Patent GB-508954-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in machines for operating upon statistical cards
Filed: 1938-01-05
Abstract: 508,954. Statistical machines ; punching- machines. THOMAS, A., and HOLDEN, N. G. Jan. 5, 1938, Nos. 354 and 15074. [Class 106 (i)] [Also in Group VIII] A machine controlled by, or for punching, statistical record cards has card feed rolls normally operative to feed a card at each operation, two card stops one in front of the other, means which normally move both stops into and out of the card path at each machine operation, and control mechanism which, when actuated, retains the rear stop in the card path during the next succeeding machine operation, prevents the front stop from moving into the card path during the said next succeeding operation, and also prevents a new card being fed during said operation. The punching machine includes means for selecting desired punches and means which actuate all the selected punches simultaneously and which eject the punched card. The invention is illustrated in (1) a Powers type tabulator with grouped-card control involving separate designation and item reading pin boxes as in Specification 271,935, [Class 106 (i)], the item reading pin box being constructed as in Speci-- fication 401,012, and with total-taking mechanism as set out in Specification 371,849, and (2) a keyboard punching machine of the type set out in Specification 328,255, [Class 31 (ii)], in which punches are selected by depressing selected keys and then punching is effected by depressing an operating key, this causing the die plates holding the card to be lifted. (1) The cards are fed from magazine 2 to the designation pin-box 6 by a picker 1 actuated from a shaft 12, Fig. 1, a quadrant 16 driving this shaft 12 through a pinion 15 which is connected to shaft 12 so as to drive it in one direction only, as set out in Specification 271,935. The feed rolls 4 and 29a rotate continuously. To permit two sensings in the item pin box 29, there are two card stops 30, 31, Figs. 1 and 3 carried on posts 33, 34. Pivoted at 40 to a bracket 39 on post 33 is a triangular plate 41 having a roller 42 which coacts with a cam 43 on a shaft 44. This shaft is driven at half speed from the main shaft 24, Fig. 1, so that for each rotation of this shaft 44, the pin box 29, and the adding and printing mechanism operate twice. Since 43 is a double cam the front stop 30 is raised for each rise of the pinbox, and, through its abutment 47 underlying a lug 46 on the rear stop post 34, carries the rear stop 31 up with it. The stops are, however, lowered independently by springs 48, 49. Normally the quadrant 16 feeds a card into designation pin box 6 at each reciprocation of item pin box 29. A doubly punched card has holes in the normal twelve hole positions and further holes in positions between the normal positions so that the capacity of the card is doubled. Such a card has also a special control hole which is sensed by a pin 52, Fig. 2, in the item pin box 29. When pin 52 passes downwards through a control hole it depresses a pin 53 to move a slide 55 to the right, Fig. 2, against a spring 53a so that an arm 57, pivoted at 56 to the slide, obstructs a testing lever 64. The latter is pivoted at 62c to a bell crank 62, 62a operated from the main shaft 24, and has pivoted to its lower end at 65 a link 66 which is connected through bell crank 67, 71, pin 72, and arm 69, Figs. 1 and 9, to a vertical link 173. At each machine cycle, if testing lever 64 is free, bell crank 62, 62a is rocked and lever 64 rocks counter-clockwise, Fig. 2, about its pivot 65 since link 66 is held stationary by a spring controlling the link 173. When a control hole is sensed and arm 57 obstructs the lever 64, the latter is rocked clockwise, Fig. 2, about its pivot 62c by bell crank 62, 62a and pulls link 66 to the left so that the link 173 is raised. The rising of link 173, if there is simultaneously a change in the card group designation, delays total-taking for one cycle as set out below. Pivoted at 75 to link 66 is a link 76 connected by linkage to a bar 80 so that when a special hole is read and the link 66 moves left, Fig. 2, rod 80 is depressed and lowers an arm 84 against spring action so that a shoulder 88 on the arm is in the path of a pin 89 on an arm 90 secured to shaft 82. A cam 83 on the main shaft actuates lever 85 and arm 84 to rock the two stage shaft 82. The latter is connected by linkage 92, 97, Fig. 3, to the triangular plate 41 pivoted to the front stop part 33 whereby when. rod 80, Fig. 2, is depressed and cam 83 rocks the shaft 82 clockwise, Fig. 2 (counter clockwise, Fig. 3) the roller 42 on plate 41 is removed from cam 43 and the front stop 30 is lowered by its spring. Arm 92 is held by a latch, the card moves up to the rear stop 31 and the latter is held up, since, when plate 41 is rocked a pin 98 on a lever 99 follows it