Patent GB-521716-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to record-card controlled statistical machines
Filed: 1938-11-22
Abstract: 521,716. Typewriters &c. BRITISH TABU- - LATING MACHINE CO., Ltd., and KEEN, H. H. (International Business Machines Corporation, in part). Nov. 22, 1938, No. 33974. [Class 100 (iv)] [Also in Group XIX]  The invention is concerned with a grouped-cardcontrolled statistical machine of the kind having means to record (punch) the group total on a record card (balance card) at a group charge, means for printing the total and/or items on a sheet and sheet-feeding means which feed the sheet one line for each printing and also longfeed a newly inscribed sheet to bring the first blank line to printing position. According to the invention a machine of the above kind comprises a line counter which counts the lines through which the sheet is fed to obtain the number of the last line printed on the sheet and is connected to means for recording (punching) this number on a record card (balance card), and a line-finding device which is adjusted according to the line number read from the first card (balance card) of a group to end the longfeed on the next sheet when the latter has been fed the number of line spaces read from the card or differing from this number by a predetermined amount. The number of the lowest printed line, or first blank line, on the corresponding ledger sheet is thus recorded on a balance card which will form the first card of a group from which further entries are to be made on to the ledger sheet. When this ledger sheet is placed on the machine it is fed until a relay LFC, Fig. 4, is energized to terminate the longfeed and leave the sheet with its first blank line at the printing position. Preferably the sheet is fed ten spaces more than the number in the line counter in order to provide a head space on the sheet. The invention is illustrated in a machine of the kind set out in Specification 422,135, [Group XIX], with the sheet-feeding means of Specification 494,583. So long as. a card feed clutch magnet CFC, Fig. 3, is energized the grouped cards are fed past upper and lower brushes and from the latter the credit and debit items are entered into the first and second counters. At agroup change three total-taking cycles occur and in a pause between the second and third the balance is punched on a new balance card. The lower brushes also read the group designation number off the first card only of the group and enter it into a third counter. During the above balance-card punching, this designation number is read off the third counter and punched in the new balance card. When the card group next passes through the machine the line number punched in the balance card is read off and entered into a fourth counter-the line counter-which then adds unity for each line subsequently printed on the sheet. A line-space magnet SM, Fig. 4 rotates the platen P, Fig. 1, one step for each printing, and a magnet PFC initiates the longfeed. The platen shaft 64 is geared to a wheel 153 secured to a sleeve 1153 which is loose on a shaft-154 and carries also a sun wheel 155 coacting with two compound gear wheels 157-158 carried on a planet-carrier 156 pinned to shaft 154. Wheels 158 mesh with a sun wheel 159 secured to a shaft 160. The latter is controlled by a magnet DBM and a clutch 161 of which one part is fixed to the machine frame, so that shaft 160 is only freed for rotation when magnet DBM is energized. Specification 494,583 (Figs. 5 and 6) is referred to for the clutch construction. The insulating disc 167, Fig. 2, secured to the end of the shaft 154, carries a metal block 168 holding three brushes 169 and a brush 170. The brushes are connected electrically and coact with sectors 173, 174 embedded in a stationary commutator disc 171 and connected to plug sockets 172, 175 respectively. There are one hundred sockets 172 arranged in a complete ring and staggered in groups of three. A ring of ten segments 174 is connected to ten sockets 175. Sockets 172 are numbered 00 01, 02 ... 99 and sockets 175 are numbered 00, 10, 20, 30 ... 90. As the disc 167 rotates with strap-154 it first connects the 00 socket 175 to the 00 ... 09 sockets 172, then the 10 socket. 175 to. the 10 ... 19 sockets 172 and so on, finally connecting the 90 socket 175 to the 99 socket 172. When a brush 169 engages the 00 segment 173, provision is made that magnet DBM is energized. Shaft-160 and sun 159 are thus freed, but shaft 154 is held by the friction between brushes 169, 170 and disc 171 so that shaft-160 is driven by the the platen P. When the latter has fed a sheet to a predetermined position, magnet DBM is de-energized shaft-160 is locked and platen P drives the planet carrier 156 to rotate disc 167 one step or segment for each unit of rotation (one line space) of the platen. The above device thus functions as a space-counter since it counts the number of line spaces given to the sheet after it has reached a predetermined position.' A line-finding device includes the above space-counter and a line, number register (distinct from the line or fourth counter). Assuming the line number consists of two denominations, the line register consists of units relays ULC1 ... ULC4, ULC6 ... ULC8, Fig. 5,' and tens relays TLC1 ... TLC4, TLC6 ... 