Patent GB-204677-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to record-card-controlled statistical machines
Filed: 1923-05-18
Abstract: 204,677. British Tabulating Machine Co., Ltd., (Assignees of Carroll, F. M.). Sept. 30, 1922, [Convention date]. Statistical machines are provided with electric controlling means comprising means actuated by the cards to maintain ordinary running conditions when cards are passing and to bring about changed conditions after the last card passes. A card-feed maintaining switch is operated by said changed conditions to maintain the card-feed and to pass the last card through the machine and delay-action means restore the switch to normal position to stop the machine after a pre-determined interval. A suitable stopcard inserted between groups of cards will also bring about momentarily the changed conditions above referred to and will operate a card-feed stopping switch which after a pause is restored to normal condition by the delay-action means, this stopping switch being rendered inoperative when the last card of the last group passes. In Fig. 10 the plug connections for only two columns on the cards are shown, the magnets 102 operating the recording, counting, printing, &c. mechanism. In the present instance these magnets 102 control printing mechanism. When -a perforation in a card passes under a brush a circuit is closed through the brush and its contact block, magnet 102 and a multipoint cam contact device 105 which closes the contact 104 at the instants that each index-point in the column comes under the brush and opens these contacts in between to prevent sparking at the brush. The card also operates card-levers 37a, 38, and 168 controlling normally open contacts 41, 40, 39, and 170 and normally closed contacts 167, 169. Geared to the main drive shaft 43, Figs. 3 and 8, by a wheel 44 is a shaft 45 which may be clutched to a shaft 46 in alignment with it and driving the card-feed devices, the clutch 47 being controlled by a magnet 60, Figs. 3 and 10. By closing the switch 53, Fig. 10, the motor is started and rotates the shaft 45 driving the printing mechanism. The card-feed is not commenced, however, until the shaft 46 is clutched to the shaft 45 and this is next done by depressing the key 55 to close contact 57, 78 and rock the lever 56, which lever, after release of the key, is held depressed by a projection on it locking under a bell-crank 71 so that although contacts 78 re-open contacts 57 are held closed. This depression of the key 55 closes a circuit through contacts 78, main control relay 59 (which attracts its armature and short-circuits the contacts 78 through line 67), clutch magnet 60, and contacts 62, 64. Normally a part 47<a> of the armature of the magnet 60 is caused by a spring 66 to engage the clutch element 47, but on energization of this magnet 60 the part 47a is withdrawn so that a spring 47b causes the element 47 to clutch the shaft 46 to the shaft 45. So long as the magnet 60 is energized, therefore, the cards are fed through the machine, operating the card-levers 37<a>, 38 and 168. The contacts 39 being closed the control of the above circuit including the clutch magnet 60, is taken away from the main relay 59, by the latter being shunted by the contacts 39 and line 68, this reducing the current through the magnet 59 so that its armature falls away. An independent emergency stop-key 70 is provided, which breaks the contact 62 and deenergizes the clutch magnet 60. The closed contacts 57 maintain energized a magnet 77 which effects the paper feed for the printing mechanism and is also employed in operating devices to maintain the card-feed at the end of a run of cards. A shaft 130, Fig. 3, which controls the paperfeed also carries a pawl 133 adapted to co-operate with a ratchet wheel 137 rigid with cams 140, 139, Figs. 3 and 10, controlling contacts 141, 64 maintaining and finally stopping the card-feed respectively. When the last card of the last group has passed the reading position and the card-levers 37<a>, 38, and 168, the contacts 39, 40, 41, and 170 open and the contacts 167, 169 close. A pawl 135, Fig. 3, is pivoted to an extension 135a of the armature of magnet 60 and the opening of contacts 39 de-energizes this magnet 60 (thus temporarily stopping the card-feed) and therefore permits the spring 66 bodily to raise slightly the pawl 135. When cards are passing through the machine a spring 150 prevents a shoulder 136 on the pawl 135 from engaging the ratchet-wheel 137, but means are provided whereby when the last card of the last group passes, this spring is overcome and the pawl 135 in rising engages and turns the ratchet-wheel. These means comprise a magnet 75 in circuit with the contacts 170 and controlling an armature 151 fixed to a bell-crank 153 pivoted at 152 and connected by a link 154 to an arm 155 rigid on a shaft 156 together with an arm 157 having an extension 158 carrying a lug 159 adapted to engage a shoulder 160 on the pawl 135. A spring 161 normally tends to rotate the arms 155, 157 anticlockwise, as shown in Fig. 3, but when the magnet 75 is energized, the armature 151 is attracted and the arm 157 is rotated clockwise so that the lug 159 rises overcoming the spring 150 and causing the shoulder 136 to move into engaging position with the wheel 137. At the time of opening of the contacts 39 and the resultant action on the magnet 60 and the pawl 135, the contacts 170 will not have ppened, so that the magnet 75 remains energized, causing the pawl 135 when raised to engage the wheel 137 and rotate it slightly whereby the highest notch in the wheel 137, which is normally just below the path of the pawl 133, is raised into said path, return movement of this wheel 137 being prevented by a pawl 163. This slight rotation of the ratchet-wheel opens the contacts 64 and closes the contacts 141 to energize the paper-feed magnet 77, the current passing through post 171, contacts 57, and magnet 77. The opening of contacts 64 is counteracted by the contacts 169 which close and shunt the wires 65, 65<a>. This and the closing of contacts 167 re-establish a circuit through magnet 60 by way of contacts 141, post 171, contacts 167, wire 68, contacts 62, wire 63, contacts 169 and to the right side of the line. As soon as the ratchet wheel 137, therefore, is turned one tooth, the magnet 60 is re-energized and the card-feed is resumed. At the same time the resumption of the paper-feed causes the shaft 130 to rock, this reciprocating the pawl 133 and rotating the wheel 137 step by step until, after a certain time, the pawl 163 is tripped and the wheel 137 and cam 139 are restored to initial position by spring means closing contacts 64 and opening contacts 141, this finally stopping the card-feed. When a stop-card between two groups of cards passes the contacts 39, 40, 41, and 170 open momentarily and the contacts 167, 169 close, the magnet 60 is de-energized, the pawl 135 rises and engages the wheel 137 and the latter is turned further by the pawl 133 and a pause obtained as above described. The contacts 167, however, are opened immediately by the same card, the contacts 64 are open, and hence the magnet 60 remains de-energized until the automatic return of the wheel 137 to normal position, whereupon the magnet 60 is re-energized and the machine continues running on the next card group. When the last card of the last group passes, however, the magnet 60, although first momentarily de-energized, is immediately reenergized and retained energized for a predetermined time to carry the last card through the machine to the discharge stack, after which the wheel 137 is restored to normal position and the machine finally stops.