Patent GB-830371-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to record card controlled apparatus
Inventor: WOODHEAD JAMES
Filed: 1956-12-21
Abstract: 830,371. Card-to-tape converters. INTERNATIONAL COMPUTERS & TABULATORS Ltd. Nov. 19, 1957 [Dec. 21, 1956], No. 39008/56. Class 106 (1). [Also in Group VIII] Record card controlled tape recording apparatus is arranged for the tape recording means to record selectively under the control predetermined characters in sequence on the tape in response to given items of information sensed from the card, the programme device being shiftable so as to operate according to a preselected programme to change the character recorded in response to a given character sensed from the card, or to prevent the recording of a character, or to cause the recording, independently of any character sensed from the card, of one or more predetermined characters, instead of or in addition to, the character which would normally be recorded. The mechanical construction of the carriage feed and tape punching apparatus is generally similar to that described in Specification 566,964, the card being fed a column at a time to sensing means and the tape punching unit being controlled by a clutch which allows the punching apparatus to perform one revolution and perforations to be made in the tape by whichever punch magnets have been energized as a result of sensing of the card; the card carriage is rack-controlled by a pawl 122, Fig. 1, under the control of two electromagnets 126, 127, as described in Specification 797,669, so as to bring the columns one-by-one into sensing positions, the magnets being so arranged in the control-circuit of the machine that the actuation of the selected punches and movement of the carriage are operated in timed sequence. The cards are punched according to a code in which each column has " R," " X," "C," and numeral index points; letters are represented by a hole in the " R," " X," or " O " position, together with one in a numeral position, and figures by a hole in any one of the " R," " X," " O " and numeral positions. The tape is punched according to a five-position code. A photo-cell 106, Fig. 1, is provided, as described in Specification 830,372, for the sensing of each of these twelve positions, and the photo-cells for the index positions of each half-column are associated with an adjustably-mounted lamp 109 from which light is directed by a mirror 110 on to a plane mirror 107 and thence through holes 101 in a plate 102 on to the corresponding index positions. A pivoted shutter 115 is swung by a spring 119 so as to interrupt the light from the mirror 107 and thereby prevent over-loading of the photo-cells when a card is not being sensed and is automatically returned to its unobstructing position whenever a card is being sensed by the energization of an electromagnet in the control circuit of the machine. This control circuit includes various gas valves, diodes, relays and contacts and, as shown in Fig. 2, the photo-cells 106 and translating networks TN-R, TN-X, TN-O, TN-N for translating the card code as sensed into the tape code. While a voltage is permanently maintained across each photo-cell 106, the output is arranged to be effected only when a perforation is present in the relevant card column; for this purpose, at the time of sensing a column the voltage across the photo-cells is increased by the operation of two relays of which the relay controlling the numeral position photo-cells (i.e. 106 1  ... 106 9 ) through contacts R36a, is arranged to come into operation later than the relay R33 controlling the " R," " X " and " O " photo-cells (i.e. 106R, 106x, 106o) by closure of the contacts R33d. Sensing of perforations in the " R," " X " and " O " positions results in the firing of gas valve V 1 , V 2 , V 3 , respectively, and the energization of corresponding relays R 11 , R 12'  R 13  and sensing of any of the nine numeral positions results in the firing of a corresponding gas valve (V 4  ... V 12 ) and the feeding of an impulse through corresponding lines 17 1  ... 17 9  to the input of the translating networks. The translating networks TN-R, TN-X, TN-O, TN-N relate respectively to the characters in the " R," " X " and " O " and numeral positions and are arranged to be selectively effective when a control line 43 to the particular network is isolated. Each network consists of diodes arranged with five output lines leading respectively to punch magnets operative on the tape. As applied to the translation of a letter represented by a hole in one of the " R," " X " and " O " zones of the card and a hole in the numeral zone of the same column, sensing of the " R," " X " or " O " hole renders the relay R 11 , R 12  or R 13  effective to isolate the corresponding network TN-R, TN-X or TN-O by breaking the contacts R11a, R12a, R13a; sensing of the numeral hole and closure of the contacts R36a then causes an impulse on the corresponding line 17 1  ... 17 9  to such network and operation of the relevant tape punches. Holes appearing only in the numeral zone cause operation of the network TN-N, and a blank column produces an impulse on a line 17 1o  to the latter network and the punching of a space symbol in the tape. new card, symbols indicating " carriage return " and " line feed " are automatically punched. The programme device includes a commutator consisting of contact brushes 130, Figs. 1 and 4, mounted on the carriage for co-operation with segments 132 spaced so that each corresponds to a column and each of which has a plugboard connector 134 pluggable into appropriate points (135, 145, 150, &c.) of the control circuit according to the control desired. Suitable connection of appropriate connectors 134 results in the relevant card columns being automatically stepped by the sensing unit, the carriage release mechanism being actuated for these columns and the sensing and punch control mechanism being disconnected. Similarly, a card may be automatically released from the carriage at any predetermined column by suitably connecting the connector 134 for that column in the control circuit, or a shift symbol may be automatically punched in the tape at the beginning of the record referring to a new card by suitable connection of the connector 134 relating to the first card column. When sterling amounts are recorded on a card in groups of adjacent columns representing pounds, shillings and pence, the device may be so arranged to control the circuit that (a) zero recordings in the card preceding the significant data in the pounds group are not sensed, but a space symbol is punched instead and (b) symbols representing a dot-and-space are inserted in the tape between the pounds and shillings groups and between the shillings and pence groups. The device may also be arranged to punch a modification of the sensed character in the case of pence recordings represented by one hole only in a column and that in the " X " or " R " zones (i.e. representing 10d or 11d), the hole being first sensed to produce an " I " symbol (representing the " ten ") by an impulse from a capacitor 212 and resistor 213 to the input line 17 1  of the network TN-N, and then again sensed to produce in normal manner an " O " or " I " symbol (representing the " unit "). An alternative means for translating a character represented by a hole in one of the zone positions of a card into separate digit-representing tape characters is used where the sensed character is assigned two alternative meansings, for example where a hole in the " X " zone represents 10 pence and the eleventh month of the year; the programme device then has two switching circuits dealing respectively with pence and months and is arranged so that each column is again sensed twice and automatically modifies the translation of a particular hole where months are concerned. The commutator device may be replaced by a ring counter in the form of a number of counting stages connected so that each is switched in turn to an effective state in which its output path may be selectively connected to a control switch according to the required programme, the counter being stepped by an impulse derived from the carriage spacing mechanism; alternatively, the device may consist of uni-selectors or emitters operated by impulses from the carriage spacing mechanism. As a further alternative, the programme device may be operated in response to punching of a character so that the predetermined programme is related to the configuration of the characters on the tape rather than the lay-out of a card. Such an arrangement is used to prepare a tape which is subsequently used to operate a printer in which the record is to conform to a particular form, the recorded characters representing, for example, sterling amounts arranged in columns spaced according to whether the account is in credit or debit; the data is sensed from a card, the programme device stepped in synchronism with the punching of columns on the tape, and the amounts recorded on the tape are preceded by a variable number of space symbols to ensure that balances are subsequently recorded in correct columnar relationship. If desired, the programme device and corresponding control parts of the circuit may be combined in a second record card which is sensed in synchronism with the first record card and has its holes punched in predetermined positions in each column to operate the control switches directly. Sensing of the card may be by brushes instead of photo-cells and the characters on the card may be represented by marks or magnetic areas instead of holes as may also be the characters on the tape.