Patent GB-580632-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to record-card-controlled printing machines
Filed: 1944-07-14
Abstract: 580,632. Typewriters &c. BRITISH TABULATING MACHINE CO., Ltd. July 14, 1944, No. 13541. Convention date, July 16, 1943. [Class 100 (iv)] [Also m Group XIX] In a cyclically-operated printing- machine controlled by record cards R in which data is recorded in each of two decks L, U, Fig. 11, by combination holes, and the cards are fed in succession past sensing-devices, each card is sensed twice to control the printing-machine, and means are provided, set either automatically or manually, whereby the data on the two decks of each card is printed either during a single cycle or during two cycles. In two-cycle printing, a " duplex " card with an additional controlling perforation 12 is employed, the items corresponding to the two decks being printed one below the other, and in single cycle operation, a " simplex " card without the additional perforation is used, the items corresponding to the two decks being printed sideby-side. The printing - mechanism is constructed as described in Specification 425,838 wherein typebars have alphabetical types interposed between numeral types and the type-bars are set by means actuated by electromagnets 95, Fig. 12, controlled by index-point perforations 0-9 for numeral printing, the bars being given a preliminary setting relatively to their carriers for letter printing by means actuated. by electromagnets 111 controlled by zone performations O, X, R. During normal or singlecycle printing, the drive from the main shaft 20, Fig. 10, is such that the cards are fed each cycle a distance equal to the card pitch (i.e. 3,600, Fig. 11), approximately the first third of which is slow during sensing and the remainder relatively fast. For this purpose, the shaft 20 has secured to it a counterweighted arm 21 carrying a two-armed lever 24 having rollers 25, 26 bearing on fixed cams 28, 29, a toothed-segment 27 on the lever engaging a toothed sector 33 fixed to a gearwheel 34 which is free on the shaft. The gear 34 drives a gear 35 on a shaft 36 carrying an arm 37, Fig. 8, with diametrically - opposite slots 38. Projections 39 on a.freely-rotatable arm 40 normally engage the slots 38, the arm 40 also carrying projections 41 always engaging slots 42 in arms 43 fixed to a sleeve shaft 44. The shaft 44 through gearing 45, 49, Fig. 4, drives four sets of feed rollers 50, 51, spaced a distance equal to the deck pitch (1,800, Fig. 11) and associated with sensing brushes A ... D. Sensing of the additional hole 12 by one or other of two brushes Ca or Ba, Fig. 12, causes an alternative drive which is operative for two cycles to be thrown into operation so that each card feed each cycle is only deck-pitch and is relatively slow during the whole time the duplex control is operating. In this drive, a gearwheel 129, Fig. 8, free on shaft 36 is driven from the shaft 20 by mechanism similar to that described for gearwheel 35 but designed to give the speed required, the gearwheel 129 having notches 131 into which the projections 39 are moved. For this purpose, the arm 40 is moved endwise by a lever 134, Fig. 9, engaging at one end an annular recess 132 in the arm 40, its other end carrying a roller 136 riding in a cam groove on a member 137 fixed to a shaft 138. A clutch dog 142 normally held out of operative engagement with a notched driving disc 148 by a pivoted latch 144 is released when an electromagnet 146, Figs. 9 and 12, is energised so as to rotate the cam member 137 and thus move the arm 40 endwise to change the drive. For a simplex card, the sequence of operations is as follows :-In the first cycle. the card R is fed from a hopper 13, Fig. 4, to rollers 15. During the second cycle, the card is advanced until its leading edge reaches brush C. No. circuits are completed during its passage through brush D because card contacts CL1, Fig. 12, at station C are not closed. Similar card contacts CL2 are situated at station A. At the beginning of the third cycle, the positions 9 to 1 pass under the brushes C, D but have no effect as contacts CF50 are open. As the zone holes O, X, R, reach the brushes, contacts CF50 are closed, magnets ZA, ZF are energised and contacts ZAa, ZFa, are closed and both zone magnets 111 energised. During the next cycle, the card decks U, L pass rapidly under brushes C, B respectively without sensing, until the leading edge of the card reaches brush A. In the following cycle, sensing of the 9 to 1 holes takes place by brushes A, B and circuits are completed through magnets 95 to complete the setting of the type bars and for printing to take place. If a duplex card follows the simplex card, the hole 12 is sensed by brush Ca which completes a circuit through a relay DR thus closing contacts DRa of a holding circuit. At the same time, relay DR opens contacts DRc so that relay ZA only is energised by the sensing at brushes C, D and the 2 zone magnet 111 only is energised. In the next cycle, the front edge of the duplex card reaches the brush A in a similar manner to the simplex card, as the normal drive is still operating. During the rapid movement, cam contacts CB4 close while contacts DRb are closed, and a circuit is completed through relay DS and clutch magnet 146. Relay DS closes contacts DSa to provide a holding circuit, and magnet 146 changes the drive as already explained. At the beginning of the next cycle, brush A senses the 9 to 1 holes of the deck L and completes a circuit through 2 magnet 95 to print the data corresponding to this deck. Immediately after, brush B senses the zone holes of deck U, causing relay ZB to operate thus closing contacts ZBa and energising the 2 zone magnet 111. At the end of this cycle, the front edge of deck U of the duplex card is adjacent to the brush A, so that in the following cycle, the 9 to 1 holes are sensed thereby, 2 magnet 95 energised and printing takes place. If a simplex card follows the duplex card, the circuits are arranged so that zone and 9 to 1 holes of the decks L and U are sensed respectively by brushes B, A and C, B respectively. If, on the other hand, a duplex card follows another duplex card, the zone and 9 to 1 holes of both decks U, L of the second card are sensed respectively by brushes B, A. If it is desired to print a separate line from each deck of each card, regardless of the type of card, a switch SW is closed to maintain relay DS and magnet 146 continuously energised, and the brushes D, C are disconnected.