Patent GB-523652-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to machines for collating record cards
Filed: 1937-12-23
Abstract: 523,652. Statistical apparatus. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd. Dec. 23, 1937, No. 35673. Convention date, Dec. 24, 1936. [Class 106 (i)] In a statistics collating machine comprising two card feed mechanisms for feeding cards from related hoppers to a common matching pocket two card-reading mechanisms for reading numbers from the cards and setting them up in number registers for com parison to determine which is the greater and to cause the appropriate feed mechanism to operate alone to feed the lower-numbered card, and a rejecting device arranged to be rendered operative by the comparing mechanism to divert a card fed by one predetermined mechanism into a reject pocket, the comparing mechanism is arranged to render one, herein referred to as the primary card-feed mechanism, only operative when the numbers compared are equal. The machine is shown diagrammatically in Figs. 17a, 17b and 17c combined, while Fig. 15 shows the arrangement of the card feeding mechanisms distributing mechanism and the matching and reject pockets. A main driving shaft 136, Fig. 4, is continuously driven by an electric motor (not shown) and is adapted to be clutched with a shaft 139 to drive feeding mechanism for one stream of cards referred to as secondary cards, and also with a shaft 141 through bevel gears 143, 144, to drive feeding mechanism for so-called primary cards. The clutches are controlled by magnets SFM, PFM, each of which, when energized, pulls an armature 153, Fig. 7, to release a pair of spring-urged levers 146, lugs 146a thereon engaging a notch 143a in the hub of bevel wheel 143. Upon the completion of one revolution, lugs on tne levers 146 engage a lug 154 thereby releasing and arresting the feed shaft 139. A cam 143b co-operates with a lever 157 to knock off the armature 153 after each rotation of the main shaft. The feed shafts drive feed rolls 172 by means of helical gears 175 and drive also shafts 166, 168, each having a number of scallopedshaped cams 338 which co-operate with levers 339 to open and close contacts PIDI, SID, &c. while gear wheels 165 having cam grooves 164 co-operate with sector arms 126, Fig. 3b, which reciprocate card pickers 125 to feed the cards individually through adjustable throats 129. Before reaching the sensing brushes PB1, PB2, SB, the cards encounter card levers 274 and, in rotating them slightly clockwise open electrical contacts PCL, PCL3, SCL, Fig. 17a; other contacts PCL1, PCL2, SCL1, Fig. 17c, are closed by the card just before it reaches the sensing brushes. The card sensing apparatus is of a well-known type, each individual contact brush being located in a separate groove in rollers 201 ; leads from these brushes connecting with a bank of terminals at the rear of a removable plug-board (not shown) whereby the brushes for any given column or columns of the cards can be connected with magnets SM, PM &c. Figs. 17c and 12, of the appropriate denominations in the comparing units. The plug board is provided also with seventeen series of holes for plugging switches Sl to S17. Comparing mechanism. There are two substantially similar comparing units, one for comparing the first and second readings of the primary cards and the other for comparing the second reading of the primary cards with the reading of the secondary cards. Each comparing mechanism comprises two series of toothed sectors 373, 374, Fig. 12, there being, in each series, a sector for each denomination. The sectors are engaged by crossbars 383, 384 which are oscillated by a cam 370 driven from the mainshaft 136. After maximum clockwise rotation the crossbars are prevented from returning by pawls 392, Fig. 13, but are released upon energization of magnets SR, PR, 2PR. Cams 371a, 371b co-act with a lever 428a to restore the pawls 392 to the locking position. Upon release, the crossbars 383, 384, rotate anticlockwise at a uniform speed in synchronism with the passage of the cards beneath the sensing brushes and are followed by the sector arms 373, 374, until pawls 376, released by energization of magnets SM, PM &c. arrest the sectors by engaging notches corresponding with the reading of the cards. Slidably connected with each pair of sector arms is a member 398 which carries a pin 399 slidable