Patent GB-380162-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to analysing mechanism for statistical cards
Filed: 1931-06-19
Abstract: 380,162. Statistical machines. THOMAS, A., 11, Sandy Lane South, Wallington, Surrey. June 19, 1931, No. 17870. [Class 106 (i).] Counting number of cards ; sorting cards.- Analysing mechanism, for machines which sort and/or count items recorded on statistical cards, of the kind in which stationary cards are read by a pin box, includes in combination one or more columns of pins, means for operatively connecting each pin to one of a number of units counters and/or the control mechanism of a sorting box, and one or more control sensing pins in each column so that when an ordinary pin senses a hole one units counter or sorting box is selected, but if a control pin also senses a hole then a different units counter or sorting box is selected. The invention is described as applied to the machines of Specifications 328,294, [Class 106 (i), Calculating &c.], and 360,911 for counting statistical cards. If there is a hole in a column (say at the No. 5 position) then one is added to the No. 5 counter. If there is also a hole at the No. 11 position, one is added to the No. 15 counter ; and if there is a hole at No. 5 and one at No. 12 positions, then one is added to No. 25 counter. Thus a card column may control a number of counters (or receptacles) greater than the number of hole positions in the column. Each pin 2 reading the 0 .. 9 hole positions has shoulders 9, 10 and a cross-bar 8 with three pins 18, 19, 20 which coact with hooks 21, 22, 23 pivoted to plungers 24, 25, 26 having lugs 28, 29, 30 which engage nipples 31, 32, 33 on cables 34, 35, 36. Each cable is attached to a counting unit having obstructor mechanism such as described in Specifications 328,294 (24, Fig. 3A) and 360,923 (36, Fig. 5), or it may be connected to the controlling plunger of a sorting box. E.g., for the No. 5 pin of a column, the cables 34, 36, 35 would lead to the Nos. 5, 15, 25 counters respectively. The card column also has two controlling pins 3, 4 reading the Nos. 11 and 12 hole politions. According to whether one or other or neither of pins 3, 4 reads a hole, the hooks 21, 22, 23 are adjusted so that only one hook meets its pin 18, 19, 20, thus connecting the pin 2 to the correct counter. A shutter 11 for each column of pins is pivoted at 15 to the pin box frame 1 and has parts 14, 16 coacting with the shoulders 9, 10. When the pin box descends, the shoulders 9 of pins 2 which do not read holes rock the shutter 11 counterclockwise so that the part 16 locks over the shoulders 10 of pins which penetrate card holes. On further downward movement of the pin box the shutter drives the locked pins downwards. No. 11 pin 3 has a cam face coacting with a pin 43 on a slide 37 having a finger 42, a fork 41 and slots 39. The No. 12 pin 4 similarly coacts with a slide 57 having finger 62, fork 61, and slots 59. The slots 39, 59 support the slides on guide rods 38 rigid with the pin box. All the hooks 21 of one column of pins lie beween a rod 45 and bar 54 carried by spring-biased bails 48. Hooks 22 are similarly controlled by rod 46 and bar 55 on bails 49, and hooks 23 are controlled by rod 47 and bar 56 on bails 50. Hooks 22, 23 normally lie under their pins 19, 20, but hooks 21 are not vertically under pins 18. Rod 45 is controlled by fingers 42, 62, rod 46 by fork 61 and rod 47 by rod 41. If a hole, say No. 5, is read, then pins 3, 4 are held up by the card material when the pin box is lowered and force slides 37, 57 to the right. Forks 41, 61 move bails 49, 50 to the right so that hooks 22, 23 are removed from beneath pins 19, 20. At the same time both fingers 42, 62 allow bails 48 to be spring-urged to the right so that hooks 21 lie under pins 18. Hence the No. 5 pin reading a card hole adds one to the No. 5 counter through cable 34. If a card column has holes at the Nos. 5 and 11 positions then pin 3 sinks with the pin box and slide 37 remains to the left whilst slide 57 moves to the right. This results in only the hooks 23 being left beneath their pins 20, so that the No. 5 pin 2 is connected by its cable 36 to the No. 15 counter. Similarly, if the holes are at Nos. 5 and 12 positions, only the hooks 22 remain under their pins 19. Instead of ten normal pins 2 and two controlling pins 3, 4, the proportion may vary, e.g. eight normal pins and four controlling pins with five rows of hooks 21 &c. would enable one column of pins to control 39 counters. The invention may be used for sorting cards which are punched alphabetically.