Patent GB-258269-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to record-card-controlled statistical machines
Filed: 1926-09-09
Abstract: 258,269. British Tabulating Machine Co., Ltd., (Assignees of Lake, C. D., and Storey, F. A.). Sept 10, 1925, [Convention date]. Printing totals.-Statistical machines of the automatic control type are provided with adjustable means whereby items may be accumulated from the same, or from different, parts of the record cards upon separate counter banks simultaneously under the control of three distinct sets of groups control perforations so that when any series of group numbers changes a total is printed from the counter bank controlled by that group number series and this counter bank is automatically reset to zero. Generally, the mechanical details and circuits are as described in Specification 216,142. There are ten counter banks 1 - - 10, Figs. 10<a> and 10<b>, and each card has forty-five columns. The lower brushes 52 are connected to forty-five multiple plug sockets 53 and the counter magnets are connected to eighty sockets 54. From the printing magnets 57 connection is made through plug sockets 58, 56 to the total-taking contacts 55 of known kind and to resetting contacts 59. The sockets 58, 56 permit the cross-plugging of any set of contacts 55 to printing magnets in any section of the printer. There are one hundred printing magnets 57, nine for each of the ten counter banks and ten for asterisk printing. In any one bank, the resetting contacts 59 are closed simultaneously by a lever 60 attached to the armature of a controlling magnet 61. The upper brushes 51 are connected to sockets 62, wires 63, sockets 64, control magnets 68 of the automatic control unit 65, and to sockets 66 which may be plugged in any order desired to the lower brush sockets 53. Each magnet 68 operates contacts 67 which may be connected in series as desired by switches 69. In Fig. 10<a>, using eight card columns for three separate series of control numbers, contacts 67 for columns 1, 2 and 3 are in series (minor control), contacts 67 for columns 5 and 6 are in series (intermediate control) and contacts 67 for column 8 are used for major control; the contacts for columns 4 and 7 are not in use. From contacts 67 for columns 1, 2 and 3 a line 71 leads through upper card-lever contacts 77 to one side of cam contacts C-1 and a wire 72 leads to the other side of cam contacts C-1 so that if, on minor control, the group number changes in the card columns 1, 2 or 3 a magnet 68 is not energized, the appropriate contacts 67 remain open, and when contacts C-1 open, the motor control circuit is fully opened between X and Y, control relay 78 and motor control relay 79 are deenergized and the machine stops as described in Specification 216,142. De-energization of relay 79 opens contacts 80 interrupting the main circuit and closes contacts 81 permitting cam contacts L-4 to bring the machine to the D-stop position. For the intermediate control wires 73, 74 are connected to a relay 86. When the contacts 67 for columns 5 and 6 are closed by successive cards in agreement, a circuit is closed through 90-90<a>-73-74-L9-91- 92-P7- lower card lever contacts 93- and right side of line, so that relay 86 is shunted out and is not energized. If, however, one of said contacts 67 is open by reason of a group-hole change the circuit passes through relay 86 instead of through lines 73 and 74, and the relay 86 attracts its armature and closes a circuit through relay 94-95-stop relay 96-line 92-P7-93. Contacts L-9 close and open synchronously with the opening and closing of contacts C-1. Energization of coil 96 opens contacts 97, Fig. 10, opening the main motor circuit, and closes contacts 98 which maintain the circuit until the contacts L-4 open at the D-stop position of the motor. For the major control, column 8, the contact 67 coacts with wires 75, 76, relay 87, and contacts L-8, the circuit for the relay 96 passing through relay 99 and resistance 95<1>. The designation perforations may, of course, change in several of the individual control series simultaneously so that several totals are printed. These totals may be printed in any desired parts of the record strip; they may, for instance, be printed in the same column; and to prevent confusion the various printings of totals are arranged in sequence. For this, the present machine is provided with means for giving three successive total-printing and resetting cycles, the first cycle corresponding to the minor control. The totalprinting control cams are on a shaft 100, Fig. 4. geared in a 3 : 1 ratio to a total-printing shaft 101 so that the control cams make one revolution for three revolutions of this shaft 101. Cams P-1 and P-6 controlling the resetting motor do not interrupt this motor until the end of the third revolution of shaft 101; and cam P-4 does not effect automatic restarting of the machine on ordinary tabulating until the three resetting cycles have been completed. The ten banks of counters are arranged in two tiers, there being upper and lower resetting shafts geared together. Any counter bank is geared for resetting to its resetting shaft through a clutch which is operated by the magnet 61 of that counter bank. This clutch may also be operated manually and in this case may also be locked in the engaged position. Assuming that this clutch is manually locked for counter bank 3 for minor control, and the clutches are to be operated electrically for counter banks 4 (intermediate control) and 5 (major control), the contact points 134 of magnet 61, bank 4, are connected by plugs 133 into the circuit 131 operated by the intermediate control magnet 86. When a. change in intermediate control holes occurs, magnets 86 and 94 are energized as described above and contacts 174 are closed, completing a circuit through the magnet 61 when the cam contacts P-9, Figs. 4 and 10<a>, are closed. When the latter occurs total-printing and reset. ting will take place. Similarly, for counter 5 (major control) the contacts 134 are connected by plugs 132 to the circuit 130, 175 operated by major control magnet 87 and contacts P-8. For the successive total-printing and resetting-cycles above-mentioned the minor totalling &c. occurs during the first rotation of the shaft 101, Fig. 4, contacts P-9 (intermediate control) close during the second rotation of the shaft 101, and contacts P-8 (major control) close during the third rotation of shaft 101. This totalling for, say, intermediate control, will of course only occur when P-9 closes and if a change in control holes has caused the energization of magnets 86 and 94 and closed contacts 174. It will be seen that any counter banks may be plugged up for the various controls and the counter banks may be cross-plugged by the use of sockets 56, 58 for printing in any desired parts of the record strip. In a modification of the control unit 65, series circuits are used instead of shunt connections. The general details and actions of the total printing and resetting mechanisms are substantially as in Specification 216,462. If desired, there may be more than three series of group control perforations. Specifications 183,867, 247,200, and 254,761 also are referred to.