Patent GB-917155-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in record card collators
Filed: 1959-06-26
Abstract: 917,155. Record card machines. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION. June 26, 1959 [June 30, 1958], No. 22082/59. Class 106 (1).  A record card collator has common feeding means for passing both primary and secondary cards past a sensing station, separate feeding means for advancing primary and secondary cards to the common feeding means, means for holding a card stationary in the common feed path, means for feeding a subsequent card past the card so held and comparing means controlled by the holding means for selectively effecting operation of the separate feed means. As shown in Fig. 1, there are hoppers PH and SH for primary and secondary cards, and converging paths defined by feed rollers to the common feed path, also defined by rollers, in which there are two sensing stations 1B and 2B. The data sensed controls the passage of each card to one of five pockets PK1-PK5 by operation of shoot blades 34-37 through magnets S1 &c. In the common feed path a solenoid operated deflector DF can direct the card upwardly to the by-pass station between rollers 27 and 29 or downwardly to the storage position between rollers 28 and 29. The roller 29 is movable on an arm by solenoid ST to engage either roller 27 or 28. These rollers are driven, in opposite directions. Rollers 28, 29 will advance or store a card according as to whether the roller 29 is in engagement with roller 28 or not. Feed magnets control the operation of the primary or secondary card feed. Data sensed from the card at station 1B, Fig. 3, passes to A and B compare units each having means 80-89 and 90-99 to compare the value in a column, ten columns being compared altogether. From station 2B data is sent to the A compare unit and a B store having ten units 70-79 from which data passes to the B compare unit one cycle later. The B compare unit accordingly compares the card at station 1B with the card that was in station 2B in the preceding cycle while the A compare unit compares cards in stations 1B and 2B. These units are connected to an output circuit 110-119 or to a sequence error unit 102 by control unit 100 depending upon whether or not a card is being held in storage. When no card is in storage the A unit is connected to the output circuits 110-119 and the B-unit to the sequence error unit 102. When a card is present in storage these connections are reversed. The comparison signals from circuits 110-119 pass to the card analyser register 84 which determines whether the cards at 1B, 2B, in store or by-passing the store, are primary or secondary cards and the card feeds, the store and the selection control unit 100 are controlled accordingly. The compare unit is therefore controlled by the cards in stations 1B and 2B when there is no card in store but by the card in station 2B and the card in store when there is one.  Comparison.-For each column of the numbers being compared there is a circuit such as that shown at 80 in Fig. 4. The cards are fed highest index position first and the first signal to arrive from station 1B or 2B fires tubes V1 or V2. Which ever fires first energizes a relay R1 or R2 which breaks the connection to the grid of the other and the energized relay therefore indicates that the corresponding card is the higher. If the values are equal both relays are picked. Contacts of the relays R1 and R2 of the A compare unit are interconnected to produce signals on low, equal and high leads 131, 129 and 133, Fig. 5. The contacts of the B compare unit relays R3, R4 are similarly connected to produce low, equal and high signals on leads 135, 136 and 137. When there is a card in the storage position a "sequence control " relay R5 connects the B compare unit leads to " low," " equal " and " high " relays R6, R7, R8. The relay R5 at the same time connects the A compare unit to the sequence error circuit 102. B Storage unit.-The data sensed from cards in station 2B arrives as a differentially timed pulse. This is translated into a 4-bit code by cam contacts and energized combinations of relays R30-R33, Fig. 4. Timed digit pulses are applied to the terminals of a network of contacts of these relays and a timed pulse representing the digit stored is produced and passed to the B compare unit. If the card is in storage the relay R5 provides a hold circuit in parallel with cam contact 16 to hold the data as long as the card remains in store.  Card register.-The type of card, i.e. whether primary or secondary, in each of the positions along the feed path is indicated by relays R9-R14, Fig. 6. When a primary card is fed contacts R16C of the relay controlling the primary feed magnet close to energize relay R9 which indicates that a primary card is in the sensing station 1B. Similarly if the card fed is from the secondary stack, relay R12 is energized. Cam contacts C13, C9, C12, C8 and C11 advance the settings of the relays R9 and R12 as successive cards are fed and relay pairs R9/R12, R10/R13 and R11/R14 therefore indicate the type of card at stations 1B and 2B and at the by-pass stations respectively. By connections from terminals 120 and 122 on relays R10 and R13, relays R19 and R20, Fig. 7, are energized when the storage relay R5 is operated to indicate whether a card in storage is primary or secondary. The store relay R5 is picked when two cards of the same kind are fed in succession. This is achieved in Fig. 7 by a circuit through normally open contacts R9f (for a primary card) and normally closed contacts R15c. When a card is stored the deflector is operated by magnet D to pass the following card through the by-pass station between rollers 27 and 29. A stored card is fed onwards to the sorting blades when the feed is from the same stack as the stored card. This is effected by relay R18. The comparison relays R6, R7 and R8, the card sequence relays R9 and R12 and the store relay R15 together control the operation of a relay R72 (not shown) via terminal 137. This relay and relay R71, Fig. 5, are used to control the energization of shoot selector magnets S1 &c., Fig. 1, which guide the cards to the appropriate pocket. The cards are distributed to the pockets in accordance with the values sensed thereon as represented by the high, low or equal comparisons between successive cards and the card in store. Successive steps in an example merging operation are described in detail.