Patent GB-380845-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to record-card-controlled statistical printing machines
Filed: 1931-06-26
Abstract: 380,845. Statisticalapparatus. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd., Victoria House, Vernon Place, Southampton Row, London.-(Assignees of Kirkegaard, E. L. ; 9921, Yosemite Avenue, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.) June 26, 1931, No. 18511. Convention date, June 27, 1930. [Class 106 (i).] Record card controlled machines of the type described in Specification 247,200, [Class 106 (i), Calculating &c.], having two card reading devices, accumulators, and printing mechanism is provided with means whereby two amounts read from a card may be added together, and the amounts and sum printed in a minimum number of cycles by causing the machine to perform a card reading cycle and a total printing cycle alternately. The machine shown is intended for use by utility companies the cards being perforated in sections to represent data pertaining to the consumption of gas and electricity such as present and prior meter readings, consumption during period, and cost. The record cards are run through the machine and blank bills such as post cards with detachable sections as shown in Fig. 1 are fed to the platen of the tabulating mechanism by feeding mechanism similar to that described in Specification 296,731, [Class 106 (i), Calculating &c.]. The sequence of adding and printing operations are accomplished by the circuit arrangements shown in Figs. 5 and 5a. During adding and listing operations the tabulator is driven by the motor TM and during totalling operations by the motor RM. The counters are first cleared by performing a reset cycle by depressing key R. After three reset cycles the bill has been fed to the platen and the record cards are then fed through the machine by depressing the key ST. This circuit includes normally closed relay contacts 53 controlled by a coil 52 in such a manner that the machine performs a card feeding and total printing cycle alternately when the switch contacts 50, 51 are closed. At the end of a total printing cycle the contacts LP7, T4 are closed to energize the coil 55 controlling contacts 56, 57. The contacts 56 establish a holding circuit and the contacts 57 are opened to de-energize the coil 52 which permits the related contacts 53 to close to start a card feeding cycle. During the card feeding cycle the contacts T4 open to de-energize coil 55 and by the closure of contacts 57 the contacts 53 open and a total printing cycle ensues. A coil UCL3 associated with card contacts UCL controls relay contacts 54 to prevent shifting of the contacts 56, 57 when the supply of cards is exhausted. A switch S is provided to shortcircuit the contacts T4 so as to permit the machine to be used for ordinary tabulating and listing purposes. The accumulators 1 .. 5 comprise the usual adding magnets 71 and printing contacts 72 and the printing elements 1a, 2a, 3a, &c. include magnets 70 and triple contacts 76. The lower brushes LB which read the meter readings, consumption, account number, cost and symbol G relating to the " gas " service are connected by plug wires 73 to the printing banks as desired to obtain the duplicate printing of the " gas " data as shown in Fig. 1. Certain of the other lower brushes are connected by plug wires 74 to accumulators 1, and 2 to indicate the data, relating to the " electricity " supply. The contacts 72 are connected by wires 75 to appropriate printing banks, the wires 75 being connected to the magnets 70 by the movement of the contacts 76 under control of magnets 77 energized by cam contacts during the printing cycle. The upper brushes UB that read the " gas " data are connected by wires 78 to triple contacts 82 connecting the brushes to the magnets of accumulator 4 or accumulator 5. The lower brushes that read the " electricity " data are normally connected by wires 79 to triple contacts 82. These contacts are controlled by magnets 83. The accumulators 4, 5 are adapted to be reset and to control total printing in alternate cycles by means of a switching arrangement comprising cam contacts S1, S2 which are operated by a shaft during card feeding cycles at half the speed of the feed shaft. By this means the accumulator 4 is connected to the upper brushes and the accumulator 5 to the lower brushes and the printing bank 6a to the accumulator 4 during one total printing cycle and one card cycle. During the next cycle the accumulators and printing bank are reversed. The accumulators 1, 2 are reset during every total printing cycle but the accumulators 4, 5 are reset alternately under the control of the reset magnets 80, 81 and associated cam contact S1. When the first card of a batch passes the upper brushes the " gas " data is read and entered in accumulator 4. During this cycle the contacts S2 close and the contacts 82 are shifted. In the next cycle the " electricity " data is read in the lower brushes from the first card and entered in the accumulator 4 while the " gas " data on the second card is being read by the upper brushes and entered in accumulator 5. Also in this cycle the data relating to " gas " is being read by the lower brushes and printed and the " electricity " data is being entered in accumulators 1, 2. At the end of this cycle the contacts S2 open and a total printing cycle follows in which the accumulator 4, i.e. the total for the first card is printed by the bank 6a through the contacts 72 associated with accumulator 4 and the " electricity " data entered in accumulators 1, 2 is printed. The accumulator 4 is thereupon reset ready to receive the " gas " data on the next card while the accumulator 5 is receiving the " electrical " data.