Improvements in Apparatus for Preparing Cards for use in Jacquard Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd May., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 29th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 4th Dec., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Preparing Cards for use in Jacquard
Machines.
I, ROBERT GARMANY MCCRUM, of Milford, Armagh, in the County of Armagh,
Ireland, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to apparatus for preparing cards of paper; cardboard, metal,
or other suitable substance, such as are used in Jacquard machines for weaving, and
the object of my Invention is to provide an arrangement whereby electricity can be
efficiently and practically used as the motive power for selecting the punches in the
proper order for making the required perforations in the said cards. According to my
Invention the selecting devices consist of stationary solenoids the moveable cores of
which, when the respective solenoids are energized by an electric current, will attract
and cause to move with them wires or pieces of metal connected with the punches so
that when, by the action of the machine, the moveable cores are acted upon, those
of them which are rendered magnetic, by reason of an electric current being passed
round the stationary solenoids thereof will cause the corresponding wires or pieces
of metal to act and to select the corresponding punches to make the holes or to avoid
making holes in the cards as may be required. The supply of the electric current
at the requisite times to the several solenoids may be effected by any suitable means
such as a pattern cylinder provided with contact makers arranged in an order
corresponding to that of the holes to be punched.
Dated this 2nd day of - 1002
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincolns Inn Fields London W.C., Agents.
Improvements in Apparatus for Preparing Cards for use in Jacquard
Machines.
I, ROBERT GARMANY MCCRUM of Milford, Armagh in the County of Armagh,
Ireland, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My Invention relates to apparatus for preparing cards of paper, cardboard, metal or
other suitable substance, such as are usel in Jacquard machines for weaving, and the
object of my invention is to provide an arrangement whereby electricity can be
efficiently and practically used as the motive power for selecting the punches in the

page_text: i
proper order for making the required perforations in the said cards. I have heretofore
endeavoured to attain this result by employing moveable electro-magnets the cores
of which were fixed in the said electro-magnets and were energised to attract
arinatures adapted to control the operation of the punches, but owing to the limited
space which is available in card-punching machines I found it impossible to use
electro-magnets of a size sufficient to exert the necessary power, as they would have
occupied a prohibitive amount of space. I have found, however that if, in place of
such electro-magnets, fixed solenoids be employed which act upon moveable cores
passing through them and connected to the punch-controlling devices, ample electrical
force can be obtained in the very limited space which is available.
According to my invention therefore I construct the selecting devices of a series
of stationary solenoids the core of each of which is formed in two parts in operative
connection, one, with a swinging frame, and the other with one of the bolts which
lock and release the punches, the arrangement being such that the perforation or
non-perforation of the card at any particular part or parts will depend upon the
particular solenoid or solenoids energised, this selective energisation being primarily
controlled by a movable electrically-conductive pattern surface.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a machine
embodying my invention and Figure 2 represent on a larger scale one of the solenoids
and its adjuncts and a connecting needle and hook.
A, Figure 1 is the main driving shaft on which are fixed the cam a and other cams
or eccentrics, hereinafter referred to but not shewn in the drawing, for working the
various parts of the machine. B is a fixed punch-block holding and guiding the
punches 6 for perforating the cards. C is a perforated plate through which the lower
ends of the punches 6 pass and which is carried at the upper part of a frame C..
provided at its lower part with an anti-friction roller c which bears upon the cam a.
The frame C is provided with either two ribs or projections c² (only one of which is
shewn in Figure 1) or a second perforated plate or frame for supporting the upper
'portion of an endless chain D each link of which is adapted to receive one of the
cards to be punched. The frame C2 is inounted so as to be capable of reciprocating
vertically in a fixed frame E which at its upper part supports the before mentioned
punch-block B.
To the rising and falling frame C I secure brackets c'c' the former carrying a
square roller G and the latter carrying a pivotted frame g. in which is mounted a
second square roller G2. The before inentioned endless chain D passes over the two
rollers GG and is maintained in proper tension by a spring g² which, by acting on
the pivotted frame g, always tends to move the roller G2 away from the roller G.
On the shaft of the roller G is secured a spur pinion which gears with a wheel g'
rotated by a ratchet wheel g5 and pawl g, the latter of which is pivotted to a lever G³
capable of rocking on the shaft g on which the wheels g and g³ are carried. The
shaft gis carried by an arm c³ secured to the above mentioned bracket c³ so that
this shaft together with the gearing g³ g¹ gỗ gº, rollers G G2 and chain D will, as one
body, ascend and descend in company with the rising and falling frame C. The
lower end of the lever G is connected by a link g, to a lever go to which at suitable
times a rocking motion is imparted through a rod glo and a cam (not shewn in the
drawings) secured on the shaft A; the lever g is pivotted to the fixed frame E and
the link g allows of the frane C2 and the parts connected therewith, being raised and
lowered, without the chain, and consequently the cards contained in the chain, being
moved in relation to the perforated plate C.
Within the punch block B I provide a series of bolts I, one for each of the
punches b; these bolts are adapted to move longitudinally so that they may either
-extend over the upper ends of the punches to prevent the ascent of the said punches
and thereby cause them to perforate the card when it is raised, or be withdrawn
from above the punches so that these latter may be lifted by the card and thereby
be prevented from perforating the card.
{
'
Hare the before inentioned solenoids which are suitably secured to, and insulated
from, the fixed framing E2 and each of which as shewn more particularly in Figure 2

