Patent GB-197471-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to statistical tabulating machines
Filed: 1922-03-14
Abstract: 197,471. British Tabulating Machine Co., Ltd., (Tabulating Machine Co.). March 14, 1922. Statistical machines.-In a statistical tabulating machine of the Hollerith type wherein group index columns on the cards control the running of the machine, means are employed for varying at will which of the group-designating columns on the cards shall be operative for stopping the machine when the end of each group of cards has been reached. Moreover, any of these columns may also control the operation of an item counter, the automatic control by the group perforations may be cut out and the group indicator function as an ordinary counter, the machine cannot re-start until the counters have been re-set and then it may start again automatically and a commutator device operating in conjunction with the brushes is employed to control the stopping of the machine. The cards descend successively between pairs of rollers 12, 13, 14 driven by a motor 18 through clutch 16 and shaft 15 and are engaged by upper and lower brush contacts 47, 44 contrcllling the group indicator B and by item brushes 41 controlling the usual counter or counters A. The co-operating contact blocks 43, 45 facing the brushes 41, 44 are connected to points by which they may be put in electrical connection with plug points 61 connected by leads 55, 59 with the counter and indicator magnets 32 controlling the actuation of the numeral wheels by means of clutches 31 on shafts 25 driven from shaft 15 through shaft 19. A slide-box 60 contains pairs of contacts in series with switches 65 and through leads 59, 116 respectively with control magnets 58, 57 and actuating magnets and with a commutator device 118 driven synchronously with the shaft 19. By vertically shifting the slide-box 60, the particular group designating columns on the, cards which are to control the machine and the indicator B may be selected and by operation of switches 65 any of the columns in electrical connection with the slide-box may be cut-out. The upper and lower brushes 47, 44 are so spaced that they contact simultaneously with identical index points on two successive cards. Hence if these cards are members of the same group, current would pass simultaneously through the points- 63, 64 of the columns concerned and so to the lines 116, 59. The commutator 118 however is. so set with reference to the movements of the cards that circuit 116, 117 is normally made slightly after the circuit through 59 so that energization of magnet 58 by the latter attractsits armature and so breaks the circuit 116, 117 before current can flow therein. Should the cards be members of different groups, however, current will flow through line 117 and the commutator to magnet 94 which then causes stoppage cf the machine. A supplementary brush contact. 52 prevents actuation of indicator Band counter A, when no card is passing, by allowing current to flow through wires 78, 79 to magnet 80 and so break the counter and indicator control magnet circuits. The machine is put into operative condition by means of switch 70 which connects points C and D with the supply and energizes a circuit comprising lead 107, the armature of magnet 105 and magnet 108. The latter magnet consequently closes a circuit containing magnets 110, 112 of which magnet 112 effects the completion at 114 of the control circuits for the group indicator B. Magnet 110 is now maintained active not only by magnet 108 but also through its own armature which, however, as referred to later, is subject to a mechanical control by a cam 109 driven from shaft 19. To start the machine, a key 71 is depressed completing circuit through armature 73, magnet 74, clutch magnet 17 and motor 18. The shaft 20 being now rotated closes contacts at 76 and so energizes the brush circuits through leads 77<a>. At the beginning of the card cycle, the closure of contacts 76 also energizes a circuit through wire 82, armature of magnet 83 and magnet 85, the last-named in turn closing circuit through its own armature, magnets 88, 89, armature 91, magnet 92 and armature 93. Magnet 85 will be de-energized once per cycle but the armature of magnet 88 maintains a holding circuit through magnets 88, 89 until the card group changes. In order to use the group indicator B as such, switch 99 is moved to the right as shown in Fig. 2, thus completing circuit through cam contacts 101, magnet 103, armature of magnet 92 and magnet 105. Magnet 103 then completes a holding circuit around magnet 92 and magnet 105 de-energizes magnet 108, the armature of which ruptures one of the two holding circuits for magnets 110, 112. The second of these circuits is broken by the cam 109 already referred to, when the first card of the group has passed the brushes so that while the remaining cards of the group are passing, the indicator B is cut of action. The breaking of the indicator circuit at 114, however, completes an alternative circuit through wire 115 from the lower contacts of the magnets 57 connected with the group detecting brushes, to allow currents to pass for actuating the counter A. As stated above, the passage of current from the upper brushes through leads 116, 117 and the commutator is required to effect the stopping of the machine since such flow of current implies the arrival of the first card of a new group. This result is obtained as follows. Magnet 94 energized by this current and attracting its armature 93 breaks circuit to magnets 92, 89 and 88. The armatures of the two latter thereupon break the circuit through lead 96 to the motor 18 which however continues to run as its energization is maintained by a circuit containing cam contacts 121, the armature of a magnet 74 and wire 75 until just before the D position is reached when contacts 121 separate and break the motor circuit last mentioned. The flow of current through lead 117 and the commutator passes through holding magnet 120, magnets 83 and 133 and cam contacts 101 controlled by the counter-resetting shaft 34. Magnet 83 breaks circuit magnet 85, which results in cutting out the motor control magnets 88, 89. Moreover the magnet 123 ruptures the circuit to the starting key 71 so that the machine cannot be re-started until the re-setting shaft has been rotated, this causing the circuit to be broken at the contacts 101. The re-setting is initiated by the depression of key 124 which completes a circuit through a magnet 126 and the re-setting motor 33. The magnet 126 closes a circuit around the re-setting key and this circuit is subsequently taken over by cam contacts 125 which short-circuit the magnet 126 and at the end of the re-setting cycle break the motor circuit. The cam contacts 101 interrupt the circuit to magnets 123, 83 once in the re-setting cycle and then close again. This interruption de-energizes these magnets and allows the tabulating operation to recommence upon depression of the starting-key 71. Magnets 103, 105 are also de-energized by the opening of the cam contacts 101 and this permits the circuit to the group indicator B to be re-established through magnets 110, 112 as previously described, in readiness for dealing with a new group. When the last card passes out of the machine the the closure of circuit through wire 78 by the supplementary brush 52 energizes magnet 90 and breaks the motor circuit through magnet 89, the motor subsequently stopping as described above. The emergency key 87 when operated brings about the stopping of the machine, at the D position and re-starting is effected as before by means of the key 71 unless the end of a card group has been reached in which case re-setting must first take place. In order to re-start the machine automatically when the counters have been re-set, the starting key may be kept down by a thumb lever 133. If it is desired to dispense with the group indication and use the indicator B as an ordinary registering counter the switch 9 is thrown to the left. This establishes and maintains a circuit through magnet 112 and also breaks the machine controlling circuit from the upper brushes 47 through the commutator 118 and magnets 94, 120. Specifications 27067/07 and 8635/08 are referred to.