in slots in members 400 and 401. The member 400 is fixed and the slot therein is straight while the member 401 pivots about the shaft 372 and has a slot comprising two radial portions connected by a sloping portion, at the centre of which the pin 399 is located when the pawls 376 engage corresponding notches in the two sectors. When there is disagreement, however, the pin 399 will move into one of the radial portions of the slot and will, consequently, move the arm 401 up or down together with a member 421 having a pair of contact fingers which slide over various contact surfaces, to establish circuits as shown in Figs. 17a and 17b. Magnets PRM, SRM, Figs. 5 and 15 which control the distribution of the cards, pull armatures 296 and release pivoted spring-urged members 301 having inclined lugs 301c which flex guide blades 306, 308 and deflect the cards to the reject pockets. Cams 303 restore the members 301 to their initial position and also relieve the pressure on the armatures during energization of the magnets, while cams 305 serve to knock off the armatures. A lever 309 with finger 314 when moved to the position shown dotted, Fig. 15, flexes the guide blade 307 whereby all unrejected secondary cards are deflected to the pocket SP instead of the matching pocket MS. On a shaft 326, Fig. 3b, continuously driven from the mainshaft 136 are a series of commutators C1 to C6. their contact brushes 332 being mounted on a pillar 333. A further series of commutators PC1, PC2, PC3 and SC are mounted on the primary feed shaft 141, and the secondary feed shaft 139, Fig. 4, respectively. A magnet EM, Fig. 17a, controls clutch mechanism, similar to Fig. 7, to drive the shaft 210. Figs. 3b and 5, for ejecting a primary card located between the rolls 206, 207. Operation. Current from a conductor W1, Figs. 17a, 17b, 17c, is controlled by commutators C1, C2 &c. the contact rolls SCR, PCR1, PCR2, after card lever contacts SCL1, PCL1, PCL2, have closed, receiving impulses due to the repeated opening and closing of the contacts SID, PID1 PID2, by the scallopedshaped cams 338. The card readings control through magnets SM, PM &c. the movements of contact members 421 in the main and primary comparing units and, consequently, the energization of relays R2, R3, R4 &c. Depression of the start key closes contacts SK1 and SK2 to energize a relay SKM which prevents the latching of the start key, and to close a circuit for the primary and secondary feed magnets PFM, SFM, magnets PR, SR, 2PR which prevent the zeroizing of the setting in the comparing mechanisms, and the primary card eject magnet EM. The start key can be latched when card contacts PCL, SCL, are opened but will be unlatched and stop the machine when full pocket contacts FPC are closed or when the stop key contacts SPC are closed or the relay R18 energized by a " first primary card high " condition in the primary comparing unit which condition occurs when a primary card is out of its order. Fourteen operations are described and the setting of the switches &c., is tabulated in Figs. 18a, 18b (not shown). In operation No. 4 for merging two sets of similar packs of cards. switches S3, 5, 8, 10, 12, and 17 are closed. In this operation, an " equal " condition in both the main and primary comparing units will cause relays R6, R7 and R8 to be energized whereby contacts R8a will be closed to energize the primary feed magnet PFM. If an " equal " condition in the main unit is accompanied by a " first primary low " condition in the primary unit, relays R11, R12, R13 and R28 will be energized whereby contacts R13a will be closed to cause secondary card feed, contacts R12a will open to prevent primary feed, but the primary card will be ejected by closure of contacts R6a. "Secondary card high" and " secondary card low " conditions in the main comparing unit will give primary and secondary feed, respectively, by means of relays R4 and R 10 while a " first primary card high condition in the primary comparing unit will energize relay R18 to release the start key and will light the error lamp FL. In an operation for extracting certain cards from a stack, commutators PC1, PC2, are utilized, one of the card reading brushes being plugged to the contact PB or PCB. Other operations include the insertion of tab cards into a stack and the comparison of the whole card stream with a setting read from a leading master card.