Patent GB-371849-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to tabulating machines
Filed: 1930-10-23
Abstract: 371,849. Statistical - apparatus. THOMAS, A., 103, Headcorn Road, Thornton Heath, and BLAMEY, R. C. E., 39, Grange Road, Purley Oaks, both in Surrey. Oct. 23, 1930, No. 31930. [Class 106 (i).] A record-card controlled machine of the kind having a set of mechanical sensing elements and a designation change sensing mechanism as described in Specification 271,935, [Class 106 (i), Calculating &c.], and provided with a number of adding and printing units comprises means for detecting a change in designation in two or more zones of the card, which changes may occur simultaneously or separately, and means whereby such changes are transmitted to different controlling mechanisms for causing the operation automatically of different total-taking mechanisms of the machine, settable means being provided for determining the sequence of such operations. In the form shown the mechanism is used to control the total-taking mechanisms in such a manner that a number of totals of different order e.g. sub-group totals, totals, and grand totals may be obtained under the control of perforations in different card zones. Designation analysing mechanism. The pin box comprises endplates 1, Fig. 1, connected through a bar 2 to outer plates 3, 4, Fig. 2, the bar 2 having ends shaped to engage guide-rods 6, 8. The plates 1 are joined by horizontal plates 9 .. 13 perforated to receive sensing pins composed of three parts 14, 15, 16 controlled by springs 18. The plate 12 constitutes a resetting plate for the parts 15 and is provided with lugs adapted to be engaged by hooks 19 on lifting plates 20 spaced by a bar 20a and having lugs 21 engaging projections 24 on arms 23 operatively connected through a bar 25, link 106, to a lever 104 co-operating with a cam 102, Fig. 5, on a total-taking shaft 63. There are ten rows of twelve sensing pins and alternating with each row is a set of retaining elements 26 resting on the plate 12 and having sensing and looking projections 27, 28, arranged in relation to testing bars 30 and locking bars 29. The locking bars 29 have L-shaped lugs 31 which co-operate with the projections 28 and are connected together by rods 32 provided with bell cranks 33 pivoted to the plates 1 and engaged by cross members 35, 36 on the lifting plates 20. Each testing bar 30 is provided with a number of vertical slots 37 which co-operate with the projections 27 and each bar is adapted to slide upon guides 38 under the control of a spring 81, bars 82, 82a connected by bell cranks 83, 84 on endplates 43, 44, Fig. 2. The guides 6, 8 of the pin box are secured to the endplates 43, 44 which receive a reciprocating movement by means of connecting-rods 45 mounted on eccentrics 46 secured to a shaft 47. A stirrup member 88, Figs. 2 and 3, pivoted to the plate 44 and bearing against the bell crank 84 carries at its lower end a roller 89 which rides against a cam surface 90 in a slotted plate 92 and cooperates with a latch 93 which serves to hold the bars 82, 82a open during the reciprocation of the pin box until near the end of the downward movement when the latch engages a stud 95 and frees the roller 89 to permit the bars 82, 82a to close and to return suddenly the testing bars 30. The sensing and locking action on the pins is effected during a total-taking operation when a change of designation occurs. When the totaltaking shaft 63 is operated the plates 20 are raised to move the locking bars 29 to unlock the retaining elements 26 and the resetting plate 12 raises all the pins 15 and the element 26. The springs 81 cause the testing bars 30 to move to the right, Fig. 1, to bring the projections 27 into the recesses 42 of the pins 15. On descent of the pin box only those pins 15 and elements which sense holes in the card will be lowered and the locking bars 29 are returned to lock the pins in their respective positions. During the second cycle in total-taking the testing bars 30 are returned by the bars 82, 82a and the projections 27 are freed from the notches in the pins 15 the setting being retained by the elements 26. Controlling mechanism. Each testing bar 30 has a pin 39 engaging an arm 40 of a bell crank on a shaft 41 the other arm of which has a pin 40b normally disposed beneath a corresponding lever 107 having teeth engaging pins on an adjustable wheel 110 and a projection 114 settable by manipulation of the wheel to cooperate with one or other of three bars 115, 116, 117. These bars are mounted on bell cranks 118, 119, 120 and 121, 122, 123 on the endplates 43, 44, the other arms of the cranks being connected by bars 124, 125, 126 forming a parallel link motion. The bars 115, 116, 117 are normally retained in their lowest position by springs but as the machine is stopped with the pin box raised a cam 130 on the frame cooperating with a bell crank 131 is provided to raise the bars to permit the wheel 110 to set the projection 114 without interference by the