Patent GB-480099-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to apparatus for indicating the nature of the sequence of record cards
Filed: 1936-06-16
Abstract: 480,099. Statistical machines. BROUGHAM, L. E., and ENGLISH, F. G. S. June 16, 1936, No. 16791. [Class 106 (i)] A machine for checking documents, of which the identifying numbers are marked on cards, comprises means for reading the cards which are arranged in sequence so far as possible, means controlled by the card-reading (stop basket 11) for setting up in the machine the identifying numbers, means for setting up in the machine successively (units counter 12) the complete sequence of identifying numbers, one set-up at each card-reading, means 18, 21, 23 for comparing each card set-up with the contemporaneous complete sequence set-up, and means which tend to indicate (units counter printer 39) the successive settings of the complete sequence but which are allowed actually to indicate only when the result of the said comparison is in disagreement. Means are also provided for detecting and dealing with duplicate cards in the incomplete sequence. Figs. 1, 5, 6, 8 and 9 show the various parts in the positions in which the consecutive number (or units) counter 12 is in initial position and a blank card is in the machine. Denominational printing sectors, hereafter called the normal printing unit A, Figs. 1 and 2, coact with a stop basket B to print the numerical records in the cards. The connection rods C are of Y- wired construction and their branches 10, Figs. 2 and 5, actuate a stop basket 11 associated with the consecutive number, or units, counter 12. The latter is initially set to the number of the first card passing from the magazine to the pin box E and unity is added to it as each card passes, except for duplicate cards. Also, operation of the units counter is prevented if there is not a card in the pin box. The latter is of the kind set out in Specification 401,012. Each denominational wheel 13, Fig. 5, of the counter 12 has a rack 14, of which the teeth are pitched equal to the pitch of stops 11a ... 11f. Each rack has an arm 15 to which is fixed a bar 16 carrying a lever 17 with a pendant finger 18. Also hinged to each bar 16 is an arm 19 fixed to a coupling shaft 20 which transmits the movement of bar 16 to printing mechanism for recording missing numbers. With counter 12 set at zero, all the fingers 18 would be over the first stops 11a and as unity is added to the counter the fingers move one stop to the left, denomination by denomination. Associated with each lever 17 is a testing rack 21 slidably mounted on the bar 16 so as to be movable relatively thereto by half the tooth pitch of a rack 14. Each testing rack 21 has ten buttress teeth set at a pitch equal to the pitch of stops 11a... 11j. A cam surface 22 on each rack coact with the rear end 18a of lever 17 so that if a raised stop 11a ... 11j rocks lever 18, 18a counterclockwise then rack 21 is moved half a tooth to the loft. This occurs only if the finger 17 disposed with bar 16 by the units counter 12 is over the stop 11a ... 11j raised by the reading of the identification number of the card in the pin box E. If this comparing mechanism detects disagreement the normal listing operation is changed. If the cards read constitute a complete sequence, a complete sequential list of the identification numbers will be printed ; but if the card sequence is broken, when the first gap is reached, the number of the first card after the gap is set up as usual in basket B and would be printed by the normal printing unit A, but the stops 11 set do not agree with the setting of fingers 18. Some only of the racks 21 will be moved relatively to their bars 16 and the teeth of all the racks will be staggered. This is used to prevent printing by unit A. A testing bail 23 is on two arms 23a pivoted centrally to arms depending from units counter 12. For each unit movement of rack 21 bail 23 is raised against its spring 23b. If there is agreement and all pins 11 raise fingers 17, the bail engages between the teeth of racks 21. Otherwise the bail is obstructed from rising. Two arms 25 rigid with the sector restoring shaft 24 are normally upright and on each side of the bail 23. Pivoted at 26 to each arm 25 is a link 27, the links being connected by a spindle 28. One or both arms 25 has a stop 29 for the links. Springs 30 pull links 27 against stop 29 and spindle 28 is normally clear of the bail. As the section restoring shaft 24 oscillates after a card reading operation, the spindle 28 moves down and raises bail 23 to feel the teeth of racks 21. After the shaft 28 reaches the arm 23a it will have two linear paths according to whether the bail 23 rises between teeth or is obstructed. For the agreement positionfingers 18 all meet stops 11 raised by the card reading-shaft 28 moves idly, but for disagreement the spindle 28 meets an arm 31 on a " disagreement shaft " 32, which operates a print-control shutter 33 through link 52 to prevent printing from the sectors in the normal