up and a shoulder of the lever 99 latches under a lug 100 rigid with the rear stop post 34. The card feed quadrant 16 is also arrested by a lug 103 on an obstructor arm 102 which is rocked by the shaft 82 through a link 104 so that a new card is not fed to designation pin box 6. The arrested quadrant also immobilizes the pin box 6 with its card stop raised, so that the card in box 6 cannot pass into the designation pin box 29. The card still in box 29 is then read a second time. At this time a change in designation may also be detected and to delay the total-taking for one cycle the following means are used. In reading the control hole present in doubly-punched cards, the pin 52, Fig. 2, caused the link 173 to rise as set out above. The total-taking mechanism is of the kind set out in Specification 371,849 and includes three pairs of parallel bars 115, 124 ; 116, 125; 117, 126, Fig. 9, which coact, for various sub-totals and totals, with levers 140, 175 and with a toothed bar 136, Fig. 1, and a total-testing lever 73. When the special hole causes link 173 to rise, Fig. 9, it rocks a bell crank 159 so that pin 158 moves the entire assembly of parallel bars to the right, removing them from coaction with parts 140, 175, 136, 73, so that all total-taking is prevented. To render the mechanism according to the invention inoperative there is a manually operative device in which a plate 172, Fig. 2, with a slot 174 is slidable on pins 176 by means of link 177, Fig. 9, and knob 180. When the link is pulled to the right and latched by means of parts 181 and 179, a cam edge 183 on plate 172 holds the lever 57 clear of testing lever 64 so that the latter cannot be obstructed to cause double sensing, as described above, of the card in pin box 29. (2) Selected punching mechanism. The cards are fed from magazine 237 by a picker 205 and continuously rotating feed rolls 203,204 to the stops 213, 212. After the punches have been set from the keyboard, a cam 191 on shaft 190 actuates a pair of levers 195 (one shown) to raise and lower the die plates 201, 202 holding the card, to effect punching. Secured to a shaft 198, supported by the arms 195, are an arm 208 controlled by cam 210 and an arm 207 which is pulled down by a spring 211 and, after passing through a slot 220 in the rear card stop 212, is attached to the latter by a spring 221. The front card stop 213 is in two parts, Fig. 13, each having a pin 216 which projects through a slot 217 in the rear stop and is attached to the latter by a spring 218. To punch one set of data in the normal twelve hole positions and a further set between these normal positions, the following means are used. Two fingers 223 (one shown) overlying the pins 216 are secured to a shaft 222 which also carries an arm 224 coacting with a slide 225 ; the latter is formed with a lug 226 adapted to underlie the rear stop 212 to prevent it returning downwards. When a card enters the die plates the arm 207 raises both card stops and the first punching is effected. The shaft 222 is then rocked to depress the pins 216 and the front card stop 213 and to move lug 226 to the left to hold up the rear stop 212. The card is moved up to this rear stop and the second punching is effected. When shaft 222 is rocked back, a spring 227 returns the slide 225 to the right. To rock the shaft 222, an arm on it is pivoted to the right-hand end, Fig. 16, of a slide 232 to which is pivoted at 234 a plate 235 with a roller 236. For single punching the plate is in the position shown, whereby the roller does not coact with a cam 228 on a shaft 229 which is driven at half-speed from the main shaft 190, Fig. 11. Card stops 213, 212 then rise and fall together. For doublepunching the plate 235 is rocked counter-clockwise by arm 250 so that cam 228 actuates slide 232 to rock shaft 222 and operate parts 216, 226. The arm 206 of the picket 205 is oscillated by a slide 240, Fig. 16, having a roller 247 coacting with a single cam 242 on the half-speed shaft 229. A double cam 243 on (this shaft coacts with a roller 246 on a plate 245 (shown partly broken away) pivoted at 244 to the slide 240. As shown for single punching, roller 246 coacts with its cam 243, and the slide 240 and picket 205 are actuated twice for each rotation of the half-speed shaft 229, i.e. once for each revolution of the main shaft 190. For double-punching the plate 245 is rocked counter-clockwise by arm 251 so that roller 246 is away from cam 243 and the slide 240 is moved once for each two rotations of the main shaft by the cam 242 and roller 247. To set the machine for double-punching the arms 250 and 251 are rocked counterclockwise together by linkage connected to a manual key 256, Fig. 15 (not shown). The punching mechanism may be arranged to punch cards according to one or other of the usual codes to represent the alphabet. The second Provisional Specification refers to Specification 473,757.