Patent GB-289068-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to statistical machines
Filed: 1928-04-21
Abstract: 289,068. British Tabulating Machine Co., Ltd., (Assignees of Bryce, J. W.). April 22, 1927, [Convention date]. Statistical machines; printing totals and subtotals; zeroizing-mechanism.-In statistical accumulating mechanism wherein each accumulator element can be coupled, for zeroizing, individually and at will to a zeroizing member common to all accumulator elements, zeroizing for the various counter wheels commences at various times in the machine cycle according to the amount on the wheel and finishes at the same instant for all wheels. Switches are provided for suppressing zeroizing if desired. The invention is disclosed as applied to the machine described in Specification 247,200 and having the interchangeable electrical transfer devices of Specifications 168,311 and 235,911. The upper part of Fig. 1 dealing with the usual automatic action of the machine is substantially the same as the circuit diagram in Fig. 24<a> of Specification 247,200. Each counter wheel 20, Figs. 3, 4, and 13, is rigid with a wheel 21 loose on shaft 22, and meshes with a wheel 23, loose on counter-shaft 24 and integral with the clutch member 25. When the counter magnet 28 is energized by a hole in the card its armature unlatches a lever 27 which is thereupon moved by a spring 33 so that the clutch member 26, splined to the shaft 24, engages the clutch member 25 and rotates the counter wheel for the rest of the adding cycle in the usual way. Each spring 33 forms one of a pair of contacts 52, Fig. 1<a>; when a spring 33 moves to rock the clutch into engagement it breaks the contacts 52 in the card-reading circuit to prevent sparking. Near the end of the machine cycle a plate 35 having lugs 36 moves to knock out all engaged counter clutches. This marks the end of the adding cycle. 58, 59, 60, Fig. 1<a>, are the electrical transfer contacts, 58 and 59 closing when a wheel stands at nine and 59, 60 closing when the wheel passes to zero, contacts 58, 59 then opening. The clutch shaft 24 is used for zeroizing as well as ordinary registering and has two independent drives, indicated generally at 75, Fig. 5, of which only one can function at a time. For tabulating, the drive is from the tabulating shaft 65 and for zeroizing the drive is from shaft 71, which is driven from the re-setting motor through worm gearing 100, 102. For each counter wheel 20 there is a stationary member having switch blocks 80 and a double brush 81 which is geared to the wheel 20 so that it rests on a slip ring, Fig. 6, and on that block 80 corresponding to the amount on the wheel. An inner brush 84 is normally stationary on the zero block and is only rotated during the zeroizing cycle of the two totalling and zeroizing-cycles which occur when the cardgroup changes. At this time the clutch shaft 24 is driven two revolutions from one revolution of the shaft 71. At the same time a shaft 104 carrying the P cams 105 is driven one revolution through a one-revolution clutch 103, Fig. 5. A cam 120 on this shaft raises the type bars 125, Fig. 6. Levers pivoted at fixed points 112 and 113, Fig. 5, and at 114, 115 to a yoke 109 have contact blocks 110, 111 which normally during tabulating contact with blocks 116, 121. During the first half revolution of shaft 104 (totalling cycle) a cam 106 moves plunger 107, bell-crank 108 and yoke 109 so that 110 and 111 contact with blocks 117, 122. During the second half revolution of shaft 104 (zeroizing cycle) the yoke is moved a step further so that 110, 111 contact with blocks 118, 123. At total-taking all the counter magnets 28 are energized to rotate the counter wheels ten points of machine operation, at the end of which the plate 35, Fig. 13, kicks out all the clutches, leaving the amounts still standing on the wheels. As the wheels pass individually through zero the brushes 81, geared to the wheels, contact with the zero blocks 80 and complete a circuit with the stationary brush 84 to arrest the type bars 125 in printing position. At zeroizing, a shaft 85, Figs. 3 and 4, carrying the brushes 84, is driven from shaft 24 through a clutch 128 operated by a clutch magnet 126, Fig. 1<a>. This Figure shows the units, tens, and hundreds wheels of one counter bank, there being a magnet 126 for each counter bank. On each wheel, except those in zero position, a circuit will be closed to outer brush 81 and the counter magnet when the brush 84 reaches the block 80 upon which the brush 81 rests. The brush 84 starts to rotate ten machine points ahead of the kickout by the plate 35 so that each counter magnet circuit is closed by brush 84 at the correct time to enter the complement of the amount on the counter wheel, thus bringing the latter to zero as the plate 35 kicks out the clutches. For each counter wheel, Fig. 1<a>, a switch 146 is closed if total-printing is desired and a switch 147 is closed if zeroizing is desired. Hence totals or sub-totals may be printed. Plug connections are also provided so that any printing magnet 137 may be associated with any counter wheel, and any counter wheel may be connected to any reading brush. LB is the lower of the two sets of brushes for the successive card reading. At tabulating the blades 110, 111 are on contacts 116, 121 and the circuit for each wheel is 50, 52, 28, 110, 116, and 201 to brush LB, cam contacts T2 or T3, and through the control circuits of Fig. 1 to line 51. Immediately magnet 28 is energized, contacts 52 open and 53 close the printing circuit 137, 138, 140, 111, 121, 142, 102, P2, and 51. At total-printing the circuit is 50, 52, 28, 110, 117, 206, P5, 207, 51. Contacts P5 are timed to close so that the counter wheel will enter ten points, i.e. return to show the original amount standing on it. The printing circuit is 50, 53, 137, 111, 122, 81, 84 at the zero block 80, 210, 146, P7 and 51. During re-setting the circuit is 50, 52, 28, 110, 118, 212, 81, 84 at a block 80 corresponding to the amount on the counter wheel, 210, 147, P8, and 51. During total-taking and zeroizing the electrical transfer device is disabled by cam contacts P6 opening the circuits. A modification is described in which the brushes 81 and 84 coact with two sets of concentric, connected segments 80 arranged for accumulating fractions. Specifications 260,274 and 280,935 also are referred to.