Patent GB-1080109-A (GB)
Title: Elements employing flexible strips for performing digital operations
IPC: G05B19/43
Filed: 1965-11-09
Abstract: 1,080,109. Binary to decimal converter. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION. Nov. 9, 1965 [Dec. 24, 1964], No. 47373/65. Heading G4P. [Also in Division F2] An element, such as a valve, for performing digital operations includes a support 11 defining a path 12 along which a selected portion of a strip 13 of flexible material is constrained for movement relatively to a fixed point 14 when a part of the strip is deflected into a cavity 16 by a source 21 of fluid under pressure. A second cavity 17 and fluid source 22 enables the strip to be returned to its initial position in which an aperture 25 is aligned with ports 26 and 28. The strip may also be actuated by opening and closing or applying vacuum to exhaust ports 18 while applying fluid pressure continuously to ports 19 and 20. By providing three or more cavities the tape may be caused to move to more than two positions. Alternatively, a strip of flexible material, such as spring steel, which returns to the flat condition when actuating pressure is removed may be used with the strip. In a further modification, the strip is mounted with upwardly curved ends in a block-like housing having crescent-shaped actuating cavities joined at their lower portions by a horizontal slot. A number of elements may be combined to form a binary to decimal converter having upper and lower walls (151, 152), Fig. 9 (not shown), provided with ten pairs of vertically aligned inlet and outlet apertures (153, 154) between which are five tapes (157- 161). Fluid signals corresponding to the binary representation of a number to be converted are supplied to tape actuating ports (165-168) before a gating signal is applied to the first tape (157) The elements may also be disposed in two groups in overlying relation at right-angles to each other to form a twodimensional switching matrix. An imperforate strip anchored at one end may be used as a transducer for converting a fluid input signal into mechanical movement of a member (175, Fig. 11) such as the latch of a cycle clutch of a typewriter. The force exerted by the strip decreases smoothly as the displacement increases and a spring 185 may be provided to assist the return movement of the strip. In a binary to decimal display and converter device, the strip (220, Fig. 13) has its ends rigidly attached by bolts (221, 222) to a housing (216) and carries figures 0 to 9 for display one at a time in a window (242) when binary fluid input signals are applied to one or more inputs (230, 231, 232, 233) to deflect the strip into cavities (225, 226, 227, 228) each of which produces twice the strip movement of the preceding cavity and is connected to atmosphere by an exhaust port (240). The strip may be reset by admitting fluid to a cavity (236). The strip may be provided with rows of apertures (247, Fig. 15) serving to control a fluid responsive device to permit read-out of the visually displayed information at a later time or conversion between two number systems. Alternatively the strip may operate optical, magnetic or electrical means for the same purpose.