Patent GB-497676-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to record-card controlled calculating machines
IPC: G06F7/46
Filed: 1937-06-23
Abstract: 497,676. Statistical machines. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd. June 23, 1937, No. 17519. Convention date, June 24, 1936. [Class 106 (i)] A record-card controlled calculating machine, comprises adding means, subtracting means, dividing means and multiplying means for performing calculations according to the four arithmetical rules, means for analysing the card fields while the card is at rest, and keyoperated calculation determining means for causing each card of the card fields analysed to control the selected calculating means. Calculating units controlled by pre-set keys, are provided for automatically effecting alone or in combination, (1) addition and/or subtraction, (2) multiplication, and (3) division, the results of all the calculations being entered in a single accumulator. Three keys are provided for each calculating unit, the selection of a unit being effected by depression of a key and its order of operation in the sequence being determined by which key of the three is depressed. Four further keys are provided, two for causing negative total transfer operations and two for use when only one or two of the three calculating units are employed. The result of the calculation or series of calculations in respect of a single card is automatically punched upon the card by a single line of punches, the card being fed step by step starting from the analysing position. After punching, the result-receiving means is cleared and the punched card then controls a recalculation the result of which is entered in the result-receiving means and provides a check against the result recorded on the card. The circuit diagram is shown in Figs. 1-4. On depressing a start key 11, Fig. 1, and energizing a driving motor 10, Fig. 3, the tabulating cards are fed singly from a magazine by an endless picker band driven through a one-revolution clutch, and are presented beneath a bank of analysing brushes 77, Fig. 16, where the displaced card 100 remains during the calculating operations. The picker band 65 is provided at intervals with notched inclines which raise and engage the opposed edge of the lowermost card in order to push it out of the magazine. The picker band engages the card at one side in order to avoid the brushes. The bank of analysing brushes consists of a number of separate removable units 135 each comprising a row of brushes corresponding to a card column, the requisite units being placed in position manually for association with the card columns and for electrical contact with conducting bars 88 beneath the card, as permitted by the perforations in the card. Prior to starting the machine the bars 88 in use are connected by plug cables 136 to the sockets of a plug board according to the calculations being dealt with. When the card is in position beneath the brushes, a second one-revolution clutch is automatically set in motion and causes the brushes 77 to be lowered by a cam 109 to feel the perforations in the card and establish contact with the conducting bars 88, the brushes being temporarily retained in the depressed position by a latch 113. Multiplying.-The plug sockets 139, Fig. 1, of the multiplicand are connected to a series of contacts 144 on an insulated denominational shift bar 140 co-operating with stationary contacts 145. The sockets 138 of the multiplier are connected to stationary contacts 160 cooperating with a single contact 161 on the shift bar which is stepped forward each time an electromagnet 156 is energized. If multiplication is the first calculation of the series the first key 167 (marked XI) of the three multiplication keys is depressed to close a contact 168<1> and cause intermittent energization, (through a switch arm 173, Fig. 4, and under control of cam-actuated contacts C-7, C-8, Fig. 1), of the shift-bar magnet 156 with consequent movement of the shift bar 140 at each change in denomination. As the contact 161 passes on to a stationary contact 160 one of a series of magnets 186 corresponding to the multiplier digit is selectively energized through a cam-operated contact C-9, dependent on the position of the perforation in the multiplier column of the card. The selected magnet 186 when energized permits a plate 198 to move laterally a differential amount and thereby align pivoted spring-pressed fingers 210, Fig. 32, for subsequent differential engagement with apertures 215, Figs. 1, 32, in a rotating cylinder 214 which makes a complete rotation for each multiplying operation involving a single multiplier digit. The plate 198 is returned by a cam after each operation. The apertures 215 are so dimensioned and located as to represent the units and tens products of a multiplication table as described in German Specifications 244,013 and 242,020. In entering the apertures in the rotating cylinder 214, the pivoted fingers momentarily close corresponding contacts 217, those contacts corresponding to the multiplicand perforations in the card being thus rendered effective for accumulator entry. The contacts 217 are thus closed at spaced time intervals and energize at corresponding times the control magnets 231, Fig. 2, of an accumulator 250. The control magnets couple-up clutches to impart rotations of differential extent to the accumulator wheels, the accumulator being described in Specification 131,277, [Class 106 (i)]. Transfer from one denomination to the next is described in Specification 8635/08, [Class 106]. A plug-in connection is provided to eliminate idle cycles following a multiplying operation. Adding and subtracting.