Patent GB-820710-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in card punches
Filed: 1956-02-03
Abstract: 820,710. Selective punching machines. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION. Feb. 3, 1956 [Feb. 7, 1955], No. 3421/56. Class 31 (2). A statistical card-punching machine comprises means for advancing cards in succession column-by-column through a punch station and then through a read station and means, including an emitter conditioned to transmit an impulse as the first column of a card reaches the read station and two relays which can be impulsed to condition the punch station to punch information, respectively, from a record and from the card at the read station, the arrangement being such that, after an error code has been sensed in the record and punched in the card, the machine is conditioned to advance the error card to the read station and a new card to the punch station and then cause an impulse from the emitter to effect duplication of the correct information from the error card to the new card. As described, the record is a tape in which a typewriter punch of the kind described in Specification 737,751 is used to punch information in coded form at the same time as it is typed on a form; a switch is actuated prior to the start of each line of information to punch an " end of line " code and " programme indication " code in the tape, and at the end of each line a skip key is depressed to punch a skip code in the tape. The operator checks the typed information at the end of each line and on noticing an error retypes and repunches correctly the erroneous line, an error code being automatically punched in the tape. For punching a card with the information shown in successive fields of the tape, the tape is fed column-by-column through a tape reader as described in Specification 690,852 at the same time as the cards are advanced one at a time as described in Specification 684,273 first to position the first column of a card at the punch station and then column-by-column through this station while the card which has just been punched is similarly advanced through the card read station one column in advance of the card at the punch station. The punch shaft 34, Fig. 4, carries mechanical cams for operating the punches and other cams P actuating electrical contacts in the control circuit and is arranged to drive at the same speed a cam-shaft 38 controlling the tape reader. Each revolution of the shaft 34 corresponds to the punching of one card column and the cycle provided by one revolution of the shaft is divisible into two halves, in the first of which the tape is read and card punching occurs and, in the second, escapement mechanism advances the card and the information read from the tape in the first half is stored for punching in the first half of the next cycle. The operation of each punch 70, Fig. 7, by a bail 76 is effected by an arm 72 when the energization of a punch magnet 78 permits a spring 82 to rock an interposer 74 into hooked engagement with the bail. At the time of energizing the magnet, the bail is in its lowered position and not until it returns during the second half-cycle can it be engaged by the interposer for a punching operation when the punch clutch magnet 57, Fig. 5, is energized through one revolution at the start of the next cycle. A machine cycle is started by energizing the magnet through a switch contact 54-1 controlled by an interposer 74 and switch contact 64-1 controlled by a relay 64; rocking of the interposer then transfers the switch 54-1 whereby the escapement magnet 86 is energized through the cam contact P1 (which is closed at the start of the second half-cycle) to advance the card to the next column; the contacts 86-1 of the relay 86 then close to energize a relay 88, the contacts 88-2 of which close to provide a circuit energizing the punch clutch magnet. The relay 64, when energized, closes contacts 64-2 to complete a circuit including a cam contact P7 resulting in the energization of a control magnet 46 which releases a follower 42, Fig. 4, for co-operation with one of the cams 40 on the shaft 38 whereby reading pins in the tape read station sense one column of the tape, after which the tape is advanced one column. Non-punching codes in the tape have no effect on the switch 54-1 and so result in no advance of the card. For punching from a card at the read station into one at the punch station, sensing pins 100, Fig. 7, at the read station are arranged so as to be urged upwardly into sensing position by spring contacts 106 in the second part of each first half of the machine cycle, this action being effected by the removal of a normally-obstructing bail 108 actuated by a cam on the punch shaft 34; the raised contacts 106 engage a common contact 110 to establish a circuit from the active pin 100 to the corresponding punch magnet. In this case, the energization of a duplicate relay 93, Fig. 5, instead of the relay 64 for tape-controlled punching, results in closing a circuit through the switch 54-1, contact 93-2 and cam contact P1 to energize the punch clutch magnet 57 through one revolution; reading, punching and escapement advance of the cards then proceeds, the relay 93 being held energized while punching each card field by impulses from a programme drum (sec Specification 684,273). To provide for control of punching from either the tape or another card, an emitter 95, Fig. 10, is mounted at the end of the programme drum shaft 97, Fig. 4, and moves in unison with a card advancing through the machine so that contacts thereon permit the transfer of an impulse when any particular column of the card is at the read station. Assuming that a card is to be punched in three fields corresponding, respectively, with three typed lines on the original form, when the first column of the card is at the read station an impulse is directed to a transfer switch 103 which is then positioned to provide a circuit for energizing the tape read relay 64 resulting in the closing of the contacts 64-1 and the punching of the first field of the card column-bycolumn from the tape. The relay 64 is energized until a skip code in the tape at the end of the first field acts to energize a relay 107, Fig. 5, and so cuts off the tape reader and advances the first column (i.e. column 20) of the second card field to the punch station. The emitter contact at this column then similarly provides an impulse through a transfer switch 111 to energize the tape read relay 64 for the punching of the second field of the card. A skip code is then again effective to advance the first column of the third card field to the punch station and the emitter contact at the corresponding column (i.e. column 40) at the read station provides a direct circuit for energizing the tape read relay 64 for causing tape-controlled punching of the third field. Assuming that there is no error in the first typed line and therefore no error code punched in this portion of the tape, the sensing of the " end of line " code in the tape just prior to punching the second card field results in an impulse through the emitter contact at column 20 and contacts 116-1 to energize a relay which serves to transfer the position of the switch 103 and is held energized by a circuit including a contact 103-1, Fig. 11, and a programme cam contact 118 adapted to remain closed until the last column (i.e. column 82) of the card has passed through the punch 'station. Similarly, if the second typed line is free of error, the sensing of the " end of line " code at the start of punching the third field results in an impulse through the now-closed contacts 116-2 to energize a relay which transfers the switch 111 and is held energized by a hold circuit including the programme cam contact 118 and contacts 111-1. Now, if the third field of the tape contains an error, the sensing of the error code in this field while the punched information is being transferred to the card results in energizing a relay 120, Fig. 10, which advances the last column (82) of the card to the punch station where the emitter contact transmits an impulse to energize this station through the transferred contact 120-2 of the relay 120 so that the card is punched in a code denoting the error. The error code also energizes a relay 122, Fig. 11, to close contacts 122-1 to provide a parallel hold circuit for the transfer switch relays 103, 111 when the programme cam contact 118 is opened after punching at column 82 so that when the error card in its continued advance reaches the read station the emitter contact at column 1 serves to energize the duplicate relay 93 through the transferred switch 103 with the result that the new card at the punch station is punched in accordance with the sensing of the correct information in the card; an impulse from the emitter contact at column 1 also serves to trip the relay 122 and thus break the parallel hold circuit for the transfer switch relays 103, 111. In column 20 the emitter contact again calls for duplication by energizing the relay 93, this time through the transferred switch 111, and in column 40 the emitter contact transmits an impulse direct to the relay 64 for punching the third field from the tape. At the end of the third card field, the card is released normally to column 82 where, since the relay 120 is not energized, the punch station automatically punches a " correct " code on the card. Specification 684,581, [Group XXVI], also is referred to.