Patent GB-655782-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to record card controlled statistical machines
Inventor: EXCELL ARTHUR WILLIAM
Filed: 1948-11-16
Abstract: 655,782. Statistical apparatus. POWERS-SAMAS ACCOUNTING MACHINES, Ltd. Nov. 16, 1948, No. 29807. [Class 106 (i)] [Also in Group XVI] A machine for printing on a statistical record card comprises sensing means and printing mechanism, means to feed record cards in succession through the machine, a first stop means to locate a card in position to be sensed, a second stop means to locate a card in position to be printed on, means to transmit to the printing mechanism data sensed by the sensing means, and control means selectively operable to condition each said stop means and the printing mechanism to permit printing either on a card from which data is sensed or on a card fed through the machine in precedence to a card from which data is sensed. The machine is of the general construction described in Specification 478,597. Cards are fed in succession from a magazine 1, Fig. 1, to a sensing chamber 4, Figs. 1 and 4, located therein by a stop 5, sensed by means of a sensing pin box, fed to printing position, located therein by a stop 6, printed on, and delivered, type wheels 10 are set by slides 7 controlled by the sensing means, a pin 88 is operated to detect the absence of a card in printing position and stop the machine, hammers are actuated to strike transmission rods 11 and move an ink ribbon and a card against the type wheels, latches 130 are provided to prevent the actuation of the slides 7, and the machine is driven by a motor by means of a control shaft 12, as described in Specification 478,597. Card receivers 152, 153, Fig. 8, are provided, comprising plates 154 on spindles 155, and springs 156, so that the weight of the cards depresses the plates. The receiver 152 has a pivoted shutter 157 carried on a spindle 158 to which is secured a plate 162 having a resilient connection with a plate 159 controlled by a Bowden wire 161. When the machine is used to print on the perforated record card, a lever 166 is positioned with a latch 171 in a notch 174 so that an abutment 167 acts on the plate 162 to retain the shutter open, the cards passing into the receiver 152; with the latch in a notch 172 so that an abutment 168 acts on the plate 162 to retain the shutter closed, the cards pass thereover and into the receiver 153. When the machine is used to print on a preceding card, the latch 171 is positioned in a central notch, leaving the shutter to be controlled by the Bowden wire, which is periodically actuated to open and close the shutter so that the preceding printed data cards pass into the receiver 152 and the following perforated record cards into the receiver 153. The stop 6, Fig. 1, is longitudinally adjustable according to the line position on the card that it is desired to print, being rigid with a block 75 and abutting a locating plate 76 having lateral wings to engage in slots in a fixed plate 78. On depressing the plate 76 to disengage the slots, the stop 6 and block 75 are slidable along a plate 71 fixed to a spindle 72. An auxiliary shaft 13 is provided, which by means of a clutch can be engaged with or disengaged from the main control shaft 12 by means of a hand lever 29. The clutch is such that the shafts 12, 13 can engage in one of two opposite relative positions, the shaft 13 rotating at half the speed of the shaft 12. The shaft 13 actuates the Bowden wire 161 by means of a cam. In operation, when the machine is used to print on the perforated record card, as in Specification 478,597, the shaft 13 is disengaged. During each revolution of the shaft 12 a card is fed to the sensing chamber, and the preceding card is sensed, fed to the printing position, printed, and delivered to the receiver. The stop 5, Fig. 4, is controlled by a cam 44 on a shaft 45 driven from and at the same speed as the shaft 12 and bell-cranks 41, 49, actuating a rocking lever 37 by means of a pin 50 and spring 48. The stop 6 is controlled from the shaft 12 by a cam 55, a longitudinally slidable plate 57 having an abutment 62, a link 63, a rocking plate 67, and member 68 thereon engaging a pin 69 on brackets secured to the plate 71, a spring 74 round the spindle 72 urging the stop upwards. The pin 88 is actuated from the shaft 12 by the downward movement of a link 93. When the machine is used to print on a preceding card, the shaft 13 is engaged. The stop 5 is controlled additionally by a cam 52, Fig. 4, on the shaft 13 actuating a roller 53 and is maintained in stop position after it is released by the cam 44. The stop 6 is controlled additionally by a cam on the shaft 13 which acts on a lever 81 and causes a link 87 to move the link 63 down out of alignment with the abutment 62, so that the stop is not retracted thereby. The lowering of the link 63 also causes an arm 96 of a bell-crank, pivoted at 97 to a stud on the frame passing through a slot in the link 93, to move into alignment with a pin 99 on the link 93, so that the detector pin 88 is not operated. When an unperforated card is in the sensing chamber, since a no-card detector pin associated with the sensing means cannot pass through it, the latches 130 would normally be released by means of an arm 141 and an arm 136 to allow setting of the type wheels and through a lever 124 to allow actuation of the hammers. This is prevented by a link 150, which is moved downwards by means of a cam 151 on the shaft 13 and prevents the movement of the members 136, 124. Alterna tive perforated record cards and unperforated data cards are stacked in the magazine. During the first revolution of the shaft 12 a special card placed at the bottom of the stack and notched to allow the passage of the no-card detector pin associated with the sensing means is fed to the sensing chamber, the slides and hammers not being actuated. During the second revolution of the shaft 12, the special card is fed to the receiver and a data card to the sensing chamber, the link 150 preventing the operation of the printing mechanism and the arm 96 preventing the operation of the detector pin 88. The shaft 13 has now completed one revolution. During the third revolution of the shaft 12, the data card is fed to printing position, a record card is fed to the sensing chamber and sensed, and the printing mechanism operates to print the data card, while the stops 5, 6 are held in stop position first by the shaft 12 and then by the shaft 13. During the fourth revolution of the shaft 12, the stop 5 is retracted, and when the record card has almost caught up with the data card the stop 6 is retracted and the cards are fed in close succession to the receivers, while a second data card is fed to the sensing chamber. This process is then repeated during every two revolutions of the shaft 12. Specification 401,012 also is referred to.