Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-05-19
1000 cards. In front of each box is q
label stating its contents.
THE ELECTRIC TABuLArlxG MACHINE,

press or circuit-closing device, the dials
or counters, and the sorting boxes. The
press consists of q hard rubber plate.
provided with 3l6 holes or pockets, the
relative positions of which correspond
with those Of the holes IN the keyboard
and gang punches. Each of these
pockets is partially filed with mercury,
and they are thus in electrical connec-
ton, when the circuit is closed, with the
binding posts and switchboard at the
back of the machine. Above the hard
rubber plate swings u reciprocating pin
box, which is provided with q number Of
projecting spring-actuated points, $
hung as to drop exactly into the center
of the little mercury cups below. These
pins are so connected that when q
punched card is laid on the rubber plate
against the guides or stops and the box
is brought down all the pins that are
stopped by the unpunched surface will
be pressed back, while those that corre-
spond with punched spaces pass through,
close the circuit, and count on the dials.
The circuit is broken first through plati-
nun contacts at the back of the press.
In this way no difficulty is experienced
from the oxidation Of the mercury from
the spark, as would be the case without
this p%recaution.
The dials in front of each counter are
three inches square, and, as now made,
consist OF paper ingeniously coated with
~celluloid, insuring a smooth, bright,
clean face. Each dial is divided into 100
parts, and two hands travel over the face,
one counting units and the other hum
dreds. The train of clockwork is oper-
ated electrically, by meals of the cleo
tro-magnet, whose armature. as it moves
each time the circuit is closed, carries
the unit hand forward one division, while
every complete revolution actuates u car
rying device, which, in turn, causes the
hundred hand to count. In this way
each dial will register up to 10. 900. A
noteworthy feature OF these ingenious
little dials is that they can quickly be
reset at zero, while they are also remov-
able and interchangeable. The electrical
connections are made simply by slipping
them into the frames and clips.
SORTING BOX.
The third element in the system is the
sorting box, which is divided into nu-
merous compartments, each Of which is
kept closed by a lid. The lid is held
closed against the tension Of springs BY a
catch at the free end of an armature. If
the circuit is closed, by The press Oh the
machine, through an electro-magnet, the
armature is pulled down, releasing the
trigger of the lid, which is at once
thrown up by the spring, and remains
open until Tipped back by a slight touch
OF the operators hand. The connections
with the machine are made by means Of
the short cable at the left of the sorting
box. Wires are attached to binding
posts or a small board, but a minor
change has been made by which the
board is pushed in between contact clips
in the machine, thus saving valuable
time by obviating the necessity Of screw
ing unscrewing 50 many binding
posts whenever it is desired TO remove
the box for any reason. .
Ii it is desired to know in a given emu
meration district, or all of them, the
number of males and females, white and
colored, single. married, widowed, ETC.,
the binding posts of the switchboard corr
responding with these data are connected
with the binding posts OF the dials on
which these items are to be counted. If
it is also desired to assert the cards ac-
cording to age groups, for example, the
binding posts of the switchboard repre-
senting such groups are connected with
the clips into which the sorting box plug
fits. The circuits being prepared, when
a card is placed in position in the press
and the handle of the pin box is de-
pressed by the operator, SO that the Cir
cult IS closed through each hole in the
card, not only will the registration be
effected on the counting dials, but the
sorting box that has been selected for q
given age group is opened. The opera
tor releases the handle, removes the card
deity from the press, deposits it in the
open sorting compartment with the right
hand, and pads the lid down again, at the
same time bringing another card into
position under the press with the left
hand. 1t is done much more quickly
than it is described. When all the cards
in the case of any district have thus gone
through the press, the record taken from
the dials will show the number of males,
females, white, colored, ETC.. while the
cards will have been assorted into age
groups.
The machine automatically throws out
any card that is wrong. Suppose. for
instance, that the age or sex has not been
punched. Where there should be q hole
for the plunger pin to go through, closing
the circuit, the card is intact. The cir
cult is open, and the monitor bell just to
the left of the press, refuses to give its
signal OF correctness.
The mechanism of these three devices
is the wonderful invention of DR.. Herman
Hollerith, OF the city of Washington,
D. G. Many of these machines will be re-
quired. The building and adjusting of
these machines is now in progress by the
Tabulating Machine Company, under the
personal supervision of DIR. Hollerith,
who contracted with the Government to
furnish and maintain the efficiency of
these mechanical wonders for the taking
Of the Twelfth Census of this country.
1t is stated that the operation Of these
machines will effect a saving of SO per
cent over the old method of tabulating
and counting our people, besides a great
deal of time, which is very essential in
the taking of the Twelfth Census, which
is in part to be completed in twenty-five
months from the date Of commencement.