Patent GB-860150-A (GB)
IPC: G01D9/16
Filed: 1957-10-18
Abstract: 860,150. Recording-apparatus. LICENTIA PATENT-VERWALTUNGS-G.m.b.H. Oct. 18, 1957 [Oct. 19, 1956; Feb. 18, 1957], No. 32607/57. Class 106 (4). Apparatus for recording measured values of a varying controlled condition by punching a card 5 comprises a flat support 3 for the card 5 which is advanced horizontally in dependence on time and a punch 7 moved vertically in steps in dependence on the measured value, the support 3 having a die opening in the individual punching positions. The card support 3 and punch support 8 are both carried by a plate 9 guided vertically by a bar 15 and threaded at 14 to be lifted and lowered by a threaded spindle 11, driven by a reversible motor M. The direction in which the motor M drives depends upon which relay A, B, Fig. 3, is energized and this depends upon the direction in which current flows through a differential relay D, in which a voltage U M  proportional to the measured value is balanced against a voltage U G  picked off a stepped potentiometer P by a tap 21 moving with the plate 9. Contacts a 2 , b 2  ensure that only one winding of the motor M is supplied with voltage U N  at a time and contacts g 1 , g 2  controlled by a cam recess 18 in gear-wheel 12 on spindle 11 ensure that the spindle 11 always completes a revolution to locate the punch 7 in one of 12 or 84 discrete positions according to whether a conventional punched card is used horizontally or vertically. In order to record the mean value between two punchings a differential relay depending on mean current is used, e.g. a bi-metal relay or a gas-pressure relay, designed to give a time-lag appropriate to the punching intervals, e.g. every second, minute or hour. To measure power, a powerdirectional relay is used. The component resistances of the potentiometer P may increase in equal steps or in any way appropriate to the scale desired. Additional normally closed contacts of the relays A, B may be provided in the circuits of the punch and of a step-by-step motor for displacing the punched card in the abscissa direction so that the punch cannot be actuated when the reversible motor is running. A punching impulse received during setting may be stored and used after a sufficient delay. Alternatively every punching pulse may be repeated at an interval sufficient to cover a setting period so that if one is lost the other is used. The apparatus may be used to record a measured value which is registered on a counter, a column being required for each denomination. The driving-member of the counter is used to set a potentiometer associated with each decade, e.g. the units potentiometer may be set directly and a tens and a hundreds potentiometer by transfer mechanism. Each potentiometer has normally open contacts whereby starting with the hundreds they may be connected in turn to a compensating circuit for the reversing motor M to set the punch. A cam drum driven by a synchronous motor is used to programme the operation of the various switches. The differential relay and relay circuit may be replaced by a circuit comprising two gas-discharge tubes with auxiliary relays in their outputs. Other ways of scanning counters are suggested using mercury contacts or inductive or photo-electric contact actuation. Various systems for recording from a plurality of counters are outlined designed to facilitate analysis of the measured values by conventional punched card machines.