printing unit A by obstructing the hammers A<1>, Fig. 1. For duplicate card work, this shutter 33 is notched to permit asteriskprinting from one particular type sector when a duplicate card is detected. The unit A thus prints a list of the identification numbers only of cards present in the incomplete sequence. Units counter printer 39. This prints a list of the identification numbers of the missing cards. Each coupling shaft 20, Fig. 5, of which there is one for each denomination of units counter 12 carries an arm 34, Fig. 6, connected to an actuating slide 35 with a cam surface 36 to allow the spring displacement downwards of stops 37 in the basket 38 of the printer 39. Each successive setting of units counter 12 acts through parts 16, 19, 20, 34, 35, 36, 37 to set the sectors of unit 39 to print the consecutive, number. The disagreement shaft 32, however, controls a shutter 40, Fig. 7 (not shown), which normally obstructs the hammers, whereby only on disagreement is the shutter 40 (not shown) raised to permit printing (i.e. for the missing cards only) whilst the shutter 33 is lowered to prevent printing from the normal printing unit A. Duplicate cards. For each duplicate card present in the incomplete sequence, an asterisk is printed in the normal printing unit A and the identification number reprinted in the list produced by the units counter printer 39. A detector unit, Fig. 8, is used to discover the presence of a duplicate card. This will coincide with disagreement between fingers 18 and pins 11, Fig. 5, and it will be necessary to release the duplicate card from pin box E and to prevent unity being added to the counter 12. The detector unit 60, Fig. 8, is disposed between the connection rods C and the stop basket B, Fig. 2. Below each stop in the basket B is a notched pin 61 coacting with a latch bar 62, there being a latch bar for each denomination of stops. As a card is read, certain rods C and pins 61 are raised and latched up, causing the bar 62 to the left to rock a shutter 65 with its detector shaft 66. The shutter is spring- controlled to return the latch bars to the right, and shaft 66 partly controls a signal shaft 67. If the next card is a duplicate of the preceding card, the rods C tend to raise the same pins 61, which are already latched up, and there is no movement of bar 62 or shaft 66. As there is agreement between the two cards, bail 23, Fig. 5, rises fully and spindle 28 in its sliding motion actuates an arm 68 to pull the link 74, Fig. 9, to the left, and rock a bell-crank 76 counterclockwise. A pin 77 on the latter is held down by a latch 78 free on shaft 66. Coaxial with detector shaft 66 are a hook latch 79 co-operating with a pin 82 on an arm 81 of the signal shaft 67, and an abutment latch 80 also coacting with pin 82 to prevent rotation in direction 83. As the bell-crank 76 descends it stresses a spring 84 between it and latch 79, since the latter is held up by pin 82. If the detector shutter 65, and therefore shaft 66, are rocked, a pin 86 on an arm 85 rigid with shaft 66 removes latch 78 to the left from pin 77, Fig. 9, and frees the bell-crank 76 for clockwise movement. Thus, the bell-crank is lowered only after agreement and is only held down by latch 78-when shutter 65 is not actuated, that is when a duplicate card is sensed. Hence, the latch 79 is only primed for a duplicate card. The sector restoring shaft 24, Fig. 5, is flexibly connected to the signal shaft 67 and tends to rock it at each machine cycle. This slightly rocks arm 81 to the right, Fig. 9, and if latch 79 has been primed by a duplicate card, the tensioned spring 84 pulls down the latch and frees the pin 82. Each time a card is read in the pin box E a " no-card " connection rod 91 acts, through bell-crank 90, 88, to rock the latch 80 down. The pin 82 on arm 81 is therefore completely freed by the duplicate card and the signal shaft 67 is rocked by the sector restoring shaft 24. An asterisk type is carried in the " O " position on a normal printer sector A<2>, Fig. 11 (not shown), and its hammer can pass through a slot 33a (not shown) in the shutter 33, Fig. 5, which latter for a duplicate card is disposed to obstruct all the other hammers of the normal printing unit A. The rocking of the signal shaft 67 for a duplicate card acts through the linkage of Fig. 11 (not shown) to effect this asterisk-printing. An audible signal, preferably produced by closing an electric contact 101, Figs. 10 and 10a (not shown), is also given when a duplicate card is sensed. The consecutive number, or units, counter 12 is actuated by a ratchet and pawl to add unity for each card-sensing operation, under the actuation of the sector restoring shaft 24. For each duplicate card, however, the rocking of the signal shaft 67 is used to prevent the full return of the ratchet pawl, so that unity is not added. The rocking of shaft 67 is also used to remove a card stop F, Fig. 1, so that the duplicate card may be removed from the pin box E. Normally, the numbers of the duplicate cards are printed by the units counter p