Patent GB-736681-A (GB)
Title: Control mechanism for calculating machines
IPC: G06C21/00
Filed: 1951-12-24
Abstract: 736,681. Calculating-apparatus. EXACTA BUROMASCHINEN GES. Dec. 24, 1951 [Jan. 13, 1951], No. 30082/51. Class 106 (1). Control mechanism for a calculating-machine having a travelling paper carriage comprises a first control unit, mounted independently of the carriage but coupled to move in correspondence therewith, for determining the nature of the operations to be performed and a second control unit carried by the carriage for controlling its movements, the two units having several groups of control stops, contacts or the like and being jointly adjustable to select for effective operation corresponding ones of these groups in the two units. Thus, one of several alternative sequences of operations may be selected according to the form to be used. Movement of the paper carriage 4, Fig. 1, is controlled by removable and adjustable stops 6 on a selected one of the four faces of a, control unit B corresponding with four alternative forms. A second control unit A carries removable and adjustable stops 79 which determine the machine function. The unit A is cylindrical and an upper and a lower longitudinal row of stops are operative at a time, the unit being rotated through one step to bring the next rows of stops into operation as the carriage moves from one column to the next. As the carriage unit B is rotated to select a different one of the four groups of stops, the unit A is shifted axially so that a correspondingly different part of each stop 79 is operative, each stop having four adjacent control surfaces. The carriage unit B is removably mounted in brackets 8, Fig. 6, arranged to slide in slots 9 in walls 10 of the carriage. The shaft 7 of the unit is hollow to receive at each end a slidable stud 12, Fig. 2, having a knob 15 when the unit is in operative position. Blocking pawls 42 prevent the insertion of studs 12 until the shaft 7 is in place. In order to rotate the unit to select a different group of stops, the carriage is moved to its initial position in which a plunger 29 is operated by a fixed stop 37 and unlocks a hand lever 22. The latter is then rocked to remove a tooth thereon from a notch in a disc 19 keyed to one of the studs 12 and at the same time a portion 31 of the lever moves against the stop 37 to prevent movement of the carriage. The unit may then be re-set by the knobs 15, a pawl 23 co-operating with the disc 19 to locate it in the new position. As the unit is rotated, teeth on a disc 18 fast with the disc 19 engage a toothed wheel geared to a rack 34 which rocks a lever 36, the other end of which engages a sleeve 35 of the unit A. Thus the latter is shifted axially according to the setting of the carriage unit B so as to render the appropriate parts of the stops 79 effective. Each face of the carriage unit B carries a pair of bars 44 formed with complementary notches positioned according to the column widths of the corresponding form. If desired, the bars 44 may be built up from units. The two bars 44 engage a wheel 45, Fig. 1, having two corresponding sets of teeth so that as the carriage is moved from one column position to the next, the wheel is rotated by one step. The wheel 45 is geared to a wheel 52 of the unit A which is consequently rotated through one step for each step of the wheel 45. The unit A comprises a cylinder 60 mounted for axial movement at one end on a bearing 66 and at the other end, by a guide ring 74 pin-and-slot connected to the sleeve 35 in which it is arranged. The sleeve 35 is itself mounted within the gear 52 and is pin-and-slot connected thereto to permit relative axial movement. An end plate 72 having a knob 73 is bayonet-joint connected with the sleeve 35 and maintains the cylinder 60 in position. By removing the end plate 72, the unit A may be removed, a guide ring 69 at its inner end co-operating with a shield 81 to prevent damage to the stops 79. The upper and lower rows of stops 79 are sensed simultaneously by feelers 82, 83, Fig. 12, pivoted in frames 84, 85, coupled by arms 88, 89 and rocked to engage the feelers with the stops by a cam-controlled link 108. The feelers exercise their controls, e.g. positioning a bi-chrome ink ribbon, Fig. 1, by means of links 94, 95. When a feeler 82 or 83 is effective, a corresponding switch 116 or 117 is closed to light a corresponding lamp to indicate the nature of the machine function automatically selected. Latches 118, 119 hold operated switches closed until early in the next machine cycle when the latches are rocked by cam-controlled operation of a frame 128, 130.