriately actuating one or other of the sets of contacts 30a, &c., each of which is arranged similarly to the corresponding set of contacts 8a, 8b, &c. and in circuit with a contact 35a, &c. controlled by the sensing means at the verifying unit 78. Should there be correspondence between the data on the tape and card, the appropriate relays 30, 31, &c. are energized to provide a closed circuit which includes that set of contacts 30a, &c. connected with whichever of the contacts 35a, &c. is closed by the sensing means in the unit 78 and is arranged to keep the control relays energize to maintain the feed of the tape and cards. Should the data on the tape and cards differ, one of the contacts 35a, &c. closes to complete circuits whereby a signal lamp is illuminated and the clutch relays are de-energized to stop the machine after all the columns of a card havebeen checked; a stylus 146, Fig. 1, actuated by a relay, marks the affected columns on the tape. The transfer of data from certain columns of the tape is prevented by connecting into the control circuit a brush 48, Fig. 4, running in synchronism with the tape and cards over contacts 49 each corresponding to a column on the tape. Transfer for, say, the tenth to fifteenth columns can be prevented by connecting the tenth and sixteenth contacts 49 at plug sockets 52, 50, respectively, with a relay 23 and restoring relay 23r so that these relays are appropriately energized to break the circuits of the punch relays at the switches 23a, 23b, &c. for the desired range of columns; the checking circuit is similarly put out of action by relays 54, 57.. Should it be desired to prevent transfer only for certain cards, the relay 23 is only energized as determined by the connection of the brush contacts 49 when a control hole in the tape immediately preceding the data corresponding to the card concerned is sensed by one of the pins 6 in the unit 85; a relay 44 is then energized to set suitably a switch 44b connected in the circuit between the brush contacts and relay 23. The switch 44b could, alternatively, be so connected that transfer of data occurs only for those cards corresponding to a control hole in the tape. Successive cards may be punched in accordance with the sensing of the previously-punched card in the checking unit 78 by arranging for each of the punch relays to be controlled by the corresponding one of the sensing contacts 35a, etc.; these relays and contacts are connected at plug sockets 64a, 65a, &c. in circuits which include the switches 23a, 23b, &c. when these have been actuated by the relay 23 as described above. The control circuit may be set for the punching of a group of successive cards in accordance with a master card provided with a control hole, which, when sensed by a pin 97, Fig. 2, actuates a switch 66 and so through plug connections 67, 43 energizes the relay 44 for the appropriate control of the relay 23. In cases in which certain colunns of all the cards are to be punched with common data (the rest being punched with variable data) only that group of data in the tape corresponding to the first card need be punched with the common data, the corresponding spaces in successive groups on the tape being left unpunched. The first card is then punched normally from the first group on the tape and each succeeding card is punched with the variable data from the tape and the common data from the previously punched card, a control hole in the tape actuating the switch 44b as described above for the latter purpose. To save space on the tape, the succeeding groups of data need contain no unpunched columns, and when data is being transferred from a previously punched card it is then necessary to stop the drive of the tape by arranging for the switch 44b to be actuated by a control hole in the tape in order to de-energize the relay controlling the clutch 87. The tape 70 and cards from the hopper 72 are provided with a similar control which is connected with the control circuit described above so that by setting appropriate switches the two sets operate simultaneously or alternatively; when operating simultaneously, the interconnection of the two circuits prevents operation until both tapes are correctly positioned. The data on one set of cards may be reproduced on the other set in which case the two sets of cards are fed with a relative lag between them and cards of one set are sensed by the contacts 35a, &c., Fig. 4, so as to control the punch relays of the other set; connections between the two control circuits are made between the plug sockets 64a, &c. of one set and the plug sockets 65a &c. of the other set. Specification 442,534 is referred to.