bars. The bar 115 is provided for the purpose of controlling sub-group totals, the bar 116 for first totals and sub-group totals, and the bar 117 for grand totals, first totals and sub-group totals. The bell cranks 118, 119, 120 and 121, 122, 123 are provided with depending extensions 118a, 119a, 120a and 121a, 122a, 123a which effect the control of the several totaltaking mechanisms. Operating mechanism. The shaft 47 carrying the eccentrics is driven by a pinion 48, Fig. 6, having a one-way connection with the shaft through a spring-controlled quadrant 49 oscillated by the engagement of an extension 51 with an arm 53 on a shaft 54 continuously rotated by gearing from the main drive shaft 155, Fig. 5. The shaft 54 is geared by a 1 : 2 gearing 64, 65 to the total-taking shaft 63 ; the pinion 65 has two teeth missing to interrupt the drive which can again be initiated by fingers 66 on the pinion engaging a projection 67 on a lever 68 pivoted to a cam 70 on the shaft 54. The lever 68 carries a roller 80 adapted to co-operate with a projection 79 on a slotted arm 76 having a roller 78 engaging the cam 70 and connected by a pin 74 to a lever 73 pivoted at its upper end to a notched lever 136, Figs. 4 and 5. When the roller 78 is moved into the recess in the cam 70 the projection 79 makes contact with the roller 80 to displace the projection 67 out of the path of the fingers 66 to prevent rotation of the shaft 63. Total-taking mechanism. On the shaft 63 is mounted a cam 96 which co-operates with a rocker arm 98 provided with a shaped projection to engage a pin on the setting lever 97. The lever 97 is adapted to be reciprocated by a bell crank 297 actuated by a cam 397 on the main shaft 155. The lever 97 carries a short lever 497 with a lug 497a adapted to engage a lug 597a on.a bell crank 697 when the arm 98 is rocked by the cam 96. The rocking of the bell crank 697 through an arm 797 and link 897 rocks the total shaft 971 which is held in its rocked position by a latch 697d engaging a lug 697c on an arm of the bell crank. The total shaft 971 is operatively connected to mechanism, similar to that described in Specification 319,086, [Class 106 (i), Calculating &c.], for removing " O " shutters from engaging with the actuating sectors of the tabulating mechanism. When the machine is set for taking sub-group totals and an operation is started the control bars 116, 117 will be moved to their lowermost positions by the removal of the bell crank 131 thereby displacing their extensions out of engagement with the notches of the lever 136. So long as the designation remains the same the testing bars 30 will be reciprocated and the bell cranks 40 rocked so that the control bar 115 will push down a lever 107 and displace its extension 121a to permit a movement of the lever 136. On a change of designation occurring movement of one or more of the testing bars will be arrested and the bell crank 40 will hold up a lever 107 so as to maintain the extension of the bar 115 in engagement with its notch in the lever 136 thus preventing its movement. Movement of the lever 136 allows the levers 73, 76 to turn on their pivots placing the roller 78 into contact with the cam 70 so that when it falls into the recess therein the projection 79 on the lever 76 displaces the end 67 of the lever 68 to prevent its engagement with the finger 66 thereby maintaining the totaltaking shaft 63 inoperative. Since the lever 136 is held on a change occurring the levers 73, 76 are not rocked sufficiently to put the roller 78 into the recess of the cam 70 nor the projection 79 into the path of movement of the roller 80. The end 67 is thereupon effective to engage the fingers 66 and start the operation of the total-taking shaft 63. When the machine is set for totals the corresponding lever 107 is set with its projection 114 underlying the bar 116. On a change occurring in this position the extension 122a is operative to arrest the lever 136 and to start the operation of the shaft 63 to effect the taking of a sub-group total as above described. At the same time, the extension 119a of the bell crank 119 will be in a position to co-operate with a lever 140 pivoted at 141 to a link 142 slotted at its upper end to engage a pin on the plate 44 and pivoted at its lower end to an arm 146 loose on a shaft 147. The free end of the arm 146 is attached to an eccentric rod 152 driven by an eccentric 153 on a shaft 154 rotated once for each cycle of the main shaft 155. By this means the link 142 is reciprocated and the lever 140 will be rocked about its point of attachment to a link 149 which at its lower end is connected to a spring- controlled yoke 151. As the extension 119a is however arranged to lie over the end of the lever 140 the movement of the link 142 will cause the lever 140 to turn about its pivot 141 and thus raise the link 149 and yoke 151. The movement of the yoke 151, through a link 160, is imparted to a hook lever 158 on a short shaft 157. Adjacent the lever 158 is a toothed disc 161 provided with