page_text: s provided with a core formed in two parts h h of which the part is secured to a
brass or other non-magnetic or suitably insulated needle h³ and the part h³ is mounted
in the upper end of a swinging frame J pivotted at j to the framing E. The lower
end of the swinging frame J is pivotted to a rod through which it receives a
swinging motion derived from a suitable cam (not shewn in the drawings) secured
on the shaft A.
The core parts h² are capable of moving longitudinally in the swinging frame J
wherein springs h are provided for maintaining the said core-parts in their most
forward position or returning them to that position after they have been deflected
therefrom as for example during the descent of the griff K as hereinafter explained.
The eyes of the above mentioned needles engage with hooks so as to move
the upper ends of these latter into or out of the path of the griff bars k² so that
when the griff K is raised it will lift only those hooks, the solenoids appertaining to
which, have not been energised. The hooks /, at their lower ends, are connected by
links to bell-crank levers K2 pivotted to the frame E2 and each of which levers is
connected to one of the before described bolts F this arrangement being such that
only those punches will be caused to perforate the card, the hooks k appertaining to
which, are disengaged from, and not raised by the griff K.
The griff K is raised and lowered by means of a suitable cam (not shewn in the
drawings) secured on the shaft A the motion being transmitted from this cam to the
griff by means of the rod k lever k³ and link º.
L is a cylinder which, through suitable ratchet and pawl gearing and spur
gearing 13, 14, 15, 10, a link and the before described lever g, is partly rotated at
each rotation of the shaft A; this cylinder: is provided with a metallic conducting.
surface which, through a brush m conductors m² and battery or source of electricity M,
is in constant electrical contact with one end of each the solenoid coils H the
opposite end of which is in constant electrical contact, through a conductor n, with
reader" N, of which latter there are as many as there are solenoids.
8
The readers" N, formed preferably of copper, are suitably insulated from each
other and are all mounted in a frame N2 which, through a rod n³, lever n³ and a cam
(not shewn in the drawings) is raised when the cylinder L is rotated, and lowered
when the said cylinder is at rest, for the purpose of moving the "readers" N out
of contact with the surface of the cylinder L during the rotation of the latter and
thereby preventing the abrasion or damage of the insulating or non-conducting
varnish with which the said cylinder is coated; this coating is designed according
to the special arrangement of card perforations to be obtained or the pattern to be
produced.
When the "readers" N are let down on to the pattern surface of the cylinder L
an electric current will pass through those which are for the time being in connection
with the unvarnished parts of the said surface and therefore will excite the
corresponding solenoids If, producing magnetism in the two parts h h2 of the cores
thereof, which parts will then strongly attract each other, so that when the frame J
(which at that time should be close to the solenoids H) is next drawn back these
inagnetic cores will be drawn through the solenoids as far as necessary, and, through
the needles appertaining thereto, disengage the corresponding hooks from the
griff bars while the unmagnetized cores will not move their needles h³ and their
hooks will consequently remain on the griff bars 2; the griff will then commence
to rise bringing with it those of the hooks which have not been drawn off the
griff bars by their solenoids H. Each lifted hook / will withdraw the bolt of,
and consequently release the corresponding punch b so that the said punch will not
perforate the card, while all of the hooks k not lifted, will leave the corresponding
punches locked, and when the chain D is raised these locked punches will perforate
the card. When the rocking frame J is again returned to its normal position the
hooks will be carried into the path of the griff bars so that upon the next
descent of the griff the said hooks will re-engage with the griff bars, while the
weight of the bell-crank levers K' will serve to move the bolts F over the then-lowered

page_text: punches, and so everything will be ready for repeated action when a fresh set of
electric contacts is made.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what
clain is :-
manner
the same is to be performed I declare that what I
1. In a card punching machine the combination with the punches, a griff, means
for reciprocating the griff vertically, and a series of hooks in operative connection
with the griff and punches, of a series of stationary solenoids, a core formed in two
parts moveable in each of the solenoids, a needle connecting one of the core-parts
of each solenoid with one of the hooks, a pivotted frame carrying the second part of
the same core, means for swinging the frame in relation to the solenoids, a source
of electricity, a moveable electrically-conductive pattern surface and conductors
connecting the solenoids, source of electricity and pattern surface substantially as
set forth.
2. In apparatus for preparing cards for use in Jacquard machines the combination
of stationary solenoids with moveable cores, substantially as and for the purpose
herein before described.