-If the multiplying operation is to be followed by addition and subtraction of amounts represented on the tabular card and the relevant metal tracks 88 pertaining to the columns have been connected to the plug board, the second key 266, Fig. 4, (designated 2) of the row of three keys is. depressed thereby extending a circuit to an operating magnet 269, Fig. 2, and through a cam-operated contact G10. Successive energizations of the magnet 269 ensue and a series of contacts 292 are stepped over rows of contacts 275. In the present instance the four contacts at the right-hand end of the top row correspond to the denominations of the first addition to be made. The lower rows similarly represent other additions or subtractions. The contacts 275 are connected to the corresponding bars 88, Fig. 4, the circuit from the bars extending through the contacting brushes 77 to an emitter controlling the energization of the accumulator magnets 231. The emitter comprises additive and subtractive sections 303, 304, the rotating brushes of which pass over stationary contacts connected to the digit lines 189 and differentially pass impulses to the accumulator magnets 231 to make the additions or subtractions. When subtractions are made a contact 292 co-operating with contacts 293 causes a relay to open a contact 290a, and close a contact 290b so as to disconnect the additive section 303 and place in operation the subtractive section 304. The subtractive section is connected to the digit lines 189 by complementarily arranged wires so as to add the complements to the accumulator to effect the subtraction. Transfer of a total. At the termination of the adding and subtracting operations the energization of a magnet moves the switch arm 173, Fig. 4, to the contact 174<3> and a circuit is established to close relay contacts 501a and connect up the accumulator magnets 332 of a second accumulator 251 which controls the punching of the amount on the tabulating card controlling the calculations. One or other of two keys 327, Fig. 4, (designated NB1, NB2) is depressed if a transfer from the first accumulator to the second is to take place, the key selected depending upon whether the prior calculations have been of one type or more. The result in the first accumulator 250 is then transferred to the second accumulator 251 by known read-out devices 336. 337, 358 described in Specification 356,304. Result-punching mechanism. After the total transfer operation the switch arm 173, Fig. 4, is switched by its magnet to the contact 174<4>, a magnet 349, Fig. 16, releases the latch 113, the brushes 77 rise under spring action, out of contact with the card, and the driving gear of the calculating mechanism is thrown out of gear. The card is now advanced stepby-step by the endless picker band and is punched in successive card columns by a line of punches as the result standing in the second accumulator is read out. The punches are operated by magnets 357, Fig. 4, the energization of which is controlled from the read-out device of the second accumulator 251. Each series of stationary contact elements 358 for each digit of the read-out device is interconnected by corresponding relay contacts 361a to the related punch-operating magnets 357. The movable contact elements 362 of the read-out device (which take positions according to the digits entered in the denominational orders of the accumulator) are connected to the contact points 363 of a rotary punch-magnet selecting switch of known form. The moving switch arms 364a, 364b in passing over the contact points 363 selectively energize the punch-operating magnets 357. The punching mechanism may be adjusted bodily by manual rotation of a crank handle to correlate the punches with the first column to be punched. To terminate further punching operations when the desired number of digits have been punched, a switch arm 401, Fig. 3, moving with the arms 364a, 364b, Fig. 4, establishes a circuit through a plug 399 inserted in an appropriate socket 400 and opens the punch-operating circuits. The circuits are then re-arranged to feed the punched card to a hopper and feed forward a new card. Re-setting of accumulators. After the punching operation, the accumulators are simultaneously zeroized by means similar to that described in Specification 216,143, [Class 106 (i)], or are selectively re-set by the