Patent GB-861172-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to recording apparatus
Inventor: NETTELL DAVID FRANCIS
IPC: G07C3/08
Filed: 1955-12-30
Abstract: 861,172. Recording-apparatus. BRITISH IRON & STEEL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION. March 22, 1957 [Dec. 30, 1955; March 21, 1957], Nos. 37421/55 and 9296/57. Class 106 (4). Apparatus for recording the performance of a machine comprises a source 12, Fig. 4A, of electrical pulses emitted at regular intervals of time with a machine-operated switch 13 for applying the pulses to a first accumulator 15 when the machine is working and to a second accumulator 16 when the machine is idle, and read-out means, which, when operated, read out consecutively the counts in the accumulators 15, 16 to a recording station, where the data is recorded. A system is shown for individually recording the performance of twenty machines, each with two associated accumulators 15, 16 in the form of four pulseoperated denominational counters XR, YR, WR, VR, XN, YN, WN and VN, each counter comprising a uniselector having each position of a read-out level XR4 and so on, connected to one of ten bus-bars 0 to 9 connected to punching-apparatus and the wipers 7W to 14W of the read-out levels connected to different levels in the appropriate position of a read-out multilevel multi-position motor uniselector 113, Fig. 5B, wherein each machine is allocated to a different position 1 to 20, and wherein the wipers C1 to C15 are connected to contacts 117, Fig. 6, of a commutator switch with wiper 116 controlled by a card punch 115 to select wipers C1 to C15 successively, C1 to C14 for recording and C15 for zeroizing. The wiper C16 is connected to a high-speed relay HS/1, Fig. 5A, for stopping stepping of the readput uniselector 113 to ensure stopping at any machine position selected or in home position 120. Levels 1W and 2W are connected to the bus-bars, Fig. 4A, appropriate to the machine number and levels 3W to 6W are connected to switches 17, Fig. 4B, in four denominational sets of ten connected to the bus-bars and hand set to store the order number of the work to be performed. A lead OW, Fig. 4A, to the commutator 117 is connected to bus-bars 1, 2 or 3 under clock control to register the shift number, Recording-operation.-On completion of an order by machine 7, say, an incident button 20/7, Fig. 5A, is pressed, breaking the homing circuit of read-out uniselector 113 at CA1 and stopping subsequent stepping of the wipers C1 to C16 in the seventh position, whereupon punching is initiated to record the shift-number, machine number, order number, working time and idle time successively as the wiper 116 sweeps the contacts 117. After recording the punch operates relay RS/4 and a resetting pulse is sent over wiper C15 to line 48/7 to zeroize counters 15, 16 and to line 47/7 to reset switches 17 and button 20/7. At the end of a shift data from every machine is punched upon closing a switch CS4 to cut out the incident buttons 20/1 to 20/20 and allow a uniselector switch S1, S2, S3 to take control and cause the uniselector 113 to read-out and record from each machine in turn. After recording from the last machine, all the counters 15, 16 are zeroized, but cancellation of the order number stored by the switches 17 is suppressed by rectifiers preventing the resetting pulse from reaching the lines 47/1 to 47/20. The data may be punched direct on cards and/or in code on teleprinter tape. Modifications. The system may include two further accumulators to register the numbers of satisfactory and defective articles produced. The counts in the accumulator may be punched automatically each time a machine starts or stops. The cause of a stoppage may be set up in code on a keyboard so that the total time and cause of a stoppage may be punched. Idle time due to a cause unrelated to the order in progress can be distinguished from that associated with the order.