'TLC8. Cam contacts T10 ... T13 are timed to close at various times and for various lengths of time so that when the units brush UB reads a digit one or more of relays ULC1 ... ULC4 are' energized according to a combinational arrangement. E.g., when a " 2 " hole is read only contacts Tll are closed and only relay ULCL is energized, ,but when a "3"  hole is read both T10 and T11 are closed so-that ULC1 and ULC2 are energized: Each relay ULC1 &c. closes holding contacts ULC1B &c. to energize holding relays ULC1H ...  ULC4H. The first two will also energize relays ULC6 and ULC7 and relay ULC8. These units relays control the "A" and " B " contacts ULC6A, ULC6B ... ULCA shown in the lower left-half of Fig. 5 so that for each digit read only one path is possible from line 200 through the circuits to a single socket 201. Similarly, for the tens digit of the line number read from the balance card, only one path is possible from contacts LFR2A to the sockets 203. The 0 socket 201 is plugged by wires 202 to the 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 sockets 172 of the space-counter, Fig. 1, the 1 socket 201 is connected to the 11, 21, 31 41, and 51 sockets 172 ; and so on. When the spacecounter 172 ... 175, 169, 170 registers a particular units digit, one brush 169 engages the segment 173 correlated to that digit and if the units digit registered in the line counter is the same, a circuit is completed from line 200 to the segment 174 and socket 175 corresponding to the tens digit of the number in the space-counter. To allow a ten-line head spacing on the sheet, the 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 sockets '203 are plugged to the 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 sockets 175 respectively. Thus a circuit will be completed from line 200 to contacts LFR2A when the number in the spacecounter is ten more than the number in the line counter. This energizes the magnet LFC, Fig. 4, to terminate the long-feed and leave the sheet with the lowest line of print at the printing line operation. In the ledger sheet-feeding the following sequence occurs. Switches 'AS, AR, SW2, Fig. 3, and SW1, SW4, Fig. 4, are as shown in full' lines and switch SW3, Fig. 3, is opened. The cards are grouped, with a balance card leading each group. When power is supplied to lines 140, 141, the coil LFR2, Fig. 4, is energized, holds itself energized by contacts LFR2-B, and also closes contacts LFR2A, Fig. 5. Start key ST1, Fig. 3, is closed to energize coils Rl, R2 which in turn energize the card-feed clutch magnet CFC to feed the first card to the upper brushes. At the end of the first cycle coils Rl and R2 are de-energized and the machine stops. When power was supplied to lines 140, 141 a circuit 140, Fig. 5, DBM, LER1-D, the 00 segment 173, 169, 170 the 00 segment 174, 210, 141, energizes magnet DBM, releasing 'shaft 160, Fig. 1, for rotation so that the platen P does not rotate shaft 154, disc 167 and brushes 169, 170. When coil R2 was energized its contacts R2-C, Fig. 4, energize a coil LFR16, of which the contacts LFR16-A in turn energize the long-space . magnet PFC. Contacts P10 subsequently - deenergize coil PFC but the long-feed mechanism called into action continues to feed the platen continuously until coil LFC is energized. At the end of the first cycle, start key ST1 is again closed, coils Rl and R2 are re-energized and the first card is fed past the upper brushes UB, the line number is read from it and entered into the line counter (counter No. 4) as described above with respect to Fig. 5. If this first balance card has line number 00 punched in it (the corresponding sheet being blank) no upper brush circuits are closed, and the relays of Fig: 5 remain unenergized. At the end of the second cycle, the machine is stopped by the open cdntacts LFR1-A, Fig.. 3. Platen P is now rotating but the machine is otherwise idle. The first ledger sheet is inserted and as it feeds it closes contacts PL, Fig. 4, to energize a. relay LFR1 which opens its contacts LFR1-D, Fig. 5. to deenergize the magnet DBM, whereby the shaft 160, Fig. 1, is locked and brushes 169, 170 rotate in synchronism with the platen. When brush 169 reaches the 10 segment 173 a circuit 141, Fig. 5, LFR2A (still closed by the relay LFR2), TLC4A, TLC3A, TLC8A, TLC6A, 204, 10 segment 174, 170, 169, 10 segment 173, 202, ULC6A, ULC8A, ULC3A, ULC4A, 200, Fig. 4, LFR3-A, LER15-A, LFR15, 140 is completed since the line counter registered 00. Coil LFR15 closes contacts LFR15-B to energize coil LFC which initiates the termination of the long-feed. The above' arrangement of the space-counter enables the feed to allow a head space of ten lines on the sheet. Card-feed cycles continue until contacts LFR1-A, Fig. 3, open and during the cycles printing is effected under the control of.a relay and a print clutch magnet