Patent GB-621697-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to machines for punching data in record cards
Filed: 1946-08-30
Abstract: 621,697. Punching statistical cards. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd. Aug. 30, 1946, No. 26148. Convention date, Sept. 5, 1945. [Class 31 (ii)] In a statistical-card punching machine of the type having a device for storing data entered therein from a keyboard, the card being punched either according to such stored data or according to common data derived from a master card, a control means is provided, e.g. a perforated control card, and sensing means therefor, the control means determining whether stored data or common data derived from the master card is to be punched. The master card and control card are sensed synchronously column by column, but punching may be delayed until data has been entered in a predetermined number of columns of the storage device, whereby an opportunity is given to correct any error detected during the entering of such data by cancelling the data and reentering it in the storage device. Manuallyoperated keys are provided whereby settings may be made in the storage device which cause certain control indications on the control card to be over-ridden. Fig. 28 shows a specimen control card D and master card M, Fig. 29, lower half, shows the corresponding entries on the storage device and the upper half shows the resulting punched card C, the machine being adjusted so that in the card C fields a, b, f and are punched by the usual alphabetical and numerical keyboards, fields d, g and hare punched according to common data on the master card M, fields c and i are skipped and the usual indication of a skipped field is made by punching a hole in the 11 position of the first column in each field, and field e is skipped without entry therein of the usual indication. As shown in Fig. 6, the card feeding mechanism, escapement, punching and ejection of the punched card are all substantially as in Specification 571,492, modifications being firstly the provision (top centre) of a holder for the control card D, which is stationary, and sensing means therefor comprising a finger 194 which is attached to the escapement rack 15 which moves the master card M, whereby the control card is sensed column by column, and secondly the addition of certain switches to the alphabetical keyboard. Storage device.-Figs. 1 and 1a together show the storage device in elevation and Fig. 2 in end elevation. The device is driven by the continuously-running motor M1, belt 200 and gears 205, 206, the latter being freely mounted on its shaft 207 and permanently in mesh with freely mounted gear 208 on shaft 209. Shafts 209 and 207 are the read-in and read-out shafts respectively, and each is coupled to its respective driving gear-wheel 208, 206 by electrically actuated half-revolution clutches 234 and 214 whereby upon energization of the appropriate clutch solenoid the read-in or read-out shafts are advanced half a revolution. Read-in operation. In the case of the readin shaft 209, this half-revolution movement causes the storage drum 240, Fig. 1, to advance one step, i.e. one eighty-fourth of a revolution by means of two rollers 236, Fig. 5. on the end of the shaft 209 engaging the toothed wheel 238 fast with the storage drum spindle 239. The storage drum comprises 18 insulated sections each with its own setting magnet, and each section comprising 84 pairs of insulated contact blades 244, 245. An entry may be made in any number of sections of the drum in any one column simultaneously, by energization of the appropriate setting magnets 248, Fig. 7. This lowers the corresponding fingers 246 (see also Fig. 10) which shows three such fingers, the right-hand one being shown in dotted lines in its lowered position. The read-in clutch solenoid 234 is then energized to rotate the shaft 209 half a revolution and the storage drum one step and at the same time the box cam 260 on the shaft 209, Figs. 1a and 5, rocks the bell-crank lever 258 to displace the plate 253, Fig. 10, through which all the fingers 246 pass, longitudinally to the right; simultaneously the plate 253 is displaced laterally by cam 266, lever 265, shaft 263 and arms 262 to cause the fingers 246 to move sideways to follow the contacts 244, 245 as the drum advances one step. These displacements of plate 253 cause any of the 18 fingers 246 which have been lowered to set their contacts 244, 245 as shown in Fig. 12, subsequent withdrawal of the finger leaving the contacts hooked together. Thus, step by step contacts may be set up on the drum corresponding to 84 card columns, as shown in Fig. 29. The contact blades on the drum are read out as described below, but remain set until they reach the top position again after one revolution, and are automatically released upon the next displacement to the right of plate 253 and any fingers 246 which have not been lowered. Read-out operation. The read-out brushes 273, Fig. 7, are fast with an inner shaft 270 which is driven by the planet carrier 274, Fig. 1a, of a differential gear. The bevel gear 276 is driven from the 84-tooth wheel 238 by gearing 282, 281, 280 so that as the storage drum rotates step-by-step the brushes 273 rotate in synchronism. When read-out operations are to commence, the read-out clutch solenoid 214 is energized to rotate shaft 218 half a revolution and gears 278, 277 by one forty-second of a revolution, which through the differential rotates planet carrier 274, shaft 270 and read-out brushes 273 backwards one step to complete circuits to the appropriate magnets to move interposers to initiate the punching operation in known manner. Switch means are provided to defer energization of the clutch solenoid 214 of the read-out mechanism until 10, 20 or 30 columns have been set up on the storage drum so that the brushes 273 will have advanced 10, 20 or 30 steps with the drum before beginning to move back to read-out; if during such setting up an error is detected, operation of further switches cause the read-out brushes 273 to traverse the positions so set up without completing the circuits to the punching mechanism, whereupon the data is again set up, and the erroneous set-up will eventually reach the home position at the top and the pairs of contacts be released without having been read-out. Control card sensing mechanism.-The control card D is inserted vertically in a holder shown in plan in Fig. 21 and front sectional elevation in Fig. 22. After insertion the lever 183 is swung over which rotates face cam 179 which through rollers 178 presses plate 175 against the control card D, whereby the fingers 189 of a number of horizontal and insulated metal strips 188 pass through any perforations and contact vertical metal strips 185, mounted in insulating material 184, each provided with a terminal 186 mounted in an insulating bush 187. To ensure good contact between the fingers 189 and the metal strips 185, the face cam 179 has a peripheral projection so placed that at the end of the cam movement the projection displaces roller 191, plate 175 and fingers 189 sideways slightly. A series of fingers 194 are traversed step-by-step past the terminals 186, which are suitably staggered, so 'as to sense the control card column by column, the fingers 194 being attached to the escapement carriage 15. A perforation in control card D in the alphabetic field position completes circuits which delay punching in the alphabetic field a of card C until 20 or 30 entries have been made on the storage drum, and a perforation in the O position delays punching until 10 columns have been set up. A perforation in the 1, 2 or 3 position causes the card C to be punched in the minor, intermediate or major fields f, g, h respectively according to data in the corresponding fields of master card M. A perforation in the 4 position ensures that the next following field in the master card M controls punching and if such field is blank, automatic skipping of the field in card C ensues. A 7 perforation in card D interrupts automatic skipping when the card column corresponding thereto reaches the punching position, automatic skipping being initiated by closure of the position 14 contacts on the storage drum. An 8 perforation in card D effects release of the card carriage to initiate ejection of the punched card, return of the card carriage and feed of a new card all in known manner.