Patent GB-785102-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in card feeding devices for record card machines
IPC: G06K13/103
Filed: 1956-01-18
Abstract: 785,102. Selective punching machines. MAUL, M. Jan. 18, 1956 [Feb. 17, 1955], No. 1747/56. Class 31 (2). [Also in Group XIX] The cards of a record-card punching or verifying machine are fed one at a time from a magazine 12, Figs. 1 and 3, to a carriage 13 which, after advance to an initial position for the start of the punching or verifying operation and subsequent stepwise movement through the punching or verifying mechanism is given a return movement in which it is carried beyond the start position so that it can remove the lowermost card from the magazine and then automatically advanced to such position with the card held on the carriage by a gripper 78. The carriage 13 is moved along the bed 83, Fig. 1, by the engagement of a pinion 16 with a rack on the underside of the carriage and, after advancing with a card to the start position in which the leading edge of the card lies to the rear of the line of punches 14, in the case of a punching machine, is moved stepwise for column-by-column punching by intermittently energizing an electromagnet T, Fig. 3, so as to swing downwardly a pawl lever 27 to act upon a ratchet wheel 29 on the shaft 17 of the pinion 16. These stepwise movements of the ratchet wheel 29 also serve through gears 37, 38, 39 to tension a coil spring 41, Fig. 8, disposed coaxially with the gear 39 so that, when at the end of the punching operation a change key is depressed to withdraw a detent 31, Fig. 3, from the ratchet wheel, the spring acts to return the carriage to the start position and the kinetic energy stored in the moving parts is then sufficient to cause the carriage to overstep this position and pass rearwardly under the magazine. During the latter movement, a pivoted knife 58, Fig. 5, on the carriage is urged upwardly by upstanding pins on the bed so as to engage the lowermost card in the magazine and cause it to move rearwardly with the carriage. When the carriage reaches its rearmost position, a coil spring 63, Fig. 8, which is disposed coaxially with the gear 39 and spring 41 and has been tensioned during the last stage of the rotation of the gear 39, acts to advance the carriage to the start position; at this time, the card is held on the carriage by a spring-pressed gripper 78, Fig. 5, which is opened to receive the rear edge of the card by contact with a stop 88 when the carriage is at the rear limit of its travel. The gear 39 and casings 64, 65, Fig. 8, for the springs are rotatable on a fixed shaft 66 and the springs are keyed at their inner ends to the shaft and at their outer ends to the respective casings; a pin 72 on the gear 39 coacts with pins on the casings 64, 65 to tension, and permit drive by, the springs, and a fixed stop 71 coacts with pins on the casing to set the limits of drive of the carriage by the springs. With the carriage in the start position, the actuation of a particular character key then slides the selected translator bars 21, Fig. 1, to close the switches u of the electromagnets Wo controlling the appropriate transposer bars 24 of the punches 14 and also close a switch to energize the electromagnet T, Fig. 3, operating the pawl lever 27 to advance the carriage one step; towards the end of its movement, the lever 27 closes a switch t to energize an electromagnet St operating the punch yoke 25. The depression of the change key referred to above at the end of a punching operation acts through mechanism including a lever 49, Fig. 3, not only to release the detent 31 to permit return of the carriage by the spring 41 but to force upwardly through the bed 83 two pins (56, 57, Fig. 4, not shown) which respectively lift the front end of the card from the knife 58 and engage the rear end of the card to prevent its return with the carriage. For dealing with two-deck cards, two-deck keys corresponding to the upper and lower decks are provided so that either may be depressed to render effective the appropriate set of transposer electromagnets. If, after punching the upper deck it is desired to punch the lower deck, the card must be returned for a second passage through the punch mechanism (which is now set by the lower deck key), and it is arranged for the depression of a second change key to cause a lever 93, Fig. 3, not only to withdraw the detent 31 to permit return of the carriage with the card but to apply a braking lever 96 against a brake disc 98 on the gear 38 so that the spring 41 does not return the carriage far enough to take a new card from the magazine; the lever 93 acts through a spring 95 upon the brake lever which is also controlled by a spring 97. A card which has been prevented from being returned with the carriage by the actuation of the first change key is pushed into a receiver 15 by the advance movement of the next card being punched.