GB1450283A - Data processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

1450283 Sorting data INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORP 4 Jan 1974 [2 Feb 1973 (2)] 00491/74 Heading G4M Data having a class address is entered at random into a recirculating shift register store 1. Each class address may be associated with a plurality of items of data which are to be read out in each class in the order in which they were entered, e.g. the data may represent cheques. Data from a keyboard or from a reader is fed to an input register 12 serial by character with the bits of each character in parallel. The register 12 has one more stage than is required to hold the characters from each document and this stage 20 holds the class address for the document supplied from encoder 19. The store 1 is supplied with a code BOC identifying the start of the store and is filled with blanks. During circulation of data in the store detection of a BOC code by unit 50 and of a blank by unit 51 causes AND gate 6 to be inhibited and the data from register 12 to be synchronously shifted into store 1. A counter 48 counts the number of shifts to stop further entry when the data is all entered. Documents from which the data is taken are sorted into respective pockets and when a pocket is filled a switch 31-1 to 31-u is operated to generate readout of the store. The switches feed an encoder supplying the class address to register 35 which is coupled to comparator 78 which also receives the output of memory 1. When the addresses agree data is read from store 1 and printed by printer 40 on to tape 47. When all characters in the store have been read and the space signals are detected the tape 47 is advanced, torn off the roll and fastened round the records taken from the full pocket.